Chapter 94
“Hurry!”
Chi Lin urged Lou Mi to run. Lou Mi’s head was pounding, making it difficult to think, and she instinctively obeyed, running forward.
A whooshing sound made Chi Lin’s blood run cold. She drew the sword from her back, spun around, and sliced two arrows aimed at the back of their heads out of the air.
“There’s nowhere to run, Chi! You conspired with foreign enemies to assassinate the Emperor! Do you know your crime? Her Majesty treated you as her closest confidante, and you repaid her kindness with betrayal! If you have any conscience left, surrender now and confess!”
Cheng Xuan’s voice boomed through the cave.
He continued his taunts as he approached, followed by dozens of Imperial Guards, armed with spears and swords.
Chi Lin sneered: “Who truly assassinated the Emperor, you know better than anyone, Right Commander.”
Hearing Chi Lin’s voice, Cheng Xuan realized there was someone else in the cave. He heard another set of footsteps further in.
Who was it?
The deeper they went, the wider the passage became, and torches appeared on the walls.
Cheng Xuan saw the figure Chi Lin was protecting.
It was the Emperor. It really was the Emperor…
Having been a member of the Imperial Guard, Cheng Xuan was familiar with the Emperor’s physique. He couldn’t be mistaken.
But wasn’t the Emperor dead?
If she weren’t dead, he wouldn’t have been released, and their plan wouldn’t have been set in motion.
But… the Emperor was hiding in this secret passage?
The more Cheng Xuan thought about it, the more confused he became. He continued:
“The capital is in danger, why is Your Majesty hiding in a cave? Are you abandoning the capital, abandoning your people?”
Lou Mi wanted to yell back at him!
His incessant chatter made her head pound even more.
Didn’t he know villains always died from talking too much?
She ignored his taunts and continued running with Chi Lin!
Cheng Xuan was surprised by their speed; even his trained Imperial Guards couldn’t catch up.
But it didn’t matter. He had observed the passage when he entered. One end led to the mountainside, the other to a cliff overlooking the sea.
Even if there were other exits, unless they could fly or teleport, they couldn’t escape his net.
Arrows and spears flew past them. Chi Lin, while running, deflected every attack.
But the passage eventually came to an end. Lou Mi stopped abruptly, almost colliding with Chi Lin.
“It’s… a dead end.” Lou Mi said breathlessly.
The salty sea breeze, whipping through Chi Lin’s hair, confirmed it. There was nowhere left to go.
Below the cliff, dozens of meters down, was the raging sea. It was the middle of the night, the sea was dark, only a few jagged rocks visible.
The crashing waves against the cliffs and rocks made Lou Mi’s heart tremble.
She saw the serene moon in the sky, her soul almost drawn to it.
It reminded her of a similar night, waiting restlessly in a courtyard filled with peonies for Chi Lin’s arrival.
She had waited for a long time, so long that she thought Lin Jie wouldn’t come, that she would never see Chi Lin again.
But Chi Lin had come.
That night, she had seen the real Chi Lin, heard her confession of love.
The memory brought a smile to her face.
A deep cut appeared on Chi Lin’s wrist. There were more Imperial Guards than she had anticipated. In that moment of life and death, she saw Lou Mi smiling…
“Your Majesty,” Chi Lin had to interrupt her reverie, “the situation is critical, you should focus.”
Lou Mi turned around, facing the approaching Imperial Guards.
Many rebels had infiltrated the Imperial Guard, but those following Cheng Xuan were genuine soldiers, loyal to the throne, but knowing that the Emperor was dead and Dayuan was doomed, they had chosen to side with the rebels to survive.
But as Lou Mi turned, her imperial aura immediately suppressed the approaching guards.
Everyone present finally saw clearly. This was the Emperor of Dayuan!
She wasn’t dead!
Cheng Xuan stepped forward, scrutinizing Lou Mi in the torchlight.
“Are you unable to recognize who stands before you, Commander?”
Lou Mi, her hands clasped behind her back, looked at Cheng Xuan coldly.
Cheng Xuan didn’t speak or move. Chi Lin noticed his hesitation, he was truly intimidated by Lou Mi.
