Chapter 115: Bowl Of Water

The Heavenly Sect members originally planned to exit through the east gate, but now they followed Zhang Zhe out of the west gate. A small group of Heavenly Sect members had gone to the east gate earlier, causing Huang Qian to feel anxious.

If Zhang Zhe was right, those who went to the east gate were likely in grave danger.

He waited for a moment without hearing Zhang Zhe’s response, becoming increasingly convinced of Zhang Zhe’s extraordinary identity. He dared not offend him and said, “Since we have already left the city, we should be temporarily safe. The sect had arranged for people to meet us, but there’s no news from the east gate yet. Given the significant events tonight, the city will not be calm. It’s late, Master Zhang, fellow sect members, and friends who escaped with us, why don’t we find a place outside the city to rest?”

For such a large operation, the Heavenly Sect must have arranged for support outside.

Everyone agreed. The prisoners who had escaped were especially eager, with one straightforwardly saying, “That would be wonderful. I’ve long heard of the Heavenly Sect’s heroes and thought it was exaggerated. Seeing it today, I know it’s true. We are fortunate.”

The Heavenly Sect always welcomed new members.

The sect included ordinary people, merchants, farmers who had lost their land, and many outlaws and bandits who hated the court.

If these death row inmates could join the Heavenly Sect, it would be ideal.

Having revealed his identity, Huang Qian removed his black mask and smiled at the prisoners’ gratitude.

Jiang Xuening saw his face clearly.

He had an ordinary square face with a scar on his brow, adding a bit of a rogue look. His sharp, triangular eyes made him seem like a significant figure in the Heavenly Sect.

With the plan set, Zhang Zhe had no objections.

The group moved stealthily through the night.

Outside the capital, there were many villages, but they were easily discovered. The Heavenly Sect had already found a temporary hideout, and Huang Qian led them southwest into the wilderness.

By the end of the night, they reached a dilapidated temple at the foot of a low hill. It seemed to have been used by mountain villagers to worship the mountain god. The mud walls were crumbling, and the rotten door lay on the ground. The wind made the paper on the windows flutter.

At first glance, it seemed deserted.

But as they approached, they saw shadows moving inside, people cleaning and organizing.

Hearing the noise from the mountain path, a few figures emerged from the shadows outside the temple. Seeing more people than expected, they were surprised and asked, “Did everyone get rescued?”

Huang Qian glanced at Zhang Zhe and shook his head.

The person frowned slightly and said, “The young master’s people haven’t arrived yet. We might have to wait. The wind is strong outside, let’s talk inside.”

Jiang Xuening, a noble lady, wasn’t used to hardship. The journey was long and treacherous, and she nearly fell several times.

Fortunately, Zhang Zhe looked after her.

Though he didn’t speak, he always supported her, making her feel secure.

She endured to avoid drawing attention.

But upon entering the dilapidated temple, she couldn’t hold on any longer. She gasped, and the pain she had been suppressing surged from her feet. Her legs were weak, and she collapsed to the ground.

She wore Zhang Zhe’s clothes.

Simple and loose, they revealed her white neck as she fell, her eyes glistening with tears, looking pitiful. Despite Zhang Zhe smudging her face for disguise, her bright eyes still shone.

Others also entered, relieved to find a temporary safe place, looking no better than Jiang Xuening.

The temple was drafty.

But it was enough for a rest.

Huang Qian went out to talk, while others sat around the temple, leaning against walls or pillars, not caring about the dirt.

Zhang Zhe found an old, intact cushion under a collapsed altar, placed it on the ground, and said quietly, “The ground is cold, sit here.”

Jiang Xuening, exhausted, didn’t want to move, but hearing his words, she looked up and saw his silent, thin profile in the shadows, lips tightly closed.

He wasn’t good with words or expressing himself.

But she heard him clearly.

Feeling a secret sweetness, she moved to the cushion and sat down.

Zhang Zhe remained silent.

He sat beside her, showing no official airs.

The temple, long abandoned, had walls with cracks and faded murals. A headless statue stood at the front, looking more comical than scary.

The Heavenly Sect had prepared the place.

A woman with a bun and a boy with a topknot brought in a basket of cakes and a kettle with some rough pottery bowls.

“Everyone must be tired.”

The woman, slightly plump with rough hands, smiled warmly, showing her humble background.

“It’s late, and there’s not much to eat. These are homemade cakes, enough to fill your stomachs. Please don’t mind.”

After escaping and running all the way here, everyone was exhausted.

When they were tense, they didn’t feel it, but now that they sat down and relaxed, they felt the hunger in their stomachs.

At this moment, having cakes delivered was truly timely.

For a while, there were voices of thanks all around, and some praised the Heavenly Sect for their thorough consideration and loyalty.

The woman handed out food, while the ten-year-old boy poured water for everyone.

The boy was thin like a monkey, but his head was round, his eyes were big, and his movements were unusually agile for his age. His smile was very cheerful.

