Chapter 197: The Princess’s Bet – Trading a Lifetime for Hope

Liu Yi’s senses gradually returned, and he began to regain consciousness. Yet, his awareness was still blurred; he had no strength to move. His world remained dark, and all he could do was sense his surroundings.
He knew he was still in that car, still on the road. The wind seeping through the cracks allowed him to perceive these things. He could even sense another person’s breathing—that person was Ye Luobaihua, who had been sitting across from him the whole time. The faint fragrance of lilies kept Liu Yi’s perception hovering between blur and clarity.
But soon, another thought took over his ability to think: Where was July? There was no trace of July’s presence here, no sense of her. Where had she gone? He wanted to speak up, but he had no strength at all, not even enough to make a sound. He could only lie there, recalling everything that had happened on the arena.
He only remembered that after being struck by that demonic martial technique, he had been unable to move. Later, Lei Jun tried to kill him, but July stood in front of him to protect him. Although he couldn’t see, he could hear everything. Every word July said was etched in his memory, while every word from Lei Jun only intensified his inner fury and rage. And then…
What happened after that? Suddenly, Liu Yi felt afraid. He had no memory of what came next. What exactly had happened? Could it be the “Heart of Murder”? Liu Yi understood now the difference between the thirteenth level of “Lan Er Fei Na Qing” and previous levels. As time passed, the thirteenth level of this cultivation method would multiply his true energy cultivation speed far beyond any other advanced technique.
The thirteenth level of “Lan Er Fei Na Qing” was called the “World-Destroying Level.” It was easy to imagine how powerful he would become if he reached the peak of this level. But this thirteenth level also had another name: the “Heart of Murder.” At first, Liu Yi didn’t quite understand, but now it seemed he suddenly realized something. Could it be that the closer he got to perfection in this thirteenth-level cultivation method, the more he would fall under demonic control? In other words, when the World-Destroying Level was fully unleashed, it meant he possessed the Heart of Murder and could no longer control himself? Terrifying thoughts flashed through Liu Yi’s mind.
Liu Yi didn’t dare to think about it, didn’t dare to imagine what it would be like if he lost control. He also never expected the backlash of the Heart of Murder to be so rapid. He had thought he still had time to restore the memory of the Heavenly Maiden and settle his accounts with Pangu. But it seemed he no longer had much time left.
Gradually, as his thoughts wandered, his consciousness began to blur. Whether it was due to exhaustion or because this was all just a dream, he fell unconscious again.
He didn’t know how much time had passed, nor where he was. When Liu Yi regained consciousness once more, he felt the cold around him. To his surprise, though it was cold, he could move his hands. When he looked around, countless blue-white lights floated in the dark world. True energy floated everywhere, as if he were in space. Subconsciously, Liu Yi reached for “Sorrowful Dream” at his waist and slowly stood up.

