Chapter 195: The Past As If Yesterday

Jiang Xuening felt that Xie Wei indeed seemed a bit off.

Originally, her remark was just a jest, but after his response, it seemed to cast a heavier shadow. However, upon reflection, it wasn’t entirely inappropriate.

After all, it was the truth.

When she was brought back to the capital from the countryside, Xie Wei had accompanied her. The difference was that she was simply returning home, while Xie Wei was entering the capital incognito to assist Shen Lang in seizing the throne.

Naturally, no one would go to great lengths to kill her.

That ambush on the way was clearly aimed at Xie Wei.

Two years ago, she had inadvertently become involved in Xie Wei’s scheme to eradicate the Tian Cult. On their way back to the capital from Tongzhou, their group was also ambushed.

Of course, those assassins weren’t targeting Jiang Xuening.

They were after the “Heir Dingfei,” who had miraculously survived.

As for this time, after much thought, she couldn’t think of anyone she had offended. If she were traveling alone to the border, it probably wouldn’t attract much attention.

The problem was traveling with Xie Wei.

Thinking of this, her frown deepened, and she couldn’t help but ask, “Do you know who wants to kill you?”

Xie Wei, carrying his bow and arrows, continued walking ahead, saying, “Too many people want to kill me.”

Jiang Xuening was speechless. “What about this time? Dao Qin said the Tian Cult—”

No, that’s not right.

Dao Qin didn’t say that.

At this moment, a tightly strung chord in her mind suddenly trembled, sending a shiver down her spine as if she had been thrown into icy water, instantly waking her up.

In the critical moment earlier, Dao Qin hadn’t said, “The Tian Cult couldn’t possibly have such skilled archers,” but rather, “Our sect couldn’t possibly have such skilled archers!”

Tian Cult, our sect. A slight difference in wording, but the implications were worlds apart!

Who would say “our sect” instead of “the Tian Cult”?

Jiang Xuening’s eyelids twitched as she looked at Xie Wei walking ahead.

Xie Wei, however, seemed unaware of the shock hidden beneath her abrupt pause, or perhaps he simply didn’t care. He continued, “Petty criminals in the martial world hide in the shadows and can’t nurture such elite forces. It’s clear that this is connected to the court. Who it is doesn’t matter. Once we kill them all, there will be no loose ends.”

“…”

Jiang Xuening was at a loss for words.

Xie Wei chuckled ahead, “I thought you had some understanding of my true nature.”

Understanding was one thing, but hearing it firsthand was a different experience.

Jiang Xuening didn’t want to know more about him.

The more she knew, the deeper the danger. In her previous life, she had already been too deeply entangled in the strife. In this life, after saving the princess, she had no other desires.

She looked around at the dense forest, unable to see any path, feeling a growing anxiety. At the same time, she subtly changed the subject, “Aren’t we going back?”

Xie Wei said, “The carriage is empty. They will find out soon. They’ll quickly figure out when we escaped and will set up a trap on the previous route. Going back would be walking into a trap.”

Jiang Xuening frowned, “Then where are we going?”

Xie Wei replied, “Jinan Prefecture.”

Jiang Xuening’s frown deepened, skeptical, “Do you know the way?”

Xie Wei broke a branch blocking the path ahead, quite candidly, “Tai’an is north of Jinan. We just need to cross this wilderness. The most dangerous place is the safest. Knowing there are tigers in the mountains, we still head towards them.”

Jiang Xuening was utterly speechless.

Knowing there are tigers in the mountains, still heading towards them?

Who knows if they might accidentally end up in a tiger’s belly!

Traveling through the mountains in late autumn was no easy task, especially with the dense forests, howling winds, and rugged terrain. It didn’t take long before they were both panting and exhausted.

Xie Wei, with his long limbs, led the way.

Jiang Xuening initially exchanged a few words with him, but soon she was too tired and preoccupied to speak. Within two hours, she was already sweating, focusing solely on following Xie Wei’s footsteps, trudging forward with great effort.

In the deep night, the wilderness was utterly silent.

A thick layer of withered branches and decaying leaves covered the forest floor, shallow enough to sink half a foot into, deep enough to bury half a leg.

The sounds of their movement were amplified in the emptiness.

Sometimes, it even made one doubt whether the noise was their own or something following behind.

This feeling was eerily familiar.

Jiang Xuening thought she had long forgotten it, but when the same situation, the similar circumstances returned, the old, unbearable memories resurfaced from a corner long shrouded in darkness.

Like rocks exposed after the tide recedes.

Though their shapes had changed under the erosion of water and the accumulation of sand, even their positions had shifted, they were still there, always there, never gone.

Only in such moments, when the world is free from worldly distractions and one is entirely enveloped by the terror of nature, can one truly realize their insignificance and face their scarred inner self.

Xie Wei hadn’t heard her speak for a while.

Only the sounds of her uneven steps behind him, sometimes closer, sometimes farther.

And the increasingly noticeable panting.

But he never heard her ask to “slow down” or “wait.”

She just struggled to keep up with his pace.

Xie Wei suddenly felt as if he had returned to that time.

He turned to look at her.

Jiang Xuening had fallen behind. Her once delicate clothes were now slightly torn by the branches and thorns, looking somewhat disheveled, and a few strands of her neatly tied hair had come loose. She had picked up a stick to use as a cane, but without his height or robust physique, she was struggling. She was gritting her teeth, relying on an indomitable pride to keep going.

Like a wild grass on the plains.

Silent, tenacious.

