Complete silence.

Deathly quiet on all sides, with rain sounds muffled by the door panels, breathing and dust floating equally in the cramped space.

As if she had simply misheard.

Qin Chang Ge listened carefully, then smiled self-deprecatingly and murmured, “Must have heard wrong.”

She continued bending down to bandage Xiao Jue as if nothing had happened.

The air around them carried a reassuring settled quality.

Halfway through bandaging, Qin Chang Ge suddenly released her grip, straightened up and flew backward, swooshing behind the wooden wall. Reaching out to grab, she laughed, “Why hide? Come out and have a heart-to-heart!”

A black shadow was pulled out by her in response.

With one glance she could see clearly who it was. Qin Chang Ge immediately flicked away the steel wire she had ready between her fingers for killing, frowning as she looked him up and down. “It’s you?”

In the dim light appeared a shivering boy also completely soaked—Shi family’s Ah Liu.

His expression was grief-stricken and angry, eyes red and swollen, face wet with what could be tears or water. He trembled constantly under Qin Chang Ge’s grip, but it didn’t seem like fear—more like being chilled to the bone by some unacceptable demonic reality.

With just one look she knew what he had encountered. Qin Chang Ge said flatly, “Oh, you went home?”

This boy who had gone to fight over gold was lucky enough to avoid both the massacre at home and the disaster outside the village, yet somehow ended up hiding here.

“They… they’re all dead…” the boy sobbed. “I didn’t want to fight over gold… I came back…”

Looking him up and down, Qin Chang Ge understood his luck. Heaven occasionally did have eyes—this kind child who wasn’t greedy for money had turned back halfway, avoiding two death traps, saving his own life with a single thought.

“Good, then come help me tend to him. Go find some garlic, there’s purslane under the courtyard wall—dig some up, and quietly find a way to boil some hot water.” Qin Chang Ge gave orders without ceremony.

Angrily wiping away tears, the boy said hoarsely, “Why should I help you? It’s you! You brought disaster!”

Turning to face him with hands behind her back, Qin Chang Ge said expressionlessly, “I don’t have time to explain the details to you, and I never waste time dealing with stupid people. I’ll only tell you this—if you choose to help me, you still have a chance to live, and revenge might even be possible. Otherwise, if you want to stay alive tonight, it’ll be harder than climbing to heaven. Just wait to join your grandfather and the others underground.”

After speaking, she no longer looked at him, just focused on checking Xiao Jue’s pulse.

Ah Liu stared blankly at the thin man’s calm profile. He was very thin and looked even more bedraggled than himself—covered in mud and water, standing there quickly forming a puddle, hair completely stuck to his back and also muddy. His companion was injured and unconscious, face showing an unnatural flush, unable to protect himself—his situation seemed worse than his own. Why was he so domineering and calm, with every word commanding obedience?

This must be what the village elders called a strong man, right?

If I were like him, could I avenge grandfather and my parents?

The tragic scene of eight family members lying dead in pools of blood immediately appeared before his eyes. Gritting his teeth, Ah Liu wiped his tears and silently went to boil water.

Qin Chang Ge remained unmoved, not even turning to look back.

The sky grew even darker, reaching that darkest hour before dawn. Qin Chang Ge looked out the window, calculating time… When the middle-aged man fought Xiao Jue, he hadn’t used his full strength. What would happen when he faced the half-faced woman? How long would he be delayed there? By now they must have discovered their companions were killed and would certainly increase search efforts. But no matter what, once daylight came, they would definitely withdraw. Now it was just a matter of whether they could endure this darkest hour.

Sighing, Qin Chang Ge selected various objects around the house and arranged them at the door and in the courtyard—setting up some simple formations first, blocking them for however long possible.

Xiao Jue returned to the nightmare that hadn’t visited for a long time.

A bright red, sticky, stagnant sea, where every step seemed to trudge through a swamp, stumbling with each step. And compared to the past, there was an added layer of burning heat, roasting his entire body like a furnace. He struggled with sweat covering his head, his heart pounding as if about to burst, using all his strength with every step, yet not knowing why he had to struggle forward so desperately, so detestably yet urgently wanting to escape, to move forward.

Ahead lay a black sky and red sea, with small objects flying and spinning, flashing and tracing strange trajectories, making his vision dizzy. He angrily tried to brush them away, but they immediately shrieked and flew off.

The red sea… endless and boundless… when would he reach the end?

On the far side of the sea, a reef suddenly rose slowly, with myriad red lights on it. Someone vaguely smiled down at him. He stared in amazement, wanting to see this scene that had never appeared before clearly, but the figure was shrouded in clouds and mist, impossible to make out.

