Chapter 43: Wherever You Are, That Is the Ends of the Earth

Throughout the entire process, neither of them spoke. Whether it was because they didn't know what to say or for some other reason, it was unclear. Yet, even without communication, their division of labor seemed to work well enough.

Once their tasks were finished, they returned to the fireside. With no one to add more wood, the flames had dwindled. Ji Huo hurriedly threw on some more fuel, and as the fire revived, warmth filled the ruined temple.

Xia Ningshang sat crouched before the fire, hugging her knees. She had just been out in the rain for a while, and now her clothes clung damply to her body. Coupled with her injuries, which seemed to be worsening, her delicate face was pale; fine sweat beaded on her forehead.

Ji Huo hesitated for a couple of seconds, then removed his bundle, pretending to rummage through it. In truth, he was retrieving a garment from his system space, which he handed to her.

“Hmph!”

Xia Ningshang glanced at him, her lips pursed high, her little nose making a disgruntled sound.

Well then, if she didn’t want it, so be it... Ji Huo placed the garment beside her, returned to his seat, and added more wood, making the fire burn stronger.

Night deepened; he lay down upon the dry straw, closed his eyes, and drifted into sleep.

When he awoke the next morning, daylight flooded the temple, the rain had passed, and golden sunlight spilled across the ground—a rare, beautiful day.

Xia Ningshang was gone, her horse vanished as well. He guessed she had left at first light. The spot where she had sat still held Ji Huo’s garment.

He picked it up; it retained traces of warmth. Raising it to his nose, he caught a faint, pleasant fragrance—she must have used it as a blanket during the night.

She hadn’t been gone long.

“Her words said no, but her body was honest. All that talk of capturing and pampering daily, indulging nightly—are women of the Dragon Kingdom always so forceful?”

Ji Huo shook his head, muttering, “If such words were spoken in Great Zhou, she’d be scolded to death by a crowd.”

As he turned, Xia Ningshang stood gracefully at the ruined temple’s entrance, holding a wild chicken, her eyes full of disdain as she mocked, “Feigning the gentleman, but your actions are quite honest.”

Clearly, she’d been standing there for some time.

Ji Huo put down the garment without expression. As long as he wasn’t embarrassed, the embarrassment belonged to someone else.

He stowed the clothing back in his bundle and asked, “Why have you returned?”

“I went out and caught some wild game. Didn’t expect to come back and see your beastly side,” Xia Ningshang said, handing him the chicken.

Ji Huo took the wild fowl; there was an old barrel in the temple filled with rainwater from last night, perfect for cleaning it.

As he plucked the feathers, he replied, “If I said that was an accident, would you believe it?”

“No need to explain. You people from the Central Plains are fond of being subtle—I understand.” Xia Ningshang sat by the fire, adding more wood.

After a night’s rest, her complexion was less haggard, though still pale, lending her a delicate beauty.

You don’t understand a thing... Ji Huo rolled his eyes, annoyed.

When the wild chicken was ready, he roasted it over the fire. Soon a mouthwatering aroma filled the air.

Ji Huo sprinkled spices over the meat, then tore off a drumstick and handed it to Xia Ningshang. She accepted it, delicately pulling off a small piece with her slender fingers and placing it between her rosy lips, chewing thoughtfully. Her eyes widened in surprise. “I didn’t expect your skills to be so good—almost rivaling the chefs of the Dragon Kingdom.”

Ji Huo shrugged and tore into his share with gusto.

After eating, he led his horse from the ruined temple. Outside, he could see Xia Ningshang’s horse as well.

He could tell she had left earlier that morning, but for some reason had returned. He didn’t ask further, only turned and inquired, “Where are you headed, Miss Xia?”

Xia Ningshang tilted her head, thinking for a moment, then looked at Ji Huo, “Where are you going?”

Ji Huo answered, “Hongzhou.”

Currently, Qian Wu’s fate was uncertain—he might well be dead. Regardless, Ji Huo had to see the scene himself; perhaps there would be clues.

Xia Ningshang’s eyes sparkled, then she smiled slyly and asked, “I want to go to the jianghu. Do you know where the jianghu is?”

