Chapter 61 Remembering Jiangnan (Part 1) To her.
Jiang Si remembered Ye Mu as someone who rarely shed tears.
When they first met in their past life, she was a girl raised in seclusion, with her eyes downcast and a shy smile in her dimples. After marriage, she was gentle and good at managing the household. Even when she was wronged by her mother, she would only secretly wet her pillow at night with her back turned. He would hug her and coax her, and she would stop crying and start laughing.
Later, when he took Su Yao as a concubine, her expression gradually became more subdued, and her smile faded. She never cried or made a fuss, nor did she utter a single resentful question.
It wasn't until the day her child was taken away that she broke free from the servants like a madwoman, her hair disheveled, and rushed to the front hall. She grabbed the hem of his official robe, tears streaming down her face, and cried out hoarsely, "Jiang Si! Give me back my child! He is my life!"
That was the first time he had ever seen her cry so bitterly.
But those tears were for the child, not for him.
She never cried because of him.
I never cried because of his neglect or his betrayal.
When they met again in this life, she was even more wary and distant towards him. Her eyes were cold, and she was reluctant to give him even a fake smile.
But at this moment, in this dimly lit and bumpy carriage, she shed tears.
Extremely quiet, extremely light.
As he pushed her to the brink of despair, and as he relentlessly questioned her, she wept.
Jiang Si looked away, gazing at the dimly lit street scene rushing past the window. He couldn't bear to look at her with a cold heart any longer.
She must have loved him.
That's why she couldn't bring herself to say it, and why she couldn't admit it when he had driven her to such a desperate situation in such a despicable way.
This was far too humiliating for Ye Mu, who was proud in this world.
She loved him.
Jiang Si suddenly felt breathless. He wiped the back of his hand, where a tear of hers had briefly fallen. It was now completely dry, leaving no trace, but his skin was still burning, and his heart ached as well.
Jiang Si carried her all the way back to the top scholar's mansion, and roughly threw her onto the brocade bed in the inner room. The bed curtains swayed slightly from the force, and the light and shadow flickered.
Ye Mu struggled to sit up, but Jiang Si pressed her back down.
Ye Mu's hair was disheveled and stuck to her cheeks, but her eyes were cold and indifferent. She looked at him and said, "Jiang Si, do you really have to resort to such despicable means now?"
Jiang Si didn't answer, his lips pressed tightly together, and he simply reached out to untie the belt around her waist.
The movements were anything but gentle, carrying a ruthless, almost demonic quality.
The belt came undone, her outer garment fell loose, and the abacus she had been wearing at her waist fell to the ground, making a clattering sound as it hit the floor, as it contained a wooden plaque and a porcelain box.
Jiang Si ignored her and took the opportunity to pull off the dress she was wearing over her head.
"Do you have to do this?" Ye Mu's voice finally trembled uncontrollably, whether from anger or fear, it was hard to tell.
He took off her navy blue trousers and tossed them aside.
Ye Mu was only wearing a thin, plain white undergarment. Her hands were still bound, and with the slightest movement, the rough hemp rope rubbed against the skin of her wrists, the restraints causing a burning, dull pain.
Her body trembled uncontrollably, partly from the cold and partly from a desperate premonition of what was about to happen.
Ye Mu knew that the person in front of him was capable of anything when he went crazy.
"I loved."
Jiang Si straightened up and looked at her in silence.
Ye Mu closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling. "Back when we got married in my previous life, whether you were initially after my noble family's status or my money... I truly wanted to spend my whole life with you."
She looked up and gazed into his eyes. "I have thought about growing old with you, Jiang Si."
Her lips had lost all color.
These words seemed to have exhausted all her strength. After speaking, her shoulders slumped slightly, and she stopped looking at him.
Jiang Si, who was holding her chin, turned her face to look at him, and involuntarily loosened his grip a little. "Then can we make love again?"
"cannot."
This time she answered quickly, "I can't love you anymore."
"It's all because of that monk..."
"Without Xie Yicheng, I would never love you again."
