Chapter 3 Am I a rebel? Any gossip from Beijing's elite circles to share...?
Ning Lu looked back blankly and gently shook her head.
She couldn't answer his question.
She also wanted to know who she was and why she was there.
And how to survive, how to get home.
Seeing her bewildered expression, the man's scrutinizing gaze turned impatient, and he turned away without saying another word.
Only the echoes of exploding firewood remained in the cave.
Ning Lu shivered and sat down on the other side of the fire, watching him peel off his clothes one by one to treat his wounds.
Flames leaped, casting his shadow on the wall, tall and resilient, exuding the understated beauty unique to the ancients.
Due to excessive blood loss, a light purple tinge covered his pale face. He silently and slowly tore open the lining and bent down to treat his wound.
He was methodical and very focused.
Putting aside his questionable character, he was undeniably good-looking. Ning Lu, who wasn't usually a fangirl, had lost count of how many times she'd thought he was handsome tonight.
The suspension bridge effect? Or... recalling the ghost wall she had just encountered, she nodded.
Could the original owner and this person really have some kind of relationship?
But his actions tonight, while frightening, were, upon closer inspection, all a test.
It was as if he had never met the original owner of this body, nor had he ever met the Liu Yunying he was talking about.
Ning Lu mustered her courage and leaned towards him: "Since I just saved your life, why don't you answer me too?"
What's your name?
The man paused in his hand on the wound, turned his head to meet her innocent yet frank eyes, and stared blankly for a moment. His ears turned red, and he pulled his clothes up a little.
Ning Lu didn't notice his reaction and continued to ask.
"Where did you come from? Where are you going? How did you end up injured like this in this desolate wilderness? Also, are the list and the people you're looking for really that important?"
You can choose one to answer.
Before she could finish speaking, the blood-stained strip of cloth was thrown into the fire, and the flames suddenly leaped up, startling her so much that she leaned back to avoid them.
Boring.
Seeing that he remained silent, Ning Lu rubbed her hands together and stepped back a little, hiding in the gap between two rocks.
It's fine if you don't tell me, just don't kill her.
It would be best if they went down the mountain tomorrow morning, then they could go their separate ways.
She went to look for clues about the original owner of the body, and also to see if there was any way to travel back in time.
Another blood-stained strip of cloth was thrown into the fire, but the smell of blood was quickly masked by the thin layer of musk.
Ning Lu was once again drawn to his movements.
His dark blue robe was stained with blood and mud, and even torn in many places by tree branches.
He was indeed in a sorry state, but his extraordinary demeanor was also undeniable; he must be either rich or noble.
The scarred man's words flashed through her mind before the original owner fell off the cliff.
"Brother, are you from the capital? Are you an official? Or do you know any officials?"
As she finished speaking, the man's wounds were treated, and he tied his clothes back on, turning to her with a slight frown.
"It's clear."
"ah?"
"My name."
"Oh, oh, oh! Ji Ming, which Ji? Is it the Ji of seasons, or the Ji of law and discipline?"
Although it was an irrelevant answer, it was still a response.
Ning Lu's eyes lit up, and she pressed her advantage: "Which 'Ji'? The 'Ji' of seasons, or the 'Ji' of law and discipline?"
Seemingly unprepared for this question, the man paused for a moment, then slowly said, "The 'Ji' in 'law and discipline'."
"Good, good, good. Strict laws and regulations, peace and prosperity, a good name. Little... Brother A-Ming, you will definitely be a pillar of the nation."
Before going on stage for his stand-up comedy, the bar owner reminded him that the first rule for someone new to the workforce is to be polite.
Girls should address their older sister sweetly, while boys should address their older brother obsequiously.
Ning Lu kept it in mind, cleared her throat, and continued the conversation.
"Just call me Ji Ming."
"Brother Ming... do you know which emperor is on the throne right now? Do you have any gossip about Beijing's elite circles that you can share?"
Ji Ming's protest against the form of address was drowned out by Ning Lu's question.
The brow furrowed subtly, and he crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back with a languid air.
It was as if this place wasn't a desolate cave, but rather a small pavilion in his backyard.
"I've answered one of your questions, now it's my turn."
