Chapter 235: The Road of No Return

What Ruan Shu didn't know was that, invisibly, she had already been entangled by Qiu Yichen's soul.

Therefore, no matter what she did or how she tried to stay sober, she could not escape Qiu Yichen's entanglement.

"Let me out…"

"Let me out…"

"Let me out…"

Even lying in bed.

Ruan Shu hadn't slept for several days; her face was ashen, her eye sockets dark, her lips purplish, as if poisoned. She tossed and turned but couldn't sleep! Her hands had already torn the pillow to shreds.

"Ah!" Ruan Shu sprang up from the bed, kicking the blankets off with one foot.

"Really! What on earth is happening! You're going to torture me to death…" Ruan Shu was about to cry, her heart nearly breaking.

"Let me out… please…"

Ruan Shu covered her ears tightly with both hands, but the wailing could pierce through everything, drilling into her eardrums.

"Master, what should we do?" Ruan Shu sat on the edge of the bed, head lowered, burying her face in her knees, "Master, what should I do? Save me…"

After a long tug-of-war, Ruan Shu could no longer endure; she completely collapsed from the brink of breakdown!

"Let's see what you can do, Qiu Yichen!" Ruan Shu put on her shoes, opened the door, and walked down the dark hallway.

For some reason, only when walking toward that place did her heart and ears feel clear! Much clearer! It was a sense of ease as if her mind were open and spirit delighted.

"Eldest Senior Sister, why aren't you sleeping yet?"

The two junior sisters reached out and blocked Ruan Shu.

"I want to take a look." Ruan Shu said, pointing toward the abyss.

"The master has ordered that no one may approach."

"I want to take a look…"

"Eldest Senior Sister, don't make things difficult for us."

Ruan Shu was about to give up, but the wailing started again; her brain, just getting rest, suddenly felt like it was about to explode—"Ugh ah!"

Ruan Shu's shout frightened both junior sisters. She covered her head with her hands and said, "The Five Absolutes Palace is now in my hands; you must obey my orders. I am going in now, and I will bear any problems alone."

"Please, Eldest Senior Sister, I'm begging you."

"Hmm…?"

"This…" The two youngest junior sisters looked at each other, hesitant. They thought today's eldest senior sister was strange, but recalling her usual meticulous care, they softened: "Alright then, go quickly and return quickly; we'll guard here for you."

"Okay, thank you!" Ruan Shu affectionately patted the heads of the two youngest junior sisters, then walked inside.

Ruan Shu gradually walked into the darkness; the figures of the two youngest junior sisters were no longer visible, and before her lay an iron door.

She opened the iron door and went inside.

Inside the iron cell, a stench of rot hit her face, almost making Ruan Shu vomit; she forced down her churning stomach and stood before Qiu Yichen.

Qiu Yichen's hands and feet were bound, his whole body shackled to the wall, feet dangling, head bowed, his body covered in scars.

Ruan Shu could see that those scars were from the Palace Master's whip.

"You've finally come." Qiu Yichen slowly lifted his head; his face was no longer handsome, his eyes locked onto Ruan Shu like a beast's, and he gave a cold smile: "You've finally come…"

"What do you want from me? Why keep torturing me like this?" Ruan Shu tried to avoid Qiu Yichen's gaze, but whenever she thought of her whole being exposed to his sight, she felt she had nowhere to flee.

Clearly she was the one who was free, while Qiu Yichen was the one who wanted to escape!

But now she felt like a caged bird, while Qiu Yichen was the one holding the cage, watching the bird.

"It's not that I want to torture you, but that you care about me…" Qiu Yichen said.

"Hehe, caring about you…" Ruan Shu laughed, lacking any confidence.

"Let me out…" Qiu Yichen said coldly, his tone firm and certain.

Ruan Shu firmly refused him: "Impossible! The master has ordered that no one may release you!"

"But she's gone now; you could easily let me out," Qiu Yichen told Ruan Shu, "I'll take you far away—how about that?"

Ruan Shu's face flushed instantly; she could feel that scorching heat without touching it: "You're dreaming!"

"Please, let me out…" Who would have thought Qiu Yichen would suddenly change his face, beginning to beg and plead for Ruan Shu to release him.

Ruan Shu's heart softened instantly; how could this man before her become so pitiful in an instant? The speed was beyond her imagination.

"Please, let me out, okay? I don't want to stay here any longer."

"Ruan Shu… you can save me, as long as you let me out…"

"Ruan Shu… I can only rely on you, please…"

Ruan Shu's heart melted! Like snow thawing in spring, her heart melted with the snow. She was utterly captivated by Qiu Yichen.

Ruan Shu, in a daze, her feet moving of their own accord, slowly walked toward Qiu Yichen.

The iron shackles binding Qiu Yichen have a mechanism; if the mechanism is opened, he can leave and be freed; if not opened, he will remain shackled forever, never gaining release.

"Eldest Senior Sister!" A youngest junior sister, seeing that Ruan Shu hadn't come out for a long time, walked to the iron door and just happened to see Ruan Shu slowly walking toward Qiu Yichen! "Eldest Senior Sister!"

Ruan Shu stopped, turned around, and looked at the youngest junior sister.

At this moment, Qiu Yichen's pleading grew more fierce…

"Please, let me out, okay? Only you can help me…"

"Ruan Shu… you can save me, as long as you let me out…"

"Ruan Shu… I can only rely on you, please… I'll take you far away…"

"I'll take you far away"—the power of those words was immense for Ruan Shu! In an instant, her own heart was shattered; from now on, it belonged to Qiu Yichen.

"Eldest Senior Sister! No!" the junior sister shouted!

But it was already too late.

Ruan Shu opened the mechanism of the iron shackles.

"Dong dong dong…" The iron chains bound on Qiu Yichen all scattered down! Like flowing water they poured down!

The powerful impact sent Ruan Shu flying; the entire Five Absolutes Palace shook violently!

"It's over!" Junior Sister slumped to the ground, saying painfully.

"Ruan Shu, thank you, may I call you Shu'er?" Qiu Yichen bent down and gently reached out his hand to Ruan Shu.

"Hmm..." Ruan Shu, as if drained of strength, handed her hand to Qiu Yichen; she knew she was doomed for life.

From then on, the Five Absolutes Palace would regard her as its greatest enemy, and she embarked on a path of no return.