146: Choice

Jiang Hanwen looked in the direction of the sound, and a terrifying face entered the courtyard, its numerous scars more chilling than anything in a horror movie.

Holding a mask in her hand, Zheng Yunxu walked up to Jiang Hanwen. Her normally melodious throat sounded as if it were stuffed with cotton, and she said indistinctly, choked with emotion:

"Are you afraid when you see this face of mine?"

The world is full of people attached to appearances; how many can truly see beauty and bones?

A woman's face, to some extent, is equivalent to her self-esteem.

Zheng Yunxu completely exposed her spiritual self to Jiang Hanwen; he was the only one who had seen her after she put on the mask.

Seeing this scarred face at this moment, Jiang Hanwen felt a stone lodged in his heart, very uncomfortable.

These terrifying wounds were self-inflicted by Zheng Yunxu.

To do such a thing to herself, one can imagine how furious and desperate she must have been at the time.

Jiang Hanwen poured her a cup of wine and answered her question: "No, I'm not."

Zheng Yunxu picked up the wine glass and drank it down boldly.

The next second.

"Cough, cough!"

Tears welled up in her eyes, and Zheng Yunxu turned her head away.

Jiang Hanwen said earnestly:

"Believe it or not, I can heal it, and it won't leave a scar.

If you're willing."

It was still the same sentiment: physical wounds are easy to heal, but how does one mend a shattered heart?

"No need, I just came to say goodbye to you. I'm leaving tomorrow."

As Zheng Yunxu spoke, her body, turned away from Jiang Hanwen, trembled slightly. It was unclear if she was easing the burning sensation from the baijiu or restraining something else.

She had fantasized countless times about sitting beside Jiang Hanwen, chatting and drinking tea, just like a normal person.

But it was definitely not like this, with her sporting a face so terrifying it could scare away wild beasts—a face that represented her dark past, and even more, her shattered life.

Seeing Jiang Hanwen drinking, she guessed he was feeling down, and she wanted to do something.

That uncontrollable emotion, once again, inadvertently opened a wound, as rashly as when she impulsively asked that question last year.

She finally understood that this scar was an abyss spanning between them, an unbridgeable chasm.

She didn't know how to deal with her inner turmoil, nor did she know how to deal with the unforgettable blood feud.

"Alright then," Jiang Hanwen nodded, not attempting to persuade her to stay.

Everyone has their own path to walk, and he respected others' destinies.

"If Miss Bai returns, you should marry her.

I am a woman, and I know what she is thinking." After saying this, Zheng Yunxu turned and walked out of the courtyard.

The night wind was very light and cool.

He raised his wine cup, continuing to pour for himself and drink, finishing the remaining jar of wine.

Another hour passed. With silent footsteps, Jiang Hanwen ascended the steps and walked to Zheng Yunxu's door.

A stick of orange-yellow incense appeared in his hand, and colorless, odorless purple smoke seeped into the room through the crack under the door.

In less than a hundred breaths, the atmosphere in the room settled, becoming regular.

Entering the room, a graceful figure lay sprawled on the bed, hugging a pillow.

Jiang Hanwen gently straightened the beauty's body. He saw two glistening streaks of moisture on the pillow.

Her hand produced some medicinal powder, which she carefully fed into the beauty's mouth.

In less than ten breaths, Zheng Yunxu's breathing deepened, like a heavy drum, struck only occasionally.

Gathering Life Technique!

Jiang Hanwen's left hand glowed with a deep greenish-blue light, and his right hand picked up a dagger, gently cutting the beauty's cheek to remove the old scars.

After an hour's work, Jiang Hanwen stopped.

All the sunken areas were filled, and only a few wrinkled scars remained on the beauty's face, like dry black branches on a snowy field. Though still terrifying, they were much better than before.

The injury was too deep and had lasted too long; Jiang Hanwen couldn't completely resolve it in one go.

He needed to use medicine to gradually repair the remaining scars, which would take time, but the person before him clearly wouldn't give him that.

Leaving a letter, fifty taels of silver, and an annotated book on disguise techniques, Jiang Hanwen left the room.

He never tried to keep anyone who chose to leave.

If there was a chance to meet again, then they would meet again.

If there wasn't a chance to meet again, then that was also a goodbye.

Just like learning to speak as one grows up, separation and encounter are inevitable parts of the journey to longevity. Jiang Hanwen had become very skilled at navigating this path.

At dawn, the jade-white light and shadows flickered across the human world.

Jiang Hanwen left through the tunnel, starting early to survey the Black Tiger Gang's main stronghold.

If he remembered correctly, it was the Black Tiger Gang's thugs who forced Zheng Yunxu to disfigure herself back then.

He wondered if Xiaogirl had left when he returned?

Life never has a path back.

If she had left, then it was fate's inevitability.

If she hadn't, that was also fate.