A Glimmer of Hope - Part 1
After a strange, loud noise echoed through the mountains, the temple became lively again. Many people came and many people left.
The leaves changed from a mixture of yellow and green to a deep caramel color, and the sap seemed about to drip from the veins.
Xiang Wu neatly folded the last quilt and carefully placed it back in the wooden cabinet. Stepping outside, he looked back at the empty dormitory room, the warm sunlight filling the entire space.
This room is the most popular. Thinking this, Xiang Wu gently closed the door.
Back in the main hall, he sat on a small stool behind the door and peered into the courtyard. It was the first time he had ever felt that the temple courtyard was so spacious.
He pulled his head back, then looked at the stove that hadn't been used in a long time and the stone pot used for boiling medicine, feeling inexplicably lonely.
I had originally planned to complain to my master and my senior brother that he had left without covering me with a blanket, causing me to be sick for so long. Now that I am cured, I have long since given up on that idea.
"As a result, Master did not return, and Senior Brother disappeared without a trace," Xiang Wu said with a long sigh.
Xiang Wu stood up, patted his clothes, and smoothed out the wrinkles.
After looking around in front of the temple and pausing for a moment, the elephant walked headless and headless up the mountain.
"After all this time, the cave must have been discovered long ago," Xiang Wu thought to himself.
~
On the way from Xieyue Mountain to Liuli Palace, Han Yizhi was very careful at first, wearing a straw hat and a veil, and even took off the sword tassel and put it in her bundle to hide it properly.
After crossing the Yangtze River, people gradually stopped discussing their relationship with Pei Jiangxi. Although the atmosphere was still tense throughout the journey, it had nothing to do with the three of them, and it wasn't even directed at the Liuli Palace.
"Have a sip of water, Master." Wang Boyu's offer of a water bottle interrupted Han Yizhi's thoughts.
After Han Yizhi drank the water and wiped her mouth with her sleeve, Wang Boyu said to her, "I just asked those heroes, and the north isn't as peaceful as the south."
Wang Boyu gave a signal to a group of wandering knights who were leading horses and squatting by the stream to fetch water.
"Without Bai Jie, the various families in the north are no longer restrained and have started fighting again." Wang Boyu leaned against the large rock where Han Yizhi was sitting, and sat down in a sunny spot at her feet. He continued, "Just two days ago, the Jinmen Knife Bureau and the Qixing Sword Sect were almost wiped out."
“Without a leader, the flock will perish.” Han Yizhi said as she handed the water bottle to Wang Boyu, “This is the situation Pei Jiangxi wanted, isn’t it?”
“Right now, the South is ruled by the Canghai Sword Manor. But the Canghai Sword Manor is convinced that the North framed Master Li, and they are determined to cross the river to avenge him.” Wang Boyu took the kettle, tightened the stopper, and continued, “The various factions in the North are finding all sorts of ways to expand their power.”
Several wandering knights by the stream not far away waved goodbye to the two, who smiled and waved back in return.
Looking at the shimmering stream, Wang Boyu said, "It's only a two or three-day journey to the Liuli Palace. After we get there, will we still spread the word that we've left Yijian Mountain?"
"If nobody cares, we won't say anything." Han Yizhi closed her eyes and slowly lay down on the smooth boulder, feeling the midday sun.
"What exactly is Pei Jiangxi's plan for this so-called 'Unforgettable Pavilion' that she asked us to set up?"
She said it was an organization that always gives a helping hand.
The sunlight added a soft red hue to the darkness before Han Yizhi's eyes.
"Ultimately, it's a transaction. You have to give me something, and I can help you solve your problem." Han Yizhi felt the warmth of nature, and her mind gradually relaxed.
~
Parting the green vines covering the cave entrance, the scenery inside the Sanxing Cave hasn't changed much.
The mountains are rugged and the streams are babbling.
"So that's how it is?" Touching the mottled dark red marks on the stone tablet, Xiang Wu searched for his past memories.
Just as he was about to squat down and get closer, footsteps sounded outside the cave.
"Long time no see, Master Xiangwu."
Nine figures filed in from the cave entrance.
Xiang Wu recognized the young woman in gold who was leading the group. When they stayed overnight at the temple, she was a gentle and graceful girl, but now she had gained a sharp edge.
Kim Yoo-jung looked around at the cave's layout and exclaimed, "I never imagined there was such a secluded paradise. It's a beautiful place with stunning scenery."
“There were rumors that a monk hurriedly came down the mountain when the formation was broken that day, and now it seems that it was indeed him,” the tall man beside him said in a deep voice.
“I should have known, he’s the only monk in these mountains. I just didn’t expect that there were two mazes, one inside and one outside, on Xieyue Mountain.” Kim Yoo-jung’s gaze returned to Xiang Wu and she said, “If I hadn’t been with you today, I wouldn’t have found this Sanxing Cave.”