Jiang Si stared at her lips, a surge of wicked fire burning through his chest, scorching his internal organs. He really wanted to bite her hard. He had kissed her lips before; they were so soft and sweet. How could he say such cruel words?
He finally let go, and chuckled lightly, "What did you think I was going to do to you?"
He didn't intend to take her this way.
Jiang Si got up, picked up her outer robe, trousers, and skirt scattered on the bed one by one, crumpled them in his hands, and then walked to the door without looking back and opened it.
A maidservant was waiting outside the door on the porch with her hands at her sides.
"That woman is here?" Jiang Si asked indifferently.
"Reporting to Master, they've arrived. They're here every day at three-quarters past Shen time, and they're waiting for you at Suying Pavilion right now," the maidservant whispered.
Jiang Si stuffed the pile of women's clothes, still warm from her body, into the maid's arms. "Take them and let her change. Tell her I will see her today."
"Yes." The maidservant, carrying the clothes, hurried away along the corridor.
Jiang Si closed the door behind him, walked to the pear wood wardrobe against the wall, took out a dress, turned back to the couch, and placed it next to Ye Mu. "Change into this."
At the same time, he bent down to untie the hemp rope binding her wrist. The knot loosened in a few strokes between his fingers, revealing her slender wrist with red marks underneath.
He glanced at it.
Ye Mu flexed his wrists, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the open wardrobe. Inside, a number of women's clothes were neatly folded, mostly in simple and elegant colors and styles, and the materials were all similar, appearing to be brand new.
The outfit next to her was also a pale yellow dress; I wonder what he's up to now.
"Before I change my mind, quickly change your clothes and leave through the back door."
Ye Mu looked up, somewhat incredulous. This sudden release made her more wary than the previous coercion. "Then my clothes..."
“It was given to Su Yao,” Jiang Si said with a sneer. “Didn’t you tell her yourself that the old servants guarding the gate of my Zhuangyuan Mansion would doze off every day at Shenshi (3-5 PM), and that no one would check the side gates carefully? How could she come and go as she pleased? Thanks to you, she not only comes to block me every day, but also climbs into my bed at night.”
It turned out that the woman he was talking to the maid was Su Yao.
Ye Mu was taken aback, picked up her clothes, and walked behind the screen. "Weren't you two very much in love in your past life? I've brought this person to you, isn't that exactly what you wanted?"
A moment of silence.
"I never touched her."
On the screen, Ye Mu's figure, who was tying his belt, paused for a moment.
Jiang Si smiled bitterly, "I told you last time, but you didn't believe me. When I brought her into the manor, I deliberately ignored you and spoiled her, just to spite you. I wanted to see if you really cared."
The screen is made of silk gauze and painted with hazy landscapes.
The candlelight cast her figure clearly on it, revealing her slender neck, delicate yet curvaceous shoulders and back, and a waist so small it could be encircled by a single hand. Every gesture she made was graceful and charming.
“So,” her voice came again, “you’re now trying to send Su Yao to the post station? To substitute one thing for another?”
“Yes.” Jiang Si didn’t look away. “She comes every day, it’s annoying. Since she’s short of men, let’s give her one.”
The guards outside had seen what kind of clothes Ye Mu wore, which is why they helped Su Yao change into them.
Ye Mu still had one question: "Why did the grassland prince, Ah Jun, suddenly request His Majesty's decree to marry me? Was he instigated by you?"
"I only lent a hand. Ah Jun has a little-known fetish: he enjoys forcibly taking other men's wives, and especially loves to see chaste and virtuous women submit. I merely inadvertently revealed to him that the woman who competed with him at the Dharma assembly and caused him to suffer a hidden loss was not only outstanding in talent and beauty, but also already had someone else in her heart and was deeply in love with her lover."
Jiang Si said, "Upon hearing this, he was indeed intrigued. His perverted tastes were aroused, and he couldn't wait to ask His Majesty for his hand in marriage."
