Aftertaste
Xizhen didn't get to talk to Jian Shiyun in the end.
Yu He, who hurried over from the other side of Zuihua Tower, stopped not far away. The moment he caught a glimpse of the goddess leaning against a rock as if exhausted, he was a little afraid to look forward.
Xizhen smiled silently.
I am afraid to go home. It turns out that we are all cowards who dare not take a step forward.
Whether it was the sister in front of him who was leaning on the ground... and was unwilling to open her eyes to look at him, or the lover who used to be his sister standing in the distance.
When facing the end, everyone is afraid to face the impending ending, to take a step forward or a step back.
It would break the thin thread that held their relationship together.
If the thin line breaks, then the peace at this moment will no longer exist.
only……
Thinking about what would happen next, Xizhen closed his eyes, took a step forward, and ignoring Yu He's gaze, he squatted down and leaned over to Jian Shiyun's ear and said:
"Are you really unwilling to look at us?"
"...Even though the past has pierced us to pieces, the blood ties that connect us in some mysterious way will never be severed."
"elder sister."
"...Look at me one last time."
Xizhen lowered her eyes, her hair still ruffled by the howling wind from the river.
The black hair that was once neatly combed had been blown apart and tangled together. Part of the hair was forced to stick to the hem of Xizhen's clothes because the wind was too fierce, and it was connected with Jian Shiyun's light black hair and took root, as if no matter how strong the wind was, it would not blow them away.
Jian Shiyun didn't move at all, as if she had really fallen into a deep sleep.
The color in Xizhen's eyes darkened. He glanced at Yu He who was looking at him with a complicated expression, and then said:
"If you really don't want to look at me, then just listen to me."
"No matter what you did on your way to see me, or what you were forced to compromise on before, I will still treat you the same way I treated you back then."
Far away from home, in a strange country, how can you gain the trust of the people there, dispel their suspicions, and how can you dress yourself up as a puppet that can be manipulated by others?
In order to get the position back to Huandu, he broke himself into several parts and deceived everyone step by step to get here?
All the plans, all the planning.
…
He is also despicable.
My sister's hands are indeed stained with other people's blood. From other people's perspective, it is indeed unforgivable.
But if it is based on "wanting to see him"...
The black hair covered his eyebrows and eyes, and the gloom that slowly grew from the bottom of his eyes slowly wrapped around his face. Thoughts that were not recognized by the world were tightly embedded in his body and engraved into his flesh and blood.
He cannot forgive on behalf of others.
But he could ignore it and pretend that those things never happened and never happened to his sister.
It was not him who escaped from the Wu Mi people at that time, but his sister.
Then he would be able to pretend to be more comfortable among the crowd of believers, right?
He will deceive everyone and even replace the leader.
Ever since he was "guided" by the masked man when he was young, a fruit of chaos has been planted in his heart.
Anything that stands in the way of both of them achieving their wishes will be cleared away.
Collect for your own use.
…
If he had not escaped at that time, but stayed with the Wu Mi people, would he and his sister not be like this now, unwilling to look into each other's eyes even if they could meet?
They were afraid that after seeing their current appearance in each other's pupils, they would realize that the time they had been separated for so many years had broken them apart beyond recognition.
So they should just close their eyes, pretend to be blind and deaf, and pretend that the gap between them never existed, never happened, and everything is as good as before?
If he had stayed in Wumizhong at that time...
Xizhen slowly stretched out his palm, closed Jian Shijun's hand hanging by her side, and gently placed it in front of his lips. He treated her with utmost piety, just like millions of believers who go to the temple to pray, worship Buddha, and make wishes.
She is the compass that keeps Xizhen on track in life, correcting any thoughts that might arise in his mind.
The appearance of the Wu Mi people aroused the evil thoughts in his heart.
…
His sister pushed him away from there, and he never saw the light of day again.
Xizhen thought that if his sister had run away back then, he would have stayed among the Wumi people.
Then he would cut off the leader's head, take the Wu Mi people for his own use, and turn those believers who hindered their lives into "fertilizer" for healing.
Just like that, he was dyed black, compromising with this mocking fate, and completely falling into the boundless darkness.
By then, they will be able to look at each other more openly.
One will not be trapped in the constraints of morality, and the other will not be trapped in the shadow cast by the past.
The rift between them will never be restored.
—
Yu He stood in the distance, silently looking at the always handsome and gloomy man, revealing his true face hidden under his skin.
It turns out that the heart that has been washed and covered with dust by the world can also beat so vividly.
Should he go over and disturb them?
The siblings shouldn't need an outsider like him to reminisce about the past.
Yu He lowered his head and looked at the token on his waist.
…
In this case, is it allowed to indulge them in reminiscing about the past?
He had always strictly abided by the rules and regulations, and his rule of killing the Wu Mi people without mercy was now like a towering boulder blocking his way.
When Jian Shiyun sent him a letter asking for help, he didn't have time to receive it, so they missed each other and were separated for many years.
When we meet again now, we have changed from being partners to people with different positions.
The gap between them was beyond his ability to bridge.
The female doctor who once treated patients became a goddess who stepped on the corpses of others and pretended to be beautiful. If the blood on her hands had not dried up, it might have formed a river by now.
