As the fight intensified in Lianhua, something else happened in a faraway village called Qingzhen. It was the village where Jia Yu and Yan Qing had escaped to. An old woman named Lady Xiao had offered to shelter them.
It was already noon. Jia Yu and Yan Qing followed Lady Xiao to the farm. Once they arrived, they began harvesting maize under the hot sun.
While they worked, Jia Yu tripped and fell, bruising her knee. Yan Qing rushed to her side, gently helping her up and wrapping her leg with a piece of cloth.
"You should rest," he said firmly.
But she shook her head, determined. "I can still help."
Lady Mei, noticing her stubbornness, smiled softly and handed her a basket. "Then sit under that tree and peel the corn. Leave the hard work to the boy."
As Jia Yu peeled the corn quietly beneath the shade, Yan Qing kept stealing glances at her. Why was she so calm? So willing to help? Why wasn't she what she expected?.
She wasn't like other princesses. There was something different about her—something... sincere.
Later, when they returned from the farm, Yan Qing headed to the washroom to take a quick bath.
Unaware that he was inside, Jia Yu entered, already pulling off her dusty outer garments, down to her underclothes.
Yan Qing turned at the sound—and their eyes met.
She froze and he stared blankly.
Her gaze flickered down to his bare chest, water streaming down his toned frame, his dark hair slick against his skin. Her breath hitched when her gaze landed on the length between his legs, her heart raced, thumping hard inside her chest.
Realizing what she was doing, Jia Yu let out a loud shriek and ran out, her face redder than sunset.
She fled to the room and sank onto the bed, burying her face in her hands. Her mind wouldn't stop replaying the image—his dripping hair, his sculpted chest, the calm way he'd looked at her...
Meanwhile, Yan Qing stood still for a moment, then chuckled quietly to himself.
When he stepped out, now fully dressed, he found her sitting stiffly on the bed, her cheeks still flushed.
He stopped, watching her silently for a few seconds. Then, slowly, he walked toward her.
Jia Yu wished the ground would open and swallow her whole and seeing her squirm only made him more amused.
She jumped to her feet, flustered. "I'm sorry! I didn't know you were in there!"
"Really?" he said, a teasing smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"I swear!" she insisted, backing away until her back hit the wall.
Yan Qing leaned in, placing one hand against the wall beside her head.
"Does that mean… You liked what you saw, Miss Jia?"
"I—I didn't see anything!" she stammered.
"Ah, so Miss Jia regrets not taking a proper look?"
Her mind flashed back to the scene. Her face deepened another shade of red.
"So, should I take off my clothes again… just to help you get a better look?" he teased, reaching for the hem of his robe.
"No!" Jia Yu lunged forward, grabbing his sleeve in panic.
"Oh? So you want to take it off yourself?" he asked, raising a brow.
"N-no no no!" She let go like she'd touched fire, then raised her chin, trying to sound bold.
"Although I… saw a lot, nothing was interesting about it! Just… just so-so boring!"
Then she turned and bolted out of the room, leaving Yan Qing behind, chuckling softly to himself. Back on the Battlefield in Lianhua...
The battlefield had finally gone silent. Hei Xiezhi's once-mighty army now lay in ruins, with only a handful of his soldiers retreating in disgrace. For the first time in years, the Scorpion King—known across kingdoms as an unstoppable conqueror—had been defeated.
The soldiers of Lianhua erupted in celebration, some raising their weapons in triumph, others shouting in pure relief. Amidst the cheers, Emperor Han Zixuan walked through the scattered bodies and broken weapons, his robes stained by the dust of battle.
His steps slowed as he approached a soldier who had fought fiercely from beginning to end—but even now, long after the clash had ceased, refused to remove his helmet.
"You fought bravely today, my daughter," the Emperor said softly.
The soldier turned sharply, eyes wide. "How did you know it was me?" Princess Yuyan gasped.
The Emperor chuckled warmly and reached out to gently tap her head. "You may hide your face, Yuyan, but your heart has always been impossible to disguise. I watched you grow—and today, I saw the warrior you've become. You make me proud."
Around them, murmurs spread as the soldiers realized the truth. The fierce warrior who had stood beside them… was their own princess.
After a moment of stunned silence, cheers erupted again—this time for Princess Yuyan.
Emperor Han Zixuan then turned to face his army. At the front stood the young heroes—Princess Yuyan, Prince Leng Yue, and the vampire prince, Tian Yu, all bloodied but unbroken.
The Emperor raised his voice so all could hear:
"Today, we stood on the edge of destruction—and we prevailed. Not because of our numbers, nor our weapons, but because of our courage. You fought not for glory, but for each other. For our land, for Lianhua.
To every soldier who raised their sword today, to every warrior who risked their life—know this: You have written your names in the scroll of Lianhua's history.
Yuyan, my daughter, you stood where few dared to stand. Leng Yue, my son, you proved what it means to carry the blood of heroes.
You have all given Lianhua a future. And I have not forgotten the promise I made to our hero, Tian Yu. That vow still burns in my heart, and the time to fulfill it is near."
With the Emperor's final words echoing in the hearts of all, the soldiers mounted their horses. The sky above was soft with twilight as they rode together—bloodied, victorious, and forever changed—back toward Lianhua.