Life for life
Yuanli looked towards him upon hearing the sound, and the bubble of breath he had been holding was exhaled and floated upwards. There was a gentle smile on the corners of his eyes and eyebrows, curved into gentle arcs.
"You can breathe. Ahri is a god. The water in Wangxiang Pond is different from the mortal world."
Countless bubbles rose from the bottom of the Wangxiang Pond, wrapping the two of them tightly. When the bubbles dissipated, they stepped on soft grass, and the fragrance of soil mixed with the fragrance of peach blossoms was refreshing.
What catches the eye are two peach trees with lush branches and leaves. The branches are like lovers entwined, and red threads are wrapped around the trees. The ends of the threads are connected to countless wooden prayer plaques, which are carved with a knife and then carefully outlined with gilded fragrant ink.
Cha Suxun took a step back and turned into a silver-colored butterfly. Its fluttering wings were covered with faint blue patterns, as enchanting as flames, and its tail streaked across the blue-silver starlight.
Psylocke A-Cha flew around her and finally landed on her hair, its wings fluttering and shaking off the stars.
Wen Yici sat under the tree, with red lines scattered all over the ground. He held a wooden sign in his hand and carved words with his eyes lowered. A breeze blew by, and the wooden sign hanging on the branch rustled in the wind.
He raised his head following the sound of the wind and met her gaze. The carving knife in his hand fell. Wen Yici clutched the wooden sign and ran towards her, hugging her fiercely. Yuanli was knocked back by the force, and the spirit butterfly flew up and headed towards the peach tree.
"My lady, I miss you so much."
"I miss you too. Is my husband doing well in the prison? Did they... bully you? Is he well fed and warmly dressed? Is he sleeping well..." As she spoke, tears welled up in Yuanli's eyes and her voice trembled as she hugged him tightly and refused to let go.
"My lady, don't worry. I'm fine. I haven't been tortured. I'm well fed, well clothed, and sleep soundly. The only thing I'm worried about is you. A messenger from the capital brought a secret decree from my father saying you were in danger. I hurried back only to find out it was a setup. My lady, please be very careful these days."
"I've thought of a way to save you. Just wait a few days. You'll be able to go home in a few days. Just seeing you once will be enough for me."
Wen Yici stared into her eyes and wiped away her tears. "If you can't have a child, put the blame on me and divorce me. You will still be the most noble princess of Liangzhu and live a peaceful and happy life."
"I am your first wife, the only first wife in this life."
As soon as she finished speaking, a spirit butterfly rushed towards her and landed on her forehead. In an instant, Yuanli's body gradually dissipated. Wen Yici stretched out his hands to try to keep her, but in a panic, Yuanli hit the wooden sign with the back of her hand, and the sign fell to the ground with a "click".
When his plan was about to vanish into thin air, Yuanli looked in the direction of the wooden sign, which clearly read: I am willing to give up everything I have, even my life, so that my wife can live.
Yuanli was still in a daze, so she and Cha Suxun stood by the Wangxiang Pond.
"There was a crack in the dream just now, and I had to take you out by force."
She nodded, but her mind was still entangled with the wooden sign in her dream. She couldn't understand the second half of the sentence, "I will give my life in exchange for my wife's life." I have never been on the verge of death, so why should I pay for my life with my life?
It was not until she returned to her mortal body and the cold wind blew over her, causing goose bumps, that she was brought back to her senses.
He Qi took a broom and pretended to casually sweep the snow outside the window. She originally wanted to see if she was in a good mood today, but she never expected to see A Cha, who had been avoiding her, sitting next to her.
"A-Li is so disloyal. He was drinking tea and reminiscing with Brother Cha in the house, but he didn't call me."
His sudden voice startled Yuanli. A'cha snapped his fingers and the carved window closed, splashing snow all over Heqi's face.
"Don't pay attention to it, it's just a child's nature."
A-Cha refueled the fire to boil tea, took out a can of tea leaves from somewhere and soaked it in a covered bowl, and poured her another cup of tea.
"Ali is leaving again, I wonder when I'll see her again?"
"When I return to heaven, I can use my magical powers. If Ah Cha invites me out, I will definitely go to Youming Mountain to keep the appointment."
Cha Suxun shook his head and said, "A'li is a god, and should stay in that place of righteousness. My Nether Mountain gathers the seven emotions and six desires of mortals in the world, and I am afraid it will pollute the gods. It is better for you and me to meet in the mortal world."
"The four seas and eight wildernesses, the six ancient realms, all the living beings and lands cannot be generalized. There is no distinction between good and evil. In my opinion, Nether Mountain is the best place in the world. There is Ah Cha, and there is my home for ten thousand years."
Hearing this, Cha Suxun's face stretched into a smile. Yuanli picked up the tea on the table and took a sip. It was Biluochun from Dongting Lake.
"There will always be a place for you in Nether Mountain. All living things, every blade of grass and every tree, will be open to you."
After drinking tea, he left her place. He Qi was standing under a tree waiting for him. Cha Suxun hid his figure and walked towards him.
"Are you willing to talk to her? Why bother? She knows you exist, and there's no conflict, so why not meet her?"
"Well, she called me, and I could never say no to her, you know."
Cha Suxun turned around and looked at her tightly closed carved window. Beneath his faint smile, his eyes were a mixture of helplessness and loneliness.
"The one who hurt her was a Painted Skin Demon. I have already dispersed her spirit, but I don't think this matter will be so simple. Heqi, please take good care of her."