That small object collided with him again. He irritably waved it away!

He seemed to touch something cool and smooth, with a texture like jade and silk. The comforting sensation instantly penetrated to his heart, extinguishing most of his burning irritation and inexplicable discomfort.

Extremely delighted, he grabbed it tightly and brought it to his burning, unbearable heart…

…

Qin Chang Ge stared in amazement at her hand being firmly grasped by Xiao Jue and pressed against his chest.

Worse still, her entire body was now sprawled on top of him.

She had just gone to check his temperature when this patient somehow found tremendous strength from nowhere, suddenly grabbing her and pulling hard. Her whole body was immediately dragged over, crashing into his chest with a thud.

The sound was quite alarming, yet this man still hadn’t woken up.

He was delirious with fever, his entire body hot as burning charcoal, apparently still trapped deep in nightmare, only unconsciously gripping her tightly and circling his arm around her, holding Qin Chang Ge in a death grip.

As if she were a large cooling ice block.

Both were completely soaked. Now with skin pressed together, they could feel each other’s delicate skin texture through their clothes, with breathing close to their ears—burning and shallow, ambiguously intertwined.

Dark room, quiet night, wind and rain without cease—this moment’s coolness and warmth, both had missed for so long.

In the quiet space drifted the sweet, refreshing fragrance of clover and mint mixed together, wafting endlessly.

Xiao Jue gradually quieted down, his expression showing a trace of peaceful serenity.

Qin Chang Ge’s eyes changed expression as she lay on Xiao Jue. At first somewhat annoyed, then melancholy, then helpless, finally smiling shallowly.

Fine, considering you worked hard tonight, considering you know nothing about this, I’ll let you take advantage once and be your free physical cooling towel…

“Oh my.” The sound of opening the door interrupted this moment of tranquility and peace.

Ah Liu stood frozen at the door holding a basin of hot water, mouth agape in amazement.

Brothers… two men… embracing… ambiguous skin contact… what was this about?

Qin Chang Ge calmly extricated herself from Xiao Jue, quickly threw a set of cloth clothing she had found earlier onto the bed, and said flatly, “Go wipe him down, change out of the wet clothes, then use cold water to dampen cloth and press it to his forehead—how did you boil that water just now? Did any smoke come from the chimney?”

“No… no…” Ah Liu could no longer speak—there were actually such bold people in the world—did he handle everything so matter-of-factly and carelessly?

He stammered, “I found dry firewood and set up a pot to boil it, didn’t use the stove, kept the door closed too. It’s still raining now, so you can’t see the smoke.”

Looking at him approvingly—this boy was quite thoughtful despite his rough appearance—Qin Chang Ge nodded and strolled out, saying, “Move quickly.”

Mm… if you don’t move fast and enemies come while you haven’t finished changing his clothes, the dignified Emperor of Xiliang might have to streak naked in the rain…

Streaking naked… someone grinned wickedly… yes, quite worth fantasizing about…

Wind and rain like darkness, black shadows appearing and disappearing.

The middle-aged man stood in the courtyard with hands behind his back, completely soaked but expression unchanged, appearing to also wear a mask.

In Aunt Liu’s small courtyard, corpses were everywhere, blood flowing with rainwater across the entire yard. More than half were the middle-aged man’s black-clad subordinates. The corpses all died miserably—apparently the half-faced master’s personal handiwork.

“Master… that woman…”

A black-clad man carefully bowed for instructions, glancing toward the woman lying alone in the muddy water.

“You want to kill her?” The middle-aged man’s voice was gentle as spring breeze. Though his mask was expressionless, his eyes showed compassionate tenderness, deep and broad as the sea. “Is that right?”

Making contact with such a gaze, the black-clad man actually trembled slightly, immediately lowering his head deeply. “Everything follows young master’s orders…”

“Mm…” The middle-aged man nodded, patting his shoulder quite approvingly.

The black-clad man was about to raise his head to show loyalty when he suddenly felt a gentle force silently pressing toward his heart meridian. His face changed color abruptly. Before he could speak, his vision went black.

With a shriek, he spurted blood from seven orifices and fell in the rain.

The middle-aged man smiled and stepped over his corpse, saying softly, “I said not to address me that way. How did you forget again?”

…

His expression showed not the slightest change, as if what had just died at his hands was not a human life but straw. Wearing flowing rain, with a vast and compassionate demeanor, he bent down to look at the woman looking up at him from the muddy ground—Yunhua.

