Who could say Fu Xin had never heard of such shameless depravity?
On the journey to the capital, Xianluo Mountain had already obtained intelligence about her. This woman could even openly seize her own younger sister’s husband and drag him back to her residence.
To this day, Consort Zhou was still living in Prince Liang’s residence under circumstances that were far from proper. A man who had no regard for a husband’s virtue had probably already become addicted to the taste and cast aside all shame.
Otherwise, why would he continue living in the home of the woman who had abducted him instead of bashing his head against a wall and dying for the sake of his honor?
Of course, that was also why Fu Xin, despite finding the Second Imperial Daughter as refreshing as a spring breeze, had never truly thought highly of her.
The arrogance that came with being of divine blood was one thing. The Second Imperial Daughter’s weakness—being unable even to protect her own husband after he was forcibly taken—was the greater reason.
What was more, during her time in the capital, Fu Xin had heard from her subordinates that Consort Yan might also have an improper relationship with Prince Liang.
There was no direct evidence, but with the Second Imperial Daughter’s insinuations, it was practically confirmed.
Thus, when Prince Liang said that she was fond of other people’s husbands, Fu Xin was not surprised in the slightest, nor did she think it was a spur-of-the-moment whim.
But when she connected those words with what had come before, she instantly understood what Prince Liang was plotting as she looked toward her younger brother, Fu Jue.
Fu Xin was so furious that she nearly lost her senses, forgetting even the pain throughout her body.
She hurriedly pushed herself halfway upright and glared at Pei Liang. “You lecher! How dare you!”
Pei Liang merely said, “Why wouldn’t I dare? Does the sect leader know what happened to me before I entered the palace?”
That was precisely what Fu Xin wanted to know. Given the arrangements they had made, Prince Liang should have been unable to escape.
So how had she gotten away so easily? Had the plan changed?
No. There were still traces.
Fu Xin steadied herself and examined Pei Liang more carefully. At last, she noticed the signs of disarray about her.
At first glance, Pei Liang seemed unharmed, but her hair was somewhat tousled. On anyone else, it might have looked untidy; on that woman, with her strikingly handsome face, it only made her appear even more wild and alluring.
Her clothes were still reasonably neat, but there were a few wrinkles and stains that could not be smoothed away, clearly left behind by a struggle.
Most importantly, at her waist, half concealed beneath her outer robe, was a ragged tear.
It had shown itself when she dragged Fu Jue away. The cut was clean, and blood still stained its edge.
Fu Xin’s heart began to race, and she could barely conceal her delight. The people she had sent had succeeded—they had obtained that woman’s blood.
No matter how powerful this woman was, she would not be able to strut around for much longer.
Fu Xin finally relaxed and said with some leisure, “Oh? What happened on your way here, Prince Liang, that made you take your anger out on my Xianluo Mountain?”
Prince Liang seemed content to play dumb along with her. “Nothing much. I encountered an assassination attempt.”
Fu Xin’s expression did not change, but she said, “In broad daylight, the criminals dared to assassinate an imperial descendant in the capital. They truly deserve death.”
“Yet instead of immediately reporting the matter to His Majesty and actively hunting down the assassin, Prince Liang came here to see me. What is the meaning of this?”
There was not the slightest trace of anger at having narrowly escaped death on Prince Liang’s face. Instead, she said, “The sect leader need not concern herself. I already ordered people to investigate the assassination.”
“It was only when I was on the verge of death beneath a blade that I came to understand something: life is short, and the world is unpredictable.”
“I do not want to reach the end of my life with regrets. So, after surviving the ordeal, the first person I came to find was Master Fu—to fulfill a long-held wish.”
Damn you! You nearly died and, instead of going home, you came looking for her younger brother and fiancé to fulfill some godforsaken wish?
Oh! Now she remembered. That woman had said she was fond of other people’s husbands.
Could it be—
Fu Xin looked into Prince Liang’s eyes. Sure enough, they held precisely the meaning she had feared. There was not the slightest hint that she was joking.
Even an idiot would know that Prince Liang had not spoken without purpose.
She must have suspected that the people who tried to assassinate her had been sent by Xianluo Mountain, and had come here directly to take revenge.
Judging from the way she had retaliated against the Second Imperial Daughter several days earlier, it was obvious that when this woman wanted to vent her anger, she was not the sort to bother with evidence.
As long as she believed you had done it, she would strike back without hesitation.
Panic rose in Fu Xin’s heart. Since this woman had barged in, someone must already have gone to summon the Emperor.
