Chapter 114 When the Wind Arrives 1 Accident
Xun Shu watched Yuan Zhou leave until his back passed through the low, swaying branches beside the road, walked to the end of the road, and merged with the mountains in the distance, then he came to his senses.
She stood in the yard, looking around at the empty courtyard. She inexplicably felt a sense of loneliness as if the banquet was over.
Now that the Fengshan Ceremony at Mount Qishan was over, she had lost her reason to stay. It was time for her to leave and do what she had not yet completed.
She glanced sideways at Qishan where a ceremony to worship the heaven was being held not far away.
The mountains towered into the clouds, and the clouds stretched halfway up the mountain, hiding the upper half of Mount Qishan. She could not see the altar on the mountaintop, the lively ceremony, or the people watching from the sidelines.
That person should be on that mountain now, right? Should I say goodbye to him?
Forget it. We are not the same kind of people. Even if we meet a few more times, it will only add to the frustration if we keep revisiting the past.
It’s better to let each other go.
Xun Shu gritted his teeth, left without looking back, and returned to the inn where he had stayed a few days ago.
After settling the room bill and packing her few belongings, Xun Shu headed downstairs, carrying her bag. She bought some rations for the journey from the waiter, then found her horse at the stables. She decided to leave without further delay.
It seemed like she hadn't been back to the coffin shop or the Sitian Pavilion for a long time. Perhaps it was time to go back and take a look.
After this trip is over, she will go to the capital and put an end to all the grievances, whether clear or not.
No matter what the outcome is.
-
Xun Shu didn't rush to leave Anle Town. She'd rushed here, so she had to savor the scenery of Anle Town before leaving, to make the journey worthwhile. She led her horse along the mountain path, leisurely and unhurried. She'd been so exhausted these past few days, but she couldn't find a way to relax. Just walking slowly brought her a surprisingly calm heart.
The weather had cooled considerably in recent days, the emerald green of the mountains tinged with hints of yellow. The sky was cloudless, a perfect autumn day, perfect for an outing. Xun Shu had been walking for about a cup of tea when she heard the sound of a horse galloping behind her. Without giving it a second thought, she led her horse to the edge of the road, only to see the man pass her and then rein in his horse, stopping a short distance in front of her, blocking her path.
The person riding the horse was actually Li Xuanhe.
Xun Shu was stunned: "Why are you here?"
Li Xuanhe said with a serious face: "Where are you going?"
"I want--"
Before Xun Shu could finish her sentence, Li Xuanhe suddenly stepped forward and grabbed her arm, exerting all his strength. Xun Shu felt a huge pull, and then lost control of her body. Li Xuanhe threw her behind him like a rag doll. Just as she was about to angrily rebuke the culprit, he had already loosened his grip, unsheathed his sword from his waist, and blocked her way, engaging the suddenly appeared man in black.
The man in black missed his attack and blew a whistle. In an instant, three other men in black emerged from the woods on both sides and pointed their swords at Xun Shu without stopping.
Li Xuanhe came looking for Xun Shu today, but he didn't bring many people with him, only Chi Xiao. The opposing group consisted of four men in black, all highly skilled in martial arts. Li Xuanhe and Chi Xiao were unable to subdue them. If it were just Li Xuanhe and Chi Xiao, they would have easily escaped, but Xun Shu, a complete kung fu expert, was also present.
The sounds of fighting continued, and as time went on, Li Xuanhe and Chi Xiao gradually lost ground. The four opposing forces, unable to defeat them for a long time, realized that Xun Shu, hidden behind Li Xuanhe, was their only weakness. They adjusted their strategy, assigning three of them to contain Li Xuanhe and Chi Xiao, while the remaining one quickly circled around to attack Xun Shu from behind. Li Xuanhe was overwhelmed, having to dodge and block the black-clad men's attacks while carefully protecting Xun Shu. In a moment of carelessness, he was caught by the attack on his arm, receiving a large gash. Blood immediately gushed out, soaking half of his sleeve.
Xun Shu watched from the side, heartbroken and self-blaming, but he didn't dare to ask any more questions, for fear that he would be distracted. Xun Shu gritted his teeth and concentrated on dodging the assassin's attack, but accidentally discovered the real target that the men in black wanted to attack.
The three men in black who had besieged Li Xuanhe and Chi Xiao didn't kill them, merely holding them captive. The man chasing her, on the other hand, seemed intent on killing her, even wounding Li Xuanhe. The moment Li Xuanhe was injured, she seemed to see a flicker of regret in his uncovered eyes.
Their target was her.
But who exactly wanted her life? Aside from the Hall of Eternal Life, she had never made peace with anyone. But now that the Hall of Eternal Life's master was dead, even if the people in the capital knew about it, they probably wouldn't rush here so quickly.
Could it be Qin Yuan again?
Li Xuanhe and Chi Xiao had probably already seen the true purpose of the men in black, but they hadn't spoken of it, nor had they the slightest intention of abandoning her. They wanted to protect her, and she shouldn't bring them any more trouble or danger.
"Xun Shu!" Li Xuanhe suddenly roared, his brows furrowed as he pulled Xun Shu into his arms. Xun Shu raised her eyes and stared into his. Through the reflection in her pupils, she saw the fifth man in black suddenly appear, and the sword he held in his hand, stabbing at her back.
Li Xuanhe wanted to turn around while holding Xun Shu and take the sword for her, but Xun Shu found strength from nowhere and actually blocked his action.
