◎In the future, don’t let people be casually kind to you◎

Hearing her harsh words, Qin Jue wasn’t particularly concerned.

He looked behind them, thinking that since he had sent out a signal from the beginning, the Supervision Department’s people should have arrived. Those people were all severely injured and couldn’t run far, so they should be detained for trial. Only then did he feel at ease. He looked at the woman in his arms whose consciousness was fading, thought for a moment, saw a household not far away, and directly charged over, carrying Luo Wanqing as he strode through that family’s gate.

The master hurried to greet them. Qin Jue raised his hand and threw out a handful of gold beads, coldly saying, “Borrowing lodging for one night.”

Seeing the gold beads and the blood covering Qin Jue, the master didn’t dare say much, quickly taking the gold beads and calling for his family to leave.

Luo Wanqing didn’t dare to sleep. She struggled to maintain her consciousness, intermittently listening to Qin Jue’s voice.

This person had wanted to kill her earlier – he was no longer safe.

What she had said just now was merely to try to stabilize him, hoping he wasn’t that bad, that her desperate efforts might earn her a bit of his conscience.

But now she didn’t dare believe a single word from him, didn’t dare sleep beside him.

How could Qin Jue not know her thoughts? But glancing at her condition, he didn’t want to deal with her complications. After placing her face down on the bed, he reached out to touch her spine.

Sensing where he intended to touch, Luo Wanqing’s expression sharpened. She used all her strength to turn around and grab his hand, urgently asking, “What are you doing?!”

“Your bone restructuring is half complete.” Qin Jue stared at her, saying seriously, “If you don’t continue, you’ll be ruined!”

Luo Wanqing gripped his hand, pressing her lips without moving. Qin Jue looked at her injuries all over her body, his tone softening slightly, “You can choose not to trust me, but do I need to explain your current condition? Right now, if I don’t save you, you’ll die. If I do save you, you still have a thread of hope. Whether you trust me or not, it’s your choice.”

Luo Wanqing said nothing. She looked at Qin Jue’s face, rarely without its smile, and after a long time, finally released his hand. Unwillingly turning her head away, she lay back down, burying her head in the soft pillow, saying softly, “Don’t do it through clothes. Illness knows no taboos – I don’t want any mistakes.”

Qin Jue paused his movement, then responded, “Alright.”

As he spoke, Luo Wanqing felt a chill on her body as he tore open her clothes, exposing her scarred back. Qin Jue glanced at it, then stuffed a piece of cloth torn from her clothing into her mouth, calmly saying, “Don’t bite your tongue.”

Luo Wanqing bit down on the cloth. In that moment, Qin Jue used his finger like a blade, cutting open her skin and flesh.

As the skin and flesh tore open and he explored into the bloody flesh, Luo Wanqing instantly bit down hard on the cotton cloth in her mouth, clenching her fists.

Qin Jue glanced at her and simply said, “Don’t move, endure it. You have too many bone fragments. I need to pick them out first.”

Luo Wanqing couldn’t speak. She forced herself not to avoid his touch, but she was in too much pain, her muscles tensing together, her whole body trembling. Qin Jue glanced at her and said calmly, “Relax, your muscles can’t be tense.”

Luo Wanqing listened to his words and tried to relax, but whenever Qin Jue touched her, a jolt of pain would come, and she completely lost control again.

Qin Jue watched her quietly, finally saying, “If you can’t do it, you can only wait to die.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing’s movement paused slightly. She closed her eyes and panted, letting herself calm down, finally saying, “You do it.”

Qin Jue began again. Luo Wanqing concentrated all her consciousness on the wound area, relaxing the places he touched. This focus allowed her to sense his movements.

She felt his fingertips, perceived him turning over her flesh and blood. This acuity amplified all her senses, including pain.

Cold sweat dripped from her forehead. She clenched her fists, lying on the bed, feeling like a fish being dissected alive. Her consciousness felt itself being cut piece by piece, and this slow torture was far from over.

From her back down to her toes, Luo Wanqing was in such pain that nothing remained but pain.

Sharp pain, burning pain, pain that shot straight to her skull…

She seemed to experience every type of pain in the world. When the pain reached its peak and Qin Jue’s movements finally stopped, the pain eased slightly. She drowsily opened her eyes and hoarsely asked, “Is it done?”

“Preparing to start now.”

