“Fine, I’ll get out! Like losing at chess is such a big deal!”

Having descended from Xie Wei’s carriage, Jiang Xuening grew angrier the more she thought about it. Gritting her teeth, she muttered under her breath, indignantly kicked the carriage shaft, turned around, stamped her foot, and walked toward her own carriage.

Jianshu, driving the carriage, didn’t dare speak.

When Daoqin saw her, he also kept his head buried low.

Jiang Xuening yanked open the carriage curtain and plopped down inside, still feeling one breath of indignation unable to settle: Back in the capital, how had she ever thought Xie Wei had a decent temper? From their meeting in Jinling until now on the road, his moods could only be described as capricious! Clearly, he had been smiling just moments before, looking quite pleased, almost making her forget what this person’s true identity was, what he had done, and what he was capable of doing—yet with just one sentence, he turned cold and heartless!

It was just a game of chess, wasn’t it?

Not having anyone to play with on this journey wouldn’t kill him. Once they reached the border and settled matters, this lady would get as far away as possible!

Jiang Xuening muttered under her breath and simply lay down, wanting to cover her head and sleep. But thinking over and over, Xie Wei’s infuriating face kept swaying in her mind. Not only did she feel no drowsiness, she became increasingly alert.

She had developed a grudge against Xie Wei.

Throughout the rest of the journey, she didn’t need Xie Wei to give her the cold shoulder—she gave him plenty of cold shoulder first. If she could avoid speaking, she wouldn’t speak. When speaking was absolutely necessary, there were Daoqin and Jianshu to relay messages between them. It was completely a stance of having nothing to do with each other until death.

On the first day of the ninth month, they entered the territory of Tai’an in Shandong.

After discussion, everyone decided to enter the city to rest and make slight repairs.

When the carriages passed through the city gate, they needed to stop for inspection. Inside her carriage, Jiang Xuening heard what seemed to be pleading voices outside.

She lifted the carriage curtain to look.

A group of common people had gathered beneath the city wall, men and women, all surrounding a monk carrying a traveling case, questioning him endlessly. The monk’s robes had already been torn in the shoving, and he kept explaining something, pleading for something. However, the more he spoke, the more he seemed to provoke the anger of those around him. Finally, a woman pulling a child along spat in his face, and immediately after, a tall, sturdy man beside her punched the monk in the face.

The situation instantly spiraled out of control.

The gathered people’s faces showed what seemed to be fear as well as anger. After one person struck, others immediately followed, fists and feet all landing on the monk.

This commotion was quite significant.

Jiang Xuening watched with furrowed brows.

Guards and runners were already stationed at the city gate. Seeing this situation, they immediately headed over there, loudly reproaching and trying to stop it.

Xie Wei sat in the carriage ahead and could see more clearly.

A runner was inspecting documents to let them enter the city.

Xie Wei asked casually: “What’s happening over there?”

Having verified the travel permits and seeing this group was either wealthy or noble, the runner didn’t dare be perfunctory. But recalling recent events in the city, he couldn’t help shaking his head: “What else could it be? Soul-calling.”

Xie Wei raised an eyebrow: “Soul-calling?”

The runner said: “You’re coming from outside so you don’t know. A while ago, they were building a bridge outside Wufu Temple in the city. A few wicked monks actually wrote people’s names on paper and pasted them on the bridge pilings that would be driven into the ground. The Taoist priests from Taixu Temple said this was demonic sorcery—when a person’s name is written on paper, their soul will be called away and driven into the bridge pilings. A bridge with human souls will be more solid when built. Just now, this monk was walking around carrying a begging bowl, and when people discovered hair hidden in his traveling case—what else could it be for if not sorcery?”

Another group of runners had already gone over to contain the situation.

But they couldn’t withstand the indignant crowd.

Especially that woman pulling the child—her voice was shrill and high: “If you didn’t want to call my son’s soul, why did you ask his name? There’s even hair hidden in your box, and you still dare say you’re not doing this! If anything happens to my son, you’ll pay with your life! Take him to see the magistrate, take him to see the magistrate!”

The monk was being pulled and dragged. His face was already covered in bruises, purple and blue. He cried out: “This humble monk only saw that your son was kind-hearted and wanted to pray for his blessings…”

But no one listened to his explanations.

The runners finally managed to stabilize the situation with great difficulty and hurriedly bound him up to take him to the magistrate. Only then did the woman on the scene hold her child and weep loudly. The rest of the people clustered around the runners and all headed toward the magistrate’s office together.

Xie Wei watched for a moment.

Both Daoqin and Jianshu couldn’t help turning back to look at him.

