Chapter 4: Inescapable Fate

Is it fate? I can't even escape? Will I meet him again today? In that life, she was introduced to Ling Feng by her father on this day. She fell in love with him at first sight. She could not forget him for the rest of her life, so she went to a situation of no return.

In this life, she doesn’t want to have any intersection with them again.

Seeing him getting closer and closer, Lan Ling looked at the man in black lying on the ground. Who was the person Ling Feng was chasing?

Lan Ling picked up a stone and threw it hard to the left. Ling Feng stood still and quickly led people to run to the left.

Lan Ling stepped forward and helped the man in black on the ground. He followed her obediently and ran quickly to the right.

She was very familiar with the road here. There was a cave not far to the right. She put the man in black on the big stone slab and used a dagger to pick open his clothes. He was shot in the shoulder by an arrow and there’s a cut wound on his abdomen. But none of the injuries hurt his vital parts.

"Thank you for saving me, young lady." The man whispered.

The dagger in Lan Ling's hand suddenly fell to the ground. This voice was so familiar.

Lan Ling trembled slightly. She reached out and took off the man's mask. He had a square face, long eyes, sword-like eyebrows, and a nose that looked like it was carved by a knife. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and he was looking at her quietly. He was the fourth prince, An Wang, Lingchen.

An Wang:  Ling Chen’s title, which means King An. The sons of a Chinese emperor were titled kings.

She put the mask on him abruptly, pulled Qiaochun and turned to walk out.

When she reached the door, she remembered that in her last life, at the last moment of her life, Ling Chen risked his life to save her. In fact, she didn't know why Ling Chen would risk his life for her. They didn't have that kind of affection between them.

But he wrapped her in a cloak, allowing her to retain a little dignity and a little warmth, and she was grateful to him.

Lan Ling came back to him, swiftly took out the medicine from her bag, sprinkled it on the wound, and tore off a strip of cloth from Ling Chen's inner clothes to bandage it.

"I'm going to pull out the arrow for you. There's no anesthetic, so you have to bear with it!" Lan Ling whispered.

"Okay." He answered briefly, looking at her with interest.

Lan Ling took out her medical bag and used a jade knife to cut three small cuts around the arrow. She pulled with force, Ling Chen groaned, and the arrow was out. Lan Ling sprinkled medicine on the wound and bandaged it.

"Young lady, you have good medical skills." Ling Chen praised sincerely.

Lan Ling was silent, she just wanted to leave him quickly.

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"Okay, get out from here, follow the path on the left and there will be a stream. Go left along the stream and you will see a big phoenix tree. Go through the tree hole and there will be a road leading down the mountain."

Lan Ling said and pulled Qiaochun out.

"Wait a minute, young lady, you saved my life today. May I ask your name and where you live? I will go to thank you later."

"No need, I don't want to know you."

"Then, young lady, do you want to know who I am?"

"No."

Lan Ling hurried out of the cave without looking back.

She and Qiaochun walked along the path into the hillside of Qinglong Mountain, passed through a dense and hidden woods, and the road ahead suddenly opened up. After passing through the plum blossom forest, they arrived at her master's yard.

---

As soon as she walked out of the grove, he saw several people standing in front of him. His grandfather, Chen Youshui, stood there with his hands behind his back, and next to him stood a man in his forties dressed in black. It was her father, Lan Jingtian.

And behind Lan Jingtian, the tall and slender man in blue clothes with a fair face and long eyes was none other than Ning Wang, Lingfeng!

"Ling'er!" Grandpa called Lan Ling.

"You just woke up, why are you running out again?" Grandpa scolded.

Lan Ling stood there, staring at Ling Feng, stunned. They met again and there was no way to avoid him.

"Ling'er, this is your father. You always ask me about your father all day long. Now he is here, go and greet your father!" Chen Youshui pulled Lan Ling's hand. He saw Lan Ling staring at Ling Feng without blinking and thought that she was infatuated with him.

Lan Ling came back to her senses and bowed to Lan Jingtian: "Ling'er greets father." Her voice was cold and distant, and she did not seem excited about seeing her father.

In the previous life, her father didn't care about her, and could even be said to be cold to her. He wanted her back because he needed the Qingyi Hall behind her. Later, he didn't care about anything that happened to her. In his heart, his only daughter was Lan Yu.

Lan Jingtian looked Lan Ling up and down with a complicated look in his eyes, "You look a lot like your mother."

He paused, seemingly unwilling to talk about the past, "Ling'er, this is Ning Wang, come and pay your respects to His Highness Ning Wang."

Lan Ling's heart was trembling. He had just gouged her heart out. Yes, that was what had just happened. It was as if his cold smile was still before her eyes.

