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墨書 Inktalez
"Although in the past I was unwilling to force you, hoping you would willingly come with me, I no longer feel that way. Whether you want to or not, you must come with me. Now that you have fallen into my hands, there is no escape for you, so..."
I looked at him disdainfully. Since I couldn't find Qiu, I didn't care about anything in this world. At this moment, I feared neither pain nor death.
"Even if I can't escape now, does that mean I won't be able to in the future? Even if I can't live well, can't I still die? If he is gone, living has no meaning for me," I said coldly.
Ren Pingsheng smiled slightly.
"I will not allow you to die. Moreover, there will come a time when you will think that this isn't so bad."
He suddenly produced two fox fur coats from somewhere. Although they were made of fur, they were exceptionally light and beautiful, clearly of extremely high quality. He draped a pure white one over my shoulders, and warmth enveloped me instantly.
"Since you've had enough rest, let's leave tonight. By tomorrow morning, your brothers will wake up. If they see me, it will surely cause trouble. Or do you wish for me to deal with them all?"
Having exchanged blows earlier, I already knew that I was far from being his match now, so I had no intention of casually resisting. If his unpredictable temperament flared up, he might indiscriminately kill the innocent.
"Give me back my dagger and sword!" I said irritably. "If you don't give them to me, I'm not going."
The dagger and short sword were instantly tossed back into my hands by him. Ren Pingsheng laughed and said, "You want to use a weapon to ambush me? Go ahead; as long as you can kill me, you'll be free to go wherever you like."
I tucked the dagger and short sword away and secretly sneered in my heart. Ren Pingsheng, don't get cocky; it's your fault for underestimating me. I'm in the shadows while you're in the light. If I can't defeat you once or twice, does that mean I'll never be able to? Just as well; I've grown tired of Chang'an anyway. I'll use you to explore a bit. How else could I find my Qiu?
I followed behind him and had just stepped out of the courtyard when the cold wind hadn't yet dissipated the warmth on my face. Suddenly, I took a deep breath and dashed toward the wall beside me.
This was my first move: a surprise escape tactic.
Ren Pingsheng didn’t even turn his head, and I felt as if my heart had been struck by a hammer, my whole body jolting. My legs went weak, and instead of leaping forward, I stumbled and nearly fell.
It turned out that the pressure from his internal energy was so immense that it completely seized my mind and robbed me of my physical ability to act.
It seemed that there was truly no escape now.
However, Ren Pingsheng suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, covering his mouth. He paused, as if unable to withstand the surge of blood within him. I focused my gaze and saw that the pure white handkerchief was stained with red spots, with droplets of blood trickling down its edge—a sight that was shocking to behold.
Perhaps it was because I had seen too much blood that I had grown averse to it; having witnessed too much human suffering made me unable to bear such wounds. In any case, inexplicably, at that moment, I felt a twinge of compassion.
Yet my mind was still racing. I knew full well that the man before me was a villain with blood on his hands—one who had taken countless lives and whose thousand lives would not suffice to repay the souls lost at his hands. He was not deserving of sympathy.
So, wasn’t it clear that his body was indeed very weak? As long as I could escape, wouldn’t he be overconfident enough to think I would eventually wear him down?
Ren Pingsheng ignored me and walked over to a corner of the courtyard, pulling out a mottled Flower Horse from a low Thatched Shed. The horse was tall and sleek, its coat shining even in the moonlight—definitely a steed capable of traveling great distances. This unassuming courtyard hid quite a few treasures.
After bringing out the horse, Ren Pingsheng paused for a moment, then lifted the Well Cover in the yard and took out a packet of medicine from his pocket.
“What are you doing?” I realized he intended to pour that packet into the well and knew he had malicious intent. I quickly spoke up to stop him.
“Huh? I've been living in this Village for several months now. I've seen quite a few people; although they haven't seen my true face, wherever there are Living Persons, there will inevitably be gossip. The mouths of the dead are the most tightly sealed.”
My jaw nearly dropped in shock.
“Ren Pingsheng, have you lost your mind?! Did these villagers provoke you? Just for such a trivial matter, you plan to poison the entire village? Are you even human?!”
Ren Pingsheng's face revealed that signature cold smile.
"Whether I'm human or not is none of your business. What I want to do is also none of your concern."
In this village, there were several hundred men, women, and children. Was Ren Pingsheng really planning to poison them all just to eliminate this trivial clue? How could anyone be so indifferent to the lives of others?
A chill suddenly ran down my spine. He had just passed through here; he had come to this village months ago seeking refuge with the "Grandmother," but shortly after his arrival, the "Grandmother" had... passed away...
This Grandmother had likely fallen victim to his poison! What a cold-hearted person he was!
