Соглашение Му Юйчэна

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Tears streamed down my face as I huddled in the stench of the garbage, hugging my knees. Guilt and fear gnawed at my soul like venomous snakes. Qin Ye was going to die for me, to protect me, and I hadn't even had the courage to stop him. Just two hours ago, I had confidently told Yi Han, "What do you value human life?" Now, I watched helplessly as members of the Night Division fell one by one to their deaths protecting me, while I was only worried about my own survival. It turned out that my so-called principles, my so-called kindness, were nothing more than that. A noble sentiment that only came to mind after ensuring my own safety.

Time ticked by, and my heart was enveloped by boundless fear. The sky was still a bright day filled with yellow sand, but I felt as if I were being immersed in a cold, dark night, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop myself from trembling.

I tried turning the water chain, but it didn't budge. Zi Mo… even Zi Mo hates me now. If, if Zi Mo had always been by my side, I would never be in this predicament. If I had listened to Zi Mo and not been so self-righteous… the Night Division members wouldn't have died, Qin Ye wouldn't have died, and Yi Han wouldn't be in danger.

I buried my face in my hands, tears soaking my clothes again and again. Why isn't it dark yet? I want to go home, I want to go back to Xu Lie's side. I'm truly tired of this world; I think I don't belong here. If I go back this time, should I never come back? Yufei, Yufei… what should I do? I've caused so many deaths, what should I do now?

"The dignified Prime Minister of Jin Yao Kingdom, Chi Fei, the son of the goddess who is famous throughout the world, I never expected to see him in such a disheveled state when we first met."

My heart clenched with horror, and I jerked my head up to meet an extremely bizarre face. It was pale and beardless, with rosy cheeks, hair that reached past the knees, and eyes that were only the size of mung beans, now reduced to mere slits as it stared at me.

I shuddered, shrank back, and asked in a tearful voice, "Who...who are you?"

"I am Bai Wuchang, a disciple of Grand Tutor Liu of the Fire Feather Kingdom. I have long admired your name, young master." He said "long admired" twice, but his expression was one of utter mockery and disdain.

I looked down at my disheveled appearance, and I seemed to hear Zi Mo's solemn words in my ears: "Galan! How can you act foolishly at a time like this! You are facing the Crown Princess of Fengyin Kingdom. If you make a mistake, you will lose face for Jinyao Kingdom."

"Whether it's a literary or martial contest, when two people are facing off, the most important thing is their aura. Put away all your inferiority and timidity, and think of yourself as Lin Yu, the young prime minister of Jin Yao Kingdom, second only to the emperor, and the leader of the Yi Xiu Continent..."

I took a deep breath, leaning against the wall to ease the numbness in my legs, and struggled to my feet. Without Yi Han, without Zi Mo, I am utterly useless. But at least I still have Lin Yu's body, his reputation, and my responsibilities. No matter what, even if it's just a small part, I will make a final effort to ensure their sacrifices are commensurate with mine.

I looked at him and asked seriously, "Just how many people did Liu Cenfeng send to kill me this time?"

Bai Wuchang looked at me with some surprise, his beady eyes narrowed slightly, his divine light flashing, and his voice was high-pitched and thin: "Young master's life is very precious. In order to kill young master, the master's subordinates Mei Lan Qiu Ju, Hei Wuchang and Bai Wuchang have all come."

I couldn't understand what he was saying, but I made sure to write it down. Then I asked, "Are you here to kill me, or to capture me alive?"

Bai Wuchang was taken aback, then laughed shrilly, "Now that's more like the young prime minister's heroic spirit. The master said that it would be good to capture him alive, and it would also be a great achievement to bring back his body. If neither of these is possible, then you must be made to die completely, young master, until there is no trace of your remains."

I shuddered, my face drained of all color. That Liu Cenfeng, he's ruthless.

"Qin Ye... my subordinate, is he dead?" I bit my lip, barely managing to utter the words.

White Impermanence, his long hair flowing freely, laughed heartily: "I heard that after Mei Niang tricked him out of his guts, Little Black thought his face was too handsome, so he peeled it off..."

