The girl with the braided hair stopped in front of the two iron doors, knocked on the door, glanced quickly at Xie Fu behind her, and said, "Sister Shu Yun."
Xie Fu heard a familiar voice coming from inside the room.
She seemed to cough, and her response was very low, "Xiaowen? Didn't I tell you not to come?"
Xie Fu felt the chill creep up his fingertips inch by inch, like a winding snake spreading along his flesh and muscles, finally reaching his heart, where it bit down.
He walked to the door and squeezed out two words with difficulty, his voice hoarse and indistinct.
"Shu Yun".
The rustling footsteps inside suddenly stopped, then resumed after a while, as if they had taken two steps toward him and then stopped again.
Her voice came from inside again, this time much clearer, but her tone wasn't good, "Why are you here? Do you even know where this place is...?"
Her voice stopped abruptly, and after two seconds she continued nonchalantly, "The bodies infected with the plague here haven't been cleaned up. Go back to the capital."
Xie Fu clenched his fist and slammed it hard against the door. He heard the sound of chains rattling. Just how serious was it that she had locked the door from the inside with chains?
He stared intently at the door, as if trying to see her current situation through it, and said in a hoarse voice, "Open the door."
She took a few more steps toward the door, but didn't open it.
Xie Fu waited for a while, then suddenly drew his sword and slashed it heavily against the door, making a piercing sound that startled Xiao Wen, who was standing nearby, who screamed in fright.
"Thank you, Fu!"
Shu Yun knew exactly what he was thinking, so she quickly raised her voice to make him stop.
Xie Fu continued hacking at the door regardless of the consequences. After three strikes, he used too much force, causing the blade to flip and crack his hand due to the recoil.
He stood at the doorway, knife in hand, blood flowing from his palm, slowly trickling down the hilt and the sharp blade.
Xie Fu threw the broken knife on the ground and reached out to Li Tie, who was standing there dumbfounded, "Give me the knife."
Li Tie hurriedly drew his sword, "I, I'll cut it for the young master."
Xie Fu took the knife from his hand and silently continued to deepen the cleavage on the iron gate.
The ear-piercing scraping sound tormented everyone's nerves. Xiaowen felt that this incredibly handsome man, with his hands covered in blood as he hacked at the door, looked like a madman.
The Wind and Thunder Cavalry behind were shocked. The young master had always been so nonchalant and lazy. When had he ever been like this? If they really wanted to break through this iron gate, they didn't know how many swords they would have to use. They might not be able to do it even after three days and three nights.
Shu Yun inside knew that Xie Fu wasn't really fantasizing about splitting the two iron doors open with a knife; he was trying to make her feel sorry for him.
She whispered, "Thank you, Fu..."
The shrill sound stopped, and Xie Fu's deep, hoarse voice rang out, "Open the door?"
Shu Yun reached out and touched the iron gate. She didn't know how many years the gate had been used, and it was covered with red rust. She was shocked by the loud, piercing scraping sound. She wondered what had become of Xie Fu's hand.
She pressed her forehead against the back of her hand, closed her eyes, and said softly, "Don't do this..."
Xie Fu stood in front of the door, holding a knife. Blood dripped from the tip of the knife and fell onto the floor. Shu Yun inside heard it clearly, and she was truly heartbroken.
He seemed to know she was leaning against the door, and his voice softened, almost coaxing her, "Then open the door and let me in."
Shu Yun smiled bitterly; how could she face him looking like this?
She hadn't expected the price of using that forbidden technique to be so high. Half a month ago, she suddenly fainted, and when she woke up, she was acutely aware that her divine power was beginning to dissipate.
She should have realized long ago that going against the heavens to retrieve Jiang Yan's soul would not simply weaken her body.
Going against the natural order and rules of this world is no easy feat. For the past two weeks, she has had to revert to her original form and slowly recover from her injuries.
She looked at her somewhat illusory form and pondered what reason she could use to persuade Xie Fu.
Seeing that she was silent again, Xie Fu patiently coaxed her to open the door, "Be good, open the door, I'm wearing a veil."
"I won't break the door anymore, just let me in..."
"I spent almost half a month traveling from the north of the city to find you. I even lost four horses in the process. I'm a bit tired. Let me go in and rest for a while."
Shu Yun sighed. Xie Fu thought he had contracted the plague and insisted on seeing her.
She had suddenly vomited blood and fainted. Since she had been mingling with the plague patients, everyone naturally assumed that she had contracted the plague. She then used this as a pretext to lock herself here and prevent outsiders from entering, so that she could recover and heal her wounds.
Even if she explained at this moment that she had not contracted the plague, Xie Fu probably wouldn't believe her. If she hadn't contracted the plague, then she would have no reason to refuse to see him. Moreover, Xiao Wen was right there beside her, and her statements couldn't be contradictory.
Xie Fu flung the knife away, the metal clanging against the stone slab. The arrogant and haughty young master of Xiliang lowered his tone and said gently, "Shu Yun, my hand hurts..."
Shu Yun's long eyelashes trembled. This gentle and soft attitude was the first time she had clearly seen a similarity between Xie Fu and Jiang Yan.
She reached down and unlocked the chains that bound the two doors, then pulled the doors open. There she saw Xie Fu standing before her, his hands covered in blood, just a step away.
He wasn't wearing a veil.
All in all, the two had not seen each other for several months. A sudden plague and a war launched by the Central Plains had separated them, one in the south and one in the north. Only now have they been able to reunite.
Having been baptized by war and bloodshed, he appeared much more reserved. His former unbridled arrogance seemed to have been ingrained in his bones, no longer showing, but becoming deeper and heavier.
With jet-black hair and bright eyebrows, his eyes were upturned at the corners, and his dark eyes were like obsidian soaked in mercury, incredibly beautiful. However, the cold curve at the corners of his eyes made him seem indifferent, making people afraid to look at his appearance too closely.
Now, those beautiful black eyes are quietly gazing at the white dress in front of her, and the restlessness and indifference between her brows and eyes are slowly dissipating.
Xie Fu looked at her bloodless face, stepped forward, ignored the gasps behind him, and pulled her into his arms.
She seems to have lost weight again. She was already delicate, and after traveling all the way south, she has now contracted the plague.
Shu Yun reached out and hugged his lean waist, asking softly, "Aren't you afraid of catching the plague?"
Xie Fu held her tightly, and upon hearing her words, replied nonchalantly, "Haven't you cured so many people? What's the problem with curing one more?"
Shu Yun curled her lips, glanced at the tense and ugly faces of Li Tie and the others, thought for a moment, and said, "I'm fine now."
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