“Jin Yu, this clearly isn’t your fault. It’s so annoying! The Peak Lord and the others can’t even tell right from wrong!”
“Shh, shh, quiet down, Ming Lu. This is just how the Sect is. Master couldn’t do anything about it either.”
Ning Jinyu held Ming Lu’s hand and urged, “After I’m gone, you all have to work hard. The new year will be here soon, and it won’t be long before the Sect recruits new disciples. You must strive to become Personal Disciples.”
Qi Mu’s gaze fell on the black-clad youth behind her who was holding a rabbit. He asked in confusion, “Jin Yu, who is that young master carrying the bundle?”
Ning Jinyu glanced back. Song Qingyan was holding the rabbit and carrying a bundle, his gaze absently directed down the mountain. His expressionless face already made him look a bit cold, and dressed in black, he appeared even more aloof and mysterious.
She smiled. “He’s my younger brother. Don’t worry about us. Just take care of yourselves. We have a long future ahead of us. We’ll still be friends when we meet again, right?”
Zeng Rui Wen placed the travel money he had prepared into her hand and patted his chest righteously. “Of course! The four of us will always be friends. This is a little money the three of us scraped together. Take it and use it. Be careful on your way home.”
“Thank you, everyone. This is for you. It’s a compilation of alchemy techniques I organized overnight. This is all I have. See you again in the martial world.”
“See you again in the martial world.”
As soon as Ning Jinyu and Song Qingyan left, Ming Lu finally wiped her tears and began to cry out loud. Qi Mu and Zeng Rui Wen were also extremely sad. The three of them had only been feigning cheerfulness. For their friend’s final farewell, they hoped she would have a smooth journey and be happy from now on.
Ning Jinyu pocketed the travel money, her Sword slung over her back and the rabbit in her arms, and followed Song Qingyan down the mountain. The two of them were exceptionally good-looking, drawing quite a bit of attention.
Speaking of descending the mountain, Ning Jinyu was still afraid.
She was like a flower from a greenhouse, suddenly cast out into the wild to face an unknown future, not knowing if it would be calm seas or a violent storm.
“Song Qingyan, are you scared, following me like this?”
The youth carried two bundles, yet his steps remained light. Hearing her words, he replied with even more indifference, “What is there to be afraid of?”
“Alright, then. Have you thought about where you want to go?”
Seeing him remain silent, Ning Jinyu sighed, thinking of her home from her memories.
She decided to go back and see if they had really betrothed her to Pan Zheng.
After descending the mountain, Ning Jinyu used the silver to buy some food and rent a horse-drawn carriage.
Anju County.
Ping An Village.
When Ning Jinyu appeared holding the rabbit with Song Qingyan, she immediately attracted the attention and pointed fingers of many village women.
“Aren’t you the Ning family’s girl? Your parents were caught up in a lawsuit and imprisoned long ago. They’ve already been buried.”
“…”
As soon as these words were spoken, many sharp and subtle gazes turned toward her.
Officials certainly received news quickly. Prefect Pan must have already learned of Pan Zheng’s death, and Pan Zheng’s body was likely transported to the county by some swift method.
Logically, she should be dead too, but Prefect Pan couldn’t touch her while she was at the Sword Sect. But now…
She had never even met the parents of this body, who had sold her off to be a wife. Since they were dead now, she wouldn’t bother visiting.
“Ma’am, you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I am Su Qingyue, the daughter of the Sword Sect’s leader. That Ning family girl you mentioned has already been executed by our Sect. I am just passing through this place with my junior brother for training.”
“Ah? Is that so? Well, that makes sense. A life for a life.” This young lady indeed didn’t much resemble the Ning girl. The Ning girl was rather arrogant and vain. If it were her, she wouldn’t have spoken so softly; she would have definitely called her an old widow.
Under Song Qingyan’s rather puzzled gaze, Ning Jinyu took his hand and left the place once more.
The carriage driver hadn’t expected the young lady to want to leave as soon as she arrived, which worked out just fine for him.
“Song Qingyan, how about we go to your home? Where is your home?”
…”Qing County Magistrate.”
Ning Jinyu poked her head out and said softly, “Driver, we’re going to Qing County Magistrate.”
The driver heard her and acknowledged the change.
Song Qingyan sat in the carriage, his expression composed and quite relaxed. He seemed calm and unruffled no matter the situation.
Ning Jinyu sat down beside him and tugged his sleeve, whispering, “Aren’t you curious why I just lied?”
He lowered his gaze to look at her, his eyes clear, innocent, and strikingly beautiful.
“I left the mountain because I killed the prefect’s son. If he knew we were here, he would definitely send people to hunt me down, so I tricked them into thinking I was dead.”
“Mm.”
“Aren’t you afraid that I’ve killed someone?”
“…” Meeting the girl’s expectant gaze, Song Qingyan reached out, ruffled her hair, and sighed, “Don’t be afraid.”
…He really did understand her well.
Ning Jinyu’s lips curved up. In truth, she was the one who was scared, and hearing Song Qingyan say that truly moved her.
She couldn’t help but move closer to him and, under the youth’s calm gaze, gave him a big bear hug.
“You’re better to me than my own family. Be my real younger brother from now on.”
Song Qingyan was a little taken aback, his ears suddenly turning red. Gazing at the girl’s lovely face and pink lips, his heart sped up a beat. He turned his head away in slight vexation and said seriously, “Men and women should not be so familiar. If we behave like this, we cannot be like real siblings.”
“…Pfft-hahahahaha, why are you so amusing?”
…
After the driver left, Ning Jinyu followed Song Qingyan home, still holding the rabbit.
The area was extremely desolate, not at all what a county should look like.
There were also many beggars squatting around, watching, and children running and jumping about as they played.
“Song Qingyan! That’s Song Qingyan, and he brought a girl back with him! Quick, go tell Sister Honghua.”
“…”
A group of children who had popped out from nowhere ran off, shouting and clamoring.
With a complicated feeling, Ning Jinyu followed Song Qingyan up the mountain path toward the barren mountains of Qing County Magistrate.
In her modern life, she came from a well-off family. Although she had a rural household registration and raised chickens and ducks, she didn’t live deep in the mountains.
She hadn’t expected Song Qingyan’s family situation to be so miserable.
After crossing mountains and ridges, just as night was about to fall, she and he arrived at his home. It was a dilapidated little mud-brick house with some of the roof tiles broken, and the doorway was overgrown with weeds.
A faint light flickered from within.
Song Qingyan went to knock on the door and said, “Mother, I’m back.”
It took a while before a voice came from inside. “Qingyan, what did you come back for? Go away, quickly! I went through so much trouble to send you to the Sword Sect to cultivate. What are you doing back here? You prodigal child, get lost!”
“…”
Song Qingyan didn’t get angry. He pushed the door open. Seeing that he didn’t seem to mind, Ning Jinyu mustered her courage and followed him inside.
This was too miserable, too filthy.
Cobwebs, broken furniture, a sick old woman…
“Cough, cough, cough. Qingyan, who is she? Did you leave the Sword Sect for her?”
…As expected, the older the ginger, the spicier it is.
Ning Jinyu’s face flushed. Holding the rabbit, she moved closer to the old woman, feeling a little apologetic. “I’m sorry, ma’am. Qingyan and I…”
They didn’t really have any relationship. The typical line should be something about being truly in love, but right now, she had just followed him here to find a place to stay… and she thought of the handsome youth as a younger brother.