Huo Xiao Di’s own right leg, numbed from the same palm strike and their relentless flight, had lost all sensation. But at this moment, he couldn’t afford to pay attention to his own pain.
Tearing a strip from the hem of his yellow robe, he clumsily worked to stop Zhan Ri Fei’s bleeding, pressing acupuncture points to stem the flow and tying off the wound.
Zhan Ri Fei was utterly drained.
Struggling to speak, he gasped, “Leave me… Don’t worry about me. Go, now.”
But Huo Xiao Di acted as if he hadn’t heard.
His lips were tightly pursed, his expression anxious and grim. His hands, already smeared with Zhan Ri Fei’s blood, worked quickly and methodically.
Just as he bent down to tighten the makeshift bandage, there was a soft sound—a faint “thud”. The scroll he had tucked into his robes slipped out, rolled across the floor, and came to rest in the corner of the granary, partially unfurled.
Huo Xiao Di’s expression changed immediately. It was the portrait-scroll. He couldn’t let Zhan Ri Fei see it!
—But why? If the portrait was of him, and Zhan Ri Fei had already seen him and spent time by his side, why did he not want Zhan Ri Fei to look at it?
Huo Xiao Di shot a quick glance at Zhan Ri Fei, who was now barely conscious, his eyes closed and his breathing shallow. Seeing that he hadn’t noticed the fallen scroll, Huo Xiao Di couldn’t help but feel relieved. He darted to the corner, reaching for the scroll to retrieve it.
The scroll lay half-unfurled on the floor.
The white paper, soaked in mud and water, was stained with splotches from its earlier fall.
Grabbing the scroll, Huo Xiao Di moved to roll it up and put it away. But his eyes froze as he glanced at the image.
—It wasn’t what he thought. The portrait wasn’t of him.
—The face on the scroll was Zhan Ri Fei’s!
* * *
Zhan Ri Fei, lying in the corner of the granary, began coughing again.
Huo Xiao Di hurriedly hid the scroll behind his back.
But in front of Zhan Ri Fei, it seemed Huo Xiao Di could hide nothing. His gaze, steady and penetrating, seemed to have already uncovered every secret.
Slowly, Huo Xiao Di brought his hand from behind him. In it, he tightly clutched the scroll.
Although the scroll was rolled up, Zhan Ri Fei appeared to already know its contents.
Casting a faint glance at Huo Xiao Di, he said softly, “Does it look like me?”
Huo Xiao Di still hadn’t recovered from his shock. He murmured, “So, they weren’t looking for me after all.”
His emotions began to stir, growing more agitated.
—“So the soldiers we ran into earlier, when they shouted those words, they were referring to you, not me.”
—“So the wanted criminal the Xiang Yang Prince’s manor is after is you! Blocking the postal stations, sealing the city gates, halting the horse markets—all of it was because of you!”
He fixed his gaze on Zhan Ri Fei and demanded, enunciating each word, “Who are you?”
This was a question he had asked several times before.
And it was a question Zhan Ri Fei had never had the chance to answer.
Would he answer it this time?
Zhan Ri Fei spoke calmly, “Who I am no longer matters now. It seems that if we continue traveling together toward the capital, I will only drag you down. The pursuers will arrive soon—you should leave quickly.”
Yet, despite his composed tone, his weariness and weakness were unmistakable.
Huo Xiao Di cried out hoarsely, “You want me to leave you behind?”
Zhan Ri Fei replied, “Without me, they won’t be able to catch you.”
Huo Xiao Di retorted, “Why should I leave? I— I refuse to leave! I’ll stay here and fight them to the death!”
Zhan Ri Fei’s lips, dry and cracked, were bloodless. Blood seeped faintly from the corner of his mouth, but he managed a weak smile. “You’re spouting nonsense again. Did I ever say I planned to stay here and fight them? Besides, if anything were to happen to you, someone in the capital would truly be heartbroken.”
He sighed softly and continued, “I only meant that if we split up, we’ll move faster.”
Huo Xiao Di looked at him, as though he hadn’t heard a word.
—How could he possibly walk when he couldn’t even stand?
0 Comments