Chapter 29

A biting north wind howled, and the donkey cart creaked and groaned as it bumped along the potholed dirt road. Xi Xiao wrapped her cotton-padded jacket tighter around her waist, sitting on the only bare wooden plank in the cart. The piercing wind seeped in relentlessly, scattering her barely tied-up hair, a few strands of black hair clinging messily to her pale cheeks, adding to her heartbreaking vulnerability. Xi Yu, driving the cart ahead, stood straight, his whip-wielding movements exuding a free and easy elegance.

As the donkey cart entered the market, the noise suddenly intensified, a cacophony of heads, cries of vendors, and the smell of livestock mingling together. Their arrival immediately attracted many curious glances, some even with a hint of lewdness.

Xi Yu's brows furrowed, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He swiftly pulled a plain white silk handkerchief from his pocket and gently covered most of Xi Xiao's face, leaving only her clear, cold eyes visible. Then, his warm, dry hand tightly enveloped Xi Xiao's icy hand, and he led her deeper into the market.

Just as I stopped in front of a vegetable stall piled high with radishes and cabbages, I heard a rough, grating male voice: "Young lady, have you been betrothed yet?" Looking in the direction of the voice, I saw a short, stocky man in a greasy short jacket glancing sideways at a little girl cowering behind a woman. The girl was about twelve or thirteen years old, not yet fully grown, with dry, yellow hair tied in two small buns. At that moment, she was looking down in fear, her fingers tightly twisting the faded hem of her clothes.

The woman beside her, however, wore a fawning smile, deftly taking the copper coins the man handed her. As she stuffed a few wilted vegetables into her tattered bag, she called out, "Not yet! Does Sanlang have any good connections to help us get our eldest daughter married?" Her voice revealed a shrewd, mercenary nature.

Upon hearing this, Sanlang's murky eyes unabashedly scanned Da Ya's slender figure, as if weighing merchandise. A nauseating smile spread across his lips. "Da Ya's physique..." he deliberately dragged out the words, eliciting laughter from the surrounding idlers. "Too skinny, no strength to even touch. These days, grown men all like..." He rubbed his fingers together lewdly, not finishing his sentence, only letting out a strange, chuckling laugh, which drew another knowing chuckle from the crowd. The woman even chuckled awkwardly, nodding repeatedly. "Oh, Sanlang is absolutely right..."

A surge of anger rushed to Xi Xiao's head. She was about to step forward when Xi Yu firmly gripped her wrist. He turned his head and said in a very low voice, "It's not easy being a woman. If you step forward, you'll only get yourself into trouble. I'll go." His eyes were filled with deep pain and helplessness.

The faint warmth that Xi Xiao had just felt, stirred by the lively atmosphere of the market, was instantly extinguished by the coldness of the world, leaving only a bone-chilling sorrow.

Just as Xi Yu was about to speak, Xi Xiao abruptly released his hand. She stepped forward, blocking Xi Yu's path. Her voice, clear and cold like an icy spring beneath her silk scarf, carried undisguised contempt as she stabbed at the man: "What are you? A filthy body, daring to comment on others?" Her gaze swept sharply over him, as if he were a pile of filth. Finally, she let out a clear, disdainful "tsk," shaking her head and saying, "Look at your bloated, swollen appearance, with dark circles under your eyes. You're probably a useless piece of trash who can't even leave a child. Yet you have the nerve to act like a big shot here?"

The sudden, scathing insults enraged Sanlang, his face contorting with rage, turning from red to purple. He was practically fuming. Seeing Xi Xiao's masked face, he immediately seized the opportunity, jumping up and down in a tirade: "Where did this shrew come from, hiding her face and ashamed to show herself? She must be too ugly to face her in-laws, ptooey!" He then pointed at Xi Yu, whose face was ashen, and maliciously instigated, "Young master, this kind of shrew, talking about sex in public, shameless and shameless, is clearly a woman who's been taken advantage of by a thousand men..."