Ji Huo pondered for two seconds. “Wherever there are people, there is jianghu.”

A flicker of mischief flashed in her eyes. She pressed, “Is the place you’re going the jianghu?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll go with you,” Xia Ningshang said, stretching lazily, her perfect curves gleaming in the sunlight. “I want to witness the great ambitions, the tangled grudges, and the longings of the jianghu.”

Ji Huo regarded her. “Where I’m headed is dangerous.”

Leaving aside whatever Qian Wu meant by “demon”—anything connected to such would be perilous. Qian Wu’s skills ranked among the best in the jianghu, yet his life was now uncertain; the road ahead would not be easy.

“That’s no matter!” Xia Ningshang brandished her sword confidently. “I am an expert!”

With her battered blade worth five taels of silver, eighth or ninth rank at best, still gravely injured—an expert?

Ji Huo mounted his horse and laughed, “If you’re not afraid of dying, follow me.”

With that, he flicked the reins and sped off.

“Ha ha!” Xia Ningshang likewise mounted her horse and chased after him, calling out with enthusiasm, “I want to see the ends of the earth, the sea turned to stone! I want to find love unchanged by life or death! Will you take me?”

Ji Huo mimicked her tone, his voice carrying far:

“Wherever I am, there is the end of the earth.”

The two swift horses raced side by side into the morning sun, gradually fading into the distance.

...

“Master, here is the latest intelligence from Hongzhou.” Mr. Wen hurried over, passing a slip of paper.

Ji Junhong took it, scanned it, and his gaze lingered on a certain symbol, his brows furrowing.

Mr. Wen explained, “The murderer who slaughtered Hongzhou is said to have fled south, massacring two villages along the way. Six Gates and local officials have dispatched people to pursue him, but the culprit is adept at hiding his tracks; even Six Gates’ best trackers struggle to find him.”

He pointed at the symbol Ji Junhong was staring at and said, “A survivor saw that the murderer was shrouded in pitch-blackness, holding this fragment of a weapon.”

“This isn’t half—it’s a third,” Ji Junhong said gravely.

“A third?” Mr. Wen exclaimed.

Ji Junhong nodded. “It’s the spearhead of the demon weapon ‘Demonic Dragon Spear.’ Legend has it that unless the spear recognizes its master, anyone else who wields it will be corrupted by its demonic aura and become a slaughterer of all living things—a world-destroying fiend.”

“‘Demonic Dragon Spear’?!” Mr. Wen recalled, astonished. “Isn’t that the Dragon Kingdom’s national demon weapon? Legend says it was long ago cleaved into three pieces by the Sword of the Human Emperor, its whereabouts unknown. How could it appear in Hongzhou?”

“Perhaps the demon weapon has resurfaced,” Ji Junhong speculated. “What I don’t understand is that, according to the legends, if the demon weapon hasn’t recognized an owner, its bearer loses all reason and massacres indiscriminately. Judging by the slaughter in Hongzhou and the villages, that seems accurate.”

“But such a person shouldn’t be able to hide their tracks—concealing oneself suggests rationality. That’s at odds with the intelligence.”

After pondering for a while to no avail, Ji Junhong shook his head. “Regardless, the emergence of the demon weapon will stir the jianghu once again. If this news spreads, countless people will flock here.”

Mr. Wen nodded. “Even as a demon weapon, it’s a peerless armament—enough to bring a storm of bloodshed across the jianghu.”

“Hongzhou has never been a place for warfare. The locations where the Demonic Dragon Spear was lost are all far from Hongzhou. Its appearance here seems deliberate.”

Ji Junhong tapped his fingertips on the table, deep in thought. “Which faction would bring the demon weapon into the jianghu, and for what purpose?”

Mr. Wen asked curiously, “Master, since the demon weapon hasn’t recognized an owner, will you attempt to claim it?”

Ji Junhong shot him a look. “It will never be my weapon.”

He considered for a moment, a faint smile at his lips. “Send this intelligence and our conjectures to Manager Qian Twenty-Three at Qian Duoduo Bank.”

Mr. Wen was momentarily taken aback, but asked no further, replying respectfully, “Yes.”