"Let me see your injuries." Xu Yuehuai's voice held an unyielding insistence. She took out medicine bottles and bandages from her bag. Her hands, though slightly rough from the long journey, were unusually gentle at this moment. She gently unbuttoned Bei Ye's clothes, revealing the several shocking wounds, a hint of heartache and self-reproach flashing in her eyes.
"Sister, I'm tough and thick-skinned, it's really nothing. This little injury won't affect me at all." Bei Ye tried to hide his discomfort with a smile, but his bravado seemed so powerless in front of Xu Yuehuai.
She didn't say much, but instead cleaned his wounds even more carefully, each wipe accompanied by a gentle breath, as if to blow away all the pain.
"You little rascal, you always try to show off in front of Xiaoyue." Bai Yu watched this scene from the side, a wry smile on his lips, but behind that smile was a hint of admiration. "However, you really did a great job this time. We all owe you a huge favor."
Upon hearing this, Bei Ye's honest smile blossomed on his face. "As long as I can live with my sister, it's all worth it."
Xu Yuehuai smiled slightly and quietly continued bandaging him.
As night deepened, the atmosphere inside the small hut became even warmer and more solemn. The three sat around the candlelight, the firelight reflecting on their different faces, outlining vivid scenes.
"We only have three days now, and we must find out everything in these three days." Bei Ye's injuries had healed considerably, and he had regained some strength in his speech.
“Yes, but we are short-handed and it is not convenient for us to go out right now, so we can only investigate secretly,” Xu Yuehuai added. “But since those people dared to do such heinous things, they must have something to rely on. We can start from that point.”
Bai Yu stroked the dagger, his eyes turning colder. "I'll go investigate the movements of those guards and the forces behind them. Xiao Yue, you can go and find possible clues and witnesses. Bei Ye, you should recover first, and we'll act together when the time is right."
Time was of the essence, and they had to work against the clock. For the next few days, they worked almost non-stop.
Bai Yu's secret technique has finally received a response; a team of assassins from the martial arts world is on its way to provide support.
...
On the golden-red fields, Xu Yuehuai was attacked by a hidden weapon.
When she blocked the hidden weapon, she discovered a note attached to it—a secret letter.
The letter's concise yet mysterious words pointed to a forgotten corner—the back mountain where the village chief was buried, a place rarely visited by people.
She guessed, "When the village chief was buried, there might have been other people around besides that child." To find out who that person was, perhaps the only way was to keep the appointment.
Xu Yuehuai looked around. The patrolling soldiers were like an invisible net, cutting her off from the outside world.
If she were to avoid these soldiers and return to find Bei Ye and the others to discuss countermeasures, she might miss the time mentioned in the secret letter.
Helpless, she decided to stop delaying and face it alone.
Under the cover of night, Xu Yuehuai used her superb disguise skills to become an ordinary traveler, quietly leaving the village and heading towards the back mountain. The moonlight was pale, the stars were sparse, and the mountain wind carried a chill and an indescribable eeriness.
When she finally stood before that lonely grave, a figure was already waiting there quietly, his back to her, as if he had blended into the night.
Xu Yuehuai's heart raced as she slowly approached the figure.
"I didn't expect you to actually dare to come." The voice was deep and cold, as if it came from the deepest hell, sending chills down one's spine.
Xu Yuehuai did not back down. She walked straight up to the person and looked directly at the figure that did not turn around: "Let's not beat around the bush, what exactly do you want?"
The man still didn't turn around: "Qi Guze destroyed my base, so I will destroy the woman he loves most." Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, full of hatred and determination.
Xu Yuehuai never expected that the other party's target was actually herself from the very beginning!
But she showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, she made a bold offer: "If you spare these innocent villagers, I can give you a chance to arrest me."
"How arrogant! You have no right to negotiate with me." The faceless man's voice was full of disdain, as if Xu Yuehuai's proposal was a joke.
Xu Yuehuai's lips curled into a cold smile. She knew all too well what a powerful enemy she was facing, but she also knew that sometimes, courage was more important than strength: "Then let's see if you have the strength to say those words."
After saying that, she moved swiftly, and the dagger in her hand slashed towards the faceless man's vitals like lightning.
The faceless man swayed, easily dodging the attack, while simultaneously launching a counterattack with incredible speed.
Xu Yuehuai felt a powerful force strike her, forcing her to retreat repeatedly.
When she regained her footing and looked closely, she couldn't help but gasp – the person's face was completely blank, with only a blurry, illusory head floating in the air!
“You’re not human! Or rather, you’re not from this world!” Xu Yuehuai blurted out, her heart filled with shock and confusion.
The faceless man stared intently at Xu Yuehuai with his empty eye sockets: "It seems you also come from another world." His words carried a complex emotion, as if he was both surprised and curious about Xu Yuehuai's identity.
Suddenly, the faceless man formed hand seals and began chanting obscure and difficult-to-understand incantations.
Xu Yuehuai felt a powerful force envelop her entire body, and her body instantly became stiff and unable to move at all.
The faceless man approached step by step, grabbed her neck, and said in a voice as cold as frost: "You and I can be allies. If you obediently listen to me, I will let you live."
With all his might, Xu Yuehuai managed to utter a single sentence: "I, Xu Yuehuai, would rather die than surrender!"
The faceless man seemed stunned by her, his fingers trembling slightly, but he quickly said coldly, "Hmph, since you are so ungrateful, then don't blame me for being ruthless."
His fingers tightened little by little, and Xu Yuehuai's breath was instantly cut off.
"stop!"
"elder sister!"
Bai Yu and Bei Ye, who had been worried about Xu Yuehuai's safety, finally arrived at the scene. Upon seeing the scene before them, they immediately understood everything and rushed towards the faceless man without hesitation.
But the surprise that rose in Xu Yuehuai's eyes turned to ashes in the next instant.
"Release them!" Xu Yuehuai's voice was filled with despair and anger. She watched helplessly as the faceless man's invisible power held Bai Yu and Bei Ye firmly in place, like sculptures forgotten by time, unable to struggle or escape.
The faceless man's hollow voice echoed in the air, carrying an undeniable coldness: "I have no interest in either of you. Since you are looking for death, then I will grant your wish."
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