Chapter 403: Chapter 403: A Spectator’s Heart, a Character in the Play

Chun Hua tilted its head up, gazing at the man who was like a giant to it, then looked over at the prone form of Song Lianhe.

Zhou Cangyan was holding her hand. His fingers suddenly tightened, then slowly relaxed a moment later.

He looked up at her, his tone light. “Since you don’t plan on coming back, I’ll go find you. I’ll find you no matter where you are.”

He lowered his gaze. “Chun Hua.”

As if it knew what he was about to do, Chun Hua let out a desolate, mournful cry.

“Go on. Go wherever you want. You don’t have to come back.”

Chun Hua hesitated, shuffling its feet as it slowly approached him. It then rubbed its head against his leg, a deep PURR rumbling in its throat.

“I have nothing left to tie me here,” he stated in the calmest of tones, as if giving final instructions. “She used all her strength to find her way back. I won’t let her go alone again.”

Zhou Cangyan was a man of decisive action. Once he made a decision, he would not change his mind, let alone regret it.

He pulled a dart from her waist. It was one he favored, yet she had been the one to carry it all this time.

Holding it in his hand, he subconsciously caressed the blade with his thumb, as if her warmth still lingered upon it.

Suddenly, he raised the dart and aimed it at his heart—he never left himself any room for retreat.

His expression shifted in an instant. Just as the dart was about to plunge in, Chun Hua flew up and blocked his chest.

Zhou Cangyan frowned and immediately dodged it.

“KREE! KREE!”

Chun Hua was frantic. It flew up and down, flapping its wings as if trying to tell him something.

Finally, too exhausted to fly anymore, it landed on the ground and looked up at him anxiously.

Zhou Cangyan knew it was intelligent and could sense emotions. ’It must know what I’m about to do and is trying to stop me.’

He squatted down, looking intently at Chun Hua. “Go on.”

“KREE-KREE-KREE-KREE—”

Chun Hua was so agitated it ran in circles.

Zhou Cangyan stood up and glanced at the person lying there. A mountain wind suddenly gusted. He undid his cloak and draped it over her, covering her eyes.

“I imagine you wouldn’t want to see this either. So don’t look. Just wait for me.”

He gave a slight smile and said, “Don’t overthink it. I’m simply weary. It has nothing to do with you.”

The truth was, a world without her had made him weary.

He rose and turned his back.

“KREE! KREE!”

Chun Hua was beside itself with panic, on the verge of speaking human words.

Seeing it couldn’t stop him, Chun Hua quickly turned back, scurrying over to Song Lianhe’s side. It sniffed her all over, occasionally pawing at something with its claws.

Before long, Chun Hua suddenly pulled out a black pill…

—

The Ling’an East Market was, as always, a scene of bustling prosperity.

A young woman in a lotus-pink dress strolled idly, a snack in her hand.

Her maidservant, who wore her hair in two buns, trotted to catch up. “Miss, Bai Shu said that ever since you treated a few men with performance issues, many more have been coming to our Medical Clinic for help. The Deer Tendon Pills are in high demand, so we need to stock up.”

The woman, nibbling on a candied fruit, gave a radiant smile and said, not without a hint of pride, “When your lady here takes a case, even those who can’t perform, will!”

The maidservant covered her smile with her hand. “But Miss, you’re still an unwed maiden. You should be more discreet when you make house calls in the future.”

“You’re right, I…”

The woman froze.

’Unwed?’

’No, that’s not right. I think… I’m already a married woman.’

’But why can’t I remember anything about it?’

“Miss? Miss, what’s wrong?”

The maidservant stepped forward in concern. “Miss, you look pale. Are you feeling unwell?”

“I…” She looked up at her maid, bewildered. “Shuang Ye, I feel like I’ve forgotten something…”

“You must be overworked lately, Miss. That’s why you’re letting your imagination run wild.”

“…Perhaps.”

