“There is no such person!” Zeng Lanyue had been backed into a corner by her, nearly out of room to retreat.

Only after calming herself did she realize she had already stepped back more than a dozen paces.

She drew a deep breath, fixed her gaze on Feng Jiu’er, and said coldly, “Feng Jiu’er, you colluded with Mu Mu — you are the spy!”

“There is no point in turning this around on me. That kind of tactic will get you nowhere with me, and it holds no meaning whatsoever.”

The frost in Feng Jiu’er’s eyes softened somewhat as she looked at her, then slowly let out a quiet breath.

“The truth is, you are already a discarded piece. You pose no further threat to the Longqi Army going forward. Since you are unwilling to speak, I will not press you.”

“Then why did you come here to say all this to me?” Even though the cold edge in Feng Jiu’er’s eyes had faded a little, Zeng Lanyue’s heavy wariness had not lessened in the slightest.

Feng Jiu’er pressed her lips together and said evenly, “I only came to advise you. The path you originally intended to take — perhaps it would be wise to reconsider and choose a different one.”

“What do you mean?” Zeng Lanyue narrowed her eyes.

“There is danger ahead.” Some things — if she did not say them, did this girl truly not think of them on her own?

If she truly had not considered it, then the only explanation was that a woman who had fallen deep in love operated at a negative intelligence.

“From the moment you got into trouble until now, has that person ever come forward to protect you? You slit your own throat and nearly died — did he come to see you even once?”

“Forget it, I have no wish to argue this further with you. But you know far too much about him. He will not simply let this rest.”

“He would never harm me!” Zeng Lanyue blurted out urgently. The moment those words left her mouth, she felt the slip and hurriedly bit her lip, not daring to say another word.

Feng Jiu’er did not appear the least bit surprised. She simply looked at her, and once the coldness had receded, all that remained in her eyes was sincerity.

“A place like the Imperial Academy is crawling with spies. I have no particular concern about dealing with a few of you. As I said, I came here today to guide you toward a different path.”

She pointed toward the depths of the dense forest, in the direction of the north. “That way is not safe either — there are wild wolves. This way is the path you originally planned to take, because behind the mountain forest lies a village. Most people would naturally head this way.”

“This route is absolutely not safe. If I have guessed correctly, there is certainly an ambush hidden along it. You know too much. He will not allow you any chance of walking out of there alive.”

Some words were cruel, yet the price of recklessness was far greater. Harsh words now were still far better than being truly slaughtered.

“Take that other route instead. The mountain trail there is rugged, and there is nowhere to shelter beyond those woods. But along that side, the terrain is gentle and the view is open. People often go up into those hills, so you would not encounter any large and dangerous beasts.”

“Going that way may cost you several more days than the path you chose, but once those days are behind you and you emerge on the other side, an entirely different world awaits.”

She untied a small bundle from her waist and held it out. “There are some dried provisions here. Take them — enough to last you several days. Go now. Begin a new life. As for what has come and gone, forget whatever you can.”

“Feng Jiu’er…”

Zeng Lanyue stared at the bundle held out toward her, and a wave of bitterness rose in her chest without warning.

Yet in the end, she shook her head. “I do not believe it. I cannot believe it. I am sorry — I will walk the path I have chosen. Farewell.”

And just like that, she truly left. She had clearly wavered moments ago, and a glimmer of tearful anguish had already shown in her eyes — yet still she clenched her teeth and walked away.

“That is because she cannot bring herself to believe that the man she has devoted her heart to is one who has abandoned all feeling.”

After Zeng Lanyue departed, a tall and slender figure stepped out from behind a tree trunk, startling Jiu’er so badly she nearly stumbled and pitched forward. She turned and shot him a glare, then pursed her lips and asked, “Since when were you here?”