Jiang Xin’er finally understood why Qin Jiuye had insisted on bringing those miscellaneous crate boards along; the woman had anticipated from the start that they might need to cross water.
According to the map provided by Li Qingdao, the mountain basin where Juchao was located originally contained several lakes of varying sizes. However, unless one saw it in person, no one could have imagined that years later, these would have merged into a single, vast body of water.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, mist began to crawl out from every corner of the mountains. They descended the pass without pause to camp in the woods. The next day, they spent most of the daylight hours scouting a path through the forest before using the tools they had carried to construct a crude little raft. As night fell, they hurriedly launched it, drifting into the black lake shrouded in thick fog.
"The timing must be right." These were Qin Jiuye’s original words and her true conviction. On the way there, she had told Jiang Xin’er to "seize the right moment to enter the mountains." This wasn't just idle talk; it was an inference drawn from her observations of the weather. Though the current fog was vexing, there was at least no wind or rain, and the lake’s surface was as still as a mirror. While a pool of dead water was inherently unsettling, it was a blessing for their flimsy wooden raft.
The small raft floated lonely upon the vast, inky lake. Only a single point of firelight flickered through the mist, resembling a glimmering insect in the night that might be swallowed whole by some terrible predator at any moment.
In her past years traveling to practice medicine and gather herbs, Qin Jiuye had often spent nights alone in the mountains or on boats. Yet, spending a night on a lake like this was a first. The icy moisture of early autumn gathered over the water; while it came and went during the day, at night it pressed down like a heavy, unliftable blanket, soaking the chill deep into one's bones. She used branches and her outer robe to rig a simple shelter and lay down beside the small fire at the stern.
The waters of Lixin Lake were as clear as jade, but the water here was as black as ink. No matter how hard one stared, nothing beneath the surface could be seen. With little sustenance in her belly, Qin Jiuye began to fantasize: if she could catch a fish, she might be willing to endure the taste just to fill her stomach.
However, just as she was trying to overcome that mental hurdle, the heavens decided not to give her the chance.
"It’s no use staring. There are no fish in this lake."
Jiang Xin’er’s voice rang out coldly, sounding inexplicably irritable.
In truth, ever since the two of them had been "stranded," the girl had been like this. Qin Jiuye didn't take it to heart, merely offering a few hot chestnuts with a grin.
"Here, these are freshly roasted. I spent the whole walk gathering these. When we get out, don't you dare tell Xu Qiuchi I didn't take care of you."
Hearing that familiar name, Jiang Xin’er finally couldn't help but turn around.
"You still remember the Young Master? His and Commander Lu’s fates are unknown. If... if..."
She couldn't bring herself to finish. Qin Jiuye picked up the thread for her.
"Don't overthink it. Don't you know that 'ill weeds grow apace'? Since the heavens spared us, they’ll surely spare your Young Master. As for Lu Zican, well, that’s hard to say. But he’s sturdy enough; he wouldn't be unable to outswim the likes of us."
Jiang Xin’er choked on her words for a long time, unable to decide if these were meant to be kind words or insults.
"Even if they are safe, they must be turning the world upside down looking for you. And yet you have the heart to go boating here?"
Qin Jiuye blinked and idly poked at the fire. "Then what should I do?"
Jiang Xin’er’s voice hitched. She picked up a hot chestnut, bit into it fiercely, and muttered after a long silence, "Naturally, you should be finding a way out of here to regroup with the Young Master as soon as possible, not heading deeper in. Wandering aimlessly like this, we’ll eventually be trapped to death in this ghostly place."
Qin Jiuye sighed, pulling the leaves she was using as a mat a bit higher.
"If it were possible, who wouldn't want ample supplies, a clear direction, and a few more companions for support? Unfortunately, we don't have that much time left."
At the mention of time, the other girl fell even more silent, her hands slowing as she peeled the chestnuts.
Qin Jiuye opened her eyes. Suddenly, she read something in that silence and understood the source of the other’s anxiety.
