The blade gleamed coldly in the air.
It flew straight for his chest
A smile had just started to form on her lips.
Then
It froze.
A foot away from Lu Jiu’s heart,
The sword abruptly dropped.
At the same time, the Eight Trigrams Formation dimmed
Then vanished completely.
“A-Jiu!”
A woman’s cry rang out from above.
Hong Ning slowly turned her head.
Her gaze landed on the new arrival.
With the formation dispelled, Hu Yue hurried forward to support Lu Jiu.
Seeing that he was merely severely injured and unconscious, she finally let out a relieved breath.
Lu Yao carefully examined him, then waved her sleeve
Transforming him back into his fox form, though his body had shrunk considerably.
Hu Yue was deeply remorseful.
“Cousin, I…”
“It’s not your fault.”
Lu Yao shook her head, her voice gentle.
“He brought this upon himself.”
Seeing Hu Yue still uneasy, she instead smiled reassuringly.
“Go inside and check on your husband.
“With all this commotion, he may have been frightened.”
Since they had arrived, there was no more danger.
Hu Yue, reassured, rose to her feet and went inside.
Lu Yao knelt down, lifting the small silver fox into her arms.
She walked slowly to Jin Xiu’s side and spoke to Hong Ning in a soft voice
“It seems A-Jiu was in the wrong.
“He actually disobeyed me and dared to harm you.
“When we return, I will punish him severely.
“Are your injuries serious?”
Hong Ning laughed lightly.
“No need to be so polite.
“I was the one who wanted him dead.”
She smiled, though there was coldness in her eyes.
“It’s just a shame…
“He’s still alive.”
Lu Yao lowered her gaze, saying nothing.
At last, Jin Xiu spoke.
“How is he?”
Lu Yao glanced at the fox in her arms, then shook her head.
“He’ll be fine.”
Jin Xiu frowned slightly.
“You…”
Lu Yao chuckled softly.
“You don’t need to feel guilty.
“It was my mistake to let him out in the first place.
“I’ll take him back now.
“But I need to keep him at your place for a few days first
“If Father finds out, he’ll be furious again.”
Jin Xiu nodded.
“Do as you must.”
Lu Yao playfully scolded, “Why so formal with me?”
She smiled, then turned, carrying Lu Jiu as she flew away on a cloud.
A hand reached toward her.
Hong Ning instinctively pulled away, avoiding him.
The man before her was no longer the one she had once fallen for.
No longer the gentle Jin Xiu she had once dreamed of.
He was now the Divine King of Zhong Tian
A man who would always put the Celestial Realm first.
But still, his hand caught her.
She sighed, helplessly.
“They’ve already taken him away.
“Your goal has been achieved.
“What are you still doing here?”
He forcefully pulled her up from the ground
And embraced her.
Hong Ning laughed.
“Your future queen just left
“And Zhong Tian Wang is already holding another woman.
“That doesn’t seem appropriate.”
Jin Xiu frowned.
“A mere mortal cannot stand against the Northern Celestial Realm.”
A crisp slap echoed in the air.
For a moment, Hong Ning was stunned.
She hadn’t actually expected to land the hit.
She lowered her gaze, looking at her own hand in surprise
Then slowly raised her head.
“What I do…
“Has nothing to do with you.”
Her voice was calm, but her eyes burned.
“I still don’t understand…
“How could I have ever loved you in my past life?”
“This slap,” she added with a cold smile,
“Was meant for you back then.”
Her veil was long gone.
Her scarlet robes burned like flames,
A faint echo of the memories of the past.
Jin Xiu looked at her for a long time.
Then finally, he said
“You didn’t.”
A little fox spirit who had once declared she would be his Divine Consort,
And in the end, raised her hand against him instead.
Even in her worst hatred, she had never actually struck him before.
Hong Ning tilted her head.
“That’s because she still loved you at the time.”
Jin Xiu fell silent.
“But now”
Hong Ning pulled herself from his grasp, staggering slightly as she turned away.
“I am no longer her.”
Before she could take another step
A loud bang shattered the silence.
The courtyard gates burst open,
And a group of men surged in.
At the very front
Was Yang Zhen.
When Hong Ning had not returned,
Yang Zhen had begun to worry.
He sent men to search the city, but she was nowhere to be found.
Finally, he remembered this alley.
So he came himself
Leading his men to search.
Hong Ning smiled.
She gathered her last bit of strength,
And reached out her hand toward him.
“Let’s go.”
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