The night passed quietly.
An intoxicating fragrance with an ambiguous aura was still lingering in the dawn.
In the spacious and comfortable bedroom, the lights were on, the air conditioner was on, and the man and woman embracing each other were covered with quilts. Li Tianlan held Qin Weibai tightly, his breathing even and relaxed.
Qin Weibai, who had stayed up all night, was lying quietly in Li Tianlan’s arms. She opened her eyes, which were even more enchanting and watery, after being nourished by love, and looked intently at Li Tianlan’s face.
It was not a particularly handsome face.
It was even plain.
But even when he was asleep, his face appeared extremely firm and serene.
There seemed to be natural sword intent between his brows, which added an indescribable grace to his whole face.
Qin Weibai looked at him in silence.
There was no appreciation or admiration in her eyes but a deep and endless feeling.
Li Tianlan moved and turned toward Qin Weibai.
Qin Weibai moved too, deliberately turning her back on Li Tianlan.
Unconsciously, Li Tianlan reached out and took hold of Qin Weibai’s full, soft breasts.
Qin Weibai turned round again.
Li Tianlan still did not wake up. After the full breasts escaped his grip, his palms slipped subconsciously and landed on her rather warped buttocks.
It was not an erotic touch.
It was a firm grasp.
He had not had much since childhood. So in the face of the people or things he cared about, he was particularly afraid of losing them.
Li Tianlan exerted quite a lot of strength and hurt Qin Weibai. But she could clearly feel from the pain that Li Tianlan cared for her, and… A strong desire for control.
The light outside the window grew brighter and brighter.
Qin Weibai turned softly in Li Tianlan’s arms.
Li Tianlan’s palms went up and down as she turned. He frowned, as if in distress.
Qin Weibai finally broke into a giggle that was crisp and cheerful.
The phone on the nightstand vibrated.
Qin Weibai took out her phone and checked it.
She thought about something and was ready to get up.
Li Tianlan’s arms encircled her again.
“I’ll go and prepare breakfast for you.” Qin Weibai lay on Li Tianlan’s chest, kissed him, and said softly.
…
Li Tianlan answered in a daze and let go of her.
Qin Weibai took a deep look at him, got out of bed, and took a bath. Then she opened the closet in the bedroom.
She had not set foot in Zhongzhou State for several years.
So the clothes in the closet were in old styles a few years ago.
Qin Weibai took a white shirt, picked out a pair of black high-waisted wide-leg pants, and slipped on a pair of high heels.
Her height of 1.76 meters stood out among women. When she dressed in such a way, her long legs were breathtaking. Once a man with poor psychological quality met her cold and dreamy eyes, they were expected to be defeated on the spot and did not even dare to go near her.
Li Tianlan was still asleep.
Qin Weibai left the bedroom and went out of the villa.
In the morning light, the air near the lake was moist and fresh.
The two villas next to each other were quiet, and everyone was resting.
Qin Weibai looked down at her phone and walked alone to the depths of the villa area.
In the depths of the villa area, there was only a slightly smaller villa with two floors, covering an area of less than 1,000 square meters.
It was a bit out of position, and it merely enabled the owner to catch sight of a corner of West Lake. But there was a bamboo forest around it, so it was very tranquil.
The villa was also the property of Qin Weibai.
But the owner’s name was Great Master Wuwei. So it could be seen as the legacy of Great Master Wuwei.
The morning wind stirred the bamboo forest.
The bamboo leaves swayed and rustled in the wind. The bamboo forest was lush and full of vitality.
The villa was located in the middle of the bamboo forest, which rendered it serenity.
The bamboo forest gained glory because of the villa.
They fitted perfectly with one another and made each other look even better.
The exquisite door of the villa was ajar.
Wisps of the flavor of Chinese medicine wafted from the villa.
Qin Weibai walked into the villa.
Flaming Fire, who was boiling medicine in the kitchen, looked back warily immediately. When she saw Qin Weibai, she bowed slightly to her but did not come out.
Sitting in the living room was a middle-aged monk dressed in grey.
The monk, dressed in a clean and simple grey robe, held a string of Buddhist beads in his hand and smiled gently and even serenely.
Beside him lay a small box, not eye-catching but always within reach.
“Pay my respects to you, senior brother,” Qin Weibai said softly.
…
She sat down opposite the monk, her back straight.
The monk put his palms together and said with a chuckle, “Long time no see.”
“Yeah, long time no see.”
Qin Weibai looked at the string of Buddhist beads in the monk’s hand in a trance. After a long while, she asked, “How did you arrange for my foster father’s death?”
“No need to bother about that.”
The monk shook his head. “My master voluntarily dispersed between heaven and earth, without a mourning hall, a memorial tablet, or a cenotaph. Why should people bother to go to a particular place when they don’t know where they came from? My master never cared about anything after death.”
Qin Weibai didn’t seem to know what to say, so she changed the subject. “How’s Senior Brother Ruye doing?”
Great Master Wuwei had two disciples.
One was Ruzhen, and the other was Ruye.
After Great Master Wuwei disappeared from the world, both Ruzhen and Ruye left the Qingyun Temple. If Qin Weibai hadn’t contacted Ruzhen in advance, he wouldn’t come today.
“Not bad.”
Ruzhen added with a smile, “He should be delivering the sermon on Jingfan Mountain now.”
“How about you?”
Qin Weibai looked at Ruzhen and asked, “What’s your plan?”
“I want to continue to walk around, leaving everything on fate.”
Ruzhen’s smile remained unchanged. His eyes were serene, but his tone was polite and almost stiff.
Qin Weibai seemed to have just noticed that. She sighed a little and said slowly, “Senior brother, do you blame me? If it hadn’t been for me, my adoptive father might not have…”
“No.”
Ruzhen interrupted Qin Weibai, “That’s my master’s own choice. But our destiny as brother and sister is over. In that case, we might as well live separately.”
He handed Qin Weibai the small box beside him and said softly, “It belongs to you. My master gave it to me before he left the world. I’ve done my job, and I don’t think we’ll ever see each other again.”
Qin Weibai looked at the quaint little box.
She knew what was inside the box.
That was what she gave Great Master Wuwei three years ago. It was back in her hands now.
Instead of touching the box, Qin Weibai bowed to Ruzhen and said, “Thanks, senior brother.”
Ruzhen shook his head and took off the Buddhist beads on his wrist.
The Buddhist beads were extremely light, crystal, and round.
Ruzhen gently took the string of Buddhist beads apart and picked one of the most crystal Buddhist beads, placing it on the tea table.
The bead rolled down the tea table and landed in Qin Weibai’s hand.
Lights were on in the hall.
The light shone on the Buddhist bead, which was dark and shiny, like the black jade.
“This is…”
Qin Weibai was confused.
“This bead is called Death Replacer.”
Ruzhen continued calmly, “This is the sarira left after burning my grandmaster’s body after his parinirvana. It has been kept by my master for many years. Before I went to Heaven Capital, my master gave it to me. If you’re in luck, you may survive this trip to Snow Country.”
Qin Weibai was not excited.
She just gazed at the Buddhist bead in her hand and whispered, “Death Replacer?”
As the name suggested, someone had to die in her place.
Ruzhen stayed silent.
There was one sentence he did not say.
Had it not been for this Buddhist bead, Great Master Wuwei might have survived after he plucked the rootstocks of the dragon vein of Mount Qingyun.
Death Replacer.
Someone had to die in her place.
Great Master Wuwei said it was the mandate of heaven.
He said that the mandate of heaven had chosen him.
Ruzhen didn’t think it was right.
It was not so much the mandate of heaven as friendship.
“Survive and do what you like. That’s what my master wants to see.”
Ruzhen looked at Qin Weibai and asked, “What would you most like to do if you could survive?”
This question was way too simple.
It was so simple that even Ruzhen knew the answer.
This woman gave Li Tianlan everything she had. If she could survive, she naturally wanted to be with him all her life.
To Ruzhen’s suprise, there was confusion in Qin Weibai’s eyes.
She clutched the Buddhist bead in her white, tender hand.
She was silent for a long time before she whispered, “I don’t know.”
When she said that, her eyes were blank. There was no deep love, coldness, or wisdom in her eyes.
If she could survive the trip to Snow Country, she really didn’t know what to do.
“You don’t know?”
Ruzhen raised his eyebrows in surprise. “I thought you’d choose to grow old with Li Tianlan.”
“To grow old with him?”
Qin Weibai wore a self-deprecating smile. The color faded from her red lips, and they looked sadly beautiful.
“Do I deserve it?” she asked earnestly.