"Who are you? Where did you come from? Where are you going? Why are you here?"
His voice was low and hoarse. He had spoken too much in one breath, and he was breathing slowly, not forgetting to use his long, pale hand to cover his lips to block a low cough.
The same question was thrown back at Ning Lu, who was dumbfounded and her mind went blank.
"I... came from the other side of the mountain. I was ambushed on the way, lost my footing and fell. I was cushioned by a tree branch during the fall, which is how I barely survived. When I woke up, I didn't remember anything."
"So I don't know what year it is, where I came from, or where I'm going. I don't know anyone named Liu Yunying either."
A statement that is half true and half false, with more truth than falsehood.
She was sincere and honest, and not at all guilty. She calmly looked back into those eyes that could see right through people.
The man's fingertips tapped lightly down his arm.
His dark brown eyes shone brightly in the firelight.
Finally, his eyelashes drooped, his nostrils flared slightly, and that sharp, terrifying gaze returned to his eyes.
Ji Ming spoke up: "In the second year of Qianning, the Crown Prince had been on the throne for less than two years."
Crown Prince?
Ning Lu was intrigued by the keywords that the other party randomly triggered.
She sat up straight, pursing her lips as she pondered.
The original owner's fragmented memories mentioned the new emperor and Prince Jing.
Logically, the crown prince's ascension to the throne makes him the new emperor, but this Prince Jing...
It was either a title bestowed upon the Crown Prince before he took over the Eastern Palace, or it belonged to someone else.
Before jumping off the cliff, the original owner said that Prince Jing should put away his bow after he had used up all his birds, but was interrupted by the other party.
The original owner of that body was most likely a person of Prince Jing.
If we extrapolate the unknown from the known, we can boldly assume that the Crown Prince and Prince Jing are not the same person.
If the original owner of this body was a rebel, then Prince Jing should also be a rebel.
Before falling off the cliff, the scarred man was clearly implying that Prince Jing and the Crown Prince were in cahoots.
So, there's someone else in the rebel party?
The original owner was a spy for the rebels, hiding under Prince Jing's command, and used the relationship between Prince Jing and the Crown Prince to plot against the new emperor.
Ning Lu was startled by her own complicated speculations, gasped, and her eyes widened involuntarily.
Regardless of whether the conclusion is right or wrong, the fact is that both the Crown Prince and Prince Jing want to kill the original owner of this body, which is—herself at this moment.
This is not right, it's very not right, it's extremely not right.
The relationships are complex, involving both the Party and government, clearly indicating a high-level affair.
This is not something someone like her, whose mind is filled with one-way streets and who doesn't even understand the relationships between university clubs, can participate in.
We have to run!
She needs to find a way to travel back in time before the people chasing the original owner discover she's still alive.
Make up your mind, clench your fist, and slap your thigh hard.
Their eyes met.
...
Ji Ming leaned against the opposite rock, loosely adjusting his clothes, and quietly watched her. The light and shadow were uncertain, making it impossible to discern his emotions.
Ning Lu forced an awkward smile and nodded at him.
"I...I have nothing more to ask for the time being."
She was terrified by the thought that popped into her head and completely lost the will to argue with him.
"It's getting late, you should get some rest too."
Ji Ming raised an eyebrow slightly and peered through the crack in the rock at the pale sky outside the cave. It was probably not just late, but far too early.
He tilted his head inward, a mischievous smirk silently playing on his lips.
This strange woman spoke and acted without any rhyme or reason; her bizarre and absurd behavior carried a kind of recklessness he had never seen before.
While he was seriously injured and unconscious, he heard this woman running around him, wailing in despair. When she checked on his life, she was reluctant and even timid, but when she spoke, she confidently declared herself his savior.
His purpose in leaving Beijing was to uncover the list of traitors. News of his secret investigation in the southwest stirred various factions. Many wanted him dead, but his savior was the first among them.
The woman who arranged to meet him tonight, Liu Yunying, is a master assassin on the assassin's list, renowned for her lightness skills and assassination abilities. She comes and goes without a trace and never shows her true face. She was entrusted by someone to take his life.
