Lin Mv Ci was still having a headache, but Helian Lanyuan arrived faster than she expected.
Outside, snow was falling heavily. She suddenly wished to admire plum blossoms, and Ling Qianhe granted her wish, but he arranged for a warm sedan. The weather outside was freezing, yet she could curl up in his embrace.
His palm was slightly cool, but the inside of the sedan was warm and cozy—
She almost didn't want to get up.
Until a pair of pale hands lifted the curtain.
A pair of eyes as clear as ice and snow.
Tinted with a hint of confusion, some pain, they gazed at her, at the sight of her lying in Ling Qianhe's arms.
"Xiao Ci?"
"Why are you lying in... lying in his arms?"
Lin Mv Ci opened her eyes and looked at Helian Lanyuan opposite her. She wanted to explain, but Ling Qianhe's actions were faster. A low, cold laugh escaped his lips, and then Ling Qianhe spoke.
"Xiao Ci?"
"Is her name even yours to call?"
"Who are you? Trespassing into the palace is a capital offense."
Helian Lanyuan opposite her stared intently at the defiant, cold youth before him. Compared to Ling Qianhe, he, the Demon Emperor, appeared more ethereal and dignified. He raised his eyes, fiercely swept away the obstructing curtain, and seeing his former fiancée lying in another's arms, an unspeakable pain and panic surged in his heart.
He shouldn't have done this—
He was supposed to be looking for Zhizhi.
Zhizhi had stolen the Qingque clan's treasure to save him years ago.
She had saved his life. When he was breaking through, he encountered danger—it was she who saved him regardless of her reputation. It was Zhizhi who, in the midst of heavy snow, fed him her own blood.
It was also Zhizhi who, carrying him, then a fragile little azure dragon capable only of transforming into his original form, trekked thirty thousand years, braving the endless nightmare plains, to find him medicine and treatment—he owed her an immense debt of gratitude.
But seeing his former fiancée in another's arms, for some reason, his heart felt as if it were being clutched fiercely, hurting him to the bone. He gasped for air, his face ashen.
"I'm looking for Zhizhi."
Ling Qianhe opposite him merely hummed.
Interest lost.
"So you're looking for that blind girl. Take her away, and I won't hold your trespass against you—take your blind girl and get lost."
He said this with little interest and turned to look at Lin Mv Ci. He saw the faint panic in her eyes and, for some reason, felt a pang of displeasure. He leaned closer to her lips.
His lips brushed hers in an instant.
Then he curved his lips, his eyelids trembling slightly, his voice also melodious.
"Let's continue."
And Helian Lanyuan's eyes almost burst with rage—how dare this person before him, how dare he—his breathing faltered for a moment. He looked coldly at Si Mu Ci opposite him, gritting his teeth, each word squeezed out as if from between his molars.
"What, is this your path of demon subduing?"
"Serving a demon by offering yourself?"
"I never knew you would become so—so self-degrading!"
His words were already extremely stern and serious. Lin Mv Ci, however, raised her eyes. There was annoyance in her eyes, but even more so, mockery.
She looked at the handsome, refined Demon Lord with his pale face opposite her, her expression as if she were looking at a joke. Then she asked him.
"Self-degrading?"
"If I am self-degrading, then what are you?"
"Aren't you here to find Qingque? She's right there, take her away."
In the distance, amidst the flowers, a wavering shadow in white appeared—Ling Qianhe merely glanced dismissively at Helian Lanyuan. Helian Lanyuan, however, looked at his features and suddenly realized something was amiss.
Ling Qianhe waved his hand, unleashing a surge of spiritual energy, attempting to repel Helian Lanyuan. Helian Lanyuan's face was ashen white as paper, his voice trembling violently.
"How could this be—"
"How could it be."
He looked at Ling Qianhe.
"Was it you? Did you consume that Jade Bone Lotus? But there's only one in the world, and it was meant for Xiao Ci—you demon, you deserve to be sliced into ten thousand pieces! How could you steal her hope..."
"You scoundrel!"
"Giving that thing to you is a desecration!"
"You harmed her!"
He was about to continue cursing, but Lin Mv Ci moved faster than him. She instantly blocked Ling Qianhe, sighing with a hint of helplessness. Then Lin Mv Ci said.
"Is it he who deserves to be sliced into ten thousand pieces?"
"The one who truly harmed me, is you."
