Chapter 152: Bizarre Companionship

Zezhou.

The night was tranquil. Inside the city walls, torchlight flickered, and the guards stationed upon the ramparts could faintly discern the distant glows emanating from the newly established encampment of Ji's army. With Ji's formidable forces now pressing heavily upon the borders, the political climate of the State of Wu was inevitably shifting in unpredictable ways.

Furthermore, the State of Wu had suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Qin River, a devastating blow to their morale.

Though the soldiers of Wu dared not speak of it openly, a pervasive and irrepressible panic gripped the hearts of the people.

Yue Chengxi, clad in a long robe the color of moonlight, slowly ascended the ramparts. Resembling a beam of lunar radiance, he possessed a gentle appearance, yet it was one that involuntarily compelled others to keep their distance.

"Elder Yue," the garrison commander immediately stepped forward to greet him. "What brings you here in person? Do you have any orders for us?"

"I merely came to have a look." Yue Chengxi gazed into the distance toward the camp of Ji's army, his expression unwavering. "Maintain strict vigilance tonight. I fear the forces of Ji will take immediate action." Judging by Ji Wuqing's recent movements, he would undoubtedly accelerate his campaign against the State of Wu.

"Understood," the commander replied.

Inside the military tent of the State of Ji.

The night air carried a chill, and bonfires blazed inside the tents while soldiers patrolled the camp in orderly succession.

Ever since the Battle of Qin River, the morale of the Ji army had surged dramatically. All the generals awaited only the command of the King of Ji to conquer the State of Wu in a single sweep and instantly breach the city of Zezhou before them.

In the tent of the King of Ji, bright candles illuminated the interior. He sat upon a cushioned couch, examining the map spread across his lap by the light of a nearby lantern. The illumination was not particularly bright, casting a tranquil, quiet shadow over his profile. It mirrored the profound silence of the night outside, tinged with an air of cold detachment.

Suddenly, a hand gently removed the lantern from his side, and the intricate terrain depicted on the map gradually dissolved into obscurity.

"Your Majesty should rest early." Luohua stood right beside him, casually extinguishing the lantern in his hand.

"Since when did you take an interest in meddling in Gu's personal affairs?" Ji Wuqing leaned sideways against the cushioned couch, showing no anger at Luohua's actions. Seeming utterly exhausted, his voice lacked strength, drifting away on the wind like a falling petal devoid of vitality.

"I simply could not bear to watch any longer. You are a king of a nation after all; why torture yourself like this?" Holding the unlit lantern, Luohua involuntarily thought of Xue Xue.

Had the Queen of Xue still been by Ji Wuqing's side, none of this would have happened. The matter of affection was truly baffling, even for someone trapped within the situation like himself.

"Your words are mistaken. Gu merely wishes to bring an end to all of this sooner."

"You know the condition of your own body best. I can only help you this far." Ji Wuqing's physical state was deeply concerning, but the person who ought to be worried about him was not here. As a physician, Luohua was merely upholding his medical ethics, unable to stand by without offering a reminder.

Ji Wuqing lay in silence upon the couch, his breathing shallow. He knew better than anyone that a part of his heart had hollowed out.

"Left Qiu Liye is still unaccounted for. You would do better to reserve your energy and ponder how to retrieve your queen from his hands."

At these words, Ji Wuqing gazed up at the hazy canopy of the tent, a flash of clarity crossing his gaze.

Deep into the night, the mournful cries of unidentified birds occasionally pierced through the mountain forest, sharp and lingering, making the nocturnal mountains appear even more exceptionally still.

She struggled to open her eyes, her head throbbing with pain...

Reaching out, her fingers brushed against something hard yet warm, possessing the tactile sensation of fabric.

The moonlight was pale, yet compared to the pitch darkness of the forest, it was sufficient to discern the scene before her.

Stumbling, she crawled away from Left Qiu Liye. The man beneath her showed no reaction, save for his breathing—which remained present, albeit exceptionally faint.

"Left Qiu Liye..." She reached out and patted his face. His skin felt damp to the touch, smeared with a sticky substance that might have been sweat or blood...

At her touch, Left Qiu Liye stirred slightly, emitting a painful groan, though his consciousness remained entirely absent.

The stench of blood radiating from him was terribly heavy...

Xue Xue knelt by his side. Moments earlier, as the two of them tumbled down the precipice, he had shielded her with his own body the entire time...

Scanning her surroundings, she spotted a small, winding stream not far away, beside which rested a massive boulder that appeared remarkably smooth.

After a moment of thought, she mustered all her strength to drag him toward the stream, propping him up so that he leaned against the smooth stone. Touching the boulder with her hand, she found it indeed pleasantly warm rather than bone-chilling.

Having completed this task, she sat panting nearby, pondering her next course of action.

"Left Qiu Liye, Left Qiu Liye..." Unable to resist, she reached out to touch him again. Unsure where he was injured, and hindered by the dim moonlight, she could not clearly make out his wounds.

Even under her touch, Left Qiu Liye retained a sliver of consciousness, letting out soft groans as he hovered between wakefulness and stupor.

