Chapter 79: Waves of a Thousand Feet (2)

This reminded her of the Liwen Hall of the past, the rainy nights of the past, and the pain of that sword strike of the past.

The eyes that flashed under the sword light, the man's smile that was as cold as autumn water, and the blood splashing, blooming against countless tragic backgrounds.

Qie Lan suddenly stopped her steps and looked toward the depths of the abyss. Suddenly, pain slowly spread from her heart. It was his blood that stained her sword tip, flowing on and on, as if it would never stop. Even though so much time had passed, that warm sensation still clearly existed in her palm, as if a mysterious power was spreading and breaking through from the depths of her soul, turning into patterns that crossed and tangled.

This was not the first time she had entered his bedroom alone. Entering through the curtains, she approached the place where he lived daily. The large expanse of pure, ink-like darkness before her made one feel as if they had stepped into the bottom of a deep, remote lake. Only a thin white robe lay before the couch, silently floating like snow, carrying an incomparably lonely and clear meaning.

In the depths of the silence, Zi Hao's sleeping brows did not seem peaceful. Qie Lan knew he was ill, and seeing him lying alone in his clothes like this, she was slightly startled. Before she could think too much, she put down the medicine cup and stepped forward. However, unexpectedly, the moment she raised her hand to touch the corner of the quilt beside him, the person who was clearly in a deep sleep suddenly opened his eyes, and one hand, as fast as lightning, strangled her throat in an instant!

"Ah!" Qie Lan exclaimed and retreated sideways, but was suddenly pulled forward by a great force.

With a harsh, clear sound, the jade pillow in front of the couch fell to the ground, and fragments flew everywhere!

The slender, cold fingers were tightly strangled around her delicate throat. The power surging beneath his hand devoured her warm life, and there was a pair of eyes, eyes as cold as frost, piercing through the darkness to stare at her!

Such a cold, ruthless gaze absorbed all light and sound, splashing out killing intent like a snow blade!

Clenching his sleeves tightly in her palms, Qie Lan struggled with all her might, but could not make a sound. However, at this moment, Zi Hao seemed to notice something, his hand trembled, and he suddenly released her.

With the chaotic sound of jade pendants, Qie Lan immediately fell to the front of the couch. Zi Hao suddenly turned his head as he let go, followed by a burst of rapid coughing.

"Qie Lan?" After a moment, he spoke in a low voice, his voice somewhat hoarse. The sharp aura that had previously surrounded him seemed to be just an illusion, leaving only a touch of coldness, "Did I not... instruct the outside that no one is allowed to enter?"

"Cough, cough, cough..." Having almost had all her strength drained, Qie Lan could only lie on his side and pant rapidly for a while. The cold air scrambled to choke into her lungs, and the breath of death remained on her throat that he had strangled, painful as a knife cut. Only then did a trace of fear rise in her heart.

"In the future, if you see me sleeping, do not approach me easily."

The words he had said at some unknown time suddenly surfaced in her mind, coldly flashing every night of escape that had been engraved in her heart, the days when she had faced tens of thousands of reinforcements but still fought alone. The heavy memories, the light of swords, and the smell of blood were fragmented in the suffocating dizziness, chaotic into a mess.

Why was he so vigilant against approaching warmth, and why was he so wary of others even in his dreams?

The towering royal city reached the heavens, and in the Changming Palace, what had he experienced? On the Jiu Hua Hall, what had he faced?

In the distant place ahead, on the edge of gods and demons, the alternation of light and darkness, the boundary of life and death, the man standing alone—on one side was the abyss of hell, and on the other was ten thousand feet of brightness. The flow of ice and fire spread wantonly. The world he gave her turned out to be his own hell on earth.

She had never been so close to him, and had never seen him so clearly.

Not knowing if it was because of this strange feeling or the splitting pain in her throat, Qie Lan could not say a word. After a while, she raised her head, but just met his deep, black eyes as before, "You have been in a deep sleep for two days and one night, without taking any medicine... They did not dare to disobey the order, and it just so happened that I, cough, cough, I have something to find you for..."

As if his consciousness was still somewhat muddled, Zi Hao raised his hand slightly to support his forehead, but saw the clear finger marks on Qie Lan's neck, and his brows could not help but tighten.

The scene before he fell into a deep sleep surfaced in a fragmented, blurred, and intermittent way, only the feeling of that bit of warmth passing away was so clear. The incense burner of peace beside the couch had long since burned out, leaving only weak remnants. The medicine was bitter, and with the pattering sound of rain, it vaguely spread, too familiar.

The dark, icy jade cup, the darkness was like the woman's floating long sleeves, disappearing in the depths of the enchanting, flowing brows. Zi Hao leaned back, and a trace of blurred gaze fell on Qie Lan again, gradually condensing into a deep, waveless lake.

The water was clear and the abyss was quiet, and the waves of a thousand feet sank.

A perfect mask healed gently. When that trace of a smile appeared on his lips, he returned to being the Eastern Emperor of the Yong Dynasty, the master of the human world. His low voice in such dim light was like a midnight whisper, "What is the matter that you are in such a hurry to find me?"

Qie Lan's gaze shifted slightly, falling on the medicine cup on the side. Zi Hao closed his eyes wearily, "Put it here, I will take it myself in a while."

The tone was unquestionable, and vaguely, there seemed to be a little feeling of weariness. Qie Lan was somewhat surprised, hesitated for a moment, and finally pursed her lips gently, just stood up and knelt to the couch to pull the quilt for him. Zi Hao opened his eyes to look at her, a trace of unfathomable emotion flashed across his brows, and he suddenly raised his hand slowly, touching her jade neck where the finger marks were clear.

Qie Lan's body trembled slightly, letting his thin silk clothes brush past her hair and skin, falling before her eyes. Zi Hao sighed very, very lightly, and said in a low voice, "Qie Lan, do not get too close to me."

His fingertips were cold and did not carry a trace of warmth, gently brushing past the scars on her neck, but it felt like the temperature of fire. Qie Lan raised her eyes to look at him and said softly, "You and Shufu said the same thing."

Zi Hao frowned and asked, but she seemed to have realized something, avoided looking at his medicine, and reminded him, "Li Si said that this medicine uses the gall of Zhu Jiuyin, and it is more effective if taken while hot. Don't wait for it to get cold."

The Zhu Jiuyin snake gall was not a choice for nourishing deficiency and Qi, but a miraculous medicine for detoxification. Shusun Yi had once guessed that the Eastern Emperor's illness was unusual, but he did not expect it to be poison, and it seemed to be an extremely powerful medicinal property, so much so that even with his martial arts, he could not resist it. But who and what could make the Eastern Emperor suffer from severe poison? Qie Lan had always felt it was suspicious, and at this moment, she could not help but vaguely reveal it. Zi Hao's eyes met hers, and he seemed to see through the subtle changes in her thoughts. The black, lonely bottom of his eyes suddenly turned cold, and that indescribable indifference instantly blocked all expressions. He propped himself up and said lightly, "Is there any movement on Huang Fei's side?"

The cold and clear brows before him revealed the stern majesty of a monarch, which could not be looked at directly. Qie Lan vaguely felt that he was different from usual today, but could not say exactly what was wrong. She secretly took a breath, raised her head, and said, "Huang Fei has begun to forge weapons on a large scale. The 'Secret Record of Ye Zi' has indeed fallen into his hands and is now stored in the Hengyuan Hall of the Chu Palace."

Zi Hao's gaze moved, and Qie Lan told him the general situation of the weapon-forging field in the secret passage of the Shao Yuan Jun Mansion and the things that had happened in the past few days one by one, including Huang Fei's intention to kill Su Ying and Ye Xuanshang's night visit to the Hengyuan Hall and his accidental entry into the Jun Mansion. She did not hide anything. Zi Hao leaned on the couch and listened quietly, his eyes deep, not knowing what he was thinking. After Qie Lan finished speaking, he remained silent for a long time, then suddenly raised his eyes to look at her.

The extremely quiet and deep gaze seemed to see through a person's soul and bones, leaving no room at all. Qie Lan fell into that gaze unexpectedly and felt her heartbeat getting faster and faster, getting empty, as if she were suddenly on the edge of a cliff, and just a slight step would lead to being smashed to pieces, making one feel frightened at every move and word. It was not until she could almost not bear it that Zi Hao gently closed his eyes and withdrew his gaze. Qie Lan felt her whole body relax, but that feeling of having no place to belong lingered, like a tide that had lost its abyss, empty and undulating.

Zi Hao's complexion was submerged in a dim darkness, and he asked a few questions casually, his voice somewhat tired. His concern for Ye Xuanshang seemed to be even greater than the weapon-forging field of the Shao Yuan Jun Mansion. Qie Lan collected her thoughts and told him in detail, but he never answered again.

Qie Lan thought he had not yet recovered from his serious illness and was lacking in spirit, so she said softly, "You should rest well first. If there is an opportunity another day, I will come to see you again." After speaking, she rose quietly, but just as she had walked a few steps, a low, deep question suddenly came from behind her, "Qie Lan, what did Uncle Wang say to you?"

Qie Lan was shocked and stopped her steps. In the quiet and dark place in the room, Zi Hao had already opened his eyes, his eyes unusually clear, like cold rain without sound.

The blurred light at the door outlined the woman's slender figure, her jade-like face bright and beautiful, but also blurred and unclear.

"What did Uncle say?"

Qie Lan turned her head slightly, lowered her eyes and hesitated for a moment, and finally answered him, "Shufu told me to stay away from you, he told me... to marry Huang Fei."

Zi Hao's eyes changed suddenly, and the dark light brushed over the deep moment, instantly rising with waves. There was no need to ask about Huang Fei's attitude, as he was naturally happy to see it happen. After a moment of silence, his lips suddenly curled coldly, "And you?"

Perhaps it was infected by the slanting wind and rain outside the curtain, ripples gradually rose in the depths of Qie Lan's eyes, and beneath the two curved eyelashes were shadows and dots, as if it were the faint light penetrating the rainy night.

The Eastern Emperor, the Son of Heaven, he was asking for her heart, her decision. Then, how should the Queen of the Jiuyi Tribe answer?

How can all things in the world go according to people's wishes? If it went according to people's wishes, how could the Di Du be the Di Du of today, how could Qie Lan be the Qie Lan of today, and how could Jiuyi become the Jiuyi of today?

In the silence, she heard the Eastern Emperor's voice ring out coldly, "Qie Lan, no one can force you to do what you don't want to do."

Qie Lan smiled faintly and asked in a low voice, "Really?"

Zi Hao said lightly, "Yes."

As his words fell, Qie Lan seemed to be relieved, and also seemed to have surging thoughts, with mixed sorrow and joy. Looking up at the faint light that seemed distant before her, she closed her eyes gently and smiled silently to herself.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 80 =====