The eldest daughter's scheming, the crown prince's exclusive favor to the venomous concubi

"No, it was your mother who made him leave. She said that even if she couldn't save both of them, she had to save the child. At that time, in Qiu Zhennan's eyes, your mother was already dying, bleeding from all seven orifices, and the Qiu family was about to arrive."

As Xingke spoke, he frowned slightly, seemingly lost in thought, and said, "We don't know why your mother is like this, or what the Gu Master said to her. Anyway, before the Qiu family arrived, Qiu Zhennan took your sister and ran away. Then, the Gu Master suddenly appeared and placed you next to her. She was holding you when the Qiu family discovered this and took you back to the Qiu family and locked you in the cellar."

Jian Yue couldn't accept this fact, and she was on the verge of collapse. Hei Feng tried to comfort her, but suddenly heard a loud explosion above her head.

Xingke stared up at the sky, and another deafening roar erupted. Xingke's ears went numb. After a moment, he said, "The search party has arrived. Black Wind, your life isn't so lucky."

Black Wind smiled wryly and said, "Little girl, don't think that just because you've lived a few more years, you can call me whatever you want. Compared to me, you're still too green."

Xingke curled his lips and said, "Yes, I have indeed lived shorter than you, but I have truly loved. Unlike you, an old tree that blooms, but it still only produces iron flowers."

Hei Feng's expression turned slightly pale. He immediately rolled his eyes at Xing Ke and looked at Jian Yue, saying, "Bai Jianan is here. I bet he's demolished Lan Yue Tower."

Upon hearing this, Jian Yue suddenly sneered: "This place is already quite far from Lan Yue Tower. For him to find this place, I have to say, it must have been your doing, right?"

Black Wind shook his head and chuckled, saying, "Even in this state, you can still maintain a good thinking ability. I must say, I'm really very happy."

Jian Yue said with a blank face, "Yes, I have to thank you for your guidance. You told me that no matter what, I should never lose my composure, otherwise, the opponent will always be the victor."

As she spoke, Jian Yue looked at Hei Feng and said, "I don't know if the answers you've given me are true or false, so I will remain uncontrolled by you. What are you going to do?"

Before Hei Feng could finish speaking, the hundred or so armored soldiers suddenly knelt down with a thud. Jian Yue was startled and turned around abruptly. Suddenly, a man stood up and looked at Jian Yue, saying, "Please help us, young lady. We are not afraid of death, but we are afraid of not being able to die. Now, Miss Xing Ke has developed an antidote to cure the Gu worms in our bodies, but the price is our lives."

We are not afraid of death. We have lived for hundreds of years and are already like walking corpses. But we cannot die now. As long as the Gu Master is alive, we cannot die. It is not for the sake of Yue Kingdom, nor for the so-called glory, but for the common people.

"Please, young lady, for the sake of the people of the capital, help us!"

Jian Yue was at a loss for words when asked. If Hei Feng had said these words, she could have mocked him as a fame-seeker. But now, the one who said them was a valiant soldier, a loyal patriot who should have died but had lived for so many years, spending his days in this dark and hopeless world.

How could she possibly refuse?

Jian Yue remained silent. Hei Feng stepped forward, frowned, and rebuked, "Is this how you force a woman? Is this what you believe in for the sake of the people?"

The man remained silent, but Xingke said, "Black Wind, your dignity was trampled under your feet when you killed your master with your own hands. Now, you have no right to say these things. The one who has the right is not us, but this disciple you have taught."

Jian Yue looked at Hei Feng, who remained silent, his expression tense, seemingly lost in thought. Xing Ke, on the other hand, looked at Jian Yue and continued, "The Phoenix Maiden and the Phoenix Goddess are destined to fight to the death. Whether it's fate or not, it's already a fact. So, whatever your choice, you must continue on this path."

Therefore, Phoenix Maiden, you don't need to feel guilty towards us. Sometimes, your inaction might actually be for our own good. Black Wind, send her up there.

Hei Feng stepped forward and patted Jian Yue on the shoulder. Jian Yue looked up at Xing Ke and asked after a long while, "Do you still have any relatives alive?"

Xing Ke paused, then looked at Jian Yue. Jian Yue said, "I've met someone who looks somewhat like you. If he's a relative of yours, that would be wonderful news."

Xingke's body trembled violently as Jian Yue spoke. She rushed to Jian Yue's side and asked, "What did you say? Who is he? Where is he?"

Jian Yue was taken aback, and said inexplicably, "Could it really be your relative? But shouldn't you know everything? If a relative is missing, can't you just look for them?"

Singk immediately retorted angrily, "What do you know? Every single thing you want to know, we've searched for it with all our might! How can we use our power on ourselves?"

Jian Yue was left speechless and said uncertainly, "But even if we don't use our own strength, wouldn't it be enough to just put up a missing person notice somewhere else?"

