For days, the frustration of being unable to leave the city, the tension and anxiety of hiding, and the pressure of her worsening wound were all released in an instant. Shu Yao was unusually cheerful, her beautiful eyes sparkling, and even the chirping of birds in the mountains sounded exceptionally pleasant.
That's great! She has escaped Huo Jingsha's threat and no longer needs to worry about him discovering her identity as an assassin, nor does she need to fear being tortured to death by him again. The nightmare that has repeated itself life after life has finally been broken, and she is no longer trapped in a hopeless cycle of reincarnation.
Hahaha, in this life, she has finally changed her destiny and been reborn!
You Shuyao felt more joyful than ever before, like a bird on a treetop spreading its wings and flying freely.
Looking around, the unassuming wildflowers by the roadside are more beautiful than peonies? The crows cawing in the trees are more beautiful than snow eagles.
Ah... at this moment, everything is so beautiful it's beyond words.
Completely absorbed in the "beautiful scenery" around her, she was unaware that Qi already knew when she woke up. In fact, he had remained awake the entire way, so her every move had been observed by him.
While pretending to be asleep, Qi didn't understand why he was doing this, or why he was pretending not to know that she was sleeping peacefully against him.
As she quietly withdrew from his chest, her fragrance and warmth lingered on his skin, and her softness remained in his mind, impossible to shake off.
Qi stared silently at her profile and caught a glimpse of a pleasant smile on her lips.
Even without saying a word, you could tell she was very happy, radiating excitement.
He didn't know why she was so happy, and her eyes were fixed intently on the window, while he stared back at her with the same focused gaze. Assassins like them, whose lives could be lost at any moment, were all orphans. Because they couldn't have any attachments or burdens, they had to undergo rigorous training from a young age, and were tamed into cold-blooded, ruthless, and heartless killing machines.
But since we are born as human beings, with our hearts still beating, how can we be without blood and tears? It's just that the long-term suppression of our nature and indifference to life have numbed all our senses. Moreover, in order to make ourselves appear more in line with the organization's requirements, we have to suppress emotions that we shouldn't have.
Long before she was assigned this task, he had already been lurking in the Huo family mansion for some time. In order not to attract attention, he concealed his handsome face and disguised himself as an ordinary guard in the Huo family mansion. The original innocent guard had long been killed by him without mercy.
Because the Huo family's guards were strictly ranked, ordinary low-ranking men like him could not get close to Huo Jingsha. He struggled to find an opportunity to assassinate her. Later, he received a secret report from the organization that a beautiful woman would be sent to infiltrate the Huo family as a maid. Her mission was to seduce Huo Jingsha so that the mission could be completed as soon as possible.
When she entered the Huo residence, he simply observed her quietly from the side, without letting her know of his presence, until the organization gave him orders to meet with her and work together to assassinate Huo Jingsha.
He had never made a mistake in his career, but because of her, he made two mistakes in a row. Strangely, he did not resent her. Even though he had doubts about her explanation, he was more inclined to believe it and went to verify it himself.
The first time, it was indeed because I was not careful enough and was too eager to succeed. I did not consider that she and Huo Jingsha were in the same room. With Huo Jingsha's skill, if she suspected me, she could kill me before I died and take me down with her.
Then it was at Hongfu Inn. Actually, he had his doubts at the time. Was Huo Jingsha under the influence of aphrodisiac? Why did she only bring four guards? But the opportunity was really rare, and he didn't want to miss it again, so he carried out the assassination without thinking. But when Shu Yao blocked the sword, and saw the guards surging in from all directions, he also felt that he had fallen into Huo Jingsha's trap. Fortunately, he was lucky and managed to escape.
In order to preserve his strength, he had to retreat outside the city, find a secluded place to hide, report to the organization, and then consider his next move.
When he returned to the city, he found it filled with Imperial Guards and a very weak You Shuyao. It was like finding a needle in a haystack. He had originally intended to hand her over to the leader, but now... he completely changed his mind. Perhaps, she really had risked her life to save him.
*** ***
After traveling non-stop for two days, they dared to slow down slightly at noon that day. Although they were all martial artists, traveling without sleep and rest would take its toll. So Qi ordered the carriages to be stopped by a stream for a short rest.
They were scattered around the stream in twos and threes. Some leaned against tree trunks and pretended to sleep, some wiped their weapons, and some practiced their internal energy to recuperate. But no matter what they were doing, everyone was silent. Only one person was an exception.
You Shuyao's bones were stiff from sitting in the carriage. When she finally got off, her eyes lit up like stars when she saw the babbling brook.
She walked to the stream, splashed water on her hands and face, and still felt it wasn't enough. Later, she simply took off her shoes and socks, walked barefoot in the water, and stretched comfortably... letting out a long sigh.
The stream was crystal clear, and fish swam leisurely. She tried to catch them with her hands, but the little fish were very cunning and slippery. They swung away from her hands and splashed water all over her face, which made Shu Yao let out a crisp laugh.
When she got tired of playing, she sat on a large rock on the shore, her little feet playfully kicking up splashes of water, having a great time.
Her feet were naturally fair and beautiful, and with the crystal-clear water droplets covering her feet, her plump little feet seemed to shine through the sunlight.
Her demeanor was strikingly different from the others who remained silent. Even when the others rested with their eyes closed, they were enveloped in a solemn and austere atmosphere. In contrast, she sat there leisurely playing in the water, occasionally catching a few colorful butterflies that flew by, as if she existed in two worlds: one of death and one of life.
All eyes fell on You Shuyao, even Qi was looking at her.
"Is this woman really in the same profession as us?" one of the assassins asked, looking puzzled.
He asked the same question that puzzled the others. They rarely saw other assassins going out for a stroll while evading capture. After all, conserving energy and strength was the proper thing to do in such situations. They also had to keep their eyes and ears open and be ready to run away at the slightest sign of trouble. That was what they were supposed to do.
This operation was led by Qi, so naturally everyone wanted to get the answer to this question from him. And their impression of the woman... she really didn't seem like an assassin.
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