The vast expanse of white was very clean. The world was covered in melted snow. No one knew how deep or how deep it was. The snowy plains stretched straight to the horizon. No one knew how wide it was. At the other end of the horizon, a tall snowy peak abruptly rose, piercing straight into the clouds like a treasured sword thrust into the sky. This snowy mountain was very tall. It made one sigh in admiration and fear, not daring to get close.
Fan Xian lowered his head and found that his bare feet were stepping in the snow. Strangely, he did not feel any icy pain. He could only clearly feel the touch of each snowflake. He felt strange. Narrowing his eyes, he looked toward the tall mountain in front of the snowy plains. His eyes were pierced by the light reflected off the ice and snow on the mountain walls.
The world was very bright. It was like there were nine suns above the snowy clouds. Fan Xian didn't know how long he had walked in this snowy plain. Five days? Six days? He had not slept, but the sky had not darkened. It was as if there was no difference between day and night in this ghastly place.
"The last time I came, it was always night. Later, the heavens opened their eyes, and it became day."
A voice rang out beside Fan Xian's ear. He turned his head to look and saw a face he hadn't seen in a long time. The old face carried an unhealthy flush. It was obvious that it was a side effect of taking ephedra pills. Fan Xian tilted his head and looked strangely at Xiao En, thinking, Didn't you die? How could you appear in front of me and speak so clearly?
He felt it was strange, but there was a kind of unconsciously mental strength that stopped him from thinking about this strange question. Instead, he asked straightforwardly, "The Temple is in that snowy mountain?"
"Yes, that is the holy land of the human world, a place mortals cannot touch." Xiao En sighed. Then, his face became countless specks of light and fragments that landed on the snowy ground and could not be found again.
Fan Xian crouched down and used his red hands to dig around in the snow. It was as if he wanted to grab the already dead Xiao En back and continue to ask questions. After digging for a while, the snow pit grew deeper and deeper, but he couldn't find a trace. Instead, beside the gradually deepening snow pit, he saw a shadow.
A hemp-clothed man wearing a straw hat was sitting beside the snow pit. His eyes were as clear as the ocean as he quietly watched the snowy mountain.
"Where did your shoes go? Where are my shoes? " Fan Xian jumped out of the snow pit and glanced at his bare and red feet. He then glanced at the similarly bare feet of the hemp-clothed man wearing the straw hat. His gaze passed through the straw hat and saw the man's bald head. With a smile, he said, "I know you are Ku He. Back then, you also came to the Temple. You and Xiao En have both eaten human flesh."
Sitting on the snowy ground, Ku He smiled and said, "The Temple is not holy. It is just an abandoned temple."
"But everyone in the world knows that you have boundless respect for the temple. You once knelt on the bluestone steps in front of the temple for several months before you received the ultimate skill."
"But you know that's not the case." Ku He turned his head and looked calmly at Fan Xian. "What power in this world is undefeatable?"
After saying this, Ku He disappeared. It was as if he had never appeared. In a flash, in the place where Ku He had disappeared, the short sword saint Great Grandmaster suddenly appeared. With a pair of wide eyes, he roared angrily at Fan Xian, "Where are my ashes? Where are my ashes? "
Fan Xian jumped in fright. Only now did he remember that he seemed to have forgotten something. He seemed to have promised Sigu Jian that if he went to the Temple, he would bring his ashes and scatter them on the stone steps of the Temple so that he could see what kind of extraordinary figure was in the Temple.
Fan Xian was vexed and said, "That mountain is so tall and cold. I can't even get close. Even if I brought your ashes, it would be useless."
"This is an excuse!" Sigu Jian roared angrily. "It is just an excuse!"
Then, Sigu Jian's sword came thrusting forward. It swept up a snowflake that spread between heaven and earth. It was graceful, beautiful, and irresistible. Fan Xian's face paled. Using all the strength in his body, his bare feet desperately stepped on the soft snowy plains as he charged toward the snowy mountain in front of him that was so tall it seemed impossible to conquer.
Then, he saw a black dot slowly and steadily heading up the snowy mountain. Fan Xian was overjoyed. In a loud voice, he called out, "Uncle Wu Zhu, wait for me."
It was like the black-clothed Wu Zhu did not hear any sound. He continued to coldly and firmly walk up the mountain. However, the sword behind Fan Xian had already arrived. There was only one sword flower. In an instant, it bloomed into countless petals. Each petal sliced off a piece of flesh from Fan Xian's chest.
The boundless and endless pain made Fan Xian cry out wretchedly. He fell to the ground. The blood from his body flowed onto the snowy ground and was immediately frozen into a deep red flower of blood. It was like precious and murderous agate.
Fan Xian watched as Uncle Wu Zhu walked toward the snowy mountain. The snowy mountain was still tall and cold. He felt the unbearable pain from his heart and the despair and fear that filled his mind.
Then, he woke up.
Fan Xian gave a muffled grunt and struggled to sit up in bed. His body was covered in sweat and had soaked all of his undergarments. He unconsciously touched his chest and found that other than a little sore, there were no real pieces of flesh that had been sliced off.
