“Aren’t you eager to get out? Why come into this place?”
The hare which had slept so soundly inside Yun Shimo’s robe sleeve woke up. It spoke in some surprise.
After falling down the abyss, the hare had experienced waves of exhaustion and decided to nap.
It was not worried that Hua Qiyue and Yun Shimo would face any danger. It knew quite well how powerful these juniors were.
Hua Qiyue pursed her lips, not answering.
The hare gave a cold snort. It bounced upon its feet and instantly leaped up onto Hua Qiyue’s shoulder.
“La.s.s, why are you angry and ignoring me?”
The hare’s noisy voice started to resound. Hua Qiyue shushed it. “Don’t make a noise. If another tenth-level demonic beast comes out… ”
“Humph, what’s so scary about a demonic beast. I will unleash a lightning bolt and incinerate it!” The little hare said arrogantly. Yun Shimo gave it an icy stare and started to snicker coldly.
“Why didn’t you act just now?”
“Hey, it’s only a demonic beast. If juniors like you can’t kill it, how can you slay the Venerated Supreme Devil?”
Hua Qiyue and Yun Shimo heard it and immediately fell silent.
The little hare knew it had touched their thoughts. It began to smile embarra.s.sedly. “Actually… if I wasn’t restricted… I would have surely slay the Venerated Supreme Devil for you.”
“Are you still restricted now?” Hua Qiyue gazed at the hare perplexedly.
“Of course. You think my true body is a hare’s? Humph! I am an absolutely peerless, transcendentally handsome guy!”
The little hare said smugly.
Hua Qiyue paused for a while. Well, its temperament was quite like Tianpi’s!
It was cold and damp inside the cave, a wholly different world from the hot and stuffy depths of the chasm.
The luminous night pearl shone brightly, illuminating the path before them. After a dozen steps, the pa.s.sageway began to open up and became broad. A circular hall appeared within the cave, an ice coffin standing in its middle.
Before the ice coffin was a quiet pool of water, emanating a chilling aura.
“Ice coffin? Someone’s been living here?” Hua Qiyue gazed at her surroundings in great shock. She could not see any trace of someone living here. Perhaps this ice coffin had existed a long time ago?
The little hare on Hua Qiyue’s shoulder suddenly whizzed and was the first to land before the ice coffin. Then, it leaped again and ended up on top of the coffin.
“Sir… ” Yun Shimo was shocked. The hare had forgotten itself. Maybe there was something special here?
By the sides of the ice coffin laid countless treasures. Even though there was no luminous night pearl, the entire circular hall was brightly illuminated by their dazzling lights. Splendor was throughout the cave and it looked magnificent and sumptuous.
This must be the burial cave of some extraordinary person.
Hua Qiyue did not hesitate since the little hare was on the ice coffin for so long. It was gazing into the coffin, stupefied, not showing any reaction. There seemed to be no danger here.
She strode over, with Yun Shimo accompanying closely by her side. The two of them reached the front of the coffin and found no one inside.
However, there was a jade phoenix hairpin in the coffin.
The phoenix’s eyes were carved out of the best jade. It glistened with a warm l.u.s.ter.
Other than that, there was a crystal pillow. And nothing else.
But the little hare was staring quietly, a faint grief emanating from its eyes.
Hua Qiyue was thoroughly shocked. This hare was an elder from more than 10,000 years ago. Was someone he had known in the ice coffin?
The little hare slowly retracted its gaze. Then, it surveyed the items around and said, downcast, “These things were once her favorite…. Sadly… ”
So, it knew her!
Yun Shimo’s face was utterly solemn. In that case, they could not touch the treasures in the cave.
Hua Qiyue gave the items a cursory look. Other than women’s jewellery, there were a few robes woven out of golden threads and many strange and rare treasures. She had seen nothing like them before.
An odd feeling welled out of Hua Qiyue’s heart. She felt the atmosphere to be quite strange.
And this feeling was quite indescribable. Perhaps she had been affected by the little hare. Hua Qiyue too felt a strange feeling of grief.
The little hare gave a long sigh. “She has already gone. Why let these things remain behind? Take what you like… This is the tomb of a familiar friend of mine… these funerary items were left behind by the man who loved her most.”
The little hare’s words made Hua Qiyue’s heart palpitate somewhat. For some reason, she was feeling very tired. She went to a jade couch by the side and sat down.
Strangely, the jade couch had remained untainted by dust.
She sat down, resting her back against the cave wall, shutting her eyes. She was about to fall deep into sleep.
The hare made Yun Shimo open the ice coffin and take out the jade phoenix hairpin.
“Give… this jade phoenix hairpin to Qiyue. Girls like these stuffs.”
The little hare said.
“But sir, this is your… your friend’s possession. Furthermore, it’s from a dead person. How can I possibly give this to her?” Yun Shimo felt his face flushed a bit. He turned and gazed at Hua Qiyue by the side. Her beautiful face was etched with tiredness. He felt a twinge of heartache upon seeing this, but could do nothing.
The little hare shook its head. “No… Qiyue has some affinity with this jade phoenix hairpin. I’m sure she will like it.”
