IV. Snow. The third night, Dream. It was still a cold and dark night with fire breaking out and惨叫s echoing everywhere. She fled on the frozen Moh River while a group of murderers were chasing her closely behind. Behind the masks, their eyes emitted a terrifying light and blood dripped from the tips of their swords. Too frightened to look back, she just ran for her life across the ice.
"Crack!" Suddenly, the ice beneath her feet cracked open, revealing a gaping mouth that swallowed her whole.
"Ahhh!" She screamed as an icy current instantly enveloped her, chilling her to the bone. However, in the dark and icy rapid flow, a pair of hands reached out from behind and firmly held her. They were so warm! Slowly, she uncurled her body, leaning into the warmth of the embrace and hearing steady and strong heartbeats.
So warm... When Fenglv and Shuanghong arrived early in the morning, they saw an unimaginable scene. Huozhanbai rested his chin on the head of the purple-clad beauty, his arms around her waist, leaning against a plum tree dozing off, while the young lady was sound asleep in his arms wrapped in a blanket. Plum blossoms fell like snow, covering both of them, cups and goblets scattered on the table, and the snow falcon had already woken up but stood quietly on its perch, tilting its head to watch the two under the plum tree, emitting gentle cooing sounds.
"My goodness, what's going on?" Lv saw the person next to the young lady was exactly the one she detested most, her eyes almost popping out, "This... mm... uh!"
Shuanghong quickly covered her mouth and pulled her away. Lv struggled fiercely but saw Shuanghong release her outside the courtyard, looking up at the sky, a smile slowly spreading on her lips: "How wonderful..."
Wonderful? That guy who deserved a beating now really owed a debt with his body, so what's so good about it?
"Never have I seen the young lady sleep so peacefully..." Shuanghong, who had followed Xue Zhenight the longest, murmured, "Even with all the fires lit, she always complained of being cold, unable to sleep through the night, walking back and forth incessantly... Now let her sleep a little longer, we shouldn't disturb them."
"But... Autumn Pavilion's patient..." Lv frowned, somewhat uneasy. That patient had been restless all night, clutching his head and screaming, making them think he would die immediately... They hadn't treated such a patient before and didn't know how to handle it. He even had a golden needle inserted into the dead acupoint on his jade pillow! Fortunately, by morning, the person had finally calmed down. They wanted to ask the young lady if today's medication should remain the same when they saw this embarrassing scene.
"Ah?!" As several maidservants debated whether to enter or not, a cry came from the courtyard, "What are you doing? You're taking advantage of me!"
"The young lady has awakened!" Lv exclaimed joyfully. Then there was a loud bang as something broke through the door and flew into the courtyard. The half-asleep person didn't have time to react, landing on his back awkwardly, waking up in pain instantly.
"You..." The drowsy person, still unclear about what he had done last night to make this evil woman so furious, instinctively dodged the barrage of cups flying at him. When a goblet hit his forehead, he finally remembered, shouting, "Don't hit randomly! It was your own fault for throwing yourself at me!"
"Nonsense! You, a wandering rogue frequenting brothels, aren't a good person! There's no willow courtesan here for you!" Xue Zhenight jumped up angrily, pointing her finger at him, ordering the surrounding maidservants, "Lock him up! Don't let him wander around anymore. Once the medicine is ready, kick him out of the valley!"
"Yes, Young Lady!" Lv happily agreed, completely ignoring the frowning Shuanghong.
Xue Zhenight turned away with a huff, refusing to look at him, "To the Autumn Pavilion!"
After everyone left in a rush, Huozhanbai finally came to his senses, getting up from the ground, touching his broken forehead... Is this how a doctor treats a patient? This domineering evil woman is completely different from the quiet and agile woman of last night... Was he dreaming?
But, what did she say just now?
"Willow Courtesan"?
She, she must know that he knows Yangzhou Fongqing Garden's Willow Ruby Courtesan!
