Chapter 72
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Chapter 72:
Li Chunzhou happily buried her head in the feathers behind Qi Leyuan, "I thought you were going to leave me and stay with them, Li Li…"
Qi Leyuan felt a bit proud but restrained himself and said, "Of course not! Now you know, right? This family would fall apart without me!"
"How are the three of them doing at Red Beans Tower?" Li Chunzhou asked.
["They are still at Spring Flowers Tower, don’t worry," Qi Leyuan reassured her.]
Li Chunzhou smiled for a moment, then collected her emotions, pondering before saying, "Li Li… maybe you should go back. There’s nothing good for you here with me."
["No, I have to stay here to protect you," Qi Leyuan replied.]
Li Chunzhou looked surprised and said, "Second Prince won’t harm me, I’m not in any danger here."
Qi Leyuan sighed softly, "I’m worried about your mental state."
Li Chunzhou paused for a moment, smiled, and said, "How could it be…"
Looking at each other, Qi Leyuan resignedly said, "Okay, okay, I admit… I actually wanted to take a chance."
"What are you betting on?" Li Chunzhou walked forward, holding Li Li, turned a corner, the scenery ahead became more tranquil, two maids followed closer, afraid that Li Chunzhou, who kept chatting with the chicken, might really be mentally unwell and harm herself.
[Betting on your ambition," Qi Leyuan continued typing, "You’ve been pushing Jian Hou towards a restart all along, do you have something in mind?]
Li Chunzhou lowered her head and lightly touched a fully bloomed rose, "Now, compared to ‘restart’… I would rather kill him."
She forcefully crushed the flower, staining her palm a deep pink, then casually tossed the broken petals away.
"Saying that now, aren’t you getting a bit desperate…?" Qi Leyuan blinked and stared at Li Chunzhou, waiting for her response.
"No," Li Chunzhou shook her head just like Qi Leyuan expected, "…this world is just a huge trap."
Qi Leyuan found this sentence familiar. Last time when Li Chunzhou mentioned a trap, he thought she was talking about the Dungeon World being a trap for players. Now it seemed more like a trap for Jian Hou.
Qi Leyuan felt excited, even a bit exhilarated. He had been exploring various dungeons for over ten years, facing ghosts, monsters, and dungeons. However, battling against the Main God System was more thrilling.
He knew it! After so many cycles, Li Chunzhou couldn’t be without curiosity about the outside world. Having seen such a vast world, would she be content to stay in a small brothel in Shengjing City as a prostitute…?
Qi Leyuan didn’t believe it because he knew that human ambition knows no bounds. This kind of human emotion, Jian Hou might not understand, but Qi Leyuan could relate to it.
Even though he was currently at a disadvantage, Qi Leyuan felt that Li Chunzhou must have some backup plan or… be prepared in advance.
Qi Leyuan straightened his tousled chest and said, "Even though your pieces are all taken now, if you need, I can be a new piece for you."
Li Chunzhou tilted her head and said, "…What are your terms for the exchange? You can see, I have nothing to offer you now."
[I don’t need anything now. Only if you succeed, ‘苟富贵，勿相忘’ will be fine!]
Li Chunzhou stared at him for a while, then relaxed her face and said with a smile, "Okay."
Qi Leyuan rubbed his hands together excitedly and asked, "So, what should we do now?"
"We do nothing, just wait for thirty days to pass or for Jian Hou to come looking for us," answered Li Chunzhou.
[Confused, Qi Leyuan asked, "…? What if Jian Hou leaves the Dungeon? Even if he won’t harm me, but you…"]
"He can’t leave the Dungeon," Li Chunzhou said firmly, "Even if he can unlock all four evil abilities, the barrier’s range is much farther than he can reach in thirty days. As long as the barrier holds, he won’t be able to use any skills, contact the Main God System, or know the extent of the ‘Administrator’s’ powers. We’ll have to figure it out as we go."
Qi Leyuan sighed in relief, straightened his messy feathers, and asked, "But isn’t Jian Hou still searching for Li Zhexuan’s heart? Is that okay?"
When Li Chunzhou heard Li Zhexuan’s name, she paused. Despite her anger, Li Zhexuan had been with her since childhood, they had been together for a whole ten years. Since the day he swallowed Li Zhexuan’s heart, they couldn’t abandon each other, no matter how much they complained or drifted apart, they could only walk together on the dusty roads of the mortal world.
Until their last day, even if they turned into rain and soil, their fates would still be closely intertwined, facing life and death together.
Li Chunzhou thought to herself that he was just an immature child, even if he didn’t stop Fan Nuo out of selfishness, it couldn’t be entirely his fault.
