Chapter 522: A Flickering Candle in the Wind
Chapter 522: A Flickering Candle in the Wind
Who would dare to ride so recklessly toward the gates of the capital? Could it be some noble brat acting arrogantly?
“H-halt!” The guards, seeing the rider about to charge straight through, braced themselves to intercept him.
Neigh!
The horse let out a long neigh, coming to an abrupt stop mid-gallop, demonstrating the rider’s exceptional skill and control.
The guards looked up and realized there was no need for the usual routine questioning.
As long as this person was not wearing a disguise, everyone would instantly know who he was. He was a man known by all, one whom even the officials would not dare ask for an entry tax. Basically... he was treated as though he was a prince.
“Asura King!”
Xue Canghai was not exaggerating when he said what he said. To the average person, being first on the Ranking of Man was tantamount to being treated with kingly reverence, even by the authorities.
It was an interesting mentality, since not even the general Ranking of Earth garnered the same respect. It was only the first in each ranking—especially if earned through battle and not by default—that they came to be treated as though they carried a special aura.
It was just like how people were likely to remember the winner of a tournament—the one who took the gold medal—while not many remembered the silver or bronze medalists.
The last time he entered the capital, a loudmouthed fool had recognized him, causing the entire city to take notice, leading to quite a bit of trouble. This time, it seemed like it did not matter. He would let them beat the drums and announce his arrival. He did not care.
Without giving it much thought, Zhao Changhe led his horse into the city, heading straight for the Tang residence.
“Venerable, venerable!” A member of the Four Idols Cult hurried to report to Vermillion Bird. “The Asura King has entered the city.”
Vermillion Bird kept her composure, sipping her tea slowly. “Where is he headed? Here, or to the Huangfu residence to find Shaozong?” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
“...He’s headed to the Tang residence.”
The air seemed to grow still for a moment, a sudden sense of heaviness. Xia Chichi snuck a glance at Vermillion Bird, who, after a moment of silence, sighed. “Chichi, it’s clear that man doesn’t have you in his heart. You should let him go.”
Xia Chichi’s face remained expressionless.
How would Zhao Changhe even know I’m here? Why would he come looking for me...? As for the Huangfu residence, that coquettish consort usually stays in the palace. Who in their right mind would go to her residence...? Xia Chichi hesitated briefly, then said cautiously, “Venerable, he might sneak into the palace to steal the consort.”
Vermillion Bird blinked a few times, then got up to leave.
Xia Chichi was dumbfounded. “Venerable, where are you going?”
“Oh,” Vermillion Bird replied, “I have some matters to discuss with Huangfu Qing. I’ll have her coordinate with Zhao Changhe.”
Xia Chichi hesitated for a moment before softly saying, “Venerable, I wish to go into the palace as well.”
Vermillion Bird frowned slightly. It was not that she would not allow Xia Chichi to enter the palace, but rather if it was suitable given Xia Chichi’s identity. Previously, Xia Chichi had not even dared to set foot in the capital. This time, she barely made it here, and she had never mentioned wanting to enter the palace—yet now she was willing to risk it all just to see her beloved.
But after some thought, Vermillion Bird realized there was no harm. If Chichi truly was Xia Longyuan’s daughter, would Xia Longyuan really kill her? Perhaps their meeting would spark something interesting, and Vermillion Bird suddenly wanted to see it happen.
“The palace is heavily guarded. It’s not the kind of place you can sneak into easily. I, of course, am able to come and go as I please, but as for you...” Vermillion Bird paused and then smiled. “If you must go in, you could disguise yourself as Huangfu Qing’s personal maid. However, you’ll have to endure a bit of hardship, and at least on the surface, you’ll need to show her respect.”
Xia Chichi gritted her teeth. “If it’s just a temporary measure, so what if I have to give in to her for a couple of days?”
Vermillion Bird could not suppress her amusement and left leisurely. “Wait here, then. I’ll go find Huangfu Qing first. I’ll have her come up with an excuse to leave the palace, and then she can bring you in directly.”
