Chapter 17: Restoration of Martial Arts Skills

etween them," Yun Qianyue answered.The young man nodded again and continued walking forward.Yun Qianyue’s gaze flickered when she looked at his back figure but said nothing."Right, what are you holdin...Chapter 17: Regaining Martial Arts Skills

Yun Qianyue's gaze was tightly fixed on Nan Lingrui's fan, unmoving.

If the painting of ladies on Nan Lingrui's fan was indeed done in her style...

What did this mean

This meant that the surface of Nan Lingrui’s fan was actually painted by her and could only be painted by her, because no one else could replicate her unique technique of drawing hooked lines...

But what else did it indicate

It indicated that she wasn't new to this world when she woke up in the Imperial Palace’s Mandarin Duck Pool; rather, she had already been here for a long time...

And yet again, what does it mean

This means she really did lose her memory. She was Li Yun and also Yun Qianyue. Nan Lingrui's fan has been around for at least ten years judging by its appearance; she must have arrived here more than a decade ago...

It signifies that...

"Little girl, why are you daydreaming" Nan Lingrui walked over and snapped his fan shut with a "slap". He sized her up from head to toe and frowned. "How did you get all wet Don't tell me you took a bath while still in your clothes!"

Yun Qianyue's mind snapped back to reality instantly. She steadied herself, trying to force a smile but found she couldn’t manage it. With a stiff face, she asked Nan Lingrui, "Why didn't you go to the Duke of De王府 (Duke’s Mansion) to see Ye Qian Why are you here"

"This Crown Prince heard that Princess Qingwan has arrived. She is said to be beautiful, so I want to take a look." Nan Lingrui walked around Yun Qianyue and glanced in the direction of Xi Feng Garden. At this moment, faint sobs of Princess Qingwan could be heard. He blinked his eyes and suddenly grinned. "Could it be that they're acting out a drama scene A crying act Then I have truly arrived at the right time. A beautiful woman's tears mixed with raindrops on pear blossoms make for such a delicate scene!"

"Beautiful" Yun Qianyue snorted, "More like a three-year-old girl."

“Hm” Nan Lingrui looked at Yun Qianyue.

The mess in Yun Qianyue's mind had left her distracted. She shot him a glance and her eyes discreetly swept over the fan he held, recognizing instantly her unique stroke near the tail of the fan that she alone could produce. Calmly retracting her gaze, she sidestepped around Nan Lingrui and started walking away, saying dismissively: "If you want to go inside and watch, then do so."

"Where are you going" Nan Lingrui turned back, asking.

“To see the old man,” Yun Qianyue replied without turning her head around.

“You’re all wet. Be careful of catching a cold. It’s best to change clothes first.” Nan Lingrui suggested.

"Do you care about me" Yun Qianyue halted, turned back to him and arched an eyebrow as she looked at Nan Lingrui.

“Of course I do! This Crown Prince plans to marry you into the Southern Liang Kingdom as my crown prince consort,” Nan Lingrui smiled and nodded.

"Isn’t it supposed to be a secondary consort The primary consort is your SuSu," Yun Qianyue asked. Although she was tied up at the execution site, she understood sign language and had listened intently to every move and word of everyone on the execution platform.

“I’m just fooling that old emperor. How could I make you a secondary consort You must be my primary,” Nan Lingrui smiled slyly. "So your body condition these days is really poor, so it’s best to take good care of yourself; otherwise, when we get to the Southern Liang Kingdom, this Crown Prince will have to treat you with the finest medicine daily."

Yun Qianyue looked at Nan Lingrui as her mind raced. She suddenly smiled and softly asked: "Is the Southern Liang Kingdom good"

Nan Lingrui was momentarily stunned, then nodded. "Of course it is! Beautiful scenery, blooming flowers all year round!"

"Good! If no one wants me and I can't get married off, at that time, I'll go to the Southern Liang Kingdom with you," Yun Qianyue threw out a sentence before turning around and leaving.

Is the fan that Yun Meng painted for her brother really the same one in Nan Lingrui's hand Why does this fan, drawn with her technique, mean so much to Nan Lingrui What exactly did she lose during those fifteen missing years How many more secrets are there about her She closed her eyes and told herself not to rush. No need to be hasty; when one is anxious, mistakes tend to happen. The calmer she remained at such moments, the better.

