A Shocking Dream

Yuanyuan finished speaking, gazing at the wildfires in the distance. She felt like a lost child, lost and bewildered, not knowing where to turn. It had happened so suddenly, and it was understandable that her uncle-master hadn't been able to attend to her for a while. After all, there were so many other sisters in the sect. Although Yuanyuan understood her uncle-master's predicament, she couldn't hide her disappointment.

"Yuanyuan, it's okay. Don't be sad or disappointed. Master-uncle and sister won't abandon you." Yuanyuan tried to comfort herself, but it was difficult to hide her inner emotions. Although she was comforting herself, the look she gave towards the mountain fire betrayed her.

Qin Ruoyu looked at Yuanyuan's pitiful appearance and felt sorry for her. He reached out and gently touched her head, saying softly, "Your uncle came to see me. She told me to take care of you for a while and she would come back to find you."

"Really? Big brother, you can't lie to me." Yuanyuan thought Qin Ruoyu was lying to her and her emotions did not ease.

"When have I ever lied to you?" Yuanyuan turned to look at him, her bright eyes looking very well-behaved.

"Let's go down the mountain first. General Yang's troops will arrive at dawn." Qin Rongchen said as he walked ahead.

"The Empress Dowager actually sent General Yang Xu here. Now that General Yang Xu is out of the city, doesn't that mean my father already knows that I'm in Qiuluo Mountain?" Qin Ruoyu was a little worried. He knew very well that if his father found out that he was in Qiuluo Mountain, he would definitely blame him for not doing his job and not attending classes properly after he returned to Beijing.

"He doesn't know you are in Qiuluo Mountain. He sent General Yang Xu to help me search for the treasure. The Queen Mother and I didn't tell him about the letter you wrote." Qin Rongchen's words seemed to have a deeper meaning. He said he was helping, but in fact he was keeping an eye on his every move.

"There is no treasure at all in Qiuluo Mountain. I wrote this letter just to ask the Empress Dowager to send you here so that you won't get so close to Yunshuang. This way, you won't be able to contact her after you leave the capital." Qin Ruoyu truthfully told the purpose of his letter.

"Don't worry about Yunshuang and me."

"How is she now? She's not dead, is she?"

"I don't know either. I haven't looked for her since we separated from the palace that day. But there's been no news of her death from the Jinyu Courtyard. I'm afraid it's not what you wished for, she's not dead."

"Have you found the assassin?" Qin Ruoyu discovered that the emperor's uncle sometimes spoke in a sarcastic tone.

Qin Rongchen and Qin Ruoyu took Yuanyuan walking on the mountain road. The fallen leaves under their feet rustled, as if telling an ancient story.

Qin Rongchen tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on Qin Ruoyu. "No, I saw you leaving the city that day, but I didn't expect you to come to Qiuluo Mountain. From her tone just now, I can tell that this little girl is a disciple of the Su Nu Sect. How much contact do you have with the Su Nu Sect?"

Qin Ruoyu's heart tightened, and he almost told Lin Bingshuang that he came to see her. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and changed his words in time, "Of course I came... to check if there is any treasure." At this moment, a fallen leaf quietly fell on Qin Ruoyu's shoulder, as if reminding him of his lie.

Qin Rongchen's eyes were deep. He knew Qin Ruoyu was lying, but he didn't intend to expose her. They continued walking in silence, only the sound of fallen leaves being crushed underfoot echoing in the silent forest. The surrounding trees were tall and straight. If it weren't for Yuanyuan's lantern, they would have been shrouded in darkness.

After a while, Qin Rongchen broke the silence, "You are the crown prince, don't have too much contact with people in the martial arts world, so as to avoid being criticized in the court."

Qin Ruoyu lowered his head slightly, "Uncle Emperor is right. I will pay attention to it next time." But he was thinking of Kankan in his heart. He clearly remembered seeing her before he fell into a coma, the woman who made him worry. Qin Ruoyu was glad that Yuanyuan was by his side. Otherwise, he was afraid that after this separation, he would never see Kankan again. He didn't know why he cared about her so much. Maybe it was the stubbornness and mystery in her eyes that attracted him.

