He Lan Tianxia

After calling Jiang He several times without getting a response, Murong Junlan guessed that Jiang He was in danger—no, it was that Jiang He and the others were all in danger. Murong Junlan turned to look at Yan'er, who was still fast asleep in the wooden tub. His brows furrowed, and his right hand moved swiftly. A hidden arrow shot out from the roof with a "whoosh," heading straight for the breach in the cave.

There was no movement. Murong Junlan fired two more hidden arrows, which also landed silently. Hmm? Murong Junlan finally realized how formidable the pale-faced scholar was; this seemingly idle scholar might be hiding many secrets. However, one thing Murong Junlan was certain of was that he absolutely could not leave this house. Murong Junlan now regretted it a little; he shouldn't have come to the pale-faced scholar for treatment in the first place, after all, the martial world was dangerous.

An afternoon passed without a sound. Night gradually fell, a crescent moon hung in the sky, and an indescribable chill filled the air. Murong Junlan, worried that his Yan'er was getting cold, kept the sap in the wooden tub warm with firewood. Suddenly, there was a sound from the tub. Murong Junlan immediately turned around and saw his Yan'er still in the same position, her eyes unmoved. Hmm? Where did that sound come from? Murong Junlan carefully checked Yan'er and called her name softly a few more times, but there was no response. Could those sounds not have come from Yan'er? If not, then who could it be?

Murong Junlan paced back and forth in the house, unable to figure it out. Around midnight, he felt his eyelids getting heavy and yawned several times. To keep himself awake, he pinched his thighs hard with both hands, but his eyelids still stubbornly closed. He slapped himself twice, finally regaining a moment of clarity. He decided to pick up Yan'er and leave, so he went to the wooden tub, took Yan'er out, changed her into dry clothes, and carried her towards the door. Before he even reached the threshold, they both tumbled heavily to the ground…

The pale-faced scholar pushed open the door, picked up the woman, and walked straight into the dilapidated cave. His page followed closely behind, doing nothing except throwing Murong Junlan into the column of white powder as instructed by the scholar. The scholar reached the broken wall of the cave, and the page pushed against it, creating a rumbling sound as a door suddenly appeared. This door was difficult to spot because of its dilapidated appearance. Inside, a winding stone staircase led down to a white jade bed, where the scholar set the woman down. He turned to look at the page, his expression impatient, a chill emanating from him. The page belatedly realized he shouldn't have come in. He turned to leave, but the scholar spoke.

"Throw those people into the cellar."

"Yes, young master." The page left.

The pale-faced scholar gazed at the woman on the white jade bed, his expression softening with tenderness and affection. He reached out to touch her face, but his hand froze in mid-air. He then gently brushed a few stray strands of hair from her face behind her ear. Finally, the pale-faced scholar simply sat on the edge of the white jade bed and murmured to himself:

“Sister Yan, why, why, no matter which time and space, are you always with him? And I, I’m always just an observer?” The pale-faced scholar suddenly grabbed the woman’s hand, venting his suppressed resentment as he said, “I’m not reconciled, I’m absolutely not reconciled. I know you can feel my breath, right? Touch it, my heart is pounding for you.” The pale-faced scholar rested his head against the woman’s, his gaze both persistent and vacant. “Actually, I really hope you never wake up, so I can keep you by my side forever.”

The woman remained unconscious, and the pale-faced scholar sat by her bedside all night, even having his servant bring several jars of spicy distilled liquor, watching her drink alone until dawn. The next morning, as the scholar was drinking alone, his servant rushed in, reporting that Prince Murong and his men were missing. The scholar's face remained expressionless, as if it were expected. After a moment, he parted his thin lips and slowly said:

"Go and get ready, I'm getting married tonight."

