Ink Burns

Chapter 271 Chainmail

"Boom——!"

A thunderclap flashed across the sky, and the bright white light, like the ash scattered from a rock that had been violently struck, drifted through the windowpanes and across the sky.

Shan Yue trembled involuntarily, slowly raised her head, and her deep yet bright gaze met Xue Xiao's.

Before I could even speak, I heard the wind and rain pouring down!

The rain in late autumn and early winter, like bursting rocks, pelted down one after another, heavily on the walls, eaves and corners surrounding the temple!
A lightning bolt, flashing like a bolt of light, pierced through the thick clouds, drowning out all sound.

Xue Xiao suddenly turned his head, his hawk-like eyes fixed on the slightly open threshold of the corridor.

The oil lamps in the veranda swayed in the wind, casting an ever-longer shadow outside the veranda.

Shan Yue quickly lowered her head, blew out the ever-burning lamp given to "Li Yin'er" with a "whoosh," and clutched it in her hand. She tiptoed and moved a lotus bud ever-burning lamp that was crowded in the back row to its original position, arranged the porcelain plaque, and just as the shadow was getting shorter and she stepped over the threshold to enter, she hid the ever-burning lamp in the wide sleeve of the Third Rank Lady's uniform.

Having done everything, Shan Yue turned around.

It was Master Yuexiu, the abbot of Hanshan Temple.

Unlike Yue Ming, the second-in-command of Hanshan Temple, Yue Xiu was older and broader in stature, wearing a golden kasaya. Compared to Yue Ming's ever-present smile, Yue Xiu was a dark-faced Arhat. Under the gray sky and gloomy building, his gaze towards Xue Xiao revealed a strange and scrutinizing look.

"Amitabha, this humble monk happened to be attending a Dharma assembly today and did not see Lord Xue and his wife. My apologies." Yue Xiu's voice was very low.

Xue Xiao looked up, his eyelids lowered, and quietly observed his face.

“Monks are outside the Five Elements, so they don’t have to follow worldly customs,” Shan Yue replied with a smile.

Yue Xiu nodded and smiled: "Amitabha, thankfully Madam is understanding—"

He then turned to Xue Xiao, his attitude inexplicably intimate. After looking at Xue Xiao for a long time, he let out a long, wistful sigh, as if conversing with an old friend: "Qi Shu, you've grown so much! When you were little, this humble monk predicted that you were 'destined by heaven,' cut off from all your relatives, destined to be the death of your mother and father, and that anyone who came near you would face near-death experiences and meet a bad end. But now, seeing your wife by your side, you seem so happy."

Yue Xiu chuckled twice: "Fate is fate. Qi Shu, you should accept your fate, lest unrelated people also suffer the misfortune of being cursed to death by you."

The abbot of Hanshan Temple was the one who divined Xue Xiao's fate as an infant, predicting his "destiny to be cut off by heaven." It was because of this that Xue Changfeng had a good reason to send little Xue Xiao to a Taoist temple to avoid his fate.

As a child, Xue Xiao deeply resented the words "Heavenly Annihilation," and the prophecy of "obstructing his six relatives" clung to him like maggots to his bones—when he was young, he thought it was the reason his father didn't want him. As he grew older, he gradually came to understand that "Earthly Annihilation" meant that the Su family members were long gone, and the Xue family members were dead too. He had no ties and was all alone, so even if it was "Heavenly Annihilation," there was nothing to worry about.

The more you repair, the more you see the moon reflected in the mountains.

Xue Xiao clenched his right fist, the force of his fist filling his sleeve, and when he raised his eyes, a murderous intent suddenly arose in them.

"Does the master have great faith in his own destiny?" Shan Yue smiled, still holding her lips, and walked slowly in front of Xue Xiao, blocking the killing intent emanating from him.

"That's for sure." Yue Xiu also smiled: "I have been a Buddhist monk for forty years. I can read faces, read characters, and predict life and death. In this vast capital city, if I am second, no one dares to claim to be first. Otherwise, I would not have been able to sit in this imperial temple for so many years."

He could have chosen not to come, but Xue Xiao was going to die today, and he had predicted his fate, so there must be some connection between them. He came to take a look and show off how accurate his fortune-telling and face reading were—how could someone in brocade robes travel at night!?

Shan Yue still smiled: "Have you calculated your own fate? When will you die? How will you die?"

Saying the word "death" is considered unlucky.

Yue Xiu's Maitreya-like smile faded slightly: "A monk transcends the Three Realms and remains within the Five Elements; life and death are nothing but emptiness—this humble monk has never calculated for himself."

The curve of Shan Yue's lips gradually widened: "I am good at painting. When painting people, I emphasize the unity of form and spirit. After painting a lot, I have learned some lessons. If a person's form and spirit are separated, at best there will be bloodshed, and at worst, one's life will be in danger. Today, when I looked at the abbot, I saw that his spirit had already reached the beam, circled the beam three times, and there was no way to return. He was left with only an empty shell, talking nonsense aimlessly. I have calculated that your life will definitely not last more than three days."

