Chapter 12: Rebellion Against the Ye Clan

Seven's eyes were black whereas his were a rare amber color. Seven’s nose was slightly flattened but his nose was straighter and Seven’s lips were fuller compared to the thinner ones he now had. The...Chapter Twelve: Revolting Against the Night Clan

Clad Yue gently supported the Empress Dowager as they walked slowly, pondering over the unprecedented act of three times overturning the spirit sedan chair. She glanced at Rong Jing beside her; his expression was calm and serene, giving no hint of what he thought. She withdrew her gaze, lost in deep thought looking at the redwood coffin that had cracked from the falls.

The procession moved silently, only footsteps heard, not voices.

"Can't you chant scriptures or cry for the spirit" Night Tianyi growled with a serious expression.

The chanting of scriptures immediately began as princesses, princes, and concubines from the harem started sobbing softly.

The procession moved in grandeur to West Mountain, reaching Jade Dragon Hill's northern foot without any further incident.

Heavy snow covered all of Jade Dragon Mountain. However, a path had been cleared long ago from the city gate to where the mountain dragon’s head lay. As they passed the tail end of the dragon, Clad Yue glanced at it and noticed that the slope was buried in snow; she couldn't distinguish which part was the former dynasty's royal family mausoleum. She turned her head towards Rong Jing, only to see him walking quietly without even a glance.

At this moment, Night Tianyi’s gaze shifted towards Clad Yue, who withdrew her gaze apathetically.

"A hundred meters from the tomb chamber, kneel and kowtow three times!" someone shouted.

The crowd kneeled down immediately to bow their heads.

Clad Yue directed her gaze towards the area where the dragon’s head was. Night’s royal mausoleum stood majestically halfway up the mountain. This place was hidden by mountains and water, so she had never noticed it during previous visits to West Mountain's military camp headquarters; almost forgetting that this was Night's imperial tomb. The surrounding heavily guarded palaces and buildings gave a cold glow even in the harsh winter, radiating an eerie chill despite being in full sunlight on the slope.

"Ninety meters from the tomb chamber, kneel and kowtow three times!" someone else shouted.

The crowd again kneeled down to bow their heads.

"Eighty meters from the tomb chamber, kneel and kowtow three times!" another person called out.

Everyone fell to their knees once more.

"Seventy meters from the tomb chamber, kneel and kowtow three times!"

"Sixty meters from the tomb chamber, kneel and kowtow three times!"

"Fifty meters from the tomb chamber, kneel and kowtow three times!"

...

Ten meters away from the tomb chamber, everyone got up after kneeling and stood quietly.

"The auspicious hour is here! Open the tomb chamber and strike the bell to announce it! Heaven, earth, imperial subjects, make a declaration!" said Cloud Duke.

The guards immediately opened the tomb chamber, revealing a large bronze bell in front of them.

Clad Yue looked at this enormous bell, as big as two people's embrace. She recalled the Empress Dowager’s words; daughters from the Cloud Family were most qualified to strike this imperial bell. Yet, she remained still, standing quietly.

"Shallow Moon, go and ring the bell!" said Cloud Duke upon finishing his call.

Thinking of how many emperors were buried in this Night’s royal mausoleum How many daughters from the Cloud Family had rung this imperial bell before What happened to them after they rang it Were they confined behind palace walls As only the legitimate daughters of the Cloud family throughout generations had the honor to ring the imperial bell, and each generation allowed only one daughter of the Cloud family to enter the palace as empress. “Moonling, go and strike the bell!” Night Tianyi spoke in a solemn voice when he saw Clad Yue not moving.

Ignoring both Cloud Duke and Night Tianyi, Clad Yue turned toward the Empress Dowager, asking, "Auntie, have you ever rung this bell"

The Empress Dowager nodded. "This is a special honor for legitimate daughters of the Cloud family throughout generations. I naturally have rung it before, when the previous Grand Empress Mother passed away and entered her tomb."

"I will not enter the palace! This honor is unnecessary!" Clad Yue shook her head suddenly.

"Impossible!" Night Tianyi's originally grim face darkened further.

"Why not" Yun Qianyue looked at her.

