Chapter 36
A cold wind, carrying fine sand and gravel, lashed against the dilapidated thatched hut, making a mournful sound. Inside, there was only a small oil lamp, its flame flickering in the cold wind that blew through the walls, casting a swaying halo of light.
Beneath the mottled and cracked earthen wall, a ragged couple stood awkwardly, anxiously accepting a fine jade pendant from Ling Zhouling. Their cloudy eyes were filled with gratitude and unease as they repeatedly bowed in thanks.
The couple left the cramped room and, a moment later, carefully returned with two bowls of steaming porridge, almost a yellowish cornmeal mush, with a few wilted vegetable leaves floating on top. Ling Zhouling sat down on the simple wooden bed, scooped up a spoonful of the scalding porridge, and awkwardly brought it to Xi Xiao's lips.
Xi Xiao was startled awake by the sudden burning sensation on her lips and coughed violently. Ling Zhouling was startled by this sudden change, and his hand trembled, causing the hot porridge in the bowl to spill out instantly, most of it splashing onto the uneven muddy ground, creating a small cloud of white steam. Fortunately, the rough pottery bowl rolled to the side without breaking.
Xi Xiao coughed until tears welled in her eyes, barely managing to open them. She saw Ling Zhouling staring at the mess on the ground, his face a mixture of frustration and helplessness. Her chest still ached, but she couldn't help but weakly sneer, "Even if he didn't die from the illness, he'd probably be... murdered by the young master..."
Seeing that she still had the energy to tease him, Ling Zhouling felt a sudden relaxation in his heart, which had been taut all along. He patted her shoulder in an annoyed tone and said, "Awake? If you're awake, then eat by yourself!" He turned around and brought over another bowl, stuffing it into her hands. He then squatted down and, frowning, clumsily wiped the muddy mess off the ground with a rag.
Xi Xiao held the rough earthenware bowl, watching his busy figure under the dim light. After a moment of silence, she said softly, "You haven't eaten all day either. You can eat this bowl."
"What are you thinking about?" Ling Zhouling didn't even look up, his tone as sarcastic as ever. "I gave them such a large jade pendant, what are two bowls of porridge? I'll just go get another bowl!" He stood up and tossed the dirty rag into a corner. "I've already told them to go to town tomorrow to find some medicine. After you've taken your medicine..." He paused, deliberately raising his chin, resuming his haughty demeanor, "once you feel a bit better, hurry up and get going!"
Xi Xiao nodded and said nothing more. Ling Zhouling lifted the tattered straw curtain and went out.
She then took small sips of the warm porridge. The rough texture, carrying the original sweetness of the grains, slid into her empty, cold stomach, bringing a long-lost comforting warmth that made her almost want to sigh aloud. After finishing the bowl, she moved to a chipped old wooden basin in the corner, intending to scoop up some cold water to wash herself.
The moment her hand touched the icy water, she stopped abruptly, only then realizing that her old, blood-stained, tattered clothes were gone, replaced by a simple, yet clean, cotton-padded coat!
She opened her eyes wide in horror, her fingertips unconsciously clutching her clothes, embarrassment instantly spreading across her face, her mind a complete mess.
Just then, Ling Zhouling entered, carrying a new bowl of porridge. He caught sight of her face contorted in anger as she looked at her clothes. He instantly understood what was happening, his ears burning. He immediately raised his voice, his words a mixture of offended anger and embarrassment, and quickly retorted, "Stop with those filthy thoughts! That peasant woman changed it for you! Me, the young master, serving you? You'd never dream of such a thing!"
Seeing that he was even more nervous than she was, his handsome face flushed red, Xi Xiao's embarrassment vanished, and she even felt a little teasing. She deliberately dragged out her words and said slowly, "Yes, yes, Your Highness, it's just that... even feeding you porridge almost makes you choke to death. If I really have to trouble Your Highness to 'serve' me, I'm afraid my frail body won't last past midnight."
"You—!" Ling Zhouling was furious. He slammed the bowl of porridge down on the table, crossed his arms, and scanned her from head to toe. His eyes were filled with familiar mockery. "Heh, you think you're so capable? How come you dragged me, the young master, to help you, only to end up like this half-dead ghost? I had to drag you around twice! With your frail body that could be blown away by a gust of wind, you dare to dream of saving others? Give me a break!"
Xi Xiao seemed to be going against him, leaning against the cold earthen wall, weak but not showing any weakness as she retorted: "I can't compare to you, Your Highness, who is now being hunted all over the world by His Majesty. You don't even know which way the gates of Beijiang open, and you don't even know if you'll survive to escape back."
"That's still better than you!" Ling Zhouling immediately retorted. "With the death warrant of being a 'descendant of the Witch Clan,' you're a sitting duck surrounded by wolves. You've already stepped into the gates of hell, and you still have the leisure to worry about the lives of others? You're overestimating yourself!"
The two stared at each other through a flickering lamplight, the air thick with tension. Yet, this tense standoff strangely eased the previous awkwardness and tension, making the atmosphere somewhat more relaxed.
I don't know who started it, but the topic gradually veered off course. Perhaps it was about the coldness of the dilapidated house, or perhaps it was about complaining about the blandness of the food, or perhaps it was about some old news from the capital that we both knew... Back and forth, the words were sharp yet subtly understood, and they talked until late into the night.
Sleepiness washed over them like a tide, and both of them were drooping their eyelids. Finally, they started arguing again over the only tattered wooden bed covered with a thin straw mat.
Ling Zhouling rubbed her sore eyes, pointed at the bed, and said matter-of-factly, "You've been lying on it all day, it's my turn!"
