Li Chao Yang did not pursue them.
In truth, it didn’t matter who might come after them or who might try to stop them—he no longer cared at all.
Beyond the cliff lay Changgeng Pass, a distance of several dozen feet that he cleared with a single effortless leap. The suddenness of his jump seemed to startle Xin Mei, who let out a soft “Ah!” as the food box slipped from her hands. She immediately cried out in dismay, “Oh no! My tofu…”
Without a sound, his long whip lashed out, coiling securely around the food box before pulling it back into his grasp. He silently handed it back to her.
Xin Mei froze for a moment, then looked up at Lu Qianqiao. His brows were slightly furrowed, his expression a mix of hope and hesitation. He said nothing, simply gazing at her quietly.
Would she cry? Or would she throw herself into his arms again?
Xin Mei studied him intently before finally breaking into a slow smile. Gently taking his hand, she said, “Come on, let’s eat.”
The main tent was warmed by a crackling fire, but with no lamps lit, the light was dim. She opened the food box and tested the dishes with her fingers—fortunately, they were still slightly warm. The tofu and other vegetarian dishes could be eaten as they were, but the fish soup and meat dishes needed reheating.
Glancing at the fire, she saw a simple iron pot resting on it, half-filled with bubbling water. The damp, warm steam made the dry interior of the tent feel more comfortable.
After emptying the pot, she placed the fish soup inside to reheat. Then, she retrieved a couple of well-burned charcoal pieces from the fire and placed them beneath the food box. Soon, the aroma of the meal filled the tent.
Wherever she went, Lu Qianqiao followed silently, like a shadow.
Perhaps it was due to standing too long in the cold wind by the cliff earlier, or perhaps it was the sudden warmth of the tent, but as soon as Xin Mei finished reheating the food, she sneezed several times in quick succession.
The shadow behind her finally stepped forward, placing a hand on her forehead.
“…You’ve caught a chill. Come here.”
Lu Qianqiao fetched scalding hot water, removed her shoes, and soaked her icy feet in it. In the military camp, soldiers often used this rustic method to ward off the cold when they caught a chill. For more severe symptoms, a few slices of ginger would be added to the water.
“…They’ve turned blue,” he murmured, frowning as he held her soft, pale feet.
Her toenails had taken on a bluish-purple hue, cold as ice to the touch. He glanced up at her thin, light-yellow silk dress and frowned again.
“You’re not wearing enough.”
…What a thoroughly unromantic observation.
Xin Mei pouted. “This is a new dress. Is that all you have to say about it?”
Lu Qianqiao looked up again, pinching the hem of her skirt before frowning once more. “The fabric’s too thin. You shouldn’t wear this in winter.”
“Can’t you say anything else besides that?”
Finally, he took a proper, thorough look at her, only now noticing how beautiful the new dress was. The slender sash draped elegantly by the bed, adorned with two small silver bells, and the hem was embroidered with exquisite peonies. Though she wore no makeup, her natural beauty and fair complexion made the dress complement her perfectly.
His lips parted as if to speak, but he hesitated, struggling to find the right words. His ears gradually reddened as he lowered his head, gently pouring more hot water over her feet.
A cold hand touched his burning ear, followed by several large teardrops.
Lu Qianqiao looked up in surprise to find her stroking his ear while tears streamed down her face."...What's wrong?" He panicked, clumsily placing her feet into the basin, wiping his hands hastily before pulling her into an embrace. After a long pause, he stammered, "The clothes... they look nice, very beautiful..."
She must be crying because she didn't receive praise, he thought.
But instead, she burst into loud sobs, crying even harder as she buried her face in his chest, clinging tightly without saying a word.
He cradled the back of her head, fingers threading through her hair, gently stroking. After a while, he heard her muffled, tearful voice: "Your ears... still turn red... still the same... it's so good nothing's changed..."
Finally, she could cry freely.
He wiped away the messy tears on her face with his fingers, then pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Missing her scent—as if separated by thousands of autumns—he couldn't resist kissing the bridge of her nose, then her damp eyelids.
A feeling both foreign and familiar, like touching for the first time, a faint impulse impossible to suppress.
Her wet eyelashes fluttered up, then fluttered down like butterfly wings. Lu Qianqiao's arms tightened abruptly, his burning lips crashing onto her cool ones.
Tangled, grinding... He couldn't kiss her with the same gentle clumsiness as before. Biting and sucking, his tongue fiercely entwined with hers.
Xin Mei seemed startled, shrinking back in surprise. He pressed forward, long fingers plunging deep into her clothes, the ties snapping one by one under his rough movements.
She cried out faintly, "Don't tear it! I... only have... this one on!"
If it tore, she'd have nothing to wear!
A hoarse, low sound escaped his throat. Sorry... he couldn't stop. Scorching kisses trailed down her exposed neck, his hand sliding down to ruthlessly tear the beautiful belt. The silver bells jingled twice before hitting the floor, his hand already exploring lower, eager yet awkward.