…
Ruzhen didn’t know why Qin Weibai didn’t deserve it.
He did not know that, and of course, he could not answer.
He frowned and thought for a moment, then said flatly, “You don’t owe him anything.”
“I am in his debt. That is the fact. It would be far-fetched to say it doesn’t exist.”
Qin Weibai shook her head.
Ruzhen suddenly remembered what Great Master Wuwei had said.
Great Master Wuwei had said it to Military Counselor before he disappeared.
And even before that, he had told it to Ruzhen.
Ruzhen glanced at her and said slowly, “You are not you, and he is not him. How can you owe him?”
Qin Weibai shook her head and said nothing.
“If you do owe him anything, return it. No debt cannot be returned,” Ruzhen said.
…
“How?” Qin Weibai asked in a low, despairing voice.
…
“Give him a child. That’s the greatest giving. Bear him a descendant. There is no debt that cannot be returned.”
Ruzhen bent his head and tied the string of Buddhist beads again. “You are not a Buddhist nun. It is your duty to bear children. My master has even named your baby. No matter whether the child is male or female, the baby should be called Li Dongcheng.”
Qin Weibai didn’t respond.
Ruzhen looked up strangely.
In his sight was an exquisite and perfect face. But it seemed to have lost color and vigor in a flash.
Qin Weibai’s face was pale.
There was even some fear in her eyes.
It was an image in which all the good things had come to an end.
Beautiful, but without happiness.
“What’s the matter?” Ruzhen asked.
…
Qin Weibai shook her head reluctantly, her voice strained and labored. “I won’t bear a child for him. Never!”
She loved Li Tianlan.
But she had her own obsession.
Never!
Ruzhen wanted to ask more questions. However, Qin Weibai had risen to her feet and said calmly, “Senior brother, I won’t keep you here. Please do as you like.”
Ruzhen glanced at her with some astonishment and nodded, saying, “All right, I’ll go.”
“Flaming Fire!”
Qin Weibai shouted, “See our visitor out.”
Flaming Fire came out of the kitchen and saw Ruzhen off.
Qin Weibai sat down again and stared blankly at the little box in front of her.
Her cold, bright eyes were again filled with fear.
If she could survive the trip to Snow Country, she really didn’t know what to do.
Because she could neither see her future nor Li Tianlan’s future.
She didn’t know if she and Li Tianlan would become husband and wife or enemies if she was going to survive…
…
If deep love would turn into hatred, she might as well die.
Death was truly good.
Qin Weibai took a few deep breaths, picked up the small box on the table, got up, and went upstairs.
The door of the master bedroom was ajar.
A weak cough resounded in the bedroom.
Qin Weibai pushed open the door and went in.
In the bedroom full of the smell of blood, a man in plain clothes lay half on the bed.
The man looked about thirty-seven or eight years old, with short hair and seductive stubble on his chin. His features were not handsome, but they were extremely sharp.
As sharp as a sword.
There was only sword intent in the air, aside from the smell of blood.
A black cloak, stained with blood, hung on a hanger in the corner of the room and became the source of the smell of blood.
“How did you get hurt so badly?”
Qin Weibai cast the man a glance and frowned.
The man wore a wry smile. “Summer Solstice was stronger than any of us could have imagined. She almost killed all the Men of Sacrifice from the Purgatory of Heaven Capital as she drew out her sword. The four of us took a blow from her by force, and the sword intent of which had decreased. I was a little better. Duke and General were almost killed. Military Counselor was not much better. If it had been a little later…”
The man was Saint.
The four Super Masters of the Samsara escaped from the Wang family of Beihai that very night. Instead of going where he was supposed to go, Saint came to Lin’an immediately.
“Not bad,” Qin Weibai said flatly after remaining silent for a moment.
…
Saint wore a wry smile.
“It’s good you’re alive. And if you’re all right, maybe you’ll court death in Snow Country. It’s great.”
Qin Weibai whispered, “I can go if I want, without any formal send-off.”
Saint’s mouth moved. He wished to speak but stopped on second thought.
Qin Weibai handed Saint the box in her hand. “This is what you want. When I’m gone, do what you have to do. Go back after healing your wounds here.”
Saint silently took the box.
He knew what was inside the box as well.
He opened the box.
The box contained a small but extremely heavy diary.
The front of the diary was about his path to the Invincible Realm.