"What?! Young Master is getting married? To this Sleeping Beauty?" The pageboy's mouth dropped open, unable to close. The pale-faced scholar had always been indifferent to worldly desires; why would he suddenly make such a big decision? But a pageboy is a pageboy after all; since his master had given the order, he had to get to work. The poor pageboy scrambled around, finally managing to get two large red lanterns to hang up. Then he lit two red candles, added a few jars of spicy antique to the table, and that was his bridal chamber.

"Alright. Close the door tightly." The pale-faced scholar seemed satisfied. He walked to the white jade bed and helped the woman up. He then went to the table and poured two cups of nuptial wine. He placed one cup in the woman's hand and picked up the other cup with his other hand. Then he smiled slightly at the woman and said, "Sister Yan, you have waited for ten thousand years. Perhaps you have long forgotten who I am. It doesn't matter. As long as I remember who you are, that's enough."

After a pause, the pale-faced scholar muttered to himself, "You're only truly adorable when you're asleep. You know what? Actually, this Spicy Eagle Wine was brewed especially for you. I know you love wine, especially the spicier it is, so I searched high and low, tasted all sorts of grains, failed countless times, and wore out many pairs of shoes, but for you, I didn't give up. Finally, I invented Spicy Eagle Wine. I knew you would come back, you definitely would come back, but why are you with him again? If you hadn't been with him back then, you wouldn't have died, you wouldn't have died, you know? He wasn't your destiny, no, I was..." With that, the pale-faced scholar downed both cups of wine in one gulp.

The pale-faced scholar smiled, a smile that was both comforting and poignant, revealing the deep affection in his eyes.

"Do not lament the chaos of the world, for I only wish to have you by my side." The pale-faced scholar put down his cup, sat down beside the woman, and rested his head against hers. He continued to murmur, "Sister Yan, promise me that from now on, we will be inseparable. Rest assured, I will never let you wake up. In this way, we will be together forever... Remember, your destiny is me."

Suddenly, there was a loud "boom" outside, but the pale-faced scholar seemed not to hear it and continued his monologue: "Do you know, the moment I saw you at the inn, I believed in reincarnation, I believed in the fate of past and present lives. Fortunately, my waiting was not in vain. Do you know that your sudden appearance warmed my heart that had been frozen for ten thousand years? I will cherish this reunion today. Oh, by the way, Sister Yan, I should call you my wife now."

The pale-faced scholar turned around, picked up the woman, and said softly as they walked, "My lady, I'm taking you to a place that will surprise you greatly, a place where they can't find us."

The pale-faced scholar suddenly moved his right foot, sending a pebble flying onto a round white stone on the wall. It then bounced to the center of the foot of the white jade bed. With a creaking sound, the white stone bed slowly began to move. When the bed was upright at a 90-degree angle, the scholar, carrying the woman, walked to the center. A puff of white mist emerged, and the two vanished in an instant. The white stone bed then creaked back to its original position. At the same time, the door to the stone cave was flung open with a loud bang.

Murong Junlan rushed in, only to see two red lanterns hanging in the room. Then, noticing the two wine glasses on the table, Murong Junlan frowned; he knew he was too late.

"Your Highness, it seems like these two are drinking nuptial wine?" Luo Xie blurted out.

Murong Junlan's face darkened further. He ordered fiercely, "Luo Xie, go find that little page. Jiang Helingyi, you two search this cave. Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, find the princess."

Luo Xie went out, and the group split up to search the room, but they couldn't find him. Murong Junlan was so angry that she swept the room around, and finally her eyes fell on the white jade bed.

"If the cave walls are fine, then the problem must be with this bed," Lingyi said, circling the white jade bed and making a bold conjecture.

"I think so too, but where is the mechanism?" Jiang He stared at the bed with wide eyes, as if he would stare a hole through it.

"Come on, try moving it." Murong Junlan and the others exerted force together, but the white jade bed did not budge. Suddenly, several beams of light flashed into the stone slab on the bed, and the light spread in all directions. Three streams of white powder swept towards the three people, causing them to sneeze immediately.