Chi Lin glanced at Lou Mi, suppressing her amusement.
The others couldn’t tell anything was amiss because, although they were the Emperor’s personal guard, familiar with her appearance and physique, they didn’t truly know her. They couldn’t detect that this body was now inhabited by a soul from hundreds of years in the future.
Lou Mi had said she had regained the Empress’s memories, but whether she remembered everything was uncertain, their earlier conversation interrupted by the guards. Chi Lin didn’t know for sure.
But judging by Lou Mi’s behavior and tone, she was putting on an act.
Fortunately, she had pretended to be the Empress before, and Chi Lin had corrected her self-address.
Now, facing Cheng Xuan and the others, her performance was impeccable, leaving them stunned.
So, there was a use for her dramatic tendencies after all…
The Imperial Guards’ hands trembled as they held their weapons.
If the Emperor wasn’t dead, and they killed her now, they would be guilty of regicide!
Even if no one pursued it now, who knew who would win in the upcoming power struggle?
When the time came, those guilty of regicide would be punished, a crime punishable by the extermination of their entire clan!
No one wanted to bear such a heavy burden, and they hesitated.
Cheng Xuan also had doubts. Was this truly the Emperor? She seemed too real.
Lou Mi inwardly praised her acting skills. If they filmed this scene, she might even win an award.
She didn’t say much, knowing that talking too much would expose her, and her head was still throbbing.
Cheng Xuan bowed to Lou Mi, his eyes glued to her:
“Your Majesty, please don’t misunderstand, I’m here to protect you.” Cheng Xuan, a seasoned veteran, was a master of deception. He glared at Chi Lin.
“This traitor has been exiled, yet she returned to the capital in the dead of night, even holding Your Majesty hostage and attempting to harm you! Your Majesty, don’t be deceived by her lies, come to my side, and I shall execute this traitor immediately!”
Lou Mi sneered: “Why did Guaren exile the Chi clan, has your master not informed you, Commander? Who is truly deceiving Guaren, you know better than anyone.”
Lou Mi’s clear and logical words surprised Chi Lin.
Perhaps the recent joys of a relationship had made Lou Mi a bit too playful, clouding Chi Lin’s judgment.
Lou Mi was actually intelligent and composed under pressure.
As the captain of Nine Heavens, the champion of Return to Jianghu, her mental fortitude and quick thinking were exceptional.
Cheng Xuan couldn’t find any flaws in her act, and as he hesitated, Lou Mi turned to the soldiers and said:
“The capital has fallen, our nation is on the brink of collapse, and you, as soldiers of Dayuan, are surrounding Guaren instead of fighting the enemy?! If the war reaches your homes, endangering your families, you will be the ones to blame! If you have any conscience left, you should know what your priority should be!”
Lou Mi adapted a similar line from the NPC emperor in Return to Jianghu, and her words seemed to sway some of the guards.
She was grateful that her years of gaming experience were in an ancient-style game; some of the logic translated well to this situation.
If she played a space exploration game, she would be completely lost.
Seeing some of the guards exchange glances, Lou Mi added:
“If you change your minds now and follow Guaren, I swear, in the name of the Emperor, that I will pardon all your past transgressions!”
Lou Mi’s performance exceeded Chi Lin’s expectations. Some of the guards actually stepped forward and addressed her as “Your Majesty…”
Cheng Xuan knew he couldn’t let this continue, these simple-minded soldiers might actually be swayed.
If they turned against him, his victory would be jeopardized.
He signaled to Liang Zheng, who drew his sword and charged forward.
Chi Lin blocked Lou Mi, and Liang Zheng, shouting “Protect the Emperor!”, swung his sword at Chi Lin.
He seemed to be aiming for Chi Lin, but his true target was Lou Mi.
Chi Lin wouldn’t let him succeed. She parried his attack, and as Liang Zheng tried to press his advantage, Chi Lin’s sword, swift as lightning, struck his shoulder.
Liang Zheng, startled, stumbled back as blood spurted from his wound. He hadn’t even seen her move.