But if they waited for people from His Majesty’s side to arrive, Fu Jue would have been humiliated several times over.
Fu Xin hurriedly tried to stall her. “Prince Liang, watch your tongue! Do not ruin a man’s reputation.”
“You may be debauched and incestuous in your private life, but if you have truly come to your senses, go back to your residence and find your brother-in-law.”
“The men of Xianluo Mountain would rather die than submit. Prince Liang, you had better think carefully before treating the life of Xianluo Mountain’s Saint Son as a joke.”
By now, although Xianluo Mountain’s reputation in the regions surrounding the capital had suffered some damage and its deeds of the past had come under suspicion, centuries of influence and faith were not so easily erased.
The bloodline of Xianluo Mountain was already in decline. If Fu Jue—the only person of this generation capable of continuing their bloodline—were to die after being dishonored, all of Prince Liang’s previous efforts would be reduced to nothing.
Then, with the disaster three months later lending force to the prophecy, the credibility of the divine oracle would naturally become unquestionable.
Fu Xin was warning Pei Liang not to push them into a fight to the death.
But that shameless woman seemed incapable of understanding plain speech. She first nodded, as if Fu Xin’s words made perfect sense.
Fu Xin thought that perhaps she had finally acquired some sense, only to hear her ask Fu Jue directly, “If I touched you, would you defend your chastity to the death?”
Fu Jue was not wearing his veil, and his otherworldly beauty was fully exposed.
Ordinary people who saw him could rarely summon even the slightest thought of defiling him. Yet somehow, Prince Liang could speak of molesting him with such solemn composure.
Fu Xin hurriedly gestured at Fu Jue with her eyes, urging him to at least demonstrate his resolve.
But Fu Jue seemed not to notice her signal. His expression remained calm as he said, “I would not.”
“Fu Jue, you—” Fu Xin was so furious she nearly died on the spot.
Then Fu Jue’s voice took on a faint, almost imperceptible note of mockery.
“The bloodline of Xianluo Mountain is dwindling. From the day I was born, my mother and father have constantly reminded me of my duty.”
“I, Fu Jue, bear the responsibility of continuing the family line and preserving the divine blood of Xianluo Mountain. I cannot die. Even if I suffer humiliation, Fu Jue will still fulfill his mission.”
Fu Xin felt as though someone had stomped on her.
Her fury at being betrayed vanished, replaced by the realization that her younger brother must simply be too rigid to understand the situation.
The more you acted like this, wouldn’t that lecher become even more brazen?
Sure enough, Prince Liang threw back her head and laughed. “Exactly. I admire people like Master Fu, who can put the greater good first.”
“You understand the circumstances and think twice before acting. You are not the sort to do something rash and foolish.”
Fu Xin knew she was mocking her. Inwardly, she cursed, You know nothing.
But when she saw that her younger brother was about to be dragged away, she hurriedly struggled to sit up.
“Pei Liang, the disgrace you bring upon my husband is an unforgivable enmity.”
“If you dare walk out of here today, you will have to step over my corpse.”
At that, Pei Liang put on a troubled expression. “Sect leader of Xianluo Mountain, if the mouthpiece of the gods dies in the palace while under my visitation, it would be rather inappropriate.”
Then, with an expression of compromise, she said, “Very well. I will not take him outside.”
Fu Xin had only just let out a breath of relief when that lecher continued, “Doing it in front of you will work just as well.”
“No, that’s not quite right. Maybe it’s more accurate to say that doing it in front of you is even more thrilling.”
Pei Liang pulled Fu Jue into her arms and made a show of tugging at his clothes, her expression filled with perverse delight as she watched Fu Xin—
“Still, I must thank the sect master for providing me with such inspiration.”
Fu Xin’s entire face had turned bluish-purple, the veins bulging as though they might burst at any moment.
But as if that still wasn’t enough to infuriate her, Pei Liang suddenly said, “This prince is different from that useless Second Princess.”
“If I took Master Fu, I’d certainly succeed in one strike. Even if I died in the future, having Xianluo Mountain carry on my bloodline for me wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”
She turned to Fu Xin again. “Sect Master, rest assured. To prevent Master Fu from being unable to serve me properly in the future, I’ll give him some instruction first. No need to thank me.”
With Fu Xin’s pride, the thought of Fu Jue—the only person capable of carrying on her bloodline—losing his chastity, and the possibility that her descendants might one day be tainted by the filth of that lecher, Prince Liang, was an unbearable humiliation.
The more she thought about it, the more unbearable it became.
