Chapter 82: I Will Go With You

Inside the house, darkness prevailed, but it could not shield against the probing sweep of a consciousness at the peak of focus. Just as Xi Menghe thought he would soon catch Su Bai, his senses failed to detect any presence at all.

Xi Menghe cursed inwardly, “Damn it! Did the brat sense me beforehand?”

Yet, upon reconsideration, he found something amiss. “How could a mere marrow-refining novice anticipate my arrival before I did? This must have been his resting place yesterday, and he likely set up a trap for safety.”

Understanding this, Xi Menghe grinned, “Clever indeed—so cautious for someone so young. But no matter how guarded you are, you’ll never guess that I’ve been following you, ready to take your life at any moment.”

He dismissed the matter, straightened the room’s furnishings, and settled into a comfortable spot to sit cross-legged and meditate.

Meanwhile, in the neighboring room, a young man watched silently, holding his breath and his nerves steady.

He appeared seventeen or eighteen, with an unremarkable face, but his eyes were unusual—a faint purple glow in his pupils lent an air of mystery.

Su Bai had set up a thread trap at the door, the filament wound around his pinky. Should anyone touch it, not only would a dart mechanism be triggered, but Su Bai would also be alerted to the danger.

Upon seeing the intruder, Su Bai was startled, quickly using the Tortoise Breath technique to conceal his aura, remaining perfectly still, fearful that the slightest sound would betray him to Xi Menghe.

“Why is that old man here?” Su Bai’s mind reeled with questions.

He had arrived at this place for no apparent reason, lost his map, couldn’t find Gu Fanshuang, and his inner strength had been sealed. Now Xi Menghe, the harbinger of death, was chasing him.

The more Su Bai thought, the more uneasy he became, until a suspicion flashed through his mind: “There must be a mole in the sect aiding Xi Menghe.”

He narrowed his eyes at Xi Menghe, growing more convinced: “Perhaps someone interfered with my assessment as well. Blood River Tower doesn’t seem like a place I can stay for long. When I return, I must leave as soon as possible.”

Su Bai even considered Qinglong a suspect, but quickly shook his head: “If the vice sect leader wanted to help Xi Menghe kill me, he wouldn’t assist me in this way. The culprit must be among the other elders.”

Dismissing these wild speculations, Su Bai resolved, “Focus on the present. First, return to Blood River Tower. Even if I leave the sect, I’ll need another faction. Once I confirm who aided Xi Menghe, I’ll make plans.”

With his goal clear, Su Bai remained seated, continuing to conceal his breath. Thus, the two mortal enemies sat in the same house, separated only by a wall.

Fortunately, Xi Menghe had not reached the Transcendent Realm. Were he stronger, no matter how Su Bai concealed his aura, he would be exposed.

Su Bai maintained his vigilance all night, while Old Xi next door slept soundly. At dawn, fully rested, Xi Menghe headed south, humming a tune, confident that Su Bai’s fate was sealed.

Only then did Su Bai dare to breathe freely, his tense heart finally at ease.

As daylight filled the room, Su Bai reset the traps at the door, then returned to his chamber to sleep.

He awoke only late at night, and when he saw the two dead bodies at the door, he felt no joy.

“I can’t believe I slept so deeply, I didn’t even notice the thread being pulled. I need to be more careful—never sleep so soundly again.”

Beneath the starry sky, Su Bai seized the cover of night and continued south.

…

On the road from Qingzhou to Bingzhou, a carriage sped along, the driver whipping the two fine horses relentlessly. Inside, a delicate face appeared at the window, urging, “Driver, can you go any faster? How far to Bingzhou?”

Though simply dressed, the woman’s beauty could not be concealed. She was Jiang Xixuan, whom Yu Wenqi’s men had settled here.

A month earlier, after her last meeting with Shao Xinhong, she had been inexplicably redeemed, bundled onto a carriage under the madam’s watchful gaze.

She had barely begun to cry out when a rag was stuffed in her mouth. Though her life was not threatened, several black-clad men surrounded her, and anyone would sense their ill intentions.

Time passed slowly; fatigue overcame her, and she slept deeply. When she awoke two days later, she was being dragged to the entrance of a mansion.

Jiang Xixuan saw the sign reading “Jiang Residence” and wondered whose home it was—had its owner sent these men to capture her?

But then she realized the estate was prepared for her. The men left the deed, title, and some silver on the table before departing, leaving Jiang Xixuan alone, bewildered in the wind.

It took her a long while to compose herself. She should have been overjoyed at the sight of her new possessions, but instead she wanted to ask Shao Xinhong about it.

“Is this the reward you mentioned?” Jiang Xixuan stood dazed, “But where have you gone? What meaning is there in living alone in such a grand estate...”

She waited several days, but Shao Xinhong never appeared, and her anxiety grew until she could wait no longer.

…

She hid the deeds, gathered her silver, and immediately boarded a carriage bound for Bingzhou.

She wanted to ask Shao Xinhong why he had abandoned her for so long—she longed to return to her former place, fearing he would not find her if he came back.

Yu Wenqi had not explained, and his men only arranged her lodging without even offering a plausible story, making it impossible for a normal person to stay there willingly.

Now, Jiang Xixuan asked the driver how much longer until Bingzhou.

“Miss, this is the fastest I can go. At this pace, it’ll take three days to reach Bingzhou.”

“Three days…” Jiang Xixuan hesitated, then took out two more taels of silver and pleaded, “Please, can you hurry? I truly have urgent business.”

The driver, a man in his forties or fifties with a goatee and weary eyes, saw her distress and returned the silver, sighing, “Alright, I’ll try to get us there in two and a half days. Keep your silver—you’ve already paid enough. Bingzhou isn’t a peaceful place; you’ll have many expenses ahead. Don’t spend too much on travel.”

