Xi Huamei stood at the back window on the third floor, looking outside. The people huddled together in the courtyard seemed to be discussing something. She could see them moving but couldn't hear them, so the scene was both still and strangely surreal.
Xi Huamei's eyebrows were beautiful; even a man like him had once said that her eyebrows were breathtakingly beautiful. But now, those two beautiful eyebrows were almost intertwined.
This backyard of Hongxiuzhao might soon become the eye of the storm in Chang'an, even the entire Sui Empire, because lying on the bed in that courtyard was a madman who had single-handedly killed his way through the Sui Ministry of War.
In any case, His Majesty the Emperor of Sui could not tolerate this.
"Little Dingdian, go and fetch Fang Jie."
She turned and ordered.
Although she didn't understand what had happened, it was the first time Little Dingdian had seen Aunt Xi's face so grave. So she felt afraid, with a premonition that she was about to lose something. Aunt Xi had always been the pillar of the entire Hongxiuzhao sect. If even this pillar began to waver, how could these little sparrows perched on the great tree of Hongxiuzhao not panic?
She lifted her skirt and practically flew downstairs to find Fang Jie.
In the backyard.
Fang Jie carried Shen Qingshan to a recliner, letting her bask in the warm sunlight. Neither Da Quan nor Mu Xiaoyao had ever seen Shen Qingshan like this. Especially Mu Xiaoyao; in her memory, Shen Qingshan was always such a proud and aloof woman. She would never show weakness to anyone, she had been like this since the first day she entered the sect. She was aloof and didn't associate with any of the disciples.
Her eyes held a hint of contempt when she looked at anyone; she looked down on the senior sisters. Although she was just a little girl then, she never seemed to doubt that she could surpass everyone in the sect. She was a sword, like the longsword she held in her arms, needing no scabbard to conceal its coldness and sharpness.
But now, Shen Qingshan, whom Fang Jie had carried out of the house, clung to his neck, as docile and weak as a kitten. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, her head resting on Fang Jie's strong chest. Her eyes were fixed on Fang Jie's face, and Mu Xiaoyao even had the illusion that there was a hint of affection in Shen Qingshan's gaze.
For Shen Qingshan, this was simply impossible.
She looked down on all men, and she looked down on Fang Jie as well.
At least that was always the case. She had called Fang Jie a piece of trash more than once. She had also considered abandoning him more than once, leaving him to fend for himself. On their escape, she had even once slashed Fang Jie's arm with her longsword; at that moment, Mu Xiaoyao and the others thought Shen Qingshan truly intended to kill him.
She isolated herself from everyone else; she stood proudly independent.
But why was this woman so frail now?
Why did this woman look at Fang Jie with such dependence and reluctance?
Therefore, Mu Xiaoyao thought it must be her imagination.
Fang Jie carried Shen Qingshan in his arms and placed the weakened woman on the recliner. The moment Shen Qingshan left Fang Jie's embrace, the reluctance in her eyes seemed to intensify.
Mu Xiaoyao covered Shen Qingshan with the blanket she was holding, then silently turned away.
"Thank you."
She heard Shen Qingshan say.
Mu Xiaoyao's shoulders trembled slightly, her expression shifting rapidly. This was the first time in over a decade that Shen Qingshan had said "thank you" to someone. And it was to this person she had set as her goal to surpass since entering the mountain gate. At this moment, Shen Qingshan seemed not to be Shen Qingshan anymore.
Mu Xiaoyao didn't speak, nor did she turn around.
The corners of Shen Qingshan's lips curled slightly, seemingly pleased that she had said "thank you" and Mu Xiaoyao hadn't known how to respond. So… she was still the proud Shen Qingshan. Even at this point, she refused to appear weaker than anyone else. Even though her hands could barely grip the sheathed sword.
"We have to leave today."
Fang Jie glanced at Da Quan and Mu Xiaoyao, then at the old cripple sitting to the side, drinking alone.
