Un corazón puro en una vasija de jade

Capítulo 135

His hand steadily supported her waist, making Yongye feel at ease. She opened her eyes and saw Feng Yangxi's resolute gaze and tightly furrowed brows. A chill suddenly ran through her heart. He knew she was Xinghun... Yongye was too lazy to think about it. Life and death were in the hands of fate. She hated the feeling of being nervous and afraid in front of Feng Yangxi every time.

Even if he were to die, he would still try to rescue Rose and Moon Soul. After all, he was a great hero, a hero who hated evil and opposed the Valley of Wandering Souls.

The lake shimmered under the moonlight, and the wind carried the eternal night to his bamboo house.

Yongye, lying in his arms, was pale, her long eyelashes trembling. He looked at her with pity, his heart filled with conflicting emotions. He carefully laid her on the bed and reached out to feel her wrist for a pulse.

Yongye jolted awake, her eyes meeting Feng Yangxi's worried, furrowed brows. She gently pulled her hand away: "I'm fine... You're lying, you're not here."

"Do you want me to stay by your side forever?" Feng Yangxi asked quietly.

Yongye wanted to nod. Ever since he said he would always be by her side, she felt very safe and had never worried about the people from Youli Valley coming after her. But she stopped herself and said with a faint smile, "You said it yourself, I was just asking."

"I just came from the Crown Prince's palace." Not getting the answer he wanted, Feng Yangxi was somewhat disappointed. He reached out and touched Yongye's shoulder, where he had been struck, and asked, "You were struck on the shoulder, are you alright?"

Yongye felt extremely uncomfortable with that worried expression. Every time she encountered Feng Yangxi, he was the one who saved her. Yet, she was worried that he would kill her, and tonight would be no exception. She steeled herself and said, "You recognized me when I was disguised as a pockmarked man last time, and you also recognized me when I was disguised as a black-faced boy. With such good eyesight, you must have seen everything?"

She slowly opened her hand, holding a throwing knife in her palm.

It is an inch long and half an inch wide, with blood grooves on both sides, and is made of pure silver, gleaming brightly.

She said, word by word, "You see clearly, this is my knife. Every assassin always carries a final hidden weapon. I am the assassin Xinghun you've been looking for, and you've always wanted to kill me. The person you've been saving is the person you've always wanted to kill. How ironic."

Feng Yangxi stared at Yongye, who tried hard to see something in his eyes. But in those pupils, darker than the night, only her own reflection was shown, a tiny, fixed image. She took a deep breath and turned her head away.

Feng Yangxi grasped her chin, turned her face around, and smiled, locking her eyes: "I thought you would never look into my eyes and not dare to lie."

Yongye's courage was instantly ignited. He slapped away his hand and said coldly, "You should understand when you see the flying knife. I asked you to be my bodyguard to escort me to Anguo under the pretext that I didn't know martial arts. I had ulterior motives. I wanted to use Yi Zhongtian to get rid of you so that I wouldn't be killed by you one day. At the Chenguo post station, it was I who shot the flying knife at your back. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been hit by the arrow."

Feng Yangxi stared at her without blinking, and when Yongye finished speaking and glared at him, she said calmly, "It's alright, you have plenty of energy, you're fine. Get some sleep."

After he finished speaking, he got up and walked out.

His evasive attitude enraged Yongye: "Why don't you kill me? Have you forgotten Old Man Wang who sells noodles at the entrance of Anguo Alley? He's just an innocent old man! Have you forgotten the assassination attempt at the Ministry of War's mansion in the capital? I even poisoned you! Have you forgotten who stabbed you in the back at the Chenguo Post Station, causing you to be hit by Yi Zhongtian's arrow and almost get captured? Didn't you keep saying you wanted to kill me? Why don't you kill me? Is there still a use for me?"

Feng Yangxi rushed in like a whirlwind, raised her hand, and slapped Yongye hard across the face: "This is for those innocent people who died at your hands!"

The room became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

The two stared at each other, neither saying a word.

Yongye felt a sudden pang of sorrow. She didn't know why she felt so wronged and sad. From childhood in Youli Valley, she had never felt wronged, no matter how hard she trained. In the Duan Prince's mansion, she was pampered and never heard a harsh word spoken to her. Even knowing everyone in Chen Kingdom was plotting against her, she felt no resentment. Yuepo had never said a harsh word to her. Li Yannian had slapped her, but she only smiled and dealt with him. Feng Yangxi hadn't made a mistake; his not killing her was already exceptionally lenient, yet she felt an unbearable heartache. Tears welled in her eyes, and she abruptly lowered her head, watching a tear splash onto the ground, like a drop of water falling into hot oil, instantly exploding.

As Yongye got out of bed and walked past Feng Yangxi with her head down, suppressing the urge to cry, she said in a hoarse voice, "I owe you nothing anymore."

She walked out step by step, the bamboo bridge stretching into the darkness, and Yongye felt herself walking step by step into the boundless night. From then on, she would never see a glimmer of light again.

After a fierce battle, her legs trembled with every step. She had been struck in the shoulder, and her right hand was almost impossible to lift. Her cheek burned with pain, and she estimated it was swollen on one side. She had to leave; she still had to go to the palace to find Crown Prince Yan. Moon Spirit and Rose were still trapped in the alley; she couldn't stay, and she couldn't fall.

Feng Yangxi stood there stunned for a moment before he came to his senses. What had he done? He raised his hand, his fingers trembling slightly. He frowned and rushed out.

On the pale bamboo bridge under the moonlight, only a lonely figure staggered through the endless night. Desolate as the stars in the sky, high and far, hanging in the silent night. The pangs of sorrow in Feng Yangxi's heart surged again; he sighed and chased after him.

"Changed your mind?" Yongye's eyes, brighter than the stars in the night sky, held a mocking expression.

"Come back with me." But the words that came out of her mouth were these, and Feng Yangxi forced a bitter smile.

Without saying a word, Yongye turned around and walked back.

"Why are you so obedient and compliant?"

Yongye looked up and smiled calmly: "When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Do you expect me to fight you? Or pretend to struggle so you can carry me back?"

Feng Yangxi was stunned. He followed Yongye back in silence for a while, then suddenly asked, "Why are you so calm? Do you hate me?"

"I just... pity myself." Yongye shook his head and insisted on walking back step by step.

Feng Yangxi looked up at the sky, took a deep breath, and a surge of bitterness shot straight to her bones, making her clench her fists in discomfort. He saw that she was walking very slowly, her legs trembling, and he involuntarily reached out his hand but then suddenly withdrew it. He was suddenly a little afraid, afraid that she hated him and would push his hand away. He watched her silently, as if it were he who was struggling to walk.

Stepping back into the room, Yongye stood stiffly: "Speak, what do you want me to do?"

"Wash off the disguise."

Yongye poured some medicinal powder into a basin and washed off the disguise from her face. Under the orange light, her complexion was not visible, but the slight swelling on her cheeks was clearly visible.

Feng Yangxi took out a porcelain bottle from his bosom, picked out a clump of ointment, and was about to rub it onto her face.

Yongye snatched the porcelain bottle away: "Men and women should not touch each other."

"Why didn't you say that when I carried you back?" Feng Yangxi thought she had heard the biggest joke in the world.

"I'm exhausted from fighting, so I'll take this opportunity to satisfy your chivalrous heart."

Feng Yangxi was speechless, all her words stuck in her throat by Yongye's words. She gritted her teeth and strode away from the bamboo building. The ointment between her fingers was rubbed into her palm, feeling slippery and uncomfortable.

Yongye wiped her face and felt a little better. She carefully pulled down her clothes; her right shoulder was covered in bruises and swelling, which she applied ointment to. She moved her right hand; thankfully, no bones were broken. She let out a long sigh and collapsed onto the bed, the exhaustion from forcing herself to stay upright causing her leg muscles to tremble uncontrollably. Tomorrow, if only she could sleep soundly without worrying about anything until she naturally woke up.

However, even when you're exhausted and lying in bed, your mind keeps racing. Your nerves are stretched to the limit, yet you still haven't heard the snapping sound.

The days spent with Yuepo in the valley felt like a dream, a very distant dream. She knew that once she left, she could never go back, yet she still foolishly longed to have him again. The peaceful days at the Peaceful Clinic under the blazing sun were gone forever. Yuepo's protection since childhood, his constant tenderness and indulgence, made her crave it all. Even though she didn't dare to hold his hand and laugh freely under the blazing sun, she still loved it.

The moon's reflection, roses… these images flashed through her mind, causing a sharp, stabbing pain in Yongye's heart. She opened her eyes, seeing clearly even in the darkness. Simple yet comfortable furniture, and a zither hanging on the wall. Could Feng Yangxi play the zither?

That night she saw the sun rise above the lake, and the light in the house slowly turned from a pale gray-blue to an orange-yellow.

Feng Yangxi loved light, so he built a bamboo house on the lake.

Yongye closed her eyes; the light was too blinding, and she was only suited to remain in the darkness of the night.