Life collapses
This was the Qiankun State Banquet, with golden eagles on all sides, a crown and a simple clash of ceremonies, a rich table of food, and officials sitting there wiping their sweat from time to time. In front of him, Emperor Li Lie'ao slammed the table and stood up.
"I've already lost one prince, and now I have to lose another? You don't care about the people's affairs, but you insist on meddling in mine? Lin'er must come back alive!"
Zhai Jie said, "Your Majesty, as a Minister of State, I must be frank. The Crown Prince once seemed to be usurping power. The Louhuang Kingdom, under the pretext of our invasion, stirred up internal strife within the Imperial Family. Even though we are right, why not seize this opportunity to counterattack and force the Louhuang Kingdom to withdraw its troops? And at the same time, depose the Crown Prince?"
The ministers below passed the paper around behind their backs. One minister read it, then secretly passed it to the next. Then this minister stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the King of Qi is currently on the battlefield, stationed at the border. He is the perfect candidate for the crown prince. Therefore, you can publicly promise to rescue the crown prince, but secretly save him. Furthermore, if there's an emergency, you can depose the crown prince to appease the harassment from other countries."
Wei Chaoxian stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince must not be deposed. His talent is the foundation of the country. If it weren't for the Crown Prince's conquest of the country, there would still be rebels of all sizes and foreign vassals rebelling."
"Are you saying I'm not as good as him?" Wei Chaoxian took a step back. "No need to say more. I've made up my mind. I'll do as Zhai Pushe ordered."
Wei Chaoxian shook his head helplessly.
Elsewhere in Qiankun Country, the buildings in Le'an Town stood silently like wild beasts. Markets and towns were everywhere, with mansions and pavilions scattered in an orderly manner. People on the streets were walking in a hurry, as if avoiding the rain that was about to fall from the sky.
Inside the inn in Le'an Town, Chen Yun, a pretty, thin woman in her early twenties, dressed in patched clothes and with disheveled hair, fawned and begged for work from the innkeeper.
"Master, please be kind and let me do anything for you. Our family is no longer financially viable. Please allow me to stay and continue to look after you."
Hearing Chen Yun's plea, the shopkeeper's eyes were filled with disgust and disdain. He waved his sleeves, waving the gold bracelet and jade ring on his hand to sternly refuse: "Look at you, you are not good at physical work, and you have no special skills. You are useless to me. You are unclear in your speech in important occasions, which affects the image of the inn. What use do I have for you? And..."
Chen Yun's clenched fists trembled. She frowned, then responded without hesitation: "Okay! Stop! I've learned! It's better not to do it!"
After saying this, he turned around with staggering steps and left the inn alone, with the innkeeper's insults still echoing behind him.
Chen Yun trudged along the dimly lit road in Le'an Town, muttering to himself, "This is my tenth job! I've already given up my dignity and chosen a job I don't like, but why is it still like this? Do I have to work like a slave to be accepted?"
In this world of fickle human nature, just like this dark and cold world, Chen Yun couldn't help but shake his head and sneer.
When they returned home, their eldest brother, Chen Feng, was roughly dragged away from the mud-covered house by two soldiers. Their third sister, Chen Siyu, shook the soldiers' hands and begged with tears in her eyes.
When Chen Yun ran up to them, Chen Feng stroked Chen Siyu's head and said with a wry smile, "Yunyun, Siyu, big brother has evil thoughts in his heart, which led to him being tricked into a trap by a bad guy. I'm afraid he won't be able to escape in the short term. You must take good care of your parents."
Chen Ying was speechless. She knew that she could not stop the officers and soldiers from arresting her, and could only bear the self-blame and guilt alone. She knew that as a member of the family, she should have taken on more responsibilities, but now she was powerless.
But Chen Siyu couldn't. She tried to grab the soldiers to keep her family, but was pushed to the ground by them.
Chen Siyu, who was lying on the ground, stretched out his hand to try to stop him, "Brother! Don't take me away! Please!"
The person was being taken farther and farther away, and the person was lying on the ground crying more and more painfully.
Big Brother couldn't be replaced, and things were getting worse. Loud sounds of breaking came from inside the house.
Chen Ying ran in quickly.
