Chapter 121: Nighttime Whispers in an Embrace

Baozi and Muchen worked together to carry Zhou Yi back into the Taoist temple.

The temple was in a state of disarray. Since the protective barrier had been broken, hunters coming up the mountain often spent their nights here. Staying in the temple had one distinct advantage: wolves, tigers, and leopards would never venture near the Xuanming Temple, making it a safe haven for the night.

Zhou Yi, suffering from the aftereffects of a heavy stupor, retched violently. Having not eaten for two days, he brought up nothing but undigested alcohol, the smell of which was sharp and pungent.

Princess Fu did not mind the mess; she stayed by his side, tending to him constantly. When Xiaocui tried to help, she was promptly shooed away by the Princess.

After three days of drunken oblivion, Zhou Yi finally stirred to consciousness. The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was Princess Fu wiping his forehead with a cloth.

Zhou Yi shoved her aside, stumbled to the table, and grabbed a kettle to pour water into his mouth. Finding no alcohol, he threw the kettle to the ground in a rage.

*Clatter!* The kettle shattered, splashing water all over Princess Fu.

"Go get me wine! Go get me wine!" Zhou Yi growled at her.

"Is a woman really all there is? Look at yourself now. You still call yourself 'Master'? It’s laughable! Your mother’s reincarnation is still in swaddling clothes; without her memories restored, she will live a life of ignorance. Yet you, as a son, are wallowing in despair over a woman—do you think you are worthy of your mother?"

Princess Fu blinked rapidly, fighting back tears. To have to endure the pain in her own heart while comforting a man who had lost his spirit over another woman—only someone who had lived through it could understand her torment.

Zhou Yi’s expression flickered with confusion upon hearing her words, but the look vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a renewed, violent temper. He walked over to her and gripped her shoulders tightly.

"Go get me wine!" he commanded in a low voice.

"You have hands and feet of your own! Go yourself! Go yourself!" Having grown up in the imperial palace, Princess Fu had never been spoken to with such orders, not even in anger. She was terrified; she was afraid of this version of Zhou Yi.

Ignoring her, Zhou Yi released her and turned to leave. He sought only the oblivion that alcohol could provide.

As he reached the doorway, he ran into Baozi and Muchen returning from the hunt, with Xunfeng playing happily behind Xiaocui.

Seeing that Zhou Yi was awake, Baozi quickly dropped the game hanging from the branches and stepped in his path. "Brother Yi, where are you going?"

Zhou Yi kicked out at him, snarling, "Get lost! I want to drink!"

Baozi, never expecting such an attack, was caught off guard and sent sprawling to the ground. He pushed himself up with his hands, blocking Zhou Yi’s path once more.

Baozi pulled a bottle of white liquor from his belt, holding it by the neck with his thumb and forefinger. "I have wine right here. Drink! Come on, drink!"

Before Baozi could finish, Zhou Yi lunged to grab it. As he reached out, Baozi loosened his grip. The bottle hit the ground, shattered, and the liquor splashed everywhere.

Seeing the wine gone, Zhou Yi turned his gaze to Xiaocui behind Baozi and rushed toward her. "Go buy me wine! I want to drink! I’ll give you money, here, take it!"

As he reached into his robe, he pulled out a stack of paper. He had long forgotten when he had tucked that letter into his clothes.

Zhou Yi’s hands trembled as he unfolded the paper. Seeing the elegant handwriting, he looked up and laughed toward the sky, his laughter filled with a lifetime of resentment.

Xiaocui snatched the letter from his hands and ran to Princess Fu, handing it to her. The Princess read it; it was a love letter written to Zhou Yi by Wu Qian.

*I live at the head of the Yangtze River, you at its tail.*
*I think of you daily but see you not, yet we both drink of the Yangtze’s waters.*
*When will these waters cease to flow? When will this longing ever end?*
*I only wish your heart to be like mine, and I shall never fail our promise of love.*
—Written by Wu Qian

After reading it, Princess Fu couldn't help but feel disdain for the fickle woman. The ink was barely dry, yet she had already married another—and not just anyone, but Zhou Yi’s closest sworn brother.

She struck a match, burned the letter, and walked behind Zhou Yi. Regardless of who was watching, she wrapped her arms around him from behind.

"I know the bitterness in your heart. You have resentment, you have anger, but do not destroy yourself. Take it all out on me. I, Princess Fu, traveled across the land to find you; I gave you my heart long ago. Why don't you know how to cherish it? I will not allow you to waste yourself for a woman as fickle as water!" She hugged him tighter.

"What is done is done. What good does it do to ruin yourself? Your mother is still waiting for you to find the North Sea Profound Ice to restore her memories. Do not betray your mother’s dying wish!" she whispered.

Seeing that Zhou Yi had finally calmed down, Baozi and the others began to roast the game in the temple courtyard.

"If you have anger, let it out. Don't bottle it up," Princess Fu whispered.

Only then did Zhou Yi accept the truth—a truth that could not be changed. He turned and pulled Princess Fu into his arms, whispering softly.

"Will you one day leave me too?"

Princess Fu smiled—a genuine, happy smile. She had waited a long time for these words. They were not explicit, but they were enough.

"I will never leave you. Never!" she promised firmly.

The two held each other in the twilight for a long time, feeling each other’s heartbeats and breathing in unison.

But could Zhou Yi love as he once did? The answer was no. For there was a wound that could never be erased—a scar left between him and the Princess, a scar they both kept hidden deep within.

The next morning, Zhou Yi led the group to Heavenly Lake. He had come to retrieve the treasure he had hidden there. Uncertain of when he might return, he felt safer having his wealth with him.

He and Baozi dove into the water. In two trips, they hauled up two chests of gold and one of jewelry. But when they dove down again, the remaining treasure had vanished into thin air. After a long, fruitless search, they surfaced for air.

When they dove down a third time, there was no sign of the treasure at all. They couldn't help but wonder if the gold and jewels had grown legs and walked away.

Recalling the local legends of a lake monster in Heavenly Lake, they all concluded that the creature had swallowed their fortune.

"It was all there when we went down to move the chests. How could it all be gone in such a short time?" Baozi asked, bewildered.

The others had no answer and shook their heads.

"Who am I supposed to ask? These three chests are enough; there's no use for more. Let’s go to town, exchange this for foreign currency, and then head to Dunhua!"

The group carried the three chests toward Erdaohe Town, the largest in the region, as only there would they find a bank capable of handling such a transaction.

After they left, a massive turtle slowly rose to the surface of Heavenly Lake. A closer look would reveal that this was the ten-thousand-year-old turtle that had absorbed the residual spiritual energy from the lightning tribulation after Zhou Yi had successfully transcended his own.