The sword in my hand.
The oath I once made to my father in the family.
Will you be bound by this relationship that is as thin as paper and will break at the slightest touch?
The hurried footsteps of subordinates were heard in the distance. They had just been searching for the place where the goddess might appear, and paying attention to Xi Zhen's movements. In a hurry, they stopped those subordinates who wanted to report the situation.
“…”
Yu He closed his eyes and turned around.
"What is it?"
The subordinate was startled and immediately stood at attention, saluted, and repeated the situation around Zuihualou in a slightly faster pace.
Because Jiang Nian had drawn the directions of the talisman array, the secret guard who went to get Jiang Nian's exclusive aroma followed the white powder on the ground and got the exclusive aroma of others.
Now, apart from searching for the bodies of the dead servants and maids in the ruins of Zuihua Tower, they are also tracking down the remaining survivors who fled in panic.
Because they fled in different directions, his subordinates had to report to him, and then they would divide several troops into several groups according to the plan to track them down and capture them in one fell swoop.
In the distance, Xizhen was still whispering something to Jian Shijun and had no time to pay attention to this place.
“…”
Subconsciously, Yu He turned his body to the side to block his subordinates from looking back and seeing Jian Shiyun's gaze.
"What about those who are suffering from the plague?"
The subordinate paused for a moment and continued to report at a slightly faster pace:
"Report to the Commander!
As Zuihua Tower collapsed, the Wumi people performed a blessing ceremony at their former gathering place. Those stricken with the plague were held hostage by nearby residents.
Fortunately, they are far away from the crowd and are now under our control, so they have not come into contact with anyone else!"
Yu He nodded slightly: "Continue as planned. Keep an eye on those infected with the plague."
"...By the way, let's go find a boy named You."
When Jiang Nian was telling Mo Qing other information, he also told Mo Qing about You's appearance.
Based on the information provided by Jiang Nian, the soldiers drew You's face and handed it over to Yu He, who was responsible for capturing Wu Mi and other believers.
The subordinate carefully took the portrait with both hands, said "yes" again, wrapped the scroll, and hurried back in the original direction.
—
Looking at his subordinates hurrying away until their figures were obscured by the smoke, Yu He turned around and lowered his eyes slightly.
That's enough time for them to catch up.
According to the regulations of the army, he wanted to kill the leader of the Wu Mi people on the spot.
The sword tassel at his waist became more and more conspicuous as the sun set in the west.
It's clearly a dark black.
In my sight, I was getting closer and closer to the direction where Xi Zhen was, but the touch of the sword tassel brushing against my fingertips was lingering.
It’s like everyone’s sword tassel has a story.
His sword tassel also has a past.
But it was just during a search operation ordered by Emperor Changde that he happened to encounter injured refugees along the way.
Among the group of panic-stricken refugees, he immediately spotted a female doctor who was bending over to sew up the refugees' wounds. She had a calm expression and occasionally spoke to comfort the patients.
Pure and flawless.
Haven't experienced any major storms.
The only color Yu He saw on her was pure white.
Her life is like a bucket of quietly flowing water, which moistens the deeply cracked earth as it passes through the dry land.
He asked for nothing in return, and seemed unafraid of exhausting her vitality.
It looks so weak that it seems to break easily.
So fragile.
The target of the search was ahead. Yu He thought that he should go straight to the target and not meddle in other people's business.
These things...are all done by logistics.
He has always been indifferent and is said to be a cold-hearted and cold-blooded person. No matter what happens, he will not show any joy on his face.
His life goal is a ruler.
It is enough for him to do his job well according to the rules of the ruler.
He will also take care of his subordinates.
But he won't care if there is no clear connection.
Even when he was on a mission and met a mother holding her child, who bowed her head and begged him for a little food to survive, he would not stop.
What is right and what is wrong?
Yu He would not think about such issues that had no benefit to him.
The benefit he wants to flatter is the token on his waist and the glory of his family for generations.
So people around him have mixed opinions about him, loving and hating him.
Love means loving him for being fair and selfless and not making any mistakes in legal disputes.
I hate him because he is impartial and selfless, and he will not show leniency in any case and has no humanity at all.
—
But there is always a chance of something happening.
No matter how carefully the plans are laid out, unexpected things will happen.
Is the female doctor the one chance in a million that happens to be unforeseen?
Yu He didn't think about it.
But following his heart, he reined in his horse and actually spoke to the female doctor for the first time.
Ask these refugees where they are going, and what the situation is like ahead...
Ask her again.
Why didn't those refugees ask her for help, but she extended a helping hand to help them?
What a childish question. What a simple question. What a baffling question.
That female doctor should have had this reaction, right?
Yu He didn't try to guess what the female doctor was thinking, but these inappropriate thoughts popped up in his mind.
…
Later, how did the female doctor respond?
He couldn't quite remember.
Memories that are too old are always like a tattered album, with a few lines of words blurred and a few page corners corroded. When you read it again, you can only recall a rough outline from the lines of these words.
Yu He thought that he would never forget the momentary astonishment on the doctor's face when she heard his question, and her fleeting smile.
Like gardenias.
The fragrance drifted away with the wind, and the remaining touch of beauty was shattered and could not be found in the nose.
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