The silver-clad youth sighed, standing atop the high clouds, his fingertips gathering a silvery glow. The girl lying on the ground held far too special a meaning for him—he couldn’t let her die, yet he dared not openly help her either.
Their identities were far too sensitive. If he acted and was discovered by that person from the divine realm, given that individual’s cunning and suspicious nature, they would undoubtedly suspect Yun Qingxue’s true identity. All the years of planning between him and his father, all the suffering endured by the matriarch, would be for nothing!
He could only help her in secret, unnoticed by anyone…
As the healing magic gathered at his fingertips, the youth’s slender, well-defined fingers pointed downward at the unconscious Yun Qingxue.
“Awooo~” A wolf’s howl rang out just as he was about to act. His mind raced, and in the blink of an eye, he silently withdrew the spell he had been about to cast.
A massive, snow-white wolf leaped out from the tangled undergrowth, charging straight toward the unconscious Yun Qingxue.
“Young Master.” A gray shadow appeared—Yue Jian, who had just left, now stood behind the youth once more.
Lowering his gaze, Yue Jian bowed and reported, “It’s the Beast King, Cang Yan.”
The youth clenched his fists at his sides, his dark, indifferent eyes fixed on the scene below. “I saw it.”
The white wolf bounded over to Yun Qingxue in a few leaps, lowering its head to sniff her body repeatedly.
Suddenly, it raised its head to gaze at the sky. The blue expanse was dotted with drifting white clouds, the sunlight dazzlingly bright.
The wolf narrowed its eyes. It had sensed someone watching from above, but when it looked up, there was nothing to be found.
Was it an illusion, or had that person already vanished the moment it lifted its head? Finding nothing, the wolf withdrew its gaze in confusion and turned its attention back to Yun Qingxue.
For now, it didn’t matter. Since it had found the person it sought, the priority was to take her back without delay! With a thought, a blue light enveloped Yun Qingxue’s severely injured body, lifting her gently and placing her onto the wolf’s back.
In a few more leaps, the white wolf vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.
“Young Master, it seems the Beast King has been tracking the Flower Queen all along. What could he be planning?!”
“Hmph!” The youth narrowed his eyes, his expression icy. “Nothing good, that’s for certain.”
Yue Jian’s brows furrowed deeply. “Shall I arrange for someone to quietly retrieve the Flower Queen?”
“Yue Jian.” The youth’s voice was cool, his expression unreadable.
Hearing his master call his name, Yue Jian bowed his head, ready to listen attentively.
The youth’s calm voice reached his ears, word by word. “Overconcern leads to chaos.”
“Then, Young Master, you mean…?” Yue Jian pressed, his frustration simmering—a feeling that had been bottled up for many years!
In his view, all these schemes and tactics paled in comparison to the satisfaction of a direct battle with the enemy!
But he also knew that charging headlong into a fight against a vastly superior foe was nothing short of foolishness.
Yet this endless waiting, enduring, holding back—over a thousand years had passed! When would it end? When would they finally rid themselves of that old scoundrel in the divine realm?!
“Yue Jian, you must believe that I, my father, and every last one of our people share your frustration. But remember—small impatience spoils great plans. Understood?”
The youth seemed to have already discerned Yue Jian’s thoughts, his voice steady and composed as he added another remark.
Yue Jian bowed his head in shame. “Rest assured, Young Master. Yue Jian will not act recklessly and jeopardize your and His Majesty’s grand design.”
“Good.” The youth nodded. “For now, we must not act rashly. Keep a close watch on the Beast Clan’s movements. As long as she remains unharmed, we will not intervene.”
“Yes.” Yue Jian bowed respectfully, then vanished into the void alongside the silver-clad youth.
Yun Qingxue had no idea how long she had been lost in darkness. By the time her scattered consciousness, fractured by her severe injuries, began to return, the pain in her body had completely faded.
No more pain—had she died? she wondered hazily, forcing her heavy eyelids open.
A sliver of light met her eyes. She blinked, struggling to adjust before fully opening them. The sight before her was no longer the clear blue sky she had glimpsed in her dazed state after being wounded.
This place seemed to be a palace. The bed beneath her was soft and warm. Delicate gauze curtains swayed slightly, and a carved lattice window stood slightly ajar, allowing golden light to slip into the room.
A mahogany dressing table, elegant and timeless, held an array of cosmetics, hairpins, and jade ornaments. A diamond-shaped bronze mirror sat at its center.
In the middle of the room stood an incense burner shaped like a beast, from which wisps of fragrant smoke curled upward, filling the chamber with the soothing scent of sandalwood.
Not far from the bed stood two maids dressed in ancient-style robes. Had she died and transmigrated again?
Taking in her surroundings, Yun Qingxue’s thoughts drifted aimlessly.
“The lady is awake!” One of the maids, noticing Yun Qingxue’s open eyes, exclaimed in delight.
The other maid turned as well and, seeing Yun Qingxue indeed awake, immediately said to her companion, “Xiao Ling, you stay here. I’ll inform His Majesty.”
“Go quickly!” The maid named Xiao Ling nodded, and the other dashed out of the room.
Yun Qingxue propped herself up on her arms and sat up, her clear, watery eyes fixed on Xiao Ling.
“Where am I?” she asked.
At her question, Xiao Ling promptly replied, “My lady is currently in the Palace of Ten Thousand Beasts. This humble servant is Xiao Ling, a maid of the palace, tasked by His Majesty to care for you alongside Xiao Yao. The one who just left was Xiao Yao.” She spoke with meticulous detail.
Yun Qingxue rubbed her forehead. The name “Palace of Ten Thousand Beasts” felt strangely familiar…
Palace of Ten Thousand Beasts…
The Beast Clan?!
Her mind cleared abruptly. She looked down to examine herself—all her wounds had healed, her skin flawless, bearing no trace of injury.
Her unique constitution had automatically restored her body.
But she distinctly remembered parting ways with Xiao Xiao in the wilderness before losing consciousness again.
“How did I get here?” she asked Xiao Ling.
“His Majesty brought you back,” Xiao Ling replied cheerfully, her voice bright.
Yun Qingxue lowered her gaze, silent. Her thoughts turned to the white wolf she had encountered earlier. She couldn’t shake the feeling that the wolf and her presence in the Beast King’s palace were somehow connected…
The maid who had just left had mentioned reporting her awakening to the Beast King. Perhaps she would soon learn the answer to why she was here.
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