"Ancient precedents cannot be changed!" Ye Tianyi said.

"If our ancestors' teachings can be discarded, why can't ancient precedents be changed" Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow and looked at Ye Tianyi.

"Yun Qianyue, you represent the Cloud王府, not just yourself. Are you sure you won’t ring the sleep bell today” Ye Tianyi’s face darkened terribly; after his words fell, he turned to look at King Yun: "Uncle Yun King, are you still letting her act recklessly"

King Yun glanced at Yun Qianyue and seemed hesitant for a moment. Then he said, "Qianyue, this sleep bell has always been rung by the daughters of Cloud王府."

Yun Qianyue was unmoved: "Ancient precedents can be changed! Let someone else do it!"

"Do you think anyone who wants to ring the bell can If you don’t strike the sleep bell today, the late emperor’s coffin won’t enter the imperial mausoleum. We all have to stay here with you to guard it. It’s cold now; others might be able to endure the chill and hunger, but do you think Mother can endure" Ye Tianyi glared at Yun Qianyue coldly: "If you don’t respect the will of the late emperor, that’s fine, and if you don’t cry or kneel during the funeral procession, that’s also fine. But this matter concerns the fate of the nation; you have no choice!"

Yun Qianyue fell silent as she looked at Empress Dowager, thinking that Ye Tianyi was actually using her aunt's child to threaten her.

"Moonie, ring the sleep bell! You are a daughter of Cloud王府. Not only do night clan emperors lie here, but also your great-aunts from Cloud王府. They passed away and would be willing for a daughter of Cloud王府 to strike this bell when opening the imperial tomb," Empress Dowager spoke gently.

"Miss Yun Qianyue, ring the sleep bell now! The auspicious hour is here!" Master Zhang urged repeatedly as well.

"That's right, Miss Yun Qianyue. This isn’t something you can be capricious about," said Duke De urgently too.

Yun Qianyue let go of Empress’s hand and took a step toward the sleep bell; anyone who was going to try to persuade her immediately bit back their words.

This large sleep bell weighed around a thousand catties, forged from pure iron, hanging high above the imperial tomb.

Yun Qianyue walked under the sleep bell, and someone immediately handed her an iron hammer. She reached out to take it; the hammer alone was over tens of catties heavy. It was unimaginable how a delicate girl like her aunt who didn’t study martial arts could hold this hammer.

"Auspicious hour! Strike the bell, first strike!" King Yun shouted.

Yun Qianyue raised the iron hammer and gently struck the sleep bell with a light swing. A deep tolling sound reverberated across Jade Dragon Mountain.

"Strike the bell, second strike," King Yun called again.

Yun Qianyue swung her arm once more; another resounding "ding" echoed out, causing the Jade Dragon Mountain range and imperial tomb to slightly tremble.

"Strike the bell, third strike!" King Yun shouted yet again.

Yun Qianyue struck the sleep bell with another swing. The iron hammer hit the bell so hard that the ground beneath them shook from the sound.

"Ritual complete!" King Yun bellowed.

Yun Qianyue withdrew her hand and turned to leave. As soon as she did, the hanging sleep bell suddenly fell straight down towards her with a rumbling noise, its weight like that of thousands of catties. She was alarmed, sensing something amiss; she dodged immediately. Before she knew it, behind her stood the man who had given her the iron hammer earlier. He didn’t move an inch and blocked her path away from the bell. A chill ran through her heart, and she swung out a palm towards him, sending his body flying straight ahead. She withdrew her hand to escape again but felt darkness above her head; the large bell was already on top of her.

"Moonie!" Ye Tianyi cried out in alarm as he rushed over to Yun Qianyue.

Several people shouted at once, their voices drowned out by the sound of the bell.

Someone moved faster than Ye Tianyi and leaped forward instantly. A white sleeve swept through, carrying a force that could topple mountains and overturn seas; he struck the sleep bell with one palm, causing it to emit a deafening boom and move away from Yun Qianyue’s head. He reached out and grabbed Yun Qianyue, pulling her back several zhang.

The large bell crashed with a resounding "bang," shattering into pieces that flew everywhere.

Many people were hit by the iron scraps, screaming in agony.

