70 - Crazy! Criticizing the Prime Minister for Being a Servant

### Chapter 70: Seeking As Cang Min approached the cave entrance, he saw the extremely feeble Ning Songwu kneeling in the deep snow. A fresh layer of snow had settled on her black hair and the collar of her white fur robe. She was no longer shouting anything; her body could no longer allow her to make such gestures. Cen Ran and Jing Hu stood at a distance, observing without expression. Cang Min sat on the steps at the cave entrance, adjusted his collar, and spoke leisurely, "It's you, the one with the cinnabar mole on your forehead. We've met before." Ning Songwu slightly raised her head and glanced at Cang Min. "It's you... Senior Cang Min..." "Tsk, it's already dark, and the snow is falling quite heavily. Are you running a fever? You don't look well." Ning Songwu shook her head, feeling a sudden dizziness and pain. Her limbs, soaked in the snow, had already lost sensation. "I guess you won't survive the night. Since Ran Fanyin doesn't want you, why don't you leave?" "If... if she truly doesn't love me, I would leave..." The redness from the fever was evident in Ning Songwu's eyes as she stared at Cang Min. "But she loves me, so I absolutely cannot give up." "So you're risking your life to test her feelings for you?" Cang Min reached out, his fingertips touching the cinnabar mole on Ning Songwu's forehead. "But what if you actually die? If you're so convinced that she loves you, what would happen to her if you die?" Ning Songwu's voice was low and resolute as she articulated each word clearly, "I love her." "It's useless. I advise you to go back. Ran Fanyin can't let go of her internal struggle. Even if she loves you, she will never be with you." Cang Min gently caressed Ning Songwu's face. "I won't leave. If she doesn't leave, neither will I." Ning Songwu's voice turned hoarse, staring intently at the snow on the ground, her body resembling a flower in full bloom beaten by the storm. Cang Min withdrew his hand, propped up his chin, and fell silent, gazing into the distance as if waiting for someone. "Senior Cang Min... what are you doing here?" Ning Songwu asked softly. "Waiting for someone." "Waiting... for whom?" "An old acquaintance," replied Cang Min softly, his eyes growing gentle. "I've been waiting for decades, I suppose." Ning Songwu clutched her chest, her brows deeply furrowed in pain. Cang Min returned to silence, not speaking to Ning Songwu again. After a while, Ning Songwu broke the silence, "Why doesn't she come back?" A small smile appeared at the corner of Cang Min's mouth as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "Because she loves me." "Why... why..." "The dead live in the most peaceful and beautiful dreams; the living are condemned to eternal, hopeless solitude." Cang Min spoke slowly. Ning Songwu stopped questioning. Her consciousness started to blur, making it hard to think clearly about anything anymore. Her slender figure, draped in a white fur robe, was humbly kneeling in the snow, exerting all her strength to maintain the kneeling posture. The snow continued to fall heavily. Time dragged into late night. Cang Min got up, brushed off his robe, and turned to leave. Ning Songwu remained kneeling. Cang Min exhaled into his hands for warmth and walked into the Hua Xu Realm. Amidst the darkness, Ran Fanyin was still sitting straight, as unmoving as a sculpture. "Ran Fanyin, go to sleep; it's very late," Cang Min said calmly. Ran Fanyin looked up at him, "How is she?" Cang Min answered nonchalantly, "Your little disciple? She's dead." Ran Fanyin's entire body trembled violently, standing up with stiffness and enunciating each word, "You're lying." Cang Min simply replied, "Yes, I'm lying to you. But by morning, I won’t be." Ran Fanyin clutched the table, her expression unreadable in the darkness. Ning Songwu felt her body was at its limit; the pain in her chest wound was almost tearing her chest apart. Her head was burning with fever, and every movement drained her of any remaining energy. She knelt in the snow, the thick snow almost burying her legs. The large snowflakes fluttered in front of her eyes, making her dizzy and nauseous. Gathering her last breath, Ning Songwu cried out hoarsely, "Ran Fanyin! Ran Fanyin! You coward! You coward!" Blood surged up into her throat, and she spat out, staining the bright white snow with a sharp red color, the soft snow denting into a terrifying shape. Feeling completely drained, Ning Songwu collapsed into the snow. Half-closing her eyes, her vision blurred, the cinnabar mark on her forehead concealed by frost and snow, devoid of any vitality. Her consciousness gradually blurred, and she mumbled softly, "Master... why do you not want me... why do you not want me..." A single tear finally escaped her closed eyes, merging with the snow, blending with the blood. Why did no one want her? She once thought, even if her parents didn't want her and no one in the world wanted her, at least her master did. But now, her master didn't want her either. Jing Hu, who had not rested, quickly came forward, holding Ning Songwu, lifting her head, "Ning Songwu! Ning Songwu!" As the Hua Xu Realm’s cave door opened, Ran