At the entrance of the Tang Clan’s residence in the capital.
“Asura King, please enter,” the gatekeeper greeted him obsequiously. “The bureau chief is waiting for Your Highness in the drawing room.”
It seemed that once they started calling him “Asura King,” the Highness title followed naturally, with no awkwardness at all.
Zhao Changhe strode inside and, from a distance, spotted Baoqin standing by the corridor, waving her handkerchief. “Over here, over here.”
Whatever solemn mood Zhao Changhe had was shattered by the sight of that handkerchief. This was not the Myriad Flowers Tower... and the Demon Suppression Bureau was not a brothel.
Just as he reached Baoqin, she immediately started whimpering. “You’re finally here! The young miss has been coughing up blood again. Please take a look at her...”
Zhao Changhe’s heart sank, and he hurried into the drawing room.
Tang Wanzhuang was sitting at the table, making tea. The tea’s fragrance lingered in the air, steam swirling gracefully, creating an almost ethereal scene. Yet the pallor of her face, as pale as paper, and her occasional cough shattered any semblance of elegance.
It was late summer, unbearably hot, yet Tang Wanzhuang was still dressed heavily. Though not wearing furs as she had been when they first met, she was still dressed in layers more suitable for early spring or fall.
“Still playing at being all refined and elegant?” Zhao Changhe strode over and grabbed her wrist. “Don’t move, let me check.”
Tang Wanzhuang pouted, giving Baoqin a meaningful glance.
That glance clearly meant, “Leave—don’t watch this. I still want to maintain some dignity.”
Baoqin rolled her eyes, backed out of the room, and shut the door behind her. Who wants to watch you two? I’d get an eye infection!
However, nothing happened inside that would cause anyone to “get an eye infection.” Zhao Changhe held Tang Wanzhuang’s wrist, frowning deeply, his expression grim.
Tang Wanzhuang stole a glance at his face and said softly, “You’re not allowed to scold me.”
Zhao Changhe almost laughed in frustration. “So you know you deserve a scolding?”
Tang Wanzhuang mumbled, “I didn’t force myself to do anything, so you can’t blame me.”
Indeed, she had not done anything reckless. It was just that the changing times weighed heavily on her mind, deeply affecting her, and her illness stemmed from her soul. How could she not worry? As long as she was the bureau chief of the Demon Suppression Bureau, as long as she was Tang Wanzhuang, how could she not be concerned?
Perhaps only when she truly retired from her duties and withdrew from the world would she be able to be at peace, but was that even possible?
Zhao Changhe sighed. He could not bring himself to scold her and simply said, “Do you realize how serious your condition has become?”
“You learned medicine from me. What do you think?”
“...”
Tang Wanzhuang knew that the recurrence of an old ailment could be even worse than the original onset, but she could not show weakness. Saying “I’m not well, please help me” would be akin to begging for intimacy, given the nature of their treatment dynamic.
Zhao Changhe shook his head, walked over to a table, and picked up paper and a brush. He quickly wrote a list, then stepped outside to hand it to Baoqin. “Fetch these herbs immediately, and bring me a set of supplies for brewing medicine too.”
Baoqin was quite surprised. She had half-expected them to be tearing each other apart in there. It seemed things were indeed very serious. She no longer entertained any stray thoughts, took the prescription, and hurried off.
Zhao Changhe returned to Tang Wanzhuang’s side, holding her hand as he silently activated the Rejuvenation Art.
It was the Rejuvenation Art now enhanced with the power of the Eternal Blood Demon Body, and Tang Wanzhuang suddenly felt a surge of warmth and vitality throughout her entire being. It was far more potent than anything she had experienced before.
She stared at Zhao Changhe’s face in a daze. The man before her this time was much more reserved, and somehow far more dependable.
The relentless years of life in the jianghu had transformed him. Two years ago, he was an arrogant youth with no filter, but now, he was like the pillar of a household, silently holding everything together.