Saying this, the little hare stared intently and silently at the soundly asleep Hua Qiyue.
Yun Shimo remembered that all this time, Hua Qiyue had been so distant from him. It was time to offer her some comfort.
With the blessing from the hare, Yun Shimo felt for some reason that taking this was not wrong. So, he kept the jade phoenix hairpin, waiting to give it to Hua Qiyue when she awoke.
He looked again at the strange, precious treasures around. They were all extremely rare. Plumes of icy energy rose from the ice pool quietly, as a faint layer of cold air diffused around the ice coffin.
“She’s already dead and the former days are gone. The world once belonging to us… is long over. Sigh… ” The little hare was feeling melacholic. It did not say h.e.l.lo to Yun Shimo and hobbled out the cave.
His lonely back made one feel much sadness.
Yun Shimo watched his departing back and his heart started to ache inexplicably. This seemed to be a mournful place. The moment he entered here, he had been enveloped by a strange melancholy.
Yun Shimo had no interest in these strange treasures. Another glance would make him even more upset. So, he came to Hua Qiyue’s side and gently sat down, keeping her company.
Hua Qiyue had a dream.
She dreamed that she had fallen in love with a stranger. That man was peerlessly handsome and suave, like a deity.
He seemed to be the most handsome man in the world. He was also in love with her, treating her like the treasured jewel of his heart. Deep in the night, they would frolic on the bed, their crimson blanket overturning.
The days she was most overwhelmed with feelings and desires were also the loveliest in her dream.
The scenario of her dream suddenly changed and became that with Yun Shimo and Princess Qianyang.
Hua Qiyue saw with her eyes Yun Shimo depart with Princess Qianyang in his embrace. Her heart was about to break and she immediately opened her eyes!
A brief dream. In it, her experiences with the strange man had ended up as only a most beautiful memory.
“Qiyue, what’s wrong with you?” Yun Shimo saw Hua Qiyue awake, her dull, inert eyes looking quite listless. She had not yet recovered, as tears welled in her eyes.
Hua Qiyue had been dragged back into reality by Yun Shimo’s voice. She slowly gazed into his deep, profound eyes, looking full of worry.
That worry was very real. It did not seem feigned.
But what about him and Princess Qianyang? Was their affair something she must not know too?
Hua Qiyue did not wish to ask. She coldly diverted her eyes.
“Qiyue, this jade phoenix hairpin’s for you.” Yun Shimo immediately started to smile placatingly. Although his eyes looked a little downcast, he was still taking the initiative, lifting Hua Qiyue’s hand and putting the cold hairpin in it.
Hua Qiyue’s hand trembled. Wasn’t this the same jade phoenix hairpin in the ice coffin?
“This jade hairpin is from the hare’s… friend. But it says the hairpin has affinity with you. It wants me to take it and give it to you,” Yun Shimo said. Hua Qiyue did not want to take it, but the l.u.s.ter on the green jade made her start.
The moment she saw this green jade, it was like looking at the green jade gourd around her waist.
How amazing.
Hua Qiyue started and no longer rejected the jade. She stretched out her hand and gently stroked the green jade of the phoenix’s eyes. There was just a bit of it, but it glowed with a warm l.u.s.ter, giving Hua Qiyue a familiar feeling.
“Affinity… ” Hua Qiyue mumbled. She remembered someone else telling her the same thing too.
Yes, the Fiery Divine Tree once said that too. Didn’t it offer Hua Qiyue the Drunken Flower Fan voluntarily?
What happened?
Why would the Fiery Divine Tree tell her the same thing as the little hare?
Hua Qiyue was utterly baffled. She could only question the little hare about this mystery.
She wanted to sit up, but Yun Shimo had lightly clipped her waist. “Qiyue… if you’re tired, rest for a while. We’ll leave later.”
Hua Qiyue frowned, coldly wishing to remove his hand. “I’m not tired. Please release me, Your Highness.”
Yun Shimo’s countenance sank. He forcefully lifted up her chin and brutally pressed her down.
Hua Qiyue suffered a great shock. She had distanced herself from him because of his relationship with Princess Qianyang. Since then, Yun Shimo had never tried to sweet-talk her or force her into anything.
But in this cave, they were alone, a man and a woman. Was he taking advantage of her now?
His scorching lips were already glued upon hers. He brutally parted her two ruby lips, madly and aggressively seizing everything within.
The back of Hua Qiyue’s head had been pinned down firmly by his other hand. It could not move.
“Mmm… Yun Shimo… ” Hua Qiyue started to call out intermittently, arousing a man’s desire to conquer her woman.
The kiss continued, their lingering breaths beginning to permeate. His left hand shifted to below Hua Qiyue’s neck, slipping into her robe collar, leaving its trace gently behind.
Hua Qiyue had a great shock. Her entire body was limp and helpless. But she still hardened her heart and bit down on that tongue that was ravaging in her mouth.
Yun Shimo frowned, the pain at the end of his tongue making him tremble. But he did not give up. He continued to pin her down firmly, as if trying to devour her.
Hua Qiyue was suffocating, a b.l.o.o.d.y stench in her lovely mouth. Her body became more and more limp and weak. She almost could not hold out.