He stood there, watching the silhouette swaying on the screen, his eyes as deep as the night, his fingers slowly clenching at his sides and then slowly relaxing.
He didn't really want to admit it, but he now had this habit too.
To her.
Ye Mu tied the last sash and stepped out from behind the screen. Her pale yellow dress made her skin look even whiter, and he remembered that she liked this color in her previous life.
"Won't it be discovered if Su Yao goes in my place?" Ye Mu frowned slightly. "Her figure and voice are different."
“More than a month has passed since the Dharma assembly.” Jiang Si’s gaze fell on her face. “A barbarian from the grasslands, indulging in excessive drinking and feasting, thinks he’s a refined scholar just because he knows a few words? How clearly can he remember? Besides, later, I will have a maid skilled in makeup apply powder and draw her eyebrows, trying to imitate your usual makeup as much as possible. Under the cover of night, behind the curtains, who can see clearly?”
"How does your maid know what I look like...?"
Before she could finish speaking, her gaze suddenly froze.
Following her raised gaze, one could see a finely framed long scroll of silk hanging on the white wall directly opposite the entrance of the main room.
The woman in the painting is dressed in a light blue dress, sitting under a flowering tree in spring, reading a scroll. Her profile is beautiful, with a gentle and serene smile on her lips. Her eyes are lowered, and her gaze is like water.
That was her face.
Yet she doesn't quite resemble her as she is now; the woman in the painting has softer features, a more serene demeanor, and a shy smile.
That was her from Jiang Si's memory, a phantom in his mind.
“They come in and out of this house every day to sweep and clean,” Jiang Si’s voice came from behind her, “and they can see this painting as soon as they look up, so they naturally know what you look like.”
Ye Mu's fingertips curled slightly.
She didn't turn around or respond to his words. She simply bent down silently, picked up the abacus from the ground, and carefully put it away.
Then, Ye Mu opened the door and walked straight out without lingering for a moment.
The dim yellow light from the lanterns under the eaves outside the door illuminated her pale yellow dress, casting a faint shadow on the ground.
A night breeze swept by, bringing with it the cool, refreshing scent of the plants and trees in the courtyard.
"Ye Mu".
Jiang Si's voice came from behind, and his footsteps followed. "Aren't you curious why this outfit fits you so well? And why are there so many women's dresses in that closet, all of which happen to be your size?"
"Jiang Si".
Ye Mu turned around and stopped in front of him. The pale yellow collar of her dress accentuated the slender lines of her neck, and her clear, cold eyes were unbelievably beautiful. Just as she was about to speak, Jiang Si interrupted her.
"Okay, I understand."
Seeing her expression, he knew what she was going to say. "We can't be together. You've said that a thousand times. I'm sick of hearing it."
His voice lowered, tinged with a hint of defiance, "Just consider my money wasted, okay?"
In fact, when he suppressed all his hostility and obsession and simply followed behind her, speaking in a normal tone, he exuded a refined and scholarly air.
"Isn't everything you're using the Crown Prince's money?"
Ye Mu turned around and headed towards the back gate with practiced ease.
How did you know?
"His Highness the Crown Prince told me."
The light from the corridor lamp slanted across half of her face, creating a play of light and shadow.
Jiang Si's mind raced, and his Adam's apple bobbed. "What do you intend to do for the Crown Prince?"
"I'm going to Suzhou Prefecture." Ye Mu didn't go into too much detail, but he didn't try to hide it either. Now that he had pledged allegiance to the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince would find out about this sooner or later.
After passing through a small bamboo grove and a gravel path, the inconspicuous side gate of the backyard came into view.
"Is it about the flow of embezzled funds in Wujiang County?"
"You knew?" Ye Mu glanced at him sideways. "Then you knew that the Crown Prince was secretly plotting an investigation, yet you deliberately recommended me to Ah Jun and stirred up trouble? Jiang Si, you almost ruined His Highness's plan and pushed me to the brink of ruin."
"I wonder if the Crown Prince's choice of a suitable undercover investigator will be you."
