Qing and the other two waited in place, and the moment the blood covered the area, the entire restriction instantly collapsed.
Qinghe was a little confused and looked at Shen Xun: "Why didn't you say this was the effect earlier? If the restriction is broken, wouldn't Mo Zhanli have become suspicious?"
Shen Xun said nonchalantly, "What's there to be afraid of? By then, we'll have already taken the Divine Pearl and fled far away."
Qinghe: "That's true, but what if?"
Shen Xun's lips curled slightly: "If things happen, we'll just have to take it one step at a time."
After saying that, he pushed open the door first.
The two followed.
Just as Changping had said, the room was completely dark, with only a portrait in sight and nothing else.
Qinghe took out the Wind-Fixing Pearl from his waist and held it in front of him. The pearl trembled slightly, and when he walked in front of the portrait, it trembled more violently and even emitted a faint light.
With the help of the light, Qinghe could see clearly the person in the portrait; it was a very beautiful woman.
Dressed in white, with long hair reaching her waist, she was breathtakingly beautiful even without makeup, especially her eyes, which were beautiful and captivating, like autumn waters brimming with affection, as if they could draw one's soul into them.
Qinghe admitted that this was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen since she came into this world.
The artist's skill is evident in how lifelike the portrait of the beautiful woman is.
Looking further down, there is a crack in the middle of the portrait, as if it had been torn, and some bloodstains. Perhaps because so much time has passed, it is not easy to see without careful observation.
The light of the Wind-Stabilizing Pearl became even more dazzling when Qinghe lingered on the bloodstain, as if something in the dark was guiding her. Unconsciously, Qinghe reached out her hand towards the portrait.
Shen Xun sensed something was wrong as soon as he entered. Seeing that Qing He's hand was about to touch the portrait, he suddenly shouted, "Don't touch it!"
Unfortunately, it was too late. The moment his fingertips touched the portrait, it suddenly burst out with a blinding white light. Qinghe couldn't dodge in time, and the Wind-Stabilizing Pearl slipped from his hand and was instantly sucked into the white light.
Mo Zhanli, who was reviewing memorials in the Imperial Study, suddenly looked up as if he had sensed something, and immediately got up and hurriedly walked outside.
In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the open space in front of the forbidden area.
The barrier was broken. He raised his hand and pressed it against his chest, but he felt nothing at all.
He habitually rubbed his fingers together; the wound on his fingertip hadn't healed yet, which reminded him of the injury.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he stepped into the room.
Everything in the room was as usual, except for the portrait, which remained unmarked.
Mo Zhanli released his aura inside the room, and only after confirming that he hadn't sensed anyone did he finally feel completely at ease.
He walked up to the portrait, his coldness gone, replaced by a look of utter infatuation.
He raised his hand, his fingers gliding over the portrait with a tenderness I'd never seen before.
"Lingxi...I've come to see you..."
In the darkness, he murmured softly. At this moment, he was no longer a king, but an ordinary man longing for his lover.
...
In the dilapidated temple
Several people stood around the pile of firewood, their expressions serious.
Li Jiang and Mu Dong sat on one side, while Qing and the other three sat on the other side, their positions somewhat awkward.
Li Jiang: "You mean, not only did you not get the Water Control Pearl, you also lost the Wind Fixing Pearl?"
The three people opposite: "Hmm."
Li Jiang: "Are you saying that the Wind-Fixing Pearl was absorbed into a portrait?"
The three of them: "Mm."
Mu Dong: "Are you saying that you're enjoying the delicacies in the palace, but you didn't bother to give us any?"
The three of them: "Hmm...hmm?"
Li Jiang glared at him, then said to Qing He with a serious expression, "Just as you say, this portrait is very strange. Could it be some kind of divine artifact?"
Qinghe carefully recalled the tactile sensation when she touched the painting, and shook her head: "It should just be an ordinary painting, but I don't know what Mo Zhanli did to it."
Moreover, when she thinks back to the woman in that portrait, she feels that she looks somewhat familiar.
Li Jiang sighed, "If this doesn't work, it will be difficult to enter the palace again."
Qinghe wasn't too worried: "Mo Zhanli said he'd treat us to a banquet as a thank you for putting out the fire and saving lives. We can investigate again then."
Shen Xun sat to her left and scoffed, "It's just polite talk, you actually believe that."
Qing and Bai glanced at him and said, "Tsk."
Mo Junqian on the right picked up a piece of wood and poked at the fire, saying, "Even if we get into the palace, Mo Zhanli will definitely increase his vigilance after tonight, and may even set a trap for us."
Qing rolled her eyes again: "Tsk."
It might feel good to sabotage someone for a moment, but the truth of the matter is undeniable, leaving everyone at a loss.
Li Jiang broke the silence: "Let's rest first. Everyone is tired. Things will work themselves out. There's always a way."
The others agreed, tidied up briefly, and then went to rest.
In the middle of the night, when everyone was asleep, Qinghe slowly opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. The events that had happened in the palace kept flashing through his mind, finally settling on that portrait.
That crack, those bloodstains, and that stunning beauty. For some reason, she felt that something was amiss, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It was like buying a lottery ticket and anxiously waiting for the winning numbers to be revealed—a frustrating experience.
She has never liked complicated things, troublesome things, or roundabout ways, but things always develop in directions she can't predict, such as the divine pearl, the plot, and Mo Junqian.
She quietly turned her head, and Mo Junqian was sleeping not far away. Perhaps it was the unbearable memories of his childhood that made him instinctively feel uneasy even in his sleep. His brows were furrowed and his hands were crossed over his chest.
