Chapter 104 "I want you to live."
--
Xuanwu Hall Courtyard.
A cold moon hangs in the sky, with clouds drifting by from time to time, casting dappled shadows under the banyan tree.
The young man sat under the banyan tree, a long sword in his arms. Shadows swept across his increasingly stern and cold features. A swarm of ants, carrying rotting insect corpses, carefully crawled around the young man along the bluestone path...
The secluded courtyard of Xuanwu Hall, the most prestigious镖师 (bodyguard/escort) in the world, was hidden away, with only a deaf-mute old servant guarding it. Yuan Zao merely nodded to the old servant from afar and left, never to return.
While there was much commotion and rumors outside the city, things remained peaceful inside the villa.
The calmer it is, the more uneasy it makes people.
The old servant had changed the tea three times, but unfortunately neither of the two boys was in the mood to drink it. So the old servant had to pour out the cold tea and brew a hot one.
Suddenly, without warning, the young man rose with his sword, crushing many ants as his angry shout pierced the tense silence of the night:
"No, I have to go find her!"
He regretted it.
He shouldn't have agreed to Yuan Zao's request for an hour; he couldn't even wait half an hour!
He made such a loud noise that the old servant spilled a pot of hot tea that he had just brewed.
Gan Zishi paused, then quickly went over to clean up the mess:
"Oh, I'm so sorry... I'm really sorry. Sir, don't bother anymore, we'll be leaving now!"
Gan Zishi was an impatient man. After finishing his work, he ignored the old servant's babbling attempts to stop him and strode around the tree. He saw Liansheng huddled in a corner, perhaps terrified, holding something in his hands and muttering something to himself. It was probably a Buddhist scripture. He had been like this ever since he left the city gate.
He always held Buddhist scriptures close to his hand, even when someone risked their life to protect him, even when the enemy was at the gates of the city.
Under the iron hooves of the Jin army, the people suffered terribly. He was not a naive disciple of a prestigious family who knew nothing; since descending the mountain with his fellow disciples, he had witnessed countless lives. He had seen those separated from their wives and children, living in abject poverty. He had seen those who abandoned their wives and children, barely clinging to life. He had also seen women, though inherently weak, become strong when they become mothers, able to fight against dozens of Jin soldiers to protect their children.
He had seen all sorts of people, some who were willing to sacrifice themselves, some who endured humiliation to survive, and some like the treacherous and disloyal Wenshan Zhenjun who had harmed his comrades in the martial arts arena that day. But he could not stand Liansheng's cowardly behavior.
Taoist priests would settle scores on the spot, while monks would only chant Amitabha Buddha's name.
If Miss Yuan, a mere woman, could risk her life for the safety of the entire city, what's the point of these two men cowering here?
What kind of situation is this?!
Gan Zishi hesitated for a moment, then couldn't hold back any longer. He strode forward, grabbed the young monk by the collar, and lifted him up: "If you were still a man..."
Lian Sheng was startled and dropped the booklet in his arms. He seemed to be suddenly awakened, and his muttering was interrupted. He hurriedly picked up the booklet and wiped the dirt off it with his sleeve. It had rained yesterday, and there was no shortage of mud on the ground.
He cleaned himself thoroughly before raising his head to look at Gan Zishi's clear eyes, which were both cowardly and fearful, yet also foolish, as if he didn't understand.
I don't understand why he suddenly acted this way.
"...Gan, Young Master Gan?"
Gan Zishi: "..."
Gan Zishi felt as if he had punched a piece of cotton, and choked on a large mouthful.
With only one day left until his appointment with Jiang Ling'er, he couldn't understand why Jiang Ling'er and that foreign youth were willing to risk their lives to protect this cowardly little monk, just because of the "Longevity Manual"? If it was because of the "Longevity Manual," why would they entrust it to him?
He couldn't understand how the "Longevity Manual" ended up in the hands of such a person.
