Cheng Muyun's condition improved at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The lingering melancholy between his brows gradually dissipated, and his straight shoulders and back once again revealed the unique uprightness of a soldier. The occasional glint in his eyes made those around him secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
But this positive momentum was always thwarted by Chen Hede's sinister words.
"Who can say for sure whether it's dead or not?"
It always sneaks into his ear canal in the dead of night, making his heart clench.
The deep-seated doubts resurfaced, leaving him unable to unravel them.
Before this chaos could be sorted out, a report suddenly came from the military camp—Xu Jixin had arrived.
Although the Xu family is openly on his side, the current situation is tense, and a slight mistake could backfire. Xu Jixin has never been a reckless person, so why would he so brazenly barge into the military camp?
As he turned to greet him, he saw Xu Jixin standing in the open space outside the tent.
Wearing a moon-white long robe, her usually somewhat carefree eyes and brows were now strikingly bright, and her whole being exuded an indescribable urgency.
Before Cheng Muyun could ask any questions, Xu Jixin had already rushed over in a few steps.
He disregarded all formalities, grabbing Cheng Muyun's arm tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force, his voice trembling with barely suppressed excitement: "Cheng Muyun, I think Zhuohua might not be dead. My father has hidden her away!"
"boom--"
These words exploded in Cheng Muyun's mind like a thunderbolt.
Chen Hede's words, "Who can say for sure whether it's dead or not?" instantly echoed in his ears, intertwining with Xu Jixin's words, making his eardrums buzz.
The blood seemed to rush to the top of my head in an instant, and then sink to the bottom of my feet in the next second.
Cheng Muyun's body began to tremble uncontrollably, his fingertips were icy cold, and even the hand holding the sword hilt was trembling slightly.
His eyes were glued to Xu Jixin's face as if drawn by a magnet, trying to find a trace of a joke in that flushed face of excitement.
But he saw nothing but the unwavering certainty in Xu Jixin's eyes.
Cheng Muyun's Adam's apple bobbed violently, and he managed to squeeze out a few words from his tightly pursed lips with great effort, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "How did you know?"
Xu Jixin pulled a thick stack of account books from his bag and shoved them into Cheng Muyun's arms, his fingertips red with excitement: "Look at this! This is my Xu family's account book for the past six months. I spent three whole days looking through it before I discovered that my father sends out a batch of tonics every two weeks, all via the east-to-south route! But where exactly those things are transported to is not recorded in the account book at all. I asked at every station, but no one knew!"
Cheng Muyun's gaze fell on the ledger, and his fingers had just touched the cool pages when something seemed to hit his head hard.
“I managed all the checkpoints and trade routes on the eastward and southward routes.” Xu Jixin’s voice grew increasingly urgent, carrying an almost obsessive urgency. “This batch of tonics was smuggled out for half a year, using the people Zhuohua trusted most before his death! I sent people to investigate along the route, but each time the trail was broken halfway through, and we couldn’t find the final destination at all. But I checked with the Xu family’s warehouse, and what was being sent out were all medicinal herbs for treating lung diseases, as well as beauty and blood-nourishing products for women!”
As he spoke, he suddenly grabbed Cheng Muyun's collar again, his eyes bloodshot, as if driven to the limit by some thought. His tone was filled with frantic confirmation: "None of the female relatives in the Xu family need these things! Cheng Muyun, tell me, who else could it be but Zhuohua? It must be her! It's definitely her!"
Xu Jixin's words struck Cheng Muyun's heart like a heavy hammer.
He suddenly remembered his injury—the fire had not only made him lose his voice but had also nearly damaged his lungs and internal organs, and he had been taking medicine continuously for the past six months.
What about Zhuohua? She was also in the fire... If she really didn't die, it would be reasonable for her lungs to be burned.
A flood of information came in: ink stains on the ledger, Xu Jixin's reddened eyes, Chen Hede's sinister words, Xu Shinong's gentle admonitions...
All the fragments collided wildly in his mind, weaving into a huge net that tightly enveloped him.
Cheng Muyun stood there, feeling as if the blood in his body was churning, yet he was also frozen, unable to move even a finger, and he had even forgotten how to regulate his breathing.
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He could only let those chaotic thoughts rampage through his mind, completely overwhelming him.
Seeing that Cheng Muyun hadn't reacted, Xu Jixin reached out and patted Cheng Muyun's face.
Seeing that Xu Jixin's strength was increasing, Zhang Qi finally reached out and stopped the crazed Xu Jixin.
"Second Young Master, please be gentle."
Xu Jixin was completely unable to control his emotions. On the way here, he repeatedly confirmed in his mind that he now completely believed in his judgment.
Xu Zhuohua must still be alive!
"Cheng Muyun! Are you deaf? I said Xu Zhuohua is still alive!"
Cheng Muyun finally recovered from his shock. He grabbed Xu Jixin's shoulders, his fingers turning white from the force.
"Xu Jixin, are you telling the truth?"
How could Cheng Muyun not believe it? But if this guess was false, he would have to endure more than just sadness.
And despair.
Xu Jixin grasped Cheng Muyun's hand, his eyes resolute, "Absolutely true!"
The atmosphere inside the tent was heavy.
The surging emotions gradually subsided, leaving only silent contemplation in the air.
The idea that Xu Zhuohua was still alive had long since transcended the boundaries of mere speculation, taking root stubbornly and firmly in his heart.
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