It was already night. It looked like after he had woken up at dusk, he had looked calmly at the top of the bed and then fallen asleep again. He didn't know why he had such a nightmare. The top figures who had once spread their elegance under heaven appeared one by one in his dreams and told him the story of the snowy mountain. They then persuaded him, encouraged him, and abandoned him.
Fan Xian panted heavily and wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead. He stared in a daze at the blanket on his body and thought of the snowy mountain in his dream. He still shivered despite not being cold. He knew what the snowy mountain in his dream represented in the real world. He also knew that man was actually more powerful and colder than the snowy mountain. However, with the snowy mountain in front of him, he had to climb it.
…
…
In the royal study in the Royal Palace, the Emperor slowly opened his eyes and woke up. He looked at the lights on the table around him. Only then did he know that it was already night. His gaze was cold and strange because he had a dream earlier. He dreamed that he was standing on a lonely snowy mountain, enjoying the worship and reverence of countless commoners on the snowy plains below. However, there was no one by his side. He was as lonely as the snowy mountain.
Those commoners were about to be frozen into zombies. Perhaps there was not much joy to be taken from being worshipped by such creatures. The Emperor slowly closed his eyes and thought of the eyes that had coldly watched him in his dream, the eyes of those familiar companions. He didn't speak for a long time.
"I want to burn my face," the Emperor said.
Eunuch Yao, who had been waiting at the side the entire time, bowed and accepted the order. He pushed open the door to the royal study. Before he left, he quietly reported, "Sir Ye Zhong has been waiting in the front hall."
The Emperor didn't say anything. He waved his hand in annoyance, and the door to the royal study was closed. Although the Qing Emperor had his own palace in the back of the palace, he had been diligent in state affairs for many years. Additionally, he had extraordinary energy and was used to staying up late in the royal study to examine memorials. There were all kinds of bedding set up here, so he rarely returned to the palace to rest. Instead, he often spent the night in the royal study.
It would not be a lie to say that most of the Qing Emperor's life was spent in the royal study. Usually, after nightfall, other than the Emperor, only his most trusted eunuchs could enter this quiet study. After Eunuch Hong died and Hong Zhu lost power, the only person who could stay in the royal study at night was Eunuch Yao.
However, there was another woman in the quiet study today. There was a natural sense of calmness between the lady's brows. Her face was delicate and pretty. She wore a thin half-fur shirt and sat quietly on the round stool opposite the soft mattress. There was a box by her feet.
The Emperor glanced at the woman and warmly said, "You haven't rested much these two days. In a moment, go to the back of the palace to rest."
Fan Ruoruo bowed calmly and didn't say anything. Ever since she had been brought into the Palace at noon the day before yesterday to tend to the Emperor's wounds, her movements had been greatly restricted. Although no one had said anything explicitly, she knew she had to stay in the Palace.
During these two days, the Emperor had kept her by his side. Even when he was in the royal study looking at matters and when his subordinates reported on information related to the Fan manor, Fan Ruoruo was always at the side listening quietly. The Emperor did not seem to avoid her.
The Emperor glanced at her lightly and easily saw a glimmer of deep worry in the calmness between her brows. He knew what she was worried about. Strangely, the Emperor had kept the young lady of the Fan family by his side not just to suppress Fan Xian or because Fan Ruoruo wanted to tend to his wounds. Rather, the Emperor felt that this niece's refreshing and indifferent nature suited his temperament. Furthermore, when he casually chatted with her, regardless of whether it was about astronomy, geography, or the various sights of the world, Fan Ruoruo was always able to say a word or two to the Emperor.
"Don't worry about anything." The Emperor coughed gently. Although Fan Ruoruo had miraculous hands and had already taken out most of the metal shards and steel balls in his body, the destructive power of Chen Pingping's wheelchair had been too great. No one knew that his injuries were actually very serious.
The Qing Emperor was a Great Grandmaster, so he was able to survive. If it had been anyone else, they would probably have long died under Chen Pingping's twin spears.
"An Zhi … your brother has some misunderstandings toward me. Once these misunderstandings are cleared up in the future, everything will be fine." For some reason, the Emperor didn't seem to want to see the young lady of the Fan family worry and went against his nature to explain this in a quiet voice.
These were indeed the Emperor's sincere words. In his opinion, An Zhi had always been a person who valued friendship. Chen Pingping's tragic death would inevitably make it difficult for him to understand and come around for a moment. In the future, if Fan Xian knew of the great evil Chen Pingping had done to the Li royal family and how he had attacked Fan Xian so many times, Fan Xian would understand.
"You are right, Your Majesty." Fan Ruoruo lowered her head and agreed.
The Emperor's expression became somewhat dark. He didn't like the way the young lady of the Fan family spoke. After a long time, he didn't explode. He only slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "An Zhi has already slept for a day and night. It looks like he has had a hard journey."
