Chaos in Miao Territory

The family she chose is now in ruins. Thirteenth Sister is dead, her uncle has changed... and her only surviving best friend has almost broken ties with her.

Sui Zhixu laughed, a mournful laugh. The moment the familiar face came into view, the two looked at each other, and the resentment, reluctance, and longing in each other's eyes, even mixed with some pain, were enough to make the sad past replay.

She looked away and her gaze fell on the tombstone behind her. Her heart began to ache again, as if it were being tightly bound by shackles, constantly contracting.

Returning to Miao territory meant returning to the home she shared with Thirteen Sister; the joys of the past had now become indelible wounds in her heart.

How can we not hate each other?

I hate you, and I hate myself.

A slender, emerald-green snake, its tongue flicking, crookedly crawled out from behind the tombstone. Before Wen Ke could even draw her sword, she reached out and beckoned it over.

"Little Qing, come here."

It tilted its head, not quite knowing how to navigate, and crawled towards Sui Zhixu, wrapping itself around her wrist.

"Is Xiaoqing here?"

"It is its mother, who is with Jiang Li."

As soon as Xu answered truthfully, Fan Lingzhang knew that no one else would use this naming method except her.

It hissed near Sui Zhixu's ear, and Sui Zhixu's eyes darkened inch by inch. He casually stroked its little head, which it found very comfortable, its cool body pressed against Sui Zhixu's slender, fair neck.

She reached out and took Fan Lingzhang's hand. "Will you come with me?"

"Of course." The headband fluttered behind his head, flamboyant as a banner, showcasing his carefree and dashing spirit, and his unstoppable momentum.

In the vast expanse of heaven and earth, he seemed to be the only bright spot.

She took her husband's hand, turned her back to the people in front of the tombstone, and said, "Just go back the way you came down the mountain."

"Wait a moment."

She stepped forward and grabbed Sui Zhixu's hand, but Sui Zhixu instantly restrained her wrist.

Sui Zhixu gripped her wrist tightly, his calm eyes surging with turmoil. The composure and calmness he once held were now completely replaced by panic and disbelief as he stared intently at her.

What's wrong with your internal energy?

Wen Ke withdrew her hand, her tone calm, "Didn't you already know that?"

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, but she didn't know it.

She only recovered half of her memories.

"I found out the whereabouts of Cao Ning's relatives."

"I know."

They communicated without words, silent and still, as if the next person to break the silence would destroy everything.

She didn't say anything, just pulled Fan Lingzhang forward, there was nothing more to say.

Fan Lingzhang looked forward and backward, opened his mouth, but still followed Sui Zhixu's steps, striding forward and interlocking his fingers.

Wen Ke was left alone, lingering in front of their tombstones.

She turned and sat down in front of the tombstone, drinking, warm tears streaming down her face, murmuring, "Heaven is heartless."

Fan Lingzhang followed Xu Zhixu, but the more they walked, the further they strayed from the path.

He questioned in a low voice, "Ah Ling, are we on the right track?"

"Um."

Seeing the worry and fear in his eyes, Sui Zhixu comforted him, "There's a path in the back mountain that leads to the village. It was discovered by Thirteen when we were young. We often sneaked down the mountain from there to play."

Her gaze was gentle, filled with nostalgia and an indescribable sorrow. She smiled and patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry, if I remember correctly, the path is usually deserted and overgrown with weeds."

"Besides, there's this one too." Sui Zhixu picked up the little green dog that was dozing around his neck. It wasn't angry at being disturbed; instead, it nodded frantically.

"I always thought you grew up in the Prince's mansion when you were young."

Why do you think so?

There were indeed many weeds on the road. Sui Zhixu swung his sword and cleaved them through, revealing a small path as the silver light passed by.

“You and the Princess of Runan and her husband do not seem to be close, and you are distant in your behavior. On the contrary, you are closer to the people of the Prince’s Mansion. It was also at the Prince’s Mansion that you were introduced to each other back then.”

Sui Zhixu deliberately said, "Oh, you were like a silly goose back then, I was so desperate."

"I... Hmph! Where am I stuck? I'm so dashing and handsome, it's not like I'm in despair."

Yes, yes, yes.

As Xu Zhixu smiled, the gloom in his heart dissipated somewhat, and seeing his drooping ears made him want to laugh even more.

"You're still laughing? I'm a silly goose, and you're the silly goose's wife, aren't you also a silly goose?"

"..."

Fan Lingzhang won back a round, smiling as he put his arm around Sui Zhixu's shoulder and nuzzled her.

"They're walking."

"So why did you grow up here? Don't try to fool me!"

Fan Lingzhang poked her cheek, and the small green snake on her neck remained motionless, like a dead object, becoming a brightly colored necklace.

Her eyes flickered, and she blinked. "You caught me."

She gave a brief account, just a few words.

"Was your illness related to the Gu worms back then?"

"Yes, back then, Jiang Li went into seclusion, and I didn't make it until she came out. That has nothing to do with you."

Sui Zhixu swung his sword again and said, "I don't like you crying. Although you look beautiful when you cry, I don't like it if it's for me. I've actually seen you cry secretly many times. Stop crying, you crybaby."

From Fan Lingzhang's perspective, he could see her high, straight nose, her rosy lips slightly pursed, and her clear, peach-blossom eyes occasionally casting a questioning glance. Everything from just now seemed to have been blown away by the wind, leaving no trace.

Only her hair fluttered freely in the wind, forming a stark contrast with her serene face.

His throat bobbed, his phoenix eyes lowered, and his long eyelashes concealed the turbulent emotions within him. His heart pounded as it had when they first met.

He suppressed his excitement. "Shall we go find Jiang Yun first?"

"I guess so, shh, we're almost there."

