NFBE Chapter 228 'I'm Back'
Chapter 228 'I'm Back'
After speaking, Meng Fuqing took Xie Jin's hand, and with a slight thought, the two went up to the top floor together.
They strolled from the rooftop villa to the gate halfway up the mountain, and Xie Jin was already numb with shock from everything he had seen and heard along the way.
"This place... is unlike anything in my dynasty, it's like another world..."
“This place is different from Zhaoming; it’s another space, another world.” Meng Fuqing led Xie Jin back to the summit, where the two looked down at the distant view.
Those illusory scenes seemed to exist in reality. She gazed into Xie Jin's eyes and said, "Mountains, pavilions, flowers, trees and plants can come from another world, as can birds, beasts or people."
Her words were ambiguous, but Xie Jin vaguely understood them.
When he truly began to doubt whether Meng Fuqing was a goddess, his identity as Meng Fuqing from Mengjia Village began to waver.
He didn't quite understand what 'world' meant, but people from another world...
A person from beyond the heavens.
These four words suddenly popped into his mind.
In an instant, he felt a strange panic in his heart. These four words made him feel that the person in front of him might leave at any moment, so he unconsciously tightened his grip on Meng Fuqing's hand.
"Qingqing, thank you for letting me into...your world."
The following day, Meng Fuqing ordered his men to bring Shan Qiyu and his two younger siblings into the palace and settle them in his own residence. Bai Lang also came with them.
Shan Qiyu and his two children have been very reserved ever since they entered the palace, unlike Bai Lang who is more at ease.
They haven't recovered yet.
Just as they didn't understand why their daughter/elder sister became an adult in Jing'an Prefecture after visiting it, they also didn't understand why they suddenly became... the emperor after visiting the capital.
When the news reached the village, everyone was asking—
"is that true?"
"How is that possible?!"
The village head who delivered the message was grinning so obsequiously it was unbearable to look at, repeatedly saying, "It's true! It couldn't be more true!"
Village chief Meng Bochang was stunned for a long time, then slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "I knew Qing girl would one day cause trouble! And look what happened...!"
Our ancestors' graves must be emitting auspicious smoke! No, I must go and kowtow to our ancestors, and kowtow to His Majesty..."
Meanwhile, Shan Qiyu was overwhelmed with worry and burst into tears of joy.
The village was in complete chaos.
"Mom, Ranran, Ali, why are you all staring at me like that? Time to eat."
After she reminded them, the three of them started eating.
"Your Majesty... Qing..." Shan Qiyu didn't know how to address her for a moment. Although they were mother and daughter, calling her "Your Majesty" felt very unfamiliar, but this was a newly learned "rule".
Meng Fuqing shook his head. "Here, my words are the only rule. We'll act the same way we always have."
The moment she said those words, the three of them breathed a sigh of relief.
They were so focused on the fact that the person in front of them was the emperor that they couldn't help but carefully consider their words before speaking. After receiving a word from Meng Fuqing, they became much less reserved, and the family enjoyed a warm meal together.
After dinner, Meng Fuqing listened to the two children talk about what happened in Hanhua Village and the house they had built there.
Remembering that she would have to deal with Meng Linlang again, she asked Meng Ranran if Meng Linlang had acted strangely on the way to the capital.
Meng Ranran nodded immediately, "After you left Jing'an Prefecture, Meng Linlang returned to Hanhua Village. At first, she was fine and looked a bit like before, but later she seemed to be preoccupied all the time."
Meng Fuqing looked thoughtful, while Meng Linlang couldn't hide her feelings; they were written all over her face whenever something unexpected happened.
What did I dream about this time?
After dark, Meng Fuqing left the palace late at night and saw Xie Jin and Meng Linlang behind him at the place she had agreed to meet.
As Meng Linlang watched Meng Fuqing approach her step by step, she lowered her eyes in time, afraid that she might reveal some inappropriate emotions.
That dream taught her two things: first, her cousin Meng Qingqing might be dead, her body possessed by a deity or a mountain spirit; or second, her body might have been taken over by a spirit before she was alive.
Secondly, her spiritual spring space now belongs to Meng Fuqing.
As the dream ended, before she awoke, a thought suddenly occurred to her—'Kill Meng Fuqing; this is your last chance.'
This thought kept popping into her mind, just like when she had been completely focused on Meng Fuqing.
"How have you been lately, cousin?" Meng Fuqing asked Meng Linlang as she approached her.