The lingering sound of the bell and cries of pain intertwined, creating an instant chaos.

Yun Qianyue’s heart pounded once. She reached out to embrace Rong Jing; only she knew that at this critical moment just now, she felt more peril and death than anyone else. It was her first time truly feeling the sensation of facing death. If not for Rong Jing, she could be one hundred percent sure that she would have been struck down by the bell. Especially with it being a thousand-catty iron bell, after she hit the man blocking her path with a palm and felt him resist with martial arts, she had no time left to dodge again.

"It's okay, I'm here!" Rong Jing patted Yun Qianyue's back. His warm voice blended with a hint of coldness.

In this voice and embrace, Yun Qianyue suddenly felt at ease. That's right, as long as he is there, what else do I have to fear

A moment later, the sound of the bell ceased, along with the cries of pain.

The Empress was protected by Prince Cloud and had no injuries on her body. Prince Cloud’s sleeve was torn by an iron piece, while Duke Dian, Duke Xiao, Ye Qingran, Rong Feng, and others were unharmed. Leng Shaozhuo's skin was scratched by the iron pieces, his half face stained with blood, but it seemed as if he did not feel any pain, only looking at Yun Qianyue, who was being protected in Rong Jing’s arms, with a tense expression. The others, such as Princess Six and Seven and Yun Li, all had some injuries on their bodies.

"Who can tell this King what's going on" Night Tianyi looked terrifyingly angry when he spoke to the people guarding the mourning hall.

The guards knelt down and shook their heads in unison.

"No one knows How could the bell fall like that all of a sudden" Night Tianyi looked up at the top where the iron rope suspending the bell seemed to have been cut by something, hanging there broken.

Everyone followed his gaze and sighed in unison.

"Explain! What exactly happened here If no one speaks, everyone present will be executed today!" Night Tianyi was furious.

"Regent King, spare our lives!" The guards all knelt on the ground and kowtowed.

"Regent King, don't forget there is another person over there," Yun Qianyue stepped out of Rong Jing’s embrace and her gaze fell on the man whom she had hit away. He was lying on the ground more than ten meters from where they were, his fate unknown.

"Someone, bring that person here!" Night Tianyi also looked at the direction Yun Qianyue pointed to and instructed someone behind him.

Wen Lai immediately led people over to carry him.

Not long after, Wen Lai brought the man back. A large area of his chest was stained with blood, clearly indicating he had died.

"If not for him, I think I would have avoided it. He blocked my path," Yun Qianyue looked at the dead man and saw that although he wore clothes similar to those of the other guards, the badge on his waist was different—clearly showing he was their leader. She glanced coldly at him before looking up and saying to Night Tianyi, "Night Tianyi, he is the head of the royal secret guard, right Traditionally, they follow the royal orders. Now it's obvious that someone deliberately cut the iron rope above. You forced me to ring the bell, and now this has happened—can I say you wanted to kill me"

Night Tianyi’s expression instantly turned dark, "You think so of me"

Yun Qianyue looked at him coldly, "I have no choice but to think that way! If not for Rong Jing, I would surely have been hit by the bell today and turned into a pile of flesh. The royal secret guards and dark men always follow orders from the royal family. Now all power in the Ye Family rests with you—the royal secret guards and dark men obey your commands. You say it wasn’t you who ordered him to cut the iron rope, so that it could fall on me after I rang the bell—would anyone believe such a thing"

Night Tianyi's eyes gathered a storm; his veins on his forehead twitched, "Yun Qianyue, no matter whom I want dead, you are not someone I would wish to kill."

"That’s not certain! I have offended you many times, destroying the will and disregarding our marriage contract, causing you great humiliation. You hate me in your heart for Rong Jing and my closeness—now wanting to see me dead is very likely," Yun Qianyue said coldly: "I didn't want to ring this bell but you forced me to do it; now that I narrowly escaped death, did you feel disappointed"

Night Tianyi suddenly clenched his fists tightly and stared at Yun Qianyue, "Yun Qianyue, say that again."

"Say it a hundred times—it’s still the same! Night Tianyi, now I narrowly escaped death—did you feel disappointed" Yun Qianyue said coldly.

