Chapter 42: Perhaps It's an Old Friend (Three)

  There were five of us, including Pearl, and we were said to be the most beautiful people in the Zi Yuan.

  My dreams were all about fighting and killing, Song Mingyue's blood splattered on the jade wind, then someone covered my mouth, I woke up with a start, found in the darkness, Pearl was tightly covering my mouth, saying to me: "Be careful"

  I just realized that she was preventing me from calling out something that shouldn't be called out, but the way she covered my mouth was too tight, it was as if she wanted to suffocate me.

  She saw me staring at her, calmly put down her hand, and looked at me with no temperature. I was panting heavily, and said in a low voice: "Why do you want to help me?"

  "You've already helped me lure the Nanzhao army away, so I naturally want to help you. Moreover, you're one of White Three's people, which makes you a master too." Zhenzhu said in a low voice, and in the darkness, I saw her face: "I originally thought you were just like him, but now it seems that you're indeed not ordinary."

  "I wondered: 'What kind of person am I? Why are you so bewildered?' Just as Pearl was about to speak, a white shadow flashed across the doorway, accompanied by a faint, eerie laugh. I involuntarily shrank back against Pearl."

  The two Nan Zhao soldiers standing at the gate stood up, and one on the left outside the window asked in surprise the one on the right: "Did you just see that?" The other figure stood up, yawning and cursing: "You're courting death, I was just dreaming of embracing Little Drunken Immortal. If you startle me again, be careful or I'll tell General Meng Zhao about it and have you executed."

  "I'm not talking nonsense, I just saw a white shadow flying by, it can't be a ghost, right?" "What are you talking about? This is the Yuancheng manor, how could there be ghosts here?"

  "Haven't you heard? Legend has it that there was a great demon king who slaughtered countless people here in the past. The first master of the Yuan family was sent by the Emperor of Dongting to exterminate this great demon king, so on the surface, he was rewarded with a fiefdom, but in reality, he was demoted to this western region and confined to this Purple Residence Mountain Villa to guard against this demon king." That little soldier said with a vivid tone, "Legend has it that under the Purple Residence Mountain Villa are all underground palaces, and what's buried inside aren't gold, silver, or jewels, but rather the leftover vengeful spirits and bones of those he devoured."

  The two fell silent, the only sound being the low howl of the wind, which blew against the window frames, causing them to creak and groan. Another person cleared his throat: "Don't talk nonsense, if it were really like that, then why didn't he come out and kill you when you were stealing jewels from people in this village these past few days? Even if he did appear, wouldn't he have run away with fright upon seeing our young master with purple eyes?"

  "That's true, but when I saw Little King Wang's purple eyes, my heart was racing with fear."

  The voices of the two Nanzhao soldiers outside the window gradually lowered, and even the bolder one was no longer sleeping. The topic of their hushed conversation had shifted to Duan Yue's purple eyes.

  In the darkness, Zhenzhu shook her head. She raised her head and in the dark eyes sparkled with excitement: "The Nanzhao dog thieves will be completely finished soon." I asked in surprise: "What?"

  "He will be back soon." Pearl said mysteriously with a smile: "He will kill all the Nanzhao soldiers."

  The wind blew in a bloody chill, the window knocked three times, this scene made me think of the horror movie I saw in my previous life. I trembled and asked: "Who? Yuan Houye?" "No," Pearl leaned close to my face: "An Shen." "Wh-what An Shen?"

  "Nature is the dark god of origin."

  I was just about to tell Pearl that on a dark and windy night like this, it's not good to get so close to people's faces and speak in a spooky tone, it would scare people to death. At this moment, there was a commotion outside the door, I thought to myself that this so-called original family's dark god had arrived so quickly, a large group of Nanzhao soldiers rushed in, took me out, and Xue Yue lay on his big gray horse, under the moonlight, his purple eyes staring at me, excitedly.

  The Nanzhao people were ferocious and evil, and I was sitting in a prison cart. I turned my head back, and Pearl and the other girls also poked their heads out, looking at me nervously. Duan Yu Rong galloped alongside me, looking at me as if I were a panda in a zoo.

  The prison cart rattled on without stopping, and I was almost shaken to pieces. "Where are you taking me at this late hour?" I asked loudly, holding onto the thick bars. No one answered me, there were only the sounds of armor clashing, coldly piercing my eardrums.

  A sense of unease had been lurking in my heart, the biting cold wind gradually drowned out my panicked questions, freezing my limbs. In the midst of heavy snowfall, we entered Xi'an City. The torches of the Nanzhao army illuminated the streets of Xi'an, a city that was once prosperous but now lay in ruins, with broken tiles and white mourning flags fluttering everywhere, even in the darkness, there was still an aura of despair.

  The sound of sobbing was heard. The prisoner's carriage sped past a charred city tower, and I felt a sense of familiarity. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the place where Fei and I parted ways. Unconsciously, I choked back my sobs, and tears filled my eyes.

  After an unknown period of time, the prisoner's cart passed through Xi'an City and stopped at a hill outside the city. Duan Yu Rong ordered the soldiers to prepare for battle and had me brought out, taken to the front line, and Meng Zhuo rode his horse out of the ranks, shouting loudly: "Yuan Er is here, Yuan family soldiers quickly surrender!"

  I was about to speak out, but Duan Yue Rong had already pinched my neck shut, I couldn't make a sound. He sneered with a hint of mockery, his purple pupils staring at me, yet he seemed completely calm and collected. In that instant, I understood - he indeed knew I wasn't the real Fei Yan, and was keeping me only to lure out the remaining soldiers from the Yuan household.

  After the hill, someone moved, and a whispering voice came, a tall Qin Zhong Hanzi in the dark, with eyes like torches, holding a long gun, like a god of war, walked out and asked in a deep voice, "Where is Yuan Er?"

