Chapter 14

At noon, the sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows as it filtered through the trees. The water of the Naihe River shimmered under the slanting light, resembling a river from the mortal realm.When Mu Sui reached the riverbank and spotted the thatched inn, his heart lurched at the sight of Meng Ruji. She was slumped against the inn’s pillar, eyes closed as if asleep, but the blood staining her forehead told a different story. The crimson trail ran from her brow, down her cheeks, and into her clothes, turning them a deep, ominous red.

Mu Sui’s breath caught in his throat. His steps faltered, and he nearly stumbled to the ground. A cold, sharp pain spread through his chest, each breath like ice scraping his lungs.

He couldn’t recall how he made it to Meng Ruji’s side. Kneeling before her, he hesitated, his hand hovering near her face, too afraid to touch her, too afraid to speak.

Then, Meng Ruji’s brow furrowed. She coughed twice and slowly opened her eyes.

Seeing his reflection in her dark pupils, Mu Sui's mouth went dry. His lips trembled, but he said nothing, fearing his voice might shatter her fragile state.

Meng Ruji blinked, startled by his closeness, and instinctively pulled back. "Mu Sui?" she rasped, clearing her throat. She glanced at the sky, confused. "Did Miao Miao call you so early?"

Mu Sui remained silent.

Meng Ruji rubbed her arm, puzzled by his pale, stricken expression. "What’s wrong?"

His voice cracked as he finally forced out, "What happened to you?"

He reached out, wiping the blood from her face with his thumb. The sight and smell of her blood only deepened the worry etched on his features.

Meng Ruji, dismissive, casually wiped at her wound. "I caught a thug. He tried to trick me at the market, thinking he could make a meal out of me. But I was prepared."

Mu Sui's lips tightened, his expression darkening.

"They were amateurs," Meng Ruji continued, her tone laced with irritation. "Who gives away a pile of scrap metal for twenty cents? And this inn—anyone could see it was a trap from a mile away..."

"How are you?" Mu Sui interrupted, his voice unusually sharp.

Meng Ruji waved off his concern. "I’m fine."

"No, you’re not," he insisted, his gaze fixed on her wound. "You’re hurt."

"This?" Meng Ruji touched her forehead, but Mu Sui caught her wrist before she could reach the injury. Seeing the seriousness in his eyes, she paused. "It’s just a scratch. I’ve dealt with worse."

But Mu Sui didn’t laugh. His worry only deepened. "You shouldn’t have come."

Meng Ruji softened, thinking he was just scared. "Mu Sui, I know what I’m doing. Don’t worry..."

"You shouldn’t have come alone!" His voice rose, sharper than before.

Startled by his outburst, Meng Ruji looked at him closely. Over the past days, she realized he had matured in ways she hadn’t expected—ways that reminded her of their first meeting at Snow Mirror Cliff.

For a moment, she considered brushing off his concerns with a sisterly smile, but something in his eyes made her stop. "If I hadn’t come, they would have tricked someone else. It’s better that I handle them than let another girl be deceived..."

"And what about you?"

"I was sure..."

"Then why are you injured if you were so sure?"

"I..." Meng Ruji faltered. She couldn’t argue with his logic. She had been hurt...

It was that damn thug—his fighting style was unpredictable, and she’d been caught off guard.

But before she could dwell on it, Mu Sui reached out, gently pulling her into his arms. His hold was firm yet tender, and she could feel his heart pounding against her chest.

"I’m sorry," Mu Sui whispered, his voice trembling. "I shouldn’t have shouted at you. Don’t be afraid of me."

Meng Ruji’s heart softened at his words. "Mu Sui..."

"Meng Ruji, please... don’t do this again." His voice wavered, almost breaking. "Don’t scare me like this."

Meng Ruji gently pushed him away, though he didn’t resist. He moved back only as far as her strength allowed, unwilling to let her go completely.

She tilted her head, studying him. His eyes were red, glistening with unshed tears.

Her heart ached as if pierced by a warm, gentle arrow. "Oh, Mu Sui," she murmured, her voice tender. "Why are you crying?"

Mu Sui turned away, embarrassed, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he struggled to speak. "Just... don’t do this."

"Okay, okay. I won’t act alone next time," Meng Ruji promised, holding out her pinky. "Pinky swear."

Mu Sui hesitated, then extended his own pinky, hooking it with hers.

"We have an agreement," Meng Ruji said with a smile.

Mu Sui blinked, the moisture in his eyes finally drying up. "Yeah."

Meng Ruji thought to herself that when she returned to the human world to retrieve the inner elixir, no matter what had driven Mu Sui to "open the coffin to take the elixir" before, she would save his life. Even if...

"Meng Ruji," Mu Sui’s voice, now calm and steady, cut through her thoughts, but there was an edge to it, a hint of something darker.

"Where’s the thief?" he asked.

Meng Ruji hesitated, taken aback by the sudden shift. "I caught him... he’s inside."

Without another word, Mu Sui stood and headed into the house.

Meng Ruji followed, still talking. "You can take him to the authorities and claim the reward. This time, we learned how to use spiritual power here..."

She was only a few steps behind him when she froze in the doorway.

Earlier, when she fought the thug, his head had separated from his body, yet still attacked her. It was a bizarre and grotesque encounter, one that left her stunned and bleeding.

In her rage, she had beaten the head until it was battered and bruised. She’d used the spiritual power in the thug’s copper coin to force the head back to its body and pin it down.

But now, as she entered the house, something was wrong.

The thug lay motionless on the table, his eyes wide open in shock, his lips a deep shade of purple. He was dead.

Meng Ruji gasped, glancing from the body to Mu Sui. "Did you kill him? That quickly? Why were you so rash?"

Mu Sui’s voice was eerily calm. "I didn’t do it."

"Then how did he die?" Meng Ruji’s voice rose, incredulous. "Did he die of fright just by looking at you?"

Mu Sui’s gaze met hers, and after a moment, he nodded slightly.

Meng Ruji felt a wave of disbelief. She looked at the corpse again, then back at Mu Sui. The thug’s expression was one of sheer terror, his eyes locked on Mu Sui’s face as if he had truly been scared to death.

Meng Ruji rubbed her temples, trying to make sense of it all. "He deserved to die after what he did, but... now we can’t claim the reward, can we?"

Mu Sui didn’t respond, deep in thought. He remembered the two bandits he had killed earlier—men who had caused so much suffering. But now, Meng Ruji’s question loomed over him. Would they still get the money if the thief was dead?

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