A-Qing seemed to freeze for a moment before stammering, "Y-yes, that's right!"
Xiao Xingchen's voice was gentle as he spoke, "Then please, walk more slowly. We wouldn't want you to bump into anyone else."
He made no mention of his own blindness as he took A-Qing's hand, guiding her to the side of the road. "Let's walk here," he suggested. "There are fewer people on this side."
His words and actions were infused with a tender caution. A-Qing's hand hesitated for a moment before reaching out, and then, in a movement swift and undetectable, she deftly snatched the money pouch from Xiao Xingchen's waist. "Thank you, big brother!" she chirped innocently.
Xiao Xingchen corrected her gently, "Not 'big brother', but 'Daoist master'."
A-Qing blinked, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "But a Daoist master can be a big brother too, can't he?"
A smile played on Xiao Xingchen's lips as he replied, "Since you've called me 'big brother', perhaps you'd like to return your big brother's money pouch?"
Even if A-Qing's sleight of hand had been ten times faster, it would not have escaped the heightened senses of a cultivator. Realizing she'd been caught, she gripped her walking stick and made to run, but before she could take more than two steps, Xiao Xingchen's hand caught the back of her collar, effortlessly lifting her off the ground. "Didn't I tell you not to run so fast?" he chided gently. "What if you bump into someone again?"
A-Qing squirmed and wriggled in his grasp, her lips parting as she bit her lower lip. Wei Wuxian, observing the scene, thought to himself, "Oh no, she's about to cry 'assault'!"
Just then, a middle-aged man hurriedly rounded the corner. His eyes lit up when he spotted A-Qing, and he stomped towards them, cursing under his breath. "You little thief!" he spat. "I've caught you at last. Give me back my money!"
Not satisfied with just words, the man raised his hand to slap A-Qing across the face. The girl flinched, squeezing her eyes shut in anticipation of the blow. But the slap never landed. Instead, it was intercepted mid-air by a firm hand.
Xiao Xingchen's voice was calm but stern as he addressed the man. "Sir, please calm yourself. This is no way to treat a young girl, regardless of the circumstances."
A-Qing peeked through her lashes, watching as the middle-aged man struggled against Xiao Xingchen's grip. Despite putting all his strength into the blow, his hand remained suspended in the air, held back effortlessly by the Daoist master. The man's face contorted with a mixture of fear and indignation. "Who do you think you are, you blind meddler?" he snarled, though his voice quavered slightly. "Playing the hero, are you? Is this little street rat your woman? Do you know she's a thief? She stole my money pouch! If you're protecting her, you must be a thief too!"
Xiao Xingchen, still holding the man's wrist with one hand and A-Qing's collar with the other, turned his head towards the girl. "Return the money to its rightful owner," he said firmly.
Reluctantly, A-Qing fished out the small pouch from within her clothes and held it out. Xiao Xingchen released the middle-aged man, who snatched the pouch and quickly counted its contents. Finding nothing missing and realizing that the blind Daoist was not someone to be trifled with, he shuffled away, muttering under his breath.
As the man's footsteps faded into the distance, Xiao Xingchen turned his attention back to A-Qing. "You're far too reckless," he admonished. "Stealing when you can't even see? That's incredibly dangerous."
A-Qing's indignation flared as she jumped up, her voice rising in pitch. "He deserved it! He... he touched me! Pinched me, and it hurt! What's wrong with taking a bit of money from a creep like that? And look how little was in that big pouch of his! The stingy miser had the nerve to try and hit me over that pittance!"
Wei Wuxian, still observing, couldn't help but think, "Clever girl. It was clearly you who bumped into him to pickpocket him in the first place, and now you've turned it around to make him the villain. What a masterful trick of misdirection."
Xiao Xingchen shook his head, his voice tinged with concern. "Even so, you shouldn't have provoked him. If no one had been here to intervene, a slap would have been the least of your worries. Please, young lady, take better care of yourself."
With those words, he turned and began walking in the opposite direction. Wei Wuxian mused to himself, "He didn't even ask for his own money pouch back. This uncle of mine seems to have a soft spot for damsels in distress."
A-Qing stood still for a moment, clutching the stolen pouch to her chest. Suddenly, she stuffed it into her clothes and chased after Xiao Xingchen, her walking stick tapping rhythmically against the ground. She collided with his back, and he steadied her gently. "Is there something else?" he asked.