Right now, there was no path ahead and no way back, and no telling when they would leave these mountains. But a certain something had a deadline—a one-month deadline, and it was very punctual.
Thinking of this, Qin Jiuye rolled over and peeked sideways.
"Since you don't want to sleep either, why not chat with me?"
The figure with her back turned remained silent, clearly unwilling to engage, but Qin Jiuye was relentless.
"Keeping watch alone is truly boring. Besides, with an empty stomach, I’m afraid I’ll have nightmares if I fall asleep. What do you say? By the way, are you afraid of water too? If you are, don't be embarrassed; there’s room for one more over here. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone..."
Perhaps she was too noisy, for after a long while, the other girl finally spat out three dry words.
"About what?"
Qin Jiuye patted her stomach. "Anything. Talk about yourself, or things from the past..."
"Do you want to hear about the Villa?"
Jiang Xin’er glanced back, proving she wasn't entirely dense when it came to social cues.
Having her intentions seen through, Qin Jiuye rubbed her nose.
"If you don't want to say, then don't. I’m not your Young Master; I can't order you around."
*But you’ve already ordered me around plenty, so why the sarcasm now?*
Jiang Xin’er felt a bit huffy. She shot the woman a quick look and asked with a mix of suspicion and testing, "Could it be... you’re still thinking about him?"
"What if I am?"
The subject was perfectly candid, making the questioner start to stammer instead.
"Are... are you sure the water has been drained from your head? You offended the World's Preeminent Villa to help him neutralize the Qingfeng Powder, and in the end, he hurt you and fled. Now his whereabouts are unknown, and he likely won't see you again for the rest of his life. Why do you still dwell on him?"
Qin Jiuye let out a long sigh.
"I don't want to dwell on him either. But these matters of the heart are simply beyond one's control."
The woman’s answer drifted into the mist, turning into a soft, fine layer before finally vanishing.
After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Xin’er finally spoke in a low voice.
"I wasn't in the Villa for very long, and I rarely spoke to others. But I did hear that in the Villa’s history, there were indeed two legendary figures."
Qin Jiuye immediately guessed that one was Gongzi Yan. Sure enough, Jiang Xin’er continued.
"One was the former Shadow Envoy of the Villa. You likely already know something of his story."
Qin Jiuye nodded and asked slowly, "Oh? And the other?"
Jiang Xin’er glanced at her, finding the woman’s act of feigning ignorance somewhat amusing.
"The other’s real name is unknown. Because he was ranked thirteenth in the Jia Battalion, people in the Villa called him Jia Thirteen. He was born with extraordinary talent, a natural for martial arts—likely the descendant of some famous sect, though the truth is lost. The Villa assigns disciples to battalions based on their skills and ranks them based on their obedience. 'Jia' is the first rank. Back then, there were only thirteen people in the Jia Battalion, and he was the last."
"Jia Thirteen’s first master was a famous scholar-official in the capital, a man of integrity and upright character, whose only flaw was a son who loved to dally with women. From the moment Jia Thirteen entered that household, he became the young master’s 'cleaner.' But this did not solve the official’s troubles; on the contrary, because of Jia Thirteen’s presence, the son became even more reckless and soon caused a great disaster. The official regretted it; he believed Jia Thirteen’s failure to act effectively had ruined the clan’s reputation, so he intended to send him to take the fall. Upon realizing this, Jia Thirteen wounded the guards and escaped alone, but he didn't get far before the Villa caught him. Because he committed the grave sin of betraying his master, he was personally 'disciplined' by the Villa Master for a month before being released."
The hand Qin Jiuye used to poke the fire trembled. The firelight burned in her eyes.
"What does it mean to be 'personally disciplined' by the Villa Master?"
"I never experienced it myself, but I’ve heard others mention it. Deep within the Villa’s Toad Laurel Valley, there is a natural pond filled with Futi Lotuses. Disciples who commit grave crimes are taken to the pond to receive punishment. When they emerge, they have a submissive smile on their faces and show no reaction no matter how they are beaten or scolded, as if their very souls have been devoured. Many cannot even survive three days, let alone a month. So, rumors spread in the Villa that the real Jia Thirteen died in that lotus pond, and the one living was merely a monster possessed by a vengeful spirit."