Fanyin, dressed in a white crane-embroidered robe, walked out stiffly, her gaze locked on the unconscious Ning Songwu. Jing Hu’s eyes burned with unshed tears as he tightly held the frail beauty, "Ran Fanyin, have you finally come out?" The scene of a tall, handsome man holding a delicate, beautiful woman in a snow-covered landscape was breathtakingly beautiful, like a painting, inspiring envy. This kind of love was right. A master and disciple together, both women, was truly and utterly wrong. After a moment, making a heart-wrenching decision, Ran Fanyin closed her eyes filled with sadness, each word piercing her heart like needles, "Will you take good care of her?" Jing Hu looked at Ran Fanyin in disbelief. Why, even after everything Ning Songwu had done, was Ran Fanyin still so heartless! Ning Songwu, a fragile girl who deserved so much care, why did she have to endure so much suffering? Jing Hu gave a cold laugh, lifted Ning Songwu in his arms, and said resolutely to Ran Fanyin, "I will marry her." With those words, he turned and left with determination. Ran Fanyin leaned against the Hua Xu Realm’s entrance, covering her mouth as she wept uncontrollably. Never had she so clearly understood her own heart. She loved Ning Songwu. Because she loved her, she had cared for her for ten years. Ning Songwu only felt unbearable pain in her head and chest, the wind whistling in her ears, murmurings trying to communicate with her that she couldn't make out, losing consciousness without even knowing when. But ultimately, she fainted in Ran Fanyin's arms, which gave her some peace of mind. In her unconscious dream, she saw nothing but darkness, surrounded by disembodied voices chanting a name: A Luo. A Luo... A Luo... A Luo... Like an incantation or an unending curse, it made her head pound. Why were they calling her that name?! In her haze, she seemed to see her master's figure, dressed in white, sitting across from her, gazing at her with a soft and gentle look. Filled with joy, Ning Songwu longed to hear the familiar call from Ran Fanyin, "Ning Songwu," reaching out like a lifeline. But Ran Fanyin turned her head, softly calling her, almost like in a trance, "A Luo." Why... Why... why... Instinctively she wanted to struggle, but a hand tightly held hers, gripping as if holding the world's most precious treasure, her heart slowly settling down, feeling as if it might flow through the clasped hands into the other person's heart. A faint, far-off voice dragged her consciousness back from the brink of darkness: "Why is her nose bleeding continuously? Why... Why is there so much blood..." "Don’t panic, it's due to disordered internal breath, clashing energies." "What’s wrong with her? Why did her wounds suddenly relapse?" Ning Songwu wanted desperately to open her eyes and move her fingers, to see Ran Fanyin, but her body had no strength at all. "...internal breath eruption, tearing open the wounds from inside..." "Internal breath eruption?" "Her body had some hidden issues before but they weren't noticeable... I can't determine the exact problem. It seems to be residual damage from a spell array. I'll need someone with superior medical skills." "Is it life-threatening?" "Unclear for now." "Internal breath eruption... does that mean her tendons weren't severed when she was young..." ... Ning Songwu heard the exchange faintly, unable to hear clearly many of the words, but "internal breath eruption" was cuttingly clear. Her mind remained a jumbled mess, unable to find any clarity. After an uncertain amount of time, someone sat on the bedside, lifting her head slightly, pressing a cup to her lips, helping her drink. "Cough, cough..." She choked on the water, her body convulsing with a cough or two, and with this small mercy, she found enough strength to open her eyes slowly. She lay on a large bed, light blue curtains hanging from its canopy. The room contained a round table and a few round stools. After a short moment of thinking, she recognized it as her room in an inn. A cup was placed in front of her. The hand holding it looked so familiar, a scene she seemed to have experienced just recently. That slender, beautiful wrist subtly revealed dark red scars, like a cluster of red plum blossoms falling amidst the winter snow—it was delicate and pitiful. Ran Fanyin's cold voice was close to her ear, like a gentle breeze in the early spring over the lakes of Jiangnan, "Awake?" "Yes... Master." Ning Songwu managed a faint smile on her pale face. Her appearance, weak and crumbling in Ran Fanyin’s embrace, was exceedingly pitiful, much like a wounded fawn. Ran Fanyin placed the cup aside, taking out a handkerchief to gently wipe the traces of water from Ning Songwu's lips. Her voice remained void of emotion, "You were very disobedient this time." Ning Songwu lowered her head, holding onto Ran Fanyin’s fingers, "So were you." "...I am different from you." Ning Songwu chuckled softly, whispering, "Are they... still alive?" "They're all alive, and well, except you." "I’m doing... just fine too..." Ning Songwu replied bitterly. Ran Fanyin tightened her embrace, resting her chin on Ning Songwu's shoulder. Their two warm faces gently rubbed against each other, "I told