High-class Spring Joy

It has to be said that martial artists have abundant qi and blood, and their voices are loud and clear. Chen Sha's shout completely dispelled the idyllic atmosphere in this small space.

Qinghe felt as if she had been caught, and as if waking from a dream, she finally realized what she was doing and immediately pushed the person in front of her away.

In particular, Qinghe turned around and didn't dare to look at Chu Jingxian beside her. Not to mention her gaze, she didn't even dare to turn her body towards Chu Jingxian.

Chu Jingxian clenched his fists, his brows furrowing involuntarily. He wanted to raise his hand and slap the person behind him.

Just then, Chen Sha returned from outside carrying firewood and suddenly realized something was wrong.

The space was indeed not bright, with only some firelight illuminating the dimness. Although the eyes of those practicing dance should be brighter and more alert, the space was still quite dark.

Chen Sha didn't notice it when she first entered, but as she walked in, she realized that there was a figure in the dim space, and with it, there were three other people's shadows.

As Chen Sha approached, carrying firewood, he noticed that his young master was sitting next to someone... who appeared to be a girl.

"Young master, who is it? Don't come near my young master!"

Chen Sha couldn't catch up with the firewood in his arms at all. He threw it aside and rushed to the middle of Chu Jingxian and Qing He after taking a few steps.

This completely blocked Chu Jingxian's gaze from looking at Qinghe.

Chu Jingxian: ...

Chu Jingxian clenched his palms on his lap even tighter, his brows furrowed even more, and for the second time felt murderous intent toward the person in front of him.

first…

It's better not to say anything.

Chen Sha had no idea about the complicated relationship between his young master and the person in front of him. When he rushed over from behind, he didn't even see the girl's face clearly and had no idea who she was.

He rushed up and launched into a barrage of questions at the girl in front of him:

"Where did you come from? In this heavy snow, in this icy, snowdrift, there's no way you could have fallen here. How did you find your way here? Did you deliberately approach our young master to try and harm him?"

Qinghe turned her face away out of shame, so Chu Jingxian couldn't see her clearly. Even when Chen Sha rushed up to her, he could only see her profile. It was only in the dim firelight that he could barely make out the girl's red lips and white teeth; the details were very blurry.

As soon as Chen Sha finished speaking, before the person in front of her could reply, nor before the young master behind her could speak, she immediately turned to Chu Jingxian and said, "Young master, you must be careful! How could such a beautiful girl appear in this godforsaken place? Maybe it's just a honey trap set by those people. The last time I saw such a bizarre scene was in a storybook, about Tang Sanzang, who often encountered beautiful female demons on his journey to the West. So, young master, you must not trust this person in front of you, you must not easily trust anyone. This timing is crucial. You absolutely cannot believe anything she says now. Maybe she's just playing the victim, maybe she's pretending to be pitiful to arouse your compassion! Young master, don't let a woman bewitch your mind!"

As the sound of sand sank in front of him resounded, it assaulted Chu Jingxian's eardrums again and again. Chu Jingxian felt his temples throbbing and aching. He had never found the person in front of him so noisy and annoying.

Chu Jingxian reached out and pinched his brow, finding some relief. "Why are you getting more and more talkative every day?"

Chen Sha firmly believed that there could be no innocent beauty in this desolate wilderness; she must have ulterior motives. Moreover, after the perilous situation the young master had faced two days ago, nearly losing his life, Chen Sha was now too lazy to care whether his young master was angry or not. Compared to his anger, life was undoubtedly more important.

"No matter what you say this time, I will never allow you to suffer even the slightest harm. No matter who this person is, I will never let them get close to you. You're alright. A few days ago, it was because I believed that nothing could have happened that I was careless and that you were hurt like this. I will never make the same mistake again. No matter what you say today, even if you send me to the far north after we return, I will not be afraid."

In short, the person before me is definitely not a well-intentioned young master. Forgive my disobedience today, sir. You cannot be easily deceived by weak and delicate women; they are all pink skulls! How could a random woman appear in a place like this? Perhaps it's another of their schemes! Young master, you must not be deceived by a woman!

Chu Jingxian rubbed his forehead, never having felt such a headache before. A hint of helplessness crept into his usually calm voice: "Take a closer look at the person in front of you?"

When Chen Sha heard Chu Jingxian say this, her previously confident demeanor faltered for a moment. She turned her head to look at the girl next to her, but the more she looked, the more she felt that the girl's profile looked somewhat familiar.

