The endless sea of ​​fire was blazing, and black smoke was billowing.

Tanmaraka walked alone in the darkness, his clothes ragged, and the wind cut him like a knife.

Iron cities stood in the sky, iron snakes and iron dogs spewed flames and ran above them. Evil spirits and yakshas were ferocious, driving men and women with miserable faces towards the snow-white mountain of knives, the boiling sea of ​​oil, and the iron bed full of iron nails. Flesh and blood flew everywhere, blood flowed like a river, and wails pierced the clouds and split the rocks.

The ghostly shadows of evil spirits were floating around him, and the sounds were eerie and terrifying.

In the hell of endless suffering, all you see are cruel tortures.

He walked through a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, heard screams and wails that shook the earth, saw iron arrows raining down, iron nets everywhere, and his body was covered with scales and wounds, with his skin torn and flesh torn.

The Yaksha glared at him and flew towards him, with a gust of cold wind.

Suddenly, a bright light pierced through the thick smoke, casting a sparkling and clear light. The ghosts retreated, the mountain of swords collapsed, the snow blades flew into pieces, and the hot iron liquid froze.

Tanmarajiva raised his head. Above the high, steep and cold iron city, clouds were gathering and golden light was shining. A long, jade-paved staircase descended from the clouds, with colorful clouds swirling around it.

He climbed the stairs, and the howling wind suddenly became gentle, and a brilliant light enveloped him, solemn, noble, and peaceful.

The ground is paved with golden sand, the pavilions are magnificent, rainbows are looming, precious trees are all around, colorful birds are singing in the sky, and celestial music is pleasing to the ears.

He came to a seven-treasure pool that was shimmering with precious light. The water was clear and crisp, and gold, silver, colored glaze, glass, giant clam, red pearls, and agate were sparkling in the water.

The mist gradually dissipated, and in the flowing water, a graceful lotus flower slowly bloomed in the breeze, graceful and charming, elegant and varied. At first, there was only a glimmer of light floating in the bud, and then the petals stretched out, shining brightly, and the fragrance overflowed.

It seemed that there were only him and this lotus left in the world.

The silver sac of fragrance is broken, and the jade dish of dew is poured out. I am filled with dust and dirt, and see this beautiful and beautiful girl.

This lotus does not belong to the royal court; it comes from thousands of miles away.

Tanmarajiva looked at the lotus as the wounds on his body gradually healed.

The pool glowed more and more, and the lotus flowers swayed gently.

He couldn't help but reach out his hand, wanting to touch the lotus.

The illusion suddenly shattered. The lotus quickly lost its luster and broke into thousands of pieces before his eyes. It then turned into dust and disappeared in the wind.

The darkness enveloped him again and drowned him.

Tanmaraka stood in the endless darkness, looking at his own palm.

It's empty, there is nothing.

Not even a shadow was left.

Tanmaraka raised his face, his pair of green eyes were as cold as snow, and the cold light flashed.

…

The warm handkerchief was pressed against my face, wiping it gently, it felt smooth and comfortable, just like the lotus in my dream.

Tanmarajika grasped a soft hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Mage?"

A gentle call in my ear.

Tanmarajiva opened his eyes.

The curtains were hung low, a faint light of light blue was floating, and the furnishings in the room were gleaming with a soft luster under the morning light that filtered in through the stained glass windows.

Yao Ying sat beside the couch, looking down at him, her brows showing an expression of fatigue. She asked with concern, "Are you feeling better?"

The sky brightened.

It was already the third morning.

For a moment, Tanmarajiva could not tell whether this was a dream or reality.

There were footsteps outside the felt curtain. Bi Suo and the doctor walked in. Yao Ying turned around and talked to them.

Tanmarajya let go of his hand and listened to their intermittent conversation. After a while, the doctor checked his pulse and Yaoying fed him a few pills, which he swallowed. The doctor and Bisha looked relieved, talked for a few words, and then left.

He covered his lips and coughed softly.

Yao Ying immediately stood up and poured a bowl of water, "Master, drink some water."

She helped Tanmaraka to sit up.

He leaned against her back, the sleeves of his cassock creating a gust of air, and drank a bowl of water from her hand. During this time, his two cold eyes stared straight at her without blinking.

