The wind and snow showed no signs of stopping, their howling echoes filling the small room. Pale moonlight filtered through the paper window, casting a faint glow on the wooden frame and reflecting in the young man’s eyes.
Xu Songhe couldn’t tell if there was any other emotion in his gaze. All she knew was that he truly had no intention of helping her—he seemed incapable of feeling pity for anyone.
She fell silent, trying her best not to let her chattering teeth bite her tongue. Her eyes darted to the gleaming dagger on the floor.
She bent down several times, but each attempt failed. The chains were too short and bound her too tightly. She was terrified of the pain, so she dared not make any sudden movements.
“Young Master Qi… could you… pick up the dagger for me?”
From the moment the soldiers had burst into the room and taken her, they had been calling his name, “Qi Wuyang.” That was how she had learned it.
A hint of disdain flickered in Qi Wuyang’s eyes. “You expect to use that to cut the chains?”
Xu Songhe shook her head. As she spoke, tears streamed down her cheeks, making her look even more pitiful in the moonlight. “I know I’m doomed. Instead of suffering a slow death from the cold, I’d rather end it myself. But I know a young master like you would never stoop to fighting a defenseless woman. Please, just give me the knife. Even in heaven, I will be grateful to you.”
Silence fell over the room.
Qi Wuyang fixed her with a deep stare before bending down to retrieve the dagger.
Xu Songhe turned her head, trying to stretch her numb neck. Her gaze swept over the two men tied up nearby, and her pupils shrank. “Young Master, watch out! They’re going to attack!”
Without even looking up, Qi Wuyang casually swept a curved blade of spiritual energy into the air as he picked up the dagger.
The spell’s aftershock alone was devastating—he had clearly shown no mercy. Xu Songhe couldn’t recall her exact feelings in that moment; she only remembered her heart racing so wildly it felt as if it would burst from her chest.
She shifted her body, placing her bound hands beneath the lingering glow of the spiritual energy. Closing her eyes, she left her fate to the heavens.
*Snap. Snap. The chains shattered simultaneously.
Her legs finally shot free. Xu Songhe collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. The stray hairs on her forehead, soaked with cold sweat, clung limply to her face.
Her arms had been tied for so long they could no longer support her weight, and her legs were too weak to stand. She shifted, kneeling on the floor, and braced herself before daring to look up and meet his gaze.
The mockery in Qi Wuyang’s eyes vanished instantly. A smile touched his lips as he studied her with a completely different expression.
Moonlight shimmered in her eyes. Her gaze was so clear, devoid of greed, malice, or any other dark thought. She just wanted to live.
She was unlike anyone he had ever met after his mother’s death. Everyone else had shunned him like a venomous snake. Yet she—she had actually hoped he would save her, even pleading to follow him.
“Yo… Young Master, I didn’t mean to deceive you,” Xu Songhe said. Her eyes met his for a split second before she lowered her head, too guilty to look at him. “I really saw their ropes loosen just now. Maybe… maybe I was mistaken…”
She spoke cautiously, unsure if he would believe her or if her warning would provoke his anger, leading him to kill her.
“How interesting,” Qi Wuyang remarked. He caught her tentative glance and suddenly smiled. “You’re so afraid of me now. Yet wasn’t it just a moment ago that you insisted on following me?”
Xu Songhe froze. Right… why am I afraid of him?
Just a moment ago, she had been filled with hope—hope that the first person she met in this world would save her, hope that she could stay by his side, find protection, and survive.
“No one around me ever killed anyone, and I’ve never seen so much blood,” Xu Songhe replied honestly, kneeling on the ground.
This time, she had found the courage to look up and meet his gaze. “So, it’s normal that I was scared the first time I saw you kill. But I’m not afraid anymore.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.” She truly didn’t. Sometimes, feelings just happened.
He seemed to find it just as baffling. He frowned slightly, lost in thought.
Before he could speak again, Xu Songhe looked at him, her eyes filled with hope and a faint, barely noticeable trace of fear. “Can I follow you from now on?”
She didn’t know what kind of scent she had been tainted with, nor did she know how to remove it—she had smelled herself many times and couldn’t detect anything. But after offending that father and son from the Sect today, they would definitely send people to capture her in the future.
He was the only one who shared her enemies. She had no choice but to follow him.
Qi Wuyang didn’t answer her question. Instead, he asked, “Weren’t you afraid of me killing people? I won’t stop killing just because you’re scared.”
“I was only scared the first time,” Xu Songhe corrected him.
All her previous terror had vanished, and she spoke to him with the same familiarity as she had a few days ago. “Besides, you didn’t even do anything. It was those unreasonable people who came looking for trouble. If I’m afraid of anyone, it’s them.”
Qi Wuyang didn’t react much, his eyes half-lidded as he returned to the first question. “You say you want to follow me. The outside world might be crawling with Flowing Cloud Sect members right now. Where do you think we should go?”
Did he just… agree? Xu Songhe studied him, thinking, Finally, we’ve come to this question.
Without a moment’s hesitation, she answered, “I think we should go to a tailor first, regardless of who’s trying to catch us.”
“What for?”
“To buy you some clothes, of course,” Xu Songhe said, blinking as she boldly stared at the thin red robe he was wearing, cinched with a jade belt. “I noticed it the moment you walked in. Aren’t you cold dressed like that?”
Qi Wuyang paused, caught off guard by her answer. He even doubted if he had heard her correctly. A flicker of a change crossed his expression.
She didn’t notice the subtle change in his expression, continuing to chatter away beside him. “If it’s too risky for you to show your face, I can wear a mask—look, there’s one right here. I’ll borrow it, and once we’ve bought the clothes, I’ll put it back…”
The sound of galloping horses outside cut her off.
A group of swordsmen dismounted, quickly surrounding the building. The street, already sparse, was soon deserted as the few remaining pedestrians fled to their homes, locking doors and windows in a panic.
“Those are the ones who attacked the Sect Leader! Seize them and bring them back for questioning!”
Snow sloughed off the eaves, piling up in front of the door until it reached nearly knee-deep.
Xu Songhe instinctively gripped the corner of the young man’s robe, looking up at him imploringly. “We have to go. They’re about to break in.”
She watched his face closely, terrified he might vanish if she let her guard down for even a second. Her grip tightened.
Qi Wuyang glanced down, his gaze lingering on her hand, where her knuckles were white from the tension.
“Please, don’t leave me alone,” Xu Songhe pleaded. Then, a sudden thought struck her.
She snatched the dagger from the floor, her voice trembling. “There are so many of them… Can you fight them off? If you can’t, we have to run—but then again, where would we even go?”
Before she could even finish speaking, a hand suddenly hooked around her waist, and her feet left the ground. She found herself suspended in mid-air.
This feels nothing like being chained, Xu Songhe thought. Almost makes me wonder if I’ve learned a spell and can fly now.
The roof above them suddenly shattered. The men outside barely caught a glimpse of two figures flashing across the sky before they vanished from sight.
Inside the building, the two men tied to wooden chairs struggled violently. The scraping of the chair legs against the floor drew the rest of the swordsmen’s attention.
The leader, wrapped in a cloak that was a size too large for him, rushed forward. He slashed the ropes, fell to his knees, and bowed with his hands cupped. “Forgive me, Father. I arrived too late, and now both you and Zixun have suffered.”
He patted his father’s back, his voice heavy. “Do not worry. That devil couldn’t have gone far. I’ll send men to bring him back immediately, and I will avenge you.”
“There is no need,” Zhuo Bufan said, raising a hand to stop him. His face was pale, perhaps from being bound for so long, and his expression was clouded with worry.
He let out a long sigh. “All these years, I thought our disciples were well-trained and more than capable of capturing him. I see now that I completely underestimated him.”
“I’m fine,” Zhuo Bufan said as he stood up, glaring at Zhuo Zixun with frustration.
“Zimo, check your brother’s injuries.”
“Injuries? Zixun, you’re hurt?” Zhuo Zimo frowned and pulled back his brother’s sleeve without waiting for an answer.
Surrounded by the men standing in a circle, Zhuo Zixun felt like a monkey on display.
Unable to bear the humiliation, he yanked his arm away and took two steps back. “Father is lying! I’m not hurt at all!”
“Do you care more about your life or your pride?”
Zhuo Zixun was stunned by the scolding. After a moment, he reluctantly walked back and lifted his sleeve for his father.
Zhuo Zimo’s expression changed. “Father, this is…”
The sun that had been on the back of Zixun’s hand had faded. When Zimo pressed it, the color transferred to his own fingers.
It wasn’t a curse at all—just a drawing made with spiritual energy.
How dare someone treat my brother with such disrespect… Zhuo Zimo gripped his sword, his eyes flashing with fury as he stared at the footprints in the snow.
Such a shameful insult cannot go unpunished. Today, I will capture that devil, Qi Wuyang, no matter what.
***
The sea of clouds beneath her feet gradually cleared. Xu Songhe stood on the snowy ground, feeling as if she were stepping on a giant wad of cotton candy.
The man who had broken her out of the encirclement placed her gently on the ground, then turned and walked away without waiting for her to follow.
Xu Songhe hurried after him, gazing blankly at her surroundings. The land was barren, with only a few shrubs peeking out from under the snow.
The System’s triumphant voice echoed in her mind. [Host, see? I told you your future husband would definitely come to save you!]
Xu Songhe thought about it and found the timing rather coincidental. “Is it actually true?” she murmured. “Could he really be my future husband?”
The System replied, […Absolutely, without a doubt!]
So you never believed me!
But how could she? It had been so long, yet she hadn’t heard a single notification from the Affection Meter.
Who knew if the system had identified the wrong person?
“Husband,” she called out as she caught up with him, “where are we going?”
Qi Wuyang stopped abruptly.
When he turned to face her, a playful smile touched his lips. “I just cursed that man in front of you. I’m curious—what do you think of that?”