Chapter 38: The moon is cold on the hills, and there is no time for our farewell
It was already late at night when we escaped from the secret room.
The strong smell of blood was left behind, but the sticky breath of death seemed to still cling to the clothes and hair of the two people, lingering.
They did not choose to return to the capital immediately, but instead traveled through the mountains and forests, and finally stopped on an unnamed hill overlooking the way they came.
The moonlight was like water, yet it carried the chill of frost and snow, coating everything in a pale silver glow. The night wind howled up from the valley, rustling the sleeves of my clothes. The chill was like a knife, scraping against my skin and seeping into my bones.
Neither of them spoke.
Silence became the only language between them after the brief joy of destroying the "Youquan" headquarters was pierced by the cold arrow of "silencing".
Su Qinghan turned his head and secretly looked at the man next to him in the moonlight.
Shen Ye stood quietly, his figure erect as a javelin, his dark, dark garb blending seamlessly into the night. He gazed at the rolling hills in the distance, where, at their end, lay the dimly lit silhouette of the capital. His profile remained handsome, yet seemed frozen in the moonlight, revealing an unprecedented sense of alienation and fatigue.
Su Qinghan's heart sank little by little.
She knew that Wang Sen’s last words before his death and the arrow from the capital had completely changed everything.
The opponent is no longer a gangster like "Youquan" who can be eliminated by force, but a behemoth hidden in the center of power - Prince Ning. A prince who can easily mobilize top assassin organizations like Tianji Pavilion.
The danger of this road to revenge was far beyond her initial imagination.
And Chen Ye... he was from the Tianji Pavilion. Although he never admitted it, both his martial arts and his understanding of the Tianji Pavilion proved it. Wang Sen's words were like an invisible thorn, piercing their already fragile relationship.
Tianji Pavilion was also involved in the murder of his father.
She didn't dare to think about what role Chen Ye played in this. She would rather believe that he was just a chess piece in the Tianji Pavilion, and he might not even know about it at the time.
Every moment they spent together in the courtyard was so real. His clumsiness in healing her wounds, his helplessness when his face was covered in dust from the smoke from the stove, his pale face after staying up all night using his inner strength to ward off the cold for her... none of this could be faked.
She believed in her own feelings and believed that the man who lit a lamp for her in the darkness was by no means a cold-blooded and ruthless devil.
Because of this, she couldn't drag him into this bottomless quagmire.
Her life had been dedicated to revenge the day her father fell. She could die, perish alongside her enemies. But Chen Ye shouldn't. He deserved a life of his own, not be bound by her hatred and ultimately become the target of Prince Ning and the Tianji Pavilion's combined efforts.
After a long silence, Su Qinghan finally mustered up all his courage and broke the suffocating silence.
"Chen Ye."
Her voice was so soft that it was blown away by the wind.
Shen Ye's body trembled slightly, and he slowly turned his head. Under the moonlight, his eyes were as deep as a pool, and it was impossible to tell what emotions were inside.
"Thank you." Su Qinghan met his gaze and spoke slowly, "From the siege in the valley to the destruction of 'Youquan', I wouldn't be here today without you. I will never forget this kindness, Su Qinghan."
Shen Ye's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end no sound came out.
Su Qinghan felt a pang in his heart, but he forced himself to continue, his voice filled with unquestionable determination: "But I must walk the rest of the way alone."
The sound of the wind seemed to become louder at this moment.
Shen Ye's pupils suddenly contracted, and he looked at her quietly, as if waiting for an explanation.
"Wang Sen is right, this pool is too deep." Su Qinghan's gaze shifted to the huge, light-swallowing city in the distance. "My opponent is Prince Ning, and even the entire Tianji Pavilion is behind him. I am alone and fearless, but you are different. I can't... I can't implicate you anymore."
She said the word "involved" with particular difficulty.
These words came from the heart, and were the only and best arrangement she could make for him.
However, she didn't know that every time she said "for his sake", it was tantamount to the most cruel torture to Shen Ye.
Implicate?
