Into The Sea

“What should we do now?” Lan Wu released her grip, carefully cradling the Nightmare Beast in her palm, channeling her demonic energy to heal it. “Since she doesn’t want to wake up, what can we do?”

Ji Lingyue pondered for a moment, then asked, “Does the Emperor know about this?”

“No, I dare not tell Father.”

“It’s better to tell him. If you want the Empress to wake up, you either have to kill the Nightmare Beast or let her wake up willingly. Since killing it is no longer an option, we must rely on her to wake up on her own.”

“But… how?”

“Through your father, of course.”

Xiao Qingyu bit her lip, her voice heavy with sadness. “But, given Mother’s feelings for Father, even if he begs her, she won’t wake up.”

Ji Lingyue looked at her in surprise. “Who said anything about the Emperor using his feelings to wake her up?”

Xiao Qingyu blinked in confusion. “…Then, what do you need my father for, Immortal Master?”

Ji Lingyue shook her head. “Don’t you get it? Your mother’s hiding in her dreams because she dislikes her current life. So, if your father promises to release her, to grant her freedom… why would she stay asleep?”

“Release her?” Xiao Qingyu said instinctively. “Father would never agree.”

“Why not?”

“Father loves Mother very much. He would never let her go.”

Lan Wu couldn’t help but interject, “But she’s dying! If your father truly loves her, he should set her free. To imprison her in the name of love, what kind of love is that?”

Ji Lingyue paused, turning her head to look at Lan Wu.

Xiao Qingyu also froze, then after a long moment lowered her gaze and said hoarsely, “Alright, I will… I will try to tell Father.”

Ji Lingyue pursed her lips and said quietly, “Your Highness, please make a decision soon. Given the Empress’s condition, she probably won’t last much longer.”

With those words, she turned away listlessly, tugging at Lan Wu’s sleeve. “Let’s go.”

Lan Wu asked instinctively, “Where to?”

“To find Yuan Zhen,” Ji Lingyue replied. “We can’t help with this anymore. Let’s leave it at that. Now, it’s his turn to repay us.”

Lan Wu nodded. She glanced at the fluffy Nightmare Beast in her palm and gently placed it in Xiao Qingyu’s hands. “I’m sorry. Last night was too chaotic, and I acted with too much force. I’ve channeled a lot of demonic energy into it. Let it rest for a few days, and it will slowly recover.”

Xiao Qingyu hurriedly accepted it, giving Lan Wu a complex look before saying quietly, “You’re more human than the Immortal Master.”

Lan Wu blinked, glancing at Ji Lingyue, who was already heading towards the main gate. Seeing that she likely hadn’t heard, Lan Wu turned back to Xiao Qingyu and smiled. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Ji Lingyue called out from afar, “Lan Wu.”

“Coming,” Lan Wu replied. She hesitated, then turned back to Xiao Qingyu. “But maybe your mother still loves you. Maybe her pain is just too much for her to bear. When she wakes up, talk to her properly.”

Xiao Qingyu bit her lip, her eyes welling up again. “I will.”

“Lan Wu?” Ji Lingyue called again, her brow furrowing with impatience. Lan Wu turned and quickly ran to her side, and together, they stepped out of the vermilion gates of the Anning Palace.

Seeing them emerge, the guard captain, who had been waiting outside, hurried forward, glancing back at the palace. “Immortal Master, I heard some commotion inside. Did something happen?”

Ji Lingyue shook her head. “Nothing. The substance I mentioned wasn’t here.”

The guard captain nodded. “Then, what’s next?”

“Take us to see the Imperial Advisor,” Ji Lingyue interrupted. “I have something to discuss with him.”

“The Imperial Advisor?” The guard captain was bewildered by her sudden change of plans. After a moment, he nodded slowly. “Alright, I’ll take you.”

As they walked, Ji Lingyue glanced at Lan Wu, whose expression was as calm. She couldn’t help but ask, “Lan Wu.”

“Hmm?”

“Is that how you see me too?” she asked hesitantly. “Imprisoning in the name of love—do you find it detestable?”