"Is what you're looking for, Miss Jin, in this cave?"
"You've already taken the things, haven't you?"
Xiang Wu didn't know what they were talking about and shook his head. A sense of unease crept into his heart, and he said, "I don't understand what you're talking about."
Without even bothering to check the markings on the stone tablet, Xiang Wu walked towards the entrance.
After exchanging greetings with Kim Yoo-jung and her group, and just as they were about to part the vines at the cave entrance, Xiang Wu suddenly felt a sharp pain in his left leg, lost his balance, and fell to the ground.
"Yu Lie!" Kim Yoo-jung's voice came from behind.
After a moment of dizziness, Xiang Wu tried to exert force, and a series of excruciating pains shot through his left foot.
The man called Yu Lie squatted down in front of Xiang Wu and said fiercely, "Tell me, where did you hide the imperial edict and the imperial seal?"
“As long as you tell us, we won’t hurt you anymore.” Kim Yoo-jung walked over at this moment, looking down at Sang-moo lying on the ground.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Xiang Wu gritted his teeth, enduring the pain, "and I don't know anything about any imperial edict or jade seal."
Yu Lie looked at Xiang Wu, and Xiang Wu stared back fiercely at him.
Standing up, Yu Lie respectfully said to Jin Yuzhen, "Guardian, please hand him over to me. I will definitely find out the whereabouts of the imperial edict and the imperial seal."
~
I never expected this kind of reunion. No matter how you look at it, it's too cruel.
The prison had only one square opening at the very top of the wall, making it so dark that one could not distinguish day from night.
Nana was taken away, and half a day later she was thrown back into the cell, disheveled, and lay on the ground for half a day before she could sit up. This happened frequently; the people escorting her would come back every so often.
Today, Nana discovered that the prison guards had taken her up to another floor. She opened her eyes and cautiously surveyed her surroundings.
Two jailers grabbed her by the side, dragged her to the door of another cell, and threw her inside.
Nana (Im Jin-ah) fell face-first into the beam of light streaming through the window, her arms and thighs covered in bruises. The violent impact caused her to lie on the ground, coughing uncontrollably.
The jailer pointed to a figure curled up like a stone in the corner of the cell and shouted, "You, come here and help him apply the medicine."
The person in the corner had long, flowing hair and a rather burly build. Hearing the jailer's words, the figure stirred, suddenly showing a hint of life.
"A prostitute and a cripple." The jailer glanced at them disdainfully, put down the medicine bottle, and walked away without looking back.
The footsteps faded into the distance, leaving only Nana's gradually calming cough in the cell. Her disheveled hair completely covered her face, and some of the coughed-up blood smeared onto her hair.
A figure rose from the corner and approached Nana with uneven steps.
Nana lay motionless on the ground, only her lips trembling.
The figure leaned closer, and although he seemed weak, it was clearly a male voice. He asked, "What?"
"roll."
"I'll leave after I apply the medicine."
"Don't touch me."
Nana screamed hysterically, "Get out!"
The man, who had picked up the medicine bottle, put it down again, glanced at her injuries, and silently retreated back to the wall.
Seeing the man walk away, Nana gasped for breath. Her chest felt heavy and painful, and she could only curl up.
~
The man ate his meal while listening to the pouring rain outside, his energy as if he wanted to break free of this prison.
Nana suddenly threw her bowl forcefully, aiming it directly at the man.
The man jolted, tilting his head to dodge the flying bowl. The bowl struck the wall, sending shards of porcelain flying everywhere, cutting his face and covering him in rice.
A series of footsteps sounded as the jailer rushed into the cell, kicked the man to the ground, and slammed his face onto the broken porcelain shards.
Crimson blood flowed slowly down the sharp edge of the white porcelain shard onto the ground.
Nana, who had been pinned down, smiled as she looked at the man on the other side.
"This crazy woman smashed the bowl," said the jailer who had pinned Nana down.
“Useless,” the jailer said, looking at the man.
Another person squatted down in front of the man and said, "Climb on top of her, don't let her be so arrogant."
This remark made the jailers burst into laughter.
"One is impotent, the other is a madwoman."
After cleaning up the porcelain shards, everyone laughed and went back to drinking.
The man got up, gathered the food that had been spilled on the floor, put it back in his bowl, and continued eating.
"If you look at me again, I'll gouge your eyes out." Nana glared fiercely at the man, revealing the shards of porcelain she had just hidden in her hand.
The man didn't reply, but paused for a moment before resuming his eating with his head down.
Occasionally, flashes of lightning would shine through the window, but the two men in the cell stayed away from the central beam of light, huddled in the shadows.
~
Early that morning, Nana was thrown back into jail as usual.
Just as the jailer was about to leave, Nana grabbed his foot and screamed, "Where's Yu Hui? Where is Yu Hui?"
The jailer stopped, intrigued, and said, "You're such a shameless woman."