The door was pushed open, and Yuanli was wearing a thick coat, and the wide brim of her hat covered her tightly. Heqi hurriedly said goodbye to Cha Suxun and ran towards her.
"It's snowing heavily. Where are you going? I'll go with you. It's dangerous outside."
After some thought, Yuanli decided to bring Heqi with her. The monster that hurt her might cause trouble again, so it would be safer to take Heqi with her.
"Heqi, help me find out if there is any evil spirit in Kyoto."
He Qi recited the Dust-Bidding Technique and flew into the air, but quickly returned to the carriage.
"The Painted Skin Demon that injured you was the same one from the Lin Mansion last time, but Brother Cha has already shattered her spirit. There are no other great demons in Kyoto right now, but we can't rule out the possibility that it's a former subordinate of Xie Yuan, and possibly related to the Savage Great Demon. Therefore, I can't detect its demonic aura immediately."
There are often demons and monsters from the six realms lurking in the human world, but usually those who live alone in the human world are often small demons, who are not to be feared, and will definitely not cause trouble for no reason and attract the attention of big demons from the demon and monster realms.
Although the Painted Skin Demon was low-level, he had lived for many years. He couldn't control the demonic energy around him well to hide, and he wasn't very vigilant, so he was easily discovered by them last time.
The Great Demons of the Wilderness were different. That desolate land held many demons and even fallen gods from the troubled times. Filled with resentment, they relied on this resentment to cultivate their cultivation. Ever since the Evil Abyss wreaked havoc on the world, a breach in the wilderness had been ripped open, and many great demons and fallen gods had escaped, none of them minor figures.
Yuanli was a little anxious. Why did the old subordinates of Xie Yuan have to disrupt the human world at this time? The matter of the jade hairpin was already carried out behind the back of the heaven. If the old subordinates of Xie Yuan continued to get involved, the affairs of the emperor would be easily exposed.
This winter, the snow had been exceptionally long, lasting for over half a month. The biting cold wind blanketed Kyoto with snow, but the streets still held vendors, though business was slow. A horse-drawn carriage drove through the long streets and stopped in front of Manxianglou.
Without the jade pendant, Yuanli had no choice but to find the shopkeeper with a tentative mentality. Before she could speak, the shopkeeper asked, "Does the noble wish to see the owner of this building?"
Seeing her nod in confirmation, the shopkeeper led the way and brought her into the room, but He Qi was stopped downstairs. He found a secluded place to hide his tracks and followed her.
"Manxianglou doesn't engage in prison robbing. I wonder why the princess has come here?"
"I want to know who accused Wen Yici of treason, and what information he has about the ministers in the court."
Xue Feng paused with his hands warming on the stove, then rubbed his hands and turned towards her.
"I don't think I need to explain the rules of Manxianglou to Princess, but is Princess willing to pay the price to change them?"
"willing."
"But I haven't told you the price yet. I can give you the imperial court relationship map, but that involves multiple secrets. The price I have to pay is more than just the corresponding information."
Yuanli said without hesitation: "I do."
"If this is life-saving information, then I will exchange my life for yours. I will send someone to get it in a month."
"good."
Hearing this, He Qi frowned with displeasure. A long bone emerged from his wide sleeves. He pinched it in his hand, and the bone turned into a long, thin whip that wrapped around Xue Feng's neck.
Seeing this, Yuanli hurriedly shook her head and winked at him, but Heqi still stared at Xue Feng. He did not take action until Yuanli's expression became more and more anxious. However, the whip was still wrapped around his neck. If he was displeased, the whip would take Xue Feng's life.
I've heard from the pig demon, Old Ah Fu, that it's the legendary dragon bone whip, an ancient weapon wielded only by the Demon Lord. The wounds cannot be healed. If it strikes a demon, immortal, or ghost, it can only be healed with the magical herbs and flowers found only on Penglai Island. But if it strikes a human, their soul will be shattered, with no possibility of reincarnation.
Xue Feng laughed out loud, completely unaware of the danger behind him.
"Princess, you are straightforward. Then listen carefully to my questions and answer truthfully. If you lie, the assassins from Manxianglou will arrive as promised at midnight tonight."
"Okay, just ask."
"You are not a princess, who are you?"
Yuanli looked a little nervous and on guard. She was using the original owner's body, and a mere mortal would definitely not be able to tell her true identity.
"Even though you look so much like my Liangzhu Princess Su Jiahe, even the king couldn't tell you weren't his daughter. But I can be sure that you're not a princess. A real princess would never look at Wen Yici straight in the eye, and would only devote herself to Shen Xuhuai, let alone marry him."
Yuanli didn't say anything as she looked at Heqi behind her and recited the Dust-Bidding Technique. Not only did Xue Feng's body not react, he didn't even have the slightest demonic power. He was just an ordinary mortal who couldn't be more ordinary.
"I've been friends with Wen Yici since childhood, even though I was still blind. At palace banquets, his eyes always followed the princess. He didn't care about her emotions, but he always saved her without hesitation when she was in danger. It seemed like he only cared about that body. It wasn't until you married him and came to Manxiang Tower together that he was afraid I would scare you. That wasn't his typical reaction."
"But I am Su Jiahe. Even if I have to use blood to prove my kinship, my blood will merge with my father's."
"This is what I'm worried about. Whether you're really Princess Jiahe or not is unimportant to me. I don't care who you are either. I only care whether you'll betray Brother Wen's affection for you. Today, I just want to see what you'll choose between life and him. If you choose to live in disgrace, you won't be able to leave this door."
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