He was decisive and cool, leaving without hesitation. Nanfeng gritted his teeth, knowing his words were true, and said to the remaining officers, “Follow me!”

Indeed, away from the palanquin, the wolves and bì nǔ continued to harass them, but no new ones joined the attack. Each protecting four officers, Nanfeng and Fuyou fought as they went, Fuyou angrily muttering, “Unbelievable, if it weren’t for…”

He stopped, and exchanged a strange look with Nanfeng. Fuyou swallowed his words, looked away, and they continued their hasty retreat.

Around the palanquin, corpses lay scattered on the ground.

The Ruoxie cloth had strangled all the wolves and bì nǔ that had attacked, and returned, automatically wrapping itself around Xie Lian’s wrist. Xie Lian sat quietly in the palanquin, surrounded by endless darkness and the rustling of trees.

Suddenly, everything fell silent.

The wind, the forest, the roars of the monsters—all fell into a sudden silence, as if fearing something.

Then, he heard two soft laughs.

Like a young man, or perhaps a boy.

Xie Lian sat still, saying nothing.

The Ruoxie cloth coiled quietly on his hand, poised to strike. If the newcomer showed any killing intent, it would instantly counterattack tenfold.

However, instead of a sudden attack or killing intent, he waited for something else.

The palanquin curtain was slightly lifted. Through the gap under the red veil, Xie Lian saw someone extend a hand towards him.

The knuckles were clearly defined. A red thread was tied around the third finger, like a vibrant knot of fate on the long, pale hand.

Author’s Note: I won’t reveal the attacker’s identity. You can guess, but you’ll probably be wrong.

Ruoxie (ye) cloth.

To accept or not to accept?

Xie Lian remained calm, not yet deciding whether to remain unmoved or feign panic and cower, but the hand’s owner was patient and graceful. He didn’t move, and neither did the other, seemingly waiting for an answer.

After a while, impulsively, Xie Lian extended his hand.

He stood up to lift the curtain and get out of the palanquin, but the other person had already lifted the red curtain for him. He grasped Xie Lian’s hand, but not too tightly, as if afraid of hurting him, giving a careful impression.

Xie Lian lowered his head, letting him lead him slowly out of the palanquin. He glanced at a wolf corpse strangled by the Ruoxie cloth, and stumbled slightly, gasping and falling forward.

The other person immediately caught him.

In the process, Xie Lian grabbed him back, feeling something cold. The person was wearing silver wrist guards.

These guards were ornate and exquisite, with ancient patterns of maple leaves, butterflies, and ferocious beasts, quite mysterious, and not like anything from the Central Plains, but rather like ancient artifacts from a foreign land. They fit the person’s wrist perfectly.

The cold silver, the pale hand, lifeless, yet with a hint of killing intent and evil aura.

His fall was a feint, a deliberate probe. The Ruoxie cloth was coiled under the wide sleeves of his wedding clothes, ready to strike. However, the other person simply held his hand and led him forward.

Xie Lian, firstly, couldn’t see clearly under the veil and secondly, wanted to stall for time, so he walked very slowly. The other person matched his pace, even occasionally adjusting his grip, as if afraid he might fall again. Despite Xie Lian’s extreme caution, he couldn’t help but think, “If this is truly a groom, he’s incredibly gentle and considerate.”

At that moment, he heard a very delicate tinkling sound. With each step, the sound rang clearly. As he pondered the sound, a low growl from wild beasts suddenly came from all around.

Wild wolves!

Xie Lian moved slightly, and the Ruoxie cloth tightened on his wrist.

However, before he could react, the person holding his hand gently patted his back twice, as if comforting him, telling him not to worry. The pats were incredibly gentle. Xie Lian was slightly stunned, and the growls subsided. Listening closely, he realized the wolves weren’t growling, but whimpering.

It was the whimper of a beast terrified to the point of paralysis, struggling to its death.

His curiosity about the person intensified. He wanted to lift the veil and take a look, but knew it was unwise, so he could only peek through the gap under the red veil. He saw the hem of a red robe. Under the robe, a pair of black boots were walking unhurriedly.

The boots were neatly tucked in, revealing slender, straight legs. They looked very nice as he walked. Two thin silver chains hung from the sides of the boots, tinkling with each step.

The pace was casual and light, more like a boy’s. However, each step was confident, as if nothing could impede his progress. Anyone who dared to block his path would be crushed. Xie Lian couldn’t tell what kind of person this was.

As he pondered, a white thing caught his eye.

It was a skullcap.

Xie Lian paused.

He immediately recognized the problem with the skullcap’s placement. It was clearly a part of some kind of formation. If triggered, the entire formation would attack that point. But the boy seemed not to notice. Before Xie Lian could warn him, a sickening crunch echoed as the boy stepped on the skullcap, crushing it instantly.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he calmly walked over the crushed powder.

Xie Lian: “…”

He had just crushed the entire formation…

At that moment, the boy paused. Xie Lian thought he might act, but the boy only paused briefly before continuing to lead him forward. After a couple of steps, a “drip, drip, drip” sound came from above, like raindrops on an umbrella. The boy had been holding an umbrella over them.

Although inappropriate, Xie Lian couldn’t help but admire his thoughtfulness, but he was still curious, “Is it raining?”

The dark mountains, the vast forest. In the distance, wolf packs howled at the moon. Perhaps due to the recent battle, a faint smell of blood lingered in the cold air.

The scene was eerie. But the boy, holding his hand and holding an umbrella, walked slowly, creating an unexpectedly enchanting and romantic atmosphere.

The strange rain came and went quickly. The sound of raindrops on the umbrella disappeared. The boy stopped, seemingly putting away the umbrella, and finally released his hand, taking a step closer.

The hand that had been holding his gently lifted a corner of the veil.

Xie Lian had been waiting for this moment. He remained still, watching the red curtain slowly rise—

The Ruoxie cloth moved!

Not because the boy showed killing intent, but to strike first!

However, the Ruoxie cloth flew out, creating a gust of wind, and the red veil fell from the boy’s hand. Xie Lian only caught a glimpse of a red-robed boy’s fleeting shadow before the Ruoxie cloth passed through him.

The boy shattered into thousands of silver butterflies, scattering into a dazzling array of sparkling silver light.

Although still inappropriate, Xie Lian stepped back and couldn’t help but marvel at the dreamlike beauty of the scene. A silver butterfly flew past him. Before he could examine it, the butterfly circled him twice, then merged with the others, transforming into a part of the silver light, and flew towards the night sky.