The Emperor's Domineering Favor, the Evil Consort's Unparalleled Reign

Ying Li and Yi Bicheng traveled for several days, each cultivating on their own. Naturally, they encountered some injustices along the way. Because of the dangers they had faced at Winter Night Manor, neither of them dared to be too ostentatious. For now, it was best to keep a low profile.

That day, Ying Li looked at Yi Bicheng's slightly anxious profile and finally couldn't help but say, "Brother Yi, ever since the incident at Winter Night Manor, you have been quite absent-minded. What is the reason for this? Why don't you tell me? Even if it can't solve your worries, it can at least offer some comfort. It's not a good idea for you to be anxious on your own."

Seeing that Ying Li had exposed his secret, Yi Bicheng felt embarrassed and his expression stiffened slightly. It seemed that his cultivation was still not up to par, and he could not even hide these emotions. But if he could hide them, what would that woman be?

"Hehe, girl, you have such a sharp eye. You even know this. Looks like I need to eat a few more bowls of rice." Yi Bicheng chuckled self-deprecatingly, his red plum fan dancing rapidly. A gust of cold wind blew against his face, and the man's face turned slightly red. Ying Li, however, could see a lot of sorrow in that slightly red face.

"At the Linshui Pawnshop, you used your Soul Cultivation stage skills to take forbidden drugs to increase your cultivation and killed Jin Yi, suffering serious injuries in the process. Then, while cultivating at Bixia Palace, you resolutely left to go to Dongye Manor in Huai'an Kingdom to obtain the Dongye Spirit Herb, almost losing your life in the process. With these two incidents combined, Brother Yi, how could I not guess the depth of your intentions? If you have any difficulties, feel free to tell me." Ying Li fiddled with the flower arrangement on the table, but his gaze was fixed on Yi Bicheng's slightly rapid breathing.

“A long time ago, I knew an old friend named Wei Lingyun. It was a cold name, and she was a cold person. Everyone said that such a woman was not to be trifled with, that getting involved with her would be like being consumed by a poisonous poppy. Even my mother advised me that her flamboyant, bright, and smiling appearance was like a poisonous poppy goddess. But I refused to believe it. Later, I actually got involved with her, and step by step, I verified the prophecies of others. It really was like being consumed by a poisonous poppy, and the pain was unbearable.” Yi Bicheng laughed self-deprecatingly, but a bitter smile played on his lips.

Ying Li looked at the young man before her. Her eyes were deep, unreadable, but the entwined fingers betrayed her inner thoughts. She wouldn't understand the nature of love, but she had never met a man like him. His mischievous smile was captivating, exuding an indescribable warmth and other unspoken emotions. Yet, this affection was a painful facade, a futile effort made for another woman.

"What's wrong with her?" Ying Li asked softly, as if afraid of breaking something precious. She leaned against the mahogany pillar in Yi Bicheng's room, her light blue dress making her face appear even more elegant.

Yi Bicheng looked up and met Ying Li's indifferent yet clear eyes. He was momentarily stunned. His lips moved slightly, and finally he lowered his head, letting out a few sighs that seemed to last an eternity. "She's dead."

Ying Li froze. She watched as Yi Bicheng slowly raised his head. He was smiling, his eyes bright, yet he showed no trace of sadness. But he was clearly, clearly heartbroken. Ying Li looked at his right hand, gripping the Northern Red Plum Fan tightly. The restrained young man had a distinct, even somewhat gentle, face, but that restrained, veined right hand struck Ying Li's heart again and again.

She couldn't even utter a simple "please accept my condolences," as if saying such a thing would be a form of contempt and desecration towards the young man opposite her.

“Three years ago, she died in a brutal attack. She was only fourteen years old that year, about the same age as you. A continuous downpour that lasted for seven or eight days washed away the filth of Ling'an Kingdom. She loved the rain. During that time, she would always sit on the high platform with a red plum blossom umbrella open, watching the raindrops condense into lines and flow on the ground, reflecting circles of clear and bright water.”

"I remember her distant smile and the genuine joy on her face in the rain. I thought that even if she couldn't see me, I could just quietly watch over her, secretly observe her, and not disturb her. But later I realized I was wrong, terribly wrong. If I had another chance, I would definitely, absolutely, take her back from someone else's arms, no matter what it took. Her beloved cousin watched her die a miserable death. I, who loved her, also let her die silently, with deep despair, dying from a struggle that pierced to the bone."

Yi Bicheng spoke as if no one was around, his hands clasped together, his eyes unfocused as he looked into the distance. At this moment, Ying Li noticed that the wound in the other's eyes was spreading rapidly, and the magnetic field temperature around the boy was dropping continuously, with no critical point, only boundless cold.

