Chapter 122: Forsaking Name And Identity

Jiang Xuening went back first.

Others were surprised to see her return alone. Following the plan, Jiang Xuening feigned surprise and said she hadn’t seen Zhang Zhe.

Xiao Dingfei, bored and chewing on a grass stem, looked at Jiang Xuening with a meaningful expression, clearly thinking: “What were you up to that you can’t talk about? This is a classic case of ‘there’s no silver here!’”

But he figured the Heavenly Sect members were too dull-witted to think much of it.

Sure enough, they didn’t think much of it.

When Zhang Zhe returned shortly after, he explained that they had gone in different directions, and no one suspected they had spoken privately. Even if they did, like Xiao Dingfei, they would just think the “siblings” were up to something romantic.

After resting, the group set off again for Tongzhou.

Jiang Xuening was in an unusually good mood.

The afternoon sun brought some warmth, even in winter. The Heavenly Sect members seemed to have received some news, as their pace was more relaxed compared to the tense morning, as if they weren’t in a hurry.

She muttered softly, “This is strange.”

Zhang Zhe heard her and naturally replied in a low voice, “They’re waiting for a report from Tongzhou.”

Jiang Xuening raised an eyebrow.

Zhang Zhe added, “They haven’t fully trusted my identity yet.”

Of course.

A person appearing out of nowhere, even if they believed him 80%, they would still want to verify with the Heavenly Sect to be sure.

If they accidentally let a wolf into their midst, it would be disastrous.

Jiang Xuening furrowed her brows, feeling a bit worried.

But traveling with the group wasn’t the time to talk.

She had to keep her questions to herself.

Xiao Dingfei, on the other hand, was feeling bored.

When they left the ruined temple in the morning, he had invited Jiang Xuening to ride with him and was rejected. He rode alone all morning and didn’t greet her at noon. But now, riding ahead, he couldn’t help but glance back.

This girl was just too beautiful.

In simple clothes, she might not make as strong an impression as those with heavy makeup at first glance, but her features and bone structure were striking. The more he looked, the more beautiful she seemed. Her natural demeanor, the subtle melancholy from before, had given way to a newfound freedom, making her even more graceful and lovely.

Xiao Dingfei always knew he was a superficial person who judged by appearances.

But sometimes, he wished he had a bit more integrity.

However, when faced with a woman of unknown identity who didn’t even want to acknowledge him, he found that maintaining his dignity was incredibly difficult.

He finally tugged on the reins, slowing his horse to ride alongside Zhang Zhe and Jiang Xuening. With a smile, as if the morning’s rejection had never happened, he said with apparent concern, “We need to keep a low profile on this journey, so we only have this set of clothes for you. It’s a bit neglectful on our part. Once we reach the city, we’ll get you something nicer to wear.”

Jiang Xuening had noticed him approaching.

Hearing his words, she glanced at Xiao Dingfei’s white horse. It was indeed a fitting mount for a future troublemaker of the Xiao family, exuding wealth and extravagance!

The horse’s neck was adorned with red tassels, white jade pearls, and a golden bell.

With each step, the bell rang.

Everyone knew where he was.

Both the horse and its rider were ostentatiously dressed.

Zhang Zhe remained silent behind them.

He wasn’t one for small talk and had nothing to say to Xiao Dingfei.

Jiang Xuening’s lips twitched slightly, “No need to trouble yourself, Master Dingfei. But you and your horse are certainly ‘low profile.’”

It was unclear if Xiao Dingfei caught the sarcasm in her words. Instead, he seemed to take it as a compliment, swaying leisurely on his horse, “When you’re out on business, you have to keep a low profile. Look at those two ahead.”

He nodded towards Feng Mingyu and Huang Qian.

Jiang Xuening looked at the two men ahead.

Xiao Dingfei said, “Don’t be fooled by their appearances. They’re just here to keep an eye on me. Life should be enjoyed to the fullest, but these people don’t understand that. They spend their days doing dirty and tiring work. What’s the point?”

If they didn’t do the dirty work, you wouldn’t be able to enjoy yourself.

Jiang Xuening couldn’t help but think.

She smiled politely, “Master Dingfei, you must have worked hard to achieve such a high position in the Heavenly Sect. Surely, you’ve experienced many hardships and challenges. You’re being too modest.”

Xiao Dingfei looked puzzled, “What are you talking about? Do chickens have courage?”

Jiang Xuening: “…”

She had forgotten that he was uneducated and wouldn’t understand such refined language.

Her smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly adjusted and said simply, “I mean, you must have endured hardships to reach your current position.”

Unexpectedly, Xiao Dingfei laughed heartily, waving his hand, “Wrong, wrong!”

Jiang Xuening was taken aback, “Wrong?”

