Cloud Realm Continent’s most authoritative physician Gu Beiyue had given his diagnosis, so everyone relaxed somewhat. Han Yunxi gave a long exhale and told herself to calm down. She really couldn’t afford to affect her baby anymore.
“It’s getting late, everyone’s dismissed! We can talk about the rest tomorrow!” Long Feiye said, then instructed Xu Donglin in low tones, “Ask Fourth Young Miss Ren to come over tomorrow morning.”
After getting rid of the huge poison tumor that was Bai Yanqing, there were few complications left. But Long Feiye didn’t plan to let Han Yunxi get involved with any details. Although winter was still far off, he was already considering sending her to the Plum Blossom Sea in Jiangnan to rest.
“Go back to the rooms first. I’ll come after I deal with some matters,” Long Feiye murmured.
Docile and obedience, Han Yunxi nodded while stroking her stomach. She figured she’d get a good night’s sleep and energize her spirits first. Then Fourth Young Miss Ren could give her an examination and a few days’ rest before she got busy. There were still plenty of things to do.
When everyone scattered, Gu Qishao headed for the roofs, his destination unknown. Long Feiye immediately had Chu Xifeng give chase, while Gu Beiyue had long noticed the signs. “Your Highness,” he said in a low voice, “It’s possible that losing the Moye sword spirit and overusing his vines exhausted too much of Qishao’s blood and qi. The situation doesn’t look good. I took his pulse in the sealed dimension and didn’t find anything amiss, but it’s better to have him rest a few days.”
“I’ll leave him and Tang Li to you,” Long Feiye replied. Although they had just left the maze, he didn’t dare to waste a moment’s time. Turning to Xu Donglin, he said, “Send all of the letters from the past few days to the side hall. Also, have the scouts in charge of Northern Li hurry over.”
“Yes, Your Highness!” Xu Donglin set off before suddenly doubling back. “Your Highness, there’s one piece of urgent news.”
Long Feiye stopped walking while Gu Beiyue turned back as well.
“Mu Qingwu is still trapped inside the maze, and…Duanmu Yao’s whereabouts are unknown. It’s very possible she’s inside too,” Xu Donglin said.
“Find someone to bring Mu Qingwu out of there,” Long Feiye said coldly.
“Then…what about Duanmu Yao?” Xu Donglin asked timidly.
Long Feiye turned on his heel without a word. Xu Donglin knew that meant His Highness couldn’t care less…she could go die for all he wanted!
Seeing Long Feiye’s form vanish beyond the courtyard, Gu Beiyue walked over. “Guard Xu, it’s difficult to navigate that maze. Let me take a trip. All of you have been busy the past few days and deserve a break.”
“This…how about this subordinate come with you?” Xu Donglin asked.
“No need. I’ll be there and back shortly,” Gu Beiyue’s speed left Xu Donglin with no words to retort.
—
Late at night, Tang Li’s doors and shutters remained shut. No matter how bitterly Ning Jing cried, or now little Tang Li recognized her, they were at least together now. Han Yunxi washed away the musty air of the underground maze and felt refreshed. She lied on the bed and waited for Long Feiye to return while thinking over a few things. For example, there was finding Ning Jing a dentist, and whether or not to let Su Xiaoyu meet her potential master…
She waited and thought until she eventually drifted off to sleep. This used to be impossible without Long Feiye by her side, but her large stomach made staying awake impossible. Long Feiye was right next door. He saw a servant girl turn down the lights and knew that Han Yunxi was asleep, giving him ease of mind to deal with his mini mountain of letters.
Su Xiaoyu was still asleep with no idea that her master had returned.[1]
—
Gu Beiyue quickly reached the maze entrance and stood reviewing the layout from memory to recall where they ran into Mu Qingwu. It wasn’t certain whether the man had stayed put or wandered off elsewhere. He soon recalled the stone room, but by the time he got there, the room was empty. Without a choice, Gu Beiyue could only drag his tired body around the maze to search. Fortunately, it didn’t take long before he found Mu Qingwu in another stone room. He was sitting there spacing out, but brightened at the sight of Gu Beiyue.
“You’ve all caught Bai Yanqing?”
Gu Beiyue glanced at the rations on the side and smiled softly. “It’s lucky that Young General brought rations with you, or else I would have picked up a corpse.”
“It would’ve only taken a few days at most. Even without food, I’m not that weak,” Mu Qingwu said seriously. He had waited in the original room for a long time before getting hungry, then used his memory to find the original stone room that held him captive. Bai Yanqing had left food here. He thought of going back to the other room, but lost his sense of direction after leaving the door and decided to stay put.
“Young General was this certain that we’d come back for you?” Gu Beiyue was still smiling.
“Definitely!” Mu Qingwu hesitated, before adding, “The princess isn’t so heartless.”
“Young General, Bai Yanqing’s been killed. The princess and the rest have already left as well…” Before Gu Beiyue could finish, Mu Qingwu cut him off.
“Doesn’t Bai Yanqing have an undying body? How…”
“The princess and His Highness naturally had ways. This…Young General doesn’t need to know the details.” Gu Beiyue sat down, prepared for a long chat.
Mu Qingu had enough insight not to pursue the matter. Instead, he asked about something else. “Doctor Gu, how are my father and the Mu Clan troops doing? Has Tianan Country fallen?” He was certain that Bai Yanqing had shown him his father’s command token, but he refused to believe the man’s spewed lies.
