"Ruo'er!" Bai Zhier rushed forward anxiously to support the heavily injured Chu Ruo, but the other woman avoided her with an awkward, dazed expression. Bai Zhier frowned in dissatisfaction. "Let me look at your wounds..."
The woman dodged again. Bai Zhier seemed to realize something; she scrutinized the figure with a suspicious gaze. "No, you aren't Ruo—"
The woman simply cupped her hands in a respectful salute toward Nan Muxue. "Young Palace Master."
"How are your injuries?" Nan Muxue asked.
"Nothing serious."
"Take one of these every day. You worked hard this time."
At that moment, little Guo'er arrived, carrying the two puppies that Chu Ruo and Bai Zhier had been raising. As if sensing that the trouble had been resolved, the dogs broke free, wagging their tails as they ran to their masters' feet. However, the one named Wotou did not run to "Chu Ruo." Instead, it happily wagged its tail and sniffed its way over to the feet of another person: Xiong Feng.
Bai Zhier found this increasingly strange. "You..."
The person picked up Wotou, who let out a few yips and licked them with a small tongue. "Surprised? Unexpected, isn't it, everyone?" The voice was unmistakably Chu Ruo's. She tore off her mask and tossed it down the cliff. "How was it? Did I act well?"
Everyone looked at one another in shock. There was no doubt they hadn't expected Nan Muxue to pull such a clever switch. Nan Muxue said calmly, "I told you Ruo'er was safe. I would never let anything happen to her."
Bai Zhier looked at the "Chu Ruo" standing before her. "If she is Ruo'er, then you are..."
"Mo Fei," Nan Muxue answered for her. "Her name is Mo Fei." This was a woman Duan Ning and the others had specifically found after Chu Ruo’s fall from the cliff to comfort Nan Muxue. She bore a striking resemblance to Chu Ruo, and with a bit of makeup, it was incredibly easy to pass her off as the real thing.
Duan Ning teased, "I thought you sent her down the mountain back then. Who knew you were hiding her away for your own use? You certainly kept it tight. Did you plan for this day even back then?"
"It was just a precaution. I won't let Ruo'er come to harm." Nan Muxue took Chu Ruo’s hand. As they passed by Mo Fei, she said, "From tomorrow onward, you shall be the Fifth Protector."
"My thanks to the Young Palace Master."
"Why still call her Young Palace Master? She’s the Palace Master now," Duan Ning laughed, but her expression quickly shifted. "Oh no! The token..."
Nan Muxue’s voice drifted back from ahead. "The token is a fake. Liuli is watching over there. Let them slaughter each other for it; it saves the Hundred Flowers Palace the trouble of lifting a finger."
Bai Zhier glanced around the area and suddenly began to run off in a hurry. "Where did my foster father go?"
Indeed, he had joined the crowd in chasing Nan Menghua earlier, but now he was nowhere to be seen. Chu Ruo added, "Could he have gone to snatch the token as well?"
"Are you very concerned?" Nan Muxue asked.
Chu Ruo felt a chill down her neck. "Uh, well, I’m just worried the Palace will fall into chaos. He’s probably the strongest person on the mountain right now, isn't he?"
Although Nan Menghua had jumped off the cliff, the Palace was far from being completely at peace. Thus, Nan Muxue didn't press the issue or joke around. She simply said, "I suspect he went back for Liu Songhe and Shen Wanxiong. Didn't he say those two know the secret of the token? He won't let them leave easily."
"But you don't look worried at all." Chu Ruo leaned in with a grin. "Could it be that everything is within your grasp?"
"Ruo'er."
"Yeah... what is it?" Being called so suddenly and seriously was a bit intimidating.
"Remember this: if I am not by your side, go find Bai Zhier. She will protect you." Aside from herself, Bai Zhier was the only woman in the world who could recognize that someone else wasn't her. Even with a face as similar as Mo Fei's, Duan Ning and Guo'er couldn't tell the difference, yet Bai Zhier could.
"Why bring that up again? Didn't we agree? From now on, neither of us will leave the other. We'll never be apart..."
Nan Muxue merely squeezed her hand tightly and did not continue the topic. "Shen Ruoxuan has likely already taken Shen Wanxiong away. As for Liu Songhe, it remains to be seen if that precious son of his, Liu Shaopeng, has any filial piety or if he'll only care about saving his own skin."
This time, Liu Shaopeng proved everyone wrong. It was clear that when he fled, he took his father with him. By the time Chu Ruo and the others returned, the number of people still fighting was dwindling, while the number of corpses on the ground grew. Unable to catch his targets, Tu Ao'zhi naturally exerted his full strength to seize the token burning in the charcoal brazier. There was little suspense; none of the remaining people were his match. Tu Ao'zhi easily retrieved the token from the fire, only to find it was a fake.
