That wretched vixen has disguised herself as my wife!

Jiang Jingming leaned on the railing, thinking that the ferry crossing in Fengling City seemed to carry an inherent sense of sorrow at parting.

Beside the large ship they had acquired, an inconspicuous small boat was moored. The boatman, his straw hat pulled low, paced back and forth on the deck, seemingly waiting for something.

They were acting suspiciously; it was obvious at a glance that they were carrying some illegal goods.

Jiang Jingming rested his chin on his hand, looking utterly bored.

The city has very severe penalties for smuggling, but some desperate criminals still take the risk and use fishing as an excuse to cross the river to trade.

Jiang Jingming wasn't interested in this, but if this guy attracted the authorities, the first one to be arrested might not be him, but a group of wanted criminals trying to escape by sea.

An old fisherman wearing a straw raincoat walked over from the riverbank, took out a short flute from his pocket with his withered hand, and blew three notes in quick succession.

Long, short, long.

This seemed to be some kind of code; the boatman pushed off with his bamboo pole and quickly approached him.

The old fisherman hung his head and remained silent.

After the boat came to a stop, the boatman tapped the mast with a bamboo pole.

After a brief silence, a group of about a dozen little girls emerged from the cabin.

Jiang Jingming was slightly taken aback.

Under current laws, the sale of slaves is legal.

But the fact that he's doing this business so secretly is very suspicious; he's most likely a human trafficker.

The little girls were all dressed in the same tattered gray cloth clothes, which looked no different from those torn from the dead.

They stood with their heads down, barefoot on the deck, shivering involuntarily as the autumn wind blew.

The boatman, one hand pressing down on his straw hat, spoke mysteriously:

"The homeless children all come from clean backgrounds and are very well-behaved. They just need to have food to eat. Do you see any that catch your eye?"

The old fisherman did not answer him, but instead raised his cloudy, aged eyes and scanned the little girl over and over.

It's probably an old bachelor buying himself a retirement insurance policy.

Jiang Jingming understood.

Finally, the old fisherman pointed to one of the little girls.

The boatman exclaimed "Hey!" and kicked the little girl in the back, pushing her ashore.

"Time to enjoy life!"

The little girl lowered her head slightly and climbed up the riverbank using both her hands and feet.

The old fisherman coughed, shook his head, took a pair of cloth shoes from the fish basket on his back, and handed them to the girl.

An old man and a young boy walked slowly away, hand in hand.

The boatman bowed and scraped as he accepted the money, his fawning smile vanishing as soon as the two figures disappeared from sight.

"Damn it, I've come all this way through so much trouble, how am I supposed to sell all this money-losing stuff?"

He turned and glared at the remaining girls, then swung his hand and slapped one of the girls who was already standing on the edge, knocking her to the ground and causing her head to hit the railing hard.

"Get back here, all of you! Are you trying to get attention by standing here?"

The girls were startled and timidly lined up, returning to their cabins.

Only the little girl who had been slapped seemed to have hit the ground hard, and couldn't get up for a long time.

The enraged boatman pulled out his bamboo pole and strode aggressively toward her.

The little girl raised her head, and the breeze from the river gently blew her messy, disheveled hair aside.

Jiang Jingming saw a pair of clear, clean, dark eyes.

He had expected her to be panicked, or perhaps angry and resentful.

But there was nothing there; her eyes reflected only the shadows of flocks of geese flying overhead, empty and desolate, like an ancient mirror untouched by dust.

What is reflected in the mirror is what it is; a flock of geese is a flock of geese, drifting clouds are drifting clouds, and the sky is the sky.

The shadow of the bamboo pole had fallen on her face. She blinked slightly but didn't try to block it, still gazing blankly into the distance.

Then a ripple suddenly appeared in her eyes.

As someone jumped from the large ship next to them onto the small boat, the boat began to rock violently.

The boatman lost his footing and fell into the water, swallowing several mouthfuls of river water. Enraged, he clung to the deck and roared:

"Sailinmu! Where did this brat come from?!"

Jiang Jingming didn't know why he jumped down. He knelt on the deck, his knees aching from the impact.

The girl stared blankly at him, her pale face bearing several red welts from being whipped.

Jiang Jingming looked at his reflection in her eyes and fell silent for a while for no apparent reason.

The two gazed at each other quietly, like two stray animals who had finally found companions to travel with, but before they could fully trust each other, they still needed to test each other carefully.

It's as if they want to see through each other's eyes to understand each other's true feelings.

Chapter Fifteen: Ah Qing Accompanies the Young Master

The boatman, cursing and swearing, climbed onto the deck, about to teach this reckless brat a lesson, when a crescent-shaped dagger was placed against his neck.

The chilling murderous aura emanating from the knife was unmistakable; the boatman, terrified, dared not move an inch and dropped the bamboo pole in his hand.

"Little Lord."

A steady voice came from behind, seemingly tinged with helplessness.