He turned and shouted, urging the horses forward, and the carriage surged ahead.

Jiang Xixuan was thrown back by the sudden acceleration, and the driver deftly lowered the curtain, calling out, “Hold on!”

She gripped her silver tightly, gazing gratefully at him through the curtain, then tucked the money away.

…

A day later

Gu Fanshuang trudged wearily along the official road from Qingzhou to Bingzhou.

“Su Bai, you must hold on,” she whispered, clenching her fists, gazing at the endless road ahead, before drawing a deep breath and continuing.

She knew that Lu Hao’s disappearance would implicate Su Bai, and Bingzhou had already fallen; Su Bai, alone, was surely in peril.

“How much longer must I walk to find him? I have neither map nor silver…” The proverb, “Even a hero can’t function without money,” fit Gu Fanshuang perfectly.

She survived by hunting—roasting rabbits and pheasants for food, drinking from springs with cupped hands. After several days, she’d barely covered a hundred miles.

Her stomach grumbled again, and she complained, “Why am I hungry so soon? This will delay me yet again.”

With several hundred miles left to Bingzhou, Gu Fanshuang felt despair.

Just then, a young deer burst from the roadside grass, right behind her.

Now at the fourth level of marrow refinement, her skills were sharp. She reversed grip on her short dagger, spun, and lunged at the deer.

Sensing danger, the deer bolted, faster than she expected, and she cursed herself for acting too soon.

With the deer three or four strides ahead and widening the gap, she made a decision.

Her left foot pressed hard, propelling her to the trunk of a nearby tree; her right foot kicked again, and she shot forward like an arrow, hurling her dagger at the deer’s head.

A sudden neighing startled her as she landed, and she instinctively rolled into the grass to avoid a charging horse.

“Ah!”

A scream followed, and from the thicket, Gu Fanshuang saw a scene of chaos—the deer had collided with a carriage, spooking the horses and sending the vehicle careening forward before finally stopping.

The passengers emerged, spotting Gu Fanshuang dragging the deer’s corpse away.

She had already wiped her dagger clean and stowed it in her sleeve.

A middle-aged man appeared before her, clearly there to demand an explanation. Gu Fanshuang readied her dagger once more, wary of strangers with unknown intentions.

…

He approached, surprised to see a frail young woman carrying a bleeding deer. He was about to scold her when a female voice called from behind, “Let it go, we have a journey to make. Let’s drop the matter and find an inn for tonight. Tomorrow, we must press on to Bingzhou.”

Seeing Gu Fanshuang with the deer, the goateed driver felt uneasy; she radiated a faint killing aura—clearly not someone to provoke. Jiang Xixuan’s intervention gave him an excuse to relent.

He snorted, “Alright, since the lady insists, I’ll let the girl off.”

But hearing “Bingzhou,” Gu Fanshuang’s interest was piqued. She dropped the deer and hurried to the driver.

The man flinched, fearing she meant harm, and asked apprehensively, “Wh-what do you want?”

Her hands still stained with deer’s blood, Gu Fanshuang patted his arm, “Don’t worry. I just heard you’re headed to Bingzhou?”

Her delicate features finally helped; though travel had left her disheveled, her natural charm reassured the driver that she wasn’t a criminal.

“Yes, but why do you ask?” he replied, puzzled.

“I’m going the same way!” Gu Fanshuang flashed a bright smile, her lively eyes fixed on him. “Why not take me along? I heard Bingzhou has fallen, and refugees are fleeing to Qingzhou. The journey will be dangerous—I might be of some help.”

“What!? Bingzhou has fallen?” The driver and the woman in the carriage exclaimed in unison.

“You didn’t know?” Gu Fanshuang tilted her head, curious. “I heard it from someone, and judging by his sorry state, it seemed true. If you don’t believe me, take me with you to Bingzhou.”

The two fell silent, and Gu Fanshuang wondered, “Did I say something wrong? Will they abandon their trip now?”

They stood in awkward silence until the woman stepped down and addressed Gu Fanshuang, “Alright! Get on the carriage, I’ll go to Bingzhou with you.”

“Oh?” Gu Fanshuang sized up Jiang Xixuan, puzzled. Normally, a delicate woman would be frightened into turning back upon hearing Bingzhou had fallen—why was she so determined to go?

The driver, on the other hand, protested, “No, no, if Bingzhou has been captured, I can’t go! That’s suicide!” He tried to leave.

But as he prepared to drive off, Gu Fanshuang yanked him down.

“If the passengers aren’t retreating, why should the driver run?”

“You know Bingzhou’s been occupied, and you still want to go? I don’t share your death wish—let me go!” he shouted, struggling.

“I have some silver left, plus what I gave you before—should be enough to buy your carriage,” Jiang Xixuan interjected, producing a silver ingot.

“Fine, fine!” The goateed man, energized at the sight of silver, snatched it and clutched it to his chest, repeating his assent.

“Why give him so much? The carriage isn’t worth that much!” Gu Fanshuang protested.

“Every family has its troubles. He’s not a bad man, and besides, I…” Jiang Xixuan faltered, unable to finish. She wanted to say that she might not return alive, but left it unsaid.

Gu Fanshuang was more optimistic. She mounted the horse and said, “If you have a map, let me see it. I’ll get us there faster than that old fellow.”

Her words lifted Jiang Xixuan’s spirits; she produced a map from Qingzhou to Bingzhou and handed it over.

Gu Fanshuang glanced over it, tucked it away, and reached out to Jiang Xixuan,

“Hop on! Sister will take you flying!”

“Hey! Aren’t you younger than me?”

“Heh heh!”