"I still have your money pouch!" A-Qing exclaimed, her voice a mixture of guilt and excitement.
Xiao Xingchen's lips curved into a soft smile. "Keep it," he said. "There's not much in there anyway. Just promise me you won't steal again until it's all spent."
A-Qing's curiosity got the better of her. "I heard that nasty man earlier... Are you really blind too?"
The question seemed to strike a chord within Xiao Xingchen. His serene expression faltered, the smile vanishing from his lips. The innocence of a child's words often cut deeper than any blade, their unfiltered honesty striking at the heart of one's vulnerabilities.
Beneath the bandages covering Xiao Xingchen's eyes, a hint of red began to seep through, a physical manifestation of the pain her words had stirred. His hand trembled slightly as he raised it to his face, covering the bandages. The trauma of having his eyes gouged out was not something that could be easily forgotten or healed.
A-Qing, oblivious to the impact of her words, mistook his reaction for a simple dizzy spell. Her face lit up with excitement as she declared, "Then I'll stick with you!"
Forcing a weak smile, Xiao Xingchen asked, "And why would you want to do that? Are you planning to become a Daoist nun?"
"You're a big blind person, and I'm a little blind person," A-Qing explained, her logic simple yet cunning. "We can look out for each other! I've got no parents, no home to go to. I might as well follow you as anyone else, right?" Sensing Xiao Xingchen's hesitation, she pressed on, her voice taking on a hint of playful threat. "If you don't take me with you, I'll spend all this money really quick. Then I'll have to go back to stealing and tricking people. I might get beaten so badly I won't know which way is up! Wouldn't that be awful?"
Xiao Xingchen couldn't help but chuckle at her clever manipulation. "You're such a little trickster," he said, amusement clear in his voice. "I think you're more likely to confuse others than to be confused yourself."
As Wei Wuxian continued to observe the unfolding scene, he noticed something peculiar. Compared to the real Xiao Xingchen, Xue Yang's impersonation was remarkably accurate. Apart from the physical appearance, every detail was vivid and lifelike. If Wei Wuxian didn't know better, he might have believed that Xue Yang had been possessed by Xiao Xingchen's spirit.
A-Qing persisted in her efforts to stay with Xiao Xingchen, alternating between feigning blindness, playing on his sympathy, and simply refusing to leave his side. Despite Xiao Xingchen's repeated warnings about the dangers of traveling with him, A-Qing remained undeterred. Even when they passed through a village where Xiao Xingchen exorcised a centuries-old demon bull, she stuck to him like glue, addressing him as "Daoist master" at every turn.
As they continued their journey, it became clear that Xiao Xingchen had no fixed destination in mind. Their path seemed random, jumping from place to place based on rumors of supernatural occurrences. Wei Wuxian speculated that perhaps the incident with the Chang clan in Liyang had left Xiao Xingchen disillusioned with the world of cultivator clans, leading him to wander and help where he could.
As twilight began to fall, Xiao Xingchen and A-Qing found themselves on a long, flat road flanked by waist-high wild grass. Suddenly, A-Qing let out a startled yelp. Xiao Xingchen immediately asked, "What's wrong?"
"Oh, it's nothing," A-Qing quickly replied. "I just twisted my ankle a bit."
Wei Wuxian, however, saw the truth. A-Qing hadn't stumbled at all; she was walking perfectly fine. Her cry of surprise was because she had spotted a dark figure lying in the tall grass beside the road. Whether dead or alive, it was clear that A-Qing saw it as a potential complication and wanted to avoid bringing it to Xiao Xingchen's attention.
"Let's keep going," she urged, her voice tinged with false weariness. "I'm exhausted. Isn't there a town up ahead where we can rest?"
Xiao Xingchen's brow furrowed with concern. "Didn't you say you twisted your ankle? Would you like me to carry you?"
A-Qing's face lit up with delight, her walking stick tapping excitedly on the ground. "Yes, yes, yes!" she exclaimed. Xiao Xingchen smiled, turning his back to her and kneeling down. Just as A-Qing was about to climb onto his back, Xiao Xingchen suddenly stiffened, rising to his feet. "I smell blood," he said, his voice low and serious.
A-Qing's nose also picked up the faint, intermittent scent of blood carried on the night breeze. Trying to divert Xiao Xingchen's attention, she feigned ignorance. "Really? I don't smell anything. Maybe someone nearby is slaughtering animals?"