"You...you are doing well!" Night Tianyi seemed to be at his limit, squeezing out words through clenched teeth, freezing all the air around him in a ten-meter radius. Everyone could feel the intense chill emanating from him.

"Regent King, is this something you did" The Empress spoke sternly at that moment.

Night Tianyi seemed to be on the brink of exploding, his body radiating an increasing coldness, but he didn’t answer.

"I ask again—did you do it" The Empress angrily shouted.

"Empress Dowager, Miss Yun Qianyue, how could the Regent King do such a thing Didn't you see how urgently worried he was when Miss Yun Qianyue was about to be hit by the bell If not for Young Master Jing breaking it, he would have been the one hit," Duke Dian spoke up at this moment.

"It's just acting—anyone could do that!" Yun Qianyue snorted coldly.

Night Tianyi stared at Yun Qianyue and didn’t utter a word, his expression extremely dark and terrifying.

"You can't say it like that. Miss Yun Qianyue, the Regent King’s feelings toward you are no less than those of Young Master Jing," Duke Dian could not take this anymore and said disapprovingly: "While the royal secret guards and dark men follow the royal family's orders, there is no guarantee that someone wouldn’t want to harm you and make a move here."

"Duke Prince of Virtue told me who wants to harm me! You" Yun Qianyue looked at Duke Prince of Virtue, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Right, I forgot that you are also a member of the imperial family. The Duke Prince of Virtue's manor holds great power and can naturally command the hidden guards and secret agents of the royal family."

The Duke Prince of Virtue's face changed, "Miss Yun Qianyue, an old minister like me wouldn’t dare to lay a hand on you even if I had a hundred hearts! Besides, how could I have any reason to harm you When I saw Miss Yun Qianyue questioning the Regent Prince in such an unfair way, I felt that it was unjust and came out to speak up for him. You can’t put this kind of thing on me."

"You don't have a reason" Yun Qianyue said coldly with a smile, "The royal family and the Duke Prince of Virtue's manor are always as close as one household. If I do not respect the imperial decree, desecrate the imperial edict, and threaten the authority of the emperor, it wouldn’t be strange for the Duke Prince of Virtue’s manor to want to replace Emperor Zangyi in punishing me with an assassination."

"Miss Yun Qianyue, you really are..." The old face of Duke Prince of Virtue turned pale as if he could find no way to defend himself before Yun Qianyue.

"Father King, what did you tell her She has become so heartless that she doesn’t have even a shred of affection left for anyone. In her eyes and heart, we are all enemies. If we treat her well, it's only right to be treated like fools by her." Ye Qingran spoke up at this moment in a cold voice.

Yun Qianyue looked at Ye Qingran, narrowed her gaze, but did not speak.

"Yun Qianyue, do you still have any conscience How your seventh brother treats you is obvious to everyone who has eyes. Since Emperor Zangyi's demise, you want to desecrate the imperial edict and don’t even respect the kowtowing ceremony, but he continues to tolerate you. If you don't feel grateful, that’s fine, but now you actually suspect him of wanting to kill you" The Sixth Princess suddenly spoke loudly, scolding: "Yun Qianyue, you have no humanity, you are heartless."

"Sixth Princess, then tell me who wants to harm me if it isn’t him You" Yun Qianyue coldly looked at the Sixth Princess and suddenly realized something. She said, "Right, I forgot about that day when the Second Prince and Fourth Prince rebelled against the throne and forced the palace. But you and Miss Qin entered the Sacred Yang Hall with the royal family's hidden guards together. Since the Royal Family’s hidden guards listen to you and Miss Qin, can I assume that the dark people of the imperial mausoleum also follow your orders Is it possible that today's incident is done by you"

The Sixth Princess turned pale with anger and said, "You dare slander me!"

