Time rewound to two years earlier!
After A Shi Liren, Zhi Ning and her son, and Fang Qingzhuo and her daughter were driven out of the Dongli Royal Palace, they discovered that, despite the vastness of the world, there was nowhere they could call home.
For a while, they had no idea where to go.
Wearing a cloak and a veil, A Shi Liren drove a carriage, quickly leaving Yanjing.
Originally, Liren had believed that the Dongli Kingdom was safe, so she had not hidden her identity when entering the royal palace. Now it seemed…
During her master’s absence, the Divine Dragon Temple had not failed to infiltrate the Dongli Kingdom.
Only now did A Shi Liren finally understand why she had always disliked Crown Prince Jiang Li, and why even her master disliked him.
He was too timid. He cared too much about his own power and about the Dongli Kingdom.
Her master, Jiang Shang, also cared deeply about the Dongli Kingdom, but he regarded it as a feudal state granted by the Dragon Emperor.
Crown Prince Jiang Li, however, clearly regarded it as his own Dongli Kingdom.
It seemed that even within the Jiang Clan of Dongli, there was already a clash of ideals.
A Shi Liren firmly believed that if her master were here, he would have sheltered and protected her without hesitation, even if it meant becoming an enemy of the Divine Dragon Temple.
“Liren, it looks like someone’s following us!” Fang Qingzhuo suddenly said.
A Shi Liren’s heart tightened. She immediately sensed a sneaky figure trailing behind them. It seemed her mind had truly been in chaos, she had not even noticed she was being followed.
Pretending not to notice, she drove the carriage towards a secluded area.
The person following them was clearly inexperienced and foolishly continued to follow.
Once they reached a quiet place, A Shi Liren was about to make her move and capture the stalker.
Unexpectedly, the follower spoke first.
“Zhi Ning, is that you?”
The voice was excited, yet filled with hesitation.
It was…
Prince Ji Min of the Yan Empire.
Zhi Ning could hardly believe her eyes. Why would Ji Min be here?
The follower then pulled back his cloak, revealing his face.
It really was the handsome Prince Ji Min. Compared to before, however, his face had become much more mature, no longer carrying that youthful innocence.
But the moment he saw Zhi Ning carrying little Zhi Yu, tears immediately streamed down his face.
He also had deep feelings for little Zhi Yu.
From the time Zhi Ning became pregnant until after the baby was born, Ji Min had visited almost every single day.
Not only that, on the day Zhi Ning gave birth, Ji Min had waited outside the door.
Listening to Zhi Ning’s agonised screams, he had been so frightened he nearly wet himself. Then, when he heard the baby’s first cries, he collapsed onto the ground and cried along with the baby.
However, that day he never got to see either Zhi Ning or the baby before being driven away.
After that, he continued visiting Zhi Ning and the baby every few days.
He had always insisted that if Zhi Ning married him, he would treat the baby as his own son.
As a result, he had poured all his feelings into the child of his own accord, and now he could no longer take those feelings back.
“The baby’s grown so much already. Can I hold him?” Prince Ji Min asked carefully.
If it had been anyone else, Zhi Ning would have been suspicious and never allowed them near the child.
But this time, she handed the baby over.
“Come on, let Uncle hold the baby.”
Prince Ji Min carefully took the baby into his arms.
The baby stared seriously at Ji Min’s face with wide eyes. Seeing the tears all over his face, the baby looked completely puzzled.
Shouldn’t I be the one crying?
I’m not crying, so why is this person crying?
Ji Min hugged the baby a little tighter, pressed his face gently against the baby’s cheek, and breathed in the baby’s scent deeply.
Zhi Ning asked, “Why are you here?”
Prince Ji Min replied, “After I heard… that something had happened to him, I immediately tried to find out where you were. I took some warriors and planned to rescue you from the Furious Wave Kingdom. Before I had even left Yanjing, I heard that A Shi Liren had already escaped with you. I guessed you would definitely come to the Dongli Kingdom, so I waited here.”
