Chapter 140: This Road is Blocked

Above the South Mystic Sect, Baili Mo sped swiftly, carefully opening the letter in his hand under the protection of his spiritual energy.

The handwriting was delicate and exquisite; he recognized it instantly as hers.

"Years leave no trace, floating life is like a dream; when the dream wakes, it is empty—just a fleeting dream."
"The long street is long, fireworks brilliant; you tilt the lamp and look back."
"The short pavilion is short, the mortal world turns; I pluck the pipa once more."
"May I meet you again in the next life, with no regrets and no abandonment."
"Do not dwell on this, Lianhua."

This was the last letter she never managed to send, the final words she wanted to say to Baili Mo, and also the words she wanted to say to herself. Yet, through a twist of fate, it had ended up in the hands of Jinxuanzi.

This letter should never have fallen into Baili Mo's hands, but guided by fate, after turning through several turns, it finally reached him.

"Fool, what a fool!" Baili Mo muttered repeatedly, his heart filled with remorse and self-reproach.

Suddenly, a faint golden light flashed across the envelope, and several characters abruptly appeared upon it.

The Wangchuan Gorge.

"Master." Baili Mo murmured as he looked at the words on the envelope, his expression complex.

The Wangchuan Gorge, located at the border between the Northern Province and the Southern Province, was a valley passage spanning hundreds of kilometers that connected the two regions. It served as the shortest route between the North and the South, and no matter how treacherous the terrain might be, it remained a vital economic pathway for both territories.

Yet, despite its importance, ordinary mortals could never come here. The harsh environment and perilous terrain dictated that this road could only be used for the transportation of goods between cultivators.

At this moment, carriage after carriage was continuously hurrying from the Southern Province toward the Northern Province in a grand and imposing procession. Upon the carriages were various goods and rare treasures, all intended for the use of cultivators, encompassing almost every kind of treasure imaginable for food, drink, entertainment, and leisure.

At the head of the procession, beside the lead carriage, a young man clad in battle armor sat atop a warhorse, cautiously guarding against any unexpected occurrences in the surroundings.

Behind him was a heavily armed troop, maintaining vigilance on all sides and meticulously protecting every single carriage. These carriages were exceptionally magnificent: exotic beasts served as beasts of burden, and the carriage bodies were forged from expensive and rare violet gold, representing the pinnacle of luxury.

Furthermore, the lead carriage was set with various defensive magic arrays laid out using precious, top-grade spirit stones. Even minor arrays to ensure warmth in winter and coolness in summer were completely equipped, and the beast serving as the mount was a half-step Tier 3 Earth Dragon Horse, virtually reaching the standard of the half-step Golden Core realm. Pure white all over with a single horn upon its head, a noble aura emanated from this Earth Dragon Horse, and every part of the carriage was adorned with vibrant festive red decorations, radiating an atmosphere of jubilation.

What was most astonishing, however, was not these ultra-luxurious carriages, but the fact that among the hundred-man guard escorting them, not a single one was a mortal. Every single soldier was a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment realm or higher, and there was no lack of Golden Core cultivators among them.

This was a formidable and powerful marriage-alliance procession.

The young man atop the lead warhorse was named Xia Chuan, one of the foremost commanders in the Great Xia military and a Golden Core cultivator. Xia Chuan did not originally bear the surname Xia; rather, the current Xia Emperor, having taken a fancy to his talent and exceptional military acumen, bestowed the surname "Xia" upon him to win the hearts of the people. For this marriage alliance, the Xia Emperor had entrusted him with the heavy responsibility of protecting the Great Xia princess, demonstrating his high regard.

Xia Chuan had not failed the trust of the Xia Emperor. After the Great Xia princess agreed to the marriage alliance, these numerous and valuable tribute gifts naturally transformed into the betrothal gifts of the Great Xia alliance. Along the way, all manner of natural and man-made disasters arising from these precious cargoes had been single-handedly resolved by Xia Chuan, earning him considerable prestige throughout the entire contingent.

Within the Wangchuan Gorge, the valley was damp and gloomy, with cold winds howling through the air like shards of glass. The terrain was perilous on all sides, and steep rock formations resembling the grinning jaws of ferocious beasts bared their teeth toward the middle of the valley. Fortunately, both the troops and the beasts possessed formidable cultivation bases, preventing them from being crushed by the plummeting temperatures and biting, freezing winds.

