Chapter 60
The following morning, as dawn broke, the horizon was tinged with a somber, leaden gray. The massive ships that sailed from the North River to the Luosha Sea lay silently at the empty dock, like colossal beasts.
The salty sea breeze, carrying a chill, fluttered Xi Xiao's thin clothes and Ling Zhouling's robe. The two stood side by side on the ship's railing, gazing at the dark, turbulent sea in the distance, as if they had been waiting there for a long time, frozen into a solitary silhouette.
Xi Xiao's eyes were icy cold, a sharp glint flashing in them. She keenly caught the faint sound of horses' hooves coming from afar, and her voice was completely flat: "They're here. Get on the boat."
Ling Zhouling suddenly grasped her icy hand, his fingertips tightening, his eyes filled with a complex and unreadable expression, which finally turned into a low plea: "Come with me, there must be a safe place outside the Rakshasa Sea."
Xi Xiao did not answer, but forcefully broke free from his hand, turned around and made a gesture of urging the sailor, avoiding his burning gaze.
"Xi Xiao!"
A shout filled with shock, anger, and urgency suddenly pierced the air from the end of the dock, followed by a sharp neighing of a horse and the screeching sound of hooves coming to an abrupt halt. Pei Yun dismounted, his blue cloak drawing a sharp arc in the air, and strode forward, each step carrying a chilling rage.
Upon seeing this, Ling Zhouling's eyes flashed with cold light. He suddenly pulled Xi Xiao into his arms and then turned around, his gaze filled with undisguised provocation, directly meeting Pei Yun's almost spitting fire.
Pei Yun's face was now filled with undisguised gloom and rage, and veins throbbed on his forehead. He snatched a sturdy iron bow from the guard beside him, nocked an arrow, drew the string, and aimed in one fluid motion. The bow creaked as he pulled it, and the sharp arrowhead gleamed coldly in the morning light, precisely aimed at the arm that Ling Zhouling was holding Xi Xiao with.
Xi Xiao stood at the bow of the boat, letting the sea breeze blow through her long hair, and looked at him coldly. She didn't say a word from beginning to end, and that silence was more piercing to Pei Yun than any sharp blade.
Ling Zhouling ignored the deadly threat and waved his hand. The ship untied its moorings, and the massive hull slowly moved, breaking through the calm sea, sailing steadily forward without stopping despite the tense atmosphere on the shore.
"call out--!"
The bowstring twanged, the arrow flew with a sharp whistling sound, and struck Ling Zhouling's arm with perfect accuracy. The arrow pierced his flesh instantly, and blood gushed out. Ling Zhouling cried out in pain, and the grip on his arm suddenly loosened.
Pei Yun threw away the hard bow and stared coldly at them. His heart was churning with jealousy and hatred, which almost consumed him. But the words that came out of his mouth, which should have been weak and pleading, were actually threats: "If you still want to escape, I will not let him, or those Beijiang soldiers who have returned home, go!"
Xi Xiao sneered inwardly, but showed no sign of it on her face. She slowly squatted down, ignoring the gaze from the shore that seemed to burn her to the core, and focused on tearing off a piece of her hem to quickly bandage Ling Zhouling's bleeding wound. Her lips moved slightly as she whispered a few words to him in a very low voice.
As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Zhouling's expression, which had been hardened by pain and anger, suddenly changed. He frowned anxiously and grabbed her wrist, seemingly eager to stop her from doing anything next.
"The blood-drawing was a ruse; the real cure was a pill made from your mother's blood." Pei Yun stared intently at the crouching figure, his eyes darting around frantically with her movements. His words were already somewhat incoherent and out of control. "The Bewitching Soul Powder was your revenge for the destruction of the Southern Frontier, and the fog that caused the army to fight amongst themselves was also your doing. How can these few things satisfy your hatred? Wouldn't it be more convenient for you to come back to my side and take revenge?"
Xi Xiao slowly stood up, the sea breeze making her dress flutter. She looked down at the nearly deranged emperor on the shore, her words cold and cruel: "Pei Yun, you are truly... hopelessly despicable."
With the help of the wind, the ship gradually sailed away from the dock. Her voice drifted on the wind, somewhat indistinct. At this moment, another light and fast boat, which had been prepared in advance, shot towards the large ship like an arrow.
The next second, Pei Yun leaped onto the speedboat and shouted, "Stop it for me!" Before he finished speaking, more than a dozen specially made rockets shot out of the air, not aimed at people, but precisely embedded in the huge sails and paddle wheels. Flames instantly rose up, the wooden structure emitted a mournful sound of breaking, and the moving ship suddenly shook and came to a stop.
Taking advantage of the situation, Pei Yun leaped from the speedboat onto the deck of the large ship. Ignoring Ling Zhouling's furious curses and the attacking palm strike, he moved with uncanny speed, delivering a precise hand chop to the back of Xi Xiao's neck. As Xi Xiao collapsed, he caught her firmly in his arms. At the same time, he raised his foot and stomped hard on Ling Zhouling's still-bleeding wound.
Ling Zhouling was in so much pain that she almost curled up, drenched in cold sweat, and was no longer able to resist.
Pei Yun scooped up the unconscious Xi Xiao in his arms, his back to Ling Zhouling, who was curled up in excruciating pain. His voice was as cold as ice, “This is the last time I will show you mercy. If there is a next time, I will show no mercy.”
*
Inside Zhaoyang Palace, a dozen palace maids knelt tremblingly on the polished, mirror-like gold-brick floor, holding trays aloft in their hands. These trays held magnificent empress robes, a gleaming pearl and jade phoenix crown, and various precious ornaments reserved for the Empress. The scene was dazzling with jewels, yet inexplicably imbued with a chilling heaviness.
