Meanwhile, in Xiangxiu House, Lianshan was seated on a chair while dressed in blue robes. A steady chant came from her lips as she held a string of prayer beads.
Suddenly, her eyes opened, and a smirk appeared on her face.
“You’re sneaky as always. Are you already used to being in the darkness?”
The person she was talking to wore a red veil over their head, and it was impossible to make out their gender. A raspy voice answered, “I’m already dead to this world. Wouldn’t it create even more trouble for you if I were to appear in the open?”
“If that was meant to be a joke, it wasn’t funny. What is your purpose in coming here? Didn’t we already part ways years ago?” There seemed to be a hint of sorrow in Lanshan’s eyes as she spoke.
“It’s been years since he left us. Why do you want to stir things up again?” The visitor asked calmly.
“You don’t have to lecture me; if you hadn’t locked me up, I would’ve been able to see him one last time.” The sorrow in Lanshan’s eyes now turned into hatred.
“Xiaoshan, it’s just not meant to be. Elder Brother already told you that you didn’t have a place in his heart, even if you had married him.”
As soon as they finished speaking, a horsetail whisk flew at the visitor’s head. They did not dodge, simply allowing it to strike them.
“Don’t call me Xiaoshan. Xiaoshan died when he did. You guys must pay what you owe to him and his descendants.” Lanshan spoke with a sense of twisted determination.
The visitor sighed and said, “I thought you didn’t want anything to do with the secular world after retreating into the monastery. Who would’ve thought that it would actually feed the darkness in your heart, setting you on a path of no return.”
Lanshan smiled at this. “The monastery, that’s the place you all trapped me in. You and Emperor Father asked me to marry him only because of that half piece of…”
She paused before continuing, “You knew that he did not love me, but I still had to marry him. And then, when I fell in love as you wished, you killed him in my name.”
“You should know that his very existence was a threat to Xiliu; Emperor Father and I had no choice. As for his descendants, why do you think that none of them have been executed after all that they’ve done?” The visitor spoke with sincerity, as if they were trying to convince Lanshan that she should let it all go.
“Hah!” Lanshan scoffed. “He battled for Xiliu in the name of peace, but the fame he received made you all uncomfortable. Enough, just get out of my room. I don’t wish to see you again.”
“If you insist on continuing on this path, I will ensure that you fail, even with the decree Emperor Father left behind.” The visitor turned serious.
“You? You’re dead to the world, and have already been removed from the Xiliu Imperial Family. As for being an elder brother, whatever you’ve done in the past is enough for me to break all familial ties with you.” Lanshan then smirked at the visitor.
The visitor looked hurt by her words. “Don’t forget that you’re a part of Xiliu’s imperial bloodline as well. If we are sinners, you are too.”
This angered Lanshan. She raised the horsetail whisk and said, “How I wish I was just an ordinary woman. I would have been able to live a peaceful life and grow old with him if that was the case.”
A sharp blade was hidden in the tip of the whisk, and Lanshan used it to strike at the visitor. To her surprise, however, they didn’t dodge, and allowed her to pierce them with the weapon as a smile etched on their face.