"Be careful, the powder might be faulty." As soon as Murong Junlan finished speaking, Jiang He felt an unbearable pain and itching all over his face. Then, blisters appeared on his face, hands, and body at a visible speed.

"Your Highness, what should we do?" Jiang He noticed that blisters were also starting to appear on Murong Junlan's hands.

"Let's try this pill and see if it works?" Murong Junlan tossed a pill into the air for Jiang He to swallow, and he also took one himself. Ling Yi, however, seemed to show no signs of improvement. After taking the pill, it seemed to have no effect, and the blisters continued to grow rapidly. Jiang He dared not utter a sound. Ling Yi watched as the blisters on both of their faces grew larger and larger, almost covering their eyes. Murong Junlan was still desperately searching for them. Finally, Ling Yi couldn't help but speak up.

"Your Highness, you and Guard Jiang go out. I'll go find him."

Murong Junlan seemed not to hear him and continued his frantic actions. He couldn't be more nervous at this moment. Yes, every moment he was delayed in finding his Yan'er would increase the danger. In fact, he had been very careful and on guard, but the pale-faced scholar was using all sorts of underhanded tricks, which led to him being drugged and kept in a daze all night.

Several hours have passed, and there are still no clues.

"Jiang He, push the prince out, or he'll collapse from exhaustion." Seeing that Jiang He couldn't push him, Ling Yi simply used his tail to wrap around Murong Junlan and said loudly, "Your Highness, please forgive me."

Lingyi could understand Murong Junlan's feelings at this moment. His beloved princess, whom he had just regained, had been abducted again before he could even fully embrace her, and now she was unconscious. It was heartbreaking to think about. Jiang He's condition wasn't much better; her face was covered in blisters, though her longing wasn't as intense. Fortunately, Luo Xie returned at this moment. He couldn't find the little pageboy, and when he saw Murong Junlan and Jiang He, he was also shocked, his mouth agape.

Lingyi settled the two back into the pale-faced scholar's room, figuring that the fellow wouldn't dare bring the princess into his trap. To prevent Murong Junlan from going berserk again, Lingyi took the opportunity to press Murong Junlan's acupoints, making him fall asleep peacefully.

"What should we do?" Luo Xie was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the large water bubble.

"First, we need to find the antidote. I suspect the pale-faced scholar used excessive force; he probably has his eye on the Crimson Spirit Pearl in the Princess's womb." Ling Yi carefully examined the large blisters on their faces. He asked Jiang He, "Guard Jiang, how are you feeling right now?"

"The itching and pain are unbearable, and it bleeds if I scratch it." Jiang He dared not scratch, so he could only twist his body awkwardly.

“The pale-faced scholar is skilled in poisoning, so we probably won’t find an antidote for a while,” Ling Yi said confidently. “Alright, Luo Xie Chanyu, you stay here and guard them. I’ll go out and look for them.” With that, Ling Yi darted out the door.

Lingyi, a seasoned traveler, had seen it all, but he had never heard of such a rare and difficult ailment as blisters. He was at a loss for what to do. He stood there, bewildered, under the spruce tree. Just then, a hawk he hadn't seen for days flew over and revealed a shocking secret to Lingyi…

Meanwhile, the pale-faced scholar carried the woman down from under the white jade bed, stopping at a depth of about 500 meters. They walked through a dark path and entered a cellar, which was neatly filled with tens of thousands of jars of Spicy Carving Ancient Wine. The aroma of the wine filled the cellar, and even those who did not drink it could feel somewhat intoxicated just by looking at it.

"Does it smell good?" The pale-faced scholar curved his lips slightly, then continued, "This is the Spicy Carving Ancient Wine I brewed for you thousands of years. I knew you would come back, that you would like it, no, that you would be overjoyed, right? Sister Yan, you must still remember the taste of this wine, right? Smell it, this wine tastes exactly like the tribute wine from back then. Sister Yan, you can actually wake up here. I really want to see the surprise in your eyes, but... but... will you leave me?" The pale-faced scholar turned his gaze to the woman's face; she was still fast asleep. The pale-faced scholar continued, "It doesn't matter. Actually, just being able to hold you is enough for me."