“Are you going to kill me?” Yunhua, abandoned by her half-faced master, showed no fear. She looked up at him with exactly the same peerless beauty as Qin Chang Ge in her previous life. Even in this extremely bedraggled moment drenched by heavy rain, she remained devastatingly beautiful like an exotic flower blooming brilliantly regardless of time.

Her wonderfully curved figure was especially alluring when wet. This woman’s bodily curves weren’t the type that seemed ready to burst forth sensuously, but carried a slightly virginal hesitation that paused at just the right moment, making her all the more provocative.

Heaven knew how this woman who had experienced countless men maintained that feeling of being seductive yet pure, enchanting yet innocent.

“Do you know what consequences killing me would bring?” Yunhua deliberately thrust out her chest, sneering fearlessly. “You’ll die, everyone around you will die, and die in strange and horrible ways, so miserably they’ll wish they were never born.”

“I’m quite familiar with the methods of the Colorful Gu Sect’s three saints—the Sect Immortal, Sect God, and Sect Maiden,” the middle-aged man’s voice remained calm as usual, his bearing dignified as a saint, unmoved by the primitive yet deeply alluring temptation before him. “But thank you for the reminder.”

“You know—” Yunhua’s eyes widened. Thinking of how he had just ordered his subordinates to surround and kill the Sect Maiden, thinking of how those black-clad men’s movements and techniques seemed somewhat familiar, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck her mind. She gasped and said urgently, “That day outside Prince Zhao’s mansion, when someone intercepted me going to court, it was you who helped me escape!”

“You’re very clever,” the middle-aged man didn’t deny it, smiling slightly. “Yes, this is our second meeting.”

“Then how are you now—” Yunhua was confused by this strange man’s odd behavior of being sometimes enemy, sometimes friend. This man… wearing a mask… familiar with the Colorful Gu… highly skilled… who could he be?

From his voice, he was clearly from Xiliang, but the black-clad man who spoke earlier, that accent…

She suddenly thought of a possibility and immediately shivered, the feeling like snow and hail-mixed rain pouring over her head. The chill rising from her heart almost instantly froze her. That guess was too terrifying. She almost immediately understood that the Colorful Gu meant nothing in his eyes, understood why the Sect Maiden didn’t want to continue fighting and directly abandoned her, understood the strange meaning in the Sect Maiden’s final glance when she fought her way out of the sea of blood, understood that her life was truly in immediate danger.

“Don’t kill me!” Yunhua desperately cried out, falling at the middle-aged man’s feet.

“Don’t kill me—” She held onto a thread of faint hope, supporting herself on her elbows and struggling to raise her head, tears streaming down her beautiful face. “I have a secret—I’ll tell you, spare my life!”

“They’re coming!”

Ah Liu, who had changed Xiao Jue’s clothes and fed him hot water, had been nervously pressed against the window watching outside when he suddenly turned in panic toward Qin Chang Ge.

Qin Chang Ge, who had been meditating in the darkness, opened her eyes. Her gaze was weary but bright as stars.

“Mm,” her expression unchanged, she glanced out the window. Vaguely she could see dark shadows flashing past. From the wind sounds, they seemed to have already surrounded this small courtyard.

Grabbing a cloth and rubbing her nose, Qin Chang Ge’s eyes watered as she sneezed again—she had caught a cold.

At this hour, there was no time to change clothes and dry off, nor was it convenient. Qin Chang Ge had simply dried her clothes by the fire pit, took some still-sparking charcoal to place nearby, then quickly extinguished the fire. It would be strange if she didn’t catch cold.

Fortunately this world didn’t have swine flu—truly lucky.

Earlier she had circled the courtyard with Ah Liu and set up formations. Having a strong laborer to use saved much effort—those stones and wood pieces, after running around all night, she really couldn’t move alone.

Only unfortunately… if she hadn’t guessed wrong, they couldn’t stop that middle-aged man.

Who was he? Qin Chang Ge thought quietly. Nanmin against Nanmin—a certain answer was calling out to be recognized.

Revealing a cold smile, Qin Chang Ge wore an expression of “human nature is inherently evil, as expected.”

“You guard the door,” Qin Chang Ge directed Ah Liu. “Follow the steps I just taught you. When you see the first person come in and break something, remove that piece of firewood at the third step on your left. If he can still advance, retreat six steps and remove the stone at the first step on your right.”

Ah Liu obediently said “oh” and walked outside, muttering the steps Qin Chang Ge had just taught him. After a few steps he felt something was wrong and turned back in amazement to ask, “What about you?”

“I’m the grand finale,” Qin Chang Ge answered with a shameless smile. “Have you ever seen the grand finale come on stage early?”

The formations were somewhat useful after all.

