Chapter 1: Parted by Life and Death (Past Life)

Undulating mountains stretched endlessly, lush and verdant. Under the blazing sun, a gentle breeze swept through, carrying a hint of coolness.

South of Mang Mountain lay the Yangtze River, impassable without a boat. Further south stood a towering peak known to the world as Lingyun Mountain.

Amid solitary clouds and scorching sun, a swift horse galloped down the mountainside, bearing two riders.

Xun Changqing, freshly rescued from the execution stake, felt the sunlight even more scorching than the flames. She clung to the one urging the horse onward, her turbulent heart gradually settling as the steed halted at the mountain’s base. The rider helped her dismount without delay and strode into the mountains.

After an unknowable stretch of time, as dusk began to fall, the vast Yangtze River appeared before them, its far shore lost in the mist. Xun Changqing hung her head low. The riverside vapors blurred the scenery, but she knew no boats floated on its waters. She turned to the figure beside her, reached out, and pulled the black cloth from her face. Her fingertips brushed her cheek unbidden; they came away damp—surely tears.

She smiled. “Didn’t you refuse to acknowledge me? Why did you come to save me?”

Wei Lingci gazed at the calm, rippling surface of the river, her fingers tightly gripping Xun Changqing, who seemed on the verge of collapse. Her brows furrowed deeply. “Wait a little longer. The boat will come soon. Believe me.”

Dodging the question—that was Wei Lingci’s way. Xun Changqing shoved her away and toppled backward, crashing to the ground. Sharp stones pierced her wounds. She had entered Lingyun Mountain as a child and taken her as master; years of bond, discarded in an instant.

The Pingnan Prince’s Mansion had rebelled—a fact known to all. She had no defense. The emperor had seized her, hoping to extract confessions through torment. He tried every punishment, but the imperial schemes came to naught.

Because she knew nothing!

She spent her days with Wei Lingci; whatever she knew, Wei Lingci knew too.

Wei Lingci had severed their bond. Master and disciple had become strangers.

Yet now, why save her?

Wei Lingci looked at the woman slumped on the ground. Her plain robes were soaked in blood, the collar gaping open to reveal mangled flesh crisscrossed with whip marks. Her exposed arms bore the same brutal lashes. The violent ride had reopened the wound at her collarbone; blood trickled down her sharp, emaciated bones. Gone was the grace of the little County Princess from before.

The black-clad figure by the riverbank crouched down, her fingers gently combing through the disheveled hair. Her expression remained unchanged, her eyes betraying no excess emotion. She sighed. “Just stay alive. That’s the best you can do.”

Xun Changqing shook her head silently. Her hair fell again, blocking her view. In a low voice, she said, “You rescued me so boldly from the execution ground. Have you considered the consequences?”

“Changqing, the hardest part isn’t knowing the consequences—it’s that right now, you have no will to live.”

Xun Changqing raised her hand, gazing at the scattered sparks of firelight in the distant woods. She stared intently, her eyes like pools of stagnant water. She no longer cared about life or death. Pain throbbed through her body; she frowned but smiled again. “If I die, will you take another disciple?”

Wei Lingci saw the firelights too. Though twilight obscured the sky, she noticed the subtle shift in Xun Changqing’s expression. She sat down as well, pulling her into her arms and patting her back as she had in childhood. In a warm voice, she said, “No. You’re enough for me.”

She buried herself in Wei Lingci’s embrace, that warm, clean scent filling her senses. Her eyes stung. Her mind grew hazier. Even without the pyre, she wouldn’t last much longer. Dying by fire meant at least she wouldn’t implicate others.

“Master, why did you sever ties with me?”

Wei Lingci fell silent. They sat by the river like that, watching the waves crash against the shore as night fully descended. Listening to the roar of the waters, she held the trembling figure in her arms tighter, her thoughts turning. Along a thousand li of riverbank, fish swam the shallows, but still no boat appeared.

Beside Tingzhou, heavy mountains isolated the area, with scarce human presence.

Torture had always been the cruelest ordeal. Xun Changqing, gravely wounded, had fainted for a while before opening her eyes again. Her delicate brows relaxed; her spirits seemed much improved. In the darkness, her hands found Wei Lingci’s face, chilled by the wind. The skin beneath her fingers was smooth and fine. With sudden courage from who-knows-where, she lifted her head and kissed Wei Lingci’s equally warm lips.

A taboo between master and disciple, pursuers at their heels—she no longer cared. Even if Wei Lingci abandoned her now, she would never regret it.

The wind startled the birds in the branches; ambushers lurked behind.

No moon lit the night, nor any stars. Xun Changqing stopped guessing at Wei Lingci’s thoughts. She rested her head on her shoulder, her parched lips curving faintly. The long-buried grievances of abandonment faded, warmth blooming in her heart. She leaned close to her ear, her breath misting Wei Lingci’s eyes before she could speak. In an extremely soft, faint voice, she asked, “Why won’t you marry?”

She had asked this many times; Wei Lingci never answered.

Why not marry? The empress’s position was reserved for her, yet she never gave the emperor a reply. The riddle unsolved left her uneasy.

Wei Lingci remained silent. The stench of blood from her body made her limbs stiffen with heartache. In the end, she didn’t push her away. Looking deeper into the mountains, those scattered firelights drew nearer, stinging her eyes.

Suddenly, Xun Changqing hugged her fiercely, nails digging painfully into her back. Xun Changqing took a few shallow breaths and released her.

The commander of the Imperial Guards had come personally. Xun Changqing staggered to her feet, shoving Wei Lingci aside. She snatched up the longsword Wei Lingci had discarded nearby. Her mind sharpened; with a flick of her wrist, the blade pointed straight at Wei Lingci. Facing the hundreds of Imperial Guards advancing like wolves and tigers, she laughed lightly. “Grand Commander, your emperor has admired Wei Lingci for so long. If I kill her, how will you account for it?”

In the flickering torchlight, Wei Lingci’s face was impassive, the blade at her throat. She said nothing, her expression unchanged, falling into silence once more.

“Xun Changqing, the Pingnan Prince was disloyal first. His Majesty, as his kin, is above all the Son of Heaven. Sacrificing you is merely to quell the people’s anger. Don’t be so obstinate.”

Whose mouth those words came from, Xun Changqing could no longer tell. Her sword hand trembled. The tortures of recent days had drained her blood; that swift motion had expended her last strength. Now, she was at the end of her rope.

The blade wavered, slicing the tender skin of Wei Lingci’s neck. A bead of blood welled up, staining the edge. Wei Lingci turned her head to look at her. Torchlight illuminated her face—youthful like flowering orchids, once carefree as a County Princess, now tragically entangled in the Imperial Capital’s storms.

Xun Changqing narrowed her peach-blossom eyes at the righteous commander of the Imperial Guards and smiled—a bright, serene smile like days of old. In the next breath, she whispered something into Wei Lingci’s ear. The latter frowned but said nothing.

Amid the crowd’s shocked cries, she shoved Wei Lingci away. A relieved smile tugged at her lips as she dashed forward and leaped into the surging waters of the Yangtze River. In the blink of an eye, she vanished without a trace.

No one dared pursue into those waters; a single wave could swallow a man. Hundreds stood with torches for over an hour, staring at the turbulent river. Life ebbed away in a single breath.

The silent riverbank seemed to echo faint whispers: “Parted by life and death.”

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