The Divine Capital was the home of the Jin Emperor on top of being the greatest city in the dynasty.
The areas outside were naturally guarded with numerous army camps. Anyone who wanted to touch the capital must pay a monstrous price.
There were nine gates and seventy-two towns protecting the capital like stars surrounding the moon. There were guards everywhere on the path to the capital. Even the water route required going through many posts.
“Gaga.” Wild geese were uniformly flying southward, each was as big as a dustpan. It was a sunny day but the air felt quite refres.h.i.+ng on the path through Rouge Maple. Red leaves were fluttering to the wind.
Feng Feiyun wore a white daoist robe with a carefree temperament just like a scholar. He stepped on the leaves and stared at the red scene before him: “Winter comes at the end of autumn.”
“The winter at the capital is always bleak. When snow falls, many beggars will die on the street. People will collect their bodies like trash in the early morning and dump them in the river outside the city.” Xiaoxiang looked a bit flimsy yet still lovely in her purple dress while walking behind him.
“There are beggars here too?” Feiyun thought that only cultivators were there, that it was a debaucherous paradise.
“As long as there are people, there will be beggars.” Xiaoxiang answered before suddenly stopping.
Feiyun also stopped and turned back only to find her glistening eyes like two grapes that have just fallen into the river: “We’re about to reach the biggest southern town outside the capital. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely take you to the capital.”
“Back to the Beauty’s Smile Pavilion.” She said.
“That’s right.” Feiyun replied.
Xiaoxiang bit her lips before slightly opening them to say: “I don’t want to go back. Feng Feiyun, take me away from the capital and I’ll follow you anywhere, even to the edge of the earth…”
Who knows how much courage she needed to utter these words. Her voice became quieter as she spoke so she was the only one who could hear the last words.
Feiyun was surprised. Even though she kept it discrete, anyone who wasn’t a fool could understand her message.
However, he didn’t have that type of feelings for her. He didn’t care for the consequence when having physical relations.h.i.+ps with the demonesses from the heretical school and went as far as to force himself on them. However, against someone are pure and kind as Xiaoxiang, he would never touch her if he couldn’t give her a good future.
Xiaoxiang pursued love and freedom. She could hide in the mountains and play her flute by the river, dance on the branches, make tea with the early morning dew. At night, she could stare at the moon and peacefully followed the musical path. She yearned for a life of peaceful serenity.
Feiyun couldn’t do that. There was no way for him to spend his life in that manner. People wouldn’t allow him to do so. The forefather from the Feng for one, the Evil Woman, and those in the world who didn’t want to see him mature.
If there was one day when he could accomplish all of his goals and no one else could threaten him and his loved ones, then perhaps he could say yes to Xiaoxiang. The present wasn’t it.
“Sorry…” He wanted to continue saying, “for misleading you,” but he couldn’t speak because her eyes were full of tears.
XIaoxiang felt something uncomfortable by her chest and immediately said: “I… I don’t know what I’m saying. Forget it, I didn’t say anything, didn’t say anything…”
With that, she turned and ran despite her muddled glare. It was as if her pride had been inadvertently trampled: ‘Xiaoxiang, you silly girl, how could you think that the number one genius in the world could abandon fame and live a reclusive life with you… can you stop dreaming?’
She started sobbing as her tears fell onto the leaves, issuing pattering sound just like the light autumn drizzle.
Feiyun took a deep breath with a tinge of sadness. He stared ahead and found a long, purple flute among the leaves.
This was her beloved flute, there was no way she could have dropped it by accident.
“I hope that you will be able to find the life you want, freedom, peace, and full of love. I can’t give it to you.” Feiyun put away the flute before heading towards the capital.
His lonely figured walked through the sky full of falling leaves.
Rouge Maple Mountain where the leaves were even redder than rouge. [1]
In a gurgling stream surrounded by trees, Xiaoxiang dipped her feet to the refres.h.i.+ng and cold current. Her hands covered her knees as tears flowed down her face. She could still see that d.a.m.ned fella reflected in the river.
“If you couldn’t take me away, why did you have to enter my life? Why? Why?” She bit her lips tightly, causing blood to drip out in the corner of her mouth.
“Creak.” A beautiful carriage was crossing through Rouge Maple with leaves covering the top. The shafts were dirty; even the snow deer pulling the carriage was puffing white smokes out of its nose. It clearly had traveled a long way without rest.
However, there was no driver. It was as if the snow-deer had intelligence and knew the way.
It came from the south and was heading for the capital.