Chapter 93: The Wind Passes (To be continued) Breakup...
Xun Shu remembered something that happened many years ago.
That year, she and Jiang Zheng went to the mountains to cut coffin wood. The wind was so strong it was hard to open your eyes. As they were leaving, Jiang Zheng found a tree that was perfect for making a coffin. After much deliberation, he worried he wouldn't be able to find it next time, so he decided to cut it down before leaving the mountain.
Xun Shu was eleven years old that year, still a frail child, unable to offer much assistance. Jiang Zheng had her stand far away while he chopped down the tree. The tree eventually fell, but due to the strong wind, it shifted half an inch as it fell. Unable to dodge, Jiang Zheng was struck by a branch. His face and neck were covered in wounds, bloodied and horrific.
She was terrified, tears welling up in her eyes. Jiang Zheng quickly wiped the blood off her face with his shirt, leaving only scratches. He smiled and comforted her, "Don't cry, little Shu. Look, I'm fine, aren't I? I'll go back and apply some ointment. I'll be fine by tomorrow."
No sooner had the blood been wiped from the fresh wound than another drop of blood began to ooze out. Fortunately, the wound wasn't deep, so it scabbed over that night and the redness and swelling subsided the next day. But what about now? How could this wound heal?
Xun Shu felt her heart shatter into pieces, aching uncontrollably. She didn't know what to do. She'd been picked up in the mountains by her master, and since childhood, she'd never known her birth chart. Now, she thought, she was destined to be a star of misfortune. Anyone who had even the slightest contact with her met a bad end, whether it was her master or Uncle Jiang.
Li Xuanhe walked behind her, wanting to comfort her, but he didn't know how. His outstretched hand hung in mid-air, and he felt guilty even to touch her.
Xun Shu wiped his face fiercely with the back of his hand, stood up, and stumbled towards Qin Yuan, who was a few steps away. Taking advantage of Qin Yuan's moment of shock, he snatched the dagger from his hand and stabbed him in the chest. Li Xuanhe had been paying attention to Xun Shu's every move. At the critical moment, he rushed to Xun Shu, grasped the dagger blade with his hand, and said in a pleading voice, "Ah Shu..."
The hand holding the dagger was cut in an instant and blood was dripping along the blade. Xun Shu stared at it for a while, then let go of his hand and let the dagger fall to the ground with a crisp sound.
She turned and left, walking towards the door. Li Xuanhe followed her, dejected, not knowing what to do.
The people in the courtyard made way for the two to leave, tacitly agreeing not to interfere or stop them. Li Song stuffed a handkerchief into Li Xuanhe's hand, wanting him to simply bandage the wound on his palm, but Li Xuanhe refused to take it, thinking that if this wound could earn Xun Shu even a little sympathy, it would be worth it.
Xun Shu didn't go far, stopping outside the courtyard gate. She turned and looked at the person following her as if she were a stranger. Only the slight trembling of her eyelashes betrayed her feelings. She whispered, "Li Xuanhe, when Uncle Jiang disappeared last time, I regretted not trusting you, doubting you, and not giving you a chance to explain. I blamed myself for a long time. Today, I stand here and give you a chance. Tell me, what exactly is going on?"
Li Xuanhe pursed his lips and didn't speak for a long time.
Xun Shu was extremely disappointed, the light in her eyes gradually fading until it completely disappeared. She sneered, "Li Xuanhe, do you think I'm a fool? I can just say a few words to comfort me and pretend nothing happened?" She shook her head. "I gave you a chance, but you didn't want to explain. You can't blame me this time."
"Ashu, give me some time—"
Xun Shu pointed to the house not far away, tears streaming down his face: "Let Uncle Jiang give you some time."
