Section 4

Bai Hanlu saw a pair of hands gripping the old pine on the cliff, the emerald-colored gauze dress fluttering in the wind, and a pair of tender white little feet desperately flailing, trying to find something to push against. Qingxuan, dressed in plain white, crouched down, looking at the face that was striving to tilt upwards, carrying a hint of a faint smile, "Give up, Du Heng will always despise you, because it is you who caused him to be stuck here like a mortal. If you truly love him, then die. Perhaps, he will forgive you."

Who says I am afraid? It is just one fool among every ten of you from the Wolf Clan!

The child jumped up and down anxiously, "Young Master, quickly pull her up, she can hardly hold on any longer."

Bai Hanlu and the child followed the green butterfly towards the glowing light, where time stood still in the sea of consciousness. They witnessed this long memory, which was merely a fleeting moment. The light grew larger, and faintly, the cries of vultures echoed from the cliff, with a breeze blowing from the crevices of the abyss. Bai Hanlu opened her eyes, and not far beneath her feet stood the majestic city walls of the capital, while in the distance lay the boundless desert, with enormous green fungi growing on the stone walls.

She was taken aback, her eyes wide open as she looked up at him, as if she did not understand what he was saying

In the end, it is about returning to oneself, yet there is not a word mentioned about how to fall off a cliff

However, when two troublemakers come together, it becomes difficult to determine who is harming whom

After leaving the court, I will take the pillow embroidered with white pear blossoms to the Chao Lin Pavilion. The doors and windows of the entire Chao Lin Pavilion are covered with talismans. Outside, it is bright and sunny, but as soon as one enters the courtyard, it is dim and misty. The artificial lake in the courtyard occupies almost half of the space, and the water is a strange blood-red color. In the center of the lake, there is a crystal-clear ice coffin placed according to the diagram of yin, yang, and the five elements. Inside the ice coffin lies a person, half of whose body has flesh and blood, while the other half is nothing but stark white bones. The artificial lake in the courtyard occupies almost half of the space, and the water is a strange blood-red color. In the center of the lake, there is a crystal-clear ice coffin placed according to the diagram of yin, yang, and the five elements. Inside the ice coffin lies a person, half of whose body has flesh and blood, while the other half is nothing but stark white bones.

"Are you afraid?" Bai Hanlu glanced at him, "Are all foxes as timid as you?"

The final scene depicts Li standing silently in front of the door of his father and mother, gazing for a while, and then slowly closing the door.

Du Heng nodded and carried Jiang Li away from her father's cold corpse, holding her all the way through the garden, in the air saturated with the sound of mourning bells. In the middle of the night, Jiang Li awoke to find herself sitting opposite Qing Xuan, the Empress of Yanqiu, on the couch, leaning against the fireplace. Qing Xuan's eyes were filled with deep affection, while Du Heng merely rested her chin on her hand, frowning as she looked at the chessboard

Ke Duoheng stared at the chessboard, never once glancing at her

The matter regarding the fall from the cliff at the age of fifteen is not difficult to inquire about, as the late emperor Qingxuan had once dispatched troops in a grand manner to search for the body

The red fox looked at its young master with confusion; he never wanted to part with the butterfly grasshopper he had crafted. This child was truly ungrateful. You'er jumped down from Bai Hanlu and was about to go pick up the picture book when the grass-woven butterfly flapped its wings and flew away, its emerald wings shimmering with silver scales as it soared into the distance. The young general was momentarily stunned, then immediately lifted his skirt and chased after it

Why? Is there still a need to ask?

The palace maids exchanged glances, and the female official looked at the sky, clearly impatient. "Your Highness, the Third Princess, it is getting late. If you wish to bid farewell, please do so quickly. We hope you can understand our difficulties," she said before leading the palace maids to close the door and leave. The late emperor's male concubine was buried alongside him, which happened three years ago. At that time, she was not yet fifteen, but looking at her frail figure, which seemed as if it could break at any moment, she was completely devoid of the lively health typical of an ordinary girl.

He is a qilin, entirely silver-white, with a pair of wings on his back. Bai Hanlu flipped her hand, and the flying butterfly had already transformed back into the woven dead object. She placed it in front of her, saying, "Jiang Li, you must have seen him; he must be somewhere here."

