112: Love Arises on the Road

After resting in the Mine Tunnel for three days, Situ Jun finally recovered about seventy to eighty percent from the injuries that had been exacerbated by refining the qiankun stone.

He found coarse sackcloth clothes for the three women—Jiang Ya, Mei Shuang, and Lan Yanliu—and applied simple disguises to hide their outstanding features.

This place was a den of dragons and snakes; it was not suitable to stay for long.

At dawn on the fourth day, a blue-canopied horse carriage quietly drove out of the Mine Tunnel area.

Situ Jun sat at the front of the carriage driving, while Jiang Ya, Mei Shuang, and Lan Yanliu were inside the small carriage.

As the wheels rolled over the rugged road, bumping and swaying, the atmosphere inside the carriage was subtle and quiet. The three women's gazes would involuntarily fall upon Situ Jun as he drove—some shy and quiet, some bold and burning, and some lost and confused.

While driving, Situ Jun continued to refine the qiankun stone, his expression calm and composed.

Though the journey was arduous, it became a breeding ground for emotions. The bond between the four grew deeper through their constant companionship.

Three days later, they reached a steep mountain ravine where consecutive days of heavy rain had washed away the wooden bridge.

Disregarding the injuries to his Meridians, Situ Jun forced his spiritual power, using spells to condense earth and stone to build a temporary passage.

After casting the spell, he felt a sweetness in his throat. He forced himself to swallow a mouthful of blood, his body swaying slightly.

Jiang Ya was quick to support him, her hands touching his icy wrists and slightly trembling body.

In that moment, what welled up in her heart was not just gratitude, but a heart-wrenching pity. She silently took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and the traces of blood from the corner of his mouth, her movements tender and her eyes filled with tears.

Saving their lives, sharing hardships, and being together day and night—a sentiment transcending master and servant, transcending gratitude, silently spread and fermented among the four... Two days later, on a starry night, the carriage stopped by a quiet lakeshore to rest.

Situ Jun sat alone on a rock by the lake, regulating his breathing while gazing at the shimmering water.

Jiang Ya took a deep breath, summoned all her courage, and walked to his side.

“Steward Situ...”

Her voice trembled slightly in the night breeze.

Situ Jun turned his head at the sound. Under the moonlight, Jiang Ya's face possessed a determined beauty:

“Just call me Situ Jun.”

“Situ Jun.”

Jiang Ya looked directly into his deep eyes, tears falling silently.

“The road ahead is vast and uncertain. I am homeless and have no one to rely on. The City Lord's Mansion was a gilded cage... where in this world is there a place to belong?”

She paused, her voice choked with emotion but clear:

“If you do not despise my broken body, or my status as a divorcee... I, Jiang Ya, am willing to entrust the rest of my life to you, to serve by your side, never to leave! I do not ask for a title, only... a place by your side, a place of true ‘warmth’.”

This near-humble confession exhausted all her strength and dignity.

She waited for judgment, her body trembling slightly.

Situ Jun was completely stunned.

He looked at the once elegant and noble woman before him, now fragile yet brave. Seeing the desperate determination and hope in her eyes, a wave of profound shock and complex emotions surged in his heart.

He saved them out of morality and pity; he had never thought of using his kindness to demand a reward, let alone romantic feelings.

“Madam...”

He instinctively wanted to use the old title but stopped, his voice low and raspy:

“You... speak too highly of me. Saving you from that cage was my duty. Your status is noble, and your future is bright. I... truly do not deserve such deep affection. Settling you down is my promise; you will surely find a new world.”

He avoided her burning gaze, yet his heart ached slightly at the desolation and dependence in her words.

Jiang Ya's tears fell more heavily, but a hint of stubbornness flashed in her eyes.

She heard his rejection, but she also heard that he wasn't heartless, just burdened with concerns.

She did not press further, only gave him a deep look and whispered:

“I understand... but my feelings will not change.” She turned and walked back to the carriage, her silhouette appearing lonely yet firm under the moonlight.

Jiang Ya's confession was like a stone cast into a calm lake, stirring ripples in the hearts of the other two women.

Lan Yanliu was the oldest and had experience; a vague desire also rose in her heart, hoping to stay by Situ Jun's side forever.

She felt that would be the best place to belong.

Mei Shuang, formerly a concubine of the Zhou Dynasty, was the calmest and saw through things most clearly.

She understood Situ Jun's concerns—their identities, his situation, the uncertainty of the future, as well as the eyes of the world and the threat of the Bei Batian.