Without waiting for Da Quan and Mu Xiaoyao's reply, he walked to the old cripple, knelt down, and meticulously kowtowed three times. He said nothing, then stood up. Wu Yidao had saved him, and when he left the Sanjin Marquis's mansion, he had only said thank you to Wu Yidao. The old cripple had saved Shen Qingshan, yet he knelt down and kowtowed.
"Old Master, perhaps kowtowing is all I can do."
This meant that perhaps there would be no chance to repay his kindness.
Fang Jie gave a bitter smile and said, "I was hoping to rely on you, to at least learn one sword technique. But now it seems there's no chance. Whether we can escape or not, no matter how far we can go, we have to go. Even if it only means escaping for one more day, we have to escape for that one more day of life. Although I only met Mr. Zhuo by chance, since he told Sister Xiaoyao he could hold out for three days, I believe him. Having three days to escape is good enough… although doing this feels a bit unfair to Mr. Zhuo."
The old cripple opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
"Perhaps… he was just giving you a chance to escape."
In the end, he just sighed helplessly, then lowered his head and said nothing more.
Fang Jie was stunned. Hearing the old cripple's words, he suddenly felt he had incurred an enormous favor. Mr. Zhuo said he would give Mu Xiaoyao three days, and after the old cripple reminded him, he understood that Mr. Zhuo meant, "Use these three days to escape quickly."
He hadn't clearly expressed this meaning to Mu Xiaoyao at the time, perhaps out of fear of something. "Even if no one knows now that Shen Qingshan was the one who broke into the Ministry of War at night…"
Big Dog shook his head: "But now all the gates of Chang'an are heavily guarded. How are we supposed to get out?"
Mu Xiaoyao pointed to the package she had previously left on the table and said, "Mr. Zhuo gave it to us. He said we might need it."
Big Dog opened the package and found several brand-new flying fish robes inside.
Fang Jie's heart skipped a beat.
"Mr. Zhuo…"
He called out the title softly, then turned and waved towards the palace.
"More than ten years ago, he was a man of true character. Because of this, he was imprisoned in the impregnable prison. The emperor valued his talent and didn't kill him… It truly was an impregnable prison; otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to hold him. But even after being imprisoned for so many years, his character hasn't changed a bit."
Old Cripple pondered for a moment, his tone full of admiration. "He used to be from the Qiu family of Jiangdu, the only survivor of the Qiu family after tens of thousands of elite soldiers slaughtered him. Although he wasn't surnamed Qiu, the Qiu family had done him a great favor. He instinctively wanted to escape, but stubbornly sat beside the Qiu family patriarch, the two drinking together, facing the swarming soldiers with composure."
The old cripple said.
...
...
Fang Jie stood, his gaze fixed on his toes.
Xi Huamei, sitting in a chair, glanced at him indifferently, then asked, "Leaving?"
"Yes."
Fang Jie nodded.
"Luo Yao, who guards the southern border of the Sui Dynasty, the Left Vanguard General of the court... He nearly died before the conquest of the Shang Kingdom. Did you know about this?"
Xi Huamei suddenly asked this question, seemingly unrelated to the matter at hand.
Fang Jie shook his head.
Xi Huamei said calmly, "Luo Yao actually has two sons. Luo Wen, who won first place in the martial arts arena a few days ago, should be his second son, born after his eldest son died. That year, Luo Yao was just a fifth-rank general… His eldest son, Luo Wu, while touring Mount Tai with some servants, took a fancy to a woman and forcibly took her virginity… Later, he learned that the woman was actually the daughter of the Prefect of Lu County."
"Fearing exposure, Luo Wu, along with his servants, murdered the prefect's entire family of over thirty people in one night. Although they did it very discreetly, it was eventually discovered. Later, it was revealed that Luo Wu had actually sat on the stone chair on Mount Tai where the founding emperor rested. This matter spread…" In the capital, the late emperor was furious. He had already drafted an edict to execute Luo Yao and his entire family, but just as he was about to affix the seal, Luo Yao arrived in the capital.
