“This thief Wei only knows how to use the same old tricks. I don’t know what kind of hero he thinks he is!” Lian Qin angrily pounded the table with her fist.

Xiao Zhou’s face turned pale. She hadn’t yet had time to deal with Feng Suzhen’s situation, and now another major incident had occurred!

“I know what that Wei surname is thinking!” Lian Jie said hatefully, “He knows we’re about to counterattack. Over a month’s time – it seems like he’s giving Sixth Brother time to consider, but actually they can mobilize troops and deploy defenses to prevent us from catching them off guard. By then, surrender would be best, and if not, killing Xin’er would give us a show of force and disrupt our army’s morale.”

“What are your current thoughts? Can’t figure out how to tell Lian Yu, so you came to discuss with me first?” Feng Suzhen was the calmest among them, looking at Lian Jie with steady eyes.

“…”

Lian Jie smiled bitterly, opening his mouth wordlessly.

“At this critical juncture, telling Lian Yu means death, and not telling him also means death. If we don’t surrender, Lian Xin dies. If we surrender, it’s these hundreds of thousands of soldiers and the kingdom.” Feng Suzhen looked at the two, continuing.

Lian Jie sighed deeply, “Yes, I really don’t know how to tell Sixth Brother.”

“Then don’t tell him yet.”

Everyone was surprised, only hearing her slowly say, “Give me half a month. If I still haven’t found a solution, we’ll tell him then. With his wisdom, that time will be enough to make the decision he’ll regret least.”

That day, while Lian Yu and Lian Jie were discussing military matters, Lian Qin suddenly went out and soon returned carrying a food basket.

“Sixth Brother, Seventh Brother, eat first.”

Lian Jie frowned, “Since when did you become a cook?”

Lian Qin secretly glanced at Lian Yu, seeing he was still looking at military maps, and smiled, “I’m just thinking of everyone. Look how you’ve all been forgetting to eat and sleep lately.”

Lian Yu suddenly looked up, giving him a light glance. Lian Qin felt guilty and quickly lowered his head to arrange the meal.

After everything was set up, Lian Yu got up and coaxed the just-awakened Lian Xi to sleep, then woke up the sleeping Lian Xi again. But Feng Suzhen still hadn’t returned, so he had the two eat first while he carried Lian Xi outside.

Arriving at Xiao Zhou’s place, Feng Suzhen was no longer there. They said she had gone to Leng Xue’s place.

He knew of Feng Suzhen’s relationship with Leng Xue. Since the other was about to bid farewell, she must have many feelings of reluctance in her heart. It was natural for her to spend more time with him at this moment. He wouldn’t be so petty. With Leng Xue leaving, it would actually remove a burden from his heart – he didn’t like having a man who coveted his wife around them.

Leng Xue was practicing sword in the courtyard. With matters on his mind, as he practiced, his blood and energy became turbulent, and he nearly had a qi deviation.

The sword tip scraped against the ground, creating sparks. He leaped and fell heavily to the ground.

He thought of those years in the small county town.

Even though their deep affection had shallow fate – first Li Zhaoting, then Quan Feitong and Lian Yu – he hadn’t been able to turn his childhood friendship into marriage, but every bit was of his flesh and blood.

Now, he had to count her remaining time on his fingers.

Going out with Xiao Zhou to seek medicine was more just a way to comfort himself.

He was Quan Feitong’s young assassin and also a spy, with Quan Feitong’s poison in his body.

Formerly the old fox would provide an antidote every three years. With the old fox dead, his own life was nearly up, but he didn’t care. He didn’t plan to beg Quan Feitong.

Perhaps if he couldn’t accompany her in life, he would accompany her in death.

Just like every past time he had accompanied her.

His eyes suddenly grew hot – he didn’t know if it was for her or for himself. Sweat poured from his body like liquid, and heat enveloped him like fire. He groaned uncomfortably, tore off his upper garment, and leaped up bare-chested again.

Suddenly, his throat sweetened. He quickly pressed the sword tip to the ground, supporting his body weight.

“This… I’m returning to you.”

A voice came softly from the front doorway. He looked up in surprise to see a gold ingot trace an arc through the air, thrown by a woman in goose-yellow clothing standing at the entrance, one hand raised high.

The gold ingot flew toward him.

He quickly reached out to catch it, but his gaze remained fixed on the woman.

“The snack money I owed you all those years should be settled now. Is this enough?” she asked with a bright smile.

He came to his senses as if awakening from a dream. His heart ached, but he smiled back, “Enough… more than enough.”

“I never carefully asked you – what exactly is your relationship with Quan Feitong?”

“I’m an assassin under him.”

“You weren’t even ten when you came to my house.”

“I’m an orphan. He bought and trained me from childhood. He has a group of people like this who infiltrate the homes of court officials through various means to gather intelligence for him. Though the old fox had long retired, Quan Feitong always felt he had some connection to Prince Jin. As a trusted minister of the late emperor, how could he not investigate thoroughly?”

“So you deliberately followed my father at the market that year to gain his sympathy.”

“The old fox had no sympathy. It’s just that when he saw you liked me, he brought me back. What kind of person was he? Those eyes were sharp as poison – he quickly saw through my identity, but since you were reluctant to part with me, he didn’t drive me away.”

