Volume 4: Hidden Battles – Chapter 156: The Challenge of Love

After much effort to find a few relatively intact rooms, Grandpa Doan and Li Rou grew impatient waiting inside, as Ouyang Ziyi still didn’t show up. So they left the secret room to check things out secretly and discovered that Chu Tianyu and the others had already returned.
Especially Li Rou—when she saw Chu Tianyu, she rushed into his arms and burst into tears. Such a scene was beyond her endurance. But when she saw Ouyang Ziyi lying on the bed, her expression changed again. She quickly rushed to Ziyi’s side, trembling with tears, and softly asked, “Tianyu, Ziyi… is she okay?”
She then looked at Chu Tianyu expectantly. He nodded and gave her a firm look, which calmed her down.
Chu Tianyu didn’t rush to treat Ouyang Ziyi. Instead, he first checked on the people around them, including the unconscious Sophia. Seeing that several nuns were treating her and that it seemed to be just a normal coma with no serious complications, he felt relieved. After giving a few instructions to Fernandi, Grandpa Doan, and Li Rou, he entered the room. When out of sight of everyone, he vanished into the darkness in an instant.
After checking the surroundings, Chu Tianyu indeed found a few remaining enemies lurking in the area. After gathering them all in a bush, he silently stared at the several enemies who were unable to move but still conscious.
The men captured by Chu Tianyu were terrified. The aura emanating from this Easterner was like sharp needles, making them feel extremely uneasy yet unable to move.
After a moment of silence, Chu Tianyu asked in English, “Do you understand English?”
Seeing no response, he started with the first person on the right, “Do you understand English?”
Whether the man didn’t understand or simply refused to speak, Chu Tianyu didn’t hesitate. With a swift motion, he punched the man in the head, killing him on the spot.
This silent act sent shock through the remaining men, filling them with deeper fear beyond their initial terror.
When Chu Tianyu approached the second man, before he could ask, the man quickly replied in a trembling voice, “I… I understand!”
“Who sent you?” Chu Tianyu asked coldly.

The man hesitated, and another blood hole appeared on his forehead, while Chu Tianyu turned his attention to the next person… When Chu Tianyu returned to the castle, he asked Grandpa Duoan to take them to a secluded place for a while so that Sister Xin and the others could rest properly. He then took Li Rou and moved Ouyang Ziyi to the bedroom they had previously lived in. Fortunately, the damage there wasn’t too severe, and it was still habitable. After settling in, Chu Tianyu called Grandpa Duoan over and had him and Li Rou recount in detail what had happened that day. When it came to the part about the curse, Chu Tianyu listened very carefully, asking repeated questions about the details. Finally, he asked Grandpa Duoan to take him and Sofia’s group to meet those involved, and after learning about the subsequent battles and Ouyang Ziyi’s behavior, Chu Tianyu returned to their bedroom with a calm expression. To be honest, this time, especially after seeing the ruined castle, his worry for Ouyang Ziyi and Li Rou was beyond description. When he saw Ouyang Ziyi lying on the ground and Li Rou missing, his heart stopped for a moment, filled with remorse, truly feeling helpless. Thankfully, it was this situation; otherwise, he might have had the urge to destroy everything! Overall, Ouyang Ziyi’s condition shouldn’t be too serious. Judging from the cold aura emanating from her body and what Grandpa Duoan had described, it seemed the culprit was the Moon Cold Light. In Chu Tianyu’s eyes, such natural energies weren’t a problem at all, and since Ouyang Ziyi’s condition seemed stable, he decided to handle some surrounding matters first. Only after understanding the full situation would he feel at ease enough to study the cold aura in her body again. As Chu Tianyu was concentrating, he suddenly sensed Li Rou’s heartbeat speeding up; she seemed nervous. He looked up at her and couldn’t help but smile. Li Rou looked alert, holding a semi-automatic night vision rifle as she patrolled back and forth, guarding the entrance… “Rourou, what are you doing?” Chu Tianyu asked. “Aren’t you going to use your energy to heal Ziyi? I’m, I’m protecting you both!” Li Rou replied naively. “Hehe, I’m fine. There’s no need. You should come and rest instead!” Chu Tianyu said gently. “Really?” After asking, seeing Chu Tianyu’s confident and affirmative expression, Li Rou relaxed and sat down beside Ouyang Ziyi to watch over her.

Chu Tianyu placed his hand on Ouyang Ziyi’s pulse. Pure vital energy immediately flowed through her meridians, and that icy cold energy that had made Ouyang Ziyi cold and insane could hardly resist Chu Tianyu’s internal energy assault. It was quickly forced into an ordinary acupoint by Chu Tianyu. He was about to refine it when suddenly his own vital energy became chaotic—a force originating from within his body, beyond his control, disrupted his vital energy. The icy cold energy within Ouyang Ziyi seemed to be freed as well, swiftly circulating again through her meridians.

But before that icy cold energy could stay free for long, another powerful suction force appeared, sending it from one danger to another! The uncontrollable force that suddenly emerged from Chu Tianyu was actually the Ink Dragon energy within his body.

