Chapter 354: A Love That Defies Fate

Shang Qinghua had no way to change people’s hearts or draw those officials to his side.

He did not complain.

Instead, he simply used the power of The Black Archon to raze to the ground every place where those officials had gathered.

Shang Qinghua’s strength was undeniably formidable.

It did not take long for him to suppress the officials who supported Rong Zishen, dealing with them one by one. But he knew very well that all of this came at a cost.

“At last, everything has been cleared up—Gongsun Xing, where is Gongsun Xing?”

“With Wang Jian protecting him, Gongsun Xing will be fine,” Shang Qinghua replied calmly.

Sure enough, although Gongsun Xing’s martial skills were not particularly strong, with Wang Jian guarding him at his side, he had not suffered even the slightest injury.

“Every time something this dangerous happens, I end up troubling you again.”

“Well, who told you to be Gongsun Xing?” Wang Jian said with a wicked smile.

Seeing that both of them were safe, Yue Mingxuan finally felt a measure of relief.

“By the way, is your imperial father alright?” Yue Mingxuan assumed that Shang Qinghua would have arranged proper protection for the old emperor, which was why he asked.

Shang Qinghua nodded. “There are many people attending to Father. Still, with the unrest, it’s hard to say how his health is holding up.”

It was indeed a serious concern.

The old emperor’s health had never been particularly good to begin with.

If he were agitated under these circumstances, there was a real chance his old illness might relapse.

Even so, Shang Qinghua had stationed a large number of guards around him for protection, so nothing should happen for the time being.

“Let’s go check on him quickly!”

Shang Qinghua immediately took Yue Mingxuan along to see him.

But when they arrived, they found someone already standing beside the old emperor.

The man carried an air of transcendence and almost like an immortal, Yue Mingxuan thought to himself.

“Master?”

The moment Shang Qinghua saw him, even his usual composure faltered, and he spoke in clear astonishment.

That man was none other than his master, Liang Ruwen.

“Master, why are you here?”

Just moments ago, Shang Qinghua had been holding Yue Mingxuan’s hand.

As if suddenly remembering something, he quickly let go.

This time, his master must have come because he had heard about him and Yue Mingxuan.

From the moment he was born, he had been destined to marry that Imperator Jin.

Yet twenty years had passed in the blink of an eye, and he still had not found where the Imperator Jin was.

“And you still have the nerve to ask? I came precisely to stop the two of you,” the man said coldly.

His name was Liang Ruwen, Shang Qinghua’s master, and the debt Shang Qinghua owed him ran even deeper than what he owed the Emperor of Xieshang.

When he was young, Shang Qinghua had always been treated like a son by the Emperor of Xieshang.

However, the emperor himself was not particularly capable.

He had taken Shang Qinghua in, but he could not teach him martial arts or cultivation techniques, nor could he ensure that Shang Qinghua would navigate the treacherous palace safely.

But his master was different.

Shang Qinghua’s master, Liang Ruwen, was a man of extraordinary talent.

His abilities were not only reflected in poetry and literature, but also in martial arts.

When he taught Shang Qinghua, he did so with great care and skill.

A large part of Shang Qinghua’s achievements today was due to his guidance.

Liang Ruwen had passed on everything he knew to Shang Qinghua and Shang Qinghua was deeply grateful to him. Yet at this moment, he had no intention of obeying him, nor did he wish to search for Imperator Jin.

“No matter who that person is, you can only marry the Imperator Jin.” After saying this, Liang Ruwen lifted his head, intending to take a look at Yue Mingxuan.

However, he found that Yue Mingxuan had already shaken off Shang Qinghua’s hand and run out.

“Master, it wasn’t easy for me to make Mingxuan like me!” Shang Qinghua said anxiously.

Yue Mingxuan had never liked him to begin with.

Only after everything they had gone through had he reluctantly begun to open his heart.

Now that his master had appeared like this, all his previous efforts had been undone.

“That is even better. As the leader of the Black Archon, you were never meant to fall for anyone. Loving someone else is wrong to begin with,” Liang Ruwen replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Shang Qinghua let out a sigh.

He could not change his master’s way of thinking, just as his master could not change his.

The Black Archon was not an organization that existed for the sake of a single person.

That much, he understood very clearly.

But he still wanted to take one last gamble. He wanted to resist, even if only once. He wanted to fight it through to the end. He truly cared for Yue Mingxuan and had no desire to give him up.

“Master, I cannot obey!” Shang Qinghua lifted his head and turned to chase after Yue Mingxuan.

It was the first time he had ever defied his master’s orders.

He had always been obedient, never once going against his master in anything. But for Yue Mingxuan, he could not endure it any longer.

He had worked so hard to make Yue Mingxuan return his feelings, yet with a single sentence from his master, everything had fallen apart.

He could not accept that.

“Mingxuan, Mingxuan!” Shang Qinghua searched everywhere, and at last found him in a small corner.

Yue Mingxuan’s face was frighteningly calm.

Shang Qinghua panicked and quickly reached out to touch his forehead, only for Yue Mingxuan to slap his hand away.

“Mingxuan!”

“I am not an object. My feelings are not something anyone can control. If he wants to separate us, that is impossible.” Yue Mingxuan let out a cold laugh. “But you do not have the ability to resist him either.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep