Chapter 210 - 208: Lu Ying, Why Did You Save Me?

Words : 1421 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

A slender figure clad in white gracefully descended from the palms of the Lamp Sea Bodhisattva, like a fragile, mournful white bird drifting in despair. A blast of heated wind whistled past her ears. In an instant, flames engulfed her. The massive wooden framework collapsed with a deafening roar, producing a series of thunderous tremors. Amid the scorching cacophony, the girl’s heart remained eerily tranquil. In her mind’s eye, an old childhood lullaby her mother used to hum flickered forth— "The crescent moon shines over the nine realms, Some families rejoice, while others agonize. Some couples share the warmth of a quilted tent, While others drift to the corners of the world..." As a child, her father was always guarding the border, and years would pass before he could return home even once. She cried endlessly, pleading for her father. Spring nights were adorned with swaying floral shadows. Her mother held her close, sitting on the moonlit veranda, smiling softly as she pointed at the moon up high: "Baby, does the moon look round tonight?" She nestled in her mother’s embrace, murmuring in her childish voice, "The moon is round..." "When Baby looks at the moon, so does Father. If Baby has anything to say to Father, just whisper it to the moon, and Father will hear." She blinked her eyes, clasped her chubby little hands together, and said to the moon, "Dear Moon, I miss Father. I want him to come back to see me and Mother..." That year, she was just three years old. She was unusually precocious for her age; though only three, she already knew her mother was lying. The moon was so distant, so cold—it could never carry her thoughts to her father. But seeing the wet redness in her mother’s eyes, she pretended to be innocent and naive, theatrically making a wish to the moon. The moon... Shen Yinning opened her eyes. Right above her, the sky-filling blaze had been pierced by the wind and rain, leaving an opening. What a pity. Tonight there was rain, and no sight of the bright moon. She wanted to say one more message to the moon, but could no longer do so. A teardrop slid from the corner of the girl’s eye, vanishing into the heated air. Heaven refused to assist her. No god in this world would listen to her prayers— A sudden gust of sharp wind roared from behind! Shen Yinning instinctively turned around. Silver reins gleamed atop a white horse, galloping swiftly as a shooting star! The mighty steed carried the Crown Prince, who dashed across the sea of flames! He wore a tight-sleeved robe of jet black gilded with golden patterns, billowing violently in the wind. The crafted leather strap accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist, while the black-and-gold coiled dragon and ivory crown added to his commanding aura. His golden, jade-like, and dignified features bore an austere crimson fury. Where he passed, the gust whistled mightily, forcing even the arrogant flames to cower and retreat, as if bowing in submission! A broad hand clasped Shen Yinning’s waist, pulling her tightly into his embrace. Behind them, the framework collapsed further, and billowing black smoke surged into the sky. The white jade lion charged through the blaze, like a meteor chasing time and fate, its snowy figure streaking past, neighing as it burst out of the inferno! ... "Pure and gentle white fox, Majestic nine tails intertwined. Harmony within the household, My joy and prosperity abound..." When Lu Ying was fifteen, Shen Yinning was merely twelve years old. During the Lantern Festival, the Capital gleamed as brightly as day. The budding young girl wore a wooden fox mask, paired with a snow-white cross-collared, waist-tied curved hem gown. Her smooth raven-black hair was tied with a red ribbon at her waist, and her tender, willow-like figure was supple and graceful. She stood on a floral stage within the parade, dancing to the beat of drums in a ceremonial prayer ritual. Her dancing was mesmerizing. Noble sons chased after the parade, captivated by her elegance. That year, Shen Yinning had only just blossomed into adolescence, and with a single prayer dance, she won the title of "Capital’s First Beauty," drawing throngs of spectators in awe. That evening, the festive atmosphere reached a fever pitch. A deranged aristocrat, overwhelmed by infatuation, stormed into the parade with over a hundred servants, determined to seize her by force without regard for anything. Nobody had foreseen such chaos. The Imperial Guard could not arrive in time, the parade was scattered, and citizens began rioting. The men carrying the floral stage were stabbed, and the goddess-like girl screamed as she toppled from her elevated platform. The fox mask shattered into two pieces upon hitting the ground. The girl’s flushed cheeks and snow-white skin, framed by a few messy strands of black hair, made her seem helpless and pitiful. She huddled vulnerably on the ground, her gaze bright yet frightened, looking around in panic like a startled fawn. Some wicked men took advantage of the chaos, reaching out their hands toward her. Morality crumbled, music and propriety destroyed. Lu Ying did not intend to intervene. Yet, watching those deranged men fight over the girl, tearing at her collar and robes, and her despairing lack of escape, he still chose to act. His Kung Fu was excellent. With a narrow blade in hand, he effortlessly drove away the lunatics, picked up the girl with one arm, and escaped from Eighteen District Street, which had descended into complete anarchy. He carried Shen Yinning to the desolate riverside path by the city walls, watching as she turned her back to him, tidying her garments. She raised a hand to fix her hair, exposing the back of her neck. Pale and slender, graceful and refined. Lu Ying averted his gaze from her, unconsciously staring at the water’s surface instead. The rippling water reflected the girl, now tying the ribbons on her curved hem gown after having fixed her hair. Her delicate waist moved lightly, and her exposed bosom resembled a tender flower bud, barely beginning to bloom. Lu Ying’s gaze darkened, his throat dry. The fifteen-year-old boy had never thought about love, had never thought about women. Yet tonight, for the first time, he realized how soft and alluring a woman could be... "Thank you for saving me." Shen Yinning finally finished adjusting her dress, turned around, and expressed her gratitude, her childlike face flushed with red, her voice delicate and sweet like a young oriole. Lu Ying remained silent, handing her the broken fox mask. Shen Yinning reached out to take it. Their fingertips touched briefly, and he felt an inexplicable heat. The touch burned him, reddening his ears. He disliked Shen Yinning’s usual arrogance and recklessness. Rescuing her was simply an act of kindness, and he had planned to leave straight away. Yet in that moment, compelled by some unknown force, he said, "I’ll take you home." That night, as he lay in his palace bed, Shen Yinning’s silhouette lingered in his thoughts incessantly. Suddenly, he realized: he had to have her. He had to take her from Lu Shiyan. ... Water and fire swept through the Capital. Far away from the inferno that consumed the Lamp Sea Bodhisattva, the white jade lion finally slowed its pace, snorting and shaking off the ash clinging to its mane, carrying the pair down the dark and desolate northern streets, shrouded by the cold, unending rain. Shen Yinning wiped her face, her voice hoarse: "Lu Ying..." Lu Ying embraced her from behind. His chiseled, handsome face remained hidden in the shadows, his thin lips and jawline clenched tightly, and the deep shadows of his brow bone and nose bridge made him appear stern and unapproachable. One hand gripped the reins while the other supported Shen Yinning’s slim waist, responding with a low "hm." Rain mist blew into Shen Yinning’s eyes. She rubbed at them, questioning: "Why did you save me?" Why save her? Lu Ying’s dark eyes seemed frozen over with snow and ice. The moment he saw the Lamp Sea Bodhisattva aflame, only one thought filled his mind: Shen Yinning cannot die. She must not die... He fell silent for a long while before answering in a deep voice: "Tonight’s incident has grown too severe. Someone must account for it." "Account for it..." Shen Yinning let out a self-deprecating smile, her red lips curling mockingly. "So you saved me to deliver me to the Emperor for accountability."

Chapter 210 - 208: Lu Ying, Why Did You Save Me?

Comments (0)