Chapter 15 – Will You Come With Me?

With Fang Yu’s current sensitivity, there was no way she wouldn’t notice someone following her.

She had already caught on to Chen Ping’s gaze two days ago. Just yesterday, at her doorway, she saw how he stared at her and her father’s empty basket with that thoughtful look—she had noticed everything.

Truthfully, she had no intention of letting Chen Ping off.

No matter how upright he pretended to be, the filthy look he gave her the very first time she woke up had immediately marked him in her mind as dangerous.

And indeed, when she said nothing, his body language relaxed—yet that reaction revealed everything.

Later, as she pieced together broken fragments of memory, she guessed what must have happened to the body’s original owner. The terror that led to a raging fever, and ultimately death, made everything clear.

Whether it had been forced or not, since she had taken over this body, it was only right that she avenge the original. It was a matter of principle.

Whether the original soul lingered or not didn’t concern her—she would simply do what she believed was right.

If not for the need to settle this pest before her departure, she would have sent him westward to the afterlife already. Why waste time dragging things out like this?

The last thing she wanted was to leave today only to have government officials come chasing after her tomorrow. If waiting one more day could save her some trouble, she’d wait.

On the way out earlier, she had checked carefully to make sure no one had seen him following.

As long as she stalled until tomorrow, who would care even if his body were discovered?

Dusting her hands, she strolled lazily toward her chosen destination.

This time, she picked a secluded spot, one where no eyes would ever see.

Meanwhile, as soon as Chen Ping entered the forest, he relaxed. Glancing around, he finally caught sight of her faint silhouette in the distance.

His heart leapt with delight, and he hurried after her.

At first, he worried she might suddenly turn back and catch him. He ducked behind cover a few times, but after realizing she never looked back, his curiosity about her destination only deepened.

They continued in this strange chase for about half an hour before her figure stopped.

Chen Ping looked around. It was a hidden little ledge—sheer cliffs on two sides, the path they came from behind, and ahead, nothing but a rocky mountain wall.

But where was she?

He had clearly seen her arrive here!

Scanning carefully, his eyes caught something odd—a patch of vines clinging to the rock wall seemed… off.

He approached and pushed aside the withered vines. To his surprise, there was a natural cave hidden behind them.

His eyes gleamed with interest. So she’s inside? What could she be doing here? Besides, wasn’t this place…

Without hesitation, he bent down and entered. After a few moments, his eyes adjusted to the dim light. The cave was entirely natural, carved from stone.

Moving deeper, faint sounds reached his ears.

It was her.

Unable to contain his excitement, a smile curled at his lips as he stepped inside.

“Who’s there?”

“It’s me!” he answered smoothly.

“How are you here?”

“What do you think?”

“Get out!”

He ignored the anger on her face, stepping toward her one pace at a time.

That face, the one that haunted his every thought, was beautiful even when furious. His tongue darted across his lips. The façade of righteousness he usually wore fell away, replaced by unrestrained obsession.

“Last time you slipped away. This time, let’s see where you can run. You picked this place, didn’t you? Not bad. Even if you scream your lungs out, no one will hear.”

He reached out to grab Fang Yu, but she sidestepped lightly, avoiding him.

Men, it seemed, loved this game of chase and escape. With mocking amusement, he maneuvered around her in the small space, pressing the hunt. Fang Yu, caught off guard for a moment, allowed him to seize her arm.

Chen Ping finally had her. His face leaned closer, eager, completely oblivious to the icy indifference in her eyes.

And then—

Puchi!

The sound of a blade piercing flesh froze his movement.

Then came another thrust. And another. Each strike precise, ruthless, and leaving no room for survival.

He shoved her away with all his strength, but Fang Yu only staggered back two steps.

Something hot and wet poured rapidly from his body. Gasping, he looked down—scarlet blood filled his vision, searing his eyes.

He lifted a trembling hand toward her, as if to speak, but no words left his lips.

“You tried to force her last time,” Fang Yu said coldly, arms crossed, “and she went home sick, fevered, and died because of it. This… counts as avenging her. You owed her this.”

