Lin Yanxi knelt on the ground, tears welling up in her eyes. "Mother!" she cried.
In her desperation, she tugged at her mother's sleeve. "Mother, last time, we encountered a sorcerer near the outskirts of the city. Thankfully, Shen Muzhou killed him, and I thought that was the end of it. But today, the corpse salvaged from the river, I can still sense the curse on it."
"If what you say is true, that grandfather is dead, then there will be no one left in Yueyou who can contend with the sorcerers."
She still found it hard to believe what had happened to her grandfather. In this life, he had died before she was even born. Although she had been reborn, many things had changed.
For instance, in her previous life, she and Shen Muzhou had no connection whatsoever, and he hadn't been afflicted by an unsolvable curse.
She felt as though she were a pawn on someone else's chessboard, a player who had entered the game but did not know who the mastermind was.
To give up practicing the art of talismans would be to surrender without a fight, and Yueyou would then be turned into a living hell.
Jiang Wan looked at Lin Yanxi with shock. She had thought there was still time.
She hadn't expected Lin Yanxi to have already detected the presence of the sorcerer, let alone confronted them. This, then, proved that her fate could no longer be avoided.
How could an ordinary person like Shen Muzhou possibly contend with the might of a sorcerer?
Jiang Wan thought Lin Yanxi was speaking nonsense again, and a flicker of disgust crossed her eyes. Angrily, she declared, "Let's go. You are coming back with me now. Forget about curses, forget about Shen Muzhou. Don't even think about them. Tomorrow, tomorrow I will take you to Shangchi."
Hearing "Shangchi," Lin Yanxi's mind went blank.
The Shangchi Kingdom was a realm beyond Yueyouzhou. Legend had it that it was a land of beast demons. In her previous life, her grandfather had also mentioned taking her to Shangchi.
However, they had not managed to find any trace of the Shangchi Kingdom before being captured by Shen Qingyun.
Jiang Wan grabbed Lin Yanxi's arm and pulled her forward. Lin Yanxi stumbled and fell to the ground, her dress fluttering in the wind before settling heavily.
Jiang Wan turned to look at her daughter, who lay there in a disheveled heap. The medicinal plaster for wounds fell from her sleeve. Lin Yanxi's gaze towards her ultimately pierced Jiang Wan's heart.
What mother would wish for her daughter to resent her?
The strength in her hand loosened slightly, but she still couldn't bring herself to relent.
Since she had to send her away anyway, and there would be no chance of seeing each other again, she might as well grant her wish today and let her leave with some peace of mind.
"If you deliver the medicine today, tomorrow I will have someone from the Jiang family send you to the entrance of Shangchi. You will never return to Yueyou!"
Lin Yanxi looked up at Jiang Wan in panic, her long eyelashes beaded with tears. She blinked, and the tears spilled from her eyes, blurring her vision.
Her voice trembled, thick with a nasal tone, and she asked tentatively, "Mother, you don't want me anymore?"
Never return to Yueyou? Did she mean she never wanted to see her again...
Jiang Wan stood still, looking down at her daughter. Her gaze from above was filled with authority and an undeniable resolve.
For her, once a decision was made, there was no turning back. This was the best path she could envision for Lin Yanxi.
"I am doing this for your own good," she said coldly, withdrawing her hand from Lin Yanxi's tightly clenched hem. She then turned and walked back into the manor.
Doing this for her own good meant never seeing her again? Never allowing her to return to Yueyou?
Lin Yanxi stared at Jiang Wan, her almond-shaped eyes desperately searching for any trace of pity or hesitation on her mother's face through the mist of her tears.
There was none. Jiang Wan's gaze was firm, her voice indifferent, and her turn was resolute.
However, the moment she turned away, the tears in her eyes began to fall uncontrollably.
Lin Yanxi watched Jiang Wan's receding figure, a smoke-purple dress and long hair cascading to her waist, until the purple silhouette disappeared into the manor.
Only then did she realize that it wasn't just an angry outburst from her mother, but a true desire never to see her again.
