Chapter 153: Bloodthirsty Nature

Just before dawn, the mountain was draped in a thin veil of mist, leaving everything around blurred and indistinct, exuding an ethereal and hazy beauty.

She slowly fluttered her eyes open, only to realize she was lying on a large boulder by a stream, covered by a thick, heavy garment. It belonged to Zuoqiu Liye, bearing signs of friction and tears, along with a faint scent of blood.

She pushed herself up, but Zuoqiu Liye was nowhere to be seen.

Supporting herself, she slid slowly down from the boulder, immediately feeling a sore, aching sensation throughout her body—undoubtedly the lingering aftermath of tumbling down the precipice the night before.

Standing firmly by the stream, she stretched her limbs, squatted down, and cupped a handful of water to splash against her face. Her senses instantly cleared up significantly.

Yet, where had Zuoqiu Liye gone?

Picking up the robe from the boulder, she began to walk slowly along the winding stream.

Through the mist, she gradually reached the deeper reaches of the stream, where a small pool nestled against the foot of a low hill. Water trickled melodiously down the hill, cascading over green vegetation to feed directly into the pond.

She narrowed her eyes. There seemed to be someone inside the pool...

Lifting her gaze, she saw a cascade of pitch-black hair floating in the crystal-clear water, undulating like aquatic plants with his every movement.

He stood with his back to her, motionless in the center of the pool...

It looked just like Zuoqiu Liye!

She hastily halted in her tracks, not daring to advance further.

What was he doing? Was he bathing?

Yet the water did not look warm at all; rather, it appeared bone-chillingly cold.

"Is that you, Xiaoxue?" Just as she contemplated retreating, the figure in the water slowly turned around to face her.

Immersed entirely in the pond with only his head exposed, a striking scar marred his exquisitely alluring face.

Although they stood some distance apart, she could clearly discern the jagged scratch, resembling a tear in his skin. Rather than looking terrifying, it lent an even more seductive and demonic aura to his countenance.

"When do we set off?" She simply sat down right there by the bank. Having missed meals the previous night, her body had long since reached its absolute limit after enduring the entire night like this.

Seeing her clear-eyed gaze fixed upon him, Zuoqiu Liye stirred slightly, slowly swimming toward the spot where she sat.

His movements were exceptionally graceful, creating gentle ripples in the turquoise water as his dark hair trailed a long path behind him.

At last, his body slowly surfaced, resembling a blossoming red lotus—bewitching and enchanting.

Xue Xue watched him draw near, dragging his dripping long hair and completely soaked inner robe.

His robe hung loosely, sliding downward under the weight of the water to expose a fair, well-muscled expanse of his chest. Across that solid chest, however, lay a short, stark scar situated precisely over his heart.

That must have been a near-fatal blow...

Xue Xue could not help lingering her gaze on the scar for a moment longer; if nothing else, this mark alone spoke volumes of his masculine fortitude.

"What are you looking at?" Catching her staring at his chest, a wicked, enchanting smirk curled the corners of his lips.

Xue Xue shifted her gaze to meet his eyes unflinchingly. "I used to hear people speak of captivating, alluring glances, and now I finally understand. It must look very much like yours."

"Are you flattering me?" He stopped right in front of her. Finding her seated there with his clothes clutched to her chest, her turquoise-like eyes gazing at him steadily, it was as if the person standing before him was not the sovereign of Wu, but merely an ordinary man.

"Here, your clothes." Xue Xue handed the garments she held in her arms back to him. His robe had absorbed some warmth from her body.

Zuoqiu Liye merely looked at her without reaching out to take them. Instead, he raised his hands to untie his soaked inner robe, the smile at the corners of his lips growing even more playful.

"Could it be that Xiaoxue doesn't know one must remove wet clothes before putting on dry ones?" He leisurely undid his belt. Although he was now half-undressed, there was not a trace of vulgarity or wanton harassment in his demeanor.

Xue Xue watched his deliberate actions with an expressionless face.

Not until Zuoqiu Liye's outer robe slipped entirely away did she toss the garments in her hands toward him, the fabric landing squarely upon his shoulders.

"You really are quite devoid of manners." With that, she rose to her feet, turned around, and walked away without sparing him another glance.

Zuoqiu Liye stood in place, watching her retreating figure, the smile on his lips undiminished.

"Your Majesty, this subordinate has brought the clothes." Yunwu suddenly appeared by the edge of the pond.

He had arrived just a moment prior, but seeing his master conversing with the Queen of Ji, he had refrained from showing himself immediately.

"Mhm." Zuoqiu Liye looked down at the tattered robe in his arms, imagining he could still sense her warmth lingering upon it.

Yunwu cautiously stepped forward to assist him in dressing. There were no fine garments available in this vicinity; this fabric was already the best they could manage. Yet, he still feared incurring the sovereign's wrath, knowing how fastidious his master typically was regarding such matters.

In the end, Zuoqiu Liye said nothing, merely staring in a trance at the ruined robe in his arms.

"Your Majesty, shall this robe be discarded?" Yunwu asked cautiously, observing his master's expression.

Hearing this, Zuoqiu Liye glanced at him. The mildness of that gaze caused Yunwu to instantly lower his head.

His master's attitude remained stubbornly unpredictable.

Walking ahead, Xue Xue soon noticed that their campsite from the previous night had been occupied by Zuoqiu Liye's subordinates. They had expertly kindled a fire, over which newly prepared game was being roasted.

