CHAPTERS
Chapter 61 – The Lone Bird in a Cold Forest The storm overturned the skies, purple lightning scorched the clouds. Fang Jingyu and his group hurried by boat toward Lei Ze Camp. But halfway there, they encountered a patrol fast boat from the camp. The soldiers on board, seeing them, were shocked. Yan Xin looked on in surprise: “Your Highness, why have you returned here?” But the moment he saw who Fang Jingyu was cradling in his arms—Chu Kuang, covered in blood, barely breathing—he…- 450.2 K • Completed
- Chapter 60: The Goshawk Sharpens Its Talons Zheng Deli knelt in the front hall of Qingyu Gao Palace, distraught. He suddenly felt they were all fledgling chicks, while Yu Ji Guard was a cruel goshawk—not hunting to feed, but only to scorch his talons, seizing and toying with them for sport. “Miss Qin!” He scrambled over to Xiao Jiao. The sounds of fierce battle rang in the distance, but he had no attention to spare. Xiao Jiao’s chest was torn open, her body limp and collapsed in a pool of…
- 450.2 K • Completed
- Chapter 57: Si Chen’s Night Vigil Si Chen pulled the towline. It was the hardest of all labor. The coarse, thick hemp rope chafed her shoulders daily until they bled, the pain sharp like a blade carving into her flesh. She wrapped her chest with a rough shirt and, like the shirtless towmen beside her, hauled the line along the rushing current. Dragging it for a single li earned her one copper coin. She was often tripped by the tow rope, swallowed by the swift river, cold and starving. And even…
- 450.2 K • Completed
- Chapter 56: Like Duckweed Adrift A fierce wind lashed, torrential rain poured like a burst dike. On their way back from the Fenglin Ship, the group was caught in the midst of wind and waves. The floating bridge twisted and swayed like a writhing snake—they could barely keep their footing on it. “Maybe we should… wait until the rain lets up?” Zheng Deli hesitated. Xiao Jiao shouted, “Wait? Who knows if this rain will last until the next year of the donkey!” Soaked to the bone, teeth…
- 450.2 K • Completed
- Chapter 55: A Buried Name, Bones Laid to Rest My brother is dead? For a moment, it was as if thunder struck under a clear sky. Fang Jingyu stood frozen in silence, then hurriedly protested, “But… but…” Ruyi Guard’s eyes were kind, her smile like a spring breeze. “Your Highness, did you not personally see Fang Minsheng’s corpse eight years ago?” Fang Jingyu’s soul seemed to slip from his body. His brother was dead—he was merely chasing ghosts. Eight years ago, at the Fang…
- 450.2 K • Completed
- Chapter 54: Carving the Tortoise, Calculating the Plan The rain had lessened to a fine drizzle, threadlike needles falling from the sky. Though there was never truly a clear day in Yingzhou, and the heavens remained heavy with dark clouds, the floating boats were already teeming with people. Because of Chu Kuang’s illness, Fang Jingyu and the others had to remain in Yingzhou a few more days. Now that they’d left Lei Ze Camp, there was no more guaranteed food, lodging, or medicine—but…
- 450.2 K • Completed
- Chapter 53: Madness in Longing Chu Kuang’s lips were soft and fever-warm, like silk, like syrup—his kiss was searing and sweet, yet Fang Jingyu tasted only bitterness within it. Their lips and tongues tangled, and before he knew it, Fang Jingyu’s hand had reached to the back of Chu Kuang’s head, pressing him in tightly. Chu Kuang clutched his wrist as if holding onto a lifeline. Moonlight melted over them like molten silver, setting the blood in their bodies aflame. His mind burning and…
- 450.2 K • Completed
- Chapter 50 – Steady Rain Falling The swift boat cut through the waves like a blade, slicing through wind and sea. Outside the cabin, rain and wind began to howl like wailing ghosts. Inside the swaying cabin, Zheng Deli hung a paper lantern on the wall and sat cross-legged. By its light, he sorted through a bundle of bone pieces. The carved markings on the bones were uneven, as if recording the passage of time itself. Xiao Jiao and Chu Kuang were already fast asleep, their soft breaths rising and…
- 450.2 K • Completed
- Chapter 49 – A Night’s Talk by the Lamp His body wobbled, consciousness adrift. Chu Kuang dreamed of his past self, eight years ago—a naïve boy hunting beasts with a bow in the woods of Guxie Mountain. Back then, his master was still alive, still by his side. The dream receded like a tide. The moment he opened his eyes, a wave of pain surged through his skull, as if a carriage had run over his head. “It hurts!” he yelled, bolting upright—nearly smashing into the cabin ceiling. Xiao…
- 450.2 K • Completed
- Chapter 48 – Fallen Leaves with No Home Eight years ago, at the foot of Guxie Mountain. The mountain was lush, the wind cool. From the woods came a soft sound, like the cry of a deer. A deer stepped through the trees and leaves, ears perked, seemingly listening for the source of the call. Suddenly, a reed arrow shot out from the forest—sharp and swift—it struck the deer’s neck with a snap. The deer gave a pained cry, collapsed to the ground, and twitched its hooves in its final…
- 450.2 K • Completed
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