Chapter 227: Staging An Even Better Show

What exactly was this man trying to do?

Right now, it was obvious that Wan Xiuzi intended to use her to threaten him, but not only did he show no intention of distancing himself from her, he even told her to say next time that the two of them had cultivated together?

Jiang Xuening truly couldn’t figure it out.

After Xie Wei finished speaking, he no longer cared about her reaction. He refocused his gaze on the crack in the window. After a long look and some thought, he lifted his wide sleeve and untied the thin short blade that was usually strapped to his wrist.

Jiang Xuening: “…”

She looked down at the rope that had been undone and dropped by her feet, then back up at the blade Xie Wei was inserting into the window crack. Her eye twitched slightly: “Since you had a knife on you, why didn’t you use it earlier to cut the rope?”

If he had a knife, why struggle to untie the rope by hand instead of cutting it straight away?

Xie Wei had just gently pushed away the wedge jammed into the window crack. Hearing her question, his body stiffened slightly. After a long silence, he answered, “I forgot.”

Jiang Xuening: “…”

You could forget something like that? You really are something else!

Xie Wei wasn’t lying. When he had been untying her rope earlier, he truly hadn’t thought of anything else. Only after untying the rope and preparing to proceed according to his plan did he naturally remember the knife strapped to his wrist.

Everyone in Tianjiao Sect said he relied on his wits.

When he entered without carrying any obvious weapons, no one had suspected anything during the body search. Moreover, the blade was so thin and strapped to his wrist that by tensing his muscles and clenching his fist, it was nearly impossible to detect.

That was how he had managed to sneak it in.

The window was small; by pushing it open just a crack, one could even see people behind the building.

However, this house was located in a side courtyard, and the northeast corner was right next to the courtyard wall.

After a bit of thought, Xie Wei said to Jiang Xuening, “I’ll go out first. No matter what noise you hear, do not panic. Wait a moment for me to return.”

Jiang Xuening was stunned and hadn’t yet replied when he had already silently pushed open the window and slipped out quickly and quietly. Almost immediately, there came a startled cry from outside—someone had noticed him—but the cry was abruptly cut off before it finished.

There was a faint sound of blood splattering.

Very soon, the Tianjiao Sect members guarding outside realized something was wrong. Someone shouted, “They’ve escaped! They’re trying to run!”

Jiang Xuening’s heart immediately leapt into her throat.

Meanwhile, outside, Xie Wei remained calm and methodical. After stabbing one person with his blade, he quickly seized the unlucky man’s saber, then slashed his neck to cover up the wound caused by his own thin blade.

More people rushed over.

But knowing Xie Wei’s special identity, they were hesitant to kill him. They only tried to capture him, which slowed them down. Xie Wei seized the opportunity, taking them down one by one with swift and lethal strikes.

He moved toward a small bamboo grove by the courtyard wall, splattered blood from his blade onto the eastern courtyard wall to leave traces and a footprint, making it seem like he had climbed over the wall there. But instead of escaping that way, he circled back and climbed over the highest locust tree at the northeastern corner.

This Tianjiao stronghold had loose defenses outside but was tightly guarded inside.

Since it was located on official land, they didn’t dare station too many guards outside, for fear of exposing themselves.

This, however, worked to Xie Wei’s advantage.

“Where is he?!”

“There’s blood on the wall! And footprints!”

“Hurry! He must have escaped! After him, toward the north street!”

…

Inside the villa, torches were lit everywhere, and the place became chaotic. Sect members shouted to each other while some rushed off to report to Wan Xiuzi.

Meanwhile, Xie Wei calmly made his way along the northeast wall toward the north side. After about twenty steps, he pressed against the wall, listening closely.

Everything was unfolding exactly as he had predicted.

Inside, after realizing someone had escaped, panic set in. A leader ordered the door unlocked to check inside, saying, “Only one escaped—the woman is still here!”

Who would have thought? Xie Wei had come alone, seeming ready to sacrifice himself, yet now he had abandoned Jiang Xuening to escape on his own?

No one had expected it.

Some were baffled: If he had planned to run, why go through all the risk earlier?

But ultimately, someone had fled. If they didn’t catch him quickly, they’d face serious punishment from the sect leader. So they mobilized most of their forces to chase him, leaving fewer guards at the side courtyard.

Xie Wei, hearing the pursuit fade into the distance, calculated his timing and silently climbed back over the north wall.

Now, he was right in front of the house.

There were very few guards left watching Jiang Xuening, and no one was paying much attention to her—a delicate woman, her hands tied; how could she possibly run?

Some of the remaining guards were still puzzled by Xie Wei’s sudden escape.