Qin Jue spoke. Luo Wanqing was stunned. She opened her confused eyes, looking at Qin Jue standing beside her. Qin Jue placed his hand on her spine and said slowly, “I’ve cleaned out all the bone fragments left in your body from your self-restructuring. Now I’ll crush your bones and reshape them. During this process, I’ll protect you with true qi throughout. The regrowth process will be somewhat painful – just endure it.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly gripped down with his hand. Excruciating pain shot straight to her skull, and she could no longer hold back, screaming out loud!

In that instant, her mind went completely blank. It was like countless needles piercing her meridians, pain mixed with dense, crawling itchiness, combined with the intense agony of shattering bones, all exploding throughout her body.

She instantly forgot everything, only wanting to escape, instinctively wanting to flee!

She tried to struggle frantically, but she couldn’t, she could do nothing! She could only be forced to lie on the bed, enduring this extreme torture, crying out in agony.

After the first cry of pain, she could no longer control herself, sobbing uncontrollably.

She vaguely remembered when she was little, when she had a bad tooth, and when that tooth root was touched, it was a sour, astringent pain that connected to her head, making her wail.

Now she felt her entire body was like that rotten tooth root, hurting ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times more, making her wish she could take a dagger and end this torture immediately.

She howled and cried, tears and snot flowing together, crying terribly.

Her body felt like countless carriages rolling back and forth over it, the punishment of being torn apart by horses repeating endlessly. At that moment, she finally understood that when a person reaches the extreme of pain, there is no dignity, no will. She even began to continuously beg, hoping through pleading to end this torture.

However, the person behind her, crushing her bones inch by inch, showed no mercy whatsoever, holding her down firmly. After crushing her spine, he began with her limbs, bit by bit, crushing and reshaping her entire body.

She gradually quieted from her initial wailing. Though she was in such pain, she never lost consciousness. Until the end, when she couldn’t remember anything anymore, she couldn’t help but call out hoarsely, “Mother.”

The person behind her paused his movement.

She said softly, “I hurt so much.”

So much pain.

It hurt so much that she couldn’t help but remember childhood, every time she was sick, Yao Zelan was beside her, gently embracing her, patting her back.

Leaning against Yao Zelan, young as she was, she felt that all pain and sadness would get better.

But where was her mother?

Where was her father? Her brother? Her sister-in-law?

All gone.

She was no longer Luo Wanqing. Liu Xiniang was alone, with nothing.

Tears flowed down her face.

Her thoughts confused, she spoke hoarsely, “Mother… hug Nuan Nuan…”

Hug Nuan Nuan, Nuan Nuan hurts so much.

She cried silently, begging without purpose.

She thought there would be no response, but after a moment, someone suddenly embraced her like a child, letting her sit on his body, letting her face rest against his shoulder.

“It’s alright, don’t cry.”

His voice was gentle. As his words fell, he raised his hand to grip her spine. Excruciating pain came once more, followed immediately by a warm current wrapping around it, surrounding the bone area.

From the beginning, this warm current had protected her reshaped bones, but this time, it spread from the painful area throughout her surroundings. It gently nourished her muscles throughout her body, like the feeling of her mother’s gentle pats on her back in childhood, quietly softening those pains.

One side was the excruciating pain from broken bones, the other was silent tenderness.

Extreme agony and warmth intertwined. She closed her eyes, forced to endure all of this, feeling time stretch unbearably long.

She didn’t know how much time had passed before the other person finally stopped.

“It’s done.” He sighed softly, like coaxing a child, gently stroking her back, warmly saying, “Good girl, Nuan Nuan, sleep now.”

She couldn’t speak, leaning against the other person, slowly closing her eyes and falling asleep in his repeated gentle comforting.

She didn’t know how long she slept, vaguely feeling someone feeding her water and medicine. Each time she became slightly conscious, she was given medicine and fell asleep again, repeatedly.

When she woke again, it was morning.

She opened her eyes, feeling soreness throughout her body. She lay there recovering for a while, hearing a voice ask, “How do you feel?”

Luo Wanqing raised her head and saw a blue-robed young man sitting not far away. Still that ordinary face, but because of those eyes, after looking longer, he even seemed handsome.

He sat in a chair, one hand resting on the armrest, the other supporting his chin. His face was pale, seemingly somewhat weak, smiling as he watched her, warmly saying, “You slept for seven days. Your bones should be healed – move gently.”

Hearing she had slept for seven days, Luo Wanqing frowned. She immediately realized this wasn’t normal sleep. While moving her body to sit up, she coldly asked, “You gave me medicine?”

“Mm.” The other person didn’t deny it, saying wearily, “You’re too afraid of pain.”