Xingke smiled bitterly and said, "It's not that simple. Our clan was wiped out, and my great-grandfather was infected with a Gu worm, making it impossible for him to have children. We were born because of my grandfather. Our bloodline cannot continue, but we still want to pass on the art of divination and medicine. All we want is to find another paradise in this small place."

However, how could they abandon the deep-seated blood feud within their clan? That's why my great-grandfather adopted my grandfather. Unfortunately, my grandfather was frail and only had my father as his son. My father was raised by my great-grandfather single-handedly, and only died content after my father had fully inherited his dying wish.

Jian Yue frowned: "Was it your great-grandfather who developed those antidotes that could completely wipe out the armored soldiers?"

"Yes, my grandfather experimented on his own body, and it was a success."

As Xingke continued speaking, she said, "After my great-grandfather died, while my grandfather was still alive, my father married and had children, which led to my brother and me."

So, my grandfather and father passed on all their knowledge to us. We thought everything was going smoothly, but my grandfather suddenly divined a preordained calamity. He then set out for my father and mother to take me away, while he and my brother fled in another direction, seeking that insignificant glimmer of hope.

By some miracle, we escaped our pursuers and even managed to contact the armored soldiers of the Shangguan family. However, we lost contact with my grandfather and elder brother. Fortunately, my father's divination indicated that my brother and grandfather were still alive.

At this point, Xingke suddenly burst into tears, tears welling up in his eyes, his teenage face filled with helplessness and confusion.

“My father consulted the oracle every day to search for the whereabouts of the two men, but he never found them. Perhaps it was fate playing tricks on him. Twenty years ago, my father’s divination showed that my grandfather had passed away. He was so anxious that he fell into a deep sleep and never woke up. After that, my mother also died of grief, leaving me alone, still bearing the mission left by my father.”

After Xingke finished speaking, she quickly wiped away her tears, turned her head and smiled, "Sorry, I rarely get this sentimental."

Jian Yue shrugged and said, "It's okay. You're very beautiful. I really can't imagine that you would be someone who has met my mother before."

Xingke lowered his eyes and smiled, his lips curving upwards, giving him a more approachable air.

He said, "My brother and I are twins. Because there are many medicinal herbs in our family, and their properties can be mutually reinforcing or incompatible, we have been weak since birth. Therefore, when we were born, my grandfather prepared medicine for us according to the prescription left by my great-grandfather to enhance our resistance to medicine."

Afterwards, we wandered from place to place, and fearing something might happen to us again, my grandfather obtained the medicine that my great-grandfather called a forbidden drug and gave it to us. Therefore, we can live longer than you, but we will not achieve immortality.”

At this point, another thunderous sound came from above. Black Wind rubbed his temples and said angrily, "That little brat, he's not very capable, but he knows how to make a scene. I really want to go up and teach him a lesson."

Upon hearing this, Jian Yue's gaze changed, and she looked directly at Hei Feng. Hei Feng shrugged helplessly: "Then let's go, or this place will really collapse."

Jian Yue retorted sarcastically, "If it can collapse with just this one commotion, how could it possibly last for hundreds of years? Just because Master is carefree doesn't mean I'm bad at math, does it?"

Xingke then chimed in, "I'm afraid his real intentions are not what they seem. Black Wind Commander has been lonely for hundreds of years; he must be itching to get back to work."

Hei Feng was somewhat annoyed and glared at Xing Ke, but Jian Yue suddenly burst into laughter. Not caring whether she was a woman or not, she said without any restraint, "What does it matter? When we get out, I, as your disciple, will find you a few girls to cultivate your character."

Black Wind's heart sank suddenly, the pain making it hard to breathe. He frowned, and said calmly, "Stop talking nonsense. Are you leaving or not?"

Jian Yue and Xing Ke exchanged glances, then Jian Yue shrugged and said, "That's just how old people are. What? You want to come with me?"

Xingke was taken aback, somewhat at a loss. Jian Yue smiled and said, "Come on! Hei Feng can take responsibility for your personal safety. As for you, just take responsibility for making me believe what you say."

Xingke immediately said unhappily, "I never lie. If a prophet lies, he will be punished by God and die a terrible death, or even lose his ability to divine. Why would I need to do it intentionally?"

Jian Yue smiled and said, "But with you here, can the information that others pass on to you really give you complete control over the whole situation? And your divination, apart from being able to predict the outcome, probably can't predict the course of events!"

As you said, my sisters and I were all tricked into this scheme by that Gu master. You knew this, but you didn't know the timing. And every time, he was ahead of you, and he did everything himself. Why couldn't you go out and see for yourself? Why couldn't you stand in the position to defend yourself and wait for him to come?"

Xingke fell silent, a hint of hesitation in his eyes. Jian Yue smiled without speaking, glanced at Hei Feng, and turned to walk back the way they had come. Hei Feng walked up to Xingke and said softly:

"Going out is not necessarily a bad thing. Since you don't have the bloodline of the clan, the Gu Master will definitely not be able to determine who you are. Just like your brother, who has been wandering alone in the world for so many years and is still safe and sound, isn't he?"