Chapter 549: Just Because of a Scrap of Cloth
Even though he couldn’t see in the dark, he could feel her gaze fixed on him.
Ye Qianning had forgotten that he had left the Imperial Palace early that morning. With it being so late at night now, he hadn’t eaten all day.
After a moment’s thought, she closed her eyes and listened. Hearing nothing out of the ordinary in the dense forest, she relaxed.
She led Sang Zhi to a large tree and took out a few pastries and a flask of water for him from her storage space.
"Here, eat."
Sang Zhi fumbled for the pastry but didn’t eat it. Instead, he voiced the question on his mind. "It’s so dark out. Why does it seem like you can see perfectly fine?"
"Mm... Nanyuan is very poor. We couldn’t afford candles at night, so I got used to it." Seeing that he hadn’t moved, Ye Qianning prompted him, "Hurry and eat. We need to leave as soon as you’re done. It’s not safe anywhere in these mountains."
Sang Zhi obediently took a bite of pastry and mumbled, "You must think I’m stupid and useless."
Ye Qianning paused, her tone teasing. "What’s this? Are you starting to feel insecure because I’m so capable?"
Sang Zhi shook his head and said no more.
"Who gave you that note?" Ye Qianning asked.
"A young eunuch. He told me you’d been taken hostage on your way to the Imperial Palace."
"What did he look like? And you believed a young eunuch just like that? Do you even have a brain?"
"I didn’t believe him at first, but the eunuch was beaten black and blue. He said the kidnappers spared his life only so he could deliver the message, and he even had a token."
"What kind of token?"
Sang Zhi took a piece of fabric from his robes and fumbled to hand it to her.
Ye Qianning took it. The moment she touched it, she knew it was from one of her everyday outfits. Her brow furrowed. "All this over a scrap of cloth and a note?"
Sang Zhi’s silence was his answer.
Ye Qianning clenched the fabric, her chest tight with frustration. ’Is he just naive... or is he an idiot?’
"In the future, if something like this happens again, just ignore it. If you’re really not sure, go discuss it with someone you trust."
"But what if it were real?" Sang Zhi said quietly. "If I told anyone else, they would have killed you."
The corner of Ye Qianning’s mouth twitched. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. ’This blockhead was just worried about me. Don’t be angry. Don’t be angry!’
"You should just worry about yourself. Let me tell you, if anyone ever comes asking for your eyes, remember: do not give them to anyone."
Sang Zhi looked up. "My eyes?"
"That’s right. As long as you refuse, they won’t dare to harm you. But if you give them up, you will certainly die."
"Why?" Sang Zhi asked, completely bewildered.
’He couldn’t see, so why would anyone want his eyes?’
"They say your eyes hold the map to the mythical Mount Penglai," Ye Qianning told him, not hiding the truth.
Sang Zhi froze, raising a hand to touch his eyes in disbelief. "How can a map be hidden in someone’s eyes?"
"I’m not entirely sure of the details myself. Before I left the Imperial Palace, Consort Yuan’s senior disciple requested an audience with the Emperor. I suspect it was to tell him about this. By now, your father the Emperor probably knows. When you return to the palace, his attitude toward you will surely change. This will be a good thing for you."
"My father the Emperor believed it?"
"Whether it’s true or not, the mythical Mount Penglai has always been a mystery. I don’t know where the rumor about your eyes came from, but in any case, once you’re back in the Imperial Palace, don’t believe anyone who tries to trick you into leaving again," Ye Qianning warned.
Sang Zhi fell silent for a moment. The sudden news had left him at a loss.
"Don’t be afraid. Even if the news spreads, as long as you don’t leave the Imperial Palace, no one can do anything to you."