The street remained bustling, the shouts of vendors continued, as if the earlier incident had never happened.
This is the nature of the capital—any small affair can stir up a commotion, but it subsides quickly. While it seems like everyone cares, in truth, if it doesn't concern them, they won't bother.
What if the matter involves many people?
Speaking of involvement, the girl's actions now are drawing in more and more people.
Ning Yunzhao smiled again.
"Young Master, what's making you so happy?" Xiaoding asked in confusion once more, "You've been smiling quite a lot today."
"It's not as if I usually cry," Ning Yunzhao replied with a laugh, walking forward.
"You're teasing me again, Young Master," Xiaoding grumbled, kicking his heels as he followed.
"My uncle got dismissed from his position; that's hardly a happy event for my family or the emperor. Should I still be grinning like a fool?" Ning Yunzhao said with a smile.
"Then now…" Xiaoding asked.
"Now the negotiations are settled, the citizens are at peace, and Duke of Chengguo has safely returned as per the emperor's orders. Isn't that a joyful event? Of course, I should smile more. What do you expect—walk around sulking and make the dynasty look bad?" Ning Yunzhao said. "Being considerate to others is being considerate to yourself. Don't hit someone's face, and they won't hit yours."
Xiaoding burst into laughter.
"Young Master, here we go again. You're only happy because Miss Jun is coming," he teased.
Without waiting for Ning Yunzhao's response, Xiaoding dashed ahead.
Ning Yunzhao smiled but said nothing, weaving leisurely through the throng of people.
........................
Footsteps shattered the quiet of the forest, startling birds and wild pheasants into a chaotic frenzy.
Miss Jun covered her mouth and nose, sneezing a few times, before squeezing her way out of a thicket in a few quick strides.
A mountain pass appeared before her, with steep cliffs towering high.
Miss Jun let out a breath, unfastened the bundle on her back, and carried it forward. After walking a few steps, she abruptly halted, her gaze cautious as she surveyed her surroundings.
Someone had recently been here.
Was it a nearby villager hunting or gathering firewood, or someone else?
Miss Jun scanned the area, then her eyes lit up as her gaze locked onto the cliff.
Even from a distance, she could clearly make out a figure clinging to the cliffs.
And that person…
"Zhu Zan!"
Miss Jun blurted out and hurried forward.
Standing at the base of the cliff, she tilted her head back for a better look—it was indeed Zhu Zan, whom she hadn't seen for days.
This guy was still here; she had assumed he had already caught up with Duke of Chengguo's team heading to the capital.
Zhu Zan was climbing, carefully yet swiftly descending.
The commotion and her shout made him pause his movements.
"Hey," he gestured at the mountain base, pointing a finger. "Miss Jun, I was here first."
He waved his hand dismissively. "Go away, go away."
He still remembered those words! Miss Jun chuckled, though her brows furrowed as she looked up at him.
This cliff was incredibly steep.
"Hey, be careful!" she called loudly. "Do you need help?"
Zhu Zan laughed aloud. "Don't even think about it," he shouted back. "I know what schemes your mind concocts."
He gestured toward the area beneath him. "Let me tell you—this Immortal Ziying's Plant here is mine. It has nothing to do with you."
He really found it? Miss Jun stepped forward again, squinting toward the cliff.
Among the rugged and crisscrossed rocks, a faintly visible flower swayed slightly.
Excellent.
A smile spread across her face, but in the next moment, it was replaced by alarm.
"Hey, it's dangerous over there—the rocks are mostly loose. Don't go any further…" she shouted sharply.
Before her words were finished, Zhu Zan's body jolted, and with a yell, he began falling down.
Miss Jun also let out a piercing scream, clutching her head.
No, no, no…
Amid her screams came Zhu Zan's hearty laughter.
"Look at you, all flustered," Zhu Zan called out amidst his laughter.
Miss Jun froze, her gaze fixed on him. He was dangling mid-air, swaying gently, a rope tied securely around his waist.
"I'm no fool," Zhu Zan said with a grin, shaking the rope with one hand. He continued rambling, "Don't think you're the only capable one in the world."