The dim, simple, shabby interior was littered with broken tiles and debris. Huang Youbing, the mother, threw the table and chairs to the floor, then picked up her packed bag and cried out in despair, "My third daughter is a prostitute, my second daughter has no career, and my eldest son is smuggling salt! None of my three children has any future! Why do we have to live this way? I want to leave this house! I don't want to live with a frail old man anymore! I didn't marry you to suffer, Chen Lu!"
Chen Lu slammed the table and yelled, "Huang Youbing! I've never treated you unfairly! You..."
In a rage, Chen Yun snatched the bag from Huang Youbing's hand, walked to the door, threw the bag out, and shouted, "Get out! This family is suffering, don't come back!"
Huang Youbing left the house in a rage, and heard her sister's pleading voice outside the door.
Chen Yun's tears fell like rain, and he lost his voice. He glanced around the room. The dilapidated house in the yellow mud, the empty furniture cabinets, nothing else. If he had to use two words to describe it, it would only be broken and dirty.
Then he looked at his father, Chen Lu. Chen Lu clutched his chest in pain, then suddenly collapsed. Chen Yin's mind went blank at that moment.
Later, after being treated by a doctor, Chen Lu barely survived.
This broken family made Chen Siyu sit at the foot of Chen Lu's bed in despair. Her eyes were red in the dim light.
Chen Yin knelt on his knees at the head of his father's bed.
Chen Yun's inner struggle and pain reached a climax. She thought about her broken family and everything she was powerless to change, and her heart was filled with self-blame and despair.
The next day, inside the dimly lit Chen home, a letter signed by Chen Yin was left. It read: "I'm tired. I can no longer tolerate this family. If I have the chance to make a name for myself, I'll come back. If I die outside, please don't worry." It was written by Chen Yin.
Reading the letter at the dinner table, Chen Lu and Chen Siyu finally burst into tears.
Chen Yun left home, wandering aimlessly through the suburbs. Her eyes were empty, and everywhere she looked was desolate. Weeds crisscrossed and swayed in the wind, setting against the dark sky.
Rain finally began to fall from the dark sky. The raindrops pounded the flowers and plants, rippled the riverbed, and filled everyone's heart with despair.
Chen Yan turned around and saw the town's memorial archway standing in the distance like a grain of rice. Chen Yan knelt down towards it.
Chen Yun finally walked into a ruined building in the rain. He curled up on the ground, shivering. And she, in charcoal, wrote the words "Ren Shang Ren" (people who are superior to others) on the ground.
Chen Yun once again indulged in self-blame, thinking in his heart: "I'm sorry. Aye, A'mother, A'brother, Xiaoyu. I'm sorry..."
The memory ended, and the sky seemed to have no sign of rain. The darkness reflected dark clouds, and the dark clouds revealed sunlight, which curtained the ruins. And within these ruins, through the faint light, one could see spider webs, rubble, and scattered dust and hay.
"That's why I'm here. So, big brother... Your Highness, I'm not your enemy. If you want to blame someone, blame that old man. He was the one who called you Your Highness. Also, can you put down this sword?"
The one who said this was Chen Yin. After explaining her origin, she tried to twist the sword on her neck with her fingers.
The man holding the knife was none other than Li Lin, the crown prince of Qiankun Kingdom. He was dressed in fine attire, his brows sharp and his eyes pierced with swords, revealing an innate dignity and confidence. His thin lips, pursed beneath a high nose, gave him a face as sculpted as a handsome figure.
Li Lin pointed his sword at a sage-like old man meditating in a dark corner. This man was Shoucheng. He said calmly, "I am the only current heir to the Yuantian Sect. I am known as Shoucheng. Your Highness, have you explained this clearly?"
Li Lin remained silent. He still had doubts. "The Yuantian Sect is a world-renowned hidden sect of great wisdom. Its members are knowledgeable about human intrigue, human hearts, mechanical engineering, the life cycle of all things, and the calculation and layout of things. Yet they are living in this dilapidated ruin? Could it be..."
