Chapter Thirty-Three: I Left Silently

  The starry sky outside also seemed to have lost its luster with her departure, and no matter how beautifully decorated the room was, it couldn't hide the deep-seated loneliness. Cangyun's room wasn't lit up, and the starlight wasn't enough to illuminate the entire room, but somehow this made him feel at ease. On the chessboard, some glass pieces were scattered about in disarray - this was the unfinished game from last time when he and Qixi had played together.

  "Who made you lay such a heavy hand on her." Although the tone was soft and gentle, the air in the room seemed to freeze at this moment. Those who had followed him for a long time could naturally smell that the master was angry, very angry, just because they had hurt that young lady. Sima frowned slightly, also worried about Heiying's fate. However, Heiying behind him didn't seem as tense as he was. Facing the master's sentence, which wasn't even a question, he responded calmly: "The master once ordered that anyone who has been to Yunzhong City is not allowed to leave Yunzhong City for life without the city master's order. If Heiying did something wrong, it was that he let those three people leave Yunzhong City alive. This is also Heiying's greatest shame in his life. If it wasn't for Lord Sima..." Indeed, at that time, if it wasn't for Sima's timely stop, Qiuli and the others would have had a hard time escaping unscathed. As for Heiying, the only person he needed to be loyal to was Cangyun alone. As for the life and death of others, they were not within his consideration. The rules were set by Cangyun, and his thinking was very simple - strictly enforcing every word the master had said.

  "Simma, go take a look and bring me back some words from her." Cangyun looked extremely exhausted, and after instructing Simma for a few more sentences, he let them all withdraw.

  Originally, Qi Xian was going to return directly to Sha Zhou. She also had many questions to ask her father for verification. However, the doctor in He Zhou said that she was too weak and not suitable for long-distance travel. After Xiao Shi Tou obtained the secret book, he didn't dive into it like those martial arts fanatics. On the first day, he flipped through it casually and then put it away. Qi Xian had asked him before, since he had good martial arts skills, why didn't he go find Song Jia Pang Zi to demand justice? Xiao Shi Tou shook his head and said that he didn't want to use force to bully others, or else he would become someone like Song Pang Zi. Moreover, many things can't be obtained by using force to coerce others.

  She was supposed to be resting, but in reality, she spent most of her time staring blankly at the ceiling, thinking about how things would have been if Blackwater Fortress hadn't been massacred. Would she still be living in that earthen castle as a young lady? Even if the people of Blackwater Fortress were incompetent, how could Meng Kuang have killed several thousand people? She also thought back to her father's anxious expression when he saw the goods she had plundered, and wondered if this disaster was somehow related to herself. Was her father not speaking clearly because he was afraid she would feel guilty? Was this a revenge plot by the owner of the goods against Blackwater Fortress? Were Meng Kuang and those people involved? Too many questions swirled in her mind. Perhaps her father had known what would happen from the moment he saw that ring, perhaps he had known who their true enemy was all along. Given his personality, it was surprising he could remain calm, which meant the opponent must be very powerful. The plan for revenge could only be made after careful consideration. If Second Uncle knew about these things, would he help her take revenge? With the excellent weapons produced by Yunzhong City, which army in this world could be considered a worthy opponent?

  "What is Miss thinking about so intently?" Qī Xiǎo snapped back to reality, discovering that Sī Mǎ had somehow entered her room without her noticing. She silently scolded herself for being too careless - if it were a thief, wouldn't she be in trouble? And didn't the little stone next door notice someone sneaking in? Qī Xiǎo originally wanted to shout for help, but her throat was constricted and she couldn't make a sound. It's as if the ghost won't let go. Is Second Uncle really so ruthless that he wants to get rid of her completely?

  Perhaps understanding Qi Xi's thoughts, Sima smiled faintly and forced a pill into her mouth: "If I were here to kill you, by now you would have been a lonely soul. It wasn't the master's intention to take action against you... I hope you won't hold a grudge against him. That Black Eagle kid is too stubborn. The master has some words for me to pass on to you: although he also wishes you could stay in Yun Zhong City, he knows it can't keep you. Your world is outside. He says you were right; he also wants to rebuild Yun Zhong City outside... I think Miss should understand the meaning behind this. And as for that little brother by your side, I'm just following protocol, I hope Miss won't blame me. If Miss ever wants to return and see the master, use this." Sima placed several small bamboo tubes beside Qi Xi, who guessed that Yun Zhong City must have some influence outside, or else how could people in the vast desert see these few small signal flares? However, after learning that it wasn't her father's cruel intention to chase and kill her back then, she felt much lighter in heart. Maybe deep down, she also wanted to believe this, which is why she accepted Sima's words without suspicion.

  Before Sima left, he said that he would come to visit often. Although his impression of the old man had fallen sharply because of the small stone incident, being able to maintain such a relationship with him was also satisfying. Moreover, after receiving the promise from Er Ye, Qi Mei immediately looked forward to the future days, and since she had finally crossed over, she would live a life full of energy and vitality.

  About the jade, Second Master couldn't explain why the pattern on the back of the warm jade was so similar to the symbol on the Cloud City's gate. He only said that it should be a divine artifact for warding off evil spirits and told Qi Xi to take good care of it. Incidentally, Second Master also mentioned another name for Cloud City, Potala Palace. He said that this was the four words that his mother had blurted out when she saw Cloud City back then. Just hearing this name made Qi Xi feel a surge of inexplicable reverence in her heart. This jade must be related to Cloud City, perhaps the Cloud City from over a decade ago really did resemble Potala Palace, which was why Mother had blurted it out. Could this jade be some kind of relic from the Dalai Lama?

  He stayed in Hezhou for a few more days, and earlier he had written a letter to Gan Jing, who was far away in Shazhou, with his own poor handwriting. Xiao Shi Tou told him that Ah Guan had already returned to Shazhou with Zhu Cheng Xun and the others, and that Ah Guan had cried bitterly at the time. He wondered what expression Gan Jing would have when he heard the news of his death from Guan's mouth. Soon, a reply came from the other side, saying that Gan Jing instructed them not to worry about money, as Hui Feng Money House was all over the world and he had already taken care of it long ago. Moreover, he mentioned that he would arrive in Zhu Xian Town soon and wait for their reunion.

  Now that Qi Xi has resumed her female attire, it's naturally not suitable for her to ride horses and swagger through the streets as she used to. Moreover, her body hasn't fully recovered yet. Xiao Shi Tou thus hired a horse-drawn carriage. Reflecting on this journey from Sha Zhou, it really feels like a dream. Playing with the small pearl-like bead in her hand, Qi Xi couldn't help but miss Er Die's juicer and flush toilet. Er Die, if you're afraid of loneliness, don't lock yourself up in that kind of place again. The Western sky is changing colors, with crimson clouds rolling and surging. Qi Xi stretched out her hand and waved goodbye to the outside of the carriage, as if bidding farewell to someone, but who was it?