She looked up, gazing at Qin Yuan from afar across the courtyard and the crowd at the Dali Temple. "A few years ago, when I was still a child, my master wouldn't let me avenge him, and I didn't have the ability to do so. Now I'm grown up, and I can do what I want. I couldn't kill you today because I'm not as skilled as you. From now on, I will study hard and practice diligently, and I will avenge Uncle Jiang for the rest of my life. Qin Yuan, just wait."
"Ashu..."
Xun Shu turned and walked towards the carriage, but halfway there Li Xuanhe grabbed his arm and blocked his way.
He pleaded, "Ah Shu..." He didn't know what to say to keep her, and after thinking for a long time, he said, "Are you not going to take care of Uncle Jiang's funeral?"
Xun Shu sighed, pulled his sleeve from his hand, and murmured, "After death, we will re-enter the cycle of heaven and earth. No matter how well we handle our funeral, we will eventually turn into yellow earth and white bones. Instead of doing these useless things, it is better to kill Qin Yuan as soon as possible to avenge him. This is my filial piety to Uncle Jiang. If Uncle Jiang is not satisfied, I can only wait until that day and join him in the underworld."
She tilted her head back, gazing at the sun in the sky. The bright light made her squint her eyes, and her voice was softer than the wind: "Third brother, thank you for taking care of me these past few days. When we meet again, we will be mortal enemies."
"Li Xuanhe, let's just...disperse."
-
When Xun Shu left, he still took the princess's carriage.
She sat in the carriage blankly, feeling exhausted and not knowing how to relieve herself. Ah Shui stayed beside her, quietly accompanying her without saying anything, but to Xun Shu, his words were worth more than a thousand words.
The carriage jolted, the window curtains swaying with it. Dazzling light seeped into the carriage through the cracks, and dust particles floated in the beams of light. The wind was chilly, making Xun Shu's hands and feet cold. Ah Shui held her hands, rubbing them constantly, trying to warm her up.
"A Shui, I'm leaving the capital." Xun Shu said softly.
Ah Shui paused, without any hesitation: "I will leave with you."
Xun Shu shook his head. "You should stay in the princess's mansion. The princess told me a few days ago that Uncle Huang wants to take you in as his last disciple. Don't waste this opportunity." Xun Shu looked at her quietly, his eyes empty. "I took you away from Ningyuan Village because I hoped you could find something you love and live the life you want. Now that you've found it, live well."
"No--"
Ah Shui wanted to argue, but Xun Shu covered her mouth with his hand. Then he saw the blood on his hand, put it down and hid it behind him.
"I know you are worried about me, but Ah Shui, I consider you a friend. Between friends, even if we go our separate ways for a while, as long as our hearts are still together, there will always be a chance to meet again. Besides, I have my concerns, and I don't want to drag you down." Xun Shu lowered his head, a bitter smile on his lips, "In my life, all I want is a stable life, but there are always people and things pushing me forward, making it difficult for me to have this stability. I used to live in the mountains and was the most well-behaved disciple in the sect. I loved to sleep under the shade of the trees, but my brothers and sisters always pulled me to make trouble, and then we were all punished by the master. Later, I was the only disciple left in the sect. I wanted to accompany the master longer, but the master expelled me. I didn't know what the master meant at the time, I just felt that there was nowhere to go in the world. I was only ten years old that year, but I had already experienced confusion and collapse.
"Later, Uncle Jiang took me home, treated me like his own daughter, and gave me a home that would shelter me from all the storms. Back then, I thought I could settle down in the coffin shop and live the peaceful life I wanted. But then, Li Xuanhe arrived. With his arrival, everything became uncontrollable... Perhaps things were always uncontrollable, but his arrival stripped away all the veils, revealing everything before our eyes.
"You probably know what happened next. I followed Uncle Jiang all the way here, wanting to take him back to the coffin shop. But fate has it, perhaps from the day I left, I was destined to never return."
Ah Shui asked hesitantly, "If you could do it again, would you still want to save Lord Li?"
Xun Shu was silent for a moment and did not answer the question.