Although Wu Yangyang was quite far away at the time, he still saw Lian Sheng's forearm covered with strange tattoos.
Not only him, but everyone in the world saw it. Especially the Jurchen lackey, Wenshan Zhenjun, whose eyes lit up the moment he saw it, and he almost rushed over.
He didn't understand what it was, but after hearing the exclamations of the people around him, he realized that it was the "Longevity Manual".
The coveted "Secret of Longevity" was actually found in such an unremarkable-looking and timid young novice monk, who was as easily frightened as a startled bird.
Gan Zishi frowned, about to say something, when suddenly his ears twitched:
"...There's someone there."
Gan Zishi loosened his grip on Lian Sheng's collar and instead grabbed the brim of his hat, pressing it down deeply.
"Don't make a sound."
The next moment, the gate of the villa was kicked open.
The Jin soldiers finally found their way here.
Dozens of Jin soldiers filed in. The leading Jin soldier paused when he saw Gan Zishi and Liansheng, who were also dressed in Jin uniforms. He turned to Liansheng, who was closest to him, and said something in a gruff voice.
They were speaking Jurchen, which Lian Sheng couldn't understand. Even if he could understand, there was nothing he could do. When the Jin soldiers' eyes swept over, the little monk froze, clutching the book tightly in his arms. His jaw, which was hidden under the brim of his hat and could only be seen in a corner, turned deathly pale. He was terrified.
The Jin soldiers immediately frowned, looking even more ferocious.
"Which unit are you from? I've never seen you before."
The young soldier was wearing an ill-fitting uniform, and when questioned, he cowered even more. Just as he was about to approach the soldier, who wouldn't even look him in the eye, someone suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking the young soldier's path. Although this person also had their head bowed, their voice was neither servile nor arrogant:
“We got separated. There’s only an old servant here, nothing unusual.”
The Seven Sons of Lingxiao went down the mountain for training. Besides honing their martial arts skills, they also experienced the various aspects of human life and appreciated local customs. Along the way, they learned a lot. It was also because the Jurchens were so rampant that even if Gan Zishi didn't want to, he could still speak a few words of Jurchen.
Fortunately, the Jin soldier in charge was not of high rank and did not linger. He glanced at the unremarkable courtyard, which clearly offered no profit, and then at the deaf and mute old servant. He pursed his lips in disinterest and immediately withdrew his troops.
Gan Zishi glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, and his tense shoulders relaxed slightly.
The Jin soldiers had already filed out, but the last one suddenly said:
“I think that servant is wearing something quite nice on his hand.”
As he finished speaking, he swung his broadsword straight at the old servant, intending to chop off the old servant's hand!
The old servant, deaf and blind, had no idea what was happening. He only felt a gust of wind rush past him and then stop abruptly, followed by a splash of scalding, foul-smelling liquid on his face—
It's blood!
Although the old servant looked surprised, he was also quite shocked. No one could be an ordinary person to work as a guard in the Xuanwu Hall's detached courtyard. However, Lian Sheng, who was standing to the side, had weak legs and collapsed to the ground.
The Jin soldier's chest was pierced by a long sword. When the sword was pulled out, his body fell to the ground facing Lian Sheng, his eyes wide open, unable to close them in death.
Suddenly, his face overlapped with countless faces in his memory, all staring at him with unseeing eyes... Lian Sheng turned pale and vomited.
It was the boy's first time killing a living being; his hands trembled slightly, but his voice remained relatively calm. He spoke first to the deaf-mute old servant, but his eyes were fixed on the outside of the other courtyard:
"Excuse me, sir... I'll be right back."
Gan Zishi drew his sword and used the Mysterious Step technique to chase after him.
Fifteen minutes later, he returned, almost covered in blood.
Lian Sheng watched as Gan Zishi, covered in blood like a demon, approached him step by step, sword in hand. For a fleeting moment, the blood-blurred features of his face overlapped with the faces of everyone who had approached him over the years, only to kill him. Lian Sheng turned deathly pale and subconsciously murmured, "No...don't kill me..."