All time and space have vanished, as if a faint glow is shining from a great distance. Then, a butterfly with shimmering emerald light flutters over, and the child, flicking its tail, finds itself somewhat at a loss for words due to the earlier scene, feeling immensely frustrated, "It seems I don't dislike the departure as much now."

As she loosened her grip, she saw Du Heng tightly embrace Qing Xuan and pull her up, their white garments merging into one, rendering everything in front of her indistinct and unclear.

Bai Hanlu turned her head and saw that the spirit of the Wind Qilin was lying there, barely alive, in the enormous iron cage

Li slowly combed his hair neatly, stared blankly at his father for a while, then lowered his head and kissed his face, "Father, I am also tired, please hold me to sleep." The young girl jumped onto the bed and nestled into her father's arms, closed her eyes, and fell asleep contentedly

A few stubborn old men exchanged glances, and in the end, the Right Minister gritted his teeth and said: "Your Majesty, I fear this plague is not so simple. The merchant caravans dare not travel, and the common people do not dare to leave the city; the public is in a state of panic. There is a saying circulating in the market that..." He cautiously glanced at the half-closed eyes of the Emperor on the throne, steeling himself to say: "It is said that someone in the palace is using living people to sacrifice to demons, which is a violation of divine retribution!"

The female official entered with her servant and was taken aback, feeling utterly at a loss. Dressed in a flowing white palace gown, Qingxuan was accompanied by a long train, while the graceful Du Heng walked beside her, yet she was an expressionless ice beauty. Looking at the pitiful father and daughter on the bed, she unexpectedly asked, "Shall we bury them together?"

This is memory, you are indeed a real vixen, but how come you have no brains

For the past two years, the empress's chamber has never awaited its master. Every day, Jiang Li would sleep beside this icy coffin, and only when she fell asleep could Zheng Kun approach to cover her with a quilt. Bai Hanlu squatted on the coffin lid, observing the tightly clenched fists of the sleeping Jiang Li, then glancing at the half of the radiant face within the coffin, she touched the brow bone, reflecting that a beauty is always a source of calamity.

The young officer became more vigilant, glaring at him fiercely, "I do not know this person"

Behind this door lies the memories she is most reluctant to recall, and no one will ever push the door open from within. Her younger self has always stood guard here, lonely and steadfast, watching over this cage, forbidding anyone to see it

Let go, let go of you!

"You are foolish. I cannot be like Qinghe, who is so brainless, and the Empress Mother is so fond of your vixen of a father and concubine, yet she scolds you all day. I have only been a little kinder to you, and you tell me everything. " Qingxuan smiled gently, still maintaining her usual warm and good-natured demeanor. "By the way, when you first told me that the Empress Mother is always followed by a fire-breathing Qilin beast that can transform into a human, I thought you were crazy. But really, you are pitifully foolish; when asked to cast a spell, you just do it. Your father and concubine only gave you the face of a vixen; why didn’t they give you the brain of one too?"

The child's eyes were red and swollen, as if she were about to fall like a deep green butterfly, gently landing and being obscured by several thick and soft flower crowns of the blue grass, ultimately plunging into the water pool at the foot of the mountain. She crawled to the shore, her right hand tightly gripping and forcefully pulling out a knife. Taking a gentle breath, she retrieved the crushed mist infant fruit from her sleeve. This mist infant fruit resembled a baby's small fist, plump and succulent, growing in the shaded area of the mountain, capable of purifying impurities and detoxifying.

The young guard scratched his face with a finger, appearing somewhat embarrassed, "As for me, I have been here all along. My father and mother are sleeping inside and have instructed me to guard the door here." Behind the child stood two tightly closed vermilion doors, the brass rings shaped like beast heads rusted and mottled from the passage of time. The young guard sat upright at the entrance, "My father and mother are sleeping, and no one is allowed to enter."

Bai Hanlu shook her head, realizing that this Qingxuan was truly lacking in virtue, no wonder she ended up dying a miserable death in the end

Where is this? Why are you the only one here?

Hey, hey, hey, hey? You'er pointed at the beam and jumped up, "Is that a person? Is that a man hanging from the beam? Is he drying himself to save for winter or what?"

"Young Master, you know again, huh?" You Er said with a strange smile, "Young Master, you are quite kind to others, so why do you only show a cold face to your junior brother?"