Before the last filthy word could be uttered, a figure flashed by like lightning. Xi Yu's cloth shoe sole, imbued with ferocity, slammed into Sanlang's thick belly. With a muffled thud, Sanlang flew backward like a broken sack, crashing heavily onto the muddy ground. He curled up in pain, howling like a pig being slaughtered.

Xi Yu's face was ashen. He took a few steps forward, and his clean white cloth shoe, carrying a ruthless intent to crush everything, stomped firmly on Sanlang's mouth, which was full of malice. The mud on the sole of the shoe instantly covered Sanlang's face.

Xi Yu's voice wasn't loud, but it was so cold it could freeze you to the bone: "You're covered in filth and grime. Since no one has taught you to speak human language, I'll clean your stinking mouth for you." A flash of cold light appeared, and a sharp dagger appeared between his fingers, its tip gleaming with a chilling aura of death. He was about to slash at the terrified, wide-open mouth.

Sanlang was terrified, his lower body instantly soaked, the stench of blood filling the air. Tears streamed down his face, and his mouth, pinned down, emitted muffled, terrified whimpers as he struggled and nodded desperately.

Xi Yu disgustedly withdrew the dagger, but did not lessen the pressure on his foot, pressing him down and shouting: "Apologize!"

Sanlang trembled like a leaf, stammering in Xi Xiao's direction, "Grandma, spare me! I had a foul mouth, I deserve to die..." He then turned to Daya, who was already terrified, "Daya, I...I'm sorry..." His voice was full of humiliation and resentment.

As soon as Xi Yu loosened his grip, he scrambled out of the crowd. Before leaving, he glared fiercely at the woman with his triangular eyes, as if he wanted to blame her for all the humiliation.

The woman, terrified, bowed and smiled obsequiously in the direction Sanlang had fled. Once he was out of sight, she whirled around, unleashing her pent-up rage on the trembling Daya. She grabbed Daya's ear and twisted it hard, snarling, "You jinx, you good-for-nothing! It's your good fortune that such a big shot has taken a liking to you! What kind of deadpan expression do you have? You dare to look down on him? Are you asking for it?!" She didn't dare curse Xi Xiao and the others, only casting a venomous glare at Xi Xiao. "You still have the nerve to point fingers at men? Shameless little whore! Bah!"

A sharp "smack!" Xi Xiao's hand lashed out like lightning, slapping away the woman's grip on Da Ya's ear. She straightened her back, her eyes, visible through her silk scarf, shining brightly. Her voice was clear and resonant, piercing the market's clamor and reaching everyone's ears: "When men freely comment on us women, we are the ones who suffer. If we women speak out against men, we are still the ones who are scorned. Whether we are the ones being criticized or the ones speaking out, it is always us women who are wrong! Why is this world so unfair?!"

A deathly silence fell over the surroundings. The woman's face was a mixture of astonishment and disdain, while the onlookers stared at her as if she were a madwoman, their gazes filled with contempt, suspicion, and indifference.

Xi Xiao's gaze swept over the numb or disgusted faces, finally landing on Daya, with the last glimmer of hope: "Come with me. In that place, no one will force you to marry, no one will beat or scold you. You can earn a living by working with your own strength."

Daya's small, thin body trembled violently. She timidly and quickly glanced at her mother's face, which was contorted with anger, then quickly lowered her head, her dry, yellow hair obscuring her eyes. She bit her lower lip tightly, but in the end, she couldn't utter a single sound.

The last faint spark in Xi Xiao's eyes was completely extinguished, leaving only desolate ashes. She stopped looking at anyone, letting Xi Yu take her hand again. The two turned around, pushing aside the numb or disdainful gazes, and silently blended into the bustling crowd of the market.

Xi Xiao remained silent the whole way, her eyelashes lowered, her gaze fixed on the bumpy dirt road beneath her feet. However, deep within her eyes, hidden by thick eyelashes, was like a turbulent, cold pool, its light and shadow flickering and changing, making it impossible for anyone to discern whether what churned within was hatred or sorrow.

