Chapter 124: Instant Destruction

The night wind blew softly. She sat outside the carriage with her legs drawn up, a soft, comfortable blanket spread beneath her and another warm one draped over her knees. With the breeze brushing past her, she did not feel the slightest chill.

Inside the carriage, Yuzhi had fallen asleep from exhaustion. Leaning against the curtain, Blood Snow gazed into the distance, lost in thought.

She simply could not sleep. All she wanted was to reach Qin City at once and go to his side.

She rubbed the jade pendant in her hand. It was warm against her palm. He had given it to her when she entered and left the royal palace—a delicate design of a phoenix bird—and she had kept it with her ever since.

Soft footsteps approached. Lingyin came quietly to her side.

Blood Snow raised her head slightly. “Why aren’t you resting? As soon as the sky begins to lighten, we’ll have to hurry on.”

“I’m not tired,” Lingyin replied softly.

He stood silently beside the carriage, directly at Blood Snow’s side, carrying himself like a guard on duty.

Blood Snow gently clasped the jade pendant in her hand and fell silent as well. Lingyin lowered his eyes to watch her movements. Within his calm, unruffled gaze, a trace of hidden meaning seemed to pass.

Qin City lay between the Kingdom of Ji and the Kingdom of Wu. The Qin River marked the border between the two countries.

North of the Qin River was Ji; south of it was Wu.

The army of Ji was now stationed within Qin City, and the atmosphere there had grown considerably heavier. The city had few inhabitants, and when their party entered, the streets seemed quieter still.

Their large procession made its way toward the place where the king was stationed: Yishouli Residence.

After stepping down from the carriage, Blood Snow unexpectedly felt much calmer. She had thought she would be anxious and frantic, but now she was no longer in a hurry.

There were few people in the residence as she walked through it, and the place was exceptionally quiet. That suited him well. It was an ideal place for him to recover.

Though the servants of the residence did not know who this suddenly arrived woman was, they lowered their heads with great courtesy and stepped aside to clear the way. Seeing that the noble lady possessed an extraordinary bearing, they did not dare look at her for long, stealing only hurried glances.

At last, she arrived outside the room where he was staying. Blood Snow slowed and hesitated for a moment.

What was he doing now?

Was he asleep or awake? Did he know that she had arrived?

The hesitation lasted only a moment. She lifted her foot and was just about to push open the door when—

“Who are you? Don’t you know that you cannot disturb His Majesty at will?”

The sharp feminine voice was full of arrogance, as though its owner were a favored daughter of Heaven.

The woman was dressed in luxurious garments. As she approached, the magnificent hem of her silk gown rippled around her feet like splashing water. Four maids followed behind her, seemingly there to lend their mistress an imposing presence.

“Who said I couldn’t?” Blood Snow replied calmly, showing no anger.

“Of course I did. I am Qin Xin, the city lord’s daughter and half-mistress of Qin City. Naturally, I have a duty to ensure His Majesty’s safety. Since His Majesty was injured, I came especially to care for him.” She pursed her lips, her expression arrogant and imperious, as though she were already the mistress of the residence.

Indeed, the maids behind her carried medicine bottles and a basin of water. They appeared to have come to attend to Ji Wuqing.

“You’re here to care for Ji Wuqing?” Blood Snow raised a brow, a dangerous curve appearing at the corner of her lips.

“How dare you! Is His Majesty’s name something you are permitted to utter?” the city lord’s daughter snapped furiously.

“Annoying.” Blood Snow frowned. The woman was making so much noise—could Ji Wuqing possibly rest properly?

With that thought, she raised her hand to push open the door, deciding to ignore the city lord’s daughter entirely.

“What a rude, uncouth woman, daring to disregard my warning!”

As she spoke, the haughty young lady reached out to shove Blood Snow.

Before her hand could touch Blood Snow, however, Lingyin struck it with the unsheathed scabbard of his sword, showing not the slightest mercy.

“Next time, it won’t be so simple. I’ll cut off your hand.”

“You…” Qin Xin recoiled in fright, shrinking her neck.

“I had no idea Her Majesty the Blood Queen had arrived. Forgive us for failing to welcome you.”

A refined man in blue approached, his elegant bearing as pure and graceful as a lotus.

“Master Luohua.” Blood Snow was clearly surprised. She turned around. It truly was Luohua, with that same serene air and gentle voice.

“It has been a long time, Your Majesty.” Luohua slowly came closer and had the young attendant behind him hand the medicine to her. “Please go in and change His Majesty’s dressing. It happens to be time for it.”

His manner was courteous and polished.

“Very well.” Blood Snow accepted the medicine without saying more. This was not the time for reminiscing. She gently pushed open the door and entered.

Qin Xin, who had just been issuing commands with great authority, stood frozen in shock.

“She… She’s the queen?”

Wasn’t the queen supposed to be in the royal palace at Xi City? How had she suddenly arrived in Qin City?

Moreover, there had been no word that the queen was coming.

“Unfortunately, you no longer have the chance to apologize to Her Majesty,” Luohua said, his words carrying a deeper meaning.

Qin Xin shuddered. “What do you mean, Master Luohua? I didn’t do it on purpose. How was I supposed to know that she was the queen?” She tugged at the corners of her mouth, struggling to appear polite.

