The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

"Celestial Star Pool..."

Tang Xixue's eyes flickered slightly, her mind already racing with calculations.

If the power of the Heavenly Star Pool can be used to temporarily suppress the Myriad Poisons Body, allowing the two battling forces to temporarily cease, and then supplemented with the gentle medicinal power of the Three Lives Leaf to gradually work its magic, it might truly be able to defy fate and change his destiny.

This approach is feasible.

"The situation regarding Zheyue cannot be delayed any longer; we must set off immediately."

Tang Xixue stood up, her tone leaving no room for argument.

She hadn't expected Si Xingxuan's condition to be so bad. Fortunately, she came tonight and didn't have to wait until tomorrow.

If there is any further delay, even she may be powerless to save the situation.

The thought of this possibility made her heart tighten.

"Then let's take a flying boat there."

Si Xingzhou immediately made the arrangements, demonstrating his decisive and efficient nature as an emperor.

He turned and strode towards the door, giving instructions as he went, his voice loud and decisive.

The elder brother who had just had red eyes has now transformed back into a decisive and ruthless emperor.

"By my decree, prepare a flying boat immediately and have several Star Abyss retainers escort it along the way. No mishaps are permitted."

Xingze is wealthy and powerful, so naturally it has no shortage of flying boats.

It was a giant ship made entirely of mithril, its hull engraved with intricate flight runes, capable of swiftly traversing the clouds.

If we move quickly, we can reach Moon Soul City before dawn.

"Um."

Tang Xixue nodded and then took out a communication jade talisman.

With her fingertips flying across the surface of the talisman, she sent a short message to Xie Jinlian.

"Zheyue is critically ill. I'm going to Moon Soul Star City with Xingze Flying Boat. My return date is uncertain. You can go to Weaving Moon Sea Kingdom and wait for me."

She thought for a moment, her fingertips paused, and then added another sentence.

"Get along well, no fighting allowed."

The light from the communication jade talisman flashed and disappeared in an instant, and a response came quickly from the other end.

Xie Jinlian's response was a concise and to the point: "Received."

The other reply was from He Lichen, gentle yet tinged with melancholy; one could almost hear his sigh between the lines.

"Zhizhi, we were playing chess here waiting for you, but you ran off with someone else?"

Tang Xixue looked at the message and her lips twitched slightly.

She could even imagine He Lichen's expression when he said those words; his face would still be that of the aloof Imperial Preceptor, but his eyes would be filled with grievance.

She sent another message, asking Mu Liang and the others to go to the Moon Weaving Sea Kingdom.

"Let's go."

She put away the jade talisman and followed Si Xingzhou onto the magnificent flying ship of the Xingze Empire.

The flying boat was moored on a spacious platform behind the Divine Medicine Valley.

The boat is long and elegant, with the royal totems of the sun, moon and stars carved on its bow.

On each side of the boat are three wings with flowing spiritual light, which are the formations for flying by the wind, slowly operating and emitting a low hum.

Upon receiving the message from Tang Xixue, Xie Jinlian and He Lichen exchanged a glance under the peach blossom tree and simultaneously put down their chess pieces.

They stopped playing chess and arguing.

The two remained silent for a full three breaths.

Peach petals fell onto the chessboard, covering several black and white pieces, but no one bothered to brush them away.

"No. We fought here for ages, a fierce battle to the death, neither giving an inch..."

Xie Jinlian spoke first, her voice filled with disbelief.

His slender fingers were still holding a white chess piece, suspended in mid-air, as if he had forgotten to drop it.

"And now, someone else has gotten the bargain?"

He Lichen continued his words, her tone tinged with bitter helplessness.

He picked up the cup of tea, which had long since gone cold, but forgot to bring it to his lips.

"Is this correct?"

The two fell silent again.

A night breeze blew by, and the peach blossoms fell in a flurry, as if mocking them.

He Lichen frowned slightly.

"The Divine Physician Zheyue, Si Xingxuan? That sickly fellow? He actually stole our prize?"

"The last time I saw that pretty boy, he was acting all cute with Zhizhi, calling her Zhizhi more affectionately than anyone else."

Xie Jinlian snorted coldly and threw the white piece back into the chess box with a crisp sound.

"He's good at pretending to be weak."

"Him? Don't you need to pretend?"

Xie Jinlian, unusually, did not contradict He Lichen, but instead replied with a blank expression.

"He's really weak."

"You can't touch it, and you can't scold it."

He Lichen placed the teacup back on the stone table.

"What if he tries to scam us? If he lies on the ground, won't Zhizhi be furious? Are we going to have to kneel on a washboard then?"

"I never expected... that we would actually lose to a little yandere?"

Xie Jianxian and the Imperial Preceptor both fell into doubt about life.

Two men who once dominated the Nine Provinces Continent and inspired fear in countless people, now stood under the peach blossom tree, facing a half-finished game of chess, and for the first time felt the resentment of having met their match but losing to a third party.

Neither of them won this game.

The whole game is lost.

The true winner is already on his way to the capital of Xingze in a flying boat.

The magnificent flying boat pierced the night sky, its luminous wings leaving three silvery-white streaks in the clouds, like three shooting stars flying backwards towards the horizon.