Your body and spirit have separated, monk, you're not far from death!

Yue Xiu's face darkened, but then he remembered Qingfeng's arrangement. He swallowed his anger, swept his robe on the ground, and turned to leave with a cold laugh: "I have been telling fortunes for decades. I could never have been wrong about Madam Xue's short life and Lord Xue's 'deathly fate'—but you can rest assured, benefactor. I don't tell fortunes for half a lifetime. Only when I breathe my last will my whole life be considered a lifetime."

After saying that, he disappeared into the distance. Xue Xiao pursed his thin lips, but looked at Shan Yue with a slight smile in his eyes: "I never knew you could be so sharp-tongued."

He thought that only his fearless sister-in-law was prone to cursing, while his wife would only kill quietly—the two sisters always had a clear division of labor.

Shan Yue glanced at Xue Xiao: "For a bald monk, one should raise the whip and lash him to death."

As for the poor child who was tricked in the scheme at a young age, we should speak sharply and protect him to the end.

The rain poured down all night. Shan Yue thought Jing An would make his move at Hanshan Temple. He waited all night but nothing happened. The next day, he left through a side gate of Hanshan Temple in his carriage. After traveling half a mile up the mountain, he had just entered a dense forest with tall trees when he heard a soft rustling sound.

The carriage stopped in place and spun around.

Shan Yue gripped the interior wall of the carriage with one hand, her face cold. She lifted the curtain and squinted out through a narrow gap.

Xue Xiao stood on his horse, holding the reins high with both hands. The horse's hooves pounded in place, and the horse raised its head, spraying out several puffs of hot white mist in the rain!
"call out--"

“Swoosh—swoosh—!”

In the blink of an eye, three arrows streaking through the air came flying.

Xue Xiao leaped from his horse like a dragonfly skimming the water, dodging all the hidden arrows with a somersault. He even drew his silver-threaded soft sword from behind and, with two sharp "swish" sounds, precisely deflected the flaming arrows that passed him in mid-air, sending them flying towards the northeast, southwest, and southeast!

Three muffled groans followed!

Immediately afterwards, the fervent energy of blood rose up along with the cold rain and the shade of the trees!

Having been exposed, it was not long before more than thirty masked men sprang out of the deep forest, each holding a knife, their menacing appearance immediately apparent!
Shan Yue stared intently at him without blinking.

The butterfly bone knife pierced Cui Yulang and remained inside his body.

She gripped tightly the thin-bladed dagger that Qiu Yu had given her, which had been licked with poison.

If anyone were to tear open the carriage curtain, she would surely strike with her knife, piercing the person from the top of their head to their jawbone, so that their spirit could soar into the sky and circle around a few times.

Xue Xiao did not give her a chance.

The battle was raging, and Xue Xiao, who always traveled light and simply, only brought two attendants with him. Ji Feng was always fierce and brave, and the other was no less so. They did not allow anyone to get close to them easily while they were fighting on the outskirts. In an instant, the forest was a bloody mess, and the blood was washed away by the rain. The air was filled with a pungent and warm smell of blood!

Shan Yue narrowed her eyes slightly: Does Xue Xiao still have any cards left? Could it be that his last card is himself?!
Shan Yue shook his head inwardly.

No, no, no, no, no matter how crazy Xue Xiao is, he would never let her put herself in danger—when this thought entered her mind, Shan Yue was unconsciously stunned.

The idea came naturally and casually, as if it were a predetermined and unchangeable natural law, and she had already subconsciously accepted this rule.

Shan Yue's throat moved slightly.

Birds love the moon over the mountains.

The birds spoke constantly, day after day, month after month, and the mountain moon heard, understood, and obeyed them.

Even though the Xue Nanfu men were incredibly brave in their fight, they were no match for the many opponents. Moreover, their opponents were all elites. After a few rounds of fierce fighting, Xue Xiao and his two companions were defeated and quickly formed a small circle. Suddenly, a sharp yet long whistle rang out through the forest!
Before long, more than a dozen masked figures sprang out from the east, west, south, and north!

The reinforcements were all lean and tall, wearing chainmail to protect their hearts. Their movements were all based on solid training, and their slashing and thrusting were fluid and coordinated. The whole team seemed to be from a military background!

Is this the Xishan Camp?
Could Xue Xiao have mobilized the Xishan camp?!

Shan Yue was stunned.

The Xishan Camp is a crucial defense for the capital region, holding a prominent position among the sixteen camps of the Nine Provinces. If Xue Xiao is found to have mobilized troops without authorization, the cabinet will have a perfect opportunity to launch an attack!