On horseback, Ji Yuan gazed at Xie Liangchen, who was presently wearing a veil covering her face.
Ji Yuan moved his fingers, and the stone in his hand struck the veil off Xie Liangchen's head.
An exquisite face was unveiled before Ji Yuan, and his eyes suddenly felt hot.
The beauty had skin fairer than snow, delicate as if it could be broken by a gentle touch, her eyes shimmering like water, lips pressed tightly yet hinting at a smile.
Ji Yuan's gaze grew even more fervent, he had been eagerly awaiting this moment.
The village had been abandoned for a long time, most houses had collapsed, only one courtyard looked inhabitable. Ji Yuan kicked the door open and dragged Xie Liangchen into the house, impatiently tearing at her clothes.
Xie Liangchen struggled with all her might, but she was no match for Ji Yuan. He grabbed Xie Liangchen's collar and ripped it apart, tearing the garment.
At the same time, Ji Yuan felt a sting on his fingers and instinctively looked down to see droplets of blood emerging from his fingertip as if pricked by a needle.
Anger flared in Ji Yuan's heart, and he slapped towards Xie Liangchen. Just as his hand was raised, Xie Liangchen activated a mechanism on her arm.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, several arrows shot out, causing Ji Yuan to dodge hurriedly.
"You bitch." Ji Yuan realized Xie Liangchen had already made arrangements.
Xie Liangchen threw a flint towards Ji Yuan and spoke clearly, "Sister will avenge you."
Then there was a "boom," and everything was engulfed in flames that suddenly flared up.
Xie Liangchen's ears were filled with a buzzing sound; her cheeks were scorched, and her whole body was in pain as the hot air filled her nose and mouth.
The fire burned stronger, making it hard for Xie Liangchen to breathe.
Just as she was about to close her eyes, she saw a figure being supported out from a corner.
It was Ji Yuan.
Xie Liangchen's eyes narrowed, and just as she was about to raise her sleeve arrow, a deputy general next to Ji Yuan drew his waist knife and approached her.
As the long knife was about to stab her, she activated the mechanism, and a sleeve arrow shot straight at Ji Yuan. She didn't care that the knife would land on her; she only cared if Ji Yuan would die.
The sleeve arrow missed Ji Yuan, but his head suddenly fell, and fresh blood gushed out.
The sound of arrows filled the air, hitting several of Ji Yuan's deputy generals.
Xie Liangchen looked up and saw a tall figure clad in general armor, with eyes as deep as an abyss.
Although Xie Liangchen had never seen Marquis Xuanwei, the aura suggested this person was Song Xian.
Song Xian stared at the woman before him, her long hair disheveled, face smeared with blood and grime, yet her eyes still held clarity, and a hint of fierceness lingered at her eye corners.
When he arrived, he saw the woman aiming a sleeve arrow at Ji Yuan without hesitation.
Song Xian looked down to examine her wounds; her abdomen was pierced through by a broken piece of wood, her back was a bloody mess, and such wounds were unsurvivable.
Xie Liangchen's throat felt as if sliced by a knife; if not for Song Xian, she might not have killed Ji Yuan. She tried hard to speak, "Marquis Xuan, I owe you a debt of gratitude and will repay it in another life as a beast of burden."
A low voice replied, "I will have someone collect your and your brother's bodies."
Warmth surged in Xie Liangchen's heart. She opened her eyes and looked into the distance, vaguely seeing her brother's figure.
Her brother was walking towards her.
People say that moments before death, one sees family, and now she believed it because her brother had come to take her home.
"Brother." Xie Liangchen wanted to reach out for her brother's hand.
Unintentionally, Song Xian's gaze swept over the woman's neckline. Her collar was slightly open, revealing half a piece of Mutton Fat Jade.
Song Xian's eyes narrowed; the jade wasn't precious, but its simple patterns were familiar to him. He had been searching for this jade for ten years without success.
Song Xian's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but stretch out his hand to pull the jade pendant from the woman's grip for a closer look.
At this moment, the woman suddenly lifted her eyes, smiled, and spoke again, "Brother, let's go home."
Song Xian felt his palm softened by the woman's firm grasp.
As her fingertips clung to his, the sky suddenly brightened. A flash of lightning seemed to split the sky, dazzling white flooded Song Xian's eyes, and then everything plunged into darkness.