Li Xizhou held neither saber nor sword. She looked at the monk. "General Chan, perceptive and decisive-worthy indeed of your reputation. Have you sent Yong Ji out already?"
"Only one could live. At least one had to."
"Keeping you here is a satisfactory result, too," Li Xizhou said. "Sooner or later, Yong Ji will not leave the Divine Capital alive."
The monk closed his eyes. "What follows will have nothing to do with this humble monk. I have a presumptuous request: might Your Highness deliver a final letter to my Senior Brother at the temple?"
He pressed his lips together and closed his eyes, his tall, lean, sinewy figure standing still in the rain. The mottled gold had yet to fade entirely, lending him a truly solemn dignity.
Li Xizhou watched him quietly for a while, but then showed a faint smile. "General Chan, are you so intent on dying?"
"..."
Silence settled over the lake for a moment. The monk opened his eyes and looked at the woman seated on the edge of the boat.
"I... could I still live?" His pupils shifted slightly.
Li Xizhou smiled. "What do you think, General Chan?"
The monk said earnestly, "This humble monk believes living is always better than dying."
Li Xizhou laughed and raised a hand with easy grace. "General Chan is a renowned general of our nation. How could I willingly cut off my own right arm? You mistakenly bound yourself to wolves and vultures. Better to cultivate for a few years in a temple in the Divine Capital and return to the proper path."
The monk's expression grew solemn. "Your Highness has truly awakened a lost man with a single word. How could Prince Yan be an enlightened lord? Today I have seen my error."
Li Xizhou smiled. "At