Chapter 51

The winter of Qi was also my first winter after arriving in ancient times, and it finally came. The imperial garden, after all, being a royal garden, could not possibly have all its flowers wither; only withered branches and roots remained.

However, the earth, temporarily lacking much color and life, after all lost much vigor. It seemed as if everyone around wore a faint loneliness and sorrow, and a vague hope for spring.

In such a desolate and lonely season, I finally received news about Bu Sha.

His promise to come find me a month after leaving had always been neither near nor far, seeming to suddenly become imminent, yet at this moment I received a wanted notice issued from Yin State, circulated throughout the heavens and the continent——

The former top assassin of the Cold Moon Sect—Bu Sha—night‑attacked Yin's Fourth Prince Yin Ziheng and seized the Azure Dragon Stone. The foremost courtesan of Jiangnan—Su Wanrou—was Yin Ziheng's beloved confidante; she took a sword from Bu Sha to save him, suffering grave injuries, her fate still unknown. In his fury, Yin Ziheng swore an oath: whoever could kill Bu Sha and reclaim the Azure Dragon Stone would be granted the Looking‑over‑River Pavilion on Wolong Street.

The news was brought back by Wu Ye from outside; I, feeling somewhat vexed, held Xiao Yin and returned to Luoying Gong. Upon entering my room, my steps suddenly halted.

I quickly turned and blocked Wu Ye, Xin Hui, and Xin Luo outside the door, suppressing my trembling voice to feign calm: "You all go rest first; today I want to be alone……"

"Miss, can Xin Luo not sleep with you?"

I lowered my head and touched his cool cheek; he, like me, feared the cold. I reluctantly shoved the unwilling Xiao Yin into his arms and apologized: "Sorry, Xin Luo, tonight really isn't possible."

Xin Hui asked nothing, thoughtfully pulling Xin Luo into her own embrace and smiling: "Then Miss, please rest well."

Having said that, I turned to leave, only to discover Wu Ye still standing there, his gaze icy, dead‑locked on me, causing me to freeze in my steps.

I swallowed with difficulty, hesitating: "Wu Ye, you all go rest first; tonight…… I'll be fine."

Since that assassination attempt, Wu Ye has hardly ever left my side; at night, after I sleep, he also guards the outer room, while Xin Hui and Xin Luo often sleep with me.

"As you wish." Wu Ye gave me a cold glance; as his eyes swept the room, a flash of killing intent appeared, then he turned and softly uttered two words: "Master."

Watching them leave, my irritation grew, accompanied by a faint guilt and unease. I gave a bitter smile, closed the door, turned, almost cried out, hurriedly composed myself, and snapped resentfully: "Bu Sha, must you appear like a ghost every time?"

Bu Sha glanced at me coldly, sat down beside the carved desk, and there on his arm resting on the desk was a shocking wound.

I let out an "Ah—", hurried over, gently grasped his arm, and, feeling both vexed and pained, scolded: "What on earth is wrong with you? Must you always reduce yourself to such a sorry state? And you're even wanted across the heavens and the continent……

"It's fine." He uttered a bland sentence that cut me off; hearing his indifferent tone, it was clear this was nothing new to him.

I rummaged through chests and cabinets for the various ointments bestowed by Wei Lingfeng, then tore a clean black cloth for a bandage, bustling about for half a day before finishing. I frowned and asked: "Your martial arts are so high—why do you still get hurt? Also, what's with this wanted notice, and the Azure Dragon Stone? Did you steal it?"

Bu Sha shook his head: "The Azure Dragon Stone is in Yin Ziheng's hands."

"Is he framing you?" I snarled through gritted teeth, "This hypocritical bastard! Su Wanrou—did you really wound her?"

Bu Sha nodded, his tone indifferent: "Yin Ziheng framed me; I had intended to kill him and retake the Azure Dragon Stone, but that woman took a blade for him. Seeing that the time agreed with you was approaching, I gave up."