“Don’t panic!” Cheng Xuan also drew his sword, attacking Chi Lin from the other side.
He shouted to the guards, “There are so many of us, can’t we take down one traitor?! Protect the Emperor! Whoever kills her will be handsomely rewarded!”
Seeing their lieutenant attack, and lured by the promise of reward, some of the hesitant guards joined the fight.
Liang Zheng knew that Chi Lin was a general, renowned for her martial arts skills, and their brief exchange confirmed it.
But she was a woman, no matter how skilled, her strength couldn’t match a man’s.
With a new strategy, Liang Zheng attacked again, his sword clashing against Chi Lin’s, each blow aimed at overwhelming her with brute force.
Chi Lin saw through his intentions. As two more guards joined the fight, she held them all off with a single sword.
Liang Zheng, trying to force her to the ground, his arm trembling and his face red with exertion, found Chi Lin unyielding, like a rock.
Three men couldn’t subdue one woman?!
If it were her modern body, Chi Lin might have been defeated.
But she was in her own body now, her honed and battle-tested body!
With a powerful swing, she forced the three men back, disarming one of them.
She spun around, her knee slamming into Liang Zheng’s nose, breaking it instantly.
Using Liang Zheng’s shoulder as leverage, she leaped into the air, her sword flashing, leaving two more guards with bleeding necks, eliminating two more enemies.
Cheng Xuan seized the opportunity and attacked as Chi Lin landed, her stance unstable. She saw his sword coming towards her back.
She braced herself for the impact, ready for a counterattack, but Lou Mi, picking up the weapon Chi Lin had disarmed earlier, blocked Cheng Xuan’s attack.
Chi Lin immediately reacted, kicking Cheng Xuan in the stomach.
His armor absorbed some of the impact, but he still winced in pain. He made a split-second decision, trying to grab Lou Mi as a hostage, to threaten Chi Lin.
Chi Lin’s ferocity came from her battlefield experience, while the Emperor, always within the palace walls, only gave commands. Even if she had some martial arts training, her combat experience was lacking. Capturing her should be easy.
Cheng Xuan lunged towards Lou Mi.
Lou Mi seemed to have anticipated this. If she were Cheng Xuan, she would do the same.
Cheng Xuan glared at her, trying to intimidate her.
A panicked prey was easier to capture.
But Lou Mi wasn’t scared at all. She met his gaze, unflinching.
How could she be intimidated?
She had faced dungeon bosses a hundred times uglier and five hundred times larger than Cheng Xuan without flinching, let alone a human!
Years of holographic gaming, especially the intense professional matches, had given her ample combat experience.
Although she hadn’t fought for her life in the real world, now, back in her Emperor’s body, her memories returning, her confidence soaring, combined with her gaming skills, Lou Mi attacked Cheng Xuan head-on.
Cheng Xuan, surprised by her aggression, raised his arm to block.
It was a feint. As she disrupted his balance, Lou Mi attacked from the side, her blade slicing upwards, aiming for his chin.
Cheng Xuan, startled, quickly dodged.
The blade missed his head but sliced off his ear.
He cried out in pain, clutching his bleeding ear, and stumbled back.
Everyone was stunned. Who would have thought the Emperor was so agile, taking down an opponent before Chi Lin could even react?
Chi Lin smiled inwardly. HighTowerMiyuki never missed first blood, living up to her reputation.
Losing an ear enraged Cheng Xuan, and, forgetting all decorum, he attacked with renewed ferocity.
Lou Mi and Chi Lin fought together, their coordination as seamless as in the game.
They parried every attack, and Chi Lin found opportunities to inflict several wounds on Cheng Xuan.
Liang Zheng, his face covered in blood, shouted to the Imperial Guards, “Kill the traitor! A reward of ten thousand taels of silver!”
He then joined the fight, and the remaining guards attacked simultaneously!
Despite their skill, outnumbered and cornered, Lou Mi and Chi Lin were forced to retreat.
Cheng Xuan saw his chance and swung his sword at Lou Mi. Chi Lin quickly blocked the attack, the blade slicing her arm, spraying blood on Cheng Xuan and Liang Zheng’s faces.