Yao Ying thought she was very thick-skinned, but he was looking at her with such a focused gaze that she couldn't pretend she didn't see it, so she raised her eyes and looked into his gaze.

Tanmaraka looked away, his expression calm.

She's here, she's fine, she's not gone, nothing happened to her.

Yao Ying smiled secretly in her heart.

When he was sober, he didn't dare to look at her for too long.

The room was silent and the two did not speak for a long time.

After Tanmarajya drank the water, Yaoying put down the bowl, glanced at his pale face, and said, "Master, from now on, just let Bisha and Yuanjue handle this kind of thing... You are already seriously injured and have had repeated attacks. You must take good care of yourself and listen to the doctor's advice."

The night before, he fell off his horse. She couldn't drag him, so she tried to carry him on her back, but he fell after taking just two steps. She had no choice but to ask Li Zhongqian to help. He slept for a day and a night.

Tanmaraka did not answer Yaoying's question. Instead, he fixed his gaze on her face and asked, "Are you injured?"

These were the first words he uttered after waking up.

Yao Ying was startled, her heart felt sour and warm, she shook her head and said, "I am not injured, those people took me away, they wanted to use me to force Li Xuanzhen."

She briefly recounted what had happened the night before.

"When my brother first received the letter, he was afraid that there were accomplices among them, so he didn't dare to tell anyone. He told Yuanjue that we had something to do and had to leave early... Yuanjue and Bisa both thought I was really gone. How did the master know that I was kidnapped?"

Bisa said that Tanmarajiva left alone and they did not notice it, thinking that he went to say goodbye to her. Unexpectedly, he found Li Zhongqian and rescued her in time.

If it was any later, no one would be able to track the assassin, and it would be difficult for Li Zhongqian to find her.

Tanmarajiva lowered her eyes and said nothing.

Li Zhongqian was the chief envoy of the mission, and the trade documents had not yet been finalized. It was impossible for Li Zhongqian to leave without selecting an envoy to replace him. Moreover, Yao Ying would not leave like this. She would at least leave him a letter...

Tanmaraka could find many reasons to prove that their departure was too strange.

However, he knew in his heart that even if there were no suspicious circumstances, he would still chase after her.

I know it's futile, but I still can't help myself.

Before practicing, I see mountains as mountains and water as water. After practicing meditation, I see mountains as not mountains and water as not water. After enlightenment, I see mountains as mountains and water as water.

If you have Buddha in your heart, Bodhi is everywhere.

With her in your heart, seeing Buddha is like seeing her.

He had an obsession in his heart, and even if he recited the sutras thousands of times in front of the Buddha, it could not be dispelled.

Within one day, he saw her being stabbed to death and thought he would have to say goodbye to her. When she woke up, he was unable to recover for a long time. He was afraid that she would worry and that he would lose his composure in front of her. He returned to Wangsi to recuperate and wanted to sort out his thoughts before going to see her. However, before he could calm down, he received the news that she had left.

At that moment, he could hardly control himself.

His evil thoughts eventually overwhelmed his reason.

Seeing that he remained silent, Yao Ying changed the subject and asked, "Master, do you want to eat anything?"

She spoke in a light tone with a smile on her brow.

It seems that no matter what happens, she can just laugh it off.

Tanmaraka stared at her.

He remembered that before he fell asleep, the night was dark and the wind was howling. He fell off his horse and she leaned over with her forehead against his. Her breath was on his face and her bright eyes were filled with tears.

She should smile more, be bright and cheerful.

He likes to see her smile.

Tanmaraka coughed and said, "Princess, I remember everything that happened the night before."

Yao Ying was stunned.

"What does the wizard remember?"

She was silent for a while and asked softly.

Tanmarajiva said nothing, his eyes stayed on her face, he sat up straight, and moved closer to her little by little.

Yao Ying held her breath subconsciously, her eyes reflecting his distinct face.

The room was very quiet, so quiet that she seemed to be able to hear her own heartbeat.

Tanmaraka stopped, stared at her for a moment, and said, "I'm feeling better now. I'll let Yuanjue prepare whatever you want to eat. Princess, you've been tired for two days, go and rest."

She hadn't slept for two nights and her eyes were black.

Yao Ying was stunned.

He hasn't answered her yet.

Without waiting for Yaoying to refuse, Tanmarajala gestured for Yuanjue to come into the house.

