Chapter 120: Aftermath

Shen Yexue had fallen in and out of love with a lot of women in the past. She thought she’d know heartbreak until now—

She exhaled slowly, ignoring the piercing sensation that threatened to shatter what remained of her heart.

"You shouldn’t talk about yourself like that," she whispered, forcing the words out. "You’re not filthy for being a situation you couldn’t control—"

Qingyue watched Yexue’s face crumble as she tried to gather her emotions. She cleared her throat and turned to Lieyin.

"Go and take care of the bodies," she told her, hoping to give Yexue and Ru Yi the privacy to have an actual conversation.

It was a simple order, one that she had given many times before. A routine that grew between the sisters whenever they had to restore order after violence in order to move forward without letting the consequences fester.

Lieyin didn’t move.

For a moment, Qingyue thought she hadn’t heard. Then Lieyin’s arm tightened around Ru Yi, and when she spoke her voice carried a defiance that was rarely ever there.

"I can’t do that." It was the first time Lieyin had gone against Qingyue’s order. Her eyes flicked briefly to the bodies, as if grounding herself in something worth holding onto.

"I don’t want to touch those monsters with the same hand I used to hold Ru Yi." She looked at Qingyue with fierce certainty.

Qingyue studied her for a second, then let out a slow breath. The faintest hint of a sigh escaped her as she accepted the answer without pressing further.

Before she could respond, Yexue stepped forward. "I’ll do it."

Without waiting for acknowledgement she turned and walked towards Gao Ren’s corpse, and the other man who had bled to death.

She needed something to do, something physical that would help her ground the thoughts that had not yet settled.

Qingyue watched her go for a brief moment before turning away. She couldn’t help but worry for Yexue. She was the one with the least stomach for blood and the gore of violence. But she also knew there was no talking her out of it.

"Take her to the tent," Qingyue told Lieyin. "I’ll handle the rest."

Qingyue moved to where the women sat huddled together, their eyes still wide with the remnants of fear. Their bodies were tense as if unsure whether danger had truly passed.

"There’s no need to be afraid," Qingyue told them. "I’m a woman too." She pointed to her chest, then gestured to her overall attire. "This is just a disguise to ensure our safety while traveling."

That made them relax a little.

"It’s over," she said in a soothing manner. "You’re all safe now."

The women exchanged glances, uncertainty flickering between them. Gradually, some of the tension left their shoulders.

Qingyue crouched slightly so she was closer to their level, her gaze moving between them as she assessed their condition. "How do you usually communicate?" she almost sighed realizing that they couldn’t even answer that.

How could another human be so cruel to treat someone else like this, taking out their tongue and—

If she could raise Gao Ren from the dead and kill him again, she would.

The woman in front shifted forward, reaching out carefully as if asking for permission before taking Qingyue’s hand. When Qingyue did not pull away, she turned her palm upward and began to trace something against her skin with her finger.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

Qingyue watched, her brows drawing together slightly as she focused on the movement, feeling each stroke as the woman wrote against her palm.

It took a little while before Qingyue could understand what she was doing. She had written the characters for, "thank you."

Qingyue nodded with a smile. "Are you headed to Emberfall? What of your family?"

The woman shook her head, then signed "Emberfall," on her palm.

"I’ll make sure you get there safely," Qingyue promised. She would’ve liked to know how these women ended up like this, in the hands of a man as cruel as Gao Ren. But knowing that they were now free of him made her feel a bit less tense.

"Do you know anyone there that you can trust?" Qingyue asked, and the woman nodded quickly. "Emberfall is a place filled with magic, I’m sure there’s something there that can help with your voices."

The woman’s hand went still, then tightened slightly around Qingyue’s before she released it. Her expression was filled with fragile hope that had not been there before.

"When we reach Emberfall," Qingyue said. "I’ll help you find it."

The promise was simple but it was enough. The women lowered their heads slightly, not quite a bow but something close to gratitude.

Behind them, the faint sound of movement could be heard. The quiet, distant work of someone ensuring that what happened would not linger longer than necessary.

Qingyue rose to her feet, her expression settling back into something composed and resolute as she turned toward the rest of the caravan.

"We’ll keep traveling at the break of dawn," she called out. "You can retire back to your tents."

The men obeyed quickly, eager to follow orders and avoid drawing the attention of the wolves to themselves.

Qingyue moved towards the path Yexue had taken, stepping quietly through the underbush until she saw her.

Yexue stood bent forward, one hand braced against the rough trunk of a tree. The other was pressed against her stomach as her body recoiled again, empty what little remained of her dinner.

After a moment, Yexue straightened slightly, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"I’ve taken care of the bodies," she said hoarsely, not turning around.

"Thank you," Qingyue said quietly, giving her a second to collect herself.

"How does Lieyin do this all the time?" she let out a short breath that almost sounded like a humorless laugh. "Turns out it’s easier to cut someone down than it is to deal with what’s left after."

Qingyue stepped closer, her gaze steady. "That has always been the case."

Yexue finally turned then, her expression composed but pale.

"I didn’t know what to say to Ru Yi," she admitted after a moment, the honesty coming out quieter than anything she had said before.

Yexue ran a hand through her hair. Restless.

"I can fight, I can kill if I have to. But—" She shook her head. "I don’t know how to fix what happened."

Qingyue’s gaze softened just a fraction. "She doesn’t need you to fix what happened. You just need to let her know that another man’s mistakes do not define her."