CHAPTER 237: CHAPTER 208: THE UNATTACHED WOMAN HAS NO CHILDREN

Let’s not talk about how Qin Qingluo broke through after years of accumulation.

Just by receiving that inch of glazed light, she achieved immortality, untouched by disaster.

And complemented by Wuxiang Zen Master’s vestment robe, its martial arts techniques were truly indescribable.

Even though Chen Yi had newly comprehended the Killing Sword, matching blade for blade with her, staking his life in the final clash, he still suffered a narrow defeat.

Defeat meant death—what was the difference between a narrow defeat and a crushing one?

Thus, the one-armed woman carefully recounted Qin Qingluo’s background to Chen Yi.

She laid bare the lineage of Qin Qingluo’s ancestors dating back 18 generations, as well as her first experience wielding a spear as a child, up to her eventual succession of the hereditary title of king.

"Then... how much chance do I have?" Chen Yi asked.

"Thirty percent," Zhou Yitang replied.

Chen Yi’s pupils contracted. Even so, only thirty percent?

"This woman is no ordinary opponent. If you fail to think several moves ahead, seize the advantage of location, and choose the right timing, your defeat will be assured," the one-armed woman said bluntly.

Chen Yi looked at her, thought for a moment, and then said outright:

"Then how about... you fight her instead?"

The one-armed woman’s cold gaze swept over him dismissively.

From that glance alone, Chen Yi instantly understood—she would not make a move. With a joking tone, he said:

"If my disciple dies, what will you do?"

Zhou Yitang replied matter-of-factly, "Wait for the next lifetime, then."

Chen Yi was momentarily speechless, his emotions chaotic, as he stared directly at her.

Zhou Yitang was nonchalant and went on:

"Even if you defeat her, you should remain wary. I have only one piece of advice: stay steadfast to your heart."

Her words stopped there; saying more was inadvisable.

Anything further might draw unwanted attention, destabilizing the situation to the point where no one could control it.

And the one-armed woman knew, even if Chen Yi truly defeated Qin Qingluo, countless dangers would still await him thereafter.

If that truly were the case, it might be better to say that if Chen Yi did defeat Qin Qingluo, the Bodhisattva of Medicine would already have plans laid, and would already be waiting.

Chen Yi solemnly nodded.

That mighty figure, towering at eight feet tall, was like a mountain—and beyond her lay another mountain, an even higher, awe-inspiring peak.

The two fell into silence once more.

Chen Yi quietly gazed at Zhou Yitang.

He could surmise that over the past days, Zhou Yitang had been working tirelessly on his behalf, deploying arrangements behind the scenes.

Even though she still harbored selfish motives, besides her, Chen Yi had no one else to rely on.

The firelight had long since faded, leaving the surroundings cloaked in indistinct darkness—a blur of tranquility, faintly veiled, where clarity was hard to grasp. In that dim haze, he recalled her severed three corpses alongside her arm, leaving none of those worldly desires for him. Looking at her barely discernible face in the shadows, her vague features resembling an illusionary mirage, he suddenly realized: she must regard him in the same way, as nothing more than an indistinct figure lacking beauty or allure.

In truth, he wished her three corpses would return to her, and at the very least, her lower corpse—alongside her arm—so she could truly see him for what he was, face to face, the visage she had often touched in secret.

"Do you still intend to sever my three corpses?" Chen Yi asked, "When I have only one left."

Zhou Yitang remained silent.

Chen Yi softened his voice, saying, "I heard that a woman who clings too hard to something often doesn’t get what she wants."

The one-armed woman said nothing at first, and just as Chen Yi thought there would be no reply, she suddenly said:

"I heard that a woman who doesn’t hold fast to something will end up childless."

Chen Yi froze as he looked at her, his heart thumping heavily.

This was the first time since meeting him that she had said anything resembling tender words.

Had he finally managed to coax his master into good humor?

Chen Yi felt slightly lost in thought.

But the one-armed woman had already risen and stepped into the darkness, her figure vanishing as a breeze brushed by.

