Chapter 31: Just Like a Dream

Within the dark furnace, the light that should have shone like the sun and moon slowly faded, like fireflies vanishing into a distant heaven.

All light in the underground palace was swallowed. Only the faint, tiny flames of the ever-burning lamps in the four long, silent tunnels in the distance glowed dimly, like a multitude of peering eyes.

The underground palace was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Zhao Xiang'er stared blankly ahead. She made a grasping gesture, and the ancient, ethereal sword returned to her hand. Her body swayed several times before her strength gave out. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground, her chest heaving.

She closed her eyes, replaying all the events of the past few days. Images flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern. As all the perils receded, time arrived at the present moment.

She sensed the aura within the furnace finally dissipating completely. After confirming it for a long moment, she slowly began to smile.

Her smile was like a flower, blooming deep within the underground palace, unseen by anyone.

She knelt quietly on the cold flagstones for a long time, until spiritual energy gradually regenerated from her spiritual core and energy reservoir, nourishing every inch of her bones and meridians.

Using her sword for support, Zhao Xiang'er slowly rose and, with difficulty, walked towards one of the tunnels.

It led in the direction of Qianyu Palace.

All the orchestrations came to light at this point. In this cutthroat struggle concerning life and the Grand Dao, she had planned further ahead, and so, she naturally prevailed.

Ten years ago, when she first stumbled into this underground palace, the old fox's spiritual form was like the most terrifying demon imaginable. The sheer oppressive aura, even through the furnace's seal, had rendered her utterly unable to stand. Although her mother eventually arrived and took her away, that day and night of agonizing torment remained a dark cloud in her heart.

Now, that dark cloud had finally dissipated into rain. After falling for a day and a night over the imperial city, it had transformed into a clear, moonlit sky.

She slowly walked forward along this path.

At the end of the path, the girl took a deep breath, propelled herself upwards, then cleared the debris piled on an old well, climbed out, and surveyed her surroundings.

What should have been magnificent palace halls were now merely crumbling ruins, washed clean by the autumn rain.

Although the rain had stopped, the dark clouds in the sky had not yet fully dispersed, drifting thinly and swiftly.

Zhao Xiang'er sat on the edge of the broken well and softly said, "If this was a major exam, how well did I do?"

No one replied.

She had originally thought that after she killed the old fox, her mother would appear before her.

Unfortunately, nothing happened.

Of course, she didn't believe her mother was dead; how could that rabble possibly kill her? She was a true transcendent immortal, serene and detached, maintaining a deliberate aloofness even towards her own daughter.

But she wasn't overly disappointed.

The imperial city and its people were safe. Most of those who had besieged Qianyu Palace that day were dead, and the assassins from Jin and Rong states had been completely annihilated. Even the old demonic fox that had been devouring the nation's destiny was gone.

This was a chilling autumn rain, yet also a refreshing new rain, heralding a time of restoration.

She had done her best.

She looked at this small nation, nestled in a remote corner amidst the mountains, and finally allowed a faint smile to touch her lips.

Too much had happened that day, and she was weary. All she desired now was to return, bathe, change, and then sleep soundly. The rest could wait until morning.

Lu Jiajia watched the old fox's figure vanish like spent fireworks, still unable to believe what she had just witnessed.

That formidable old demonic fox... was it truly just dead?

What exactly happened?

She looked at the imperial palace before her, almost entirely in ruins except for the main hall, her emotions complex.

This worldly trial had unfolded with far too many events beyond her expectation.

She noticed someone lying in a pool of blood in front of the palace. She quickly ran over and found a woman barely clinging to life. The woman's entire back had been ravaged by demonic energy, her flesh mangled as if by a thousand blades.

Lu Jiajia carefully turned her over from the viscous blood, then channeled a breath of pure spiritual energy to protect her vital meridians. She then lifted her and rushed steadily and swiftly towards the temple.

She rushed into the temple and, disregarding the woman's blood-soaked state, gently placed her into the blue-and-white porcelain palanquin.

