Heaven Teach members had originally planned to exit through the east city gate, but now they followed Zhang Zhe out through the west city gate. Moreover, a small group of Heaven Teach members had gone to the east city gate earlier, so Huang Qian couldn’t help but feel secretly anxious.

If what Zhang Zhe said earlier was true, those who went to the east city gate would likely face more danger than fortune.

He waited quietly for a moment without hearing Zhang Zhe’s response. In his heart, he believed even more that this person’s identity was extraordinary, so he dared not offend him further. After considering, he said: “Now that we’ve exited the city, it should be temporarily safe. The organization originally sent people to provide support, but there’s still no news from those at the east side. Tonight such a major incident occurred—inside the city will certainly be restless. Since night has already fallen, Lord Zhang, fellow organization members, and the remaining friends who escaped together, why not find a place outside the city with us to rest?”

Planning such a large-scale operation, Heaven Teach must have arranged support people outside.

Everyone agreed without objection.

That group of prisoners who had escaped from jail during the chaos were even more delighted upon hearing this. Some with straightforward personalities directly clasped their fists and said: “That would be most welcome! We’ve long heard of the great reputation of Heaven Teach’s righteous warriors. Originally thought there was some exaggeration, but seeing today, we know the words were not false. We’ll gladly take advantage of your kindness.”

Heaven Teach’s evangelism always accepted anyone who came.

Among those who entered the organization were ordinary common people and merchants and vendors. Those who had lost their fields and property were the majority, and there were also many strongmen from the greenwood, even bandits and roving brigands who harbored hatred toward the court.

If this group of death row prisoners from the imperial prison could also join Heaven Teach, it would truly be ideal.

Since Zhang Zhe’s identity had already been revealed, Huang Qian removed the black cloth covering his face. Hearing these prisoners’ grateful words, his face finally showed some smile.

Jiang Xuening also clearly saw this person’s features at this moment.

An ordinary square face, but with a knife scar on his brow that added several degrees of martial world air. A pair of downward-slanting triangular eyes appeared somewhat sharp—he indeed looked like someone with a position of considerable authority within Heaven Teach.

Since everyone had already agreed, Zhang Zhe had no further objections.

The group then traveled secretly through the night.

Outside the capital were quite a few township settlements where many families lived, but they were easily discovered. Heaven Teach’s side had already found a temporary resting place, so Huang Qian led everyone toward the desolate wilderness in the southwest direction.

By the end of the midnight hour, they finally saw a dilapidated temple with lights at the foot of a low mountain ahead. It was probably a place the mountain dwellers who previously gathered here used to worship the mountain god. The walls piled with yellow mud had collapsed under the erosion of wind and rain, the decayed door planks had fallen to the ground, and when the wind blew, the remaining paper pasted on the windows trembled.

At first glance, it was somewhat eerie.

But walking closer, one could see figures moving inside—someone was cleaning and tidying up.

Hearing movement on the mountain path ahead, several figures emerged from the shadows of the crumbling wall outside the temple. Looking up to see more people than expected, they couldn’t help but freeze, then asked: “You rescued everyone?”

Huang Qian instinctively glanced back at Zhang Zhe and shook his head.

That person lightly frowned and said: “The people from the Young Master’s side haven’t arrived yet either. I’m afraid we’ll have to wait a while. The wind is strong outside—come inside to talk first.”

Jiang Xuening was after all a young lady from a great family. Even in the past when she was with Wanniang, she wasn’t the type who could endure hardship. The road they had traveled was not short and could be called rugged and treacherous. Several times she nearly fell.

Fortunately, Zhang Zhe looked after her the entire way.

Though not a single word was spoken, he steadied her in time. The temperature of hand and hand exchanged, making her feel exceptionally reassured.

To prevent others from noticing her, she endured throughout the journey.

But the moment she entered this dilapidated temple, Jiang Xuening finally couldn’t hold on. She gasped for breath, and the pain she had been suppressing shot up from her feet. Her legs were sore, weak, and couldn’t stand properly, so she collapsed sitting on the ground.

The clothes she wore were Zhang Zhe’s.

They carried some plainness, simple and loose. When she fell to the ground, the collar loosened slightly, revealing the fair skin of her neck. The corners of her eyes were tinged with moisture—a kind of pitiful dishevelment. Even though Zhang Zhe had earlier smeared her face with grime for concealment, having such lively eyes was enough to betray her radiance.

Fortunately, others were also coming in at this time. Suddenly arriving at such a temporarily safe place, they all couldn’t help but breathe sighs of relief. Their behavior and appearance were no better than Jiang Xuening’s.

This dilapidated temple had drafts on all four sides.

But for temporary rest, it was sufficient.

Huang Qian walked out to speak with those people. The others spontaneously sat down in a circle in this temple. Some leaned against wall corners, some against pillars. Most were desperate outlaws—where would they care whether this place was dirty or clean?