Observing the surrounding terrain once more, she realized the immediate priority was to utilize what the environment offered.

Sure enough, noticing dried grass and twigs scattered around, she thought a fire might be kindled.

After bustling about for a while, she managed to gather a considerable pile of dry grass and branches. Had she possessed a flint, starting a fire would have been effortless. Alas, she had no flint, and certainly, Left Qiu Liye would not carry one.

Tilted her head slightly, she extended her hand. Between her fingertips, some unseen substance seemed to be held, gently and delicately rubbed together. Gradually, a faint glow began to emanate from the friction of her fingertips.

Resembling the light of a firefly, dim and intermittent, it gently drifted down onto the dry grass—

With a soft crackle, the dry grass slowly ignited. At first, it was mere sparks, which finally blossomed into a comforting flame.

"I have just witnessed a fine performance." Xue Xue added dry branches to the fire, speaking calmly to Left Qiu Liye beside her.

"This is your power." Left Qiu Liye said softly. He watched the flames sway in the wind, casting their glow upon her tranquil face. "I suppose you will once again assume that this was all deliberate on my part."

Deliberately feigning unconsciousness...

"I know you are injured." She continued feeding the fire. Only when she was certain she had added enough wood and that the flames would not extinguish anytime soon did she cease her actions. "You didn't touch the food at the inn earlier, did you?"

She understood him well enough. Given Left Qiu Liye's vigilance and suspicion, how could he possibly have failed to notice those people's petty schemes?

"You wish to ask where my sudden collapse came from, don't you?" Left Qiu Liye leaned against the stone, watching her quietly. At that moment, he was entirely serene, stripped of his usual bewitching allure and sinister air, much like the night casting off its intimidating terror.

"Actually, I can more or less guess." Ever since Left Qiu Liye clashed with Ziqing at the Qin River, Ziqing's health had undergone changes; how could Left Qiu Liye have escaped unscathed?

"Is that so? You thought of Ji Wuqing, didn't you?" At these words, his gaze turned chilling, as if he were about to resume his customary cunning and craftiness.

Yet, his eyes paused briefly on Xue Xue's hands, and he straightened up, pulling her hands toward him with irresistible force. The back of her hands bore several abrasions, large and small; though not severe, they were nevertheless startling to behold.

"What are you making a fuss about? Don't you realize your own face is injured?" She quietly withdrew her hand, evading the unusual tenderness Left Qiu Liye displayed.

Seeing her indifferent expression, he leaned back against the stone, looking somewhat frail.

"This face, this mortal shell..." He seemed to let out a slight chuckle. "Little Xue, how do you rate the appearance of this face?"

Perhaps his smile carried a trace of desolation, perhaps his words held a hint of sorrow; she involuntarily turned her head to look at him. The firelight danced wildly across his features, making his face as bewitching as the flames themselves.

Fairly speaking, Left Qiu Liye was indeed startlingly handsome.

"You'd probably get angry if I praised your good looks." She looked at him. "Though, don't get angry just yet; you currently look utterly wretched, let alone possessing any beauty." A branch had apparently scratched a gash across his cheek; the bleeding had stopped, but dried crimson traces still lingered on his face.

"If you were to praise me, I would accept it with composure." Left Qiu Liye looked back at her. His eyes shone brightly, as though he completely missed the teasing undertone in her words, observing her with utmost sincerity.

"If appearance becomes a weapon that harms you, it only proves you are far too weak." She met his gaze directly, treating everything with equanimity.

Left Qiu Liye's attitude toward her was truly bizarre, an inexplicable strangeness that unnerved her.

"Little Xue, I have come to see you anew." He suddenly leaned sideways, resting his weight directly against her slender shoulder.

"Left Qiu Liye..."

"Do not push me away, Little Xue. Let me lean for a moment; I am truly exhausted..." He gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders, acting much like a spoiled child—though such behavior ought to have had nothing to do with him.

"You leaning on me makes me tired as well..."

"That makes it fair, then. I am tired, and you are tired." Seeming quite satisfied with Xue Xue's retort, he held her contentedly. "When did your eyes heal? It seemed you always wore a white silk blindfold..."

"Does that matter?"

"Regardless of whether you are blind or not, you are the one I have chosen." Whether these words harbored any hidden meaning remained unclear, but she caught an unusual undertone in his voice.

Yet, it likely meant it did not matter. After all, to him, she was merely a tool for utilization...

Gradually, the firelight dwindled, and Left Qiu Liye drifted to sleep against her shoulder. Xue Xue silently eased him away from her and laid him upon the ground.

He appeared to be truly fast asleep, as even this movement failed to wake him.

She rubbed her shoulder, feeling that her interactions with Left Qiu Liye were truly bizarre. It was an indescribable sensation, and she had no inkling of what the right course of action might be.

Sighing softly, she gazed up at the midnight sky. The moonlight was faint, draped as if in a thin veil of clouds...

I wonder what Ziqing is doing right now. Is the sky he is looking at the same as the one before her eyes?