"Rogue frequenting brothels"... Ah! He suddenly slapped his thigh and jumped up, finished! Could it be that last night, after drinking too much, he revealed his habit of roaming brothels? He hung his head in disappointment, pounding his brain hard, wishing to knock a hole in it.
Xue Zhenight led the people to the Autumn Pavilion, feeling the heat on her face gradually fading, still filled with hatred.
How dare he take advantage of her! She was always the one to take advantage of others, calculating every bit, but that beat-worthy man dared to cuddle her while drunk... She stormed forward, hearing Lü'er offer her a green cloud robe, "Young Lady, you forgot to wear your cloak. It's snowing again. Are you cold?"
Cold? She suddenly stopped... In last night's dream, why was it always so warm... That pair of gentle hands and the strong heartbeat, weren't they just illusions?
She stood in the medicinal garden, lost in thought, holding the green cloud robe.
When she arrived at the Autumn Pavilion, opening the door, she was overwhelmed by the strong fragrance inside.
"A bunch of dead girls, trying to suffocate the patient?" She scolded the night-duty maid, rolling up the curtains and opening the windows, "I give one instruction and it turns out like this. Use your heads, will you?"
"Don't...," Suddenly, a faint voice came from the darkness, "Don't open it."
Xue Zhenight turned her head in surprise, seeing a pair of pale blue eyes gleaming from the shadows of the thick bedcovers, softly speaking, "Close it... I don't like wind and light. I can't stand it..."
"Hmm..." Her heart trembled slightly, yet she continued to roll up the curtains to the end, the snowlight flashing in.
"Close it!" The person buried in the bedcovers immediately turned their head inward, muttering.
She waved her hand, signaling the maidservants to leave, then sat by the bedside. "No wind, no light, closing yourself off will lead to decay in the darkness~" She smiled, whispering gently to the pale-faced patient, "You need to get used to it slowly, Mingjie. You can't always stay in the dark."
Her hand touched his wrist pulse but was pushed away.
"Why save me?" Tung lay in the darkness, staring at the ceiling, coldly asking, "What do you want?"
She paused, hesitating for a moment before reaching over to feel his forehead, murmuring, "You... should have regained part of your memory by now. Why are you still asking such questions? I saved you because we've known each other since childhood; you're my friend."
"Hmph." He laughed mockingly in the darkness, his eyes faintly showing a pale green hue, "Friend?"
A top killer from Daguangming Palace couldn't have friends. If he did, the instructor would have ordered him to kill them personally. Those lingering images were nothing more than memories planted in his mind while he was unconscious by this woman!
"Do you still not remember? You're called Nayan Mingjie, we grew up together in the village, and you're Xuehuai's friend." Pausing momentarily, Xue Zhenight's eyes suddenly dimmed, softly saying, "You've known me since you were six... Back then... You killed someone for me... Don't you remember?"
The eyes in the darkness suddenly flickered, recalling something, emitting a slight purple glow.
Killing... First time killing...
Pain surged in the back of his head, blood splashing in front of his eyes, two swollen faces emerging from his memory - those were two officials dressed in official robes. Their eyes were wide open, their faces turning bluish-purple, choking each other's throats until they died.
On the ground... Who was lying on the ground? That pale, frail woman, the violated woman.
A little girl hugged the naked woman, sobbing, her eyes pure black and white.
"Don't you remember? Nineteen years ago, my mother and I were escorted past the Nayan clan's village, resting at the inn before the village. Those beasts in human form wanted to violate my mother..." Even recounting these old events, Xue Zhenight's tone remained calm, "You and Xuehuai happened to pass by, rushing in to stop them but were beaten to the ground... And that was when you killed someone for the first time."
He clutched his head, desperately resisting the flood of images surfacing with her words, breathing heavily.
When arriving at the Autumn Pavilion and opening the door, the room was full of heavy fragrance.
"A bunch of stupid girls, trying to suffocate the patient?" She scolded the night-duty maid while rolling up the curtains and opening the windows, "With just one order, it turned out like this. Use your heads, will you?"
"Don't...," Suddenly, a faint voice came from the darkness, "Don't open it."