The sharp sword pierced Xun Shu's body, and the blood gushing out of her throat could not be suppressed and gushed out. For a moment, Xun Shu felt pain, but the pain was fleeting, like an illusion. Her body gradually lost the strength to support her, until she could no longer hold on and collapsed in Li Xuanhe's arms. She looked up at Li Xuanhe's shocked and sad face, trying to smile and comfort him, but the moment she opened her mouth, the blood flowed faster. She coughed a few times, choking, and ultimately could not say anything.
Xun Shu thought that if it ended like this, it wouldn’t be too bad.
Her life, seemingly filled with misfortune, was actually filled with good fortune. She had no parents, but she was cared for by her master, brothers, and sisters. As a child, she had never suffered hunger, cold, or hardship. At the age of ten, all her fantasies were shattered, yet she only wandered for a few days before she met Jiang Zheng, earning another five years of peace and stability.
Everyone in this world has their own destiny, and one shouldn't be obsessed with it. She had been foolish her whole life, unable to learn to let go and see things clearly. But now she hoped that the young man holding her, who had this opportunity and learned it on his own, would not be too sad because of her departure.
It wasn't until this moment that she realized that she liked him much more than she thought.
If this is how my life ends, dying in his arms would be the best outcome.
She thought, she was really lucky. But in her next life, she hoped she wouldn't be so lucky.
Xun Shu closed his eyes without leaving a single word.
-
After Xun Shu fell, the assassins abandoned their fight and quickly retreated. Li Xuanhe didn't dare let go of Xun Shu, his eyes cold as ice in the twelfth lunar month, and he wished he could chase after them and tear them apart. Chi Xiao, standing nearby, saw the look in his husband's eyes and understood what he meant. He struck with all his might, finally leaving one assassin behind and holding his sword to his neck.
Chi Xiao was about to remove the assassin's jaw when the man bit down on the poison pill hidden in his mouth, killing him. Chi Xiao's heart sank. He pulled off the assassin's veil, revealing a strange face. He then searched the body thoroughly, finding no identifying items or markings. He turned to Li Xuanhe, wanting to ask him what to do next, but he saw he wasn't looking at him. Instead, he strapped Xun Shu securely to his back, mounted his horse, and, without wasting a moment, galloped towards the Sai Palace.
Chi Xiao jumped on his horse and rode to catch up. He couldn't help but ask, "Sir, are you going to ignore the assassin?"
"Never mind." Li Xuanhe said firmly, "Don't waste time on something that's destined to yield no results."
Chi Xiao was stunned: "My dear, do you already know who sent the assassin?"
Li Xuanhe did not answer immediately.
Just when Chi Xiao thought he would not get a reply, Li Xuanhe's voice came to his ears, accompanied by the whistling wind and a helpless sigh.
"Who else in Anle Town could employ an assassin of this skill besides him?" He tilted his head slightly to look at the pale, lifeless face leaning against him, and for the umpteenth time, he felt a surge of self-blame. "Today, I finally truly understand her. I just hope it's not too late."
-
Xun Shu had a very long dream.
In her dream, she returned to the day when she picked up Li Xuanhe more than half a year ago.
She and Uncle Jiang encountered the unconscious Li Xuanhe in the mountains. When Uncle Jiang was about to rescue him and take him back to the coffin shop, he was stopped by Xun Shu.
In her dream, Xun Shu had no idea what would happen next, but she suddenly had a strange premonition: if she saved this person, her life would be like a kite without a string, flying away from the familiar and into the misty unknown. She really didn't like this feeling.
Jiang Zheng followed her wishes, and the two turned and left, leaving the injured Li Xuanhe in the forest.
After a few months of peace, winter finally faded, spring blossomed, and Chaozhou's rainy season arrived. To supplement his family income, Xun Shu set up a stall at the market entrance.
A number of major events have occurred in Chaozhou City recently. First, County Magistrate Zhao's wife died suddenly, and then County Magistrate Zhao was murdered. According to Fang Yan next door, the murders have been solved, but the long-standing case of disaster relief funds, which was triggered by these two cases, remains unsolved. Fang Yan also said that the recent visitors to the city are all from the Dali Temple in Beijing. They have searched the Zhao residence countless times for the missing funds, but have found no trace of them. The young Dali Temple official in charge, his face growing gloomier by the day, and he would not dare to approach him to greet him when he saw him in the government office.
Xun Shu treated it as an after-dinner chat and didn't take it seriously. It was not until he was drowsy that a shadow fell before his eyes.
She raised her eyes and looked across the table.
A handsome young man, brighter than the sun, sat down before her and said with a smile, "I've heard that you're very good at fortune-telling. Could you please help me calculate the whereabouts of that disaster relief money that was hidden many years ago and still remains untraceable?"
-
When Xun Shu opened her eyes, her mind was a mess, dreams and reality blending together, leaving nothing behind. She couldn't remember who she was, where she was, or what time it was. She stared at the pink canopy in front of her for a moment, her thoughts returning to normal as she whispered, "Where is this?"
The voice was strange yet familiar, hoarse as if covered in gravel, with only a faint whisper. Yet, this whisper, lighter than the evening breeze, truly alarmed the people outside. Someone hurried over, and the mingled scent of sandalwood and ink wafted through before the bed curtains were even opened. Xun Shu tilted her head curiously, and Li Xuanhe's face appeared before her.
The slight uneasiness and anxiety in Xun Shu's heart disappeared, and he couldn't help but ask, "This is the Yellow Springs Underworld? Why are you here too?"
-----------------------
The author has something to say: I've been a bit busy these days, so I might not be able to update daily... But I'll try my best, but I can't guarantee the time...
There's not much left, it'll end soon.
Happy holidays everyone!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
