Eastern Gate — The Moment After
The guards moved.
Steel flashed.
One guard lunged at Yuerou with a downward slash.
She twisted to the side, barely dodging, then slammed her fist into his lower abdomen with precise, brutal force. The man staggered—gasping—just as she snatched his falling sword.
Another guard came at her from the left. She pivoted on her heel, blade arcing—
> SHRAK!
His chestplate split. Blood sprayed. He crumpled.
Before she could breathe, a shadow fell across her.
> CLANG!
Si Ye's spear came crashing down from above. Yuerou raised her blade—but the force broke through her block, slamming her into the stone floor.
A cry tore from her lips. Blood stained her robes. A deep gash spread across her lower abdomen.
> "Yuerou!" Lianhua's voice rose like a flame.
Twin sabers whirled. She danced through the guards—one fell, another screamed—then she broke past their ring and rushed to Yuerou's side.
Yuerou tried to rise, but staggered.
Lianhua caught her, holding her upright, arm trembling beneath her weight.
Si Ye took a step forward, eyes narrowed. The scent of blood thickened.
Zhen Lianhua turned, fire in her gaze.
> "You'll answer for this," she said coldly.
Just then—
One of the guards behind her moved, blade raised to strike her from behind.
Yuerou's eyes widened.
> "Behind you!"
But before the blow could land—
> SHING!
Lianhua's saber arced over her shoulder without turning. The blade caught the guard at the neck. He fell without a sound.
Si Ye merely snorted.
> "Still resisting," he said flatly. "Foolish."
He looked to his men.
> "Restrain them."
More guards approached.
The circle tightened.
But Lianhua's grip only tightened around her sabers.
And her jaw.
She would not fall here.
Not with Yuerou still breathing.
---
The imperial guards pressed in—cold, methodical. They circled with blades drawn, formation shifting to surround the wounded pair.
Yuerou struggled to stand, blood soaking through her robe. Her knees buckled again.
Zhen Lianhua gritted her teeth and held her steady, sabers glinting crimson in the moonlight.
Si Ye's voice boomed, calm and merciless.
> "Last chance. Surrender, or die as traitors."
Yuerou looked up, eyes dazed from blood loss.
> "Lianhua... run..."
Lianhua didn't answer.
Instead, she reached into her inner sleeve—and drew out a small, black vial, etched in violet sigils.
Yuerou's eyes widened in horror.
> "No," she whispered. "Not that. Lianhua, don't—please—"
Zhen Lianhua opened the vial.
The liquid inside shimmered—a Berserker Pill, unstable, violent, forbidden.
Her lips trembled for just a moment.
> "You once said," she whispered, "that no one should die for you."
She turned her head, eyes soft.
> "But I choose to."
And then—she swallowed the pill.
The world shuddered.
Her body convulsed. Qi exploded outward in a violent vortex of violet and black. Her hair lifted. Her eyes ignited like burning gemstones. Cracks spidered across her skin as raw spiritual energy surged beyond her limits.
> BOOM!
The ground beneath her feet cracked.
The guards stepped back in fear.
Even Si Ye's gaze flickered.
> "She really took it... That foolish girl."
Yuerou's breath caught in her throat.
> "Lianhua… no…"
But Lianhua wasn't listening.
She turned.
And charged.
A streak of violet flame tore through the guards. One was hurled backward, spine shattered. Another tried to block—only to be cleaved clean in half.
She was no longer fighting with technique.
She was fury given form.
A savage, beautiful storm of death.
> CLANG! CLANG! SHRAK!
Blades shattered. Blood sprayed. Screams rose—and were silenced.
Yuerou tried to rise. Crawled to her knees.
> "Stop! Please! You'll burn yourself alive—!"
But Lianhua never looked back.
Her body was starting to shake uncontrollably. Veins blackened. Her Qi lashed out at random. But still, she stood. Still, she fought.
Until only one remained.
Si Ye.
The two locked eyes.
She raised her sabers.
He raised his spear.
And then—they clashed.
---
The resulting shockwave shattered the gate's outer pillars. Dust and debris rained down like falling stars.
Yuerou shielded her face as wind howled.
When it cleared—
Lianhua stood, sabers dug into the earth, shoulders heaving.
Si Ye knelt, blood trailing from a crack in his armor—but still conscious. Still alive.
"Tch… that mad girl nearly took my head."
But Lianhua collapsed before he could finish.
Smoke curled from her skin. Her body was cracking—burning from the inside out. Qi dispersing.
Yuerou screamed.
> "Lianhua!"
She stumbled forward, catching her just before she hit the ground.
Zhen Lianhua looked up, eyes hazy, her voice a ghost.
> "Did I… buy you time?"
> "You did—gods, you did—don't speak, we'll get you help—!"
> "No... don't... cry..."
Her hand weakly cupped Yuerou's cheek.
> "Live... for me, okay?"
A final smile.
Then her body crumbled into ash and violet light, her soul dissipating like mist in the moonlight.
Yuerou clutched empty air.
Frozen.
Trembling.
Si Ye stood, silent, expression unreadable.
The remaining guards approached slowly, wary of what might come next.
But Yuerou did not move.
Only a single tear rolled down her cheek—quiet, dignified, and infinite.
And then—
something shifted in the air.
---
Reality — Present Day, Jiang Clan, Former Matriarch's Chamber
Yuerou's eyes snapped open.
She sat upright, breath ragged. Skin damp. Her scar pulsed like molten iron.
Her hand pressed to her lower abdomen.
A dream.
But too real.
Too sharp.
The door creaked open.
footsteps crossed the threshold.
That voice—low, cold, and oddly gentle.
> "You're awake, aren't you… Yuerou?"
She turned.
Gu Changge stood there. No mask. No illusions. Just his gaze—moonlight made flesh, peeling through her defenses.
Her lips parted.
But no words came.
The nightmare still clung to her lungs.
He stepped forward—then embraced her.
> "You had a nightmare."
She didn't speak.
But her silence said more than any scream.
She held him tightly.
And didn't let go.
---
End Chapter 30
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