Chapters One, Two, and Three: The Heart-Devouring Gu

He wore a flowing crimson robe, while his countless strands of hair were loosely bound with a crown. The long black locks cascaded down like a waterfall plunging from the heavens, like a dark ribbon unfurling behind him.

His face was breathtakingly beautiful. His lips were a vivid red, and the corners curved in a half-smile, half-enigma, like a blooming spider lily. With the slightest hint of definition, he became a vision so mesmerizing that no one could look away.

“I merely find it strange that Ji Wuqing’s offensive power has declined. He has grown considerably weaker.” Then how would he be able to protect Little Xue?

From what he knew of Ji Wuqing, that degree of attack should not have been enough to leave him seriously wounded. At most, it ought to have caused some superficial injuries. Yet it seemed there was something involved that he did not know about.

“Yue finds it strange as well. Perhaps we should ask the young mistress what happened.” Elder Yue mused, a gentle smile resting upon his handsome face, making it impossible to tell what he was plotting.

He could speak of tearing a man limb from limb in exactly the same mild and warm tone he used in everyday conversation.

Zuo Qiu Liye picked up the sheet of paper resembling a letter from the desk and turned it over in his hands. “Since I have already achieved my purpose, there is no need to concern myself with the rest.” He was already looking forward to Little Xue’s arrival. In this struggle, where each side vied for supremacy, it was time for a victor to emerge.

“Yes.” Elder Yue nodded and said no more.

“I heard that Little Xue has managed Ji Wuqing’s harem very well. In only a few days, two consorts have died. Let me see—one of them served at the Empress Dowager’s side. She was a Noble Consort.” Whether his words were praise or sarcasm was impossible to determine.

“It is indeed said that the Blood Queen acts swiftly and cleanly, but she is by no means cruel or ruthless. She merely deals with each matter according to its circumstances. Even when Lady Yan, the woman who died, intended to harm her, she was still capable of showing her pity. No wonder King Ji protects her so carefully.”

“Ha. That is what makes it interesting, is it not?” Zuo Qiu Liye looked neither angry nor amused. Lazily reclining in his chair, he wore an effortless, irresistible allure upon his flawless features.

“Speaking of which, does Your Highness truly care nothing for the safety of the Lady of Xiliang? After all, she was implicated because of you.” Elder Yue seemed to have remembered something and brought it up without the slightest reservation or circumlocution.

At his bluntness, Zuo Qiu Liye showed no displeasure. “She is nothing more than a useless pawn.”

“Precisely because she is useless, she has remained safe and sound.” Elder Yue’s words carried another meaning. He then withdrew from Zuo Qiu Liye’s tent.

Outside, dust swirled through the air. The wind did not cease, and the weather here had grown increasingly harsh.

He glanced at the murky sky. Clad in a robe the color of moonlight, he slowly stepped into the dust beyond, yet somehow did not blend into the gloomy landscape.

Wherever he went, he appeared utterly unique, and the smile at his lips was naturally far gentler than this raging wind.

He made his way to another tent. Several accompanying guards stood watch outside. The fierce wind nearly blinded him, but Elder Yue merely narrowed his eyes and entered without concern.

Inside, she sat with her back to him on a rug spread across the ground. Her purple skirts fanned around her like ink spreading across paper, staining even the white fur carpet beneath her in violet.

“What is the young mistress doing?” He walked over slowly and stopped beside Gongshen Linger.

She answered him with silence. Resting in her palm was a white insect. It looked somewhat strange, but neither disgusting nor ugly. It inspired a frightening sense of dread.

“It seems the young mistress has created a new parasite.”

“Just as it happens, I was thinking of testing this insect’s effectiveness, and then you arrived.” Gongshen Linger lifted her head and looked at him. Her cold, striking eyes held a hint of seriousness and scrutiny, as though she truly intended to make Elder Yue her test subject.

“How honored Yue is,” he replied modestly.

Gongshen Linger studied him, then placed the parasite on the carpet. The moment it left her hand, it crawled away—but not in Elder Yue’s direction.

“It should find its own prey.” She rose, apparently no longer concerned with where the parasite went.

“It seems Yue has escaped a calamity.” Elder Yue watched as the parasite crawled toward the guard stationed at the entrance. The meaning of the young mistress’s actions was clear: if she wished to leave this tent, it would be effortless.

“What have you come here for? I have nothing that can help you people.” She gave a cold snort, refusing to be won over by Elder Yue’s courteous manner.

“Yue merely came to see the young mistress. Why be so heartless and so wary?” Elder Yue said. “Besides, Yue has a piece of news to tell you—though it is difficult to say whether it is good or bad. The Blood Queen is likely coming here.”

The Blood Queen?

That blind woman?

Sure enough, those two words stirred Gongshen Linger deeply. She turned around. “Is it true that Ji Wuqing was injured?” she asked in disbelief. At first, she had thought it was merely a ploy intended to disrupt King Ji’s state of mind. She had never expected—

“I was surprised as well that King Ji could be so easily defeated,” Elder Yue said, looking equally perplexed.

