Repeatedly broken branches

"Mother, Mother, Father is back!" A-Yun ran like the wind to the wooden house in the snow and continued to shout, "Father also brought back a beautiful older sister!"

Pretty sister?

Ah Yun's mother, Wu, grabbed a kitchen knife and stormed out. Sure enough, she saw her husband carrying a woman slowly approaching. Enraged, she rushed towards him with the knife in hand, yelling without even looking at him, "Lou Yue! You shameless old man, you dare to find a woman? A woman in her early twenties at that? You're utterly shameless!" Wu secretly glanced at Xiao Mu; although she was disheveled, one could still vaguely tell she was a beauty!

Lou Yue was completely bewildered. He anxiously said to Wu Shi, "Wife, quickly boil some hot water and some medicine powder, hurry, hurry, hurry!" He carried Xiao Mu into the house.

Wu stood there stunned. She saw that the woman's hands were hanging limply at her sides, a horrifying sight. She immediately understood what was happening and rushed back into the house to boil water and prepare the medicine.

Wu brought hot water and wiped the dirt off Xiao Mu's face. She sprinkled medicinal powder on her ten fingers and then wrapped them with gauze. The powder was for frostbite and to reduce inflammation and pain. I wonder what this girl has been through to have her ten fingers injured like this.

Looking at Xiao Mu lying on the bed, A-Yun said, "Daddy, this older sister is so beautiful. Where did you see her, Daddy?"

Lou Yue said, "I went out hunting and found her unconscious in a forest. She was still breathing, so I brought her back!"

Madam Wu turned to look at Lou Yue, sighed, and said, "This girl doesn't look like she comes from an ordinary family. Look at the fabric of her clothes; it's the kind of thing people like us couldn't afford."

Lou Yue nodded. "Yes, hurry up and find a set of cotton-padded clothes for this girl to change into. Her clothes are too thin!"

Ms. Wu did as instructed, and even in coarse cloth clothes, her noble demeanor could not be concealed.

"Mother, why isn't my sister awake yet?" A-Yun asked, standing in front of Xiao Mu.

While sewing the shoe soles, Wu said, "I don't know either. Do you really want your sister to wake up and play with you?"

A-Yun shook her head. "No, Mother. My sister has been asleep for three days. There are only two more days until the New Year. If my sister doesn't go home for the New Year, her mother will be very worried!"

At first, she had a high fever for two nights. It was only after Wu fed her medicine spoonful by spoonful and took care of her without taking off her clothes that her fever subsided.

The fever has subsided, and the wound on my hand is gradually healing.

Whether it was a hallucination or not, Ms. Wu felt that her eyelids had twitched just now.

Wu rubbed her eyes vigorously and saw that Xiao Mu's lips were slightly parted, as if she wanted to speak.

Startled, Wu rushed outside and shouted, "Lou Yue, Lou Yue, that girl is awake!"

Lou Yue put down the firewood in his hand and immediately ran into the house. He saw that Xiao Mu had already woken up and was looking around blankly.

It hurt; her fingers ached as if they had lost all feeling.

"Girl, you're awake. You've been unconscious for three days, and the New Year is just two days away." Lou Yue was worried that Xiao Mu might be disoriented about time since she had just woken up, so he immediately told her what time it was.

"Did you save me?" She only remembered that she must have fainted in that forest, and her hands hurt so much.

Lou Yue nodded and looked at Wu Shi and A Yun beside him, saying, "This is my wife Wu Shi, and my daughter A Yun. My name is Lou Yue."

Xiao Mu smiled faintly, "Thank you, Brother Lou and Sister Wu. My name is Xiao Mu. Thank you for saving me and taking me in." Xiao Mu sat up with difficulty, her brows furrowed. "But I have to go now. My sweetheart has probably been caught in an avalanche. When you rescued me, did you see him? He was very tall... very handsome, and he was wearing a jade bracelet."

Lou Yue shook his head. "I only found you. An avalanche could sweep people away to other places. Mu Chui Town is just a few miles ahead. It's possible that your sweetheart has been swept away by the avalanche."

After hearing Lou Yue's words, Xiao Mu felt much better. Yu Yanjing knew martial arts, but now that the Silver Serpent Dance was with her, she had to find him. He was the ruler of a country, and if he hadn't returned by the New Year, wouldn't Chaoyang Kingdom be in chaos?

But Muchui Town is neither too big nor too small, and it's hard to know where to begin in the search for Yu Yanjing.

Why don't we go find Zhou Tingxi first and have him help us look for it?

"Thank you, but I still plan to leave. I'm feeling much better now, and I must find my sweetheart!" Xiao Mu's bright and clear eyes flickered slightly as she spoke to Lou Yue and Madam Wu with a determined look.

