Before losing consciousness, three sentences flashed through Zhao Shuning's mind.
"Damn it, Xia Wanning, you'd better not let me live. If I do, I'll skin you alive!"
"Oh my god, it's such a pity to die like this. I haven't even kissed and hugged Master yet, and I haven't given birth to a litter of little ones for him. Lin Feng, you old scoundrel, you're so heartless."
The last sentence was, "Damn it, this embrace is so comfortable."
Then, Zhao Shuning fainted. The Red Lotus immediately protected her soul and kept her internal organs intact.
At this moment, outside the nunnery, in the boundless forest, time seemed to stop.
Yan Ruyu held Zhao Shuning in his arms. Looking at the continuous flow of blood from her chest, anger welled up in his eyes. With a wave of his hand, time resumed. But everyone just stood there, stunned, not daring to move.
The green - robed man who appeared out of nowhere had a peerless face. There was a long flute around his waist, and the divine beast Bai Ze followed beside him.
"It's the Emperor Venerable."
"The Emperor Venerable has come to the mortal world."
Yan Ruyu held Zhao Shuning and stopped the bleeding from the wound on her chest. Then he took off his outer robe, revealing a crescent - white long gown beneath. He laid the green robe on the ground and gently placed Zhao Shuning on it.
Yan Ruyu turned around and rose into the air. He looked around. Xie An had seen the Emperor Venerable before, but he had never seen him like this.
"Xie An, take all the people from Shuiyunsheng and retreat."
"Emperor Venerable, what about Senior?"
"Take her down the mountain and wait for me at the Chu family."
"Yes, Xie An understands."
Hundreds of alchemists from Shuiyunsheng disappeared. Now, only Lin Feng and some of the Lin family's alchemist guests were left on the field.
Yan Ruyu looked down on everyone. At this moment, he was like a block of ten - thousand - year black ice, exuding a great deal of cold air. He looked at Lin Feng.
"Why can't you let her go?"
"Emperor Venerable, you must not interfere in mortal affairs. This is the law."
Yan Ruyu slightly parted his red lips and smiled. A man's smile could be so charming and bloodthirsty. Some of the other alchemists tried to escape. But when Yan Ruyu just glanced in their direction, ten - thousand - zhang light prisons rose from the ground, trapping them inside. The formation that Xie An and the people from Shuiyunsheng had painstakingly set up earlier was no match for the killing power of Yan Ruyu's single glance.
"Emperor Venerable, please calm your anger."
"Emperor Venerable, forgive Lin Feng for his blindness. I didn't know what your relationship with my unfilial granddaughter Zhao Shuning was."
Yan Ruyu looked at Lin Feng and said a sentence that left everyone dumbfounded.
"Zhao Shuning is my wife."
Hearing this, Lin Feng took several steps back. He had never heard that the Emperor Venerable had someone he loved.
"Also, Ye Ling is my disciple. Lin Feng, I haven't settled the score with you for your joint murder of Ye Ling back then. Ning'er said she wanted to avenge it herself."
Ye Ling? Zhao Shuning? What was the relationship between them?
Lin Feng knelt down, and so did the others. They knew that even ten of themselves were no match for the man in front of them.
"Emperor Venerable, this is a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?"
"Yes, it was a misunderstanding. The matter of attacking Ye Ling back then was not done by me alone. I was just used and became an accomplice."
"But you hurt her."
"Emperor Venerable, duels between alchemists are like this. Moreover, it was that girl Zhao Shuning who wanted to kill me first. I couldn't just sit back and wait for death."
Yan Ruyu looked at the many alchemists behind Lin Feng. He gently reached out his hand and sealed their hearing and sight.
At this moment, Yan Ruyu walked step by step towards Lin Feng from the air. With each step he took, a stone step appeared under his feet.
"Even if she wants to take your life, you should accept it obediently."
"Emperor Venerable, you are supposed to be the founding ancestor who saves the suffering. How can you say such a thing?"
"Lin Feng, your life was given by her. Now that she wants it back, you should return it. Moreover, you already owe her a life."
"I didn't."
Lin Feng shook his head in panic.
"I don't know Zhao Shuning. At most, I just looked down on the people of the Zhao family before. But I don't owe that stinky girl anything. It was her who wanted to kill me. It was her who didn't want to be a proper young lady and poisoned me first."
"Lin Feng, everything you have was given by her."
"No. My skills were taught by the Empress, and my Lin Mansion was also bestowed by the Empress. It has nothing to do with Zhao Shuning—"
"Zhao Shuning is Ye Ling."
Lin Feng's body went limp. He quickly shook his head.
"Impossible, impossible. She's dead. Ye Ling is dead. I saw her die with my own eyes."
"No wonder, no wonder that girl always mentioned Ye Ling. So, so she is Ye Ling."
"Ye Ling is back. How could she be back? According to her personality, she will surely take revenge. I can't escape, and neither can anyone else. Emperor Venerable, you shouldn't have gotten involved. You are the millennium imperial teacher. You can't interfere in the internal affairs of the East Ze Wilderness."
Lin Feng kept muttering to himself. Then, he seemed to realize something and looked up in horror. Looking at the man in front of him, he asked, "Why did you tell me all this?"
"Also, Emperor Venerable, why did you seal the hearing and sight of those alchemists just now?"
"What are you going to do?"
Yan Ruyu stood up. His slender, fair fingers stroked the jade flute around his waist. Once the jade flute appeared, it would surely sweep through the army.
"Emperor Venerable, what are you going to do?"
"Are you going to kill me?"
"You won't. You are the Emperor Venerable. It's not something the Emperor Venerable would do to take action for a little girl."
The long flute around Yan Ruyu's waist was in his hand. At this moment, he lifted all the seals. The alchemists who were no longer bound, including Lin Feng, all wanted to escape quickly.
The Emperor Venerable had gone crazy. For a little girl, he had even taken out his long flute.
Yan Ruyu had endured for a long time, for the common people in the world, for the peace of the people, for the stability of the people's livelihood, and for the survival of the Nine - State Continent. Many times, he had never taken action. But when he saw Ning'er lying in his arms, with the continuous flow of blood from her chest and her face pale as paper, he seemed to be back to the time when he was holding Ye Ling's body. He would not let the same thing happen a second time.
"You hurt her. Then stay and pay for the injuries she has suffered with your lives."
He placed the long flute to his lips, and continuous melodies slowly came from the flute. The running alchemists let out painful wails, hugged their heads, and started rolling on the ground. Lin Feng's body also distorted in the constantly changing flute music. Blood slowly flowed out of his seven orifices. Then, the flute music stopped, and Lin Feng fell to the ground.