At that moment, a pleasant voice reached Liu Yi’s ears, saying, “You’re awake.” Liu Yi turned his head in the direction of the voice. A red dot was visible a few dozen feet away. Tilting his head, he replied, “Is it Princess Baihua?” The voice continued, “Besides me, is there anyone else who can help you?” Liu Yi paused for a moment before asking, “Where is this?” Ye Luo Baihua, still dressed in a white long gown with a veil covering her face, moved gracefully and said, “This is City of No Tears, the Iceheart Palace. The true energy within you is too strong and seems to have its own consciousness. I could only bring you here, using the cold of the Iceheart Palace to temporarily suppress it.” Listening to Ye Luo Baihua’s words, Liu Yi tried to gradually increase his true energy, reaching level twelve without issue. But when he tried to reach level thirteen, he hit a wall. With a wry smile, Liu Yi said, “You’ve sealed my true energy.” Ye Luo Baihua replied, “I’ve only frozen the strongest strand of your true energy. That strand directly affects you. If you don’t want to become a mindless corpse, it’s best not to break through that energy. Otherwise… you know better than I do what the consequences will be.” Liu Yi nodded. Ye Luo Baihua was right. If he continued using the techniques of level thirteen, he might be forever consumed by that murderous heart. At that point, he would be controlled by that demonic power, turning into a mindless killer. Liu Yi casually said, “Thank you for your kindness, Princess. But… I still have things to do and must leave.” Ye Luo Baihua nodded and said, “Well… since you have matters to attend to, I shouldn’t keep you. But I advise you to stop practicing those martial arts, otherwise, the freezing effect won’t last long.” Hearing this, Liu Yi felt utterly helpless. Who doesn’t want to have the best of both worlds? But how many can actually achieve it? Once started, how can it be stopped? Liu Yi replied, “Thank you for the reminder, Princess. But… the techniques I practice cannot be stopped.” Ye Luo Baihua pressed on, “Why can’t they be stopped? If you don’t practice, will they practice on their own?” Liu Yi nodded slightly and said, “You’re right, Princess. The techniques I practice don’t belong to me at all. All my true energy comes from them operating on their own. That’s why my progress is much faster than ordinary people’s.” Ye Luo Baihua shook her head and said, “But… such techniques mean trading your own body. Don’t you understand? Even if one day you become invincible, what then? You won’t be human anymore.” Her voice was pleasant but urgent, carrying an indescribable emotion. Liu Yi nodded and replied, “Of course I understand. But sometimes we have to do certain things, don’t we? I practice these techniques not to become invincible. I just want fairness—a fairness that belongs to me, but has been delayed for seven thousand years.” His words were passionate, tinged with anger.

Ye Luobaihua seemed a bit confused and gently shook her head, saying, “I don’t understand what you’re saying. Is it worth exchanging your life for something that doesn’t even exist? You’re really a strange person.”
Liu Yi didn’t answer Ye Luobaihua’s question. He organized his thoughts and rephrased the two questions he wanted to ask: “Does the princess know the friend by my side?”
Ye Luobaihua’s voice reached Liu Yi’s ears again. “You mean… that very beautiful girl in purple? The one who blocked Lei Jun’s sword on the arena?”
Liu Yi nodded. “Yes. Does the princess know where she went?”
Ye Luobaihua grew curious and replied, “I thought that girl was your wife. I never expected her to be your friend. You two are both strange people.”
Liu Yi didn’t answer. He simply asked again, “Does the princess know where she went?”
Ye Luobaihua continued, “She must have been taken away by that girl, Yu Chenxing.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Yi blurted out, “Lan Yu Chenxing.” That must be her full name. Liu Yi had never had a good impression of the Lan family. Now that Yu Chenxing had taken July away, it surely couldn’t be anything good.
Seeing Liu Yi’s reaction, Ye Luobaihua added, “Sir, you’re in trouble right now. This evil cultivation method could backfire at any moment. Moreover, since you practice your mental techniques on your own, I think you should worry more about yourself.”
Liu Yi nodded. “Thank you for the reminder, Princess. But as I said, there are some things we must do. Otherwise, how can a man live without shame before heaven and earth?”
Ye Luobaihua fell silent for a moment, saying nothing…
Liu Yi then continued, “There’s one more thing I need the princess to help me with.”
Ye Luobaihua replied, “Please go ahead and speak.”
After thinking for a while, Liu Yi said, “As for that marriage selection competition, I’ve said before that I participated for a certain thing. Clearly, that competition no longer exists. But that thing is extremely important to me, so…”
Listening to Liu Yi’s words, Ye Luobaihua paused for a moment before saying, “Are you referring to a single tear?”
Liu Yi nodded. “Yes.”
Ye Luobaihua stopped for a moment before continuing, “I thought you were joking. I didn’t expect you to be so serious. But I’ve also said that over these past decades, I’ve never shed tears because of anyone or anything. Aren’t you putting me in a difficult position?”
After hearing this, Liu Yi thought for a while and said, “Then all the princess needs to do is agree. It depends on human effort.”
Ye Luobaihua seemed to think for a moment as well before saying, “If that’s the case, it depends on your abilities. But… it seems you’ve never fought against me yet. How can you propose conditions so quickly?”
Hearing this, Liu Yi gripped his long sword with his left hand and said, “Please.”
Ye Luobaihua hurriedly replied, “Be careful! The evil cultivation method might backfire, leading to irreversible consequences. By then, you won’t even have the ability to think. What’s the point of wanting anything?” Her voice was urgent.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yi was shocked. She was right—he had come to help the Heavenly Maiden regain her memory and escape the suffering of the mortal world. If he were to fall into the path of darkness first, then… everything would lose its meaning. Liu Yi’s left hand slowly relaxed. His mind was in chaos; he didn’t know whether to advance or retreat. What should he do?

