Chapter 31

Inside the mountain cave.

Wei Lingfeng watched that figure disappear into the distance, smiled intriguingly, then said coldly, "Come down!"

Wu Ye, expression unchanged, watched as over a dozen guards in identical uniforms appeared out of nowhere, knelt before Wei Lingfeng, and chorused, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Wei Lingfeng waved his hand to signal them to rise, but the leader remained kneeling on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.

Wei Lingfeng pretended not to notice and said lightly, "How did things go?"

That person dared not delay, hastily replied: "Your Majesty, we have eliminated all those pursuers. We have placed our people beside Yin Ziyan and Yin Zifu. We have also successfully obtained Yin Guo's battle plan against Ting. But..."

"Hn?" Wei Lingfeng played with the jade pendant in his hand, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"The acquisition of Wangjiang Lou hasn't gone smoothly; after extensive investigation, its mastermind... is the Fourth Prince of Yin Guo, Yin Ziheng!"

Wei Lingfeng's eyes flickered slightly, he gave a cold chuckle, and said: "No matter. How's the investigation into the blood worm going?"

The lead guard shuddered violently, knocked his head hard on the ground, voice trembling and choked: "I am incompetent, actually letting Your Majesty face such danger!"

Wei Lingfeng expressionlessly rehung the jade pendant around his neck, spoke gently: "Cheng You, it was I who let you leave; what crime is there? Speak, what exactly is this blood worm?"

Cheng You's heart stirred; recalling the recent findings, his voice turned hoarse and trembling: "Your Majesty, the blood worm is a secret medicine of the Jianghu's top assassin organization, the 'Cold Moon Sect', used exclusively to control its assassins to prevent betrayal or escape. When the blood worm flares up, it causes unbearable pain... truly... I deserve death; aside from regularly taking the medicinal guide to suppress toxicity, the blood worm... truly has no cure!"

Wei Lingfeng's handsome brows furrowed slightly, a flash of strange color in his eyes, secretly thinking: I didn't expect her to be telling the truth. He quickly regained composure and asked: "So far, no one has survived?"

Cheng You paused slightly, then kowtowed again: "Your Majesty! Among those who have defected from the Cold Moon Sect and remained unharmed, there is indeed one, the sole one—known as the world's number one assassin... Bu Sha!"

"Bu Sha?" That is, the cold-hearted blade rumored about last month? Wei Lingfeng, somewhat absent-minded, glanced at Wu Ye's hideously ugly face, and couldn't help but recall: that girl's face is also covered in knife scars.

Wei Lingfeng slightly furrowed his brow, rhythmically tapping his finger joints on the nearby rock, his thoughts racing. Suddenly he lifted his head to look at Cheng You and asked: "That day you mentioned the three members of the Wu You group; please elaborate."

Cheng You felt doubtful, yet respectfully replied: "Your Majesty, these three people are: one a peerless divine doctor, one a cold and aloof blade master, and one an ugly yet extraordinary maiden... Your Majesty!"

Cheng You saw Prince Qi inexplicably start to laugh; recalling that this person never showed joy or anger on his face, he couldn't help but be startled.

"An ugly yet extraordinary maiden?" Wei Lingfeng gave a light smile, his interested gaze falling on Wu Ye, and said: "Your eye for talent is not bad. I'll ask you again: will you follow me back, or die here?"

Wu Ye knelt on both knees, his face still devoid of any expression despite extreme terror, and said: "I still say that, Mo Jin is dead; I am now... called Wu Ye."

"Good!" Wei Lingfeng's eyes flashed with killing intent, he said solemnly, "Cheng You!"

Wu Ye clenched his fists tightly, yet had no intention of resisting. He merely recalled that person's bright eyes, light smile, and warm embrace, and his heart inevitably felt a faint ache.

Cheng You raised his sword, yet did not look at the terrifying face before him, not knowing who he was, nor why he should kill him. But Prince Qi's words were an absolute, unquestionable command; the sword, once stained with countless blood, thrust forward without hesitation...

"Ah—!" A piercing wail echoed through the heavens, also heavily striking the hearts of everyone in the cave.

Wu Ye's expression turned fierce, he no longer cared about the emperor before him, the sword in his chest, and he leapt sideways and rushed out.

Wei Lingfeng couldn't sort out what he felt at that moment; merely, a vague irritation and other unnamed emotions surged in his chest, his face involuntarily paled, he frowned and said: "You go follow and see."

Cheng You kowtowed again in assent, then hurriedly took half the troops and chased out of the cave.

Wei Lingfeng sat quietly on the rough rock, his right hand unconsciously playing with the jade pendant on his chest, occasionally revealing a hint of cruel cold smile as he muttered to himself: "Since you want to be Wu Ye, I will fulfill you! Well, keep watch over this rare prey for me..."

