Sixty-eight
The blue light that Leng Moyan transformed into, like a comet tearing through the sky, carried the anxious Xuan Yuan Tianyi, hurtling towards Bianjing at a speed almost like burning his very essence. The wind howled mournfully in their ears, and the mountains and rivers below blurred into a flowing mass of color.
Xuanyuan Tianyi leaned against the protective barrier formed by the halo of light, her face even paler than when she was in Ailao Mountain. The exhaustion from depleted spiritual energy, coupled with waves of sharp pain in her abdomen, nearly made her faint. But she bit her lower lip tightly, relying on her stubborn willpower to hold on, her beautiful eyes fixed on the north, as if they could pierce through thousands of mountains and rivers to see the city she longed for, and that person.
The terrifying tremor deep within her soul not only didn't lessen, but grew clearer as they drew closer, like cold vines coiling around her heart, tightening ever more, bringing a suffocating pain. She could feel that Zhan Zhao's life force was fading at an alarming rate, like a candle flickering in the wind.
"Faster... Mo Yan, please go faster..." she murmured unconsciously, her voice so faint it was almost swallowed by the wind.
Leng Moyan remained silent, but the blue light around him surged again, increasing in speed to a level that seemed to exceed his own limits, causing subtle fluctuations to appear at the edges of the halo. He could feel the weakness and warning coming from his body, but at this moment, he couldn't care less about that.
Just as they were pushing themselves to the limit, the Xuanyuan family's secret guards, in the relay, finally spotted that familiar blue streak of light in the distance above a desolate plain. He channeled all his inner strength, his voice roaring like tearing silk, piercing through the wind:
"Master! Urgent report from Bianjing! Lord Zhan, he—"
The sound was intermittent, yet it was keenly picked up by Leng Moyan. The stream of light suddenly stopped, hovering in mid-air. The halo dispersed slightly, revealing Xuan Yuantianyi's bloodless face.
"Speak!" Her voice carried authority, and despite her weakness, it still possessed a formidable power.
The guard, panting heavily, caught up and knelt on one knee mid-air: "Return home, Master! Lord Zhan was ambushed by the Black Witch Cult while investigating a case at Guanyin Pavilion in the west of the city. He has been poisoned by a strange poison called 'Heart-Corroding and Bone-Corroding,' and his life is in danger! Mr. Jiang Yuan has arrived in Kaifeng Prefecture and, using his secret golden needle technique combined with His Majesty's true dragon blood, has forcibly prolonged Lord Zhan's life, but... but the situation is still extremely critical. The poison has penetrated deep into his heart and bone marrow... Mr. Jiang said that he may... may not be able to hold on for more than seven days! I implore you, Master, to return immediately!"
The guard's words struck Xuan Yuantian's heart like a series of thunderclaps!
An ambush at Guanyin Pavilion! A deadly poison that corrodes the heart and bones! Life hangs in the balance! Less than seven days to live!
Every word was like a red-hot dagger, stabbing cruelly into her heart. Although she had a premonition, hearing the exact news still sent a shockwave through her, making her vision blur and a metallic taste rise in her throat, which she forced down.
Seven days... What day is it today?
She suddenly looked up at the guard, her eyes sharp as knives: "What day is it today?"
The guard, startled by the gaze, quickly replied, "Reporting to Master, today... is the fifth day!"
Day 5!
There are only two days left until Jiang Yuan reaches his predicted limit!
A wave of immense panic washed over her, chilling her to the bone. Two days! Even at Leng Moyan's current speed, it would take at least a day and a night to get back to Bianjing from this wasteland! And Zhan Zhao… could he even hold out until then?
"Go!" Xuan Yuantianyi shouted to Leng Moyan without any further hesitation, his voice slightly distorted by extreme anxiety.
The blue light surged again, even carrying a hint of resolute determination that disregarded its own power. It moved at an even faster speed than before, transforming into a thin line in the sky that was almost invisible to the naked eye, shooting towards Bianjing.
In Kaifeng Prefecture, in Zhan Zhao's room.
The atmosphere was as oppressive as solidified lead. It had been five days, and Zhan Zhao's condition had not improved; on the contrary, it was deteriorating rapidly.
The forcibly activated "yang energy" was rapidly depleting. The fleeting vitality on his face had vanished completely, replaced by a deathly bluish-gray. His breathing became extremely weak and slow, with increasingly longer intervals, as if each exhale might be the last.
Sitting in his wheelchair, Jiang Yuan frowned, and once again administered acupuncture to Zhan Zhao, attempting to stabilize his fading life force. However, the effect was minimal once the needles touched his skin. He withdrew his hand, gently shook his head, and whispered to Zhao Zhen, whose eyes were sunken and whose gaze was bloodshot, and Bai Yutang, who stood guard beside him, "Your Majesty, Young Master Bai... his life force is almost gone, and the evil poison has begun to backfire on his heart and soul... I'm afraid... it will be within the next day or two."
Zhao Zhen swayed, and Rong Wei quickly supported him. This young emperor, who had not slept for several days, was now at his last gasp. Looking at Zhan Zhao, who was barely breathing on the bed, his eyes were filled with unfathomable pain and helplessness.
Bai Yutang suddenly grabbed Jiang Yuan's arm, his voice hoarse like a broken gong: "Mr. Jiang! Is there really no way at all? Even if... even if we can hold on for a few more hours! Tianyi will be back soon! She must have a way!"
Looking at the almost frantic plea in his eyes, Jiang Yuan felt a pang of pity, but could only tell the truth: "Young Master Bai, it's not that I'm unwilling to do my best. Guardian Zhan's heart meridian is like rotten wood, his life force exhausted. He's only hanging on by his will and that last bit of imperial purple energy... He's on the verge of death, beyond the reach of medicine and acupuncture. Unless... unless Tianyi's spiritual power is protecting him right now, perhaps... but..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.
A distant source of water cannot quench a nearby fire.
Hope, like sand slipping through one's fingers, is rapidly slipping away.
The sixth day, at dusk.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window lattice, casting a dim, yellowish light in the room, carrying a sense of desolate desolation.
Zhan Zhao's breathing was so weak it was almost imperceptible, and the rise and fall of his chest was so long it was agonizing. His fingers unconsciously curled slightly, and his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.
"Cat! Cat, wake up! Hold on! Tianyi will be back soon! Can you hear me!" Bai Yutang rushed to the bedside, his voice trembling with sobs, calling out to him again and again.
Zhao Zhen also bent down, tightly grasping Zhan Zhao's cold hand, his voice low and hoarse: "Zhan Zhao... hold on... I order you to hold on... You promised to wait for Tianyi to return... You haven't seen your child yet..."
As if hearing their calls, Zhan Zhao's tightly closed eyelashes trembled violently. He seemed to be using all his strength to try to open his eyes, but ultimately failed. A crystal tear silently slid down from the corner of his eye and disappeared into his temple.
Then, the hand that Zhao Zhen was holding twitched slightly, as if trying to squeeze back, but ultimately it let go helplessly.
That faint, almost imperceptible breath, under the desperate gaze of the crowd, gently, very gently, ceased.
His chest no longer rose and fell.
Inside the room, time seemed to stand still for a moment.
The medicine bottle in Gongsun Ce's hand fell to the ground with a "crack" and shattered. Wang Chao, Ma Han, and the other four captains suddenly knelt down, tears welling in their eyes. Rong Wei turned his head away, unable to bear watching any longer.
Bai Yutang stared blankly at Zhan Zhao's peaceful yet lifeless face, as if he couldn't understand what had happened. He reached out, his hand trembling, to check Zhan Zhao's breath again.
No.
There was no more of that faint airflow.
"No—!!!" A heart-wrenching cry finally burst from Bai Yutang's throat. He suddenly hugged Zhan Zhao's still warm body and howled like a wild beast that had lost its cub.
Zhao Zhen remained bent over, motionless, his knuckles white from gripping Zhan Zhao's limp hand. He slowly closed his eyes, and two streams of hot tears finally burst forth uncontrollably, sliding down his haggard cheeks.
Outside the window, the last rays of the setting sun completely disappeared below the horizon.
Night fell.
At the same time, a hundred miles outside Bianjing City, a blue streak of light fell like a meteor onto the official road, revealing Leng Moyan, who had already transformed into human form, and Xuan Yuantianyi, who was almost unsteady on his feet.
The excruciating pain in her heart reached its peak at that moment.
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