Volume Three: Unbound Freedom Chapter 109

Her impression of Jin Li was much the same as that of the Empress Dowager, yet with subtle differences. As for this city lord, her first impression was quite favorable—at least better than that of the Empress Dowager.

“Are you the one Simu has taken a liking to?” The city lord asked casually, her gaze lazily resting on Jin Li as she spoke.

How could Jin Li say no? She had never even met him—there was no way she could have known or liked him.

A faint curve appeared at the corner of Jin Li’s lips. “Yes.”

She had no choice but to admit it. Then, sensing it might sound improper, she hastened to add, “But I have never seen him before. I wonder if there might be some misunderstanding?”

The city lord paid no mind to whether they were acquainted and ignored Jin Li’s words. She proceeded, “What is your name? Where do you come from?”

Did she really think she was some outsider? How could she be so reckless?

Something wasn’t right.

“My given name is Jin. You may call me Ah Jin, City Lord. As for my origins, have you ever heard of Lianchuan?”

No sooner had she spoken these words than murmurs rose among the officials gathered in the hall. Though quiet, the stir was significant. She saw the city lord’s eyes flicker, then the lord fixed her gaze on her with a faint, knowing smile. “Of course. The Lianchuan Sovereign residing there is a rare female ruler in all the Eight Seas and Four Desolations.”

Then she asked abruptly, “What is your relationship with the Sovereign?”

Jin Li smiled calmly. “No relation at all. I have only heard the title of the Sovereign. I, a humble immortal, reside in Pear Blossom Valley, nothing more than a trifling mountain sprite.”

She did not notice the shadowed figure beside the city lord—the inscrutable man whose eyes darkened with an unfathomable depth at that moment, the murky gaze suddenly profound beyond measure.

The city lord looked at this woman before her, whose appearance was nothing remarkable, hardly worthy of the phrase “grace and elegance.” Gradually, she relaxed her vigilance.

Everyone in the Eight Seas and Four Desolations knew that the Lianchuan Sovereign rarely ventured outside, never receiving a single formal visitation for centuries. Those who had seen her face were compelled to call her unparalleled in grace and talent, a banished immortal unmatched in heaven and earth.

How could she compare to this ordinary young woman before her? Just now, she had thought this composed and unruffled woman was the Sovereign herself. Reflecting on it, that was quite absurd.

The city lord let out a soft laugh.

Jin Li, puzzled, saw her smile and felt a weight secretly lift from her heart.

Fortunately, she had the Beauty Ease Pearl with her.

“Ah Jin, I do not care what your previous status was. Once you enter this city lord’s mansion, you are a sovereign, the monarch of Simu. I hope you will abandon your past and treat Simu with sincere kindness.” She paused, then added, “Moreover, your wedding shall be held three days from now.”

“City Lord, shouldn’t you ask if I have a beloved?” Jin Li asked.

The city lord’s face twisted into a look as if she’d heard the most ridiculous joke, disdain flickering in her eyes. “That is not important.”

Not important? After all, Simu was her own child, yet she showed no concern for his happiness or well-being.

A mother like that was indeed a rare sight.

After the city lord left, the officials in the hall offered perfunctory congratulations.

There were many of them, and Jin Li’s eyes grew dazzled, but later that night in her chamber, she remembered one clearly.

She recalled what she had said that day: “Congratulations, Your Highness. Simu is devoted to you. I hope you will not disappoint him.”

Devoted? It was all a pretense.

She had overheard from the women’s gossip that Simu was deeply unloved, even banished from the ancient city of Shanjing as a child. Only upon reaching adulthood was he recalled, yet still remained unloved by the city lord, barely recognized as a true sovereign. The people of the city referred to him as “lord” with contempt and scorn.

An unloved man, physically weak, surviving in the male-oppressed Shanjing city was already a stroke of luck. Moreover, there was Simu’s favored and powerful cousin, Lord Sinian, whose noble status cast a shadow of disparity. It was truly a pitiful contrast.

Jin Li could not help but feel some sympathy for Simu.

After dinner, the city lord’s female attendants informed her that she was forbidden from meeting Simu before the wedding.

Yet Jin Li never imagined someone would go to such lengths to prevent their engagement.

She had just taken a stroll around the vast city lord’s mansion, hoping to find a clue to the whereabouts of the Kunlun Mirror. Returning to her residence, she saw a shadow dart into her room.

Suspicious, she formed a plan.

She stepped lightly to the eaves, gently lifting a tile, and with a finger, let immortal light flow inside. Instantly, a puppet appeared on the bed, indistinguishable from a living person—even appearing to breathe.

She wanted to see what that shadow intended.

The dark figure crept to the bedside and suddenly thrust a cold gleaming sword deep into her abdomen. The bedclothes were instantly soaked in blood. Through her phoenix pupils, Jin Li confirmed the attacker’s deadly intent.

