Небо над реками и озерами очень чистое

Глава 25

A hint of bitterness flickered in his dark eyes. "It doesn't matter at all. Once there's nothing left to prove it's false, he won't bring it up again."

His eyes moved to the slender arm, and as he lit incense, half of the long sleeve slipped down, revealing the bright red mark of virginity.

"Doesn't it look like a brand has been placed on a leptocephalus?" she said with a knowing, sarcastic laugh.

As long as one remains in the faith, one must forever sever all desires and lust.

Today's words have cemented her identity as a virgin, a status she can never change until her death.

She pulled out the jade hairpin, and her black hair fell down like water, making her look even more frail.

"It's lucky I was able to refuse unscathed, it's nothing." Her slender hand gently pressed her temple, her voice barely audible. "Anyway, I didn't plan to get close to a man, so this is fine, it gives me another excuse to fob off Qianming."

"You can leave now, I'm very tired."

Her back remained ramrod straight. He gave her a deep look, then left and closed the door.

After standing in silence for a long time, faint singing could be heard from inside the room.

It's like a nursery rhyme. Simple and beautiful, repeated over and over again.

The melody rises and falls, sung in a childlike voice.

The music was intermittent and barely audible, but he leaned against the door and listened silently.

Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming pang of sadness.

The events of the banquet that night somehow spread throughout the church and became known to almost everyone.

Jia Ye seemed oblivious, ignoring all the strange gazes directed at her.

With the annual tribute season approaching, people are already extremely busy just dealing with the distribution and collection.

"Truly impressive." Jiuwei looked up at the magnificent coffered ceiling, sincerely admiring it. "She is the first person to dare to refuse the King of Pop to his face."

"She used a very good reason." A reason that the Pope could not find fault with, but it also cut off her own escape route.

“Whether it’s true or not, the King of the Sect won’t be considering it for the time being,” Jiuwei sighed. “I don’t understand either. I’d rather persuade her to comply than risk getting better benefits. The King of the Sect may be letting her off the hook now, but he might not be indifferent. He might secretly try to get back at her sometime.”

"So she's been very careful lately." She checks every single one of the offerings, never entrusting them to anyone else.

“Even more proud than I expected.” The man swirled his glass, watching the amber-colored wine flow like jade. “What exactly is she measuring?”

He remained silent for a long time. "I guess no one in the world can fathom her thoughts."

"It's making me curious too." Jiuwei looked at him and chuckled. "She distanced herself from you and promoted Chi Diao, won over Qianming, risked offending the King of the Sect, and controlled the Thirty-Six Kingdoms, while ruthlessly ostracizing me and Zisu. There must be a reason why someone suddenly becomes so keen on seizing profits."

Jiuwei complained, half-truthfully. "She doesn't love money or lust, she doesn't crave fame or fortune, she has few desires and wants. I thought she was about to become an immortal. Why didn't she consider using me? That way I could at least have some clues."

“With me here, she won’t try to win you over.” With a Central Plains man serving as a shadow guard and having close ties with Jiuwei, if the Snow Envoy and Moon Envoy were to form an alliance, his identity would be too conspicuous. The sensitive and suspicious King of the Church would not sit idly by, as it would be tantamount to inviting trouble upon himself. All three of them were well aware of this.

“Shuying.” Jiuwei gazed thoughtfully at his face. “All these years… how has she treated you?”

"I don't know." He thought for a long time, but still couldn't figure it out.

Indifferent as water, cold and sharp as ice, never uttering a gentle word.

A cruel and sharp woman who mercilessly strips away pretense, leaving no escape for anyone.

He ruthlessly used him to eliminate dissidents, killing with a snap of his fingers, and using corpses to pave the seats of the four envoys.

When he mistakenly fell into a trap, he took on everything to protect his subordinates and willingly endured the beating.

He observed everything she did, yet he could never truly understand what kind of person she was.

Compared to Qianming, who treated his subordinates like servants, scolding and beating them, and punishing them severely at the slightest provocation; compared to Zisu, who was licentious and treated his shadow guards like male concubines, wantonly abusing his servants, she was practically a saint.

She never hit or scolded her subordinates, nor even raised her voice. Even when they made mistakes, she would simply analyze the reasons calmly and punish them directly according to the rules. There was no sarcasm or ridicule, she never laid a finger on them, and their treatment was generous beyond what was appropriate for their status.

With just a gentle touch of grace, one can win people's hearts and souls and make them willingly serve to the death.

But she never even considered it. It's hard to believe she didn't understand; Jia Ye's insight into human nature was unparalleled when devising schemes, yet she never tried to curry favor with her subordinates, completely disregarding the prejudices others held against her.

“She was very good to me, or to the Six Wings.” He lowered his eyes and stared intently at a certain spot, answering very slowly. “Strangely, we weren’t grateful to her for it. Sometimes I think it’s a situation she deliberately created, but I can’t figure out why.” There was only fear and distance between them, as if a chasm had been deliberately drawn.

"The person you asked me to investigate last time, I tried every method but to no avail," Jiuwei changed the subject. "No one in the sect knows this name."

"How is that possible?" He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Even with your methods, you couldn't find out?"

"I'm afraid they're not from the sect," Jiuwei speculated. "Why do you care?"

“I don’t know, Jia Ye is very concerned.” Recalling her vulnerable dependence while she was unconscious, he couldn’t suppress the urge to investigate. “It seems to be someone she trusts a lot.”

