Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes internally. Such a pedantic fool! The dim temple suddenly flooded with blinding light, causing both Rongjing and Yun Qianyue to instinctively close their eyes against the sudden brightness.
"Sister Yue!" Ye Tianqing rushed in first. Seeing Rongjing and Yun Qianyue each on opposite sides of the room, he went straight toward Yun Qianyue. "Are you all right?"
Yun Qianyue remained silent, her eyes closed and unmoving.
"Crown Prince Brother, isn't that a pointless question? After being trapped for three days and nights, how could she possibly be well?" Ye Tianyu said as he followed closely behind.
Yun Muhan was only a step behind Ye Tianyu, and he too headed straight for Yun Qianyue.
"Your Highness!" Xian Ge's voice called out as he entered, swiftly making his way to Rongjing's side. He had stayed outside with the others, silently waiting with concern.
"Still hanging in there," Rongjing replied weakly.
Xian Ge quickly knelt beside him to support him and was taken aback upon feeling Rongjing's depleted pulse. His eyes widened in alarm. "Your Highness, how could you be..."
"Let's go out first," Rongjing cut him off.
Xian Ge's eyes reflected his shock at Rongjing's sudden loss of martial abilities. Glancing briefly at Yun Qianyue, he stifled his surprise, assuming that Rongjing must have exhausted his power to save her. His heart ached, knowing the depth of Rongjing's sacrifice; his master's martial strength was vast as the ocean, and for him to lose it entirely, all to save Yun Qianyue, seemed unimaginable.
"Yue Meimei, how are you?" Ye Tianqing reached out to lift her.
But Yun Muhan beat him to it, gathering Yun Qianyue in his arms without a word and turning to leave.
"Prince Yun!" Ye Tianqing's hand shot out to block him. "What are you doing?"
"She's been trapped here for three days; of course, she needs to get out quickly." Yun Muhan glanced at him. "I hope the Crown Prince will investigate the reason behind my sister and Rongjing being trapped and give Yun Prince's residence an explanation."
Ye Tianqing withdrew his hand.
Without further words, Yun Muhan carried Yun Qianyue toward the exit.
"Amitabha! Congratulations to Lord Rongjing and Miss Yun for having such fortune to escape safely," Master Lingyin intoned, gazing at the now-empty temple. His old eyes held a trace of astonishment; he was aware there should have been twelve Buddha statues here. When had they disappeared?
"We are indebted to the blessings of the temple," Rongjing replied, then turned to Ye Tianqing. "Your Highness should certainly get to the bottom of this. If I hadn't reacted in time to fall down with Miss Yun, she would undoubtedly have perished here."
Ye Tianqing's face darkened.
"Xian Ge, take me to the rear courtyard," Rongjing commanded softly.
"Yes!" Xian Ge immediately lifted Rongjing and followed Yun Muhan toward the exit.
"Wait! What happened here? Why is this jade bracelet shattered?" Ye Tianqing suddenly noticed a jade bracelet on the ground, broken into eight pieces. He bent down to pick it up and called out to Yun Qianyue, who was being carried away.
Yun Qianyue couldn't be bothered to respond, closing her eyes and remaining silent in Yun Muhan's arms.
"It shattered when we fell," Rongjing answered calmly.
Ye Tianqing's face paled, for he understood well what that bracelet represented. Silently, he stared at the shattered jade pieces, his expression growing more and more grim.
Yun Qianyue scoffed internally. Yun Muhan and Xian Ge continued forward without a word, each carrying their respective charges out of the stone doors, then using light-footed techniques to swiftly make their way to the rear courtyard.
As Yun Qianyue exited the underground temple, she realized this was actually the main hall of the Bodhidharma Ancestral Hall—the same place where she had seen Master Lingyin speaking about the scriptures on the mountaintop a few days ago. She clicked her tongue in mild annoyance, exhaling a deep breath. Being alive was indeed better! She spoke weakly to Yun Muhan, "Brother, I'm starving. I need to eat right away."
"Understood," Yun Muhan nodded.
Yun Qianyue fell silent, reflecting that although these three days had nearly cost her life, she didn't come out empty-handed. Despite losing the martial prowess she'd recently gained, she had saved Rongjing and even gained a mountain of gold—enough to live a life of comfort without ever needing to work again. This thought filled her with joy. However, the person who had drugged her with that aphrodisiac must pay. She would find out who it was and make them suffer. Whether it was Yuning or someone else, she would not let it go.
After they left, Ye Tianqing pocketed the shattered bracelet and noticed two broken hairpins on the ground, recognizing them as Yun Qianyue's. He bent down and picked them up, placing them in his robe as well.
Ye Tianyu watched his brother's actions with raised eyebrows and asked, "Crown Prince Brother, why are you keeping all these broken items? Are you planning to have them restored? Jade can't be fully restored once shattered; even if it were pieced together, it wouldn't be the same."
"This jade bracelet was an heirloom, a love token from the Ancestor Emperor to Empress Zhenjing. It has been passed down for over a hundred years. Even shattered, it must be taken back to the Emperor so he can make a final decision," Ye Tianqing replied.
"And what of Yue Meimei's broken hairpins? Are you also going to show them to the Emperor? Those weren't relics from Empress Zhenjing; they were Yue Meimei's own accessories," Ye Tianyu continued to press.
"They will be evidence to show that Yue Meimei must have been in grave danger at the time, unable to protect the bracelet made from South Sea jade. I hope the Emperor won't punish her," Ye Tianqing said sternly, then gave his brother a sharp look. "Fourth Brother, you're becoming increasingly talkative these days."
"Crown Prince Brother, you seem to be growing fonder of Yue Meimei," Ye Tianyu replied nonchalantly.
Ye Tianqing's face showed a flicker of anger, but he quickly suppressed it and turned away from his brother, directing his gaze toward Master Lingyin. "I recall hearing my father mention that the twelve golden statues were crafted by the Ancestor Emperor to commemorate the twelve monks who donned armor and fought to save the Ancestor Emperor on the battlefield. Why are they nowhere to be seen?"
"Amitabha," Master Lingyin shook his head, "I too find it puzzling."
"Crown Prince Brother, the golden Buddha statues may not have been placed here in the first place. Do you see any trace of them here?" Ye Tianyu remarked. He had also heard of the statues; the tale was recorded in the Heavenly Saint's founding annals. In that famous battle, if not for the twelve high monks from Lingtai Temple who led a group of monks to the battlefield to save the Ancestor Emperor, the Heavenly Saint's legacy of a hundred years may not have been built. This heroic deed was commemorated by the Ancestor Emperor with three grand acts upon his ascension: first, bestowing titles upon four hereditary princes; second, marrying Empress Zhenjing; and third, commissioning the twelve golden statues for the monks. These three acts became legendary across the land.
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The Dandy's Duchess
ChickLit"The Dandy's Duchess" tells the story of the youngest and most talented general of the National Security Bureau, who sacrifices his life for his country and finds his soul transported to another world, where he is reborn as Yun Qianyue, the only leg...