"Stop talking!" I yelled, covering my ears as tears streamed down my face. Qin Ye, Qin Ye, it's all my fault!

"Hahahaha... This is the young prime minister?" Bai Wuchang laughed and walked towards me. "My lord has really misjudged this time! What is there to fear from such a cowardly, effeminate man?"

I watched as the White Impermanence approached me step by step, his steps light and silent, yet his laughter was unrestrained, sharp, and piercing. I took a step back, he took two steps forward, until I had nowhere left to retreat, yet he still continued to advance.

Suddenly, I wondered, what would happen if I died? Back in the modern world, living my happy life, though I might spend the rest of my life burdened with guilt towards Yufei. Here, Yunyan would be heartbroken, Uncle Li would be sad, Zimo would return to his loneliness, and Yihan, if alive, would be devastated… But it's not that I'm not trying! I truly can't live anymore… The fear of death is gripping me.

Suddenly, Bai Wuchang (the White Impermanence) reached out, his once slender fingers now bearing sharp nails that lashed out, aiming a swift thrust at my chest. I cried out, closing my eyes in despair as a searing pain shot through my chest.

"Young Master!" The voice was filled with anxiety, worry, and unease—what emotions were intertwined within it?

I suddenly opened my eyes, forgetting the hideous face of the person who was about to kill me, forgetting the pain in my chest, and only looking at the white-haired, young man who came from behind Bai Wuchang, covered in dust and wounds, and tears streamed down my face.

Bai Wuchang withdrew his hand, let out a shrill cry, and turned to fight Yi Han. I could only see a few movements, too many to make out; the pain in my chest prevented me from seeing clearly. All I knew was that after a piercing scream, Bai Wuchang was sent flying, crashing into a corner and unable to get up for a long time. Yi Han, on the other hand, staggered, his face deathly pale, a strand of silver hair on his forehead stained with blood. Without even pausing to catch his breath, he leaped to my side, his face filled with anxiety: "Young Master! Young Master! How are you?"

I clutched my chest, and when the pain subsided, I realized I wasn't actually fatally injured. It was clear that the strange vest had shielded me from the attack. Yi Han carefully examined my entire body, and only after confirming that I was indeed unharmed did he breathe a sigh of relief and involuntarily reach out to pull me into his arms.

I stood there, stunned, as he held me, my face pressed against his chest, inhaling the scent of blood mixed with his unique, crisp aroma. My heart pounded uncontrollably once more. I could no longer distinguish whether it was Lin Yu's feeling or my own.

Yi Han seemed to suddenly realize something, and abruptly pushed me away. His pale face was solemn, as if he was trying to hide something. He helped me up and said, "Young Master, I have already sent Chen Sheng back to the post station to ask for help. Let's hurry and meet up with them."

My heart ached, and I felt a deep sense of guilt that I could not express, and a heart full of worry that I could not ask. I could only nod and let him carefully help me up and leave this stinking garbage dump.

Only now do I understand what a true inescapable trap is. Liu Cenfeng was determined not to let me leave Puhua Street alive. Yihan led me from one alley to another, leaping from one rooftop to another, but we could only travel three or four miles on each road before Yihan would inevitably turn back, frowning and looking cold. I knew that meant the road was blocked. Sometimes we couldn't even avoid them in time, encountering assassins coming straight at us. With no way forward and pursuers behind, if it weren't for Yihan's abnormally strong martial arts, we would have died a thousand times over. However, even so, I knew clearly that Yihan was seriously injured and probably not far from his death.

Yi Han kept checking the markings on the walls at the alley entrances along the way, doing his best to hurry in the direction the signs indicated. I knew those were marks left by the Night Division, and the destination must be safe. As long as I waited there, Chen Sheng would immediately bring people to rescue me.