"I'm really curious what kind of person she could trust. Is it a dead person?" Jiuwei couldn't help but sneer.

He wanted to argue, but the more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed.

Jia Ye was extremely wary and defensive towards people, making it impossible for her to even get close. Her attendants kept her at a certain distance, so there was practically no one who could make her lower her guard. Despite her mental instability, she indulged in revealing her vulnerability, which is truly unimaginable for a living person.

"Perhaps you are right."

“Shuying.” After much persuasion, Jiuwei still offered her advice.

"Don't fall for her, she's not the right person for you."

"I know your feelings for her are special. Don't forget what kind of person she is. Investing your feelings in a woman like that will only make you more miserable by being used. She has no heart."

"Moreover, she claimed to the King that she had practiced the Heart Sutra and could never be intimate with a man in her life. Even if she wanted to, she could not have physical contact with you. The King applied the cinnabar mark for this very reason; if you violated the taboo, you would die a very ugly death."

"I know."

Knowing how cold and ruthless she is...

Knowing full well that she had already cut off all possibilities...

He gulped down a glass of wine; the crisp liquid went down his throat like a fire burning away his complex emotions.

Jiuwei sighed softly, looking at the brothers who had fought their way out of the Cuifeng Camp together.

"As long as a woman is gentle and lovely, she can enjoy herself to the fullest in bed. If she falls in love, that's trouble. If you want to love, there are plenty of good women outside the church. With your intelligence and looks, you can have seen all kinds of beauties. Why tie yourself down?"

He gave a wry smile, too lazy to deny it any longer.

"All I hope for now is to be able to return to the Central Plains alive someday."

Jiuwei stopped talking, the two clinked glasses, and drank it all in one gulp.

Dead End

They were summoned to enter the room.

Jia Ye stood by the window with her arms folded, her black hair as black as ink, her face cold and aloof, her expression slightly haggard.

The fatigue and hard work of the past few days have added two dark circles to her eyes, but it does not detract from her beautiful appearance.

"You were looking for me?"

She turned her head and stared for a long time.

"Get ready, you're going down the mountain to kill someone in a few days."

"who."

"The King of Shanshan."

"Why did we do it?" This level of assassination should usually be carried out by the assassination squad under Jiuwei's command.

His pale face was expressionless. "The King's decree."

Is the Pope's personal order retaliation for refusing the day before?

“This mission… is very tricky.” Her dark eyes were unfathomable, and her expression was extremely solemn. “You know in your heart that you can only succeed, failure is not an option.”

She didn't say what would happen if she failed, nor did she need to.

She was now in a precarious situation, standing on the edge of a precipice, where the slightest misstep would mean certain death. Countless eyes were waiting for her to fall.

“Originally, I wanted to handle it myself, as that would give me a better chance of success.” She lowered her eyes, her fingertips unconsciously fiddling with the windowpane. “But the tribute matters of various countries are numerous and complicated, and there might be some unexpected events if I leave the sect at this time.”

It's likely that the King had planned this all along. The moment she left, someone started sabotaging her. Even if the assassination succeeded, it wouldn't be enough to cover up the crime of negligence in government affairs.

"The King of Pope..." He hesitated slightly, unsure whether he should speak out.

“He doesn’t necessarily want me dead, he just wants to teach me a lesson so I’ll beg for mercy.” She spoke directly, her dark eyes gleaming coldly. “In the end, whether what happened last time was true or not, it offended him, so this can be seen as a warning.”

"I will be careful."

She stared silently for a long time, unable to pinpoint the source of her unease. Shuying had been doing this for a long time and was quite skilled; in theory, she was no different from someone close to her, yet she couldn't find the same certainty she used to have.

Having put aside her inexplicable anxiety, she began to discuss the key points of the trip.

"The King of Shanshan is skilled in insidious and cunning schemes, and is very shrewd. Several years ago, he hired a master from the Kushan Kingdom at great expense to be his national advisor. It is said that his spies reported that his martial arts skills are extremely strong and that no ordinary person can defeat him. There is little chance of victory in a direct confrontation."

"It would be best to avoid the Grand Preceptor's surprise attack," he replied quietly.

"Good. Remember, you must strike decisively. The close attendants of the King of Shanshan are all personally trained by the Grand Preceptor, surpassing all others in the Western Regions. Once they become aware, there will be no second chance for an assassination. Be careful when you retreat, otherwise..."

A hint of worry flickered between his usually expressionless brows. He nodded and made a note of it.

"Take as many people as you like, and feel free to pick up whatever you need. Just... keep an eye on things yourself."

Despite her cold words, concern still lingered in the end, warming his heart slightly.

I never expected it to turn out this way.

They discovered the habits of the King of Shanshan, the times when the Grand Preceptor came and went, and the pattern of the rotation of attendants.

Having meticulously planned and arranged the route, they successfully entered the palace, dealt with several troublesome guards, and were just waiting for the final strike of their swords to complete the mission.

The only unexpected thing was the girl who suddenly lunged out.

The beautiful young girl stood firmly in front of the King of Shanshan, trembling all over.

"Don't kill my father."

He should have stabbed her mercilessly, killing her and the King of Shanshan behind her right there in the court. A defenseless young girl posed no obstacle whatsoever.

For some reason… that tear-streaked face suddenly stung his hand, and he froze for a moment.

Before he could react, a strong gust of wind came from behind, forcing him to dodge and losing the initiative.

The Imperial Advisor rushed in, along with a large number of alerted guards.