Jiang Si took a few big strides to catch up, and just as Ye Mu was about to touch the cold wooden door of the side gate, he suddenly stretched out his arm and blocked her from the door.
"The Crown Prince actually entrusted you with such a dangerous matter..." Jiang Si's expression was unreadable. "You have no idea how deep the waters of Suzhou Prefecture are, how many local tyrants, clerks, and even potentially implicated officials are involved. Ye Mu, you have no idea. It's not just about auditing accounts; it's walking on a knife's edge. The slightest mistake..."
“So,” Ye Mu interrupted him, raising her eyes to look at him calmly, “you shouldn’t have caused any trouble, Lord Jiang. If you hadn’t provoked Ah Jun, I might already be at home packing my bags for the south trip, instead of getting entangled with you here.”
"Ye Mu, do you think you can get by in a place like that just because you've read a few account books and dealt with a few powerful people at Fuyou Pavilion? You'll get yourself killed if you go there."
"I'm not that fragile." Ye Mu smiled, opened her palm and showed it to him, "If you had tried to force yourself on me just now, I would have used this to stab your throat. This time, I won't hold back."
A sharp blade, less than two inches long, lay quietly in her palm, as thin as a willow leaf, its edges gleaming coldly.
It was a weapon specifically made for concealment on the body; small, yet deadly.
Jiang Si's breath caught in his throat for a moment. He knew he couldn't underestimate her anymore, so he released her hand. "Where did you get this razor blade?"
"It's in the bag." Ye Mu closed his palms, the cold glint of light disappearing. "It's sewn into the inside of the lining, for self-defense."
It was Xie Yicheng who came up with the idea for her. She was an accountant, and it was perfectly normal for her to carry a bag containing ink sticks and a ruler at all times. No one would suspect anything. Going south was dangerous and involved with all sorts of people, so she needed something to protect herself, but she couldn't attract attention.
Xie Yicheng found a piece of thin steel with a special texture and personally and patiently ground the edges of each piece on a whetstone until they were sharp enough to be cut with a single blow. He ground ten such blades for her, as thin as cicada wings, yet incredibly sharp.
Just now, when Jiang Si was choking Ye Mu in the carriage, he used his still somewhat mobile fingers to slowly grope and untie the knot hidden in the lining of the abacus.
The moment the cold, thin metal sheet touched her palm, it gave her the last bit of courage to stay conscious and resist.
Jiang Si said, "Put the razor blade away, so you don't hurt your hand."
What a strange person. I used to want to tear her to pieces, but now I can talk to her peacefully.
Was it because she cried in front of him?
Those few tears, that's all it took to move him?
Ye Mu couldn't understand Jiang Si.
“Although I don’t know why you suddenly changed your mind and let me go,” she said, “this whole mess was started by you. You pushed me to the edge of a cliff and then pulled me back half a step. You were just barely cleaning up the mess you created.”
So don't expect me to thank you.
She was very clear-headed. Jiang Si chuckled softly when he saw her drawing a line between herself and others.
Ye Mu pulled open the door latch, and with a soft creak, the chilly night wind rushed in from outside.
She didn't step out immediately. She glanced at him and then walked back. "Ye Mu and Jiang Si, let's stop here. Let's leave our past grievances and personal entanglements behind."
Their eyes met.
Ye Mu didn't look away. "From now on, under His Highness the Crown Prince, we'll be colleagues."
She raised her hands, not in the usual way a woman would bow, but in the cupped-hand salute between subordinates, her hands forming a gesture of respect. Then, she raised her hands to her forehead, her arms outstretched, her arms and upper body leaning forward simultaneously, bowing deeply.
"Lord Jiang, how have you been since we last met?"
She maintained her bowed posture, her demeanor dignified and composed. This gesture, performed by her, showed no trace of the gentleness of a young lady from a respectable family.
Jiang Si stared at the back of her drooping neck for a long time.
In their past life, they were husband and wife for many years. He had kissed her lips, her eyelashes, her earlobes, and even more intimate places, but he had never kissed this spot.
