Chapter 8: Where is She?

As Jiang Yurong’s words fell, the room plunged into a silence so profound that everyone couldn't help but hold their breath, not daring to let out a single sound.

The temperature in the room plummeted, dropping even lower than it was outside, as if they were standing in an ice cellar.

Stealing a glance at their master’s face, they saw it was now paler than Jiang Yurong’s. His gaze was so cold that it felt as if wherever he looked, the air would instantly freeze into ice.

"C-Cousin, I...?" Jiang Yurong could no longer bear the suffocating atmosphere and spoke with a tremble.

"Get out." With those two cold words from He Zexu, the others rushed out of the room as if they were drowning people suddenly gasping for air, struggling to breathe once they reached the corridor outside.

The last person to leave hurriedly shut the door.

The moment Jiang Yurong crossed the threshold, she collapsed onto the floor, completely drained.

In all her life, this was the first time she had felt such terror and humiliation.

However, none of the attendants felt any sympathy for her, and certainly, no one stepped forward to help or comfort her.

That woman who had died—no matter how unsightly she was, no matter how unworthy she was of their master, and no matter how unrecognized their marriage was—she was still their master’s woman!

Having been by their master’s side for so many years, she was the first—his very first woman—and that naturally made her special.

The group looked at Jiang Yurong again, seeing her hand lightly stroking her chest, reacting as if she had just narrowly escaped a catastrophe.

Even though they all felt a sense of injustice for that woman, what could they do? It all depended on whether their master truly believed the cousin’s story.

And later, once their master discovered the truth, would he really let the cousin off? No one knew the answer.

Furthermore, how had their master’s eyes suddenly healed after being in a coma for several days?

For an entire day, no one came out of the room, nor did they allow anyone in. Only after they had finally emerged was there a loud crash, followed by the sound of things shattering and hitting the floor.

When the inn’s waiter heard it and hurried over to check, they blocked him, whispering that they would pay for the damages before leaving. The waiter hadn't been happy about it, but seeing their fierce expressions, he shrank back and left, muttering under his breath.

The master inside had not eaten, and the attendants outside, no matter how hungry they were, did not leave to find food. They were all worried that their master, whose sight had only just returned, might suffer some other ailment due to his rage and grief.

After all, he had already been in a coma for three days and three nights without food or water.

Just as they were exchanging glances, trying to decide who should go in to check on the situation, they heard footsteps from within.

The next moment, the door opened.

"Eat something, then we depart tonight." After He Zexu stepped out and said this expressionlessly, he began to walk away.

Someone quickly went back into the room to take a look and found the tea table shattered on the floor, along with several fist-sized holes in the wall, stained with blood.

They hurried to catch up, letting their companions settle the bill and pay for the damages, while one of them crept up to the master’s side, stealing a glance at his hands.

The knuckles of both hands were bloody. He wanted to step forward to bandage them, but one look at the master’s face made him too terrified to do so.

They followed their master into a roadside eatery. After He Zexu sat down, he didn't say a word. Jiang Yurong, who had followed, sat diagonally across from him, also silent. The subordinates had to take charge of ordering the food themselves.

Thinking of the living conditions their master had endured in the valley, they quickly ordered the best dishes the eatery had: chicken, duck, fish, and meat, along with a few vegetable dishes.

Someone boldly asked if the master wanted wine, but seeing him shake his head, they watched as he picked up a steamed bun brought by the waiter and ate it in large bites, his face devoid of expression.

The dishes remained almost untouched. Seeing their master like this, the others naturally had no appetite either. But they had been hungry all day and had to travel, so they forced themselves to eat; there might be fighting on the road ahead.

After eating, some went to pay the bill, while others wrapped up the untouched roast chicken and braised duck to eat on the road.

At the signal of his brothers, Zhuo Yan gathered his courage and approached the master: "Master, we are departing—which way are we headed?"

Back at the inn, the master had only said they would travel through the night, but he hadn't said where. The group felt uneasy without asking.

He Zexu remained grim-faced: "The capital."

*Whew.* With the master’s definitive answer, the group felt a little more at ease. At least they weren't returning to the Soul-Severing Valley.

The person was already gone; returning would only bring unnecessary sorrow and potentially lead to other complications.

The most important thing now was to return to the capital as quickly as possible. Their master had been missing for too long—so long that the influence of certain people had grown even stronger.

The attendants brought the horses. He Zexu stood silently for a moment, looking back in the direction they had come, before mounting his horse and galloping forward.

He remembered their wedding night, when she and he had bowed to the moon and made their vows: From this day forward, husband and wife would be of one heart, sharing both joy and sorrow, loyal to each other, a pair for a lifetime!

She had drafted the vows. He still remembered her saying that night, "Brother Huai, our vows are only valid within this valley. Once we leave, the vows we made will no longer count."

So, she had known all along that their marriage might one day face a crisis.

The fact that she had wanted such a vow was likely a form of comfort for her own heart.

In their casual chats, she would say that it didn't matter if they were wealthy or not, as long as her husband had only her in his heart, his eyes, and by his side. She said she was unwilling to share a husband with another woman.

She could be generous with anything, but when it came to her husband and his love, she wanted to possess them selfishly and exclusively.

At the time, He Zexu had found it laughable. A blind man with nothing to his name—only she would marry him. What other foolish woman would want to share a blind, penniless man?

Yet, he couldn't even grant her such a simple wish, and he had even dragged her to her death.

She, with her cheerful and kind nature, had died so tragically.

He had heard of the creatures in the river of the Soul-Severing Valley, but he hadn't taken them seriously at the time. He never imagined his wife would die in their bellies.

Thinking of this, He Zexu felt a lump in his throat; his eyes burned, and his heart twisted with pain.

They had been husband and wife for nine months, married for half a year. Until her tragic death, she hadn't even known his true identity or name.

She had cured his eyes, but after he opened them and could see, he had no chance to see her. He would never know what she looked like.

He vaguely remembered her mentioning that she had once had smallpox, and due to poor conditions, her face was covered in pockmarks—that she was very ugly.

At the time, he had comforted her, saying it didn't matter; in his heart, she was the most beautiful.

After saying those words, even He Zexu couldn't believe he had become so capable of sweet talk.

He had always scoffed at such things his entire life, viewing them with disdain.

When he said it, it wasn't a lie to please her; it had just slipped out.

In truth, before marrying her, he hadn't doubted her background. It was normal for an orphan who had survived the human tragedy of a plague to become strong and self-reliant.

But hearing from his subordinates that when she learned someone was coming to hunt them down in the valley, she had immediately suggested they take him by water. There were rafts there, and that river was a route no one ever traveled.

She had prepared that raft, and the route drawn on the paper—when had she prepared it? And why had she made such preparations?

Was it prepared for him? That explanation was very far-fetched. Could she have had the ability to foresee the future?

And his eyes—she had cured them. Why hadn't she cured him earlier, instead of dragging it out until now?

Was it because she was ugly, and she feared that if she cured his eyes and he saw her face, he would despise her?

If that were the case, she shouldn't have treated him that night either. In that situation, wasn't she afraid that if she cured him, he would despise her?

He Zexu’s mind was in chaos. The more he tried not to think about her, the more he couldn't help it. Restlessly, he lashed his horse with his whip. The horse, in pain, neighed and galloped wildly. Its front hooves slipped on the accumulated snow on the road, and the horse fell. He Zexu, his feet still in the stirrups, tumbled into the snow along with it...

(End of chapter)