Shuang Ye suddenly pointed behind her. “Miss, look! That man is so tall!”

She turned around and saw an exceptionally tall man walking down the middle of the street. One had to crane their neck to look up at him. He held the leashes of several giant dogs, striding proudly and drawing gasps of amazement from the crowd.

Someone in the crowd of onlookers said, “That’s the son of the Governor of Li Zong Pass. I hear he’s both wise and brave, skilled in scholarly and martial arts. He’s returned to Ling’an with his father to report on his merits after suppressing a rebellion.”

She just watched him from a distance, thinking to herself, ’Men who grow up on the frontier are certainly built tough.’

As she turned back around, she happened to bump into someone.

The person who bumped her immediately tried to run off.

She didn’t pay it much mind. With so many people crowding around to watch, bumps and shoves were inevitable.

Suddenly, a round-faced young woman blocked the person’s path and held out her hand. “Hand it over.”

The person panicked. “Wh-what?”

The young woman sneered and swiftly raised a knife to the person’s neck. “I’ll say it again. Hand it over!”

Realizing this was not someone to be trifled with, the person pulled a coin purse from their robes, tossed it to her, and ran.

The young woman turned and tossed the coin purse to her.

“It’s your lucky day that you ran into me, Miss. You should be more careful when you’re out in the future.”

She and her maidservant hurriedly thanked her. As the young woman was about to leave, she called out, “May I ask your name, Miss?”

The young woman was forthright. “Yin Huan.”

“Song Lianhe,” she said with a smile. “Miss, I’m from the Medical Clinic. If you ever need anything, you can find me there.”

The young woman clasped her fist in a brisk salute. “Of course!”

It wasn’t until the young woman had left that Shuang Ye snapped out of her daze, exclaiming in awe, “So that was Yin Huan!”

“Oh? You know of her?”

“I do, I do! She’s the female knight who’s become famous recently! She comes from a renowned family, is young but possesses powerful Martial Arts, and specializes in punishing the wicked and eliminating evil!”

’Yin Huan…’

She murmured the name to herself. Just then, a loud chant came from the side of the road: “Good and evil are repaid as a shadow follows the form; the karmic cycle of three lifetimes is never broken.”

She turned her head and saw an old Daoist in a worn, navy-blue, coarse-cloth jacket. He had a youthful complexion but hair as white as a crane’s. He smiled and said, “Young friend, would you care for another divination?”

She froze.

’Another?’

’Have I sought him out for a divination before?’

“With a quick calculation,” the Daoist said, “I can tell that you’ve run into a predicament, young friend.”

She looked at him and blurted out, “If it is a predicament, is there a solution?”

“This mortal world is like a play, and we are all but spectators. But if a spectator’s heart is moved, they become one of the people in the play. And for one in the play, it begins with the heart, and so it must end with the heart.” After speaking, the old Daoist chuckled, walked past her, and resumed his chant: “Good and evil are repaid as a shadow follows the form; the karmic cycle of three lifetimes is never broken.”

Shuang Ye came to her mistress’s side, staring at the Daoist’s retreating back. “What’s all this about spectators and people in the play? I don’t understand a word of it… What a strange Daoist!”

She stood frozen in place. The pedestrians beside her, the hawking vendors, the laughing children, the arguing couple… everything around her became hazy and indistinct, no longer real.

“Miss?”

Shuang Ye’s voice sounded in her ear. “It’s about to rain, let’s hurry back to the Medical Clinic. If we’re late, Miss Cao will start nagging again. She has to go back to her residence early today. With Commander Cao’s wedding coming up, she needs to go home to handle the shopping… Miss? Are you listening? Miss? Miss…”

The voice grew more and more distant. She fell into a void, her body floating without direction or purpose. All her awareness was dissipating, and perhaps even this body would soon cease to exist.

“KREEE—”

A hawk’s mournful cry, like a hand, seized her tightly…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep