Chapter 791: He Died (2/2, Request Subscription)

In the courtyard, a slender young woman in a floral sundress sat idly cracking sunflower seeds while swaying her jade-like feet.

Her long hair was tied into a bun, her expression relaxed and carefree—except when she occasionally looked up at the Yin-Yang Moon in the night sky, her eyes would suddenly grow distant, as if remembering someone, her lips curving faintly into a sweet, tender smile.

And this woman was none other than You Sisi, who had once died in Qingsi County, her corpse later brought back to Jingcheng by You Lao!

Yet no matter how one looked, You Sisi at this moment showed not the slightest trace of a corpse—she was indistinguishable from an ordinary person.

"Miss! Miss! Stop cracking those seeds—something terrible has happened…"

At that moment, a maid rushed in chattering down the corridor; before she could reach You Sisi, You Sisi turned her head—

What an aura of vigor this woman possessed!

Though dressed in a style meant to highlight feminine gentleness, that single turn of her head revealed her refined features and androgynous charm, leaving the maid momentarily stunned.

"Xiao Rong, what's wrong? Has the Seventh Prince found a way to get me out of Jingcheng?"

As You Sisi rose and stepped closer, the maid blushed instantly, stepping back two paces and bowing her head: "No, no—the Seventh Prince still has no news. It's Father—he wants to see you!"

"Father?"

You Sisi's expression changed.

Since her death in Qingsi County, she had awakened back at home.

Because of what happened outside, her family had tightened their grip on her; no amount of pleading or coaxing had convinced them to let her leave.

And her father was determined to force her into marriage with the Seventh Prince.

In the past—before she understood love—You Sisi hadn't minded the match; they had grown up together, their statuses matched perfectly, a truly suitable union.

But after the trials of Qingsi County and meeting that person… You Sisi now clearly resisted this marriage.

"I won't see him! Grandfather will only scold me for disobeying him and forcing me to marry the Seventh Prince—I won't suffer for it!"

"But… but…"

Before the maid could finish, a figure slowly emerged from the corridor.

The moment the maid saw him, her face turned ashen; she immediately knelt down.

"Welcome, Master!"

You Sisi looked up—it could only be her grandfather.

"Grandfather!" You Sisi ran over, clinging to You Lao's arm and shaking it playfully: "Don't pressure me—I really don't want to marry the Seventh Prince!"

You Lao glared, his beard bristling as he barked:

"What nonsense! Your marriage to the Seventh Prince was decreed by the Emperor himself—it is an Imperial Edict! Defying the Imperial Edict means you want to bring the entire You Family to execution?"

"Grandfather~"

"Let go! You're disrespectful—what kind of conduct is this?!"

You Lao's voice rose; You Sisi's eyes reddened with grievance, she let go and stepped back two paces, pouting, cheeks puffed, refusing to meet his gaze, muttering:

"Fine, I won't marry him—let whoever wants to marry him do it!"

"You!"

"Nyah-nyah-nyah!" You Sisi stuck out her tongue at her grandfather, making a silly face.

"Won't marry, huh?" You Lao seemed enraged; he let out a cold laugh and slowly pulled a wooden box from his robe.

Before You Sisi could react, he slammed the box hard onto the ground!

Boom!!

The wooden box, ordinary and frail, shattered instantly under You Lao's strength.

You Sisi instinctively looked down.

One glance—and her mind went blank, as if her soul had been ripped from her body.

Her pupils contracted; her entire body trembled. Before her mind could catch up, she lunged forward without regard for her new floral dress, snatching the object on the ground with both hands, her voice trembling, her whole frame shaking:

"This… this handkerchief—where did you get it?! Where is he… where is he?! How is he?! This has nothing to do with him! Grandfather! Answer me! Grandfather!!"

Among the shattered wood on the ground lay a black, pitch-dark handkerchief.

That handkerchief… You Sisi recognized it!

It was unmistakably the pink handkerchief she had once given to Fang Yue in Qingsi County!

But now, whatever it had endured had turned it pitch-black and greasy, reeking of thick, cloying blood.

As if it had accompanied its owner through countless battles and deaths, yet stubbornly survived.

Touching it carefully, one could feel the owner had cherished it deeply, preserving it with extreme care.

Yet no matter how hard they tried to clean it, the blood splattered in battle had permanently dyed it black.

In other words, this handkerchief had lost its original purpose.

Under normal circumstances, anyone would have discarded it and replaced it with a fresh one.

But not here—this handkerchief had been lovingly preserved; judging by its condition, it had likely been worn by its former owner just one or two days ago.

You Sisi's eyes turned red; staring at her silent grandfather, she grew frantic with rage—she pointed at him for the first time in her life, screaming in a voice she had never used before: "You killed him! Grandfather—did you kill him?!"

You Lao slowly walked to the stone bench in the courtyard and sat down, lifting his eyelids slightly to glance at You Sisi, then speaking in a clear, deliberate tone:

"Yes."

Zzzzzt!!

The moment You Lao spoke, You Sisi felt a lightning bolt split her mind—a crushing, indescribable sorrow surged from her chest, and she spat out a mouthful of blood.

She staggered backward, pointing at You Lao, speechless; her vision darkened—overwhelmed by the shock, she collapsed unconscious on the spot.

"Miss?!"

Xiao Rong screamed and rushed over to check on her mistress, but You Lao rose slowly.

"Move aside. As I said before—if the marriage contract isn't fulfilled, even if she dies, she must come back to life!"

"M-Master!"

The maidservant, her voice breaking into sobs, knelt and blocked the path between You Lao and You Sisi.

From farther away came the rustling of many footsteps.

"What's happening? What's happening!"

"Is the master arguing with Sisi again?"

"Oh dear! Will there ever be any peace? The moment he's back, the fussing never stops. It's been days now, and still going on…"

His eyelids twitched. You Lao gave a cold snort, flung his hands behind his back, turned away from You Sisi and the other, and said coldly, "First take her back to her room to rest."

"Yes, yes! Thank you, Master, for your mercy! I thank you on behalf of the young miss!!"

The maidservant Xiao Rong hurriedly helped the unconscious You Sisi up and led her toward You Sisi's room.

You Lao, left where he stood, raised his head to look at the sky, his expression complex as he gazed at the Yin-Yang Moon in the night sky.

At this moment, the Yang Moon had grown smaller and smaller, only one-third remaining, while the Blood Moon had already claimed two-thirds of the area.

"The Heaven Devouring… is almost here… Sisi, don't blame Grandfather for being heartless. Some things, only the imperial clan has the power to resolve, only then… can we truly protect our You Family!"

By the time the concubines came noisily down the corridor, You Lao finally showed an embarrassed look, weary of dealing with them.

……

(End of chapter)