I let out a sigh, feeling desolate, and said: "So it turns out the person Su Wanrou loves is indeed the Fourth Prince! What a pity for such an ice‑clear, clever, devoted woman—she may end up trusting the wrong person. Bu Sha, I always feel Yin Ziheng is not simple." My tone shifted, my expression growing grave: "He ostensibly indulges in mountains and waters, neglecting state affairs, yet secretly he is the master of the Looking‑over‑River Pavilion, personally controlling an establishment most suited for openly gathering information and recruiting talent from across the world."

According to you, the Azure Dragon Stone should be something everyone fights over; Yin State possesses it, so why isn't it in the hands of the crown prince or the third prince, who are likely to inherit the throne, but instead given to him, a prince disinterested in power?

Bu Sha looked at me, his eyes gradually flashing with understanding and solemn light.

I gave a cold smile and continued: "Do you still remember Qi Ran's father—the Ice Ling King's strategy? He clearly intended to help Qi Ran ascend the throne, yet he deliberately put his elder brother forward as a sacrificial pawn to draw all attention onto Xiao Qixuan. Now hardly anyone in any state is optimistic about Yin State, for once the Yin king dies, Yin State will surely fragment due to internal strife. But I suddenly realized that the Yin king…… might be using exactly this method."

Bu Sha nodded, brows furrowed, glanced at me, and said lightly: "Don't worry about these."

I curled my lips and sneered: "If it weren't for him framing you, I wouldn't bother with these at all. Anyway, just be careful from now on; don't, in such a critical period, still fear that others won't know you're Bu Sha, swaggering about outside every day and constantly being hunted—that's no pleasant experience. Not mentioning that wanted notice, the mere fact that you bear the Black Tortoise and Azure Dragon holy stones is enough to draw the pursuit of the entire world. An innocent man incurs guilt by carrying a precious jade!"

Bu Sha lightly nodded, as he withdrew his hand after tying the bandage, his touch on the back of my hand made him faintly frown: "You're very afraid of the cold?"

I nodded, somewhat helplessly: "Because my hometown rarely has such a cold season, I'm not yet used to it."

Seeing him reach out to take my hand, I hastily pulled back and glared at him resentfully: "Your hands are freezing year‑round, like a corpse's—almost as cold as iced summer; in winter, just forget about warming up!"

Bu Sha's expression unchanged, he seized my hand and enveloped it entirely in his large palm; his innate icy chill seeped through his fingers, and I couldn't help but shiver, about to curse.

Suddenly a gentle warm current flowed from the back of my hand, gradually filling my entire palm, seeping in bit by bit, and my body actually began to warm up slowly.

Only Bu Sha's clear, cold voice sounded: "Where does your internal energy come from?"

"Probably…… most of it is from Qi Ran, plus a small part from you and Wei Lingfeng." I enjoyed the warm current trickling through my body, tilting my head and said: "Back then, didn't I lure the blood parasite from Qi Ran's body? Some unknown bastard stabbed me, I fell off a cliff, luckily a hot current swept me into a cave where Xiao Yin saved me. Later I met Wu Ye and unintentionally saved Wei Lingfeng; coincidentally, he too happened to have a blood parasite, so I thought I'd give it a go and draw his parasite into myself as well. I never expected I'd be incredibly lucky—the two blood parasites interacted, not only neutralizing the poison, but my internal energy also gained yours and the three of yours, and even my damaged appearance was restored."

Bu Sha was slightly moved, tightened his grip on my hand a bit more, and said softly: "Sit on the bed."

"What for?"

Seeing he obviously had no intention to explain, I somewhat unwillingly withdrew my hand from the warm current, sat perplexedly on the bed's edge, and watched Bu Sha also walk over slowly and sit on the bed.

He spoke coldly: "Turn around. Sit cross‑legged."

"Oh." I obediently sat up, feeling his palms press against my back; a warm current trickled in from my Shentang and Xinyu acupoints, slowly spreading throughout my body.

Gradually, an unknown current within my body began to stir, my limbs shifting from warm to scorching, slowly turning painful.

Beads of fine sweat appeared on my forehead, my whole body trembling from a sore‑numb ache, unable to stop myself from leaning forward, trying to escape the source of pain.

"Bu…… Sha, so…… so…… painful……" My voice mixed with painful moans, I whispered.

"Don't move." Bu Sha's voice, usually clear, now sounded weak and hoarse: "It'll be fine soon."

The incoming current from behind gradually weakened, then suddenly surged forth like a sword, piercing straight through. I felt my whole body convulse with pain, almost screaming, but I finally bit my lip and endured.

The warm current condensed in the internal energy surrounding me, guiding it to slowly diffuse throughout my body; the hands supporting my back from behind finally withdrew, and I went limp, collapsing backward into Bu Sha's embrace.

Throughout my body circulated a vital energy several times smoother than before, merging seamlessly with hardly any gaps.

Fine beads of sweat clung to my eyelashes; through the mist I saw Wu Ye weakly leaning against the bed's edge, his face pale, his forehead damp with more sweat than mine, and I couldn't help but feel moved, yet also a bit warm‑hearted.

"Did you…… open my Eight Extraordinary Meridians?" After calming, I asked with a still‑weak voice.

Bu Sha startled, shook his head, and said: "No, I merely dispersed the stagnant qi in your body to all the acupoints. I cannot open the Eight Extraordinary Meridians; later, when you meet Qi, you can ask him to help."

"Later…… when I meet Qi……" I murmured his words, revealing a hint of bitter smile.

The person above had been silent for a long time, even his breath barely audible. A sense of fatigue gradually welled up; I could barely keep my heavy eyelids open, and on the verge of fading consciousness I seemed to hear Bu Sha's clear yet worried voice echoing in my ears.

"If you refuse to acknowledge that you are Bingyi, then it's better for you to remain unseen……."

When I woke in the morning I found myself covered with a brocade quilt, my whole body curled in Bu Sha's embrace. His arms still held lingering warmth; my nose tingled, I couldn't tell what I was feeling—had he been circulating internal energy all night to keep me warm?

I pulled the quilt into my arms, looked at Bu Sha as he fastened the straps on his legs, and asked: "Bu Sha, what are your plans from now on?"

Bu Sha's motion paused, then he finished fastening, rose to his feet, and said coldly: "I need to verify something in Qi State."

I stared, astonished: "What matter?"

Bu Sha indifferently shook his head: "I'll tell you in two days."

"And the four holy stones? Aren't you looking for them?"

Bu Sha glanced at me, pondered for a while, then said: "No need to search; in three months they will all gather here, the four holy stones as well."

"Three months later? Why?"

Bu Sha gave me the look one gives an idiot, as if glancing at me was nothing out of the ordinary, then said in a flat voice: "In three months is your empress‑appointing ceremony. The states of Yin and Yao will certainly send representatives…"

"Ah!" I cried out, jumping up from the pile of blankets, kneeling on the bed, clutching my head in pain as I shouted, "I actually forgot about this! Yin and Yao will also send representatives? It's over—doesn't that mean that pervert Fu Junmo will come too?"

"Do you know the Yao crown prince?"

I nodded blankly, meeting Bu Sha's slightly doubtful gaze, then nervously said: "Bu Sha, during the three months leading up to the empress‑appointing ceremony, you must help me guard Xin Luo—the little boy who stays by my side—don't let anyone kidnap him!"

Bu Sha neither shook nor nodded his head, only said in his usual cold tone: "Then just keep him by your side."

"Huh?" What do you mean? I'm asking you to protect him, not me protecting him!

Just as I was about to ask again, Bu Sha glanced at me and silently uttered two words: "Idiot."

Then he flung the door open, without looking back said, "I'll be back tonight." Having said that, he vanished outside the door as if he had flown away.

"Damn it!" I couldn't help but stare at the door, cursing in my heart, "You cold‑blooded killer, does helping me even kill you? You don't explain things clearly, yet you dare call me an idiot! Coming and going as you please—do you think this place is a hotel? At least you'd have to pay!"

"Miss… Miss." Xin Hui, who had just come in early in the morning, happened to see my face full of vicious curses, and couldn't help but ask curiously, "What's wrong? You look as angry as if someone owed you tens of thousands of taels of silver."

I kicked off the blankets and jumped out of bed, resentfully saying: "Xin Hui, you're wrong—it's not tens of thousands of taels, but hundreds of millions of taels!"

"Miss, how much is hundreds of millions of taels?"

As soon as I stepped out of the room, I felt a bit uneasy, afraid that Wu Ye would get angry again because of yesterday's incident. But remarkably, he still followed me closely as usual, never leaving my side.

He showed no icy anger; when I asked him questions, he answered as usual, but his gaze often drifted elsewhere, unwilling to meet mine—he was probably still angry.

Still, I was already relieved by his reaction today, after all, last night I was the one who acted unreasonably and didn't trust them.

Today passed just as uneventfully as ever; I separately saw Yan Jing and Qian Qian.

Yan Jing also gave me a pair of gorgeous gloves adorned with feathers, which were worlds apart from the crude, shoddy handicraft Xiao Yu used to make; I sighed, then immediately put on a delighted expression and accepted them. What a cold winter! They came in handy just in time.

Come night, I didn't eat dinner, had Xin Hui bring the hot food into my room, and stubbornly insisted on sleeping alone.

Xin Hui dragged the pouting Xin Luo, who had been sulking all day, into her arms and carried him away. I glanced at the indifferent Wu Ye for a moment, was about to turn and go inside, when my right hand was suddenly seized.

"What's wrong, Wu Ye?" I asked, astonished, looking at his warm, dry, slightly rough hand holding mine.

A flicker of bewilderment crossed his eyes; he slowly let go, and after the warmth came a creeping chill. He turned his face away and said, "It's nothing, my lord—get some rest early."

"Oh." I turned and shut the door, somewhat bewildered, and looking back I indeed saw Bu Sha already seated calmly before the food tray, his eyes downcast, not touching his chopsticks.

I ladled a bowl of fermented rice ball soup, was about to savor it slowly, but when I looked up I saw Bu Sha frowning deeply in thought, with no intention of eating at all.

Poor me, I had no choice but to get up resignedly, ladle another bowl for him, and say irritably: "Bu Sha, sir, if you just want to starve yourself to death, please don't do it in my room!"

Bu Sha lifted his head, his tightly knit brows easing slightly, took the bowl from my hand, and ate a few mouthfuls hastily.

Naturally, I also couldn't be bothered to keep an eye on him, and just ate my own meal.

"Is it… fermented floral brew?"

I nodded and teased, "You only figured it out now?" Though my smile carried a faint bitterness I hadn't noticed before.

Bu Sha set down the empty bowl and calmly said, "It's not as tasty as Qi Ran makes."

I really felt like smashing the bowl over the head of the world's top assassin—does he have to keep bringing up sore points?

Bu Sha's face suddenly turned pale; he clutched his chest, doubled over, and even his spine twitched.

"Bu Sha, what's wrong with you?" I exclaimed, my bowl still unsmashed.

Not far outside the house, a flurry of orderly footsteps suddenly sounded; my heart clenched, a restless agitation surged through my body, and an ominous foreboding struck my mind.

The door was pushed open, and I gazed at Wei Lingfeng in his splendid robes, his crystal‑clear fair fingers lightly touching the door as he strode into the room.

Outside the door, dense ranks of palace guards and the Imperial Forest Army surrounded the place in layers.

Wei Lingfeng's face still bore his usual gentle, indulgent smile, and his eyes looking at me shone with a faint pity and a water‑like tenderness.

Bu Sha slowly straightened his body to look at him, his face as pale as paper, a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. His whole body trembled; he had no strength left to grip his sword, yet the black eyes fixed on Wei Lingfeng remained icy and clear as ever.

Wei Lingfeng glanced at Bu Sha as if it were no surprise, then his warm yet emotionless gaze fell on me, and he spoke softly: "Bingyi, your mission is complete—come back to my side."

My whole body shuddered violently, a piercing cold seeping into my bones, leaving my limbs numb and aching.

Have I been… used? I actually, was used by Wei Lingfeng to harm Bu Sha?

I clenched my jaws so tight that a hot, tingling sensation seeped between my teeth; the voice that emerged sounded not like mine, yet I heard it in my ears, calm and deliberate, asking syllable by syllable: "You… how did you administer the poison?"

