NOVEL WEB Chapter 113: Leaving Quietly
Within a few minutes, light shone in from outside, and before they realized it, the group had reached the entrance of the tunnel. As they exited, guards who had been tracking Lu Yu and the others already awaited them.
On seeing the unharmed King, many let out sighs of relief. During this time, the disappearance of the King had left everyone in the Kingdom of Women in a state of panic, as if the sky had fallen, especially with the rebellion of the prime minister. The citizens and courtiers desperately needed a mature King to stabilize the situation. Although Xuan Yue was promising, her lack of experience made everyone uneasy about burdening her with such responsibility.
Soon, the ministers who had received the news had all arrived, and upon seeing the King, they cried profusely as if they had lost their parents, wailing loudly.
The depth of their words made it seem as if their loyalty was as clear as day. Xuan Yue, watching the ministers' reactions, felt a wave of nausea and thought to herself, "It's a good thing my sister can tolerate this, I would have probably lost my patience by now."
Not only could the King tolerate it, but she also had a gentle smile on her face and tenderly asked everyone to rise, then verbally praised these loyal and faithful ministers. She declared that all that had happened was merely the prime minister's conspiracy, and everyone had just been deceived.
Her words set the tone for the entire event. The ministers began to smile and started to fervently denounce the already insane prime minister. Yes, the King said it, all the evil was orchestrated by the prime minister, and these ministers were all loyal and valiant.
Thus, the welcoming group for the King's return instantly transformed into a justice league to denounce the crimes of the prime minister. Even Xuan Yue, who was born in the Imperial Palace, was astonished by how quickly they changed their stance.
However, relieved as they were, they did not notice the cold gleam in the King's eyes. She had taken note of every opportunistic slanderer during this turmoil, planning to settle scores with them slowly in the future.
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Lu Yu watched this farcical scene unfold, observing the political performance that could be described as face-changing. Yet, he felt completely disinterested, realizing that even in the Kingdom of Women, the nature of human hearts and faces under the manipulations of power remained much the same. Throughout the long river of history, most of the time, it was such people who determined the fate of the world.
Thus he smiled and shook his head, then turned and left the scene unnoticed, just as no one had noticed his arrival.
Mr. Green Robe, with his sleeves fluttering, distanced himself from the uproar, like a breeze that leaves no trace.
However, Xuan Yue was still surrounded by people, all of them offering flattering and sycophantic remarks. In the past, Xuan Yue would have been delighted by such praise and even rewarded it generously, but now all she felt was disgust from the bottom of her heart.
"This time, Her Majesty was fortunate to escape danger thanks to His Highness who single-handedly saved a falling house; our Kingdom of Women is blessed to have such a Virtuous King, it's fortunate for both the state and the populace!" exclaimed a proficient flatterer, delivering a slick barrage of sycophantic praise.
Unfortunately, the current Xuan Yue was not swayed by such things and remained cold, unwilling to exchange another word with these people.
"Indeed, had it not been for His Highness summoning an Immortal to descend, our Kingdom of Women would definitely have faced terrible calamities and obliteration. All these achievements are the merits of Prince Xuan Yue!"
"Indeed, the Immortal's garments fluttered, his demeanor was free and natural; truly, he makes us mortals ashamed of our inadequacy!"
Upon hearing these words, a smile finally appeared on Xuan Yue's face, her chin slightly lifted in prideful contentment, proud that the one she had chosen was so formidable.
Yet, at that moment, she was startled; realizing she had been surrounded by these men for a while, Lu Yu was nowhere to be seen. Anxiety flooded her, and she pushed through the crowd, frantically looking around but the familiar figure in the green robe was not to be found, and tears involuntarily streamed down her face.
She hurriedly asked the surrounding guards if anyone had spotted Lu Yu, but everyone shook their heads in unison and answered, "We've only seen the King and the Prince, no one else."
In that moment, a great sadness filled Xuan Yue's heart. Memories of their past together flashed through her mind, and unnoticed, Lu Yu's image had quietly occupied her heart. Now, it turned into a tremendous wave crashing against her soul.
Suddenly dizzy and nauseated, she clutched at her chest in anguish, feeling an indescribable pain in her throbbing heart. Tears flowed like a breached dam, instantly blurring her vision. Whether achieving rank and wealth, or glory and riches, nothing seemed to matter at that moment.
Previously, she had been baffled by her sister's choices over a Monk, thinking her path ludicrous, but now, she fully understood her sister's decisions. Should Lu Yu return and agree to take her away, she would likely throw caution to the wind and agree to follow him, no matter the difficulties ahead.
The King quickly noticed Xuan Yue's distress. She stopped her efforts at persuasion, cleared a path through the crowd, and approached Xuan Yue, asking with concern in her voice, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Hearing her sister's familiar voice, Xuan Yue could no longer maintain her composure and collapsed into her sister's arms, crying loudly and chokingly said, "Sister, Lu Yu, he left without saying goodbye!"
The King gently stroked Xuan Yue's black hair and sighed softly. She had noticed Xuan Yue's unusual behavior earlier and knew that her heart was tied to Lu Yu's. But she was powerless to help. Matters of the heart, even as a king, cannot be coerced, especially since Lu Yu was an immortal.
"Xuan Yue, Lu Yu is an Immortal, not an ordinary man. People like him pursue the Great Dao wholeheartedly; how could they spare time for love? He is immortal, and you are a mortal; how could you possibly be together?" The King gently spoke the harsh truth.
In her sister's arms, Xuan Yue lifted her head, her gaze somewhat hazy. Indeed, there was an insurmountable gap between them.
This was the reality she had subconsciously avoided, yet in this moment, her sister mercilessly exposed it. Recalling past memories, a bitter smile formed on Xuan Yue's lips as she said, "Sister, you're right. He is an Immortal venturing into the mortal realm, and I... how could someone like me be worthy of him?"
At that moment, Xuan Yue's heart felt as if it turned to ashes. She slowly wiped her tears, collected her attire, and seemingly reverted to the high-status Kingdom of Women's Prince, but who could know the pain inside her heart? It was merely like drinking water, only she knew whether it was warm or cold.
The King, seeing her sister who seemed to have grown up in an instant, sighed deeply.