Chen Sha leaned closer to look at the person in front of him, somewhat skeptical. The more he looked, the more something seemed off, and the more familiar the girl in front of him looked:

"Young master, doesn't this girl look a bit like Qinghe?"

Chen Sha paused for a moment, then quickly reacted, mustered his courage and walked up to Qing He. He saw Qing He's face clearly, and the next moment Chen Sha's eyes widened in disbelief.

Chen Sha looked as if she had seen a ghost, and Chu Jingxian also looked at Qing He. Qing He was speechless, looking at the master and servant in front of her, especially Chen Sha, but she still managed to force a smile at Chen Sha:

"Sinking Sand Guard, we meet again?"

Qinghe believed that her smile was very kind and friendly.

But to everyone's surprise, the sand in front of them gave them quite a fright.

Shen Sha was so startled by Qing He's face that he jumped back three steps. His eyes widened in shock as he stared at Qing He. Once he was certain that Qing He's face was real, he immediately turned to Chu Jingxian beside him and said very seriously:

"Young Master, this is terrible! It's all their scheme again!! They even knew about Miss Qinghe! They deliberately sent someone to wear a mask that looked exactly like Miss Qinghe to deceive you. What is this if not a scheme? Their intentions are utterly despicable!!"

As Chen Sha spoke, fearing that Chu Jingxian wouldn't believe him and that his young master was still being deceived, he immediately pounced on him, "Young master, please believe me! Look at this woman's face! She looks exactly like Qinghe! If they hadn't deliberately put a human skin mask on her that was identical to Qinghe's, how could there be someone in the world who looks so much like her?! It's absolutely their scheme. They know how important Qinghe is to you, so they dared to be so ruthless. To come up with such a vicious method to impersonate Qinghe and deceive you is simply insidious and cunning, using any means necessary! These people deserve to die! Young master, if you can't bear it, I can kill this girl right now, or knock her unconscious, tie her up, and interrogate her properly to find out who is behind this. To come up with such a treacherous scheme is utterly hateful!!"

Qinghe: ………

Chu Jingxian: ………

Qinghe rarely finds herself speechless after being tricked, but Chensha in front of her did just that, and did it perfectly.

Chu Jingxian received Qinghe's helpless yet pleading gaze and gritted his teeth, saying, "Why can't she be the real Qinghe? Why does she have to be an imposter?"

Qinghe looked at Chensha expectantly, but Chensha waved his hand dismissively. "How could that be? Putting aside the fact that Miss Qinghe is delicate and frail, her slender frame doesn't look like it could be blown away by a strong wind. Just consider this: from Bianjing City to here, to this desolate wilderness, it's at least a thousand miles. How could Miss Qinghe have come all alone? Besides, if Miss Qinghe had come home, wouldn't she have sent a message? What are you doing, Zheji?"

At this point, Chen Sha felt he had finally gained some sense. The more he spoke, the more convinced he became of his point, and the more confident he became: "Even if we put all that aside, you know how dangerous this snowdrift is, young master. Forget about how dangerous Devil City is; just consider this: in this icy wasteland, someone could freeze to death overnight. Even if Qinghe came, how did she get into this snowdrift? And of all the snowdrifts, she just happened to encounter this one, young master. Do you find that believable?"

Before leaving, Chen Sha specifically sought advice from Zhe Ji. His confidant also instructed him to be extremely cautious, as things were not as simple as they were in Bianjing. Chen Sha kept this advice in mind, but despite his careless nature, even with his utmost care, he almost caused the young master to lose his life in the calamity of a few days ago.

So now, Shen Sha has become somewhat obsessed, especially given the obvious situation. Shen Sha is convinced that the Qing He in front of him is an imposter, and sighs:

"My lord, I know how important Qinghe is to you, far surpassing any other woman. It's incomparable. But precisely because of this, I must be cautious. Leaving aside the question of how Qinghe could possibly come in such a dangerous situation, her importance to you is paramount; she could easily influence your safety and emotions. Because you value Qinghe so much, if an enemy were to impersonate her to approach you, you would be completely unprepared. Therefore, I cannot trust her!"

Chen Sha, being a rough man, spoke directly: "I won't beat around the bush with you. Let me put it bluntly: if this person in front of you looked exactly like Qinghe, and she offered you her life, would you refuse? You probably would have given it to her without hesitation, wouldn't you? Even someone as dull-witted as me understands this. There's no guarantee that others won't find out, and even more so, that our enemies won't. That's why I have to be cautious!"