Xi Xiao wrapped her coarse cotton coat tighter around herself, refusing to budge an inch: "I am an injured person, and a woman at that. Shouldn't you, young master, have learned to give way to the injured and take care of women and children? Of course, it's my turn to sleep!"
"That's just sophistry! I carried you all the way here!"
"That was your own choice!"
"you……!"
Ling Zhouling was so sleepy that he was dizzy. As he struggled, he saw Xi Xiao still leaning against the wall glaring at him. His stubbornness dissipated, and he mumbled something. He then lay down on the relatively dry pile of straw in the corner, curled up, and almost instantly fell asleep, emitting even but soft snores.
In the dim light, Xi Xiao silently curved her lips into a smile. Without further ado, she carefully moved to the tattered wooden bed and lay down. The straw mat beneath her was uncomfortable, but her weary body finally found some relief.
Listening to the faint snoring coming from the corner of the wall and the howling wind outside, her tense mind gradually relaxed, and soon she fell into a deep sleep.
A dilapidated thatched hut, a dim oil lamp, and the still-howling cold wind. That night, there were no dreams, no disturbances.
*
At 3:45 AM, as the first rays of sunlight pierced the sky and the chill lingered, Xi Xiaogang hastily washed her face with the cold well water, water droplets still clinging to her long eyelashes.
Looking up, one could see that Ling Zhouling had changed into a rough farmhouse short coat. His face, which was originally fair and delicate to the point of being dazzling, was now completely unrecognizable. Whether it was smeared with soot or some kind of dirt, it had become dark and rough, and several deep wrinkles had been deliberately rubbed into it, giving off a turbid, vulgar air.
His expression was anxious. He grabbed Xi Xiao's wrist with surprising force and dragged her away without a word. Xi Xiao's heart skipped a beat. Before she could ask anything, Ling Zhouling lowered his voice and spoke rapidly, like a machine gun, "The imperial court... has issued a warrant for my arrest!" His eyes were as dark as unyielding ink, churning with disbelief, anger, and a deep sorrow. "...Anyone who provides clues will be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold and an official title by the local government!"
Xi Xiao's heart sank. Pei Yun's actions were even faster than she had expected. She swallowed all her questions and said nothing more, closely following Ling Zhouling as she rushed out of the dilapidated courtyard gate.
She had only taken a few steps when a strong, nauseating smell of rust suddenly filled her nostrils. Xi Xiao stopped abruptly and turned around sharply. There, under the low doorway of the kitchen, lay the peasant woman's body, dark red blood, like a winding snake, slowly seeping from beneath her, spreading along the uneven muddy ground all the way to the threshold.
Xi Xiao's pupils contracted sharply, her face drained of color, and her voice trembled almost imperceptibly: "Why... kill her? She couldn't possibly... know who we are!"
Ling Zhouling seemed to have heard the most absurd joke in the world. He twitched the corners of his mouth, and the smile under the black ash looked extremely ferocious. His voice was icy cold: "Do you know how I found out about the wanted poster? That stupid man recognized the portrait at a glance on his way to buy medicine. He didn't even buy the medicine. He turned around and ran desperately into the city. He was clearly willing to trade our lives for his bright future!"
A flash of malice crossed his eyes. "If my men hadn't been quick enough to finish him off halfway, do you think you could still be sleeping soundly until dawn? This man hasn't returned for a long time, how could his wife not be suspicious? Once she goes out to look for him, to ask... we won't be able to escape!"
Xi Xiao bit her lower lip hard, tasting a metallic sweetness between her teeth. She understood that his words were a cruel reality, undeniable. But because of her, innocent people had died one after another. The heavy burden of guilt pressed down on her heart like a cold boulder, making her throat tighten and rendering her unable to utter a single word. Silence followed, broken only by the rapid footsteps echoing along the desolate path.
By the time they reached the outskirts of a nearby town, the sun was high in the sky, and the streets were becoming increasingly crowded. The two dared not exchange any of their valuables for anything, lest they leave any trace.
In desperation, he had no choice but to hijack a dilapidated oxcart parked by the roadside in a secluded spot. Ling Zhouling snatched the whip from the driver and tried to urge the slow-moving old ox on. He adopted the air of someone driving a thoroughbred steed, cracking the whip and urging it on. But the old ox merely flicked its tail, snorted, and continued to trot in place at its own pace, even leisurely lowering its head to nibble on the withered grass by the roadside.
Xi Xiao frowned, pulled a small handful of dry hay from the cart, walked to the ox's head, and waved it at a distance from its nose. The old ox's cloudy eyes were immediately attracted by the dry green, its nostrils flared, and it took a step towards the hay. The oxcart finally started moving with a creak.
Seeing this, Ling Zhouling's tense expression relaxed slightly, and he snorted through his nose with a hint of reluctant praise: "...So you're still somewhat useful."
Xi Xiao didn't turn her head, focusing only on leading the cattle. She retorted in a cold voice, "Instead of making sarcastic remarks, you should think about how to get through the city gate ahead. If you don't even have this much ability, you should part ways as soon as possible. I don't want to be dragged down by you."
Ling Zhouling was furious at her ungrateful attitude. His thick, dark eyebrows shot up sharply, making him look particularly ridiculous against his dark, deeply lined face.
When Xi Xiao caught a glimpse of his face out of the corner of her eye, the heavy gloom in her heart inexplicably dissipated somewhat. She ignored him and continued to wave the hay in her hand, leading the slow-moving old ox slowly toward the city gate that stood before her.
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