The bearded man remained unresponsive.
He stared toward the Imperial Palace, his eyes seemingly churning with towering waves.
Ye Zhen, however, was looking down the slope.
The steep incline was dotted with numerous small wild bamboo stakes.
Rolling down would conceal the scratches left by the cat on her body.
Ye Zhen had no inclination toward self-harm.
It was just that the Marquise would undoubtedly inspect her injuries. While Ye Zhen wasn’t afraid of the Marquise, her father-in-law, Marquis Zhongyong, was due to return triumphantly to the capital the day after tomorrow. Having fought on battlefields for years, he was not easily deceived.
If he uncovered the truth, Ye Zhen would not escape the charge of murder.
She had no intention of risking her life.
Moreover, once Zhuangtou Niangzi discovered Granny Feng, she would immediately send someone to notify them to return.
By her estimation, the messengers should already be on their way.
Finding another suitable spot where she could coincidentally be seen falling by the village head and his party was nearly impossible.
Ye Zhen had no time to waste.
But she wasn’t sure if this bearded man would kindly rescue her.
Or if he might disrupt her plans with some other action.
The village head’s calls grew increasingly closer.
Ye Zhen studied the bearded man, noticing his wound remained untreated, blood soaking through his clothes.
Suddenly, she adopted a stern expression and lectured him, “Foolishness! In this life, how can everything go as one wishes?”
“To seek death over the slightest setback only brings pain to loved ones and joy to enemies.”
“You treat life so lightly, yet there are those who endure immense hardships just to survive. Think of those who care about you.”
His sharp brows slightly furrowed, Xie Tingzhou shifted his gaze to Ye Zhen’s face.
The hint of gloom within his stern expression turned into scrutiny.
What about him made this shorty think he was suicidal?
Before he could figure it out, Ye Zhen pushed him down with force.
His firm chest made her frown in discomfort, and she instinctively glanced at the man.
Though his beard covered most of his face, his long brows reaching his temples, high nose, and deep-set eyes were still visible. When he narrowed his eyes to look at someone, it felt as though he could see right through them.
A chill ran down Ye Zhen’s spine.
But she remained unapologetic, pressing on his wound as she shoved a handful of herbs into his hand.
These were originally prepared for herself.
With sincere eyes, she said, “Even if no one in this world cares about you, you should care about yourself.”
“This medicine can stop the bleeding. Don’t do anything foolish again—live well.”
As if having performed a great deed, she briskly got up.
Then, leaning over the slope, she called out, “Granny Feng… Granny Feng, are you down there? If you hear me, answer… Ah…”
Before Xie Tingzhou could rise, Ye Zhen successfully tumbled down the slope.
Using her internal energy to protect herself, she avoided serious injury but took the opportunity to remove the cotton padding hidden under her clothes and tuck it into her sleeve.
The blood from the cat scratches immediately stained her dress, making it look as though the wounds were caused by the sharp bamboo stakes.
Just as the village head and his group arrived, they saw Ye Zhen anxiously searching for Granny Feng over the slope before losing her footing and falling.
“Shaofuren…”
The village head was terrified out of his wits and immediately rushed down from his position to rescue her.
Everyone followed suit, no one noticing there was still someone on the slope.
Xie Tingzhou played with the handful of herbs, slowly rising to his feet.
Two dark figures silently appeared.
One respectfully reported, “Master, the one who fell is the Second Shaofuren of Zhongyong Hou Estate. They are searching for Granny Feng, who serves the Marquise.”
The other added, “We’ve searched the vicinity and found no one else besides this group.”
“The villagers have no martial skills. We suspect it was the Second Shaofuren who assisted you earlier.”
Only the Second Shaofuren had left the group.
And she had even tackled their master.
After saying this, even he found it unbelievable. “Wasn’t it said that the Second Shaofuren grew up on a southern estate, possessing nothing, weak and easy to bully?”
His master stood eight feet tall with extraordinary martial skills—even if he caught him off guard, he might not be able to take him down.