"Nobody wanted me so I have to go with you to Nan Liang When did I become the bottom of the barrel" Nan Lingrui muttered unhappily as he watched Yun Qianmo walk away without looking back. He then looked down at the fan in his hand, smiled suddenly and said, "Not bad!" Then continued swaying his folding fan and strolled towards Xi Feng Garden with an air of self-importance.

Yun Qianmo paused at a corner and turned to see Nan Lingrui already entering Xi Feng Garden as if it was his own home. Her eyes flashed, she stared quietly at the garden for a moment before turning towards the old王爺's courtyard.

In no time, she arrived at the old王爺’s courtyard where Jade Bracelet had been waiting outside the door.

"Miss Yun Qianmo, you have finally come! The old王爺has been waiting for you half a day!" Jade Bracelet hurriedly welcomed her when she saw her approach. She noticed that Yun Qianmo was wet from head to toe and quickly asked, "Miss Yun Qianmo, how did you get all wet Although the weather is getting warmer now, there's still a chill in the air. Be careful not to catch a cold."

"It’s fine; I’m not that weak!" Yun Qianmo waved her hand and cursed Rong Jing inside.

"Then quickly come in! I’ll fetch you some clothes, Miss. You can change them in the old王爺's room." Jade Bracelet said urgently.

"Okay," Yun Qianmo answered as she stepped into the courtyard.

The thin voice of the old王爺bellowed from inside, "You stink, girl, and you still have the nerve to come back Why didn’t you let that old emperor behead you at the Meridian Gate"

Yun Qianmo had just reached the door when she paused with a flip of her eyes. She knew this old man would never stop scolding her whenever she came over. This was not good. Standing in front of the door, she replied, "Grandfather, if you keep yelling at me today, I won’t come inside! My mother gave birth to me so that I could get yelled at by you"

"You stink! Do you think you can defy me Get your ass in here now!" The old王爺’s anger had turned into rage upon hearing her.

“I wasn’t afraid he would kill me, so why should I be afraid of you scolding me” Yun Qianmo said calmly while standing at the door.

"Oh You’re sure" The old王爺raised an eyebrow.

“Of course. Am I just a worthless life that can be made fun of with my own death" Yun Qianmo retorted.

The old王爺’s anger diminished, he huffed and said, "Come in! Tell me how confident you are. That old emperor has deep thoughts! How could an insignificant girl like you match him If not for Prince Jing and Crown Prince Rui helping you, even ten heads wouldn’t have saved yours!"

"They helped me naturally because they’re useful. Without them, I would suffer some hardships but that's not the main thing. Even if they didn't help me, based on the situation at hand, the old emperor might want to kill me, but ultimately he wouldn’t have killed me," Yun Qianmo said as she pushed open the curtain and stepped in. Although she had gambled with a risky move, there was still an opportunity that could be sought after. She had always known life is above everything else; she would never put her life at risk.

"Oh So confident Come over here and tell me about it," the old王爺sat on his throne while watching Yun Qianmo walk in, his old eyes fixated on her wet clothes. He frowned and asked, "How did you get all wet"

Yun Qianmo snorted, “Ask Rong Jing if you want to know. It was him who poured water over me; I suggest that you take your cane and beat him up.”

"Why would he pour water on you for no reason He must have done it because of something you did," said the old王爺.

Yun Qianmo rolled her eyes, walked over to sit down in a chair, and with an elongated sound she said resentfully, "You’re really my good grandfather! I always suspected that Rong Jing is your own grandson. Am I not"

This favoritism was too obvious for words! Old bastard!

"Stink, girl! I wish he were my grandson!" the old王爺glared at Yun Qianmo.

“If you want him to be your own grandson in your next life!” Yun Qianmo harrumphed and didn’t bother arguing with this old man anymore. She leaned in close, lowered her voice and said: "Night Tianqiong has challenged the authority of the emperor today by marrying Qin Yucun. With the help of all officials, he is gaining popularity among everyone. Today, the crown prince’s prestige even surpassed that of the emperor himself! Do you think the old emperor wanted to kill Night Tianqiong at that moment"

The old王爺's eyes sparkled with a glint of shrewdness.