"Dammit!" He slammed the token onto the ground and locked his gaze onto Chu Ruo. Murderous intent flared. Thinking he was acting out of rage, the disciples of the Hundred Flowers Palace moved into formation, while Bai Zhier stood in front of Chu Ruo. "Foster father, don't!"
Tu Ao'zhi flew toward them, his face full of fury. "Zhier, move aside."
"No, foster father! The matter of the token has nothing to do with her..."
"Move!" He gathered internal energy in his palm. "Chu Ruo, if you are a man, come out and face your death!"
Chu Ruo muttered softly, "I wasn't a man to begin with..."
Though it was inappropriate to laugh in such a situation, her tone left everyone who knew the truth speechless. Tu Ao'zhi happened to overhear her, and his expression darkened further. "Such a coward! What kind of nonsense is that? Zhier, is such a person worth risking your life to protect?"
"I love her."
Her gaze was firm, her voice resonant. As soon as those words left her mouth, the expressions of Duan Ning and the others shifted from serious to amused. They all turned to look at Chu Ruo. Chu Ruo was incredibly embarrassed. Why is everyone looking at me? "Hey... hiss!" It hurt! Her poor lower back. she turned to look at the culprit. "Why are you pinching me? It's not like I made her say it!"
Nan Muxue, still holding her Ice Spirit sword with a cold expression, said, "Ruo'er does not need anyone else to protect her; I will protect her myself. Furthermore, she does not need the love of others."
"Do you hear that, Zhier? It's fine if you don't like Jie'er, but how can you degrade yourself so? Sigh... you silly child. Your foster father isn't killing him for that token, but for you! Move aside. Today, I will kill him to seek justice for you."
"Wait, it's not like I did anything to you that requires justice for Zhier. Zhier and I are just friends!"
"You have no right to speak!" Tu Ao'zhi’s face was grim. "What did I tell you back then? If you ever failed Zhier, I would not let you off. Since you two have already shared a marriage bed and are engaged..."
"Tsk, tsk," Duan Ning looked like she was witnessing peak gossip. "I didn't realize the Holy Envoy had it in her."
"Don't you start adding to the mess! Go, go!" Chu Ruo hissed.
"Foster father!" Bai Zhier’s face flushed red. "Between her and me... it's all fake." Why did her heart ache when she said it out loud? Forget it. Ruo'er, you are the tribulation of my life. She smiled bitterly. "It was my unrequited love from the start. Ruo'er never loved me. I was the one who kept pestering her."
Tu Ao'zhi looked at her in confusion. "Then you two... you..."
"Nothing happened between us. That night was only to protect her because Tu Ba wanted to kill her. Moreover, she isn't from the Heavenly Demon Palace, and I feared you all would harm her, so I had no choice but to lie and say we were getting married."
"But he is so utterly irresponsible, letting a weak woman like you shield him when trouble arises. You..."
"Foster father, I beg of you. I cannot let anyone hurt Ruo'er. I lied to you about the token; I am willing to accept punishment."
"You..." Tu Ao'zhi looked like a worried parent who had aged years in a moment. "Fine, fine. Since you don't want me to interfere, I won't ask further. I won't hold the matter of the token against you either. Come with me; we still need to deal with the remaining sects. Besides," he glanced at Chu Ruo and Nan Muxue, "you aren't needed here."
"Does Palace Master Tu intend to leave just like that?" This time, it was Nan Muxue who spoke. "Since you've come, why not stay and rest for a few days before departing?"
Yin Liuli approached after bringing the situation under control, clearly surprised by Nan Muxue’s invitation. "Xue'er..."
Tu Ao'zhi laughed, a sound that was strangely difficult to describe. "The student surpasses the master. However, those who are conceited often meet with failure."
"Are you referring to my mother, Palace Master Tu?"
The man froze for a moment, clearly not expecting her to say that. "Hahahaha... interesting. Aren't you afraid I'll strike now? You should know that I could kill everyone here right now!"
"Because of my mother, I believe," Nan Muxue looked him directly in the eye, neither humble nor arrogant, "that you won't."
"Is that so? But you just forced her off a cliff. Why are you so certain I won't act?"
"Because you owe her."
"What else do you know?"
"Nothing at all." Nan Muxue sheathed her Ice Spirit sword. "Besides, you should be waiting for your children to regroup with you."
"Third Sister's daughter..." The smile on Tu Ao'zhi’s face wasn't forced; on the contrary, he seemed to enjoy laughing, unlike the typical demonic cult leader of legend. "Fine. If you aren't afraid of affecting the Hundred Flowers Palace's reputation, I shall impose upon you for a few days."
