The entire hall suddenly fell silent.

Lian Yu was obviously stunned as well. Xiao Zhou looked at him and said, “Master, you’ve already given me my freedom. Can I make decisions about my own affairs?”

“Naturally so.”

Lian Yu paused before speaking.

Soon, he spoke again: “Even if you were still my Vermillion Bird, matters concerning yourself should be decided by you alone.”

“Only, no matter what, I hope you won’t wrong yourself. Sharing something with another person is never a good thing.”

Xiao Zhou slowly removed her large medicine chest. “Yes, so I won’t share anything with anyone.”

“You cannot marry the Princess again,” she said, her gaze falling on the man beside the bed. “You can only marry me.”

“If you’re willing, I’ll save her. If you’re unwilling, I won’t save her.” As she spoke, there wasn’t a trace of room for negotiation in her calm eyes.

Lian Xin’s face was pale as she frowned at her, a flash of grievance in her eyes. She hadn’t expected to lose again what she had just gained. But ultimately she said nothing. She wasn’t greedy for life, but rather couldn’t bring herself to speak words of blame—she felt Xiao Zhou was pitiable too.

Wuqing’s brows and eyes slowly grew cold. He placed Lian Xin back on the bed, covered her with a quilt, and said: “Let’s go outside to talk.”

In the room, except for Lian Yu who had spoken earlier, no one said anything. Lian Qin opened her mouth but ultimately closed it again—at such a time, whatever anyone said would be inappropriate.

Outside, the wind rustled the leaves. Wuqing said: “Why do this?”

“When I save people, I always collect some medical fees,” Xiao Zhou said.

Wuqing walked in front of her, staring at her face. “She’s Lian Yu’s sister, and even more so Huaisu’s most valued friend. You say Quan Feitong remembers her—what about you? Don’t you remember her at all?”

“Then I was also Huaisu’s best friend. Why don’t you remember me?” Xiao Zhou raised her chin, coldly asking in return.

Not intense, but full of mockery.

Wuqing found himself momentarily unable to find words to refute her. His heart couldn’t help but twitch slightly.

But he turned his face slightly, not showing it, only asking: “How confident are you?”

“I’ll save her tomorrow. Let’s marry in three days.” Before leaving, she didn’t answer, only saying this.

Xiao Zhou used acupuncture to guide out the poison. Lian Xin was Lian Jie’s own sister, but ultimately there were differences between men and women. Xiao Zhou also said she could handle it herself and didn’t need him to come.

“It seems these years of traveling the martial world have greatly improved your skills, while I’ve actually regressed. Later, tell me how this needle guidance works—needles can guide out poison, but how do you cleanse organs that have already been invaded by toxins?” Lian Jie’s medical skills were formidable, but this time he was outdone by Xiao Zhou, making him somewhat sour.

Xiao Zhou glanced at him. “Prepare some dowry for me later, and I’ll tell you.”

Lian Jie was suddenly stunned, only then realizing that it seemed no one had thought to prepare wedding items for her.

To avoid disturbance and distraction, Xiao Zhou didn’t allow anyone to enter and disturb her. Lian Jie, being a physician, knew the stakes involved and stayed in the courtyard with Lian Yu and the others.

Lian Jie patted Lian Yu’s shoulder. “Don’t think too much. She must be confident to make such a promise.”

Lian Yu said nothing at all.

After a full five hours, with a “creak,” the door slowly opened.

“How is it?” Wuqing strode forward, grasping Xiao Zhou’s shoulders.

Xiao Zhou said coldly: “Naturally successful.”

“Thank you.” Wuqing paused, then said softly.

“We’re trading one thing for another—you don’t need to.” She spoke as she quickly walked away.

Everyone passed by him to go in and see the patient. Wuqing actually stood there stunned for a moment, her sweat-beaded forehead and bloodshot red eyes slowly flashing before his eyes.

Only Lian Yu remained in the courtyard.

Seeing him, Xiao Zhou’s lips rarely curved into a gentle smile.

“Master, aren’t you going in to look?” she said.

Lian Yu took out a handkerchief from his bosom and handed it over. “I trust you.”

“Master, what should I do? I really want to hug you.”

Lian Yu’s arms opened slightly. Xiao Zhou looked at him deeply but ultimately didn’t walk over.

On the wedding day, Lian Yu was still the witness, as before.

“Husband and wife bow to each other.”

After the second bow, Xiao Zhou was pulled by Wu Ming to turn around. The guests in the hall were quietly silent.

She could feel the breathing of the person opposite her, and seemed to also feel the temperature of that quiet gaze from the doorway.

She suddenly pulled off her veil. He was frowning as he looked at her.

She raised her hand and gave him a hard slap.

Someone in the hall gasped. Her hand was gripped tightly by him.

Anger was clearly building on his handsome face.

She struggled hard. His lips pressed into a line, his fingers tightened, then finally loosened.

Her wrist already bore a red circle.

She bowed deeply to Lian Yu and walked into the inner hall.

During the wedding feast that followed, everyone ate in unusual silence. The bride also didn’t come out to toast.

Late at night, when the banquet dispersed, Wuqing slowly walked into the room.

She was leaning against the bed edge, seemingly having fallen asleep.