Xue Zhenight turned her head in surprise, seeing a pair of pale blue eyes gleaming in the shadow of the thick bed covers, softly saying, "Close it... I don't like wind and light. I can't bear it..."
"Hmm..." Her heart trembled slightly, yet she silently continued to roll up the curtains to the bottom, the snowlight flashing in, dazzling the eyes of the person inside.
"Close it!" The person buried in the bed covers immediately turned their head inward.
She waved her hand, signaling the maidservants to leave, then sat by the bedside. "Without wind, without light, locking yourself away will lead to decay in the darkness~" She smiled, whispering gently to the pale-faced patient, "You need to get used to it slowly, Mingjie. You can't always stay in the dark."
Her hand touched his wrist pulse but was shaken off.
"Why save me?" He lay in the darkness, staring at the ceiling, coldly asking, "What do you want?"
His eyes showed no trace of emotion, only a certain indifference and caution, as well as apathy.
She was stunned, hesitating for a moment before reaching over to feel his forehead, murmuring, "You... should have recovered some of your memory. How can you still ask such questions? I saved you because we've known each other since childhood; you're my friend."
"Hmph." He mocked in the darkness, his eyes faintly showing a pale green hue, "Friend?"
An elite killer from Daguangming Palace could never have friends.
If he did, he wouldn't have survived in the three realms. If he did, the instructor would have ordered mutual annihilation.
This woman was deceiving him... She's a doctor, those illusions were merely created by drugs. She must also be from the Central Plains martial arts circle, saving him only to extract secrets of the devilish sect using various tactics. He'd experienced such things too many times.
Six months ago, during the assassination of the Dunhuang city lord, after succeeding but unable to retreat, he was captured by the Central Plains martial artists guarding the city lord and detained for a whole month before escaping. To force him to reveal the truth, those righteous people used all sorts of horrifying methods... Among them, they attempted to use drugs to break his mental defenses.
Even under such severe torture, he didn't reveal a single word, let alone to this obviously inexperienced woman in interrogating killers.
Creating illusions with drugs... Hmph, truly inferior.
He coldly laughed in the darkness, his fingers gradually tightening, preparing to strike at the right moment and forcing her to hand over the Dragon Blood Pearl. He must obtain the Dragon Blood Pearl... He must obtain it!
"Do you still not remember? Your name is Nayan Mingjie, you're Nayan Xuehuai's friend, we grew up together in the village." Pausing momentarily, Xue Zhenight's eyes suddenly dimmed, softly saying, "You've known me since you were six... Back then... You killed someone for me for the first time... Don't you remember?"
The eyes in the darkness suddenly flickered, recalling something, emitting a slight purple glow.
His irises could clearly change colors according to his emotions, luring the hearts of others.
Killing... First time killing...
He halted the hand under the bedcover that was just raised, feeling a dull ache in the back of his head, blood splashing in front of his eyes, two bloated faces emerging from his memory - those were two officials dressed in official robes. Their eyes were wide open, their faces turning bluish-purple, choking each other's throats until they died!
On the ground... Who was lying on the ground? That pale, frail woman, the violated woman.
A little girl hugged the naked woman, sobbing, her eyes pure black and white.
"Don't you remember? Nineteen years ago, my mother and I were escorted past the Nayan clan's village, resting at the inn before the village. Those beasts in human form wanted to violate my mother..." Even recounting these old events, Xue Zhenight's tone remained calm, gripping his hand, "Back then, you and Xuehuai happened to pass by, rushing in to stop them but were brutally beaten... And that was when you killed someone for the first time."
He clutched his head, desperately resisting the flood of images surfacing with her words, breathing heavily.
It's fake... It's fake! Just as the pupil technique can deceive the masses, she was attempting to control his memory in some way!
"Don't you remember? It was because of this incident that you were considered the reincarnation of the Demon Eye and locked away." Xue Zhenight's voice was soft and distant, her hands slowly picking up a silver needle, "Mingjie, you were locked away for seven years, and every day Xuehuai and I came to talk to you... Until the night the clan was exterminated."
