The carriage shook violently, and Gu Jianli hurriedly grasped the wall of the carriage. In the next instant, her slender waist was held by Ji Wujing, who then took her flying out of the carriage. They soared into the air, the wind rushing against their faces. By the time Gu Jianli realized it, they were already standing at the top of a tree. She looked at the carriage they had just been in, unsure of what strange hidden weapon had caused it to shatter into pieces amidst a cloud of black smoke. The two horses, frightened, ran off. If they hadn’t escaped the carriage in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Gu Jianli felt a wave of lingering fear.
A sudden cool breeze blew, sending Gu Jianli’s light red long dress fluttering backward. She inadvertently looked down and only then realized she was standing on a branch. She glanced at her feet—so high up! She quickly moved closer to Ji Wujing beside her. Turning her head to look at Ji Wujing, she noticed his face was extremely pale.
“Fifth Master, you…”
Before Gu Jianli could finish, Ji Wujing coughed heavily, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. The bright red blood was in stark contrast to his pale face. Gu Jianli could smell a faint scent of blood.
Ji Wujing slowly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the pad of his thumb, then licked it away.
He stared expressionlessly at the dense mass of black-clad men below. Changsheng was confronting the enemies single-handedly. Although he was holding them off for now, it was unlikely he could do so for long, as the black-clad men were numerous and skilled.
Gu Jianli felt both anxious and scared. She didn’t know martial arts, but after watching the fight below for a while, she vaguely sensed that the moves used by those black-clad men were very similar to those used by Changsheng.
She voiced her observation, “Why do I feel like the moves those people are using to fight Changsheng are similar…”
Gu Jianli shifted her gaze from the scene below to Ji Wujing beside her, noticing a barely perceptible smile on one side of his mouth. His fox-like eyes gradually turned crimson, sinister and terrifying.
Gu Jianli was startled, doubting what she saw.
Changsheng killed a black-clad man in front of him and looked up at Ji Wujing in the tree not far away, worry etched on his face. Those black-clad men must have thought Ji Wujing was gravely ill and defenseless, but Changsheng knew very well that even double the number of these men couldn’t harm Ji Wujing in the slightest. Not to mention the current Ji Wujing, even the previously dormant Ji Wujing couldn’t be harmed by them.
However, ever since the last interrupted detoxification, Ji Wujing needed proper rest to reintroduce the Gu insect into his body to absorb the poison. Now, he was relying on medicine to nourish his internal organs and couldn’t overexert his inner strength. Otherwise, the time for reintroducing the Gu insect would have to be delayed further, and the poison in his body clearly couldn’t wait.
Seeing the state of Ji Wujing’s eyes, Changsheng muttered under his breath, “This is bad.”
At worst, he could risk half his life to buy some time for Ji Wujing to escape. But what he feared most wasn’t the prowess of these black-clad men; it was Ji Wujing’s killing frenzy.
Ji Wujing was always reckless. For the sake of a moment’s pleasure, he wouldn’t consider the consequences!
Gu Jianli didn’t know as much as Changsheng, but she knew Ji Wujing was frail and feared he would get hurt. Instinctively, she grabbed Ji Wujing’s wrist. Ji Wujing turned his head. Seeing Ji Wujing’s sinister eyes, Gu Jianli was startled, but she didn’t let go of his wrist.
Then she heard the sound of tearing fabric.
Ji Wujing tore a strip of cloth from his wide sleeve and tied it over Gu Jianli’s eyes, saying, “Don’t look, you’ll cry.”
In the next instant, Gu Jianli’s hand was empty.
Changsheng was momentarily distracted and took an arrow to the shoulder. Gritting his teeth, he broke off the arrow and shouted anxiously at Ji Wujing, “Master, take the lady and leave! Changsheng can handle this!”
At this moment, Changsheng truly regretted his lack of skill.
Ji Wujing let out a soft laugh, his voice eerie like a ghost, and said, “Get out of the way.”
Changsheng’s eyes dimmed, and he quickly retreated from the battlefield. He knew that if he didn’t step aside, he could easily be accidentally injured.
Gu Jianli stood alone on the tree, her eyes covered, feeling the most insecure when she couldn’t see and losing track of time. She listened to her heartbeat, thudding again and again, and the muffled sounds of fighting below. Every moment she couldn’t see was agonizingly long. She felt as if ages had passed. Her hand hesitated at her side before she finally raised it slowly and pulled off the white cloth covering her eyes.
Headless corpses littered the ground, blood flowing like a river. Ji Wujing’s loose white robes were stained red with blood, clinging to his tall but thin frame. He swept his sword with each step, killing a person with every strike, like a demon from hell.
When Ye Yunyue arrived with the guards, this was the scene they saw.
“Dear god! This job is terrifying!” The burly leader of the guards was trembling in fear.
Changsheng shouted, “Master, leave one alive…”
Seeing the last head hit the ground, he swallowed the rest of his sentence.
Ji Wujing’s gaze fell on his sword, watching the blood flow along the blade until the last drop fell into the yellow earth. He threw away the sword, a mysterious smile playing on one side of his mouth.
He glanced at Ye Yunyue, then looked away. He walked back slowly along the path he had come. A head blocked his way; he kicked it aside without looking. He stood under the tree, looking up at the stunned Gu Jianli, and stretched out his arms, saying, “Jump down.”
