Chapter 77

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

The house slave's voice was hoarse and calm: "She should be dead."

The girl cradling the injured green ox in one arm saw her gaze darken, almost demanding: "Did you see it with your own eyes?"

The house slave fell silent for a moment, then said: "I did not. When I arrived, there was no one here, only the green ox and bloodstained footprints."

Shaowei glared at him: "Then on what basis do you conclude she's dead!"

The house slave fell silent again briefly, then said: "She once said she would not live past thirty in her fate."

Shaowei immediately retorted: "But her illness was already cured!"

"Not illness." The house slave answered quickly this time, without hesitation or silence: "It's a tribulation, a tribulation destined in her fate."

Shaowei's expression froze on her face for an instant, only to hear the house slave say: "She was different from ordinary people from birth, able to determine people's fortune and misfortune, life and death with her cries and laughter as a child, therefore taken as a disciple by an expert in chaotic times. When that expert first saw her, he spoke a sixteen-character prophecy—"

"Heaven's mechanism draws them together, fortune and misfortune interdependent, no heir in her fate, death at thirty."

The house slave's voice as he repeated it had no fluctuation, his eyes held no fluctuation either, just calmly narrating this prophecy of fate no different from a curse.

And recalling that spring night long ago, sitting on the jade steps with a wine pot, the master who bore this prophecy spoke of it with even more calm than he did now, even with a touch of carefree detachment.

In contrast, the girl before him now was far from carefree. This girl who found it so hard to be carefree heard the curse and asked with mounting anger: "... So she knew long ago she would face this tribulation, yet simply bared her neck for slaughter because of that dogshit prophecy?!"

Her anger was too vast, and rudely transferred onto him: "So you also knew long ago she would be in danger, yet never stayed by her side to guard her!"

"She once said, everyone has their own karma, life and death have their fixed numbers." The house slave spoke calmly, even with a touch of seeking truth from facts: "How she specifically weighed it, I cannot know, but judging from the trampling marks here, even if I were present today, plus you, it would only be accompanying her to death."

"They are numerous and powerful, with fine weapons and crossbows. To resist head-on would only result in both being pierced like hedgehogs and trampled into meat paste. And as far as I know, among these people there are also those versed in Qimen Arrays who can counter her."

"Even if by some fluke she escaped with a remnant life, the calamity still could not be shaken off. She never liked fleeing in a wretched state, doing futile, laborious things, and even more disliked others getting injured and dying for her."

These conjectures could not put Shaowei's mind at ease at all. On the contrary, the more perilous and difficult they sounded, the more she couldn't control herself from imagining Jiang Fu's situation at that time. Tears unknowingly clung to her lower lashes, her voice hoarse: "So you can just rest easy letting her face this encirclement alone!"

The house slave heard a trace of grievance and heartache hidden in this anger that displaced blame. This was actually a child's grievance and heartache born toward an adult.

Only then did he finally speak a thought concerning his own inner stance. He always spoke bluntly and simply, and now was no exception: "Respecting her, obeying her, pleases her more than accompanying her to death."

He is a cryptic eccentric, she is a bright eccentric. Between eccentrics there is naturally a way of getting along suited to eccentrics. This way of getting along never even needed much exchange — one speaks, one acts, that is all.

Only this was not accepted by Shaowei. Everything was too sudden. She abruptly stood up, her tear-filled eyes almost holding resentment: "I hate you!"

She said loudly: "I hate her even more!"

Hate those who don't protect people, hate even more those who don't allow people to protect them!

Hate these seemingly carefree hypocritical adults who act as if life and death can be viewed lightly and transcended, as if only she is a stupid, ignorant, panicked, angry, juvenile trapped beast!

Hated and glared at by those eyes washed especially bright by tears, the house slave was speechless, averting his gaze.

At this moment Mo Li had caught up. Shaowei, holding back tears and gritting her teeth, roughly fished out several ceramic bottles from her bosom and threw them at Mo Li's feet: "You come pull the arrows from the green ox, stop the bleeding, and bandage it!"

When Shaowei left, she already had a bad premonition. Returning to the house, besides taking Zhan Zhan, she also brought the dagger and emergency wound medicine. However, the person most likely to need these medicines in Shaowei's imagination was nowhere to be found at this moment.

"Oh, okay!" These years following Jiang Fu, Mo Li had also accompanied Shaowei in practice. The most basic applying of medicine and bandaging was still no problem, though destined to be rougher, it was enough for an ox.

Shaowei threw down this command, turned and ran searching in all directions.

The house slave followed her, voice low and hoarse: "I've searched within five li in all directions."