Gu Beiyue sighed softly. “Young General, I came just to tell you about these matters. The princess and His Highness won’t visit you again.”
Mu Qingwu fell silent. Gu Beiyue’s serious expression made him uneasy. Then the doctor told him all about Bai Yanqing blackmailing Mu Yuanbo, the use of an entire city as hostages to lure the princess to Tianan, and how everything had led to Long Feiye slaughtering the Li Clan’s Mu family.
Mu Qingwu could only gape at the revelations, too stunned to speak.
“Young General, your father and little sister have already left this world. I was the one to personally carry out the burials of the Mu Clan. In the end, I could only make sure their corpses were intact. May they rest in peace.”
Mu Qingwu suddenly rose to his feet and ran out of the room. He punched the stone walls, leaving a large hole behind. Turning to Gu Beiyue, he snarled, “Why?!”
Gu Beiyue remained calm. “Young General, this is the punishment the Li Clan deserved. You can resent or hate His Highness, but these are the facts. Those who turned the city into a slaughterhouse would have been killed off by the world’s people even if His Highness spared their lives. I ask for Young General’s understanding and acceptance of these matters.”
“I can’t accept this!” Mu Qingwu cried, his eyes brimming with tears. He was even hoping that the princess and His Highness’s rescue would help him convince his father and Long Tianmo to surrender themselves. But who knew everything could change overnight!
The Mu family really were descendants of the Li Clan, the noble family he scorned the most! He’d lost his father, his sister, and his entire clan! He was the only survivor and now public enemy number one!
Mu Qingwu fell to his knees in front of the wall, completely exhausted.
Gu Beiyue’s eyes flashed with a hint of pity. He had interacted often with Mu Qingwu back in Tianning and understood him well. If it wasn’t necessary, he would never have come here today on his own. Now he went to crouch by the man’s side and pull him over so Mu Qingwu could rest his head on his shoulders. They were thin shoulders, but capable of bearing any burden in this world, even if it weighed as much as a mountain.
Mu Qingwu’s own shoulders were shaking as he leaned against Gu Beiyue. Perhaps he was already crying.
Like a brother, Gu Beiyue’s tone was gentle but filled with strength. “Young General, the people of Tianan refused to bury the bodies of the Mu Clan. They wanted the corpses cremated, so I had their real bodies interred in the mountains of Tianning’s western outskirts, on the Li Clan’s property. Their gravestones are unmarked. Some of the Li Clan managed to escape, so His Highness might hunt them down in the future. Perhaps…not a single one of them will be spared. I’ll help you off the mountain and out of Medical City. Then I’ll tell His Highness and the princess that you accidentally activated a trap and perished in the maze, alright?”
Mu Qingwu’s head whipped up. He asked, “Gu Beiyue, aren’t you afraid that I’ll gather the remnants of the Li Clan and raise a rebellion in revenge for my kinsmen?”
“You won’t,” Gu Beiyue was very firm. Before Mu Qingwu could refute him, he added, “It’s also impossible. What the Li Clan lost were people’s hearts.”
How could the upright and abovebroad Mu Qingwu not understand this principle? He stared at Gu Beiyue for a long time without speaking.
“Young General, just pretend…just pretend the princess never turned down that alley and saved your life back then,” Gu Beiyue intoned.
Mu Qingwu suddenly laughed. “I wish that was the case! I really do!” If the princess hadn’t saved him from poison back then, he would have died long ago! He would never have experienced this much or learned about everything. His heart wouldn’t be hurting right now!
Gu Beiyue gently patted his back before quickly releasing him to stand up.
“If you want it that way, then let it be so. Young General, it’s getting light. Let’s go,” Gu Beiyue said calmly.
Mu Qingwu shut his eyes in silence. By the time he opened them again, there were no sign of tears. He followed Gu Beiyue out of the maze and to the outskirts of Medical City.
“Doctor Gu, many thanks! May we…never meet again!” Mu Qingwu cupped his hands and gave him a deep bow.
It was identical to the bow he gave Qin Wangfei at the Duke of Qin’s estate when he came to thank her for saving his life.
“May we never meet again,” Gu Beiyue replied. He watched Mu Qingwu’s figure disappear into the morning light before heading for the medical academy. There he ran into Long Feiye drinking tea with Han Yunxi by her side.
“Your Highness, princess, good morning,” he smiled.
Long Feiye personally poured him a cup of tea and gestured for him to sit. “You took an entire night to get there and back?” he asked.
Naturally, Mu Qingwu’s existence couldn’t be hidden from Long Feiye. Han Yunxi seemed to know something too, but kept quiet.
“Mu Qingwu accidentally fell into a trap and died. I buried him on the way before I returned,” Gu Beiyue replied.
Neither Long Feiye nor Han Yunxi spoke. But Long Feiye didn’t press the issue and soon summoned someone to urge Fourth Young Miss Ren to come. Since they didn’t ask, it meant they wouldn’t pursue the matter either. Gu Beiyue didn’t offer any more details after that.
In the end, Baili Mingxiang and Su Xiaoyu arrived ahead of Fourth Young Miss Ren.
1. There seems to be another continuity error because the raws mentioned Baili Mingxiang here in the same sentence, but she obviously knew HYX and co were back since she greeted them at the cave entrance like all the other guards.