Just as he was about to run away, Gan Zishi grabbed him by the back of his collar and pulled him into the inner room.
He filled a basin with water and washed the blood off his body. Seeing that Lian Sheng was also covered in blood and dirt, and that Lian Sheng was already covered in dirt, Gan Zishi had brought him here again. At this moment, Lian Sheng seemed to be still immersed in the nightmare of the past, his whole body stiff, as if he was terrified. When Gan Zishi saw that he was not moving, he frowned impatiently and immediately pressed him into the water to wash him.
The icy water jolted Lian Sheng back to her senses, and she finally came to her senses and knew to call for help.
"Young...Young hero...It's alright...Help me..."
Gan Zishi grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up, saying impatiently, "Stop dawdling, finally you've woken up and know to beg..."
He paused, his gaze suddenly stopping on Lian Sheng's bloodless, pale face.
Lian Sheng choked on a mouthful of water and coughed for a while before catching his breath. He turned around and saw Gan Zishi staring at him intently, and was slightly taken aback.
"...Young Master Gan?"
The boy stared at him menacingly for a while, then suddenly uttered something completely out of the blue:
"You better stay away from Miss Yuan from now on."
Liansheng: "???"
Gan Zishi ignored him and released him, then began rummaging through the clothes in the other courtyard.
As expected, the courtyard was fully equipped. He first threw off all his blood-stained clothes and put on an ordinary gray shirt. He originally intended to give one to Lian Sheng as well, but he accidentally found a woman's garment. After thinking for a moment, he threw the woman's garment to Lian Sheng, who was thinner than the average man.
"Put it on."
Before leaving, he covered Lian Sheng's head with the felt hat left by Yuan Zao, and then bid farewell to the old servant and departed.
------------------------------------------------------
Gan Zishi, along with Lian Sheng, who was disguised as a woman, evaded the Jin soldiers and searched for Yuan Zao.
The reason for dressing Liansheng in women's clothing was twofold. First, Liansheng was thinner than the average man, and wearing the Jin soldiers' uniforms would look out of place and arouse suspicion. Second, since Wenshan Zhenjun and the Jin people were searching for him, a monk, dressing him in women's clothing would better conceal their identities.
The decision to dress Lian Sheng in women's clothing was made on a whim, but once Lian Sheng put on the clothes, he realized that he had made the right decision.
Gan Zishi had initially found Lian Sheng's felt hat an eyesore, but after Lian Sheng washed her face, his own face became even more irritating. His gaze traveled from Lian Sheng's small face down to her dress, then suddenly stopped, his eyes widening in surprise:
"I can't wear this...it's Miss Yuan's clothes again..."
Thinking of this, the boy's face darkened even more.
Lian Sheng was completely unaware of this. Whenever he had a spare moment, he would pick up that booklet again, as if he were possessed, muttering something to himself.
At this moment, the whole city was filled with people running around and shouting because of the arrival of the Jin soldiers. Gan Zishi looked around for Yuan Zao's whereabouts while keeping an eye on Lian Sheng's safety.
Sure enough, the monk was as fragile as paper, easily bumped aside by the rushing crowd. Lian Sheng, being slow in everything he did, was pulled back by Gan Zishi, who instead caused him to stumble and fall.
Gan Zishi couldn't help but curse under his breath:
"What a frail, pale-faced pretty boy!"
Even with his elbow bleeding from scraping the ground, Lian Sheng didn't put down the booklet in his hand. He knew that this young hero Gan disliked him again; he was a burden to everyone. Not daring to trouble the young hero Gan, Lian Sheng didn't even dare to cry out in pain. He gritted his teeth, clutched his elbow, and stood up. Suddenly, his gaze fell to a spot not far away, and he paused, muttering:
“...Miss Yuan Zao”.