“Yes, when I was little I loved being with you most. Brother was too smart and wouldn’t let himself be at a disadvantage with me, and Li Zhaoting mostly ignored me.” She seemed lost in some memory, a slight smile on her lips, which she quickly suppressed. “Quan Feitong poisoned you because…”

“For control. Later when I was unwilling to return, the old fox was a genius and made me antidotes, but fearing I might have different intentions, he only gave me the antidote every three years. Later, when the Fu Jingshu incident happened, time was urgent and he couldn’t prepare medicine for me, so he had me return to find Quan Feitong, which happened to be the same route as yours.”

“Father knew early on that I would go to Shangjing?”

As the two spoke calmly, her body trembled slightly and she suddenly stopped.

“The great hermit hides in the court. The old fox guessed early that you would definitely go to Shangjing, and perhaps could even carve out a different path.” He said quietly.

She said nothing more, but her eyes faintly revealed certain brilliance.

“Why are you returning the money to me?” He suddenly thought of something, a hidden pain – was she trying to completely sever ties with him?

“I was afraid that if I don’t return it now, I won’t have the chance. Once you leave, we probably won’t meet again.” She said softly.

“You really want me gone forever.” He said coldly.

She looked at him strangely, and soon understanding flashed in her eyes.

“So I’ve already let go, but you still haven’t. Leng Xue, what’s past is past.” She shook her head and smiled.

“Really?” He was overjoyed.

She nodded, but the smile on her lips gradually stiffened.

“Can I ask you for one thing…”

“Tell me.”

“Accompany me back to Shangjing, just like in the old days.”

He was shocked. “Why? You just escaped from that cage.”

“To go back and seek medicine for you…”

He quickly interrupted her, “I don’t need it, don’t you—”

“This is just one thing. There’s another matter I want you to accompany me with… My time is running short. Promise me.” She looked at him, speaking word by word.

He was greatly shaken. “How do you know—”

“Don’t ask how I know, just promise me…”

She also quickly interrupted him. In his eyes remained only the sight of her mouth opening and closing.

With each additional sentence he heard, his heart ached one degree more.

But she spoke eloquently, as if it were their first meeting at the market years ago, when nothing had yet begun and there were still many joyful days to anticipate.

In her eyes was a kind of lonely burning intensity and determination.

He felt as if he had returned to that snowy cold night years ago, hearing her say to him “Leng Xue, I want to go to Shangjing.”

Even knowing there was a cliff ahead, that one more step meant being smashed to pieces, she still pressed forward without hesitation.

In the end, he could only stride forward and pull her tightly into his arms.

“Alright, I promise you, Zhen’er.”

“Thank you, brother.”

She said in a low voice.

“Why am I not any one of them? If I were, today you… would never be in such a situation.” He called out loudly, as if to the clear blue sky, and as if to his own miserable self.

“Leng Xue, being able to live and meet you and Lian Yu again is enough for me, truly.” She broke away and looked at him.

But Leng Xue only shook his head, his eyes flashing with hatred. “You treat Lian Yu this way, yet he didn’t die but only now comes to find you. If he had come earlier—”

Outside the door, Qinglong and Baihu couldn’t help but were about to rebuke him, but Lian Yu, holding the again-sleeping Lian Xi, gently shook his head and turned to leave.

When he arrived, he had just seen Leng Xue embrace her. He felt anger in his heart, but could still endure it. Strictly speaking, that could be considered another childhood friend of hers. At this moment of great parting, after the other left, it would mostly mean eternal farewell, forgetting each other in the martial world. He wasn’t so petty-minded.

But that last sentence from the other made him feel as if sitting on needles.

Though she hadn’t died, though she didn’t speak of it, the harm Li Zhaoting had brought to him and to her…

Even if she herself was trying to let go, those who remembered… would always remember.

He kept walking, unconsciously wandering to a lake in the mountains.

“Master, that Leng Xue is too detestable. Why not let us teach him a lesson! And he also…” Qinglong spoke hatefully, then fell silent hesitantly. Baihu said, “He was also disrespectful to Madam.”

He stood facing the lake, and upon hearing this remained motionless for a long time.

His silhouette was stern as a mountain. The two felt an invisible pressure bearing down on them and didn’t dare breathe.

Qilin coldly glanced at the two, giving them a “you deserve this” look.

“He has more right than I do.”

After a long time, when they thought he would punish them, they heard his hoarse laugh. “He has a heart of solitary courage. If it were him, he would have definitely stormed the palace to rescue her. The worst result would be dying together. But I prided myself on being responsible and thorough. In the end, I didn’t fail these tens of thousands of soldiers, didn’t fail the Lian family, but failed her.”

He handed the sleeping Lian Xi to Qilin. “You all withdraw first. When she returns, tell her I have business to discuss with the soldiers and will return soon.”

His expression was completely cold and desolate. No one dared say more and left as instructed.

Halfway there, Baihu couldn’t contain herself and turned back. Qilin and the other, fearing she would speak and anger Lian Yu, quickly followed back.

Fallen leaves drifted like butterflies. Lian Yu’s sword was thrust deep into the soil, but he seemed deep in thought about something, his gaze like torches. One hand gripped the blade, blood trickling down from his palm drop by drop, yet he seemed completely unaware.

Baihu’s heart ached. Just as she was about to speak, he seemed to have eyes in the back of his head and said quietly, “Go handle something for me. Send my orders to lure Seventh Brother out. A quarter hour later, send someone to bring Zhuque to Seventh Brother’s place, saying Seventh Brother requests her presence.”