Shocking Mountain Moon

Chapter 337 Leaving the Capital Again

"Aheng, don't cry." Ling Yun was at a loss, wanting to raise his hand to pat her hair, but he fell to the ground in despair.

Before the truth came out, he could still deceive himself, but now he no longer has the right to call himself an elder brother.

"Aheng, you hate me, don't you?"

"I still have one question." Qiu Heng lowered her hand, her tears already suppressed.

"You said."

"When I met the Immortal Changqing thirty years later, he looked like a hundred-year-old man, while you are only fifty years old after thirty years. How is this possible?"

The age difference of over fifty years made it difficult for her to connect the man she had been searching for with Ling Yun. It wasn't until Wu Qingzhou's nephew, Afu, appeared that she first had a slight suspicion that Ling Yun might be her husband.

But even she herself thought this guess was impossible; she ignored her intuition and chose to trust reason.

It turns out that reason was wrong.

“That voice was indeed very old.” Ling Yun couldn’t give Qiu Heng a definite answer. “In dreams, there are only voices, no people. I think that such a defying-natural transmission of information must come at a price, perhaps that price is the accelerated decline of the body…”

The word "price" stirred Qiu Heng's heart, reminding her of the torment she had suffered.

Yes, going against the will of Heaven comes at a price. The pain she suffered during her full moon attack, and the death of Fangzhou when she thought she had finally achieved fulfillment, were probably the prices she had to pay.

In order to change the message that his younger self was conveying to him, the man, now fifty years old with the body of a hundred, had to pay the price.

"I'm done asking."

Qiu Heng stood up, turned around and walked outside.

Ling Yun also got up, but couldn't bring himself to take the step to chase after them, and stood quietly in place.

After walking a few steps, Qiu Heng stopped and turned around.

“Aheng—” A glimmer of hope welled up in Ling Yun’s eyes.

"I've finished asking, but there's one thing I forgot to mention. Do you know why I saw Yunxiang?"

"Why?" Ling Yun asked calmly, but he couldn't suppress his panic.

He had a premonition that he would hear an answer that would lead to utter ruin.

"Because she pushed Fangzhou into Qinglian Lake, she killed Fangzhou. Look how experienced she is, she learned how to solve problems after pushing me into the deep pool."

Ling Yun listened to these words as if a sudden downpour mixed with hail was hitting him.

It hurt so much that he knew there was no possibility of reconciliation between him and Aheng.

"Ling Yun."

It wasn't Brother Bai, nor Brother Ling, nor Mr. Qiu Heng called out this name for the first time: "Let's never see each other again."

After she finished speaking, she ran outside without hesitation and never looked back.

Lingyun, let's never meet again.

Lingyun, let's never meet again.

These words echoed repeatedly in Ling Yun's ears. He spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed, falling into a deep coma. Before he finally lost consciousness, he still heard those words: "Ling Yun, let's never meet again..."

Qiu Heng ran out of the Kang Prince's Mansion, and someone was calling behind her, it sounded like the voice of Princess Jiayi.

But she didn't stop, nor did she look back.

She will never come to the Prince Kang's residence again.

As she was thinking this, she bumped into an embrace.

"Xue Han." Qiu Heng hugged the man in front of her tightly, her forced strength crumbling like a dam being breached by a rushing torrent. "Take me home."

Xue Han carried Qiu Heng on his back and walked step by step toward the Yongqing Marquis's residence.

The streets were still bustling with people at night, casting all sorts of glances at the two of them.

Qiu Heng, who was perched on Xue Han's back, didn't care, and Xue Han, who was carrying Qiu Heng, cared even less.

"Xue Han, I feel so bad." Qiu Heng's cheek was pressed against Xue Han's face, her tears wetting his face as well. "Why me? Why me of all people?"

Along the way, Qiu Heng rambled on about the present and the future, without even knowing what she was saying.

Xue Han felt sorry for her pain, but was also glad that at least she was willing to show her vulnerability in front of him, instead of keeping it all bottled up inside.

The girl on his back gradually fell silent, and he could hear her soft breathing.

"Aheng, if only I could take your place," Xue Han whispered.

Yunxiang was sent to the Jingtian Prefecture, where she was to be beheaded for committing murder.

