Jade of Another World

Chapter 180 Love Without Power

The crabapple blossoms in the Jade Pavilion bloomed and faded. Lin Ning sat under the eaves pruning the branches, the silver scissors reflecting dappled sunlight. On her wrist was a jade bracelet newly bestowed by Nangong Jin, its jade surface reflecting the electronic clock of a modern hospital room—the last vestige of a temporal distortion.

Lin Ning threw the withered flowers into a celadon bowl, and the petals suddenly turned into painkillers used in hospitals.

"His Majesty has sent over the latest tribute from the Western Regions today," the maid said.

Lin Ning traced the subtle patterns on the rim of the teacup with her fingertips, revealing the Ning family's secret language in the Yue Kingdom.

Suddenly, the soft clanking of chains came from under the eaves, and Yi Zhu appeared carrying a food box, his sword at his waist wrapped with a blood-stained sash. When he lifted the lid, Lin Ning saw white powder sprinkled on the osmanthus sugar cake.

Yi Zhu lowered his voice and said, "Tianji Pavilion is all ready, just waiting for you... If you want to leave, I can take you away anytime."

(Before he finished speaking, Nangong Jin's laughter came from outside the courtyard.)

Nangong Jin strode over, clad in black iron armor, a piece of ebony tucked into his hair by Lin Ning. He reached out and plucked the begonia from her hair, the petals suddenly transforming into specks of light.

Nangong Jin tucked a crabapple blossom behind her ear and said, "I've hired a new musician for Ning'er." He opened the food box, looking at the osmanthus cake, and said, "I heard this is Ning'er's favorite dessert in the modern world?"

Lin Ning lowered her eyes to conceal the dark glint in them. "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

In the dead of night, the candlelight flickered in the ancestral hall. Lin Ning knelt on a prayer mat, her fingertips tracing the yellowed pages of the family genealogy. Suddenly, black blood spilled from the bronze incense burner on the offering table, outlining the patterns of the imperial jade register of the Southern Palace in the blank spaces of the Ning Clan Genealogy. She looked up abruptly and saw that the beams and pillars of the ancestral hall were entwined with turbulent currents of time, and each rafter was engraved with her birth date and time.

Lin Ning's fingertips dug into her palm. So, all the legitimate daughters of the Ning family throughout history... were sacrificial offerings for the Nangong family?

The wooden door of the ancestral hall burst open with a bang, and Nangong Jin stood backlit in his black iron armor, with a blood-stained silk ribbon wrapped around his waist—the instrument of torture used when Yizhu was executed by dismemberment.

Nangong Jin swept his dragon-patterned court robe across the dusty offering table, and the candlelight suddenly turned blood red. "Ning'er, do you know why you traveled through time with the jade pendant?"

Lin Ning's pupils trembled. "So our meeting... was all a scheme you laid out in time and space!"

Nangong Jin suddenly ripped open her collar, revealing the icy blue star trails below her collarbone. He bit his fingertip, dripping blood onto them, revealing the overlapping shadows of the Great Yu star trails and the marriage certificate.

"In every lifetime, the eldest daughter of the Ning family is the medicine for the Nangong family. And you are my sweetest medicine." Nangong Jin's voice was hoarse.

Lin Ning suddenly trembled and woke up with a start; she had been asleep. Everything seemed perfectly reasonable. Lin Ning smiled wryly, feeling helpless. Suddenly, a cool breeze blew in, and Lin Ning looked up to see Nangong Jin walking in.

The offering table flickered, and the candlelight in the room blinked, the dancing light stinging Lin Ning's eyes. Her vision blurred, and everything before her became distorted and unreal. Nangong Jin's figure, like a ghost, exuded an oppressive aura.

Before she could react, Nangong Jin suddenly reached out and forcefully tore at her clothes. The sound of tearing fabric was particularly jarring in the silent ancestral hall. Lin Ning's body trembled slightly, and a look of pain flashed across her face. Her eyes were empty and confused; it was unclear whether she was truly powerless to resist or had already become numb to everything.

She once possessed pride and dignity, and yearned for and pursued freedom. But now, caught in this endless entanglement of time and space and under Nangong Jin's control, her resistance seemed futile. Each struggle only brought deeper hurt and despair.