In the end, Fu Xin suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and passed out cold.
Pei Liang looked at her foolish appearance, shook her head, and sneered. “Straight-girl mentality really is easy to understand.”
She glanced at Fu Jue, then asked with a smile, “She actually believed something so idiotic. It seems Xianluo Mountain is even more ignorant than I imagined.”
Fu Jue’s expression remained impassive. “Let go of me.”
Pei Liang had never truly intended to make things difficult for him. She shrugged and released him.
“My apologies.”
Fu Jue let out a soft laugh, his gaze somewhat inscrutable as he looked at Pei Liang. “Did you really come here just to provoke her?”
“Of course not,” Pei Liang replied. “I’m putting pressure on her.”
Fu Jue sensed that something was wrong, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
He therefore warned her, “Eldest Imperial Daughter, do not become too overconfident. Xianluo Mountain has existed for several centuries, and during that time it has faced countless doubts and challenges.”
“Among them were people every bit as extraordinarily talented as Your Highness. In fact, according to records from a century ago, there was even someone who came close to overthrowing the Great Liang Dynasty.”
“Yet in the end, the result was still a miserable defeat. Does Your Highness know why?”
This was not exactly a secret. In most feudal dynasties, after lasting for a century or two, their fortune would be exhausted for various reasons, land concentration being the chief among them.
The Great Liang Dynasty had endured for several centuries, an unusually long time by historical standards, and had certainly weathered its share of challenges.
When Pei Liang had studied history, she had realized that the dynasty should normally have changed hands more than a hundred years ago.
At the time, the emperor had been incompetent, corrupt officials and tyrants had dominated the court, natural and man-made disasters had followed one another, and land had become increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few. Peasant uprisings had begun to emerge across the land.
Among the rebels was a woman of extraordinary prowess, a born warlord. She had won battle after battle and had nearly reached the gates of the imperial capital.
Yet she had suddenly and mysteriously vanished. Her achievements naturally collapsed when her subordinates began fighting over the spoils, allowing the imperial court to divide and suppress them. Thus, a remarkable woman who might have founded an entirely new dynasty disappeared without a trace.
In terms of the threat she posed, that situation had truly been perilous.
Pei Liang looked at Fu Jue, her smile careless and unconcerned. “Are you saying that no matter how talented someone is, anyone who tries to shake Xianluo Mountain will be struck down by divine retribution?”
Fu Jue did not deny the implication. He merely looked at Pei Liang and said, “Your Highness, Xianluo Mountain and the imperial family are not enemies.”
“On the contrary, the House of Pei and Xianluo Mountain prosper and decline together. The fate of one is tied to the fate of the other.”
Pei Liang let out a derisive laugh. “That’s impossible.”
“What?” Fu Jue frowned. At first, he assumed that Prince Liang’s “impossible” meant she intended to oppose Xianluo Mountain to the very end.
But what Pei Liang said next left him deeply shaken.
“Those who have tried to challenge Xianluo Mountain throughout history either died suddenly or vanished without a trace.”
“But no event beyond the laws of nature can happen for no reason. The common people merely believe that these were monsters who had thrown the world into chaos and had been punished by the immortals with heavenly retribution, because there was no sign of human involvement.”
“And usually, before Xianluo Mountain needed to intervene, these people had already risen to positions of great power, becoming virtually untouchable. They had access to resources far beyond the limits of their era—resources sufficient to change the world.”
Pei Liang lowered her head, bringing her face very close to Fu Jue’s, and stared straight into his eyes.
“But claims that cannot be explained by common sense—these so-called ‘miracles’—might fool a few ignorant idiots. Since I already know where people like you come from, Master Fu, why would you try to fob me off with such an excuse?”
She straightened, increasing the distance between them.
“If you want to accomplish your objective, you must have made preparations. Otherwise, the fact that I beat Fu Xin and am still here unharmed would itself be absurd.”
Pei Liang smiled. “At least three.”
A trace of sweat appeared on Fu Jue’s face. It was hardly noticeable, but he could feel it himself.
Though he already knew the answer, he still asked, “Three what?”
“The conditions Xianluo Mountain must fulfill to send me away,” Pei Liang replied. “At first, I thought there were five. But Fu Xin’s desperate act today has made me even more certain of the range.”
She raised her slender index finger.
“First, the heir of Xianluo Mountain must be within a certain distance of the target.”
“Recently, I’ve been busy dealing with the earthquake and running all over the capital every day, yet you haven’t made any move. So that distance must be fairly broad.”
