Chapter 344: Brother Liang, Ahting needs a mother
Crash–
The rainwater streamed through the holes in the ceiling, carrying soil with it as it seeped into the ground, transforming the once magnificent Imperial Secret Treasury into an ancient relic.
This place was once filled with treasures amassed by Nangong Cheng from the Four Realms over thousands of years, but now he had become part of those treasures himself.
The golden cicada shell of the void cultivator would gradually morph into a spiritual spring over time, with the majestic spiritual energy accumulated over millennia returning to nourish the surrounding landscape.
It was evident that the area surrounding Tianan City would inevitably become the most spiritually abundant place in the Central Domain in the future.
“Ouch~ I’m hitting the jackpot!! I’m hitting the jackpot!! Hahaha…”
Ye Wan’er’s eyes seemed to sparkle with spiritual stones as she adorned herself with various unidentified magic weapon necklaces, with several gold hairpins adorning the back of her head.
On the other hand, Liang Zhu was quite the opposite. Though he also carried a sack-sized storage bag, he was more selective compared to Ye Wan’er’s indiscriminate grabbing. He mainly took spirit stones and recognized heavenly treasures, disregarding those he didn’t know.
“Liang, hurry up a bit, will you? You’re taking forever.”
“Don’t rush, let’s try to only take what we can use. These magic weapons and treasures are invaluable, but most of them are unfamiliar to us. Selling them off in large quantities will only attract unwanted attention.”
Ye Wan’er nodded, realizing the wisdom in his words, and began repacking their loot.
“Oh~~ Brother Liang, you’re wise! Haha… we’re making a fortune…”
Liang Zhu glanced at her, sighed softly, and continued selecting items for his bag. However, his mind was preoccupied with Tong Zilan.
Not having seen Tong Zilan on their way here, Liang Zhu assumed Ye Anping had fled with her. Instead of focusing on collecting more wealth, he desired to find his sixth brother and ensure Tong Zilan’s safety.
Rumble—
The ceiling of the treasury rumbled, indicating that the structure was on the verge of collapse.
“Liang, it’s about to collapse.”
“Yeah, let’s hurry up.”
The pair hastened their movements slightly, but before long, Liang Zhu heard footsteps approaching from behind. Instantly on guard, he retrieved a dagger from his pouch and turned around.
“Who goes there?”
“… …”
Upon seeing that it was Tong Zilan, Liang Zhu’s eyes widened. He swiftly sheathed his dagger, dropped his pouch to the ground, and moved forward to assist her.
“Your Majesty! Didn’t you go out with Young Master Ye and the others?”
Tong Zilan, now with several tears in her golden robe and blood staining her arms and legs, appeared disheveled. After Liang Zhu supported her, she relaxed a bit, leaning into his embrace.
“Hack – before Immortal Danyue battled him, she used magic to protect me, but I still fainted. When I came to, Immortal Danyue was nowhere to be found, so I figured he must be here and came over.”
Rumble—
The ceiling groaned again, sending down countless fragments. Liang Zhu shielded Tong Zilan from the falling debris with his sleeve, glanced at the ceiling, and then said, “Your Majesty, this place is collapsing. Let me get you out first. Miss Ye, could you grab my pouch?”
With that, he lifted Princess Tong Zilan and summoned a flying sword to carry her out. This action earned a complaining look from Ye Wan’er, who was packing nearby, but seeing the two guards and the empress, she nodded reluctantly.
“Ah!… Never mind, go ahead. I can use my escape technique much faster than you.”
Tong Zilan was startled by Liang Zhu’s gesture. As the empress of the Central Domain, this was the first time in centuries she had been carried like this. She felt a bit panicked at first, but quickly regained her composure and interrupted him with a raised hand.
“Liang Qing, there’s no need.”
“What do you mean no need?”
“You and Miss Ye finish packing and leave. I’ll depart later.”
Tong Zilan gently pushed Liang Zhu’s chest, slipped from his arms, and then shuffled toward Nangong Cheng’s golden cicada shell.
Tread…
The footsteps sounded heavy.
Watching Tong Zilan’s figure, Liang Zhu hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed, asking, “Your Majesty, what are you planning to do? This place is about to collapse.”
Tong Zilan fell silent for a moment, gazing at Liang Zhu before speaking,
“Liang Qing, back then, you helped me save Yu’er, and I can’t repay you for that. Afterward, I entrusted Yu’er to you. After much thought, I’ve decided to stay here.”
