Clouds and Moon Shadow

Chapter 4 Purple Jade Pendant

Grandma Rong, who was standing next to her, gracefully rolled over on the haystack and opened her eyes.

"Hey kid, feeling any better?" she asked, yawning.

"Much better, Aunt Rong," Gu Qingyue said, her eyes widening slightly in the hope that she would indeed look quite energetic.

Seeing that Gu Qingyue was indeed much better and had the strength to speak, Rong Qingqing quickly came over, and the two had a brief and friendly exchange.

Only then did the two realize that they had both been to Mingzhi County and had both encountered the massacre of the city by Nanzhao. Rong Qingqing also finally learned that Gu Qingyue was on her way to find her relatives. She looked at Gu Qingyue with pity, a trace of heartache flashing in her eyes.

Gu Qingyue saw her expression and remembered that Rong Qingqing said she was looking for her husband. She lowered her head and smiled bitterly, realizing that they were both in the same boat.

After she calmed down, she looked up again and carefully examined the woman in front of her.

This old lady Rong looked to be under thirty. Although her face was covered in grime and her hair was a mess like a bundle of straw, she was down-and-out and low-key. However, her fair skin was still faintly visible. What was most striking about her was her pair of bright and clear eyes. The corners of her eyes were slightly upturned, like a fox's. When she looked at people, there was a hint of cunning in her gentleness. Her appearance and her expression at this moment were somewhat contradictory, but she was definitely a beauty!

"Boy, where are you going next?" Aunt Rong's expression had returned to normal. She sat up straight and asked lazily, showing no trace of having experienced life and death or being in a heart-stopping situation.

Before Gu Qingyue could answer, she saw her turn her back, rummage in her bosom for a while, then turn around and secretly slip something into Gu Qingyue's hand, while squeezing her hand and winking at her.

Gu Qingyue: ?

For the secret code?

He tightened his grip and realized it was a copper coin!

"Take these and find a good place to hide. Go find your relatives after the Southern Barbarians leave. This is all I can do to help you," Aunt Rong whispered in Gu Qingyue's ear, covering her lips.

After saying that, the two of them turned around and looked at the other people in the dilapidated temple.

Early in the morning, many people had already left one after another, leaving only a few injured people huddled in a nearby haystack, silent and still.

Gu Qingyue tightened her fingers again, noticing that her eyes were a little sore and her eye sockets were a little wet. What was wrong?

Having worked as a secret agent for fourteen years, she was often so rational and calm that even she was surprised. How many years had it been since she had shed a tear?

She absolutely refused to admit that it was some kind of emotional chord that had been touched by the beautiful man before her. After a moment, her nose suddenly felt even more sore.

"Hey, you're crying? It's not like a man to cry like that. Hurry up and run for your life! Take care."

Aunt Rong tidied up the mess on her head, patted Gu Qingyue's head, feeling a little reluctant and heartbroken, but still gracefully got up and prepared to leave.

"Aunt Rong, I can't accept this money. I have no way to repay your life-saving grace, I..." Gu Qingyue was a little incredulous. She already owed Aunt Rong a debt of gratitude, how could she accept her money again?!

Although she is penniless now, she desperately needs it.

"Now that you know I saved you, shouldn't you live a better life? Here, hide it well," Aunt Rong smiled and waved her hand.

"Yes, Aunt Rong, take care." Gu Qingyue thought for a moment, then stopped being coy; she really needed to.

If she has the chance in the future, she will definitely repay Aunt Rong!

If I hadn't met her, I might have really died again!

Gu Qingyue's eyes were glued to that slender, mud-covered figure until she stepped out of the dilapidated temple's doorway and could no longer be seen.

"Goodbye! And thank you!" Gu Qingyue said silently in her heart.

She was a little dazed.

This unexpected warmth!

My nose stung, and I felt like crying again!

Gu Qingyue shook her head, clearing her mind of the jumbled thoughts.

Move your legs and stand up.

Gu Qingyue slowly dragged her starving body to the door.

Just as I imagined, the distant mountains and forests were lush and green, the summer sun shone brightly after the rain, the sky was clear and blue, and the whole sky was a deep, clear blue, so beautiful and captivating!