Ye Luobaihua looked at Liu Yi and continued, “I didn’t say I wanted to fight you. Everyone saw your battle with Lord Lei on the arena. I’m just being presumptuous, but I do understand my own cultivation level. So, I want to compete with you in something else.”

Liu Yi tilted his head slightly and said, “Oh? Please go ahead, Princess.”

Ye Luobaihua replied, “Well… you’ve already competed with Yu Chenxing in painting. I’ve studied music since I was young, so I want to compete with you in music. Please don’t blame me for using tricks. But… if you manage to defeat me, don’t blame me for not being able to bid you farewell with tears. In return, I can give you the most precious treasure from the Ice Heart Palace to help you suppress that demonic power temporarily.”

Hearing this, Liu Yi asked, “What if I lose?”

Ye Luobaihua paused for a moment before continuing, “Then you’ll have to stay in Wulue City forever and work for our Ye Luo family.”

Liu Yi tilted his head again and said, “The princess is betting heavily. May I ask if I have any other choices?”

Ye Luobaihua paused briefly before saying, “Of course. You can leave right away. But… it’s unclear when that demonic power will turn against me. You might know better than anyone, or perhaps you don’t have much time left.”

Hearing Ye Luobaihua’s words, Liu Yi hesitated. He had never thought that the backlash from ‘Lan Erfina Qing’ would happen so quickly. He even thought it might not happen even if he were cursed by the Border Flower. But now everything had changed. Suddenly, at the moment he lost consciousness on the arena, he realized he was not far from falling into the path of darkness. Would he become a monster who only knew how to kill?

But what if he lost? Would he have to stay here for life? If he refused, he wouldn’t have any chance at all. If he agreed, he would at least have a 50% chance of getting her help and that tear—though he wasn’t sure if it was the tear the Border Flower needed. After carefully weighing the pros and cons, Liu Yi nodded firmly and said, “Alright, I agree.”

A hint of joy flashed in Ye Luobaihua’s eyes. If she could keep this man in Wulue City, it would be of great help in dealing with the rebellious troops. So, she must win this competition. Having seen Liu Yi’s skills in martial arts and painting, she deliberately chose music. In her view, no matter how talented a person was, they couldn’t excel in everything. Since she had already seen his skills in the other two areas, she chose something unfamiliar.

Ye Luobaihua turned around and said, “I’m sure you’re not someone who breaks promises. Come, I’ll take you to the Book Dream Pavilion.” Her voice was soft, yet it carried far. From the sound, Liu Yi realized he might be in a very deep cave.