On the flying boat, the buildings were majestic and brightly lit.

The deck was covered with a dark blue carpet embroidered with a starry sky pattern in silver thread.

The cabin's furnishings are luxurious yet elegant, with star-studded tables and white jade incense burners; every item is carefully selected, showcasing the ship's wealth.

But Tang Xixue's gaze never fell on those luxurious furnishings.

She stood guard by Si Xingxuan's bedside, took out a needle case from her medicine box, and lined up the thirty-six gold needles in a row.

Each gold needle is as thin as a hair, gleaming with a warm golden light under the candlelight.

"I will first perform the needlework for the crescent moon."

She used gold needles to prolong his life.

Thirty-six golden needles were inserted into his major acupoints without the slightest deviation.

The technique is fast and steady.

The moment the needle pierced her skin, she twisted her fingertips slightly, infusing a sliver of life into it.

The tips of the thirty-six gold needles were trembling slightly, like thirty-six butterfly wings fluttering in the wind.

It draws upon the remaining life force within his body, firmly locking the constantly fading vitality within his meridians.

She activated the power of the Heart of Azure Snow.

A silvery-white light flowed from her palm, gentle and not dazzling.

The light seeped into Si Xingxuan's meridians, passing through his riddled body, like a warm current, struggling to keep the dying lamp from going out.

But that vitality vanished too quickly.

It was as fast as the sand in an hourglass; no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop its silent passage.

Her Azure Snow Heart could replenish his life force, but his body was like a broken container; no matter how much was poured in, it would all flow out, and it could never be filled.

"Zheyue, don't be afraid, I'm here."

Tang Xixue bit her lower lip, a thin layer of sweat beading on her forehead. She had barely managed to keep him alive.

She still remembered what Si Xingxuan had said to her back in Liuli Tian.

"Zhizhi, I've never wanted to live as much as I do right now..."

When he said that, there was only a simple and pure desire in his eyes.

He wants to live.

Only by living can I see her.

"Zheyue, don't sleep."

Tang Xixue grasped Si Xingxuan's slightly cool hand.

Her palm pressed against the back of his hand, and warmth flowed through his cold skin.

"I'm here. Didn't you say you wanted to live? Then open your eyes and look at me. Don't sleep, that's an order."

"Zhizhi..."

Si Xingxuan's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened them.

His eyes were filled with weariness and weakness, like a deep lake rippled by the wind.

He looked at Tang Xixue and tried to force a smile.

That smile used to come naturally, her crescent-shaped eyes exuding charm with a mere squint, but now she can only manage a weak curve at the corners of her mouth.

The arc was very shallow, almost invisible, yet it contained all his strength.

"Do I look bad like this?"

His voice was hoarse and weak, like a thread being sanded on sandpaper.

"The crescent moon is beautiful."

Tang Xixue gripped his hand tightly, her voice gentle yet resolute.

"You look good all the time. Don't overthink it. Look in the mirror and see for yourself when you're all better."

"Zhizhi..."

Si Xingxuan gently shook his finger, indicating that she didn't need to comfort herself.

The movements were weak and listless, even the fingertips were trembling slightly.

He knows his own body best.

With this crippled body, burdened by illnesses from birth, and further impacted by the explosion at the Immortal Medicine Garden, he might not be able to hold on.

These extra years I've lived are time stolen from the hands of God.

"All my assets are for you. The Seventh Pavilion Master's token in your possession... can be used at will."

His voice grew softer and softer, and she had to lean in to hear every word.

"And my brother..."

"He'll take care of you for me. He may be domineering, but he's actually a very good person...and he's caring."

Si Xingzhou gripped the door frame tightly, his knuckles turning white, and the veins on the back of his hands bulging.

His jawline was taut like a fully drawn bow, and his eyes were so red they looked like they were about to bleed.

He didn't speak, because he was afraid that if he opened his mouth, he would lose his composure in front of his beloved younger brother.

"Si Xingxuan, you must live on for me."

Si Xingzhou finally spoke.

He strode to the edge of the bed, looking down at the pale, paper-like person on it with a fierce gaze that seemed to want to devour him.

But beneath that ferocity lay a surging fear.

"I want you to get better. This is an imperial decree! You dare disobey it!"

Si Xingxuan ignored him and simply turned his gaze back to Tang Xixue's face.

Those eyes were wide open, as if trying to etch her image into their very being, into their very soul, and carry it into the next life.

His gaze lingered on every inch, meticulously, as if he were depicting a painting he would never forget.

"Zhizhi, I probably won't be able to stay with you anymore."

His voice was like petals falling into the night breeze, as light as the last words a person utters with their last breath.

"But I'm so unwilling... the time we spent together... was too short..."

As he spoke, a tear silently slid down his cheek.

His wet eyes gazed at her, filled with reluctance, like a star about to fall.

"Zhe Yue, don't say such discouraging things. You won't die, I said!"

Tang Xixue's voice was firm, her gaze fixed on the outside of the flying boat, her heart burning with anxiety.

It was only at this moment that she realized that, without her noticing, she had become so concerned about this little yandere.

The thought that he might die made her feel a dull ache in her chest.