The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

We've arrived at Rakukawa-in.

This is a place Pei Yanchuan used to frequent.

A silver bell flower grows in the courtyard, its blossoms clustered together like tiny bells, drooping from the branches.

An old lantern hangs under the eaves, its paper yellowed and its edges slightly curled, yet it still emits a warm glow, swaying gently in the wind.

Like gentle eyes, watching over those returning home.

He has stayed here many times.

He had a very close relationship with Qi Wang and Qi Zhan when they were young.

They studied and practiced martial arts together.

However, he really has no talent when it comes to martial arts.

In spring, we ride horses to enjoy the spring scenery; in summer, we paint in the lotus pond; in autumn, we climb mountains to enjoy the view; and in winter, we gather around the stove to brew wine.

Although he was called a study companion, he was treated the same as everyone else, and no one ever dared to treat him with disrespect.

"Lord, where are the remains of my father, mother, and sister?"

Pei Yanchuan's voice was like a stretched string that broke at the touch of a finger.

His fingers unconsciously clenched his sleeve, his knuckles turning white.

Qi Wang remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking, his voice heavy with emotion.

"Ying Lin, Madam Mei's silk-stringing Gu is dead. But she and Ning Ran are missing. They were kidnapped in the chaos and have not been found since."

He lowered his eyelashes, his voice as deep as a still pool.

"The backlash from the Thread-Binding Gu on my uncle's body has left him on the verge of death. I have prepared the coffin; I will place him inside when you return."

"Madam Mei and the others can only be made into cenotaphs."

He looked up at Pei Yanchuan, his eyes filled with remorse.

"Ying Lin, I'm sorry, I failed to protect them."

"It's not your fault, the wrongdoers are the ones who are at fault. You've done your best."

Pei Yanchuan staggered, his body swayed, and his face turned as white as paper, but Tang Xixue steadily supported him.

He leaned weakly against her, looking truly pitiful.

"No news is actually good news."

The sound of snow in Tangxi is like a clear spring, cold and resolute, like a sharp sword cutting through the despair that entangles the heart.

"Perhaps Madam Mei and Ranran are still alive. The Silkworm Gu is dead, but the people may be alright."

"The one on Madam Mei's side is a juvenile Gu. Even if it dies, it will only backfire on the mother Gu and may not necessarily harm her life."

Qi Wang was taken aback upon hearing this, then nodded, a glimmer of hope rekindling in his eyes.

"Young Master Yue is right."

He had only considered the worst-case scenario, but what if they were just being held captive?

Being imprisoned is better than being dead.

"I will send more people to search for him. I want to find him alive or dead."

He remembered something else, hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke.

"Yinglin, when do you think we should hold the Imperial Uncle's funeral? I'll have the Imperial Observatory choose a date."

"Isn't the person still alive? Take us to see him."

Tang Xixue's lips twitched slightly.

Qi Si truly has a filial nephew.

The person wasn't even completely dead yet, but everything was already arranged perfectly.

Is he already planning to be packed into a coffin while he's still clinging to life?

"Young Master Yue has no idea how domineering my Qi Clan's Silk-Pulling Gu is. My Imperial Uncle is beyond saving."

Qi Wang sighed, his tone filled with helplessness and a deep sense of powerlessness.

"Very well, Ying Lin, go and see him one last time."

He personally led the two to an ice chamber in the War King's mansion.

Beneath the city of Forgotten Snow, the earth's veins are warm, and it never freezes.

Before the snowflakes could even touch our clothes, they melted into the warm, misty fog, enveloping the entire city in a thin layer of haze, like a dream.

He specially placed Qi Si in an ice chamber, using cold jade as a bed, and used his inner strength to protect his last glimmer of life, not daring to relax.

It was also to wait for Pei Yanchuan to return so that they could see each other one last time.

"I'll trouble you to carry it out."

Pei Yanchuan had witnessed countless partings and deaths over the years, and he appeared unusually calm, with little emotion even in his eyes.

But Tang Xixue knew that beneath that calm lay a heart filled with unbearable sorrow.

It's the numbness that comes after extreme pain.

"My royal uncle has raised me, and this is my duty."

Qi Wang shook his head and pushed open the door to the ice room.

A chill swept over us, and a white mist hung in the air, making it bitterly cold.

In the center of the ice chamber, Qi Si lay quietly on a cold jade platform.

His face was as pale as paper, his lips were bloodless, and he was lifeless, like a cold jade sculpture.

His chest barely rose and fell, and his breathing was so faint as to be like a wisp of smoke about to dissipate, as if it might stop at any moment.

"Father, Yinglin is late."

Pei Yanchuan knelt on the ground, his eyes red-rimmed, but he stubbornly refused to shed a tear.

He knelt upright, his back straight, like a bamboo that refused to bend in the wind and snow.

His voice was soft, yet carried a heavy weight.

That was a belated kowtow from a son.

"Don't rush to send them away..."

Tang Xixue stood to the side, her fingertips gently caressing the silver dragon of wind and snow on her wrist.

The scales are cool and have a metallic texture; as they glide across your fingertips, they feel like tiny ice crystals.

The silver dragon blushed slightly from her touch, and shyly flicked its tail, its head shrinking back into her sleeve, revealing only a pair of wet, bright eyes.

"As long as there's one breath left... there's still hope."

Looking at Pei Yanchuan's broken state, Tang Xixue's heart softened, and she finally spoke.

"I have some knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine; I can give it a try."

Pei Yanchuan suddenly raised his head, tears welling up in his eyes, but he stubbornly refused to let them fall.

The teardrop hung precariously above her eyelashes, trembling like morning dew about to fall.

"really?"

His voice trembled, as if a drowning person had grabbed onto the last piece of driftwood.

"Um."

Tang Xixue nodded, her gaze calm and resolute.

Previously, Yan Ci had given her several Hearts of the Sun and Moon, all of which had been absorbed by the Heart of Cang Xue.

With her medical skills and Cangxue's compassion, she was extremely confident.

"Little Sword Immortal, why not just give the Imperial Uncle a quick death with a sword strike?"

Qi Wang stood at the door, arms crossed, his tone tinged with helplessness.

He knew all too well how painful it was to die from the backlash of one's natal Gu, with every inch of one's meridians being gnawed away by the poisonous Gu, a pain even more cruel than being slowly sliced ​​to death.

He felt that they were tormenting Qi Si, making him suffer even more before he died.

"Lingzhi, get out."

Pei Yanchuan stood up, pushed Qi Wang out, and then slammed the door shut.

His movements were swift and decisive, without any hesitation, a stark contrast to his usual gentle demeanor.

"..."

Qi Wang, left outside the door, touched his nose speechlessly.

"I meant well."

He muttered something under his breath, but didn't push the door open again.

He wore a black robe, the silver patterns of the epiphyllum flowers shimmering under the lamplight.

He simply leaned against a pillar, gazing at the solitary lamp on the eaves, and sighed softly.

"Sigh, why bother with all this trouble? If you can't bring yourselves to it, you can let me do it."

He reached out and touched the sword at his waist.

He suddenly remembered that his contracted divine beast hadn't come out with him!

Is he really having a change of heart?

Most importantly, he suddenly realized that his natal sword wife was no longer appealing.

At this moment, all he could think about was the little sword immortal.

It's not just his natal sword that might be fickle.

"When will I finally get to have a real, exhilarating battle with the Little Sword Immortal? The kind that's truly exhilarating!"