As if the heavens were conspiring against her, a weak cough emanated from the figure in the grass. Though barely audible, it was enough for Xiao Xingchen's keen senses to pinpoint its location. He strode into the grass, kneeling beside the prone figure.
Realizing her attempt at misdirection had failed, A-Qing stamped her foot in frustration before following Xiao Xingchen, pretending to feel her way through the grass. "What's going on?" she asked, feigning ignorance.
Xiao Xingchen was checking the pulse of the person on the ground. "There's someone lying here," he explained.
A-Qing, hoping for a simpler solution, suggested, "Is that why there's such a strong smell of blood? Is he dead? Should we dig a hole and bury him?"
But Xiao Xingchen shook his head. "He's not dead, just severely injured."
After a moment's consideration, Xiao Xingchen gently lifted the injured man onto his back. A-Qing pouted, realizing that her chance to be carried had been usurped by this bloodied stranger. She jabbed her walking stick into the ground repeatedly, creating deep holes, but knew better than to complain about Xiao Xingchen's decision to help.
As they continued down the road, Wei Wuxian began to recognize their surroundings. "Isn't this the road that Lan Zhan and I took to Yi City?" he thought to himself.
Sure enough, the imposing silhouette of Yi City soon loomed before them. The city gates, not yet fallen into disrepair, stood tall and strong. The watchtowers were intact, and the walls were free of the graffiti that would mar them in years to come. As they passed through the gates, a light mist hung in the air, nothing like the oppressive, supernatural fog that would later engulf the city. Lights flickered in the windows of houses lining the streets, and the soft murmur of voices could be heard. While not bustling, the city still held a sense of life and activity.
Knowing that no inn would accept a guest as gravely wounded as the man on his back, Xiao Xingchen didn't bother seeking lodging. Instead, he stopped a passing night watchman and inquired about any vacant public houses for the dead. The watchman pointed them in the right direction, explaining, "There's one over that way. The old caretaker passed away last month, so it's currently unattended." Seeing that Xiao Xingchen was blind, the watchman kindly offered to guide them there.
As they approached the building, Wei Wuxian realized with a start that this was the same public house where Xiao Xingchen's body would eventually be laid to rest.
After thanking the night watchman, Xiao Xingchen carefully carried the injured man into the small room on the right side of the building. The chamber was modest but adequately furnished, with a low bed against the wall and basic cooking utensils scattered about. With utmost care, he laid the wounded stranger on the bed and reached into his qiankun pouch, retrieving a medicinal pill which he gently pushed between the man's tightly clenched teeth.
A-Qing, meanwhile, had been exploring the room with her hands, her fingers skimming over various surfaces. Suddenly, her face lit up with excitement. "There's so much stuff here!" she exclaimed. "I found a basin!"
"Is there a stove?" Xiao Xingchen inquired.
"Yes, there is!" A-Qing replied enthusiastically.
Xiao Xingchen nodded, his voice gentle but firm. "A-Qing, could you please try to boil some water? Be careful not to burn yourself."
A-Qing's lips formed a slight pout, but she set about the task without further complaint. As she busied herself with the stove, Xiao Xingchen turned his attention back to the injured man. He placed a hand on the stranger's forehead, feeling for signs of fever, before administering another pill.
Wei Wuxian, observing the scene, found himself desperately curious about the identity of this mysterious injured man. However, A-Qing seemed utterly disinterested, her irritation palpable as she pointedly avoided even glancing in the stranger's direction.
Once the water was heated, Xiao Xingchen began the painstaking process of cleaning the blood and grime from the man's face. A-Qing, despite her apparent disinterest, couldn't help but steal a quick glance. Her eyes widened slightly, a silent "Oh" forming on her lips.
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The reason for her surprise was clear - beneath the layers of dirt and blood, the stranger was remarkably handsome.
As the man's features were revealed, Wei Wuxian felt his heart sink. His worst fears were confirmed - it was none other than Xue Yang.
"What rotten luck," Wei Wuxian thought to himself. "Xiao Xingchen, you truly are... cursed with misfortune."
This younger version of Xue Yang looked every bit the innocent youth - seven parts handsome, three parts boyish charm. Who could have guessed that this young man, with his endearing tiger-tooth smile, would grow to become a ruthless mass murderer?
