Hua Yunjin looked up. The maiden before him no longer possessed the countenance of an Empress, but her eyes were still hers, as clear as ever.
"Are you well?" The years of suppressed emotion finally coalesced into three simple words.
Xue Zining gazed at the young man who had transformed into a dashing figure, marveling at the passage of time.
"Are you well?" She was far from well. Seeing an old acquaintance stirred a faint ripple within her stillness.
"Thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince, for coming to greet me. However, I am somewhat tired at the moment and wish to rest."
"Your lodging has been arranged..."
"There is no need. We will stay at an inn." Xue Zining finished speaking, mounted her horse, and departed from the city gates.
Han Xiwen and Liu Er exchanged a glance, mounted their horses, and left the scene.
At this moment, Hua Yunjin was left standing alone.
He offered a wry smile. How could the days of the past ever return?
All the memories he and she once shared were now in the past.
The guards behind him couldn't help but speak, "Your Highness..."
"Return to the palace!" Hua Yunjin turned his horse. He knew the Empress must have matters to discuss, and all he needed to do was wait patiently.
Having found an inn, Xue Zining requested hot water from the attendant and then waited in her room.
The hot water arrived soon after. Xue Zining soaked in the bath, feeling much more comfortable.
Suddenly, her gaze turned icy as she looked towards the window and commanded coldly, "Come out."
By the time a shadowy figure landed before her, she had already put on the clothes hanging on the screen. She stepped out of the tub, water still dripping from her hair.
"Tsk tsk, a beauty emerging from her bath..."
Seeing Xue Zining's displeased expression, Wen Yuxi grinned and said, "It was not intentional. I intended to reveal myself once you were inside, but I didn't expect you to ask for hot water right away. Since you're here, why not have a look?"
"Wen Yuxi." Xue Zining gritted her teeth, the words squeezed out through her clenched jaws.
Wen Yuxi waved her hand dismissively, "What's there to be angry about? I was once a member of your harem, and you saw me then. Why be so stingy?"
Xue Zining let out a cold snort. "Do you have news of Yan Zhao?"
Wen Yuxi nodded. "He's living quite a life right now, comfortably settled in Huangze as arranged by Xue Chang'an. It's much better than my current life of sleeping under the stars."
"Is he really alright?" Xue Zining couldn't help but ask again.
Wen Yuxi neither nodded nor shook her head, merely stating calmly, "His internal energy is damaged and has not yet recovered. It will require some time."
"Why don't you bring him out? With your skills, it shouldn't be difficult to get him out." Xue Zining became anxious upon hearing that his internal energy was damaged.
Wen Yuxi sat down and poured herself a cup of tea. "I can take him away, but what about afterwards? Without him to restrain Xue Chang'an, Xue Zining, you probably wouldn't even be able to enter Hua Country."
"I am not afraid of Xue Chang'an."
"The Xue Chang'an of today is not the Xue Chang'an of before. She is surrounded by many talented individuals, and Fan Min is one of the foremost among them."
Xue Zining knew who Fan Min was. She had heard from Han Xiwen that Fan Min's martial skills had surpassed those of the poison master Fan Qing from the Valley of Poison Masters.
"Then is he safe there?" Xue Zining was deeply concerned about Yan Zhao's safety.
Wen Yuxi said with a hint of resentment, "You care about him more than you care about me."
Xue Zining looked at him. "What's wrong?"
Wen Yuxi extended his arm, revealing intricate, crisscrossing scars. She was taken aback. "What happened to you?"
Wen Yuxi gazed out at the night sky.
Following his gaze, Xue Zining looked out the window at the bright moon hanging high in the sky.
Suddenly recalling something, she took out a dagger and cut her finger, intending to drip blood into the tea. However, Wen Yuxi stopped her and directly took the finger into his mouth.
Only then did Xue Zining notice how unwell Wen Yuxi looked, his usually handsome face etched with fatigue. As the blood gradually drained from her finger, his complexion improved.
After a while, Wen Yuxi released her finger. "Without you by my side, I can only suppress that uncontrollable urge, resorting to self-harm."
Xue Zining frowned. "This is not a solution, after all."
Wen Yuxi nodded, then smiled mysteriously. "If one day you have your wedding ceremony with him, and it happens to fall on the night of the full moon, do you expect me to join you in the bridal chamber?"
Xue Zining's face flushed red, and she replied with a mixture of shyness and anger, "Wen Yuxi..."
After his laughter subsided, Wen Yuxi spoke seriously, "I have also investigated recently, and there is a secret art from Miao Jiang that can cure my condition."
Xue Zining was taken aback. "Miao Jiang?"
Wen Yuxi nodded, but his expression was troubled. "However, it is not a place that ordinary people can enter. It is very dangerous, filled with蠱毒 (gǔ dú -蛊 poison)."
Xue Zining's eyes lit up slightly. "I have a way. Are you sure there is a cure in Miao Jiang?"
Wen Yuxi nodded. "Yes."
"After the affairs in Hua Country are concluded, we will go to Miao Jiang," Xue Zining declared.
Her decision was not entirely for Wen Yuxi's sake; it was also for her own.
"Xue Zining, why do I feel like you're hiding something from me?" Wen Yuxi leaned closer. Xue Zining met his gaze, without any hint of evasion.
"Why would I hide anything from you?"
Seeing no abnormality, Wen Yuxi continued, "Xue Chang'an has designs on your corpse."
Xue Zining was slightly startled. "What does she want with my corpse?"
Wen Yuxi replied, "It seems she intends to transfer her soul into your body."
The tea Xue Zining had just drunk almost spurted out. "Transfer her soul? Has she gone mad? Why wouldn't she use her own healthy body?"
Wen Yuxi shook his head. "Who knows? She's probably truly insane."
Xue Zining fell silent. "She probably has ulterior motives."
Wen Yuxi nodded. "Yes, she wants to obtain your beloved."
Xue Zining looked up at Wen Yuxi. "Can he protect himself?"
Wen Yuxi smiled. "Don't worry about him. He's intelligent enough to know what's most beneficial for him. You should worry about yourself. If Xue Chang'an enters your body, you may never have a chance to return. Will this body disappear? What will happen to you and her?"
"Ah..."
A sound came from the next room. Xue Zining stood up. The voice sounded like Liu Er's.
She quickly went to knock on the adjacent door. Receiving no answer, Xue Zining pushed the door open with one hand. She saw Liu Er lying on the ground. Wen Yuxi was the first to help Liu Er up, felt her breath, and said, "She's only fainted."
"You stay here, I'll go and see." Saying this, Xue Zining jumped out of the open window.
"Who are you?" Han Xiwen asked coldly, looking at the black-clad figure who had led him into the woods.
The black-clad figure turned and bowed. "Young Master, should we not be returning?"
"I do not know you," Han Xiwen said coldly.
"Young Master, it's alright if you don't recognize me, but you must be interested in knowing about the Saintess."
Han Xiwen's body trembled. He looked at the black-clad figure and asked angrily, "What happened to my mother?"
Seeing Han Xiwen's agitation, the black-clad figure said, "Young Master, you also know that the secret art from Miao Jiang can bring the dead back to life. The Saintess has awakened."
"Really?" Han Xiwen was overjoyed.
"Yes, but it still requires..."
"Han Xiwen..." Xue Zining's voice came from behind.
"Young Master, we'll meet in Miao Jiang!" The black-clad figure vanished.