Gu Qingyue squinted, raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight, blinked again, and looked at the few dusty-faced pedestrians on the mountain path. They seemed so out of place with the world around them, yet so real. She sighed helplessly. She really couldn't go back!

"Gu Qingyue, let's go!" she murmured, unsure whether she was speaking to herself or to the girl who had suffered so much but whose wings had been broken so early.

Brushing the straw off her clothes, Gu Qingyue blended into the crowd on the mountain path.

After walking for half an hour, Gu Qingyue was even hungrier, and her legs felt like they were filled with lead, making it difficult to lift her feet.

Of all things under the heavens, food is the most important. I haven't eaten for two days and I'm injured. I heard that the nearest town is quite far away, so I have to find something to eat first.

Seeing that the woods by the roadside were fairly dense, she decided to find something to eat nearby.

She originally wanted to find a small town or something to buy some food, but now it seems that she won't be able to make it that far.

Therefore, Gu Qingyue turned and walked towards the nearby forest.

The pedestrians behind her watched numbly as she left the group and walked up the mountain, then shook their heads and continued on their way.

If it were the original owner of this body, she naturally wouldn't dare to travel alone, but the current Gu Qingyue has no problem protecting herself.

As we slowly entered the forest, a fresh scent of green leaves mixed with earth wafted towards us.

Gu Qingyue spent the whole morning finding more than a dozen small fruits hanging on the trees, found herbs that could stop bleeding, and even hit a small wild rabbit with a pebble.

Finding a relatively flat spot to sit down, Gu Qingyue put down the water pouch in her hand, touched her clothes, and took out three items from the inner pocket of her chest: a flint, an identity document, and a semi-circular purple jade pendant.

She found the identity document at the bottom of her parents' trunk. She knew that the Gu family had actually separated, but they didn't have the money to build a house, so the whole family was still living together. When she ran away, she cleverly took the identity document with her, although she didn't know how useful it would be, since she didn't plan to go back.

The purple jade pendant was small and delicate, with a translucent and fine texture. It was engraved with begonia flowers and auspicious clouds, and the back was engraved with the character "moon". It should have belonged to the original owner, who had worn it around her neck since childhood.

Stroking the jade pendant, Gu Qingyue recalled the little girl in her memory, who was about three years old, rosy-cheeked, wearing a pink dress, her face streaked with tears, searching frantically for her mother on the mountain path.

The original owner didn't remember this memory clearly, but Gu Qingyue could see it clearly. This was the memory of the original owner getting lost when she was a child.

Gu Qingyue stuffed the jade pendant back into her clothes, patted it, and hoped that she could use it to help the girl find out about her origins in the future.

Looking around, Gu Qingyue found a stream and washed her face. The water was flowing too fast to see clearly, but she could vaguely make out that the original owner had a pair of large, bright, and beautiful phoenix eyes.

She then began to process the rabbit with the thin stone slabs. While cleaning the rabbit by the stream, she looked at the primitive tools in her hands and suddenly felt that she was very much like the primitive people in her history books who used tools to hunt. Well, she was indeed very primitive.

After tidying up the rabbit, she searched for a long time because of the heavy rain last night, and finally found a pile of dry branches near a cave, so she could start a fire.

She placed the rabbit on the fire until the meat began to sizzle and release its oil. Only then did she feel a little bit of hope for life. She sniffed and sniffed again. It smelled so good!

She was still incredibly satisfied after eating a meal of meat without any salt. Looking at the pile of bones on the ground, Gu Qingyue could only sigh and wonder where her next meal would come from.

She desperately missed the life where there were all kinds of delicious food on the streets and she could eat as much as she wanted.

"Ah! This unpolluted air is so refreshing! This additive-free food is so delicious! Perfect!" Gu Qingyue rubbed her stomach, leaning against a tree, her mind racing with thoughts. This self-comfort helped her relax a bit.

Suddenly, Gu Qingyue stopped all her movements. Her hazy, blissful expression vanished in an instant, and her eyes turned icy and deep. She quickly covered the fire with soil, and in a few swift movements, she climbed up the big tree next to her. All her actions were completed in one go.

"Who's there? Come out!" A deep male voice came from the nearby mountains and forests.