Mentally calculating the timeline, Wei Wuxian realized this must be shortly after Jin Guangyao's ascension to the position of Chief Cultivator. Xue Yang's current state suggested he had narrowly escaped Jin Guangyao's "cleanup" operation. Jin Guangyao, likely too embarrassed to admit Xue Yang's survival or perhaps believing him fatally wounded, had probably announced his elimination. Yet here was Xue Yang, clinging to life, ironically saved by his old nemesis, Xiao Xingchen. The blind cultivator, unable to see the face of the man he was saving, had unwittingly rescued the very person who would ultimately lead to his downfall. A-Qing, though sighted, was not from the cultivation world and thus didn't recognize Xue Yang or understand the deep-seated enmity between him and Xiao Xingchen. She didn't even know Xiao Xingchen's name...
Wei Wuxian couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It seemed as if all the misfortune in the world had conspired to fall upon Xiao Xingchen's shoulders.
Just then, Xue Yang's brow furrowed slightly. Xiao Xingchen, who had been examining and bandaging the wounds, sensed the man was close to regaining consciousness. "Don't move," he said softly.
Xue Yang, ever vigilant due to his nefarious lifestyle, snapped to alertness at the sound of Xiao Xingchen's voice. His eyes flew open as he abruptly sat up, scrambling to press his back against the wall. His gaze, fixed on Xiao Xingchen, was filled with a feral, predatory light that sent chills down A-Qing's spine. The intensity of that gaze, brimming with cruelty and malice, was so palpable that even Wei Wuxian, merely an observer, felt his scalp tingle with unease.
"Speak!" Wei Wuxian silently urged. "Surely Xiao Xingchen would recognize Xue Yang's voice!"
Xue Yang opened his mouth. "You..."
With that single word, Wei Wuxian knew all hope was lost. Even if Xue Yang spoke more, Xiao Xingchen wouldn't be able to identify him.
The injuries Xue Yang had sustained, particularly to his throat, had rendered his voice hoarse and unrecognizable. It was impossible to connect this raspy whisper to the voice Xiao Xingchen would remember.
Seated on the edge of the bed, Xiao Xingchen spoke calmly. "I told you not to move. You'll reopen your wounds. Don't worry, I brought you here to help you, not to cause you harm."
Xue Yang, ever quick to adapt, immediately deduced that Xiao Xingchen likely hadn't recognized him. His eyes darted about calculatingly before he coughed a few times and tentatively asked, "Who are you?"
A-Qing, unable to contain herself, interjected sharply. "Can't you see for yourself? He's a traveling Daoist. He went through all the trouble of carrying you back here, treating your wounds, and giving you precious medicine. And here you are, acting all hostile!"
Xue Yang's piercing gaze immediately shifted to A-Qing. His voice was cold as he asked, "Blind?"
Wei Wuxian felt a surge of alarm. This cunning street rat, ever cautious and observant, wasn't about to be fooled by A-Qing's white eyes alone. He was probing, searching for any inconsistency in their story.
Fortunately, A-Qing was well-versed in the art of deception. Without missing a beat, she retorted, "Got a problem with blind people? It was a blind man who saved your life! If it weren't for him, you'd be rotting by the roadside with no one to care! And here you are, not even thanking the Daoist master, how rude! Calling me blind... hmph... what's wrong with being blind anyway..."
Her tirade successfully diverted attention from the dangerous topic, shifting the focus to her apparent indignation. She continued to mutter and grumble, playing the part of an offended child perfectly. Xiao Xingchen quickly moved to console her, while Xue Yang, still leaning against the wall, rolled his eyes in exasperation.
Turning back to Xue Yang, Xiao Xingchen said, "Please, don't lean against the wall. I haven't finished bandaging your leg wounds. Come here."
Xue Yang's expression remained cold and calculating. Xiao Xingchen added, "If we delay treatment any longer, you may lose the use of your leg."
At these words, Xue Yang made a swift decision.
Wei Wuxian could almost follow Xue Yang's train of thought: in his current severely injured state, medical attention was crucial. If Xiao Xingchen was foolish enough to offer his help, why not take advantage of it?
In an instant, Xue Yang's demeanor changed completely. His voice now laced with gratitude, he said, "Then I am in your debt, Daoist master."
Witnessing Xue Yang's ability to switch personas so effortlessly, Wei Wuxian couldn't help but feel a surge of anxiety for both the real and fake blind individuals in the room. Especially for A-Qing, the false blind girl. If Xue Yang were to discover that she could actually see, he would undoubtedly kill her to ensure her silence. Even knowing that A-Qing likely met a tragic end at Xue Yang's hands eventually, the thought of her going through this ordeal filled Wei Wuxian with dread.