Li Chunzhou finally gave in and asked Qi Leyuan, "Where is Li Zhexuan now?"
[Jian Hou put him in a pool of mercury.]
"Mercury?" Li Chunzhou frowned, remembering how Li Zhexuan always avoided the Five Poison Powder, it turned out he was afraid not of the abortion drug, but of the mercury inside…
Li Chunzhou and Li Zhexuan’s emotional connection was not mutual. Li Zhexuan could always sense Li Chunzhou’s mood changes, but Li Chunzhou couldn’t be influenced by his emotions. So, she hadn’t realized Li Zhexuan’s fear and disgust towards mercury.
"What will happen if we put the Time Beast in mercury?" Li Chunzhou couldn’t help but ask.
"I only took a glance… the little guy seemed to be dissolving bit by bit, but very slowly. At this rate, it would take at least three to four days for complete dissolution."
According to historical records, the underground palace of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor was a magnificent and grandiose structure. The "mercury pool," dominated by jade, was particularly eye-catching. The pool, 38 meters long, 20 meters wide, with a depth of 1.3 meters, contained mercury that flowed like liquid, freely wandering in the pool, creating a picturesque scene.
"Make crossbows that shoot arrows, targeting anything that approaches. Use mercury as the foundation, with celestial maps above and geographical maps below."
Looking back now, besides using mercury to simulate rivers and seas to maintain the empire’s glory, order, and prevent decay in the underground world, it may also have been to prevent the Time Beast living then from stealing the bodies of deceased kings to disrupt the rule of the plagued nation.
Li Chunzhou gently held Qi Leyuan’s hand, which suddenly tightened, but she didn’t say a word in the end.
Qi Leyuan asked anxiously, "What if he really finds the heart of the Time Beast?"
Li Chunzhou softly touched her abdomen and whispered, "No, he won’t find it."
***
That night, it was Qi Leyuan who slept beside Li Chunzhou.
Whether Second Prince went to the palace or intentionally avoided Li Chunzhou, since he left, Li Chunzhou had not seen him again.
Li Chunzhou arranged the blanket into a nest for Qi Leyuan on the edge of the bed. It was the first time Qi Leyuan had the honor of sleeping in a bed. He tucked himself in comfortably and jokingly said, "I’ll sleep here, Liang Changfeng won’t be mad, right…?"
Li Chunzhou lay on her side watching him, smiling and said, "I heard that in some places, they use a rooster instead of the groom to bow at the ceremony. Li Li, don’t you know that?"
For a moment, Qi Leyuan felt a bit restless, as his heart seemed to fly away with Li Chunzhou’s sweet smile.
Li Chunzhou had a habit of charming people, even in this tough situation, she couldn’t help but tease Qi Leyuan, as she couldn’t physically defend herself. "Winning over others’ hearts" became her safety net.
While Qi Leyuan daydreamed, Li Chunzhou quickly fell asleep. However, her sleep was not peaceful, as in the middle of the night, a sharp hand tossed Qi Leyuan out of bed.
The Second Prince, with the chill of the night still on him, stood by the bed and watched Li Chunzhou for a long time. He leaned down and touched Li Chunzhou’s fair face with his cold fingers. Seeing her move closer to his hand due to the pleasant coolness, the Second Prince eventually lay on the bed, propped up his arm, and stared intently at Li Chunzhou’s sleeping face.
Initially, Li Chunzhou was treated as a replaceable plaything, but at some point, something changed in his attitude… when exactly did this transformation occur?
Liang Changfeng couldn’t remember, nor did he care to dwell on it. He was no longer the powerless child he once was. As long as he liked someone, he could keep her by his side, forever and ever…
Qi Leyuan, who had been sleeping soundly, stood on the ground with a resentful look, staring at the Second Prince in bed as if trying to burn a hole in his broad back with his gaze.
***
The next day, before Li Chunzhou woke up, the Second Prince had already left, leaving nothing behind except the wrinkles in the bed. Qi Leyuan, feeling indignant, complained to Li Chunzhou, recounting every detail of Second Prince’s visit the night before.
"He came over, why didn’t he wake me up?" Li Chunzhou pondered with her head down. "Could it be that he really has feelings for me? How is that possible… Liang Changfeng, that crazy person."
If Li Zhexuan hadn’t been taken away, Li Chunzhou might have had a few relaxing days, but the child was still immersed in the mercury pool and it couldn’t go on like this.
Liang Changfeng avoids Li Chunzhou, but Li Chunzhou is not worried. She waits for Second Prince to come before eating, despite the maid’s advice.