Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1208: Chapter 1210: The Curse from That Year_1

Bai Ruozhu also knew that Princess Diao Bin was in critical condition and she shouldn’t have brought up Diao Yao at this moment, yet she was truly afraid of any changes that might delay the chance to save Diao Yao.

Besides, Diao Yao was also a princess of the royal family, and her fate was truly rough; one couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her.

”You are right, I will have Hao Mu take people to investigate immediately,” the Empress Dowager said.

Bai Ruozhu sighed in relief, bowed to the Empress Dowager to take her leave, and hurried towards the Astrology Tower.

When she was close to the Astrology Tower, Bai Ruozhu finally saw the Emperor and Ning Yu’s figures; she hurriedly sped up her light martial arts to catch up with them.

The Emperor almost burst into the Astrology Tower, and the doorkeeper boys didn’t dare to block him, fearing that the mechanical traps might harm his dragon body. They specially went to deactivate the mechanisms.

Following behind, Bai Ruozhu also found her way unobstructed, the boys assuming she was accompanying the Emperor.

”National Master, come out, We have questions for you!” the Emperor called from outside the National Master’s closed-door secret chamber.

Catching up, Ning Yu said, ”Your Majesty, my master is not in good health. Whatever you need, you can ask me. Please don’t trouble him any further.”

The Emperor, enraged to the extreme, kicked Ning Yu in the stomach, sending Ning Yu stumbling nearly to a fall. If Ning Yu’s martial arts hadn’t been good, he might have suffered internal injuries at that moment.

”Out of Our way! It is not your place to intervene when We are questioning!” the Emperor roared.

”National Master, you come out and explain clearly why the Qi of death on your body resembles that on the Princess. We need to know the truth, otherwise, even if Our late father built this Astrology Tower, We will have it dismantled!” the Emperor shouted again towards the secret chamber.

From behind, Bai Ruozhu slightly furrowed her brows. The Former Emperor had always treated the National Master with respect, and the National Master held a certain status in Danliang Country. With the current Emperor, it seemed that the relationship with the National Master was not close and he didn’t even care about the Astrology Tower.

At that moment, the door of the secret chamber slowly opened, revealing an elderly man who appeared to be at the end of his days standing in front of everyone. Even though Bai Ruozhu had previously heard of the National Master’s pitiful state, seeing it with her own eyes still made it hard to believe.

She had seen portraits of the National Master outside before. Some scholars revered the National Master as their idol, so his portraits were not difficult to find.

In the portraits, the National Master didn’t just look young and dashing, but also had the air of an immortal hermit. How could it be this withered old figure before them now?

The National Master sat cross-legged on a cushion, his body hunched severely, and his wrists thin like bamboo poles. His robe, not overly large, hung on his body like a sack. His figure was hidden beneath the clothes and completely invisible, which revealed just how thin he had become.

Ning Yu had seen his master like this before, but seeing it again, his eyes still reddened with heartache.

The National Master slowly lifted his gaze; his movements were slow as if he were too weak to move quickly, or perhaps that was just the case.

”Your Majesty, may I know the reason you have sought your servant?” the National Master asked slowly.

Seeing him like this, the Emperor’s fury subsided, unable to bear to unleash his anger upon him.

The Emperor’s demeanor softened, and he looked at the National Master and asked, ”Why does the Qi of death on your body resemble that of Diao Bin? Explain it to us.”

The National Master’s gaze fell upon Ning Yu, who, overwhelmed with shame, knelt down, ”Master, it was the shock of seeing Princess Diao Bin’s current state that made me carelessly speak out.”

The National Master let out a deep sigh, didn’t he already understand the nature of his disciple?

”Enough, enough, debts must be repaid,” the National Master said, and then he dismissed the young attendants, apparently about to reveal some secrets.

Bai Ruozhu wondered if she too would be sent away, but she noticed that the National Master’s gaze lingered on her for a moment before moving away quickly. She couldn’t tell if it was an illusion, but it seemed as if the dimness in the National Master’s eyes had briefly brightened in that moment.

The Emperor was eager to know what was going on and paid no attention to Bai Ruozhu.

”This old subject’s backlash is indeed related to the curse. The Emperor had been cursed by a demon’s sorcery, but Danliang Country could not disgrace him, so this old subject took a risk and transferred the curse from the Emperor, thereby unjustly causing a life to be lost. As karma would have it, retribution is inevitable, and this old subject eventually suffered the backlash,” the National Master spoke, his mood very somber because the action he took caused him great guilt.

The Emperor was shocked, ”Whose life was lost?”

The National Master sighed, ”It was the Fifth Princess back then. She was still young, and even if the curse had struck, it might have taken more than a decade. This old subject was even confident that given another decade or so, I could have found a way to save the Fifth Princess, but unexpectedly...”

”Unexpectedly what? You still haven’t found a solution?” the Emperor pressed.

”This old subject was careless. The one who cast the curse was no ordinary person, very likely a Witch King or Sacred Maiden from the Alien Domain. Such a curse is beyond me to break. Until now, I still cannot,” the National Master cried out in agony.

Bai Ruozhu, who was listening from behind, trembled, ”Witch King or Sacred Maiden”? Could it just be a coincidence that Diao Yao’s mother was the Sacred Maiden of the Western Regions’ Holy Hall?

”Are you talking about the Fifth Princess? Not Diao Bin?” the Emperor asked nervously, ”Then how did Diao Bin get afflicted with the curse?”

The National Master shook his head helplessly, ”Both the Former Emperor and the Empress Dowager were cursed, and the latter even fell seriously ill. The Former Emperor kept it secret from her, never letting her know.”

The Emperor swayed, nearly losing his balance, but Wang Shun at his side hastily supported him.

”Are you saying my mother’s curse was transferred to Diao Bin?” the Emperor asked incredulously.

The National Master nodded wearily, ”Originally, this old subject had spent ten years developing an elixir. On his deathbed, the Emperor gave it to Princess Diao Bin, hoping that if the curse afflicted her, she could take it to prolong her life. That elixir might have delayed the curse’s onset for another decade or more. Unfortunately, I heard from Ning Yu that the Princess lost the elixir, which is truly regrettable. I spent ten years and all my effort to produce just that one.”

Bai Ruozhu felt a tremor in her heart; no wonder it saved her second brother’s life—it took ten years...

”Did my father die from the curse? Is my mother in danger now?” the Emperor asked, massaging his forehead.

”The Empress Dowager was luckier; the curse was successfully transferred from her, so she will no longer suffer from it. However, the Former Emperor deeply loved the Empress Dowager and used the best medicinal materials on her, resulting in the curse transfer from the Former Emperor being only partially successful. The Fifth Princess died on the spot, while the Former Emperor’s life was prolonged by only a decade,” the National Master explained.

The Emperor was at a loss for words. If he had known all this earlier, he would have preferred to transfer the curse from his parents himself. now he felt sadness for his father and Diao Bin, but he was also relieved that his mother would no longer be troubled by the curse. Even if Diao Bin knew the truth, she would feel the same as he did.

But now, what should be done about Diao Bin? Should all this be told to his mother?

”National Master, what about Diao Bin? She is only nineteen years old; is she just to wait for death?” the Emperor asked with a hint of pleading in his voice.