Gan Zishi, who was about to pull him up, paused upon hearing this. They were on the bridge, and they rushed forward, indeed seeing Yuan Zao below. Gan Zishi's eyes lit up, and just as he was about to call out to Yuan Zao, he saw—
Zhao Xiao.
Seeing Zhao Xiao slowly rise from the dimly lit bridge arch and approach Yuan Zao...
"You bastard!"
Thinking that Zhao Xiao was going to harm Yuan Zao, Gan Zishi immediately put his hand on the sword at his waist and was about to step forward when he saw Yuan Zao take the initiative to embrace Zhao Xiao.
Gan Zishi's hand, gripping the sword at his waist, trembled, and he froze.
Standing blankly on the bridge, looking at the couple below, they looked like a pair from a distance...
They are like a perfect couple.
------------------------------------------------------
Down the Qinhuai River.
The first time Yuan Zao saw the shattered Zhao Xiao was when news of his Uncle Zhao Ji's death arrived; he had also hidden himself under the bridge in the same way.
And now, she has seen it again.
Yuan Zao felt a pang of pain in her heart, and her body, even before her mind could process it, rushed forward and tightly embraced Zhao Xiao.
Just like before, she held him tightly, telling him again and again:
"Don't cry, senior brother. You still have me, you still have Xiaozao..."
At that moment, she called out in a trembling voice, "Senior Brother..."
Looking up, she met Zhao Xiao's gloomy eyes, which stared coldly at her. It was like a bucket of cold water being poured over her head; Yuan Zao suddenly snapped out of her daze. Under Zhao Xiao's cold gaze, she almost awkwardly, sheepishly, and fearfully released her grip, instinctively taking a step back. But after only two steps, she forced herself to stand still, her fingernails digging fiercely into her flesh, biting her lower lip tightly, and forcing herself to look up at Zhao Xiao's gloomy eyes, getting straight to the point:
"Zhao Xiao...give me the chief镖头's warrant."
Seeing Zhao Xiao staring coldly at her without speaking, Yuan Zao took a deep breath, her clenched teeth almost able to detect a faint, sweet, metallic smell of rust. She forced herself to glance at Zhao Xiao's right arm, which hung limply at his side, seemingly numb and crippled, and gave a cold smile.
“I know only the chief镖头 (chief镖头, a term referring to a high-ranking镖师, a body of powerful镖师) can open the secret passage, but it concerns the common people… you have to give it to them whether you want to or not.”
Zhao Xiao, who had been coldly watching her without saying a word, chuckled and said:
"Weren't you threatening me? Why do you look like you're about to cry?" She shook her head and gave a self-deprecating laugh. "What kind of person do you take me for?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he moved his left hand, as if he had been prepared all along, and threw the warrant directly in front of Yuan Zao.
Unlike other sects whose orders might be personally written, the number one dart in the world only has a small silver dart.
Yuan Zao was stunned when she saw the small dart on the ground. She hadn't expected it to go so smoothly.
You underestimate me.
Seeing Yuan Zao looking over, Zhao Xiao lazily curled his lips and chuckled:
"I know you despise my collusion with the Demonic Sect, but no matter how bad I am, I am still the Chief Escort of the Number One Escort Team in the World. Upholding justice and helping the weak is the principle of the Number One Escort Team in the World, and I will never violate it, much less collude with foreign enemies to harm my comrades!"
Yuan Zao shuddered, her eyes gleaming almost intimidatingly, and she instinctively took two steps forward:
"Senior brother..."
Zhao Xiao turned his head away, his expression once again gloomy, cold, and unwilling to speak to her.
"Go."
Yuan Zao bit her lip and slowly stood still: "..."
After a while, she took a deep breath, bent down to pick up the small silver dart, and just as she was about to leave, someone behind her called out to her.
"I'm a useless person now, there's no need to look for me anymore. Don't worry, our engagement is null and void."
Yuan Zao paused, her long eyelashes trembled violently, and she bit her lip tightly, forcing herself not to cry.
She didn't say anything, took the dart and turned to leave, but after walking a few feet, she turned back, like a swallow returning to its nest, and crashed hard into Zhao Xiao's arms. The force was so great that he staggered back three steps before stopping.
Yuan Zao hugged him tightly, lifting her head from his embrace. Beneath her long, flowing, glossy black hair, which resembled seaweed, were a pair of eyes that seemed to see right through, like glass.
"Senior brother, I knew you hadn't changed. You're still you... Wait for me to come back. You still have me. Xiaozao will always be by your side. We'll be like before. We'll never be apart!"
Zhao Xiao gazed into the girl's burning red eyes, his gaze flickering for a long while...
He slowly reached out his left arm to hug her back.
------------------------------------------------------
The young man who had been silently witnessing everything on the Qinhuai River fell silent, a rare occurrence for him.
The hand that had been clutching the sword at his waist belatedly loosened its grip.
Yuan Zao practically leaped onto the bridge, but froze when she saw Gan Zi:
"...What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the other courtyard? Where is Master Liansheng?"
Gan Zishi paused upon hearing this, then turned his head and pointed in Lian Sheng's direction:
“He’s right here…” He suddenly paused, his finger stiffly pointing in mid-air. His gloom vanished, and he stared at the empty space in astonishment, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets. “Where’s that bald monk?”
Where are they?!
------------------------------------------------------
Woodshed.
How did you get hurt?
Pei Xuan grabbed Jiang Ling'er's wrist and stared intently at her bleeding wound.
Pei Xuan's chest churned with a violent, bloodthirsty aura, but his face remained impassive, still displaying that sickly, pale, and haggard beauty, staring straight at Jiang Ling'er.
Jiang Ling'er didn't care at all:
"It was just a dog bite."
Pei Xuan's long, arched eyebrows furrowed: "...A dog?"
Pei Xuan's gaze naturally fell on the only big yellow dog on the field.
It was just a casual glance, but the dog seemed to be facing a formidable enemy, its whole body arched, staring at him fearfully, and letting out a muffled growl.
Pei Xuan narrowed his eyes upon seeing this.
The next second, Ma Qingmei stood in front of the vicious dog and said awkwardly:
"Rhubarb didn't do it on purpose..."
Big Yellow let out a whimper and took the opportunity to run away.
"Yes, it's all in the past. It was my own carelessness." Jiang Ling'er didn't want to talk about it anymore. Instead, she looked at Pei Xuan strangely and saw that his gaze was still fixed on the dog. "What's wrong with you? Hey, does it hurt?"
Pei Xuan paused, only then realizing that he was holding Jiang Ling'er's hand tightly, and the blood on her wrist had already soaked through her clothes.
Ma Qingmei quickly brought scissors and clean strips of cloth:
"Let me re-bandage it."
Pei Xuan's first reaction was to refuse.
Ma Qingmei was stunned: "?"
The young Taoist priest still possessed that gentle, jade-like yet cynical handsome face, carefree and unrestrained. Even though he had luckily escaped with his life, he still seemed to have no worries about anything.
But upon closer inspection, a slight wrinkle appeared between his brows.
A faint, almost imperceptible hint of sinister intent.
He seems like a different person.
Ma Qingmei blinked and froze.
The hands holding the scissors and strips of cloth froze awkwardly in mid-air, unsure of what to do next.
Not only did Ma Qingmei find it strange and take another look, but even the usually carefree Jiang Ling'er felt something was amiss, glancing at the young Taoist priest with a furrowed brow:
"...What's wrong? Could it be...you have a high fever again?"
trouble.
As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Ling'er reached out to touch Pei Xuan's forehead as if by instinct, but he avoided her touch.
"...I'm fine."
Pei Xuan abruptly released his grip, taking a half-step back to give Ma Qingmei her place. However, his phoenix eyes remained fixed on the injury on Jiang Ling'er's wrist.
