Chapter 319: The Prelude to Su Rao’s Descent into Darkness (VII)

Chapter 319: The Prelude to Su Rao's Descent into Darkness (VII)

The morning sky, without the morning sun, had not yet turned gloomy. However, by the afternoon, dark clouds gathered overhead, creating a heavy, oppressive atmosphere, as if the heavens had condensed into a dark mass.

On the first day of the Beginning of Autumn, the cloudy sky seemed to underscore the desolation in the mountains. It was as if the heavens had changed to reflect the somber mood.

From warmth to coldness.

At this moment…

In Qingfeng Garden, a secluded residence, the bamboo forest behind the mountain swayed and rustled in the wind, with bamboo leaves dancing gracefully in the wind.

Yet, amidst this beautiful nature, there was an incongruous scene.

A mound of earth formed the grave. The grave of Qin Niang and Uncle Hao was located within this bamboo forest.

The woman in red, holding a sharp dagger, carved the tombstones for Qin Niang and Uncle Hao, letter by letter.

After finishing the tombstones, she placed them in front of the graves and quietly knelt down.

Her red dress was now dirtied at the knees.

Soiled and dirty.

Beside her, Yue Hua stood silently, offering no words of persuasion or comfort.

Only when the sky above the forest had darkened completely did a faint, hoarse voice emerge from her pale lips:

"Rao Rao, stop kneeling; you'll hurt your knees..."

"Yun Ji, if you insist on helping me, even if my Su family remains unharmed and we can remain safe, I will not let this go. The Rao Rao in your heart should have vanished ten years ago. It was Qin Niang and Uncle Hao who preserved her."

Su Rao then turned her gaze towards Yun Ji, her peach blossom eyes calm, yet the darkness within was more intense than the overcast sky above, enveloping Su Rao's entire heart—a heart that had already turned dark.

"Qin Niang and Uncle Hao must not have died in vain. They were the only traces of Rao Rao's existence in this world during the past decade. They granted her a decade of rebirth..."

Without Qin Niang and Uncle Hao, she would have perished in the snowy night of slaughter, buried in the flames with her mother.

Ten years ago…

The door of the secret passage closed bit by bit. The pitch-black darkness, illuminated by the firelight, revealed the peach blossom eyes of Qin Rao, filled not with the graceful charm of anticipation, but with clear, large teardrops, rolling down her fair and tender face.

Her peach blossom eyes were wide open, tears blurring her vision but not her view of the imperial consort in the hall. As she watched her mother being consumed by the flames, the closing door of the secret passage could not obstruct Qin Rao's fiery gaze.

Her small body trembled uncontrollably, held in Uncle Hao's arms. His large hand covered Qin Rao's mouth to prevent her from crying out. But Qin Rao did not cry, not a single sound. Her small hands clung tightly to Uncle Hao's brocade robe, white-knuckled.

"Brother Hao, we must leave. If we don't, it will be hard to escape once the sky brightens."

Qin Niang, holding a pigeon-egg-sized night pearl, added a bit of light to the dark passage, just enough to make out the path, illuminating the transparent peach blossom eyes of Qin Rao in Uncle Hao's arms, devoid of any childlike innocence.

"Rao Rao, be good. Uncle Hao will safely take you out."

Looking at Qin Rao in his arms, Uncle Hao lowered his hand that was covering her mouth, gently wiped away her tears with the weak light of the night pearl, then hugged her tightly and walked down the steps of the secret passage with Qin Niang.

The secret passage of the Great Qin palace was intricate, with many twists and turns, making it unclear which path led out of the palace.

"Rao Rao, which way should we go?"

They had passed through many intersections, and finally, Hao Shu had to ask Qin Rao. They couldn't afford to stay in the Great Qin palace any longer.

The longer they stayed, the greater the danger would be.

Hao Shu asked, but there was no response for a long, long time.

Hao Shu and Qin Niang exchanged a glance.

Burning worry filled their eyes.

What should they do?

"Rao Rao..."

Qin Niang called again, and only then did Qin Rao in Hao Shu's arms respond, a glimmer of light appearing in her peach blossom eyes.

"Rao Rao wants to go to the Luangtian Hall. Rao Rao wants to see Father. Rao Rao wants to... know whose hands are stained with Father's blood. Rao Rao wants to know who it is?"

The childlike yet terrifyingly calm voice sent chills down their spines.

"Rao Rao..."

Qin Niang tried to stop her, but Hao Shu shook his head.

"Alright, Rao Rao, Uncle Hao can take you there, but you must promise me that no matter what you see, you won't make a single sound."

Qin Rao nodded stiffly, her small arm raising to point towards the secret passage leading to the Luangtian Hall, not crying or making a fuss, completely unlike a five-year-old child.

The three continued on their way.

Even in the secret passage, they could hear the sounds of slaughter and screams of agony from outside, the anguished cries echoing through the sky, the clash of weapons, the sound of flesh tearing, all clearly indicating the massacre within the Great Qin palace, this inhumane slaughter.

As they emerged from the passage, they hid in a dark, concealed corner beside the palace walls.

Father's death, like Mother's, was burned into Qin Rao's already bloodshot peach blossom eyes.

The area around her eyes turned a deeper crimson, the natural flush at the corners of her eyes now a vivid scarlet, as if stained by Father's blood.

Her gaze was fixed on the man holding the long sword who had just beheaded Father.

Snow drifted in the air, and the fires around them cast a vivid light on Yun Yu's face.

His appearance was handsome and gentle, a rare beauty in the world.

Memorable at first sight.

On the blood-drenched sword in his hand, drops of blood fell one by one—Father's blood, the blood of countless Great Qin soldiers.

Hao Shu, standing behind Qin Rao, tightly clenched his weathered big hand.

"Rao Rao, we have to go now, really go. You must live, and listen to your Father and Mother's words to live well. Don't let hatred destroy you."

In one breath, Hao Shu picked up Qin Rao to return to the secret passage, but at that moment, a beam of light headed towards them.

The fire illuminated the dark corner where Hao Shu and Qin Rao were hiding, and Hao Shu quickly covered Qin Rao's mouth again, swiftly dodging to the other side of the palace wall, his back pressed tightly against the wall.

The ground beneath them was soaked in crimson, the original white of the snow long obscured by the rivers of blood flowing.

The bitter winter wind howled, sweeping and swirling fiercely.

As the firelight drew closer, Uncle Hao's brows were tightly knitted in tension.

He held his breath and focused intently.

His entire demeanor was tense.

Just as they were about to be discovered, at the last moment, a sudden scream echoed. The torch fell, casting light on Qin Niang's satin shoes stepping through the bloodstained earth.

"The approaching rebel collapsed and died instantly. Qin Niang stepped out from behind him, her hands stained with blood. A woman who had never killed before, yet now her hands were stained red with blood. Once a noble lady of the Yun Lang principality, she had fled the Great Qin palace for my sake..."

She softly recounted how she had escaped from the Great Qin palace, and how Qin Niang and Uncle Hao had helped her flee. This made Su Rao's almond eyes sting painfully again, her eyes now bloodshot.

After kneeling for too long, her legs and feet were now so numb, as if pricked by a thousand needles, yet Su Rao felt no pain or discomfort.

Approaching Yun Ji, they stood face to face. She spoke again, "Yun Ji, helping me will cost your Uncle Royal his life. Is this a price you are willing to pay? Do you still insist on helping?"