"Prince Xiaoqing and all officials petitioned in support of Prince Tianqiong. Although the old emperor was enraged, he had no place to vent his anger. He asked Rong Jing for his opinion; Rong Jing gave him an answer with the words 'family affairs and national matters' which basically meant not giving a clear stance on it. Duke De also remained neutral like Rong Jing. The old emperor then asked my father for his view, meaning that the Yun王府needs to take a stand. They can’t remain neutral, given their status." Yun Qianmo spoke slowly with each word crisp and clear: "If my father had said that ancestral laws cannot be abolished and Night Tianqiong was breaking them, the old emperor would have immediately deposed the crown prince, which is exactly what he wanted. But if he were to do so, Yun王府would become a target for all officials in court. When Prince Tianqiong was deposed, Yun王府would definitely be placed under death sentence by the old emperor, who wouldn’t hesitate to execute them."

The old王爺's eyes sparkled with sharpness as he nodded and said: "Keep going!"

"Even if my father is not very smart, after so many years of dealing with the old emperor, he couldn’t have missed his intention. Furthermore, he had promised to follow me from now on because I wouldn't enter the palace. So in order to please the public opinion, my father agreed automatically to abolish the ancestral law." Yun Qianmo paused and continued: "But actually, the old emperor didn’t intend to abolish the ancestral laws at all during that time. There were many possibilities for him to deal with it. He could have delayed the decision by saying he would discuss it again later, just like when I petitioned to marry Rong Feng in the previous military champion’s assembly. Wouldn't that be a missed opportunity If we couldn’t bring up this matter again, wouldn’t it become more difficult to propose such an idea Therefore, I added fuel to the fire and made sure that the old emperor had no choice but to agree with Night Tianqiong on abolishing the ancestral laws."

"You're quite bold! What if he really kills you" The Old Prince of Cloud nodded and raised his eyebrows to ask.

"Since ancient times, emperors have cherished their reputations; there hasn't been a ruler who doesn't wish to be remembered as a virtuous emperor by future generations. I self-deprecatedly pleaded for the abolition of the ancestral precept, which can be seen as adapting to the times. If the old emperor were to kill me, wouldn't he truly become an incompetent ruler Therefore, I am certain that he won't kill me. But because I forced him to kill Grand Eunuch Lu out of necessity, and again because I compelled him to agree to Empress Consort Qin Yuning for Night Tianqiong as his consort; and once more due to my being forced to abolish the precept set by Emperor Saint Ancestor that only Cloud Manor women could enter the palace. All these actions were unexpected to him. So it's certain he hates me, even if he abolishes the ancestral precept today, he won't let me off."

"You stinky brat, you know things pretty clearly!" The Old Prince of Cloud raised his eyebrows after hearing this.

Cloud Qianyue snorted and looked at the Old Prince of Cloud. "Are you still going to scold me now Can you still say I did wrong today"

The Old Prince glanced at her, also snorted, and said, "Too much exposure; a decade's worth of pretense turns into nothing in an instant! Do you think that after this day’s events, the old emperor will believe that you are illiterate and talentless You just wait for him to deal with you!"

It turned out the Old Prince knew about her pretenses. Cloud Qianyue blinked her eyes, shrugged helplessly, "If he doesn't believe it, so be it! Whether I pretend or not, I'm still me in the end! If he wants to deal with me, let him do that, but now that there's no ancestral precept, let’s see how he restrains me. However, his target right now is definitely Night Tianqiong. With Night Tianqiong standing in front of me, what am I afraid of"

"That stupid Night Tianqiong! A fraud!" The Old Prince barked.

"Grandpa, Qin Yuning isn't a fraud. She’s quite capable!" Cloud Qianyue looked at the Old Prince and continued to speak softly: "Don’t we have secret channels in our Cloud Manor Today, everything about the execution outside the imperial gate's supervisory seat was as clear as day to you. Does Qin Yuning seem like a fraud"

"She’s just a fish eye wrapped with pearls," said the Old Prince.