"Then we'll leave it to Miss Ma."
Young Taoist priests have always been like this, so although Jiang Ling'er had some doubts, she didn't think much of it.
Ma Qingmei felt as if a pair of eyes were watching her from behind, and the pressure was immense. Especially when she lifted the corner of Jiang Ling'er's clothes tied around her wound and heard Jiang Ling'er's low hiss, her fingers trembled and she stopped.
I felt the gaze behind me suddenly become sharper, and the temperature dropped several degrees.
But he didn't say anything.
Just looking, not looking at it with a keen eye.
Ma Qingmei felt like she was being pricked by thorns. She silently exhaled, forcing herself to ignore the gaze behind her and concentrate on re-bandaging Jiang Ling'er's wounds.
The young Taoist priest suddenly said:
"Miss Ma."
Ma Qingmei trembled slightly, and the final knot almost came undone.
For some reason, she was somewhat afraid of this Taoist priest.
Although this Taoist priest looked like he couldn't even kill a chicken.
She suddenly understood Dahuang.
Ma Qingmei paused for a moment before stiffly and slowly turning around:
"W-What's wrong?"
Pei Xuan's gaze subtly bypassed Ma Qingmei, landing on Jiang Ling'er's neatly bandaged wrist before he lowered his eyes and slowly said:
"Could you elaborate on what the young lady said before?"
Ma Qingmei was taken aback upon hearing this, and only then did she realize what the young Taoist meant.
[Who in the entire city of Jinling doesn't know about your deep affection for the young master of Riyue Fortress? I saw you searching the streets and alleys for a doctor for this Taoist priest, kneeling before me for him, and even getting bitten by Dahuang. I thought he was your husband...]
Seeing Pei Xuan staring intently at her, Ma Qingmei subconsciously held her breath and pursed her lips. Just as she was about to say something, Jiang Ling'er waved her hand first and spoke:
"It's nothing, we're friends."
Pei Xuan remained silent for a long while before letting out a low, self-deprecating laugh:
"……friend?"
His voice was a little hoarse.
"Of course." Jiang Ling'er tapped the young Taoist's shoulder with her newly bandaged hand, revealing her first smile in two days. "If I were the one who collapsed, you would definitely do the same for me, wouldn't you?"
Pei Xuan lifted his eyelids, his dark phoenix eyes fixed on Jiang Ling'er for a long time before he smiled faintly:
"you're right."
Jiang Ling'er smiled back, then left him and went to find some water.
She ran all the way back, and before she could even drink any water, she gulped down three large bowls of water. During that time, Pei Xuan's gaze followed her the whole time, his eyes were very dark, like a whirlpool... she didn't know what he was thinking.
Ma Qingmei: "..."
Unlike Jiang Ling'er, who was oblivious to the strange atmosphere, Ma Qingmei glanced at Jiang Ling'er and then at the young Taoist priest. Unable to bear the eerie atmosphere any longer, she suddenly remembered something and changed the subject:
"By the way, the Demonic Sect's Kong Wu and the Jin soldiers have been searching for you in the city for two days in a row, and in their anger, they have killed many Jinling citizens..."
Jiang Ling'er immediately flew into a rage: "What a vicious person!"
The young Taoist priest withdrew his gaze, his brows furrowing slightly as he mentioned Kong Wu:
"Those Jin soldiers are useless bastards, not worth mentioning. The important one is Kong Wu. The seven assassins of the Demonic Sect are divided into the upper three ranks and the lower three ranks. Kong Wu, carrying the deadly weapon, the guqin, is undoubtedly of the upper three ranks. You have fought with her, so you should know her abilities."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling'er subconsciously looked at her right palm. The residual force of her palm strike with Kong Wu still lingered, and her fingertips trembled uncontrollably...
I still feel lingering fear.
Jiang Ling'er slowly clenched her trembling right hand and gently pressed her pale lips together.
