Perhaps, before the secret of her regained sanity was discovered, Tong Yun and the others would find the Flower King’s Token, the highest symbol of authority in the Flora Tribe.
By then, those people would have a legitimate reason to usurp power.
And no matter which scenario came to pass, once realized, Yun Qingxue’s fate would be nothing but death!
So, Yun Qingxue knew she had to find a way to escape the Flora Tribe as soon as possible.
Every royal city where the rulers of the various races in the Xuanling Continent resided was protected by a barrier. The method to open the barrier was known only to the king or elders of the tribe.
Under normal circumstances, if the tribe was stable and peaceful, the method to open the barrier would remain unchanged. According to what Qian Dai had told Yun Qingxue, a thousand years ago, before Elder Ningzi passed away, she had left two things: the ring now worn around Yun Qingxue’s neck, and in her haste, she had not forgotten to tell Qian Dai the method to open the barrier.
But after a thousand years, times had changed. The Flora Tribe was now in turmoil, and Grand Elder Tong Yun had repeatedly framed and eliminated loyalists who stood by Yun Qingxue’s side.
Perhaps due to the weight of her misdeeds, even the powerful Grand Elder Tong Yun felt uneasy, fearing that one day, those she had wronged might return for revenge. So, after eliminating most of her opposition, Tong Yun deliberately altered the barrier protecting the royal city of the Flora Tribe—the Wanzhi Palace, the highest symbol of authority.
The new method to open it was known only to a select few, including Tong Yun and Lan Xin.
If anyone else in the palace wished to leave, they had to first seek permission from these individuals. Only then would a trusted subordinate of the Grand Elder—one of the few who knew how to traverse the barrier—escort them out, with the condition that they return within a set time.
Qian Dai had been sneaking to the royal city barrier of Wanzhi Palace whenever she had time, hoping to find a way to open it. Clearly, she too had realized the perilous situation Yun Qingxue was in, and getting her out of the Flora Tribe had become an urgent matter.
But the barrier set by Tong Yun and the others was not so easily broken. Despite two days of intense contemplation, Qian Dai had made no progress.
Dinnertime arrived again. Qian Dai, being a cultivator, could sustain herself by absorbing the essence of the sun and moon and did not need to eat.
But Yun Qingxue was different. Though not of mortal constitution, she knew no spells and thus had to eat three meals a day like an ordinary person.
Fortunately, before leaving, Qian Dai had prepared some pastries and nectar for her. When dinnertime came and Qian Dai had yet to return, Yun Qingxue helped herself to the snacks, eating slowly.
As she ate, a cheerful birdsong reached her ears, followed by a small lark fluttering its wings and flying straight in through the open window.
“Qingxue!” The bird retracted its wings as it entered the room, transforming into human form—the lively figure of Liu Ying.
Yun Qingxue, still chewing on a pastry, suddenly remembered something upon seeing Liu Ying again. She hastily set down the snack and looked at her. “You came at the perfect time!”
Liu Ying blinked in confusion. “Qingxue, were you waiting for me?”
“How did you break through Wanzhi Palace’s barrier to get in?” Yun Qingxue cut straight to the point, her eyes shining with hope as she stared intently at Liu Ying.
Liu Ying shifted uncomfortably under her gaze but answered honestly, “I shrank myself and clung to a flower spirit who was passing through the barrier to sneak in.”
Shrunk and snuck in?
An idea rapidly formed in Yun Qingxue’s mind. If Liu Ying could shrink and hitch a ride on a flower spirit to enter, could she and Qian Dai do the same to escape Wanzhi Palace?
The thought excited her.
Just then, Qian Dai entered with a tray of food. She had spent yet another fruitless day studying the barrier.
“Qian Dai,” Yun Qingxue greeted her. Qian Dai was about to speak when she noticed Liu Ying in the room and swallowed her words, merely asking coolly, “Why are you here?”
“Sister Qian Dai, I have something to tell you,” Liu Ying said, her voice unusually somber.
Qian Dai set the food on the table and helped Yun Qingxue sit before turning to Liu Ying. “What is it?”
“Yes.” Liu Ying nodded eagerly and, without waiting for further prompting, blurted out, “Sister Qian Dai, have you heard the news about the reincarnation of the former Flower King, Lan Xuechen?”
Qian Dai stiffened, staring at Liu Ying in disbelief.
“What… did you say?”
“The former Flower King, Lan Xuechen, has reincarnated and returned!” Liu Ying repeated.
“Where did you hear this?” Qian Dai’s expression darkened.
Liu Ying explained in a rush, “Two days ago, I hitched a ride with a flower spirit leaving Wanzhi Palace and returned to the Qiongyu Tribe. My clansmen were all talking about it, so I asked around.
“They told me that a few days ago, a strange celestial phenomenon occurred—a blue starlight streaked from east to west, landing near the Cloudmist Mountains, close to the Demon Realm. The Qiongyu King recognized that starlight as Lan Xuechen’s soul manifesting. Since her reincarnation site was so close to the Demon Realm, many suspect she has returned to ally with the Demon King and seek revenge for the siege by the other five tribes a thousand years ago…
“So, the Qiongyu King has sent his most capable subordinate, Lord Baisha, to investigate. Not just the Qiongyu—rumor has it the Beast King, Cang Yan, has dispatched his Fox, Leopard, and Lion Elders as well. The Aquatic and Divine Tribes have also sent envoys. Even your Flora Tribe’s Elder Lan Xin was reportedly sent by Grand Elder Tong Yun. The only one who hasn’t reacted is the Nether King.”
The reincarnation of the former Flower King…
The news sent a chill through both Yun Qingxue and Qian Dai.
If Liu Ying’s information was reliable, once Lan Xuechen returned, two tigers could not share one mountain. Yun Qingxue, the “foolish Flower King” in the eyes of the tribe, would inevitably have to step aside.
Even if Lan Xuechen did not return to the Flora Tribe, Tong Yun and the others could use her name to depose Yun Qingxue. Then, she would be utterly at their mercy—nothing more than a fish on the chopping block, powerless to resist.
Powerless…
Yun Qingxue’s face paled as she recalled her past life’s heart transplant surgery. Back then, she had been just like that fish—helpless and humiliated, robbed of her right to live, her beating heart torn from her chest by those despicable people while she could do nothing.
Had she been reborn only to relive such tragedy within days?
She refused to accept it! She refused to live two lives only to meet such a pitiful and wretched end!
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