Shoucheng saw that Li Lin was still confused, so he continued, "The jade pendant on your waist was made by the royal family, so I can guess it's almost right. Plus, I know how to calculate. From the Phoenix, into the Dragon, the meeting of the two will change the world. Instead of suspecting each other, why not take this opportunity to get to know each other better."
"I'm just an ordinary person looking for a job. My name is Chen Yun. Yun as in Shuiyun."
Li Lin lowered his sword and said, "You guessed it right. I am Li Lin, the crown prince of Qiankun Kingdom. I was hunted by Louhuang Kingdom, so I borrowed this place. I fell into your evil scheme and was contaminated by you."
Chen Yun stood up and pointed at Li Lin, saying, "Although you are the crown prince, you must distinguish right from wrong! I, a commoner, am already so miserable, and yet I have to endure this..." Then he scratched his head, grinned foolishly, and muttered to himself, "Although I can still experience my first time in life."
"It's pitiful to have a broken family and lost loved ones, but would you sympathize with a passing cockroach?"
"Isn't that because of you, the stingy people who eat people without leaving any bones, who think you are superior, forcing people at the bottom to eat the filth in the toilet?"
"How dare you, a woman, say such vulgar things? A cockroach is a cockroach."
Chen Yun stuck out his tongue and said, "I'm too lazy to tell you." He quickly walked up to Shoucheng and asked shyly, "Ancestor...um...can I become your disciple?"
Shoucheng stroked his beard and said, "Of course, Qiankun Kingdom will still need your support and governance in the future!"
Chen Yun immediately flew over and knelt down to kowtow: "Master, please accept my disciple's greetings!"
Li Lin looked at the two helplessly, thinking: "This guy really believes it?" Then he walked to a place to rest, while looking at the two, but saw Chen Yan's disheveled clothes that half exposed his naked body, and he couldn't help but recall the joy of love just now.
Earlier, when Li Lin arrived here, it was already dark. The light of the campfire caught his attention, and he saw Shoucheng and Chen Yun eating meat and drinking wine.
"Uncle! I didn't expect you to be so rich even though you look like a beggar!"
"Of course! I once held a small official position! Even an honest official like Sun Shuao would have gained some benefits. It is because of ordinary people that they have desires. With desires, they can gain more. I won't elaborate on what the gains are!"
The two saw Li Lin behind them, but Li Lin stood there and didn't dare to get closer.
Shoucheng looked at Li Lin, nodded with satisfaction, and then waved, "Young man, come and eat and drink together! There's nothing poisonous here, it's just beggar's food!"
Li Lin walked over and sat in front of the campfire, took Chen Yun's chicken leg and started eating. Then, slowly, the three of them started to shout loudly. Even though Li Lin pointed to his head to indicate that he was drunk, Shoucheng still forced him to get drunk.
Until there was nothing on the broken earthenware bowl, not a drop of water leaked out of the fallen wine pot, and Shoucheng lay down in the corner and fell asleep, Li Lin pulled Chen Yun to his side and let Li Lin stare at the person in front of him, just like:
Her slender waist seems to sway in the wind, and her fair skin and graceful figure are naturally charming.
Her starry eyes are full of affection in the smoke, and her charming smile is hard to describe.
The next moment, Chen Yun took off Li Lin's coat, and the two hugged each other, their warm lips close together, their eyes full of affection, and they lay on the ground, and the fire was ignited.
Li Lin's hot lips gently fell on Chen Yun's neck. Chen Yun's body trembled slightly, and a strange feeling she had never experienced before spread throughout her body. She subconsciously wanted to push Li Lin away, but her hands were weak.
Li Lin's kiss was like a dragonfly skimming the water, slowly moving up from her neck to Chen Yun's cheek, finally stopping at her lips. Chen Yun closed her eyes tightly, her heart pounding like thunder, her mind blank, and she could only feel Li Lin's hot breath and gentle kiss.
Li Lin's hands gently stroked Chen Yun's hair and back, his movements soft and careful, as if he was treating a rare treasure.
Chen Yun's body gradually relaxed, and he responded to Li Lin's kiss involuntarily, his hands slowly climbing up Li Lin's neck.
Their kiss became more and more passionate, as if they wanted to merge each other into their bodies, forgetting everything around them and immersing themselves in this ambiguous and beautiful moment until they were tired from fighting and fell asleep.