"Nangong Jin, what exactly do you want?" Lin Ning's voice was weak and trembling, carrying a hint of pleading and a deep hatred. Her body was exposed to the cold air, but her heart was even colder than the air.

Nangong Jin stopped what he was doing, his gaze fixed on Lin Ning, his eyes filled with madness, possessiveness, and a hint of barely perceptible heartache. "Lin Ning, you are mine, and always will be. Don't even think about escaping me, don't try to resist anymore. Your Ning family can't defeat us!" His voice was low and hoarse, as if squeezed out from between his teeth.

Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar man before her, Lin Ning felt a surge of sorrow. She had once thought that in this complicated world, she might be able to find a sliver of warmth and support, but now it seemed that it was all just a nightmare.

"Do you think this makes any sense?" Lin Ning gritted her teeth, fighting back tears. "Now that I'm in this state, you can kill me if you want, but there's no need to humiliate me like this!" Her voice was weak, but it was filled with determination.

A flash of anger crossed Nangong Jin's eyes. He abruptly pulled Lin Ning into his arms, holding her tightly as if trying to meld her into his very being. "Why is it that no matter what I do, you don't care about me?" His tone was filled with rage and domineering force. Lin Ning struggled in his arms for a few moments, but ultimately gave up. She closed her eyes, letting tears stream down her face, silently praying that this nightmarish ordeal would end soon. Even death, for her, might be a release…

As Nangong Ruoli stepped into the Jade Pavilion, the first thing she saw was Lin Ning's thin and frail figure, leaning against the couch, her face as pale as paper, her eyes empty and lifeless. A suffocating atmosphere filled the room, as if even the air itself had become heavy.

Nangong Ruoli hurried to the bedside and tenderly took Lin Ning's hand. Her hand was icy cold, devoid of any warmth, causing a sharp pang in her heart. "Sister Lin, why do you look so haggard?" Her voice trembled, her eyes filled with concern and unbearable sorrow.

Lin Ning slowly raised her head, her gaze falling on Nangong Ruoli's face. A bitter smile tugged at the corners of her lips, a smile more painful than tears. "Just a walking corpse. Since the soul cannot control itself, then the body can do whatever it wants." Her voice was flat and desperate, as if she had lost all hope for everything in this world.

Nangong Ruoli's heart clenched. She looked at Lin Ning, a wave of bitterness washing over her. "Sister Lin, please don't say that." She tried to comfort Lin Ning, but even she felt her words were utterly powerless.

Lin Ning shook her head gently, her eyes filled with exhaustion. "Ruo Li, you don't understand. I'm trapped in this endless conspiracy and scheming, my fate is controlled by him, and no matter how I struggle, it's all in vain. My soul is already riddled with holes, and now I'm just an empty shell."

Nangong Ruoli bit her lip, a resolute glint in her eyes. "Sister Lin, I understand. I know His Majesty is ruthless, but I believe there must be a solution. I will help you; no matter what, I will not let you continue to suffer like this."

Lin Ning looked at Nangong Ruoli, a glimmer of light flashing in her eyes, but it quickly faded. "Ruoli, thank you for your kindness. But some things are beyond our control. Nangong Jin is too powerful; I simply cannot escape his control."

Nangong Ruoli gripped Lin Ning's hand tightly and said firmly, "Sister Lin, we can't give up. No matter how difficult it is, we have to try. I know some people who might be able to help us. As long as we don't give up, there is still hope."

Lin Ning looked at Nangong Ruoli, a warm feeling welling up in her heart. She hadn't expected that in this cold palace, there would still be someone who genuinely cared for her. "Ruoli, why are you so good to me?" she asked softly.

Nangong Ruoli smiled, her eyes gentle and sincere. "Sister Lin, because you are the first person to be kind to me. In this palace, everyone has their own schemes, but only you not only saved my life, but also made me feel warmth. So, I can't watch you sink like this."

Tears welled in Lin Ning's eyes. She gripped Nangong Ruoli's hand tightly, silently thinking that perhaps this was her only solace in this dark world. Even if the hope was slim, she was willing to try one more time with Nangong Ruoli, for that sliver of possible freedom and liberation...