Chapter 503: If You Can, Then So Can I

To the ends of the earth. Wandering free beneath the skies.

Was this not what he had sought his entire life?

He had lived a lifetime never asking anything for himself. After the events of twenty years ago — from the time he was still a child of three — the full weight of national grievance and family vendetta had been pressed onto his shoulders.

He too wanted a simple life. A companion to face life and death beside. A woman he could travel the world with, knowing and keeping each other.

But who had ever permitted him any of that?

Jiu’er only looked at him. Perhaps there was much she wanted to say — but in the end, it all seemed to dissolve. She found, quite suddenly, that not a single word would come.

Black hair turned to frost. That had begun as nothing more than a remark she’d intended to use — yet having said it, her heart truly ached. More than she had expected.

“At least I know — the tenderness you feel in this moment is real.”

All at once, Mu Mu pulled her to her feet.

A robe landed over her shoulders. Before Jiu’er could even react, he swept her up into his arms.

With a sweep of his long sleeve, the window frame was cleared. Jiu’er felt only a sudden lightness — and in an instant, the two of them were already outside the window.

The horse didn’t let out so much as a sound. It bore them both away, swiftly leaving that place behind.

“Don’t betray me.” His large hand came to rest on her dark hair, pressing her head gently against his chest.

“Jiu’er, you said it yourself — that you would follow me to the ends of the earth. Since you’ve said it, don’t betray me.”

Feng Jiu’er’s body gave a faint tremor. She let herself lean into his embrace.

Don’t betray him… Why did those words hollow out a place in her chest, leaving only a vast, cold emptiness?

Feng Jiu’er didn’t know where they were going. It seemed that for much of that night, they simply rode on.

Later, when exhaustion crept in and sleep began to pull at her, she rested against Mu Mu’s chest. Weariness washed over her in waves, and she didn’t know how much time had passed before — even amid the rocking motion of the horse — she gradually drifted off.

Perhaps everyone has their own thoughts. Perhaps everyone has their own purpose. But she couldn’t deny that here, beside Mu Mu, she could still feel at ease.

Only her heart was anxious. Worried. Afraid. Afraid that the dream would come true — afraid that their weapons would ultimately find their way into each other’s bodies.

“Jiu’er, Jiu’er…”

In the dream, it seemed someone was calling her name, again and again.

Feng Jiu’er wanted to open her eyes and see who it was, but her eyelids were as heavy as if weighted with stone, and she couldn’t open them no matter how she tried.

She only vaguely sensed that the voice was close — right beside her ear.

“Who are you?” Feng Jiu’er’s voice was hoarse, so hoarse it barely came out.

“Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is who the person beside you is.”

The voice carried a kind of piercing quality — as though it passed through her eardrum and drove straight into her heart.

The person beside you. Who is it?

Jiu’er tried hard to recall, but in that moment, she simply couldn’t.

“Jiu’er, have you forgotten something very important? Something very, very important.”

“Something important…” Jiu’er murmured to herself. But what was it?

She moved her limbs. There didn’t seem to be anything particularly unusual on her body — no, wait, something seemed to be bound to her leg.

That’s right. A chain, around her ankle. But why did she think of that right now?

“Jiu’er, don’t let them slaughter each other. Stop it. You must stop it…”

“Who?” Feng Jiu’er’s eyes flew open, and she jolted awake from the dream.

Slaughter each other — what did that mean? And who had been speaking to her? And who were they speaking of?

“What’s wrong?” Mu Mu looked down at the woman who had woken in his arms, his gaze as soft as the wind drifting by in that very moment.

The person beside her — it was Mu Mu.

One sleep, and she had almost forgotten entirely — that she was currently “eloping” with Mu Mu.

“What time is it now? Where are the others?” Feng Jiu’er’s thoughts hadn’t yet fully cleared.

Mu Mu reached out and rubbed the spot between her brows. His fingertips were a little cool, but where they touched her, warmth soon followed.

“It’s roughly half an hour before dawn. As for the others — haven’t we already left them behind?”

Left them behind… Those words brought Jiu’er back in an instant. And only then did she truly remember — they had, indeed and in every sense, run away together.

“Mu Mu…”

“Don’t speak. Look.” Mu Mu’s long finger came to rest beneath her chin and gave a light push.

Jiu’er turned her head in the direction he guided. And in that moment, her eyes were set completely ablaze by what lay before her.

She had never seen a sunrise so clean and pure. Though it was still half an hour before true dawn, the horizon had already been painted in a sweep of golden amber.

“It’s beautiful.” It truly was beautiful. “What place is this?”