  Before the words had fallen, Nanzhao's arrows shot out like flying swallows, that person's martial arts were strong, his long spear danced with water splashing everywhere, yet one long arrow still shot into his thigh, he twisted his face in great pain, but his eyes remained firm as a rock, limping and stumbling towards me and Duan Yu'er, shouting: "Second brother, are you injured?"

  I struggled to get off the horse and ran towards him, when he was already covered with arrows, bleeding profusely. I approached him from behind and shouted: "The Yuans' army is coming, Yuan Er has escaped safely to Luoyang, I am a substitute."

  Unfortunately, it was too late. As the figures behind the hill flickered, they had already been shot by arrows. The original family soldier who blocked my way turned around and pressed me under his body, protecting me from being shot by the arrows.

  Countless cries of despair echoed in my ears, the smell of blood spreading ruthlessly through the darkness. The tragic deaths of Song Mingpei and those thousand Yuan family soldiers were still vivid before my eyes. With tears blurring my vision, I watched as fresh blood flowed over that person's fingers, flowing onto my face, scorching hot drop by drop.

  After the hail of arrows, I crawled out from among the piles of corpses. I turned over the man who had been shielding me and stroked the cold arrow shafts, my voice trembling as I said: "I am not Yuan Er, why do you still want to save me?"

  That man spat out blood foam, and smiled warmly: "Thank you, miss, for suffering on Er's behalf. If you see her again, please tell her that Dai Binghai can be loyal to Er until death, and die without regret."

  Having said that, Dai Binghai, with a dazed expression and a faint smile, took his leave.

  This man turned out to be Dai Binghai! It was indeed the Eastern Camp Commander Dai Binghai, whom Yu Feiyan admired most. When I was in the Dark Mansion, Song Mingyue told me that Commander Dai Binghai led 4,000 disciples to hold off the Nanzhao army, which gave Yuan Feng and the others time to hide in the Dark Mansion.

  I gently put Dai Binghai's head down, and suddenly remembered that Song Minghui had said that the original family's children would all hide a dagger at their wrist guards. I felt his wrist guard, and indeed there was a dagger.

  A Nan Zhao soldier beside him said: "Report to Your Highness, the substitute for Yuan Yuan who is not smoke is still alive, how should we deal with it?"

  My blood boiled, and I glared furiously at Duan Yue Rong who was smiling at me. The dagger hidden in my sleeve flew out silently as I charged forward, swinging it down just as it was about to strike him. Unfortunately, someone slammed into me, sending both me and the dagger flying out simultaneously. Stars danced before my eyes as I crashed heavily onto the snow-covered ground that had already been stained red with blood. I suspected that my left arm might be fractured from the fall, the pain was excruciating, like my heart was being ripped apart. Then someone lifted me up, dragging me to a place lit by firelight. The flames danced before my eyes as warmth seeped into my forehead, and I slowly slipped into darkness.

  I woke up with a start, and found myself in Duan Yu's tent again. The familiar yet strange moaning sound was still echoing in my ears. I didn't need to open my eyes to know what Duan Yu and Yang Guishan were up to.

  I've been changed into new clothes, my forehead is throbbing with pain, wrapped in a bandage, the bloody scenes of the past are flashing before my eyes. I slowly sit up and try to move my left hand, the severe pain is still there, but fortunately, no bones are broken.

  A strange aura wafted between my nose, I raised my head, startled, and in front of me were those sparkling purple pupils, bloodthirsty and pleased. Since I had arrived here, my thumping heartbeat gradually calmed down. To be honest, I was getting used to him appearing in front of me every time, either covered in blood or stark naked.

  However, I laughed at that time, fearlessly looking back at his purple pupils, and said lightly: "You'd better kill me now, Mu Xi, otherwise, everything you've done to the Purple Mountain Villa and me today, I will return tenfold."

  "What a big nerve you have!" Yang Lüshui put on a crimson ice gauze, came over and raised her hand to me. I couldn't dodge it and took a solid slap from her, falling to the ground.

  Yang Lüshui seemed to have raised her hand at me again, Duan Yuéróng grasped her hand in mid-air and said displeased: "Lüshui, look at you, how annoying!"

  "Just to comfort the young master, among the many in the purple garden, why did the young master keep this mediocre substitute for Yuan Feiyun?" Yang Lüshui said tearfully: "I heard that General Mengzhao just said that she wanted to assassinate the young master, such a ruthless woman, why didn't the young master reward her to the soldiers and be done with it."

  I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth, sneering coldly at Yang Lüshui, secretly vowing that one day I would make you and your mistress Yang Lüshui wish you were dead.

  Duan Yue Rong looked at me, furrowed his elegant eyebrows, and was about to speak when a stern voice came from outside the tent: "The king has an urgent matter of utmost importance, a flying letter has just arrived, please have Young Master move to Rongbao Hall immediately."

  Duan Yue Tong roughly threw me onto the woolen blanket where he and Yang Lüshi had made love, and put on his clothes: "Before I have enjoyed her, if you privately dispose of her, I will send you back to Nanzhao."

  She said and walked away without looking back, leaving Yang Lüshui in tears. Yang Lüshui came over: "This is the bed of Young Master Wang and me, you are also worthy to sleep on it."

  She turned blue with rage, raised her hand to scratch my face, I dodged and said lazily: "Really sorry, I didn't want to sleep on top either, but it just so happened that your young master Wang threw me over here, you can see how much he wanted me to sleep."

  Her face was even more furious, and at this time, someone outside the account called: "Green Lady, it seems that Young Master Wang has had an accident in the front hall." Yang Lüshui's face stiffened, and she said fiercely to me: "You wait."

  Having said that, he hastily put on his clothes and walked out of the tent.