Floating life reflects two lotuses

As night fell, an eerie, chilling atmosphere permeated the palace. Outside the Jinhuang Palace, a row of golden palace lanterns illuminated the long, blue stone path leading directly to the altar of the Phoenix Sacrifice. Gusts of night breeze swept by, causing the lanterns to flicker and the light and shadow to intertwine, making every inch of the air in the palace seem to freeze.

Xiao Jinlian stood to one side of the altar, dressed in a magnificent red robe, her hands gripping her cuffs tightly, her wrists trembling slightly. The white jade bracelet hung on her wrist, its cool touch penetrating her skin, the runes shimmering with a dark red light.

"Hey! Why make such a big fuss! I really think Consort Yan has ill intentions!" she said urgently to Chu Wanlian in her heart.

"Stop talking nonsense and stay calm." Chu Wanlian's voice was calm and composed. "This sacrificial ceremony is ostensibly for blessings, but in reality, it's paving the way for Consort Yan's conspiracy. You must hold on and not let her succeed so easily."

“I have to hold on even if I can’t! Can you come out and help?” Xiao Jinlian replied while scanning the surrounding scene. The guards stood in a circle around her, each with a solemn expression, while in the center of the altar, a Taoist priest in a green robe stood there, holding a whisk, and silently chanting incantations.

"Look at that Taoist priest, his movements are very strange!" Xiao Jinlian said in a low voice.

Chu Wanlian's voice carried a hint of urgency: "This is a master that Consort Yan found. His spells are the key to this sacrifice. That bracelet will become the core of the sacrifice, and once it is triggered, the consequences will be unimaginable."

The Taoist priest's incantations grew louder, his tone low and strange, as if every word could penetrate to the bone. Thick blue smoke billowed from the incense burner in the center of the altar, filling the air with a pungent odor. Suddenly, the surrounding candlelight turned green, casting an eerie and sinister glow over the entire area.

Xiao Jinlian felt a dull pain in her chest, and the runes on the white jade bracelet began to flicker, faintly emitting a scorching light. She clutched her wrist and cursed under her breath, "What the hell is this thing?!"

"The bracelet's spell has been activated!" Chu Wanlian's voice was filled with panic. "Its power will tear your soul apart. You must find a way to stop the ritual as soon as possible!"

"Interrupt? How can I interrupt?" Xiao Jinlian's face turned pale, and the pain in her wrist made her almost lose the strength to stand.

Just then, Consort Yan walked gracefully up to the altar. Her expression was gentle and respectful. She gave the emperor a slight bow and said, "Your Majesty, this ceremony is related to the fate of the Great Chu. Please be patient. Once the Taoist priest has completed his ritual, all misfortune will be dispelled."

The emperor nodded, but a hint of worry flickered in his eyes. He turned to Xiao Jinlian, his tone carrying a touch of reassurance: "Lian'er, this matter is indeed of great importance. You must be careful and not be careless."

Xiao Jinlian forced a reply: "Yes, Father."

"What a hypocritical and wicked concubine!" Chu Wanlian sneered in her mind. "Her goal was to use the bracelet to completely destroy me! Unfortunately, she was destined to fail!"

"Can you stop making sarcastic remarks!" Xiao Jinlian said in a low voice, gritting her teeth and enduring the stinging pain from the bracelet.

The incantations of the ritual grew increasingly urgent, and a buzzing vibration filled the air, like countless whispers assaulting from all directions. Suddenly, a beam of azure light surged from the Taoist's whisk, heading straight for Xiao Jinlian. Before she could react, a burst of crimson light erupted from her bracelet, intertwining with the azure light.

"Ah—!" Xiao Jinlian couldn't help but cry out in pain, collapsing to the ground.

"Lian'er!" The emperor's expression changed drastically. He was about to get up when Consort Yan stopped him: "Your Majesty, this is just a normal phenomenon during the ceremony. Perhaps Princess Chang is too weak to withstand the impact of the magic power for the time being."

"Normal phenomenon?" The emperor's gaze was sharp, but he did not question it further for the time being.

Consort Yan continued, feigning alarm, "Your Majesty, the bracelet worn by the Princess seems unusual. Should this ominous object be removed immediately?"

Xiao Jinlian raised her head, her eyes filled with anger: "This bracelet... you gave it to me, so you should explain what's wrong with it!"

Consort Yan was taken aback, clearly not expecting her to retaliate in public. Her expression froze for a moment before she quickly regained her composure: "If the Princess thinks it is my fault, you may take it off first."

Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, a cold light descended from the sky, and then a masked figure leaped into the altar, drew his long sword, and slashed directly at the incense burner in the center!