That expression easily overlapped with the anxious, self-respecting girl from back then.

Compared to six years ago, she had just grown taller, more mature.

In truth, there was no real change.

But Xie Wei suddenly thought: She should have been a garden flower, not a wild grass.

As they approached, the high tree shadows above blocked the already scarce starlight of the cold night, making it hard for Jiang Xuening to see her footing. She stumbled over a protruding tree root.

Xie Wei reached out and steadied her.

Their hands clasped.

Everything seemed just like before.

Except back then, she would purse her lips, frown, and rather fall to the ground than accept his help; now, the grown-up girl just looked up at him, silent for a moment, then said, “Thank you.”

Seemingly unchanged, yet something had subtly shifted.

The rest of the journey became inexplicably quieter.

Both lost in their thoughts, neither spoke.

Sometimes, when they walked faster, Xie Wei would stop and wait; Jiang Xuening didn’t stubbornly refuse help either. When faced with slopes or ditches she couldn’t cross alone, she would take Xie Wei’s offered hand, trying not to slow them down.

Xie Wei said they needed to cross this mountain range before the snow fell.

Jiang Xuening then remembered Dao Qin’s earlier words about reaching the border before the snow.

When Dao Qin said it, she hadn’t thought much of it;

But when similar words came from Xie Wei’s mouth, she couldn’t help but have a less optimistic premonition.

Xie Wei, however, offered no explanation. As he reached out to break another branch blocking their path, he suddenly heard a faint hiss.

Almost simultaneously, a sharp pain shot through the base of his right index finger.

His pupils contracted sharply.

Something had bitten him, but in the darkness, he made no sound. Instead, he used the sharp edge of the broken branch to stab into the cold, soft body of the creature. There was a faint, squelching sound.

Jiang Xuening, walking behind him, hadn’t seen anything and asked, “What’s wrong, sir?”

Xie Wei, not wanting to alarm her, tossed the creature away.

“It’s nothing,” he replied.

They continued walking for nearly two more hours. After all, they were only human, and fatigue eventually set in.

Fortunately, they finally crossed the mountain.

As Jiang Xuening followed Xie Wei out of the forest, she saw a deep valley between two mountains, with a clear stream winding down from the distance. The eastern sky was beginning to lighten, and the faint morning glow filtered through the trees. A thin mist floated like a veil, transforming the scene into a secluded paradise in the eyes of the weary travelers.

Overjoyed, she immediately ran down to the stream, crouched by the water, and splashed her dirt-streaked face with the cool water, sighing in relief.

Then she remembered Xie Wei.

Turning back, she called out, “Master Xie, let’s rest here—sir?”

Xie Wei hadn’t followed her.

When Jiang Xuening turned around, she saw him leaning against a bare rock on the hillside, his eyes closed. Even when she called out, he didn’t open his eyes.

After a moment, he still hadn’t moved.

Jiang Xuening walked back up the slope and called again, “Sir?”

Xie Wei’s eyelids were lightly closed.

The early morning light fell on his face, revealing a sickly pallor.

Jiang Xuening almost thought he had fallen asleep. She reached out to touch his shoulder but suddenly noticed two deep red puncture marks on the index finger of his right hand, which rested on his knee.

In that instant, Jiang Xuening felt a bone-chilling cold.

The icy stream water dripped down her face.

She stared quietly at his calm expression, feeling a pang of panic and sorrow. After a moment, she reacted, almost trembling as she took his hand and placed his injured finger in her mouth, sucking hard.

A salty, metallic taste filled her mouth.

She spat out a small amount of blood.

But her heart was inexplicably frantic.

Xie Wei’s eyelashes fluttered, and he opened his eyes calmly, looking at her with no trace of emotion. “Are you still afraid of dead people?” he asked.

Jiang Xuening froze.

Her lips were cool, but her tongue was warm. When she looked up, she met his deep, clear eyes. He wasn’t suffering from snake venom, nor was he unconscious!

“You!”

In that instant, she felt as though she were the one who had been bitten by a snake. She immediately let go of his hand and stepped back, glaring at him with a mix of wariness and anger.

Xie Wei slowly withdrew his hand.

His finger still carried a trace of warmth.

His gaze remained fixed on Jiang Xuening as he brought the injured finger to his mouth, tasting the blood before speaking slowly, “That quack doctor, that charlatan from back then, didn’t teach you how to tell the difference? It’s not venomous.”

He was mocking her for the foolish act of cutting her wrist to feed him blood years ago!

Jiang Xuening’s chest heaved with anger, but she couldn’t find the words to retort.

Xie Wei’s gaze made her feel as though she were being watched by a venomous snake. Even his voice carried a chilling calmness that sent shivers down her spine. “I am your teacher. Though I abstain from worldly desires and devote myself to Buddhist and Taoist studies, I am no saint. In these wild mountains, humans are no different from beasts. If you still wish to marry a good man and don’t want to be silenced by me afterward, I advise you to stay away from me.”

Jiang Xuening wasn’t a fool. The moment she heard the words “worldly desires,” her eyelids twitched.

But when pushed to the limit, people often rebel.

Fear, when it reaches its peak, turns into anger.

Even in such dire circumstances, Xie Wei couldn’t speak a single kind word. His entire demeanor reeked of arrogance. For some reason, her stubbornness flared up, and she sneered, “Oh? Master Xie, you’ve been cultivating your mind and body, living a life of abstinence. You may not be good at much, but you’re certainly skilled at saying one thing and meaning another. Don’t worry. Who knows who’ll end up taking advantage of whom?”

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