That’s when Xie Wei’s blade fell silently onto the back of their necks.

With two soft thuds, they collapsed.

One of the dying men, blood streaming from his neck, struggled to turn his head. Upon seeing Xie Wei, his eyes widened in terror. But he couldn’t even utter a sound before collapsing completely.

The others were completely stunned—

Wasn’t he supposed to have escaped north?

How could he be back?!

Some quickly realized: it had been a diversion—“sound in the east, strike in the west,” a trick to lure them away and then circle back to rescue the woman.

But it was too late.

In hand-to-hand combat, Xie Wei still had the upper hand. Although his waist injury had not fully healed and still limited him somewhat, his strikes were clean, direct, and lethal, giving the enemy no chance to react or raise an alarm.

The lock on the door had already been undone earlier.

Covered in blood, his white robe stained crimson, Xie Wei kicked the door open and strode inside.

Jiang Xuening stared at him in disbelief.

But he had no time to explain. He grabbed her and headed straight out.

The sect members who had chased after his earlier “escape” were still away, and the nearby guards hadn’t yet realized what had happened. As long as they could make it over the north wall—the same wall Xie Wei had climbed earlier—they would be halfway to freedom.

Xie Ju’an’s face was calm, but his steps remained swift.

However, just as he tightly held Jiang Xuening’s hand and stepped out of the courtyard door, a sharp, gleaming sword tip suddenly appeared, blocking his path. Had he moved half a step further, the sword tip would have pierced his forehead!

Jiang Xuening’s palms broke into a cold sweat as she gasped sharply. Following the sword tip upward with her gaze, she saw a stern-faced young Daoist holding the sword. Behind him, a group of Tianjiao followers holding torches had already surrounded the courtyard.

Wan Xiuzi slowly walked over from the crowd.

Xie Wei looked at him.

Wan Xiuzi stopped with his hands behind his back, glanced at Xie Wei, then at Jiang Xuening behind him. His gaze lingered briefly on Jiang Xuening’s slightly reddened lips, marked with ambiguous traces, then shifted to their tightly clasped hands. His cold smile was filled with a mix of mockery and pity: “I knew it. Xie Ju’an has always been a man of plans, never one to surrender obediently. I was on guard against you from the beginning. If you hadn’t made a move tonight, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep soundly! And to think, the little couple is so deeply attached — truly placing each other above all else, not even abandoning one another in the face of great peril!”

Hearing this, Jiang Xuening suddenly remembered Xie Wei’s earlier words about “putting on a good show.” Although she didn’t fully understand his plan or purpose, she somehow began to grasp a little.

Turning her thoughts quickly, she retorted: “What little couple? You old monster, don’t spout nonsense and ruin a young lady’s reputation!”

Though she spoke sharply, her eyes flickered guiltily.

Wan Xiuzi, seeing her reaction, naturally didn’t believe that she and Xie Wei were innocent.

The more she denied, the guiltier it seemed.

He knew the truth, but didn’t bother arguing with this insignificant girl. Instead, he turned back to Xie Wei and said, “Feigning a diversion to lure away the tiger — not a bad plan. Unfortunately, much of your cunning was taught by our sect. Did you really think you could fool me with such a simple trick? Do you take me for a senile fool?”

Xie Wei seemed to recognize his defeat. He casually released the knife he had been holding, letting it fall to the ground, assuming a posture of resignation. However, he said calmly, “Had my injuries not slowed me slightly, even if you saw through my plan, you wouldn’t have reacted in time. By the time you came after me, I would have already escaped. Strategy matters, yes, but so do timing and execution — depending on how, when, and by whom they are used. This time I miscalculated by one move. But if I hadn’t tried, I wouldn’t have been content.”

His words were logical and sincere.

Who would submit so easily without at least attempting to escape?

Wan Xiuzi, hearing this, was not angry. Instead, he burst into laughter: “With Tianjiao flourishing now, asking you to aid me again isn’t exactly degrading you! But you’re not someone easy to deal with—”

His face suddenly turned cold.

Though he had just spoken pleasantly, after tonight’s events he would not relax his vigilance. In a harsh voice, he barked orders to his men: “Take them to Lingxu Pavilion. Guard them day and night. If even a fly escapes, I’ll have your heads!”

“Yes, sir!”

The cult followers had been scared stiff by the night’s chaos. Fortunately, the cult master had quickly seen through Xie Wei’s scheme, preventing the escape.

Now, their nerves taut, they responded fearfully and harshly.

Naturally, they showed no mercy toward Xie Wei and Jiang Xuening.

Soon, the two of them were escorted out of the courtyard and locked in a small building at the heart of the manor, on the second floor.

