The festive atmosphere was still remarkably strong on the Demonic Cult’s side. Even as Ji Mian followed the main troop away, bright red lanterns continued to hang along the streets, and unsold New Year goods remained on the small stalls, as if time had frozen and the holiday had not yet ended.
Ji Mian’s rare moment of leisure drew to a close amidst this hasty turmoil of war and assassination.
Their procession made a grand exit down the main boulevard of the capital city. Watching the commoners who peeked out to watch the commotion, their ignorant eyes holding a kind of pure clarity, she could not help but let out a soft sigh.
Although the Demonic Cult was not considered part of the orthodox righteous sects, the people within their main city truly lived in peace and contentment, having even grown somewhat oblivious to the hardships of the outside world.
During the later plot arc involving the encirclement and suppression of the cult, numerous cities belonging to the Demonic Cult would suffer brutal massacres. How many ordinary people would end up becoming victims of violence at the hands of those righteous figures?
Before departure, Jian Xiyan had unlocked the treasury of the Jinyinxian Pavilion, pulling Ji Mian inside to choose a set of protective armor.
Ji Mian currently possessed almost no martial prowess. The light armor was worn underneath; because of its thin and light texture, it was nonetheless impervious to swords and spears. It was unknown what material it was forged from, but it looked exceedingly precious.
On the other side, because Yuhuai was unable to come along, she dispatched three or four elite feather-guards to trail closely behind Ji Mian, remaining practically inseparable from her.
Four or five people crammed into the same carriage, staring at each other in awkward silence. Eventually, Ji Mian simply stopped opening her eyes, closing them tightly and falling right asleep.
After traveling for about half a month, the group arrived at the border.
The border between the Red Sand territory and the Demonic Cult leaned toward the southeast, fortified with city defenses. A gray stone plaque stood upon the city gate, inscribed with two bold, vigorous characters: Li City.
Li City possessed a rather exotic charm. Perhaps due to close ties in commercial traffic, it carried more of the distinct flavor belonging to Red Sand.
The southeast was humid and hot, and the young women loved wearing light gauze, especially in red. Streaks of brilliant color looked particularly eye-catching against the verdant ground. The roads were paved with stone bricks, ringing loudly under the horses’ hooves, yet the people on the streets cast unfriendly glares in their direction.
Understandably so. Hearing that a war was about to break out, commercial trade on both sides had ground to a halt. No one dared brave the flames of war to travel this trade route. Losing a major source of income, how could they not harbor resentment? Moreover, the local agricultural harvest had been poor, and the locals had always made their living by running transport runs.
Jian Xiyan had arrived in Li City five days prior, dispatching scouts for reconnaissance, camping the main army outside the city, and handling all arrangements before entering the city to meet with Ji Mian.
“Cult Master.”
Jian Xiyan gave Ji Mian a salute before picking up a map to brief her roughly on the procedures, battle situations, and other details. Ji Mian knew practically nothing about such matters; hearing that there were no major issues, she simply acted as a hands-off leader.
Things were still relatively peaceful for now, and since she rarely had the chance to come out, she naturally had to stroll around the city to take a look.
The food here tended toward the sweet side, especially a certain flower wine. Unaware of what unique brewing method it possessed, its fragrance drifted for miles. It was almost as if someone unsealed a jar upstairs in an inn, and the aroma could be smelled all the way downstairs.
Ji Mian had just wanted to sample some exotic delicacies. Not long after sitting down, she caught that heart-captivating scent and was instantly hooked. Especially since the aroma lingered persistently, tickling one’s heart with temptation, she finally couldn’t resist and ordered a pot of her own.
This wine was called Drunken Hibiscus. Its first taste was mellow and crisp with a lingering aftertaste. Though it looked completely ordinary, its alcohol content was quite high, capable of making one intoxicated before they even knew it, hence the name Drunken Hibiscus.
Ji Mian tasted each of the dishes, lifted the wine pitcher to pour herself a cup, and took a gulp. It was truly refreshing.
Ji Mian’s impression of her own capacity was stuck at being a one-cup lightweight, because people always seemed to say her alcohol tolerance was terrible. Fortunately, the original owner’s alcohol tolerance was quite good.
Thinking along these lines, Ji Mian felt somewhat bold and reckless.
Before long, half the wine in the pitcher was gone. Ji Mian only felt her vision blur slightly, her whole being feeling as though she were immersed in a sea of flowers, swimming through it and happily forgetting her way back.
