~FORTY~

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A guard stood at the entrance of the shrine respectfully and called for the two people inside.

"Wangye, Wangfei."

They both got out to find a black clad guard standing there.

"Xuan Lang?"

"The emperor summons the Wangfei."

And as per emperor's order, none of them can disobey. So both of them went to the emperor's study where Shenlongjun was sitting with tea.

"Brother. Liu Gongzi."

They both greet the emperor with proper courtesy.

"I would go straight to the point. Now that Liu Gongzi decided to leave the palace, I would request one thing from Liu Gongzi. Can brother-in-law leave Xuehui behind, under my care?"

"Why?" Liu Changsheng couldn't help but ask.

"Because your Xuehui is the portal to time and space. It is the key that can send someone's soul back in time." A man in safron appeared inside the study out of nowhere. The three men looked at the newcomer with three different expressions.

"Monk Han?"

"No. He's the entertainer that the merchant's daughter fell in love with." Now it was Ying Lianying.

What's with random people appearing out of nowhere, Liu Changsheng thought. But the next words said by Xiang Wang, Hong Daqing surprised both him, and the emperor, Shenlongjun.

"A-Jie."

"Ying Lianying?"

Both the Xiang Wang and the Xiang Wangfei said together.

"Yes."

"Ying Lianying? A-Jie?" Confusion filled the room. Liu Changsheng was confused as to how Ying Lianying can be called A-Jie by Hong Daqing. Emperor Hong Feihua was thinking how Xiao Hua can be Ying Lianying.

And the said woman herself cleared the confusion.

"I'm Ying Lianying. The Sect master of Mifeng."

A fire burnt in Liu Changsheng's soul. He shot up and with his secret dagger ready attacked the shadow guard with everything he had.

But she was a shadow guard too. And she has followed Liu Changsheng nearly his entire life. She knew his attack. And she left unscratched.

"Liu Changsheng. Stop to listen to me before you launch an attack."

She gives out a mocking scoff.

"Wouldn't you even ask why I did that to your family?

"Because my mother Liu Chenghua was that merchant's daughter. And your father? The second wife's son.

"Why is it that he gets to follow the legend of the Liu linage and my mother suffers all her life? She didn't do anything wrong. Why is it that my mother lives all her life trying to prove her worth while your father, his family lives happily ever after as if it's some kind of a fairytale? Why?

"Why is it that I, a princess by blood live on the street and be mocked and bullied day and night, while you, Hong Feihua claim the throne? You Hong Daqing live happily with your beloved husband?

"I destroyed you all because you have what I deserve. You got what was mine from the start.

"I did not ask for anything. I only wanted to live happily. Not live like a revengeful sword ready to seek blood any minute."

Her eyes were burning fire. Her feelings has long since turned into vapour trying to make its way out through her dark orbs.

"Hong Liuying?" Dowager empress, Hong Daqing's mother has entered the room at some point and heard everything said by Ying Lianying.

"A-Ying, shi ni ma?" Her affectionate eyes held pain that couldn't be contained. "Huahua is dead?"

"Yes. Empress dowager. She's dead. She died like a nobody. She could have been the empress but she died a poor commoner." Ying Lianying couldn't keep the pain of all those years inside.

"Just like you Liu Changsheng. Duan Jiali might find that it was me who gave the order to massacre your family. But it was Hong Feihua who gave me the order. I was just happy to comply."

And thus Liu Changsheng's wrath got completely directed towards Shenlongjun. He raised his black secret dagger and ran towards the emperor in full momentum and in seconds everything has ended. A dagger was pierced through a black and purple court outfit and straight through the heart of the man wearing it.

"Lao gong!"

"A-Qing!"

"Qingqing!"

Three sets of voice was heard in the room. The purple clad body fell along with another body right behind him.

The body of a motherless son of a concubine. A man titled Shenlongjun. The emperor. But no one called after him.

So who was it that actually died like a nobody?

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Sitting in front of the coffin of Hong Daqing Liu Changsheng broke down for the second time. All he felt was pain. He wanted to leave. But one who left was his lao gong. He wanted peace. But the one who gave him peace was his lao gong.

In the imperial palace the emperor's vigil was extravagant to say the least.

On the other hand the Xiang Wang's vigil had only one person. Liu Changsheng. He thought he could leave and never look back. But now look at him. Can't even contain himself. You'd think his curse is what made everything like this. But was it really all that mattered?

A woman in white with a white vail covered her head came in to the palace garden where the coffin was kept.

"Duan Jie."

"Liu Changsheng." Duan Jiali was surprisingly being the responsible one. "We have to finish what we started. You have to meet Ying Lianying in the Dungeon."

"Then what about Wangye?"

"He's been fine without you for one and half years, he'll be fine without you for an hour." She exclaimed. "On the other hand you are given the right by mother empress to decide on her punishment."

And so they both went to find answers to another question.

In the dungeon.

Ying Lianying was sitting inside the metal guarded shell. Her eyes held a world of unsaid words. She has suffered a lot too. She had no one to confide in. Just to get nearer to the imperial court she killed the old master of the Mifeng and became their new master. But who would listen to a lonely figure who has only ever been used to show anger and fierceness. Who was perceived as evil because of what she did. But no one ever asked what has driven her to it.

"Ying Lianying."

Only the voice of Liu Changsheng can get a sense of familiarity in the distant eyes of the Sect master who once was a protector of someone who she wanted to destroy.


























Hello hello hello!! I'm back with a new chapter! Happy Diwali to all my Indian readers! I just took out all the decorations of Diwali and I feel exhausted!

So I won't make it long! In short in this chapter the conclusion is nearing!

Please keep supporting! And tell me if it's an okay chapter! Because I'm not really confident anymore!!

So that's it for today! See you in the next chapter.....

Enjoy
All the love
C 💕

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