Jiang Jingming stood up, still looking down at the pale and thin girl.

"I'm taking her with me."

"Young Master, our journey is long and arduous; we must not cause any trouble. This child's origins are unknown; I'm afraid..."

"I do not care."

Jiang Jingming did not turn around.

"Young Master, you saved one child this time, but what about the others?"

A sigh came from behind.

Jiang Jingming turned his head and saw the curious glances from the other girls in the cabin.

"Give them some money and set them free."

"Um, I... I didn't say I wanted to sell it? What's the price?"

The boatman's voice trembled.

He had been in this line of work for many years and considered himself the savior of these children.

Anyway, they're homeless no matter where they are. If he kidnaps and sells them, at least they can at least get some food and won't starve to death.

So even though they don't cost money to acquire them, they habitually haggle over the price when they sell them, since the food and travel expenses along the way are real.

He'd encountered robbery gangs before, but this time, he clearly hadn't grasped the situation.

The person behind him let out a cold laugh, and the next second, the curved blade slit his throat.

He didn't utter a sound, then everything went black and he collapsed.

The girls in the cabin huddled together in fear, covering their mouths and afraid to make a sound.

Only the girl in front of him remained quiet. She looked up and gazed intently at the boy who had fallen from the sky.

"What's your name?"

Jiang Jingming suspected that the girl was mute, after all, she had been beaten so badly and hadn't uttered a sound.

The girl blinked.

Just when Jiang Jingming was almost convinced that he had guessed correctly, she spoke.

"Aqing."

The sound was light and airy, like a wind chime that swayed by in an instant.

"Aqing?"

Jiang Jingming read the name aloud.

They have no surname, only a nickname; this is probably the case for most homeless children.

Jiang Jingming paused slightly, then reached out his hand to her.

"follow me."

The girl named Aqing stared at him intently, the wind blowing her hair and his robes fluttering.

Time seemed to stand still. Jiang Jingming's arm ached from being raised, but he remained motionless, as if he had become a stubborn stone statue.

Neither of the two children moved, and He Quan, standing behind them, dared not move either. He vaguely sensed that something was quietly changing between the two of them.

Perhaps some lifelong bonds begin out of nowhere, like the first clap of thunder in spring that awakens one from a deep dream.

She slowly took his hand.

Jiang Jingming originally wanted to say something else to persuade her.

What? I'm a good guy? Follow me and you'll live a life of luxury and never get beaten up again! Look, even that fierce-looking uncle just now called me "Young Master"...

But in the instant their hands clasped, all of that was unnecessary to say.

She believed him.

Nobody knows why.

......

The young female slave who was suddenly bought did not attract much attention from the Duyue Cult.

After all, Jiang Jingming was only six years old at the time, so it was normal for him to want to buy a playmate of the same age to accompany him.

Once Aqing boarded the ship, she quickly washed up and changed into a clean set of clothes.

Only then did everyone realize with shock that this homeless child was so beautiful.

Her face always had no expression, like a delicate and translucent white porcelain doll.

She didn't like to talk much and always followed silently behind the young master. Gradually, no one paid attention to her pretty little face anymore.

And so the two children, hand in hand, traveled through the stormy Posuo River, the bustling city of Shulan, and the vast grasslands, finally settling in the remote and desolate desert where the wind and sand blew in their faces.

In the days that followed, Jiang Jingming and the protectors of the Duyue Sect schemed against each other and caused trouble, and Aqing followed him in being punished without complaint.

Jiang Jingming was kept behind by Master Han, so Aqing copied those obscure and difficult ancient books for him over and over again.

Jiang Jingming was punished with a cane by Madam Song, and Aqing grabbed Madam Song's clothes, begging to take the beating in his place.

Jiang Jingming got the sugar figurine from Shen Zhuo and gave it to A Qing, but she was always reluctant to eat it.

As a result, it melted in the sun, and she secretly felt sad for a long time.

Later, when Jiang Jingming learned to use a knife, A Qing followed suit and learned to use a knife as well.

Jiang Jingming learned a style of fighting head-on, charging forward without hesitation, a style imbued with a lofty and chivalrous spirit.

Ah Qing learned the most direct and ruthless methods of killing. She didn't care whether the moves were honorable or not, nor did she care whether she had to live like a shadow that never sees the light of day.

And so, spring passed by with flowing water and falling flowers, and ten years flew by in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Jingming had become accustomed to the reassurance of Aqing always being by his side, so the various uncertainties of the world seemed nothing to be afraid of.

If anyone tries to shatter this peace of mind in the future...

Then kill him!

Jiang Jingming suddenly opened his eyes.

I don't know if I woke up from a dream or from a memory.

The first thing you see is the white cloth covering the tent roof, and you can faintly hear the chirping of birds. The aroma of burning mugwort lingers in the air.

Jiang Jingming sat up and found himself lying in the tent he had slept in the day before the Canglang Tournament.