Chapter 53 (Part 1) – Don’t Leave Me

His tone was anxious, as if something significant had just occurred.

Yu Zhengzheng glanced at the pitch-black night sky. It was already the middle of the night. Having just taken a bath, she was dressed in a white robe thrown over her bare skin underneath. Whatever urgent matter he had, it was not a convenient time for her to open the door.

Besides, after visiting An Ning, she had started to doubt the truthfulness of Xiao Yuqing’s words. Puppets only develop emotions for their master, yet An Ning showed no reaction to “Xiao Bichi.” Instead, when she heard Xiao Yuqing’s name, her expression seemed dazed and bewildered.

She remained silent, crouching quietly and pretending she hadn’t heard him.

But Xiao Yuqing didn’t leave. In a feeble voice, he knocked on the door again. “Miss Yu, the Ghost King is in serious danger. That imposter has discovered the location of his essence…”

Before he could finish, the door was suddenly pulled open.

Xiao Yuqing stood there, covered in blood, with mud and bloodstains matted in his hair. His lips were pale and tinged with blue—he was a shadow of his once graceful self.

Yu Zhengzheng wasn’t concerned about how disheveled he looked; she only cared about the meaning of his words.

Still, she feigned a sleepy look, speaking with a nasal tone as though just awakened. “Brother Xiao, what’s going on…?”

Mid-sentence, she paused in shock and asked, “What happened to you?”

Xiao Yuqing’s gaze held bitterness. “I revealed An Ning’s identity to everyone. He suspected it was my doing, so he came to my chambers after dinner to test me.”

“I didn’t let anything slip, but to intimidate me, he blamed my sister for the deaths of the siblings from Xianming Hall. He accused her of colluding with the demon realm and had her legs severed…”

He didn’t finish, but she could piece together whose blood stained his body.

She recalled him mentioning a sister during their time in the human world. Back then, when she had painful menstrual cramps, he had shown considerable experience. Upon inquiry, she learned it was because he often prepared medicinal decoctions for his sister.

They must have shared a close bond.

Although his sister’s plight seemed pitiful, she found it hard to empathize. Her emotions remained calm, and she even felt like yawning.

Still, she offered a few words of comfort. “Brother Xiao, you have my condolences. Your sister, watching over you from above, surely wouldn’t want you to grieve.”

Xiao Yuqing froze. “But she’s not dead yet.”

Yu Zhengzheng instinctively replied, “No rush—probably soon.”

Xiao Yuqing: “…”

Noticing his stunned silence, she realized what she had said. Quickly, she corrected herself, “What I mean is, having such a good brother must make her very happy.”

Perhaps sensing her lack of sincerity, Xiao Yuqing suppressed his sorrow. “I’m gravely injured now, with almost no spiritual power left. I fear I won’t hold out long enough to see revenge.”

“He used me and An Ning to orchestrate everything, all for the Ghost King’s essence. Now he knows its location. Tomorrow night, during the moon-gazing gathering, he plans to strike before midnight.”

Yu Zhengzheng replied without hesitation, “You’re overthinking it. He can’t defeat the Ghost King.”

Though Rong Shang had lost his divine powers due to the Seventh Prince’s poison, neither Xiao Yuqing nor Xiao Bichi knew about this.

Regardless of whether Xiao Yuqing’s words were true, feigning confidence was the safest move.

Xiao Yuqing’s lips were pale and cracked. “But what if the Heavenly Emperor joins him?”

“The Heavenly Emperor’s wife is the younger sister of the East Sovereign’s third prince. The Ghost King massacred the Eastern Sea’s people and personally killed the prince. He’s already made himself an enemy of the heavens.”

Hearing this, Yu Zhengzheng was stunned and didn’t refute him.

No wonder Rong Shang had acted so strangely when facing the Heavenly Emperor before—it turned out they were related by marriage.

If the Heavenly Emperor joined forces with Xiao Bichi, the now-powerless Rong Shang would undoubtedly lose.

She glanced at Xiao Yuqing. “You should be telling the Ghost King this.”

Why tell her?

Could she defeat the Heavenly Emperor or avenge Xiao Bichi’s wrongs for him?

Xiao Yuqing, swaying weakly on his feet, began to collapse. His face grew paler, and his gaze was increasingly unfocused. “The Ghost King only listens to you…”

Gripping her sleeve tightly, his voice trembled. “Please, get him to move his essence… I only want him to kill that imposter and avenge my father…”

Before finishing his plea, Xiao Yuqing passed out.

Yu Zhengzheng narrowed her eyes at his unconscious form.

Placing a hand on his forehead, she found it burning hot. He had a fever.

Everything Xiao Yuqing said sounded logical, yet she felt there were lies woven in.

Not far away, the sound of hurried footsteps reached her ears. Turning her head, she glimpsed figures holding oiled-paper umbrellas and torches, seemingly searching for someone.

She instinctively felt they were after Xiao Yuqing.

Dragging him by the feet, she pulled him into her quarters.

Footsteps approached her chamber, growing closer and closer. Her heart inexplicably tightened, and she held her breath.

Fortunately, the intruders didn’t knock. They only searched briefly outside before leaving.

When the sound of footsteps faded, she exhaled in relief and looked at Xiao Yuqing’s pale face.

He seemed to be in great pain, as if trapped in a nightmare.

To be honest, she didn’t trust him at all.

Seeing is believing; hearing is deceiving. His words were merely one-sided.

Hesitating for a moment, she gently placed her fingers on his brow.

Dreams cannot lie. Through his dreamscape, perhaps she could uncover the truths he was hiding.

When she came to her senses, she was already inside Xiao Yuqing’s dream.

The surroundings appeared dim, resembling a dark chamber. Stepping carefully, she finally found Xiao Yuqing.

