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墨書 Inktalez
The man before her had brows like painted arches and hair like finely cut silk. His pale skin was almost translucent, and his ink-like eyes held a detached indifference, devoid of any vitality. His gaze felt as if he were looking at a stranger.
She offered him a faint smile, delicate as a chrysanthemum, clear as the wind. Then, she slowly closed her eyes.
The heart that had once been cold and cruel seemed to soften at the sight of such an emotionally charged gaze, as if it could glimpse the shadow of a person through the cracks of time.
"Little Jin..." the man murmured softly.
His grip unconsciously loosened, and the unconscious girl slumped to the ground. Beneath her slightly parted long robe, he noticed a black mark at her collarbone. He did not remember her having such a symbol. His brows furrowed slightly, and a trace of coldness flickered in his eyes.
"Chen Wen!" the man called out sharply.
A figure clad in a deep robe appeared before him.
The man frowned; although he did not understand why he had momentarily softened towards her, he could not hide the disgust on his face.
"Throw her into the dungeon. No one is to touch her without my command. Also, interrogate Consort Wang; I want to know what she has done." Though puzzled by his own actions, he could not help but follow his instincts. He had seen the abnormalities and scars on her body. He needed to uncover the truth.
"Understood," Chen Wen replied as he approached and lifted the unconscious woman into his arms. Despite his confusion, he dared not speak up in light of his master's cold demeanor.
As he carried this woman, he realized she was the only one who had entered this secluded courtyard and lived to tell the tale. He knew her well; his master had instructed him to investigate two individuals through secret channels—one was the person whose walls were adorned with portraits, and the other was this former Lotus Consort De. It was surprising that such a seemingly fragile woman harbored ambitions akin to those of men.
In truth, based on his long-term observations and inquiries about her, he did not believe that such a woman would conspire against the throne.
Surely, the emperor did not believe it either. However, after visiting her in Sky Prison one time, the emperor had been furious and locked himself away in Memory Pavilion for days. The emperor would not kill her but needed time to come to terms with something.
It felt as if I were hallucinating; I stood alone amidst a sea of people. As the crowd surged around me, I lost myself and my sense of direction. Ahead lay an unknown path that I did not know which to take. Behind me loomed dark and eerie graves that seemed to mock me strangely, tempting me to return. I had no way to escape; I had nowhere to go. I could only choose to move forward.
In my haze, I heard someone murmuring: "Tranquility brings peace; thus one lives out their days without excessive distance or excessive closeness. One dwells without containment and acts without form; their movement is formless, their stillness bodiless. To exist as if dead, to live as if alive..."
I followed that guiding voice involuntarily forward, like light illuminating my path, casting shadows that followed closely behind me.
"Are you awake?" a deep voice gently called.
I slowly opened my eyes. I felt so cold, cold enough to curl up into a ball, instinctively wrapping my arms around my shoulders. Where am I? Is this hell, or have I returned, or am I in another body again?
But as I looked around, I realized that I was still alive, and there was no sign of another ghostly crossing.
I let out a light laugh; I was in another cage.
It must be the dungeon they spoke of.
"What are you laughing at?" the voice echoed again from the darkness. It dawned on me that this voice was not a figment of my imagination but something real.
I searched around but saw no one. My body ached painfully from the wounds, rendering me immobile. My throat was bruised, making it difficult to speak. Although I couldn't find the source of the voice, I remembered hearing it once in Dream. Yes, it was that voice; I recognized it.
"Have you finally decided to speak with me?" my voice came out hoarse and unpleasant.
It gracefully jumped down from the only window in the high wall, which was framed by Iron Bars. Its body was entirely snow-white, and it had grown twice in size, looking even more beautiful.
I reached out to touch its pristine fur, but my hands were bound tightly with straps, so...
It laughed softly like a person: "It's not that I didn't want to; it's that I am with you. Your growth is my growth. Everything you experience is inevitable and destined. Those events will transform you and awaken me from my slumber. Now you have achieved this and have persevered bravely, so I too, connected to you, have awakened." It nestled beside me. Despite being in such a filthy place, its white fur remained clean and radiant. What puzzled me even more was how its body had grown so large; it surely couldn't have squeezed through the small gaps between the Iron Bars unless it had Bone Manipulation, which seemed unlikely.
Then it must have passed through the wall.
"You—" I asked uncertainly, "can you...?"
"I can pass through any obstacle. It's not difficult for me," it replied lazily.
I was astonished. "You know what I'm thinking? You can read minds?" It lazily hummed in affirmation.
"Have you made your decision?" it suddenly asked.
I nodded. "Hmm." "By the way, what did you mean earlier in my illusion?" I asked curiously.
He let out a light snort, his voice cool and detached. "Those things are not for you to worry about. As long as you learn to see pearls as mere stones, to regard the most esteemed emperors as mere passersby, and to view Mei Xi and Daji as the ugliest of people, then you can begin to walk the most important path of your life. You will ascend to that coveted position everyone dreams of." I chuckled softly, then mischievously replied, "But pearls are smooth and shiny; how could they possibly look like stones? My sense of touch and sight can't be that far off. Emperors are just like ordinary people; they are merely passersby in our lives. Mei Xi and Daji are unparalleled beauties; my appreciation is quite normal, so I can't see them as ugly." "I can feel you laughing in your mind," it said, still lying there, unresponsive to my words.
"I did it on purpose," I leaned against the cold stone wall and replied lightly.
"I must go now. Since you've made your choice, do as you wish," it said before disappearing from my sight. I knew it had always been by my side. It said my growth was its growth; thus, my pain was its pain, and my wounds were its wounds. It was with me.
"Wait," I stretched out my long arms to embrace it, burying my head in its soft, white fur.
It was slightly taken aback. "What are you doing?" But when it felt a warm dampness, it fell silent.
From its ostrich-like posture came a muffled voice, slightly congested: "Let me borrow some warmth. It's so cold." After a long while, I lifted my head, still wearing a calm expression. "Alright, you can go now. Take care." After Little White left, I remained there alone, my empty mind starting to recall many things—my numerous wounds, the countless paintings filling the room, his unfamiliar gaze, and that Memory Pavilion. Remembering Jin Jin made me think of An Jin.
Reflecting on those absurd days, I suddenly felt an urge to laugh out loud; in fact, I did just that. In this hollow prison, I laughed towards the sky. How desolate and sorrowful my laughter was!
"Your Highness..." A worried voice called out softly from the darkness.
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