Xiao Dingfei’s arrogant demeanor exuded a carefree and rebellious air. His casual gestures had a hint of authority as he said, “I haven’t endured any hardships. You don’t know how hard it is to make a name for yourself in the sect. Out of ten people, only two make it, and one of them loses half their life. Some people are just lucky, born into the right family. Like me, I don’t know which corner of the world my parents came from, but they gave me a perfect face. I live off my looks and my shamelessness. How do I look?”

He pointed to his face.

With long eyebrows, a high nose, and peach blossom eyes, his high brow bones gave his face depth. His lips had a slight sheen, and his smile always had a hint of mischief.

At first glance, he seemed handsome and dashing.

But if you looked closely at his features, there was an inexplicable familiarity.

Anyone else might not understand the depth of his words.

But Jiang Xuening, having returned from her previous life, saw the resemblance to Xiao Shu, his brother Xiao Ye, and even Duke Xiao Yuan. Their faces overlapped with his, showing a clear resemblance.

As for the rest…

It was said that he resembled his mother, Yan Mu’s sister, Yan Shi.

Living off his looks.

And his shamelessness.

Those words had a deep meaning.

Xiao Dingfei relied on no one understanding him, speaking bluntly. He winked at Jiang Xuening, “I’m a child of destiny. Follow me, and you’ll live a good life. Won’t you consider it?”

Jiang Xuening smiled faintly, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch. If someone gives, they will take. Your fortune is not something others can easily enjoy.”

If someone gives, they will take.

Xiao Dingfei, who had been chattering non-stop, suddenly fell silent. His expression froze, and he seemed to be lost in thought, a hint of gloom crossing his face. After a while, he snorted unhappily, raised his chin arrogantly, and finally said rudely, “You don’t know anything!”

Jiang Xuening wasn’t angry. She just looked at him with a smile.

For some reason, Xiao Dingfei felt a bit uneasy. Although it was his first time meeting this girl, she wasn’t swayed by his charm or embarrassed. Instead, she was calm and composed, as if she could see right through him.

That look reminded him of Xie.

Back then, he was a little beggar outside the City God Temple, dressed in rags and starving. In the dead of winter, he was wrapped in a burlap sack and driven away, falling and scraping his knees and forehead.

When he looked up, he realized he was blocking the path of a group of distinguished people.

Their clothes weren’t particularly luxurious, but the man leading them, in his forties, wore pink-soled boots and a dark blue silk robe. He looked spirited but had a stern expression. According to the fortune-teller at the City God Temple, this was a face with a fierce aura, a hard fate, someone to avoid at all costs.

He was immediately frightened and saw that the man was followed by a large group of people, seemingly heading towards the City God Temple. He quickly tried to get out of the way.

Unexpectedly, someone behind him called for him to stop.

Thinking he was in trouble, he ran without a second thought. Of course, he didn’t get far before he was caught and brought back in front of the group, begging for mercy.

The middle-aged man in the lead glanced behind him.

The voice that had called for him to stop said, “Clean his face.”

Xiao Dingfei’s face was wiped clean.

Then, someone grabbed him by the neck and forced him to look up. He finally saw, standing three steps away from the middle-aged man…

A young man.

Or perhaps someone between a youth and a young man.

It was hard to tell.

He was taller and thinner than most people, with sharp features and a face marked by a mix of anger and illness. When Xiao Dingfei saw his face clearly, the previously calm eyes turned into icy frost.

Even after more than ten years, Xiao Dingfei couldn’t forget that look.

It always made his back feel cold when he remembered it.

At that time, he was so scared he couldn’t move.

Then he heard the middle-aged man call, “Du Jun?”

The young man’s gaze lingered for a long time before he replied, “Foster father, he is the most suitable.”

Suitable for what?

He didn’t understand at all.

But what did it matter if he understood later?

It didn’t seem to matter.

From a street beggar to a well-dressed young master, it was like going from the ground to the sky. He had suffered enough and didn’t want to suffer more. Others were born into nobility, inheriting titles. Why couldn’t he enjoy life?

Besides, it was something that person didn’t want.

In the following years, he was immensely grateful for the choice he made.

Because the life of the person who lost that name was something he could never endure, no matter how hard he tried.

Even though he was the one who had once been a lowly beggar.

“Do you know what it means to give up this name and surname?”

“I know.”

“And you still want to abandon it?”

“My mother is gone, my father is unworthy, my name is a disgrace, and my surname is a source of hatred. I don’t want this name and surname. Only by the grace of heaven, in times of danger, can one see their true nature. Though I live in peace, I dare not forget. I wish to abandon my old name, my old identity. Are those of noble birth not the same as commoners? No matter how difficult, I will not change my resolve.”

Are those of noble birth not the same as commoners?

No matter how difficult, I will not change my resolve.

Xiao Dingfei thought, for that person, those words of name and surname were truly, deeply hated.

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