Luo Wanqing’s movement paused slightly. Qin Jue saw her displeasure and smiled, “Like an ordinary boudoir miss who’s never experienced hardship, crying until my heart softened. The bone growth process is very difficult to endure – I could only give you medicine.”

“I could have endured it. Not moving meridians and bones easily causes adhesion,” Luo Wanqing reminded him, “Doing this risks ruining everything.”

“I continuously helped you circulate and massage them.” Qin Jue addressed her concern, “I’ve checked – your bones and meridians have grown very well, no need to worry.”

This made Luo Wanqing somewhat embarrassed. Qin Jue seemed completely unconcerned. He gazed at the woman testing her new body in the morning light, joking, “If you were an ordinary family’s daughter, I’d have to marry you.”

“You needn’t worry about that,” Luo Wanqing carefully sensed every detail of her body, saying indifferently, “I won’t cling to you.”

“Is that so…” Qin Jue drawled slowly, “Then I’m relieved. I was just saving someone – getting stuck with a lifetime commitment wouldn’t be worth it.”

Luo Wanqing ignored him. She got down from the bed, carefully feeling each step’s details, finally walking to the window and stopping there.

They were still in the small courtyard from before she fell unconscious. A family was cleaning in the yard, sunlight falling on trees sprouting new buds, looking full of life and bringing joy.

As Qin Jue said, her bones and meridians had grown very well. Running her internal power again and again, she felt completely unobstructed, extremely comfortable. Her body was light, muscles relaxed. Except for some lingering pain in bones and meridians, she felt an unprecedented sense of comfort and strength.

She couldn’t help but raise her hand, gazing at her palm in the sunlight.

Her hands had grown thin calluses and bore scars, completely different from before.

In the past, when she touched water, she had to dry it immediately and apply fragrant balm.

Though she didn’t mind, those around her – whether Jiang Shaoyan, her mother, or even servants – paid special attention to her beauty.

Like all boudoir misses, she pampered herself. From hair to delicate nails, her body had no scars, her hands no calluses. She was like a porcelain piece, beautiful to the extreme.

But that version of herself never had the sense of control she felt now.

Even forged through pain, blood, and tears, it was utterly captivating.

She gazed at herself. After a moment, she heard the person behind her say, “Feels good, doesn’t it?”

“Mm.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing responded, putting down her hand and turning to thank him, “Thank you.”

Qin Jue said nothing. Seeing she didn’t ask more, he knew she had become guarded.

He needn’t have cared, but thinking of that blood-covered figure galloping on horseback seven days ago, he felt uneasy. Pressing his lips, he hesitantly asked, “How were you injured?”

“Someone blocked me, so I killed her.”

Luo Wanqing’s voice was calm, not boasting about her deed.

Qin Jue raised his eyelids, voicing his guess, “Silver Snake?”

There weren’t many people in jianghu who used Miao blades. Qin Jue directly asked the most likely one.

Luo Wanqing nodded, “Mm.”

“She blocked you from coming to save me?”

“Mm.”

“Then why did you come?”

Qin Jue stared at her. Luo Wanqing was silent for a moment, then said softly, “For conscience.”

“Just conscience?”

“What else?” Luo Wanqing laughed lightly, with some displeasure, “What else do you have that I’d covet? You needn’t always think I’m scheming something. What I want, I’ve told you. What I haven’t said, I won’t ask for more.”

Qin Jue paused his movement. Luo Wanqing was ultimately still frustrated, couldn’t help adding, “I’m not like you. Good is good, bad is bad – I don’t have so many calculations. If I were like you, I’d ask: why did you restructure my bones?”

Qin Jue looked up at her, not understanding why Luo Wanqing would ask this.

Luo Wanqing stared at his poor complexion, saying seriously, “Bone restructuring consumes considerable true qi, doesn’t it? Now should be your weakest moment. If I wanted to kill you, this would be perfect timing. But knowing this, why still restructure my bones?”

Qin Jue said nothing. He looked at her calmly. After a long time, he said, “You can’t kill me.”

“Certain?”

“Feel free to try.”

Qin Jue spoke lightly. Luo Wanqing felt stifled, instinctively wanting to retort, but suddenly realized there was no need.

She turned away, asking, “Why do you think I want to kill you?”

Speaking, Luo Wanqing looked up, seriously gazing at him, frowning, “I don’t think I’ve wronged you in any way on this journey. So why did you want to kill me?”

