"Oh, my little nephew remembers old Uncle, does he?" Xie Yunkun's eyes crinkled with a broader smile as he heard his name.
Zhong Li also heard Lu Wuxie's words and looked at the man before her.
The man was clad in sable, his face covered in a thick beard that obscured his originally rugged features. Though weathered, one could still faintly discern a five-tenths resemblance to the Zhen clan from his face.
"So, you're the boss of the Beichuan Gang!" Lu Wuxie frowned, his eyes filled with indignation.
Xie Yunkun let out a hearty laugh. "Yes, what of it? Did you not expect it?"
Lu Wuxie pondered for a moment, then shook his head and chuckled, "It's only natural, yet unexpected."
"Lu Wuxie," Xie Yunkun slowly rose and walked towards Lu Wuxie, saying, "If we count, I'm not much older than you, am I?"
"Uncle is ten years older than Wuxie," Lu Wuxie replied.
"Ten years, eh?" Xie Yunkun gazed at the evening sky, lost in thought. "Xie Xu had three children in total: your mother, Xie Yunxia, my sister, Xie Yunxi, and myself. By rights, I was the only male heir in the Xie family and should have been appreciated by Xie Xu. Yet, he preferred to dote on a good-for-nothing heir apparent who didn't even share his surname and was steeped in decadence, rather than spare me a glance. Do you think I would like you?"
"Whether Uncle likes Wuxie or not is of no concern to Wuxie," Lu Wuxie sneered.
"Indeed, you don't care!" Xie Yunkun nodded in agreement. "Our Xie family is no longer what it once was, so why would you care? But!"
As Xie Yunkun spoke, he suddenly glared at Lu Wuxie. "I finally achieved my current status, and you, of all people, are thoroughly investigating me at the port. I have never offended you, and the Xie family has never wronged you. You've only been here a few days, the Xie family is gone, and my Beichuan Gang still has to deal with you! Lu Wuxie, do you wish to die?"
As he said this, and before anyone could react, he swung a punch at Lu Wuxie's face. At the same time, a stream of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
Seeing this, Zhong Li rushed to Lu Wuxie's side. "Young Master!"
She knew that with Lu Wuxie's skills, he could easily evade Xie Yunkun's meager tricks. The reason he appeared to be hit was because of the innocent civilians held captive by Xie Yunkun.
"Oh, how could I forget? The notorious Young Master Lu always has a little comfort beside him!" Xie Yunkun looked at Zhong Li, his eyes glinting with interest.
Lu Wuxie glanced at him, then pulled Zhong Li protectively behind him. "Xie Yunkun, as a member of the Xie family, you should act with some integrity. If you hate me, kill me, but don't involve others!"
Xie Yunkun narrowed his eyes, his gaze shifting between Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie. He seemed to sense something, a hint of delight creeping onto his lips as he nodded to his men.
After two subordinates had seized Lu Wuxie, he pulled Zhong Li towards him, his eyes lingering on her.
"Let go of me!" Zhong Li's gaze was like a knife, her voice sharp and cold.
"Oh, I didn't realize you were so feisty!" Xie Yunkun chuckled and reached out to touch Zhong Li's face.
"Xie Yunkun!" Lu Wuxie roared.
Xie Yunkun slowly turned his head, casually drawing a dagger from a subordinate's waist and plunging it into Lu Wuxie's abdomen.
"Lu Wuxie!" Zhong Li stared at the bloody dagger on the ground with disbelief, screaming with all her might.
Xie Yunkun casually tossed the dagger aside. "Throw him into the sea to feed the fish. I'm about to enjoy myself, and I don't want anyone disturbing me!"
"Yes!"
Hearing this, the two subordinates dragged the unconscious Lu Wuxie towards the sea.
Zhong Li watched with horror, her heart-wrenching screams swallowed by the waves.
"Little lady, you look quite good. Tonight... *cough*..."
Xie Yunkun shifted his attention from Lu Wuxie to Zhong Li with a smile, adjusting his trousers. However, before he could finish, Zhong Li's gaze fell upon him. With a tremor in her palm, she slashed across Xie Yunkun's neck. As a spray of blood gushed towards her, she turned amidst everyone's astonishment and quickly darted through the crowd towards where Lu Wuxie had fallen into the water.
*Thump!*
Zhong Li plunged into the water, sending ripples across the surface. She surfaced slowly, enduring the biting cold.
The ship was already in chaos, and the mournful cries of the crew could be heard: "Boss! Boss!"
Zhong Li knew Xie Yunkun was likely dead. She no longer lingered on the ship, scanning the sea for Lu Wuxie's figure.
"Lu Wuxie! Lu Wuxie!"
Initially, she thought her chances of finding him were slim, but then she faintly saw a patch of pink on the water not far away. She knew Lu Wuxie was there.
Zhong Li swam towards him with all her might. Fortunately, Lu Wuxie had held his breath when he was thrown into the water, and as she reached him, he was slowly floating to the surface.
"Are you alright?" Zhong Li grabbed his body, pulling him inch by inch towards her.
"You should leave... don't mind me..." Lu Wuxie said, pushing Zhong Li away.
Zhong Li shook off his hand, stubbornly clinging to his arm and continuing to swim towards shore. "I saw our surroundings when I jumped overboard. There seems to be a fishing village to the south. If we're lucky and put in enough effort..."
"I said go!" Lu Wuxie growled.
Zhong Li frowned, looking at Lu Wuxie's ashen expression. She shouted, "Lu Wuxie, I'm telling you, from the moment I jumped off that ship, I never intended to survive alone! If you feel guilty, or if you don't want to drag me down, then just hold on until we reach the fishing village, do you hear me?"
Lu Wuxie was slightly stunned by her words. He looked at the woman's arm, which was pulling him with all her might, half the thickness of his own arm, yet stronger than he imagined.
"Alright!" His eyes flickered. After a long moment, he let out a relieved smile and powerfully swam south with her.
"Crack!" Not long after they started swimming, a splash sounded from behind them.
Zhong Li, floating in the sea, froze. The sound wasn't like a person falling into the water; it sounded more like...
She and Lu Wuxie turned their heads simultaneously. When they saw a floating object in the water, they both showed joy. It was a wooden float.
Zhong Li looked up along the direction of the wooden float. The sunset was blinding, the sea breeze biting, but she could still see the silhouette of a woman. It was Madam Zhao.
It was winter, and the sea was undeniably cold.
The two of them were on the wooden board. Zhong Li, from somewhere, found a small piece of wood and paddled in the water. The sunset cast its glow upon her, reflecting on the shimmering waves, making her appear even more stunning.
Lu Wuxie lowered his gaze to his temporarily bandaged wound, then looked at her slender body, drenched by the sea. A pang of heartache struck him. He frowned slightly and turned his head to look towards the sunset.
After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly spoke, "Li'er, you might regret saving me."
Zhong Li's mind was entirely focused on the small island not far away. She didn't ponder his words deeply and said with a smile, "Regret? Regret what? That the demon of Jin City, Lu Wuxie, will return to wreak havoc on the noble daughters of Jin City?"
Lu Wuxie chuckled at her words. The wound in his abdomen twinged, causing him to gasp in pain.
Zhong Li quickly turned to look at him. "Judging by the distance to that fishing village island, it should be about half a day. Endure it a little longer, and I'll find you herbs once we reach shore!"
"It's nothing," Lu Wuxie shook his head. "I can still hold on."
"Okay!" Zhong Li nodded emphatically, unconsciously picking up her paddling speed.
"Li'er," Lu Wuxie spoke again. "Do you remember I told you I had died once?"