FRGNM -Chapter 147 Tightly Enveloping Him

She closed her eyes and listened intently. Wave after wave of the sea crashed against the rocks, erupting into furious roars, as if venting something long suppressed. The heavy sound pressed down on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

Her long eyelashes trembled. When she opened her eyes again, the darkness before her was even deeper than when her eyes had been shut—there was not the slightest trace of light.

Suddenly, the sky ahead lit up. Or rather, someone carrying a different color appeared in her world. Silver-white robes glimmered faintly as the man standing in the darkness smiled lightly. But in the very next instant, all those smiles vanished into nothingness.

Immediately after, countless black vines wrapped tightly around his body, like demons pulling and tearing at him, binding him layer upon layer with merciless cruelty.

Yet his face remained expressionless. He merely extended his right hand forward, as if trying to grasp something, moving ahead blindly, probing.

“Luo Mingyu!” Instinctively, she reached out, wanting to seize that hand. But her hand passed straight through his. In that instant, the cold was more unbearable than a sunless land, as though she had touched the familiar aura of death. She could only watch as he was swallowed by something like aged tree bark, leaving just one eye exposed—filled with despair, sorrow, and helplessness as it stared ahead.

She jolted awake. Ling Ruoxi realized she had been drenched in cold sweat. Her small face was still deathly pale, without the slightest hint of color. She knew that every dream was a warning of something. The last time, it had been Huangfu Xuan falling off a cliff, covered in blood, begging her for help. This time, she had seen Luo Mingyu being devoured by the very thing inside his own body!

No—where is Luo Mingyu?!

Throwing off the blanket, Ling Ruoxi hurriedly put on her shoes.

“Mother!” A childish voice echoed as the door was suddenly pushed open. Both children had swollen, tearful eyes, but when they saw her stand up, they rushed over at once. Each hugged one of her legs, choking back sobs. “Mother’s fine now… Mother’s fine now…”

“Yizhui, Yimeng—you’re back.” Ling Ruoxi squatted down and pulled the two children into her arms. At that moment, her voice was hoarse. As long as the children were safe, that was all that mattered. Her precious ones could not be allowed to suffer any harm.

Wiping her tears, Yimeng sobbed softly. “Mother, what exactly is going on? We were suddenly sent to the academy, then Grandpa Headmaster took us to another island. Then we were surrounded and attacked by a group of people, and Grandpa Headmaster was badly injured. Now lots of people are attacking the place where Father is. Then Uncle Tang brought us out again. Where is this place? And who is that really handsome uncle?”

“It’s all right now. Everything is fine,” Ling Ruoxi forced herself to smile faintly, though she had no idea how ugly that smile looked. She truly couldn’t smile.

Clapping his hands, the man standing outside the door smiled lightly. Holding two skewers of candied hawthorns, he handed them to the children. “Yizhui, Yimeng, you two go find your uncle first. It won’t be long before your Father Huangfu and Father Fang Xu arrive as well. I’ve already sent out invitations—there’s no reason for them not to come.”

“No, we want to stay with Mother,” Yimeng pouted. She hadn’t seen her mother for a long time and didn’t want to leave.

Yizhui also hugged Ling Ruoxi tightly and glared fiercely at the King of Eastern Capital. “No. We’re staying with Mother. Father is guarding the island at the front so it won’t fall—isn’t that to protect Mother in the rear? I’ll help Father take care of Mother and won’t let anyone hurt her!”

“You’re pretty sharp for such a little one,” the King of Eastern Capital chuckled, reaching out to rub Yizhui’s head.

Then he looked straight at Ling Ruoxi and smiled faintly. “Ruoxi, congratulations—you’ve finally woken up. But don’t be happy too soon. I just received word that Qingyi still couldn’t stop Luo Mingyu. He has gone to the Evil King Cave.”

“The Evil King Cave?” Thinking of that eerie dream, Ling Ruoxi broke out in cold sweat all over. She quickly grabbed the King of Eastern Capital’s sleeve. “Tell me—what kind of place is the Evil King Cave?”

“When humanity’s greed, ugliness, and desire combine into one,” the King of Eastern Capital said calmly, “that person becomes unimaginably hideous. But human death doesn’t cause those things to disappear—just like the little thing in your storage ring, which was born from human death. The Evil King Cave is a cavern where all of humanity’s desires gather. When a human enters it, his ruthlessness and desires will instantly be amplified tens of thousands of times—until he is no longer himself.”

The King of Eastern Capital continued with a smile. “You might blame Luo Mingyu for lacking gentleness, for being too domineering, even cold and willful. But how much do you really know about him? Do you know how much he’s lost to reach this point? You only learned a few days ago that his parents were killed by Qiongyu Immortal Island, didn’t you?”