A white silk ribbon hung from a man dressed in plain clothes, his skin as white as snow and his long hair cascading like a waterfall, bearing an eight-point resemblance to him. The surrounding scenery suddenly became clear and vivid, and Bai Hanlu noticed that the inner palace was already filled with a color of plain white. The faint sound of monks chanting scriptures for the deceased drifted in from the Jingling Pagoda outside the palace. Two eunuchs lowered the man to check for breath and said to the female official behind them, "Lord Luo has already departed with His Majesty; you may call for someone to prepare for the burial." As soon as the words fell, a voice was heard: "I will wash and comb my mother’s hair; you all may leave."

Here is for you

-

I want to enter her sea of consciousness

As expected of a veteran who has served through three dynasties, she understands the value of life and does not engage in foolish acts of self-sacrifice to offer counsel. She does not shift the blame onto inexplicable individuals, and she certainly cannot go on a rampage to slaughter the city.

Placing the pillow beside the ice coffin on the small mat, she wearily nestled down next to the person inside the coffin. From the side, Du Heng appeared to be peacefully asleep. In her childhood, Du Heng loved to sleep on her bed; although he had no physical form and she could not feel his warmth at all, she always leaned against him while sleeping. Just like Jiang Li now, leaning against him through the ice, which was painfully cold yet she could not bear to part from him even for a moment

What are you looking for?" The young man squatted there, his gaze fierce and vigilant. "There are no butterflies in Stone City, what are you here for?"

Bai Hanlu took out a grass-woven butterfly from his sleeve, with emerald-colored wings and quivering long antennae that looked lifelike. He placed the butterfly on Xiao Jiangli's knee and asked, "Do you like this?"

The old turtle spirit was quite nervous, "What does the immortal want to do?"

Even so, You'er still nervously wagged his tail as they saw Du Heng running over. From Du Heng's perspective, Qing Xuan was crouching down to pull Jiang Li away. At that moment, Jiang Li suddenly reached out and grabbed Qing Xuan's arm, causing her to be greatly alarmed and to sway her body, but she was caught by the arriving Du Heng. However, Du Heng was merely a mortal being, how could he bear the weight of two people? In a flash, he calmly shouted: "Jiang Li, let go of Qing Xuan, and I promise you a good family in your next life."

In the depths of the white cold dew, nothing can be heard, nor can anything be seen, in a pitch-black and desolate place, where the concepts of time and space have been lost, there is nothing at all

As Jiang Li was filled with sorrow, tears suddenly welled up. At the same time, Du Heng unsheathed the dagger from his boot and without hesitation plunged it forcefully into the back of Jiang Li's hand, the razor-sharp blade that could cut through hair and sever iron pierced through the palm of Jiang Li's hand.

Moments later, the surroundings once again fell into an empty darkness, as the green butterfly dusted with scale powder danced beside Bai Hanlu and landed on his fingertip

He was slightly taken aback; this was the most desolate sea of consciousness he had ever seen, if it could even be called a sea of consciousness.

Last night I went to bed too late, and early this morning I heard them asking questions they already knew the answers to, which was truly annoying. I yawned and lazily propped my chin up, saying: "Since it is a 'plague', let the imperial physicians think of a solution; I am not a doctor, what use is it to report to me?"

Bai Hanlu stared at the corner where the small stones were rolling, "... ... will leave?"

She was bewildered, "Where is my father and mother?"

The child exclaimed: "I found it!"

Before long, the corner he was looking at lit up, revealing a child of about six or seven years old, dressed in a light green spring outfit. Her jet-black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, yet she still appeared pitifully thin. However, her emerald green eyes were so bright, filled with stars.

With tears streaming down her face, she swallowed bite after bite, and thus the child who had endured countless grievances grew up

Because leaving is not the act of a greedy child

The majestic palace, a cauldron of soft fragrance, and the two figures engaged in a game on the couch instantly turned to ashes.

"Young Master, have we gone to the wrong place?" You'er silently surveyed the surroundings, anxiously pointing at his nose and shouting, "Oh, oh, did you mispronounce the spell again?! What kind of place is this? It scared him to death!

