Half a month later, snow began to fall, whispering down for two days and two nights. Fortunately, the snow on the official road was packed down firmly, allowing the carriage to rumble forward.
As they reached the deep forest behind the western side of Yunxi Village, a group of masked men armed with knives closed in on the two ge'ers. Fu Yu shielded Ming Xi and Huai'er behind him.
"Who are you?"
The black-clad men stared directly at Cao Ming Xi. "People here to take your lives."
Unbeknownst to the two, Ye Xiao and Xuan Yue had been following behind them, handling many troubles along the way. This time, they had been followed into the deep forest because this group was well-trained, having laid an ambush in advance. They were highly skilled in martial arts, and Ye Xiao and Xuan Yue had been held up.
Fu Yu pushed the two behind him. "Young master, run! Don't worry about us!"
Ming Xi's eyes were red; he shook his head vehemently.
"Go quickly!"
The black-clad men slowly advanced on the three. Huai'er clutched Fu Yu's sleeve tightly. Just before the attackers could strike, Ming Xi grabbed one person with each hand, turned, and blindly ran towards the cliff.
The black-clad men pursued relentlessly, driving them to the edge of the precipice with no escape.
Fu Yu looked at Ming Xi. "Young master, there's no way out." Armed men ahead, a sheer cliff behind.
Ming Xi turned to Fu Yu, his eyes slightly red.
"Fu Yu, I'm sorry. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have suffered this."
Fu Yu suddenly let out a light laugh. He took the little ge'er named Huai'er's hand and released Ming Xi's. His expression was calm, with a faint, mocking smile.
"If we hadn't encountered this, how could I have gained your trust and found such a perfect opportunity?"
Ming Xi stared blankly, not understanding. "What are you saying?"
"Your Highness," the black-clad men kneeling before them said in unison.
The child named Huai'er spoke. "Rise."
A cold wind swept through the mountains. Ming Xi felt a chill penetrate his entire being.
"You deceived me? Why?"
Fu Yu said, "If you want a reason, go ask your brother, Cao Mingqi. He killed so many of my clansmen. Killing one of his brothers is not excessive."
"Quite a few people followed to protect you along the way. If we hadn't used some methods to delay them, we wouldn't have found such a good opportunity."
"They all say the Qing Emperor and the Great General have an extremely cherished ge'er brother, guarded like the apple of their eye, ignorant of the world, simple and kind."
"If I kill this 'apple of their eye,' do you think they'll go mad?"
Fu Yu detailed each point slowly, like the knives in the black-clad men's hands, slicing into Ming Xi one cut at a time, the pain etched deep into his bones.
He slowly retreated backward. Fu Yu and the crowd advanced step by step.
"Don't struggle. Those protecting you can't get back in time. Come with us quietly."
Ming Xi stopped suddenly and laughed loudly. "Fu Yu, do you think I, Cao Ming Xi, am a coward?"
"Believing you was indeed my blindness. But if you think you can use me to threaten Mingqi, you're delusional!" Having said that, he leaped down into the abyss.
"Young master!!"
Ye Xiao and Xuan Yue, covered in wounds, rushed over but couldn't even catch a corner of his clothing.
Ye Xiao's eyes were bloodshot, glaring with rage. "You killed the young master! Pay with your lives!"
Seeing the target had jumped off the cliff, the black-clad men didn't linger.
They protected Fu Yu and Prince Huai as they retreated.
Ye Xiao and Xuan Yue were exhausted and unable to give chase.
After the crowd fled, Ye Xiao sat heavily on the ground, blood dripping from his fingers, staining the snow red.
"What do we do? How do we explain this to our masters?" he muttered.
Xuan Yue stood at the cliff's edge, the cold wind whipping his face. "Go down and search!"
Ye Xiao looked up at him.
Xuan Yue repeated loudly, his voice trembling,
"Go down and search! We must find him, alive or dead."
Two days of accumulated snow might just increase the chance of survival.
