Departure

By the time Xiao Yi Xian woke from her unconsciousness, dawn had broken. Xiao Yan was gently wiping the blood from the Xuan Heavy Ruler with a white cloth. The bodies and bloodstains on the ground had vanished, and the little village seemed to have regained its former peace and tranquility.

If not for the charred patches still marking the streets, Xiao Yi Xian might truly have thought everything that had happened last night was a dream. But those traces that could not be cleaned away constantly reminded her that a merciless massacre had taken place here-and that her softhearted mercy had been the reason for it.

"What happened to those people..." Xiao Yi Xian could not help asking as she looked at Xiao Yan's calm face.

"Relax. I didn't leave a single one alive," Xiao Yan said flatly. "You won't object to me wiping them all out this time, will you? Of course, even if you do, it won't matter. I've already done it."

"What about everyone else?"

"Half died, half survived. Much better than I expected." Xiao Yan clicked his tongue softly. "Those fellows from the Snake Nest Mercenary Group looked pretty fierce. Who would've thought they were such cowards? A few words scared them out of doing anything. Really unprofessional. A ragtag rabble-they deserved to die."

"Where are they now?" Xiao Yi Xian asked.

"Recovering where they were tied up yesterday." Xiao Yan glanced at her and smiled faintly. "Want to see them? A word of advice: you'd better not go now. Otherwise, I won't be able to protect you."

"..." Xiao Yi Xian gave Xiao Yan a conflicted look. Although he had knocked her unconscious early last night, she still remembered how he had watched indifferently as the other villagers were cut down. Even now, with that smile still spread across his face, she felt a chill seep into her bones.

She did not answer Xiao Yan-or rather, she did not dare to. She walked alone toward the square, where the wounded villagers had indeed gathered to recuperate.

Before Xiao Yi Xian could figure out how to explain what had happened yesterday, someone spotted her. A few hotheaded children immediately picked up stones and hurled them at her. "You witch! What are you doing here?"

"No... I'm not..."

"If you hadn't brought those people here, our village wouldn't have ended up like this! Get out!" Perhaps remembering the miserable fate of their loved ones, the villagers began to seethe with anger as well. Even the elderly among them looked at Xiao Yi Xian with hostility.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... What a united village. I'm so touched I could cry." Just then, the sound of clapping rang out. At some point, Xiao Yan had appeared behind Xiao Yi Xian. Leaning against a large tree, he said with a smile, "If you'd shown this much backbone against those fellows yesterday instead of weeping and begging for mercy, I might actually have admired you."

"It's you!" At the sight of Xiao Yan, those who had been brimming with righteous indignation immediately shut their mouths. The child who had thrown the first stone hid behind his mother, staring at Xiao Yan in terror. Clearly, his horrifying display yesterday had pushed the villagers' fear of him to its limit.

"What? All gone quiet? Weren't you having a grand time cursing just now?" Xiao Yan smiled contemptuously. "You bully the weak and fear the strong. Spineless trash."

"And what does that make you?" a child in the crowd retorted defiantly. But the instant he finished speaking, Xiao Yan vanished from where he stood. A hand suddenly appeared in the child's field of vision, clamped around his throat, and hoisted him into the air.

"If you've got the guts, say that again," Xiao Yan said with a smile. Though he was smiling, the icy killing intent in his words made the child tremble uncontrollably.

"Xiao Yan! Don't!" Xiao Yi Xian hurriedly cried out at his actions, but Xiao Yan remained unmoved. As he watched the terror in the other villagers' eyes, his smile grew ever warmer. "Don't be so frightened. Show me that courage you had when you faced Xiao Yi Xian."

"..."

"Come to think of it, that reminds me of something. I suppose I'm your benefactor, too." Xiao Yan smiled faintly. "Those people would have killed every last one of you, but because I killed them for you, you're still alive. So, whether out of gratitude or simple fairness, shouldn't you repay me?"

"Of course we should..." After a brief silence, a man who looked like the village chief gave a strained chuckle. Though he was inwardly cursing Xiao Yan's shamelessness, he maintained a polite demeanor. "May I ask what you would like, sir? Whatever we have here is yours to choose from."

"I have no interest in this village full of scrap metal and junk." Xiao Yan sneered and casually tossed the child to the ground. Returning to Xiao Yi Xian's side, he said, "Let's go."

"Go?"

"What? Don't tell me you still want to stay here?" Xiao Yan chuckled softly. "Do you think they'll let you?"

As Xiao Yi Xian looked at the hatred in everyone else's eyes, bitterness filled her heart. She knew Xiao Yan was right. From now on, she could no longer stay here, and these villagers would never accept her again. Only after they had left the little village did she finally break into sobs. "It's all my fault..."

"Your fault? Did you kill them?" Xiao Yan could not help rolling his eyes. "I know you're kindhearted, but could you stop shouldering all the blame?"

"No... But they died because of me..."

"Wrong. They died because of the killers, not because of you." Xiao Yan gently patted her shoulder. "Don't make certain things so complicated. Otherwise, you'll drive yourself mad."

"Isn't that just lying to yourself?"

"You can see it that way. Back when I was like you, that wicked woman talked me through it the same way." Xiao Yan shrugged. He did not particularly want to dwell on the subject, so he quickly changed it. "Where are you planning to go next?"

"There's a small town nearby called Qingshan Town. I'm planning to go there and continue working as a physician," Xiao Yi Xian said slowly. "What about you?"

"I'll keep training, of course," Xiao Yan said casually.

"Looks like we'll have to part ways." Xiao Yi Xian looked at him with mixed feelings and sighed silently to herself.

"Goodbye." Xiao Yan smiled and waved. The instant Xiao Yi Xian turned around, he chopped the side of her neck with his hand, then deftly pulled out a burlap sack and stuffed her inside. What a joke. He had spent all that effort keeping her company, and he had no intention of being nothing more than a passing acquaintance from her childhood. Whatever it took, he had to keep this future Heavenly Poison Woman by his side.