Guards were stationed all around, leaving no gaps.

Pushed roughly into the room, Jiang Xuening glanced down from the upper floor and couldn’t help sighing: This time, there was truly no way to escape!

The room upstairs was small.

But compared to where she was previously held, it was at least a bit more refined.

There were tables, chairs, a bed, a bathing tub, a screen…

The guards harshly scolded them before locking the door heavily and withdrawing.

Outside, the door was bolted tightly once more.

Jiang Xuening didn’t care about the scolding. She glanced at the only bed in the room and couldn’t help but silently curse Wan Xiuzi and his ancestors.

Xie Wei, on the other hand, remained composed.

The failure of his escape plan seemed to have no effect on him at all.

He stripped off his blood-stained outer robe.

This revealed his leather-belted waist and the straight line of his spine up to his neck. Compared to the detached elegance when he wore his robe, he now appeared even more sharply refined and coldly aloof.

Jiang Xuening finally seized the chance to ask her question: “What exactly are you planning?”

Xie Wei said indifferently, “Wan Xiuzi is a suspicious man. If I behaved submissively without any resistance, he would become even more suspicious.”

Jiang Xuening said, “But once you’ve dispelled his doubts, what next?”

Xie Wei glanced at her: “I have my own plan.”

Jiang Xuening: “…”

Had this man truly never been beaten up in his previous life?

She took a deep breath and decided not to press further. Anyway, when he needed her, Xie Ju’an would naturally speak up. She asked instead, “Then… that talk about cultivating together, why?”

Xie Wei lowered his eyes, thinking of Wan Xiuzi, and slowly said, “I need him to believe that you are extremely important to me. However, people only easily believe what they already want to believe. They remain skeptical of things they cannot comprehend. If you firmly believe that everyone fears death, how could you accept that someone would risk their life to save another? Wan Xiuzi is such a man.”

He believed in profit, not in righteousness;

He believed in desire, not in affection.

Thus, to win his trust, one must cater to his beliefs.

Jiang Xuening finally understood, but she still felt something was slightly off. However, after thinking carefully, she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong.

It was already late, and after all the commotion earlier, the night grew even deeper.

There was only one bed in the room.

Left with no choice, Jiang Xuening had to share the bed with Xie Wei.

The two of them lay side by side, fully clothed, their shoulders touching, their hands brushing, each resting their head at one end of the pillow.

The room was pitch dark.

Neither moved, nor spoke.

Jiang Xuening could hear Xie Wei’s faint, steady breathing. For a moment, she found it strangely serene: sharing a bed like this, something that should be very intimate, seemed almost natural between them. After all, they had slept close together before — just not on a proper bed.

Having faced life and death together, every word between them had already broken past superficiality.

The turbulence had settled into deep calm, the sea had returned to stillness.

For an instant, it gave the illusion of peaceful eternity.

Jiang Xuening had thought that, after the bloody turmoil earlier, it would take her a long time to fall asleep. Yet unexpectedly, lying down, she felt her heart settle completely — as if life and death were no longer such a big deal.

She soon drifted off into sleep.

However, deep in the night, while in a heavy sleep, Jiang Xuening was suddenly pushed awake, groggy and confused.

For a moment, she almost forgot she was currently imprisoned.

Drowsily opening her eyes, she saw Xie Wei propping himself up on one arm, sitting beside her, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder and arm.

It was clearly him who had woken her.

Still not fully rested, her head felt like a mess of mush as she woke, and she grumbled impatiently in a sleepy, petulant voice, “What are you doing now?”

Xie Wei asked, “Can you scream?”

Jiang Xuening hadn’t fully processed his question yet and responded instinctively, “Scream what?”

Seeing her heavy eyelids drooping shut again, Xie Wei pressed his lips together, deciding not to bother explaining further. His hand, resting on her slender shoulder, slid downward and pinched her soft waist with a slight squeeze.

The waist was one of the most sensitive parts of the body.

A sensation that was both ticklish and slightly painful shot from where his hand had touched. Jiang Xuening was caught off guard and curled up instinctively, letting out a soft, cat-like whimper from deep in her throat, tinged with a lazy, nasal undertone.

Hearing that sound, even Xie Wei’s breath caught for a moment.

But at least now, she had opened her eyes again.

Xie Wei glanced briefly toward the tightly locked door, then turned back to gaze at her, repeating the question, “Can you scream?”

If she had still been confused earlier, in this moment, Jiang Xuening — recalling the involuntary cry she had just made when he pinched her, and catching the deeper meaning behind his repeated question — finally woke up completely in shock!

Scream—

What kind of screaming did Xie Ju’an want her to do exactly?!

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