So, it wasn't just outsiders who considered him a monster; the people inside did too.
People subconsciously refuse to believe that someone who has endured too much suffering can remain human, or perhaps they refuse to believe their souls haven't been twisted.
Qin Jiuye took the dried branches beside her and snapped them one by one. Jiang Xin’er’s voice continued in her ear.
"But even so, many people still wanted to claim Jia Thirteen for themselves. Over several years, he went through over a dozen masters. Every time he was sent back to the Villa, someone else would soon specifically ask for him."
Qin Jiuye still didn't look up at Jiang Xin’er. Her voice betrayed no emotion when she spoke.
"Why? Was it because he was handsome and had learned to be submissive and obedient?"
"Because he resisted the most." Jiang Xin’er paused, her voice tinged with bitterness when she spoke again. "You must find it hard to understand. But those people are like that. The harder someone is to tame, the more they struggle, the more interesting they find it. They enjoy the pleasure of grinding away dignity inch by inch; only by treading upon the proudest head can they feel excitement."
The snapped branches piled up at her feet. The wood in the fire was nearly spent, but that hand kept repeating the same motion, seemingly forgetting what to do next.
Qin Jiuye stared at the flickering flames. After a long time, she asked in a suppressed voice, "And then?"
"Then, Jia Thirteen finally met his last master. The new master also hailed from the Qingzhong Mountain Academy, but he was a military general. He didn't need a personal shadow guard; he just liked to dismiss his attendants occasionally and call the man to his courtyard. It turned out the general had developed a head ailment from years of slaughter on the battlefield. Whenever it flared up, he would fall into a frenzy and needed to beat and torture others to alleviate the pain. By the time Jia Thirteen arrived, the general had already tortured three servants and countless concubines to death. No one dared enter that courtyard alone anymore. The entire household was desperate for someone with a strong constitution to 'attend' to their master."
The dry branches in Qin Jiuye’s hands snapped with a sharp *crack*. A small mountain of sticks lay at her feet, each only two or three inches long.
"Three months later, Jia Thirteen killed the general and fled, but he was pursued by the general’s elite troops. Eventually, exhausted and heavily wounded, he was captured and brought back to the Villa once more. This time, the Villa Master was truly enraged. He didn't intend to assign Jia Thirteen a new master, nor did he intend for him to ever see the outside world again. He locked him in the lowest level of the West Sacrificial Tower, never to be released. No one knows what happened after that."
Qin Jiuye didn't know the specifics of what happened next either, but fortunately, she knew the outcome.
She listened silently, then pushed the pile of sticks into the fire all at once. The flames dimmed for a moment before surging upward. Jiang Xin’er looked over.
"You’re the one who asked me to tell the story. Don't tell me you regret it now."
Qin Jiuye didn't respond immediately. A dull ache in a corner of her heart made it impossible for her to speak for a moment.
When they had encountered Zhu Fuxue previously, she had a faint feeling that Li Qiao’s exposure was tied to the youth named Yuxiao. She had briefly wondered why two people who were strangers could recognize each other as coming from the same place with just a single glance.
But hearing about his distant past from Jiang Xin’er today, she suddenly understood.
Because those who have been to hell always carry an indelible mark. Ordinary people can't see it, but those with similar experiences can recognize each other instantly in a crowd.
It had been a long time since Li Qiao’s abrupt departure, but only at this moment did Qin Jiuye realize she had thoroughly and completely forgiven him in her heart.
She forgave his past, his present, and the fear, cowardice, and escapism etched into his bones.
"It’s just a story. What is there to regret?" Qin Jiuye lowered her gaze, then remembered something. She took the "recovered" waist fan from her person and tossed it to Jiang Xin’er. "Take this. Consider it payment for your storytelling."
Jiang Xin’er caught it reflexively. Looking down, she was suddenly at a loss.