But knowing Ren Pingsheng as I did, I understood that he would pursue his goals regardless of others' opinions, and besides, I had no power to stop him by force.
"Ren Pingsheng," I changed my strategy, "have you lost your mind? No one knew you were here until now. If you poison the entire village, the Official Authorities will definitely come to investigate. Look at me—I’m missing in this village too, and then you, this inexplicable Outsider, will also go missing... Hey, don’t underestimate Yongzhou Prefecture, don’t overlook the Jade Balance Bureau, and don’t dismiss Brother Luo; they will surely find out that you are behind this! Once word gets out, Mirror Gate will know as well. Your little scheme..."
Before I could finish my analysis, he interrupted me.
"The poison I've used won’t take effect immediately. The well water is interconnected underground; those who drink it will gradually develop a Plague, and this Plague is incurable. They won’t even realize it’s poison."
"To be so despicable even in poisoning!" I cursed silently.
Yet Ren Pingsheng straightened up and locked eyes with me.
"Ah Ying, do you dislike it so much when I kill?"
As if! How could I possibly enjoy witnessing murder?! I shot him a fierce glare and fell silent.
"I simply dislike leaving behind potential dangers; these people are not necessarily meant to be killed," Ren Pingsheng said, raising an eyebrow as he regarded me thoughtfully. "Not killing is an option, but I don't like being ordered around, nor do I appreciate hearing pleas. I prefer to negotiate terms."
"Let's hear the terms then." I decided to be straightforward.
Ren Pingsheng chuckled softly.
"The terms are simple: you don't run away. You follow me obediently wherever I go. If you try to escape, for every time you do, I'll wipe out a village. So, any loss of life will be on your conscience."
"You're insane!" I gritted my teeth internally, but could only respond, "Fine, it's settled then. Let's see it through."
"Hmph, Ah Ying, I'm not in great shape right now. If you run off recklessly, it would trouble me as well. Who knows? I might end up injuring you severely. That would benefit neither of us."
"Since that's the only condition, does that mean I can kill you without it being included?" I asked with a cold smile. He was already testing my limits.
"Well, Ah Ying, you can kill me if you wish. I allow you to go to any lengths to do so; if you manage to kill me, you'll be free."
"Wait for death!" This thought didn't escape my lips, but I seriously entertained it in my mind.
In the end, Ren Pingsheng didn't poison the well, and I left no trace for the people of Yongzhou Prefecture. I didn't want Luo Dachun and the others worrying about finding me, so slipping away quietly suited my current erratic state better; they would worry less.
After all, I had sworn to Luo Dachun that I wouldn't seek death casually. On the contrary, along this journey, I intended to kill Ren Pingsheng!
Ren Pingsheng lifted me onto a horse and mounted one himself, encircling me in front as we galloped northwestward.
We weren't in a hurry at all; instead, we took less-traveled paths, avoiding big cities and seeking out villages and countryside instead. The scenery along the way was refreshingly different.
Ren Pingsheng was always in disguise, changing his appearance frequently, adhering to one principle: to be ordinary, unremarkable, and never attract attention. It was only when he traversed desolate areas that he revealed his true self. The first time I saw his real face, I was taken aback; he looked much paler and more haggard than before, significantly thinner, as if he had exhausted all his vitality and was just beginning to recover.
Usually, he rode alongside me, keeping me in front. That familiar faint fragrance would occasionally waft over. In the cold winter days when I saw Ren Pingsheng, he would always wear a simple green robe, at most draping a thin cloak over it, and his fingers were always warm. But now, he had to tightly wrap himself in a thick fox fur coat just to withstand the biting cold.
When he remained silent and still wrapped in the fur coat, with his eyelids slightly drooping and brows furrowed, his features were sharp and his skin as white as jade. Yet an unintentional air of arrogance emanated from him; objectively speaking, he was truly handsome. I couldn't help but sigh: what a waste of such a good appearance on someone so twisted.
Once, taking advantage of his distraction, I suddenly drew my sword and aimed for his heart. However, even at such close proximity while riding together, he deftly disarmed me and flashed a faint smile.
We traveled for an unknown distance until we reached an even colder place—the northwestern frontier, an endless desert. In the desert lay an oasis beside a dune, with a sizable body of water surrounded by desolation.
Ren Pingsheng led me up the dune, and when I looked down, I was astonished.
The water below was shaped like a crescent moon. The direction we were heading—sand dunes and rare springs—was a scene I had seen in photographs from a thousand years later. Mingsha Mountain, Crescent Spring; this must be Dunhuang!
We were indeed in the vast desert near Dunhuang.
The sunlight in the desert was exceptionally bright—clear yet cold. Standing atop the dune, Ren Pingsheng suddenly squinted against the sun and stretched out his arms towards the sky. In that expression and posture, I seemed to glimpse something that could be called "truth."
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