Chapter 102: Back Then 3

Shunde's body trembled under his touch. Zhu Ling's blood flowed under her bare feet, and for a moment, she could not tell whether it was warm or cold.

"But you did a good job in capturing the jiaoren," the Grand Master said and withdrew his hand. "Without him in the north, this world of chaos will last for many more decades."

Then he left. Shunde looked at Zhu Ling on the ground, and her body shook more and more...

The most loyal person around her had died, she was now completely alone...

.....

It was night. In a small courtyard on the outskirts of the capital, the candlelight in Lin Haoqing's room flickered. Lin Haoqing put aside his pen and turned to look at a plain-clothed man standing in the corner of the room. It was Ji Yunhe's third face.

"I told you not to go to the north or the capital, but you did both. Are you deliberately trying to work against me?"

"Lin Haoqing," Ji Yunhe walked to his table and sat down, changing back to her original appearance. She poured herself a cup of tea and said, "Is it fun playing master and disciple? Have you had enough yet?" Lin Haoqing raised his eyebrows slightly.

"You remembered?"

"Yes," Ji Yunhe did not rub it in and went straight to the point.

"You should know why I'm here."

Lin Haoqing smirked. "Shunde captured the jiaoren and took him back to the capital. I only learned about it a few moments ago."

"I want to save him."

"With what?"

"That's why I want you to help me."

"Why should I?"

"Haven't you been helping me this whole time? Or rather, been helping the Northlands." Ji Yunhe took a sip of tea.

"You want the same thing as them, right? To overthrow the court." Lin Haoqing was silent for a moment.

"But what if I say, I am not going to help you with this?" Ji Yunhe stared at him, her eyes like a blade.

"Give me a reason."

....

On the same night, Changyi slowly woke up in the imperial dungeon. His eyelashes were covered in frost, his lips were dark blue, and the back of his hands were frozen in ice from overusing his own magic.

His injuries did not have to be this severe. He had spent too much time with the sea lingzhi over the past two days, and it worsened the chill inside his body. Ji Yunhe was poisoned by thunder fire and needed them to dispel the burning heat, but Changyi did not need it. His companionship, in fact, was a drain on himself.

Plus he had overextended his magic a few days prior, so this fight with Shunde was very strenuous for him. Changyi sat up and saw Shunde staring at him through the black iron bars. She was dressed in red and looked at him silently, like a ghost.

"You took the power of the jade phoenix," Changyi said softly, not as a question, but as a narrative.

"Correct. She was held inside this same cage. Except that the bird is in me now." She felt a sudden pain in her chest and hunched over onto one knee. Green gas wrapped around her then disappeared as she slowly calmed down.

"Heh... she is still misbehaving. But it doesn't matter, she and Ji Chengyu have become my sacrifices. After I get a few more, neither you or the Grand Master will be a match for me... No one will ever threaten me again! Hahah!"