Black shadows rose in the storm, surrounding the entire small courtyard without leaving any blind spots. The leading black-clad man waved his hand, and immediately several figures leaped over the courtyard wall.

After entering there was no movement at all, not even sounds of shouting or fighting—as if several people had simply vanished under the courtyard wall. The black-clad leader frowned—he had examined the eight corpses by the riverbank earlier. The opponents were extremely cunning and cruel, with endless killing methods. They were definitely not easy to deal with. When he came, he had already taken the utmost care—Old Qiu had lost his life to them, and now only one of the two leaders remained. If he could eliminate these two before the young master arrived, advancing another step in the future wasn’t impossible.

Thinking this, his eyes flashed with precision as he flicked his sleeve and flew up, sweeping like an eagle over the courtyard wall.

Before he could land, he felt his vision blur as torrential flood waters rushed toward him, turbulent currents with terrifying cold light that made him dizzy and unable to stand steady. He steadied himself, closed his eyes, and based on what he had glimpsed, flicked out a cold gleam with his finger.

With a crack, a tree in the courtyard snapped and fell, apparently crushing something beneath it. The flood suddenly receded, revealing the five people who had entered the courtyard spinning in place under the wall. Seeing the formation suddenly disappear, they all looked at each other in confusion.

“Idiots!” The black-clad man cursed silently, about to step forward when he suddenly caught sight of a black shadow flashing nearby. Then came a light sound as the ground began to shake, followed by roaring flames rushing toward him, demonic fire swirling wildly with terrifying heat waves!

“Wood generates fire, Five Elements Chain Formation!” The black-clad man’s heart jumped. The opponent’s methods were formidable, actually anticipating the enemy and calculating that his best method for breaking the first formation would be to cut the tree from a distance. They precisely used the fallen tree, plus some small repositioning, using wood to generate fire in endless succession. Moreover, this fire was generated by the formation—if you thought it was illusory and completely unguarded, you would definitely suffer greatly!

He directed his gaze toward the increasingly dark small courtyard—this person had divine intelligence and skill, almost comparable to the young master. Who was he?

Wind and rain beat against sparse windows, deep night with thousands of rain lines.

Qin Chang Ge stood by the window with hands behind her back, coldly watching the tree slowly fall as she had anticipated, watching the black-clad man foolishly rush onto the courtyard wall.

A cold smile bloomed on her lips, but she heard a low moan from behind. Qin Chang Ge turned sharply to see Xiao Jue supporting his forehead with his hand, struggling to sit up.

Qin Chang Ge stepped forward and tested his temperature—still feverish, probably inflamed. The garlic and purslane juice she had found to pour on his wound apparently hadn’t completely sterilized it. She couldn’t help but curse herself silently—why didn’t she have the habit of carrying wound medicine?

Then she glared at him angrily—why didn’t you have the habit of carrying a medicine chest?

Xiao Jue was delirious with fever, only feeling thirsty, while subconsciously worried about Chang Ge’s safety. He forced himself to wake up, but upon waking encountered a pair of big white eyes. Unable to process this for a moment, he said in amazement, “You—”

As soon as the words left his mouth, his throat felt like it was being scraped with sandpaper. Every word seemed to draw blood, his voice hoarse and unrecognizable. He immediately stopped speaking, but afraid Qin Chang Ge would notice, he smiled at her as if nothing was wrong.

How could Qin Chang Ge not see his condition? Yet she only calmly smiled back at him, picked up the water by the bedside, and said, “Come, drink water. One drink and all illness disappears.”

Xiao Jue couldn’t help but smile, wanting to say what kind of tone is this, treating me like Rong’er? Even Rong’er wouldn’t be so easily fooled, right? However, warmth slowly rose in his heart. The water hadn’t yet entered his mouth but warmth seemed already transmitted, like being covered with a brocade quilt—initially cool to the touch, but over time naturally emanating delicate and thoughtful warmth.

Water that would normally taste bitter and hard to swallow became sweet as honey and fragrant in his mouth at this moment.

Qin Chang Ge’s gaze lowered slightly, hiding deep within this moment’s look a touch of emotion, a touch of doubt, a touch of melancholy, a touch of deep thought. She simply, quietly and patiently, fed him water.

“Hiss!”

A faint sound, gentle yet sharp, like steel wire, like a sharp sword, cutting through rain curtain and darkness from afar. Beginning very distant, it reached nearby in an instant.

Such fast speed!

Xiao Jue’s eyes contracted as he started to rise, but Qin Chang Ge unceremoniously brought another spoonful of water to his lips.

She smiled, “Drink water. Look how your lips are cracking from fever. If you want to kiss Rong’er, he’ll definitely be disgusted.”