All seated directly on the ground.

Zhang Zhe, however, looked around on all four sides, managing to find from under the already collapsed altar table an old but relatively intact cushion. He placed it on the ground, didn’t look at Jiang Xuening, only said in a low voice: “The ground is cold. You sit here.”

Jiang Xuening was originally extremely exhausted, not wanting to move even a finger. However, hearing his words, she gently lifted her eyes and saw this man’s profile half-hidden in shadow—thin and silent, lips pressed tight, lip line straight, as if he hadn’t said anything just now.

This was someone not good with words and who didn’t like to express himself.

Yet she had clearly heard just now.

So, just like feeling his hand gripping back outside the city gate earlier, an extremely secret sweetness quietly emerged from the bottom of her heart. Though clearly in such a confusing and dangerous situation, she actually tasted a trace of sweetness.

Jiang Xuening also didn’t speak. Blinking as she looked at him, the corners of her lips gently curved. Very obediently, she moved to sit on that cushion which really couldn’t be called clean.

Zhang Zhe remained silently wordless.

He lowered his eyelids, didn’t respond to her gaze, only calmly arranged the hem of his robe and sat cross-legged on the ground beside Jiang Xuening, showing not half a trace of official airs.

This temple had long had no one come to worship. Though there were walls surrounding it, most had cracks. The colored paintings drawn on the walls had also long lost their original color, leaving only some grimy traces. There was indeed a Buddha statue of indeterminate identity at the front, but half its head had also fallen off. Rather than looking terrifying, it appeared somewhat comical.

The people from Heaven Teach providing support had already cleaned this place earlier.

A cloth-clad woman with hair in a bun now carried a basket of wheat cakes, while a boy of about ten with a sky-pointing braid held a kettle in one hand and several coarse pottery bowls in the other, walking in from outside one after the other.

“All you brave warriors must be tired, right?”

The woman was slightly plump with somewhat dark skin. Her hands extended out quite rough, showing she was from an ordinary family that labored in the fields. Her smile was very simple and honest, easily generating goodwill.

“At this late hour, we couldn’t find anything else to eat. These are wheat cakes made at home. They can barely fill the stomach. Please don’t disdain them.”

Coming out from prison, fleeing for their lives the entire way, tense throughout, arriving here—who wasn’t physically and mentally exhausted?

When tightly wound, there was no sensation, but sitting down and relaxing now, they only then felt the hunger in their bellies.

At such a time, to actually have wheat cakes delivered was truly like timely rain.

For a moment, voices of thanks surrounded them, with some even exclaiming that Heaven Teach was thoroughly considerate and very righteous.

The woman distributed food to everyone, while the ten-year-old boy poured water for everyone.

The child was skinny like a monkey spirit, yet his head was round and eyes large. His hand and foot movements had a cleverness inconsistent with his age, and his smile was very cheerful.

Opening his mouth to call “this elder brother” made this group listen very comfortably.

However, their preparations were indeed hurried. Though there was water, there weren’t quite enough bowls. Fortunately, everyone was the type who traveled extensively without being particular about small details. Using the same bowl for water—you drank then I’ll drink after receiving it—wasn’t any big deal.

However, when it came to Jiang Xuening, things became somewhat awkward.

First, the woman passed over a wheat cake.

Jiang Xuening received it.

The woman initially didn’t pay attention, but when Jiang Xuening reached out to receive the wheat cake and revealed that small section of snow-white wrist, her expression froze for a moment. But she also didn’t say anything, only smiled faintly at her.

Jiang Xuening felt this woman had probably seen she was a woman. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she quickly retracted her hand into the wide sleeves and took a small bite of the wheat cake.

The boy then came over to pour water.

The bowl in his hand had already been used by others before.

Jiang Xuening wasn’t very hungry but was somewhat thirsty. Looking at this bowl filled with water, she hesitated in her heart. Just as she lightly bit her lip, about to gather courage to reach out and receive it, a hand beside her reached out before her and took that bowl away.

The child immediately froze, couldn’t help but turn to look.

It was Zhang Zhe sitting beside Jiang Xuening.

He also didn’t speak, only carefully used the water in the bowl to wipe all around the bowl’s rim edge, then poured out the water. He took the kettle from the child’s hands to rinse away the remaining dirt before pouring water into the bowl again and handing it to Jiang Xuening.

Jiang Xuening couldn’t help but freeze.

Memories from the previous life easily flowed back into her mind.

It was still when they were attacked.

At that time, only the two of them escaped with their lives, but all they carried was a single water pouch untied from a horse with a broken leg.

When she was thirsty, she untied that water pouch and drank water directly.

Then when she stopped and raised her head, she saw Zhang Zhe watching her. He seemed to have wanted to say something earlier but hadn’t had time.

Initially, she didn’t pay attention.