"A fish eye wrapped in pearls…" Cloud Qianyue chuckled, thinking this old man really knew how to make metaphors; she shook her head and said, "Qin Yuning isn’t only that! One of the messages from our secret channels is one aspect. Grandpa doesn't know about the second aspect. If he did, he probably wouldn't think so."

She thought the Old Prince surely didn’t know about the Purple Grass incident. Without Rong Jing telling her, she hadn't noticed the change to purple just before the explosion of the Curse King; how could she have known through secret channels

"Huh There’s a second aspect" The Old Prince narrowed his eyes.

Cloud Qianyue nodded and leaned close to the Old Prince, whispering about Purple Grass and the Curse King's incident. After finishing her words, she noticed a change in the Old Prince's expression. She watched him quietly without speaking further.

A long time passed before the Old Prince spoke again, asking Cloud Qianyue, "Is it truly confirmed that the Curse King turned purple just before its explosion"

"Grandpa, are you questioning Rong Jing's eyesight" Cloud Qianyue retorted.

The Old Prince fell silent and did not speak again.

Cloud Qianyue also stayed quiet, waiting for the Old Prince to continue.

A long time later, the Old Prince said, "Your mother died from Purple Grass too!"

"What" Cloud Qianyue jumped up in disbelief and looked at the Old Prince.

The Old Prince glanced at her and saw her expression of incredulity. He sighed and told Cloud Qianyue, "Stinky brat, tell me honestly how many memories you have left."

Cloud Qianyue hadn't expected such a question from the Old Prince; she lowered her head, somewhat depressed: "Not even a trace!"

The Old Prince snorted and said, "I knew you didn’t have any traces of memory! It’s hard for you to keep up this act for so long and still come here saying you’re not my granddaughter. If you weren't my granddaughter, I wouldn't let you even step into Cloud Manor."

Cloud Qianyue fell silent. Without hearing about Qing Wan Princess earlier today and wanting to visit Yun Muhuan, then listening to Yun Meng's words in between, and later seeing Nan Lingrui’s fan by chance outside Xi Feng Garden; despite all these coincidences and Rong Feng and Rong Jing confirming her identity, she still didn’t believe that she was Cloud Qianyue. Now with everything laid out before her eyes, how could she not believe it

Currently, there is only one explanation: She had come to this world long ago after dying; something happened in between and she lost all memories of living here, retaining only memories from her past life. Therefore, she believed that she just arrived on the day of the Imperial Poem Recital.

"You’ve been pretending since childhood. I nearly fell for it then! If not for Rong Jing telling me you had amnesia when we returned from the imperial palace that day, I wouldn’t have known," said the Old Prince with a snort.

Cloud Qianyue widened her eyes. "Grandpa, y-you mean Rong Jing knew about my amnesia on that day"

"Hmph!" The Old Prince nodded and snorted again.

"That day when he talked to me, we only exchanged a few words. How did he know I lost my memory" Yun Qianyue asked.

"How would I know You must have done something wrong that he caught on to! The Crown Prince's eyes really don't miss anything. He didn't want me to expose you, so I let it be. Never did I think a stinking girl like you could still act this way after losing your memory," the Old Duke of Yun grumbled angrily: "I wish I could bash your head open and see what's going on inside!"

"Do you think I want to act that way" Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes. "Since I woke up, everyone has been saying how wasteful, uncultured, heartless, tyrannical, and evil I am! Night Tianqiong wanted to take me to the Department of Justice, even mobilizing the Secret Guard. If not for that, I would have died a dozen deaths coming back from this mission. What else could I do but pretend Everyone says I'm like that; if I don't act that way, who will be left as 'me' I might've been dismembered by now," she added.

"Why didn't you say you were lazy and just wanted to eat, drink, and play" the Old Duke of Yun huffed.

Yun Qianyue had reached a point of righteous indignation when the old duke pointed it out. She blushed; she really did think that back then! But now her daydreams were completely shattered. Sighing, she said with some dejection: "Grandpa, you're not going to hold me accountable for pretending wrongly, are you If I didn't act this way, the old emperor probably would have killed me already. Look, don't talk about such useless things. Just tell me what I've been doing these years and what memories were lost"

"How could I know what you did all those years! You've always been like this," the Old Duke of Yun said.

