That wretched vixen has disguised herself as my wife!

"Huh? It doesn't hurt!"

Xie Yunqi, still somewhat dazed, straightened up in his arms.

"hehe."

Jiang Jingming forced a cold laugh through gritted teeth.

He felt as if all the bones in his body were falling apart, and he vaguely remembered the last time he was in this state was when he was a child practicing swordsmanship with Gu Tinghan.

The girl's sweet peach blossom scent slightly dispelled the discomfort of the surrounding environment, and he calmed down and sat up as well.

Xie Yunqi strained to open his eyes in the darkness, but still couldn't see anything.

Jiang Jingming tried to feel around to figure out where he was.

It seems I touched something I shouldn't have.

Her skin was delicate and soft, like a piece of fine, warm white jade, and one could vaguely feel the slender bones of her thighs.

"Where are you touching, you idiot?!"

Just as he felt the other person's hand about to slap his face, Jiang Jingming decisively withdrew his hand.

Xie Yunqi angrily rolled off him, his head practically steaming with rage.

"lecher!!!"

She cursed angrily, feeling her face burning hot.

Even though it was such a dangerous moment, my mind was in turmoil and I couldn't calm down. I could hear my own heart pounding.

Someone coughed and chuckled in the darkness.

"You're still laughing!"

Xie Yunqi finally couldn't resist the urge to strangle this hypocritical rogue.

Jiang Jingming's raised wrist was gently grasped, and his tone became serious again.

"Stop fooling around."

He slowly stood up, raised his hand and reached above his head, successfully touching the ceiling.

It was damp and filled with moisture.

"We're probably in an abandoned cellar used for storing food."

Jiang Jingming pondered for a long time before making a decision.

"how do you know?"

Miss Xie temporarily suppressed her resentment at being taken advantage of.

Jiang Jingming gripped the scabbard and tapped the ceiling he could reach several times.

The voice was muffled and hoarse, as if it had been swallowed up.

"The smell here is very strong, like moldy grains and pickled vegetables, and in addition, there is the stench of cannibals."

Before Jiang Jingming could finish speaking, Xie Yunqi quickly held his breath and spoke in a muffled voice.

"I couldn't smell it if you hadn't told me!"

"If I'm not mistaken, this might be its hiding place."

Jiang Jingming brandished his sword sheath, attempting to dispel the lingering scent in front of the two men:

"We actually tracked it down to its home."

"Then how do we get out?"

Xie Yunqi kicked his leg, hitting the step he had just rolled down, and felt a surge of joy:

"The stairs are here!"

"When we fell down, did you hear a loud bang? That was the cellar door closing."

Jiang Jingming tilted his head back, unable to feel a single ray of light.

"Although we hate to admit it, we were outsmarted by a strange thing that seemed to have no intelligence and fell into its trap."

Chapter Forty-Six: Fate

Xie Yunqi asked with a bitter face:

"What should we do then?!"

"wait."

Jiang Jingming sat down on the ground, placing Wujiu across his lap, adopting a "what's done is done" attitude.

Xie Yunqi squatted down and reached out to touch the hem of his robe, feeling a little relieved.

"What are you waiting for?"

"Aqing will find us."

Jiang Jingming closed his eyes, his tone resolute.

Xie Yunqi remained silent in the darkness for a while, then couldn't help but ask:

"How did you and Aqing meet?"

"We've known each other since we were kids."

Jiang Jingming paused, then thought that telling part of the truth about this matter wasn't a big deal.

“When I was six years old, I saw a human trafficker selling children and I chose her.”

How many children are there in total?

"I don't remember, maybe a dozen or so."

"Then why was Aqing chosen in particular?"

Xie Yunqi was very curious.

She deliberately wanted to find topics to talk about with Jiang Jingming, so that she would be less resistant and afraid of the darkness around her.

But now I really do want to know.

Jiang Jingming thought for a moment, then shook his head and said:

"do not know."

"what?"