It wasn't that he didn't want to, but during tender moments, he couldn't bear it, always feeling it was too delicate, so he would always deliberately avoid it, or gently cover it with his palm.
He had underestimated her fragility.
He missed it.
The night wind surged in from behind Ye Mu, blowing her pale yellow dress and his crimson official robe hem. They intertwined for a moment, almost cuddling, yet seemingly fighting, before being violently torn apart by the stronger wind, each going its own way.
Just as their clothes were about to separate, Jiang Si pulled her into his arms.
His hand gripped her slender shoulder blade tightly. "Fourth Sister."
He imagined her wearing this pale yellow dress in the scholar's mansion.
Perhaps it was in a spring courtyard, when she turned back and smiled gently at him; perhaps it was in the study, where she quietly ground ink, her profile gentle; perhaps it was when he finished his shift one day, and she rushed towards him.
When Jiang Si bought these clothes, none of his hazy fantasies were like this: she was wearing the clothes he had chosen, yet it was a final farewell to him.
The embrace tightened, and Ye Mu frowned uncomfortably, the bones hitting each other, bringing a sharp pain.
She had grown accustomed to Xie Yicheng. He was tall and slender, seemingly delicate, but in reality, he had strong arms and a broad chest. When Xie Yicheng embraced her, it was a steady and reassuring feeling. She never felt any sharp edges against his bones, only a sense of being completely protected and safe.
Ye Mu's brow furrowed even deeper, and her arm instinctively rose slightly, but Jiang Si's words reached her ears first, "Perhaps you are right, we are not suitable to be husband and wife."
The arm that had been tightly gripping her suddenly loosened.
She had loved him and cried for him. For someone as stubborn as her to shed tears for him meant that he held a place in her heart, right? Jiang Si thought to himself, deceiving himself, that their entanglement across two lifetimes had not been in vain.
That's enough.
"You ask me why I suddenly let you go."
Jiang Si gave a bitter smile. Ye Mu had lived through two lifetimes and seen through his ruthless scheming and unscrupulous methods, yet he still didn't understand him.
He just wanted her to say a few kind words.
But her mouth is harder than bone.
But the words she couldn't say were answered by her tears.
She cared about him, loved him, and when he heard that, his heart softened completely.
Jiang Si didn't answer her question. Instead, he bent down and bowed to her, saying, "Though we are far apart, I hope you take care."
-
After the thrilling ordeal that afternoon, Ye Mu felt utterly exhausted and staggered back to Yuqian Lane.
The old locust tree at the alley entrance stood menacingly in the deep darkness of the night, its presence utterly desolate.
As Ye Mu walked, just as she passed Xie Yicheng's tightly closed courtyard gate, her muddled mind was suddenly jolted awake by a cold shower: Oh no!
Xie Yicheng was still waiting for her at the back door of Fuyou Pavilion!
But today, the Crown Prince gave instructions, an imperial edict was suddenly issued, and Jiang Si forcibly abducted people... She had completely forgotten about this matter!
Night had fallen, and only a few windows in the alley emitted a dim yellow light. She took a deep breath of the cold air, forcing herself to calm down. Her immediate priority was to get home and comfort her mother, and then she had to find Xie Yicheng right away.
She quickened her pace, pushed open the gate to her yard, and found the house warmly lit.
“Mother,” Ye Mu said from under the window, “I have to go to Suzhou early. I’ll leave tonight.”
Fearing that Su Yao's affair would be exposed, she thought she should quickly meet up with Xie Yicheng and leave the city to avoid trouble.
Liu was doing needlework under the lamp when she heard this, her hand trembled, and the needle almost pricked her finger.
She put down her work in surprise, got up and followed her daughter into the inner room. "So soon? Didn't we agree to leave the day after tomorrow? It's already dark and freezing outside. We can leave tomorrow when it's light."
Ye Mu didn't dare look into her mother's eyes. She walked straight to the wardrobe, opened the door, and pretended to be busy rummaging through the clothes.