Qin Rongchen looked at Qin Ruoyu, lost in thought, and knew that his nephew had already made up his mind. He sighed softly, "Ruoyu, you must understand that your identity is special. Every move you make may affect the future of Daqi." The air around them seemed to grow heavy with these words.

Qin Ruoyu raised his head, his eyes firm, "Uncle, I know. But sometimes, I also want to do something I want to do."

They continued walking, the scenery of Qiuluo Mountain constantly changing around them. Qin Ruoyu's thoughts were like a tangled mess, and he didn't know how to face this complex emotion and responsibility.

"Uncle, now that you are here, do you still miss her?" After a moment's silence, Qin Ruoyu bravely asked.

A gentle mountain breeze rustled the leaves. Qin Rongchen's eyes flickered slightly, as if a myriad of thoughts were surging through them. After a long pause, he slowly spoke, "She's not here. I'm just worried about whether her injuries have improved."

Qin Ruoyu stared at his uncle, Qin Rongchen, bewildered. This irrelevant answer left him completely baffled. "Lin Bingshuang was injured? Did you see her when you came here?" Qin Ruoyu remembered Lin Bingshuang as a skilled martial artist; it was unimaginable that she would be injured. "Uncle, did you see her injured when you came here?" Qin Ruoyu asked again, his eyes filled with confusion.

"It's so tiring to listen to you guys talk. Why don't you just say it directly instead of beating around the bush?" Yuanyuan, who was standing by, couldn't help but complain when she heard the uncle and nephew talking in a roundabout way.

"Yuanyuan, the emperor's uncle and I are not talking about the same person." Qin Ruoyu hurriedly explained.

"You're talking about...ah!" Suddenly, a venomous snake dangled from the tree trunk, sending Yuanyuan screaming in fright. The lantern fell to the ground, extinguished by the candlelight within. The snake spitted its tongue, and Qin Ruoyu and Qin Rongchen reacted instantly. Qin Rongchen darted forward, waving his folding fan and sending the snake flying with pinpoint accuracy.

Yuanyuan turned pale with fear, her body trembling slightly. Qin Ruoyu quickly stepped forward to comfort her: "Yuanyuan, don't be afraid, we are here." Qin Rongchen looked around vigilantly, in case there was any other danger.

"I'm afraid there's more than one venomous snake," Qin Ruoyu said with a frown. Qin Rongchen pondered for a moment, "Qiuluo Mountain has a complex terrain. There may be dangers we're not aware of. We need to be extra careful."

After this incident, Qin Ruoyu and Qin Rongchen carefully protected Yuanyuan and continued to move forward. Yuanyuan also followed them closely, not daring to speak casually.

Without lanterns, visibility in the mountains was extremely limited. Qin Ruoyu, Qin Rongchen, and Yuanyuan cautiously groped their way forward.

The surroundings were so quiet that only the sound of their footsteps and breathing could be heard. Qin Ruoyu couldn't help but feel a little nervous. He tried to open his eyes wide, trying to see the surrounding environment clearly, but apart from the vague shadows of trees and the occasional flash of unidentified objects, he could see nothing clearly.

Qin Rongchen's face was solemn. With years of experience, he carefully judged the direction. He walked in front, always keeping vigilant, fearing that any danger would suddenly appear.

Yuanyuan clung tightly to the corner of Qin Ruoyu's clothes, her eyes filled with fear. In the darkness, every slightest sound could make her jump with fear.

"Uncle, what should we do? Without lanterns, it will be difficult for us to find a way out." Qin Ruoyu said in a low voice.

Qin Rongchen was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Don't panic. We can only move forward based on our feelings and memories. Watch your step and be careful not to fall."

They took arduous steps, each one filled with uncertainty and anxiety. The mystery and danger of Qiuluo Mountain became increasingly prominent in the darkness, and they could only rely on each other and strive to find the dawn of hope.