Xu pulled Fan Lingzhang down, and parted the bushes. Not far away, the village was still brightly lit at night, heavily guarded.

As Xu silently spoke, he walked away.

She took Fan Lingzhang's hand and bent down to walk forward. Thirteen Sister was able to find this path because it was not far from Jiang Yun's small building.

"I wonder what my husband is doing? At this critical moment, he actually wants to marry the woman outside."

It was in Miao language, which Fan Lingzhang couldn't understand, and his eyes widened slightly.

He was confused because he couldn't understand, yet perhaps he understood.

Is Jiang Yun getting married? And to whom?

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Sui Zhixu's mind: Could it be Wushan Yue?

Don't be fooled by how helpless Jiang Yun was tormented by her and Thirteen Niang when he was young. In essence, Jiang Yun is a cold-hearted person, just like Sui Jiang Li. His mind is only on their beloved insects, and he has no feelings for love.

He actually fell in love with Wushan Yue, and they got married so quickly.

He remains silent until he makes a stunning statement.

"Young Master is incredibly powerful and is undoubtedly the next Holy Son. The remaining two factions are no match for him. We just need to follow orders."

"That's true. Speaking of which, it seems like it's been a long time since we've seen the Holy Maiden. Is the lady who's been coming into the village these days the eldest daughter-in-law's father? He was brought in by the Holy Maiden."

“But the lady doesn’t look like him. He looks like a thin, scholarly man from the outside world, with a refined and gentle appearance. The lady is much more radiant…”

"Perhaps she looks like a saint?"

"That's certainly possible."

Sui Zhixu: "..."

Why are we discussing here whether Sima Xian was her father?

boring.

She grabbed the hand of the person behind her and lightly touched the ground with her toes. In a few moments, she took off and arrived at Jiang Yun's wooden building, pushed open the door, and went inside.

“How old are you, sneaking into Ana’s house like that?”

Jiang Yunyou appeared behind her, her indigo Miao dress embroidered with colorful patterns, and the silver ornaments on her chest jingled like a babbling brook in the mountains.

Sui Zhixu turned to look at him. His sword-like eyebrows slanted upwards towards his temples, and his gaze was as gentle as a pool of flowing spring water, clear and bright as it thawed under the warm sun after enduring the winter.

“Ah Ling, you should at least tell Ah Na before you take your husband back to your parents’ home.”

"Heh, Little Green, bite him!"

The unconscious Xiao Xiaoqing immediately pounced on Jiang Yun with its tongue after receiving the command, and a long green ribbon flashed through the air before landing in Jiang Yun's hand.

Jiang Yun easily grabbed Xiao Xiaoqing's vital spot and smiled as she reached out to block the palm strike that Sui Zhixu was about to deliver.

She kicked him in the groin with a thud, and Jiang Yun fell to one knee, allowing Xiao Xiaoqing to escape. Then she elbowed him hard in the back.

"Jiang Yun! You secretly took over my greenhouse. Don't think I didn't see it just because it was dark. Tell me, why is my greenhouse so bare? Jiang Li clearly told me that she took good care of my greenhouse."

Jiang Yun knew immediately that she remembered, and since she was being suppressed, she simply didn't move, saying, "Let go."

"Don't loosen it."

"Let go so I can explain to you."

Hearing the commotion, Wu Shanyue pattered out of the house and looked up from the second floor, exclaiming in surprise, "Sui Niangzi!"

Xu then released Jiang Yun and snorted coldly.

"Little sister, this is called assessing the situation and making judgments."

Sui Zhixu grabbed the chessboard from the table. The round, translucent chess pieces clattered and rattled on the floor, the black and white pieces rolling around in all directions. In an instant, both of them dodged.

"Why are you hiding?" She glanced at Fan Lingzhang indifferently.

Fan Lingzhang chuckled and shook his head, "It's alright, my wife is mighty!"

"Ah Ling, put down the chessboard first, let's talk this out. Your aunt doesn't know how to grow flowers. The flowers are incompatible with her fate, one dies and the other dies. I'm the one who planted them. The flowers were blooming really well a while ago, but I've been picking them and giving them away lately."

"I'm sorry, my lady, the flowers were for me."

Wu Shanyue roughly understood why this farce had started, and Da Da Da came down from the second floor to her side to apologize.

Her face was like a round goose egg, exuding a playful and lively charm. Her eyes were large and bright, filled with sincere apology.

Sui Zhixu: "..."

She noticed that the woman was wearing Miao clothing from the village, and even her silver jewelry, such as necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, was complete and jingled.

She glanced at Jiang Yun, then stared at Wu Shanyue. His gaze had never left Wu Shanyue since she appeared, secretly possessing and devouring her.

It was eerie, like a ghost.

He said, "It's truly remarkable that an iron tree can bloom."

No wonder he wants to get married now. Jiang Li is in seclusion to recuperate, and at this time, he is the undisputed next Holy Son of the village, and his word is law.

His parents could not stop him either, and Xu Zhixu remembered that his parents' eyes were dim and unclear.

"Pay me back."

Since he planted it, we won't hold it against him.

Jiang Yun agreed readily. "Don't worry."

Fan Lingzhang also went to Sui Zhixu's side to curry favor, saying, "I take very good care of the flower room at home."

"Um."

As Xu Zhixu relaxed her brows and a smile appeared on her face, she knew that the Fan family's greenhouse was a riot of color all year round, and he had taken very good care of it.

Seeing that Wushan Yue was not angry, she smiled, her eyes narrowing into two crescent moons, looking very cheerful, like a rather infectious little sun.

"I will take good care of myself."

Sui Zhixu nodded, then casually shifted her gaze to Jiang Yun, "Shall we chat?"