The Deposed Crown Prince had Three Lifelong Regrets - Chapter 61

Chapter 61: The Little Couple (Past and Present, Caution: Contains several repetitive descriptions)

A moment later, seventeen or eighteen people stumbled down the mountain.

Lu Fengmian was amongst them, yet she was covered in blood, half-conscious, and being supported, her life hanging by a thread.

The group slid clumsily down the dirt slope, landing not far from Li Qinghuai.

She was concealed by thick bushes, so the gaunt, deposed Crown Prince was unseen by anyone.

The Fox Immortal, disguised as an ordinary Taoist, followed the main group, dust-covered. He glanced at her outstretched arms, gradually falling to the end of the line, but deliberately played coy, unwilling to hand the person over.

Before he could continue his impertinence, he was immediately chilled by the coldness in Li Qinghuai’s eyes.

The Fox Immortal snapped, “I’m giving her to you, so why are you glaring at me.” He then gently placed Lu Fengmian in her arms.

The unsuppressed sentence disturbed the quiet atmosphere, causing the people ahead to stop their steps sporadically.

Five people in the group were dressed differently from the original bodyguards, presumably the demon-catchers summoned by the smoke signal.

The rest of the people were dust-covered, their faces sallow.

“Young Lady, where do you come from?” The moon hung high in the willows. A graceful female figure suddenly appeared in the mountain thicket. A middle-aged man with a valiant demeanor and distinct facial features asked suspiciously.

He intended to ask a few more questions, but the woman turned her head and glanced at him. A large, deep-red mark was clearly visible on her cheek.

The questioner felt a lump stuck in his throat, unable to move up or down.

Li Qinghuai’s gaze returned to the person in her arms.

Although she had anticipated that this trip would not be easy for her, her heart still clenched sharply when she saw her lying unconscious, like a blood-stained lone crane.

Lu Fengmian had a vibrant peony-like face, and her entire person was dignified and beautiful. Her distant, blue-gray eyebrows and eyes, however, subtly conveyed affection. Her nose bridge was like a small green hill in the winding spring water, possessing a unique charm.

And now? She was terrifyingly disheveled, her face haggard and her lips cracked, giving people the absurd feeling of being half-dead.

At this moment, the man with the righteous aura in his eyebrows recovered his senses. A murderous look rose in his eyes, and he hurled a demon-subduing and soul-confining bell towards Li Qinghuai.

The bell hit Li Qinghuai, rolled gulu-gulu into the grass, but did not emit the slightest sound.

The fact that the demon-subduing bell did not ring meant that this person was neither a demon nor a ghost.

However, after being thrown, before its owner could summon it back, it was kicked away by a foot.

“I am Qin Chanyi from Shaolin Temple. I apologize for disturbing you, Miss.”

The hostile attitude of the other party did not anger him. Instead, it made him notice the Fox Immortal’s attitude towards Li Qinghuai and her breathless posture when holding Lu Fengmian.

Qin Chanyi wore a golden yellow kasaya and a bamboo hat. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke:

“Your young friend is on her last breath. This poor monk did not intend to save a person destined to die. However, a few days ago, I observed the stars at night. After her great misfortune, there must be great fortune. Under the clash of these two forces, the good omen unexpectedly prevailed, and a door to life appeared.”

Enveloped by the night, her head and neck intersected with the person in her arms, their dark hair intertwined and circling.

“But this poor monk has a premonition that my own life will not be peaceful,” he changed his tone, sighing deeply. “Can Your Highness let us go?”

Aside from the two of them, everyone present was bewildered. The others were completely unaware of what was happening. And the Fox Immortal, the one who knew most of the truth, was shocked that the plan could be known by an outsider.

Before leaving the palace, the long-standing Princess Imperial—Li Qinghuai’s adoptive mother, and the former Empress’s good sister—

had repeatedly warned her not to jeopardize the great endeavor for the sake of so-called friendship.

The fewer people knew where Li Qinghuai went afterward, the better. It didn’t matter about the rest, but those present absolutely could not be left alive.

It wasn’t a sudden decision made because her identity was revealed. Before leaving, someone had cast a divination for her.

On the 1st of the third month, at the hour of midnight, outsiders approaching from the true east of the Sirius star would surely die.

Her conscience had long since perished, inch by inch, amidst the palace’s deceit and rivalry.

Her former close friend was half-dead, and she was only startled upon the first sight. After that, even if she turned her heart inside out, she couldn’t detect a shred of pity.

Even without considering the idea of softening her heart, Li Qinghuai still smiled politely, preparing to exchange a few courteous words.

“Abbot, your ability to observe the stars and perceive events is second to none. Even our National Preceptor feels ashamed. However, the current court situation is turbulent and ever-changing. It is difficult to gain a foothold without a solid foundation.”