"This... this is something left by the Young Master’s mother. I can't accept it..."
"Oh. If you don't want it, I’ll just use it as kindling."
As Qin Jiuye made a move to take the fan back, Jiang Xin’er hurriedly pulled away. After a moment of hesitation, she carefully tucked it away.
Qin Jiuye’s gaze swept over the girl and paused for a moment. Ever since they had capsized and fallen into the water, the girl had tied a knot in her hem every day. As someone from the same Villa as Li Qiao, Jiang Xin’er clearly shared the same affliction.
Qin Jiuye withdrew her gaze, reached into her collar to touch the damp medicinal packet, and sighed.
"Being stranded with a wandering doctor like me, you’ve really hit the jackpot."
Jiang Xin’er clearly didn't catch the deeper meaning. She looked over warily.
"What crooked scheme are you cooking up now?"
"Nothing. How are you feeling right now?"
Jiang Xin’er’s expression stiffened. Qin Jiuye watched her face and suddenly burst out laughing.
"What are you so nervous about? I’m asking about those chestnuts. Do you feel anything strange after eating them? After all, those villagers said things grown in this soil were poisonous. I didn't quite believe it, and after so many years, even if there was something, it should have passed. That’s why I let you try them first..."
"You... you black-hearted shopkeeper! You wicked village girl!" Jiang Xin’er’s lips trembled with rage, her previous worries forgotten. "Don't you dream of selling me medicine! Even if I die of poisoning, I won't pay you a single copper!"
The angrier the girl got, the more Qin Jiuye grinned.
"Don't be so harsh. Do you still have that Zhi Pill I gave you? That’s good stuff. I wouldn't sell it to others even for silver. In a few years, the price might even go up."
Jiang Xin’er lifted her chin. "Since you gave it to me, don't tell me you’re thinking of taking it back? I’ve seen stingy people, but never one as stingy as you."
The thin woman rolled over with her back to her, rubbed her nose, and yawned.
"With a temper like yours, how on earth did you stay by that gaudy peacock Xu’s side for so many years?"
"What did you say? Who’s a peacock?!"
The girl’s relentless questioning continued, but the stingy, black-hearted shopkeeper had already decided to sleep, letting the voices drift across the lake and melt into the endless night.
****** ****** ******
On the eve of early spring, before all things awakened, the mountains were as silent as the dawn of time.
The youth carried freshly gathered wood, a roasted chicken, and wine in his hands as he climbed the hidden path to the cave on the mountainside.
During his years in the Villa, he had developed immense endurance. Li Qingdao seemed to have seen through this and, as if on purpose, constantly made him run errands and do trivial chores in between his saber practice—from buying wine and chicken to chopping wood, starting fires, cooking, and washing clothes. Every day brought new whims.
For the sake of the Qingdao Saber Technique, he endured it all.
Not only did he endure, but he also became increasingly proficient.
He had noticed before that the woman always did shocking things and spoke very casually, yet most of the time people just laughed or at most shook their heads and muttered; no one thought she was a monster. He didn't know the fundamental reason for this, but he was very good at mimicking and always learned quickly.
After his first experience buying wine in Xingshou Town, he quickly grasped some tricks.
A slightly shy smile, a hesitant downward glance, a few timely words of comfort or lament—he gradually mastered these. When he bought wine, the shopkeeper would always give him an extra-full measure, and even the fat man selling roasted chicken would give him two extra chicken feet.
It turned out that just by curling the corners of his mouth, narrowing his eyes, and arching his brows, all that suspicion, doubt, and fear in people's eyes would vanish.
He had finally learned to hide his footprints among the crowd of "white" people. No one would discover he was a monster anymore.
His steps grew lighter, and there was a hint of spirit in his eyes, though with no mirror or water nearby, he couldn't see that expression himself.
The cave entrance was right before him. Usually, before he even got close, the woman would smell the food and call out to him cheerfully. Today, for some reason, he hadn't heard her voice.