But he slowly smiled, without the slightest intention of getting involved. He gently lowered the carriage curtain and said: “Let’s go.”

At this time, Jiang Xuening’s carriage had drawn quite close and happened to take in this entire scene.

She truly couldn’t describe what she was feeling.

Xie Wei had watched that crowd of people, the divine light in his eyes dark and obscure. It was hard to say whether it was pity or mockery—he simply lowered his eyelids slightly like this, and all emotions receded, even revealing a kind of shocking…

Indifference.

Writing someone’s name on paper would call their soul?

One would know just by thinking that this was impossible.

Yet after hearing the Taoist priest’s words, the common people deeply believed it and even panicked over it. This woman had merely heard the monk ask her child’s name and made a fuss endlessly. The surrounding people were both frightened and angry, completely believing it was better to believe than not believe. Without distinguishing right from wrong, they beat the person and dragged him to see the magistrate…

Jiang Xuening’s heart grew slightly cold.

Especially recalling Xie Wei’s expression just now.

When passing through the city gate, those clamorous voices had already grown distant, yet she didn’t know why she suddenly recalled the story Lu Xian had told her about petitioning to equalize grain taxes in Yin County—

Toward people, toward the world, how exactly did Xie Wei view them?

The displeasure she had accumulated over several days due to boredom was suddenly all pressed down by something else.

Upon reaching the inn, everyone settled down to rest.

During the evening meal, Jianshu went out once and upon returning, spoke to Xie Wei for a while. Jiang Xuening heard from a distance, not particularly clearly, only vaguely knowing that this “soul-calling” matter seemed to be a dispute between the Celestial Teachings and Buddhism, with someone secretly fanning the flames and adding fuel to the fire.

She thought Xie Wei would take some action.

Unexpectedly, this person simply listened and then let it be, without the slightest intention of getting involved.

They only rested at the inn for half a day. After feeding the horses, eating their meal, and bringing some dry rations and water, they left the city again in the afternoon and got on the northern official road.

She couldn’t help but wonder: “Leaving in the afternoon—why not simply rest for a full day?”

Daoqin, still as always sitting on his horse and riding beside her, only said: “The farther north we go, the colder it gets. The climate is also entering winter. We must reach the border before the snow arrives.”

Jiang Xuening frowned.

Thinking it over, she also felt this made sense, so she simply stopped thinking about it.

The sky gradually darkened. Nestled in the carriage, she felt drowsy after a short while.

After traveling forward about seven or eight li, she yawned, feeling a bit sleepy. She wrapped herself in a thick velvet blanket, preparing to lie down. But just as she was about to move, the carriage curtain suddenly lifted in the darkness. A gust of wind blew in, and along with it, another shadowy figure slipped into the carriage!

Jiang Xuening was immediately greatly alarmed!

One must know that Daoqin, Jianshu, and the other dozen or so skilled fighters were all following on both sides. Yet just now, there hadn’t been the slightest sound from outside. Even when this person entered, the carriage was still continuing forward. What kind of terrifying figure must this newcomer be?

In this instant, her whole body tensed, and she was about to scream.

However, the newcomer’s movements were incomparably swift. Leaning forward, he covered her mouth with one hand.

His palm, slightly cool, was steady and powerful.

The other party’s face had also drawn close. Several strands of breathing warmth scattered at her ear, provoking goosebumps all over her body. Only now, borrowing that bit of extremely dim light from outside the lifted carriage curtain, could she make out some familiar contours.

It was actually Xie Wei?!

Jiang Xuening blinked in shock. This time, she finally didn’t dare move recklessly.

That’s right.

With so many people outside, if it weren’t Xie Wei, how could there be not even half a sound?

But what was this situation right now?

She felt somewhat confused.

Xie Wei’s face with its clear and refined contours appeared blurred in the darkness, actually resembling a hibernating wild beast, giving one a sense of crisis lurking everywhere. His thin lips were pressed tightly together, but his pair of eyes silently watched outside through the narrow gap in the carriage curtain.

Jiang Xuening followed his gaze outward.

Spending great effort, she could barely discover that ahead was a fork in the official road. Their carriage continued northward, while the carriage Xie Wei had originally been riding in silently turned west when passing the fork, taking that side road and gradually disappearing into the overlapping tree shadows!

Though Jiang Xuening couldn’t claim to be exceptionally clever, seeing this situation, how could she not understand—

Someone was watching them.

For a moment, her heartbeat was like beating drums.

She didn’t dare move at all, only fearing that one careless move might ruin Xie Wei’s plan. She let him press her into the soft velvet blanket, cover her mouth, not even daring to take a deep breath.