"How would I know?" Wei Lingfeng smiled gently as he walked to my side, his crystal‑clear fingers, seeming to hold a melt‑of‑light, brushed my cheek with a faint warmth, saying, "Everything here… isn't it all prepared by Bingyi… your people?"

I shuddered all over, turned my head sharply to avoid his fingertips, stepped back a stare, and coldly said: "Wei Lingfeng, you're ruthless!"

A fleeting, complex, inscrutable expression flickered in Wei Lingfeng's eyes; he lifted his gaze from my face to Bu Sha, who had remained silent, and smiled faintly: "Bu Sha, the world's top assassin."

Bu Sha gripped his sword with one hand and braced the other on the table's edge; his icy gaze held no flicker, steadily assessing Wei Lingfeng.

"I've tried every means to capture you, yet instead you ended up killing Ye Chengyu." Wei Lingfeng spoke in an even, composed tone, as if discussing something trivial, "I never expected you would, for… my wife, come to me of your own accord."

"She is not your wife." Bu Sha said coldly, then his body jerked violently and a mouthful of blood spurted from his throat.

"Bu Sha!" I cried out, catching him, my middle and index fingers naturally landing on his pulse, and I couldn't help but startle.

Wei Lingfeng narrowed his eyes dangerously, his voice turning cold: "It seems dragging this out with you only gives you time to force the poison out of your system. I actually still underestimated you."

Wei Lingfeng waved his left hand, about to speak, but Bu Sha spoke first: "I'll go with you."

Wei Lingfeng raised an eyebrow at him, lowered his raised hand, and looked at him with a leisurely, cold smile, as if eyeing prey already in his grasp.

"Bu Sha!" I yanked his sleeve hard and shouted, "Are you crazy? With half the poison already forced out, you should be able to walk—hurry up and leave! Why stay here, to be flayed alive?"

Bu Sha looked at me, his icy gaze softening gradually: "I happen to have something I need to ask him as well."

The corner of Wei Lingfeng's smile hardened coldly, his eyes locked on me, and he said in a low voice laced with killing intent: "You're so certain he'll believe the poison wasn't yours?"

Suddenly, Qi Ran's peerless visage flashed in my mind; imagining him saying those words to Bu Sha with a resolute yet lonely expression, my heart ached beyond endurance.

I slowly turned my head, looked at Wei Lingfeng, and said calmly and coldly: "For him to believe I betrayed him, he'd have to be dead."

Qi Ran… so this is how you view our three‑way relationship? No trust or distrust, no suspicion of betrayal—only eternal guardianship, support, and sharing life and death.

Because we three are— the Wu You team!

Bu Sha's lips curled slightly, he tossed aside the black blade in his hand, and said softly: "I'll come back."

"Don't be naive!" I grabbed his sleeve and wouldn't let go, "You killed someone's premier—how could he just let you come back like that? Bu Sha, you really think you're Superman, with an immortal body..."

Bu Sha, expression indifferent, extended a finger and tapped my Zhongfu acupoint; my whole body immediately went numb as if shocked, unable to move even a bit.

Clearly my mute point wasn't sealed, yet my trembling lips couldn't make a sound; I watched helplessly as he pried open my five fingers, glanced at me lightly, and walked over to Wei Lingfeng's side.

Immediately two guards entered the doorway and roughly seized the already weak him, twisting his arms behind his back.

"Bu Sha, you bastard!" My hoarse voice finally burst out with an uncontrollable sob, "Why do you two both like one person shouldering everything? Do you think I don't know you surrendered just to avoid dragging me down?"

Bu Sha's originally frosty face gradually showed a complex expression; he lifted his head, his black eyes seeming to carry a sorrow accumulated over a thousand years and a lingering dread, looking at me he said coldly, "One person shouldering everything… Bing Yi, you… it's no different."

I stood there stunned, unable to utter a word.

Wei Lingfeng seemed to have said something more, but all I heard in my ears was that buzzing, and I couldn't take in anything else.

(End of chapter)