After being thoroughly violated, he ran away with the enemy emperor's child.

The dry rations were tasteless, and for some reason, Chu Junci felt somewhat depressed.

"His Majesty……"

A surprised sound came from Xie Yunzhou beside him. He looked up and saw that Xie Yunzhou's face was full of shock: "Your Majesty, how could you...?"

Cried.

He didn't say anything more, but Chu Junci had already reacted, wiping away the tears on his face, his fingertips damp, which made him even more astonished.

"...The sand got into my eyes," he explained.

"…I see."

Xie Yunzhou did not expose him. After resting for a while, the group continued their journey towards Yong Kingdom.

At their current pace, it will take them three more days to reach the border.

Once they crossed the border of Yong, they would be safe.

That day, apart from stopping to rest twice, they spent the rest of the time traveling. As night fell, they found a place to rest briefly.

After working tirelessly all day, everyone looked somewhat tired.

Seated in the temple, Xie Yunzhou stood beside Chu Junci, carefully observing his expression. "Your Majesty, shall I hunt a rabbit for you?"

His Majesty ate very little all day. The dry rations were coarse, and His Majesty, who was used to fine clothes and delicacies, found it difficult to adapt.

"No need."

Chu Junci shook his head: "Conserve your strength and leave as soon as possible. We can discuss the rest when we return to Dayong."

"…yes."

They didn't speak again after that. Lin Chen sat on the other side, his gaze sweeping over them as he silently ate his dry rations without saying a word.

A quarter of an hour later, Chu Junci instructed, "Rest here for two hours, and continue on our journey at dawn."

"Yes."

The temple was extremely quiet, and everyone took the opportunity to close their eyes and rest. Chu Junci leaned against the wall, and his lowered gaze suddenly fell on the hidden arrow.

The hidden dart was still on his wrist, which reminded him of the way Mo Yan had given him it. He touched the edge of the dart and then withdrew his hand.

The walls were cold. Chu Junci closed his eyes and seemed to be having a dream.

This is an altar.

A person stood on the altar, with disheveled hair and a thin figure.

The moment Chu Junci saw him, her pupils trembled slightly, and she murmured, "Mo Yan..."

Below the altar stood an old Taoist priest, dressed in flowing white robes, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance.

"Your Majesty, let's begin," the old Taoist priest said.

As soon as the words were spoken, the person on the altar moved. He lay in the center of the altar, his limbs slashed by a dagger.

Blood instantly flowed into the grooves of the altar, subtly filling the runes on it.

"Only one last step is needed for Your Majesty to find the one you have lost. He will return to Your Majesty's side, and from then on, for all eternity, you will never be separated again."

"Then... please, Your Majesty, make your move."

Mo Yan, sitting on the altar, nodded slightly, forcefully plunged the dagger into his heart, and then stirred it.

Blood from his heart flowed from his chest and onto the altar beneath him, and Mo Yan's pupils gradually lost their color.

"Ah Ling..."

He uttered a soft murmur and then closed his eyes.

One breath, two breaths later, the old Taoist suddenly looked up at the sky, and heaven and earth collapsed, all things scattered, and Chu Junci also woke up.

Only an hour had passed, and while the others were still resting, he simply couldn't fall asleep.

He got up and walked out of the temple. He looked at the bright moon and suddenly remembered the person in his dream who looked exactly like him. The person said, "I am you."

It was because of his existence that he was able to know the birthplace of the Snow Lotus in advance, and thus find it before Mo Yan.

If none of these unexpected events had occurred, he would surely be in the Yong Kingdom's palace right now, instead of being in this predicament, traveling day and night, feeling restless and with a dull ache in his chest...

He exhaled and suddenly heard footsteps behind him.

Xie Yunzhou came up behind him and draped his own clothes over his shoulders: "It's late and the fog is heavy, Your Majesty, please don't catch a cold."

Before Chu Junci could refuse, he continued, "Is Your Majesty unable to sleep?"

"Um."

"In two more days, your subject and Lin Chen will be able to escort Your Majesty back to the border of Yong Kingdom. At that time, Your Majesty will no longer have to worry as you do now."

"I hope everything goes well."

Chu Junci felt a vague unease in his heart, even though he didn't know where the unease came from.

"It will go smoothly," Xie Yunzhou said softly.

They stood at the door for a long time, the cold wind chilling them to the bone. Xie Yunzhou advised, "Your Majesty, please go back. What if you fall ill?"

"Um."

Chu Junci did not refuse again. He turned around and went back to the temple. After returning Xie Yunzhou's outer robe to him, he sat down on the spot.

He closed his eyes for a short rest, and in his half-asleep state, he heard Lin Chen's voice: "Your Majesty, it's time to go."

Opening his eyes, Chu Junci's gaze was clear. "Let's go."

As dawn broke, the group mounted their horses again and headed towards the border of Yong Kingdom.

They only stopped to rest for half an hour all day.

The closer they got to the border, the more uneasy Chu Junci felt. If he hadn't misheard, Mo Yan had stationed troops at the border, and they had to bypass these troops without being discovered.

otherwise……

The thought flashed through his mind, and Chu Junci suppressed his unease. They couldn't find a temple that night and could only rest briefly by the roadside.

He was so busy these past two days that he didn't have the energy to think too much. Only one thought remained in his mind: he had to return to Yong Kingdom and reunite with A Li.

A country cannot be without a ruler for a single day, but he has been gone for far too long.

Unbeknownst to him, the Ning'an Palace was also in turmoil at the time.

Two days ago.

Fireworks burst in the darkness, and Wu Xu, without thinking too much, hurried up the mountain.

Stepping into Ning'an Palace, he smelled a strong stench of blood. His Majesty was lying on the ground, which was covered in blood.

"His Majesty!"

Opposite him, the guard who fired the signal flare also looked helpless: "Lord Wu, what should we do now? His Majesty..."

"Where is the imperial physician?!"

"I've already sent someone to invite them; they'll be here shortly."

Every minute and every second became extremely agonizing. Wu Xu wanted to help Mo Yan to bed, but dared not touch him. He could only wait for the imperial physician to appear.

Fortunately, the imperial physician arrived shortly afterward. The guards who had been carrying him put him down. "Imperial physician, please quickly examine His Majesty's condition!"

Before he could say anything, the imperial physician stood still and hurriedly checked Mo Yan's pulse and breathing.

His face grew increasingly grim, and sweat beaded on the imperial physician's forehead, but he dared not wipe it away.

"His Majesty……"

He stammered, and Wu Xu's face suddenly turned pale, but he still forced himself to stand there: "What happened? Tell me quickly!"

The wound, visible to anyone with eyes, was right on his chest. His dark outer robe was soaked with blood, making the mark even deeper.

The imperial physician opened his lips, but dared not utter a sound. He dared not announce the result, even though it seemed obvious.

"What happened? Tell me quickly!" Wu Xu asked again, unwilling to give up.

The imperial physician's lips trembled, and he finally knelt on the ground: "Your Excellency, His Majesty..."

Everything was understood without words. Wu Xu couldn't help but take a step back, his face drained of color.