Chai Xiaomi couldn't help but think of herself.
When getting on a horse, she was scooped up by Wu Li, and when dismounting, Wu Li jumped down first and reached out to catch her below.
But Song Yueyao was like a straight-growing bamboo, unbending in the wind and rain, not uttering a sound in pain.
Independence and resilience were carved into her bones and blood, making Chai Xiaomi almost forget—
She was a princess.
She should have been raised in a jade pavilion, dressed in fine silk, eating delicacies, her slender ten fingers untouched by dust, delicate and noble. Even when eating a grape, someone should have peeled it and handed it to her lips.
Yet she held a curved blade, stepped in the mud and dust, and walked with a resolute gaze through the turbulent mountains and rivers.
Chai Xiaomi's throat tightened, and even blinking brought a stinging sensation.
She was worthy of being loved...
But.
A sudden surge of sorrow gripped her heart.
But...
Chai Xiaomi looked up at the young man in front of her, as cold and clear as moonlight.
But could you please not love her...
If death was your destiny, you could fight against the plot for it, break the novel world, and overturn the ending of all this.
Then could the destiny of falling in love with the female protagonist be rewritten?
That way, he wouldn't blacken.
Wu Li lowered his eyes and saw the young girl's eye rims turn completely red without warning, moisture suddenly appearing in her eyes, looking so aggrieved that she seemed about to break.
He frowned slightly, reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her close.
"Didn't you hear what he said? That demon spirit is very hard to catch. With your foot speed, you'd struggle to chase a tortoise. What's there to be aggrieved about not letting you participate?" He pinched her cheek neither lightly nor heavily, looking into her wet eyes, "Take your tears back. If they fall, I won't teach you archery."
After saying that, he let go, his gaze sweeping over the various longbows hanging on the wall.
To her, those bows were either too heavy to draw or too large in size.
In short, not a single one caught his eye.
His gaze finally landed in the corner of the counter, where a piece of dark-colored wood leaned. The wood grain was like dark undercurrents, faintly revealing a certain restrained spiritual energy.
"How much for this piece of wood?"
He planned to make a bow for her himself.
The boss was taken aback, astonishment flashing in his eyes.
This young man was actually so knowledgeable, his eye so sharp that he immediately fancied this piece of rare wood that he had hidden in the corner to serve as the shop's treasure.
A century-old lightning-struck yin-chen wood, he himself couldn't bear to polish and shape it.
"This..." The boss looked apologetic, shaking his head with a bitter smile, "I'm really sorry, young master, this piece of wood is not for sale for any amount of silver."
At these words, Ouyang Rui became energetic.
He waved his large hand grandly, acting exactly like the richest man, full of domineering aura: "Just give it to them!"
With the young master speaking, the boss immediately fell into a dilemma: "But this..."
He wouldn't bear to part with it even for a heavy sum of gold, let alone give it away.
Wu Li glanced coldly at Ouyang Rui, as if he hadn't heard his words.
He walked a few steps to the counter, where several carving knives the shopkeeper usually used to carve bow patterns were scattered. He casually picked up the sharpest one, raised his hand, and slashed at his own wrist.
The movement was so fast there was no hesitation at all.
The blade cut through the skin, and blood instantly seeped out, yet there was not a trace of pain on the young man's face, incredibly calm.
The boss widened his eyes in shock. What was this for? A bitter flesh trick? Was it really necessary to go this far for a piece of wood?!
In the next instant, an even more terrifying scene occurred.
The young man reached his fingertips into that bloody cut, and actually pinched out a bug from under the flesh, white as jade and still squirming.
The scene was so cruel it made one's scalp tingle, and even bystanders couldn't help but frown and look away.
Yet the corners of his lips curved slightly, amused by the shocked and fearful expressions of the few people.
He unhurriedly placed the bug on the counter where the blood stains had not yet dried, looking up at the boss, "Exchange a crimson blood silkworm for this piece of wood of yours. Will you do this deal or not?"
The boss's whole body shook, the previous fear instantly replaced by ecstasy, his eyes shining. Those who do business are the most knowledgeable. This crimson blood silkworm was a priceless treasure even in the impermanent ghost market!
He had lived for more than half his life and this was the first time he had seen a living crimson blood silkworm.
This was a spiritual creature that only the Miaojiang witchcraft tribe could raise, hard to find even one across the Central Plains continent.