"He entered the city with four soldiers, shirtless and bound with thorns. Luo Wu followed behind him, looking like a frightened wild dog with its tail between its legs. The four soldiers carried a large, heavy box, its contents unknown. Once inside the city, Luo Yao did something that shocked everyone."
"Outside the Taiji Palace, he personally gouged out the heart of his own son, Luo Wu. Then he ordered the soldiers to open the box and knelt before the Taiji Palace, refusing to rise. Countless wounds were pierced by the thorns on his body; the sight of this bloodied, kneeling figure terrified countless onlookers."
"The late emperor ordered..." When the current Emperor, then the Fourth Prince, went to see it, his expression changed after just one glance at the box. Inside were thirty-two heads. These included Luo Yao's father, concubine, two daughters, his younger brother, his sister-in-law, and his thirteen-year-old nephew. Only his wife, Lady Chu, was missing.
"His Majesty asked him why he did this?"
"Luo Yao said he requested an audience with the Emperor to confess his crimes and accept punishment, and then he would commit suicide to atone for his sins. The country has its laws; murder is punishable by death. Thirty-two members of the Sun family died, and I, your subject, have killed thirty-two of my closest relatives to pay for it. I dare not disrespect the majesty of the Sui Dynasty, the laws of the land, or the military regulations, but failing to properly educate one's son is also a crime punishable by death. The reason I am not yet dead is that I wish to come to the capital, to say in front of the people and the entire court that I confess my crimes."
Hua Mei finished the story in one breath, then slowly exhaled and asked, "He didn't die in the end, because the late emperor, moved by his loyalty, spared his life and instead gave him thirty lashes. But his back was so badly pierced by thorns that the lashes couldn't even be applied properly, so he was spared again. He is now the bulwark of the southern border of the Sui Dynasty, and he has received all the honors a military general deserves. If he hadn't been ruthless enough back then… there wouldn't be the Duke of Hu now. Do you really think… he didn't know his son was arrogant and bullying?"
"Later, because he killed his entire family and his own son, the late emperor felt he had wronged him, and subsequently bestowed numerous rewards upon him!"
She finished speaking, looking into Fang Jie's eyes, waiting for his reply.
"Very good, very good."
Fang Jie slowly exhaled, seemingly also moved by the story.
"This story is excellent."
Fang Jie said.
"This is not a story."
Xi Hua Mei looked into his eyes and said. "What happens to others is just a story, so… I'm not the protagonist of that story, and I can't do that. If I nod now and let Mr. Zhuo take Shen Qingshan away with the imperial guards, perhaps Da Quan will be taken away too. They'll be convicted and beheaded, and with your help, I might actually be able to survive. Then I can pretend nothing happened, know nothing, and continue taking the martial arts academy's exams. Given my personality, I might even be able to, three years later, like Luo Wen and the others, compete against two other people in the martial arts arena and rise to prominence."
"That's very possible, because I trust myself."
He said earnestly, "I've been certain for a long time that I'm the kind of person who, once I set a goal, will achieve it at any cost. I've never felt ashamed of being such a petty person, nor do I envy those who are revered as saints and virtuous men by the people. I've never thought that…" "I'll be a Buddhist who sweeps the floor without harming even ants. I've never believed that being upright and honest is easier to succeed than being ruthless and vicious. Although I'm not very old, I seem to understand more than some older people, and I see the world more coldly than anyone else."
Fang Jie smiled and said, "But I'm afraid. I'm afraid that every night when I lie in bed and close my eyes, evil spirits will come and bite my toes. A long, long time ago, my mother told me that if you do something wrong, ghosts will knock on your door and gnaw on your toes. I've done wrong things, but I also have a bottom line. I firmly believe that... as long as I don't cross the line I've set for myself, evil spirits won't come looking for me. People can use all sorts of means and schemes against outsiders for their own future, but they must be pure in heart towards their own family. This... is my bottom line."
He turned and left, turning back at the door to ask Xi Huamei, "Xi, everyone... guess, is Luo Yao sleeping well every night now?"