When Ye Zhiqiu returned to the palace, he went straight to Emperor Qing. He had always been a person who couldn't keep things to himself, especially when it came to this matter.
Qing Jing was a bit surprised to see Song Yan rushing in like this. In his memory, Song Yan was not such a rash person.
"Lord Song, why are you in such a hurry today? You seem to have forgotten all the rules," Qing Jing put down the pen in his hand, squinted his eyes at Song Yan, and every word he said carried a hint.
But Song Yan didn't care about these things now. He directly asked the question that had been weighing on his mind all the way.
"I've heard that Your Majesty has set up a special courtyard in the mountains in pursuit of immortality. Every day, a large number of children enter it, and they all lose their lives for Your Majesty's pursuit of immortality. Is this true?"
Song Yan steadied his mind and tried to keep his voice from trembling, but the words he said carried a sharp edge.
"Where did Lord Song hear such a ridiculous rumor?" Qing Jing walked up to Song Yan, frowned, and said this sentence, his words filled with royal majesty.
But Song Yan completely ignored this. He said word by word, "Is it true or not?"
Qing Jing waved his sleeve. He was extremely angry about this matter. "How dare you, Song Yan! Are you questioning me?"
Song Yan didn't say a word. He just stared directly at the other person, as if he wouldn't give up until he got an answer.
Qing Jing really understood Song Yan. Since he had come to question him so assertively today, it meant that he had already obtained evidence. There was no point in hiding anything anymore.
"Although I don't know where you heard these things, I can tell you," Qing Jing waved his sleeve, sat in the pavilion, looked at the beautiful flowers in the courtyard, and his voice softened a bit.
"I did have the thought of seeking immortality, but so far I haven't found a way to achieve it. I didn't build any special courtyard, nor did I sacrifice innocent children. Even if I were tyrannical, I wouldn't do such a heinous thing."
"You didn't get the ancient books in Li City either?"
"Li City was burned to the ground by the emperor. Where could there be any ancient books?" Qing Jing was a bit puzzled by Song Yan's out - of - the - blue words.
At that time, the outside world didn't know the truth about what happened in Li City. There were many strange rumors, and he had never bothered to care. But the rumor he heard from Song Yan today was really too absurd.
"What about Princess Le Ning? How much do you know about her, Your Majesty?" Song Yan felt that something was wrong the more he listened. Almost subconsciously, he blurted out this question.
Qing Jing was a bit surprised when he heard this question. Instead of answering, he counter - questioned, "Have you found out anything about her, Lord Song?"
Song Yan hesitated for a moment and then voiced his suspicion, "She is the only survivor of the Cold Palace incident. This in itself is unreasonable. Moreover, instead of being scared, the imperial concubine even wanted to take her in. There are also some clues. Coupled with the recent mysterious murders inside and outside the palace, I suspect..."
He didn't finish the rest of the sentence, but Qing Jing already understood. He smiled and commented on his inference, "Indeed, as you said. I'm also a bit curious about this person who survived from the Cold Palace. I've secretly investigated her background. Not long ago, I really came to an amazing conclusion."
When Ye Zhiqiu woke up, he found himself tied up and locked in a room. In front of him stood Le Ning, who was sitting on a wooden chair, tapping the corner of the table one by one.
"Awake?" Le Ning stopped tapping the table and propped her chin with one hand, smiling.
Behind her, there stood a row of black - clothed men. Ye Zhiqiu's hands were tied behind his back. Facing this situation, he didn't know how much of what she had said to him before was true.
"The thing you said before about cooperating with me to take revenge on Emperor Qing was false," Ye Zhiqiu met her gaze and said this sentence very slowly, word by word.
Le Ning didn't care. She looked at her fingertips, and the smile on her face remained unchanged. Anyway, it was already at this point, and there was no point in hiding anything more.
She walked up to Ye Zhiqiu. The sound of her long robe rubbing against the ground was clear, and she revealed all the truths.
"Fine, then I'll tell you what my purpose is..."
Everything Ye Zhiqiu saw in the illusion back then was a carefully - woven trap by her. Ye Zhiqiu didn't get poisoned by the gu worm in the special courtyard.
But he was indeed an experiment subject, just like herself.
When Le Ning was in Li City, she was a catalyst, a catalyst that could be used to refine the elixir of immortality, and Ye Zhiqiu was another one.
The gu worms in their bodies grew successfully, and they did manage to maintain an undead state. However, the lifespan of the gu worms was only forty years. To truly achieve immortality, the two gu worms had to be taken out of the catalysts' bodies.
After they fought with each other, the surviving gu worm would devour the other one, and then the gu would be completed.
True immortality would be achieved.
But once the gu worms were taken out, the catalysts would die. Fortunately, they were lucky. Before the gu worms could be taken out, Li City was destroyed.
The two young people escaped from the dungeon. After that, they never saw each other again.
Ye Zhiqiu had forgotten about this incident. He didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.
If only he could forget the past along with his memory...
But unfortunately, they still couldn't escape the torture of the gu worms in the end.
The lifespan of the gu worms was only forty years. During these forty years, they could keep their physical bodies from dying. But once the time limit passed, they would also die with the death of the gu worms.
At first, Le Ning thought this might be good. But as time went by, she suddenly thought that perhaps it wouldn't be bad to achieve true immortality.
She gradually had a crazy idea. She wanted to become an emperor, establish a kingdom with her undead ability, and rule forever.
To achieve this goal, she needed the gu worm in Ye Zhiqiu's body.