Ah Yun tugged at Xiao Mu's sleeve reluctantly, "Sister, stay and celebrate the New Year with us! My mother's braised rabbit is so delicious! Father will go hunting rabbits for us tomorrow! Please!"

Xiao Mu smiled and said to A Yun, "I promise you, once I find the person I'm looking for, I'll come here and eat your mother's braised rabbit, okay?"

Ah Yun nodded obediently.

Lou Yue prepared a bundle for Xiao Mu, which contained a small knife, some dried fruit, jerky, and some medicine powder for bruises and sprains. It was truly remarkable that his family, who were not wealthy, could afford to provide such a gift.

"By the way, if you have the chance, you can come to Kumitsu Country to find me. Hmm... just say my name at the Kokusai Tavern, and someone will come looking for me!"

Lou Yue waved to her while holding A-Yun, "Take care on your journey, Miss Xiao Mu!"

"You should go back now!"

"Goodbye, Sister Xiaomu!"

Xiao Mu was wearing the coarse cotton clothes given to her by Lou Yue and the others. She was holding the Silver Snake Dance wrapped in cloth in her arms and carrying a bundle on her back. She didn't know where to look for Yu Yanjing or Zhou Tingxi.

Lou Yue said that if you keep going south, you will reach Muchui Town.

After walking for a day and a night, Xiao Mu finally arrived at the legendary Mu Chui Town. The town was closed off, and there was not a single pedestrian in sight, but smoke could be seen coming from the chimneys.

They're probably all preparing for the Chinese New Year; tomorrow is the New Year.

"Excuse me, is General Zhou Tingxi here?" Xiao Mu asked, pulling a man dressed in armor.

The man looked at her warily. "Who are you? What business do you have with General Zhou?"

"I...I am his wife, from Hisamitsu Province. May I see him? By the way, my name is Xia Yunzhi!"

The man stared in disbelief at the mountain girl in her coarse clothes before him. Was she really Princess Heyang from the past? Yes, this girl exuded an air of nobility from head to toe, which could not be concealed even in her simple attire.

"Madam, I am Wei Hao, General Zhou's subordinate. I have been following General Zhou for more than three years!"

"Hello, Wei Hao, can you take me to find Zhou Tingxi now?" Xiao Mu didn't want to wait a moment longer; wasting a minute meant wasting a minute of Yu Yanjing's rescue time.

Wei Hao led Xiao Mu to Zhou Tingxi's camp. Their encampment was located by the river in Muchui Town, where the terrain was flat and there was no risk of avalanches.

Wei Hao said somewhat awkwardly, "The general is resting inside. He hasn't had a proper rest in a long time, and I don't dare to disturb him. Why don't you go in by yourself, Madam?"

Xiao Mu hesitated for a long time before finally lifting the tent flap and going inside. She saw Zhou Tingxi half-lying on the couch, his back to her.

"Wei Hao, what time is it now? Is it dawn yet?"

"It's me," Xiao Mu said calmly.

Zhou Tingxi immediately sat up from the couch. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that Xia Yunzhi had run away from Jiuguang Kingdom to Muchui Town. He couldn't believe it. But at that moment, he was completely numb. His heart was trembling and his eyes were red. He ran forward in disbelief and hugged Xiao Mu tightly. He held her tightly in his arms and greedily felt every breath of hers.

Xiao Mu pushed him away and went straight to the point, "My friend came with me, but he got caught in an avalanche and I can't find him. The situation is urgent. Could you take me with you to look for him?"

"Your friend? Is it male or female..." Zhou Tingxi looked at her blankly.

"Whether you're a man or a woman, just tell me if you're coming with me or not. He was with me when we came to find you and that's when we got caught in the avalanche. I don't want to go back if we can't find him. If he dies, I don't want to live either!"

Zhou Tingxi only heard the words "coming to find you," and then he didn't care about anything else. He smiled and said, "Okay, I'll bring Wei Hao and the others with me. You wait for me here. What does your friend look like?"

Xiao Mu refused, saying, "I want to go with you. I have something to ask you."

"it is good."

Zhou Tingxi had Wei Hao lead a hundred men to search for Yu Yanjing's whereabouts around the place Xiao Mu mentioned. Xiao Mu's clue was that he was a very tall, thin man wearing black clothes and was very handsome.

Zhou Tingxi didn't care whether it was a man or a woman. He had come with Xia Yunzhi to find him and was Xia Yunzhi's benefactor. He really didn't expect that Xia Yunzhi would worry about him and come here to find him. That was enough. Who cared whether she came with a man or a woman?

Xiao Mu sat on Zhou Tingxi's horse, with him holding her close in his arms and Xiao Mu holding the reins with both hands.