Here, the lights are bright.

I looked in disbelief at the familiar table and chairs, beams and pillars before me. The luxurious villa, simple yet not lacking in noble decor. I... have I come home?

"Bing'er, it's time to eat, hurry over." Dad's warm, magnetic voice came from the dining room.

My heart surged with wild joy; I quickly replied, "Coming!" and sprinted over.

Still, the same round glass table. Dad said, although a long dining table looks impressive, it lacks warmth, so he insisted on buying this one.

Brother still sat as usual, head down eating, paying no attention to me or Dad. His forehead hair had grown a bit, faintly covering his eyes; indeed, the day before the cliff fall I had been thinking, when I return I must drag Brother to get a haircut.

"Brother."

He didn't lift his head, quietly uttering an "en."

I gently walked up to him, looking at his silent self, and continued calling: "Brother."

He looked up at me somewhat strangely, still the same sharp-angled face, still the same deep, unfathomable amber eyes.

"Brother." I felt as if I were cradling a dream, carefully, yet tears couldn't help but fall.

"Brother." I felt as if I were cradling a dream, carefully, yet tears couldn't help but fall.

Dad's voice suddenly came: "Why are you still standing? This is one of the rare days I myself cook in a month; don't give me the cold shoulder! Bing'er... why are you crying?"

"Dad," I wiped my tears, smiling at them, "Brother, will we never be separated for our whole lives?"

I smiled, placing my hand on my chest. However, it was empty, nothing there. My heart jolted violently, everything before me began to blur. Brother looked at me expressionlessly, his eyes sorrowful and gloomy.

Dad's voice echoed in my ears, yet seemed like a dream from the last century: "Bing'er, did you drop something over there?"

"Over there?" I shook my head desperately, tried desperately to grab them, shouting loudly, but my throat couldn't make a sound: "No, I didn't drop anything over there! So please don't leave, don't leave..."

"Sister... Miss..."

Who... who is crying and calling in my ear nonstop? I'm so tired, can I not wake up?

But... I blearily opened my eyes; before me a figure swayed, eyes wet with tears, seemingly a female.

"Miss! You're awake?" A joyful shout rang out, making my ears tingle slightly.

When my vision finally cleared, I discovered a pretty-looking girl kneeling beside my bed, face full of delight, her eyes swollen red like walnuts from crying, tear tracks on her cheeks still not dry.

Before I could ask, she wiped away her tears in one sweep, happily saying: "Miss, you really woke up? I'll go call Manager Zhou right away!" Having said that, she dashed off like a gust of wind.

What's going on? I roughly glanced at the room; the furnishings were exquisite, but the house itself was very crude, walls still wooden. Moreover, I felt my body swaying slightly.

I vaguely recalled being by the river, then... the blood worm flared up, and I plunged headfirst into the water. I couldn't help but wryly smile; I had thought I was surely dead this time, but didn't expect that a worthless life, trampled by thousands, would be as tenacious as a cockroach.

In that case, this should be a cabin? Hence the slight sway; it seems a kind soul fished me out of the water.

My chest felt slightly warm; I puzzledly took out the thing always pressed against my chest—a piece of... red stone. How could I have this? I tilted my head, thought for a long while, then suddenly recalled it seemed to be the little silver that hard-pressed into my hand in the cave.

I felt this awakening was very strange; I stared at the stone in my hand, red and growing more bewitching, for a long time—there was indeed something off.

The scarlet stone faintly emitted heat, lying quietly on my white, crystal-clear palm... Right! It's a hand! I put the stone into my bosom, and with a puzzled expression examined this pair of hands, smooth as beautiful jade yet slender, from all sides.

I clearly remember my hands had thin calluses from practicing guns as a child; although they gradually faded, they still left some traces—how could they possibly be like this now... practically comparable to a baby's hands.

Furthermore, since waking I have continually felt a subtle current flowing around my lower abdomen, somewhat strange, somewhat uncomfortable, but mostly warm and... fun. It's like holding a tiny silver in my belly, darting here and there, and obeying my thoughts, moving up and down.

Suddenly I recalled, this part... seems like the dantian. I remember Qi Ran saying that practicing internal cultivation means guiding the body's qi through meditation and seated exercises, circulating from the dantian downward in a loop, returning to the meridians. Repeating, the qi gathered in the dantian grows more abundant and purer; finally spreading it throughout the body yields the most primal internal force.

In this era, internal skill is the foundation of all martial arts; without internal force, any advanced sword or blade technique is just an empty shell, useless. Yet paradoxically, the hardest to practice is internal skill. One must avoid arrogance and impatience, proceed cautiously; otherwise one easily falls into demonic fire. Therefore, even those with high talent, unless they have a strange encounter, need ten to twenty years to achieve modest results.

