Xiao Man and Nangong Yu tumbled down, unsure how long they fell. The sudden brightness made them momentarily uncomfortable. As their eyes adjusted, they found themselves in a hidden world, carpeted with flowers, with a massive circular platform at its center, etched with intricate patterns.
"Where are we?" Nangong Yu inquired.
Xiao Man shook her head. "I don't know. The last time I was here, I didn't discover this place. Perhaps it's so vast we simply missed it."
Xiao Man produced a map and compared it carefully. This location wasn't marked on it. No, that wasn't quite right. It wasn't that it wasn't on the map, but rather that this *was* the center of the map, yet she had never been here.
Xiao Man walked towards the central platform. She recognized the complex patterns; they were the same as those on her jade pendant. Squatting down, she examined the carvings closely. "These patterns are identical to those on the jade pendant my mother left me. My brother and second sister also have these patterns on their jade pendants."
"So, Xiao Luo should be of the same clan as you, both descendants of the Qin Dynasty?"
"It seems so." Xiao Man shook her head. "Although I have a body immune to all poisons, my brother and second sister do not."
"Lan Ruo Yu, right?"
"Lan Ruo Yu might not be entirely it, otherwise, Feng Mo Ran's poison would have been cured by now," Xiao Man explained. Nangong Yu had been gravely poisoned before, and her blood could cure him. Even with the most potent marrow cleansing, with Lan Ruo Yu present, it should have been resolved. Yet, Feng Mo Ran couldn't be cured, only temporarily suppressed.
"But weren't Lan Ruo Yu and your mother twin sisters?"
"Were they really twin sisters?" Xiao Man countered. While their resemblances might be striking in some ways, the world was vast, and people could look alike without being related. Moreover, if Lan Ruo Yu sought the throne, why would the Lan family oppose her? Lan Ruo Yu even annihilated her own maternal clan for it. The reasons behind it, perhaps only Lan Ruo Yu herself truly knew.
Nangong Yu did not deny it. He followed her onto the platform. At its center was a recess, seemingly designed to hold something. "Take a look, what is this?"
Xiao Man gazed at the recess for a moment, then looked at Nangong Yu. "The pendant I gave you."
Nangong Yu removed the pendant from his neck and handed it to Xiao Man. She placed the pendant into the recess, where it fit perfectly, completing the stone platform.
"Does this belong here?" Nangong Yu asked in surprise.
"It should. But there's no reaction. I wonder if there are other mechanisms," Xiao Man mused, frowning. Just then, Feng Mo Ran burst in. Upon seeing the scene, his eyes filled with elation.
"Found it! Finally found it! Indeed, only you could find this place!" Feng Mo Ran was overjoyed. "Excellent, excellent! Now I can contact the High God. Bring the Tong Tian Tower."
Feng Mo Ran launched a sudden attack. Xiao Man and Nangong Yu moved simultaneously, and the three engaged in a fierce battle. Xiao Man excelled in close combat, while Nangong Yu's offense was sharp and fierce. Under their combined assault, Feng Mo Ran was at a distinct disadvantage.
"Xiao Man, do you want to know where your mother is?" Feng Mo Ran, thrown back, got up and said, "Do you want to see her?"
As he spoke, Feng Mo Ran flickered to a spot and pressed a mechanism. A beam of light struck the circular platform, revealing a man standing with his back to them. In his hand, he held a woman, her head lolling, unconscious. Yet, Xiao Man recognized her instantly: it was Lan Ruo Xian.
"Mother!"
Xiao Man reached out to touch her, but her hand passed through nothing. The two figures seemed to vanish into thin air.
"What did you do?"
"I told you, your mother is alive. Give me the Tong Tian Tower, and I'll tell you where she is," Feng Mo Ran exclaimed excitedly. "I only want the Tong Tian Tower."
"If I give you the Tong Tian Tower, I fear you would take our lives in an instant, wouldn't you?" Xiao Man sneered. "Don't dream. Knowing my mother is alive is enough. I will find her!"
"Find her? With your capabilities?" Feng Mo Ran scoffed. "The High God could crush you with a single finger. You still want to snatch someone from him? Furthermore, if you were to go there, your fate would likely be even worse than your mother's!"
"Die!" Nangong Yu attacked again. He couldn't allow Feng Mo Ran to destabilize Xiao Man's resolve. Now that they knew Lan Ruo Xian was alive, they would find her. As for who took her, they would hunt that person down, whether in heaven or on earth.
"Nangong Yu!" At this moment, Murong Sheng Rui also arrived. Seeing Nangong Yu locked in combat with Feng Mo Ran, he immediately ordered Wei Wu Ji to fetch Nangong Yu's head.
Xiao Man was about to move to assist when Murong Sheng Rui blocked her path. "A Man, we meet again."
Xiao Man pointed her sword at Murong Sheng Rui. "Move aside, or I'll take your wretched life!"
Murong Sheng Rui advanced instead of retreating. He grabbed the sword from Xiao Man's hand and pressed it against his own chest. "Stab here. Make sure you don't miss. My heart is right here, still beating. You can use your sword to pierce it, to make it stop beating forever."
Xiao Man's expression was cold. Without hesitation, she thrust the sword forward. The blade entered her chest, a fine pain spreading. Yet, Murong Sheng Rui's smile widened.
"Not enough. It needs to be deeper. This won't kill me. A Man, hurry up and finish it." Murong Sheng Rui was truly deranged, begging Xiao Man to kill him.
Xiao Man pulled out her sword and kicked Murong Sheng Rui away, rushing to help Nangong Yu. Feng Mo Ran was already formidable, and with Wei Wu Ji added, Nangong Yu might not be a match.
However, before Xiao Man could reach them, a figure blocked her path, launching a fierce attack that forced Xiao Man to retreat.
Murong Sheng Rui got up from the ground, swaying slightly, but quickly regained his balance. "A Man, look, this is the gift I brought you. Do you like it?"
Xiao Man looked at the person before her, whose eyes were vacant and whose face bore black markings. They had clearly been turned into a puppet. Her eyes immediately turned red. "Murong Sheng Rui!"
"A Man, you don't seem to like my gift." Murong Sheng Rui reached out and brushed aside the person's long hair, revealing a delicate face. "I remember you were very fond of this girl. When you were imprisoned, only she risked her life to enter the palace and rescue you. Look, I've returned a living Jin Xiu to you. A Man, will you forgive me?"
"I'll kill you!" Xiao Man was incandescent with rage. Jin Xiu had died saving her, and Murong Sheng Rui dared to desecrate the dead by turning Jin Xiu into a puppet.
As Xiao Man's attack landed, Jin Xiu immediately blocked Murong Sheng Rui. She fought against Xiao Man, the once inseparable mistress and servant now strangers, forced to fight to the death. An infinite sorrow filled Xiao Man's heart, and her hatred for Murong Sheng Rui intensified.