Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

Their eyes met in mid-air, a tacit understanding forming between them.

“I know.” Qian Renxue’s voice was even lower, carrying an undisguised killing intent that she only showed in front of Eva. “I can’t wait that long.”

She stood up, walked to the window, and gently lifted a corner of the curtain with her slender fingers.

Moonlight streamed through the gaps, casting a silvery glow on her cool profile.

In the distance, in the direction of the Emperor's sleeping quarters on a snowy night, the lights were still on.

"The dosage of the medication has been kept being increased," she said softly, her voice devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

"But his body is more resilient than I imagined. The closer this old man gets to death, the stronger his will to live becomes."

Eva put down the pearl necklace in her hand and slowly sat up straight.

Those emerald green eyes gleamed eerily in the dim light, like a venomous snake lurking in the night, watching its prey.

"Therefore, you need a more direct approach."

It's not a question, it's a statement.

Qian Renxue turned around, leaning against the windowsill, the moonlight outlining a cool silhouette behind her.

"Tomorrow," she said, her voice soft but with a resolute determination, "tomorrow, everything will be over."

Eva looked at her, a slow smile creeping onto her lips.

The smile was faint, yet it carried a genuine joy.

It's not because Emperor Xueye is about to die.

It's because she has been waiting for this day for a long time.

"What do you need me to do?" Eva asked.

Qian Renxue turned around, and the moonlight outlined a cold silhouette behind her.

"What do you need me to do?" Eva asked.

Qian Renxue looked at her, a slow smile curving her lips.

The smile was faint, yet it carried a sense of relief and exhilaration, as if something had been suppressed for too long and was finally about to be released.

"You don't need to do much, just support me."

Her voice was soft, yet each word was clear, like the night breeze passing through a palace.

"I've already prepared everything else."

She walked back to the table, picked up the slightly cooled cup of black tea, and gently swirled it.

"After all, I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

Eva leaned against the soft couch, her emerald green eyes watching her quietly.

There was scrutiny, appreciation, and a hint of satisfaction that she herself didn't even realize.

“Okay,” Eva said, a single word that carried more weight than any lengthy discourse.

Qian Renxue put down her teacup and turned to walk towards the door.

The moonlight shone on her, gilding her moon-white dress with a silvery sheen.

She walked quickly, each step firm and steady, as if she were walking a path she had prepared for over a decade.

In fact, she had been preparing for more than a decade.

From the day she first stepped into this palace as Xue Qinghe, she had been waiting for this day.

Now, it's finally here.

Day two.

As dawn broke, the morning bells deep within the palace had not yet rung.

The emperor's bedchamber was filled with a strong smell of medicine and decay.

The heavy curtains kept out the morning light, and only a few soul-guiding lamps emitted a dim yellow glow, making the huge bedroom look like a tomb.

On a snowy night, the Emperor lay on his dragon bed, his face sallow, his eyes sunken, and his lips chapped and peeling.

The once majestic emperor who ruled the empire for decades is now nothing more than a withered shell.

His breathing was so light that it was almost inaudible.

Each inhale felt like using all my strength.

Qian Renxue knelt before the bed, holding a warm bowl of medicine in her hands, her face showing just the right amount of worry and concern.

"Father, it's time to administer the medicine."

She spoke softly, her voice incredibly gentle.

Emperor Xueye slowly opened his eyes, his cloudy pupils darted around, and his gaze fell on her face.

Those eyes, once as sharp as a hawk's, are now only filled with weariness and despair.

"...Qing...He..."

His voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible, as if there was a wad of cotton stuck in his throat.

Qian Renxue gently helped him up and let him lean on her shoulder.

The movements were gentle and careful, as if handling a fragile treasure.

"Father, I am here."

She scooped up a spoonful of medicine, blew on it gently, and brought it to Emperor Xueye's lips.

Emperor Xueye opened his mouth with difficulty and swallowed the medicine.

The bitter medicine slid down my throat and into my stomach, bringing a brief moment of warmth.

But that warmth was quickly swallowed up by a deeper chill.

He's been taking medicine for far too long.

So much that his body developed a resistance to the medicine, so much that the herbal decoctions that once kept him going for a few more days could no longer even keep him conscious.

Qian Renxue fed him spoonful by spoonful, her movements unhurried and gentle.

She always wore a gentle smile, as if she were doing something perfectly natural.

But her eyes were as cold as ice.

The herbal decoction contained far more than just the mild tonics prescribed by the imperial physicians.

The amount she added each day was heavier than the last.

The weight of the snowy night finally broke the Emperor's body.

So heavy that she finally didn't have to wait anymore.

"Father, don't worry."

Qian Renxue put down the medicine bowl, gently wiped the medicine stains from the corner of Emperor Xueye's mouth, and spoke in a gentle voice as if she were coaxing a child to sleep.

"Your subject will protect the Heavenly Dou Empire well."

Emperor Xueye's eyes widened slightly.

He seemed to sense a different meaning in those words.

He tried to say something, his lips moved with difficulty, but he only managed to utter a few muffled sobs.

Qian Renxue looked at him, her smile deepening.

There was no guilt or unease in that smile, only a sense of relief at finally being free.

"You're tired."

She gently placed Emperor Xueye back on the bed, pulled the brocade quilt over him, and carefully covered him with it.

"Go to sleep."

She reached out and gently covered the eyes of the Snow Night Emperor.

The palm was as cold as jade, carrying an irresistible power.

Emperor Xueye's body twitched slightly.

Then, it stopped moving.

Qian Renxue's hand lingered on his eyes for a long time.

It went on for so long that her fingers started to get cold.

She slowly withdrew her hand, stood up, and took a step back.

On the dragon bed, Emperor Xueye lay quietly, his face serene, as if he were having a dream from which he would never wake up.

Qian Renxue stood there, head down, looking at the face she had seen for over a decade.

This face, which she once loathed, hated, and gritted her teeth over countless nights.

Because the owner of this face is her biggest obstacle in the Heaven Dou Empire.

As long as he lives, she will always be just the "crown prince," always just the "heir apparent," always just the imposter who needs to wait, needs to endure, and needs to walk on thin ice.

Now, he is dead.

She no longer had to wait.

Qian Renxue took a deep breath, turned around, and walked out of the bedchamber.

Her steps remained steady, each step taken with utmost firmness.

But the hands hidden in the sleeves were trembling slightly.

It's not because of fear.

It's because of excitement.

The door to the bedchamber was pushed open, and the morning light poured in, bathing her figure in a golden glow.

The servants and imperial physicians waiting outside all knelt down, not daring to raise their heads.

Qian Renxue stood on the steps, looking down at the people kneeling on the ground.