"What else do you want to do?" She asked unconsciously, her eyes sad, even mournful and resentful.

Ling Feng's heart moved slightly.

"Ling'er! Greet Ning Wang!" Grandpa saw Lan Ling behaved improperly.

Lan Ling suddenly woke up and bowed, "Lan Ling greets Ning Wang," her tone became even colder.

She looked up at him and he was staring at her with a searching look.

Lan Ling calmed herself down. How could she be so reckless? At this moment, they should have just met. Who would have believed that he would gouge out her heart and take her life six years later?

Lan Ling turned around and walked to her grandfather, "Grandpa, Ling'er doesn't want to leave you. Besides, I have to complete the task my master gave me." Her master asked her to save thirty people in three months.

"Ling'er, you are already a grown-up girl. You can't stay in the mountains forever. After all, you are the marshal's daughter. In the future, you will marry into a prominent family. It is not appropriate for you to live in the mountains forever." Grandpa stroked her head and said lovingly.

"Ling'er doesn't want to get married. Besides, Ling'er is used to living in the mountains. She will not be happy living in a prominent family. Grandpa, please." She looked up at her grandfather, her little face tense.

"Ling'er, haven't you always been asking me about your father? What's the matter? Besides, you are the marshal's daughter, and your father needs you to go back to help him. Moreover, if your mother is alive, she would also hope that you can return to the Lan family." Grandpa frowned.

Lan Ling knew that she used to be full of curiosity and yearning for her father, and whenever she was punished by her grandfather, she would yell, asking for her father.

Moreover, Ning Wang and her father came to pick her up personally today, and her grandfather could not refuse. She had already met Ling Feng and Ling Chen today. Some things could not be changed.

Since she couldn't escape it, then she had to face it. In this life, she wanted to avoid them and live her own life, but now it seemed impossible.

"Ling'er, follow your father down the mountain today. I have prepared all your luggage."

"Yes." Lan Ling didn't resist anymore.

Grandpa looked at her and always felt that something was different about her today. She saw the father she had always yearned for, but she was not happy. Her smile had used to be enough to overshine the sun, but now, Ling'er's eyes were indescribably cold and full of vicissitudes of life.

She had fallen from the tree more than once before this. Did she get her brain damaged this time?

When she returned to her courtyard, Lan Ling saw that her luggage was already loaded on the carriage. Lan Ling understood that her father was so anxious for her to return to the Lan family because the crown prince had just been assassinated last month and the war between Ling Feng and Ling Chen had entered a fierce stage.

Lan Ling is the most beloved granddaughter of the head of Qingyi Hall. Her father took her back at this time for a purpose.

Lixia blushed when she saw them, "Miss, I really didn't betray you, I told the hall master that I know nothing!"

"I know. Let's pack up. We're leaving Moshan for Yuncheng today."

Before leaving, Lan Ling met her grandfather and two uncles alone.

She knelt down, her face unusually serious.

"Grandpa, Ling'er can go to the Marshal's Mansion, but Ling'er has a few things to ask, Grandpa must agree to them."

"Ling'er, what's wrong with you?" Chen Youshui stepped forward to help Lan Ling.

Lan Ling would not get up, "Only after Grandpa agrees, then Ling'er can get up."

"Tell me, kid, what's the matter?" Chen Youshui sighed.

"First, don't tell father how many people there are in Qingyi Hall. If he asks, tell him as few people as possible, and never tell him where Qingyi Hall's headquarters is. Second, don't agree to lend soldiers to father under any circumstances. Third, if father talks about my marriage, don't marry Ling'er to the royal family."

Chen Youshui helped Lan Ling up: "Ling'er, what happened? Your father did mention your marriage, and also mentioned about Qingyi Hall helping Ning Wang. Don't worry, I said that if they want Qingyi Hall to help Ning Wang, you have to become Ning Wang’s consort..."

"Grandpa! Don't mention this again. I will not marry Ning Wang."

"Why? Given the current situation in the court, Ning Wang has the best chance to become the crown prince, and your father also supports Ning Wang."

"Ling'er will tell you the reason later. Grandpa, you must agree to Ling'er, otherwise, we will all die." Lan Ling's eyes were filled with tears. They were her only relatives. She deeply understood that this time when she went down the mountain, her rough fate was about to begin.

"But Ling'er, your father cannot stay out of many things. With his power in the court, it is impossible for him to not take sides. Your father asked me for help, and I cannot help but agree. Besides, about your matters, your father actually has more right to make decisions than I do. He lets you go back to the Marshal's Mansion with him in order to find a good family for you." Chen Youshui stared into Lan Ling's eyes.

Her eyes were as deep as the bottom of the sea, filled with the mundane world. She was no longer the girl with bright eyes as before.

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