"Wait..." Xin Mei stiffened, suddenly gripping his shoulders, breathing heavily. "...My feet... are still in the basin..."
His calf hooked around hers, lifting both feet onto the bed as her skirt slipped away lightly.
This time, she seemed to have no chance of overpowering him. She... she hadn't mastered the Guanyin Sitting on a Lotus yet, and... she was so hungry, completely drained... The food was reheated... might need reheating again later...
Her thoughts scattered when his touch suddenly found a sensitive spot, her entire body trembling as all chaotic thoughts fled her mind.
His teasing fingers, initially unskilled, quickly grew adept. His forehead pressed against hers, their heated breaths mingling. She was completely ready... enough, he couldn't wait any longer, or death would claim him next.
Perhaps it was the cold, hunger, and exhaustion, or maybe his lack of gentleness, but she let out a faint whimper of discomfort as he entered, fingers digging into his arms as she murmured dazedly, "Slow... slow down..."
He couldn't slow down... he was already drowning. Words left unspoken—whether vows or sweet nothings—he'd never given her. Only his body was real, the only way to show her what lay hidden in his heart.He had always been this clumsy and stubborn, leaving her time and again before ever giving her any sweetness.
Why chase after him?
Why wait for him?
Why... love him?
Tofu General, Tofu Xinmei... On that night when he was blind... their flavors were something he would never forget in his lifetime.
"Xin Mei..."
He instinctively called her name, pressing his cheek against hers in the midst of his fierce, unstoppable movements, holding her tightly.
He could never lose her again. Never.
Li Chao Yang wasn't entirely unprepared for Lu Qianqiao's inability to resist going back. She just didn't expect him to turn around so resolutely, as if he had completely forgotten she was still waiting behind him.
Or perhaps, even if he remembered, he simply didn't care.
Her dark eyes instantly turned red. She had said she wouldn't give him another day—she had even handed the gate key to that girl, tacitly permitting her to visit the War Ghost Clan someday.
She never repeated herself.
Raising her halberd high, she poised to throw it when suddenly a frivolous yet icy voice spoke from behind: "Are you Li Chao Yang?"
Without a second thought, the halberd flew through the air, instantly stabbing backward.
No cry of pain, no sound of flesh being pierced—for her, this was truly rare.
Li Chao Yang whirled around, catching only a blur of movement before a strange, glaring red light flashed directly at her. The halberd swept horizontally toward the figure—still, no sound of impact. The opponent slipped away faster than a rat.
She recalled the halberd with a flick of her wrist and focused her gaze. The night stretched vast and desolate before her, the cold wind howling—not a single soul in sight. Only the lingering scent of the Youhu Clan, a stench despised by the War Ghost Clan, remained in the air.
She snorted disdainfully and spurred the whistling wind dark steed, intending to follow the scent. Yet the usually docile spirit horse hovered motionless in midair.
Her brows furrowed. "Go!"
Still, it didn't move.
Li Chao Yang looked down and was horrified to see the steed's four legs had turned into crystal-clear ice! It let out a pained and fearful whinny, tears streaming from its eyes as it helplessly gazed at its rider.
The ice continued to spread upward. In an instant, its belly, chest, neck... all solidified into hard, gleaming frost!
Reacting swiftly, Li Chao Yang leaped off, flipping midair before plummeting downward. But the steed fell even faster, now completely transformed into an ice sculpture. It crashed heavily to the ground, shattering with a deafening crack.
For the first time in her life, she felt shock. Landing, she sprinted toward it, but after only a few steps, she sensed something amiss. Looking down, she realized her own feet had turned to ice, firmly rooted to the ground. Then her knees, thighs... Before she could even roar in fury, the frost had already engulfed her.
The High Priest emerged slowly from the forest. The black silk glove on his left hand had been removed at some point, and his right arm was severed at the elbow—the severed limb tucked under his armpit. In the end, he hadn't been able to dodge the Perfect War Devil's first strike, losing his right arm. His face was pale as he raised his left hand toward a towering tree beside him. A vivid red light pulsed in his palm, and the next moment, the massive tree too turned into a crystalline sculpture of ice.
As if relieved, he slowly pulled the glove back on and walked over to Li Chao Yang's frozen form, studying the War Ghost's ice sculpture intently.
This was truly the end.Approaching Xin Mei and frequently escorting her between the Imperial Mausoleum and Changgeng Pass, after waiting for over half a month, he had indeed provoked her into action. However, if not for all circumstances coinciding perfectly to grant him this brief moment when she was alone, this lady who was usually accompanied by one or two War Ghosts would have been truly difficult to kill. His ability couldn't be utilized effectively when facing multiple opponents.
Such was the will of heaven.
Retrieving paper and brush from the pouch at his waist, he dipped the brush in the blood from his severed arm and hastily wrote a line: [Mission accomplished. Li Chao Yang has been eliminated.]
A pitch-black magpie had already alighted on his arm. It snatched the note in its beak and flew away with a flap of its wings.
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