She stood watching as his blood trickled down the stone, her expression untouched.

As his consciousness dimmed, Chen Ping had a fleeting realization: That’s right… Fang Yu may have been quiet before, but her eyes were never this cold. Why didn’t I notice?

Or maybe… we never really knew her at all. If the Fang family girl had been replaced, would anyone even realize…?

His body stiffened, life fading away.

Fang Yu calmly drew her dagger back out, wiped it clean on his clothes, and with disdain, checked his money pouch. Waste shouldn’t go unused.

After tidying herself, she turned and continued toward the back mountain.

With Chen Ping dead, a strange sense of lightness settled over her.

She stopped by a small brook to wash her hands and face clean, then headed to the grove she had visited several times before.

No sooner had she sat down than movement stirred in the distance. With a rush of wind, two small creatures landed neatly on her shoulders.

Her smile blossomed naturally as she reached up to stroke their heads, before beginning her cultivation.

The little ones had grown accustomed to staying close to her, willingly absorbing the faint threads of spiritual energy she channeled into their tiny bodies.

Yes, they too sometimes shared in a trace of her spiritual qi.

They loved it dearly. And perhaps it was her imagination, but after absorbing qi, their eyes seemed to sparkle with even greater liveliness.

Not greedy, the creatures leapt to the ground, chirping and gesturing happily. Fang Yu couldn’t help but laugh and nod in approval.

She let the two little ones keep watch.

Every time she cultivated, this was what they loved most—standing guard, one on each side, flanking Fang Yu protectively. Though weak themselves, they never showed a trace of fear.

Fang Yu thought to herself: Is it really favoritism if I adore them a little more?

Even if spiritual energy was scarce, she still enjoyed sitting cross-legged in meditation like this.

When she opened her eyes again, most of the day had already passed.

The small creatures that had been squatting by her side instantly straightened their bodies the moment she stirred—adorably earnest, like tiny sentinels.

Before Fang Yu could speak, they scampered off again. In no time, each returned with a plant in its mouth, dropping their offerings at her feet.

She was already used to this. In her mind, it was like the two little ones bringing her “local specialties”—perhaps small, but never absent.

Not rejecting their goodwill, she bundled the unfamiliar plants together and tucked them into her basket. Then she asked them gently,
“I’ll be leaving here tomorrow. Will you come with me? If you want to, wait here for me tomorrow. When I pass by, I’ll take you with me—to live somewhere else. How about it?”

Their bright, eager eyes sparkled with excitement, and she couldn’t help but smile softly in response.

After saying goodbye to her little squirrel friends, Fang Yu headed home in high spirits. On the way, she casually gathered a few wild thorn berries, and returned with an otherwise empty bamboo basket.

By evening, she and her father once again cooked a simple pot of porridge. Then, under the cover of night, they slipped quietly to the Xu household.

This time, the Xu family was clearly ready.

Xu Jiang told her that his in-laws would meet them at the foot of the mountain the following evening.

Yes—their plan was to leave at night.

If not for the fact that moving by day would draw too much attention, they would have preferred daytime travel.

Thinking of Chen Ping’s corpse in the cave, Fang Yu added,
“There’s no need to stick too rigidly to the schedule. If something unexpected happens tomorrow, we can split up on the way up the mountain and regroup inside. If anyone can leave early, then leave early. As for the other families…”

“I’ll handle it,” Xu Jiang said. “I’ll go talk to them later. Once we’re in the mountains, as soon as everyone is together, we’ll depart.”

What he didn’t say out loud was that the county had been restless these past two days. More and more local gentry were fleeing with their households, while rumors spread wildly in the city. Many agreed on one point: Qingzhou was on the verge of chaos.

But even knowing this, few were willing to abandon their homes so easily. A house was the root of a family—who wouldn’t hope for a miracle?

Xu Jiang’s employer had already left long ago, urging him to take his family and go as well. Most weren’t optimistic. No one could guarantee what tomorrow would bring.

On his way back, Xu Jiang happened to run into the village head, whose face looked grim.

Everyone hoped they could at least make it safely until tomorrow evening. But life had a way of delivering exactly what people feared most…