Speaking of that, I must mention Qiran; according to Bu Sha, his internal force had been formed since childhood, because whether sleeping, walking, eating, or training, his internal cultivation was as natural as breathing, constantly ongoing. Indeed, that's… perverse.

Could it be that the flow inside me now is internal breath? That's too far‑fetched, right? How can a single dip in water make me inexplicably unable to understand my own bodily condition?

While my head throbbed, distant footsteps grew nearer, clumsy and stumbling, presumably the girl who just left has returned. Huh! Strange, the footsteps still seem far away, yet I hear them so clearly.

"Miss! Miss!" The voice arrived before the person; she shouted, pushed the door open, still holding a basin of water, followed by two similarly dressed women, each carrying clothing or some ornaments.

They set down their items; the two later women bowed to me and left, casually closing the door behind them.

I couldn't help but wonder why they were so respectful to me, as if I were the master and they were servants. Thinking of this, I recalled that Wuye Bu Zhi… maybe they would be frantic if they hadn't seen me?

"Miss, Overseer Zhou said the ship will dock soon, so we won't come to see you now. Hmph! It's just looking down on us…" The girl, while tidying my clothes, chattered, sometimes angry, sometimes startled by her own words, then hurriedly stopped.

"To see you?" What is going on, and why does she keep calling me Miss? Then she said, "Miss, this time you must not be stubborn with the Lord again; don't claim you suffer while letting those petty people get ahead!"

Lord… Lord? Which play is this from? Could I have once again soul‑transcended as I wished? Yet it's odd—my clothes have changed, but the "Jue" on my wrist and the red stone remain.

"Miss, have you heard? Young Master Feng is now a guest at our mansion; you must dress beautifully, don't lose to the self‑righteous Third Miss! And please… don't think about that Ling fellow… you're hurting yourself."

"Wait… ah…" This… I'm clearly speaking, yet my voice sounds so strange—no longer crisp and bright, but warm and pleasant.

Seeing my face turn deathly pale, the girl hurriedly brought the water to soothe me: "Miss, don't worry, the doctor said your throat was somehow severely injured and then healed on its own, so your voice may have changed a bit."

"Actually, Miss, your voice now is extremely pleasant, clear and fresh; Xin Hui doesn't know how to describe it! Anyway, it feels comfortable to the heart."

This… what's happening? First my hand, then internal force, even my voice… could it be because of Blood Gu? Speaking of it, the last outbreak was different but certainly linked to Blood Gu, so has the toxin… been resolved?

Forget it, I have no time to ponder; the chaotic situation before me must be sorted. Just as I was about to inquire, the girl placed a basin of water before me. I'm unaccustomed to being served, so I tried to take it myself; as I lowered my head…

The shadow in the water was blurry, yet enough for me to see a delicate, fair face shimmering in the ripples…

"Ah!" I shouted, standing up and knocking over the basin of water. "What… what is this?"

People outside rushed in at the shout; I only heard them mutter "Miss…" "Deserved…" in a noisy, chaotic clamor, yet nothing entered my mind…

I kept replaying the reflection I just saw. That face wasn't extraordinary, not a peerless beauty but graceful, translucent, a sight I've grown accustomed to over ten years. No transmigration, no possession—just my own face.

But… the problem is here! Isn't this my pre‑scar appearance? How did it revert in a single night? Where are the scars? Did they just vanish into thin air?

The room fell silent again; the girl carefully helped me sit on the bedside, still murmuring in my ear, though it took a while before her words truly reached me.

"…There are already plenty of rumors, Miss; if you keep being this odd, you'll be bullied by the Second Concubine and punished by the Lord!"

I grabbed her sleeve and interrupted, asking, "What is your name?"

The girl was startled, tears about to fall, frantic like ants on a hot pan, and said, "Miss, what's happening to you? I'm Xin Hui! Could it be that I'm seriously ill? I'll go fetch the doctor right away…"

"Alright, Xin Hui." I, head throbbing, pulled her to sit; I hadn't used much force, yet somehow I easily pulled her down. The surprise in her eyes flashed briefly, then she stared blankly at me.

"I think I must tell you a fact." I steadied my tone and said seriously, "I'm not the Miss you speak of; I think… you have the wrong person!"

"Miss…" Xin Hui looked shocked, then tears flashed, and she began to cry, "Miss, you still refuse to go back, right? Actually the Lord does it for your own good, that Ling fellow…"

"Stop!" I rubbed my slightly sore forehead and said helplessly, "I'm sorry! I really… am not your family's Miss; perhaps your Miss looks like me, but I'm definitely not her!"

"This… Miss, please don't say that…" Xin Hui's face turned as white as an egg, tears streaming like an opened faucet, "Could it be that Miss has amnesia? Yes! Definitely amnesia! Xin Hui will go find the doctor right away!"