Xie Yunqi was very dissatisfied with this answer.

After all, in the world of young ladies, everything needs a reason.

When she turned eight, she said she wanted a kitten, which caused a stir among cat owners throughout the capital, who all chose the most beautiful and exquisite kittens to win the favor of this young lady.

In the end, Xie Yunqi chose a listless stray orange cat with a missing piece of its ear, probably bitten by a rat while it was a stray.

The butler who was presiding over the ceremony was shocked when he saw the orange cat, fearing it would spoil the young lady's mood. However, when he questioned her, no one knew who had given her the cat.

It probably walked alone through the high walls and crowds to stand beside the pampered and docile cats.

Xie Yunqi decided to keep it the moment he saw it.

Of course there's a reason; it's because his eyes felt familiar to her, like those of a friend who had passed away.

"Some things just don't have a reason. You're standing there, and suddenly you feel that fate is telling you to save her, so you go. It's that simple."

Jiang Jingming's voice sounded even quieter in the darkness.

Xie Yunqi opened his eyes, wanting to know what his expression was, but he couldn't see it.

"Like right now, I think Aqing will find us in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Do you believe me?"

He chuckled softly, but his tone was serious, not like he was joking.

Xie Yunqi hesitated for a moment, then, like a child, he waved his arm.

"Let's make a bet!"

"Okay, what's your bet?"

With nothing else to do, Jiang Jingming was happy to play gambling games with the young lady to pass the time.

Anyway, he won't lose.

"Um......"

Xie Yunqi thought for a moment.

"I originally wanted to bet on the jade on my sword tassel, but I figured you wouldn't want it anyway, so I'll bet on a wish instead!"

"desire?"

Jiang Jingming raised an eyebrow.

"Any wish."

Xie Yunqi rarely got serious, speaking slowly and deliberately:

"If you win, I'll grant you anything I can do."

"Then I'll go with you."

Jiang Jingming laughed, deliberately drawing out his words:

"You'll agree to anything?"

"Correct!"

Xie Yunqi nodded firmly, then realized something was wrong and hurriedly waved his hands in denial:

"Hey!! This absolutely cannot be related to innocence!!! Otherwise, I'll chop you up!!!"

"Eh? A word once spoken cannot be taken back."

Jiang Jingming hadn't originally thought of it that way, but hearing how nervous she was, he couldn't help but tease her a few more times.

"I'm talking about fame, fortune, gold, silver, and all that stuff, okay?!"

"But I don't need these."

"lecher!"

......

Xie Yunqi made a scene again until Jiang Jingming admitted it was a joke, and only then did she feel relieved.

"Half of the incense stick's time has already passed!"

She exhaled, belatedly realizing how cool the cellar was.

"Ah."

Jiang Jingming didn't seem nervous at all.

"Why are you so sure Aqing can find us?"

Xie Yunqi hugged his knees, deep in thought.

"I'm not questioning your telepathic connection, I'm saying, how can you be so sure she could find us so quickly and successfully?"

"When we first discovered the man-eating ghost, the three people walking in front of us were no more than a hundred paces away, yet they didn't hear us and turn around."

Jiang Jingming stroked Wujiu in his palm, feeling the fine lines on the scabbard.

"This means that after they entered the village, they discovered an even stranger scene, which drew their attention away. By the time they came to their senses, we had already chased after the cannibalistic ghost. At this point, they would definitely prioritize following our trail and finding us first."

"But it was dark, and we were chasing it through a maze of twists and turns. How could it be so easy to track?"

Xie Yunqi frowned, finding it hard to believe Lu Zhao.

This guy is a rigid, inflexible soldier who only knows the ways of the army and doesn't know how to adapt.

Jiang Jingming couldn't say that this was A Qing's area of ​​expertise, so he could only skip the topic and continue talking.

"If we follow our previous deductions, this cellar and this courtyard are the cannibal's home, then this cellar is probably where it stores food."

"food?"