“Little Lin!” Lou Mi cried out, her heart aching, but Chi Lin, seemingly oblivious to the pain, pulled Lou Mi behind her.
Cheng Xuan and Liang Zheng pressed their advantage, forcing Lou Mi and Chi Lin to the edge of the cliff.
“Your Majesty,” Cheng Xuan sneered, licking the blood from his lips, “stop struggling. Come to my side, and I promise you won’t be harmed.”
Liang Zheng wiped the blood from his face, and the other guards formed a semi-circle, blocking all escape routes.
Liang Zheng laughed: “Nowhere left to run!”
Actually, there was one place they could go.
The guiding star and the moon were still aligned. Through a body of water, they could travel through time.
And there was no larger body of water than the sea below.
But the jagged rocks and the sheer drop made it a desperate gamble.
They had no other choice.
Chi Lin looked back at Lou Mi: “Do you trust me, Your Majesty?”
Lou Mi answered immediately, “Yes, of course!”
“Are you afraid to die here with me?”
Lou Mi’s heart surged, and, holding Chi Lin’s hand, she spoke the words echoing in her mind:
“To the Yellow Springs or the Azure Sky, we shall never be parted.”
Chi Lin gazed at her, her eyes reddening, then she smiled.
“Okay.” She embraced Lou Mi and turned to face the sea. “Never be parted!”
Cheng Xuan’s heart sank. They were going to jump!
They leaped without hesitation. Cheng Xuan lunged forward and grabbed Chi Lin’s ankle.
Chi Lin kicked him in the face, sending him sprawling.
Cheng Xuan lost his balance and fell, screaming.
Fortunately, Liang Zheng grabbed his arm.
“Right Commander…” Liang Zheng felt Cheng Xuan’s weight pulling him down. Cheng Xuan, his face pale, clung to Liang Zheng’s arm desperately.
Liang Zheng was being pulled closer to the edge, unable to pull Cheng Xuan up.
The other guards grabbed Liang Zheng’s collar, but it was too late.
The collar ripped, and both Liang Zheng and Cheng Xuan plunged into the dark sea…
Chi Lin held Lou Mi as they fell, quickly smearing her blood on Lou Mi’s lips.
“Take a deep breath!” Chi Lin shouted. Lou Mi inhaled sharply. With a loud splash, they hit the water.
The icy water stung Chi Lin’s skin. She shielded Lou Mi from the impact, her back slamming against the sharp, jagged rocks, the pain making her vision darken. She coughed up blood.
The impact knocked Lou Mi unconscious momentarily, but then the water seemed to dissipate, and she could breathe again.
Her consciousness returned, and she found herself back in the abyss.
It was quiet. She was still in the Empress’s body, and Chi Lin’s soul, also not returned to its modern body, was floating about two meters away.
Lou Mi swam towards Chi Lin, who was frowning, her eyes closed, blood seeping from her mouth and dissolving into the darkness.
Lou Mi called her name, but there was no sound.
She didn’t dare to shake Chi Lin, knowing she must have been injured protecting her, any movement would only worsen her condition.
Seeing Chi Lin coughing up blood, Lou Mi’s tears flowed freely. She embraced Chi Lin tightly.
As if sensing her distress, Chi Lin opened her eyes.
She tried to smile, but the effort was too much.
This injury was worse than the car accident, she must have hit the rocks.
Last time, Chi Lin had also been injured, and Lou Mi, despite being the one protected, had spent days in the hospital, while Chi Lin, after switching bodies, had been perfectly fine!
Would they be alright if they returned to their original bodies?
Lou Mi immediately pulled Chi Lin downwards.
Their original bodies were healthy, if their souls returned, Chi Lin would be fine!
It had to work!
Lou Mi was convinced her logic was flawless!
Chi Lin, weak and unable to speak, leaned against Lou Mi, offering no reassurance, making Lou Mi even more anxious.
Where were their bodies?!
Just as Lou Mi was panicking, Chi Lin’s fingers, gripping her hand, tightened slightly.
A small gesture of reassurance—I’m still alive.