As soon as she entered, she felt a sense of familiarity. It dawned on Yu Zhengzheng why it seemed familiar—this was the place from the dream of Tranquility, the secret chamber where Tranquility was created.

Xiao Yuqing and Tranquility lay side by side in a medicinal pool, both with eyes closed, immersed in the blood-red liquid. Standing nearby, Xiao Bichi held a medical book, muttering something under his breath while occasionally retrieving pills from a black porcelain bottle and feeding them to Tranquility.

Afraid of being discovered by Xiao Yuqing, Yu Zhengzheng didn’t dare to get too close. She couldn’t hear clearly what Xiao Bichi was mumbling but could see his actions.

“Qing’er, it’s done,” Xiao Bichi said.

Xiao Yuqing, looking visibly fatigued, gathered his robe as he rose from the pool. “Father, can Aunt Xuexi truly wake up?”

Xiao Bichi impatiently waved his hand. “Of course she will. You’ve soaked long enough; go rest now.”

Xiao Yuqing hesitated, his lips moving as though to say something, but ultimately, he stayed silent.

Just as Yu Zhengzheng was about to hide, the scene before her abruptly shifted.

A throbbing dizziness struck her temples, accompanied by a tearing pain that made her instinctively clutch her head.

She thought the dream had ended, but in the next instant, when she opened her eyes, the dream had merely changed locations.

This time, she was in Xiao Yuqing’s bedchamber. Xiao Bichi entered slowly, accompanied by several subordinates in black.

Xiao Yuqing had been resting with his eyes closed. Upon hearing footsteps, he abruptly opened them and sat up straight.

Seeing Xiao Bichi, his body tensed visibly. “What brings you here?”

Xiao Bichi smirked. “You don’t even call me father anymore? Truly, you’ve grown bold.”

Xiao Yuqing tightened his lips, his fists clenched. “Forgive me, Father. I wasn’t fully awake yet and acted improperly…”

Xiao Bichi interrupted coldly, “What’s going on with Tranquility?”

His lips were pale, but his expression remained calm. “Perhaps she was too flustered today and didn’t properly hear your orders. My life is bound to Tranquility’s; naturally, I wouldn’t want anything to happen to her.”

Xiao Bichi scrutinized his face for a long moment before shifting his gaze and gesturing behind him.

A terrified woman was dragged in, her throat muffled so she couldn’t make a sound.

Xiao Yuqing’s expression faltered. “Father, what happened to Cong’er?”

Xiao Bichi sneered. “She conspired with the Demon Realm, helping Hengsu hide thousands of demon cultivators within Qingcheng Mountain. This caused dozens of disciples from the Yuling Sect to lose their lives. Tell me, does she deserve punishment?”

His lips quivered slightly. “That’s impossible. Cong’er would never do such a thing…”

Xiao Bichi didn’t give him the chance to say more. He raised his chin and said, “You are all my offspring. Naturally, I don’t want to punish her like this, but she betrayed the Yuling Sect, and I must give the other disciples an explanation.”

With that, he motioned with his hand. A subordinate in black swung his blade, severing the woman’s legs at the knees. She collapsed into a pool of blood, unable even to scream before fainting from the pain.

Xiao Yuqing, panicking, rushed to the woman’s side and cradled her bloodied body.

Xiao Bichi spoke softly, “I’ve discovered the location of the Ghost King’s primordial spirit. Tomorrow night, under the full moon, I will obtain it. Until then, stay in your room and don’t go anywhere.”

The dream dissolved into a white mist at this point. She waited for him to dream further but saw nothing more, eventually exiting his dream.

Yu Zhengzheng stood by the feverish Xiao Yuqing, stunned for a moment. Listening to the endless downpour outside, she irritably ran her fingers through her hair, tousling it.

So Xiao Yuqing hadn’t lied.

The one behind Tranquility was indeed the fake Xiao Bichi. Tomorrow night, Xiao Bichi planned to make a move against Rong Shang. Judging by his tone, he might have even teamed up with the Heavenly Emperor to plot against him.

Given this relentless rain, who knew when it would stop? If Rong Shang hadn’t recovered his divine power, tomorrow would spell certain death for him.

Yu Zhengzheng didn’t want to involve herself in his affairs. Just thinking of Rong Shang’s name made her gnash her teeth in anger.

Using just a human skin mask, he’d toyed with her twice—once making her block a sword for him and another time taking her chastity.

He must feel very proud after deceiving her for so long, gaining both her life and purity.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. If Rong Shang were in the palace now, she’d probably stab him twice.

She tore apart the embroidered cushion, stuffed its cotton into her ears, and walked to the window to shut it tightly.

Out of sight, out of mind—she would pretend she knew nothing.

Her fingers rested on the window frame but froze in mid-motion.

The Seventh Prince’s words echoed in her mind.

—“He threatened me to find the antidote; otherwise, he’d have the South Sea perish alongside you.”

Yu Zhengzheng froze for a moment, her fingers pressing into the frame so hard they turned white.

Rong Shang was a god. Without his primordial spirit, he would dissipate entirely, unable even to reincarnate.

Could she stand by and watch him die?

If he were gone, would it make her happy?

No. He would become a thorn in her heart, one that would remain forever.

Yu Zhengzheng didn’t want to remember him for a lifetime.

She tossed Xiao Yuqing onto the chaise longue and hurried out into the rain.

As she departed, Xiao Yuqing, who had been unconscious, suddenly opened his eyes.

He disdainfully tugged at his bloodied clothes, his dark eyes peering out at her distant figure. A low chuckle escaped his lips. “Brother, savor your last night well.”

The night was pitch black, the rain incessant.

In an icy chamber, a figure huddled on the floor, disheveled and pale, with lips tinged faintly red with blood.