"Since you say I’m slandering you, then explain to me why the hidden guards obeyed you on that day. If your explanation convinces me, then I’ll admit it’s right." Yun Qianyue glanced at the Sixth Princess and looked towards Qin Yuning in the women's group. Seeing her standing with pursed lips, she turned back to look at the Sixth Princess and said coldly: "Can anyone from the royal family command the hidden guards Or could even the daughter of a minister like you two do it Hmm, Sixth Princess Miss Qin Since such an incident has occurred today, if you don’t want me slandering you, should I expect explanations from you"

The Sixth Princess was provoked by Yun Qianyue's anger but still suppressed it and looked at Ye Tianyi. "Seventh Brother, why do you like her Look at her! She’s truly devoid of any humanity. And yet, you warn everyone not to harm her. Now she suspects you first, is that worth it"

Ye Tianyi was still silent, his snow-blue brocade robe seeming to be covered with frost.

The Sixth Princess finished speaking and for a moment no one said anything. Suddenly the area around them became very cold.

The Empress Dowager looked at Ye Tianyi, then Yun Qianyue, and spoke again in a stern voice, "Regarding that day when the Second Prince and Fourth Prince rebelled against the throne, it was uncovered by the Sixth Princess and Miss Qin. This Elder Empress also wants to know who gave you the authority to command the hidden guards"

The Sixth Princess glanced at the Empress Dowager but did not speak.

Qin Yuning lowered her head, remaining silent as well.

"What Do you all dare not answer me when I speak Are you disregarding this Elder Empress" The Empress Dowager's eyebrows furrowed in anger.

"It was me!" Ye Tianyi finally spoke at this moment, his voice cold and sharp like a sword, carrying an icy restraint, "When I received the news that my father emperor had been threatened, I ordered my sixth sister and Miss Qin to go to the Sacred Yang Hall."

The Empress Dowager looked at Ye Tianyi. Her stern expression indicated she expected Ye Tianyi to give an explanation.

"Elder Empress, this matter couldn’t possibly be done by the Regent Prince! The Regent Prince has been fond of Miss Yun Qianyue for a long time," Duke Prince of Virtue spoke up again, "Who else would harm Miss Yun Qianyue"

"Are you so sure about this, Duke Prince" Empress Dowager snorted coldly. "It’s not necessarily true that he wouldn’t do it. Moon and the World Successor love each other, but the Regent Prince couldn't obtain his wish because of love, harboring hatred instead, preferring to break jade rather than preserve pottery. He might be determined to kill Moon and have her buried here."

"This is impossible! Elder Empress..." The Duke Prince tried to refute again.

"Duke Prince, there's no need for you to say anything more!" Ye Tianyi interrupted the Duke Prince’s words and looked at Yun Qianyue. He said coldly: "Yun Qianyue, I still maintain my original statement. If I want to kill anyone, it wouldn’t be you. What I seek is your person, not your corpse. Remember that well. Today's incident has nothing to do with me."

"Then who does it have to do with" Yun Qianyue casually said.

"Guards, take all those guarding the imperial mausoleum down and execute them immediately, without exception," Ye Tianyi didn't answer her question but gave a cold order.

"Yes!" The soldiers behind him rushed forward.

"Regent Prince, have mercy on us!" All of them guarding the spirit hall cried out in fear at once.

"Regent Prince, these people may not all be guilty. Executing them all…" Duke Prince of Virtue tried to speak again.

"Uncle Duke, with the sleeping bell destroyed now, what’s the point of keeping these people around if they don’t accompany the late emperor to his tomb" Night Tianyi interrupted the Duke's words.

The Duke immediately stopped speaking upon hearing this.

No one spoke up on behalf of those people, pleading for mercy. The ropes that held the sleeping bell had snapped and it fell to pieces. This was the guardian bell of the imperial tomb. Such an incident happening here was a grave matter indeed. Along the way since the start of today's funeral procession, the coffin had been dropped three times already, resulting in cracks on its surface. Now with the breaking of the sleeping bell’s sound, it was truly a dire omen.

The five hundred guards who watched over the imperial tomb were dragged away.

Looking at those lives being dragged away, Yun Qianmo pursed her lips tightly together. If she was in another time period, she would have stopped this from happening, for after all, it involved the lives of 500 people. But now, she didn’t want to stop them even if she could, because Night Tianyi wouldn’t let those people go regardless of what she did. The old emperor needed these people’s blood as a sacrificial offering when he entered the imperial tomb. Besides, even if she saved those people, they would still be dark figures cultivated by the Nights and under orders from the Night royal family. From the day they started their role as guards during the mourning period, their fate had been sealed to become either living or dead members of the Night family.