And the back was about the future of the East Emperor Palace dominating the world.
Qin Weibai was really ready for everything.
He closed the diary and whispered suddenly, “I have a question.”
“Say it,” Qin Weibai said indifferently.
…
“Why did you order us to attack Summer Solstice?”
Saint looked at Qin Weibai.
Qin Weibai looked at him, too, without speaking.
This question did not need to be answered.
She had made it clear why she ordered them to attack Summer Solstice. And even if she didn’t explain, Saint knew the reason.
She had had many such conversations with Saint.
…
Every time Saint asked a question that didn’t need to be answered, he didn’t really care about the answer. He merely wanted to say something with the help of the question.
“You’re like Summer Solstice.”
Saint continued in a low voice, “You are all crazy people who would risk everything for your men. You’re so much alike. People like you can be harmless or scary. In different eras, you are all unique. Women like you deserve respect, and no one will blame you.”
Qin Weibai looked at Saint.
A trace of anger crept into her cold eyes.
“I’m like Summer Solstice?”
Her tone was mocking. “Are you satirizing me?”
Summer Solstice indeed deserved respect.
But…
“At least in my mind, my boss, Qin Weibai, is qualified to be compared with Summer Solstice,” Saint said seriously.
…
“That’s just in your eyes.”
Qin Weibai added, “In fact, I’m not qualified, and that’s the truth. I cannot compare with her.”
Saint was silent for a moment, then said with a bitter smile, “Actually, I just heard your conversation.”
Qin Weibai’s eyes focused.
Saint said helplessly, “My ears are working well, though I’m badly hurt. I think Ruzhen is right. You don’t owe Tianlan anything. Even if you do owe him, he won’t care.”
“You don’t understand.”
Qin Weibai shook her head.
“There’s nothing I don’t understand.”
A sneer crept over Saint’s lips. “Little Bai, you weren’t like that before. At least that’s not what you thought when Tianlan showed up. You care too much about what Tianlan thinks of you. In my opinion, if you hadn’t gone to Heaven Capital and had left everything to us three years ago, you wouldn’t have gotten to this extent. You really shouldn’t go to Heaven Capital.”
“What if I didn’t go to Heaven Capital?”
Qin Weibai’s expression was flat.
“If you didn’t go to Heaven Capital, your idea wouldn’t be so extreme.”
Saint added, “You should have peace of mind.”
Peace of mind.
Qin Weibai turned and walked to the bedroom door. “My heart is restless, so how can I achieve peace of mind?”
She went out of the bedroom, out of the bamboo forest, and back to the villa where Li Tianlan stayed again.
Li Tianlan had gotten up in the villa.
Lin Fengting, Lin Youxian, and Li Honghe had gotten up too.
Li Honghe sat on the sofa and looked at Qin Weibai as she walked in, smiling and nodding.
“Breakfast will be here soon,” Qin Weibai said, smiling.
…
“I’m afraid I can’t have breakfast. Minister Dongcheng just called me. They should be here soon,” Li Honghe said with a smile.
…
Given Li Honghe’s position, if he were attacked and killed, the highest level of farewell ceremony would be held at his funeral. Now that he had survived the attack, the Six must send someone to visit him as a rule.
“Never mind, breakfast is enough.”
Qin Weibai smiled.
The hovering sound of helicopter rotors rang out in the sky outside the villa.
The sound came from far away. Eventually, the helicopter flew over and toward the parking apron in the center of the villa.
At about the same time, a black Mercedes pulled into the villa area and appeared first in front of Qin Weibai’s villa.
A steady man in his thirties alighted from the Mercedes.
The door of the villa was open.
Hesitating, he entered the yard and rang the bell.
All the attention in the villa was suddenly focused on him.
“Senior Li, I’m Wang Jingxin.”
The young man introduced himself calmly.
“Wang Jingxin from the Wang family of Beihai? The First Secretary of Lin’an?”
Everyone watched him quietly.
The upstart, who had long made his name in the politics of Zhongzhou State, still looked calm, but there was a touch of anxiety in his eyes.
His given name was Jingxin, which could be rendered as “peace of mind”.
But how could he have peace of mind in everything?
In the mortal world, everyone was struggling to cross the river of interests, in addition to the real masters who had gained insight into the worldly affairs.
The struggle was also the pursuit.
When a person had the pursuit, how could he achieve peace of mind?
