[You ran headlong the whole way, only stopping when the eastern sky turned fish-belly white. Leaning against a large tree, you held the longsword and examined it closely.]
[The blade was long and slender, its entire length suffused with a faint azure glow. Two small characters were engraved on the hilt-Azure Frost.]
[It has a name? You tried feeding a thread of spiritual power into the sword. Though the blade showed little response, its edge seemed to grow a little sharper.]
[What a fine sword!]
[Your eyes lit up.]
[After putting away Azure Frost, you opened Qing Yun's money pouch. Besides a dozen or so taels of loose silver, it actually held six low-grade spirit stones!]
[You gave a cold laugh as understanding dawned.]
[It had looked as though the entire sect's resources were being used to nurture you, but all the truly good things had been in Qing Yun's hands. The Green Bamboo Sect's true direct disciple was probably Qing Yun himself!]
[You dared not linger and continued on your way. Three days later, you finally saw the capital's gates.]
[Standing outside the gates, you suddenly felt a little dazed. Before, you had risked your life to escape this place. Now, you had actually come back of your own accord.]
[You did not use your original name, choosing instead to take your nanny's surname and call yourself Rong Mi.]
[No one who saw you now would connect you with that little girl from the Marquis's Household back then. You were an acquired-realm martial artist; she had been a mortal. The difference was as vast as heaven and earth.]
[You took a deep breath and stepped through the city gates.]
[The capital was much as it had always been. A few of the shops lining the streets had changed, but the bustle had not diminished at all. Amid the cries of candied hawthorn vendors and the gongs and drums of street performers, you stood at the street corner, suddenly unsure where to go.]
[Should I go to the Marquis's Household first? Or find somewhere to stay?]
[As you pondered, your stomach growled.]
[You felt your money pouch, found a little noodle stall that looked clean, and sat down. "A bowl of plain broth noodles, please."]
[The noodles arrived shortly, steaming hot, with a few pieces of chopped scallion floating on top.]
[You bent your head and ate, but kept your ears pricked for the sounds around you. Two men sat at the next table, drinking and chatting.]
["The Zuo family's daughter is holding another martial contest to find a husband?"]
["How is that a contest to find a husband? What proper marriage contest has the girl fighting in it herself? That Miss Zuo is just using it as an excuse to get into the ring, if you ask me."]
["Boring, boring. Isn't there any fresh news?"]
["Heh, there actually is. Heard about it? Something's happened at Dingbei Marquis Manor again."]
[Your chopsticks paused.]
["What happened?"]
["The junior steward in charge of the young heir's daily needs was beaten so badly she couldn't get out of bed. Supposedly, she stole something from her master.]
["Stealing? Wouldn't they beat her to death?"]
["They didn't, but it was close enough. That old woman had worked in the Marquis's Household for decades, working her way up from maid to junior steward. A few years ago, the human traffickers even used her as an example, saying the Marquis's Household was a good place to end up. They haven't mentioned her this year, though."]
["Oh, you mean Steward Rong? She was riding high a few years back..."]
[He never finished, because you slapped a piece of silver onto his table.]
[The man frowned, but before he could lose his temper, the sight of the silver brought a smile to his face. Then he looked at the sword you carried, and the last trace of anger vanished.]
["What would you like to ask, miss? I'll tell you everything I know and leave nothing out!"]
["What's that old woman's surname? What's her position, and where is she now?"]
["Oh, miss, you've asked the right person!" The man immediately perked up, his voice rising. "My younger brother-in-law works at Dingbei Marquis Manor. Nobody knows the details as well as I do!"
He lowered his voice, putting on a mysterious air. "She used to work in the kitchens. Her surname's Rong. Later, for some reason, she was transferred to look after the heir, and naturally became a junior steward. But joy turns to sorrow at its height. Just yesterday, she was thrown out into the ruined temple in the western part of the city. Who knows if she's still breathing now."]
[You turned and left. She had worked in the kitchens, and her surname was Rong. Who else could it be but Nanny?]
[Willow-Branch Alley in the western part of the city-you remembered it.]
[Ramshackle shacks, muddy roads, and beggars and stray dogs everywhere. The ruined temple stood in the deepest part of the alley. No one had burned incense there for a long time; only a few homeless beggars still sheltered inside. Before you were sold into the Marquis's Household, the human trafficker had kept you all there.]
[You ran headlong the whole way.]
[After crossing two streets and turning into Willow-Branch Alley, you slowed your steps. The alley was narrow and deep, the plaster peeling from the walls on either side to reveal the blackened mud bricks beneath. Filth made of mud and rubbish covered the ground, giving off a rotten stench. A few skeletal children crouched at the foot of a wall, watching you with hollow eyes.]
[You had reached the ruined temple.]
[The temple doors lay crooked to one side. Inside, it was so dark that you could make nothing out. Standing in the doorway, you suddenly felt afraid to go in.]
[You were afraid... afraid of seeing Nanny covered in blood, afraid of seeing her eyes open but unable to recognize you anymore, afraid you had come too late.]
[You took a deep breath and stepped inside.]
[The temple smelled even worse than outside. Mildew, urine, and blood mingled together. Only after your eyes adjusted to the light could you make out the scene within.]
[A few beggars huddled in the corners, watching you warily. In the very center of the main hall lay a heap of rotting straw, with someone lying on it.]
[It was Nanny.]
[You hurried over, crouched down, and held a trembling hand beneath her nose to check for breath.]
[You had come too late.]
[You knelt beside the heap of rotting straw, looking at Nanny's face.]
[Her eyes were closed, and the wrinkles on her face were deeper than seven years ago. A streak of dried blood marked the corner of her mouth. She wore the coarse cloth clothes you remembered, patch upon patch. Her hands lay exposed, their backs covered in purple bruises.]
[You suddenly remembered the bundle Nanny had pressed into your hands the night she sent you away during the first simulation. You remembered what she had said: "Hearing those words from you is enough to make my whole life worthwhile."]
[You did not know how much time had passed before a beggar in the corner timidly spoke. "Miss... do you know this old woman?"]
[You turned and saw an old man, thin as skin stretched over bones, watching you cautiously.]
["Before... before she died, she kept repeating one thing."]
[Something seemed to block your throat. Only after a long while did you force out a single word: "Speak."]
["She said, 'Little Mi, don't come back.'"]
[You closed your eyes, and the tears finally fell.]
[You slowly stood, walked to Nanny's side, and bent to lift her into your arms. She was frighteningly light, like a bundle of dry firewood. The beggars wanted to say something, but your gaze frightened them into shrinking back. Holding Nanny, you walked out of the ruined temple, out of Willow-Branch Alley, and onto the capital's main streets.]
[People in the street moved aside, casting strange looks at you and the dead woman in your arms. You could see nothing and hear nothing. You only held her, walking forward one step at a time.]
Before you continue