Once again, everyone sat gathered together, but the atmosphere was stifling.
Tu Ao’zhi’s gaze remained fixed on the two of them. Chu Ruo opened her mouth to speak, but Nan Muxue beat her to it. "If Palace Master Tu has something to say, please, speak plainly."
Despite his piercing stare, the man showed no intention of opening his mouth.
"Since the Palace Master remains silent, I shall ask instead," Nan Muxue continued. "Was the item in that box truly Moro’s ultimate technique?"
"You were the ones who retrieved the box. Why ask me?"
"The Palace Master is so familiar with this treasure that I imagine the contents of that box are already well-known to you."
Tu Ao’zhi shifted his gaze to Chu Ruo. His expression was hard to read, but it was anything but friendly. "Chu Ruo, you..."
"Since the Palace Master has nothing to say," Nan Muxue interrupted, pulling Chu Ruo toward her with an air of cold authority, "then we have nothing more to discuss either."
*Clang!*
"Do you truly think I am no match for you?" Tu Ao’zhi snarled.
"And I, Nan Muxue, have never feared a threat from anyone."
Bai Zhi’er and Chu Ruo both stepped in to mediate, and though the group eventually parted on bad terms, no further blows were exchanged.
***
"Xue’er, where do we go after tonight?"
Nan Muxue gave her a faint smile. "You are my disciple; can you not guess what I am thinking? Why ask what you already know?"
"Well, I can't guess it! That’s how I highlight your brilliant wit and wisdom, Master," Chu Ruo teased.
"We travel through the night. We are returning to the Hundred Flowers Palace."
Chu Ruo took her hand. It was still as cold as ever. "Do you think your mother escaped this time?"
Nan Muxue shook her head.
"She escaped?" Chu Ruo asked, puzzled. "But we clearly saw that no one came down the mountain."
"I cannot say for certain. I have never been able to see through her. She is like a phantom—omnipresent and seemingly immortal."
"Is that why you’re rushing back? To take control of the Hundred Flowers Palace before she can, and to stop other sects from swooping in? Though after today, there aren't many sects left in the martial world."
"The martial world was not built in a day, and it will not vanish in an instant." Nan Muxue stroked Chu Ruo’s hair with immense tenderness. "Remember, 'careful sailing keeps the ship afloat for ten thousand years.'"
Chu Ruo grinned. "I know, I know. Stop treating me like a child. But..." She pulled her into a hug. "As long as I have you, it’s enough."
"Mm."
"Xue’er, I..."
"Whatever you have to say, save it for tomorrow. There are too many secrets tonight."
"You know what I was going to say?"
Nan Muxue arched an eyebrow. "Do you think you can hide anything from me?"
"You..."
"After tonight, this group will scatter. We can talk on the road."
Chu Ruo’s curiosity was piqued. "Why did you say there are too many secrets tonight?"
"Because," Nan Muxue whispered, "that treasure was a fake."
"Fake?!" Chu Ruo gasped. "A fake?"
"Lower your voice."
"But wait," Chu Ruo whispered back urgently. "That can't be right. Those jewels and gold... they were definitely real."
"The items were real, but the location might not have been."
"Do you know something? Tell me, wifey~"
Whenever Chu Ruo gave her arm a playful tug, Nan Muxue couldn't help but indulge her. "Fine. I never intended to keep it from you; it is merely my own deduction. Don't you find it strange? If the legends of the treasure were true, our journey was far too smooth. Especially the burial site—there were almost no traps, save for the stone door that closed automatically after you took the box."
"I thought that was weird too," Chu Ruo admitted. "Something hidden away with such effort, yet no mechanisms or pitfalls? It was like it was just waiting for someone to take it."
"Perhaps the place itself was the greatest trap of all."
"Who would go to such lengths? Who would spend that kind of money?"
"Can you still not guess, my Ruo’er?"
A flash of realization hit her. "Tu Ao’zhi!"
Nan Muxue nodded. "Or perhaps he found the real treasure long ago. Did he not say he wanted revenge on the martial world? By luring them here, he could watch them slaughter each other over a secret manual, only to be trapped forever amidst a pile of 'treasure.' That kind of psychological torment is the cruelest of all."
"Then he played a very expensive game. But he was always after the command tokens too. If that's the case..." Chu Ruo pulled a yellowed book from her robe. "Then this is a fake? I stole it for nothing?"
"The tokens were likely a distraction. If the treasure was already in his hands, he might have only cared if the tokens were linked to this ultimate technique. As for the book in your hand," Nan Muxue smiled, "it might not necessarily be a fake."
"You're just trying to make me feel better." Chu Ruo flipped through the pages. "There isn't a single word in here. It’s a literal 'Wordless Tome.'"
*Smack!*
"Ow! You hit me~"
"And here you claim to be a person from the future. Have you never considered that some books require special methods for the ink to appear?"
"Do you think I'm stupid? Would Tu Ao’zhi really just let the real thing go?"
"If he couldn't decipher it, he might as well release it to see if someone else could. Do you think he doesn't know the tokens and the book are in our hands? Besides, his entire tribe was wiped out because of this treasure. He must loathe it to his very core."
Chu Ruo stepped forward and embraced her lover. "Since you're so smart, do you know where the real treasure is?"
"The most dangerous place is often the safest."
Chu Ruo looked at her. "Don't tell me... it's at the Heaven—"
"The Heavenly Demon Palace. Even if it isn't there, it is somewhere within that so-called Demon Realm. It won't be far. Why else would he choose that place as his headquarters? How else could he have grown the Heavenly Demon Palace’s wealth so massively in just a few decades? And his martial arts... he claims he met a reclusive master, but I suspect that when the martial artists of old protected that treasure, Moro wasn't the only one to contribute a technique."
Chu Ruo’s eyes widened in genuine shock. "I don't know who's harder to read—him or you." This was a game of masters, where every move was potentially lethal.
"None of that matters now. The only thing I want to do is take you back to the Hundred Flowers Palace. To take you home."
Chu Ruo leaned in close, her eyes fixed on Nan Muxue’s. Their lips were almost touching. She watched as a blush crept across the beautiful woman's face and listened to the frantic thumping of her heart. "Your heart is racing like a trapped deer, Xue’er. Even after all this time, you still react this way."
Nan Muxue lamented her own lack of composure. Whenever she faced this girl, she ceased to be herself. It was as if she became an entirely different person, yet she surrendered to the feeling willingly.
"Nan Muxue," Chu Ruo whispered, hugging her tightly. "I like you. I like you so, so much."
No flowery prose was needed. Those few simple words were enough to make Nan Muxue willing to risk her life to keep this person safe. "Mm. As long as it is you, my Ruo’er."
"How are your injuries?"
"I told you, they are just minor wounds. Don't overthink it."
"I'm not thinking about anything else. I just want to be with you."
"Fine. I will take you away first thing tomorrow morning."
"You have to take me back for the New Year. You promised."
"I promise. I will certainly keep my word."
"And you said... you'd never be apart from me again."
Nan Muxue’s tenderness and patience were reserved solely for this person. "Always. I will hold your hand tight, Ruo’er."
"Actually," Chu Ruo said, her mischievous side suddenly resurfacing, "what do you even like about me?"
"You."
"No, really, I want to know. Everyone says I have no money, no skills, and nothing to my name. I eat your food, live in your house, use your things... I rely on you for everything. Why do you like me?"
Nan Muxue simply kissed her forehead. "Do you remember what I told you? To me, the Hundred Flowers Palace is a burden, a responsibility, and a shackle. Only you are the one I am willing to spend my entire life protecting."
***
