hotmtlnovel Chapter 5: The Refugee
Chapter 5: The Refugee
Chapter 5: The Refugee
Xu Qing was a methodical person.
Once he made a choice between "can" and "cannot," he no longer dwelled on it and naturally moved on to the next step.
By the time Jiang He finished the simple meal of congee and side dishes, it was already close to 8 p.m.
Xu Qing paused the pen in his hand, helped clear the food containers and wrappers, setting them aside, and then picked up the dart, weighing it in his hand.
"Right now, you are 1,200 years in the future. Whether you accept this or not, our conversation will proceed on this basis. Do you understand?"
The saying goes, "Take someone’s things and soften your stance; eat someone’s food and watch your words." Jiang He touched her stomach. Although still skeptical of Xu Qing's words, she said nothing more, suppressing her thoughts and nodding, ready to listen.
Xu Qing noted her attitude but paid it no mind. He fiddled with the iron dart in his hand, mulling over his words. "First, this place is completely safe. At least in this room, you are safe. Even if you were to cut me down, as long as my body doesn’t rot, you could hide here for about a week—seven days or so—without any incident."
He looked at Jiang He, who showed no reaction and just listened quietly, and continued, "So, stop worrying about your sword... Everything here is unfamiliar to you, like that." Xu Qing tapped the broken television with the dart. "It’s just a device that makes sound, used for... well, for entertainment. It's harmless. There are many things like it, including this."
He took out his phone and opened a music app, playing a random song. A melodious tune came from the speaker, making Jiang He’s arm twitch slightly as she stared at the phone in silence.
"I'm telling you this to reassure you. Any strange things I do or actions I take are just that—normal. Don’t misunderstand; I’m not going to do anything to you. I’m just explaining."
Xu Qing gestured to the TV on the table and then turned off the music, leaning back on the sofa with a long exhale and looking at Jiang He. “Got it?”
He wanted to avoid any misunderstandings that could arise from Jiang He’s lack of understanding, as his own safety was at stake.
Jiang He was silent for a moment, then nodded under his gaze.
“Now, about the outside world. This is more complicated. It’s a peaceful world now, where everyone lives in peace, and outside is generally safe—safe for me, that is. For you, it’s full of danger.”
“Why?”
“After all that, the main point is simple.”
Xu Qing turned back, looking at Jiang He, and said, “You are in a very dangerous situation in this world.”
“Meeting someone from over 1,200 years ago is... fascinating. So, I’m willing to help you, to do everything I can to help you adapt, hide, and gradually blend in.”
“...How can I trust you?” Jiang He lowered her head. Unlike Xu Qing, she lacked the ability to quickly adapt to this situation and still couldn’t believe she was now... 1,000 years in the future.
Yet, the clothes she wore, the slippers on her feet, the lights overhead, the miraculous bathroom, and the enormous buildings outside, along with those strange moving metal boxes...
Everything she saw was unfamiliar, things she had never even heard of.
Loneliness and fear gripped her like a pair of large hands. She just wanted to go home, to take her sword and end this surreal dream.
“If you don’t trust me, we can part ways here.” Xu Qing walked back from the window, placing the iron dart on the table and pushing it towards her. “Helping you isn’t easy. In today’s world, if you were to display your martial skills publicly, it would go viral online in an instant. There’d be no hiding it, so you need to cooperate. If you don’t trust me, there’s nothing I can do.”
Jiang He looked at Xu Qing, contemplating for a long time, as if weighing the truth and falsehood of his words.
“Chance encounters...”
“You’ll understand when you learn about this world.” Xu Qing said casually.
Out of a hundred people who might come across her, fewer than ten would consider turning her in to the authorities.
Besides, if things worked out well, he might even get to learn her “Supreme Sword Technique of the Nine Heavens and Eight Desolations.”
“So... what should I do?”
“Well, um...” Xu Qing hesitated, scratching his head. “The most important thing for now is to hide your identity. The rest, we’ll figure out as we go.”