"Why I am like this, don't you know better than anyone? What you did for Zhizhi back then, have you forgotten it all? Since you've already made your choice, there's no need to put on a pretense."
"Do you know that every word, every sentence you say now when you stand before me, only makes people feel..."
Her gaze deepened as she looked into his eyes, and then icy words emerged from her lips.
"Only makes people feel utterly disgusted."
Helian Lanyuan looked at her with some pain. The disgust in the maiden's eyes was like a dagger, piercing deeply into his heart. His flesh and blood seemed to be torn by her words, instantly becoming a bloody mess.
But he said in a low voice.
"It wasn't like that... listen to me... back then I didn't..."
"Sincerely intend to harm you..."
"I also had my own difficulties... Xiao Ci... we grew up together, childhood sweethearts, I truly had my own unavoidable circumstances..."
His voice was extremely low; if others heard it, they would likely be greatly astonished. After all, he was usually a proud and aloof Demon Emperor, yet now he was so humble, almost to the bone.
He simply begged her in a low voice. And Xue Zhizhi by the branches, hearing Helian Lanyuan's words, rushed over in a panic. She ran to Helian Lanyuan's side, hesitated for a moment, weighed the options, and felt that Helian Lanyuan was more important. So, without hesitation, she grasped Helian Lanyuan's fingertips.
"Don't..."
She looked at him tremblingly, her eyes teary.
"I can no longer see, I don't want to dwell on so much. If you want to take me away, take me away now, alright?"
"Please... I can overlook everything, the pain of broken bones, the enmity of gouged eyes, I won't mind any of it, take me away..."
She was flustered, her lips slightly parted, her grip on Helian Lanyuan's fingers turning pale.
Ling Qianhe was the only one out of the loop.
But he still held Lin Mv Ci steadily. Then he suddenly understood something, a hint of coldness flickered in his eyes.
"He is that—your childhood sweetheart ex-fiancé? Is that right?"
A mocking smile curved his lips.
"So that's how it is."
His gaze shifted to Xue Zhizhi again, and a slight change occurred—he scrutinized her little by little, watching her body tremble, wishing she could shrink into a ball. The mockery on his lips grew even more intense.
His tone was so heavy it felt like a blow.
"The Jade Bone Lotus..."
"It's for regenerating spiritual meridians."
"There's only one in the world, and she gave it to me."
"Then—she herself cannot regenerate spiritual meridians. I thought her aptitude wasn't good enough, but I never imagined that her spiritual meridians were also gone. There's only one situation where this thing is needed, and that is when her spiritual meridians were dug out."
"So, who dug out her spiritual meridians?"
His expression gradually turned cold.
"No matter who it is, they will die!"
In the depths of the young demon's eyes, a bloodthirsty glint began to flicker. His eyes were like mountains of blades and seas of blood, with endless ferocity and malevolent aura swirling. His spiritual energy began to surge. Lin Mv Ci inwardly thought, "Not good!"
Don't be impulsive!
He still has the Broken Love on him!
She flipped over and hugged Ling Qianhe, speaking urgently at the same time.
"Don't you understand what I'm saying? Get lost! For all eternity, I never want to see you again!"
Her words were hurried and sharp, carrying a chilling aura of killing intent, but they were not directed at Ling Qianhe, but at Helian Lanyuan!
Fearing that Ling Qianhe might misunderstand, after saying this, she looked up at Ling Qianhe again, and then without any hesitation, she kissed his lips deeply.
As if tasting the scent of blood.
The raging fire in the young man's eyes extinguished. Though it was a sea of blades and fire, she felt as if peerless lotuses were about to bloom in his eyes. He reached out and stroked her chin.
Deepening the kiss.
But the fire in his eyes had extinguished.
It was Helian Lanyuan's turn to have bloodshot eyes!
Helian Lanyuan's face was extremely ugly.
In his entire life, he could never have imagined witnessing such a scene!
His childhood sweetheart, his former fiancée, Si Mu Ci, daughter of the former Demon Emperor, clinging tightly to a youth's lips, their mouths entwined!
They were so intimate, so engrossed, oblivious to anyone else.
But—he was clearly a demon!
Someone anyone could kill!
He also hadn't expected his heart to suddenly erupt with such intense pain, a pain that far surpassed the pain he felt when he dug out her spiritual meridians and saw the disbelief in her eyes.
How could this be?
He couldn't believe it.
Xue Zhizhi beside him tugged at him cautiously.