The two found a mountain path and walked forward. Jiang Xuening stopped to drink water twice and didn’t forget to pass the water pouch to Zhang Zhe, asking if he was thirsty. But this man with rigidity written on his face only silently received the water pouch, then stoppered it without drinking a single mouthful.

Jiang Xuening only thought he wasn’t thirsty.

But when the sun rose and she happened to turn back to see his dry, cracked lips, she raised an eyebrow and thought carefully, deliberately taking the water pouch again and drinking a mouthful.

Then watching him, she smiled teasingly.

She said: “Is it because this palace drank from it, my lips touched it, so you don’t dare drink?”

Zhang Zhe lowered his eyelids before her, neither approaching nor looking back, still that cautious and restrained appearance, saying: “Superior and inferior, ruler and subject have distinctions. Please do not joke, Your Ladyship.”

Jiang Xuening thus developed some resentment.

She just couldn’t stand seeing Zhang Zhe like this. Pondering back and forth, she said “Oh,” deliberately drawing out the tone, walking two steps around him, saying: “Superior and inferior, ruler and subject have distinctions—that sounds good. Then why didn’t Lord Zhang tell this palace earlier that this water pouch was yours, that you had drunk from it before?”

What was Zhang Zhe’s expression at that time?

Probably his complexion changed slightly.

Jiang Xuening only remembered him slowly closing his eyes, both hands clasped and drawn into his sleeves, making it impossible to see what emotions were within. After quite a while, he lowered his head but didn’t explain for himself, only saying: “This official has given offense.”

She had drunk from the water pouch he had drunk from.

Just this made this person restless as if being tormented.

This undoubtedly gave Jiang Xuening an unprecedented pleasure in teasing. She of course knew Zhang Zhe hadn’t spoken earlier first because she had already drunk, and second because they only had this one water pouch. But she deliberately teased him. When he didn’t drink after she passed him the water pouch, she intentionally drank in front of him, then watched him with her eyes, observing his subtle, not very good expressions.

As if the one being offended was him.

So she thought, she’d heard this person didn’t even have a concubine.

Not until later, after walking past that mountain and finding a water source, did this period of amusement cease.

Now, another bowl of water was presented before her.

The places touched by others had all been carefully washed clean.

This man with rigidity on his face was actually very meticulous and considerate, very good at taking care of others.

Thinking about it, Jiang Xuening didn’t know what kind of spell she was under in the previous life to actually bear to tease him and abuse him. When she raised her eyes, her lashes lightly trembled and the bottom of her eyes became covered with some moisture.

She watched him, just about to receive the bowl.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Zhe’s actions just now had fallen into others’ eyes. A rough-looking man saw this and actually laughed loudly: “All grown men, yet drinking water still requires wiping the bowl clean—fussing about like a woman!”

Zhang Zhe lowered his eyelids without responding.

But hearing this, Jiang Xuening felt a flame instantly surge up from the bottom of her heart and spread wildly. She actually rose abruptly, and the quite hard wheat cake she had taken a small bite of was directly thrown at that person’s face!

With some distance between them, the cake hitting the face carried some pain.

That person hadn’t expected his one laugh could provoke this. When hit, he froze for a moment, then his temper also rose. However, when he raised his head, he met a pair of delicate yet ice-cold eyes. That cold flavor transmitted from deep in the pupils, even faintly overflowing with some perversity. A cold wind blew through the temple entrance, actually making him shiver!

His temper was immediately scared back by more than half.

One should know that quite a few present had come from the imperial prison—killers and robbers, doing all kinds of evil. Looking dirty and thin and unremarkable on the outside, one never knew if they were vicious characters. Enduring momentary anger was better than provoking a fierce star.

That person actually didn’t dare curse back.

But the fire in Jiang Xuening’s heart hadn’t yet subsided. Just as she was about to speak, a hand reached up from below and forcefully gripped her arm.

Zhang Zhe raised his eyes to look at her, calmly saying: “Drink water.”

That bowl of water was still held level in his hand, not a single drop spilled.

Right now ultimately wasn’t the time to fight over this bit of pride, much less necessarily able to win. Jiang Xuening finally swallowed this breath, sat back down, lowered her brows, and with both hands received the bowl from his hands, drinking water in small sips.

The bowl was very large, but her face was small as a palm.

When she lowered her head, her entire face buried into the bowl, like a small deer stopped at a mountain stream to slowly drink water.

Watching, Zhang Zhe felt his heart also soften along with it.

Inside the temple, there was momentary silent stillness.

That man muttered a few sentences to himself, glanced at Zhang Zhe again, thinking of the scene at the city gate and figuring this person had considerable status in Heaven Teach. Not daring to have any opinions, he could only act as if nothing had happened and ate his cake with head lowered.

However, a disheveled man in a shadowy corner kept his gaze through his messy hair on Jiang Xuening’s body, appearing thoughtful.