Chapter 749
Extra 4
Chapter 749 Extra Four
Lu Qing lost her parents and family as early as she could remember. Having grown up in the palace, the only pleasant and peaceful memories she had were almost all from the time she spent living in Empress Wang's palace.
Empress Wang was a kind-hearted woman. Despite her poor health, she was still full of love for Lu Qing. When the old nanny took him to run and jump around in the courtyard, she would always sit on the veranda with her maids, watching the happy child with a smile.
Lu Qing initially thought these were just ordinary days, but as Lu Chao grew older and began to need Empress Wang's attention, Empress Wang, whose health was deteriorating, became increasingly unable to keep up.
Only after leaving Empress Wang's side did Lu Qing begin to confront the question of his origins for the first time in his life. He also began to understand how luxurious those days had been. The past was gone forever, and now even how to live and grow up smoothly was an unknown.
From that time on, Lu Qing developed an inexplicable yet awkward feeling towards Lu Chao.
On the one hand, he felt that it was because of Lu Chao's existence that he no longer had even that corner of space he originally had, and that Lu Chao had squeezed out his only remaining protection.
On the other hand, Lu Qing had to admit that Lu Chao was born to Empress Wang, and it was only natural for a mother to take care of her own child.
Lu Chao didn't take anything away from me; on the contrary, I was sharing the care that should have belonged exclusively to Lu Chao.
This clear understanding made Lu Qing feel an even more heart-wrenching yet unspeakable longing for her biological parents, whom she could not find even in the depths of her memory.
If his parents and family were still alive, he would never bother living in that damned palace!
He will also have his own home, and when he plays in his own yard, his mother will sit beside him lovingly watching him, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief...
Lu Qing wiped her eyes, turned over in bed, and took a few deep breaths to try to calm her racing heart.
With great difficulty, Heaven took pity on him and allowed him to escape with his life at Shanqing Temple. He was even taken in as a disciple by his master, who taught him skills.
Lu Qing felt that he had finally acquired something of his own in this lifetime.
However, at this very moment, Lu Chao was also sent over...
Will my master eventually stop paying so much attention to me, and everyone start focusing on Lu Chao?
Shanqing Temple is so big, surely it can find a place for him to stay?
In the following days, the usually quiet little courtyard suddenly became lively. People were coming and going every day to brew medicine, deliver medicine, and deliver meals. Even Qiyun Mountain Man, who rarely came to the side courtyard, would come every day.
Lu Qing and Yan Daoxin continued their daily studies and practice. Lu Qing ignored the "liveliness" in the courtyard as if it didn't exist, while Yan Daoxin, on the other hand, was quite enthusiastic, crowding around and peeking around.
However, what intrigued Yan Daoxin was not Lu Chao himself, but rather how the hermit of Qiyun Mountain used medicine and acupuncture.
Whenever he ran over to look around, Lu Qing would always stand alone at the door of her house, her still-childish face expressionless, but her hands were digging into the door frame so hard that they left white marks on the wood.
On this day, the hermit of Qiyun Mountain came to check on Lu Chao's condition again. He stayed in the room for a while before coming out. As soon as he stepped out, he saw Lu Qing sitting on the steps in the distance, so he strolled over to him.
"Why are you standing here in a daze? Are you tired of your studies and starting to slack off?" He lifted his robe, sat down next to Lu Qing, and asked.
Lu Qing pursed her lips and shook her head: "I have done everything that Master instructed me to do."
"I've finished reading today's books, and I've practiced all the exercises I was supposed to do." "Oh? You're quite diligent." Qiyun Shanren glanced at Lu Chao's room. "So, you're worried about your brother, and that's why you're sitting here waiting for me, wanting to know how he is?"
"He is a prince, I am not worthy of his status." Lu Qing's voice was somewhat muffled as he immediately denied it.
Qiyun Shanren simply smiled, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "Lu Chao's mother has passed away."
He did not address Empress Wang by name, nor did he use phrases like "the Empress has passed away," as if Empress Wang were merely a familiar neighbor.
Lu Qing suddenly turned her head and looked at her master with some surprise, as if she had heard some unbelievable news.
Qiyun Shanren simply nodded: "After Lu Chao's mother passed away, he was taken care of by others, otherwise he wouldn't have ended up like this."
"Could he... be in the same situation as me?" Lu Qing's expression suddenly turned somewhat grim, and a hint of tension appeared in his eyes.
"Not exactly the same, but not too different either," Qiyun Shanren said casually.
"Then... will he survive?" Lu Qing hesitated for a moment before finally asking.
"Why are you asking me? Do you hope he can or can't?" Qiyun Shanren asked with great interest.
"It doesn't matter. Life and death are in the hands of fate; it's all his business." Lu Qing pursed her lips, got up, and walked back.
The calm voice of Qiyun Shanren came from behind him: "Yes, life and death are determined by fate. Those who are meant to leave and those who are meant to stay have their own destiny. Heaven will not deliberately make things difficult for anyone, but will choose to take away those it cares about."
Lu Qing paused for a moment, but without turning around, went straight back to her room.
Almost another month passed, and during this time Lu Chao's condition seemed to gradually stabilize. The number of times medicine was delivered each day decreased, and the number of times Qiyun Mountain Man came to the side courtyard also decreased.
Lu Chao, who had regained some of his energy, was able to stand or sit at the door for a while, wearing his clothes on, though he didn't seem very energetic.
Yan Daoxin naturally lost interest in Lu Chao and stopped going there.
Lu Qing was the same, busy with her studies and martial arts practice every day.
As for Lu Chao, ever since he learned that Lu Qing was his father's adopted son and, in a sense, his elder brother, he would watch from afar whenever Lu Qing practiced martial arts in the courtyard, his eyes filled with a mixture of longing and timidity.
Lu Qing saw all of this, but pretended that she hadn't seen anything.
On this day, a sudden downpour struck Tianlu Mountain, accompanied by lightning and thunder. The lightning bolts seemed to tear countless slits in the sky, and the thunder was so loud that it hurt people's ears.
The thunderstorm started in the evening and continued intermittently until midnight without showing any signs of stopping.
Lu Qing tossed and turned in her room, unable to sleep, when she suddenly heard a rustling sound outside the door.
He was a little nervous at first, hesitated for a moment, then suddenly stood up and walked towards the door.