This question seemed to leave Qin Jue at a loss for words. He lowered his eyes, hesitating before saying, “I know many people would try to kill me on this journey. Assassins have endless methods, so I’ve always been on guard.”

“And then?”

“You’ve been too strange from beginning to end. You deliberately approached me, yet acted completely unlike an assassin. But overdoing it arouses suspicion – the more someone makes you lower your guard, the more likely they are the truly deadly blade.”

“For example?”

Luo Wanqing was amused by his words. Qin Jue pressed his lips, “You pretended to mistake me for Jiushuang to approach me, seeming like you didn’t intentionally want to stay with me, but actually, you’re the one who tried every way to make me accept you. From the results, if I were just an ordinary young master, I might have become inseparable from the gentle haven you provided, yet wouldn’t suspect you of a deliberate approach.”

“What else?”

Luo Wanqing stared at him. Qin Jue didn’t dare meet her gaze directly, turning away awkwardly, “Also… you seemed to always be certain that Fengyu Pavilion was pursuing me specifically. When Fengyu Pavilion’s first wave of small fries came to kill me, you wanted to separate from me. I thought you didn’t want to act against your pavilion members, yet wanted to test my strength, so you forced yourself to act.”

“Continue.” Luo Wanqing leaned against the window, crossing her arms, lightly tapping her arm with her fingers.

“Your internal power is so deep, yet your blade technique is so chaotic. I thought you didn’t want me to see your true methods, wanting to dispel my wariness. So I wouldn’t act either – I’d also dispel your wariness, making you think I was weak.”

“Then, when you said your meridians were damaged, I thought you were testing me while wanting to borrow the opportunity to drain my internal power by having me repair your meridians. So I only helped once, letting you slowly repair them yourself.”

“You even specifically asked me whether internal power could be split half and half – such basic questions, while usually acting like a sheltered young lady new to jianghu,” Qin Jue looked at Luo Wanqing and sighed, “Sometimes you’re extremely sharp and understand many obscure things, sometimes you don’t even know common sense. Too much like accidentally revealing flaws in disguise.”

“Of course, what finally confirmed you were an assassin was when I sent you away to buy miscellaneous things, and you went for so long.”

Qin Jue stared at her, saying seriously, “Based on your character, you’d only buy essential things. How could you go for so long? The only reason would be that you deliberately made time for the Fengyu Pavilion people to attack me, waiting until about the right time before returning. If they and I were mutually wounded, you’d come kill me; if my strength far exceeded theirs, you’d pretend to come save me. So I left injuries on myself, kept them alive, and waited for you all along.”

Luo Wanqing said nothing. She lowered her head. She didn’t know why, but hearing his suspicions and calculations, a long-lost bitterness welled up.

She kept her head down, softly asking, “Then why didn’t you think I saw your strength far exceeded theirs and pretended to come save you?”

“I…” Qin Jue hesitated, finally speaking, “I did think that. But later, watching you…”

Qin Jue thought, “I figured no one could deceive so convincingly. If someone really could deceive that convincingly, then I’d be blind. It’s not a big deal anyway – you can’t kill me regardless.”

He ultimately accepted her because he had a backup plan, not because he truly trusted her.

“Then,” Luo Wanqing suppressed that bitterness she found disgusting, softly asking, “Since you suspected I wanted to kill you, why were you so good to me along the way? You blew leaves to help me fight, taught me blade techniques, helped repair my meridians…”

And that honey candy, those carefully written herbs on the paper, the menstrual belt she hadn’t even thought of herself.

She couldn’t voice it, yet felt resentful.

Somewhat resentful of herself, having already fallen once with Jiang Shaoyan, how could she still so easily trust others, treating someone as good just for showing a little kindness?

What wariness? The one truly guarded was this person who smiled every day.

“I…” Hearing Luo Wanqing’s words, seeing her withdrawn expression, Qin Jue lowered his eyes, softly saying, “I was just playing along with you. Whatever kind of person you pretended to be, I’d act as the corresponding person.”

“What about now?” Luo Wanqing looked up at the young man before her, “Are you also playing along with me, pretending to be someone suitable for me?”

The young man said nothing, looking down at the floor.

Luo Wanqing suddenly realized this question was somewhat meaningless. They were originally just chance acquaintances.

Agreeing to travel together was a mutual benefit.

She saved him only because of her promise and conscience.

Now he should have confirmed she was harmless. How he viewed and treated her afterward shouldn’t concern her.

“Forgive me for overstepping.”