"That's impossible!" Yun Qianyue stared back at him wide-eyed.

"Why is it impossible Since age five, you knew nothing but to play. You'd cling onto your brother all day long! Afterward, you started chasing after Night Tianqiong like a madwoman; I couldn't find a trace of you. Either in the palace or at the Crown Prince's residence, you spent only a few days every year back here." The old duke was so angry that his beard twitched with each word he said. "When have your eyes ever seen me as your grandpa"

"Impossible!" Yun Qianyue shook her head in disbelief. "I did nothing for fifteen years, no fourteen and a half years to be precise; all I did was cling onto my brother and then Night Tianqiong That's it"

"What do you think The most things you've done were those two months after you got your brain knocked out at the palace. You've been more mischievous than ever, making me headache-ridden. I can't figure out why the Crown Prince would fancy such a girl like you. I haven't seen any good in you," the old duke sneered.

"I... " Yun Qianyue was at a loss for words. She wanted to ask about Rong Feng and how she met him; also, who sent her a letter through Yang Ye from Northland And then there's Rong Jing, with the Lingzhi Drunkenness buried in Tianxue Mountain. How did that come about There were so many things... It was impossible for her to have done nothing all these years! Looking at the old duke with his twitching beard, she didn't think he was lying. Rubbing her forehead weakly, she said: "Fine, let's not talk about this right now; how did I lose my memory Rong Feng says it’s because there were two different energy streams in me clashing and blocking one another, causing the amnesia. How is that possible Don't you know something about this You told me your Phoenix True Scripture was very powerful"

"How would I know I passed on the scripture to you; it's all your own practice," said the old duke.

Did he not teach her anything then Yun Qianyue thought. Wasn't he a clever old man Now he knew nothing. He seemed less informed than she was. What did he know

"Of course I didn’t practice it. The Phoenix True Scripture is meant for women to train in; how could an old man like me practice that" the old duke said.

Upon hearing this, Yun Qianyue's eyes widened even more than his did. She remembered Lingtai Temple and Rong Jing’s ability to merge their energy streams together. When he mentioned it was the Heaven-Earth Scripture at the time, she asked: "If Rong Jing practices the Heaven-Earth Scripture, wouldn't that be of the same origin as my skills How could he practice it then If they're from the same source, wouldn’t he turn into a woman too"

"You brat! Of course one can practice the Heaven-Earth Scripture! It’s yin energy; how would you become a woman!" The old duke glared at her. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he said: "No wonder the Crown Prince's martial arts are so divine and magical. He practices the Heaven-Earth Scripture!"

Yun Qianyue raised her head to look up at the sky and replied after a while in a weak voice: "Then where did you get the Phoenix True Scripture from"

"Your mother gave it to me before she left, asking me to pass it on to you," said the old duke.

Her mother... Yun Qianyue looked at him and asked hesitantly: "Grandpa, why did my mother fall ill with Purple Grass Rong Jing told me that his father didn't die from a poison blockage but from purple grass."

The old duke was stunned. He stared at Yun Qianyue in disbelief, “The Crown Prince said his father died from purple grass”

Yun Qianyue nodded. She hadn’t told the old duke about Rong Wang's death due to purple grass. It seemed that Rong Jing had kept this secret for ten years and only confided in her.

"No wonder... I've been wondering why there was no cure for such a poison blockage; it turns out it’s purple grass!" The old duke lowered his head, somewhat sorrowful. "I don’t know how your mother fell ill with this poison. She went to Northland once and came back fine. But later she got sick all of a sudden. Before her departure, I passed on the Phoenix True Scripture to you as per her request, only then did I find out about it. Her martial arts were incredibly powerful; thus, she held out for some time but eventually succumbed," he explained.

Northland again! Yun Qianyue thought of Rong Wang who went to Northland to quell a rebellion and died on the way back from purple grass poisoning. Purple Grass was produced in the Toxins Peak of Northland. She narrowed her eyes and asked, "Then why did my mother go to Northland"

"I don’t know!" The old duke shook his head.

“Isn't she a queen Can she leave the palace so freely And it’s still in Northland” Yun Qianyue looked at the old duke.