Pei Liang looked at Fu Jue. As her gaze swept over him, his body tensed. He had not been this tense even when Pei Liang had threatened to violate him earlier.
Pei Liang smiled. “That range is quite cunning. It’s broad enough for you to hide yourselves without making a sound—or perhaps you don’t even need to hide at all.”
Then she raised her middle finger.
“Second, you need to obtain the target’s blood or flesh.”
“Hair probably won’t do. Otherwise, it would be far too easy. That explains today’s assassination attempt.”
“As for the third…” Pei Liang raised her ring finger. “I haven’t discovered any clues yet. I’ll have to trouble Sect Master Fu to tell me personally.”
She had unraveled the crucial points with such ease that Fu Jue felt as though even his breathing had stopped.
He raised his head, unable to conceal the shock in his eyes.
This shouldn’t have been possible. The conditions were simple enough, but anyone who didn’t understand the underlying principle would never make the connection. Historical records alone were insufficient to reveal their common thread.
After all, the conditions were broad and deliberately misleading. The former leaders of Xianluo Mountain had even created several false leads to erase the similarities between past incidents.
They had used things such as rituals as decoys, for instance. Yet Prince Liang had paid no attention to those apparently suspicious actions and had instead locked onto the one place no one would expect.
Just who was she—
But at that thought, Fu Jue suddenly realized something was wrong.
When Prince Liang had said that she would have Sect Master Fu tell her personally, the person she had been looking at was clearly him. She hadn’t even spared a sidelong glance in Fu Xin’s direction.
Fu Jue hesitated. “You…”
Prince Liang answered as though it were self-evident, “You’re the true heir of Xianluo Mountain, aren’t you?”
A flicker of light passed through Fu Jue’s eyes. He gave a self-deprecating smile.
“I was merely precociously clever as a child.”
“That can’t be right, can it?” Pei Liang said. “With Celestial Master Fu’s talents, simply because she was born the wrong sex, she has to let her biological sister exploit her at every turn—using all her spiritual power to secure her sister’s status and glory, while reducing herself to nothing more than a tool for bearing children.”
“Does the Celestial Master truly accept that?”
Fu Jue replied coolly, “And what can I do if I don’t?”
Pei Liang shook her head. “I was frank with you, Celestial Master, yet you continue to hide things from me. How boring.”
She sighed. “Forget it. I was mistaken. I took the submissiveness in your eyes for ambition, and thought you might be my destined one.”
“Now that I know you aren’t, I apologize for my presumption. Farewell.”
Pei Liang turned and was about to leave, but just as she stepped out of the room, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind.
A cool, snow-lotus fragrance drifted into Pei Liang’s nose.
Then she heard Fu Jue say, “If Your Highness truly is my destined one, you shouldn’t force me so relentlessly.”
Fu Jue let out a soft laugh. “You could simply take me right here in front of that fool.”
Pei Liang: “…”
Good grief—the Saint Son was this wild once he dropped his disguise?
Still, Pei Liang wasn’t all that surprised. In the original novel, Fu Jue had already seized complete power by the time he appeared.
Although the third daughter eventually grew into a wise ruler of her generation, when one examined the details, Fu Jue had ultimately emerged the true victor.
The Fu Jue depicted in the original novel was nothing like the submissive figure who lowered her eyes before Fu Xin now. There had always been something incongruous about her.
Of course, one thing was certain: Fu Jue was a person who put benefits above everything else, and she could make decisive choices for the sake of her goals.
Just like now.
The two of them had, in a sense, reached a tacit understanding as adulterous woman and lecherous man. Pei Liang was rather curious about Fu Jue’s true nature beyond what had been described in the original novel.
Unfortunately, there was no time for that. Just as the atmosphere between them had grown suggestive, the Second Imperial Daughter barged in.
The moment she entered, she saw Fu Xin lying unconscious on the bed, half her body covered in blood. Meanwhile, the eldest daughter and Fu Jue stood close together in an unmistakably intimate atmosphere. Anyone with eyes could tell that the two of them had probably already become lovers.
The Second Imperial Daughter felt a surge of blood rush to her head, and her vision went dark. She had always harbored the delusional hope that a toad like herself might one day feast on swan’s flesh where Fu Jue was concerned.
While exchanging flirtatious glances with Fu Xin recently, she had also made no shortage of attempts to curry favor with Fu Jue.
Fu Jue, however, had always remained cool and distant, scarcely speaking to her at all.
