Chapter 6: Bai Ze

Mixed within that desire for revenge was a heart twisted by humiliation; Feng Xian removed his outer clothes and pounced onto the bed.

"Bad person! Bad thing! Murder!" Zhan Zhan flew out of the room to seek help but failed, flapping its wings to peck at Feng Xian's head and face; Feng Xian, pained and ashamed to the point of anger, grabbed the removed robe and smothered the bird with it, then hurled both bird and robe violently at the small table nearby.

Shaowei struggled to prop up her upper body and sit up, sweat beading on her forehead like falling beans; a massive dizziness nearly made her collapse flat again immediately.

Feng Xian seized one of the girl's arms and forcibly dragged her toward himself.

"Seeking death..." Shaowei struggled with all her might, but her strength remained difficult to gather, her voice trembling.

The fading evening sun shone through the small window, reflecting the dim ferocity and excitement in Feng Xian's eyes; he leaned over Shaowei, and the fingers about to tear her clothes suddenly trembled—

Dark red, scalding liquid splattered onto Shaowei's face; she did not blink once, only gripping tightly the dagger she had felt out from under the pillow.

Feng Xian trembled as he clutched his neck, convulsing as he rolled off the bed, his mouth uttering broken pleas for help: "Come, someone..."

In the dimness, Shaowei got off the bed with difficulty, stood up straight, and saw Qiao Jiang rushing in upon hearing the noise to check.

Qiao Jiang knelt in terror before Feng Xian, touched the sticky, surging blood, and saw the neck almost severed.

Between shock and confusion, Qiao Jiang suddenly recalled a winter day four years ago, outside the tomb garden, the words the thirteen-year-old young lady had spoken:

【Feng Xian, if there is a next time, I will cut your throat.】

But how could it be, when the young lady was clearly unable to move during her illness, how could she...

Qiao Jiang lifted her head in a daze; Shaowei seemed not to see her, only stepping over Feng Xian's writhing body and walking out of the room.

When Shaowei's slow steps crossed the threshold, Qiao Jiang seemed to finally come to her senses, hurriedly following out and grabbing Shaowei's clothes.

"Young Lady, such a great thing has happened, where are you going? Return to the city with this servant..." Qiao Jiang's words trembled and were chaotic: "The Head of Household has always doted on and pitied you; return and admit your mistake... this servant will explain the cause and effect for you!"

Shaowei seemed not to hear, continuing forward.

Qiao Jiang rushed in front of her, threw herself to her knees, hugged her legs, and cried: "Young Lady, if you leave just like that, what way to live does this servant have left!"

Shaowei finally lowered her eyes and asked: "Why did he dare to come here today?"

Qiao Jiang's wet eyes trembled, her lips moved for a moment, her body shifted back, and she kowtowed heavily to Shaowei, weeping uncontrollably: "This servant's father and elder brother both serve by the Second Young Master's side... the Second Young Master has several times over the years asked this servant to act against the Young Lady, and this servant never consented! But last month when returning to the city, the Second Young Master actually threatened this servant with the lives of her father and elder brother; in a panic, this servant was momentarily muddled and misspoke, revealing the Young Lady's illness..."

Shaowei lifted her foot and stepped around Qiao Jiang, who kept kowtowing without stopping.

Qiao Jiang's movement paused; she turned to look at Shaowei, who was still leaving, subconsciously looked around in panic, then suddenly scrambled up, grabbed the chopwood knife from under the corridor, and once again blocked Shaowei's path.

She held the chopwood knife with both hands, trembling as she pointed it at Shaowei, crying and hating as she said: "... Why must you kill the Second Young Master? Why must you cause such trouble! Have I not been devoted and sincere enough to you all these years!"

"Things have come to this; anyway, you won't live much longer... Come back to the city with me and take the blame! Don't implicate me and my father and elder brother! We are lowly servants; if you escape, no one will pity us!"

She repeated that sentence over and over, as if it could ease her conscience: "Anyway, you don't have many days left to live!"

"So I should be handed over by you to exchange for your and your father and elder brother's future?" Shaowei looked at the chopwood knife in her hand; her cool voice held much bewilderment: "I don't understand the 'sincerity' you speak of."

Qiao Jiang said almost viciously: "The Second Young Master's people are guarding outside! You can't escape; come back to the city with me..."

Her unfinished words congealed into a scream.

Shaowei snatched the chopwood knife from her hand and, with a backhand stroke, severed one of her hands; the severed hand and the chopwood knife flew and smashed onto the ground, the latter making a loud clanging noise.

"Having a knife doesn't mean you can bully me."

Shaowei raised her right hand; the injured Zhan Zhan flew over with effort and landed on the girl's shoulder.

Ignoring Qiao Jiang's shrill cries, Shaowei held the blood-stained dagger and walked out.

Feng Xian probably didn't want people to know he had come to the farmstead, bringing only one servant and the coachman driving the carriage.

The coachman hurried back to the city to report; those guarding the farmstead were all alarmed, grabbing every stick and farm tool that could serve as a weapon to chase and block Shaowei.