Who didn't know that the lord of Liangya Prefecture was almost possessed by the devil in his quest for immortality? Especially the eerily behaving Grand Preceptor Yin beside him. There had long been rumors in the streets that Grand Preceptor Yin was transformed by a demonic creature, day and night pouring evil methods into the lord's ears.
As long as it could be exchanged for immortality, the lord would try any method he proposed.
There were even faint rumors that the palace had sent people to secretly search for some genius child prodigies, saying that such people were favored by heaven, and extracting and consuming the essence of their hearts could grant eternal life.
A year ago, the extermination tragedy that shocked Qianwu Town, the twenty-seven members of the Luo family, were slaughtered by mountain bandits overnight, their mansion burned to ashes by a raging fire.
It was said that it was because the eldest son of the Luo family was a chess prodigy at the age of three, and after coming of age was praised by the world as a chess saint, that he was targeted by Grand Preceptor Yin.
Of course, these were just private whispers in dark alleys. Who among ordinary people dared to recklessly discuss matters concerning the sage?
But the crimson blood silkworm in front of him was a life-extending sacred object solidly recorded in ancient texts.
If he presented it to his employer, Master Ouyang, and then Master Ouyang forwarded it to the lord far away in Kyoto.
The ensuing rewards would probably be inexhaustible for several lifetimes.
The boss nodded hastily: "Deal! Deal! This piece of wood is yours!"
However, Wu Li never expected that this action would actually make someone cry.
On the way back, Chai Xiaomi cried silently for three streets.
"What serious illness do you have! Mutilating yourself for a broken piece of wood!" She raised her sleeve and wiped her face haphazardly, but the more she wiped, the more tears came. She walked angrily, her shoulders trembling.
"I'm not sick." Wu Li followed closely by her side, quietly blocking the passing pedestrians for her, "It's you, how is your courage smaller than a sesame seed? Just shedding a few drops of blood, and you're scared like this. Next time, just turn your back and don't look."
"A few drops of blood?!" Chai Xiaomi's pitch suddenly rose, turning around to glare at him with red eyes, "Look at it, is that called a few drops of blood?!"
She pointed at the young man's sleeve. Although the wound on his wrist had eerily healed as before, the large patch of dark red bloodstains on the cuff was mottled and glaring, clearly recording the ferocious wound just now and the way the blood gushed out.
Wu Li watched her bean-sized tears fall one by one, soaking the sleeve she was wiping with, spreading out dark wet marks. His chest felt stuffy, as if he couldn't catch his breath, and his tone also carried a bit of stifled feeling:
"Who told you to insist on following me out? If you didn't come out, wouldn't you not see it?"
Moreover, if she hadn't said she wanted to learn archery, he wouldn't have bought that piece of wood at all.
Chai Xiaomi only focused on crying, completely ignoring him.
After a pause, he added stiffly:
"The tears on your sleeve add up to almost two catties. Aren't you tired walking carrying two buckets of water? Stop crying."
Seeing her still sobbing and walking forward, but her steps obviously slowing down, Wu Li pursed his lips, his voice lowering:
"...Your legs are about to break from walking, if you want me to carry you on my back, just say a word."
The young man's expression was grim and his tone was poor, so naturally, the words he spoke managed to infuriate her all over again.
"Save it!" Chai Xiaomi did not even turn her head, her voice choked with a mixture of tears and anger. "You've lost so much blood, how the hell are you going to carry anyone!"
Ouyang Rui, who was carrying a large wooden log on his shoulder, watched them from a short distance behind. He quickened his pace to walk beside Song Yueyao, a hint of gloating on his face. "They are arguing so fiercely, they are probably going to get a divorce, right? Aren't you absolutely thrilled right now? Because I sure am!"
He had just figured things out. His family had plenty of money; what did it matter if they had to raise one more child!
There might only be one fairy like her in this entire world.
If he missed this opportunity, he might never get another chance.
Song Yueyao shot him a speechless glare, rolling her eyes. Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her blade as she barely restrained the urge to smack him in the head.
"What is there to be thrilled about? Let me give you a piece of advice: it is better to demolish ten temples than to destroy a single marriage. If you dare to harbor any wicked intentions, you can try and see just how hard my fists are!"
Oh, wow.
Ouyang Rui's body tilted slightly under the heavy pressure of the log. He shifted his shoulder, completely caught off guard by the girl's high level of moral awareness.
Was she just in it for the fun, not seeking any official status?
And she even wanted to defend them.
Well, he certainly could not do that. As the dignified son of the wealthiest man in Qianwu Town, how could he stoop to being someone's paramour?