“Why?” Liang Zhu inquired.
“Since the day Yu’er was born, I haven’t fulfilled my duty as her mother. Now, more than a decade later, how can I face her and expect her to call me mother? Moreover, with the Emperor Sect gone, her identity as the second princess is no longer known to anyone. Liang Qing, I hope you’ll bury this matter here.”
“…” Liang Zhu was at a loss for words.
“Besides, I still owe my life to the palace ladies of Changle Palace.”
“Queen…” Liang Zhu began.
“Liang Qing, grab your things and leave with Miss Ye,” Tong Zilan urged.
On the other side, Ye Wan’er, carrying two sacks of belongings, couldn’t help but interject upon hearing this,
“Queen, what are you thinking? Didn’t you dislike Nangong Cheng so much? Now you want to keep this place for him to be buried in. Isn’t that too generous to him?”
“Miss Ye, what I dislike now is the current Nangong Cheng, not the Nangong Cheng of the past. I met him at seventeen, married him, and he promised never to marry another woman. Regardless, our bond as a couple is a thousand-year blessing. Even in death, I should be by his side.”
Ye Wan’er frowned slightly and muttered, “I don’t understand at all! My motto is, it’s better to be alive than dead!”
“Hehe… When Miss Ye meets that person, you’ll understand,” Tong Zilan replied with a bitter smile.
With a wry smile, Tong Zilan approached Nangong Cheng’s side, lifted her skirt, and sat down, gently stroking his temples,
“Your Majesty, do you regret your actions over the years?”
“…” Nangong Cheng remained silent.
Rumble—
The sound of crumbling stones and intense vibrations emanated from below as a crack rapidly spread along the wall toward the ceiling.
Ye Wan’er looked up and disregarded packing. She turned to glance at Liang Zhu and Tong Zilan, who stood frozen in place, and said,
“Liang, it’s collapsing. I’ll take the storage bag and leave first! Please hurry and bring the queen out!”
With that said, her figure transformed into a beam of light and vanished from the spot. Liang Zhu observed Tong Zilan sitting beside Nangong Cheng in silence for a moment, then turned around to prepare to leap onto the flying sword. He was merely a former guard of the Heavenly Execution Court. Since Tong Zilan had chosen to stay, what right did he have to interfere with her decision?
Even if Tong Zilan perished there, upon his return, he would still be Ahting’s adoptive father, and Ahting would never learn her true origins. The consequences of her identity would be buried forever beneath the streets of Tainan City with Tong Zilan’s demise.
Over the past few decades, he had truly regretted many times—if he hadn’t saved Ahting back then, he might have already achieved success and established himself in the Emperor Sect.
If he were to save Tong Zilan now, he could foresee that he would regret it in the future due to the events of today.
However, as he took a step to leave, Liang Zhu suddenly closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and abruptly halted his steps.
“Tsk…”
He clicked his tongue softly, then instantly appeared in front of Tong Zilan. Wordlessly, he embraced her waist, lifted her from the Spirit Stone Mountain, and leaped onto the flying sword in one swift motion.
“Liang Qing… you!”
“As a guard, protecting the queen is one of my duties. I have no authority to intervene in your decisions, but I have to ensure your safety, Your Majesty.”
The room collapsed with a deafening roar.
Boom—
The mud and stones from the ceiling rained down like a deluge. Liang Zhu used an earth talisman to create a protective barrier in front of himself. With Tong Zilan in tow, he swiftly ascended from the hollow above.
In Nangong Cheng’s darkened eyes, a faint mark left by the soaring sword flickered before being buried beneath the soil and rocks.
Two figures emerged from the ground and ascended above the palace, peering downward. They witnessed the layers of brick and tile, violet columns, and gilded beams sinking as if caught in quicksand. Accompanied by rumbling, they slowly descended into the earth, kicking up clouds of dust beneath the rain curtain.
Liang Zhu glanced around before guiding Tong Zilan to a relatively intact street. Spotting a discarded oil paper umbrella, he picked it up, sheltered Tong Zilan, and led her toward Liuyue Inn in the Western District.
Rain-soaked, the empress gazed at Liang Zhu’s face with a perplexed expression.
“Liang Qing…”
“What are your orders, Queen?”
“Why are you doing this?”
“…It’s merely my duty.”
Liang Zhu replied coldly, then hesitated before glancing at Tong Zilan’s face. He looked away and added, “And… Acting needs a mother.”