Xi Yu remained silent, only gripping her cold hand tightly, his grip tightening even more.

Before I knew it, I had reached the end of the market. The clamor of the crowd receded like the tide, leaving only the desolate loneliness of winter. The bare branches twisted and turned, and a few gray sparrows huddled on the branches, like solidified ink dots. Just then, a gust of wind swept in from behind.

A man dressed in dark, close-fitting clothes appeared silently like a ghost. The ebony scabbard of the sword at his waist accidentally brushed against the exposed tree roots, making a very slight "snap" sound. This tiny sound startled the sparrows on the branches, causing them to flutter and take flight, creating a gust of cold wind, and a few withered leaves swirled and fell to the ground.

"Young Master Xi, I have something to report." The man's voice was deep and steady, but his gaze involuntarily swept over the two people's tightly clasped fingers, a complex emotion that was extremely difficult to detect flashing in his eyes, before he finally fell silent.

Upon hearing the voice, Xi Xiao suddenly looked up. The moment she saw the person's face, an intense, almost tangible sense of disgust surged to the top of her head. The bitter memories of being deceived, used, and treated as a pawn instantly entwined her heart like poisonous vines. She stared at the face in front of her that was almost identical to "He Ying," her brows furrowed tightly, as if she were witnessing a disaster she could not avoid.

Xi Yu keenly sensed her sudden tension and the almost overflowing hatred in her body. He gently squeezed her soft yet stiff palm and said with a soothing smile, "He is Hesong, Heying's twin brother, and was once my... personal guard." His voice was steady, as if he had already forgotten the past.

Strangely, Yunwu said that it was Heying who saved her that day. It turns out that her senior brother really was at the Marquis's mansion that day, and the Hesong before her was Pei Yun's spy planted by her senior brother's side, monitoring him as he treated his illness, covering for his terminally ill body, and protecting him from the Regent's control and assassination attempts. And Pei Yun? He enjoyed a life of luxury in the Marquis's mansion under the guise of her senior brother's identity, and even used her, using her to destroy the Southern Frontier, making her kill her own mother with her own hands...

Hatred surged like lava. Xi Xiao pulled her hand away from Xi Yu's grasp and shoved it fiercely into He Song's chest with both hands, fueled by pent-up rage! "Get away!" she rasped, her voice hoarse with deep-seated hatred. "What tricks is he trying to pull now? Don't ever show your face in front of us again!"

He Song stumbled from her push, but quickly regained his balance. He looked at the emotionally charged Xi Xiao, his gaze filled with complex and indescribable emotions. He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his emotions, and turned to Xi Yu, his tone returning to its usual businesslike rigidity: "Young Master, His Majesty has important matters to discuss and has instructed me to convey them to you."

Sensing Xi Xiao's sudden increase in tension, Xi Yu didn't hesitate to grasp her hand again, their fingers intertwined firmly. He looked directly at He Song, his voice clear and steady, carrying an undeniable declaration: "I'll say it here, she..." He turned his head and looked deeply at Xi Xiao, his eyes filled with a rock-solid determination, "She will be my wife from now on, and there's nothing I can't tell her."

Upon hearing this, He Song's expression changed drastically! Shock and fear instantly filled his eyes. If this news reached the inner palace… he could hardly imagine the monstrous upheaval it would cause. He suppressed the turmoil in his heart, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty, his voice dry and helpless: "...Yes, His Majesty ordered me to inform you that all the vassal kings of the various kingdoms are aware that Miss Xi is a descendant of the Witch Clan's gods. They… have heard that her bloodline can dissolve the Ice Jade Powder, and drinking it can… grant immortality, allowing one to ascend to heaven… Now, forces from all sides are frantically searching for Miss Xi's whereabouts… I'm afraid… it won't be long before…"