After a long while, her sanity returned somewhat. She asked with a naive and bewildered tone, "No one will harm you anymore, will they?"
His hard and indifferent heart softened for a moment. For so many years, he had been trained to be the sharpest blade for the emperor, carrying out tasks that the emperor couldn't openly assign.
Shen Muzhou had offended many people because of this, facing constant assassination attempts, and no one had ever cared about his life or death.
But with her innocent and clear eyes, leaning into his embrace, she gently asked if no one would harm him anymore...
"Mmm," he responded in a low voice.
Hearing his affirmative reply, Lin Yanxi's vision blurred. Her strength drained away bit by bit, her legs weakened, and she fainted.
"Lin Yanxi, Lin Yanxi."
Shen Muzhou anxiously picked her up, cradling her. The sky was gradually darkening, and he had to get Lin Yanxi out of the village before nightfall.
When Lin Yanxi woke up again, a crescent moon hung in the sky, and the sound of dripping water from a spring reached her ears.
She had spread a straw mat and was lying in an open area on the grass. Shen Muzhou's cloak was draped over her. Not far away, a rock formation hung upside down, and spring water dripped from it into a well.
So, Quan Jing Village was named after its spring acting as a well.
"You're finally awake," Shen Muzhou said, his face as pale as paper. Seeing her awake, his expression finally eased a little.
Her eyes were gentle and bright, her pupils clear black and white, completely devoid of the bloodlust and ferocity from just moments ago.
Lin Yanxi suddenly remembered the black cloak from before. She immediately sat up on the straw mat, nervously grabbing Shen Muzhou's hand and reconfirming that his hand was cold.
"It's so good you're not dead. Have we left Quan Jing Village?"
Shen Muzhou looked surprised, but quickly resumed his cold and distant demeanor.
Noticing a hint of unnaturalness in his expression, Lin Yanxi realized she was holding his hand. She immediately let go and explained, "You don't know, that black cloak just now used an 'acting form talisman' and transformed into your likeness several times to trick me."
"Do you know how I identified him as not being you?"
Shen Muzhou watched her spirited and lively demeanor, assuming she was fine. He shook his head and asked, "How?"
"The person's palms were warm, but you have the cold illness, so your hands are always icy cold."
A hint of displeasure crossed his face, tinged with killing intent. He asked, "He touched your hand?"
Lin Yanxi looked at him with some confusion. Why couldn't this Shen Muzhou grasp the main point of her words?
She said dismissively, "Yes, I was affected by the miasma at the time, and he transformed into your appearance to help me back."
Shen Muzhou's hand tightened on his sword hilt. Even though the person in the black cloak had already been dismembered, he wished he could pull him out and whip him to death again.
Lin Yanxi paused and continued, "So you see, fortune and misfortune are interdependent. If not for this cold illness, how would I have been able to distinguish you?"
He had been tormented by this cold illness for over ten years. Each time it struck, the cold air pierced his bones and blood, causing his meridians to surge in reverse. Even when it wasn't active, his entire body was unbearably cold.
Others also feared and disliked him, considering him a sickly weakling. Only she did not resent his internal affliction. She had refused to abandon him, even at the cost of her life, moments ago. It seemed her professed admiration for him was not entirely false.
Seeing his prolonged silence, as if he were staring blankly at her, Lin Yanxi wondered if she had said something wrong again and upset him.
"Mmm, I mean, you took the black cloak's curse for me, and I will help you break the cold illness."
She blinked and thought of something else, continuing, "By the way, are we completely safe now? Will the black cloak not come looking for us again?"
This confirmed Shen Muzhou's earlier suspicion; she had forgotten everything.
It seemed that her bloodthirsty and uncontrolled state just now had been influenced by the soul ring. This ring could not remain with her, as it affected her mind.
Shen Muzhou wiped a speck of blood from her fair and delicate cheek with his sleeve.
"Yes, he won't come. He's already dead, and that little girl is dead too."
Lin Yanxi sighed in relief and asked again, "Why weren't you injured after you took the black cloak's curse for me? Logically, a normal person blocking such a powerful curse would be at least incapacitated, if not dead... And I clearly remember you collapsing after being hit, and then I also fainted."
Her memory only went as far as Shen Muzhou falling in front of her, so she must have fainted along with him.
Shen Muzhou smiled and said, "I was wearing soft gold armor, and my collapse was a pretense to make the black cloak relax his guard and take his life."
Lin Yanxi nodded, not doubting his words.
She secretly glanced at Shen Muzhou's profile. His chiseled face was expressionless, as if lightly frosted with ice, his demeanor clear and bright.
She recalled him holding her tightly and blocking the black cloak's curse for her. It seemed this harbinger of doom wasn't so detestable after all.
She lowered her gaze, hiding a slight smile.
Huh???
As she looked down, she saw her soul ring on Shen Muzhou's little finger.
"Shen Muzhou! How could you take my soul ring again?"
Shen Muzhou glanced at her indifferently and said, "Your cold illness hasn't been cured yet, so naturally, I can't return it to you."
"No, just now you said we were even, and you would return the ring to me."
"Oh. I've changed my mind. We're not even now."
Indeed, they could no longer be even. The moment she hadn't abandoned him, risking her own life, he knew he could never be quits with her.
Even if he couldn't reciprocate Lin Yanxi's affection, he had to do his best to protect her.
She, of course, couldn't understand the complex emotions in his eyes. She rolled her eyes at him, thinking that not only was this prince fearsome, but he was also quite unreasonable.
"Well, considering this village is full of curses and is so strange, if you return the soul ring to me, I can also use talisman arts to protect you."