“He really was injured, and…” The injury was extremely severe!

Gongshen Linger’s emotions churned, and a trace of agitation appeared upon her cold, beautiful face.

Ji Wuqing. She had never imagined she would hear such news. That man who had always been invincible in battle had actually been wounded?

“Our king must have gone mad. For the sake of a woman, he has stopped at nothing and exhausted every scheme!” Whether it was anger or hatred, she did not know, but the words that left her lips were sharp.

“Two kings competing for a beauty—such a tale could be passed down as a romantic legend.” Elder Yue remained unmoved, his handsome face still gentle.

“Yue Chengxi, do not change the subject. I know exactly what you are planning. Yes, just as you predicted, the centipede poison in Ji Wuqing’s body has not been completely neutralized. On the contrary, it has most likely already damaged his heart meridians.” It was precisely because he was suffering from such deadly poison that they had been able to take advantage of his weakness.

But why had the poison not been cured? And how could he have been bitten by a centipede yet appear unharmed?

“Now that the young mistress has put it that way, Yue can be certain. After all, you are a master of poisons and parasites. The war between our two countries will depend greatly on your assistance.” Elder Yue praised her openly, without the slightest hint of flattery in his tone.

Gongshen Linger snorted coldly and said nothing. Instead, she was beginning to regret not testing her Heart-Eroding Parasite on Yue Chengxi just now.

Her experiment with the Heart-Eroding Parasite had been a complete success. It was only a tiny creature, yet it had caused the guard at the entrance to die an appalling death. No one should underestimate this parasite. It slowly devoured the victim’s heart, destroying the body from within and spreading outward.

Such a vicious parasite—she truly wanted to test it on Bloodsnow…

The scenery changed without end along the road: mountain ridges, rivers, streams, and waterfalls. Yet the traveling procession swept past in an instant, leaving the magnificent landscape far behind.

Bloodsnow sat inside the carriage with a book in her hands. Her expression was calm and composed, without the slightest sign of distress, utterly at odds with the carriage’s frantic pace. But all she wanted was to keep her heart still. She was afraid that if she lost her composure first, panic would take hold of her mind.

Night fell, and no trace of human habitation could be seen for dozens of miles. The night wind was cool, yet the procession continued onward.

Because darkness had fallen, their progress slowed considerably. Lanterns hung at both the front and rear of the carriage to light the way. More than a hundred guards accompanied them, moving in complete silence. The only sounds were the rumble of the carriage wheels and the footsteps of the horses traveling through the night.

The world sank into darkness, making the light around them all the more conspicuous. It resembled a solitary beacon in the mist, hazy and indistinct from a distance, wavering as though it might vanish at any moment.

At last, at Bloodsnow’s command, the journey came to a temporary halt.

“Master must be tired as well. Would you like to get down and take some air?” Yuzhi forced herself to stay alert. She was usually a palace maid, but she had also been raised in comfort, and traveling at such a pace was exhausting even for her.

Moreover, they had been confined in the carriage for an entire day and night. Her legs felt numb, and Master must surely be uncomfortable too.

“Mm.” Bloodsnow nodded.

She needed to calm herself. Had she not already begun to panic?

Though she had repeatedly warned herself not to panic or lose control, her heart had begun to race despite her efforts.

They were in a small woodland. The forest was utterly quiet. The guards drank water and ate their dry rations in an orderly fashion, remaining where they were and faithfully carrying out their duties.

Bloodsnow merely sat outside the carriage for a while and breathed in the fresh air. She soon felt considerably more clearheaded.

In two more days, she would be able to see him. There was no need to hurry…

Yuzhi climbed down from the carriage and walked around it for a while before lifting her eyes to search for Ling Yin’s silhouette. Of the Queen’s trusted attendants who had accompanied them, there were only Qing He and Ling Yin, and Ling Yin was the one who worried her most.

Qing He was one of the experts at the King’s side, so naturally she trusted him. But Ling Yin…

There was something faintly strange about him. It would be better to remain vigilant on Master’s behalf.

In the distance, she saw Ling Yin’s figure slowly emerge from the darkness. He wore plain-colored robes, and his pale face stood out vividly in the night. He seemed to be carrying some fruit in his hands. The fruit was wet, clearly having been washed.

Seeing him approach the carriage, Yuzhi hurried back to Bloodsnow’s side.

She had only just reached Bloodsnow when Ling Yin came over with the fruit. “Master, these are fruits I just picked. Please try one.”

They looked delicious, wild fruits resembling apples, their skins a fresh green. Yuzhi swallowed as she watched them. After traveling for so long, the fruit looked wonderfully refreshing and soothing to the throat.

“You have been thoughtful.” Bloodsnow nodded and accepted the fruit, then held it out to Yuzhi. “Taste it for me first.”

“Yes.” Yuzhi was slightly startled, but quickly took the fruit. Had the Queen noticed how much she wanted to eat it?

“How does it taste?” Bloodsnow asked seriously after a moment.

“Your Majesty, it is sour, but I like sour things.”

“That is good.”