"Shall... shall we go?"
But he flung Xue Zhizhi's hand away.
Xue Zhizhi looked at him with a pale face, clearly also unable to believe that Helian Lanyuan, who had always doted on her, would do such a thing. But Helian Lanyuan merely sneered repeatedly. He stared intently at Si Mu Ci's face, at the demon's indifferent profile.
Looking at his childhood sweetheart's flushed face, appearing to be moved.
He clenched his fists!
His heart was about to burst—he gritted his teeth.
"Let her go!"
"You stole her Jade Bone Lotus, and you want to destroy her?"
"I'm taking her away!"
And Helian Lanyuan only loosened his grip lazily after he had kissed his fill, until the maiden opposite him had a flushed face and was about to suffocate.
Lin Mv Ci looked at Xue Zhizhi's anxious and uneasy appearance, her eyes flickering slightly. She said.
"Didn't you come for Xue Zhizhi?"
"Have you ever considered why she appeared here?"
Helian Lanyuan heard this and regained some of his senses. He clenched his fists, looking suspiciously at Xue Zhizhi, then his gaze shifted back to Lin Mv Ci. Lin Mv Ci chuckled.
"What, you think I've captured her, captured the one you love? I don't have that kind of ability—Helian Lanyuan, you know better than anyone that I'm like a cripple now. It's impossible for me to bring her out from her clan."
"She herself said that she saved Ling Qianhe. That she was Ling Qianhe's White Moonlight, and that's why she was able to enter the palace openly."
"Her eyes are blind, she came to find me... to get revenge."
The mockery on her lips grew even thicker. Ling Qianhe's palm continuously stroked her hair, as if comforting her.
Even if the demon treated all things as dust, she was the only light in his heart.
And Helian Lanyuan looked at Xue Zhizhi in disbelief.
"Is what she said... true?"
Xue Zhizhi shook her head desperately.
"No... I don't know anything... I was just abandoned outside the city..."
She lowered her head, as if about to cry the next moment, her shoulders trembling, presenting a pitiable, delicate appearance.
"Please, believe me—I would never seek revenge from her... I just want to hide from her... I know I owe her, it's my fault..."
"It's all my fault..."
"How dare I seek revenge from her, I wish I could serve her like an ox or a horse..."
"Lanyuan, believe me, won't you?"
Ling Qianhe seemed to have caught something else.
"Oh?"
"Do you have deep enmity with her?"
"What a coincidence. I can capture your dark thoughts and those gloomy emotions—you are not as innocent in your heart as you say."
He sneered, looking at her.
"You fabricated a lie for me, in which you are my savior, and I would take you into the palace and obey your every word—"
"What do you want to do to Xiao Ci? Do you want to hurt her?"
The corner of his lips was so cold it was almost freezing into ice. He looked at Xue Zhizhi opposite him, watching her lean weakly behind Helian Lanyuan, trying to hide behind him. The mocking, bloodthirsty expression on his lips made people's hearts tremble.
Xue Zhizhi shivered.
"I didn't... I really didn't..."
"You are a demon, your words cannot be trusted... you colluded to frame me..."
Helian Lanyuan's face darkened slightly. A faint flicker of confusion and doubt crossed his cheeks—what did fabricated lies mean, what did savior mean... why was it so familiar? Qingque had also saved him, and had also gone to any lengths for him.
He owed Qingque a lot back then.
As for Xiao Ci's spiritual meridians...
He had no choice. And the reason he dug out her spiritual meridians back then also had other hidden circumstances. He had absolutely no intention of letting her die from beginning to end.
He hadn't expected to face such a situation today, his mind in a turmoil.
But he still remembered to look at Ling Qianhe.
"Release Si Mu Ci!"
"Don't think she's staying by your side willingly—"
"How could she fall in love with a demon?"
Lin Mv Ci fell silent.
She dared not say more, fearing it would trigger Ling Qianhe's Broken Love. But when he heard Helian Lanyuan's words, he turned his head, almost obsessively, stubbornly looking into her eyes.
His fingertips gently brushed her cheek. Though violent and sinister, facing her alone, he was instinctively gentle.
Then he asked her.
"Then tell me."
"Will you fall in love with me?"
"Even if everyone in the world hates me, fears me, wants to kill me."
"Even if the whole world wants me dead."
"Will you watch me die?"
"Answer me."
His eyes were faintly red again. He stared into her eyes, expecting an answer from her!