She sneered contemptuously. “Is that all?”

She watched as the figure quickly retreated from the room.

The moonlight grew clearer, parting the clouds and shining through the window onto her bed.

She saw the blood.

The pure moonlight draped over her shoulders like a delicate veil as she rose to leave, only to hear a low voice beside her:

“Finished watching?”

Her heart tensed; she reached for her Beauty Ease Pearl but realized it was inside the room. She turned her face aside, the voice whispering close by—surely it could not perceive her features.

“Not bad,” she replied.

Before she could finish, the figure struck fiercely. Jin Li was startled—were they working together? She twisted aside just in time. Their eyes met; those eyes were chillingly cold, expressionless, yet to Jin Li, they felt uncannily familiar.

The attacker struck again. She dodged, bent low, and kicked, landing a blow to the abdomen. The figure staggered back several steps. Though divine, Jin Li admired his resilience—an ordinary person would not withstand such a kick.

A sly glint flashed in the young girl’s clear eyes. She stepped lightly on the wind, instantly appearing behind him, and with a finger pressed a vital point.

The man froze.

Not a word escaped his lips.

She stepped before him, laughing softly. “Tonight it might rain. This curse I cannot lift—you’ll have to fend for yourself.”

With that, she swept her sleeve and vanished from the eaves.

Landing gracefully, she smoothed her sleeves and glanced back. In the cold moonlight, the man’s figure stood atop the eaves. She saw distant clouds gathering, faint flashes of lightning.

Never before had the gods of thunder and rain seemed so endearing.

In high spirits, she tidied the disarrayed bed before settling down contentedly to sleep.

The next morning, she was roused by the noisy clamor outside. It felt as if she had scarcely slept before dawn. Still tired, she was somewhat irritable.

Tucking away the Beauty Ease Pearl, she washed her face and styled her hair simply. Gazing into the mirror at her unfamiliar face—round, soft, somewhat charming—she approached the door.

Just as she reached to open it, she heard the voice of the Second Princess.

“What kind of charm does this Third Young Master possess? How is it that the bride falls ill so soon after the engagement has barely begun?”

Her tone was sharp, tinged with schadenfreude.

“Second Sister, be careful with your words,” the Eldest Princess replied in a calm, measured voice.

Yet the calm was strange—how could anyone remain so composed when someone in the city lord’s mansion had died so suddenly?

What would they think of her sudden appearance?

“But it’s strange indeed—where is the young uncle? Why hasn’t he come?”

“Lord Sinian caught a chill and is resting in the mansion,” came the reply.

“Second Sister, you know everything—even about the young uncle’s illness.”

“Second Sister, you are overthinking.”

The Second Princess snorted coldly. Then the group discussed entering the room.

Jin Li smiled inwardly and opened the door with ease.

At once, panic erupted. Some screamed.

“Ah! A ghost!”

Jin Li’s lips curved knowingly. “A ghost? What ghost? How could there be ghosts in the city lord’s mansion?”

She smiled, observing the expressions of the Eldest and Second Princesses.

The Eldest Princess’s eyes showed no ripple, even irritation at the outburst. She turned her head and said, “No loud noises in the mansion. Take her away and give one hundred lashes.”

The Second Princess’s eyes flashed with alarm but soon returned to normal.

“Then why did the sovereign stage a ruse and deceive us so?”

Jin Li stiffened and looked toward the speaker—a man named Lin Zhong, who stood beside the city lord.

He held his hands formally, his murky eyes cold but with a mocking smile that sent chills down the spine.

“I never said I was dead. Perhaps, sir, you have been misled by rumors?”

Lin Zhong’s smile was hollow. He adjusted his hands and bowed. “This servant was misled by rumors. Please forgive me, Your Highness.”

“No matter. I only just learned of it myself. I wonder from where these rumors originated?”

Lin Zhong dodged the question.

Jin Li’s suspicions about this man deepened.

She had intended to meet the city lord today but was told she must be summoned. So she planned to look around the mansion a bit more.

That afternoon, she was enjoying tea alone in the garden—a comfortable, leisurely moment—when she was interrupted.

Servants arrived, followed by some lavish crimson lacquered boxes.

No doubt they contained wedding garments.

“Can’t we try them on tonight?” she asked.

She detested interruptions during peaceful afternoons.

But given her low status as the bride, the servants showed no warmth.

“You should try them now, Your Highness. Tomorrow is the wedding day. If the garments don’t fit, we can alter them.”

Indeed, status made all the difference in the world.

Jin Li slammed down her teacup sharply.

A cold light flickered in her eyes.

“If the sovereign claims to have no time, then you may leave.”

Her voice was heavy with a nasal timbre.