Suddenly, a figure appeared before her eyes, drifting over like a gust of wind. Dressed entirely in white, clashing with the surrounding crimson, she looked nonetheless like a celestial fairy descending to earth, carrying a pleasant fragrance.
The next moment, the wine cup in Ji Mian’s hand was snatched away. She felt a bit dazed, scanning the person before her with slightly reddened eyes.
She hadn’t seen clearly.
Yet from that hazy glance, her intuition immediately told her it was Lin Qingye.
“Lin Qingye?”
“Mn.”
“This wine doesn’t have a high alcohol content. Your alcohol tolerance really is terrible.”
Ji Mian spoke with a strong wave of intoxication. Feeling dizzy and unable to hold herself up much longer, she simply slumped across the table, gazing in Lin Qingye’s direction.
“What’s the point of not getting drunk, anyway?”
“Also, what are you doing here?”
Lin Qingye did not stand on ceremony, taking the wine pot and pouring herself a cup as well.
“Nothing better to do, so I came to take a look.”
Ji Mian’s hearing at that moment wasn’t great, or perhaps her muddled brain caused everything to go in one ear and out the other. She only watched Lin Qingye’s thin lips part and move, opening and closing, without hearing a single word.
Believing she had received no answer from Lin Qingye, she replied with a resentful look. Not staring for long, she propped herself up by hand; unable to hold her liquor any longer, she fell asleep in a daze.
Lin Qingye first watched her with a hint of curiosity. Ji Mian was very quiet when fast asleep; her brows and eyes were soft and relaxed, yet beneath those long, slender eyelashes lay a pair of eyes brimming with murderous intent.
The degree of redness in those eyes was enough to deter ordinary people from daring to meet her gaze, causing them to break out in a chill the very instant their lines of sight crossed.
Killing too much made one numb, viewing minor casualties as no casualties at all, treating human lives like blades of grass, and subordinates like chess pieces. Detachment and coldness would be stimulated by warm blood, evolving into the deepest evil within one’s heart.
Though rumors weren’t entirely true, they always held a grain of truth. From those fragmented remarks, Lin Qingye could not piece together the present Ji Mian.
Lin Qingye had once seen a theory in one of her master’s esoteric books: A secret technique allowing someone to change beyond recognition in a short period required the original owner of the body to pass away, offering their life in sacrifice to swap souls through possession.
Though her master had categorized that book as a collection of bizarre tales filled with inaccuracies, the more Lin Qingye thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
Still, it didn’t matter. As long as Ji Mian was Ji Mian, that was enough.
Lin Qingye put on the mask Ji Mian had bought for her, scooped her up, and carried her downstairs, under the watchful gaze of the feather-guards below for quite some time. One of them seemed to recognize her and stopped a companion from drawing their sword to step forward.
Lin Qingye showed no expression, merely supporting the back of Ji Mian’s head so she leaned further against her body.
“Where is the inn you are staying at?”
Ji Mian ought to have stayed in the official magistrate’s residence, but the local county magistrate was somewhat wavering. Fearing something might go wrong, Jian Xiyan had arranged for her to stay at an inn instead, with the feather-guards taking turns on night watch.
Lin Qingye carried her back, stayed for a short while, and then left.
The next day, when Ji Mian woke up, it was still early, but there was a faint, chilly fragrance lingering in the room.
Had Lin Qingye been here?
She got out of bed and opened the door, immediately coming face-to-face with Lin Qingye’s face. The instant their gazes collided, both of them seemed somewhat unnatural.
“Why are you here?”
And right in their inn, at that.
“How did you find this place?”
“I was looking for you.”
“We saw each other yesterday.”
Lin Qingye patiently answered one by one.
Ji Mian had some memory lapses from getting drunk, but upon reflection, she realized that seemed to have happened.
“But I have things to do today…”
“I’ll just go with you.”
Lin Qingye’s tone allowed no room for refusal, picking up her sword as she prepared to follow.
“But that mask of yours isn’t very convenient either.”
“It’s fine, I have a way.”
Fine then, Ji Mian thought to herself.
Jian Xiyan was camped out in a mountainous terrain more than ten miles outside the city. She was famous for leading troops in surprise attacks, making such terrain much more suitable for her tactics.
Riding a white horse, she led Ji Mian and her entourage into the camp. Weaving through various turns, they finally made it deep into the main headquarters.