“I don’t know either. We’ve just been wandering wherever the road leads us.”

The smile at Mu Mu’s lips was lovelier still than that dawn — yet no one had ever truly taken notice of how beautiful his smile was, because he simply never smiled.

His arm encircled Feng Jiu’er, and he rested his chin atop her head: “If you like, from now on, I will accompany you every single day, until we have seen every landscape this world has to offer.”

Jiu’er’s fingertips went faintly still. She looked down, and only then noticed that Mu Mu’s robe had been draped over her this entire time.

The predawn dew falls heavy — it was the coldest point of the day. No wonder she had been warm all along.

She didn’t answer his words. Quietly, she asked: “Are you cold?”

“With you beside me, I’m not cold.” His large hand moved down and clasped her small hand, holding it gently in his palm.

Such tenderness. Such care. As though he were cradling the most precious thing his life had ever held.

“Jiu’er, tell me where you want to go. We’ll set out shortly — I’ll go with you, wherever it is.”

“Can you truly… let go of everything?” Feng Jiu’er wanted to look up at him, but his chin was still resting on her head, making it impossible for her to raise her face.

“If you can, then so can I.” Mu Mu’s voice was quiet — yet somehow, it felt weighted.

How much truth was in those words, Jiu’er couldn’t begin to guess.

And yet — didn’t he still carry his family’s grudge and his country’s enmity on his back? More than twenty years of hatred. She didn’t know the full story, but she knew that everyone in their circle had been nurturing it — a hatred that burned deep, fiercely deep.

The Night Demon and Elder Shi had made vengeance the work and purpose of their entire lives.

And though Mu Mu seemed calmer than any of them, that was simply because he was not one to wear his emotions outwardly.

He had been raised by the Night Demon and Elder Shi for all these years. Surrounded by that hatred his whole life — the hatred in his own heart could be no less than theirs.

Could he truly let it go?

Jiu’er looked down at the large hand enclosing hers, and pressed her lips together.

To Mu Mu’s words, she found she had absolutely no answer.

If you can, then so can I.

Then — could she truly let go of everything and drift to the ends of the earth with him?

Could she let go of the Ninth Imperial Uncle?

The Ninth Imperial Uncle… A sharp pang struck her chest, followed by a stabbing ache in her head, and her brows knitted tight at once.

The Ninth Imperial Uncle — how could she ever let him go?

To the ends of the earth. Wandering free beneath the skies.

Was this not what he had sought his entire life?

He had lived a lifetime never asking anything for himself. After the events of twenty years ago — from the time he was still a child of three — the full weight of national grievance and family vendetta had been pressed onto his shoulders.

He too wanted a simple life. A companion to face life and death beside. A woman he could travel the world with, knowing and keeping each other.

But who had ever permitted him any of that?

Jiu’er only looked at him. Perhaps there was much she wanted to say — but in the end, it all seemed to dissolve. She found, quite suddenly, that not a single word would come.

Black hair turned to frost. That had begun as nothing more than a remark she’d intended to use — yet having said it, her heart truly ached. More than she had expected.

“At least I know — the tenderness you feel in this moment is real.”

All at once, Mu Mu pulled her to her feet.

A robe landed over her shoulders. Before Jiu’er could even react, he swept her up into his arms.

With a sweep of his long sleeve, the window frame was cleared. Jiu’er felt only a sudden lightness — and in an instant, the two of them were already outside the window.

The horse didn’t let out so much as a sound. It bore them both away, swiftly leaving that place behind.

“Don’t betray me.” His large hand came to rest on her dark hair, pressing her head gently against his chest.

“Jiu’er, you said it yourself — that you would follow me to the ends of the earth. Since you’ve said it, don’t betray me.”

Feng Jiu’er’s body gave a faint tremor. She let herself lean into his embrace.

Don’t betray him… Why did those words hollow out a place in her chest, leaving only a vast, cold emptiness?

Feng Jiu’er didn’t know where they were going. It seemed that for much of that night, they simply rode on.

Later, when exhaustion crept in and sleep began to pull at her, she rested against Mu Mu’s chest. Weariness washed over her in waves, and she didn’t know how much time had passed before — even amid the rocking motion of the horse — she gradually drifted off.

Perhaps everyone has their own thoughts. Perhaps everyone has their own purpose. But she couldn’t deny that here, beside Mu Mu, she could still feel at ease.

Only her heart was anxious. Worried. Afraid. Afraid that the dream would come true — afraid that their weapons would ultimately find their way into each other’s bodies.

“Jiu’er, Jiu’er…”

In the dream, it seemed someone was calling her name, again and again.