Chen Yi snapped back to reality, realizing the night was far spent and dawn was beginning to rise. The stars were dimming, and the moonlight bathed the mountainsides, quietly illuminating the cold, dense forest in the aftermath of Winter Solstice. As he looked around, he could still see the concubine in his arms, yet there was no trace of the wife from his past life anywhere nearby.

Among the treetops, the one-armed woman gazed from afar at his frantic, searching manner.

He seemed somewhat flustered.

Hopefully, he could figure out who his true master was.

Zhou Yitang sneered coldly.

She remembered his claim that she would never win him over.

Was that true?

...............

As dawn broke, the occupants of the mountain cave began to wake.

Dong Gong Ruoshu yawned. Upon lifting her head and noticing the extinguished campfire, she quickly moved to rekindle it. But after glancing around to find that everyone else was awake, she could only scratch the back of her head awkwardly and laugh it off.

Yin Weiyin observed her antics and shook his head nonchalantly, though he inwardly scoffed at her.

The female crown had little fondness for this woman who had thrust her into hardship at such a crucial moment.

Thankfully, Miss Donggong was inherently carefree, paying no mind to the petty calculations of others. She stretched lazily under the warm sunlight.

Yin Tingxue, still groggy, rubbed her almond-shaped eyes with her small hands. After bowing her head, she carefully checked on the paper flower in her arms.

Once she ensured the paper flower remained intact, she let out a sigh of relief.

The paper flower Chen Yi had given her was the thing she cherished most in recent days.

She turned her head and asked Chen Yi:

"Where are we headed?"

After pondering for a moment, Chen Yi finally replied, "Not far from here, ten miles ahead, there’s a city called Yu Yong City."

The prior night, he had deliberated with Zhou Yitang for a long time before settling on that city.

Because this city held many hidden secrets and, within this lotus microcosm, served as one of the Bodhisattva of Medicine’s sanctuaries.

If they aimed to defeat the current Qin Qingluo and unravel destiny, they would need to leverage these forces.

And thus, the four of them set off.

Dong Gong Ruoshu, having slept soundly, was full of energy. She led the way wearing a tailored outfit, her every step causing her ample figure to bounce slightly.

Chen Yi felt an itch in his heart as he glanced sideways at the little fox beside him. The latter’s beauty was undeniable, yet in terms of physique, Dong Gong Ruoshu was taller and had a fuller, more curvaceous form. Yin Tingxue barely reached his chest and was shorter by a head; she could only be described as petite and adorable. That said, lately, the fox had also grown slightly more rounded, her belly sporting a faint layer of softness...

"Ah."

Yin Tingxue let out a soft yelp after being inexplicably patted on her stomach, turning to Chen Yi with a mix of confusion and grievance.

Having patted her without explanation, Chen Yi showed no sign of offering an apology.

It was always him yielding first as she murmured softly, "Don’t tease me like that..."

......

"Be careful; there are many wild graves here."

Just outside Yu Yong City, a few miles off, lay a chaotic graveyard. The scattered burial mounds hid beneath long grass spanning the length of an arm. Yin Tingxue, having just tripped over something, was particularly mindful, noting even recently buried graves. Some had been hurriedly interred, with a decade of exposure to wind and rain erasing any traces of wooden markers. Those graves lucky enough to have a mound still stood out, prompting Yin Tingxue to tread carefully around them at Chen Yi’s suggestion. She caught sight of a stele partially poking out from the underbrush and was suddenly reminded of the light snow at Yintai Temple—snowflakes drifting carelessly, pure in hue and fleeting in presence. She thought about how two years ago, the scenery must have been similar, just as it would be next year. Those buried within would still remain, turning to dust, while the yearly soft snowfall blanketed them, each spring heralding rebirth.

Clutching the spring token in her hand, Yin Tingxue felt a surge of warmth flow through her.

Chen Yi noticed her slight epiphany but chose to remain silent, secretly making note of it in his plans.

Yu Yong City was near.

And so was Qin Qingluo.