Her intention to recruit allies was glaringly obvious. Those who peek into the secrets of heaven often struggle to guarantee their own safety. A single wrong word could cost them over ten years of their lifespan.

Moreover, he was a man of integrity, always keeping his word.

However, Qin Chanyi remained silent for a long time. Before he could reply, a series of crisp silver bell sounds came from afar.

Amidst the crisscrossing shadows of the trees, a massive object clinging to the ground rapidly approached.

“Demoness, what trick are you trying to pull?”

The words carried a hint of gnashing teeth. After waiting for a long time without a response from Qin Chanyi, she finally spared a moment to cast a disdainful look at the bystanders who were trembling and still oblivious to the situation.

“I… I am the second young master of the Song family in the capital, Song Xuanye. Let go of my sister Lu!”

The sound of the bell intensified. Now everyone heard it together, instantly feeling their hearts pound like drums and their faces turn red.

This person finally caught Li Qinghuai’s eye.

She smiled, glanced again toward the depths of the thicket, and finally took three steps back, straightening her posture.

Another rustling sound came from afar. Everyone held their breath. Even the sounds of birds, flowers, fish, and insects ceased. Amidst the dead silence, the distant grass suddenly parted—

And a thing, half-demon and half-human, emerged.

Dry, sparse hair hung down both sides of its face, revealing a pale yellow and fragmented countenance.

The thing crawled on the ground, lifeless. Except for moving once at the beginning, it remained frozen in place like a stone sculpture.

Just like the sight in Li Qinghuai’s dream.

She could no longer be considered human…

After Li Qinghuai retreated a distance, the thing seemed to come alive. It sprang with a few susu sounds, hooked its blood-soaked sharp nails onto the tree bark, and hung in mid-air.

Then it quickly darted into the middle of the bodyguards.

In an instant, blood splattered everywhere. Qin Chanyi’s personal strength was limited, and protecting himself was already a struggle.

After a few rounds, the others were punctured with holes of various sizes and fell to the ground, bleeding profusely.

“Your Highness, you are relying on your heaven-bestowed fortune to commit evil! After three cycles of reincarnation, with endless blessings. Are you not afraid of losing your life by wasting your blessings?” Qin Chanyi threw away his dignity and yelled at her.

Seeing that the place had become a murderous Asura field, and amidst the clamorous vibration of gongs and drums, the person in Li Qinghuai’s arms seemed to sense something. She trembled violently a few times, but could not wake up due to her severe injuries.

She reached out a hand, soothingly stroking her tousled dark hair, sliding her hand from her back down to her waist.

The scent at her nose was fresh, very similar to the morning dew, yet inexplicably carried a faint hint of floral powder.

Logically, merely rushing through the mountains should not produce this scent.

But Li Qinghuai distinctly smelled it. She also clearly knew that this was mostly an illusion.

As a child, she loved the floral powder scent on her Imperial Mother. Even when her Imperial Mother wore no makeup and fasted for many days, she could still smell that scent.

But others could not detect it at all.

It was a warm, sweet fragrance, very similar to the feeling in a hall filled with music and dancing, making one want to sleep forever in this dream of beauty from which one would never wake.

But Lu Fengmian’s body was cold, so the sweet fragrance was left only with the scent of floral powder.

After tidying her messy hair, she had the Fox Immortal take Lu Fengmian away.

“Reincarnation, the path to ascension, the path of beasts—it’s all the same to me,” Li Qinghuai said indifferently, completely ignoring the other party’s face, which was so dark it could drip water. “Merit and fault are judged by others. What I do is for myself to decide.”

Before her words were finished, someone lunged to kill her.

These people knew nothing of any ‘Your Highness.’ The previous conversation was largely unintelligible to them.

The people of the Imperial City were all staying in the Forbidden City. Why would they run to this desolate wilderness to kill them? It was illogical and impossible.

So someone, daring to be highly disrespectful, decided to capture the leader first.

Li Qinghuai leaned against the tree, pushing off with her foot and using the momentum to side-step the attack.

The person used too much force, and the blade embedded deeply into the tree bark. It took considerable effort to yank the knife out.

Li Qinghuai unscrupulously grabbed Lu Fengmian again and pushed her onto the person who didn’t know his place. Since they were teammates, he couldn’t strike, and was knocked back with a stagger.

In just one or two seconds, the monstrous entity flipped over and slashed his throat.

Lu Fengmian fell to the ground, not too heavily, but suffering a severe impact on top of her serious injuries. Her internal organs must have trembled.

Li Qinghuai was too lazy to help her up, and instead walked two steps further away to distance herself.

Years of friendship had long ago turned to ash between them. Her presence here was not solely for her. A secret report stated that Song Xuanye, the second young master of the Song family, had been instructed by the Fourth Prince to search for the underground secret passage in Mount Luo.