Gu Jianli blinked and came to her senses. The wind blew, carrying away the long strip of cloth in her hand. She looked at the terrifying Ji Wujing, feeling a wave of fear. Their eyes met, and after a moment of hesitation, Gu Jianli bit her lip and finally closed her eyes and jumped down.
Ji Wujing caught her steadily, holding her firmly. The smell of blood filled her nose, and Gu Jianli’s clothes became wet. Ji Wujing’s clothes were soaked with blood.
Gu Jianli felt a weight on her shoulder. Her eyelashes trembled as she opened her eyes and turned to look at Ji Wujing, seeing him with his eyes closed, quietly resting his chin on her shoulder.
“Fifth Master?”
There was no response.
When Ji Wujing woke up, it was already night. He squinted and looked around, finding himself in what seemed to be a small farmhouse courtyard. He propped himself up and sat, noticing that his clothes had been changed to coarse cloth garments typical of a farming family. How unsightly. He frowned in displeasure.
With a creak, the door opened.
“Fifth Master, you’re awake!” Ye Yunyue exclaimed with joy.
Ji Wujing lifted his eyelids and looked at Ye Yunyue expressionlessly.
The image of Ji Wujing drenched in blood was still vivid in Ye Yunyue’s mind, and she was terrified, fearing he might kill her with a single slap. She didn’t dare to approach and kept her distance, hastily explaining, “Fifth Master, I brought people to save you, but we were late!”
She waited for Ji Wujing to ask how she knew someone wanted to assassinate him, but he remained silent. Left with no choice, she continued, “It was Zhang Yilun, the acting leader of the Xuanjing Sect, who wants to kill you and take your place!”
Ye Yunyue awaited Ji Wujing’s fury, but he remained expressionless.
Steeling herself, Ye Yunyue went on, “A while back, I overheard Zhang Yilun discussing you with his subordinates in a tea house. They didn’t say anything explicit, but I sensed something was off from their tone. So, I paid extra attention and had people watch him. That’s how I learned he planned to kill you today and take your place! When I got the news, I didn’t know where you were and couldn’t get the message to you. I could only search this area based on what I knew, and it took me all day to find you…”
She rambled on, but Ji Wujing remained silent. She couldn’t help but glance at him, gauging his expression.
Ye Yunyue felt a pang of bitterness and her eyes grew moist. Lowering her voice and adding a hint of sob, she continued, “I know what I’ve done is wrong. From the moment I came to the capital with my aunt, I’ve been the subject of gossip… Yes, I came to the capital and the Guangping Marquis’s manor to find you. I’ve been inquiring about you, concerned for your safety. I even asked someone to locate Divine Doctor Lin…”
Tears streamed down her face as Ye Yunyue turned her head to wipe them away, forcing a smile before continuing, “For the past four years, I’ve always regretted my heartlessness and stupidity. Everyone says I live a good life, but I don’t care for those material things. I always think of you… I know if I don’t seize this chance, I’ll regret it for life, even if I become a laughingstock. Fifth Master, please give me a chance, won’t you?”
Gu Jianli, holding a bowl of freshly made medicinal soup, reached the door and was about to push it open when she heard Ye Yunyue’s words and paused.
“I know breaking off our engagement was my fault. I don’t ask for your forgiveness, just a chance to serve you as a maid or servant!”
Gu Jianli glanced at the medicinal soup in her hands and quietly turned away.
Ye Yunyue suddenly thought of something, her eyes dimmed, but she quickly forced a smile and said, “I’m not delusional. I just want to take care of you. You can let me take care of the lady as well! I will take care of you better than she can and be more loyal to you than she is!”
Seeing Ji Wujing’s expression, Ye Yunyue grew bolder, continuing persuasively, “What the lady can’t give you, I can. The lady is kind-hearted and responsible; she takes care of you out of goodwill and duty, not because she likes you!”
Ji Wujing hadn’t spoken all this time because he was too lazy to talk. Hearing this, he suddenly laughed strangely. He looked at Ye Yunyue as if she were a fool. Did he need Ye Yunyue to tell him that Gu Jianli didn’t like him?
Of course, he knew Gu Jianli didn’t like him.
No one in this world would ever like him, and he didn’t need anyone’s affection.
Gu Jianli returned to the small kitchen with the medicinal soup. Changsheng, who was tending the fire, asked in surprise, “Madam, why are you back?”
“Miss Ye is talking with the Fifth Master.” Gu Jianli placed the bowl of medicine on the stove, sat down on a small bench, rested her chin in her hands, and gazed absently at a random spot, her expression dazed.
Changsheng rolled his eyes and said, “That Ye Yunyue must have a death wish.”
Not wanting to discuss Ye Yunyue, Gu Jianli changed the subject, “Changsheng, I just realized how skilled you are today.”
“Ah?” Changsheng scratched his head sheepishly, “Madam, please don’t make fun of me. I failed the Xuanjing Sect’s assessment, so the Master brought me to the manor to wash clothes and feed him. He said I was too incompetent to serve in the Xuanjing Sect and would only embarrass him…”
Gu Jianli: “…”
Changsheng pondered for a moment and then told Gu Jianli about Ji Wujing’s need to avoid using his inner strength. He hoped Gu Jianli could persuade Ji Wujing, as he was merely a subordinate.
Ye Yunyue stumbled as she pushed open the small kitchen door, her hand resting on the door frame. “Fifth Lady, the Fifth Master wants you to come over.”
Her voice trembled.
Gu Jianli turned and saw Ye Yunyue’s face was as white as a sheet.