Inside the lead carriage, Xia Qinglian, dressed entirely in crimson ceremonial robes, sat within the immensely luxurious cabin. If anyone were to look closely beside her, subtle fluctuations of spiritual energy could actually be discerned around her; a princess sent by Great Xia to fulfill a marriage alliance could hardly be an ordinary mortal.

Through the current Xia Emperor's deliberate investment of resources into Xia Qinglian and the reliance on various precious medicinal pills, he had forcefully elevated Xia Qinglian—who had been a mere mortal half a year ago—to the Foundation Establishment realm, a true testament to boundless wealth.

Xia Qinglian inside the carriage wore a phoenix coronet and a red ceremonial dress, displaying ancient and modern elegance to the fullest extent. Her delicate makeup was breathtakingly beautiful, and her originally noble, graceful, and orchid-in-an-empty-valley temperament now carried a hint of seductive charm at this moment.

Her skin was like congealed lard, her aura like a secluded orchid, alluring to the bone and striking by three parts of sheer beauty.

Beneath the red veil, her expression could not be discerned; whether she felt joy or sorrow remained entirely unknown. Inside the carriage, owing to the formations, it was peaceful, steady, and as comfortable as bathing in a spring breeze.

Xia Qinglian gently cradled a classic black box in her hands, its surface covered in intricate, complex patterns. It was impossible to tell what material the box was made of.

The ancient box felt warm to the touch, yet accompanied by a trace of coolness. This coolness, however, was not oppressive; instead, it felt very comforting in her hands and even possessed a refreshing and mind-clearing effect.

After a long silence and deep stillness, not the slightest sound could be heard inside the carriage, as the formations outside effectively isolated all external noises.

"Father, Mother, your daughter is getting married. Would you be happy?" Xia Qinglian murmured softly to herself, wondering how the journey ahead would proceed. Her voice was heart-wrenchingly sorrowful.

The parents mentioned in her words were naturally her adoptive parents, who had died a few years ago because of Zhao Wenshang. Over the past dozen years, the two of them had meant far, far more to her than everything within the palace.

Then, she began to recount her experiences over the years of her own accord, speaking as though she were telling the two elders, or perhaps whispering to herself.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I had no other choice; I could only do this."
"Forgive me. You will find a better girl, a girl who loves you more than I do. Even though I will no longer be by your side, please live well and be sure to be happy."

As she spoke, she touched upon that person, and she began to weep silently, helpless and pitiful like a child. From now on, she would only be alone—helplessly alone by her own fate.

Within the canyon, Xia Chuan sat upright and dashing upon his warhorse, his armor gleaming brilliantly in the meager light. Suddenly, a violent gust of wind swept past, and the warhorse beneath Xia Chuan neighed, halting its forward progress and lifting its front hooves to rear back.

Xia Chuan quickly pulled on the reins in his hand, soothing his beloved steed. Focusing his gaze, the armored warrior carefully scanned the ahead before extending his right hand and half-raising it into the air. Upon seeing this, the troops behind him instantly halted their advance, standing in strict readiness and awaiting the commands of the man before them.

The gale whipped up dust and sand. The environment of the Wangchuan Gorge had always been this harsh, and the view ahead was perpetually shrouded in billowing sand, making it hazy and impossible to discern the precise situation in front.

As the fierce wind briefly subsided, the dust dancing across the sky slowly settled. Xia Chuan peered forward intently, yet could only make out a hazy, indistinct figure.

After a short moment, the blurry figure within the dust began to move. He slowly walked forward, every step heavy yet resolute.

The wind ceased, the sand settled, and everything briefly became clear. A young man holding a longsword, clad in cyan Daoist robes and with his hair bound by a silver ring, possessed a handsome face full of resolute determination. The extraordinary aura emanating from him was something even Xia Chuan vaguely fell short of.

Dozens of paces away from the caravan, the young man came to a halt, his eyes fixed squarely upon the hundred-man troop. His gaze was resolute without the slightest trace of retreat, displaying the formidable valor of a single warrior holding a pass against ten thousand men.

"I'm sorry. This road... is blocked."

A very low voice echoed clearly in everyone's ears.