Miss Jun wanted to say something but couldn't. She simply stared at him, her expression unyielding.
Zhu Zan mocked her a bit more but stopped when he saw she wasn't responding.
"Just watch—once I grab this herb, we're even," he threw down casually, grabbing onto a rock with one hand and pushing off strongly with his foot to swing toward the spot where the herb was growing.
But just as he was about to secure his position with a rock, the rope tied around his waist unexpectedly came loose from above.
Zhu Zan felt his body lurch, his footing slip, and began falling.
Oh, hell!
This time, he didn't scream aloud but cursed inwardly.
The descending rope, snaking like a serpent, was quite visible from below. Miss Jun observed everything clearly from her vantage point.
Watching Zhu Zan slide and fall once more, Miss Jun still had her hand pressed to her head but refrained from screaming as before.
She merely stared, seemingly as if everything around her had ceased to exist—there was only that person, falling.
Falling.
Rocks tumbling.
Crashing down, like a broken puppet or a shattered clay figure.
So this is how one dies?
Was that moment like this?
The sound of rolling stones echoed continuously, yet the falling figure stopped abruptly.
Zhu Zan, with both feet dangling motionlessly, gripped a jagged rock tightly with his hands, demonstrating remarkable composure as he swung upward, climbing hands and feet together with determination.
Quickly, he reached another spot, drew the knife from his waist, flipped it over, and cut the loose rope from his body. The long rope fell freely to the ground below as his knife skillfully drilled into the cliff for leverage.
In what seemed an instant, he tossed away the knife, grasped the Immortal Ziying's Plant with its long roots in his mouth, and climbed upward, swiftly vanishing from sight.
Miss Jun stood rooted to the spot, completely dazed, uncertain how much time had passed until someone tapped her on the shoulder from behind.
"You must be joking—scared stiff?" Zhu Zan leaned forward, inspecting her intently, his eyebrows raised in amusement.
Miss Jun gazed at him blankly as if her spirit were absent.
Zhu Zan waved his hand before her eyes and laughed heartily.
"So timid?" he teased, though in the next moment, he backed away a step, pointed a finger at her, and said, "Let me warn you—don't pull that act of feigning shock to show how concerned you are for me. I've seen that trick plenty—first, you're panicked and in a tizzy, then you rush over, bubbling over with joy, hugging the person and crying…"
Before he could finish, Miss Jun let out a loud scream and lunged at him.
Zhu Zan also cried out, dodging to the side. Miss Jun arrived a moment late and only managed to grab his sleeve, nearly ripping it off.
"Good thing I was prepared!" Zhu Zan exclaimed, adopting a defensive stance against Miss Jun. "You'll have to try harder if you want to get handsy with me."
Miss Jun's eyes were bloodshot, her face pale with purple tones, and she glowered ferociously at him.
"What's wrong with you?" she finally shouted hoarsely, "What's wrong with you? Are you crazy? Are you insane?"
She kept repeating the same words.
Her state seemed genuinely shaken. Zhu Zan, though vigilant, took a step toward her.
"What could possibly be wrong? I'm just harvesting an herb," he said. "This herb is so rare—it's only natural it's not easy to obtain. Why are you making such a big fuss?"
Miss Jun bit her lower lip, her flushed eyes fixed on him angrily.
Her expression was almost too much to bear.
Zhu Zan took out the Immortal Ziying's Plant from his pocket.
"It's just a bit of an accident—not worth being scared of," he said with a shrug and a laugh, deciding to lighten the mood with a joke. "What's there to be afraid of? I wouldn't possibly die from a fall like that, would I? Who am I? I'm so capable—if I did die like that, it'd be downright ridiculous."
But those words failed to bring levity. His joke hadn't even finished when the young woman who had merely been staring at him abruptly shrieked, grabbed at fallen branches on the ground, and began striking at him hysterically.
"Ridiculous? You're calling me ridiculous?!" she shouted.
Zhu Zan was startled and baffled by her reaction.
"I meant I was ridiculous—why are you hitting me?" he cried, "Did you mishear me or something?"
***************
Thanks for the reward of He's Bi from Ice in the South (*^__^*) Hee-hee...