seventy
The icy touch from his fingertips was like a red-hot branding iron, searing into Xuan Yuan Tianyi's heart. It was not just the coldness of his skin, but the deathly stillness of life utterly lost and soul scattered.
Her body swayed violently, her vision blurred, and the long-suppressed metallic taste in her throat surged into her mouth. She forced her head to turn away, swallowing the mouthful of blood back down. Only a trace of crimson blood spilled from the corner of her lips, leaving a shocking mark on her snow-white face.
She didn't cry, didn't shout, and didn't even let out a sob. Only her eyes, which always held a languid and indifferent quality, were now unfathomable, filled with an endless, chilling despair and deathly silence.
She slowly, very slowly, sat down on the edge of the couch, her movements so gentle as if afraid of disturbing the sleep of the person on the couch. She reached out and gently brushed away non-existent dust from Zhan Zhao's forehead with her fingertips, smoothed the few stray strands of hair at his temples, and then gently took his already cold and stiff hand, pressing it against her equally cold cheek.
“I’m back,” she said softly, her voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping, so soft that only she could hear it. “I’m sorry… I’m late.”
The room was deathly silent, save for the occasional crackling of the candlelight. From the courtyard outside, intermittent, suppressed sobs echoed, further emphasizing the stagnant atmosphere within.
Leng Moyan leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, his pale blue hair appearing somewhat dull in the dim light. He stared at Xuan Yuantianyi's back, which seemed devoid of all its soul, his brows furrowed, his eerie peach blossom eyes now filled with a deep, somber weight. He could sense that Xuan Yuantianyi's state was extremely abnormal; it wasn't simple sadness, but a kind of... deathly stillness teetering on the brink of collapse, carrying an aura of destruction.
Jiang Yuan maneuvered his wheelchair silently into the room. He looked at Zhan Zhao, who was already lifeless on the bed, and then at Xuan Yuan Tianyi, who seemed to have turned into a stone waiting for her husband. He sighed softly and said gently, "Tianyi, please accept my condolences. Zhan Zhao... did his best."
Xuanyuan Tianyi neither turned around nor responded. She simply remained in that position, motionless, as if the entire world had nothing to do with her.
Bai Yutang struggled to the door, but Leng Moyan stopped him with a raised hand. Looking at the scene inside through the threshold, tears welled up in his eyes again. He suddenly knelt on the ground, his hands digging into the earth, letting out a wild, painful whimper: "Cat...it's my fault...I couldn't protect you..."
Supported by Rong Wei, Zhao Zhen also reached the doorway. The young emperor looked haggard, his eyes sunken. He looked at Zhan Zhao, who lay peaceful yet cold on the bed, and then at the woman in red who seemed to have lost all life. Pain and guilt mingled in his heart. He opened his mouth, but found himself unable to utter a single word. Any comfort seemed so pale and powerless at this moment.
Just as everyone was immersed in boundless grief and despair, Xuanyuan Tianyi suddenly moved.
She gently lowered Zhan Zhao's hand, carefully placing it back under the thin blanket, and tucked it in a little more, her movements tender and meticulous, as if handling a fragile treasure.
Then, she slowly stood up and turned around.
Her face remained expressionless, pale and almost translucent, with only the smear of blood at the corner of her lips standing out starkly red. But her eyes had changed; they were no longer empty and lifeless, but held a resolute intensity that was almost insane, burning with a dark flame.
Her gaze swept over the crowd at the door, finally settling on Jiang Yuan and Leng Moyan. Her voice was terrifyingly calm, yet carried an undeniable power:
"I want to save him."
The simple four words resounded like thunder in the deathly silent room.
Everyone was stunned, staring at her in disbelief.
"Tianyi..." Jiang Yuan frowned, his tone tinged with persuasion, "Guard Zhan's soul has been scattered, his heart meridians destroyed, and his life force completely severed... This is fate, beyond human control. You..."
"Destiny?" Xuan Yuan Tian interrupted him, a faint yet icy smile curving his lips. "My Xuan Yuan clan protects this so-called destiny. But if this destiny tries to take away my loved ones, then I will... defy the heavens!"
Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was forceful, carrying a kind of destructive obsession and madness.
"Defying the heavens?" Leng Moyan finally spoke, his voice low and deep. "What do you intend to use to save us? 'Star Soul Return to Origin'?"
Upon hearing these four words, Jiang Yuan's expression changed drastically: "No! Tianyi, you're insane! That's a forbidden technique of the Xuanyuan clan! It requires the bloodline of a close relative as a catalyst, burning all the caster's life force and soul essence to snatch life from the heavens! This technique goes against the heavens and will inevitably backfire. Even if it succeeds, the price is too high!"
Although the people outside did not know exactly what "Star Soul Return to Origin" meant, they all knew from Jiang Yuan's words that it was an extremely dangerous and costly technique, and their expressions changed.
"The price?" Xuan Yuan Tianyi's gaze returned to Zhan Zhao's serene face, his eyes instantly softening yet carrying a heartbreaking resolve. "Some prices must eventually be paid."
She raised her hand and gently stroked her swollen belly, where a small life was stirring restlessly.
"But before that," she turned to Jiang Yuan, her eyes clearer and calmer than ever before, "I need your help, Jiang Yuan."
A strong sense of unease welled up inside Jiang Yuan: "What are you going to do?"
Xuanyuan Tianyi's gaze calmly fell on his abdomen, his tone indifferent as if he were discussing something unrelated to himself:
"Induce labor for me."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
