Chapter 84 Southern Yue - Star River Tracker (Part 3) A day apart feels like...
Wu Xiutang suddenly raised his eyes, his sharp and piercing gaze landing on the starry sky above him as if it were a tangible thing.
Qi Lingyu was startled. Even though she knew that the two were several feet apart and there was a starry sky ceiling that blocked one-way vision, she still felt her scalp tingle from that gaze and staggered. She was only able to regain her balance when the palace servants helped her in time.
Her ornate nail guards dug into her palms, almost drawing blood. Her lips were cold, and her face was grim: "Back to the palace! Back to the palace!!"
She wasn't questioning the High Priest's abilities, but nothing is absolute. She had already walked this path of no return for so many years, and she wouldn't allow any accidents to happen, much less allow anyone to threaten Hua'er's position.
If it were true, she shifted her gaze uneasily, her gentle face subtly distorted in the shadows.
Then let them all go to hell.
---
Shi Xianxue felt that Pei Huaguang's work efficiency was a bit poor.
She waited for at least two whole hours, until the sun was high in the sky, her mouth was dry, but she still didn't see Pei Huaguang emerge.
She was a little annoyed. She stood at the door and shouted a few times, but the guards scolded her for making a sound. Seeing the gleaming spears pointed at her, she wisely shut her mouth.
As she and the guard stared at each other, Pei Huaguang's scream came from Tianyi Pavilion. The scream was short, sharp, and shrill, as if he had been frightened by a demon hidden in the dark, or as if he had been hit on the back of the head by a heavy object. After a series of rattling noises, they heard a muffled thud from a human body falling to the ground.
Thump!
The guard's expression immediately changed: "Your Highness!"
No response came from Tianyi Pavilion.
They were eager to save the person, but the guards of Tianyi Pavilion did not have the authority to enter the pavilion, so they were extremely anxious, like ants on a hot pan.
Only members of the Pei family and members of the Southern Yue royal family are allowed to enter Tianyi Pavilion. While the guards were at a loss and wanted to send someone to report to Pei Zheng, Shi Xianxue looked at the pale blue veins on her wrist and fell into deep thought.
Perhaps—Shi Xianxue tentatively reached out her hand.
Amidst the guards' changed-tone attempts to stop them, they were shocked to see the woman from another tribe pass through the Six Harmonies Formation unscathed.
Shi Xianxue had seen buildings like libraries before, but she had never seen such a dark and gloomy palace, whether in TV dramas or in local architecture.
The passageway was even more secluded than Yongxiang, and it was pitch black all around. There were no books or anything like that in sight. When Shi Xianxue looked up, she could only see a faint light coming from the coffered ceiling.
Enveloped in darkness, she cautiously groped her way forward, softly calling out Pei Huaguang's name.
A wave-like echo reverberated within the pavilion, and Shi Xianxue returned to her starting point.
She looked up at the mysteriously intertwined dragon caisson ceiling for a moment, and memories she had never encountered before suddenly surged up without warning.
She didn't remember being here, but her memory drove her actions, almost inexplicably—
Shi Xianxue cut her delicate index finger, and blood beads flowed like rainwater from the eaves back towards the intertwined golden dragon.
The gates of Tianyi Pavilion were finally opened completely.
Shi Xianxue looked dazed, then belatedly began to review the events.
If only members of the Southern Yue royal family and the Pei clan can enter Tianyi Pavilion, then the only way to safely pass through the Six Harmonies Formation is either a token proving the royal family's identity or bloodline.
She didn't have the Southern Yue token, so it could only be the latter...
But the blood flowing through her veins was clearly Wu Xiutang's.
Shi Xianxue pursed her lips.
I'm puzzled by my own suspicions.
She had never heard of the King of Nanyue having any other brothers or sisters, so Pei Zheng was undoubtedly the father, but Wu Xiutang looked so much like Qi Lingyu.
If Wu Xiutang is truly of Pei blood, why did the two kings of Nanyue react so strangely?
Suppressing her many questions, Shi Xianxue quickly calmed down and stopped overthinking.
The most important thing right now is to find Pei Huaguang.