Lan Wu answered directly, “Yes.”

Ji Lingyue started, seemingly surprised by her directness. Her first reaction wasn’t hurt, but rather a dazed look up at Lan Wu.

Lan Wu chuckled and poked her forehead. “But, it’s true that I made a mistake first. And I’m so magnanimous that I agreed to your three-year promise. So I can manage to not be too angry about it.”

Ji Lingyue was silent for a moment, then muttered, “But, if I were the Emperor, I wouldn’t let you go. Even in death, you would die by my side.”

“Don’t talk about ‘ifs,’” Lan Wu sighed, putting her hands behind her back. “You’re not the Emperor, and no matter how many ‘ifs,’ we won’t end up like them.”

Seeing Ji Lingyue frown as if to argue, she sighed again and said helplessly. “Why do you always imagine the worst possible outcomes for us?”

Ji Lingyue shook her head, speaking seriously. “I’m not imagining the worst. I just want you to know what kind of person I am now.”

Lan Wu paused, turning her head to look at her.

Ji Lingyue met her gaze calmly and said softly. “I’m no longer the person who wished only for your happiness. Lan Wu, I’m selfish. Perhaps I’m even worse than you think.”

In the southeastern corner of the palace, the tall observatory where Yuan Zhen usually stayed stood against the clear sky. The sky was clear and bright, unlike the star-studded nights. Yet, the pale-faced man sat alone at his desk, gazing up at the azure sky.

The guard captain could only escort them to the base of the observatory. Ji Lingyue and Lan Wu climbed to the top, where she called out from behind him, “Yuan Zhen.”

The man was silent for a moment before turning, saying gently. “Immortal Master, you’ve arrived. Please, have a seat.”

Lan Wu followed Ji Lingyue and sat opposite Yuan Zhen, curiously observing him.

He was said to be in his thirties or forties, in the prime of his life, but he was so thin and frail, he looked like a sickly patient.

“Immortal Master, has there been any progress with the Empress’s condition?”

Ji Lingyue nodded and explained the truth. Yuan Zhen was silent for a moment, then sighed. “Such a simple matter, yet it came to this.”

“Simple?” Ji Lingyue frowned, unable to help herself. “The Empress is tired of being imprisoned in the palace, so she chooses to be lost in her dreams. Do you think that’s a simple matter?”

Yuan Zhen shook his head. “To me, everything except life and death is a small matter.”

He coughed into his hand, then looked at Ji Lingyue, his eyes clouded with envy. “The first time I saw the Immortal Master, I was just a boy. Now I’m fading into old age… and yet, you haven’t changed at all. What’s the use of reading the stars or calculating fate? We humans live barely a hundred years—gone in the blink of an eye, and nothing but dust after death.”

Ji Lingyue looked at him without a word. After a long silence, she sighed softly. “Alright, different experiences lead to different perspectives. Let’s… discuss this instead.”

She turned her head, signaling to Lan Wu. “Lan Wu.”

Lan Wu nodded and took out the stone shard, placing it in front of Yuan Zhen. “We’d like you to take a look at the writing on this.”

Yuan Zhen lowered his head, glancing at it, then suddenly froze. He instinctively picked it up. “This… where did you get this?”

Lan Wu hesitated, then said vaguely, “From the sea.”

“From the sea?” Yuan Zhen frowned in confusion. “Why from the sea?”

Ji Lingyue couldn’t help but ask, “Do you recognize it?”

“I don’t recognize the object, but the writing is familiar. Immortal Master, do you remember the book that my master used to read?”

“Of course. It’s because it looked similar that I came to find you.”

Yuan Zhen nodded and sighed. “Immortal Master, do you know how long the Yunhuang kingdom has existed?”

Ji Lingyue shook her head. “No, I don’t.”

“Seven hundred years. Seven hundred years ago, the country on this land wasn’t Yunhuang, but a small kingdom called Zisang.” Yuan Zhen explained, “And this writing is actually the long-lost script of the Zisang kingdom.”