Yao Ying's mouth twitched, she thought for a moment, then stood up and walked towards the door.

He didn't want to answer, and she didn't force him.

"Where are you going?"

Suddenly his voice came from behind.

Yao Ying turned back in confusion: "I'll go back and rest..."

Tanmaraka looked elsewhere, his face expressionless, and said, "Just sleep in the cubicle."

Don't stay too far away from him.

His tone and expression were indifferent, and he leaned back weakly, but he exuded an unquestionable attitude. The strength in his bones radiated, and his aura was intimidating.

Yaoying confirmed that she had heard correctly, raised her eyebrows, turned and walked into the cubicle. She was indeed very tired and needed a good sleep.

After her figure disappeared behind the felt curtain, Tanmaraka looked at Yuanjue who tiptoed into the room.

"Have you sent anyone to investigate?"

"Reporting to the king, there have been too many delegations coming to offer gifts recently, so it's hard to track them down. However, there shouldn't be any accomplices of that guy in the Holy City. We've added personnel to various places in the post station. As long as there are strangers approaching, someone will come back to report."

Tanmarajiva nodded slightly and suddenly asked, "How many days will it take for the grand event in the city to end?"

Yuan Jue was stunned for a moment, then he reacted, counted the days, and said, "Five more days."

…

Yaoying took a nap and woke up in the afternoon. Tanmarajiva was meeting with Bishuo. She walked over and heard the two of them discussing Li Xuanzhen and Li De.

Seeing her wake up, Bishuo said goodbye and left.

Yaoying watched his back as he walked away, then turned to look at Tanmarajiva. He was still sitting on the couch with a serene expression, and there were piles of documents on the desk beside him.

Soon after he woke up, he began to deal with state affairs.

"Master..." Yao Ying pondered for a moment and said, "The dispute between me, Li De, Li Xuanzhen will not affect the alliance with the royal court. I will handle this matter myself. If you need my help, I will not hide it from you. You don't have to worry about me."

"You are recovering from your injury, don't worry about these trivial matters."

Tanmo Luojia raised his blue eyes and looked at Yaoying, without reducing his aura, and said: "If something happens to the princess in the royal court, it has something to do with me. No matter who the other party is, if they attack in the royal court, I will not be indifferent."

Yao Ying thought that this was true, so she stopped talking, walked to the couch, sat down next to the edge of the couch, raised her head and looked at him carefully.

Tanmarajiva picked up a scroll of documents and lowered his eyes.

"Have you taken the medicine?" Yao Ying asked.

He nodded.

Yaoying took out the things she had bought in the market before, which were delivered to her by her personal soldiers, opened the package and handed it to Tanmarajiva.

"I asked the doctor, and he said that these are all things you can eat."

Tanmarajiva nodded softly, said thank you, took the package and put it aside, still holding the document in his left hand, looking at it very seriously.

Yao Ying stood up, walked to her small desk, sat down cross-legged, rolled up her sleeves, and picked up a pen to write a letter.

When Tanmarajiva was in a coma, she could not leave the temple and could only communicate with Li Zhongqian through letters. Fortunately, Li Zhongqian now suspected the entire delegation and was investigating the entourage around him one by one. He felt that meeting her would expose her, otherwise he would have come to Wangsi to arrest her long ago.

After she finished writing the letter, she asked Yuanjue to deliver it and then opened a book to look through it carefully.

Tanmarajiva was sitting on the couch, reviewing documents, while Yaoying was sitting at a small desk on a flannel carpet, checking accounts.

The room was completely silent, with only the rustling sound of the pen on the paper.

From the corner of his eye, Tanmarajiva could see her profile as she bent over the desk and wrote, and it took her a long time to change the parchment in her hand.

Yaoying finished reading a page of the account, rubbed her shoulders, and looked at him.

Tanmarajiva came to his senses and lowered his head to look at the document.

This time he concentrated and was not distracted by her. After he finished marking all the documents, he looked up and was stunned.

It was already dusk, and the bright golden sunset light shone into the room. Yaoying was sleeping on the small desk, with a layer of golden light covering her profile.

She had to keep in touch with Gao Chang, manage tedious household affairs, worry about his health, and guard against other people's assassinations... every day was so hard.

