Chapter 248: Thank You

Wuyang Prefecture, Yingying Mountain Range.

This is the largest mountain range in Wuyang Prefecture, stretching for tens of thousands of miles.

Many reclusive masters live in seclusion among these mountains.

Beneath one of the most inconspicuous mountain foothills lies a sizable palace; if viewed from above, the palace's existence is completely invisible, and even low-altitude flight reveals nothing.

This is the place of confinement for Bai Zhi, mother of Zhu Lingyue, where the Jing Emperor has set up a mysterious feng shui array; the only entrance is by walking in from beneath the mountain's base.

Inside the palace.

There are dozens of palace maids coming and going here, all responsible for attending to Bai Zhi's daily life, but upon closer inspection, each maid's cultivation is no lower than the Innate Realm.

These people are all tasked with guarding Bai Zhi.

And outside the palace, there are dozens of masters hidden in the shadows, several of whom have reached the Yuan Dan Realm.

Bai Zhi is in the deepest part of the palace; she cannot even leave the palace.

Throughout the palace hang portraits of Zhu Lingyue, all painted by Bai Zhi over the years, but they all depict Zhu Lingyue before the age of eleven, for it was at eleven that Zhu Lingyue was bound here by the Jing Emperor.

These years of longing have left Bai Zhi abnormally emaciated; she gazes at the food beside her with no thought of eating.

She merely reaches out and gently touches the portrait before her, her eyes full of longing.

But she also understands that her continued survival means Zhu Lingyue must be faring well outside.

Only if Zhu Lingyue is well will the Jing Emperor continue to imprison her.

This is also her sole thought keeping her alive.

But just then, the room gradually darkened; Bai Zhi turned her head toward the window, as if she had seen a black sun.

Immediately afterward, the sky turned completely black; in the darkness, all sounds vanished.

After just a few breaths, the darkness receded, and heaven and earth fell silent, as if nothing had just happened.

Yet Bai Zhi grew increasingly tense, for the outside silence was excessively profound.

Bai Zhi snapped her brush in half and pressed the broken end firmly against her own throat.

At that moment, Shen Qing's voice reached the room.

"Is Aunt Bai Zhi inside?"

"I am Shen Qing, a friend of Zhu Lingyue."

Hearing this, Bai Zhi's eyes lit up; only a soft "crack" was heard as the broken brush fell to the ground.

Then the large door slowly pushed open, and Shen Qing walked in.

Bai Zhi stood somewhat flustered: "You truly are Lingyue's friend? Do you have anything to prove it?"

Shen Qing replied: "I really don't have anything special to prove it."

"But this garment I wear was given to me by her."

At this moment, Shen Qing still wore the dark gold-trimmed robe Zhu Lingyue had given him last time.

Bai Zhi's finger twitched slightly: "Lingyue said she liked dark colors since childhood."

Shen Qing continued: "Then it's certain—come with me, I'll take you to see Zhu Lingyue."

Bai Zhi felt flustered, momentarily losing composure; suddenly facing the daughter she had thought of day and night, she was at a loss, clutching the hem of her clothes.

"Where shall we go to see Lingyue?"

Shen Qing pondered for a moment: "Where?"

The imperial palace is certainly out—it's full of old spies; the Shen family? Shen Qing killed the Cheng Emperor, so those old ones surely have their eyes on the Shen family.

Shen Qing thought of a place: the mountain villa where he and Zhu Lingyue have always met.

Shen Qing looked at Bai Zhi.

"When I meet Zhu Lingyue, we always meet at a mountain villa; I don't know its name, but it's on Xuanyu Mountain."

"I will summon her, and then we'll meet at that mountain villa on Xuanyu Mountain; I just don't know what the villa is called."

Upon hearing the three words "Xuanyu Mountain," Bai Zhi completely trusted Shen Qing, and she spoke.

"That is Lingyue's favorite place from childhood."

"When she was young, the Jing Emperor did not favor Lingyue, but still granted her a mountain villa..."

But Shen Qing, lacking patience to listen further: "Well, Auntie, shall we go first? We can talk along the way."

Bai Zhi hastily nodded: "Oh, yes, yes, yes—hurry up and go."

Shen Qing extended his hand, a thread of true qi probing out, supporting Bai Zhi, and then shot straight up into the sky.

In midair, Shen Qing lowered his head and casually flicked out several terrifying golden blade lights, directly blasting the palace below, along with the feng shui grand array, into ruins.

Beside him, Bai Zhi's eyes instantly reddened; she could not believe she had truly walked out of the palace that had imprisoned her for over a decade.

And at the moment that feng shui grand array was destroyed, Shen Qing's Heart of the Earth could once again sense the presence of the fortune incarnate.

This feng shui grand array not only concealed sight but also concealed fortune, which is why the golden dragon had failed to discover the palace's existence for so many years.

Shen Qing hurried toward the Shen family estate, contacting the Qilin.

"Hey, Qilin, tell the golden dragon in the imperial palace to inform Zhu Lingyue to come to that mountain villa last time—I have someone she should very much want to see."

Not long after, Shen Qing brought Bai Zhi to the mountain villa, arriving at the lakeside pavilion; Zhu Lingyue had not yet arrived.

Bai Zhi felt somewhat nervous; she looked at Shen Qing: "Shen Qing, help me look—how do I appear now?"

Her voice trembled slightly; she was too nervous, afraid her daughter would see her unfavorable side.

But before Shen Qing could speak, footsteps sounded—Zhu Lingyue approached, wearing a red dragon-patterned xiapei.

She spoke: "Shen..."

But her voice trailed off as she saw Bai Zhi's back view—the very figure she had dreamed of day and night.

She had longed for it so much, yet when that back view truly appeared before her, she could not believe her own eyes.

Her voice trembled: "Mother... is that you...?"

Baizhi's hand gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, slowly turning around to see Zhu Lingyue in a red dragon-patterned rosy cloud cape, beautiful as a fairy, her tears spilling forth.

"Lingyue..."

"Mother!"

Shen Qing stepped forward, leaving the small lake, giving them space as mother and daughter.

Shen Qing arrived at the manor's gate, faintly hearing sobs and confessions carried on the air.

No one knew how long passed before the sound gradually faded away.

And Zhu Lingyue's footsteps echoed behind her, she trembled as she spoke: "Shen Qing..."

Shen Qing turned with a smile: "Have you two talked things through?"

But before Shen Qing could see clearly, a soft body lunged forward and threw itself into his embrace.

Shen Qing froze for a moment, instinctively raising his hand, only to hover it in midair, unsure where to place it.

His mind began recalling the TV dramas and films he had watched, ultimately concluding he should place his hand on her shoulder.

Shen Qing's hand settled on Zhu Lingyue's shoulder, the person in his arms so soft, so yielding that he felt as if he were holding a bouquet of clouds.

Zhu Lingyue clung tightly to Shen Qing, her body trembling slightly, her voice growing hoarse.

"Shen Qing, thank you."