The underground secret passage was a place only known to generations of Emperors.

Although the Emperor had taken Li Qinghuai and another prince there in childhood, the other prince had long died young and posed no threat to her.

But now, someone dared to overstep the Imperial mandate and search for the secret passage.

In her memory, it was a large sacrificial site, and a specific dark stone was needed to open the cave entrance.

However, the Fourth Prince did not send a suicide squad, but instead had Song Xuanye scout the way for him. This was simply to test her reaction.

He likely wanted to test three things: one, whether Li Qinghuai’s forces could detect the news; two, what her reaction would be; and three, the Song family’s loyalty to him.

Since Song Xuanye had accepted the other party’s request, and the rest of the Song family had not clearly expressed their allegiance to her, the tender affection she had heard in the past was no longer valid.

Seeing him now, he was either an ally or an enemy.

The people in the Imperial Palace probably still believed she was guarding the Imperial Mausoleum. No one dared to trespass where her Imperial Mother was buried except for her. But she had already delayed for a month, which was the limit. If a mishap occurred, no one could bear the responsibility.

It was late at night. Eight or nine completely concealed dead warriors emerged from nowhere around Li Qinghuai.

In an instant, they surrounded the two remaining wounded individuals in the Asura field. One was the Abbot who could glimpse the secrets of heaven, and the other was the second young master of the Song family.

Li Qinghuai let out an almost imperceptible sigh and spoke faintly, “Abbot, this situation was not set up by me. Nor did I cause this person’s condition.”

Seeing the Abbot frown, she pointed to the demon crawling on the ground beside her, indicating that it was the cause, not her.

“By the time I knew about it, she was already like this. Everyone knows that heaven favors me. Just like during the palace coup, when powerful figures came to the palace to subdue the demons, I was initially powerless against those ghosts and monsters.”

“But they seemed to be afraid to kill me.”

“I think the reason this one doesn’t approach me can also be explained. However, she still retains some intelligence. Over the past few days, I have entrusted ‘someone’ to make a deal with her. Having been reduced to this state, I fear she cannot have a peaceful end and attain reincarnation, but delivering a demon-ghost is not difficult for me.”

Li Qinghuai forced a sorrowful smile and said:

“Human relationships have always been fickle. I heard my Imperial Mother say you once held me when I was a child. I never thought we would be at loggerheads today. I also want to accumulate some virtue for myself—”

“You may leave,” she said, sweeping her arm to the side.

“I don’t ask for any repayment, just that you don’t harm me. What happened today is known only to you and me. It must never be known by a third person.”

The meaning was clear: she neither needed his help to seize the highest position, nor could he assist any other Prince. Otherwise, he would bear the consequences.

Qin Chanyi was over thirty years old. His calligraphy and martial arts were not refined, but his ability to glimpse heaven and tell fortunes was first-rate.

He had come to the capital for a short stay this time. Having nothing to do, he went to a friend’s house in a nearby county and coincidentally heard that someone was trapped on the mountain, so he requested to accompany them.

When he arrived, he realized this was no simple task. The stars indicated that it was easy to enter but difficult to leave.

And he could not use lethal moves against Li Qinghuai. If the Child of Destiny were to die, at the very least, there would be a three-year drought with no rain. At worst, a devastating plague would rage, and the people would suffer terribly.

Even during the fight just now, he had unconsciously held back some of his strength. If someone had to die, it absolutely could not be Li Qinghuai.

Despite this, he had never expected the other party to let him go.

“Your Highness…” Qin Chanyi was overcome with grief. He clenched his fists beneath his sleeves, then slowly released them after a moment.

The night was deep, stars were scattered, and insects chirped incessantly in the mountains.

For a long time, no one spoke. Silence instantly spread, and the heavy air filled the space between them.

After Qin Chanyi left, Li Qinghuai’s entire facade of invincibility collapsed. She seemed to have had the life sucked out of her, leaning against the tree, her eyes glazed over.

Lu Fengmian lay on the ground, and no one helped her up. She twitched occasionally on the ground.

The Fox Immortal couldn’t decipher His Highness’s thoughts. After much hesitation, he slowly squatted down and reached out his hand. However, halfway through, Li Qinghuai finally stirred. She glanced at him, but said nothing.

She walked silently in the direction she had come from.

She hadn’t even given instructions regarding the situation in the mountains, yet she just walked away so forlornly. The Fox Immortal had lost most of his yin virtue on this trip and was counting on her ascension to the throne to grant him a verbal title of immortal.

The dampness and mist permeated everyone’s faces. Their hair was sticky and wet. Heaven looked as if it had cried. It was enough to soften people’s hearts, but upon looking squarely at Li Qinghuai’s face, one would find it so hard and unyielding.