Behind the farmstead stretched rolling mountain forests; wild beasts often roamed there on summer nights. When the crowd chased to the hill, they hesitated somewhat; the farmstead steward could only have torches brought before proceeding into the mountain.

A round moon hung in the night sky; moonlight spilled down, landing on the upturned cheeks of the girl in the forest.

The bloodstains on that face never dried in the wind; fine sweat, under the moonlight, was like a layer of cold frost.

This cold frost seemed to seep into her bone and blood; her tendons and bones felt as if shattering, mixed with blood frozen like ice, as if sharp ice shards were crashing and wandering within her body.

Shaowei knew she indeed did not have long to live; today she had forcibly held a breath to kill Feng Xian, fleeing all the way here, further hastening her body's exhaustion.

She walked in the mountain, like a dying mountain beast, knowing she would die, yet wanting to use her last strength to hide herself before death, unwilling for her corpse to be watched and gnawed by people.

Birds did not understand human thoughts; Zhan Zhan only knew that whenever Shaowei fell ill, as long as it was there to "guard the law," she would become lively again; it thought this time would be the same.

Zhan Zhan gathered some strength, tried flapping its wings, and strove to fly off Shaowei's shoulder—Shaowei seldom went out; the forest was the birds' domain; it wanted to be Shaowei's scout, to scout the path ahead for Shaowei.

Not long after, suddenly a deep, long bell sound spread through the moonlight, rippling layer by layer like water waves, startling the tired birds in the forest.

Bell tolls one after another came from Chang'an City; Shaowei only looked back once, then continued forward.

Soon, horn sounds rang out, signifying that troops were mobilized.

Shaowei still only moved forward.

The moonlight grew brighter; Shaowei's originally proud keen five senses grew weaker and weaker; she only knew to trudge forward.

No one knew how long had passed; ahead, Zhan Zhan suddenly stopped, circling and making a warning sound.

Shaowei lifted her eyes with difficulty and saw, under a large tree ahead, a figure leaning.

As she passed that figure, even though Shaowei's perception had diminished, she smelled a strong scent of blood.

Shaowei did not even glance at it, only continuing to drag her body forward.

This almost strange act of turning a blind eye instead caused that shadow to speak; it was a weak, uneven male voice: "Traveler, could you..."

Shaowei seemed not to hear.

The unfinished words were woven complete by the moonlight in the mountain wind: "Could you trouble yourself, to take my remaining life..."

Shaowei's footsteps stopped; she turned back.

It was a face just as young, also stained with blood.

Those seeking death are always more curious than those seeking help; when Shaowei looked at him, he actually panted and slightly pulled up the corners of his mouth, revealing a bit of a smile.

Chaotic footsteps were faintly visible; torches intruding tore and disturbed the quiet moonlight in the mountain forest.

Shaowei roughly understood: he was being chased by enemies; he did not want to die at or fall into the hands of his enemies.

Perhaps out of a vague sense of empathy, Shaowei, as if possessed by a ghost, came before him.

Seeing the dagger Shaowei held in her hand, he said: "I have a fine sword."

Shaowei followed his gaze and saw a sword in the grass bush five paces away.

He could no longer move and could not take the sword; otherwise, he would not have asked this passerby Shaowei to do it for him.

Shaowei picked up the sword; it was a three-foot sword, its extremely straight and smooth blade forged from black iron, with white jade inlaid at the pommel and guard, coiling Chi Dragon reliefs carved upon the jade.

Though the Officials currently banned armor but not weapons, and sword-wearing was common, such a treasure sword of exquisite materials and craftsmanship was certainly not something from the Nation; its owner must be of extraordinary status.

The sword was almost covered in blood, and its owner's body was also covered in blood; that could not possibly be only his own blood, he had killed many people.

Shaowei felt that someone like him had actually fallen to such a state, most likely due to Misfortune.

The only fortunate thing for him tonight was probably meeting Shaowei, because: "I am very skilled at killing people."

This was the first sentence Shaowei said to him.

He seemed to smile again, slowly nodding his head: "Thank you."

Being skilled at killing people was indeed important; if one repeatedly stabbed him several times without hitting a vital point, it would be Trouble for both parties.

Under the Moonlight, he closed his eyes almost calmly and peacefully, as if at leisure, without resentment or reluctance.

Shaowei suddenly understood that he sought death not only because he had no Retreat, but also because he had lost the desire for Survival, or perhaps it was precisely the latter that caused the former situation.

The three-foot sword pierced through the tattered Armor and penetrated his heart.

Silver Moonlight filtered through the branches and leaves onto his body, Mottled, like pure white Scale Feathers; as the Moonlight swayed in the wind, it was as if light Scale Feathers drifted down and peeled off his body piece by piece.

This scene inexplicably reminded Shaowei of the Divine Beast White Ze she had once seen by chance in a Sheepskin Book during her childhood.

Shaowei took away that three-foot sword; it was the Gift from the one seeking death, and he also pointed out a Path for Shaowei to descend the Mountain safely.

