Embers on the cliff await dawn
The rain poured down, large raindrops pounding against the carriage roof with a deafening patter. By the time the carriage reached Shili Pavilion outside Qingshui Town, it was completely dark, and a fierce wind, carrying rain and a biting chill, blew in through the gaps in the curtains.
Mo Xiaoyu gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her eyes scanning the window warily. Ever since leaving the Xie residence, she had felt a gaze following her like a shadow. Now, through the rain, she could vaguely see several dark figures moving among the distant trees, appearing and disappearing intermittently.
"Young master, we're afraid we're being followed." She lowered her voice, her palms sweating.
Xie Yunzhi leaned against the car wall, his face frighteningly pale. He had been coughing incessantly since this morning, and now even his breathing was heavy and noisy. "It's alright..." he managed to say, but was interrupted by a violent cough before he could finish.
Mo Xiaoyu hurriedly took out her medicine bottle, poured out two pills, and held them to his lips. Just as he lowered his head to take the medicine, a cold arrow "whooshed" through the carriage curtain and embedded itself deeply in the carriage wall, its fletching still trembling slightly.
"Stop the car!" The driver's terrified shouts were swallowed by the torrential rain.
The carriage was forced to stop in front of a dilapidated inn by the roadside. Mo Xiaoyu helped Xie Yunzhi stumble into the inn and found that his forehead was frighteningly hot.
"I need two superior rooms." She placed a silver ingot on the counter, her voice trembling slightly with nervousness.
The waiter, looking at their disheveled appearance and glancing at the torrential rain outside the window, smiled meaningfully: "You're very lucky, sir; there are only two rooms left."
After settling Xie Yunzhi on the bed, Mo Xiaoyu fetched hot water and carefully wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. His consciousness was already blurred, his lips were pale, and his body was burning hot. Just as she was about to get up to change the water, his hand suddenly gripped her wrist tightly.
"Don't go..." he murmured, his voice weak but carrying an undeniable force, "Little Fish... don't go..."
That one word, "Little Fish," froze Mo Xiaoyu in place. For thousands of years, only one person had ever called her that.
With trembling hands, she unbuttoned his soaked clothes, preparing to change him into clean undergarments. When she saw the hideous scar on his chest, her breath caught in her throat—the shape and location of that scar were exactly the same as the one Yunxi had left when he shielded her from the heavenly tribulation years ago!
Her fingertips involuntarily traced the scar, and the instant they touched it, the jade pendant in her bosom suddenly burned intensely, the heat almost scorching her skin. Countless fragments of memories surged forth like a burst dam, assaulting her consciousness—
A thunderous roar tore through the sky, and she cowered at the bottom of the Jade Pool in terror. Without hesitation, the figure in white stood in front of her, lightning piercing his chest and staining his clothes with blood.
"Silly little fish..." He coughed up blood, yet still smiled at her, "Don't be afraid..."
On his deathbed, he held her hand tightly and, with his last strength, said, "Live well...don't look for me...forget me..."
The flood of memories nearly overwhelmed her. Mo Xiaoyu collapsed to the ground, tears mingling with the rain as they streamed down her face. Only now did she truly understand that Yun Xi would rather his soul be scattered than let her live, and even rather she forget him than suffer this excruciating regret.
Suddenly, a commotion of footsteps sounded outside the window. Mo Xiaoyu was jolted awake and quietly pushed open a crack in the window. She saw more than a dozen men in black gathering in the rain. The leader took off his straw hat, revealing himself to be Li Xiuyuan!
"Are you sure someone's inside?" Li Xiuyuan's voice sounded particularly cold amidst the rain.
"Don't worry, young master, our men have been keeping a close watch. Xie Yunzhi is already very ill; it's the perfect time to strike."
"Remember, the jade pendant is important, but the person must also be dealt with cleanly." Li Xiuyuan sneered. "With Xie Yunzhi dead, the Xie family line will end. The secret of that jade pendant can only belong to our Li family."
Mo Xiaoyu's heart sank to the bottom. It turned out this wasn't just about stealing the jade pendant; it was a trap set to kill Xie Yunzhi!
She turned to look at Xie Yunzhi, who lay unconscious on the bed. His pale face still held an uneasy expression, as if he were worrying about her even in his dreams. He had died for her a thousand years ago; in this life, she could not burden him again.
She picked up the paper and pen from the table and, with trembling hands, wrote four words: "Take care, young master, do not seek me out."
She gently placed the note beside his pillow and took out the genuine jade pendant from her bosom. The jade pendant gleamed with a warm light in the darkness, as if telling a story of a thousand years of longing. She carefully tucked the jade pendant into his lapel, letting its familiar warmth press against his heart.
"This time, it's my turn to protect you," she whispered, placing a final, butterfly-wing-like kiss on his forehead.
Grabbing the replica jade pendant from the table, she rushed into the downpour without looking back.
"There he is!" the man in black exclaimed immediately.
Mo Xiaoyu deliberately held the counterfeit jade pendant above her head, creating a streak of light in the rain: "The jade pendant is here; come and take it if you dare!"
She ran towards the depths of the mountains, opposite the inn. Rain blurred her vision, and thorns tore at her clothes, but she never looked back. Arrows whizzed past her ears, and she heard Li Xiuyuan's furious roar: "Chase him! You must get the jade pendant!"
At the edge of a cliff, she was finally surrounded by men in black. Li Xiuyuan stepped out from the crowd, grinning maliciously as he held out his hand: "Hand over the jade pendant, and perhaps I can grant you a quick death."
Mo Xiaoyu stood on the edge of the cliff, the wind whipping her long hair, rain streaming down her cheeks, indistinguishable between rain and tears. Below, the abyss was pitch black, the sound of rushing water faintly audible. She gripped the imitation jade pendant tightly in her hand, feeling the rough stone surface against her palm.
At that moment, she suddenly recalled the look in Yunxi's eyes when he fell into reincarnation a thousand years ago—not fear, but relief. It turns out that when someone has someone they want to protect, even death can be so serene.
She glanced one last time in the direction of the inn and silently prayed: Yunxi, this time, let me protect you.
She hurled the counterfeit jade pendant at Li Xiuyuan, watching the group pounce on the insignificant fake like hungry wolves, a mocking smile playing on her lips. She turned, closed her eyes, and let herself fall backward.
In the instant of her fall, the wind howled in her ears, and the rain stung her face like icy needles. She heard Li Xiuyuan's furious roar from the cliff top, yet felt an unprecedented calm.
......
As dawn broke through the rain, Xie Yunzhi awoke from his unconsciousness. The burning sensation in his chest made him uncomfortable. Reaching out, he found himself touching the long-lost family heirloom jade pendant. The pendant emitted a warm glow in his palm, pulsating gently as if it were alive.
"Miss Mo?" He looked around the empty room and found only the note on the pillow.
The moment he deciphered the handwriting, countless fragments of memories exploded in his mind—the Jade Pool, the lightning tribulation, her tearful eyes, her resolute back...
"Little Fish—!" he roared as he rushed out of the inn, only to find a scrap of her clothing caught on thorns at the edge of the cliff. The valley was deserted in the torrential rain, only his shouts echoing through the mountains.
He knelt in the rain, clutching the jade pendant that had seen the light of day again, and tears finally streamed down his face. This time, he would never let her leave alone again.
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