"A-Yue, please show Palace Master Tu to the guest rooms."
"Yes."
"Zhier, come with your foster father." Bai Zhier glanced at Chu Ruo, leaving with lingering reluctance.
Chu Ruo asked, "Do you want to ask him how he and your mother knew each other?"
"He called Mother 'Third Sister,' which suggests they might have been sworn siblings in the past. And 'Third Sister' implies there were more than just the two of them. Furthermore, given his hesitation to move against the Hundred Flowers Palace and Mother's reaction to him, the only explanation is that he owes her something. As for what it is..."
*Maybe he's your dad,* Chu Ruo had suspected this for more than a day or two. But after hearing about the Nan family's method of continuing their bloodline, she began to doubt the possibility. Seeing Tu Ao'zhi’s interaction with the "Little Scorpion" just now, he didn't look like a father seeing his daughter. He shouldn't be unaware. Regardless, he was staying. "Well, you've been standing for so long. Go back to the room and rest. We can handle the rest."
"It's fine. We'll finish the remaining matters first. Let's go see how Yunshuang and Yan'er are doing."
Duan Ning asked, "What about the real Xiong Feng and his old man? Where did you put them?"
"At the foot of the mountain. You can deliver the thank-you gifts for me later."
"Xiong Feng must be completely infatuated with you, otherwise how could he help you like this? His father didn't object?"
Chu Ruo interjected, "The Hundred Flowers Palace's reputation was already bad. His father and that Gu Yutian didn't really agree with the marriage anyway. This outcome suits them perfectly. As for Xiong Feng, he always said he owed Xue'er his life and wanted to thank her for saving him. This time, we'll consider it even." *Hmph, good thing they didn't actually get married. How could my Little Scorpion marry someone else?*
"I say," Duan Ning hummed, "why don't you two just take this chance to get married? You're already dressed for it anyway."
Silence followed for a long, long time.
Two days later...
"How is Yunshuang?"
In Nan Muxue’s room, Chu Ruo had just returned from outside. She immediately skipped over to the person by the bed. "Still hasn't woken up. Her life is definitely saved, but as for that severed arm, I'm afraid there's no hope. Nan Gongyan is heartbroken. Sigh, knowing she was actually on our side, I feel a bit sorry for her. Losing a hand like that... it's too tragic."
"She still has Yan'er." Nan Muxue stroked Chu Ruo’s head, smiling tenderly. "That hand was the price to win back Yan'er’s heart. Regardless of whether she wanted to do those things before, she did them. Some things require a price. Perhaps this is the best punishment for her. I think she would rather lose her life than have Yan'er never look at her again."
"Mhm, we're still the best." Chu Ruo opened her arms and hugged the person on the bed. "This time, we're really never separating again." Duan Ning’s words from that day flashed through her mind: *Why don't you take this chance to get married? Why are you so timid?* Xue'er is her master; she was only afraid that Xue'er would face public criticism later. A master marrying her disciple—people's words can be cruel. Her Xue'er must not be subjected to such gossip.
"About the cliff my mother fell from..."
"It's too high, and the walls are too sheer and damp. It's too difficult to go down. I'm afraid it will be very hard to find her."
Nan Muxue shook her head. "I'm just worried."
"No one can survive falling off a cliff every single time, right? Hey, do you think your mother might be like me and survived?"
"The bottom of that cliff is different from where you fell. Let's not talk about that." She leaned into the other woman's embrace. "How is Mo Fei? Can she help you?"
"She's alright, quite honest. Although she's not as talented as the top disciples, she's very obedient. She didn't reveal the truth even when she had to suffer in my place. Not bad."
"From the first day, I told her that her only purpose in the Hundred Flowers Palace was to endure everything in your stead, including death. This is what she was meant to do. Otherwise, how could the position of Fifth Protector be gained so easily? Aside from having a face like yours, what else does she have? This is her destiny."
Chu Ruo smiled. "Sometimes, I feel like your words are so heartless and cold-blooded. But why do I still feel a sense of warmth within them?"
"I never claimed to be a good person, nor will I show a shred of mercy to others." Nan Muxue stared at her beloved. "I've said it before: no one is more important than you, Chu Ruo. I am not a good person. I never have been." *If anything in this world could hurt you, I would rather betray the entire world and suffer every retribution—even if I must descend into hell for my deeds—just to keep you safe.*
"I know." Chu Ruo kissed her forehead. "My Little Scorpion has always been poisonous—except to me. She gives all her kindness to me."
***