Zhou Tingxi looked down at her, his eyes filled with love.

Xiao Mu turned her head and looked up at him, her expression unchanged, and said, "Your mother showed me the letter you wrote to Yin Fu'an. She said you didn't kill my father. I don't believe it, so I have to ask you in person."

"Do you believe me?" Zhou Tingxi asked expectantly.

I hope you can tell the truth.

Zhou Tingxi solemnly said, "I did have thoughts of rebellion, but I gave them up because of you. I don't care about the throne. I advised Yin Fu'an, but he didn't listen to me and acted on his own. Whether you believe me or not, that's all I can say."

Even after he said that, Xiao Mu still couldn't completely trust him, after all, he was that kind of person, someone who was impossible to convince.

But Xiao Mu still said, against her will, "I believe you."

She had gone through so much trouble to get to him, but she didn't believe the answer he gave her. She suddenly realized that it was a mistake to go through all this trouble to get to his side, and that it had caused Yu Yanjing to disappear.

She regretted it. She didn't want anything anymore, and she didn't want to know anything anymore. She was so tired. All she wanted was to be with Yu Yanjing. Once she found him, she would go to Chaoyang Kingdom with him.

I'm never coming back, Father. I'm sorry, Xia Yunzhi. Is Yu Yanjing the one you want to make amends to? He's done so much for you, can't you see any of it? What did you go through in your past life that makes you feel guilty?

Could it be that Yu Yanjing is also dead?

In her previous life, Zhou Tingxi committed suicide first, and Xia Yunzhi also died. This time, she suddenly felt that the hatred in her heart was not so important. She was willing to believe that Zhou Tingxi did not do it. She just wanted Yu Yanjing to come back.

When we arrived at the scene, the snow had not completely melted.

Xiao Mu's hands had not yet recovered, and she could only watch in despair as those people left empty-handed.

They all said that even if they found it, there was no chance of it surviving.

There's no way anyone could have survived such a massive avalanche.

But Yu Yanjing, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to come with me. Please come out.

Xiao Mu screamed hysterically, "I'm sorry, it was my fault, please come out! It's me, Xiao Zhi!"

Zhou Tingxi held her, a hint of pity flashing in his eyes. He looked at her with heartache, "Don't do this, Xiaozhi. Wei Hao and the others are already doing their best to search. If you keep shouting like this, it will trigger a second avalanche. It snowed heavily last night!"

Xiao Mu couldn't hear anything; her mind was filled with Yu Yanjing's image. She kept shouting, "Come out! Please come out, Yu Yanjing!"

Zhou Tingxi's pupils contracted. Yu Yanjing? That's the name of the young emperor of Chaoyang Kingdom. How did Xiaozhi end up with him? And he actually accompanied Xiaozhi to Muchui Town to find him?

For what purpose?

Zhou Tingxi looked sharply at Xiao Mu and asked, "You and him are friends?"

Xiao Mu suddenly burst into tears. "So what if it is, so what if it isn't? Human life is at stake right now, what's the point of asking these questions?" She pushed Zhou Tingxi away and shouted towards the valley, "Yu Yanjing, come out! Don't die, okay? I'll listen to you, I'll go back with you, I don't want anything anymore!"

A thin mist clouded Zhou Tingxi's vision. So, she didn't love him the most. So, she came to him only because she wanted to ask him a question. She just wanted to know the answer so she could leave with Yu Yanjing with a clear conscience.

At that moment, he wished he were the one caught in the avalanche!

Wei Hao shouted, "It's terrible! An avalanche is coming, General!"

There was no time to run. Zhou Tingxi looked up and saw the rolling waves of snow crashing towards him. He felt his body being swept up by a tremendous force. Under the powerful impact, his consciousness instantly dissipated. What awaited him was a deafening roar and an endless expanse of white snow.

Little Branch, where are you? Run, run, an avalanche is coming.

Xiao Mu was powerless to stop the massive snow wave rolling towards her. She was thrown onto a huge rock by the wave, her head was violently hit, and instantly, along with the pain, her consciousness gradually blurred.

She could only hear the system's voice.

Xiao Mu, you are actually the reincarnation of Xia Yunzhi. You are Xia Yunzhi, and Xia Yunzhi is you.

In the end, you will still fall in love with the same person again and again. That person is Yu Yanjing. In your past life, he died to save you from being trapped in an avalanche.

Therefore, those memories that do not belong to her are not dreams, and the heartache that feels so real is not because Xia Yunzhi's consciousness is at work, but because she is Xia Yunzhi.

What a huge joke!

She is Xia Yunzhi. In her previous life, Zhou Tingxi, Yu Yanjing, and she all died, so only Xia Yunzhi was reincarnated and then came back.

It's so absurd that it's unbelievable!