Standing at the entrance of the hall in a thin shirt, she stared intently at the man who was meticulously studying the chessboard, remaining motionless as if she were a living corpse

"Human sacrifices are the utmost filial piety; I have never heard of being filial to one's ancestors and yet being punished by heaven. Rumors are more ferocious than tigers, and they can indeed shake the court. This matter should not be mentioned again; otherwise, according to the law, the right minister may have to slap his mouth for spreading rumors"

The officials exchanged glances, and the Right Chancellor stroked his beard, sighing inwardly. It was time to resign from office; perhaps it was best to return home in retirement. This empress was likely beyond saving. Whatever he thought in his heart, he had already made up his mind to leave, having a rough idea of the situation. There were many rumors about the demon emperor and the calamity, with plenty of gossip behind her back, yet no one could do anything to her.

The child let out a sound of discontent, but how could the gentle and amiable Young Master Qingming be disliked? The crimson door in front of him opened, and the wind swept out fine sand, scattering the silver hair of Bai Hanlu like snow in the sudden gust. A wave of stale and decayed mustiness rushed towards him.

In the heavens, there exists the Palace of Destiny, which writes the lives of mortals, determining what flowers bloom and what fruits are borne. Those who cannot escape the Three Realms are merely actors in a play written on paper. The sea of consciousness is not truly a sea; each individual's ideology is distinct. The most straightforward concept is memory, yet in the most hidden places, there are cages that hold secrets or ferocious beasts.

Those with a princess or prince need not be buried alive; the rules are indeed correct. However, the late Empress's greatest love was your mother. Although the Empress did not express it, I know she wished to be with Lord Luo. As for Qinxuan, she did not look at her, placing the chess piece on the board, and said lightly, "... as a daughter, to know yet not act is contrary to filial piety"

The young general was momentarily taken aback, then pointed with a hand, "... the Empress said that the monster in that cage must not be released, as it will bite."

Bai Hanlu placed her finger on her lips, smiled mysteriously, and said, "Watch the show"

Jiang Li jumped up and ran outside barefoot, startling Qing Xuan. "Jiang Li, where are you going?"

I am looking for Du Huang

The young general's expression suddenly turned cold as he threw the grass-woven butterfly onto the ground, saying, "How could you be so kind? You must have poisoned it, right? I don't want it!"

The master and servant were engaged in a leisurely quarrel when suddenly a small stone rolled over, coming to rest at the feet of the young man. He exclaimed, "Wow!" and, with all four limbs, clung tightly to his young master, whom he had just called a fool and a simpleton, anxiously looking around and demanding, "Who threw that? Show yourself!"

The young general picked up the grass-made butterfly, his eyes widening in surprise as he exclaimed: "Is this a butterfly?! I have seen it in paintings! It only exists in places with many flowers"

Oh, did the young master forget

Qingxuan did not respond, and Du Heng glanced at her, "She is dead, didn't you see?"

"One is a fox, and the other is a wolf. How did you two monsters get in?" The young general looked up, worried, "How could that fire-breathing qilin at the entrance let you in?"

Qingxuan shook her head with a bitter smile, "For the past three years, she has been unable to harm me, and now she cannot do anything to me either. After all, she is my imperial sister; once she comes of age and gets married, it will be over."

Du Heng, may I kill them all? What divine retribution could there be? They are merely some lowly commoners, what difference does it make compared to you?" Jiang Li murmured, "In another six months, you will be able to return... then you won't be angry anymore, right? I truly do not dislike the Empress, but why do you like her? Hmm, it's just too bothersome..."

Entering the sea of knowledge, recalling the past events that have been left behind

It has become even more bewildering, "The Empress gave birth to the child of the Emperor, why must there still be a burial sacrifice?"

Struggling desperately, with eyes wide open, "It was you... deceiving me... you have always... been deceiving..."

In front of the crimson door, the child scratched his head and said, "A butterfly just flew away."

The fire-breathing qilin does not exist at all; it is merely a protective deity imagined from one's own sea of consciousness.

As he sat on the throne, the morning light streamed into the hall, and the old men were once again reporting with deep grievances about the "plague" occurring outside the city. However, what kind of plague could turn living people into stark white bones overnight? It was more likely that some man-eating monster had emerged, yet no one dared to mention it, simply referring to it as a "plague".

Bai Hanlu stood with one hand on his waist, "Because he hates it!"