Feng Jiu’er wanted to open her eyes and see who it was, but her eyelids were as heavy as if weighted with stone, and she couldn’t open them no matter how she tried.

She only vaguely sensed that the voice was close — right beside her ear.

“Who are you?” Feng Jiu’er’s voice was hoarse, so hoarse it barely came out.

“Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is who the person beside you is.”

The voice carried a kind of piercing quality — as though it passed through her eardrum and drove straight into her heart.

The person beside you. Who is it?

Jiu’er tried hard to recall, but in that moment, she simply couldn’t.

“Jiu’er, have you forgotten something very important? Something very, very important.”

“Something important…” Jiu’er murmured to herself. But what was it?

She moved her limbs. There didn’t seem to be anything particularly unusual on her body — no, wait, something seemed to be bound to her leg.

That’s right. A chain, around her ankle. But why did she think of that right now?

“Jiu’er, don’t let them slaughter each other. Stop it. You must stop it…”

“Who?” Feng Jiu’er’s eyes flew open, and she jolted awake from the dream.

Slaughter each other — what did that mean? And who had been speaking to her? And who were they speaking of?

“What’s wrong?” Mu Mu looked down at the woman who had woken in his arms, his gaze as soft as the wind drifting by in that very moment.

The person beside her — it was Mu Mu.

One sleep, and she had almost forgotten entirely — that she was currently “eloping” with Mu Mu.

“What time is it now? Where are the others?” Feng Jiu’er’s thoughts hadn’t yet fully cleared.

Mu Mu reached out and rubbed the spot between her brows. His fingertips were a little cool, but where they touched her, warmth soon followed.

“It’s roughly half an hour before dawn. As for the others — haven’t we already left them behind?”

Left them behind… Those words brought Jiu’er back in an instant. And only then did she truly remember — they had, indeed and in every sense, run away together.

“Mu Mu…”

“Don’t speak. Look.” Mu Mu’s long finger came to rest beneath her chin and gave a light push.

Jiu’er turned her head in the direction he guided. And in that moment, her eyes were set completely ablaze by what lay before her.

She had never seen a sunrise so clean and pure. Though it was still half an hour before true dawn, the horizon had already been painted in a sweep of golden amber.

“It’s beautiful.” It truly was beautiful. “What place is this?”

“I don’t know either. We’ve just been wandering wherever the road leads us.”

The smile at Mu Mu’s lips was lovelier still than that dawn — yet no one had ever truly taken notice of how beautiful his smile was, because he simply never smiled.

His arm encircled Feng Jiu’er, and he rested his chin atop her head: “If you like, from now on, I will accompany you every single day, until we have seen every landscape this world has to offer.”

Jiu’er’s fingertips went faintly still. She looked down, and only then noticed that Mu Mu’s robe had been draped over her this entire time.

The predawn dew falls heavy — it was the coldest point of the day. No wonder she had been warm all along.

She didn’t answer his words. Quietly, she asked: “Are you cold?”

“With you beside me, I’m not cold.” His large hand moved down and clasped her small hand, holding it gently in his palm.

Such tenderness. Such care. As though he were cradling the most precious thing his life had ever held.

“Jiu’er, tell me where you want to go. We’ll set out shortly — I’ll go with you, wherever it is.”

“Can you truly… let go of everything?” Feng Jiu’er wanted to look up at him, but his chin was still resting on her head, making it impossible for her to raise her face.

“If you can, then so can I.” Mu Mu’s voice was quiet — yet somehow, it felt weighted.

How much truth was in those words, Jiu’er couldn’t begin to guess.

And yet — didn’t he still carry his family’s grudge and his country’s enmity on his back? More than twenty years of hatred. She didn’t know the full story, but she knew that everyone in their circle had been nurturing it — a hatred that burned deep, fiercely deep.

The Night Demon and Elder Shi had made vengeance the work and purpose of their entire lives.

And though Mu Mu seemed calmer than any of them, that was simply because he was not one to wear his emotions outwardly.

He had been raised by the Night Demon and Elder Shi for all these years. Surrounded by that hatred his whole life — the hatred in his own heart could be no less than theirs.

Could he truly let it go?

Jiu’er looked down at the large hand enclosing hers, and pressed her lips together.

To Mu Mu’s words, she found she had absolutely no answer.

If you can, then so can I.

Then — could she truly let go of everything and drift to the ends of the earth with him?

Could she let go of the Ninth Imperial Uncle?

The Ninth Imperial Uncle… A sharp pang struck her chest, followed by a stabbing ache in her head, and her brows knitted tight at once.

The Ninth Imperial Uncle — how could she ever let him go?