---
Prince Mu's Manor.
After handing the medicine to the manor physician, Lin Yanxi waited outside for news.
If her mother really forced her to go to Shangchi, what would happen to the Grand Tutor's manor?
Although she had temporarily evaded Shen Qingyun's schemes, her father was still entangled in these matters.
In her previous life, Shen Qingyun had coerced her father into doing many wrong deeds on his behalf, including framing Shen Muzhou and sending him to prison. These actions later became evidence of treason against the Grand Tutor's manor after Shen Qingyun ascended the throne.
All one hundred and sixteen members of the Grand Tutor's manor were beheaded and their heads mounted on spikes.
No news of Shen Muzhou's improvement had come from within the manor yet. She didn't know if the pomegranate flowers would have any effect.
Considering the time, the palace banquet should be approaching soon. After the banquet, the Crown Prince would frame Shen Muzhou, implicating him in the case of the lost jade talisman. Unable to prove his innocence, he would be imprisoned and subjected to immense suffering.
She looked at the moonlit sky and let out a barely audible sigh, unsure if it was for his future fate or for her own impending departure from Yueyou.
Si Yue stood behind her and tried to comfort her. "Miss, don't be sad. Wherever you go, I will follow and protect you."
"And Lizi and Tangchao, we will all follow you."
Lin Yanxi reached out and ruffled his hair. "You can't follow me, and Lizi and Tangchao can't either."
Even if she did go to Shangchi, with an uncertain future, how could she let them risk their lives with her?
Si Yue asked anxiously, "Why? Miss, do you want me?"
She fell silent for a moment, her gaze firm. "I am not going to Shangchi. I still want to train you to be a great general."
Perhaps Shen Muzhou could help her stay in Yueyou for now.
Si Yue said with conviction, "Miss, I've thought about it. I don't want to be a great general. I want to protect Miss."
Lin Yanxi looked at Si Yue, her eyes bright. "Si Yue might be able to protect me, but I want Si Yue to be a general, to protect more people, to safeguard the peace of the people of Nanmin."
"This way... even if I have to leave Nanmin one day, I can do so with peace of mind."
A bitter ache welled up in her heart. Even Si Yue was reluctant to see her go, so why was her mother so intent on driving her away?
Si Yue remained silent for a while before resolutely saying, "Alright, Miss. Whatever you want me to do, I will do it."
"Creak—"
The door to Shen Muzhou's room was pushed open, and Xiao Liu emerged. He looked at Lin Yanxi and said, "The Prince's injuries have stabilized, and he has regained consciousness."
As he spoke, the manor physician and several attendants came out from the room.
The manor physician bowed to Lin Yanxi and said, "Thanks to Miss Lin's wound medicine, the Prince's life has been saved, and so have the lives of everyone in this manor."
Hearing his words, the attendants and Xiao Liu in the manor all knelt and bowed to Lin Yanxi.
Xiao Liu shouted loudly, "From this day forward, Miss Lin is the benefactor of our manor! Greetings to our benefactor."
The attendants echoed, "Greetings to our benefactor!"
Lin Yanxi was startled to see them all kneeling. She quickly helped them up, saying, "There's no need for this. Please get up."
"How is Shen Muzhou's condition?"
The manor physician got up from the ground and adjusted his sleeves. "Miss, please rest assured. The Prince has improved and is now conscious. You can go in to see him."
Xiao Liu glanced at the attendants and gestured for them to withdraw.
Seeing this, Si Yue also retreated to the courtyard, waiting outside.
Suddenly, in the vast courtyard, she was the only one left. Looking at the open doorway, she hesitated before finally entering.
The strong smell of blood still assailed her nostrils inside the room. She cautiously peeked from behind the screen, looking inside.
Shen Muzhou was propped up against the head of his bed, his abdomen wrapped in several layers of white bandages. He beckoned Lin Yanxi over, his voice somewhat weak.
"Come here."
Lin Yanxi felt awkward and hesitated as she approached his bedside.