Soon, a maid came in from outside, walked up to Liu Yi, and said, “Sir, please follow this maid.” After saying that, she turned and headed back outside. Following the sound, Liu Yi also went toward the cave outside and gradually disappeared into the depths… At that moment, an old man emerged from another corner of the cave. It was none other than Ye Luojianmu, one of the six elders of the Ye Luo family. Watching Liu Yi’s disappearing figure, Ye Luojianmu asked, “Does the young lady have confidence?” Ye Luobaihua paused for a moment, shook her head, and said, “It’s just intuition. I think no matter how talented a person is, they can’t be proficient in everything. With his high level of cultivation, where would he have the time to focus on painting, calligraphy, or music? So, I want to give it a try. If we win, at least Wulue City will have another expert.” Ye Luojianmu shook his head and said, “Young lady, don’t be careless. His painting is already a serious problem. Finding someone with the same ability in the Netherworld is simply unthinkable. Even now, that sense of sorrow lingers in my old bones. I never thought I’d experience just how desolate this world is after living for so long.” By the end, his voice carried a hint of sigh and sadness. Ye Luobaihua seemed to think of something as well, but quickly regained her composure and continued, “So, I want to focus on music. Since we’ve seen his paintings, I don’t think he could be that proficient in music too. If so, it would truly be fate.” Ye Luojianmu nodded and said, “Everything is at the young lady’s discretion.” Ye Luobaihua paused again, suddenly remembering something, and said, “Any news about the rebels? We’ve been so active in Ye Luo City, yet they remain silent. This isn’t like Ye Luoxiong’s style.” Ye Luojianmu shook his head and said, “That’s exactly what worries me. Ye Luoxiong hasn’t made any moves, not even any news coming from Ye Luo City. I don’t know what he’s up to.” Ye Luobaihua nodded and said, “In that case, we don’t need to worry about him for now. But we still need Uncle Jian to send more people to keep an eye on him. That man has sinister intentions; he wants to destroy Wulue City and overthrow the Ye Luo family. We must not be careless.” Ye Luojianmu nodded and said, “Yes, young lady.” Ye Luobaihua said, “Alright, that’s it. I’ll go meet that person at Shumeng Pavilion.” With that, she turned and headed outside… Meanwhile, Liu Yi followed the maid outside. The air around him gradually warmed. As he stepped out of the cave, Liu Yi could clearly sense sunlight, the scent of flowers, butterflies fluttering, birds singing, and the sound of flowing water. Although he couldn’t see it, he could describe these scenes through his senses. As the maid continued walking ahead, after about the time it took to drink tea, they seemed to arrive under a pavilion. The maid said softly, “Young master, please wait a moment. The princess will be here soon.”

Liu Yi nodded. He couldn’t see—his world was entirely dark. But here, he had a clear sense that this must be a beautiful place, with a gentle breeze carrying the warmth of the sun and the scent of flowers and plants. He could hear butterflies fluttering among the blossoms, birds singing, and even the sound of a babbling stream hitting rocks. Everything felt so real, as if it were right before his eyes.

Unconsciously, Liu Yi became fascinated by this feeling. It had been a long time—he didn’t even know how long it had been since he’d felt such ease. A world like this seemed to have never existed before his eyes. No… just as he thought this, an idea dismissed it, for he clearly remembered that once, he and she had shared such beauty together.

That sentence had once seemed so elusive, but now it seemed like a curse: “Scholar, if one day Gilly dies, please do not grieve… Look at this warm sunlight, the vast sky, the snow falling among the flowers, and listen to the wind and the scents. The world remains just as wonderful. Gilly’s departure hasn’t taken away your world. Please bury Gilly deep in your memories, will you?”

His world had turned dark, devoid of light. The sky was no longer vast; snow fell in September, and withered flowers spoke of his sorrow. What could he do? Fate played cruel tricks—love across three lifetimes remained unfulfilled. He wanted to break the curse, to free the celestial maiden from reincarnation and return her to the divine realm. He had much to do—he wanted to take revenge on everyone who had hurt him.

Just then, a voice as melodious as celestial music reached Liu Yi’s ears: “I’m sorry for making you wait, sir.”

All his thoughts and endless worries seemed to be shattered by that beautiful voice. Pulling himself back to reality, Liu Yi turned his head, his lips twitching slightly as if in a smile. “The princess is too polite.”