Even this small gesture calmed Lou Mi’s frantic heart, and she swam downwards faster.
She found their bodies.
As they descended, their souls naturally separated from their current bodies.
The abyss seemed to have an invisible boundary, and crossing it triggered the separation.
Lou Mi guided Chi Lin back to her body. After a moment of adjustment, Lou Mi regained control.
Chi Lin also opened her eyes.
Thank goodness!
Just as a smile appeared on Lou Mi’s face, Chi Lin closed her eyes again, her brow furrowed, one hand pressed against her lower back.
The pain was still there.
Chi Lin’s mind was clearer now, but the pain was more intense, making her break out in a cold sweat.
Why…?
Was it because this was her real body, the connection stronger, making the pain more acute?
There was no time to think. Floating like this was unbearable. Chi Lin gestured downwards, urging them to return.
Lou Mi understood and helped her swim down.
They broke through the surface with a splash. Lou Mi supported Chi Lin as they climbed out of the bathtub.
Chi Lin, clinging to the edge of the tub, ignoring the searing pain in her back, pulled herself out and collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air.
Lou Mi, choking on a mouthful of water, coughed violently, then rushed to Chi Lin’s side.
“Little… cough, cough… Little Lin, are you alright?”
Chi Lin was drenched, her brow still furrowed.
Lou Mi grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her: “Can you get up? The bathroom floor is too cold, you can’t lie here!”
Chi Lin suddenly remembered something, opened her eyes, and reached behind her weakly: “The letters…”
“What letters?”
Chi Lin’s hand grasped at nothing.
Lou Mi suddenly remembered the purpose of their journey.
Although she hadn’t seen Dayuan or Shangjing with her own eyes, Chi Lin had been carrying a package and a sword when they met in the secret passage.
The situation had been too urgent, and Lou Mi hadn’t had time to ask what she had brought.
Seeing Chi Lin’s injuries, Lou Mi had been too frantic to think about anything else.
Chi Lin, unable to sit up, weakly grasped Lou Mi’s pinky finger:
“The letters, Your Majesty…”
Lou Mi reassured her, “Don’t worry, wait for me, I’ll go back and get them.”
Lou Mi swallowed Chi Lin’s blood and tried to enter the bathtub again. It worked.
She dived into the abyss, swam towards the light, and saw Chi Lin, still carrying the package.
She entered the Empress’s body, untied the package, and dropped it.
Fortunately, the abyss was vertically aligned. The inanimate package slowly descended, and Lou Mi, returning to her own body, retrieved it and swam back.
The abyss was usually calm, but as Lou Mi saw the bathroom lights, she felt a strange ripple.
She looked back cautiously.
The abyss was dark and empty.
Was she being paranoid?
Lou Mi stopped and observed her surroundings carefully. Seeing nothing unusual, she continued swimming.
Her headache had subsided significantly, and she only just remembered it.
Strange, she thought, she seemed to have forgotten something.
What was it…?
This feeling of forgetting something important was unsettling and familiar.
What had she forgotten?
As she tried to remember, her headache returned.
She pushed the thought aside and climbed out of the bathtub, exhausted.
But she couldn’t rest yet.
“I brought them back for you…” Lou Mi held up the dripping wet package.
Chi Lin, now sitting up against the wall, smiled weakly.
“Sister…” Her voice was faint. “Help me, open it.”
Lou Mi, remembering Chi Lin’s true form, that beautiful older sister, blushed at being called “sister.”
“Let me help you inside first,” Lou Mi said.
Chi Lin shook her head, insisting on opening the package first.
Lou Mi relented.
She unwrapped the package. Inside were a stack of waterlogged letters, a hairpin, a jade pendant, a round metal sachet, and a few other small items.
“Oh…” Lou Mi picked up the letters, and water dripped from them.
Chi Lin reached out eagerly, and Lou Mi handed them to her.
Chi Lin carefully opened the letters. Some were stuck together, others were completely soaked and disintegrating.
The ink had bled, blurring the words.
Her Majesty’s thoughts, inspirations, and affections, written word by word, were gone.
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