Knowing the Warmth of Southern Tea (GL) - Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Gu Zhen accompanied Shu Yi to the capital for the Imperial Examinations, traveling as companions. There were no romantic scenes of “reading by the red sleeves and incense”; instead, the journey consisted of Gu Zhen buying everything in sight and Shu Yi paying for it all.

Their relationship could be described as “more than friends but not yet lovers.” Gu Zhen understood her feelings, but she was waiting for Shu Yi to understand his. While some people possess high intelligence, their emotional intelligence often fails to balance the scale.

One day, the two sought lodging in a small village. Shu Yi realized he had left an important book at the inn where they had stayed the previous night. If Gu Zhen went alone to retrieve it, the round trip would only take half a day, whereas it would take two or three days if they went together. To save time, they decided Xingyue should go alone.

“I’ll be back soon. You are alone, so stay safe. Don’t go wandering around until I return,” Gu Zhen warned before leaving.

“Don’t worry, it’s broad daylight. Nothing will happen,” Shu Yi replied, not taking her concerns to heart.

“What if you’re snatched away to be a bandit’s ‘bride’ like in those storybooks? You’ll have nowhere to cry,” Gu Zhen teased. It was a joke, but little did she know it would become a prophecy.

“Xingyue, stop reading so many storybooks. It’s only half a day; nothing will happen. You overthink things. If I am snatched away, you can come and rescue me, and I’ll be your ‘bride’,” Shu Yi said, half-joking and half-serious.

“Mmh, that works too. I’m off, stay safe.” Xingyue agreed. Whether it was a joke or a heartfelt sentiment remained unknown. Gu Zhen reminded him several more times; she truly felt uneasy leaving a frail scholar like Shu Yi here alone.

“Go on, make it a quick trip,” Shu Yi waved. Xingyue rode away, turning back once to see Shu Yi smiling at her.

Actually, if we could stay together like this forever, it wouldn’t be bad!

…

Xingyue reached the inn. The waiter searched for a long time before finally finding the book—the copy of The Doctrine of the Mean was being used to prop up a wobbly table leg.

This caused a delay. By the time Xingyue returned to the village, it was already dusk.

The village was a scene of ruins, with the sound of weeping echoing in the air. Sensing something was terribly wrong, Xingyue rushed to find the family they had stayed with. The original family of five was gone; only a single corpse and an elderly woman remained. The corpse was that of the woman’s husband.

“Auntie, where is Shu Yi? The man I was traveling with?”

The woman choked through her tears, “As soon as you left, the mountain bandits came. Your companion was taken by them. I fear he faces a grim fate.”

This village sat at the foot of a mountain and had been harassed by bandits for years. Several suppression attempts had yielded no results, and over time, the authorities had simply given up. The wealthy had moved away, leaving only those tied to the land who couldn’t leave. They survived on the meager fees from occasional travelers seeking lodging.

“What?” Xingyue was stunned. In just half a day, the world had turned upside down. Half the villagers were gone, and Shu Yi was missing.

Perhaps it was this moment that planted a seed in Xingyue’s heart—a seed that would eventually grow into a towering tree of a military career.

“Auntie, do you know where the bandits’ lair is?” Xingyue asked.

“I am just a simple woman, how could I know?” The woman wept so bitterly she fainted. Xingyue had no choice but to settle her first.

Xingyue found a few surviving men in the village and, from their fragmented accounts, pieced together the location of the bandit den.

“Miss, since you escaped this calamity, you should leave quickly. That bandit leader is utterly depraved—he takes both men and women. Anyone in the village with a bit of looks was dragged away…”

“What? Both men and women?” Upon hearing this, Xingyue immediately mounted her horse and galloped toward the mountain.

Faster, faster.

Xingyue’s heart hammered with unease; she felt a terrible omen looming. Shu Yi, you must not be harmed!

…

It was midnight when Xingyue reached the mountain stronghold. She didn’t charge through the front gate but scaled a side wall. She knocked out everyone she encountered. From a minor lackey, she learned that their leader was currently “enjoying” the pretty scholar snatched from the village…

Xingyue rushed toward the leader’s bedroom, but the lair was massive. The bandits had nested here for over twenty years, and the terrain was complex. By the time she found the room, dawn was breaking.

She scouted through the window first, seeing no immediate threat. Upon entering, she found someone curled up in the corner of the bed.

She walked over and found Shu Yi. He was naked, his body covered in bruises and stained with a lingering, unknown white fluid…

“Shu Yi, Shu Yi, are you okay?” Xingyue rushed forward to touch him, but he pushed her away. He murmured incoherently: “So dirty… so dirty…”

“Shu Yi, it’s me, Xingyue!” Xingyue had never felt such bitter regret. Why did she leave him? Why didn’t she scout the surroundings? She knew he didn’t know a lick of martial arts… Why hadn’t she protected him?

“Xingyue… Xingyue… don’t look at me.” Shu Yi covered his face with his hands. Gu Zhen didn’t dare provoke him further.

“I won’t look. I’m taking you away,” Xingyue said. Shu Yi seemed to suddenly realize something. He grabbed her hand and said, “Xingyue, help me. Kill me. I beg you.”

“Xingyue, I know you are strong. Please, kill me. I… I can’t go on living.” For a man, this was a supreme humiliation.

Gu Zhen understood his choice, but she could not agree. As long as one is alive, there is a chance. Death leaves nothing. “Shu Yi, calm down. It is not you who deserves to die.”

“Kill me, kill me!” Shu Yi seemed to fall into a trance of madness. Xingyue had no choice but to knock him unconscious.

…

She stepped out of the room. Appearing openly in enemy territory, it was impossible not to be discovered—or perhaps she wanted to be found.

Soon, a crowd gathered. Xingyue took on all comers. She killed one after another. Her sword was out of its scabbard; how could it not be stained with blood?

Xingyue went on a killing spree. It was the first time, but it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

Later, people said a massive fire broke out on the mountain, burning half of it to the ground. From that day forward, there were no more bandits on that mountain. The villagers who had been captured managed to escape in the chaos.

Xingyue wrapped Shu Yi in clothes and brought him back to the village. She had not only saved him but the entire village. Because Shu Yi’s mental state was unstable, they had to stay in the village for the time being until he improved.

At that moment, Xingyue realized for the first time how powerless a person can be. To watch another suffer and be unable to do anything.

The bandit den was gone. Xingyue hadn’t killed every single bandit, but they were leaderless and fled down the mountain. Some returned to the village to live as peasants.

Much later, this village too would vanish into the long river of history, crushed ruthlessly by the wheels of time.