Shen Sha's words were full of earnest advice, but little did he know that Qing He and Chu Jingxian, who were standing nearby, didn't hear them at all.

Qinghe went from being speechless and helpless at the beginning to being shocked and incredulous after hearing Chensha's last words.

Qinghe really couldn't believe what she had heard.

What does it mean that... if she wanted the Third Young Master's life, he would give it to her without hesitation?

Does this reckless man, Chen Sha, even know what he's saying?

But such a seemingly casual remark struck Qinghe's heart like a mountain crashing down, leaving her stunned, disbelieving, and utterly helpless.

she…

She thought... that she was repaying the Third Young Master with her life.

Can…

But is it really true that the Third Young Master would risk his life to protect her?

This idea was too terrifying, too absurd. Qinghe dared not even think about it, nor did she dare to hope for anything more.

Perhaps Qinghe had already guessed something, but she didn't dare to think about it any further.

As Shen Sha was speaking, he suddenly felt a chilling killing intent.

The murderous aura was so powerful and oppressive that Chen Sha immediately shut her mouth. Although she wanted to persuade him further, she was so frightened that she shut her mouth again the moment she turned her head and met her young master's eyes.

In the already dimly lit space, all that could be heard was the crackling sound of burning firewood. The three people were lost in their own thoughts, and none of them spoke.

Chen Sha dared not speak, and Qing He was so shocked that she forgot to speak.

Chu Jingxian couldn't help but want to look at Qinghe, but as soon as his gaze turned, Chu Jingxian felt a splitting headache and a sharp pain in his eyes. He subconsciously reached out and touched his forehead.

"Young Master!!"

Chen Sha was the first to react. Seeing that Chu Jingxian was unsteady and about to fall to the side, she immediately rushed over to support him.

Chen Sha's roar instantly pulled Qing He back to reality. Chu Jingxian instinctively rushed forward and grabbed Qing He's other hand, her expression filled with uncontrollable worry and concern.

"Young master, young master, how are you? Have you overused your eyes and lost your sight again?"

Chu Jingxian didn't speak, his brows were furrowed, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. His face grew paler and paler, looking almost bloodless. His handsome face was filled with suppressed pain, as if he were enduring some immense suffering.

Qinghe didn't expect the person in front of her to speak. In her anxiety, she didn't care whether the person in front of her spoke or not. In her anxiety, she blurted out whatever came to mind:

"But the legendary physician Sai Huatuo isn't here right now, and he's too far away. There's no way to invite him directly. The closest place to this place is Devil City, and there aren't any miracle doctors in Devil City. I'm afraid even a doctor would be out of options. How could he possibly treat your eye condition, young master? It's my fault, it's all my fault. When I left Bianjing, I was in a hurry because I promised Her Highness the Princess. I didn't think to go and find Dr. Sai Huatuo, or even think to get some medicine from him, just in case. It was my oversight. I was too anxious at the time..."

Qinghe spoke at length, clearly overwhelmed with worry. Upon hearing this, Chensha, standing beside her, was stunned, staring at Qinghe in disbelief for a moment before exclaiming, "Could it be... really that you are Miss Qinghe?!"

That's when it dawned on me.

At this moment, Qinghe had no time to care about the sand in front of her!

All her thoughts, filled with satisfaction, were focused on Chu Jingxian alone.

No one paid any attention to the sinking sand.

Chu Jingxian sat by the fire for a moment, noticing the little girl's worry and nervousness beside him. He gently patted the back of her hand and comforted her:

"Don't worry, this happens often. Ever since I fell into this snowdrift that day, it's happened frequently, and my eyesight is sometimes good and sometimes bad."

Chu Jingxian didn't have much of a reaction or thought. He wasn't angry, not at all; in fact, he cherished it very much.

Actually, his eyesight is sometimes good and sometimes bad. Even though he can't say when he will lose his sight, he is very grateful and cherishes it very much. It's better than when he couldn't see at all before.

In fact, he was already extremely grateful that he was able to see Qinghe in front of him this time.

Although Qinghe wasn't as anxious as before after Chu Jingxian said this, she was still worried.

But after resting for a while, seeing that Chu Jingxian's complexion was indeed better than before, Qinghe was not so worried.