Tanmarajiva lifted the brocade quilt, looked at her legs, slowly got down from the bed, sat beside Yaoying, and looked at her profile.

She was sleeping soundly, her eyes relaxed, and a pen in her hand.

He stared at her, raised his hand, and carefully took the pen from her hand.

In her sleep she waved her hand impatiently.

Tanmaraka lifted her neck, let her lie on her side on the carpet, and pulled the brocade quilt over her. She slept on the small table, and when she woke up, her whole body ached.

Yaoying was extremely sleepy, her shoulders had long been stiff. After lying down, she half-felt that the posture was very comfortable, so she hugged the quilt tightly and stretched her arms and legs comfortably.

With this kick, the foot wearing soft satin shoes lightly kicked Tanmaragha's leg.

Tanmaraka looked at her, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and a faint smile flashed across his blue eyes.

…

The doctor gave Tanmarajiva acupuncture for three consecutive days, and Yaoying was by his side every time he did the treatment.

During this period, she wrote several letters to Li Zhongqian every day, reporting her safety in the morning and evening, and instructed her personal soldiers to find a way to send Li Xuanzhen away.

After Li Zhongqian sent away all the unfamiliar followers, he finally felt relieved and continued to deal with the affairs of the diplomatic corps.

Yao Ying wrote a letter to Zheng Jing in Gaochang and asked him to take it to Du Sinan.

Tanmarajiva ordered the ceremonial officer Bodhidharma to write a stern letter, pointing out that some people in the delegation had ulterior motives. The letter was delivered directly to the delegation. Li Zhongqian did not react, and the other members of the delegation were shocked and secretly frightened.

The two letters were sent one after the other.

On the fourth day, Yaoying finished writing the letter and waited for the doctor in front of the corridor. The doctor was late, so she asked Yuanjue.

Yuanjue scratched his head and said, "The doctor is not coming today."

"Why not come?"

Yuanjue whispered, "The king is going out today."

Yao Ying asked in astonishment: "Where is the wizard going?"

She slept in Tanmarajika's room these days. He never told her that he was going out. His legs were swollen and he couldn't walk for a long time.

Yuan Jue was also bewildered: "I don't know where the king is going."

As the two were talking, Bishuo came over and handed a few green-faced, fang-toothed ghost masks to Yaoying.

"Princess, follow me."

He added.

"The king ordered it."

Yaoying was in a daze as she followed Bisha out of the Wang Temple and into a deserted alley.

A carriage was parked deep in the alley. The guards driving the carriage had their faces covered, so their features could not be seen.

Bi Suo motioned Yao Ying to get in the car.

She put on a ghost mask, stepped on a footstool and got into the carriage. The felt curtain was opened, and there was already someone in the carriage. He was dressed in monk's robes, sitting upright in the corner, holding a roll of parchment in his hand. His sleeves slipped down, revealing a string of Buddhist beads, and he looked solemn and cold.

Yao Ying was stunned.

The felt curtain was lowered, the wheels of the carriage began to shake, she looked at Tanmaraka and asked softly: "Master, where are we going?"

Tanmaraka looked at the parchment in his hand.

"Today is the last day of the event."

He said without raising his eyes.

Yaoying's fingers trembled and her throat choked.

The carriage drove into the bustling long street. Noisy voices penetrated into the carriage. Yaoying lifted the curtain and looked out. She could just see the tall colorful platform. The dancers on the stage were dancing gracefully with their colorful sleeves flying and their dancing moves gorgeous.

She wore a mask, resting her chin on her hands, watching the singing and dancing on the stage.

Behind her, Tanmarajiva was reading and marking books with his back to her. Even in the bustling city, he remained calm and composed, as if he could not hear the cheers and applause coming from outside.

I don't know how much time had passed, but after he finished reading a letter of complaint suing a noble family, he rubbed his brows and lightly stroked his Buddhist beads with his fingers.

A clear, melodious laugh echoed in his ears.

His brows moved slightly.

She is smiling.

Not only did she smile, but her hands also swayed gently to the rhythm, and her dress rustled, as if she was dancing along.

Tanmaraka did not turn around, but lowered his head to look at the parchment.

He couldn't take part in her worldly affairs, so he could only use this method to let her see the singing and dancing she had missed.

As long as she is happy.