At that moment, she suddenly had the illusion of placing someone into a coffin.

She immediately dismissed that thought. This blue-and-white porcelain palanquin was a supreme treasure of her master's lineage; it could heal injuries dozens of times faster than natural recovery. If this couldn't save her, then few, if any, in the entire Southern Province would be able to.

About half an hour later, after her eyelids fluttered dozens of times, the woman finally opened her eyes with immense difficulty, as if breaking free from a cocoon.

While unconscious, Tang Yu felt as though she had been dreaming for a very long time.

She dreamed of an infant being secretly carried out of the imperial palace, with pursuers close behind. The woman holding the infant, her face streaming with tears, stumbled and fell to the ground. The infant also fell and wailed loudly.

The pursuers caught up and snatched the infant away. The woman's heartbroken cries, though wrenching, couldn't make them turn back.

Just as they were about to dash the infant to its death, she glimpsed a figure: a woman with flowing robes and long, fluttering hair. She landed on the long street like a cloud that had inadvertently paused, appearing ethereal and elusive even in the dream.

She saved the infant and brought it to a poor family. Six years later, the infant, now a young girl, was sold into the imperial palace by that same family.

From then on, Qianyu Palace had one more young girl among its ranks.

Inexplicably, Tang Yu knew she was witnessing her own past. She shouldn't have been able to see these things. Was it a hallucination...?

Her head felt like it was splitting. She groggily opened her eyes as excruciating pain shot through her limbs, making her gasp and grimace. She mistakenly thought it was the fires of hell consuming her. Yet, simultaneously, a very warm and gentle aura enveloped her, counteracting the infernal burning, much like a mother's embrace.

After another long while, she opened her eyes, only to find herself in a confined, narrow space. The fabric around her seemed to be embroidered with small blue flowers, and beyond its curtains, pure white gauze drapes hung silently.

This was... an urn?

Her first thought was absurd.

Then, beyond the white drapes, she saw a woman watching her with gentle eyes.

This... the Soul Reaper was incredibly young and beautiful, resembling a celestial fairy.

As she thought this, the pain in her body repeatedly jolted her.

"You're awake?" Lu Jiajia finally let out a sigh of relief.

Tang Yu heard her voice and subconsciously hummed in response. She immediately regretted it, recalling that in her memory, one should never answer a question posed by a ghost.

She looked nervously at the beautiful figure beyond the gauze drapes, suddenly feeling that something was off.

She felt that the woman before her seemed familiar.

Then, she gasped in surprise, "It's you..."

She remembered: a transcendent immortal had previously entered the city in a blue-and-white porcelain palanquin, and she had seen her from afar. Through the many layers of gauze, she had looked exactly like this.

Now, she was inside the palanquin, and the other woman was outside, still separated by many layers of gauze.

Her consciousness slowly returned to her body, and Tang Yu gradually became more lucid. She asked, "Am I still alive?"

Lu Jiajia nodded. "Don't move for now. Stay inside for another half an hour, and your life will be out of danger."

Tang Yu felt the rich spiritual energy within the palanquin and nodded gently. "Thank you, Immortal Maiden, for saving me."

Lu Jiajia looked at the woman before her and asked curiously, "What is your name? Why were you in the imperial palace?"

"My name is Tang Yu," the woman answered subconsciously.

"The imperial palace..." Tang Yu then startled and quickly asked, "How is that old demon? And Miss... where is Miss?"

Lu Jiajia replied, "That old demonic fox is dead. Miss, um... the Miss you're referring to, is she Zhao Xiang'er?"

Upon hearing the news of the old demon's death, Tang Yu, despite her lingering pain, couldn't help but smile, her face full of admiration. "Miss is, of course, Her Royal Highness! Miss is unparalleled; even that old demon was no match for her!"

Lu Jiajia nodded in deep agreement. "Your Miss is indeed very formidable. By the way, why were you in the imperial palace? Was this also part of her plan?"

Tang Yu nodded. "Of course, we made so many arrangements in the imperial palace, all for today."