The identity of the Crown Prince of Nan Yue can be set aside for now. It was because of her request that Pei Huaguang entered Tianyi Pavilion, and she absolutely cannot allow Pei Huaguang to get into trouble at this juncture.
The library was as tall as the building, and seemed to stretch endlessly into the distance. Glowing spores floated in the air, and wherever Shi Xianxue's gaze moved, the glowing spores would gather there.
Her vision was glowing abnormally, the world was upside down, and she felt a moment of weightlessness.
Gradually, her heart began to beat regularly again. Shi Xianxue continued to walk deeper into the library, step by step. She saw a dazzling array of books neatly stacked on the shelf.
The titles of each book are so familiar they send chills down your spine.
It was as if, in the dead of night, the fingertips had caressed the area a thousand times.
As she was marveling at this inexplicable sense of familiarity, a life-sized portrait abruptly entered her field of vision.
The portrait is very well preserved and has not been covered in dust.
The figure in the painting wore a black robe and had jet-black hair. His skin was as white as snow, and his eyes, like blue waves, stared at her with a half-smile. In this dark and gloomy environment, she felt a chill run down her spine.
Shi Xianxue suppressed her emotions and gradually approached. She saw a pair of uniquely beautiful eyes beneath the pale eyelids.
It really was him!
The man who appeared on the back mountain of Misty Peak was the one who injected the demonic bone into Sister Qing Shu's body.
However, her flamboyant appearance, like that of a seductive ghost, was not in line with Master Wu Xiutang's rule of seeking out ordinary people to possess.
Perhaps they are not the same person.
She met the mocking, disdainful gaze of the person in the painting again, and a sense of unease crept into her heart once more.
What is the connection between Lou Su and Wu Xiutang's master? If they are the same person, or if Lou Su is an incarnation of Wu Xiutang's master, would this person die so easily?
He was like a director in control behind the scenes, able to predict the future, set traps to lure them into the game step by step, and control the demonic bone, planting it into Song Qingshu's body.
The goal is to resurrect a remnant soul from one of the three thousand lifetimes.
But now, the Three Thousand Worlds have long since transcended the mundane world and can no longer be called a Dharma instrument.
She came from three thousand lifetimes and understood what an equal and prosperous world it was.
Will he be driven by others again after three thousand lifetimes?
The moonlight was cold and desolate. Inside the inn, the boy who had been sleeping seemed to sense something and suddenly sat up, his face covered in bruises. The scenery outside the window was no different from usual. He raised his eyebrows slightly, and a faint green light flashed in his eyes.
Within a few breaths, he finally sensed the presence of another aura and turned his head to look towards the direction inside the room.
Xiao Mei was sitting cross-legged on a chair, her hands tucked into her sleeves, staring at him.
Their eyes met unexpectedly in mid-air, as if a sharp sword was hanging over their brows. Zhou Zheyue's face was divided by the moonlight, in a state of half-light and half-darkness, making it difficult to see her expression.
Xiao Mei heard a cold, soft laugh.
"Perhaps I was too badly injured, for I didn't even notice your breathing for a moment." His words carried a light laugh as he leaned forward slightly. The dark green hue faded quickly in the moonlight, revealing only his gentle, smiling eyes. "Has no one ever taught you that you need someone's permission before entering their room?"
He still looked like the same boy from two days ago, but now his smile hid a knife, and his words and expressions were inconsistent, making him extremely aggressive.
The window was half open, and the cold wind blew up the corners of his clothes and hair. The smile on the boy's lips faded in the silence of the person opposite him.
Xiao Mei jumped off the chair and walked over, smiling as she handed over the porcelain bottle: "I've come to bring you medicine. Xue'er and the others have gone to the palace and won't be back for a while. We should get along well these next few days. Why don't I apply the medicine for you?"
Zhou Zheyue raised her hand to block, her smile somewhat cold: "No need, little beauty. Men and women shouldn't touch each other. I won't trouble you with this kind of thing in the future."
Xiao Mei didn't insist. She handed him the medicine and turned to leave, but stopped abruptly at the door. She turned back, putting on a smile again: "Taoist Master."