But Shaowei simply didn't listen. She searched everywhere, trying to find even a hint of some suggestive mark or clue, best if it could prove Jiang Fu was still alive.

But she only found some scattered bloodstains, and that bamboo staff Jiang Fu would certainly bring when going out.

There was blood on the bamboo staff too. Shaowei gripped it in her hand, continuing forward to search.

Yet nothing more was found before her eyes. Only her mind was full of chaotic images, tangled with countless emotions into a messy tangle. This tangle was washed again and again by tears held back in her mind, as if spreading into a damp, translucent spider web. Strands of spider silk connected, some causes and effects began to become clear.

So she knew long ago about this tribulation. So she sensed this tribulation was right before her eyes... That's why she would say clearly it was still "this long" until the Double Ninth Festival four days later.

Saying she was going out to buy wine, it was probably to investigate. Perhaps she had already discovered something, didn't want to wait for enemies to kill their way to the door, implicating her and more innocent villagers.

Fearful she would notice something amiss midway and come looking, she even lit incense for her, letting her sleep deeply until nightfall.

Truly clean, neat, thorough, and meticulous!

But why... why like this?

Shaowei's eyes finally spilled large tears. She could no longer question with more profound, more layered words. She could only ask wildly and unreasonably in her heart: why like this.

Gripping that bamboo staff in her hand, she knelt powerlessly in the withered grass bushes before the mountain, head raised. Round tear after round tear surged silently, angrily from her eye sockets.

What she saw looking up was a gray-blue night, a silver-white moon. Reflected through eyes and lashes full of tears, they blended into a layer of green before the mountain. That green was extremely like the phantom of Jiang Fu's clothes.

Wind passed, tears fell. Before that touch of green vanished completely, it was as if that green-robed person casually waved a sleeve, yet thereby cleaved a chasm. The green robe hid on the other side of the chasm. A lone girl in vermilion and white knelt on this side of the chasm, quietly gazing at that ten-thousand-zhang Abyss.

Seeing she had finally quieted down, the house slave walked to her side and said: "Everyone has their fate, and their own path to walk. You two's master-disciple karma is exhausted. Matters here are settled. There's no need to be attached anymore."

Shaowei quietly looked at the great mountain ahead. Her voice no longer held the surging emotions from before, only asking: "Is this what she told you to say?"

"Mm." The house slave continued: "I've already scouted the road. I can take you away safely, and can also erase your connection with her, ensuring you won't be implicated in the future. You want to be a wandering hero, right? I'll see you a stretch of the way."

Shaowei no longer needed to ask. She also knew these matters were certainly Jiang Fu's arrangements. And the reason the house slave had been gone so long these days was presumably to arrange these escape routes.

Karma exhausted, words spoken to this point. It seemed already cut cleanly and thoroughly.

And as early as when they first met, the two had agreed that one day they would part with a clean break, owing nothing to each other. Today was merely the day to fulfill that promise. Although this day came somewhat suddenly, the method somewhat incomplete.

Not to mention, Jiang Fu had repeatedly said three orders and five injunctions not to avenge her. Now she even had the house slave convey this "everyone has their fate, karma exhausted." If Shaowei still "persisted shamelessly" searching for her or seeking revenge, it would be utterly without face or dignity.

And Shaowei has always been someone who cares deeply about face and dignity.

Seeing Shaowei silent, the house slave spoke at the right moment, extending a hand: "Get up. I'll send you away."

Shaowei did not respond to that hand. She stood up on her own, turned and left.

She gripped that bamboo staff in her hand. No longer rushing frantically, she walked in silence all the way, arriving before the green ox and Mo Li.

Mo Li had already treated Qing Niu's wounds, pulled out the crossbow bolts on its back, applied medicine to the severed limbs, and bandaged them according to Shaowei's instructions.

It was just that Shaowei had given him medicine but not bandaging materials, so he sourced them on the spot, cutting and tearing his own robe into strips; the originally intact lower robe became disheveled, and when he stood up it looked like ragged fringes swaying in the wind.

Qing Niu lay in the grass bush panting rough breaths, its gentle pure large eyes watching Shaowei, blinking with its breathing, carrying a sheen of tears.

So Shaowei naturally said: "They hurt Qing Niu, I want to avenge it."

The young girl's voice and words in this wilderness carried an indescribable innocent absurdity.

She actually said she would avenge a cow.

She looked at Qing Niu, the innocent words from her mouth determined and fierce: "I will find that person, first chop off one of his arms, and furthermore repay it ten times a hundred times over."