“Every day I watched outside the Dongli Royal Palace. Today, when I saw your carriage, I don’t know whether it was instinct or something else, but I felt it had to be you, so I followed.”
Zhi Ning’s eyes became moist.
Ever since childhood, she had thought Ji Min was carefree, flashy, unreliable, and irresponsible.
She had never imagined that this man, who had always seemed the least dependable, would actually be so devoted and become the person most worthy of trust.
On the other hand, that bastard Soren was irresponsible and completely unworthy of trust.
But love was the most unreasonable thing in the world.
It wasn’t because someone was dependable that you would fall in love with them.
Somehow, it was always the worst man who became the one you loved the most.
Ji Min said, “Zhi Ning, if I threaten them with my own life, then Sister Ji Xiuning and my parents should be able to protect you and the baby. Would… would you be willing to return to Yanjing with me?”
He asked very cautiously.
Zhi Ning shook her head.
Ji Min’s eyes turned red.
He had already known this would be the answer.
“I thought the Dongli Kingdom would be able to protect you, but now it seems Crown Prince Jiang Li is far inferior to his father,” Ji Min said.
“You can’t stay here much longer. Although the Divine Dragon Temple hasn’t completely infiltrated this place yet, it’s still full of their spies. If I could guess you’d come to the Dongli Kingdom, then the Divine Dragon Temple certainly can too. You must leave immediately.”
He wiped away his tears.
“Go to the coast. I’ve prepared dozens of ships. Leave the crowds behind by sailing out to sea first. As for where to go afterwards… I honestly don’t know.”
“I’ve stocked every ship with plenty of food and fresh water.”
A Shi Liren looked towards Zhi Ning.
Among the three women present, Liren had the highest martial arts skills but the simplest mind.
Zhi Ning was the most cunning and calculating.
Whether or not to follow Ji Min’s advice was therefore left for Zhi Ning to decide.
Zhi Ning nodded.
The group then drove their carriage towards the coast at full speed.
Two days later, they reached the shore and boarded the large ship Ji Min had prepared.
Ji Min naturally followed them aboard.
Zhi Ning asked, “Ji Min, what are you doing?”
Prince Ji Min replied, “Of course I’m coming with you. If you run into enemies, you can use me as a hostage. After all, I’m Ji Xiuning’s younger brother and the Yan Emperor’s son.”
Zhi Ning smiled.
“Thank you, Ji Min. I’ll never forget you for as long as I live. I’ll always regard you as one of my closest family.”
“But you should forget about me. Find yourself a good girl, go on proper matchmaking dates, find a woman who truly loves you, and spend your life with her.”
Then A Shi Liren lightly tapped Ji Min on the neck, rendering him unconscious, and left him on the shore.
An elderly eunuch waiting on the beach caught Ji Min.
The eunuch had watched Ji Min grow up and had spent even more time with him than Ji Min’s own father.
Just like Li Chenglian with Zhi Li, and Gao Yin with Zhi Bian, theirs was a relationship that was both master and servant, yet also like father and son.
Such loyalty could never be betrayed.
Even if Zhi Li chose the most insane and self destructive path imaginable, Eunuch Li Chenglian would still follow him without hesitation.
That was why he had personally attempted to assassinate King Zhi Bian.
Likewise, the eunuch before them would never betray Ji Min or Zhi Ning.
“Princess Zhi Ning, please take care,” the elderly eunuch said in a trembling voice while holding Ji Min.
Zhi Ning bowed.
“Grandpa Ning, please take care as well.”
Prince Ji Min was completely unable to move.
Watching the ship carrying Zhi Ning sail farther and farther away, tears poured endlessly from his eyes.
Only after the ship completely disappeared over the horizon did Eunuch Ning remove the restriction on Ji Min.
“Grandpa… My heart has died,” Prince Ji Min said.
“No. Someone else’s heart may have died, but yours will always remain alive,” Eunuch Ning replied.