I was held close to his side, watching his face turn pale, his lips purple, a single, glaring strand of silver hair occasionally brushing against his handsome yet extremely haggard face, a testament to some unknown pain and sacrifice. There was nothing I could do except occasionally brush that strand of silver hair away and wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. Knowing that he was doing all this for Lin Yu, I still couldn't help but want to shout at him: Why…why risk your life?!

"Young Master..." Yi Han's weak voice was close at hand, "We've arrived."

I was stunned for a moment and came to my senses. When I saw the scenery around me, I almost cried out in surprise. I quickly covered my mouth and whispered, "Yihan, why...why are we back at the Dragon Gate Inn?"

“Longmen…?” Yi Han repeated in confusion. In fact, this inn didn’t have any signboard on it. He shook his head, as if to keep himself awake, before saying, “The most dangerous place is also the safest place. Chen Sheng probably meant that.” After saying that, he grabbed my hand and slipped through a gap in the tarpaulin like a ghost.

A wave of dampness hit me, and I looked around in surprise. It was a wine cellar, with some grain stored inside. I hadn't eaten all day and had just vomited up everything I'd eaten, so I happily pounced on the food as soon as I saw it.

Yi Han didn't say anything, but followed behind me and said calmly, "If you find the food strange, young master, you must not swallow it."

I was holding my dry rations, ready to devour them in one gulp, when I heard this and asked in surprise, "Why?"

Yi Han sighed, took off his outer garment and threw it on the ground. He then helped me sit down, and sat cross-legged beside me. He said in a low voice, "Young Master's six senses have been extraordinary since childhood. Although they are no longer as sharp as they used to be, as long as you concentrate, your hearing and eyesight are still far beyond what ordinary people can achieve. Especially your sense of taste and smell. Thanks to Madam's training, Young Master can identify poisons as soon as they enter his mouth and avoid them as soon as he smells them."

"Ah—" I gasped softly. This Lin Yu was indeed extraordinary. Remembering something, I couldn't help but ask curiously, "Yi Han, since there was absolutely no way I could have been poisoned, why did I wake up that day..."

Yi Han looked up at me, his dark eyes as still as water, revealing nothing of his thoughts. He said in a deep voice, "When I arrived that day, you were already poisoned. I don't know how you were poisoned."

I sighed softly and handed him half of the dry rations I was holding. I got some water, while he opened a jar of wine. The two of us rested and recuperated in the dim wine cellar in silence.

"Yihan, is your injury... serious?" I asked in a low voice.

Yi Han's deep, cold voice had a strangely comforting quality: "Young master, there's no need to worry. You'll be fine after a day of rest."

I bit my lip, the guilt and sorrow in my heart like ants gnawing at my soul, unbearably painful. I choked out, "Yihan, I'm sorry. If I hadn't been so unreasonable, the Night Division members wouldn't have died, and you wouldn't be so badly injured. I..."

“Young Master,” Yi Han interrupted me gently, speaking calmly, “I know what you are clinging to. Back then, you also rebuked me for my indifference, and you apologized to me as you do today. You may have forgotten many things since you woke up this time, but I will not forget. Young Master, you are just repeating the path you once walked.”

I stared at him, dumbfounded. He was so calm, composed, even indifferent, but the shock I felt was beyond words. He said I was retracing the path Lin Yu had walked. He actually said I was retracing the path Lin Yu had walked. At that moment, my heart was bewitched, completely out of my control. I felt as if I were floating in a dream, watching myself slowly reach out, my delicate, pale fingers, slightly translucent at the tips, cool to the touch, to caress his even colder cheek.

I tilted my head, my expression gentle, but my eyes seemed to hold a deep affection like the sea as I looked straight at him. My voice was so clear and melodious, like a purple seashell wind chime swaying in the sea breeze: "Yihan, would you be willing to walk that arduous road with me again?"

The dark green light in Yi Han's eyes flickered repeatedly. Suddenly, he pulled me into his arms and held me tightly. The hand around my waist trembled with tension, while the hand supporting my hair was gentle yet resolute. He didn't say a word, yet I could feel such deep emotions, such profound love. His love for Lin Yu seeped from every cell of his body and flowed into me.