After all, it was the light of midnight’s chill that allowed the Black Dragon and the Green Serpent to merge and transform into a complete Ink Dragon. So when Chu Tianyu dealt with the icy cold energy generated by the light of a full moon within Ouyang Ziyi, how could he not be delighted at the prospect of capturing it?

Thus, after Chu Tianyu’s vital energy captured it and prepared to refine it, the Ink Dragon energy sensed that Chu Tianyu intended to refine rather than absorb it. How could it let such a perfect “delicacy” be wasted by Chu Tianyu? So it intervened, disrupting Chu Tianyu’s original vital energy and taking its place, sucking out all the icy cold energy to nourish itself thoroughly!

This turn of events caught Chu Tianyu off guard. Only when the last trace of yellow light seeped out of Ouyang Ziyi’s body and was absorbed into his own skin did he regain his senses. Feeling the joyous sensation of the Ink Dragon within his body and the surge of energy, he was momentarily stunned.

It wasn’t until Ouyang Ziyi let out a soft “Hmm” that Chu Tianyu came back to his senses. He put aside his thoughts and joined Li Rou to get closer.

“Ow, it hurts!” was Ouyang Ziyi’s first words upon waking.

Chu Tianyu smiled, knowing she was completely fine. As long as she felt pain, it meant she was okay. Thankfully, the fall she had taken earlier hadn’t caused any serious injury.

The rest was naturally discussed in chatter between Li Rou and Ouyang Ziyi.

Chu Tianyu simply exchanged a glance with Ouyang Ziyi. Given the current situation, there was no need to say more. Instead, he turned to the window and quietly observed the Ink Dragon energy gradually absorbing and integrating the icy cold energy within Ouyang Ziyi’s body on his “territory,” growing stronger with each passing moment.

Yet to his surprise, no matter how powerful the Ink Dragon Energy was—having gone through two processes of fusion and absorption—it still remained confined to Chu Tianyu’s body. It never dared to enter Chu Tianyu’s meridians, vital energy, or internal breath, as if the battle with the Purple Void True Dragon still left it in fear, preventing it from crossing even a single step further…
As the Ink Dragon Energy grew stronger again, Chu Tianyu suddenly felt as though he could summon its power at will, but after several attempts, he still couldn’t control it freely.
However, his entire body was now filled with an unprecedented sense of comfort and ease; every cell seemed to be bathed in sweetness, brimming with joy. The feeling was akin to hearing Feifei’s beautiful melodies, making him eager to dance with his sword once more and ease his heart!
It was a pity that he hadn’t brought the Coiling Dragon Sword with him to France—this scene was truly regrettable!
As his thoughts wandered, just as Chu Tianyu had this idea, he suddenly felt a movement in his hand—Mo Yan appeared out of nowhere without any warning…
With a roar like that of a dragon, Mo Yan, as if suppressed for a long time, began to move faintly in Chu Tianyu’s hand. The cold aura it emitted made even Ouyang Ziyi and Li Rou, who were startled by the sound, shiver!
Chu Tianyu could hardly believe his own eyes. Although he still couldn’t use the Ink Dragon Energy at will, the fact that he could summon Mo Yan at his heart’s desire filled him with ecstasy. He quickly tried a few more times, and indeed, the sword responded to his will, allowing him to control it freely!
When he summoned Mo Yan in his hand once more, Chu Tianyu examined it carefully. He noticed a slight change—on its pitch-black blade, a faint yellow glow shimmered around the edges, like flowing water, sparkling like precious light, while also emitting a chilling aura that frightened enemies even before battle!
Bathed in moonlight, Chu Tianyu rushed out through the window. His body soared into the air like a giant bird, and his figure became indistinguishable as the light of Mo Yan enveloped his entire body. The swirling sword shadows left Ouyang Ziyi and Li Rou, watching from the window, only able to see the moon-like cold light, not Chu Tianyu’s silhouette…
…
The next morning, Chu Tianyu and Ouyang Ziyi, along with the others, appeared in the room where Sophia and the rest were staying, refreshed and full of energy.

Sophia had awakened, but it was obvious that Grand Duke Tili’s full-force ambush was intended to kill Ouyang Ziyi, so its power need hardly be described. Fortunately, Sophia sacrificed herself to block that attack for Ouyang Ziyi, allowing her to escape. Sophia herself managed to withstand the attack thanks to the protective power of her sacred ring, though she was still shaken to the point of vomiting blood and fainting, but she was not in life-threatening danger.

“You… are you okay? Yesterday, thank you so much…” Ouyang Ziyi rushed over, tightly holding Sophia’s hand and speaking through tears.

Sophia said nothing, only gazing at Ouyang Ziyi with affectionate eyes filled with tenderness and sweetness…

Ouyang Ziyi felt a chill in her heart, realizing that if she continued pretending to be a boy to deceive Chu Tianyu, real trouble might arise. Just as she was about to reveal the truth, Sophia’s emotions caused her injuries to flare up, resulting in continuous coughing. Seeing how weak she still was, Ouyang Ziyi decided to hold off on speaking for now, as it wasn’t an urgent matter.