Yet the Second Shaofuren had managed it—how could she be ordinary?
But when pained groans came from the foot of the slope, he grew uncertain again. If she were truly so skilled, why had she fallen?
Could it be that the master had taken a liking to her and deliberately allowed her to throw herself into his arms?
No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than Xie Tingzhou’s cool gaze swept over him.
The guard Xing Ze shuddered and quickly changed the subject. “This subordinate noticed that the person who struck seemed to have a grudge against that assassin.”
Xie Tingzhou had sensed it too, because all the stones were aimed solely at one assassin, and each strike was meant to be fatal.
If the one who had just attacked was indeed her, then this matter was truly peculiar.
The assassin was a palace guard—how could a woman from the inner quarters, who hadn’t even grown up in Jingcheng, be entangled in enmity with someone from the palace?
A flicker of thought passed through Xie Tingzhou’s eyes. “Follow her.”
Xing Ze scurried off.
The other guard, Fuguang, took out some medicinal ointment and tentatively offered, “Master, allow this subordinate to tend to your wound.”
Ever since their master had appeared, they had been targeted by assassins.
Their master had forbidden him and Xing Ze from revealing their presence by his side, so all the assassins had been dealt with by the master himself.
From last night until now, there had been five waves of assassins. No matter how formidable their master was, even he had his limits.
Thus, though their master had been wounded in the abdomen by an assassin, he seemed completely oblivious to the pain—likely because the pain in his heart was far greater.
Fuguang shot a resentful glance in the direction of the Imperial Palace.
Xie Tingzhou took the porcelain bottle from Fuguang and began to undo his robes.
When that person had rushed toward him, he had initially intended to push her away.
But a woman alone in the mountains, showing not a trace of fear upon seeing him…
Then hearing her nonsensical words, as if bewitched, he had wanted to see what she was truly up to.
Now he knew.
Feigning a misunderstanding that he intended to take his own life, she had urged him to live while deliberately pressing on his wound so he couldn’t get up in time.
As if recalling some unpleasant memory, a cold detachment settled in Xie Tingzhou’s eyes.
Not long after his wound was treated, Xing Ze returned.
“Master, Xie Yunzhou didn’t die three years ago after all, but this time he’s truly dead…”
Under their puzzled gazes, he recounted everything he had uncovered about the affairs on the estate.
“The news spread quickly. That Xie Yunzhou is now condemned by all and despised by everyone—he truly deserved it.”
“I heard the Marquise fainted upon receiving the news and is currently rushing here. The Second Shaofuren has also been carried back to the estate, looking very frail.”
She didn’t seem like someone with exceptional skills—had he investigated incorrectly?
Hesitantly, he added, “Master, do you think Xie Yunzhou was truly killed by Chi Heng? Three years ago, did he really meet with disaster, or did he fake his death? Should we inform the Marquis about this?”
Xie Tingzhou pondered for a moment, then raised his hand and tore off the thick beard from his face, revealing features as sharp and exquisite as if carved by a blade and chisel.
“Master!”
Both guards exclaimed in shock.
Xie Tingzhou’s deep, dark eyes narrowed as he extended a hand toward Fuguang.
Meeting those clouded, turbulent eyes, Fuguang didn’t dare hesitate, retrieving a mask from his bundle and presenting it with both hands.
“Master, are we staying in Jingcheng… and not returning to the border?”
Once Xie Tingzhou had put on the mask, Xing Ze looked at him with concern. “Jingcheng is far too dangerous. What if…”
What if someone recognized his identity? He didn’t dare imagine the consequences.
Hadn’t they agreed before coming—just one look, and then they would return?
“Why the sudden change of heart?”
Xie Tingzhou looked at him, “Have you noticed any differences between these assassins and previous ones?”
Xing Ze thought carefully for a moment, then suddenly said, “None of them covered their faces, nor did they conceal their palace guard techniques… Does Master suspect they aren’t genuine palace guards?”
Or does Master suspect something was amiss about what happened back then?