Situ Jun's rejection precisely proved his gentlemanly character; he was unwilling to take advantage of someone in peril, and even more unwilling for them to misplace their lives out of gratitude.

However, it was exactly this restraint and sense of responsibility that made the feelings in her heart clearer.

The towering walls of East Lin City were already visible in the distance.

Situ Jun had notified Cao Guang in East Lin in advance to buy a property to settle the three women, intending for them to live there under assumed names and start new lives.

The carriage stopped by a secluded forest outside the city.

Situ Jun got out of the carriage and said solemnly to the three women:

“The three Madams... no, Miss Jiang, Miss Mei, Miss Lan.”

“We have arrived at East Lin. Someone will meet you shortly to arrange your stay. This place is far from the Northern Border and relatively safe. Situ... shall take my leave now.”

He cupped his hands, preparing to turn and leave, completing this final escort.

Fatigue and injuries made him only want to find a place to recover as soon as possible, and also... to avoid those three pairs of eyes that made his heart restless.

However—

“Wait!” Jiang Ya was the first to speak, her voice filled with a tearful determination.

“Situ Jun!” Mei Shuang's voice, cold and firm, rang out at the same time.

“Lord Situ, don't go!” Lan Yanliu's voice carried a hint of urgency as she also called out.

The three women lifted the carriage curtain almost simultaneously, jumped down, and stood side-by-side in front of Situ Jun, blocking his path.

Three pairs of beautiful eyes, carrying different emotions—Jiang Ya's deep affection and persistence, Mei Shuang's calmness and firmness, Lan Yanliu's dependence and hope—were all locked onto him.

Situ Jun froze completely.

He looked at these three women who were once in a desperate situation and had now survived. Their eyes no longer held fear or numbness; instead, they held a light that made his heart skip a beat—a light that saw him as their only salvation and hope, a light of... entrusting their lives.

Mei Shuang took a step forward, looking directly at Situ Jun. Her words were clear and powerful, breaking the silence:

“Situ Jun, the Divorce Letter has been signed, and the past is severed. We are no longer the Bei Batian's wives, but just three pitiful women you pulled back from Hell. You say you will settle us, but in this vast world, where is there a place for us? With people's hearts being so treacherous, how are we to protect ourselves?”

She paused, her tone taking on a softness never heard before, yet incredibly firm:

“You saving us is a kindness, and even more, it is fate. We three sisters are of one mind. What Sister Jiang said is exactly what is in our hearts. It is not out of gratitude, but of our own free will! We are willing to follow you, to the ends of the earth, in wealth or poverty. We will sew and wash for you, serve you tea and water, and... soothe your pain. We only ask that you give us a chance to stay by your side! A chance... for us to repay this ‘warmth’!”

Lan Yanliu nodded vigorously, her delicate face flushing:

“Mhm! Lord Situ, take us with you! I'll be obedient!”

Jiang Ya didn't speak, only looked at Situ Jun through tears, her eyes filled with a last-ditch wait.

Situ Jun looked at these three faces filled with hope and determination, heard Mei Shuang's powerful words, and felt their all-or-nothing trust and dependence. The defenses he had built in his heart collapsed.

He could no longer voice any rejection.

He was not heartless. Through their journey together, their resilience, kindness, and their current unreserved trust had long since left a mark on his heart.

That heavy sense of responsibility and a sliver of quietly growing affection outweighed all his concerns.

He was silent for a long time, so long that even the wind in the forest seemed to have stopped.

Finally, he took a deep breath, as if shedding a thousand-pound burden, yet also as if taking on an even heavier promise.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the three women. For the first time, their figures were clearly reflected in his weary eyes. His raspy voice carried an unprecedented solemnity and a trace of undetectable trembling:

“The road ahead... is perilous and uncertain, and I myself... am like a candle in the wind. Have you... truly thought this through? Following me, there may be no more peace or wealth, only a life of wandering.”

The three women spoke in unison, resolute and decisive:

“We have!”

Situ Jun closed his eyes. When he opened them again, a complex tide of emotions surged deep within—helplessness, being moved, heavy responsibility, and a thoroughly ignited sense of duty belonging to a man.

He slowly raised his hand, seemingly wanting to touch something, but ultimately it just fell heavily to his side. His voice, low and clear, pierced the silence of the forest:

“Fine. Then... follow me.”

“It's just... Situ Jun's life is one of wandering, and I am burdened with chronic illness. I fear I cannot promise you a splendid and stable life...”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three beautiful faces:

“Get in the carriage. I'll take you into the city.”