Chu Tianyu, through observation, guessed that Sophia’s internal organs must have been damaged. He secretly handed Ouyang Ziyi a few pills he carried for treating internal injuries. Ouyang Ziyi, knowing the value of these pills, quickly gave them to Sophia.

Ignoring the objections of the nuns around her, Sophia took the pills with eager eyes. Ouyang Ziyi, unable to bear her gaze, quickly told her to rest well before fleeing the room as if in panic…

Ouyang Ziyi’s flustered escape and Sophia’s affectionate expression amused Chu Tianyu and Li Rou quite a bit.

But despite the joking, they went to Sister Xin’s room, where they once again shared joy of reunion and heartfelt talks…

In Sister Xin’s room, after Ouyang Ziyi explained the situation regarding unlocking the seal, everyone agreed to enter the secret chamber once more to break the final seal. However, they had no idea where to find the “Loyalty Blood of the Minister.” It clearly didn’t refer to Duke Ret, whose task seemed to be merely assisting Ouyang Ziyi in unlocking the “Yi She Declaration.” Instead, it must refer to someone else. Chu Tianyu and Sister Xin deduced that, given the circumstances at the time, the method to unlock this highest seal must be held separately by different people, like needing two keys at once.

Yet through the changes of history and the passage of time, where could one now find the ministers of that Sun King? Thus, at Ouyang Ziyi’s suggestion, they took some blood from Duke Ret and tried again. When everyone arrived at the door of the secret chamber, Ouyang Ziyi repeated the ritual from the previous night. Strangely enough, as they were pushed out once more, Chu Tianyu stood aside, unaffected by that aura. In fact, these so-called auras, which seemed mysterious to others, were merely natural forces—how could they repel someone like Chu Tianyu, who possessed extraordinary natural energy? Seeing that Chu Tianyu was unaffected and even walked slowly toward her, Ouyang Ziyi grew even more confident and continued with her steps and incantations. When the space opened again, revealing the blood-red groove, Chu Tianyu couldn’t help but smile. Wasn’t this just the simplest defensive aura? It seemed to have been refined and combined through the combined efforts of several cultivators, forming a formation capable of absorbing similar sacred energies—probably the origin of that terrifying legend. Chu Tianyu didn’t act rashly. He watched Ouyang Ziyi bite her fingers and mix Duke Ret’s blood, and finally, when she was about to burn the “Yi She Declaration,” Chu Tianyu couldn’t stand it any longer. He pulled her away and, with Ouyang Ziyi’s puzzled expression, fiddled around in the space with one hand. A soft sound came, and the illusion vanished, revealing a real white jade platform. On it lay three items: a crown, a scepter, and a scroll… After Chu Tianyu and Ouyang Ziyi examined the scroll, they both felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. The so-called ultimate seal, supposed to control Europe’s fate and destiny, turned out to be merely the official treaty signed by several empires at the time. The crown and scepter were pledges from Britain to the entire of Europe—symbolizing the British monarchy’s crown and scepter! But now it seemed that this treaty, rather than being a real document influencing Europe’s wars and turmoil, was nothing but a ridiculous and tragic irony… …Two days later, since Castle Yi She was severely damaged and no longer habitable, and its final secret had been revealed, they went to Chambord Castle at Sophia’s invitation.

Actually, it was because Sophia didn’t invite them. Chu Tianyu also planned to have a thorough conversation with her father, Orsini, as he had some questions that needed answering. As for the destruction of Yishé Castle, Ouyang Ziyi and the others were filled with doubts. With such a huge commotion that night and corpses everywhere, even after calling the police, only ordinary officers arrived. They didn’t ask many questions about the attack on the castle nor restrict their movements; they simply went about the grueling task of cleaning up the bodies… Upon arriving at Xiangbo Castle, since almost all the staff had been sent to Yishé Castle, only Bogulei was left to take care of Orsini, who was injured and unable to move. Thus, only Bogulei and a few servants came to greet them. Although Sophia, Ouyang Ziyi, and their group had already contacted them in advance, Bogulei was stunned when he saw them—so few people had returned? Compared to when they left, it was a huge difference, almost unimaginable! After settling everyone down and allowing them to rest for a day, everyone really needed time to recover from both physical and mental exhaustion after such a battle. Chu Tianyu and the others weren’t in a hurry to discuss things in detail with Duke Orsini; presumably, they would need to hold a meeting internally to understand the situation or discuss it further… The next morning at Xiangbo Castle, Chu Tianyu got up early. After doing some light exercises, he went for a walk in the garden with Ouyang Ziyi and Li Rou. But just then, Bogulei’s tall and strong figure suddenly appeared, blocking their path. With a serious expression, he pointed at Ouyang Ziyi and said, “You, Ouyang, I, Bogulei, will challenge you in a sacred duel…” Then he threw a torn piece of cloth in front of Ouyang Ziyi.