“Let’s go home. Although this old servant has achieved nothing in life, I’m still a good judge of people. Princess Zhi Ning will be safe. You will meet again one day.”
…
Ji Min had been right.
Because King Jiang Shang had been away from the country for so long, the Divine Dragon Temple’s infiltration of the Dongli Kingdom had not been without success.
The moment A Shi Liren brought Zhi Ning, her son, Fang Qingzhuo, and her daughter into the Dongli Royal Palace, they were discovered, and the news was immediately passed on.
Only half a day after they sailed out to sea, the nearest aerial legion of the Divine Dragon Temple took flight and headed east in pursuit of Zhi Ning and her son.
It was a flying patrol consisting of dozens of members.
There were over a thousand such patrols spread throughout the human kingdoms.
Their sole purpose was to hunt down the surviving relatives of Demon Emperor Soren.
The patrol continued flying eastward, searching every ship they encountered.
Finally, three days later…
They found the ship carrying A Shi Liren, Zhi Ning, and the others.
“Screech… Screech…”
The flyers let out piercing cries as they dived from the sky and launched their attack.
“Fang Qingzhuo, protect the child. Protect Zhi Ning!”
With that command, A Shi Liren drew her Dragon Gold Sword and charged into battle.
Among all the human kingdoms, A Shi Liren’s martial arts had already reached nearly the highest level.
Her cultivation was on the same level as Sword Venerable and Gao Yin, second only to her master Jiang Shang and the strongest experts of the Divine Dragon Temple.
The flyers of the Divine Dragon Temple’s Demon Star Pavilion were generally around the Dragon Warrior level.
However, because they could fly, they were especially terrifying in combat.
They could attack you, while you could not reach them.
But to A Shi Liren, that was no obstacle.
Her attacks were violent and breathtaking.
She directly unleashed terrifying freezing energy, instantly sealing the airborne flyers in ice before shattering them with a single Dragon Force Sword Qi.
Not only that, but as she fought, the surrounding temperature instantly dropped to dozens of degrees below freezing.
Every flyer who came near her had their blood frozen, their speed greatly reduced, or simply fell from the sky.
Previously, during her battle against Zhi Li, A Shi Liren could fight at most twenty Dragon Warriors by herself.
Now, however, her heart was filled with sorrow, despair, and pain, causing the power erupting from her body to nearly double.
An endless stream of freezing energy surged from within her.
She fought eighty flyers alone.
Against so many Dragon Warrior level enemies, she would previously have collapsed long ago.
Yet now she showed not the slightest sign of losing.
In fact, the freezing energy bursting from her body became stronger and stronger.
Her face also became increasingly enchanting.
“Crack…”
Suddenly, the seawater beneath the ship froze solid.
The air surrounding A Shi Liren crystallised into dazzling blue frost.
Her body itself began to seem almost no longer human.
Her skin became as flawless as white jade, with no trace of colour, even whiter than fresh snow.
Her eyes turned deep blue.
Her lips became icy blue.
She even felt that her own body was slipping beyond her control.
The bloodline within her surged violently, struggling to break free from its restraints.
She felt as though something special inside her was awakening.
“Kill… Kill… Kill…”
A Shi Liren slaughtered the enemies relentlessly.
One flyer after another was frozen in mid air before being smashed into countless fragments.
One after another, they fell from the sky.
Ten…
Twenty…
Thirty…
More than fifty…
The Dragon Warrior level flyers charged forward without fear, only to be torn apart one after another by A Shi Liren.
The freezing power hidden deep within her bloodline continued erupting wildly, while at the same time turning back against her.
She felt she was losing control.
Even her soul seemed about to freeze solid.
But…
Deep within her soul remained an unbreakable will.
“I can’t fall.”
“This time, no one will come to save me.”
“Before, I couldn’t protect my son, A Shi Yuanba. If I still can’t protect little Zhi Yu today, then what meaning does my life have?”
In the past, A Shi Liren would have collapsed long ago.
She would already have been completely consumed and frozen by the icy power within her bloodline.