"Who is it!" Consort Yan shouted sharply.

The masked man's voice was deep and cold: "Consort Yan, your conspiracy ends here."

The sword cleaved the incense burner in two, the blue smoke instantly dissipated, and the surrounding green candle flames returned to normal. The Taoist priest hurriedly took two steps back, his voice tinged with panic: "Bold assassin, how dare you trespass on the sacrificial rites!"

The masked man snorted coldly, easily dodging the Taoist's whisk, and turned to pick up Xiao Jinlian, who had collapsed to the ground: "You can't stay here, come with me!"

"Wait! Who are you..." Before Xiao Jinlian could finish asking, the masked man had already carried her away from the altar and disappeared into the darkness in a few flashes.

When Li Heng arrived with his team, the chaos at the altar was already fading. He strode up to Consort Yan, his gaze icy: "Daoist Master, what exactly happened? Where is the Princess?"

Consort Yan's expression changed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure and sneered, "Young General, you've arrived just in time. I was just about to ask you, shouldn't you have immediately gone after the assassin who kidnapped the Princess?"

Li Heng frowned and looked at the Taoist priest standing to the side: "Why is someone able to disrupt the sacrificial ceremony right under your nose?"

The Taoist priest said with a stern face, "That person's movement technique is superb, and it must be a secret martial art that only a very few people in the palace can access."

Li Heng did not reply, his gaze shifting between the Taoist priest and Consort Yan, before finally saying coldly, "Your Majesty, saving the princess is the priority." Before he finished speaking, he led his men into the night.

The masked man led Xiao Jinlian to a secluded bamboo grove outside the palace, gently set her down, and cautiously looked around to make sure there were no pursuers before whispering, "You're safe for now."

Xiao Jinlian still felt a sharp pain in her wrist. She looked up at the masked man and asked warily, "Who are you? Why did you save me?"

The masked man lowered his head, his expression hidden behind a black cloth, revealing only a pair of deep eyes. His voice was cold yet serious: "Who I am is not important. What is important is that you must protect that bracelet. It is not an ordinary ornament."

"Protect it?" Xiao Jinlian instinctively tightened her grip on the bracelet, asking in confusion, "It clearly almost cost me my life! Tell me, what exactly is it?"

The masked man paused for a moment, as if weighing how much to reveal. He whispered, "That's the key. If you lose it, you'll never be able to go back to where you belong."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinlian was startled: "The key? Back... what exactly do you know?"

The masked man didn't answer directly, but turned to leave. Xiao Jinlian hurriedly asked, "What is your relationship with that Taoist priest and Consort Yan? Are you in cahoots with them?"

He paused, turned his head slightly, and said in a low voice, "Don't treat everyone as an enemy, but don't trust anyone too easily either. Especially... those around you."

Xiao Jinlian was stunned. Just as she was about to ask more questions, the masked man disappeared into the night, leaving behind a mysterious chill.

Xiao Jinlian stared at the empty bamboo forest, her mind a jumble of thoughts. The masked man's few words seemed to have planted countless mysteries within her.

"What did he mean?" she murmured to herself.

“Clearly, he knows the secret of the bracelet.” Chu Wanlian’s voice echoed in her mind, her tone now thoughtful. “More importantly, he mentioned the people around him. What does that mean?”

"Could it be..." Xiao Jinlian recalled what the masked man had mentioned earlier, and a sense of unease arose in her heart, "Who was he referring to as 'the person beside him'?"

"Don't jump to conclusions yet." Chu Wanlian's voice was calm but carried a hint of warning. "Just remember, no matter what, don't act rashly. The secret of this bracelet is clearly more complex than we imagine."

Xiao Jinlian nodded, gripped the bracelet tightly, and hung it back on her wrist. She looked up at the night sky, silently making a decision in her heart: "No matter what, I must find out the truth behind this."

Meanwhile, Li Heng was leading his guards in a search of the area around the altar. Although Consort Yan tried her best to conceal it, he still sensed the priest's unusual behavior and the danger he was in. His gaze sharpened, and he said firmly to his deputy, "Seal off the entire area around the altar. Don't let any suspicious people or things get away."

"Yes, General!" The lieutenant responded and quickly led his men to begin the search.

Li Heng stood amidst the ruins of the altar, his gaze sweeping over the devastation, a sense of unease rising within him: "Lian'er, you must be safe and sound." He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, a cold glint in his eyes, "Consort Yan, this time I will expose your true colors."

The wind from the altar whipped his robes into flight, as if a hidden danger lurking beneath the night sky was slowly approaching.