“I can’t blame you,” Zhao Changhe suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. “The recurrence of your illness is partly my fault, too. After all, I killed the governor and sided with the rebels. As long as you don’t blame me, I’m fine with it.”
Tang Wanzhuang was quiet for a moment before she softly replied, “I don’t blame you.”
Zhao Changhe was momentarily stunned, forgetting what he had intended to say. After a pause, he continued, “...I need to meet Xia Longyuan. Can you arrange for me to enter the palace?”
Tang Wanzhuang hesitated. “Why do you need to see him?”
Zhao Changhe replied, “What, you don’t want me to be the crown prince anymore? How can I do that if I don’t meet him? Should I just rebel instead?”
Tang Wanzhuang shivered slightly. “I’ll report to him right away and have him summon you...”
“Don’t bother having him summon me.” Zhao Changhe sighed. “Strictly following protocol, being an upright court official—it’s respectable, but also incredibly foolish. It really is a contradiction.”
Tang Wanzhuang retorted, “...I’m not that rigid!”
Her defiant tone finally lightened the atmosphere a bit, and Zhao Changhe could not help but smile. “You’re not rigid?”
Tang Wanzhuang snapped back, “If I were that stubborn and rigid, would I have kissed you before marriage?!”
Zhao Changhe blinked in surprise. “Then sneak me in.”
Tang Wanzhuang replied helplessly, “Even if I could sneak you through the palace gates, how would I get you into the inner palace? I can’t even enter the inner palace myself. Did you expect me to have free access there?”
Zhao Changhe shivered slightly. “That’s... problematic...”
Tang Wanzhuang shot him a sidelong glance.
They exchanged a look, both knowing who they should turn to for help.
Tang Wanzhuang pouted in frustration. “You could just go through proper channels and have him summon you! Hmph...”
At the end of her sentence, she shuddered, a soft moan slipping from her lips.
Their hands had been clasped together the entire time, and throughout their conversation, Zhao Changhe had been using the Rejuvenation Art to treat her. At that moment, a particularly injured part of her body healed, and the tingling relief caught Tang Wanzhuang off guard.
“Your Highness, the medicine is ready... ready...” Baoqin burst into the room excitedly, then froze in place, her eyes widening as she slowly backed out.
What was that sound just now...?
Zhao Changhe, annoyed, waved his hand backward. Baoqin suddenly felt an invisible force grab the medicine from her hands and she could only watch as the medicine packet was brought into Zhao Changhe’s grasp.
With a loud bang, the door was shut by that same invisible hand.
Tears welled in Baoqin’s eyes as she crouched on the ground, rubbing her head where the door had hit her.
Inside the room, Zhao Changhe lit the stove and added the medicinal ingredients. Tang Wanzhuang curiously peeked over as Zhao Changhe took out a small vial of blood and a small piece of flesh from his ring.
“What’s that?”
“The blood and flesh of a Blood Ao. Fortunately, I still have some left.” Zhao Changhe added the blood and flesh into the concoction, staring into the fire as it simmered. “Your problem now isn’t just the illness itself but a severe depletion of your life force. Even if I heal your wounds, you won’t live long. I need to find a way to replenish your life force. Fortunately, the Blood Ao is just what you need. But you have to promise me that until you’re fully recovered, you absolutely can’t get hurt again. Otherwise, even a god won’t be able to save you...”
Tang Wanzhuang opened her mouth but could not make that promise.
With the world in chaos, how could she possibly do nothing? As long as she was involved, she could not guarantee that she would not get hurt.
Zhao Changhe also knew that his demand was almost impossible. He silently stared at the stove for a long time before suddenly turning, pulling her fiercely into his arms, and kissing her fiercely.
Tang Wanzhuang’s eyelashes fluttered, and she closed her eyes.
The Great Xia was already like a flickering candle in the wind, and so was Tang Wanzhuang. Zhao Changhe’s so-called medicine from the Blood Ao was likely just patchwork, just like her previous attempts to hold the Great Xia together.
In the final moments of life, there was really no need for restraint.