What happened back then may have lost its meaning in terms of whether it was right or wrong, but it did change someone else's life and involve the cause and effect of other people. Perhaps everything she is experiencing today is the result of the disaster that happened back then.
Xun Shu pursed his lips and continued, "A Shui, it's not easy to live the life you want. Opportunities are fleeting, you must seize them and not give up because of anyone. Before thinking about others, you must hold on to yourself first. You are not someone's vassal, and you don't need to rely on others to live."
Ah Shui looked at the little girl in front of him and his eyes became red unconsciously.
In terms of age, she is a few years older than Xun Shu, but she doesn't know where she has grown in these years. She has not made any progress at all.
No one had ever said such words to her in her life, and now she wished she could carve every word into her bones and flesh.
She thought that even if the future could not end as she expected today, it was enough to have such a clear moment to realize that her life belonged only to herself.
She nodded seriously: "I remember it. Miss Xun, have a safe trip."
-
The princess's mansion had received the news long ago, and when the carriage stopped in front of the gate, a maid came forward and welcomed Xun Shu into the mansion and helped her wash up. Xun Shu did not resist and let them wash the blood off her body.
The maids wrung her hair and brought her clean clothes. Just as they were about to help her change, Xun Shu shook her head and said, "Please go away, sisters. I can change my clothes myself."
The maids left quietly without saying much. When the door opened again a moment later, they saw that Xun Shu was not wearing the clothes they had prepared, but had changed into a coarse linen shirt.
This seemed to be the dress she was wearing when she came.
Xun Shu gathered all her clothes and belongings into a small bag, put it on his shoulder, and walked out of the courtyard gate.
The maids looked at each other, not knowing what to do. They looked at Ah Shui beside them for help, but saw her shaking her head slightly, with tears in her eyes, but also light.
Arriving at the front courtyard, Xun Shu encountered the eldest princess, who had been waiting for her there. She thought she was there to persuade her, and just as she was unsure what to do, the princess handed her a small purse and sighed, "I didn't stop He'er from bringing you back, and I won't stop you from leaving now. Ultimately, this is a matter between the two of you. Once you've discussed it and made the decision, that's all that matters. However, I still want to say a few words on behalf of my son."
"He'er has been intelligent since childhood. Because of the dirty deeds in the Pingyang Marquis's mansion, even as a child, he acted like a calm adult, quite boring. But after returning this time, he has obviously changed, become more lively, and more vibrant. This child has many thoughts, but they are not bad. I can see that he truly likes you. Perhaps he just doesn't know how to get along with the girl he likes, which angered you and caused a misunderstanding between you. If possible, I would like to ask you to give him a chance to explain, not as the eldest princess, but as a mother, okay?"
Xun Shu lowered his eyes and looked at the purse. After a moment of silence, he said softly, "Your Highness, I gave him a chance to explain, but he himself was unwilling to explain to me."
The princess sighed, leaving it at that, and said no more persuasion: "Well, it's your business, you decide." She looked at the purse and said softly, "He'er said that he once owed you some money. He's been busy every day since returning to the capital, and he must have forgotten about it long ago. What's a girl doing out there alone without money? This is He'er's heart, and it's mine too. Xiaoshu, if you... if you're done with your work and are willing to return to the capital, you can always come to the princess's mansion to find me. I like you very much. Even if we can't be mother and daughter, perhaps we can become friends regardless of age. What do you think?"
Xun Shu nodded vaguely, neither refusing nor rejecting. Finally, she blinked her moist eyes, forcing back the tears that threatened to fall. She grinned, forcing a smile uglier than crying: "Consider this money a loan from you, Your Highness. I will definitely return it if I have the chance. It's getting late, Your Highness. Please take care of yourself from now on. I will take my leave now."
The sky gradually darkened, and it looked like it was going to rain again. Xun Shu bowed to the princess, and without further delay, she turned and left, disappearing into the vast crowd, embarking on the path she was destined to take, without even looking back.
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