The red Volkswagen Beetle wound its way up the serpentine mountain road, a misty drizzle falling like fog, blurring the world into a hazy veil.
Maple trees lined the path, their fallen leaves a crimson hue, like blood. The car rolled over them, stirring not a single waterlogged, dead leaf.
Neither spoke. One because they didn't want to, the other because they didn't know what to say. After all, having been only comforted and flattered by others since childhood, Ji Fu still felt awkward trying to truly comfort someone.
Even though the man beside her would be her future husband.
At this point, the car reached an open area. The mountain sloped downwards, flanked by towering junipers and topped with gnarled pines, their branches slanted and scattered. The entire mountain formation resembled a chair. A jade ribbon, a stream, meandered down from the east. Though not a waterfall, it possessed its own unique charm.
In the distance, at the end of the open space, stood rows of gray tombstones. An elderly caretaker, seeing visitors approach, slowly emerged from a dark room. After understanding their purpose, he returned inside, retrieved a key engraved with the name Ouyang Rui, and handed it to Ren Yuanhao.
Ouyang Rui was buried within a mausoleum, guarded by high stone walls. Pine trees stood sentinel on either side. Fine strands of rain drifted through the air as dark clouds gathered, making the sky seem on the verge of collapse.
Ren Yuanhao walked to the white gate, on which were carved Ouyang Rui's birth and death dates, along with the inscription, "The departed are like this, the mountains and rivers forever silent."
He reached out, touching Ouyang Rui's name, his emotions surging like a tide. Ren Yuanhao had always harbored immense guilt towards her. After all, if he hadn't made her drink the Forgetfulness Water, causing her confusion, perhaps none of this would have happened. Perhaps she would still be looking at him with the adoration of a fan.
A gust of mountain wind brushed past, feeling as if someone were gently stroking Ren Yuanhao's hair, reminding him of many people, many things.
"Let's go, we're already here," Ji Fu's tone seemed affected by the environment and her mood, unable to sound cheerful.
Ren Yuanhao suddenly withdrew his hand and passed the key to Ji Fu.
"What is it?"
"I just remembered, Ouyang Rui didn't want me at her funeral. Of course, she wouldn't want me to disturb her."
Ji Fu could sense Ren Yuanhao's emotional turmoil and, similarly, could feel Ouyang Rui's sentiments.
"Okay, where do you want to go next? I'll accompany you."
As they were speaking, several masked figures in black suddenly flashed from the end of the mausoleum!
"Alright, after waiting so long, we finally have you!"
The leader raised his left hand slightly, and the other six formed a pincer, trapping the two within their formation.
"So, you are the remnants of the Jiang clan. What? You dare to lay hands on my man?"
Ji Fu frowned slightly, about to step in front of Ren Yuanhao. Unexpectedly, Ren Yuanhao extended his left hand to block her, his voice dropping to a bone-chilling low.
"If you want to die, I suggest you find another place." Ren Yuanhao habitually reached for his pocket, but there were no cigarettes. He clenched his fist, seemingly assessing his body's recovery. "I will not let you desecrate Ouyang Rui's burial ground. If you have the guts, follow me."
"Hey, wait." Ji Fu grabbed Ren Yuanhao. "Your wounds haven't healed yet."
"I can't let you, a woman, protect me, a grown man, can I?"
Ren Yuanhao cut off Ji Fu before she could finish, shoving aside the man blocking his path and entering the dark, gloomy dense forest along the left-hand trail.
"Miss Ji, I hope you won't interfere. We are desperate men anyway. Killing one or killing two makes no essential difference."
The leader shot Ji Fu a glare and followed suit.
"Ren Yuanhao, if you keep being this manly, I'm afraid I might actually fall for you."
Ji Fu paid no mind to the man's words. Instead, she pushed past several men with cold eyes and rushed to Ren Yuanhao's side, trotting along behind him to a relatively open, sunken clearing.
Seven figures stood at various points, positioned strangely, like sculptures against the twilight sky.
"It's the Seven-Star Formation of the Jiang clan!"
Ji Fu's brows furrowed. Her black knitted dress fluttered slightly in the wind and rain. Her black stockings encased her legs, possessing a perfect proportion that couldn't be described as more or less. Truly a vision of earthly beauty.
"Miss Ji, as expected of a walking 'manual,' you are incredibly knowledgeable. You recognized our formation before we even made a move."
The leader, revealing only a pair of eyes as sharp as an eagle's, spoke with a tone that could not be determined as wary or admiring.
"No, it's not that I'm knowledgeable, but that your technique is too clumsy. You have the form but not the essence. I presume the manual was obtained from the family matriarch not too long ago?"
The man snorted, "Whether it's form without essence, you'll find out by trying! Ren Yuanhao, with seven of us against one, and you injured, we are already taking a huge advantage. It would be laughable if word got out, but for the sake of revenge, any rules or righteousness are utter bullshit! Prepare yourself!"
As the words fell, the seven men, brandishing short blades, attacked from different directions in seemingly chaotic fashion. Ren Yuanhao embraced Ji Fu and dodged with light footwork. As he channeled his internal energy, he felt a needle-like pain in his wound, and his meridians burned as if scorched by fire, causing immense discomfort. Seeing this, the seven men rejoiced. Several figures flitted towards him like ghostly specters, and in an instant, Ren Yuanhao's arm and lower leg were slashed several times!
"Ren Yuanhao, let me go. They're clearly after you and won't do anything to me. If you have the strength, just run!" Ji Fu, held by Ren Yuanhao, felt a strange warmth in her body. For some reason, even though she knew the seven were fighting to kill and Ren Yuanhao could fall into an irrecoverable state with a single mistake, her mind was incredibly calm. It was as if, held in his arms, even facing a sea of blades, she felt Ren Yuanhao could overcome it.
—Have I truly fallen for this blockhead?
As Ji Fu mused, Ren Yuanhao's shoulder was struck again. Fortunately, these wounds were not deep.
"I told you to let me go, but you won't listen!"
The more Ji Fu said this, the tighter Ren Yuanhao held her. When she turned her head to glare at him in annoyance, she was stunned by his expression.
She had seen such an expression on a nature documentary once. She remembered it clearly: it was the look of a wounded mother wolf, sacrificing its life to fight a more powerful opponent to protect its cubs. That expression completely disregarded life and death, entering a state of a true "mad beast."