These fairies want me to deal with them every day.

The pervasive smell of death seemed to envelop Dugu Ming.

But Dugu Ming no longer knows what fear or terror is.

It turns out that people really can be unafraid of death, of course... provided that they have lost all hope and can no longer see any hope at all.

There was no support for them.

He simply looked at the boy in his arms, who could no longer speak or breathe, and who had never called him "father" since he came of age.

His voice trembled, but he was completely devoid of spirit.

"He could be a good kid..."

He finally understood why Dugu Xun had said those things to him before leaving...

He had already figured it out...

"It's me... It's all Dad's fault, it's all Dad's fault... But there's nothing I can do now, isn't there? I'll never hear you call me Dad again, will I? Yes... I'm not worthy to be your father, hahahaha... I deserve to die, I... died too late."

The figure at the door walked in step by step, his steps not cautious, but calm and relaxed.

He gently placed the sword in his hand on Dugu Ming's shoulder, the blade close to Dugu Ming's neck.

Dugu Ming's body began to tremble slightly.

But he did not struggle, and his eyes revealed a bright red light.

He suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha... As a pawn, I was ultimately sacrificed."

The man behind him shook his head.

"He will definitely remember your contribution. He asked me to pass on a message to you."

"……hehe."

Dugu Ming seemed to only offer a disdainful sneer.

The man said with a smile.

He wants to tell you: Well done, thank you for your hard work.

"Hahahaha!! You will all die! You all deserve to die! I will wait for you, wait for you to walk the road to the underworld together, hahahaha! You will pay for everything now, you will all pay for it!! Ugh!"

Blood was sprayed all over the ground.

Dugu Ming held Dugu Xun's body and slowly collapsed to the ground.

In the end, the father's blood still stained the son's body.

But... is all of this too late?

The man slowly sheathed his sword.

He slowly walked out of the room, and the moon peeked out from behind the dark clouds.

There was still silence, as if nothing had happened.

The following morning, while the woman on the dragon bed was still in a light sleep...

"It's terrible! Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

Someone was shouting frantically outside.

Ye Bingluan frowned, stood up, put on her dragon robe, opened the door with a frown, and looked at the palace maid kneeling on the ground.

"What's the rush?"

The palace maid spoke in a trembling voice.

"Something terrible has happened... Just last night... Last night... The Imperial Uncle's residence was massacred, and his entire family was... wiped out!!"

Ye Bingluan suddenly gasped.

She wasn't overwhelmed by immense sorrow, but rather felt as if a suffocating, cold wind had seeped into her very heart. PS: The plot will be revealed soon. It's primarily for the sake of the romance, so it won't be too deep or complex, but it's necessary for the story. There might not be an extra update today; I need to take my dad to the hospital for a checkup later.

23. Old friends meet again, but things have changed (Bonus chapter for monthly votes: 6!)

When Ye Bingluan left the court, she was actually quite exhausted.

She maintained a calm and profound demeanor, her purpose being to prevent the ministers from knowing what was on her mind.

Some of those words still seem vivid in her mind, and they even make her feel like she can't hold on any longer.

"Your Majesty! Officials from the Imperial Observatory have examined the scene and determined that it was done by one person, a master swordsman who killed everyone with a single strike. Such a technique... is probably only something a cultivator could accomplish!"

"Your Majesty... the only person the Imperial Uncle had contact with a few days ago... was the State Preceptor of Wei..."

"Your Majesty, I have heard that some time ago in Jiuyang City, Dugu Xun lost his hands and feet after encountering the Wei State Preceptor."

"Your Majesty! I dare to suggest that... the truth of all this may only be known if the Grand Preceptor of Wei is present. If we wait until the Grand Preceptor of Wei travels to the heavens again... perhaps..."

"Your Majesty! I would like to know whether the Wei State Preceptor did these things, and if he did, did he gain Your Majesty's favor..."

These words were like needles, piercing the mind of the still young empress.

The ministers' subsequent rhetoric seemed to form an invisible net, even threatening to drag them into it.

She sat in a chair in the imperial study, watching the cold wind outside the window blow through the withered trees.

The young empress frowned, seemingly lost in thought, and remained motionless for a long time.

Until the voice of a palace maid came from outside the door.

"Your Majesty... the Prince of Ye requests an audience..."

Ye Bingluan raised her head.

"The Prince of Ye?"

"Yes, Prince Ye has been waiting for a long time. I didn't dare to disturb Your Majesty before... but I was afraid of Prince Ye's health..."

Ye Bingluan sighed and straightened up.

"Let the Prince of Ye in."

"Yes!"

The person gradually walked away, and soon several footsteps reached the door.

The first sound coming from outside was a series of rapid coughs.

Then came a slightly weak, breathless male voice.

"Your Majesty... I request an audience."

"Prince of Ye, please come in."

The door slowly opened, and the figure who entered was extremely thin, as if he were nothing but skin and bones. He was tall and slender, yet he looked as if he were seriously ill.

He clutched a white handkerchief tightly in his hand. He had features similar to Ye Bingluan's, and a gentle smile on his face.

It's as if this kind of man is born with a strong sense of goodwill and friendliness, and his frail appearance evokes sympathy in people's hearts.

Ye Bingluan sighed, but she still respected this man who was her imperial brother.

"Give the Prince of Ye a seat."

The man just smiled and waved his hand.

"No need... cough cough... Your Majesty, I came here mainly to say a few words to Your Majesty..."

-

"Grand Preceptor, His Majesty requests your presence in the palace for a discussion."

What Wei Tu did not want to happen still happened.

At noon that day, a woman dressed in palace attire arrived alone.

She briefly told Wei Tu the news.

Wei Tu looked at her calmly, "Now?"

The woman nodded slightly and said respectfully, "It would be best to do it now... or not keep His Majesty waiting too long, wouldn't it?"

Wei Tu nodded. "I'll pack my things and wait a moment."

The woman nodded. "Alright, I'll wait for the Imperial Advisor downstairs."

"it is good."

The door closed again, and Wei Tu returned to the room. Su Mi, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, had obviously heard the conversation.

She doesn't understand many things, because Wei Tu has chosen not to speak, so she has no way of knowing.

She was able to accurately capture the boy's expressions and his hidden emotions.

This summons was something he didn't want to see, or even face, and she sensed it immediately.

Although he didn't say anything, his expression remained the same, even with a slight smile.

So she asked softly.

Are you going?

Wei Tu smiled and nodded. Actually, there was nothing to pack; he just wanted to sit for a while.

"We still have to go. After all, they've sent someone to our door, how can we not go? He's an emperor, after all."

Looking at the boy's feigned ease, Su Mi said softly, "If you don't want to get involved in these things... then let's go back to the sect. Actually, we don't have to worry about these worldly affairs."

Wei Tu watched the swallows flying past the eaves of the houses outside the window.

His smile was calm and gentle, like sunlight melting winter snow.

"Hmm... I know, I know everything."

His gaze passed over the eaves, and below, the flow of people and vehicles was still bustling, and the flowers were in full bloom.

It seems they are forever carefree, or... their lives are filled with other pressures, which is fine, so no catastrophic disaster will befall them.

Ordinary people in this world already have it hard enough. What would it be like if power and desire were added to the mix? In fact, some people have already felt it.