Fangzhou was buried on a cloudy day, on a hilltop that was granted to her after Qiuheng was promoted to princess.

The solitary new grave bore the inscription, "Tomb of my dear friend Fangzhou, stood weeping by Qiuheng." Those who came to pay their respects gradually left, leaving only Qiuheng standing before the grave, with Xue Han beside her.

"Aheng, let's go back."

Qiu Heng stopped crying and even seemed very calm, like the lake water that had cooled down after the sun had cooled down.

"Xue Han, do you know that the day my adoptive mother was buried was just as gloomy and cold? Fangzhou said the same thing as you."

Girl, go home.

At that time, she was heartbroken and listened to Fangzhou's comforting words. Little did she know that her heartbreak was once again for Fangzhou's sake.

Things have changed, but the peach blossoms remain.

Fangzhou said he wanted to take on an apprentice so that when we get old, the apprentice could make snacks for the two of us.

"Fangzhou also said that he would always stay with me."

Xue Han hugged Qiu Heng tightly, his voice suppressed: "Aheng, we'll always be together from now on."

Qiu Heng nodded very lightly, and tugged at Xue Han's sleeve as she walked down the mountain.

"Aheng, what's wrong?"

"Do you remember all the things I said on your back when I left the Prince Kang's residence that night?"

"Remember, of course I remember."

"Well, you know, I still have a mission to complete. Zhang Xinhuo, who is stationed at Feixue Pass, was bribed by the Northern Qi and voluntarily let the Qi army into the pass..."

According to the original plan, it would be two years later.

Zhang Xinhuo's betrayal enabled the Qi army to advance rapidly towards the capital, ultimately leading to the fall of the capital and the young emperor's escape to the south. Therefore, Zhang Xinhuo was one of the five traitors she sought to eliminate.

The Great Xia Dynasty has changed a lot. It's uncertain whether Zhang Xinhuo will go back to his original path, but what is certain is that he is not worth dying for, since he can be bought off by the Northern Qi.

"Xue Han, go to the border and see how to deal with this person."

Xue Han didn't hesitate: "Okay."

Xue Quan knew Xue Han was going to the border and couldn't understand it at all: "Do you know how much is going to do? Preparing for the wedding, moving to the Marquis's residence, and you've only just been promoted to Deputy Commander of the Palace Guards and need to familiarize yourself with the affairs. And now you're going to the border?"

Are you going to feed the sheep?
"I left the capital on a secret imperial decree." Xue Han's words silenced Xue Quan's incessant chatter.

The day after Xue Han left the capital, Qiu Heng asked the old lady if she could go out.

"You want to go back to Suiyun County?" The old lady was shocked.

Master Qiu was even more frightened: "Heng'er, don't you want your father anymore?"

“I want to go back to pay respects to my adoptive parents, and also… bring some things from Fangzhou back with me.”

Upon hearing Qiu Heng mention Fangzhou, the old lady sighed inwardly: "Now that you're engaged, it's only right that you go back. Go early and come back early, and bring as many people as you can."

"No, I want to go back alone."

"That won't do, it's not safe. Heng'er, let your father go with you."

"It's more convenient for me to do it alone."

"Heng'er—"

"Father, can you ride a horse for more than four hours a day?"

Master Qiu was stunned.

The old lady spoke up: "Grandmother knows you are capable, and I won't stop you from going back alone. Just don't forget that your home is here, and your family is waiting for you to come back soon."

"Granddaughter remembers it."

With the old lady's consent, Qiu Heng led her horse and left the Yongqing Earl's residence that same day.

With tears in his eyes, Master Qiu watched his daughter walk away, and then continued to cry after returning to Qiansong Hall with the old lady.

"Mother, what if Heng'er doesn't come back?"

"Will not."

"Waaah, what if?"

"Nothing unexpected."

"What if something unexpected happens?"

The old lady, unable to bear it any longer, slammed her cane on the ground and said, "If anything happens, go to Suiyun County to look for them. What's the use of crying!"

As Yongqing Bo stepped inside, he saw the old lady hitting her son, his pupils dilated in shock, and he silently withdrew his foot, turned around, and quickly left.

(End of this chapter)