Meng Linlang stammered as soon as she opened her mouth, "It's...it's pretty good."
Meng Fuqing said with amusement, "My cousin is still so afraid of me."
"N-no!" Meng Linlang raised her head in a panic, but dared not meet Meng Fuqing's gaze. "You are His Majesty, Linlang dares not..."
"It's just a change of identity. I am still Linlang's older sister. Cousin, please feel free to say whatever you want to say. There's no need to be reserved."
"...Yes, thank you, cousin."
Seeing that she stopped speaking, Meng Fuqing's gaze became meaningful. She gave Xie Jin a wink, and Ling Jiu appeared from the darkness, taking Meng Linlang with him. The four of them used their lightness skills to rush towards the red dot on the map.
Upon reaching the approximate location of the red dot, Meng Fuqing discovered that the map on the large rock had become more precise.
They arrived at a clearing on the edge of a cliff. Xie Jin ordered Ling Jiu to return the way they came, leaving only Meng Fuqing and the other two on the cliff.
Meng Fuqing kept moving around, and when she stood within the area defined by the red dot, she keenly sensed that the space was shaking again.
She quickly looked at Meng Linlang, "Cousin, could you do me a favor?"
Although the question was asked, it contained a subtly commanding tone.
Meng Linlang took a deep breath, and a voice in her heart told her that this was her last chance, her last chance to kill Meng Fuqing.
Meng Fuqing was standing not far from the edge of the cliff. If she could just stab the mysteriously appearing dagger into Meng Fuqing's heart before anything happened, she could easily kill him, no matter if he was a god or a demon.
Everything that originally belonged to her will return to her.
With these thoughts in mind, Meng Linlang's steps felt as heavy as if they were made of lead.
For some reason, Xie Jin was not entirely at ease about this trip. His gaze towards Meng Fuqing contained a hint of worry. Seeing Meng Linlang dawdling like this, he lifted his leg and brought her to Meng Fuqing's side.
Meng Linlang's eyes were bloodshot. Suddenly, she frantically pulled Meng Fuqing and Xie Jin away from the bottomless ravine.
She burst into tears, and a sharp blade hidden in her hand fell to the ground. "Meng Fuqing, I had another nightmare. It bewitched me to use this opportunity to kill you. It's dangerous here. Let's get out of here quickly, okay..."
Meng Fuqing felt a chill run down her spine. She was about to summon the vines, but found that due to the drastic change in space, she was unable to speak or move for a moment.
The next moment, the earth suddenly shook and the sky and earth changed color.
The moment the mountain beneath their feet crumbled, Xie Jin leaped towards Meng Fuqing.
"Don't be afraid," he whispered gently in Meng Fuqing's ear, who was as lifeless as a wooden sculpture. "I'm here."
When Meng Fuqing regained consciousness, she found herself in a train carriage.
A hideous zombie was banging on her already cracked car window.
She gently closed her eyes, as if she could still feel the lingering warmth of Xie Jin's embrace, but upon reflection, it all seemed like a dream.
Meng Fuqing picked up the dagger from the passenger seat and slashed her finger. She felt the pain as bright red blood flowed out.
Everything from ancient times... was it all just a dream?
She stared blankly into thought.
A withered, shriveled hand suddenly reached in through the car window, and as the vines pierced through the zombie's brain, a look of pain flashed across her face.
A blinding light suddenly appeared from the horizon, and Meng Fuqing heard a loud bang before everything went black and he lost consciousness.
When she woke up for the second time, Meng Fuqing was running barefoot in the mountains. Her feet, which were covered in frostbite, were chafed painfully by the cold, gravelly ground, but she felt a surge of joy in her heart.
Just as she was about to stop and sort out the situation, she lost her footing and tumbled down the mountain path, beginning an endless descent.
Having experienced two terrifying and real deaths, Meng Fuqing felt inexplicably resistant to waking up for the third time.
However, after she regained consciousness, she found herself being held tightly in someone's arms, and she heard people calling her name.
The voice sounded strangely familiar to her, and when she slowly opened her eyes, she saw a handsome face that looked both haggard and familiar.
The man was taken aback at first, then reacted. A thin layer of red instantly appeared at the corners of his eyes, as if he was afraid of disturbing something or as if he was confirming something. He asked softly, "Qingqing, you're awake?"
"Yes," Meng Fuqing said, recognizing the person in front of her. "Ajin, it's me. I'm back."