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Chapter 132: Silent Sparrows On Cold Branches

At that moment, Jiang Xuening felt as if all the blood in her body had boiled and then instantly frozen, leaving her face deathly pale.

She felt no warmth.

Zhang Zhe, however, gave a silent smile, his blood-stained face showing a hint of warmth. He then raised his hand, gently placing it on her thin shoulder and slowly gripping it tightly.

The distance between Xie Wei and the valley below was only a few dozen feet.

Dao Qin and Jian Shu both looked shocked.

Although Xie Wei rarely displayed his archery skills, he was far from a weak scholar. The force of his arrow was immense, whistling sharply through the air!

But the arrow was not aimed at Jiang Xuening or Zhang Zhe. Instead, it shot past their heads, directly towards Xiao Dingfei behind them!

Xiao Dingfei, knowing things were bad the moment he saw Xie Wei, had crouched down, ready to sneak away. He thought Xie Wei hadn’t noticed him, but who could have guessed the arrow was meant for him?

With a sharp “whoosh,” the arrow pierced his shoulder, sending him tumbling backward to the ground!

Everyone was stunned.

Looking back at Xiao Dingfei, they realized he had been trying to hide in the bushes. Given more time, he might have succeeded.

But Xie Wei’s cold arrow shattered all his hopes.

Pain and cold sweat covered Xiao Dingfei’s handsome face. As he lay in the blood-stained weeds, pressing his wound, a bitter smile appeared on his lips. He looked up at Xie Wei with a mocking expression.

Du Jun had always despised him.

Despite his saintly facade, Xiao Dingfei had always known the truth.

He knew he wouldn’t be spared easily.

A drop of blood slid down the trembling bowstring, stark against the dim light.

Xie Wei slowly lowered his arm.

Dao Qin, recovering from his shock, saw the blood on the bowstring and then Xie Wei’s fingers, cut by the bowstring, dripping blood.

But Xie Wei showed no reaction.

The valley was silent.

Dao Qin watched for a while, not daring to speak.

After shooting Xiao Dingfei, Xie Wei simply said, “Take him.”

Jian Shu flinched and quickly went down, pressing the injured Xiao Dingfei and gagging him before taking him away.

The others were surrounded.

Jiang Xuening still stood protectively in front of Zhang Zhe, watching the arrow fly over her head, unsure of her feelings.

The only warmth came from the hand on her shoulder.

When Xie Wei lowered the bow, she felt all her strength leave her, nearly collapsing.

Had she won the gamble?

The result was what she wanted, but the wind made her feel cold.

It was Xie Wei’s silent gaze that chilled her.

She had offended him again.

Xie Wei handed the bow back to Dao Qin, as if nothing had happened, and calmly said, “Check Master Zhang’s injuries.”

Someone immediately went to help Zhang Zhe.

He was seriously injured.

Jiang Xuening stood nearby, still in shock.

Xie Wei said calmly, “Ning’er, come here.”

In the palace, the peach blossom cakes he gave her had gradually eased her fear of him from her past life. But today, his arrow aimed at Zhang Zhe brought back all her terror.

This was the man who had slaughtered the royal family.

The man who had wiped out the Xiao family.

The man who had nailed her confidant Zhou Yinzhi’s head to the palace gate.

He was never a saint!

But why, why did he want to kill Zhang Zhe?

They were both officials of the same court.

And with the Xiao family involved, Xie Wei didn’t seem like someone who cared about credit.

She glanced back at Zhang Zhe, seeing soldiers bandaging his wounds, then lowered her eyes, clenched her hands, and slowly walked towards Xie Wei.

Each step felt like walking on a knife’s edge.

His wide white cloak billowed in the wind, his calm gaze pressing down on her.

Jiang Xuening bowed her head and said, “Sir.”

Xie Wei looked at her scratched face, messy hair, pale lips, and wrinkled dress, his expression serene. “Why did you stand in front of Lord Zhang when I drew my bow?”

Jiang Xuening hesitated, unable to answer.

Xie Wei chuckled softly, “A young girl with wild thoughts. Did you think I was going to kill your beloved?”

Every word was laced with hidden barbs.

Jiang Xuening wondered how someone like Xie Wei could exist. She had clearly sensed his murderous intent, but his current calm and soft laughter made her feel as if she had misunderstood, filling her with fear and unease.

She trembled, “I…”

Xie Wei interrupted, “You look cold.”

He removed his thick cloak and draped it over her, wrapping her frail body. He gently brushed a strand of hair from her cheek and said, “Lord Jiang is very worried about you.”

The cloak still held some warmth.

The mountain wind was strong, but it was now blocked.

Jiang Xuening instinctively clutched the cloak, but the warmth felt distant, unable to reach her heart.

The Tianjiao Sect members below had already surrendered.

The Xiao family’s remaining soldiers were being carried or helped away. Xiao Yuan, worried about his son, had people move the rock off Xiao Ye and quickly took him to find a doctor, not noticing Xiao Dingfei being taken away.

Zhang Zhe’s wound was hastily bandaged.

The soldiers knew basic first aid, but he needed a doctor. Seeing the bleeding stop, they tried to help him up, but he declined and walked up himself.

Xie Wei, lowering his hand, turned to Jiang Xuening, “Your disappearance was not announced. The capital thinks you are ill. The marriage of the princess has been arranged, and she misses you. You must have been frightened. Xiao Bao, find a place nearby for Miss Ning to rest.”

He was telling her to leave.

Xiao Bao hesitated, then bowed and went to fetch Jiang Xuening.

Jiang Xuening hesitated, glancing at Zhang Zhe.

Xie Wei smiled faintly, “This ambush on the Tianjiao Sect was my plan. I have some things to discuss with Lord Zhang.”

So it was all his plan.

No wonder everything was under control.

Jiang Xuening felt bitter. She didn’t know the full extent of the situation but guessed she had disrupted Xie Wei’s plans. Worrying about Zhang Zhe seemed pointless now.

She bowed and turned to leave.

As she walked away, she saw Zhang Zhe’s stern, silent face, his lips pressed into a line.

Soon, she was far away.

The sky grew darker, as if it would snow.

Xie Wei, now only in his white robe, stood in the wind, looking like a piece of snow, watching the captured Tianjiao Sect members below.

After retrieving the bow, Dao Qin and his men searched the captives.

Soon, they returned.

Dao Qin, frowning, whispered to Xie Wei, “It seems to be lost. We didn’t find it.”

Xie Wei lowered his eyes and waved his hand, “Kill them all.”

The archers, still in position, released their arrows, raining death on the defenseless Tianjiao Sect members below, killing them all.

The valley was filled with the stench of blood.

Xie Wei thought, it should snow soon.

Zhang Zhe watched Xie Wei’s ruthless actions in silence, remembering his past life in prison, tortured and awaiting execution, when an unexpected visitor arrived on a cold spring day.

The powerful Grand Tutor, as calm as ever.

But Zhang Zhe felt a deep, indescribable loneliness in him, like snow covering the ground, silent sparrows on cold branches.

He said, “Ning’er is dead.”

Zhang Zhe didn’t know who he meant, feeling confused.

After a pause, he clarified, “Your empress is dead.”

Zhang Zhe felt like he was dreaming.

Xie Wei smiled and said, “She asked me to release you. But Yan Lin hates you deeply. He cried drunkenly at her shrine for days and came this morning, sword in hand, to kill you. Lord Zhang, you are truly remarkable.”

Zhang Zhe felt like he was falling into a cloud, which turned into a torrential rain, covering the lotus leaves.

He remembered a rainy afternoon at the summer resort.

He was the stubborn, ill-tempered official, and she was the mischievous empress.

She had deliberately stepped on his robe.

He thought, if he could choose again, he wouldn’t tear his robe away. He would let her step on it as long as she wanted.

Then he heard Xie Wei say, “You can go.”

The chains on the cell door clinked softly.

Zhang Zhe, in his blood-stained prison clothes, sat for a long time before smiling, “I just want to offer incense for my mother.”

Later…

Later.

Zhang Zhe looked at Xie Wei, feeling he was an enigma. But in this life, he seemed more human, less like a distant saint.

Xie Wei didn’t approach or call him over, only saying, “The Duke of Dingguo requested to enter the city first, disrupting my plan and causing you trouble. Fortunately, you survived, or I would be to blame.”

Zhang Zhe replied, “You are too kind.”

Xie Wei said, “My student Ning’er is mischievous. Thank you for looking after her. I hope she didn’t trouble you.”

Hearing “Ning’er,” Zhang Zhe thought of Xie Wei’s fate in the previous life, feeling there might be more he didn’t know. But he didn’t dislike Xie Wei, destined to be a traitor and usurper.

Is it that the world is now at peace, and heroes are to be discarded?

Or is it for another reason…

He slowly said, “Miss Jiang is very clever and perceptive…”

But her temper is still hard to control.

Xie Wei, seeing that Zhang Zhe did not approach, laughed, “It seems Lord Zhang does not fully agree with me.”

He glanced at the pile of Tianjiao Sect corpses below, his eyes calm.

Zhang Zhe lowered his gaze and took something from his sleeve, saying flatly, “Is this what you were looking for, Grand Tutor?”

In his fingers was a thin half-page of paper.

It was the secret letter from Master Du Jun that Feng Mingyu had held!

Xie Wei’s eye twitched slightly.

Dao Qin’s heart skipped a beat.

Zhang Zhe handed the paper to Dao Qin, recalling the many confusions of his past life, now answered by the handwriting on this paper. He had seen this handwriting before.

But what did all this turmoil have to do with him?

He looked at Xie Wei and said, “I thought that since this was a secret letter from the elusive Master Du Jun, it might reveal something crucial and help capture all the rebels. So I kept it during the chaos. There are many details, hard to explain in a few words. If you have no other matters, Grand Tutor, I will report later.”

As Dao Qin took the letter, his other hand subtly gripped the knife in his sleeve.

He also looked at Xie Wei.

A hidden killing intent was ready to erupt.

Xie Wei couldn’t help but wonder how much Zhang Zhe knew. Returning the letter, was he truly unaware…

If Lu Xian were here, that arrow would likely have pierced Zhang Zhe’s head.

Having spared him in a moment of weakness, seeing the letter now, he might decide to kill him, leaving no loose ends.

He slowly raised his finger, feeling a pain, and saw that the bowstring had cut his hand. Finding it absurd, he looked at Zhang Zhe and said with amusement, “Ning’er said she likes you.”

Zhang Zhe’s body stiffened.

Xie Wei noticed and, with interest, asked, “As her teacher, I’m curious, do you feel the same about her?”

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