Zhou Zheyue's gaze slowly shifted from the medicine bottle back to her face, which was empty and held an impatient questioning tone.
"Actually, I wanted to say this as soon as I saw you. I felt like I recognized you. Of course, it's not because of your face. What I mean is..." She tilted her head with a smile, feeling her heart pounding faster and faster with excitement, "You always give me the feeling that we have a blood feud."
--
Fortunately, before things escalated, Shi Xianxue found Pei Huaguang first.
She didn't see the overturned bookshelf, but only the unconscious Pei Huaguang lying alone on the ground.
She ran forward two steps, only to be blocked by a transparent wall. She subconsciously touched the surface in her hand; it was soft and bouncy.
She tried to force her way in, but couldn't. She called out to Pei Huaguang through the wall, but he seemed to be dead and didn't respond at all.
Using fire, flooding, and swords... Shi Xianxue, panting heavily, rubbed her knees and realized that the transparent wall was completely undamaged.
Just as she was about to go out to get help, the air in front of her suddenly began to flow strangely. When she looked up, the surging air suddenly transformed into a transparent water sword that stabbed towards her brow.
Shi Xianxue was shocked and quickly dodged to the side, but unexpectedly, the water sword seemed to be given a divine sense, changed direction, and chased after her relentlessly.
During the dodge, Shi Xianxue recognized that this was the same attack pattern she had just used, but she didn't expect it to turn around and return to her. Could this formation have a reflection spell set up?
She was distracted, and when she turned back, the sharp water sword was already about to pierce her throat.
Shi Xianxue's heart tightened, and the water sword transformed into a handful of cool spring water that slid across the skin of her neck.
Shi Xianxue took a step back in a daze, looked up, and felt increasingly familiar with the way the barrier was set up, especially the faint logo that was illuminated by the light in the upper right corner.
No, isn't that the serpentine sacred mark of the Wushan God Clan?
Could Lou Su be a member of the Wushan tribe?
So Shi Xianxue tried to channel her spiritual energy into the sacred runes, and sure enough, she received a response.
On the transparent barrier, a line of small, crooked characters appeared, as if they had been carved in.
Who says these green beans are old?
Shi Xianxue: ? ? ?
She hesitated, tentatively, and carved the dragon sparrow stroke by stroke.
These green beans are amazing!
The disappearance of the small characters proved the answer was correct. The thin membrane-like barrier trembled and became more transparent. Her pupils dilated, and then a new line appeared.
【Cut the noodles only at the thinnest part】
Shi Xianxue's lips twitched as she continued engraving: Fate plays tricks on the gluttonous pig.
The bizarre and advanced secret code made Shi Xianxue suspect that Lou Su might not be Wu Xiutang's master, but rather her dearest compatriot from three thousand lifetimes.
After she finished replying, the barrier in front of her turned into a pool of water and flowed into Shi Xianxue's skin.
Its speed was so smooth and fast that she couldn't dodge it at all.
After waiting for two seconds and not feeling any discomfort, she stepped forward and squatted down to wake the sleeping Pei Huaguang: "Hey, wake up, you can't sleep here."
Pei Huaguang did not respond.
Shi Xianxue frowned slightly, lowered her body, and pressed her ear close to his chest.
Thump thump thump thump.
Grandpa's heart was beating faster than her heart was beating when she ran 800 meters.
Shi Xianxue straightened up and punched him in the chest. You brat, trying to play dumb with her, huh?
Pei Huaguang cried out in pain and sat up, clutching his chest.
His eyes were brimming with tears, and the corners of his eyes were red: "Fairy Sister, how cruel you are."
Shi Xianxue slapped him on the back of the head: "Stop talking nonsense and get up, we're going out."
As Pei Huaguang was being helped out of Tianyi Pavilion, the head maidservant beside the Queen came over at just the right moment. Seeing the two of them coming out of Tianyi Pavilion, she was thinking about the Queen's instructions and didn't react for a moment. She only said, "Your Highness, I've finally found you. Her Majesty has summoned you urgently. Please come with me."