"This palace never restricted her freedom," said the old duke.

“Where was my mother's family from” Yun Qianyue asked again. She had never heard of anyone mentioning an outsider family before, let alone a grandfather figure. When he didn’t answer, she got annoyed: "Don't tell me you don't even know where my mother’s family is from Then how did you marry her as your son's wife

If he claims to know nothing, then what exactly does he know He doesn't even know about his mother's background

"I don’t actually know anything about your mother’s background," the old王爺 shook his head again.

"Does that mean my mother’s family isn’t from this capital city" Cloud Qianyue was taken aback, seeing the old王爺 nod in affirmation. She frowned and took a deep breath, "Alright then! Let me ask you something else that you know for sure. What kind of miracle medicine did you give Rong Jing back then to help Master Ling Yin save his life

Shouldn’t he at least know this one thing

"Where would I have given him any miracle medicine Was it not you who gave it to him It was sent under my old man’s name, so where would I know what it is!" the old王爺 raised an eyebrow and shook his head again.

You were the one who gave it

Cloud Qianyue felt that she had entered a bizarre loop. She originally wanted to get some useful information from the old王爺, but after going around in circles, she ended up with nothing but more riddles. The number of these enigmatic puzzles kept increasing, leaving her almost suffocated by them. With little energy left, she said, "Then what do you know Tell me something about myself!"

"I only know that you spend your days chasing after Night Tianqiong’s backside and are utterly useless!" the old王爺 snorted.

"Stop joking around! Do I have to get angry with you" Cloud Qianyue abruptly stood up, slapping her hand on the table. She was thoroughly annoyed! He believed that this old man must know something but was deliberately playing dumb. Otherwise, how could he challenge the emperor while controlling such a large Cloud王府 Relying solely on her useless father, the Cloud王府 would have been long gone. After going around in circles for so long, all she got were more riddles and no useful information about this body of hers. She warned coldly, "Do you want me to bang my head against something until I die"

In her excitement, she hadn’t noticed that the table had sunk slightly due to her actions.

The old王爺’s body trembled, but instead of anger, he was overjoyed. Staring at Cloud Qianyue’s hand, he said, "Smelly brat, your martial arts have returned!"

Cloud Qianyue looked down and saw her hand sinking straight into the table. She was stunned for a moment before pulling it out; there were five finger marks left on the tabletop from one slap. She felt relieved and quickly tried to sense something in her dantian, only to find nothing there. She frowned and shook her head, "It hasn’t returned! There’s nothing in my dantian!"

"Impossible! How could an ordinary person have such strength Try slapping the table again!" the old王爺 immediately said.

Cloud Qianyue hit the table with the same force as before, and it sank just like last time. She was stunned, staring at her hand in disbelief, "But my dantian doesn’t have any inner energy! What’s going on"

"This must be the wonder of the Phoenix True Scriptures. When I saw your mother back then, I thought she didn’t know martial arts too! But unexpectedly, her skills were peerless. Since you’re studying the Phoenix True Scriptures, it should be the same for you," said the old王爺.

Cloud Qianyue remained silent and focused on sensing her body; indeed, it felt much lighter, with all eight extraordinary meridians open and inner energy everywhere. She turned around and flicked her wrist to grab a chair across the room, which immediately appeared in her hand. Her eyes widened in amazement at how suddenly her martial arts had returned, leaving her somewhat puzzled.

"Having your martial arts back is good! Why do you look so blank" The old王爺, seeing Cloud Qianyue holding onto the chair for a while without moving, spoke with rare kindness and warmth. "Forget about your memory loss; it’s no big deal. There’s no need to deliberately seek out answers. Perhaps one day, unexpectedly like this martial arts recovery, you’ll regain your memories. Everyone sees you differently. Do you intend to ask everyone what they see Must you act as others perceive you"

Cloud Qianyue looked up at the old王爺.

The old王爺 continued, "You are who you are! Whether or not you remember anything, it’s still you. You must have principles and your own thoughts to judge what is right. Any advice could mislead you into doing wrong things; even my words might mislead you. Although you’ve freed yourself from family traditions, as long as you’re the legitimate daughter of Cloud王府, you’ll carry its responsibilities. The old emperor’s eyes won’t leave you; hence, you can’t make a single mistake."