The beaded curtain of the inner room rustled softly as Xi Xiao strolled out slowly, her simple dress clashing with the luxurious surroundings. She toyed with a pair of gleaming silver scissors in her hand, her fingers moving casually, producing a subtle yet unsettling "snip" sound.
Xiangmo, who was standing to the side, lowered her head deeply, not daring to make the slightest sound, and even her breathing was extremely soft.
Xi Xiao's gaze swept over the dazzling objects, a disdainful smile curving her lips. She casually picked up a scarlet wedding robe with intricate embroidery and adorned with pearls, her fingertips tracing the delicate patterns. The next moment, a flash of scissors, and with a sharp "rip," the robe was cleanly cut in half, the sound of tearing fabric particularly jarring in the silent hall.
"It's the same tricks every day. He's not tired of it, but I'm fed up with it." She spoke coldly, casually tossing the now-worthless wedding robe on the ground as if it were something dirty.
She continued walking forward, the scissors flashing. One by one, magnificent robes and bolts of silk were reduced to fragments in her hands, falling to the ground. Finally, she picked up the heavy nine-feathered phoenix crown, a symbol of supreme honor, glanced at it only once, and then, without a second thought, slammed it to the ground! The gold threads snapped, pearls and jade scattered and tumbled, making a crisp yet heartbreaking sound.
"Clean all this trash out." Her voice was completely flat.
The palace servants, who had been prostrate on the ground, hurriedly rose to clean up the mess, their movements so fast they almost left afterimages, fearing that a moment's delay would bring even greater disaster. In an instant, the chaos was completely cleared away, and the hall returned to its usual cleanliness and spaciousness, as if the terrifying destruction that had just occurred had never happened.
Xiangmo kept her eyes downcast, her heart pounding like a drum. She was filled with anxiety and wanted to talk to Heying. This time, when the young lady returned, she was surrounded by a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay, which was very different from before. Her eyes were so cold that just one glance could make one tremble in their heart.
Just as he thought of this, footsteps sounded outside the hall. Pei Yun walked in from the outer room, a deliberately maintained gentle smile on his face, as if he had no idea of the tense atmosphere that remained in the hall: "Is it not to your liking? No problem, let the Imperial Household Department procure it again until you are satisfied."
Xiangmo had just breathed a sigh of relief and was about to quietly retreat when she suddenly heard a suppressed groan. She turned around in shock, her pupils contracting sharply. She saw that the scissors that had just torn the phoenix coronet and wedding robes were now stuck in Pei Yun's chest, the bright yellow dragon robe quickly becoming stained with dark blood.
She covered her mouth tightly, desperately trying to suppress the scream that was about to burst out, her whole body trembling like a leaf in the wind.
She looked up in horror, only to see Xi Xiao's icy, emotionless eyes and the undisguised pain and deeper sorrow on Pei Yun's face. She dared not look any longer, and hurriedly stumbled out, her voice trembling as she screamed, "Summon the imperial physician! Quickly, summon the imperial physician!!"
"You... hate me that much?" Pei Yun suddenly raised his blood-stained hand and gripped Xi Xiao's cold wrist tightly. His voice was hoarse and broken from the pain. "If this cut... can make you feel the pain of having your blood drawn... then... we can live a good life together... okay?" There was even a hint of humble pleading in his eyes.
His response was Xi Xiao ruthlessly pulling her hand away and resolutely turning her back, leaving him alone to slowly slide to the ground, blood seeping from his chest and spreading a shocking red stain on the ground.
Before long, the imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy arrived hastily with their medicine chests. Upon seeing the scene before them, they were all utterly shocked, their faces turning deathly pale. But seeing the eerie, deathly silence in the room and the emperor's grim expression, not one of them dared to ask a single question. They simply held their breath and stepped forward, their limbs trembling as they carefully lifted Pei Yun into the inner room. They began to treat him with trepidation, the only sounds in the air being suppressed breathing and the faint clatter of instruments.
Xi Xiao never glanced at the chaotic inner room. She sat back down at her dressing table and slowly removed the few plain hairpins from her hair in front of the bronze mirror. Her movements were gentle and meticulous. Her long, dark hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and she exuded an extremely eerie quiet before a storm.
“Mother…Miss,” Xiangmo came out from the inner room, her face still pale. When she saw her cold profile, she hurriedly changed her words, “His Majesty…His Majesty summons you.”
Upon hearing this, Xi Xiao stood up expressionlessly and walked into the inner room.
Pei Yun lay on the dragon bed, his lips pale from blood loss, his breath weak. He waved his hand and said in a hoarse voice, "All of you, step back."
After all the palace servants and imperial physicians had fled in a panic, only the two of them remained in the inner room. Pei Yun looked at her, a faint hope in his eyes: "Now... are you a little calmer?"
"What does Your Majesty think?" Xi Xiaosu stood before the bed with her hair down, her expression gloomy, as if even speaking to him would be disgusting. She didn't want to say anything more and turned away coldly.
"What do you want me to do... for you to forgive me?" He almost gritted his teeth as he squeezed out the words from deep in his throat, with a final struggle.
Xi Xiao stopped in her tracks, turned around, and gave him an incredibly clear and certain look. Her gaze was ruthless and resolute, and her words were like knives, cutting through all illusions: "Unless you die."
The sorrow and hope in Pei Yun's eyes froze instantly, turning into stiff ice and overwhelming resentment. He stared intently at her back, which had no room for turning back, and forced out a hoarse vow through gritted teeth: "Fine... then so be it... let's fight to the death."
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