Originally, she only wanted to get Ye Zhiqiu involved. But unexpectedly, Song Yan got involved. She didn't want to have too much interaction with Emperor Qing anymore.
So she created an illusion, making Ye Zhiqiu think that they were on the same side. After Song Yan left, her goal could be achieved.
"This is really... absurd!" Ye Zhiqiu listened to Le Ning's explanation, and his frown never relaxed. Although the things in the illusion were already quite absurd, he didn't expect Le Ning's explanation to be so ridiculous.
"It doesn't matter whether it's absurd or you don't believe it. Anyway, I just want you to understand better before you die, because... once the gu worm leaves your body, you won't be able to live anymore."
Le Ning covered her mouth and laughed out loud, with a confident expression on her face.
But Ye Zhiqiu also laughed softly. He looked at Le Ning and said in a low voice, "But do you think I've believed you from the very beginning?"
"What do you mean?!" Le Ning was shocked when she saw his expression. Did the other person have some other tricks up his sleeve?
Just as she was thinking, the door was suddenly kicked open. Le Ning turned around and saw the person standing at the door. It was Song Yan.
"How did you get here?!" Le Ning was a bit surprised when she saw Song Yan. Her hiding place was so secretive. Logically, she shouldn't have been found.
Before Song Yan could answer, a person walked out of the darkness. He walked out from among the black - clothed men, took off his silver mask, and showed a smiling face under the mask.
"Sorry, I should go back to His Majesty now. Thank you, Princess Le Ning, for your care," the person said in a smiling tone, casually uttering this sentence. After that, he walked to Song Yan's side.
Beside him, there stood a person. The bright yellow robe on him was embroidered with flying dragons. There was no expression on his face at all. He just coldly stared at Le Ning standing in the room.
"So... there has always been a traitor by my side. Ye Shang, you're really good at disguising. You even managed to deceive me," Le Ning looked at Ye Shang standing with Emperor Qing, and the corner of her mouth twitched. She wanted to laugh, but now she couldn't even maintain a smile.
Only now did she understand why her whereabouts were always exposed and why Ye Zhiqiu had said such things just now. So... she had always been in a trap and had never been able to get out.
"Attack! Leave no one alive," Le Ning widened her eyes, pointed at Emperor Qing and Song Yan in front of the door, and gave the order. Her voice was almost hoarse.
At her order, the black - clothed men behind her raised their scimitars and stabbed at them. This was destined to be a bloody battle.
Le Ning didn't sit idle either. As long as she took out the gu poison from Ye Zhiqiu's body, she could have the most perfect undead state!
She had planned for so long and sacrificed so many people. She couldn't fail at this moment!
She couldn't!
Song Yan secretly thought that something was wrong. He dodged the scimitars and fought his way to Le Ning and Ye Zhiqiu. He knocked the knife out of Le Ning's hand and pulled Ye Zhiqiu to a safe place.
Le Ning still wanted to do something, but she was outnumbered. All her black - clothed subordinates had been subdued, and there were sharp blades in front of her, blocking her so that she couldn't move an inch.
Qing Jing walked up to her and said with a half - smile, "Long time no see."
"Qing Jing, even if you kill me a hundred times again, I'll still say the same thing," Le Ning looked directly into Qing Jing's eyes. Her almond eyes were red with anger, but she still said word by word, "I'll come back."
Qing Jing didn't care about her threat at all. Instead, he snatched a sword from a guard beside him and stabbed it through Le Ning's heart. The blood dripped down the sword onto his sleeve, but his face still maintained that half - smiling expression.
"You won't have that chance," he said as he pulled out the long sword and pointed the tip of the sword at the direction of Le Ning's heart, getting a bit closer.
"The gu worm lives here, right? I could kill you once before, and I can do it again now, and this time completely," he said.
As soon as he finished speaking, he neatly stabbed the long sword through her heart again, killing the gu worm along with it.
Le Ning widened her eyes, but in the end, she didn't say anything. She fell to the ground, looking at the gu worm in the blood in front of her, and a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.
This matter was finally over. After dealing with Le Ning, Qing Jing returned to the palace and left this place to Song Yan to handle.
After giving the order, he took Ye Zhiqiu back to the capital city to recuperate. He was so careful as if he himself had suffered a serious injury. Ye Zhiqiu couldn't help but smile.
"I'm fine. Most of my injuries have healed. You don't need to be so careful," Ye Zhiqiu said.
"Why do you always do things without discussing with me first? Do you know what would have happened if I had come a bit later?" Song Yan said.
"I believed you would come, so I wasn't afraid," Ye Zhiqiu replied.
...
Song Yan had always been unable to argue with him. Seeing this, he didn't say anything else. With a feeling of annoyance in his heart, he walked towards the carriage with Ye Zhiqiu.
When they reached the carriage, Ye Zhiqiu could tell from Song Yan's expression that he was angry. He coughed and then said, "I can give you an answer to the question you asked before."
Song Yan's heart skipped a beat when he heard this. After hesitating for a while, he asked, "What is it?"
"Because the gu worm only gives me forty years, this time is short and long at the same time. I'll use this time to accompany you to see all the beautiful sceneries in the world," Ye Zhiqiu said.
...
"I'll always stand by your side and accompany you to see all the beautiful sceneries in the world," Ye Zhiqiu added.
Song Yan and Ye Zhiqiu looked into each other's eyes. Some things and some words didn't need to be said. In this look, they had already understood each other's hearts.
【The End】