He walked over, his fingers reaching out but stopping above the red veil. He had once thought about being able to wander the world hand in hand with her, but also knew that the two of them had no possibility, because she might very well be from an enemy family. He had never imagined there would be such a day. But the person at the other end of the red thread—he had already changed his original intention. He wanted to talk with her.

Finally, he slowly lifted the veil. Where his gaze fell, the veil suddenly dropped to the ground.

Three li away, in front of an abandoned hunter’s cabin,

A person slowly pushed open the door.

Inside, the lamplight flickered dimly. One person sat quietly. Seeing the newcomer, they said: “You’ve come.”

“Instead of consummating your marriage with Wuqing, you ask me to come here for what purpose?” The lamplight illuminated the newcomer’s face—sword-like brows extending to his temples.

“I couldn’t think of anyone else to find. You and I share the bond of serving the same master, and you’re Huaisu’s best brother, Leng Xue.” The person at the table said.

“What do you want me to do?” Leng Xue didn’t understand her meaning and quickly walked in. The pallor on her face worried him.

“Help me collect my corpse. I don’t want to have no place for peaceful burial even after death.” she said.

Leng Xue was greatly alarmed. “You… what are you saying?”

“I used a sympathy gu to transfer the poison from Lian Xin to myself.” She didn’t beat around the bush, speaking directly.

“What? I don’t understand…”

“You don’t need to understand. Back then I couldn’t save Huaisu, leaving Master with lifelong regret. Later I requested leave from Master, spending several years traveling various countries, learning new medical techniques and finding some good treasures. This thing was found during those years. I never had a chance to use it, but seeing its effects firsthand today, it’s not bad.”

Leng Xue listened in shock, unable to speak.

“Why didn’t you tell Wuqing? Why are you still leaving? You’ve already bowed in the hall.” After a long moment, he said urgently.

“Then what—wait for him to feel guilty toward me and live out our days together properly?” She looked at him sideways.

“No, we didn’t finish the ceremony. I did it to give myself closure—to not die in this lifetime without ever having married… But later I changed my mind.”

“Since he’s not the right person, why should I wrong myself?” She pulled down the black veil from her bamboo hat.

“Xiao Zhou,” seeing her get up, Leng Xue went to grab her hand. “Come back with me. Wuqing should know!”

She stepped back. “This time, it’s not for him either.”

“I’m an orphan. When Master picked me up, he gave me a choice—whether to follow him or take some travel money and live on my own. I had no relatives. I wanted to know what having relatives felt like, so I said I’d follow him. He said if I followed him, he’d teach me everything, but I had to be loyal to him, protect him, and protect his relatives.”

“To devote myself completely until death—this was my promise to him. In my heart, he’s both my master and my elder brother, my only relative.”

“Since you value Lian Yu so much, you should go back even more.” Leng Xue said.

She shook her head. “If there’s anyone left in this world who cares about me, it’s only him. Little Chu is dead, Xuanwu is dead, and Huaisu is gone too. I don’t want to make him sad again.”

“Besides,” she broke free with force, saying coldly: “An ugly monster dying in the most unsightly way in front of you all—you might not care, but I do. I don’t need sympathy.”

Her hands were too cold. Leng Xue knew he couldn’t hold on to her, but watching her figure about to disappear into the darkness outside, he remembered the days at the Judge’s Office and couldn’t help calling her again: “You’re doing this not only for Lian Yu, but also for Wuqing.”

Her figure stopped, her voice like smoke: “The answer no longer matters. Master once intended to give me freedom. When I could wholeheartedly love him, he was no longer there.”

After an unknown amount of time, the lamplight went out with a “poof,” and Leng Xue felt as if waking from a dream.

Before leaving, she said to wait for her at the Capture Gate for a while. Once she collapsed somewhere, she would have someone send him a letter. He would then go burn her body—half scattered in lakes and seas, half brought back to the border to be buried in front of Suzhen’s grave, forever guarding her and Lian Yu.

The old fox once said: Follow me, and you’ll have meat to eat. Stop being an assassin and become a good citizen. You’ll know that what you gain will definitely be more than before.

The old fox also said: Time proves the way.

He suddenly felt somewhat angry.

These years, he had given up his assassin identity, but all he had was loss—his most beloved people, friends.

But regardless, he would keep his friend’s promise. At least this friend had thought of him.

But that girl—who else would remember her? “Sentimental should mock whom, yet the heartless has feelings.”

Ten days later, on a street in a large town a thousand li away from the Capture Gate.

Xiao Zhou was tired from walking and casually squatted against a wall corner.

She had previously laughed with Xuanwu behind Lian Yu’s back about how their master had once disguised himself as a leper beggar to disgust people along the way, thinking their master was immature. Now she was truly experiencing that feeling of “I’m the most miserable in the world—whoever claims to be more miserable than me, I won’t accept it.”

She naturally wouldn’t disguise herself as a beggar to invite suffering, but she created a new look with a face full of sores to make people fear her. As an expert in medicine, this was very simple.

Suddenly, several clear “clanging” sounds, as if something had fallen into pottery, and soon after, she heard a gentle voice say: “Xie Hui, you all also give some to that little beggar over there—yes, that ugliest little leper in the whole place.”

“Master, she has no tools.” Several people responded in unison, one saying respectfully.

“Oh, buy a bowl from that old beggar next door for him.”