The night the clan was exterminated... The night the clan was exterminated...
Snow was falling outside, the room dark and cold, his hands and feet nailed to the wall with iron chains, curled up in a dark corner. Someone opened the dark room and talked to him:
"You, do you want to go out?"
That voice kept asking him, carrying a certain temptation and magic.
That herd of ignorant swine, not knowing you're the messenger of the devil, unaware of your immense power... Pupil, only I know your power, and only I can unleash your true strength.
I want to go out! I want to go out! Let me out... He shouted in the darkness, feeling himself on the verge of madness.
Alright, I'll take you out. That voice smiled, but, you must submit to me, become my pupil, towering above the martial world, allowing me to oversee this vast world and countless lives. Do you agree?... Or, would you rather be despised, imprisoned, and have your eyes gouged out, living in darkness forever?
Let me out! He slammed against the walls with all his might, remembering today was the deadline set by the clan leader, his soul shattering, shouting loudly: Only you can let me out!
Suddenly, the darkness split open, light shattered his vision, everything became blank.
In the blankness, blood spurted, accompanied by ear-piercing screams.
That is... That is... Blood and fire?
He suddenly let out a low cry, unable to control himself, violently grabbing Xue Zhenight by the throat!
"Shut up..." He hoarsely roared, his hands trembling, "Shut up!"
She was pressed against the wall, unable to breathe. Surprisingly looking at the glass-like eyes in front of her, she realized in an instant and closed her eyes just in time before he activated his pupil technique.
"Look at me!" He freed one hand, mercilessly prying open her eyes, his nails almost digging into her eyeballs, "Listen, return the Dragon Blood Pearl immediately... Otherwise... Otherwise I... I'll make you die slowly."
She was forced to open her eyes, gazing at the demonic pupils on the handsome pale face in front of her, feeling a powerful force invading her heart. How did Mingjie become like this?... Now, he's like a bloodthirsty beast, believing in nothing, showing no mercy, relentlessly pursuing whatever he wants, his blood gradually turning cold.
Is this what the killers from the three realms of Daguangming Palace are like?
Her consciousness began to fade, her body gradually losing control, unsure what she would do next... But, at that moment, the hand around her throat loosened. The glass-like eyes instantly lost their captivating brilliance, becoming dim. He breathed heavily, suddenly collapsing backward with a thud, motionless in the darkness.
She also collapsed to the ground.
After an unknown period, she regained her senses first, her first reaction being to rush to his side, probing the back of his head... There, the second gold needle seemed to have been forced out, the tip of the needle protruding from the Baihui point, with fine blood beginning to seep out.
"Mingjie..." She felt shocked for the first time, at a loss, lifting his head and placing it in her lap, gazing at the sky outside, murmuring... Mingjie, have you now come to disbelieve even your own memories?
For all these years, what kind of torment have you endured?
Huozhanbai clearly felt neglected... Since that night of heavy drinking, that wicked woman rarely came to the Winter Pavilion to check on his condition, even Fenglv and Shuanghong seldom visited, only some rough maids coming daily to deliver meals.
Although his wounds were starting to heal, he shouldn't be ignored like this, right?
Could it be because that stingy woman regretted throwing herself at him that night and feels embarrassed to see him? It shouldn't be... Such a fierce person wouldn't have such thin skin. Then, could it be because he accidentally mentioned the courtesan Liu Feifei from the Fongqing Garden, breaking his noble image in her eyes?
Truly having unresolved feelings, but he wasn't a saint either, able to abstain from women for years. Approaching thirty and unmarried, with a group of wine-meat friends, spending time in pleasure quarters occasionally was normal... Aren't all the Eight Great Swordsmen flirtatious? Moreover, Liu Courtesan was so understanding, chatting occasionally was quite enjoyable.
Bored, he looked around, his thoughts wandering.
As the maid entered to set the dishes, he watched idly, asking casually, "Where's your master?"
"The master is at