Cloud Qianyue pursed her lips tightly and listened intently. It was rare for the old王爺 to talk so seriously with her; she thought these words were crucial.

"Your father is useless, and over the years, I’ve been secretly challenging the old emperor. With little time left before he acts against you, you’ve done many things privately that I know about but can’t clearly explain for fear of misleading you. You must rely on yourself to figure out what’s right or wrong after losing your memories. There won’t be any mistakes," said the old王爺. "Your brother is unreliable, and with me growing older and your father incapable, Cloud王府 still relies on you! Now more than ever, you should stay calm to avoid making mistakes. This is all I can tell you now; if you understand it, that’s great; otherwise, it’s just because you’re foolish," he concluded.

Cloud Qianyue remained silent, continuing to look at the old王爺.

"You useless brat! What are you doing with a stool Aren’t you worried about its weight I told you you were stupid and now you’ve proven it!" The old王爺 glared angrily when he saw Cloud Qianyue standing there without moving, not even blinking.

Cloud Qianyue stood still, but her confused and troubled gaze suddenly brightened. Her heart felt less burdened by the old王爺’s words; they were enlightening, opening her mind to new possibilities. She put down the chair and smiled at the old王爺 as he glared at her.

"Smelly brat! Did you understand" The old王爺 raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I understood!" Cloud Qianyue nodded. All the foggy confusion surrounding her cleared away, like breaking through clouds to see clearly again. She smiled, "Grandpa is right; whether or not I remember anything doesn’t matter much. If worse comes to worst, I can start over and live anew. Even without memories, I still have eyes and ears to judge what’s right or wrong, feasible or impossible. A path will always emerge! Relying on others won’t be as good as relying on myself."

"I’m glad you understood!" The old王爺 finally smiled. "Regarding the old emperor, he values the Night氏 throne most; grasp his weak point and nothing can harm you. About your assassination attempt with Prince Jing, today’s explosion of the King of a Thousand Curses due to Purple Grass poison isn’t urgent to investigate. Who is this fox Eventually, its tail will show! Just be cautious in between. As for your mother, she was always a mystery until death. I can’t tell you much about her; if you want to know more, seek it out yourself. Perhaps you already knew but forgot after losing your memories and must start anew again. So everything is up to you."

Yun Qianyue nodded. It had been a long time since this old man acted like an elder and gave her some earnest advice today.

"It's getting late, your clothes are dry now, go back to rest." The Old Royal Grandpa waved his hand tiredly, "I guess I am not as capable as before. An old man just wants to enjoy his twilight years in peace, so from now on you can do whatever you want! With Lord Shizhi keeping an eye on you, I feel somewhat reassured."

Yun Qianyue thought about Rong Jing and her eyes rolled slightly. She couldn't figure out what kind of mind-altering potion he had given this old man. She nodded and said, "Then Grandpa, go rest! I'm going back!"

"Alright." The Old Royal Grandpa waved his hand.

Yun Qianyue stepped out of the room. As she walked to the door, the Old Royal Grandpa suddenly said, "Oh right, tomorrow is your mother's death anniversary. It has been twelve years since she passed away, exactly one zodiac cycle. When you were two, an undercover guard took you up to burn joss paper for her, but after that you went by yourself to Yunwushan. You've persisted for a whole cycle now. I remember your mother said once the cycle was completed, you wouldn't have to go anymore. So this year is the last time you'll visit and pay respects to her. Stay overnight on top of the mountain and keep her company."

"Alright." Yun Qianyue nodded. Thinking about Cailian saying that her mother had died when she was two, and now she hadn't yet turned fifteen, it indeed added up to twelve years. Her father said no one else in the Yun Royal Manor could go to Yunwushan except for her. She instinctively felt there must be a secret behind Yunwushan. She didn't know what would await her tomorrow!

The Old Royal Grandpa fell silent and closed his eyes, looking weary.

Yun Qianyue left the room.