The sleeping Mo Junqian was less gentle and more lonely than usual, curled up in a corner like a pitiful puppy. If you didn't know in advance that he was the protagonist, it would be hard to imagine that the current Mo Junqian would become a world-destroying god later on.
Perhaps it was precisely because of this contrast that she became fascinated with this novel in the first place.
But what about now?
She always felt confident in distinguishing between reality and illusion, but as time went on, she became uncertain.
She slowly turned her head and continued gazing at the sky. In the lonely darkness, she sighed softly.
...
For the next few days, torrential rain fell in the capital, the cold wind was biting and the city was shrouded in gray and desolate atmosphere, which also dampened people's spirits.
Mu Dong and Qing He sat on the threshold, resting their chins on their hands and gazing into the distance, motionless. Li Jiang and Mo Junqian were not in the dilapidated temple.
A moment later, Shen Xun quietly squatted down behind Mu Dong with a blade of grass in his hand and gently tickled Mu Dong's neck with the tip of the grass.
At first, Mu Dong was able to stay still, but he couldn't take it anymore. Finally, he stood up abruptly, angrily shouting, "I'm not playing anymore! You cheated! You even called in help!"
Qinghe shook her slightly sore arms and said innocently, "I didn't. He offered to help me himself. I didn't ask him for help."
Mu Dongqi said angrily, "That's still helping them. I don't care, let's play another round!"
Qinghe: "A loss is a loss. You started it. What, can't you handle this?"
Mu Dong raised his head: "Who says I can't take a loss? If I lose, I lose. At worst, I won't eat. I'll fast."
Qinghe looked at him teasingly and said, "You said it yourself. When they come back later, your delicious meal will all be mine."
Shen Xun ran over to Qing He and asked for a share: "There's some for me too."
The two accomplices grinned smugly.
Mu Dong glared at them angrily, then turned away and sulked.
Not long after, Li Jiang and Mo Junqian returned.
It was still raining heavily outside, but neither of them was soaked. However, the chill emanating from them made Qinghe shiver.
They placed the purchased food on the hay and opened it one by one, along with a jar of fine wine. Everyone was eager to have a hearty meal, but Mu Dong remained motionless, occasionally glancing at the food before looking away again.
Qinghe picked up a sesame seed cake and handed it to him, saying, "I was just joking with you earlier. Here, have some."
Mu Dong stubbornly shook his head: "A man's word is his bond. If I say I won't eat it, I won't. Take it away."
He's got guts, Qinghe waved the sesame seed cake in front of his face, and the aroma filled the air.
Are you sure you don't want to eat?
Mu Dong swallowed hard: "I won't eat it."
"Really not going to eat?"
"I won't eat."
Qinghe looked at Li Jiang, who took the sesame seed cake, looked at Mu Dong coldly, and commanded, "Eat!"
Under the onslaught of Mu Dong's gaze, which was even colder than the heavy rain outside, he abandoned his last bit of stubbornness: "I only ate it because you told me to."
After saying that, he took the sesame seed cake and ate it happily.
“By the way,” Li Jiang said, “After the festival, many rooms in the inns in the city became available. I booked a few rooms while I was shopping. Let’s pack up and head to the inn in a bit.”
This was undoubtedly good news, and everyone was relieved that they no longer had to live in a dilapidated temple.
After a satisfying meal, the group packed their belongings and left the dilapidated temple.
The inn was small, a two-story building, but it was elegant and clean. The innkeeper was a middle-aged man in his forties, not very tall, a little overweight, but with a kind face.
After receiving their room keys, the group carried their luggage upstairs.
The stairs were narrow. Halfway down, a young man came down from upstairs. He was dressed in brown, a tight-fitting outfit, and carried a long sword on his back. He had a long scar on his left cheek and looked fierce and menacing.
The man swaggered around and occupied the entire corridor, blocking Qing and his group in the middle. He seemed to want them to make way for him, and he spoke extremely arrogantly.
"Are you blind? Get out of my way! If you delay my important business, I'll chop you all up!"
After staying in the dilapidated temple for several days, everyone was exhausted, both physically and mentally, and in a terrible mood. Now, with a robber appearing, the anger that had been building up for days suddenly surged up.
Mu Dong was the first to confront him, shouting, "Hey, are you being reasonable? We were the ones who came up first, so you should be the one making way for us!"
The man scoffed, "Reason? I've never talked about reason in my life! Let me tell you, kid, get out of my way right now, or don't blame me for being impolite! Hmph, a bunch of old, weak, and disabled!"
Mu Dong was furious: "The old, weak, young, and disabled?" He turned to look at Li Jiang: "He actually called us the old, weak, young, and disabled?"
Li Jiang pushed Mu Dong behind her, sized up the young man, and said coldly, "This...swordsman, my junior brother's words are a bit impulsive, but isn't your attitude a bit too rude? It seems that wandering the martial world hasn't taught you what it means to have trouble with your words. Why don't I, Li Jiang, teach you a lesson today, so that you don't really become a scoundrel in the future."
With just a few casual words, he left the man speechless. Qinghe mentally gave Li Jiang a thumbs up; as expected of the senior brother, his skill level was indeed high.
The man wasn't stupid. He realized that Li Jiang was cursing him, and he was immediately filled with rage. His eyes widened, and he slowly raised his hand to grab the hilt of the sword behind him.
Sensing the fluctuations of spiritual energy around her, Li Jiang remained calm and composed, making no move whatsoever. She even wore a faint smile on her face, her cold eyes slightly narrowed.
The atmosphere gradually became tense.
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