At a compound on the West Mountain slope of Yunxi Village, unlike the icy world outside, peach blossoms filled the area, bees and butterflies danced, and the scent of flowers was everywhere.
Ling Cang stood in the yard tending to the bean sprouts in a flowerpot. A snow-white rabbit squeezed through a small hole in the courtyard wall, shook the snow off its fur, hopped over to Ling Cang, and chattered at him urgently.
Ling Cang paused his movements for a moment. His slender, well-defined fingers finished turning the soil and watering it unhurriedly. He wiped his hands on a piece of pristine white cotton cloth nearby.
"Let's go," he said.
The moment he stepped outside the gate, his thin brocade clothes instantly transformed into a thick mink fur cloak. The white rabbit hopped along beside him, leading the way.
Outside, the snow had sealed the mountains. The villagers wouldn't venture out at this time—firstly, because it was too cold, and secondly, because the snow was too deep, making travel difficult.
But Ling Cang tread as if on level ground, utterly unaffected. Where he stepped, small flowers even sprouted.
Ming Xi lay quietly in the snow, his face and hands covered in wounds, his blood dyeing the accumulated snow red. He lay there like a stunningly beautiful red rose amidst the vast white expanse.
The little rabbit by Divine Emperor Ling Cang's side hopped over to Ming Xi and frantically began pawing at the covering snow with its front claws.
The Divine Emperor looked down at the person in the snow from his great height. With a sweep of his sleeve, the snow on Ming Xi instantly vanished, and his wounds disappeared.
The person in the snow had not yet awakened, but was breathtakingly beautiful. Ice crystals forming on his eyelashes like a string of transparent beads, trembling slightly with each breath. His face was as pure as mutton-fat jade, his nose bridge slightly upturned, his eyelashes thick and long. A cascade of ink-black hair spilled wantonly across the snow, appearing especially heartbreaking stunning in the icy wilderness.
Ling Cang gazed at the figure on the ground for a long time. Finally, he reached out, took off his own mink fur cloak, and laid it over Ming Xi. He bent down, gently picked him up, and turned back towards the West Slope compound.
The moment he left, it began to snow again, whispering down harder and harder, soon covering all traces of blood on the ground.
Ye Xiao and Xuan Yue searched the bottom of the cliff like madmen for three days and three nights but found not a single clue. It was as if Ming Xi had vanished into thin air.
[West Slope Compound.]
On the afternoon of the seventh day, Ming Xi woke up.
Despite being the harsh winter, there was no charcoal fire, yet the room wasn't cold at all. He gently lifted the quilt corner and sat up, looking around. The room was filled with potted vegetables and various flowers, arranged in an orderly yet artful manner.
The floor was covered with a thick mink fur rug. He got out of bed, his bare feet sinking into the rug, and admired the plants one by one as he walked. Reaching the doorway, he saw Ling Cang pruning flower branches in the yard.
He was dressed in a plain white robe, his posture tall and straight like a pine tree. Sunlight spilled upon him, as if plating him with a golden edge.
He held a pair of delicate scissors, his expression focused and serious, carefully trimming the branches. Every movement was elegant and practiced.
A breeze brushed past, causing his hair to flutter slightly, adding an extra touch of ethereal temperament.
Ming Xi was momentarily mesmerized, as if time had stopped. The entire world consisted only of this painting-like scene and the immortal-like figure before him.
Ling Cang sensed the gaze from the house and glanced over. "You're awake," his voice cool and deep.
Ming Xi snapped back to reality. "Mmm."
"Since you're awake, drink the medicine on the table," Ling Cang said, continuing to trim the branches.
As the most powerful god in the Three Realms, omnipotent, he could have healed all of Ming Xi's injuries with a mere flick of his sleeve. But being alone in the mortal realm was somewhat dull.
Mortals all love beautiful people. The Divine Emperor was no different. That single glance had stunned him with Ming Xi's otherworldly beauty, so he had carried him home, tending to him meticulously, making him owe a debt of gratitude.
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