In fact, Zijing had already packed almost all of her belongings for her trip south in the past few days, categorizing and packing them properly. She was just feeling guilty, "The shopkeeper has chartered a boat, saying that the sooner we leave, the sooner we'll arrive, because the shops in Suzhou are short-staffed and are pressing us urgently."
Liu remained silent for a long time. How could she not have noticed her daughter's recent unusual behavior? But since her daughter didn't say anything, she didn't ask.
My daughter has been assertive and knows her limits since she was little.
Liu went to the east wing, took out a worn blue cloth bag from under her pillow, opened it layer by layer, and found the money she had saved up. She stuffed the whole bag into the bundle that Ye Mu was packing, and whispered, "It's better to be prepared for a difficult journey than to be poor. Take more money with you, so you'll feel more at ease. Don't mistreat yourself while you're out there, and be careful in everything you do."
Ye Mu's nose suddenly stung with tears, and he nodded forcefully, his throat choked with emotion, unable to speak.
The simple luggage was packed quickly, and there was really nothing to add or remove.
With tears welling in her eyes, Zijing checked the prepared rations, water pouch, and thick cloak one by one, then silently slipped in a small bag of homemade pickled plums, saying, "Eat these on the road to keep the girl company..."
The parting came suddenly.
As she escorted her daughter to the courtyard gate, Liu finally couldn't hold back any longer. She took her daughter's hand, tears streaming down her face before she could even speak. The tears flowed down the fine lines at the corners of her eyes and dripped onto their clasped hands. "Fourth Sister, you must be alright. You've never been this far from home before. I'll be waiting for you to come back."
Actually, the exiles in my previous life were much farther than this, but my mother didn't know.
Zijing burst into tears, biting her lip tightly to keep from crying out, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably.
Ye Mu reached out and hugged his mother tightly, then patted Zijing's trembling back. "Mother, Zijing, please take care of yourselves. I'll send a message back once I've settled in."
The three of them embraced and wept together in front of the courtyard gate.
There was sorrow of parting, there was longing; the deep night gently enveloped their cries.
"Why hasn't Master Wenkong come to see you off, Miss?" Zijing sobbed, glancing across the street. "Where did Master go?"
"He's waiting for me in the alley behind our shop. We had agreed beforehand that he would also pick up the shopkeeper along the way, as the shopkeeper has some important goods to take south."
Ye Mu said with great seriousness, "Don't worry, he will escort me all the way to the ship. With him there, everything will be fine."
After quickly and gently comforting her mother and Zijing, Ye Mu dared not linger any longer. Firstly, she was afraid Xie Yicheng would be anxious waiting, and secondly, she was afraid she would be reluctant to leave. She turned and walked towards the alley entrance, flagging down a slightly worn carriage. "Uncle, to Fuyou Pavilion! Please hurry!"
The carriage sped along, and Ye Mu clenched her sleeves, her fingertips icy cold, hoping that Xie Yicheng would still be waiting for her there.
However, when she arrived at the back gate of Fuyou Pavilion, there were only a few simple oxcarts waiting for passengers scattered along the wall, and the drivers were chatting quietly around a small brazier, with sparks flickering in the cold night.
Ye Mu hurried over, his face anxious. "Uncle Chen, have you seen my oxcart?"
When Uncle Chen looked up and saw that it was her, he tapped his pipe on the carriage shaft and said warmly, "Oh, it's Miss Ye! Your husband was waiting here before dawn, but he couldn't wait any longer, so he went into the Fuyou Pavilion to look for you."
Uncle Chen frowned. "He came out in no time. His face... tsk, it was the first time I'd ever seen him look so pale, almost bluish, with ghostly fire burning in his eyes. He jumped onto the cart without a word, cracked the whip, and the ox ran like a madman towards the city gates!"
Oh no, oh no, Xie Yicheng must have gone to the post station, a dangerous place, and he's all alone there...