"How did she die?" Ying Li asked cautiously. While feeling sorry for the woman who fell in love with her cousin but died under mysterious circumstances, Ying Li was also very concerned about the trajectory of her life.

"Because of her kindness, that kind of kindness that others considered worthless, she was killed. In that rain, there was a filthy beggar who lay by the wall all day, looking pitiful and lonely. She held an umbrella for him in the rain, and then he dragged him to a corner, violated her, and finally, with her last breath, slowly strangled her with his filthy hands, stopping her breathing. That bitch Jin Yi, she witnessed this tragedy, and she aided and abetted the weak cries for help. The last time I saw Ling Yun, she was naked, her mouth twisted, her eyes fixed on the rainy sky. The beggar was gone, and an incredibly powerful spiritual barrier surrounded her."

Yi Bicheng was lost in painful memories, his face filled with deep regret. "If I had another chance, I would definitely keep her by my side and never let her be bullied by others again."

It was a deep sense of regret. Ying Li lowered her arms, which she had been holding. She had never imagined that Yi Bicheng, with his wicked smile, would have such a sorrowful and painful memory. That poor woman died in the prison she had built with her own kindness, and because of this foolish fate, she was doomed forever.

"Winter Night Grass can bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded. Can this herb really be used to save that woman's life?" Ying Li asked earnestly. She hoped that the woman could be brought back to life, but she was also worried that this resurrection would make the woman's life worse than death.

“There’s still one thing missing: the rare treasure of the continent, the Bone Ring. If we have this bracelet, she will definitely wake up.” Yi Bicheng’s eyes were firm. As he spoke, a light suddenly flashed across his face. He was full of hope, as if the woman could wake up in an instant.

After a long while, Yi Bicheng's face returned to its deathly stillness. He gave Ying Li an awkward smile, as if he didn't even believe his own words. A shadow fell over his eyes. "How could we find it? The Bone Ring hasn't appeared in the world for a long time. I'm risking my entire life, and I don't even know if I can find this treasure. How could I be so foolish as to assume that she would definitely wake up?"

Yingli's heart stirred, and she subconsciously clenched her right hand. In her hand was a string of seven-star withered bone rings. The alluring man had said that if one learned how to use them, it was indeed possible to bring the living back to life and the dead back to life. Seeing Yi Bicheng's pained appearance, Yingli's heart softened. She really wanted to help. Yi Bicheng was her first friend on the Spirit Realm Continent.

"Girl, don't even think about it. First of all, this will spread the news that you possess the Bone Ring, attracting much bloodshed. Even setting aside that, we're determined to do good. But that woman died from torture, suffering terribly before her death. Even if she were alive, she would no longer be a virgin. How could you expect a woman who loves rain to endure being impure?! She couldn't be born then, and now that she's been asleep for three years, she should have been laid to rest long ago. Why can't she be allowed to die?!" The alluring man's face was filled with anger. To him, Yi Bicheng's behavior was absurd. A woman had died, died for three years, and everything should have started anew. This young man was still young, with a bright future ahead of him. A great family would allow him to set sail and reach a place no one else could reach.

But he gave up everything for a woman, and now he's defying fate. This absurd behavior is simply stubbornness and incorrigibility on his part. Death is death, regardless of the reason. His revenge is the most perfect ending.

“But Yi Bicheng, this is his obsession. If he fails, he will live a life of guilt and pain. He is the pride of Tianfu, one of the nine great families of the Spirit Realm Continent. He came to Bixia Palace to find the Bone Ring and lived a life of inferiority. He killed Jin Yi alone and came here alone. I just feel sorry for him.” Ying Li said, for some reason, she felt that the woman was very similar to herself.

"Who isn't pitiful in this world? You were beaten to death by your own cousin in the Ying family of Yeling City, bullied by everyone for fifteen years, jilted by your husband's family, and despised by everyone. Anyone could trample on you. Your grandfather and third uncle, who claimed to protect you at every turn, just watched. They just watched all your suffering and wounds, and you didn't hate them, you were even grateful to them. I felt sorry for you. There are so many pitiful people in this world, can you help them all?!" The alluring man sneered. He couldn't stand Ying Li's soft-heartedness. Those who achieve great things cannot be bothered by trifles.

"Could you come with me to see her?" Yi Bicheng looked up at Ying Li's elegant face, finally abandoning her act and forcing a smile. "I haven't seen her for three years, so I might... have forgotten what she looks like..."

As she finished speaking, Ying Li saw a single tear roll down Yi Bicheng's right eye. His smile was like a sharp blade piercing her heart. After a long while, she nodded sincerely, "I'll go with you, I'll go with you to see her."