“Luo Mingyu has paid an enormous price to get where he is today. He personally witnessed a woman who loved him die for his sake. Even if he didn’t show it, he was deeply shaken. Because he once mistakenly entered the Evil King Island, his desires were magnified severalfold. That’s why he tends to act extremely—but afterward, he often regrets it. What you see as his dominance and ferocity is actually his way of protecting you. He cannot be too gentle—because gentleness would awaken his own desires, and once amplified tens of thousands of times, he would personally kill you!”

With a wave of his hand, the vase in front of them exploded.

Still smiling faintly, the King of Eastern Capital stood there, his lips curving slightly upward. His eyes half-closed as he continued, “And now, for your sake, he has entered the Evil King Cave again. Because beyond endless desire lies the reward for those who pass the trial. One day inside grants a hundred years of cultivation outside. Tempting, isn’t it? The last time Luo Mingyu entered, he stayed just over half a day and gained sixty years of power—but it took him several hundred years to suppress the desires within his body afterward. If it were you, what would you do?”

Ling Ruoxi stood there, utterly stunned. Her dull eyes stared ahead, not knowing what to say or do. Her hands were clenched tightly, and she had bitten her lip until it split.

What she had seen was real. That man—he would eventually cease to be himself, swallowed by those black things. In the end, she wouldn’t even be able to touch him—only see that terrifying eye.

“What should I do? What am I supposed to do?” She slowly lifted her head to look at the man before her. Luo Mingyu had already gone to the Evil King Cave—and she? She had no Dou Qi at all. Even the excuse of marrying the King of Eastern Capital had been a lie.

She had to go to Qiongyu Immortal Island. To rescue her mother trapped in the Realm of Limitlessness, she first had to recover her Dou Qi. Breaking the Three Talents Formation in her body was the key. Searching for Hetian jade was nothing more than a stopgap.

Lifting his teacup, the King of Eastern Capital took a light sip of the fragrant tea and smiled. “Ruoxi, you’re very smart—but also very foolish. Matters of the heart have controlled you, making you childish and irrational. But now that Luo Mingyu has left, you should regain your clarity. Open your eyes. Relax your mind. Let your whole body relax—and you’ll know what to do.”

“In my Eastern Capital Kingdom, there are the Hundred Caves. According to the elders, the highest-level mental cultivation methods are hidden there. Combined with the poison scripture within your body, they can form the most powerful killing formations. The poison scripture itself is something people dare not touch lightly. As for Hetian jade and the Hundred Caves—do as you please. In three days, your senior brother, Fang Xu, and Huangfu Xuan will arrive. As for the children, I’ll help you educate them.”

Placing a hand on the two children’s heads, the King of Eastern Capital smiled lightly.

That smile was like a tranquilizer, finally calming Ling Ruoxi. A sharp light flashed in her dark eyes as she asked coldly, “King of Eastern Capital, Li Yi—who exactly are you?”

Why did his smile make her feel as though he knew everything under heaven, able to face even the greatest calamity with ease? A man who revealed none of his inner thoughts was truly terrifying.

Yizhui and Yimeng didn’t resist at all, allowing Li Yi to pat their heads. He merely smiled casually. “Who am I? Don’t you know best? I am the King of Eastern Capital. Remember this—I don’t follow conventional rules. I help whoever I want. Perhaps in a few years, I might even help Qiongyu Immortal Island. The world is unpredictable—how could you possibly know what I want to do?”

“You…” Ling Ruoxi froze, never expecting him to say such a thing. Her brow furrowed even more deeply.

The world is unpredictable. Those four words pierced her heart like blades. If not for the unpredictability of fate, she wouldn’t be in this state now.

What a line—the world is unpredictable.

Calmly smiling, Ling Ruoxi clenched her hands and said in a low voice, “I agree. In three days, I’ll set out to search for Hetian jade. After that, I’ll go to the Hundred Caves.”

“Is that so? As you wish.” The King of Eastern Capital smiled faintly. “Then in three days, I’ll send someone to escort you—and your children—for a final farewell.”

“Mother, where are you going?” Yizhui sensed something was wrong. The strange uncle’s words sounded like a final goodbye. Their father’s island was under attack, and they hadn’t seen either of them lately. What had happened between them?

Ling Ruoxi stroked Yizhui’s head, not knowing how to explain things to the children. She only smiled faintly. “Yizhui, Yimeng—do you remember what Mother once told you? When people die, they turn into stars in the sky, always watching over and protecting you. Mother once lied to you, saying your grandmother had already passed away—but she’s still alive. Do you want to see your grandmother?”

“Yes!” Yizhui and Yimeng nodded at the same time. How could they not want to?

Whenever they saw other children with fathers, grandfathers, and grandmothers, they only had their mother. They had always believed that their grandparents had turned into stars in the sky—so whenever they felt lonely, they would look up at the stars, searching for which one might be their grandparents.