All of this seemed unbelievable, like a dream.
The next moment, Li Lin came back to his senses and shuddered.
Shoucheng smiled slightly, then said, "Disciple, I got you drunk just now on purpose. This is the first lesson I'm teaching you. Between strangers, three parts of the relationship are genuine and seven parts are fake. You must be on guard against others. One wrong step will lead to many more."
Li Lin drew his sword and pointed it at Shoucheng: "Then you should know what imperial power is, right?"
Chen Yun tapped the blade of his sword and said, "Don't mess with my master, you stingy guy. At worst, I can go to the village and get some contraceptive soup."
"Congratulations on guessing what the king wants. You have the potential to be an official."
Chen Yun rushed towards Li Lin with shining eyes: "Really? I am so capable?"
Li Lin said calmly, "It's just that he has the ability to flatter."
Chen Yun rolled his eyes, but heard a flood of noise outside. The three of them walked to the door and looked out. The soldiers who had arrived at the door had already surrounded them, and Shoucheng was even held hostage by the soldiers at knifepoint.
Li Lin glanced at Chen Yun, a hint of hesitation and sympathy flashing in his eyes. He looked at Chen Yun and thought, "Chen Yun is an innocent person. I can't let her be implicated. Forget it, let's just leave it to fate."
"As a human being, you always have to break through your own impossible goals. You go first. I might be able to escape soon!"
"No, looking for you?"
"I'm the only one here who can fetch the best price." Li Lin then walked forward and said, "It's me you want to capture! I'm here, let go of the innocent people!"
Chen Yun was struck by those words, as if he had opened his eyes to the light of the world. Wasn't this the feeling he wanted to persevere in?
Chen Yun ran out of the door and shouted, "Your Highness! The soldiers replied, and we are still three kilometers away! If you don't want to be killed, leave now!"
Li Lin looked at Chen Yan in surprise, "Are you crazy?"
"I don't think they'll let me go. It's more likely that I still feel I have a chance."
"How is that possible?"
Li Lin denied it, and Shoucheng also denied it: "That's not necessarily true."
No one understood what Shoucheng meant. Shoucheng said, "Brothers, since the soldiers are coming, why don't you take shelter in the temple first? We are willing to cooperate with you. At least spare our lives, okay?"
The soldiers looked at each other, then pushed Shoucheng in, and Shoucheng winked at Li Lin and the others.
Back at the ruins, Li Lin, Chen Yun and Shoucheng were cornered.
"Prince, apprentice, protect your heads, be prepared for an explosion." Shoucheng whispered, and then he took out a bag of powder and threw it to the soldiers. It instantly spread around them, forming a cloud of smoke.
Shoucheng took out a tinderbox and said to Chen Yin, "Disciple, while the enemy before you may be difficult to defeat, there's actually a chance of success. The same is true on the path of growth. This is the second lesson. Please remember it."
As soon as he finished speaking, Shoucheng threw the tinder into the powder. The next second, the entire ruins exploded.
"Run away!" Shoucheng gave an order, and Li Lin, Chen Ying and Shoucheng quickly fled the scene.
After the rain stopped and the sky cleared, they came to a cave to rest.
Chen Yun asked curiously, "Master, how did you do that explosion just now?"
Shoucheng was displeased. "That's the magnesium metal powder I've been saving for a long time! To create this dust explosion, ah, it's just tears."
Chen Yun asked again: "What is a dust explosion?"
"Dust will explode under certain conditions when it encounters fire. The conditions are: one, combustible dust, two, confined space, and three, more than 20% oxygen in the air. Forget it, you wouldn't understand even if I told you."
Li Lin secretly looked at Shoucheng, secretly admiring him in his heart, "It seems that he is really the successor of Yuan Tianpai!"
Li Lin came up to Shoucheng and asked, "Ancestor, I have a question for you. What does it mean to leave the Phoenix, enter the Dragon, meet the two, and change the world? Is having us have sex your evil intention?"
Shoucheng sat on the rock, then raised his head and looked at the two of them. His determined and hopeful eyes uttered a few words: "The people have not had a rest and recuperation for hundreds of years. I need you to lead them here."
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