Chen Ye smiled bitterly inwardly. He was the culprit, the source of all the tragedy. All the dangers she had to face, the deep blood feud she bore, all stemmed from the sword he had struck to prove himself.
He was the biggest burden in her life.
He wanted so badly to tell her the truth, so badly to kneel before her and beg for her forgiveness, but he couldn't.
He understood Su Qinghan better than anyone. The revenge for her father's murder was the only pillar that had kept her alive until now. If this pillar was built in such a ridiculous and cruel way on the sins of the one she loved, she would completely collapse. That would be even more cruel than killing her.
He didn't even dare to open his mouth to refute or say "I'm not afraid".
Because as long as he was alive, as long as the identity of "Zhu Ying" remained, he was the sharpest sword hanging over her head. His existence itself was the greatest danger to her.
In Su Qinghan's view, his silence became a kind of acquiescence.
The light in her eyes dimmed a little. Her heart felt like it was blocked by something, and she felt suffocated and anxious. She thought he would say something, even just a word to keep her. But he didn't.
Perhaps he also felt that separation was the best option. After all, their worlds, one black and one white, had never intersected. It was a quirk of fate that brought them together briefly. Now, it was time to return to their separate paths.
A huge sour taste surged to the tip of his nose. Su Qinghan held back his tears, raised his head stubbornly, and forced a smile that was uglier than crying.
"So, let's say goodbye here. You... take care of yourself."
After saying that, she turned around and took a step forward. Every step felt like stepping on the tip of a knife, piercing her heart.
She thought this was the end.
"etc."
Behind him, Shen Ye's hoarse voice came.
Su Qinghan's steps suddenly stopped, her body frozen in place, but she didn't have the courage to look back. She was afraid that if she did, all her strength would crumble.
Chen Ye walked forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with her. He didn't look at her, but like her, he looked at the distant capital.
"Prince Ning's power is overwhelming, and the Tianji Pavilion's methods are unpredictable." His voice was low, but remarkably clear. "How can you cope with this alone?"
"I'm not alone." Su Qinghan took a deep breath and revealed his final trump card. "Behind me are the Six Gates and the laws of the imperial court."
Shen Ye's body froze again.
Liushenmen... She is indeed a government official.
This answer confirmed his worst guess and completely shattered his last bit of hope.
Su Qinghan didn't notice his abnormality. She was immersed in her own thoughts, and the fire of determination was rekindled in her cold eyes.
"I will no longer be like before, running around in the martial arts world like a headless fly. I will return to the Six Gates and use the power of the country to collect evidence of Prince Ning's crimes. I want him to be judged by the laws of the Great Zhou under broad daylight! I want everyone in the world to know the crimes he committed!"
This is her belief as a detective, and also the right way for her to clear her father's name.
Shen Ye listened to her passionate words, but his heart was filled with cold silence.
Law? Judgment?
Who should judge him, the executioner who personally carried out the "crime"?
Su Qinghan didn't wait for his response. She smiled self-deprecatingly. Perhaps talking to an assassin was like talking to a cow.
She took one last look at him, and in that look, there was reluctance, determination, and a hint of expectation that she herself was unwilling to admit.
She turned around and prepared to leave for real.
The mountain breeze blew the loose hair on her forehead, and the moonlight outlined her lonely and resolute back.
Just as she was about to take the third step, Shen Ye spoke again.
"Yangzhou..." he said softly, his voice so soft that it seemed like it would break in the wind at any moment, "the place where we first met."
Su Qinghan's body was like being struck by lightning, and was completely frozen in place.
She slowly, slowly turned her head and looked at him in disbelief.
Chen Ye finally withdrew his gaze from the distance and landed on her face. In those bottomless eyes, there surged a sadness and tenderness that she could not understand, but was enough to drown a person.
"I've said before, I'll help you avenge your hatred." He looked at her, his voice soft but filled with undeniable power, "Now, I still say that."
"But……"
"Listen to me." Chen Ye interrupted her. He took a step forward, and the distance between them was so close that they could feel each other's breath.
He raised his hand, as if wanting to touch her cheek, but in the end, that hand stained with blood and sin still hung down weakly in mid-air.