Inside the stone cave before dawn, all was quiet. Even the wind had stopped its wailing.
He heard the solitary echo of his own footsteps.
The fire in the cave had gone out, and the air held the distinct chill of early morning.
She sat cross-legged before the stone wall, one hand propped against her temple. The yellow flower by her ear had completely withered, blending into her mottled hair. That empty sleeve swayed gently, looking somewhat comical.
"Li Qingdao?"
His voice echoed against the stone walls, but the woman remained in that slightly tilted posture, as if she were merely asleep.
The youth finally understood. He stepped closer but stopped three paces away, not daring to approach another inch.
On the rough sandy ground, a line of words was scrawled: *The scenery here is fine; leave me to sit alone. Sleeping in a coffin is too stifling; don't waste gold and silver.*
The chicken bone used for carving still stood nearby, like a brush that had run out of ink.
He stared at the words as if he had suddenly become illiterate, reading them over and over until the sun rose high behind him, filling the cave with light. The woman’s face before the stone wall seemed to be dyed with a rosy glow.
He looked up at the scene, his body trembling uncontrollably.
the scars left by torture and torment would never heal or fade; they remained on that body and would soon rot and vanish into the soil along with it, with no one ever knowing they had existed.
No, at least he would remember.
He would remember that there was once a person in this world who had survived those tortures without being twisted into something strange. After limping out of hell, she could still drink herself into a stupor in the marketplace like a normal person, walk the streets under the moon, and laugh freely in a crude cave without even a bed.
If someone could do it, then perhaps he could too?
Li Qiao blinked. The woman’s face was frozen in its most peaceful, serene moment, and he seared that image deep into his mind.
"Master..."
After an unknown time, he heard his own raspy voice, sounding like a stranger's.
While she was alive, he had never been willing to call her Master. Now he was willing, but no matter how many times he called, no one would answer him.
The youth’s straight back slumped deeply. He huddled before the woman’s knees like a puppy trying to huddle against its master for warmth.
The morning sun rose behind him, carrying a hint of warmth, casting itself gently upon his back. For a fleeting moment, it felt like the woman’s warm, broad palm.
"Master, don't leave me. Please? Don't leave me..."
Li Qiao opened his eyes amidst his low murmurs, his cheeks somehow wet.
The sound of a boiling medicinal pot was in his ears, and the bitter-sour scent of medicine filled the air.
He slowly shifted his gaze, looking through the thin steam at the figure tending the pot.
"Sister..."
He heard his own dry voice emerge from deep in his throat. Hearing him, the person quickly turned and walked toward him.
"You’re awake? The medicine is just ready. I’ll pour it out to cool for a bit."
Auntie Xiong brushed past him, turning back to tend to the pot and bowl. A moment later, when she turned around with the medicinal bowl, the youth who had been lying on the bed was nowhere to be found.
Li Qiao stumbled barefoot through the bamboo forest.
His head and limbs felt as heavy as lead. He felt as if he had fallen from one nightmare into another, with no end in sight.
He had always been a light sleeper and rarely dreamed, especially in the years since escaping the Villa. But that dream just now was so vivid, as if it had happened only yesterday. It was only much later that he understood what the day of his master’s death truly meant to him.
The only person in the world who was good to him without asking for anything in return was gone.
He had thought he would never encounter such a person again in this life, yet the heavens had given him hope only to shatter it. A dead tree had sprouted new buds, only to be reduced to ashes in an instant. His life had found hope this spring, only to end this autumn, failing to survive even a single cycle of growth and decay. It was tragically brief.
Passing through the dim bamboo forest, he headed straight for the bamboo building where a lamp was lit.
Most of the "guests" hidden in the various courtyards disliked lamplight, but the master of the bamboo building insisted on lighting a lamp every night, as if declaring some unyielding will.
The moment he burst in, the candlelight stung his eyes. Li Qiao raised a hand to shield them, waiting a moment before forcing himself to look up.
Inside the building were only the blind nobleman and the silent, cautious younger twin. The latter had clearly sensed his approach long ago and instinctively stepped in front of his master.