Shortly after being dragged away, those 500 people were brought back as corpses.

The cold wind was biting and snow began falling from the sky again, covering up the blood that flowed out of the five hundred bodies.

In this Night regime, in this imperial tomb, with such bloody slaughters, these faces of men and affairs were magnified. It could even be seen how fine their facial lines were. Those cold and numb faces looked like everything was perfectly normal and deserved to happen. These 500 people who used to live now lay as lifeless corpses, yet they still thought that it all happened naturally!

Yun Qianmo suddenly grew thoroughly disgusted by such occurrences. She reached out for Rong Jing’s hand and said to him: "Let's go!"

Rong Jing didn’t object and followed Yun Qianmo as she walked.

"Prince Jing, Yun Qianmo, the late emperor hasn't entered his tomb yet. Are you planning on leaving now" The Duke was alarmed to hear this from the two of them.

“I’ve already been scared half to death. How dare I still stay here If I stay for a moment longer, won’t I end up like these 500 people and be thrown in there with the late emperor” Yun Qianmo coldly glanced at the Duke before saying in a deep voice: "If you don't give me an explanation today, then forget about ever getting any help from me again for the imperial family! That destroyed imperial decree is of minor importance!”

The Duke immediately fell silent and looked towards Night Tianyi.

No words were spoken by Night Tianyi. The gloominess on his face had receded, leaving no expression at all.

"Aunt Empress Dowager, I'm heading back to the manor first!" Yun Qianmo said to the Queen Mother.

The Queen Mother waved her hand and said: "You’ve been scared today! Prince Jing will take you home."

When the Queen Mother spoke up, it was as if she were speaking for the future emperor in her womb. Although she did not hold any real power, based on her status alone, no one would dare to speak out against Night Tianyi.

Yun Qianmo and Rong Jing made their way past everyone else and walked back along the original path. Snowflakes fell upon them as they walked. No matter how bloody this place was, anyone who looked at them felt like it was a picturesque scene.

In no time at all, the two of them left everyone’s sight.

Throughout the entire process, Night Tianyi did not speak a single word.

The area around the tomb was silent. Even Six Princess and Duke who were angry with injustice kept quiet.

A long while later, Daoist Zhang softly reminded Night Tianyi: "Duke, if the late emperor’s coffin doesn’t enter the imperial tomb soon, the auspicious time will have passed."

No longer letting his emotions swirl in his eyes, Night Tianyi waved his hand and gave a cold order: "Bring the late emperor’s sleeping coffin into the imperial tomb!"

"Bring the late emperor’s sleeping coffin into the imperial tomb!" said Lord Yun.

“Long live our emperor! Long live our emperor! May our emperor reign for ten thousand years!” Everyone knelt on the ground with a loud clang.

The royal guards carried the old emperor's sleeping coffin into the tomb, and those five hundred corpses were also taken in.

Yun Qianmo and Rong Jing didn’t turn around once. The two of them walked back along their original path and in no time at all had arrived at the tail end of Jade Dragon Mountain.

Yun Qianmo stopped walking and asked Rong Jing, "Where is the imperial tomb from the previous dynasty"

Rong Jing also halted his footsteps. He pointed towards a half-slope on the last part of the dragon’s tail and said in a warm voice: "There!

"How could it have been flattened" Yun Qianyue asked, looking at that area. It was said that all the emperors of the Murong family were talented and benevolent, with their reigns marked by good weather and love for the people. If not for the last emperor's disappearance and the ailing queen leading to her eventual death from sorrow, which caused the emperor to neglect his duties as a result, the realm would still be under the rule of the Murong family rather than the Ye family.

"The Murong family left no descendants. A hundred years have passed since then; during this period of prosperity in Tian Sheng, it wouldn't allow the Murong imperial tomb to remain untouched. Naturally, it would turn into a vast expanse of sea that has now been reclaimed by land," Rong Jing said indifferently, his tone devoid of emotion.