Shaowei had no intention of consulting anyone's opinion on this absurd conduct; she finished speaking and immediately raised her head, looking at the household slave, her already tearless eyes exceptionally calm: "I don't need you to escort me, you can go."

Then, she similarly said to Mo Li: "He said Jiang Fu is dead, you can go too."

"Oh..." Mo Li subconsciously nodded, turned and left in a daze, but his footsteps were not as sharp and light as usual.

He walked about ten steps like this, Mo Li scratched his head, then suddenly ran back.

He looked at Shaowei and said: "I remembered something, the Head of Household once told me, if she dies one day, I become her legacy, and must follow you closely!"

Shaowei asked irritably: "Based on what?"

She and her master-disciple bond had already ended, based on what did she still have to help her raise this damn legacy gluttonous raccoon cat!

Mo Li answered very straightforwardly: "Based on you managing me, not bullying me, not letting me starve! Just based on these!"

This logic of confused cause and effect made Shaowei's brows furrow deeply.

And Mo Li had already knelt with a thump, kowtowed to her, and declared his allegiance then and there: "From now on, you are Mo Li's Young Master!"

One cannot reason with Mo Li; Shaowei glanced at Qing Niu and said: "Then do a task for me."

Mo Li nodded like pounding garlic, signaling for her to command.

"I have business to attend to, you stay and watch Qing Niu, find a nearby sheltered spot, change its medicine and move it." Shaowei said seriously: "If it survives it's its fortune, and also your merit. If it dies from severe wounds, you bury it, not allowed to eat it."

"Oh, okay!" Mo Li agreed, and didn't forget to ask the question he cared about most: "Then what do we eat?"

Shaowei: "It eats grass, you eat mountain fruits and rabbits, it's still autumn now, you won't starve."

"Okay!" Mo Li agreed, then asked another: "Then when are you coming back, what if the fruits and rabbits run out?"

Such a "long-term" question was not something Mo Li could usually ask; he normally does one thing and only does that thing, never considering afterwards.

He seems to fundamentally not understand what is sorrow and sadness; hearing Jiang Fu died, he also had no reaction worth mentioning.

But at this moment he would actively ask when Shaowei would return; behind this is probably the anxiety and unease brought by Jiang Fu's departure, just this thread of emotion is buried very deep, even he himself cannot articulate it.

Noticing this thread of unease in Mo Li, Shaowei looked at him for a moment and said: "Before that I will return; if I don't return, you go to Runan Commandery to find me."

As for why Runan Commandery, this was already not a question Mo Li would pursue; he got a definite answer and agreed with peace of mind.

Shaowei did not plan to go to Runan Commandery; only because in her memory Runan Commandery had the most extensive and numerous grain fields, Mo Li going there, whether begging or thieving, should not easily starve to death.

The household slave had been standing in place without moving or speaking; Shaowei also no longer spoke more with him; she already had a decision in her heart, arranged Mo Li and Qing Niu, and left along the road she came.

Past the Zi hour, night was thick, faint moonlight sprinkled the wilderness, night wind brushed the waist-high wild grass, and also lifted the red vermilion silk ribbon the walking girl used to bind her hair among the tall wild grass.

Heaven and earth were dim, moonlight also pale; only that obstinate-looking red-and-white back figure was a vivid striking existence, in the night wind like a Zhuque Bird spreading wings and departing.

She strode through grass with large steps, fearless and doubtless, as if following a near-stubborn, primal, unadaptable, straight-line animal method of pouncing to kill and seek vengeance.

The household slave watched that back figure, and a voice suddenly rang in his heart — no need to enter the Jianghu, at this moment she is already a xiake with very independent character.

The household slave's feet suddenly moved, chasing through wind.

Shaowei sensed the Grey Shadow approaching from behind; she stopped and simultaneously drew the short knife from her waist rear, as she turned back she gripped the knife at her body side, eyes fierce and cold: "Don't block the way."

This brand-new xiake looked ready to strike at any moment.

The household slave said sincerely: "Not blocking the way, wanting to travel together."

He said: "I thought it over, also want to avenge Qing Niu."

Four eyes met, silence for a moment, Shaowei asked: "Are you also very familiar with Qing Niu?"

Household slave: "Some friendship, more or less."

Looking at these eyes, Shaowei vaguely understood.

He probably also promised a very detestable person that he would not seek vengeance for her.

He probably also harbors a sliver of hope, thinking that person might still be alive.

Shaowei turned silently, household slave quickened pace to catch up, the two walked side by side.

"Do you know who they are?" Shaowei, already on the road, only now got to ask this question.