But now she desperately used every ounce of strength in her soul to keep herself standing.
The last time, when she had been trapped between Luo Ge and Ge Li’s attacks, this power inside her had already shown signs of awakening.
But then Hell Knight Zhi Li had appeared and saved the situation.
This time, however, no one would come to rescue her.
She could rely only on herself.
In the end, A Shi Liren could no longer see or feel anything.
She felt as though both her body and soul had entered another world.
A world of endless darkness and emptiness, like hell itself.
She fought entirely on instinct.
She released freezing energy, froze her enemies, then shattered them with a single sword strike.
Just like that…
More than eighty Dragon Warrior level flyers were completely wiped out.
Every single one of them became shattered blocks of ice scattered across the ground.
She alone had killed every last enemy.
A Shi Liren could no longer see or sense her own body.
“Is it over?”
“Are all the enemies dead?”
She let out a long sigh of relief.
Then her body collapsed heavily onto the deck.
“Bang…”
At the very same moment, the frozen sea instantly thawed.
The frozen bodies of the flyers turned into scattered chunks of flesh and blood.
“Liren!”
Fang Qingzhuo cried out and rushed over.
Then…
She discovered that Liren’s body no longer seemed human.
Her entire body had become jade.
Not ice, but jade.
Flawless jade from head to toe.
She looked as though the heavens themselves had carved her from perfect jade.
There was no warmth, no softness, and no breathing.
Just then…
A flash of golden light suddenly appeared in the sky.
An enormous pair of wings blocked out the sun, casting a huge shadow across the sea.
A flyer slowly descended.
The warriors aboard the ship immediately fired arrows at the golden winged flyer.
However…
Every arrow froze in mid air before turning into dust.
The flyer casually waved a hand.
Every warrior aboard the ship instantly turned to ashes.
The golden winged flyer landed gently on the deck.
Her entire body was covered in golden armour, outlining an almost perfect figure.
She wore a golden mask that revealed only her eyes.
Those golden pupils were irresistibly captivating.
Fang Qingzhuo drew her sword and prepared to charge.
The golden winged flyer casually waved her jade like hand.
Fang Qingzhuo’s body froze in place.
She walked over to A Shi Liren’s body and knelt beside her.
Immediately, her body clad in soft golden armour formed a perfect curve.
The curves of her waist and hips were breathtakingly alluring.
Only A Shi Liren could rival her figure.
It was not merely physical beauty.
It carried a strange charm, a magical enchantment that captivated anyone who saw it.
She removed her golden silk glove and gently stroked A Shi Liren’s face before lightly inhaling her scent beneath her nose.
“So she’s not human after all, but… a member of the Demon Race. As expected of King Jiang Shang of Dongli. He truly was the pinnacle of human experts, to have hidden her Demon Race bloodline for decades without anyone discovering it.”
The flyer’s voice was filled with endless enchantment.
It was a voice so magical and dreamlike that anyone who heard it felt as though they were about to fall into a dream.
“So you still couldn’t escape…” the golden winged flyer sighed.
“Our original orders were to capture you alive. But for some reason, yesterday the orders changed. Now we’re to kill you and bring your heads back.”
The golden winged flyer stood up and looked at Zhi Ning and Fang Qingzhuo with her captivating eyes.
“So, I’m sorry, but I must take your heads.”
She gently drew her Dragon Gold Sword.
Her martial arts had reached an unimaginably terrifying level.
So powerful that she did not even need to move to immobilise everyone aboard the ship.
“To show my respect, I should remove my mask before killing you.”
The golden winged flyer slowly removed the mask from her face.
Revealing a beauty so breathtaking that it stole everyone’s breath.
A face capable of toppling kingdoms and enchanting the world.
A face equal to A Shi Liren, Ji Xiuning, and Zhi Yan.
If Lan Ling had witnessed this scene, he would certainly have been astonished.
Why did this face look so familiar?
Especially that beautiful flame shaped mark between her brows.
Why was it exactly the same as his adopted daughter, little Yaya’s?