Beyond the wine cellar lies an open space bathed in sunshine, filled with birdsong and the fragrance of flowers. A double rocking chair hangs amidst the blossoms, and not far away, a shallow stream of mountain spring water flows gently through the pebbles. The water is only about a foot deep, and fish swim leisurely and contentedly within it.

The pale-faced scholar placed the woman on a rocking chair, then sat down beside her. He reached for a small pot of wine beside the chair and began to sip it himself.

"I know you always like to enjoy a little wine by yourself in the courtyard of the inner palace. But back then, I wasn't the one sitting next to you. From now on, this place will belong to me." After drinking a cup, the pale-faced scholar leaned back in the rocking chair next to the woman and dozed off. Everything looked so warm and cozy, making one reluctant to disturb it.

On the other side, the eagle encountered the white-haired woman again when the white-faced scholar's cave exploded. Murong Junlan and the other woman were hanging from the old pine tree. At that time, the white-haired woman had already rushed over, intending to kidnap the woman, but suddenly stopped for some reason. The helpless eagle was also greatly puzzled. Then he saw the white-faced scholar, at which point the white-haired woman simply stood there motionless. The eagle looked at the white-faced scholar; he looked somewhat familiar, but couldn't remember who he was. However, someone who could make the white-haired woman hesitate, the eagle still glanced at him a few more times.

After Lingyi and the others brought Murong Junlan and the woman back to the White Stone Courtyard, the white-haired woman went to the winery alone. She ordered a jar of spicy pickled grape wine and began drinking it by herself. After finishing one jar, the white-haired woman ordered ten more. As she drank, the white-haired woman became slightly tipsy and suddenly burst into laughter.

"I never imagined that after ten thousand years, the taste of this wine would remain unchanged, not at all." She grabbed the bartender's arm, her eyes glazed, and asked, "Do you know who I just saw?"

Seeing her like this, the bartender's legs went weak with fright, and he hurriedly said he didn't know. The white-haired woman was displeased and picked up the bartender, saying mysteriously, "I saw my enemy."

Upon hearing this, the bartender was terrified, his nose practically falling off his face. He struggled desperately but couldn't break free from the white-haired woman's clutches. The white-haired woman continued in a sinister tone, "Don't be afraid. He's not my enemy; he's someone else's enemy. Tell me, should I avenge someone else?"

"I don't know." The bartender tried desperately to escape.

"You can't not know, you absolutely must know." The white-haired woman pulled the bartender up, and the bartender immediately felt choked and couldn't breathe.

"Report, report..." The poor bartender grabbed the glass in his hand and threw it away, and the surrounding customers had already fled in fright.

"Then why didn't he show up?" The white-haired woman suddenly remembered the old man and asked through gritted teeth.

"I don't know." The bartender was really unlucky to run into such a madman.

"Is he hiding from me? Or is he really dead?" The white-haired woman continued her madness. "Everyone else is alive, so how could he be dead?" The white-haired woman exerted force again, turning the bartender's face directly towards her. The bartender's eyes widened, and he was so frightened that he almost peed himself.

"Tell me, he's not dead, he's alive, he's alive!" the white-haired woman demanded sharply. Suddenly, as if out of control, she grabbed the bartender and spun him around in the air. The poor bartender was terrified and ran away in a panic. The white-haired woman disdainfully tossed him aside, sending him flying across the haystack before sliding to the ground, where he lay motionless.

The white-haired woman grabbed another jar of spicy distilled liquor and gulped it down. After finishing the rest, she looked around to make sure no one was watching. Then she ran over to the bartender, grabbed the barely alive bartender, and slurred drunkenly, "The pale-faced scholar is... is..." Finally, the white-haired woman collapsed onto the table, exhausted.