Tong Zilan’s eyes widened involuntarily, then she pressed her lips together and lowered her head.
After a brief acknowledgment, Liang Zhu fell silent, merely guiding Tong Zilan’s shoulder against his chest with his hand, letting his actions speak for him.
Tong Zilan seemed hesitant, stiffening for a while before finally relaxing, resting her temple against his chest, and closing her eyes slowly.
“…”
A man and a woman, sharing an umbrella, walked silently through the pouring rain, with only the sound of raindrops on the roof accompanying them until they reached the two-story building with the sign “Liuyue Inn.”
“Queen, we’ve arrived.”
“Ah… um.”
Tong Zilan was momentarily startled by the words, then quickly prepared to leave his embrace. But at that moment, it seemed the occupants inside the inn heard the commotion outside. The inn’s entrance swung open abruptly.
Hongyu, her shoulder wrapped in bandages, pulled open the door. Upon seeing Liang Zhu and Tong Zilan, the concern on her face finally melted away, and she inquired, “Master Liang, is the queen injured?”
Tong Zilan, slightly flustered, quickly disengaged from Liang Zhu’s embrace and rushed forward to envelop Hongyu in a hug. “Hongyu, you’ve been through so much…”
“No… Your Highness, I…” Hongyu’s voice trailed off into sobs.
Tong Zilan smiled helplessly, patting Hongyu’s back to offer comfort, while Liang Zhu refrained from intruding, instead closing the door behind him and sliding the latch into place.
Surveying the surroundings, Liang Zhu noticed the lights illuminating several rooms on the second floor, indicating that Ye Anping and the others had likely returned. However, his attention was drawn to a bloodstain on the staircase, prompting him to inquire urgently, “Is Young Master Ye injured?”
Upon hearing this, Hongyu regained her composure and replied, “No… the blood belongs to Fellow Daoist Feng. She seems to be severely injured. Young Master Ye is currently assisting her with her wounds upstairs. Lord Yue came by earlier to report her safety and, seeing Young Master Ye occupied, returned to Xingtian Pavilion.”
“What a shame…” Liang Zhu sighed softly, glancing at Tong Zilan before suggesting, “Miss Hongyu, please escort the queen upstairs to bathe and change clothes. Rest for now. I’ll go to Heavenly Execution Pavilion.”
With that, Liang Zhu lifted his oil-paper umbrella once more and prepared to leave the inn.
Seeing him about to depart again, Tong Zilan hesitated briefly before stepping forward and retrieving a cloak from her bag, handing it to him. “Be careful on your journey,” She said softly.
Liang Zhu hesitated for a moment, his clothes already drenched, but he accepted the cloak nonetheless, nodding awkwardly. “Um… thank you.”
Hongyu’s gaze shifted between the two of them. After Liang Zhu left with the umbrella, she whispered, “Your Highness, what’s the relationship between you and Master Liang?”
“He is Yu’er’s adoptive father, and I am her mother, though I’ve been rather inadequate…” Tong Zilan replied awkwardly. “Hongyu, in a few days, please go to the Tian Shou Cemetery outside the city and erect a monument. The bodies of the palace servants from Changle Palace have vanished, but we still need a memorial.”
“After that! Where will you go, Queen?”
“Hundred Lotus Sect, and then…”
Tong Zilan looked at Hongyu silently for a moment before taking out two spiritual jade pendants from her waist and placing them in her hands.
“Hongyu, you were the guardian of Changle Palace. Now that the Emperor Sect is no more, Changle Palace is gone too. From now on, you can go wherever you want. These two pendants should fetch a good amount of spiritual energy. You can ask Liang Qing to help you exchange them for spirit stones. Whether you choose to join a sect or become a carefree wanderer, it’s up to you…”
“Ah…”
Hongyu looked at the pendants in her hand, remaining silent for a while without gripping them tightly.
Seeing her reaction, Tong Zilan breathed a small sigh of relief and asked, “Hongyu, do you still want to accompany me to the Hundred Lotus Sect?”
“I have been by your side since I was young, swearing to serve you for life. How could I possibly leave? Wherever you go, I will follow…”
“I won’t force you, and I’m no longer your queen. I don’t have the power to command you. Take a few days to think about it if you want.”
“No need to consider!” Hongyu pushed back the jade pendants, knelt, and performed a deep bow. “I plead for you to take me in, senior.”
“No need for such formality. I’ll ask Young Master Ye later, and he probably won’t refuse.”
…