Hua Rong stroked his grizzled beard, paying no mind to Hua Yunjin's words. "As long as you are a member of the Hua family, Yunjin, you will be bound to it for life."
Hua Yunjin stood up. The young man, tall and slender, stood there with an unusually stern expression on his handsome face. "Hua Rong, I do not know what you intend to do, nor do I wish to know. However, your past actions have already instilled in me a deep hatred for the Hua family. Do not force me to act ruthlessly against the family."
Hua Rong let out a few hearty laughs before his smile faded. He looked at Hua Yunjin and said, "Hua Yunjin, do you think you are safe now that Jing ge has detoxified you?"
Hua Yunjin trembled, looking at Hua Rong coldly. "What do you mean?"
"This poison will not be cured. Jing ge has merely alleviated your symptoms, meaning he has only bought you a few more years to live," Hua Rong said with a chilling smile.
Hua Yunjin looked at Hua Rong and said coldly, "That's impossible. You are deceiving me."
"If you don't believe me, ask your mother," Hua Rong said, unfazed by his disbelief.
"Mother." Hua Yunjin looked up at the Old Madam Hua. Her face was extremely distressed.
This confirmed that Hua Rong was not lying.
"So what? Being able to live for another year is my good fortune," Hua Yunjin said slowly.
"What if I have a way?" Hua Rong suddenly said.
Hua Yunjin was taken aback, then sneered, "You have a way?"
Hua Rong nodded. "I do."
"What are the conditions?" Hua Yunjin did not believe Hua Rong would help him out of kindness; it was clear he had a request.
Hearing this, Hua Rong praised, "Indeed, you are the genius the Hua family has produced in a century. My request is simple: the Hua family must infiltrate the imperial court."
"Absolutely impossible," Hua Yunjin refused outright.
Hua Rong was not angered. "Won't you reconsider?"
"No reconsideration," Hua Yunjin stated decisively, without any hesitation.
"Then it is fine even if the poison is not cured?" Hua Rong asked.
"Yes," Hua Yunjin replied.
"Hmph, stubborn." Hua Rong was truly angry this time.
"I will not do anything that harms the Empress. Give up on that idea! You are not welcome in my residence. Leave!" Hua Yunjin said coldly.
Hua Rong shook his head. Since that was the case…
He suddenly stepped forward and struck Hua Yunjin on the neck with the edge of his hand.
Hua Yunjin's eyes widened, and he managed to utter only one word, "You…"
Hua Rong caught Hua Yunjin's falling body and said, "Since you do not agree, I have no choice but to take drastic measures."
"Where are you taking my son?" the Old Madam Hua stood up.
Hua Rong turned to face the Old Madam Hua and said coldly, "Do you really want him to die? Jing ge has merely alleviated his symptoms. His poison will flare up soon, and you know what will happen if it is not cured?"
The Old Madam Hua trembled. "You… you mean…"
Hua Rong nodded. "The situation is not optimistic. We must return to Binzhou now."
"I will pack our things immediately," the Old Madam Hua said.
News of Hua Yunjin's abduction quickly reached Xue Zining in the palace.
Xue Zining summoned Grand Tutor Lin, Censorate's Grand Master Li, and Court of Judicial Review's Master Yu overnight. After a night of planning, a carriage left the palace gates before dawn.
"Your Majesty, this is rather rash. The court is still unstable. If you venture out like this…"
"With Grand Tutor Lin, Li Chenxuan, and Master Yu, I trust everything will be safe until my return." The maiden's eyes flashed with conviction; she trusted the people she had chosen.
Moreover, Feng Wu had told her that the Red Lotus Sect had reappeared.
Her father had suffered many casualties suppressing the Red Lotus Sect in the past. This time, besides bringing Hua Yunjin back, she also intended to thoroughly investigate the Red Lotus Sect.
"But Your Majesty, why didn't you bring Feng Yin along?" Xue Yan was troubled. With her own martial arts skills, she felt overwhelmed.
"Feng Yin's presence signifies supreme imperial authority. With them by my side, I would not rely on myself. Xue Yan, this is the path I must walk, and I cannot depend on others." She needed to grow into someone who could rely only on herself, so she would have the strength to protect those she cared about.
Xue Yan nodded. "This servant will certainly protect Your Majesty well."
"From now on, you must address me differently," Xue Zining said.
Xue Yan nodded. "Yes, young lady."
The maiden gazed at the capital city receding further behind her. She knew the path ahead was unknown, and she had to walk it with her own strength.
Hua Yunjin, wait for me…
Xue Yu returned to his room and found Feng Wu inside.
He was startled. "Why are you here?"
Feng Wu looked up, his gaze cold. "Where did you go?"
He was slightly taken aback, his gaze fixed. "I went to pursue Xue Yunlan."
"Did you catch her?" Feng Wu asked.
Xue Yu shook his head. "She jumped off a cliff."
"Were the remains found?"
"The cliff is very deep, and I did not go down."
Feng Wu walked forward and said slowly, "Xue Yu, although you are no longer Feng Yin, everything you have belongs to Feng Yin. You must be clear about what you are doing."
Xue Yu was startled. "Feng Wu, you…"
Feng Wu glanced at him meaningfully. "You should know what should be done and what should not be done."
"Feng Wu, I don't know why you say that, but I have never betrayed Your Majesty. I never have, and I never will."
"I hope so!" Feng Wu said.
Xue Yu's gaze turned cold. "I will go and report to Your Majesty."
"There's no need to go. His Majesty has left the palace," Feng Wu said, giving him a deep look before leaving the room.
Xue Yu was stunned, his gaze becoming much deeper.
After several days of rapid travel, they finally arrived at Binzhou on the fifth day.
The hardship of traveling without proper meals made Xue Zining eager to take a good bath.
They were very close to Dongling Pass.
The closest point to Dongling Pass was Xue Lan City, the border city of the Xue Kingdom.
"So comfortable." Xue Zining finally felt a great sense of relief as she sank into the tub.
After washing up, she didn't have time to admire the night view of Binzhou and fell into a deep sleep.
Since Xue Wenjie's death, she hadn't dreamt, but tonight, she had a dream.
In the dream, it was Hua Yunjin. He was moving further and further away from her, and she chased after him, but he continued to walk forward without stopping.
Very far away, just as she thought she couldn't catch him, he suddenly stopped and extended his hand, asking her, "A Ning, shall we watch the world together?"
His appearance was incomparably handsome, but his eyes were empty.
"Hua Yunjin…"
"Young lady, what's wrong?" Xue Yan, who was beside her, heard her call and quickly stepped forward to ask.
Xue Zining opened her eyes, saw the unfamiliar surroundings, and then looked at Xue Yan standing beside her with a worried expression. She curled her legs and said dejectedly, "Xue Yan, I dreamt of Hua Yunjin."
Hearing this, Xue Yan nodded. "This servant knows you dreamt of Hua Yunjin."
How could she not hear her loud call?
"Xue Yan, I didn't feel anything when we were always together before. But now that he has been away from me for five days, I miss him so much."
Xue Yan secretly smiled. "Your Majesty, if you think of him day and night, you will fall ill from longing."