Shen Muzhou raised an eyebrow, a subtle hint of probing in his eyes, but his face was full of playful mockery. "You mean that 'immobilization spell' of yours that lasts less than a breath?" (A breath is about three seconds.)
She became angry and embarrassed, her face flushing red. "I... what do you know? Talisman arts are very difficult. To be able to use them to my current level is already a great accomplishment."
She retracted her earlier thought that he wasn't so detestable. Shen Muzhou was still so annoying!
Shen Muzhou raised an eyebrow. It seemed she truly didn't remember anything that had happened. This was for the best. As long as she didn't come into contact with the soul ring, she could avoid her mind being controlled and descending into bloodthirsty slaughter. The prophecy of the Imperial Observatory would not come true.
Even for Nan Min, he couldn't return the soul ring to her for now. He would wait a bit longer, until he found a way to break the fate of Lin Yanxi's Heavenly Calamity Star, and then he would surely compensate her for everything she desired.
"Wait a little longer. I'll give you whatever you want in the future."
Wait for what? What did "whatever you want" mean? She always couldn't understand the meaning behind his words.
Her face inexplicably blushed, and she said softly, "Never mind. I, the dignified daughter of the Grand Tutor, won't argue with a mere prince like you."
However, it was the first time she had seen such a warm smile on his face. He was always cold and expressionless, with an innate sense of distance about him. Now, his eyes seemed to be filled with stars, making the vast starry sky pale in comparison.
He gazed at her, his gaze lingering, almost drowning her.
Her heart pounded wildly. Awkwardly, she averted her gaze from his, noticing the rattle placed in his embrace.
Lin Yanxi's eyes quickly dimmed. The rattle illusion showed one's deepest desires. When he entered the illusion, he had repeatedly called out "Zhao Zhao."
She seemed to understand what he meant by "wait"—waiting for his illness to be cured so he could be with the woman he loved.
She stood up, tidied her sleeves, and said coldly, "May Your Highness's wish be granted soon."
Shen Muzhou didn't understand why her expression had suddenly become so distant. Had his overly blunt revelation of his inner thoughts scared her?
He then resumed his cold, detached expression and said, "Speak again after you've cured my cold illness."
He had to use this excuse to keep her for now, giving him more time to find another way to resolve the fateful conflict between her and Nan Min.
So, the reason he had saved her several times and said those strange things to her was merely to get her to lift the curse on him.
Lin Yanxi turned her head away, no longer looking at him. She didn't know why, but she felt a dull ache in her heart, an unpleasant feeling. Why was it so strange?
They fell silent for a moment. Lin Yanxi asked in a low voice, "Has Xiao Liu still not been found?"
Shen Muzhou paused for a moment, then shook his head, his brow furrowed again.
Xiao Liu had grown up with him. Their relationship was far beyond that of master and servant; they were friends, and more like brothers.
"Xiao Liu's martial arts are not low. Although this village is filled with curses, they are all aimed at you and me. Xiao Liu should be fine."
Lin Yanxi nodded and looked at the distant village. "Perhaps Xiao Liu is already waiting for us by the carriage. We can head back now. The village is no longer shrouded in the dark aura of curses, so it must have returned to normal."
She casually found a large lotus leaf, filled it with some mountain spring water, and cupped it in her hands. She would take it back for Hei Jin.
As they walked back, they inevitably passed the place where she had fought the black cloak in the village.
Moonlight shone on the black cloak's remains. His arms were broken, revealing stark white bones. Blood was splattered everywhere, and his legs were twisted at unnatural angles.
He must have endured extreme torture and pain in his life.
She turned to look at Shen Muzhou and said, "Shen Muzhou, can you walk a bit faster?"
If he kept walking so slowly, by the time they returned to the Grand Tutor's manor, her mother would discover she had snuck out for the entire day.
After Shen Muzhou caught up, she pointed at the corpse on the ground and sneered, "Hey, do you have some peculiar hobby, like torturing someone thoroughly before killing them?"
Shen Muzhou paused his steps and replied, "Yes, so you'd best be obedient."
Oh heavens, how terrifying!
She fawned over him subserviently, "This... Ninth Prince is wise and powerful. This hobby of yours is also extraordinarily unique. I actually admire this special hobby of Your Highness."
Shen Muzhou chuckled slightly and walked ahead. She deliberately slowed her pace to follow behind, secretly clenching her fist, wishing she could punch that handsome face of his.
This little paper figure...
She noticed a small paper figure lying on the ground. It must have belonged to the little girl with the rattle.
Was this a type of curse? Similar to puppet magic?
She quickly picked up the paper figure and secretly tucked it into her sleeve, intending to study it thoroughly later.
As they were about to leave the village, they encountered Xiao Liu. It turned out that after entering the village, Xiao Liu had gotten lost due to the mist, and no matter how he walked, he kept returning to the same spot.
When the mist dissipated, Xiao Liu walked back to the carriage. Shen Muzhou and Lin Yanxi had already gone into the village, and he searched for them for a long time without success.
In the carriage, Lin Yanxi gave the spring water to Hei Jin to drink. She let him go at the city gates. Uncharacteristically, Shen Muzhou did not follow her to sneak into the Grand Tutor's manor this time.
Watching her crawl into the manor through a small dog hole, Shen Muzhou curled his lips. So, rabbits could also crawl through dog holes.
Before a smile could fully form, he couldn't help himself and vomited a mouthful of black blood.
"Your Highness, you're injured!"
Shen Muzhou raised a hand, signaling him to keep quiet. Xiao Liu tore open his chest clothing to examine the wound. There was no soft gold armor.
Only this little rabbit was easily fooled.