Fan Ruoruo raised her head and gently bit her lower lip. Looking at the Emperor in front of her, whom she could not see through no matter what, she didn't know how to respond. Her brother was currently sleeping on the bed in the manor. Presumably, he would not be sleeping well. What kind of emotion did the Emperor's words represent?
"Tell me about when you first learned martial arts in Qing Mountain. I have never stepped foot into Northern Qi territory. This has always been my regret." The Emperor naturally changed the topic. For some reason, he really did go along with Fan Ruoruo's wishes. He knew that if they talked about Jingdou and the Fan manor, it would chill the young lady's heart.
"Of course, before long, I will be able to go to Qing Mountain and see for myself." The Emperor smiled slightly.
Fan Ruoruo respectfully replied, "The scenery on Qing Mountain is very good. The brothers of Tianyi Dao are also very good to me."
"You are, after all, a citizen of the Qing Kingdom. Although I don't know what trick Fan Xian used to force Ku He, that bald man, to take you as his last disciple, presumably those Northern Qi people still don't feel comfortable looking at you," the Emperor carelessly said as he rubbed at the white hair at his temples.
Fan Ruoruo smiled naturally and said, "Your Majesty's eyes are like torches. At the time, the situation was indeed like that. However, later on, the teacher spoke. Additionally, Sister Haitang returned to the mountain. Naturally, things got better."
"Speaking of Haitang, how exactly was An Zhi and her dealt with?" A glimmer of emotion flashed through the Emperor's eyes as he calmly asked.
Fan Ruoruo could clearly sense that the Emperor was not using this matter to ask about anything. Rather, he was curious about the story of a man and a woman that was being spread around by the people of the world. She looked in a daze at the Emperor's slightly pale face. Suddenly, she thought that these things all had to do with her brother. Her brother would never discuss the details of these things with the Emperor.
Was this a conversation about family matters? Fan Ruoruo suddenly understood. The Emperor was just old, just lonely, just lonely. It was just that as a father, he had never received the treatment of a father. So, he had her stay in the Palace to talk to her more. He wanted to know more about the ordinary things in the world, and he wanted to know more about things related to her brother.
…
…
The Emperor and his young daughter's family conversation continued calmly and strangely. It was clear that the Emperor's mood had improved. A rare warm expression began to appear on his pale face.
The door to the royal study opened. Eunuch Yao led two young eunuchs in carrying a copper basin. Inside the basin was steaming hot water. The Emperor accepted the hot towel from Eunuch Yao's hands and used his gaze to indicate for Fan Ruoruo to continue talking. He then placed the rolling towel on his face and forcefully wiped his eyes a few times.
Under the towel, the Qing Emperor slowly closed his eyes. No one could see his expression. No one knew that in that moment, he had suddenly thought of how he had taken Li Chengping back to the Palace after the autumn rain. Little San 'er's hand, which he had held, had been trembling the entire time. His gaze as he looked at him was filled with fear.
It was very much like Chengqian many years ago.
A cold anger suddenly surged in the Emperor's heart. He tore off the towel from his face and threw it to the ground. After taking a few deep breaths, he suppressed his temper and looked at Eunuch Yao. "What took so long?"
Eunuch Yao knelt down and replied in a trembling voice, "The internal court had something important to report earlier, so I was delayed."
"Speak."
"The spies the internal court placed outside the Fan manor …" Speaking of this, Eunuch Yao glanced unconsciously at the young lady of the Fan manor, who was staring at him in a daze. He then quickly lowered his head. "A total of 14 people. They were all killed."
The Emperor's face suddenly became as heavy as ice. He slowly sat up straight on the bed and looked at Eunuch Yao without saying a word.
Fan Ruoruo, who was sitting to the side, suddenly heard this news. Her face gradually paled. She could not get over it. These two days, she had been guarding the royal study by the Emperor's side. She knew that her brother had returned to the capital and the manor. Although the internal court and military had, on the surface, relaxed their suppression of the Fan manor, they still left countless spies outside the manor responsible for monitoring.
Those spies were all dead? What was her brother thinking? Did he not know that the Emperor had him sleep peacefully in the manor, waiting for him to wake up and enter the Palace to ask for punishment? Yet, he insisted on killing all of the people the Emperor had sent out. Was he not afraid of angering the Emperor?
The frost on the Emperor's face slowly melted. The corners of his lips twitched slightly. He smiled with a glimmer of mockery. Calmly, he said, "Continue to send people over. I have millions of people under heaven. Can he kill them all by himself?"
… …
The front doors of the Fan manor were wide open. Lanterns hung high, illuminating half the street in the south of the city as clearly as if it was daytime. The Duke of Danbo was covered in blood. He walked out from the shadows that the lanterns could not reach. Under the terrified gazes of the people on the street wearing official robes and revealing their identities, he slowly walked to the front door of his home.
He sat down on the long bench in front of the Fan manor's front door and threw the blood-stained sword of the Wei Emperor at his feet. He extended his hand and rubbed it a few times in the basin of hot water a servant brought over. The clear water in the basin immediately turned into blood.
…
…
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