Just as Qinghe was putting the firewood she had gathered from the nearby sand into the fire, she heard Chu Jingxian say something beside her:

"Chen Sha, how many times have I told you to be careful when putting out firewood? Don't just throw it around carelessly, what if someone gets hurt?"

As soon as Chu Jingxian finished speaking, Qinghe and Chensha were stunned. After they came to their senses, they looked at Chu Jingxian beside them. Chu Jingxian's peach blossom eyes were fixed on the fire in front of him. His eyes were still so beautiful. The fire was burning brighter and brighter, and the temperature was getting higher and higher, which gradually warmed everyone. But Qinghe and Chensha's hearts were getting heavier and colder.

When that thought popped into her mind, Qinghe couldn't describe what she was thinking. She just felt stiff, her hands and feet trembled, and she felt cold all over. After finally finding her voice, her first words were a question:

"Young master, who did you say was the one who put out the firewood?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Jingxian seemed to understand something and remained silent for a moment, his tone somewhat ambiguous: "What's wrong? It wasn't Chen Sha who put it there. So it was you, Ahe, who put it there?"

After saying this, Qinghe remained silent, as did Chensha, but Chu Jingxian already knew the answer. He smiled coldly and said, "It's alright, I'm used to it. Don't worry too much about Ahe. Maybe she'll be able to see by tomorrow night. But given the current situation, my blindness is probably causing you and Chensha a lot of trouble."

Yes.

Chu Jingxian disappeared again.

Chen Sha added from the side, "Ever since the young master fell into this snowdrift, this has been the situation. If he's lucky, he can see for two or three hours each day; if he's unlucky, he can only see for a short while, the shortest being only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Today, being able to see for so long is actually quite long. The young lady will get used to it. When we return to Bianjing City, we'll go and find Master Sai Huatuo to take a look. Perhaps there will be a new turning point."

Since Chen Sha and Chu Jingxian had both said so, Qing He didn't have much to say. She just wanted to drape the dried bread she had been roasting over Chu Jingxian's shoulders.

Unexpectedly, just as Qinghe made a move, his wrist was grabbed.

Qinghe was taken aback, looking at the person in front of her, about to ask a question when she heard Chu Jingxian speak:

"At a time like this, why would you put this on me? It's too cold here at night, and you're wearing it."

"I have many thick clothes on me. They were all bought with the princess from farmers we passed by on the way. We paid them enough money, so the clothes are of the correct weight. They may not be the most exquisite, but they are very warm. So you don't need to worry, young master."

After saying this, Qinghe used her large hand, which was clenched around her wrist, to drape her skin over Chu Jingxian's shoulder.

This place is indeed dangerous. Under the ice and snow, although it is sparsely populated, wild animals are everywhere. Not to mention that the snowdrifts here are one after another, winding and turning. If they go the wrong way, they may very well stumble into another den of tigers and wolves.

Moreover, the enemy is currently in the open while they are in the shadows. However, if they rashly emerge from this snowdrift where no one dares to enter and are spotted by the enemy, then it will become the case that the enemy is in the shadows while they are in the open.

The reason the enemy dared not make a move was that they did not know much about the terrain. This area of ​​ice and snow was formed by the accumulation of ice and snow over time. Even the locals found it difficult to understand the terrain clearly, let alone outsiders.

So the enemy was gambling that they could get out. After all, they had no supplies or food. In the enemy's eyes, even if they hid in this snowdrift for a long time, they would eventually be unable to hold back and would pop out on their own.

All they can do now is wait and endure.

Wait until the enemy relaxes their guard, until they figure out the terrain of this snowdrift, or until they receive a signal from other possible survivors.

Are we just supposed to stay put and hide in this snowdrift for now?

Even the highly skilled Chen Sha dared not make any rash moves, only daring to go out through the small path he had dug out over the past few days to gather some firewood.

In a sense, the three of them were absolutely safe here. Even if they could find the snowdrift, they wouldn't dare to enter rashly. It was an excellent place to defend, and with Chen Sha's skills, it was like one man could hold off ten thousand.

The night grew darker, and the fire crackled and popped as it burned.

Qinghe leaned against the side, looking at Chu Jingxian not far away. Perhaps because she was too tired, she actually fell asleep while looking at him.

When Qinghe woke up the next day, she had forgotten when she had fallen asleep.

I felt a heavy weight on my shoulders and looked down to find that I was covered by two layers of cloaks.

Qinghe looked up and realized that neither Chen Sha nor Chu Jingxian, who were sleeping against the wall, were wearing cloaks.