Xiao Jue smiled bitterly, thinking I don’t want to kiss Rong’er now, I want to kiss—

But how could he say it? He could only drink water. Before he could swallow one mouthful:

“Puff!”

Like the sound of a flame being extinguished.

In the rumbling rain, someone unhurriedly, with a voice not loud yet clearly audible, said, “Go.”

Then came a “bang” as someone forcefully broke down the door.

A ghostly fire flashed in her eyes as Qin Chang Ge revealed a trace of smile. The fire formation was extinguished—indeed formidable, actually choosing to walk through the front door formation’s eye.

The so-called pulling one hair moves the whole body—the opponent was truly someone who deeply understood these principles.

Another spoonful of water was steadily delivered as Qin Chang Ge smiled, “Is this water sweet? I added sugar. Rong’er loves sweet things—he’ll get cavities sooner or later.”

Xiao Jue’s eyes flashed, but he suddenly smiled as well.

He had always loved her immovable mountain-like profound inner depth. The more desperate the situation, the more her style showed, as if dwelling at the peak of ninety thousand clouds, overlooking the changes of wind and clouds in the mortal world. Through wind and waves and tribulations her smile remained unchanged, and with one backward glance all things died and all things were born.

That kind of understated yet bone-deep dominance made heaven and earth step aside and the four seas fall silent. Those travelers crossing the sea, those scattered immortals proud of mist and clouds, would ultimately become mere bystanders in her presence.

How could a man be inferior to a woman?

He smiled, also very calmly drinking water.

“Clang!”

Another sound, cutting gold and splitting jade, close at hand.

The metal formation was broken.

Qin Chang Ge acted as if she hadn’t heard, continuing to deliver the next spoonful without missing a drop. Xiao Jue quietly continued drinking.

This opportunity wasn’t always available—the woman before him extending her hand toward him for the first time after two lifetimes. How could he refuse? No matter what knife light and sword shadows pressed coldly near? Heaven knew how long he had waited for this moment?

Xiao Jue laughed long and silently in his chest—Come! Very good!

By the bed, beneath the couch, the woman with lowered lashes focused intently, the man pale but spirit unchanged, facing each other without personal involvement yet warmly—this moment’s atmosphere was quiet as auspiciousness, misty as flowing water, one of life’s rare serene moments.

Panic would only make oneself utterly wretched—how could one not maintain eternal composure for oneself?

“Crash!”

Like great waves crashing down, then suddenly swept away by a hurricane, smashing against giant walls, instantly shattering into thousands of crystals and jade pieces.

The water formation was broken.

Those two didn’t even turn their eyes. Xiao Jue smiled and took the water bowl, indicating: I’ll do it myself, faster.

Qin Chang Ge smiled and let go.

“Bang!”

The earth suddenly split open a line, revealing the deep nineteenth level of hell. Countless pale claws stretched up from underground, wanting to choose people to devour!

But they were drowned by torrential rainwater swept up by sleeve wind, wailing as they were beaten to the deepest bottom, never to emerge again.

The earth formation was broken.

Xiao Jue continued drinking water without changing expression.

“Clang!” came a sound.

But it was Ah Liu bursting through the door, face full of panic, stammering, “I… I… wanted to move that stone… I… I didn’t have time—”

His last sentence got stuck in his throat because someone behind him suddenly said quietly, “Excuse me, thank you.”

Ah Liu stood stiffly at the door, then was stiffly moved aside by the other party.

The middle-aged man’s gaze was compassionate and profound as he stood quietly at the door. His voice carried slight laughter as he said gently, “Heh, you two have good composure.”

Draining the water in one gulp, Xiao Jue felt his voice should be better now. He smiled and raised his eyebrows, saying, “You have good skills.”

The middle-aged man smiled, “You flatter me. I’m truly ashamed, but sending you two to heaven should be manageable.”

He didn’t come closer, but suddenly extended one hand from the distance between door and bed.

A stunning flash, snow filling the sky, bright moon for thousands of miles descending to the mortal world in an instant.

Impossible to react to.

In a flash it reached Qin Chang Ge’s throat!

But suddenly a long howl rang out from the distance.

Shattering moonlight, wind and thunder, vast seas, startling eagles and clouds and flying snow, rising from the ninth heaven and transcending all things, like rolling pillars supporting the sky, like the vast sound of divine qin, like the vast sea’s chant, like fierce wind’s roar.

A world-shaking long howl that turned rivers of stars and made hearts tremble.

In the howling, someone laughed from afar:

“Killing people? Ask if I agree first.”

In the howling, someone quietly said nearby:

“Chang Ge, I’m here.”