Chapter 23
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
This chapter is edited by Farouq Omileye. Thank you for your contribution!
Chapter 23: I Will Take Her Away Today!
Bai Lian left with Ling Yue.
They walked through the main gate.
She knew someone would jump out and stop her.
But what made her feel helpless was—
“This is too fast!”
Bai Lian had barely left the bedroom and stepped into the open air when she spotted someone.
Under a tree stood a woman.
A young woman in purple.
Her frame appeared fragile, devoid of spirit Qi, as though a mere push could topple her.
However, Bai Lian didn’t lower her guard.
Since this woman dared to step forward, she must have some hidden reliance.
The tree shadows swayed gently in the evening wind. Amid the distant noise, the young woman sighed.
“A pity, we were only one step away.”
Yes.
Bai Lian silently agreed.
This woman had succeeded both in the third Martial Sister’s past life and in the game.
But…
Demon Woman, times have changed, and now Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian is here!
Bai Lian’s icy gaze locked onto her, and the surrounding temperature dropped rapidly.
Hundreds of Flying Swords burst from Bai Lian’s chest.
The dazzling sword light illuminated the twilight like Hua Huo, and in the blink of an eye, the Tianshu Sword Array formed to shield Bai Lian and Ling Yue.
The young woman seemed oblivious to the sudden shift.
Her eyes fixed on Ling Yue as she spoke with unwavering determination.
“Ling Yue, you can’t leave.”
“You.”
Ling Yue opened her mouth, her thoughts swirling in confusion.
She hadn’t grasped the full picture yet.
But one thing was clear.
She didn’t want to see this person—someone she once longed to see—right now.
“Why?”
Ling Yue’s hand trembled slightly. Her face turned deathly pale, as though blood had been drained from her body.
Bai Lian noticed Ling Yue’s abnormal reaction.
Her heart stirred with understanding.
“Is she someone close to you?”
Ling Yue nodded faintly. “Yes.”
Her mind drifted to a summer when she was seven.
She had woken from endless darkness, opening her eyes to find herself in an unfamiliar room.
A scorching thirst burned in her throat.
Then, a woman standing nearby stepped forward.
“Come, drink some water,” the woman said.
Her white robes fluttered softly, and her smile radiated warmth—the kind of warmth that felt like rebirth.
“Princess, my name is Tao Huai, and I am the maid who will take care of you.”
From that moment, Ling Yue etched the name Tao Huai into her heart.
When she felt like crying, Tao Huai would talk with her.
When she quarreled with her father, Tao Huai would try to cheer her up.
When she faced schemes, Tao Huai would guide her through.
“You are a princess, and you are also the future king of Nanwang Country. Only by showing your majesty can you lead the people of Nanwang forward.”
Ling Yue wholeheartedly believed her.
Much happened afterward.
Once, she had been knocked unconscious by a mob and stuffed into a wooden box.
When she came to, she saw only darkness and heard the faint rustle of digging.
Isolation, fear, and despair drowned her nine-year-old heart.
She had nearly forgotten her dreams of deserts stained with blood.
Yet there, in that suffocating box, she resigned herself to death.
She imagined lying lifeless in the sands of her dreams.
But her death never came.
Tao Huai had found her, digging her out of the box and pulling her back into the light.
Held tightly in Tao Huai’s arms, Ling Yue didn’t even cry. She forced a smile.
“I’m fine.”
But she wasn’t.
From that day, fear gripped her. She dreaded closing her eyes and hated sleeping.
Still, her gratitude for Tao Huai deepened.
Tao Huai wasn’t just her maid. She was her friend, mentor, and savior.
Years passed. Ling Yue ascended as the king of Nanwang, and Tao Huai became the nation’s priestess.
Though formality replaced intimacy, their bond endured beneath the surface.
Why?
Why was Tao Huai the one stopping her now?
If what Bai Lian said about conspiracies was true, what role did Tao Huai play in all of this?
Ling Yue stared at her for what felt like an eternity, her emotions churning.
Suddenly, Tao Huai seemed like a stranger.
Her cold, piercing eyes stabbed like thorns.
It hurt.
Tao Huai’s voice was sharp, almost accusatory.
“Ling Yue, how can you save Nanwang if you squander this chance? Do you want to see its people suffer famine, sandstorms, and…?”
Before Tao Huai could finish, Bai Lian interjected.
“We’ve already discussed all of that.”
“You…”
“I’ve also proposed a solution.”
“…”
Tao Huai found herself at a loss for words.
Bai Lian’s voice was steady.
“Actually, continuing this discussion is pointless.”
The Tianshu Sword Array shimmered as rippling water waves spread in all directions, conjuring an ethereal vision.
Tao Huai’s laughter was icy and hollow.
“Indeed, you are the Natural Saint Bai Lian of the Duxian Sect!”
Her words triggered a tremor beneath the royal city.
Towering structures cracked, and one by one, buildings collapsed amid loud crashes.
Cries and screams echoed as chaos spread.
A massive boundary appeared along the city walls, splitting the royal city from the rest of Nanwang.
With each tremor, the royal city began to rise into the air.
Gasps filled the air.
“Miracle!”
“Is this…a miracle?”
Amid the panic, Bai Lian grasped Ling Yue’s trembling hand.
Her touch was cold as water, yet it grounded Ling Yue.
“It’s Bai Lian,” Ling Yue thought, comforted despite the chaos.
Bai Lian raised the Dirt Free Sword high, its vibrating blade roaring with killing intent.
“I will take her away today!”
A brilliant white light shot skyward, piercing the dark night and quelling the eerie blue glow of the altar.
As the city trembled, snowflakes began to fall.
Ling Yue held her breath.
Snow, in Nanwang?
She looked at Bai Lian, whose calm yet protective presence filled her heart with a warmth unlike anything before.
Ling Yue thought to herself, This is the most beautiful night I’ve ever seen.