"The martial world is vast, teeming with talented individuals. Yet, the martial arts community is equally small, and none can escape the grasp of these few. In the north lies the venerable Master Wuyazi, Wanxiangchun, whose whisk shakes the heavens—my senior brother, you've already met him. In the south, there's Ma Rujiao, whose fists can settle the world; in the west, there's Gongye Chi, the King of Ten Thousand Gu; in the east, there's Yuwen Wugou, the former crown prince who pacified the nine provinces with his sword; and below him are the seven great assassins of the Demonic Sect..."
A sudden sound interrupted Pei Xuan's words.
Ma Qingmei accidentally knocked over the medicine box.
Pei Xuan paused, then stopped speaking and looked at Ma Qingmei with Jiang Ling'er.
Jiang Ling'er quickly said, "I'll help you..."
Ma Qingmei avoided her hand and quickly picked up the spilled items: "It's alright, you two chat... I'll go tidy up."
He left in a hurry after saying that.
They even thoughtfully closed the wooden gate.
Jiang Ling'er: "..."
However, Jiang Ling'er quickly put this little incident behind her, as there were more important things to do right now.
Jiang Ling'er quickly told Pei Xuan about her encounter with Yuan Zao and her plan to sneak into the Jinling Prefect's residence at night.
"There's no time to lose, we need to set off immediately."
Pei Xuan listened, nodding occasionally. Just as he was about to get up, Jiang Ling'er pressed his shoulders down and pushed him back down.
Pei Xuan paused, raised his eyelids, and smiled:
"What's wrong?"
Jiang Ling'er stood before him, staring intently at him, and solemnly said:
"You don't need to go."
Pei Xuan's long, thick eyelashes trembled slightly, but his smile remained unchanged:
"...Dislike me? Although my inner strength hasn't fully recovered yet..."
At this point, Pei Xuan clenched his fists tightly behind his back, his knuckles turning white with force, and the veins on the back of his hands bulging like dragons.
To his surprise, Jiang Ling'er actually nodded after hearing his words.
Pei Xuan paused, and the smile vanished completely from his fair and handsome face.
His already dark phoenix eyes became even darker, reflecting off Jiang Ling'er's fair face.
Jiang Ling'er stared straight at him, speaking each word clearly:
"I want you to live."
Pei Xuan's eyes flickered, and he was about to say something when Jiang Ling'er cut him off again.
"My fate is uncertain on this journey, but I must fight to the last moment with the people of Jinling! Someone must survive to find Liansheng, to take him to where he belongs, and I hope that person is you. Isn't that the most important purpose of our journey?"
Pei Xuan's eyes darkened, and he slowly clenched his fist tighter and tighter, then relaxed it again. His back seemed to collapse like a mountain, and he leaned back against the haystack behind him, a familiar smile appearing on his lips.
With a "you win" expression, he shrugged, his voice low and hoarse, but very clear:
"……good."
------------------------------------------------------
On the other side, on the Qinhuai River.
Yuan Zao grew impatient: "Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on Master Lian Sheng?! What were you looking at?!"
"I...I..." Gan Zishi stammered, his face turning bright red under Yuan Zao's angry glare. It took him a long time to finally manage to stammer out, "He was perfectly fine here just now..."
"Oh dear, never mind, let's go find it!"
The two searched anxiously, like headless flies.
In a dark corner not far behind the two, the man in black who had been following the three finally revealed his true form—
He is the yellow-robed Taoist priest of Danxia Cave, also known as Wenshan Zhenjun.
Lian Sheng recognized Wenshan Zhenjun and was so shocked that his eyes widened. He was about to call out to Gan Zishi and Yuan Zao when Wenshan Zhenjun struck his pressure points.
"Behave yourself!"
In the end, Lian Sheng could only watch helplessly as Yuan Zao and Gan Zishi, who were frantically searching for him, were dragged into the depths of a dark alley by Wen Shan Zhenjun...
-----------------------
Author's Note: One more chapter today.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com