Suddenly, Wei Wuxian noticed something peculiar. Xue Yang was subtly but consistently avoiding letting Xiao Xingchen touch his left hand. Upon closer inspection, Wei Wuxian realized why - Xue Yang was missing the little finger on his left hand. The wound was old, not recent, and Xiao Xingchen would certainly have known about this distinguishing feature of Xue Yang's. It explained why Xue Yang had worn a black glove on his left hand when impersonating Xiao Xingchen later on.
Xiao Xingchen, ever thorough in his care for others, finished applying medicine and bandaging Xue Yang's wounds with meticulous attention. "There," he said. "But you should avoid moving too much. Otherwise, your bones might shift out of place again."
Now certain that Xiao Xingchen truly hadn't recognized him, Xue Yang allowed a lazy, self-satisfied smile to creep across his face. "Daoist master," he drawled, "aren't you curious about who I am? Or how I came to be so gravely injured?"
Most people in his position would carefully avoid such topics, fearing to reveal any clues about their identity. But Xue Yang, true to his nature, deliberately broached the subject. Xiao Xingchen, busy packing away his medical supplies and bandages, replied softly, "If you choose not to share, why should I pry? Our paths crossed by chance, and I offered help simply because I could. It's no great burden to me. We'll part ways once you've healed. If I were in your position, there would be many things I wouldn't want others asking about either."
Wei Wuxian couldn't help but think: Even if Xiao Xingchen had asked, this cunning devil would undoubtedly have spun a flawless tale to deceive him. Everyone has aspects of their past they'd rather not discuss, and Xiao Xingchen's decision not to inquire further was meant as a gesture of respect. Little did he know that Xue Yang would exploit this very respect. Wei Wuxian was certain that Xue Yang's intentions went far beyond merely tricking Xiao Xingchen into treating his wounds. Once healed, he would definitely not simply "part ways" as Xiao Xingchen expected.
With Xue Yang resting in the caretaker's quarters, Xiao Xingchen made his way to the main hall of the public house. He opened an empty coffin and gathered a thick layer of straw from the floor, spreading it evenly across the bottom of the casket. Turning to A-Qing, he said, "The injured man needs the bed, so I'm afraid you'll have to sleep here. The straw should keep you warm enough."
A-Qing, accustomed to a life of wandering and sleeping rough, shrugged off his concern. "It's no hardship," she said nonchalantly. "Having a place to sleep at all is good enough. Don't worry, it's not cold - you don't need to give me your outer robe again."
Xiao Xingchen gently patted her head, then adjusted his sword and duster before stepping out into the night. For safety reasons, he never allowed A-Qing to accompany him on his night hunts. A-Qing crawled into the coffin and lay there for a while, but suddenly, she heard Xue Yang calling from the adjacent room: "Little blind one, come here."
A-Qing poked her head out of the coffin. "What do you want?" she asked warily.
Xue Yang's voice took on a honeyed tone. "I have some candy for you."
A-Qing felt her mouth water at the mention of candy, a rare treat she seldom got to enjoy. Still, she refused. "No thanks. I'm not coming!"
Xue Yang's voice turned sickeningly sweet, with an underlying threat. "Are you sure you don't want any? Or are you just too scared to come over? Don't think that just because I'm injured, I can't come to you if you won't come to me."
A-Qing shuddered at his eerie tone. The thought of his malicious grin suddenly appearing above the coffin sent a chill down her spine. After a moment's hesitation, she grabbed her walking stick and reluctantly made her way to the doorway of the room, tapping the stick as she went.
Before she could speak, a small object came flying towards her face. Wei Wuxian instinctively wanted to dodge, fearing it might be some kind of weapon. Of course, he had no control over A-Qing's body. Suddenly, he realized with a jolt: "It's a trap!"
Xue Yang was testing A-Qing. If she were truly blind, she wouldn't be able to avoid the object!
A-Qing, a seasoned expert at feigning blindness and quick-witted to boot, saw the object coming but didn't flinch. She didn't even blink, allowing it to hit her chest before jumping back in feigned surprise. "Hey!" she shouted angrily. "What did you throw at me?"
Xue Yang, his first test unsuccessful, replied smoothly, "It was candy. I forgot you were blind and couldn't catch it. It's probably by your feet now."
