A cold sensation slipped through my sleeve; I gripped it tightly and stabbed behind me with a fierce, swift motion. The sound of blood spurting onto the ground was muffled by the hem of my skirt. I struggled to support the fallen man and gently laid him on the ground.
This move was taught to me by Ji Mo. It involves striking someone's neck, a silent and deadly blow that will cause blood to splatter, making it clear to the person that they have taken a life.
It wasn't the first time I'd witnessed death, but it was the first time I'd personally brought death to someone else, and it was done more cleanly and efficiently than I'd imagined.
I moved quickly, step by step, and carefully opened the door of the inn. A cold wind picked up, and the snow started to fall again. The wind stung my face like a knife. Almost at the same time, the people who were rummaging through the drawers and cabinets in the room stopped. I could almost feel the chilling gazes piercing my back.
I sprinted towards the stables, forcing myself to steady the sticky sweat on my palms as I gripped my dagger tightly, and untied all eight horses. I mounted one, and the rest galloped off after a few cracks of the whip.
With such heavy snow, the footprints would disappear quickly if we didn't stop. Those people were moving very fast, so I could only whip my mount with all my might.
There are mountains everywhere here, and the snow makes the path slippery and difficult to traverse, but I had no choice but to risk it.
The horse was very capable, and although it nearly fell several times, it managed to stop steadily each time. Even the six men following behind did not have such an easy time; two of them had already fallen and gotten scratched on the sharp rocks hidden under the snow.
As we reached the mountainside, a huge rock jutted out, blocking the view of those below. Even those on horseback struggled to climb it and gain a foothold. I twisted the horse's head, and it slipped. The horse's startled neigh echoed through the mountains.
I dismounted, leaving the horse behind, and pushed a large patch of snow down. I hoped that this would make the people below think I had fallen and stop climbing. However, I couldn't rely on that alone. I could only climb step by step to the top of the mountain. When those people got here and only saw one horse, perhaps they would split up and go down to search for it. Even if there was only one horse, it would be less dangerous for me.
Just now, to make them believe I was frightened, I only wore a light undergarment when I opened the door. Now, with my body pressed against the snow, the melted snow water seeps in and freezes back into ice, making my lips and teeth chatter from the cold. If this continues, I'll either die at their hands or in this snow.
Unfortunately, there was no other way.
I climbed a few steps, leaving deep footprints, then scratched and clawed at the snow for a while, making signs of struggle, before slowly retreating. The voices drew closer in an instant. I held my breath and plunged myself into the snow. The deep snow soon buried me. At that moment, I realized that my white skin and white hair were a blessing from heaven. Even if I gave myself away, in this weather, no one would notice.
The cold seeped in inch by inch from my limbs.
For the first time, I longed for those people to come quickly. If they came, searched the place, and if they couldn't find me, they would leave, and I could get out. Even though there was still wind and snow, it was better than being buried in the snow, as if I had dug my own grave.
The trembling was uncontrollable, but fortunately, the north wind was howling outside, so the slight trembling on the snow was not noticeable.
"She fell down? The horse is still here."
"I don't know. Shall I go down and take a look?"
Be careful.
"Wait, there are footprints here."
“She really has the guts to climb up here, in this cold weather…” The man sneezed. “We’ve closed the mountain, she’ll freeze to death by tomorrow morning, why bother looking for her anymore.”
"Damn it, what does her life matter? The Celestial Master wants that arm!"
Celestial Master? Is this the auspicious omen Fuqi spoke of? Do they also want the severed arm of Jimo? I bit my lip, but couldn't suppress the cold tremor. If a true dragon were to descend over there, they would indeed do the same, after all, Fuxi's words implied that the world was entrusted to me and this severed arm.
“We’ve searched her room so many times, but when have we ever found that arm? It must be on her.”
They'd looked for my room many times, and it hadn't been just a matter of one or two nights along the way, so I wasn't surprised. It was just that the severed arm wasn't on me each night. Normally, I couldn't bear to look at that bluish-purple arm; I only opened the box to glance at it when we reached the next inn and needed more ice.
Every time I arrived at a new place, I would always carve a hole in the bed, not through the wooden planks, but just hollow it out halfway. The hole would be just the right size to fit the box inside. If the bedding was laid out, and my thick brocade quilt provided cover at night, no one would notice. I did this many times, and it became second nature to me. I never would have imagined before that my own hands could split wood with a dagger.
Every night when I go to sleep, my hand always rests on this wooden box, and even the slightest sound will wake me up. Because of this, their repeated attempts to search for it have been unsuccessful, until today, when they revealed their whereabouts.
I dared not close my eyes, watching the vast expanse of snow pile up thicker and thicker.
“Let’s go up and look. There aren’t any good horses left at the post station. Third brother, take this horse down with you. She’s damned for letting all the horses go.”
Great, one less person.
I heard the reluctant neighing of horses, the man's harsh curses, and the sound of feet trudging through the snow. For a long time, all was quiet; not a sound could be heard, not even the whispers of others. My vision was blurry, my body was cold, but I couldn't get out of the snow. I knew I had to get out; they wouldn't be gone for long, and my time was running out. But my limbs were stiff and numb; I tried with all my might, but I couldn't even clench my fists.
Perhaps, this is all I can do: fall asleep and die in this snow? I escaped the natural disaster, but I've been caught in a man-made one.
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