Ye Mu dared not delay any longer, and grabbed the carriage shaft, urgently saying, "Uncle Chen, to the post station outside the city! Quickly! As fast as possible! Double the fare!"
The moon shines here, its clear light gentle and cold.
After receiving the news from Lady Yun, Xie Yicheng felt heartbroken and sat on the oxcart, cracking his whip as it whistled through the air.
Strangely enough, the usually slow-moving ox seemed to have gained some kind of intelligence. Without needing the whip to urge it on, it raised its head, let out a low moo, and swung its short legs and hooves, pulling the cart out of the alley.
On the bluestone road, the oxen's hooves pounded rapidly, their wheels spinning and rattling as they ran at breakneck speed. The heavy white breaths exhaled from their nostrils condensed into two sharp arrows in the cold night.
The night was as dark as ink.
The lantern hanging high above the post station swayed violently in the north wind, illuminating the solemn faces of the foreign guards at the entrance.
Xie Yicheng reined in the oxcart, but before he could jump off, he saw the side door of the post station open, and several burly Tiele guards were roughly shoving a woman wearing a veiled hat into the station.
The woman struggled for a moment, letting out a muffled sob, before her mouth and nose were covered by a stronger hand, and she was quickly dragged into the house. The side door then slammed shut with a loud bang.
Xie Yicheng jumped off the carriage shaft. He could see clearly that the blue dress the woman was wearing was exactly the same as the one Ye Mu had worn when he went out that morning.
He rushed toward that door.
"Halt! Who dares to trespass on the mission's post station?" Two post station guards standing at the entrance, their swords already half-drawn, gleamed coldly.
This is a diplomatic mission's post station, involving diplomatic relations. The rules are as strict as an iron wall. How could a commoner of unknown origin be allowed to break in at will?
Xie Yicheng didn't bother with their nonsense; he just wanted to rescue Ye Mu as soon as possible.
With his left hand, he parried the scabbard that was about to strike, and with a flick of his wrist, the courier felt a sharp pain in his hand as the scabbard slipped from his grasp. With his right hand, he pointed his fingers like a knife and precisely slashed at the neck of another courier, who collapsed without even uttering a sound.
He kicked the wooden door hard, the hinges broke, and the door slammed open inwards.
The post station was brightly lit, and foreign decorations came into view. Suddenly, angry shouts came from behind, and pursuers gathered. The roars of the Tiele guards, the whistles of the post station workers, and the clanging of weapons being drawn drew closer.
"Where is Ye Mu?!"
No one answered him, and the guards who were ordered to stop him charged forward with their swords.
Xie Yicheng's eyes were bloodshot, filled with murderous intent. He grabbed the wrist holding the knife like an iron hoop, and with a sharp crack, the wrist bone broke, and the knife was in his hands.
He then used the back of his knife to smash the advancing guards on the head, knocking them down one by one.
The movements were precise and efficient; each strike was accompanied by the dull thud of bones breaking, followed by the pained cry of a person falling to the ground.
The difference between Buddha and Asura is but a fleeting moment.
The guards were intimidated by his menacing aura and dared not approach. They could only shout and make a show of force from a distance, watching helplessly as he violently kicked down door after door.
After a short while, Xie Yicheng finally stopped in front of the door at the end of the corridor.
There was quite a commotion coming from inside.
A male voice with a heavy foreign accent rang out, full of flirtatious teasing, "At the Dharma assembly, it was this hand that beat me, wasn't it?"
The tone was insulting: "Now, use your pretty little hand to hold it properly."
The woman's soft, broken moans, filled with terror and helplessness, tightened around Xie Yicheng's heart.
His heart was shattered, and his violent killing intent had never surged as it did at this moment.
"Bang--!!!"
A violent, deafening explosion ripped through the heavy, carved wooden door, engulfed in a raging, burning fury, and shattered into pieces!
"Fourth Sister!"
Huh?!
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Author's Note: Oops, I set the time wrong! I posted two chapters today! [crying][crying] I might not update tomorrow, but I'll update the day after. The next chapter will be here on time! [sunglasses]
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