It is a Straight Road - Volume 1 - Chapter 1.16

On the day of the Hunting Festival, Bai Hua helps Xu Zhi with her dressing just like she has done so for many occasions. As she weaves a delicate pearl hairpin into her hair, she discretely checks her mistress expression and seeing none – which means that Xu Zhi has gotten over what happened – she heaves a quiet sigh of relief.

Xu Zhi is napping when she felt water droplets on the back of her hand and she woke up to see Bai Hua crying. “What is wrong?”

Bai Hua dabs away her tears. “Nothing. I’m just… touched to see you again after a long time.”

“Oh… Will a person cry when he or she has not seen someone for a long time?”

Bai Hua flushes in embarrassment. “No. I’m just more emotional, that is why. If it is Da Gu Niang, I doubt you will cry if you do not see me for a long time.”

Xu Zhi looks at her in puzzlement as she wonders who is the one with the problem here – is she too heartless or Bai Hua too emotional? What is there to cry about when a person is still alive? She is aware of Bai Hua’s presence in the residence – sometimes she sees her in the library copying books, sometimes, she sees her at an adjacent corridor. Don’t these incidents count?

When Bai Hua helps her out and walks with her to a waiting horse carriage, she suddenly replies: “I have not seen Zai Lin for a long time, but I do not have the urge to cry.”

Beside the carriage, Tong Mo and Jiang Jiu exchange looks of surprise while Bai Hua is just lost. Just when she is about to follow Xu Zhi into the carriage, someone pushes her aside and disappears into the carriage.

It is that…. interloper! Bai Hua wants to argue with him but Tong Mo pulls her aside and signs for her to let him be. Yes, Bai Hua knows about that … man is Da Gu Niang’s bed partner and he is the only person who can make Xu Zhi to drink the medicine. But that does not mean he can take over her place by her side! She has asked Tong Mo several times on how Zhou Wen Wu managed to convince Xu Zhi to take the meds but Tong Mo simply refuses to tell her.

WTF?

But no matter how unfair, Bai Hua decides that now is not the time to argue with… that interloper! and moves to join Tong Mo and Jiang Jiu.

In the carriage, Xu Zhi did not say anything when her masked companion joins her in the carriage, but the latter is more conversational.   “Xu Zhi, you look like your usual elegant self today with your make-up. Although you look detached and unapproachable, I can tell you about my dream last night if you kiss me.”

Such bait is irresistible to Xu Zhi and she kisses him. As she pulls back, she sees her residual lipstick on his lips and thinks to herself that the man is extremely suited for strong colors. Why has she not noticed this until now? “Can you tell me about your dream now?”

“I dreamt that you have returned from the unnamed mountain… and you are pinned beneath me, begging for mercy.”

She blinks and narrows her eyes. “You dare to trick me?”

“Xu Zhi, you have not felt the stirrings of passion for a long time, is it not? And no matter how I try to arouse you, you are simply impervious. You are obviously using our physical intimacy to distract yourself from your headache but why do you never tell me that you are in pain?”

Xu Zhi does not know how to answer him. She does not have the habit to tell others how she feel nor has anyone asked her to voice out when she is pain. Is there something wrong with him?

He seems to see through her thoughts and flares up beneath his mask. “There will be one day, one day when I am going to inflict so much pain on you that you have no choice but to yell it out… and then you can experience some of my pain.

She misunderstands and places a gentle a hand over his heart. “Ah yes, you have yet to recover from your heart ailment and must remember to check it out when we are at the mountain.”

Not knowing what to make of his glare, she decides to humor him and leans against his chest. “I’m having a mild headache.” Actually, she still does not see the point in telling him. It does not lessen her pain nor can he suffer the pain on her behalf, so what is the point? But since he likes it, she can oblige, no problem.

If it is a few weeks back, she would have thought that his request is spurred on by vindictiveness; the more pain she is in, the better news it will be to him. But with all his talk about making her moan and such, she really does not know what to make of his intentions.

The human heart is indeed confusing.

After a long time, she hears his whisper. “Xu Zhi.”

“Hmm?”