A table and a soft couch had been set up beside the large boulder, evidently prepared specifically for Zuoqiu Liye's rest.

Given this grand setup, were they planning to establish a permanent camp here?

The air carried a faint scent of blood alongside the subtle aroma of roasting meat, which had only just begun to cook.

Suspiciously, she eyed the scene ahead, unable to fathom what Zuoqiu Liye intended to do...

Just as she was pondering, Zuoqiu Liye stepped up behind her and draped a clean robe over her shoulders.

She tilted her head, noticing that he was still clad in that same tattered, ruined garment.

A flicker of surprise crossed her mind. Did he harbor some bizarre penchant for wearing rags?

"I'm not cold." With that, she moved to return the robe to him.

However, before she could even extend her arm, Zuoqiu Liye pulled her firmly into his embrace. "Your body is still trembling. Are you truly not cold?" He stared directly into her eyes—arguably the most breathtaking pair of eyes he had ever beheld.

Bright and luminous, they reflected his own face within their depths.

"I'm not." Her shivering stemmed entirely from the suddenness of his actions, which had thrown her heart into disarray.

What on earth was wrong with him? Was this merely an insincere, melodramatic act? Regardless of his motives, she could not afford to indulge him.

"Hah, is that so?" Hearing this, Zuoqiu Liye let out a sarcastic, mocking chuckle before releasing her. "Since you aren't cold, then never mind." The moment the words left his lips, he casually tossed the robe straight into the nearby stream.

The blue garment drifted like a butterfly with clipped wings, slowly sinking into the water and floating downstream toward the pool.

Never mind then, but what was the meaning of his sudden outburst of temper?

Although he was smiling, she could clearly sense his profound displeasure—a wrath of no small measure.

Yunwu watched the drifting robe sail away, casting uneasy glances between Zuoqiu Liye and Xue Xue. It seemed their sovereign was truly determined to wear that tattered rag...

Yet, to be able to provoke such anger from their master, this blind woman was indeed not to be underestimated.

No, should she now be called a blind woman who had regained her sight?

The mountain was profoundly quiet. After finishing their meal of roasted game, Zuoqiu Liye showed no haste to depart, lingering a while longer before they finally began their ascent up the mountain.

The mountain path was far from even. Xue Xue found the rugged terrain somewhat strenuous to climb; though she lacked the delicate frailty of pampered noblewomen, her physique remained somewhat frail, leaving her breathless by the time they reached the midpoint of the mountain.

Observing her labored movements, Zuoqiu Liye abandoned his usual detached indifference. Without room for refusal, he wrapped an arm around her waist, practically lifting her entire weight off the ground as he effortlessly carried her upward.

"Your master..." Yunwu watched Zuoqiu Liye's actions with a flash of concern. Given his master's current physical condition, exerting himself like this was tantamount to pouring oil on fire.

Yet Zuoqiu Liye pressed on in silence, holding Xue Xue close until the entire party successfully cleared the valley floor and reached level ground.

Xue Xue planted her feet firmly. It was not her imagination—Zuoqiu Liye's gait was indeed slightly hindered, likely injured during their plunge down the cliff the previous night.

The party arrived at a small town, only to find it unnervingly quiet, devoid of a single living soul. Stalls lined the streets, still laden with vegetables, fruits, and various handmade trinkets, yet the vendors and villagers were entirely missing.

It felt like a ghost town, its inhabitants having vanished into thin air...

Xue Xue surveyed her surroundings, her eyes catching sight of bloodstains on the ground not far away. The blood had not dried long ago, and a faint, lingering scent of iron hung in the air.

More than that, patches of blood were scattered here and there—upon tabletops, the ground, and the wares displayed on the stalls...

"Could there be bandits or outlaws operating in this vicinity?" She instinctively turned to look at Zuoqiu Liye. The residents of this town were, after all, his subjects.

Zuoqiu Liye smiled without answering. His face bore no trace of astonishment or confusion; rather, everything appeared entirely within his control.

Faintly, an involuntary creep of horror began to sprout from the depths of Xue Xue's heart.

"Spare my life, Your Excellency... Spare my life..." A feeble cry for mercy pierced the air as a bloody, mangled form was dragged out by dark-armored guards.

A crimson trail stained the ground behind him, horrifying and ghastly to behold.

That person was...

Listening to the weak, agonizing groans, Xue Xue finally recognized him—the old man who had brought his servants to hunt them down the day before.

"Do you still remember who I am?" As Xue Xue stood frozen in shock, Zuoqiu Liye stepped forward to gaze down at the brutalized wretch, a wicked, demonic smile playing upon his lips.

"It's you..." The bloody figure let out a cry of sheer terror and disbelief.

"To slaughter a town for the sake of a single individual—you ought to feel honored to have so many people accompanying you to the grave."

"You monster..."

Slaughter a town...

Because of this single man, he had chosen to massacre an entire town...

She lifted her gaze to scan the blood-spattered ground. She still found it impossible to believe her own ears. "Zuoqiu Liye, you are slaughtering the innocent, do you realize that?"

"Very well. Because of Xiaoxue's words, I can spare his life. Let him live on—to live out the rest of his days entirely alone here." Left to survive in this desolate town until his dying breath.

Xue Xue realized she was truly coming to know Zuoqiu Liye all over again.