At that moment, two guards approached from a distance. Without a word, they seized her and lifted her from the ground, their movements rough and utterly lacking in mercy.

“What are you doing? Let me go! What are you doing? Don’t you know the rules?” Qin Xin panicked. Could the queen have ordered this?

“Have you forgotten? His Majesty said that if you entered the residence again, you were to be thrown out,” one of the guards said coldly.

Then they said nothing more and swiftly carried her toward the main gate.

In other words, the only reason they had allowed her into the residence was so that they could throw her out.

Meanwhile, Blood Snow slowed her steps as she entered the room. It was quiet inside, and she could not tell whether Ji Wuqing was awake or asleep.

She tightened her grip around the medicine. A faint medicinal scent lingered in the room—bitter, mixed with a trace of cool, austere air.

Feeling her way forward, she reached the bedside. She listened for Ji Wuqing’s breathing, her nose searching out his familiar scent. His breaths were slow and light. He seemed to be sleeping deeply.

Ji Wuqing…

She stood beside the bed, sensing that he was lying before her on the mattress.

She reached out. Her delicate hand trembled faintly as she slowly moved it toward his face.

Although she could not see his complexion, the skin beneath her fingers was remarkably smooth.

The feel was quite pleasant.

Only his chin was rough with stubble, fine and prickly against her palm.

Whether he was awake or asleep, she made no attempt to find out. She slowly leaned against the bedside, resting her forehead lightly against his arm, and her heart gradually grew still.

South of the Qin River, within the camp where the Kingdom of Wu was stationed—

Zuo Qiu Liye sat beside a table, reading the message sent by the Ji Kingdom’s informants. His gaze narrowed slightly, and his phoenix eyes lifted, revealing a beauty that was impossible to conceal—seductive and enchanting.

“Little Snow has arrived. She is in Qin City, just across the river.”

He set down the note and turned his eyes toward the man seated nearby.

Upon hearing this, the man merely raised his head slightly. A haughty, cold curve touched his lips.

“King Ji and Queen Ji truly are devoted to one another. Who can say whether that is a blessing or a disaster?”

Allowing emotion to influence one’s judgment was hardly a wise choice for an imperial family.

“Precisely because of that, defeating Ji Wuqing will be all the more entertaining, don’t you think?” Zuo Qiu Liye laughed instead, as though victory were already within his grasp.

“What does the Lord of Wu intend to do next?” Danying asked, seeing that Zuo Qiu Liye appeared so certain of victory.

He knew that Zuo Qiu Liye wanted Blood Snow. Their cooperation was nothing more than mutual exploitation. Thus, he wished to see whether Zuo Qiu Liye had already made complete preparations to deal with Ji Wuqing.

“Next? Let us simply wait and see.”

Zuo Qiu Liye curved his lips. His crimson lips resembled brilliant flower petals, dazzling to behold.

Little Snow, little Snow… How was he to make her return to his side?

“I heard that a distinguished guest has arrived in His Majesty’s camp.”

Gongshen Ling’er gazed at the scenery beyond the tent. The sky outside was vast and boundless, though it seemed to have nothing to do with her.

By her reckoning, that blind woman should have reached Qin City by now.

“The Young Mistress has very well-informed sources.” Elder Yue smiled faintly and regarded her thoughtfully.

The Young Mistress had grown increasingly silent today. He could not help feeling that something was concealed beneath her gorgeous features, something he could no longer see through. Their Young Mistress was changing as well.

“Stop beating around the bush. You should know that I have trusted people within the Shadow Pavilion. Besides, I am not a prisoner or a criminal.”

She flung the book in her hand onto the table, her expression impatient and speechless.

Elder Yue did not take offense. Instead, he replied gently, “Since that is the case, Young Mistress, you should also know who the distinguished guest is.”

“So Blood Snow has arrived as well. Even the Crown Prince of Dan has come. The contest is about to begin.”

A trace of anticipation suddenly arose within her. Who would this blind woman ultimately belong to—or, more precisely, who would use her?

If one thought about it carefully, was such a struggle not itself a kind of tragedy?

“Let us watch the spectacle properly, Young Mistress.” Elder Yue looked entirely at ease, as though he had come merely to enjoy a show.

Had Blood Snow seen him, she would probably have scoffed—or simply ignored him.

She had no desire to be watched like a monkey.

At Yishouli Residence—

Luohua stood in the distance, glancing at the tightly closed door. Blood Snow had been inside for quite some time, and he did not know whether she had changed Ji Wuqing’s dressing yet.

After all, Ji Wuqing’s injuries were not light.

Never mind. That was a matter between husband and wife. It was better for him not to interfere.

Inside the room, Blood Snow gradually fell asleep. Later, she stirred and awoke in a daze.

When she opened her eyes, she seemed to feel a hand moving gently across her face.

She woke fully in an instant. She had only intended to lean beside him for a while. Had she actually fallen asleep?

She tried to sit up, but the person beside her had already stirred. His broad palm enclosed her cheek completely.

“You’ve lost weight. And the feel of your skin isn’t as good as it used to be.”

The implication was that her face had become considerably rougher.

His words made Blood Snow pause. She pressed her lips together but said nothing.

She had never expected the first words he would say to her to be something like that. The faint romantic anticipation in her heart shattered in an instant.