The bandages around his waist were still stained with a small patch of blood, a shocking sight.
"It was my insistence on saving Hei Jin that caused you to be injured."
She lowered her head, her voice growing softer and softer, like a mosquito's buzz, her words hesitant.
Shen Muzhou gazed at her for a long moment. His eyes lacked their usual coldness and wariness; instead, they were surprisingly gentle.
As she met his gaze, she thought to herself that she had to admit Shen Muzhou's face was indeed perfect, as handsome as if carved by the exquisite craftsmanship of a master artisan.
He didn't respond to her words but instead reached out and took Lin Yanxi's arm.
She flinched, and the gauze on her own wound loosened slightly. Shen Muzhou's gaze deepened, and with gentle movements, he re-bandaged her wound.
Lin Yanxi mumbled to herself, "You bandaged it so ugly."
"Don't hurt yourself for anyone next time."
She wanted to say something but hesitated. After thinking about it, she asked the question that was on her mind: "Why did you let Hei Jin go? He wanted to kill you."
His willingness to spare Hei Jin showed that he was not the insidious and cruel heartless person rumored to be.
Then why would he walk the path of a brutal city slaughter?
"I killed his family first. My hands are stained with too much blood. Too many people want to kill me."
Shen Muzhou finished speaking and then looked into her eyes again. "I don't have long to live, do I?"
Lin Yanxi's eyes trembled. If she couldn't find the Flower of Synchronous Life, he wouldn't survive the summer. If she found the Flower of Synchronous Life and unraveled the curse, his fate would push him to another extreme – city slaughter.
"I... am going to leave Nanmin."
"Is it because you rejected the Crown Prince's proposal? Is your family still making things difficult for you?"
He had witnessed Lin Yanxi being scolded by her mother several times and guessed that the Grand Tutor's manor was unwilling to easily break off the engagement with the Crown Prince.
Lin Yanxi didn't want to explain too much. Rejecting the Crown Prince was indeed one of the reasons.
She nodded, contemplating how she could ask him to help her stay in Nanmin after causing such a huge mess and nearly getting Shen Muzhou killed.
"Where to?"
"Shangchi."
Shen Muzhou's eyes, usually adept at concealing his thoughts, showed a ripple of emotion. "Shangchi only exists in legends. No one has ever truly been there. Moreover, it is a land of demon beasts, incredibly dangerous."
"You don't want to go?"
Lin Yanxi's thoughts were easy to guess. He could see through her at a glance. This foolish rabbit was probably struggling with how to ask for help after nearly causing him harm.
He wasn't in a hurry to expose her and waited for her next response.
Lin Yanxi grinned, revealing a row of small white teeth. Her cry of distress almost alerted the guards stationed outside the door.
"Ninth Prince! It's just that I can't bear to leave you, woohoo."
"This Shangchi is rumored to be at the end of Yueyou. If that's the case, how can we ever see each other again in this lifetime!"
"Besides, besides, the Prince's curse is not yet lifted. How can I just leave, woohoo."
Lin Yanxi's last sentence held a significant implication, reminding Shen Muzhou that if she left, no one would help him break the talisman.
He lowered his gaze, watching her bury her head in her arms by his bedside, her shoulders shaking slightly, making it seem quite genuine.
Shen Muzhou himself didn't realize that a smile had already curved the corners of his lips. He hated calculating women, and he also disliked simple-minded, seemingly innocent, pampered young ladies.
Only Lin Yanxi's eyes were honest yet filled with shrewd calculation, clear and childlike, yet hinting at ambition.
Especially after understanding the implied threat in her words, he smiled even more deeply. When Lin Yanxi looked up, he straightened his lips and said, "You want me to help you?"
Lin Yanxi immediately nodded, looking at him with eager anticipation.
He had intended to tease her further, but he couldn't bear to see those watery eyes dim. "Given your heartfelt loyalty to this Prince, I agree."
Seeing that he had agreed, her previously troubled little face instantly bloomed into a smile. She was already stunningly beautiful, and with this smile, her charm was boundless.