"Xin Hui!" I grabbed her, my headache intensifying, feeling as if I were bullying her, "I've roamed outside since childhood, never been any family's Miss, let alone have a father called Lord. Recently, I fell into water in the forest, woke up on this ship. I swear, I truly am not your family's Miss!"

"You… really aren't?" Xin Hui's face was so pale it seemed without any color, her eyes slowly showing despair and fear.

I frowned with concern, wondering if the Miss being missing was truly that distressing, yet I answered firmly, "No."

"Then… then Luoer is doomed?" She no longer looked at me, gazing blankly out the window, lips trembling badly, tears falling in a rush; her tears now felt more genuine and sadder than before.

I sighed, realizing this was why she cared about me, no—cared about her family's Miss. Who is Luoer? Probably a relative of hers!

Xin Hui cried for a while, then a resolute glint flashed in her eyes; I was puzzled, and the next moment she knelt before me, hammered her head, choking, "Miss… no! Young lady, please save my brother's life."

I was startled, rushed to help her up, but she stubbornly stepped back, then bowed heavily, her forehead already slightly swollen and red.

"I… what do you want me to help with?" It can't be…

"Young lady, please impersonate my family's Miss for a while, save my brother's life." Indeed… my temples throbbed!

"It can't be… right!?"

Xin Hui didn't wait for my answer, kept bowing, her forehead finally breaking the skin and bleeding: "Please! Please! …"

I was shocked, hurriedly forced her up; since waking, I felt my strength and spiritual perception had risen considerably, likely due to that strange internal breath inside me.

Seeing she remained determined, "you don't agree, I'll die kneeling here," I sighed and asked helplessly, "Then at least tell me what happened to your brother? How am I to save him?"

Hearing my tone, Xin Hui sensed I would likely agree, and burst into ecstatic joy, rapidly recounting the whole affair.

It turned out that the Miss who resembled me was named Lan Yingruo, the youngest daughter of Prime Minister Lan Junqing of the Ting Kingdom. She was learned, skilled in qin, chess, calligraphy, painting, and was obedient and beloved by Lan Junqing.

However, after growing up, Lan Yingruo ignored the advances of many princes, and fell in love with a poor scholar surnamed Ling, which Lan Junqing vehemently opposed. Unexpectedly, the usually obedient Lan Yingruo became resolute, eloped with that Ling scholar, and vanished without a trace.

As for Xin Luo, he, like Xin Hui, had followed Lan Yingruo since childhood, serving as a little servant. It is said he helped her escape out of compassion; after the incident, Lan Junqing, enraged, threw him into a death cell. If not for the eldest son Lan Jianxia pleading, he likely would have been executed, and Xin Hui might not have escaped either.

Sigh, I exhaled, indeed this is an ancient love drama in a transmigration, another trite tale, and I wonder how the protagonists' fates turn out.

"Young lady…" Xin Hui's timid voice sounded beside my ear, as if fearing I wouldn't agree.

"Are you sure that if I return to your family's Lord he'll release your brother?" Analyzing the earlier situation, that Lan Yingruo, because of her elopement, has become a target of many, so how could Lan Junqing listen to a wayward daughter's plea? In the end, I would suffer the most.

Xin Hui was stunned, then her expression darkened, eyes still holding a glimmer of hopeful possibility, yet she honestly shook her head.

"Fine." Seeing her endless sorrow yet unwilling to deceive me, her heart still hard, she let out a long sigh, "Regardless of the outcome, I'll try my best. But I'm not really Lan Yingruo; there will inevitably be flaws and oversights, so you'll have to take extra care."

"Since that's the case, just call me Miss! The word 'young lady' feels odd. By the way, your forehead is badly broken." I searched for gauze, saying, "Shall I help you clean and bandage it?"

I looked up, saw her staring blankly at me with disbelief, round cheeks wet with tears, forehead red, looking foolishly cute.

I patted her head and laughed, "Don't worry! When the ship reaches the bridge, it'll straighten itself; if not, we'll use your iron head to smash it straight!"

"Little… sister!" Xin Hui's face flushed, helping me put on clothes while scolding, "How can you be such an indecent Miss!"

I tidied the tangled silk garments, internally despising such impractical clothing. Hearing her words I shrugged, saying dismissively, "I'm not a rich miss anyway, what's the big deal?"

Xin Hui's cheeks reddened; just as she was about to retort, her body jolted, and someone outside shouted, "Docking!"

So, finally, we've arrived.

I tugged my skirt, took a deep breath, and unexpectedly my internal breath completed a full cycle, leaving me refreshed. I smiled faintly, "Xin Hui, let's go!"

(End of chapter)