"You go to the capital and take your Yangguan Road. I'll go somewhere and cross my single-plank bridge." He stared at her, carving her face deeply into his mind. "I will use my own way to help you clear the obstacles. Whether it's the Tianji Pavilion or Prince Ning, anyone who wants to hurt you must step over my dead body."
Su Qinghan was shocked by the resolute madness in his eyes and was speechless for a moment.
"wait for me……"
This time, it was Su Qinghan who uttered those two words. She looked at the man before her, and all her rationality and defenses crumbled in that moment. She didn't care anymore. She didn't care about his identity, his position, or the danger.
She just wanted to hold on to the only warmth in front of her.
There was an imperceptible tremor in her voice, and a desperate courage.
"Wait for me... wait until I've taken revenge and settled all the grudges. I'll clear my father's name and restore the Su family's glory." She looked at him, her eyes finally red. "If you and I were still here by then, would you still be willing..."
She took a deep breath, used up all her strength, and made a promise that would affect the rest of her life.
"I'll be waiting for you... on the bridge where we first met in Yangzhou."
After saying this, she closed her eyes tightly, not daring to see his reaction. She had staked all her hopes on this unknown future.
Time seems to stand still at this moment.
All that remained was the howling night wind on the hill.
After an unknown amount of time, she heard a very light yet very heavy answer.
"good."
Just one word.
But it was like a huge rock that fell into Su Qinghan's heart, stirring up huge waves.
She suddenly opened her eyes and saw Shen Ye nodded heavily. He didn't smile, but his sad eyes seemed to reflect the starry sky, with a hint of brightness that she had never seen before.
That's enough.
Su Qinghan smiled, but tears began to fall at the same time. They were tears of joy and hope.
She wiped away her tears vigorously and looked at him deeply for the last time, as if she wanted to engrave his appearance in her soul forever.
Then, she turned around resolutely and strode towards the capital.
This time, she didn't look back.
Chen Ye did not try to persuade him to stay.
The two went their separate ways, one towards the palace of light and law, the other towards the abyss of darkness and fate. Under the cold moonlight, their figures stretched longer and farther, until they disappeared from each other's sight.
Su Qinghan walked towards the capital, every step being extremely firm.
The mountain breeze dried the tears on her face, but it couldn't blow away the warmth in her heart. Shen Ye's last "OK" and that promise became the brightest beacon in her heart.
She no longer felt lonely and afraid. She knew that on this thorny road, there was another person who was fighting alongside her in his own way.
She thought this was just a temporary separation, for a better reunion in the future. When her revenge was achieved and the dust settled, she could drop all her disguises and burdens, return to the bridge in Yangzhou, and wait for the man who promised her a future.
She walked towards her battlefield with hope.
And on the nameless hill behind her, the deep night lingered for a long time.
He just stood there, like a stone statue gazing into the distance, letting the cold night wind stiffen his body.
He looked in the direction where she disappeared until he could no longer see any trace of her.
The word "OK" was the most gentle and cruel lie he had ever told in his life.
He may never be able to visit the bridge in Yangzhou again.
He knows what he should do.
He couldn't let Su Qinghan continue his investigation at the Six Gates. Because if he continued, all the clues would eventually point to a codename - "Zhuying". Pointing to himself.
He had to put an end to it all with his own hands before she found out the truth.
He was going to Tianji Pavilion not to clear obstacles, but to end his past.
He wanted to meet King Ning under the identity of "Zhuying" and obtain the solid evidence of his murder.
Then, he would destroy Tianji Pavilion, the evil place that turned him into a killing machine.
Finally, he wanted to make "Zhuying", Su Qinghan's biggest enemy, disappear completely from this world.
In the most brutal and decisive way.
This was the last protection he could give her.
Shen Ye slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, all the tenderness and sadness in his eyes had faded away, leaving only the dead silence and determination like ten thousand years of ice.
He turned around and walked in the opposite direction of Su Qinghan.
Under the moonlight, his figure was resolute and lonely.
He didn't know, or rather, he had already anticipated that this farewell might be a farewell forever.
When they met again, they were already mortal enemies.
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