Another person chimed in, "Is life for adults really that good?"
Upon hearing this, everyone laughed again.
Nana's fingers tightened even more, her nails digging into the jailer's flesh.
"Crazy woman!" the jailer yelled, kicking Nana away.
Nana leaned against the wall, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth, her eyes still fixed on the jailer.
"What, you still think the master will marry you?"
"To tell you the truth, you're the one leading us today. But soon it won't be your turn to play with us."
Everyone looked at Nana, who was leaning against the wall, as if she were an object, examining her from head to toe.
"There are many of us, so you'd better take good care of yourself."
The crowd burst into laughter again.
Nana's eyes dimmed, but she kept repeating, "I want to see Yu Hui. Tell Yu Hui to come see me."
The jailer squatted down in front of her, laughing, and said, "No one will take the horses from the post station home."
Nana's eyes suddenly lit up again, and she slapped him hard, making him fall to the ground.
The jailer felt a surge of shame and indignation. Touching the left side of his face, which was scratched by fingernails, he roared, "You son of a bitch! Beat him up!"
The crowd surrounded her and kept kicking Nana.
At first, Nana waved her hands in resistance, but soon she was too weak to resist anymore, and her breathing became weaker and weaker. She could only keep muttering Yu Hui's name.
A younger jailer quickly stopped the crowd, glancing timidly at the middle-aged man with blood streaming down his face: "Brother."
"It's alright, she won't die. She's still thinking of you, sir." The jailer pointed to the man at the other end of the cell and ordered, "You, come over here and apply the medicine to her."
After everyone left, the man approached Nana and applied medicine to her.
Nana glared at the man and said weakly, "Get out."
The man acted as if he hadn't heard her and continued to apply the ointment to every one of her wounds.
"I told you to get lost!" Nana raised her voice a little higher.
However, rather than an angry rebuke, it was more like the dying cry of a little bird.
The man, ignoring everything, shakily applied the ointment.
~
Despite being immersed in darkness, the man still looked at the hole in the stone wall every day. Today the light was very bright, suggesting it would be a very sunny day, but the sun could not be seen through the hole.
"What a pity," the man muttered to himself.
The cell door was suddenly pushed open and slammed heavily against the stone wall.
"Horse, Lord Yu wants to see you," the jailer said sarcastically.
Without a word, the two men grabbed Nana and took her out.
The man glanced at the medicine bottle beside him, lay down, and stared intently at the only patch of sky.
The sky changed from blue to crimson, and finally the colors settled, returning to inky black. There were no stars, and it was so dark that it blended into the prison.
It's unclear how much time passed, but the noise woke the man from his already shallow sleep.
The jailer threw Nana into a cell and cursed, "You slut! Don't give her any food."
"yes."
Nana, breaking her usual silence, laughed loudly and cursed, "Yu Hui, you'll die a horrible death!"
Upon hearing this, the jailer turned back and kicked Nana against the wall, shouting, "Shut up!"
Nana's breathing was erratic; she couldn't make a sound, and she didn't even have the strength to glare at those tormenting her. She gasped for breath, even breathing became a struggle.
The jailer caught a glimpse of her disheveled appearance and left with disdain.
The man limped over to Nana's side, dipped his finger in the ointment, and carefully applied it to the exhausted Nana.
"Yu Hui, I'm going to kill you!" Nana gasped. "I'm going to kill you!"
The man looked into Nana's eyes, those eyes that shone even in the darkness, now filled with hatred as he gazed out of the cell door.
Nana fell asleep halfway through applying the ointment. After finishing, the man pulled Nana's clothes to cover her skin.
The inky blackness of the sky gradually faded, revealing a pale, fish-belly white.
~
The man ate only half of the rice from the left side of the bowl, and only took half of the food from the left side of the plate.
The man glanced at Nana, who was huddled in the corner, and pushed the food toward her.
Nana subtly looked up, revealing a murderous glint in her eyes, and said, "Get lost."
The man pushed the food closer to Nana.
Nana remained unmoved.
The man pushed the food in front of Nana.
Nana raised her face again and stared at the silent man in front of her.
This time, the man no longer avoided her gaze and looked directly into her eyes.
A moment later, Nana suddenly erupted, waving her hand and knocking over the food.
"I told you to get lost."
The jailer outside the door sneered, "This cripple is trying so hard to please me."
Another jailer said, "If you eat his food, we'll help you arrange this marriage."
Nana stood leaning against the wall, stomping hard on the food that had spilled all over the floor.
The man knelt there, staring at the food and swallowing hard. Finally, he retreated dejectedly to his side against the wall, head bowed, his face hidden in his long hair.
The jailers laughed again as they looked at the dazed man and the insane woman in the cell.
"What a piece of trash."
"You think you're here having a romantic chat? Just go ahead and sleep with her."
Sharp laughter filled the air outside the door.
Nana also slowly stopped and sat down with her back against the wall.
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