After leaving the Mountain Forest, the sky had already brightened; ahead, the vegetation was lush, and a Stream wound and crawled.

Shaowei could no longer walk; she knelt in the Grass leaning on her sword, and as she dazedly lowered her head, she faintly heard cries for help entering her ears.

"Save me... save me!" A child covered in filth ran over the shallow Stream, tightly clutching a Bundle in his arms; behind him, a man like a Bandit approached with a Blade raised.

Last Night, great Chaos erupted within and without the capital, and the Disorder had not yet been completely quelled; those taking the opportunity to do evil were everywhere.

The child slipped on the Stream water and stumbled to the ground; the man closely following raised his Blade.

The next Instant, a three-foot Long Sword that flew from nowhere suddenly pierced his chest; the man's figure stiffened and he fell backward into the Stream water.

Shaowei completely lost her strength, slightly blackened blood surged from her mouth, and she also fell down.

The child barely regained consciousness, crawled a few steps to Shaowei's Beside the Body, and tried to help Shaowei up.

Shaowei weakly said: "Go away..."

Seeing fresh blood continuously surging from her mouth, the child realized something and suddenly cried out: "Benefactor! Benefactor!"

It was a girl's voice, probably only Seven Eight Years old.

"I did not come to save you." Shaowei lay on her back in the Grass Bush, her voice low as if muttering to herself: "I just did not want the Thief to disturb my Leisure before death..."

But in the end, she still could not have Leisure; the child's crying grew louder and louder, and she begged Shaowei: "Benefactor, tell Xiao Yu your name; Xiao Yu will erect a monument for Benefactor!"

Shaowei did not answer, but her thoughts unconsciously extended with the girl's words; her Consciousness was already very Confused, and she actually had to think for a moment before remembering her own name; her surname need not be mentioned, her name was Shaowei.

Shaowei, Shaowei.

This was the name her Mother gave her; Mother also gave her a milk name known only to her and Mother, called Qingniang, the Qing of a clear day.

Today happened to be a clear day.

Zhan Zhan, circling beside Shaowei, sensed something and let out a shrill cry, like the crying of a Newborn; accompanying this cry, a snow-white goose-yellow Bird fell beside Shaowei.

Birds, under great fear, may possibly die from their five viscera bursting.

In Shaowei's dispersing Pupils reflected the dazzling Sunlight; in the white expanse, she seemed to hear Zhan Zhan's cry again, and Mother's call.

Mother's voice faded away; suddenly a great wind rose, and all things seemed to be swept up and deformed; as time swiftly passed, countless light-shadow images and speaking voices surged forth, and Shaowei caught some fragmentary information from among them...

Cangwu Commandery King Liu Qi desired to plot rebellion; the gravely ill Ren Emperor, upon hearing this, died suddenly in grief and anger; the Imperial streamer issued one edict after another sent to Cangwu Commandery to punish Liu Qi; Crown Prince Liu Cheng and the Subjects urgently assembled the Suppression Army, but unexpectedly Liu Qi had long since shed his cicada shell and killed his way to Chang'an; several senior ministers and several Royal Clansmen all died at his hands;

Liu Qi entered the capital with only a band of Imperial Guards, destined to be unable to escape; this person who seemed to have a death wish was ultimately executed in a Wilderness outside Chang'an City;

Although Liu Qi died, the Disorder did not cease; Crown Prince Liu Cheng succeeded to the throne, but was unable to suppress the Vassal Kings of the same surname and various Factions; and because of the previous Deposed Crown Prince calamity, the Court's Troops declined, and soon Strife arose everywhere, with common people becoming Refugees...

Shaowei did not know where these chaotic images spanning past and future came from; were they what her Soul saw after death?

But she was not a person concerned with great righteousness for the world; on the contrary, she even hated this world; she had too much resentment and unwillingness, wishing to tear this unjust world to pieces, only not knowing where to start.

Shaowei, who wanted to bite this world to pieces, gritted her teeth hard, opened her eyes Angrily, but was suddenly stunned.

Before her eyes was a Fence enclosing a Sheepfold; outside the Fence, Goose Feather Snow fell thickly.

In a daze, a Lamb baaed twice, bouncing and nudging her shoulder with its head.

Shaowei felt pain, pushed the little sheep away with one hand, stood up, looked at everything around her, and then at her own somewhat tender hands, confused to the extreme.

This was clearly the day she was thrown into the Sheepfold as punishment...

Was it a dream or illusion after death?

The next Instant, Shaowei did not know what she thought of; she suddenly kicked open the wooden Door of the Sheepfold and ran flying into the snow filling the sky.

Shaowei did not bother to distinguish the details; at this moment she had only one thought—

Even in an Illusion, she absolutely did not want Mother to experience death again!

Yes, it is a story of Rebirth (also understandable as the previous life being a dream).

During the new book period, everyone's votes and continued reading are very needed, especially the continued reading data which is very important; so if everyone has time, please trouble yourselves to click on the latest chapter reading every day; I will strive to stabilize updates!

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(End of Chapter)