Yu Zhuo was waiting outside with Yun Qianyue's clothes. Seeing her come out, she respectfully said in a low voice, "After I brought your clothes for you and knew that you were talking to the Old Royal Grandpa, I didn't go inside to disturb you. Now that you are dry, you must take a hot bath when you get back or else catching cold would be bad."

"Alright." Yun Qianyue nodded. She felt uncomfortable with her crumpled clothes and indeed needed a good warm shower. All thanks to Rong Jing's damned injury, he still had a black heart after getting hurt! Taking the clothes from Yu Zuo’s hand, she walked towards Qianyue Hall.

She had only taken two steps when an unusual gust of wind blew past her left side. She immediately stopped and looked to her left; after several seconds, Xuan Ge jumped down from above. Yun Qianyue looked at him, thinking that having martial arts was indeed good. If she relied on seeing Xuan Ge appear in front of her every time, today she had sensed his presence five seconds earlier. Although a mere five seconds was short, for an expert it meant five sword strikes or the chance to be killed five times. This indicated her skills were higher than his now! She smiled at this realization as she looked at him.

Xuan Ge also stopped moving and saw Yun Qianyue looking at him with surprise. That look seemed like he was expecting her to know he would come, especially that smile of hers made him shudder; he couldn't help but take a step back.

"What's the matter" Yun Qianyue asked in good spirits, having long forgotten about Xuan Ge throwing shoes at her before.

“Miss Qianyue, I came to invite you to see our Lord Shizhi. He…” Xuan Ge lowered his head.

"What’s wrong with him" Yun Qianyue frowned and stopped smiling.

"Lord Shizhi has been soaking in water for over an hour now, I'm afraid that the injury on his arm will worsen if left submerged like this…" Xuan Ge said.

"What is he doing soaking himself in water Doesn’t he know his arm is injured" Yun Qianyue's face turned cold. She had been at Xi Feng Manor and then waiting for a long time in the Old Royal Grandpa’s yard, so it should be more than an hour now. When did Rong Jing get back to the manor to soak himself

"After sending you back to Yun Royal Manor, Lord Shizhi changed his clothes and shoes at home, ordered me to burn them, then locked himself in a room for bathing without allowing me entry. Doctor Lao and Qing Quan, Qing Chang tried to persuade him one after another but he wouldn't listen and refused to come out. So I have no choice but to ask you…" Xuan Ge said dejectedly: "Lord Shizhi never allows anyone within three feet of him except for you; today when he had no choice but to save Miss Qin, so only then did he..."

"So he's soaking in water and washing himself away" Yun Qianyue was speechless.

“Yes!” Xuan Ge nodded.

"What an odd habit!" Yun Qianyue scolded, but secretly delighted by his actions. She waved her hand at Xuan Ge: "Tell him if he peels off a layer of skin, I won't change his bandages tomorrow!"

“Those words Doctor Lao and I have said countless times, but Lord Shizhi won’t come out. Miss Qianyue, is it possible to trouble you for one visit to the Rong Royal Manor You… please go there once! If not, with his temperament, he may stay in water all night long, then what will happen to his arm I think only if you go over will he come out!” Xuan Ge looked at Yun Qianyue beseechingly.

"I didn’t know when I had become so useful!" Yun Qianyue found it amusing looking at the miserable face of Xuan Ge. He seemed to really be unable to get Rong Jing out from water and now came for her help, if there were even a possibility she wouldn't see him! She nodded: "Alright, I will go with you."

Xuan Ge was delighted. Before he could express his gratitude, Yun Qianyue's feet lightly touched the ground, her purple figure flashing and disappeared in an instant. He stared at where Yun Qianyue had vanished, unable to believe what happened as if struck dumb. After a long while, he used his lightness skills to catch up with her trail. Astonished, when did Miss Qianyue regain her martial arts Furthermore, it was so advanced that she was barely perceptible even at this close range! He probably would have lost track of her already had he not known she was heading for the Rong Royal Manor!

Those votes are so enchanting!

Would anyone like to see a scene of Lord Jing getting out of bath (⊙ｏ⊙) O（∩_∩）O~eze to death tomorrow," Rong Jing instructed.Hearing this, Ling Lian and Yi Xue glanced inside the house before quickly responding and leaving.Yun Qianyue rubbed her forehead with her hand and muttere...