He called everyone “big brother,” which made them feel comfortable.

However, they were indeed in a hurry, and although there was water, there weren’t enough bowls. Fortunately, everyone was used to rough living, so they didn’t mind sharing bowls.

But when it came to Jiang Xuening, it was a bit awkward.

First, the woman handed her a cake.

Jiang Xuening took it.

The woman didn’t notice at first, but when Jiang Xuening reached out to take the cake, she saw her white wrist and was momentarily stunned. However, she didn’t say anything, just smiled slightly at her.

Jiang Xuening felt that the woman had noticed she was a girl, feeling a bit embarrassed, she quickly pulled her hand back into her wide sleeve and took a small bite of the cake.

The boy then came over to pour water.

The bowl he had was already used by someone else.

Jiang Xuening wasn’t very hungry but was a bit thirsty. She hesitated, looking at the bowl of water. Just as she was about to muster the courage to take it, a hand reached out from beside her and took the bowl.

The boy was stunned and turned to look.

It was Zhang Zhe, sitting next to Jiang Xuening.

He didn’t say anything, just carefully wiped the rim of the bowl, poured out the water, took the kettle from the boy, rinsed the bowl, and then refilled it with water, handing it to Jiang Xuening.

Jiang Xuening was stunned.

Memories from her past life easily came back.

They had been attacked.

At that time, only the two of them escaped, carrying only a water pouch taken from a horse with a broken leg.

She drank directly from the water pouch.

When she looked up, she saw Zhang Zhe watching her, as if he had something to say but didn’t.

At first, she didn’t mind.

As they walked along the mountain path, Jiang Xuening stopped to drink twice and didn’t forget to offer the water pouch to Zhang Zhe, asking if he was thirsty. But the man, with his stern face, just silently took the pouch, sealed it, and didn’t drink.

Jiang Xuening thought he wasn’t thirsty.

But when the sun came up, she noticed his chapped lips and began to think. She deliberately took the pouch, drank, and then looked at him with a teasing smile.

She said, “Are you afraid to drink because I drank from it?”

Zhang Zhe lowered his eyes, neither approaching nor looking back, still cautious and restrained, saying, “There is a difference between superiors and subordinates. Please don’t joke, Your Highness.”

Jiang Xuening felt a bit annoyed.

She didn’t like Zhang Zhe’s attitude, so she deliberately said, “There is a difference between superiors and subordinates. Why didn’t you tell me this water pouch was yours and you drank from it?”

What was Zhang Zhe’s expression then?

Probably a slight change in his face.

Jiang Xuening remembered he slowly closed his eyes, clasped his hands in his sleeves, and after a long time, bowed his head, saying, “It was my offense.”

She drank from his water pouch.

This made him uneasy, as if he was being tortured.

This gave Jiang Xuening an unprecedented pleasure in teasing him. She knew he didn’t say anything because she had already drunk from it and because they only had one water pouch. But she deliberately teased him, drinking in front of him and watching his subtle, not very good expressions.

As if he was the one being offended.

She thought, this man didn’t even have a concubine.

Until later, when they found a water source, her fun ended.

Now, another bowl of water was handed to her.

The places others had touched were carefully cleaned.

This stern-faced man was actually very meticulous and considerate.

Jiang Xuening wondered what had possessed her in her past life to torment and belittle him. Her eyelashes trembled, and her eyes filled with a bit of moisture.

She looked at him, about to take the bowl.

But Zhang Zhe’s actions had been noticed by others. A rough-looking man laughed, “We’re all men here, why clean the bowl like a woman?”

Zhang Zhe ignored him.

Jiang Xuening felt a surge of anger and stood up, throwing the hard cake she had taken a bite of at the man’s face!

The cake hit the man’s face, causing some pain.

The man didn’t expect his laugh to provoke such a reaction. He was stunned, then angry, but when he looked up, he saw Jiang Xuening’s cold eyes, with a hint of madness. A cold wind blew through the temple, making him shiver!

His anger subsided.

Many of those present were from the prison, murderers and thieves. They might look dirty and small, but they could be dangerous. It was better to endure than provoke a troublemaker.

The man didn’t dare to retaliate.

Jiang Xuening’s anger hadn’t subsided, but a hand reached out and grabbed her arm.

Zhang Zhe looked at her calmly, “Drink the water.”

The bowl of water was still steady in his hand, not a drop spilled.

Now wasn’t the time to argue, and she might not win. Jiang Xuening swallowed her anger, sat down, lowered her head, and took the bowl from him, drinking slowly.

The bowl was large, but her face was small.

She looked like a deer drinking from a stream.

Zhang Zhe’s heart softened.

The temple was silent.

The man muttered to himself, glanced at Zhang Zhe, remembered the scene at the city gate, and guessed Zhang Zhe’s high status in the sect. He didn’t dare to say anything, just ate his cake.

In the corner, a disheveled man watched Jiang Xuening thoughtfully.

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