Yun Qianyue tilted her head and looked at him. His side profile was as poetic as a painting in the snowflakes; he stood tall and straight like an orchid or jade tree, elegant and refined. She withdrew her gaze and looked towards the mid-slope area, saying softly, "Has the Murong family's crown prince really never been found after that"

Rong Jing’s eyes flickered but he didn’t speak.

"If there are still descendants of the Murong family around, why haven't they restored their country yet" Yun Qianyue asked again.

Suddenly, Rong Jing smiled faintly, as if mocking her, "You also know that people from the Murong family are benevolent and love the people like a father loves his children If they were still alive, why would there be anything strange about not restoring their country Perhaps they all have kind hearts, unable to bear seeing war and the suffering of ordinary people."

"A hundred years ago, when the founding ancestor emperor established the dynasty, Tian Sheng was in turmoil for many years before it could rest and recuperate. If the Murong crown prince abandoned his ambitions because of this and didn't want further conflicts, that would make sense. With a century of prosperity in Tian Sheng, ordinary people living peacefully, it's understandable why descendants of the Murong family haven't caused wars. However, things have changed now: Tian Sheng is corrupt with disasters and calamities happening continuously, leaving the common folk destitute while the wealthy are indulged in luxury. If there are still descendants of the Murong family around, shouldn’t they be restoring their country by now" Yun Qianyue said softly.

Rong Jing didn't say anything in response.

Yun Qianyue tilted her head to look at him again. She saw his jade-like face covered in snowflakes, even more translucent and lustrous than the snow.

"Let's go!" Rong Jing stretched out a hand to pull Yun Qianyue along as he started walking away.

Yun Qianyue glanced back at that half-slope covered in pristine white snow, which seemed to emit a faint glow. She then turned her gaze back and followed Rong Jing.

A while later, Yun Qianyue suddenly said, "The snow fell on me today but didn't melt!"

Rong Jing tilted his head and smiled at her, "Isn't it better that way I can't fetch an umbrella for you to shield the snow right now."

Yun Qianyue gave Rong Jing a disdainful look, “Why don’t you congratulate me on my martial arts advancement Could mobilizing internal energy to control things around me and preventing the snow from melting be considered progress”

Rong Jing chuckled lightly, "You're far from reaching the peak of the True Phoenix Scripture. Are you already feeling self-satisfied"

Yun Qianyue huffed slightly and suddenly stepped forward to stand in front of Rong Jing, hooking her hands around his neck, "Carry me while we walk."

Rong Jing raised an eyebrow, “Are you sure”

"Sure!" Yun Qianyue nodded.

Seeming to smile, he slightly bent down and scooped her up horizontally.

Yun Qianyue buried her face in Rong Jing's chest, listening to his heartbeat, the feeling of something in her heart gradually calming.

The sound of footsteps turned into a light tread. The surrounding mountains were silent, with snowflakes gently falling; yet not a single snowflake fell on Rong Jing or Yun Qianyue, all avoiding within three feet around them.

After some time, Yun Qianyue suddenly said, "The old emperor died and still wanted to kill me. What an intriguing setup!"

"He should have killed you. Night Tianyi can't see through things, but he could over the years of ruling Tian Sheng; naturally, he wouldn’t leave someone who isn’t part of the Ye family."

Yun Qianyue said, "Night Tianyi probably didn’t expect his father to set up such a trap in the imperial tomb after his death."

"He thought his threat would work and trusted himself too much. He believed that since the late emperor left a will bestowing you as his bride, he accepted you," Rong Jing suddenly smiled coldly, "The late emperor’s lesson to him this time is yet another one; all emperors of the Ye family give their descendants lessons after death."

"The Ye family deserves destruction!" Yun Qianyue spat out.

Rong Jing walked slowly and didn't comment on it.

The head she had buried in his chest lifted up, her eyes landing on Rong Jing’s painted-like jade face, then upward to the sky filled with snowflakes. She stared at the sky for a moment before saying suddenly, "Today I deliberately wronged Night Tianyi to make him see my resolve and cold-heartedness; if he still doesn't repent, Rong Jing, you should rebel against the Ye family’s rule!"t while Nan Lingrui's sleeve was torn to shreds by her grip. She froze, somewhat unable to process what had happened."You're such a disappointment! Are you so scared of Rong Jing that you can't even f...