Thinking that the dust had settled, she briefly explained the scheme she and Zhao Xiang'er had employed, which involved a strategic substitution after they entered the palace.

Lu Jiajia remained somewhat detached. In the past, she had pursued the Way with a pure heart, cultivating only herself and her sword. She believed that by gradually overcoming the mundane obstacles of the mortal world, she would eventually master her path and ascend to the Grand Dao.

She had always disdained such worldly calculations.

But until today, she had finally encountered something she couldn't overcome, and had almost died because of it. Her mindset had undeniably shifted, and she now felt a profound admiration for the girl, who was much younger than herself.

After listening to her account, Lu Jiajia still had a question. "As far as I know, activating the Vermilion Bird Fire Scepter requires royal blood. How were you able to do it, Miss Tang?"

Tang Yu was slightly startled. She instantly recalled her recent dream and everything she had seen about her past.

She now understood that the woman who had saved her that day was the legendary Empress.

She must have been an illegitimate daughter with royal blood. Her mother had inadvertently become embroiled in some conflict, was pursued, and then, thanks to the Empress's intervention, she had survived.

Now, it seemed, the Empress had valued her bloodline, and she had become a pawn in the Empress's schemes, fortunate enough to have lived for over twenty years longer.

Could it be that the unfolding of today's events had been set in motion even then?

At this thought, Tang Yu felt a surge of fear, yet her reverence for Her Royal Highness deepened even further—truly worthy of being the Empress's daughter.

Suddenly, she recalled the dream scene of her birth mother fleeing with her. The princely manor in the dream... seemed somewhat familiar.

Then, she was completely stunned.

It seemed to be...

The Prince's Residence!

Could her real father be... Zhao Shisong?!

At this realization, she suddenly felt an intense, twisting pain in her heart, but even more, there was a profound bewilderment.

It was utter confusion. Events from all these years flooded her mind one by one: she had married into the Zhao family and become Zhao Shisong's most beloved concubine; as an assassin trained by the Empress, if not for the young Daoist's intervention, she would have personally killed Zhao Shisong by now.

So, that person was actually her... biological father.

She couldn't help but laugh, and as she laughed, tears streamed down her face.

Lu Jiajia watched this sudden turn of events, perplexed, though she vaguely guessed that the woman must be a discarded royal daughter. Her question had likely reminded Tang Yu of her tragic origins, causing her to break into tears.

She didn't press further.

After a long while, the woman's sobs gradually subsided.

She lifted her hand with difficulty, wiped the corners of her eyes, and said, "Please excuse my display, Immortal Maiden."

Lu Jiajia said, "Miss Tang, having survived such a great catastrophe, you should cherish this. As for worries unrelated to life and death, simply let them go."

How could this be a small matter... Tang Yu still felt a piercing pain in her heart, but she smiled and nodded.

"Survived a great catastrophe..." Tang Yu pondered the phrase, then suddenly felt a different lingering thought. "Survived a great catastrophe? That old fox was so powerful, far beyond my cultivation level. When he struck me, I felt my entire body had been pierced through... Why am I still alive?"

Lu Jiajia pondered for a moment before replying, "Perhaps Miss Tang simply has good fortune."

"Fortune?" Tang Yu chuckled softly. "My fortune has never been in my own hands."

Lu Jiajia asked, puzzled, "What do you mean, Miss?"

Tang Yu's voice, however, became resolute. "At that moment, I should have certainly died, yet I didn't. And then, I happened to be rescued by the Immortal Maiden. Isn't this... quite a coincidence?"

Lu Jiajia replied, "This blue-and-white porcelain palanquin is a supreme treasure of my sect. Unless one's body and soul are truly shattered beyond repair, there's always a chance to cling to a glimmer of life."

Tang Yu, however, shook her head. "No, you don't understand the Empress. Since I'm alive, it must be because there's a reason for me to live."

She looked at the beautiful figure behind the white drapes, seemingly asking a question, yet also questioning herself: "What is the reason I survived? What else do I need to do? What exactly could it be..."