CHAPTER 152: CHAPTER 47: THE SIN AND FATE FROM TEN YEARS AGO (PART 1)

"Awooo, goodbye, beautiful ladies big and small, don’t miss me too much, even though I know I’m irresistibly adorable," Yue Jinghua seriously doubted where all those tears could come from in the sesame-sized eyes of the Meat Worm, if that could even be called tears.

Seeing Yue Jinghua staring with her big eyes into its tiny eyes, the Meat Worm twisted its body haughtily.

It hadn’t been seen for a few days, and it had gotten fatter again. It used to be as thin as a pinky finger, and now it was as thick as a middle finger.

Just from staying hungry, this unique talent of the Gold Eater Worm really was one of a kind.

"Don’t look at me with such contempt, I have military intelligence to report, but on one condition... awooo, what are you doing? That’s my chrysanthemum!!" Screams were endless as the Meat Worm was forced to eat a few mulberry leaves under the care of the beautiful Xiu Rong in the Little Shang Palace, which made it throw up and get fatter to the point of begging to meet with ugly ones to extort some Dark Pills and Spirit Grass.

But before it could even speak, Yue Jinghua’s index and middle finger jabbed heavily onto its chrysanthemum-shaped birthmark.

"This miss detests extortion the most in her life. One was not enough, and here comes the second," Yue Jinghua, having been extorted by Qing Pu already, could not allow a Meat Worm to get on top of her head as well.

As the Meat Worm’s chrysanthemum faced imminent danger, it hurriedly pleaded for mercy, "Awooo, I’ll tell, I’ll tell everything. I actually have two major discoveries."

While wailing, the Meat Worm recounted its days of harrowing, miserably distressing experiences that brought anyone who saw it to tears.

One day, by sheer coincidence, the Meat Worm followed a carriage from the Divine Court into the palace.

Inside the stables, it got seduced at first sight and followed a Female Official out of there.

This Female Official was from Lian Palace.

The Meat Worm thought it was entering a beauty’s nest, but the events that unfolded that evening almost scared it to death.

"Awooo. I don’t remember anything, I only recall the woman possibly using some magical treasure, a bright light appeared, and the Dark Beast turned into a skeleton. As for the flesh and blood of the Dark Beast, it seemed to be refined into some Elixir Pills, which the woman took monthly," the Meat Worm said, shivering with fear, actually not recalling anything,

As Feise Empress Dowager performed dark magic, the Meat Worm fainted from fright.

"Boneless creature, is that what your so-called discovery amounts to?" Yue Jinghua was utterly disappointed, and at this moment, she had already left Sha Fei’s palace, unconsciously wandering to a secluded palace building.

"Awooo, who says that, I have an even more incredible discovery," the Meat Worm straightened up, a bright light emitted from its antenna, "Don’t forget, I’m a Gold Eater Worm, my greatest talent is treasure hunting, I smelled some ancient scents in the palace."

"What did you discover? Speak quickly," this time though, it was not Yue Jinghua who anxiously asked but Qing Pu.

"Awooo, don’t touch me; I don’t want a man to burst my chrysanthemum," the Meat Worm cried miserably, but its antenna suspiciously lit up, pointing directly ahead at a somewhat desolate flower garden.

"What place is that?" Yue Jinghua faintly felt that the palace looked somewhat familiar.

Qing Pu paused for a moment, then after a long time, said, "That place is where we first met."

"We," refers to "Yue Jinghua" and Qing Pu.

It was a segment of memory that had been sealed for many years and could not be found in the memories Yue Jinghua inherited.

When she took over this body, Yue Jinghua knew that some memories of this body were "missing".

For example, how the Demon Mark on her face came to be, or memories about her father Yue Nian, and how "Yue Jinghua" met Qing Pu, and met Fa Xiaoyi, all of these remain mysteries to the current Yue Jinghua.

The Gold-eating Worm’s chrysanthemum-like glow directed them towards a scenic garden in the Little Shang Palace.

Shang Kingdom was prosperous, under Fa Xiaoyun’s five-year rule the country enjoyed favorable weather and smooth governance.

In the palace, Fa Xiaoyun’s bedroom in Yonghe Palace served as the main hall, surrounded by the palaces of the Empress Dowager and the Consorts, followed by the Empress and other concubines’ palaces, totaling over fifty halls and pavilions. Apart from those used as bedrooms and assembly halls, there were also various flower gardens.

In spring, there were the Cherry Blossom Garden and Peach Garden for flower viewing, Pink Lotus Inn in summer, Late Maple Forest in autumn, and Red Plum Garden in winter.

It was autumn, and the maple forest had already painted a scene of serenading evening.

And the garden where Yue Jinghua was standing now was the Cherry Blossom Garden. The Cherry Blossom Garden was a scenic forest garden located to the north of Little Shang Palace.

In contrast, the Cherry Blossom Garden, suitable for spring flower viewing, appeared verdant, yet exceptionally desolate.

"Awoo, awoo, the scent is emanating from in here, I can guarantee there’s a treasure inside," the Gold-eating Worm energetically boasted.

Yue Jinghua walked into the Cherry Blossom Garden.

As she entered the Cherry Blossom Garden, the sky slightly changed, casting a grey, overcast palette and rain began to fall.

A few withered cherry blossom leaves twirled about, brushing past Yue Jinghua’s shoulders.

"Right here... awoo, awoo," the Meat Worm wiggled and twisted annoyingly until unexpectedly flicked away by Yue Jinghua’s finger, both human and insect scurried into the woods.

It seemed, Yue Jinghua was not the only person visiting the Cherry Blossom Garden to reminisce today.

The combination of light and shadow made the pale golden cloud patterns on Fa Xiaoyi’s robe shimmer within the lush greenery.

A high nose bridge, thin lips, and a naturally cold demeanor, Yue Jinghua inwardly scorned, the same face born on two different persons, yet their characters were worlds apart.

A clear disgust flashed through Fa Xiaoyi’s eyes, yet his lips still bore an indifferent smile, embracing someone in his arms.

"Prince, when will you tell the Consort about us," Lie Sisi nestled in the arms of her beloved, her eyes slightly blurred.

The Little Shang Palace was not too big nor too small, encountering them thrice in a day really had to be bad karma. Yue Jinghua swore internally; in her life, she hated nothing more than duplicitous people, and Fa Xiaoyi undoubtedly exemplified the worst of such deceit.

"In a few more days, once that matter is settled, I will dissolve the engagement with her," Fa Xiaoyi whispered comforting words to his beloved, "She’s also rather lucky, to have survived that incident at Hundred Beast Mountain."

A pang of sharp pain in the heart, that was a pain belonging to "Yue Jinghua."

It was him, Yue Jinghua bit her lip, after returning to Polo City, she had also tried several times to uncover the hidden forces against "Yue Jinghua."

But there had never been any results, she had suspected Lie Sisi, even suspected Feise Empress Dowager, but never Fa Xiaoyi.

Fa Xiaoyi, oh Fa Xiaoyi, did I dig up your ancestor’s grave, or owe you money and didn’t repay, Yue Jinghua mocked sarcastically, you went so far as to secretly plot against a woman who was utterly devoted to you.

Yue Jinghua didn’t notice, Qing Pu had already appeared, eyes blazing with intense anger as he watched Fa Xiaoyi.