Luo Wanqing composed herself, putting on a smile, “You restructured my bones – I’m very grateful. From your appearance, you deliberately showed weakness to lure the snake from its hole. Now that all snakes are caught, you shouldn’t need me for disguise anymore. With your skills, you shouldn’t need me to escort you to Eastern Capital either?”

Qin Jue held his forehead, not speaking.

Luo Wanqing raised her hand respectfully, “Since that’s the case, I won’t burden you, Young Master. Today, I’ll prepare the antidote for the Seven Insects Seven Flowers Pill for you. After that, we’ll part ways and each go to Eastern Capital separately.”

Speaking, Luo Wanqing stepped forward to leave.

Qin Jue sat in his chair, suddenly calling out, “Xiniang.”

Luo Wanqing stopped, hearing the person behind her ask, “Why did you buy back everything on the list I gave you?”

Luo Wanqing didn’t answer immediately. She thought, finally saying, “When I poisoned you, you gave me a sugar pill. I thought it tasted quite good.”

Hearing this, Qin Jue looked up. He watched the woman before him, slender in form, her back like a lone crane, finally speaking, “I have one last question for you. Why do you want to enter the Supervision Department?”

“I have revenge to take and people to protect.” Luo Wanqing didn’t lie to him – there was no need to deceive. “Someone once made me realize that in this world, only power held in my own hands can accomplish all this. So I want to go to the Supervision Department and climb upward. Use my sword to complete what I want to accomplish, use my power to possess everything I want.”

Speaking, she turned back to look at Qin Jue, “Though you deceived me throughout this journey, I’m still grateful to you. I hope we’ll meet again in the Supervision Department.”

He taught her much.

Taught her to draw the blade, taught her proper internal martial arts, helped her train her body, and restructured her bones for her.

Though he deceived her, she bore no resentment.

Qin Jue stared at the woman before him. After a moment, he smiled softly, “Xiniang, from now on, I won’t ask about your origins. Whether you doubt me or not, I don’t doubt you.”

Luo Wanqing was stunned. Qin Jue stood up, warmly saying, “I have some matters and must leave first. You needn’t give me the Seven Insects Seven Flowers Pill antidote. We’ll meet again in Eastern Capital – I’ll come and get it then. I told the household we’re husband and wife who encountered bandits, that I have business and am returning home first. They won’t ask more questions. You can rest here for a few more days. I’ve left some good martial techniques for you, plus a good blade and some medicines, as well as commonly used weapons, all in the room. Take them all when you leave. Xiniang,” Qin Jue looked at her quietly. After a long time, he said, “Actually, being good to you wasn’t all pretense. Mostly it was following my heart.”

Luo Wanqing listened, watching him look away, saying unnaturally, “Sometimes I thought, if you weren’t a bad person, you were good material who could be taught well. Sometimes I thought you were a good person. Sometimes, I simply wanted to do those things – it wasn’t all calculation.”

“That’s good.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing smiled, “You saying this makes me much more comfortable.”

Seeing her smile, Qin Jue also became happier. He turned to gaze at her face, thought for a moment, finally saying, “I’m leaving. Let’s meet in Eastern Capital.”

“Until we meet again – I won’t see you off.”

Luo Wanqing cupped her hands. Qin Jue nodded, didn’t hesitate, and stepped forward to leave.

Reaching the door, he suddenly remembered something, “Also, Xiniang.”

Luo Wanqing looked up, puzzled. Qin Jue said seriously, “In the future, don’t let people be casually kind to you. You’re too soft-hearted – it’s easy to get into trouble. Just focus on traveling on this journey, don’t make friends with anyone. About teaming up in the Supervision Department, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but if you want to team with Jiushuang, then I can tell you,” Qin Jue blinked, a gleeful smile appearing on his face, “she’s a woman.”

Author’s Note:

Nuan Nuan: A southern nickname for children, not specifically a name.

[Mini Theater]

Someone: “I’m temporarily leaving for a few days, so worried. How can I just leave like this? What if my wife meets bad people? What if she’s led astray by other men? What if she gets hurt? What if she runs away halfway and doesn’t go to Eastern Capital… No, I must give instructions, more instructions, more instructions!”

Luo Wanqing: “Are you leaving or not?”

Someone: “T T Iron-hearted wife kicks husband out online.”

[Mini Theater 2]

Luo Wanqing: “I’ll give you the antidote.”

Someone: “I don’t have time, I’ll get it later.” (Thinking: Just kidding, if you give it to me now, what excuse will I have to see you later?)