The Banished Immortal of the Cold Palace: His Majesty’s Young Master Yun Has Fallen Asleep Again - Chapter 3

Wang Sheng held his hands together, keeping his head low as he walked quickly along the palace path while pressing close to the wall. As the path became increasingly remote, the panic in the depths of Wang Sheng’s heart finally began to settle.

The closer he drew to the Cold Palace, the more desolate the surroundings became. The figures of eunuchs and palace maids had already vanished from sight. Green moss crawled through the cracks of the cerulean bricks, shimmering with a cold light under the morning dew. On both sides, the palace walls were mottled, with large patches of vermilion lacquer peeling away to reveal the grayish-blue bricks beneath. Dark, withered vines clung to the surface like rows of hideous scars.

The wind swirled fallen leaves into the air as it swept past. The copper bells hanging from the eaves of the halls were covered in rust, producing only dull, muffled clangs. As the light dimmed, the golden radiance of the distant palaces vanished entirely. Only a damp, bone-chilling cold remained, carrying the scent of decaying wood that seeped through his collar and into his very marrow.

Among these magnificent palaces, this place appeared exceptionally jarring. It was tucked away in a corner like a rusted iron rivet on a crown. The peeling lacquer resembled scabbed wounds, and the damp, cold bricks felt like dust-covered winter jade. While the surrounding structures featured carved beams and painted rafters like waves of brocade, this place stood isolated. It was a chronic ailment forgotten by prosperity, exuding an air of decay and desolation that was utterly out of place amidst the surrounding splendor.

Wang Sheng felt increasingly miserable. The good life he had fought so hard to obtain was gone. In a single day, he had returned to the starting point. However, upon reflection, he had at least kept his life. Being a little sad was one thing, but fortunately, the person in the Cold Palace was unlikely to have the power to take his head.

When he reached the end of the path, the Cold Palace, a place that made all concubines pale at the mention of its name, finally revealed its full form. Recalling Wang Shunde’s instructions, Wang Sheng gathered his spirits and reached out to push open the hall door, which was so decayed its original appearance was barely recognizable. With a piercing creak, the interior came into view.

Bypassing the front courtyard and entering the main house, Wang Sheng frowned. Inside, spiderwebs were spun as thick as nets, clinging to gray lint as they swayed gently in the draft. Mold covered the corners, and the wooden bed was so rotten that only broken joints remained. The straw matting had shredded into fluff, mixed with rat droppings and decayed debris. The paper covering the window frames had long since been torn into a sieve, allowing the cold wind to pour in with sand and dust, making a chipped porcelain bowl on the table hum. The air was thick with the smell of damp mold, stale wood, and an inescapable chill that felt like countless tiny needles pricking the skin.

It was obvious no one lived in the main house. Enduring his discomfort, he retreated and headed toward the backyard. Upon entering the backyard, Wang Sheng’s sinking heart lightened slightly. Unlike the front, the backyard was very clean. Judging by the growth of the Spring Hepatica in the yard, the resident took very good care of the place.

Rubbing his frozen face, Wang Sheng walked up to a room that had clearly been repaired and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Master Yun! This servant is the eunuch transferred here. Do you have any instructions for me?”

After shouting, Wang Sheng tilted his head to listen for movement. However, he was met only with silence. Unsure, Wang Sheng called out again, “Master Yun?”

This time, there was a sound. But it came from the white plum tree leaning against the courtyard wall. Wang Sheng saw a figure lying on a thick, horizontal branch amidst the boughs of blossoming white plums. The person wore a single layer of white inner robes that draped into mid-air, the hems swaying lightly in the breeze and blending into the petals.

Loosely falling black hair entangled with the plum branches. His skin was fairer than snow, his brows were as crisp as distant mountains shrouded in mist, and his long eyelashes looked as though they were frosted. He lay on his side upon the sturdy branch, his posture so light he seemed ready to dissolve into the mist at any moment. He was surrounded by a distant, celestial aura, as if he were the soul of the snow and the spirit of the plum blossoms, untainted by a single speck of worldly dust.

“An immortal!”

Wang Sheng felt as if he had laid eyes on a banished immortal from the heavens who did not consume the food of common mortals. For a moment, he did not know how to react, staring blankly at the figure. The immortal’s lightly closed eyes opened and looked toward him.

How could one describe those eyes? Wang Sheng did not know. He only knew that he had been graced by a celestial gaze. The look carried no aggression, yet it made him feel inexplicably nervous. Along with that gaze came a voice of ultimate refinement, “Whose little eunuch are you?”

Wang Sheng could clearly hear his heart thumping as if it might leap from his chest. He stammered back to this banished immortal, “Reporting to the Immortal, this servant is here to serve Master Yun of this palace.”

The voice paused. Wang Sheng saw him shift his weight on the branch. A hand as pale as cold jade was raised and beckoned him closer. Subconsciously, Wang Sheng moved forward. Watching him walk with synchronized arms and legs, Yun Biechen could not help but crinkle his eyes. His stunning peach-blossom eyes looked even more surreal in that brief smile.

“To serve me?” the refined voice spoke again.

Wang Sheng’s mind went blank as he nodded mechanically. After a long while, he regained his senses and looked at the person before him in shock, “You are Young Master Yun?”

Yun Biechen did not answer directly, but his words confirmed it, “Since that is the case, you shall stay in that room over there.”

Having said that, he leaned his head back against his hand and closed his eyes once more. Wang Sheng stood dazed for a long time before heading toward the room Yun Biechen had pointed out. Once his spirit settled, he remembered what Wang Shunde had told him.

“When the Late Emperor was pursuing the art of longevity, he traveled to a celestial mountain to seek an immortal to refine a Rejuvenation Pill. On that mountain, he saw a beauty and forcibly brought him back to the palace.”

Those words echoed in his mind. At the time, Wang Sheng had not paid much attention. He had assumed the beauty mentioned was simply someone with a handsome face. But having served the current Emperor since his ascension, he knew that His Majesty was someone who loved beauty excessively. In this regard, he was even more intense than the Late Emperor.

Although His Majesty had not yet summoned any lady for an official favor, many concubines sought audience at Qian’an Hall every day just to catch a glimpse of him. Wang Sheng had seen many of the Emperor’s harem members, and every single one was a peerless beauty. But compared to Master Yun, Wang Sheng became dazed again. Forget making a comparison; it was like the difference between clouds and mud.

No wonder the Late Emperor, who had been pursuing longevity and had nearly entered a state of monastic cultivation, would forcibly abduct Master Yun even from another’s territory. Though he did not know why Master Yun was eventually thrown into the Cold Palace without even a formal title, it was certain that the Late Emperor would not have let the matter go easily. To be able to escape the Late Emperor’s clutches and merely be relegated to the Cold Palace, this Master Yun’s methods must be formidable. No wonder Eunuch Wang Shunde had warned him not to treat Master Yun like other abandoned concubines.

However, thinking of Wang Shunde’s later words, Master Yun was not technically the Late Emperor’s consort because he lacked a title and had only stayed in the palace due to an oversight. Wang Sheng felt a twinge of discomfort. Once the Eunuch reported this to the Emperor, Master Yun would surely be able to leave the palace. At the thought of this, Wang Sheng felt a sour ache in his heart. It would be wonderful if he could serve Master Yun forever.