Yet that self-restraint and impeccable propriety had only made the Second Imperial Daughter admire her more. With Consort Zhou’s ambiguous presence in the Eldest Imperial Daughter’s residence as a comparison, the Second Imperial Daughter felt that Fu Jue was the very picture of a chaste and pure man.
But now, in front of the eldest daughter, where was the icy aloofness Fu Jue usually showed her?
The lecherous man’s face was flushed with desire, her eyes and brows full of suggestiveness as she stood beside the eldest daughter. Both arms were even wrapped around the eldest daughter’s waist. It was obvious she had not been forced.
The Second Imperial Daughter flew into a rage and pointed at them, shouting, “You adulterous woman and lecherous man! You have no shame!”
The moment she finished speaking, the Crown Princess entered behind her. Taking in the scene before her, she let out a relieved breath.
“Elder Sister, you’re all right. That’s wonderful.”
“When I heard you had been ambushed on your way back and had rushed straight here, I was worried you might have been injured. It’s good to see you still have the strength to flirt with a man.”
Pei Liang: “…”
The Second Imperial Daughter: “…”
“No, wait. Third Sister, what is wrong with your eyes? The eldest sister seduced another woman’s husband while the Sect Master was unconscious, and you only care whether she was injured?”
The Crown Princess glanced at her second elder sister, looking as though she wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how.
The Second Imperial Daughter grew even more furious at that expression and roared, “If you have something to say, then say it. What are you making that face for?”
“All right, Second Sister. I’m going to say it, then.”
The Crown Princess gave the Second Imperial Daughter an indescribably complicated look.
“Second Sister, you haven’t even won your own husband back yet. Why are you meddling in someone else’s marriage?”
“Even if Elder Sister is in the wrong, other people may criticize her if they wish. But you—Your Highness, you really ought to show some restraint. It’s embarrassing.”
The Second Imperial Daughter felt a sweet, metallic taste rise in her throat. Her vision darkened, and her entire body swayed twice.
She had been wrong. She should never have provoked the third daughter, that fool. At times, that fool’s attacks were even more devastating than the eldest sister’s.
She clearly never learned her lesson.
After taking several deep breaths to steady herself, she glared at the eldest sister and saw an unmistakable look in her eyes: You haven’t been beaten enough yet.
Daring not to provoke her, the Second Imperial Daughter could only bully the sole man present—Fu Jue.
She stared at Fu Jue like a traitor, her heart aching with disappointment.
“You… How can you do this? Have you no regard for your engagement to the Sect Master?”
Only now did she remember that Fu Jue and Fu Xin were betrothed.
The Second Imperial Daughter had assumed that, given the Saint Son of Xianluo Mountain’s purity and upbringing, Fu Jue would be so ashamed by her words that she would be unable to face anyone.
Instead, Fu Jue returned to her usual cool expression after only a moment. A trace of gloom colored her eyes as she said, “Second Princess, you are being extremely unreasonable.”
“Today, I was coerced by the eldest daughter of your imperial family and forced to yield to her. Why must I still endure your accusations?”
“My elder sister vomited blood and lost consciousness precisely because she knew she could not protect me and could not bear to face the fact that I had been humiliated.”
“I am merely a weak man, powerless to control my own fate. Yet instead of condemning the Eldest Imperial Daughter for her recklessness or blaming my elder sister for her inability to protect me, you choose to vent all your indignation on a man.”
“No wonder the Second Imperial Daughter is so polished and adept at dealing with people in public, yet can still bring herself to beat her own consort.”
“So the Second Princess only knows how to bully men. Fu Jue has certainly learned something today.”
The Second Imperial Daughter was nearly choked to death by those words. Fu Jue had torn every shred of dignity from her face.
Only then did she feel as though she were seeing Fu Jue for the first time. That cool, harmless indifference she had shown in the past had all been an act.
This man had clearly despised her from the depths of his heart. Every word he spoke was a needle driven straight into her sorest wounds.
And despite showing no sign of resistance, he was perfectly capable of twisting right and wrong. Even when Fu Xin woke up, he would have an explanation ready.
How had she ever mistaken such a sinister and vicious man for someone innocent, aloof, and inexperienced in worldly affairs?
The Second Imperial Daughter had already suffered an internal injury from the Crown Princess’s verbal assault. Fu Jue’s final strike completed the damage. She spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed unconscious.
By the time the Empress’s people arrived, they found Fu Xin and the Second Imperial Daughter both unconscious after vomiting blood.
They glanced at Pei Liang.
Well, of course. The Eldest Imperial Daughter truly never let herself suffer the slightest loss.