After she finished speaking, she seemed to notice that the woman from another ethnic group was standing behind Pei Huaguang. She looked up at the glittering plaque and a look of doubt appeared on her aged face.
Upon hearing the Queen Qi's urgent summons, Pei Huaguang immediately became serious. He knew that his mother was in poor health; even a slight chill would trigger her cough, requiring several days of careful recuperation in bed.
So he didn't think much of it and was about to leave with Aunt Wang, but after walking a few steps, he remembered Shi Xianxue who had been neglected. He turned around and looked at her hesitantly.
Shi Xianxue waved to him: "Go ahead, I'll just wander around and come back by myself. Don't worry about me, see you tonight."
After sending Pei Huaguang away, Shi Xianxue strolled around the palace with ease, checking things as she went, and even pinpointing the dog hole on the city wall that was covered by weeds.
Looking up again, a long-desolate palace appeared before me.
The plaque was covered with a thick layer of dust, obscuring the characters. Weeds grew rampant in the courtyard, and a rusty lock remained on the main hall's gate.
She stared intently at the yellow talisman on the door, meant to ward off evil spirits. Just as she was about to take a step forward, the pool of water that had melted into her skin suddenly detached from her body and began to condense again in mid-air.
She seemed rooted to the spot, the faint white light reflecting the astonishment in her eyes.
As the sun set in the west, a wind began to blow, and the already desolate abandoned palace appeared even more eerie in the dim light.
When Wu Xiutang found her, Shi Xianxue was sitting on the steps, lost in thought. A figure was moving in front of her. When she saw who it was, she blinked a few times slowly and then slowly stretched out her hand in his direction.
Wu Xiutang raised an eyebrow, feeling pleased by Shi Xianxue's affectionate behavior. He half-squatted down in the last rays of the setting sun, wrapped his arms around her slender waist, and pulled her into his embrace.
A refreshing, cool fragrance instantly enveloped her. Shi Xianxue blinked, and heard the boy teasingly say, "Shi Xianxue, a day apart feels like three autumns?"
That's all you think of me?
Shi Xianxue didn't argue with him, but hugged him back and nodded vigorously: "Yes, I miss you, I miss you so much, I want to touch you, I want to kiss you hard."
Wu Xiutang: ...
His tone and expression were no different from usual; he was as audacious as ever, enjoying teasing him to the fullest extent possible. But... the boy frowned sensitively.
Why did he feel that she was a little unhappy?
So, what was originally intended as a reprimand for her for saying such indecent things in public, after a moment's thought, softened.
"Is someone bullying you?"
"Who would bully me? Why did you suddenly think that way?" Shi Xianxue wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled him affectionately. "I really missed you."
The warm breath brushed against the boy's innocent earlobe, and his heart melted instantly. At the same time, he wondered if he had been too hasty and neglected Shi Xianxue.
He slowed his breathing, his sharp eyes softened, and he said softly, "I left you a message because I have important things to do. I didn't mean to leave you alone."
"Of course I know. I didn't mean to blame you. It's my fault. I just miss you so much and want to see you so much." The girl in his arms was very understanding. She remembered what she had just seen and felt even more sad. She hugged Wu Xiutang tightly with pity.
"Will you sleep with me tonight?"
—
The Empress's palace was quiet and still. The palace lanterns had been deliberately extinguished, and only three white candles were lit. Pei Huaguang lay unconscious on the soft couch, his arms hanging down naturally. The blood droplets on his fingertips were collected into a glass bottle by Aunt Wang.
Qi Lingyu's expression was solemn as she drew mysterious runes in the air with her fingers. As she finished the last stroke, a wisp of black smoke drifted in from the southwest and entered the glass bottle.
Black smoke mingled with blood, and the glass bottle trembled in Aunt Wang's hands. The two forces collided, and a ghostly light shone in Qi Lingyu's eyes. She hadn't expected to succeed on the first try.
She gripped the jerky bottle, her vibrant nail polish highlighting the bloodless whiteness of her hand bones, making them appear like a malevolent ghost wreaking havoc at midnight.
"Help me kill the person who shares the same bloodline as Hua'er, and I will set you free."
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