you, I like cleanliness very much. When others touch what is mine, I am very displeased." "But the next time there's danger... you must leave first..." Ning Songwu's voice trembled slightly. "Enough." Ran Fanyin's voice suddenly became icy. She released Ning Songwu, laying her flat on the bed, and then, with a cold expression, turned and left. Ning Songwu’s eyes began to sting. This was the second time she had heard her master say, enough. Ran Fanyin stopped at the threshold, hesitated, glancing back as if she wanted to say something more. "I was wrong, Master," Ning Songwu whispered. The air turned silent for a moment. "...For a moment, I thought you were truly going to die," Ran Fanyin's voice was faint, yet inexplicably sorrowful, “You bled so much, so much blood that I couldn’t stop it. You always make me fear that you'll die.” "I’m sorry..." Ning Songwu's eyes filled with a burning ache. "I never knew that being constantly worried felt like this," Ran Fanyin’s voice was heavy, melding with the night. "Are you very angry?" Ning Songwu’s voice was very soft, her eyes fixated on Ran Fanyin. "Yes, very angry. More than if others touched you," Ran Fanyin turned her head, her eyes showing a rare hint of sorrow. This expression had never been seen on Ran Fanyin’s face before, making Ning Songwu feel a wave of panic. "What must I do to ease your anger?" "...I don’t know." Ran Fanyin turned back, hesitating briefly before crossing the threshold. Ning Songwu clenched her right fist, then let it go weakly. Ran Fanyin’s expression was restrained. She went downstairs to the inn’s back courtyard. It was midnight of the next day, the sky pitch black without stars or moon. The courtyard presented a bizarre scene. Wu Ming’s headless body was being manipulated by Wu Gong, who was working on something at the neck. Wu Ming, yawning and watching Wu Gong, held Wu Ming's head in one hand. Ran Fanyin understood at a glance. Earlier, when Wu Ming's head flew off, no blood was spilled; in addition, Wu Ming was usually very silent, speaking only in that peculiar monotone. She had already guessed that Wu Ming was a mechanoid. The craftsmanship of the Chaos Flower Valley had indeed reached a terrifying level. "Foremost Ran Fanyin, you've come." Wu Gong nodded slightly towards Ran Fanyin. "Repairs going well?" Ran Fanyin casually inquired as she walked over. "No problem. Just some minor issues caused by that woman’s venomous insect that severed Wu Ming's neck. Even when Wu Ming's body was split in two before, we managed to fix it." Wu Gong said this with a calm expression, despite the ghastly content. "Where is Lin Yuxue?" "The young lord is in the kitchen." Ran Fanyin nodded. She was originally heading to the kitchen and expected to bump into Lin Yuxue there. Lin Yuxue had only been affected by a temporary sleep-inducing venom. After taking the antidote, she had recovered, even checking Ning Songwu’s wounds and then energetically heading to the kitchen. When Ran Fanyin entered the kitchen, Lin Yuxue, her back facing her, was stirring something in a pot. A half-face white jade mask dangled from the belt around her waist, adorned with long tassels. "Lin Yuxue, what are you making?" Ran Fanyin asked softly. Lin Yuxue turned around with a smile, "Ning Songwu’s been unconscious all day. Since... none of you have eaten, I decided to cook something. Better to be busy than idle." "She’s awake now." Ran Fanyin walked over, glancing into the pot, "She must be hungry." "Perfect timing then, the dish is almost ready." "You haven’t cooked it lightly enough," Ran Fanyin commented calmly, "Let me do it." Lin Yuxue was slightly startled, watching Ran Fanyin’s serious profile, and nodded dazedly. Ran Fanyin picked up an egg, looking at it intently for a long time but made no move. "...Ran Fanyin?" Lin Yuxue called her cautiously. Ran Fanyin glanced at Lin Yuxue, pointing at the pot, "What should I do with this?" The tone was so even that it didn’t even sound like a question. Lin Yuxue couldn’t help but chuckle, "Hearing you talk, I thought you were a master chef. I’m surprised the dignified exalted one actually indulges in kitchen affairs." "Not knowing is normal, which is why I am asking you to teach me." Ran Fanyin held the egg earnestly. Because she loved Ning Songwu, she had spent seven years and even used her own blood to forge a sword for her. Because she loved Ning Songwu, she always felt an impulse to cry whenever they made contact. Because she loved Ning Songwu, she kept her at the center of her heart. Because she loved Ning Songwu, she wished to bear all her pain herself. Because she loved Ning Songwu, she willingly kissed her first. She wanted Ning Songwu to stay by her side forever. She could not tolerate Ning Songwu being possessed by anyone else, not even a little. Cang Min's words flashed through her mind: "The constraint is not morality, not the master-disciple relationship, not defying the elements. It is your own heart." It's my own heart. The scorching cinnabar mole in the middle of her forehead had remained unchanged for ten years, burning like a flame in Ran Fanyin's eyes. With a wave of her sleeve, Ran Fanyin flew to intercept Jing Hu in the heavy snow,