Chapter 1, Returning Home
The Hulong Mansion is not as luxurious and magnificent as the young lady's previous home, but it possesses a solemn grandeur that I have never seen before. The qilin at the entrance signifies nobility and majesty, and even from a distance, I find myself unable to resist stopping, as if the place ahead is a forbidden area of the imperial palace, instilling a sense of awe.
Upon hearing these words, the blood coursing through my body seemed to freeze instantly. I remembered them saying that my mother was not long for this world, and I rushed inside
My adoptive mother said to me on her deathbed, "The golden leaf is the only proof of my origins. As long as the golden leaf is not lost, one day I will be able to find my way home." Therefore, when I was young, I often squatted in the corner, secretly taking out the golden leaf in my hand and gazing at it with longing. I carefully preserved this leaf that could lead me home, and even in the most destitute times, I never thought of parting with it.
More than ten years have passed, and the grave of my adoptive mother may be overgrown with weeds. I have also traveled many paths, and sometimes when I stand at a crossroads, I ask myself which road leads home. But no one can tell me, and gradually I have given up. There are a thousand paths, yet none lead home.
On the day I stepped into the unfamiliar northern land, a heavy snow fell. As I looked around, all I could see was a vast expanse of white. The snow concealed all the filth of the world and also hid all the splendor. That blinding white was beautiful yet carried an indescribable desolation. The snow fell heavier and heavier, the horse moved slower and slower, and my heart raced faster and faster. I was afraid of not being able to see my mother for the last time, and I was also afraid that if I did see her, it would mean a separation between life and death, never to meet again.
"Miss, we have arrived, Xuanmu has offended you." Upon reaching the northern country, a young man named Xuanmu released my acupoints. In truth, they need not have done so; regardless of the reasons they abandoned me back then, home will always be the place I yearn for the most
The young lady, whose black hair has now turned white, is experiencing her most difficult times. Yet, I have left her. Reflecting on this brings sorrow to my heart; it is clearly a separation in life, but I feel the desolation of a parting in death.
Father's expression was as usual. I looked at him, and he looked at me. We, father and daughter, silently gazed at each other, separated by more than twenty years of wind, rain, frost, and snow. His Adam's apple moved a few times, and after a long pause, he finally spoke
Wherever the young lady goes, I will follow. Where is the young lady's home? Where is my home? Occasionally, I still take out the golden leaves on me, fantasizing about my mother's appearance, weaving countless reasonable excuses for her abandoning me back then
They say that the tall and sturdy man standing at the door, with a profile as sharp as if carved from stone, is my father, Li Shuanghong of the Northern Dragon Guard. I opened my mouth, but the word 'father' caught in my throat, and I could never bring myself to say it. He feels so unfamiliar to me, so imposing and dignified, like this Dragon Guard Mansion, which can only be viewed from a distance, yet cannot be approached.
Indeed, she is my daughter
As the boat slowly departed from Liangzhou, I clung tightly to the edge of the boat. I thought I no longer cared about my origins, and I believed I had stopped yearning for the parents I had never met. However, upon hearing the term "father and mother," which was both familiar and unfamiliar, my eyes could not help but become moist
I have just received news from my relatives, and in the blink of an eye, I am faced with the prospect of life and death separation. Sometimes I even wish I could never find them, so that at least there would still be a thought in my heart. I crouch in the corner of the boat, lost and anxious, just as I was when I was five years old
Throughout this journey, I have doubted more than once whether they had mistaken me for someone else, but when I saw the beautiful woman on the bed with a sickly expression, all doubts became unnecessary, for I bore such a striking resemblance to my mother
Tonight, someone told me that I am the daughter of Li Shuanghong, the Protector of the Dragon in the Northern Kingdom. The Protector of the Dragon stands second only to one person in the Northern Kingdom, above ten thousand others, sharing the mountains and rivers with the Northern Emperor. My nobility is no less than that of the royal family’s golden branches and jade leaves. My mother is the legitimate wife of the Protector of the Dragon and is now gravely ill, holding on to her last breath just to see me one last time
A winter night, with no moon
This seemingly ordinary sentence carries the weight of a mountain, grand and imposing, resonating in my eardrums with a thunderous sound. I shuddered suddenly, as if the blood in my body ignited all at once
The sea of clouds is particularly turbulent, the sky is dark and heavy, and not a glimmer of light can be seen, much like my current state of mind
The journey to the northern country is long and distant, I have already forgotten how many mountains I have climbed and how many rivers I have crossed, I only remember that my clothes have become thicker and thicker, the weather has grown colder, and snowflakes are drifting down from the sky, the road home is truly far
Go in and see your mother; she has been waiting to see you