Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1772: All out
"Since you can't extricate yourself, you hope that Qianjinfang can emerge unscathed?" Xiao Xuan'er's expression was inscrutable. Fang Zilan pursed her lips. "I do hope so, but given the current situation, who can emerge unscathed? Powerful families are stirring, and martial arts sects are engaged in bloody battles. The last one involved, Master Randeng, has already passed away. Who will be next? How can I know?"

She sighed softly as she spoke, "I just hope you are all safe and sound."

Xiao Xuan'er remained silent; in a way, their thoughts were aligned. Unfortunately, they were both swept along by the undercurrents, unable to control their own destinies.

A knock on the door broke the silence between the two. Fang Zilan walked slowly over, opened the door, and saw Fang Chong standing outside. Seeing her turn to leave, he called out to her, "Lan'er..."

"I have nothing more to say to you." Fang Zilan said with her back to Fang Chongzheng. "After your name is removed from the family register, just have someone inform me."

“Lan’er, you and your mother have never been on the Fang family genealogy.” Fang Chongzheng’s voice was deep, but Fang Zilan seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “I should have thought of that sooner.”

She laughed self-deprecatingly, "In that case, there's nothing more for me to say to you. May the Fang family prosper in the future, and may Lord Fang be well."

"Lan'er, there's something I need to tell you." Fang Chongzheng leaned against the doorframe. "At least, I can't let you know it from someone else."

Seeing this, Xiao Xuan'er quietly left. Fang Zilan didn't say anything, and Fang Chongzheng walked straight in and closed the door.

"It's better to say it all at once, lest there be no other chance later." Fang Zilan sat at the table, with Fang Chongzheng sitting opposite her. "I will propose the matter of exchanging prisoners for death to His Majesty, and the person from the Ghost Gate is also aware of it."

Fang Zilan remained outwardly calm, but her heart was already in turmoil. "Why tell me this at this critical juncture?"

“If the world suspects that the Crown Prince’s wife is Zixiu, you still have a way to deal with it,” Fang Chongzheng said quietly. “But if someone suspects that the Third Miss of the Fang family is the former Duke of Yue, then it’s not just your problem.”

"Are you saying all this to protect me, or to protect the Fang family?" Fang Zilan stared intently at Fang Chongzheng. "If it's the former, there's no need for it. If it's the latter, my name has never been on the Fang family's genealogy. No matter who I am—the former Duke of Yue, Zixiu, or the wife of the heir apparent—it has nothing to do with the Fang family. I believe you have a thousand ways to completely sever ties with me."

Fang Chongzheng ignored Fang Zilan's reaction and continued speaking to himself, "The first part of the proposal is to exchange prisoners for death. The second part is to ask Mr. Su Heng to return to the capital, and for the Fang family to leave the capital and never return."

"So you wanted to leave the capital back then." Fang Zilan clenched her fist, her hand hidden in her sleeve. "Who would have thought that the old man's death would prevent you from fulfilling your wish?"

Fang Chongzheng remained silent for a long while before saying, "Switching prisoners for each other is fraught with risks, and then there was the sudden death of Mr. Su Heng. All of these things are related to the Ghost Gate. Even so, His Majesty still protected you. Why do you think that is?"

"Wait a minute." A loud voice interrupted Fang Zilan's thoughts, drowning out the murmurs below and reaching the ears of everyone in the hall, attracting everyone's attention.

Fang Zilan turned around and saw a man outside the hall covered in blood, standing out conspicuously in the crowd. He seemed oblivious, only concerned with protecting the person behind him—an old monk wearing a kasaya.

Those around instinctively stepped back, making way for the man and the old monk. As they approached, Fang Zilan realized that the man was Mr. Liu from Canghai, whom she had met at the Drunken Moon Pavilion. The unease in her heart was amplified at this moment. Her intuition told her that once they entered the courtroom, there would be no turning back.

But what is it?
Before Fang Zilan could think further, she heard Zhuge Yu's routine rebuke, "Who is so bold as to trespass into the courtroom?"

However, before he could finish speaking, dark figures appeared outside the hall, and the glint of knives blocked Mr. Liu and the old monk's path.

Suddenly, a series of unexpected events occurred, leaving everyone inside and outside the courtroom speechless with astonishment—such reckless and violent behavior in court not only demonstrated that the person behind it was ruthless, but also indicated that the two people about to enter the courtroom knew extremely important secrets.

Fortunately, Zhou Lang was prepared, and the hidden soldiers appeared one after another, protecting the onlookers outside the hall. Xiahou Yunzhao also acted swiftly, quickly pulling Mr. Liu and the old monk into the courtroom, and then drew her sword.

"General Xiahou, spare his life!" Zhuge Yu shouted. Xiahou Yunzhao snorted coldly and did not answer. He still showed no mercy in his attack, but he was clearly holding back.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Fang Zilan could not make a move. However, these people alone were no match for Xiahou Yunzhao, and they were quickly captured one by one by her and her soldiers.

With the commotion subsided, everyone's attention turned to Mr. Liu and the old monk inside the hall. Li Qiyou was the first to ask, "You two..."

Before he could finish speaking, Mr. Liu suddenly knelt down on the ground, saying, "I am Liu from Canghai. I escorted the eminent monk of Zhongling Temple, Master Ranzhu, to surrender. I have successfully completed my mission..."

Before he could finish speaking, he collapsed and fell into a coma.

Li Qiyou hurriedly ordered someone to check on her, only to find Fang Zilan staring intently at the candle-burning master, her expression unreadable. He then suddenly realized something was amiss.

Zhongling Temple in Jiangnan is a renowned temple on par with Baiye Temple in the capital. Its abbot, Master Randeng, is a highly respected monk with a wide reputation. The master before us, whose Dharma name is Ranzhu, is presumably a fellow disciple of Master Randeng. Yet, he is being escorted into Suzhou Prefecture by a heavily injured martial artist, and is still being chased in court. Could it be that something has happened at Zhongling Temple...?

Zhuge Yu also realized the situation, but the moment he saw Fang Zilan's expression, he roughly understood the key point—Zhongling Temple was not in trouble, but like the Fang family, it was deeply mired in trouble and was not innocent.

Is this your way of breaking the deadlock? Zhuge Yu's eyes turned cold and ruthless as he looked at Fang Zilan. He was willing to cause chaos in Jiangnan just to protect the Fang family and Fang Lihui.
Fang Zilan vaguely guessed what was going on, but before she could speak, she saw Master Ranzhu bow and say, "Amitabha, this old monk is Ranzhu from Zhongling Temple. I greet Prince Yucheng."

After saying this, he took out a letter written in blood from his sleeve and presented it to Li Qiyou. "I have learned that Your Highness is investigating the case in the Southeast. This case may have started with the fire on the pleasure boat in Jiangnan, but it may not have ended with the death of Prince Rong'an."

His words, one by one, struck Fang Zilan's heart heavily. Even through the thin paper, the blood-written words were clearly visible, but she had no mind to decipher them; her mind was filled with only two words:
It’s over.