Gongzi Yan lifted a finger, signaling him not to worry. Tang Yue gave the intruder one last look, bowed, and withdrew.
"You’re late. Your friends left just now." Gongzi Yan paused, adding as if casually, "I don't want to invite trouble because of the Qiu family; saving them was already doing my utmost. However, I heard that Lord Duanyu will be coming in person. One must show some respect to Kunxu, so I prepared a boat for them to Juchao. They should arrive tomorrow. Considering you have some history with them, I’ll allow you to go and see them off."
If the mention of "friends" was already mocking, then letting him see them off at the end was pure torture.
But since he had chosen to come to this courtyard deep in the bamboo forest, the torture had never stopped. What did this matter now?
Li Qiao looked up at him and spoke directly.
"I am willing to test the drugs for you."
Gongzi Yan smiled, clearly satisfied with this directness that didn't even bother with probing.
"Whether you are willing is one thing; whether you are capable is another. My drugs are different from the ones you took in this courtyard before. Those with good luck might survive a few rounds; those with bad luck might only last once. To me, it’s just a drop in the bucket."
The youth smiled, but the smile held no warmth, as if it were merely painted on his face. It was beautiful, yet it exuded a chilling coldness.
"The medicine Auntie Xiong brings you always has leftovers. Your time must be running out. I might be your last chance, might I not?"
"I heard you used to help out in a pharmacy. It seems that shopkeeper taught you quite a bit, and you learned well."
The expression on the youth’s face shattered instantly. His entire body trembled from the effort of restraining his emotions.
He had endured all sorts of suffering in this courtyard, living like the walking dead, all because he still harbored a sliver of fantasy. He thought that if he could just keep his life, if one day this mad nobleman found a way to be free, he might seize that one-in-a-million chance to escape this misery and go see her.
But if she was gone, what was the point of everything he had done while trapped here?
His expression was not lost on Gongzi Yan. The oppressive aura around the latter suddenly softened slightly, and he spoke softly.
"Is it worth it? Even if I let you go, the person you want to save might not be able to wait for you. Water and fire are both heartless; accepting reality is the best choice."
Li Qiao was silent for a moment, then said word by word, "She is not like me. No matter what she faces, she will not easily yield."
A sigh followed.
"The frequent guests in this courtyard aren't just lone fugitives like you. Some have families and kin. Even the most wicked men yearn for a place to belong. Why do you think they willingly stay and work for me when they have homes to return to?"
Because they also knew that one day they would become hideous, perhaps even unrecognizable, and even those closest to them would be unable to accept it.
They didn't want to face that moment of rejection and abandonment, so they preferred to end everything themselves first.
Just like him.
"There are no other places to stay nearby. If you and they successfully save the person, you might return here. And when that time comes, you will test drugs for me. Even I don't know what you will become. We will see each other every day... Even so, do you still intend to go?"
With every word Gongzi Yan spoke, the youth’s back bent a little further. But in the end, he held firm and stated his choice with conviction.
"Let me go. I will keep my promise."
"Fine. Since your mind is made up, I will grant your wish." Gongzi Yan began to cough heavily again, a hollow laugh in his raspy voice. "But since I dare to let you leave, I naturally have a way to ensure you return. Remember your promise today; I hope you won't go back on your word when the time comes."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
甲十三 | Jia Thirteen | Li Qiao's former rank/codename in the Villa. 'Jia' is the first of the Heavenly Stems, denoting the top tier.
蟾桂谷 | Toad Laurel Valley | A location within the World's Preeminent Villa used for punishing disciples.
福蒂莲 | Futi Lotus | A type of lotus (Blessed Stem Lotus) found in the punishment pond of the Villa.
西祭塔 | West Sacrificial Tower | The tower where Jia Thirteen was imprisoned for life.
断玉君 | Lord Duanyu | Literally "Jade-Breaker Lord," a title for a powerful figure.
昆墟 | Kunxu | A location or sect associated with Lord Duanyu.
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