Chapter 10: Ruined Temple

“Spare me, good man.” Wei Zijun lowered her head to look at the blade at her throat, then at the fierce-looking man before her, abandoning the thought of using her cane to resist.

“A beggar? And a woman at that?” The man seemed surprised.

Wei Zijun nodded. Uncertain of his intentions, she dared not say more.

Although the man was masked, she could tell he was conflicted—torn between letting her go or killing her.

Wei Zijun did not regret entering this dilapidated temple; in these chaotic times, nowhere was safe.

As long as he was conflicted, it was a good thing for her. What she feared was him not being conflicted at all, for then she would have no hope of survival.

She had braced herself for him to interrogate her about where she came from and where she was going, but instead, his body swayed, and he moved the weapon away from her throat.

“Find a spot and stay put.” After the man growled this warning, he stumbled toward the pile of hay in the corner and collapsed onto it.

Wei Zijun stood rooted to the spot, her heart pounding as she watched the man curl up and toss and turn in the hay. She glanced at the temple door; it was only a few steps away.

If she just lifted her legs, ran to the door, and fled for her life, she should be safe.

In his current state, he shouldn't be able to chase after her to silence her.

She lifted her feet and hurried to the door. Just as she reached out to open it, she looked back toward the man, only to see him lying perfectly still. She didn't know if he was dead or unconscious, but she was certain he wasn't just sleeping.

By evening, Wei Zijun added firewood to the fire. “You’re awake. I have some toasted flatbread; if you don’t mind, come and have some.”

She didn't look toward the corner, but she knew he had actually been awake for a while.

As soon as she finished speaking, there was a rustling sound from the hay. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him use his blade to support himself as he stood up. His gait was unsteady, but not as staggering as before.

“Why are you still here?” The man sat opposite Wei Zijun, pulled off his mask, and asked, puzzled.

“The wind and snow outside are getting worse, and I’m not sure if there’s any shelter ahead,” Wei Zijun replied while handing him a piece of coarse grain flatbread toasted by the fire.

The man hesitated for a moment, then reached out to take it and took a large bite. “You beggars are really something. Even if the wind and snow are bad, compared to me, isn’t it more dangerous here?”

“You didn’t kill me, did you?” Wei Zijun replied casually, then poured a bowl of hot water from the battered pot on the fire and handed it to him.

Her words stunned him, but he still reached out to take the water. “That’s it? Just because I didn’t kill you, I’m a good person?”

Wei Zijun smiled. “If you can show mercy to a beggar, even if you are a villain, you probably aren’t all that evil.” As she spoke, she toasted her own frozen, stiff cotton shoes.

The man fell silent after hearing her answer. He continued to eat the flatbread in large bites, washing it down with the hot water. A piece of bread was gone in a few mouthfuls.

“Do you have more?” he asked.

Wei Zijun rummaged through the cloth bag at her side and pulled out another parcel. Inside were three dry, cracked steamed buns. She handed him two. “I have to keep one for myself; I can’t give them all to you.”

“Pfft, aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you and steal the buns?” The man was amused by her stinginess.

Wei Zijun didn't smile. “That’s not a question of whether I’m afraid or not. If I were afraid, would it be of any use?”

The man raised an eyebrow, nodded, and tossed one of the two buns he had just received back to her.

Wei Zijun looked at him, then wrapped up the bun and put it away. Watching him gnaw on the cold bun without even toasting it, she guessed he must be starving.

“I haven’t eaten in two days.” She hadn't asked, but he volunteered the information. “Actually, I shouldn’t be eating your food,” he added.

Hm? Wei Zijun was puzzled.

“It doesn’t matter if I tell you. I’ve been poisoned with a deadly toxin and won’t live long. Eating your food is just a waste. I’m not afraid of death, but I have a great grudge yet to be avenged, and I am unwilling to go.” After saying this, the man took another large bite of the cold bun.

Wei Zijun nodded. Earlier, when she checked to see if he was dead or what was wrong with him, she had already diagnosed him. She knew he was poisoned, and the toxin had reached his internal organs.

He wouldn't die immediately. If he just dragged it out, he might last three to five months.

Wei Zijun wasn't sure if she could find an antidote even if she encountered the person who poisoned him within those few months, but she was certain that her own blood could cure him.

However, whether to save this person and how to go about it required careful thought.

She couldn't save the wrong person, nor could she expose her own secret.

Regardless, he would be fine for the moment, so she decided to observe him further and think of a strategy.

“By the way, where are you planning to go?” The man’s poison didn't flare up constantly; when it wasn't acting up, he looked no different from a normal person.

Perhaps it was the saying that a person’s words are kind when they are near death, or perhaps he had been wandering the world alone for so long that he felt lonely, but he had become quite talkative.

“Xuzhou,” Wei Zijun felt she could tell the truth.

“What? Xuzhou? Do you have relatives there you can rely on?” the man asked, very surprised. If she was going to Xuzhou, she was indeed heading in the right direction.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt it wasn't his style. Since when was he so gossipy and meddlesome? Was it because she was a pitiful beggar?

Wei Zijun shook her head. “No.”

“If you don’t, why are you heading that way? Don’t beggars usually head toward prosperous and stable places?” The man was even more curious.

Wei Zijun smiled helplessly. “In times of war, prosperous places are few. There are many beggars like me, and many refugees. Heading there doesn't necessarily mean it’s a good thing.”

The man was stunned for a moment. His expression toward Wei Zijun changed, and he nodded in approval. “Hmm, what you say is true; that is indeed the case. But surely you know the situation in Xuzhou?”

“I’ve heard a bit along the way. They say it’s the border where three kingdoms meet. It used to be incredibly prosperous, but now, because of the wars between the three, it and the surrounding lands have become a lawless zone. It’s the most chaotic and unsafe place, but where there is extreme chaos, there is always a turning point. Besides, look at me—a lonely, helpless female beggar with no one to turn to. I can only go there and try my luck. Perhaps my chance at survival lies there.” Wei Zijun continued to tell the truth.

The man nodded again, agreeing with her point of view. He hadn't expected a beggar, and a woman at that, to think this way, or to have such foresight.

“It’s just a pity that I can barely save my own life now. Otherwise, I could have escorted you for a stretch. Otherwise, just by yourself, you won’t even make it there by the New Year,” the man said with great regret.

“I’m just a beggar; what does the New Year matter to me? I’ll just walk until I can’t. But I am very grateful for your words,” Wei Zijun smiled.

A glimmer of kindness from a stranger could warm her.

Having left a massive, powerful family, she actually cared deeply about this.

The more she said this, the more uncomfortable the man felt, and his brows furrowed.

Wei Zijun looked at him, puzzled. Had she said something wrong that upset him?

(End of chapter)