However, the woman in front of him, who called herself Ning Lu, had saved him from life-or-death situations multiple times, and her clumsy, desperate, and panicked actions didn't seem fake. Moreover, she genuinely seemed not to recognize the dagger that Liu Yunying had dropped.
He wasn't entirely certain her motives were pure. Aside from the fact that her speed and composure during her escape were extraordinary, unlike that of an ordinary person who had never practiced martial arts, her presence here on the Ghost Festival was itself unusual.
Having navigated the treacherous waters of officialdom for years, he was adept at discerning truth from falsehood. That she had stirred things up to this extent was truly rare.
The wound on his chest throbbed with every breath, sending shivers of pain through his heart. Ji Ming silently slowed his breathing, enduring the pain, his eyelids growing heavy as his consciousness drifted.
Ning Lu couldn't sleep, so she turned to him and asked, "Brother Ming, is Liu Yunying, whom you just mentioned, someone very important to you?"
After a moment of silence, Ji Ming, who was almost in a daze, unconsciously hummed in agreement.
Hearing the response, Ning Lu was satisfied and completely oblivious to the man's drowsiness. She continued, "This little dagger is so delicate; it doesn't seem like something a man would use. Is it hers too?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Ming looked up, all weariness gone from his eyes, leaving only a sharp, hawk-like gaze.
"Don't misunderstand. I saw that you carried that dagger with you and risked your life to find her, so I thought you must be sincere towards her. In this world, sincerity is the rarest thing."
Ji Ming closed his eyes and remained silent, and the cave fell silent once more.
Thinking that she had accidentally touched a nerve, Ning Lu blamed herself for lacking boundaries, stuck out her tongue awkwardly, changed her position, and stopped talking.
The voices gradually subsided, and the wind and rain subsided slightly.
As dawn broke and insects and birds chirped merrily, the eerie and terrifying events of last night seemed like a ridiculous nightmare.
After falling from a height and briefly relaxing, the body reacted, starting to complain of soreness, and its eyelids kept drooping.
Ning Lu huddled in the corner between two stone walls. Every rustle of wind or the slightest movement around her made her as startled as a bird, let alone feel sleepy. She could only stare wide-eyed until dawn.
After the thunderstorm, the morning mist dissipated, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of grass.
This quiet and natural environment is perfect for catching up on sleep.
Sleepiness came late, my eyelids drooped, and I just managed to close them.
"Search quickly! Here! And there! Dig three feet into the ground if you have to find them."
"If we can't find them, nobody's going to survive!"
The clamor and shouts entered the cave, extinguishing the last embers. The ashes loosened and scattered in a rustling sound.
Ning Lu jumped up like a startled deer.
Ji Ming is still asleep.
She had no choice but to inch her way to the entrance of the hole and peer out.
The wolf pack was nowhere to be seen. Apart from a few sets of animal bone fragments scattered on the ground, everything seemed normal.
"There are signs of a fire here!"
“There is blood here.”
"This is also available!"
It sounds like they've discovered the location where they woke up yesterday.
Could it be that the group that was chasing the original owner has come down?
"I told you we should have gone up the mountain to look for him last night, but you insisted on waiting for the fog to clear. Now look, the fog's gone, and he's gone. How are we going to explain this?"
"Over there! Send another team!"
"I want to see him alive or dead."
The harsh sound brutally shattered the tranquility of the mountains, gradually approaching along with the crunching sound of withered leaves being crushed.
The emptiness of the valley amplified the sound and intensified her panic.
Ninglu clasped her hands together and whispered in prayer.
Then, fearing it wasn't enough, he made the sign of the cross on his forehead and chest with one hand.
"Don't be afraid, Ning Lulu."
"If fate gives you a lower starting point than others, it's to tell you that you can fight your way to a comeback."
"There's always a way out. It's alright, it's alright."
Crack—
Gravel rolled down, withered branches broke, and footsteps drew near.
Ning Lu subconsciously reached for the dagger in her bosom, gripped it tightly with both hands, and retreated further and further.
"Hey! Big brother! Ji Ming! Wake up! The sky is falling."
No one answered.
Ning Lu sensed something was wrong and stepped forward to grasp his shoulder.
It's so hot.
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