Never mind, let her die. At worst, she'll just be reduced to ashes if she fails the mission. It's better than being toyed with by a ghost cultivator. He probably wouldn't want her to be reduced to ashes...

Bi Xie closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and pressed his face tightly against the boy's back.

A sharp pain shot through her arm, the burning sensation lasting for a moment. Bi Xie opened her eyes to find the young man had already led her away from the guards' encirclement. His movements were as agile as a king walking alone in the night, and in no time he had taken her away from the palace.

"Ru Hua, what just happened?" How come she's not dead?

She winced in pain and turned her head to look at her arm. The clothes on her right upper arm had been pierced by a sharp arrow, and red blood beads kept gushing out. It wasn't just a simple scratch; it had directly scraped off a layer of flesh. No wonder it hurt so much.

"It was a coincidence," Ru Hua said, still shaken. "When those two arrows flew over, the villain just happened to jump onto another high wall, and the arrows grazed your shoulder." She added, seemingly relieved, "Host, you really don't value your life!"

Bi Xie lowered his eyelids, looked at the boy's profile, and smiled slightly. He said carelessly, "Isn't he still alive? Ru Hua, when did your system develop human emotions? You even know how to care about me."

"I'm worried that if you die, there won't be such a successful host to help the Ghost Cultivator with his missions!"

Bi Xie rolled his eyes silently.

A stubborn owner, a system for nurturing a stubborn owner.

It was already daylight, and the damp air, carrying dew, helped Bi Xie clear his mind.

She lowered her head and saw that there were already a few pedestrians on the street. The aroma of hot steamed buns wafted from the steamed bun shop, and the banners of the tavern fluttered high. A horse-drawn carriage drove in through the city gate, the sound of its wheels breaking the morning's tranquility. She leaned on the boy's back, yawned softly, and jumped with him between the green tiles and red walls.

Without the pungent smell of blood, Si Jin's emotions seemed to calm down, and the quiet made her lower her guard.

He didn't throw her off again, but he moved very fast, so fast that they changed locations with each ring of the bells on his ankles.

"Where are you taking me?" Bi Xie's arm was already numb, and it hurt terribly to move it, but he still held on to him tightly.

The boy remained silent.

Bi Xie looked up and saw a lush scene. It was as if they had arrived in a valley. The surroundings were particularly quiet, with lush and verdant trees growing everywhere. There were only the two of them. The bell on his ankle jingled crisply, and the brilliant sunlight broke through the sky, shining down on the mountains and rivers in front of them.

"Si Jin," she called out to him, "Do you remember me?"

Ru Hua said it was a coincidence, but she didn't believe it.

She's now blaming everything that happened that was impossible on the ghost cultivator, and who knows, maybe Si Jin was possessed by the ghost cultivator when he "coincidentally" saved her.

The boy remained silent, so Bi Xie whispered very softly in his ear, "Ah Jin, I said I would never abandon you again, never leave you again..."

"See, I really haven't lost you, and I won't lose you in the future."

"But Ah Jin, please don't ignore me."

She felt the boy's body stiffen, then he jumped twice more before stopping.

He stopped, but didn't turn around to look at her. His back was stiff and rigid, and his blood-stained clothes had long since dried, their crimson reflection shimmering in the nearby stream.

"A-Xie, let go of me," he said after a long while, staring at the hands around his waist. His heart softened, and his voice became hoarse. He was afraid that his current appearance would frighten her.

"No," Bi Xie pressed her face against his back, suddenly feeling aggrieved, "My arm hurts whenever I move it..."

"Where does it hurt?" Si Jin's heart sank when he heard the sobbing in her voice. He no longer cared that his blood would stain her hands, and hurriedly grabbed her wrist, but dared not forcibly pull it away. His eyes reddened with anxiety. "A-Xie, let go of me, let me see. Does it hurt a lot?"

"Mmm," she groaned softly, "Ah Jin, it hurts."

"Ah Xie, don't be afraid, I'll take you to see a doctor," he said anxiously, feeling terribly guilty. His bloodshot eyes searched for her wounds within his sight, while his fingers gently rubbed the back of her hand as if to comfort her and tell her not to be afraid.

He remembered killing many people and being called a monster by many. He was afraid that if he turned around, she would also call him a monster. He was afraid to see fear in her eyes... So he ran aimlessly with her. He didn't know where he was going. If he could, he wanted to keep running away with her as long as she was by his side.

Bi Xie slowly released her arm, and Si Jin turned around impatiently, her crimson eyes burning with anxiety as they fell on her injured arm.

The flesh there had been ripped open by sharp arrows, and the red blood was stuck to the flesh, a horrifying sight.

He gasped in fright, wishing the injury had been inflicted on him instead.

Bi Xie looked at him with red eyes. Seeing that he kept his head down, only looking at her wound and blowing on it with concern, she got a little angry. She stretched out her uninjured arm and punched him in the chest, making him look up at her in a daze. He asked blankly, "A-Xie..."

"Hmph, if you don't want to see me, I don't want to talk to you either," Bi Xie glared at him, then turned and left.

Si Jin paused for a few seconds, then quickly caught up, "A-Xie, where are you going?"

"I don't care where I go, as long as I don't stay with you."

"Ah Xie, are you angry?" He panicked, chasing after her. "Ah Xie, it's my fault. I didn't recognize you last night. Don't go. If you're angry, you can hit me, even kill me. Anyway, I'm a monster. What if I go berserk again and hurt you?"

The rest of his words were silenced by the woman's soft hand.

Bi Xie covered his mouth, glaring at him angrily, "Don't talk nonsense, don't die!" How could there be such a stupid person? If she was afraid, why would she keep holding onto him and not let go? Why would she leave with him?

His eyes softened like a pool of spring water, and he stared at her without blinking, nodding.

As soon as Bi Xie let go, he beamed and hugged her, excitedly spinning her around several times, avoiding her wound, until she felt dizzy and angrily flicked his forehead. Only then did he gradually stop, timidly asking, "A-Xie, don't you mind that I'm a monster?"

Before Bi Xie could speak, he pulled her into his arms as if afraid of hearing the answer, gently kissing her temples and ears. "A-Xie, I'll be alright, my eyes will be alright. I was so angry last night. I heard them say you were missing, I couldn't find you anywhere, I couldn't find you anywhere. I thought you didn't want me anymore. They all stopped me, locked me in the house and wouldn't let me see you, and they even stuffed a lot of women into my room. I couldn't control myself, so I killed them..."