“Had I not given up on pursuing you all those years ago…. Towards Xu Da, I am only…”

He is prevented from saying further when Jiang Jiu announces that they have arrived. Xu Zhi cuts him off with promise to talk again later and alights from the carriage. Just before she enters the ceremony venue, she considers the fact that Zhou Wen Wu may not have gotten used to his position and instructs Jiang Jiu to let him follow them inside. After all, he would be participating at the Hunting Festival like all other princes if he is still a prince so it may be more familiar for him to be inside rather than to wait for her outside

.

As she marches, on, she is amused at her sudden thoughtfulness and attributes it to his concern for her. She joins Zhou Wen Cheng up on stage and they exchange pleasantries. When Zhou Wen Cheng spots her masked attendant in the distance, he exclaims. “Da Gu Niang, your harem’s man…”

“Can only be a man in my harem for the rest of his life.” She sounds completely indifferent. “Your Majesty, Ah Wu will be following me to the mountains after the Hunting Festival. I am really keen to see if Yuan Tu is accurate about him being buried in an unnamed hill and if the unnamed mountain that we are going to, is the same mountain in the prophesy.”

“Da Gu Niang is indeed….” completely heartless, but outwardly, Zhou Wen Cheng merely smiles. “relentless in the pursuit of knowledge!”

When a courtier announces that it is time, Zhou Wen Cheng walks to the stage centre and announces heartily. “Let the Hunting Festival begin!”

As per custom, a big black bear is released from a cage and as it scampers around in front of the stage, Zhou Wen Cheng takes a proffered bow from an eunuch and aims an arrow at the bear.

Before he can release the arrow, the eunuch whispers something in his ear and Zhou Wen Cheng turns to aim the arrow at Xu Zhi instead. Jiang Jiu senses danger and pulls Xu Zhi away from the path of the arrow as it whizzes pass her. “Your Majesty!”

While all the royals, nobles, and officials are in shock, Xu Zhi’s people quickly rally around her. Jiang Jiu steps in front of Xu Zhi protectively and sees an eunuch hurrying towards him.  He is the eunuch standing beside His Majesty just now, is he trying to relay a message from His Majesty? He is still considering the possibilities when he spots a familiar-looking bell in the eunuch’s hand and his heart sinks. “Xu Zhi, run!”

In the next moment, he hears a crisp ‘ding!’ and a voice that says “Jiang Jiu. Kill Xu Zhi.” before his mind becomes a complete blank.

At the same time, Zhou Wen Cheng announces from the stage. “Everyone, listen and obey my royal decree! Xu Zhi has committed an unforgivable sin and I hereby order her to be executed! Guards! Take her!”

For security reasons, no one is allowed to carry weapons at the ceremony venue except for the Imperial Guards. Zhou Wen Wu quickly disarms a guard for his sword and moves in front of Xu Zhi. “Who dares to kill Xi Xuan Xu Zhi!”

He has spotted the eunuch with the Soul Snatching bell and runs towards him to try to disarm him. But when he spots Jiang Jiu raising his broad sword above Xu Zhi’s head, he mentally calculates the steps he need to reach her side – which will be too late – and pinned his hopes on someone else. “Jiu Xing!”

Jiu Xing rushes forward but it is Tong Mo who deflected Jiang Jiu’s heavy sword with a swift kick. Zhou Wen Wu turns his attention back towards the eunuch but he has moved back to the Emperor’s side and the guards are instantly up in arms against him.

He fights the guards, his focus fully on the eunuch. He is thinking that if he can take him down and destroy the bell, he will be able to prevent more people from falling prey to its powers. He finally reaches Zhou Wen Cheng’s side and with a vicious twist of his blade, the eunuch stumbles backwards as blood spurted from his throat, some of which landed on Zhou Wen Cheng. Before the enunch breathe his last, his tosses away the bell which got cleave into 2 by someone’s sword.

When the eunuch fell, the guards close ranks once more around the Emperor. They surround  Zhou Wen Wu and  attack him In a coordinated wave as the latter shouts. “Zhou Wen Cheng! Snap out of your daze you hear me?! She is Xu Zhi! Xu Zhi!”

From the corner of his eye, he sees that Jiang Jiu has cut down Tong Mo while Jiu Xing struggles ineffectively against him. When he pushes Jiu Xing away, Jiu Xing decides to change tactic and rush over to help Xu Zhi off the floor and make a run for it. He has just managed to help her stand when Jiang Jiu takes aim, kicks Xu Zhi squarely at the midriff and sends her flying off the stage

“Xu Zhi!!”