The southeast region was heavily forested with lush foliage blocking out the sun, offering plenty of shade, which made the nights damp and chilly. Damp regions also hosted an abundance of insects, so the soldiers’ faces were smeared with mud and their bodies bound with green grass, making them look as though they had rolled around in a swamp.
Even Jian Xiyan had a smudge of dirt on her face.
“According to intelligence gathered recently, Red Sand has already gathered troops at the border and looks ready to attack the city. I heard Red Sand just suffered a famine with an unstable imperial court, meaning they won’t be able to sustain a prolonged war. Thus, this campaign might not take too long.”
Jian Xiyan was reminding her to prepare herself. After all, the Cult Master overseeing the battle could not be kept hidden. Since the opposing side could not sustain a protracted war, they might resort to underhanded tricks to assassinate Ji Mian in an attempt to throw the army’s morale into chaos.
Ji Mian nodded and said no more. Knowing nothing of military affairs, she naturally would not excessively interfere with Jian Xiyan’s arrangements.
“By the way, who is this?”
Jian Xiyan frowned slightly, looking at Lin Qingye, who was also wearing a mask. Ji Mian only now realized that the mask she had bought at the festival looked rather comical, at the very least, ill-suited for such a solemn atmosphere.
“This humble one is a death-guard under the Cult Master, here by her side.”
The fox mask covered her face completely, revealing not an inch of skin. Even if Jian Xiyan wished to pry, she couldn’t. However, this person’s voice was as calm as still water, sounding quite steady. As for her martial arts prowess, based merely on the few sword strikes she had blocked for Ji Mian that day, Jian Xiyan couldn’t quite figure her out.
Sensing her gaze and wishing to avoid trouble, Lin Qingye proactively offered an explanation.
“My face was burned in a great fire; it is truly hideous and unfit to be seen.”
Ji Mian stood off to the side, crossing her arms with a raised eyebrow, remaining silent.
Truly hideous? Then there are probably no good-looking people left in this world.
For someone to lie with such a straight face, she certainly had thick skin.
Jian Xiyan, however, assumed she had touched upon the other person’s painful memories and expressed her apologies.
Lin Qingye generously forgave her in return.
Naturally, this meant Lin Qingye had to stay by her side every step of the way, keeping the two of them bound together.
And so, inside the Li City official residence, Ji Mian and Lin Qingye sat together. Ji Mian looked at her, starting to speak and then stopping herself several times.
“There is a beauty couch outside; I can sleep there.”
As if reading Ji Mian’s thoughts, Lin Qingye stated it outright, calmly taking a sip of tea.
“Naturally. You are my subordinate now, subordinates sleep on beds while masters sleep on couches. What kind of propriety would that be?”
“Indeed, my dear Cult Master. You ought to sleep early. With the political winds shifting these past few days, I notice fewer townspeople walking the streets; they must have caught wind of something.”
Merchants were always well-informed. With everyone hiding away, a battle was likely to break out within days, and Ji Mian needed to conserve her strength.
Ji Mian had no desire to witness warfare. Last time, Ji Shuangchi had committed suicide before her eyes. Though she had been out of her right mind then, recalling it afterward still felt jarring; she had never seen so much blood flowing endlessly from a person, staining their clothes and the ground crimson.
And then that person’s life slowly drained away along with the gushing blood.
She found it difficult to describe that kind of shock, it felt as though she were growing accustomed to it, yet she subconsciously sympathized with the emotions of the dead and wounded.
Consequently, she had spent the nights since then tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Ji Shuangchi’s blood, saw her drooping hand, and heard Fuling’s tear-soaked, heart-wrenching wails.
Getting up in the middle of the night to fetch some water, stepping outside, she inevitably bumped right into Lin Qingye fast asleep.
Lin Qingye lay on the hard couch, sleeping with very proper posture, stiff and upright like a paper cut-out pasted down. Ji Mian sneaked glances at her for a long time without ever seeing her change position.
Yet the night was cold, and Lin Qingye hadn’t even brought along a blanket.
So cold, won’t she freeze to death?
Ji Mian draped a blanket over her before walking slowly back to her room. Outside, Lin Qingye suddenly snapped her eyes open, having seemingly been holding her breath just moments before as she hurriedly began to breathe again.
The tips of her ears were red, and her body felt tensed and numb.
Her body felt as though she had been poisoned. Could it be that Ji Mian had slipped her a poison when she walked in?