A-Qing let out a small "hmph" and crouched down, convincingly pretending to search for the candy with her hands. When she found it, she rubbed it against her clothes as if to clean it, then popped it into her mouth, crunching happily. Xue Yang lay on his side on the bed, propping his head up with one hand. "Is it good, little blind one?" he asked, his tone deceptively casual.
A-Qing frowned. "I have a name, you know. I'm not 'little blind one'."
Xue Yang's voice took on a teasing lilt. "Well, you haven't told me your name, so what else am I supposed to call you?"
A-Qing had always been selective about sharing her name, reserving it only for those who showed her kindness. However, disliking Xue Yang's derogatory address, she reluctantly conceded, "Listen carefully. My name is A-Qing. Stop calling me 'little blind one'!" Realizing her tone might have been too harsh and fearing Xue Yang's potential retaliation, she quickly changed the subject. "You're a strange one. Covered in blood, gravely injured, yet you're carrying candy around?"
Xue Yang's laughter held a hint of childish glee. "When I was little, I loved candy, but I could never have any. I'd watch others eat it, my mouth watering. So I promised myself that if I ever made it big, I'd always carry more candy than I could eat."
A-Qing, having just finished her piece, licked her lips longingly. Her desire for more candy momentarily overshadowed her dislike for Xue Yang. "Do you have any more?" she asked, unable to hide her eagerness.
Xue Yang's smile widened. "Of course. Come closer, and I'll give you some."
A-Qing rose to her feet, tapping her bamboo pole as she approached. Suddenly, without changing his friendly expression, Xue Yang's eyes glinted dangerously. Silently, he drew a long, gleaming sword from his sleeve.
Jiangzai.
He pointed the sword's tip towards A-Qing. If she took a few more steps forward, Jiangzai would run her through. Yet, if she hesitated even slightly, her facade as a blind girl would crumble!
Wei Wuxian, sharing A-Qing's senses, felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. However, the young girl, displaying remarkable courage and composure, continued her approach without faltering. Just as the sword's tip came within half an inch of her abdomen, Xue Yang withdrew Jiangzai, slipping it back into his sleeve. He replaced it with two pieces of candy, offering one to A-Qing and popping the other into his own mouth.
"A-Qing," Xue Yang asked casually, "where does that Daoist of yours go so late at night?"
A-Qing, crunching on her candy, replied nonchalantly, "I think he goes hunting."
Xue Yang scoffed. "You mean night-hunting, don't you?"
"Is there a difference?" A-Qing shrugged. "It's all the same to me. He helps people by fighting ghosts and monsters, and doesn't even charge for it."
Wei Wuxian marveled at A-Qing's shrewdness. She hadn't forgotten Xiao Xingchen's exact words; in fact, she remembered them better than anyone. By deliberately misusing the term "night-hunting," she had baited Xue Yang into correcting her, thus revealing his own familiarity with the cultivation world. Xue Yang's attempt at probing had backfired, and he'd been probed in return. This young girl's mind was impressively cunning for her age.
Xue Yang's face betrayed a hint of contempt, but his voice remained curious. "How can he night-hunt if he's blind?"
A-Qing's temper flared. "There you go again! So what if he's blind? The Daoist is incredible, even without his sight. His sword moves so fast - whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" As she gesticulated wildly, Xue Yang suddenly interjected, "But if you can't see, how do you know his sword is fast?"
Quick as ever, A-Qing retorted indignantly, "If I say it's fast, it's fast! The Daoist's sword must be quick! I might not be able to see it, but I can hear it! What's your problem? Do you look down on blind people like us?"
Her response, sounding like nothing more than a young girl's blind adoration, was perfectly natural.
After these three failed attempts to expose her, Xue Yang's expression finally softened. It seemed he was beginning to believe A-Qing was genuinely blind.
However, A-Qing's wariness of Xue Yang had only increased. The next day, when Xiao Xingchen returned with materials to repair the roof, she quickly pulled him aside, whispering urgently about her suspicions. She insisted that their guest was behaving suspiciously, hiding things despite being a fellow cultivator. Unfortunately, perhaps deeming it unimportant, she failed to mention the most damning detail - Xue Yang's missing finger.
Xiao Xingchen tried to soothe her concerns. "You've already eaten his candy," he reminded her gently. "Let's not be inhospitable. Once he's healed, he'll leave on his own. No one would willingly stay in this public house with us."
