Divine Emperor of Heavenly Destiny

Cheng Yunsu froze, extending her hands in confusion.

In the very next instant—

She shot to her feet in shock, staring at her hands over and over in disbelief.

Her skin was still pink and even stung a little, but the horrific burn scars had vanished.

WHOOSH...

Because she was so shocked, Cheng Yunsu had stood up too abruptly...

The cloak she had carelessly thrown on slipped off, revealing that the burns on her body had also completely disappeared. Like her hands, her skin was now pink and perfectly smooth.

Slowly, she lifted her head and stared at Lu Chao, unable to believe her eyes.

Lu Chao said with deep conviction, ”Xiao Su’er, next, I will restore your Heavenly Destiny Bone. I will make those who looked down on you regret it. I’ll let everyone know that you, Cheng Yunsu, are still the brightest pearl of them all.”

Her entire body trembling, she stammered, ”Am I... am I dreaming? Or am I already dead?”

Cheng Yunsu still couldn’t believe it. Everything happening felt like a dream.

She and Lu Chao locked eyes.

A sudden gust of wind blew in through the window, and the cool night air made her shiver.

Then, a sudden realization hit her. She glanced at Lu Chao, then down at herself, and her face instantly turned crimson. ”Ah!”

She let out a shriek, dropped into a squat, and curled up into a tight ball.

Startled, Lu Chao rushed forward. ”Xiao Su’er, what is it? Does something still hurt?”

Seeing Lu Chao rushing toward her, Cheng Yunsu cried out, ”You... you... Turn around!”

He froze...

Lu Chao stared at Cheng Yunsu’s beet-red face before it slowly dawned on him. He quickly turned his back once more.

He inwardly sighed in relief. ’As long as she’s not in pain.’ Then he heard the rustle of clothing as she dressed hastily behind him. Only when Cheng Yunsu was fully dressed did Lu Chao ask, ”Can I look at you now?”

Behind him, there was only utter silence...

...save for the sound of Cheng Yunsu’s ragged breathing. After a long, long moment, she managed a soft ”Mhm” in response.

At last, Lu Chao turned around again. In the dilapidated hut, bathed in moonlight, their eyes met and held...

For a moment, neither knew what to say.

But just as Lu Chao was about to speak... THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!

The sound of urgent footsteps approached outside the dilapidated hut. ”We haven’t searched in here,” a voice called out.

A cold glint flashed in Lu Chao’s eyes. In an instant, he swept Cheng Yunsu into his arms and leaped up into the rafters.

CRASH...

The door to the little hut was kicked open, and several members of a patrol burst inside.

After a quick inspection, one of them said coldly, ”They were here. They can’t have gotten far. Find them!”

However, another patrolman murmured, ”Captain, there’s no need to go to all that trouble. If they don’t show up by the appointed time, the Cheng Mansion will kill that good-for-nothing’s father anyway.”

The patrol captain hesitated for a moment upon hearing this. ”You’re right. We’ll just make it look good and get out of here.”

The other members nodded emphatically, and one of them spoke up...

”The captain’s right, we should leave quickly. I heard the guy is some evil being with a Life-taking Bone.”

”With other people’s Life-taking Bones, they’re the ones who are unlucky. But this guy... he seems to bring great misfortune to everyone else. We’re better off not running into him.”

At his words, the patrol stopped searching altogether and beat a hasty retreat.

In the hut, up in the rafters!

Cheng Yunsu pressed herself tightly into Lu Chao’s embrace. Only after the patrol had left did her voice tremble as she asked, ”Lu Chao, they’re going to kill my father?”

She had known that if she dared to escape, her father, Cheng Chuming, would be severely punished by her grandfather.

But she had never imagined they would actually kill him.

A cold light flashed in Lu Chao’s eyes. ”Don’t worry,” he replied. ”We’ll just go back to the Cheng Mansion.”

Her body gave a slight tremble. She looked up sharply and said with hesitation, ”Lu Chao, maybe... maybe I should go back alone.”

’The Cheng Mansion must be a lion’s den right now.’

”Our wedding is tomorrow. You’re going to be my wife. How could I possibly let you go back alone?”

”Huh? I... I never said yes.”

”Just now, I saw your...”

”Don’t say it...”

After a long pause, peace returned to the small hut. Up in the rafters, Cheng Yunsu found herself lying in Lu Chao’s arms.

Lu Chao said softly, ”Xiao Su’er, let’s go back to the Cheng Mansion together, alright?”

Cheng Yunsu’s voice was barely a whisper. ”But Lu Chao... you have your own deep-seated vengeance to seek. Is this really worth it, for my sake?”

Gazing at the starry sky outside the window, Lu Chao’s expression remained unchanged...

”Without you, there would be no me.”

”When I was a lonely, wandering soul, I saw everything. I saw you being burned by the raging flames.”

Cheng Yunsu’s heart trembled. So that was why Lu Chao had come for her. He had seen everything.

”In this entire world, you were the only one who believed I was wronged.”

”Of course I’ll have my revenge, but you are more important.”

With that, Lu Chao leaped down from the rafters with Cheng Yunsu. He then opened his hand and extended it toward her.

Tears welled in Cheng Yunsu’s eyes as she finally reached out and took his hand.

Then, Lu Chao asked, ”Xiao Su’er, do you look down on me for having the Life-taking Bone?”

Lifting her head, Cheng Yunsu shook it firmly. ”My mother told me that the Life-taking Bone is just an invisible shackle, created by people who fear its power. In essence, it’s no different from the Heavenly Destiny Bone.”

”And even if the Life-taking Bone truly is evil, that curse can be broken. I believe you can be the one to break it.”

She spoke without a hint of hesitation.

It was just as she’d told the Fire Phoenix Divine Emperor; even if Lu Chao had the Life-taking Bone, her conviction would not waver.

Suddenly, as if having made a monumental decision, Lu Chao... THUD.

He dropped to one knee. Under Cheng Yunsu’s shocked and bewildered gaze, he spoke with absolute resolve...

”With heaven and earth as my witness, I, Lu Chao, wish to take Cheng Yunsu as my wife. I will protect her for all my life, never leaving her side, sharing in both life and death.”

Stunned, Cheng Yunsu covered her mouth. After only a moment’s hesitation, she too dropped to her knees with a soft thud.

”With heaven and earth as my witness, I, Cheng Yunsu, wish to be Lu Chao’s wife. Whether the Life-taking Bone brings evil or calamity, I will face it with him.”

”Never to part, in life and in death!”

THUD. THUD. THUD.

They kowtowed three times, their foreheads striking the ground with resounding thuds. Then, they slowly rose and fell into a tight embrace.

Lu Chao whispered gently in her ear, ”Tonight is our true wedding. Tomorrow is just a counterattack.”

’Blood would surely be shed tomorrow, and Lu Chao did not want his wedding day stained by it.’

Cheng Yunsu leaned against Lu Chao, her gaze firm and resolute. She said nothing. The wedding was simple, with only the two of them present, but she didn’t care.

A short while later, hand in hand, they strode toward the Cheng Mansion.

...

In the main courtyard of the Cheng Mansion stood a large wooden pillar. Tied to it was a man: Cheng Chuming.

Meanwhile, Cheng Weishan and the others were seated in the Cheng Mansion’s main hall.

Only one person stood before Cheng Chuming: his second wife, Bai Xin.

Bai Xin stared at the man tied to the pillar, her teeth clenched. ”Chuming,” she said, ”just submit to your father and the others. Promise them you’ll kill Cheng Yunsu and that Life-taking Bone Calamity Star with your own hands. It’s the only way you’ll survive.”