This was true enough. The dilapidated building had only one bed, and while it provided shelter from wind and rain, the roof was in dire need of repair. It was hardly an inviting place to linger.
As A-Qing opened her mouth to further criticize Xue Yang, his voice suddenly came from behind them. "Are you two talking about me?"
Somehow, he had managed to leave his bed again. A-Qing, unfazed, retorted, "Who's talking about you? Don't flatter yourself!" She tapped her way back inside with her bamboo pole, surreptitiously positioning herself beneath a window to eavesdrop.
Outside, Xiao Xingchen admonished Xue Yang. "Your wounds haven't healed. Should you really be moving around so much?"
Xue Yang's reply was nonchalant. "Moving helps the healing process. Besides, it's not like both my legs are broken. I'm used to injuries like this - I grew up taking beatings."
Xiao Xingchen seemed at a loss for words, unsure whether to offer comfort or treat it as a jest. After a moment's hesitation, he simply responded with a soft, "Oh..."
Xue Yang swiftly changed the subject. "Daoist, I see you've brought materials back. Are you planning to fix the roof?"
Xiao Xingchen nodded. "Yes. Since we'll be staying here for a while, it would be better for A-Qing and your recovery if the roof wasn't in such disrepair."
"Would you like my help?" Xue Yang offered.
Xiao Xingchen politely declined. "There's no need to trouble yourself."
"But do you know how?" Xue Yang pressed.
Xiao Xingchen chuckled, admitting sheepishly, "To be honest, I've never tried before."
And so, the two began working together to repair the roof, with Xue Yang guiding Xiao Xingchen's hands. Xue Yang proved to be quite the conversationalist, peppering their work with witty remarks and street-smart humor. Xiao Xingchen, likely unaccustomed to such company, found himself laughing more often than not.
As A-Qing listened to their amicable chatter, her lips moved silently, seemingly mouthing the words "I'll kill you, you bastard" with venom.
Wei Wuxian shared A-Qing's unease.
Despite having nearly lost his life - partly due to Xiao Xingchen's past actions - Xue Yang maintained a facade of friendliness. Internally, he likely wished for Xiao Xingchen's gruesome demise, yet outwardly, he engaged in light-hearted banter. If the real Wei Wuxian had been present, he would have eliminated Xue Yang without hesitation to prevent future calamities. But this was not his body to control, and A-Qing, despite her suspicions, was powerless to act.
About a month passed, and under Xiao Xingchen's attentive care, Xue Yang's injuries had largely healed. Apart from a slight limp, he had recovered well. Yet, he made no mention of leaving, continuing to share the cramped public house with them, his true intentions unclear.
One evening, as Xiao Xingchen prepared for his nightly hunt after settling A-Qing to sleep, Xue Yang's voice rang out: "Daoist, how about taking me along tonight?"
His voice, though long since healed, remained deliberately disguised. Xiao Xingchen chuckled, "I'm afraid that won't work. You make me laugh too easily, and a laughing swordsman is an unsteady one."
Xue Yang's tone turned pleading. "Then I'll stay silent. I can carry your sword, assist you. Don't turn me away."
His ability to wheedle and charm was evident, addressing Xiao Xingchen with the familiarity of a younger brother. Xiao Xingchen, having mentored junior disciples during his time with Baoshan Sanren, naturally viewed Xue Yang as his junior. Recognizing him as a fellow cultivator, Xiao Xingchen agreed readily.
Wei Wuxian's internal alarm bells rang. "Xue Yang can't possibly have good intentions in offering to help with night-hunting. If A-Qing doesn't follow them, she'll miss something crucial."
True to her quick-witted nature, A-Qing had also sensed Xue Yang's ulterior motives. As soon as the two men left, she sprang from her coffin bed and followed at a distance. Fearing discovery, she maintained a considerable gap, but their swift pace soon left her behind. Fortunately, she remembered Xiao Xingchen mentioning a nearby village plagued by walking corpses. Making her way there, she slipped through a dog-sized hole in the village's fence and crouched behind a house, cautiously peering around the corner.
What she saw - or rather, what Wei Wuxian perceived through her eyes - sent a chill down his spine.
Xue Yang stood at the roadside, arms crossed, head tilted, a smile playing on his lips. Across from him, Xiao Xingchen moved with fluid grace, his sword flashing silver in the moonlight as it plunged into the heart of a villager.
A living villager.