September 16th is an overcast day. Outside the Cao mansion, workers were covering newly erected wooden shelter frames with tung oilcloth. Craftsmen stood at both ends pulling the cloth taut, securing it firmly to the frame. They had already covered a small section, and the naturally gloomy day grew even darker beneath the oil-cloth covering. The wind blew fiercely, and when the craftsmen lost their grip, the oilcloth flipped over, causing those below to shout in alarm.
Just as Ming Shu was about to step through the Cao family’s main gate, she looked up at the commotion and met eyes with the man directing the shelter construction below.
The man was Zhan Yi, whom Ming Shu called Elder Brother Zhan. He was the head chef responsible for the banquet staff and also Jiao Chunlu’s trusted subordinate.
“Master Jia, I see the weather’s turning. I reckon it’ll rain in the next couple of days. If it rains, the work here will be difficult. Why don’t my brothers and I finish setting everything up tonight? That way, we can focus on preparing the banquet in the coming days, and we won’t have to worry about the rain damaging anything when it arrives. What do you think?” Zhan Yi was speaking with the Cao family’s Butler Jia.
Butler Jia looked at the sky and agreed this was the best approach, nodding, “Then I’ll trouble you all. Let me inform the Madam.”
Zhan Yi responded with an “Eh,” while secretly nodding to Ming Shu.
Ming Shu turned and entered the Cao mansion.
The sky grew increasingly dark, with rain threatening but not falling, while the wind made the grass and trees rustle violently.
About ten miles from Lin’an City, on the official road, a group of riders who had been galloping suddenly reined in their horses and turned onto a side path, stopping only when they reached a concealed spot. Ahead lay a deserted forest that travelers on the official road to Lin’an City had to circumvent.
One person dismounted and presented a sheepskin map to the man at the front.
“General ahead lies Raven’s, Crossing Forest. Here’s the map for your review. Jiao Chunlu’s men should be hiding in the forest, ready to assist their accomplices in escaping from the city at any moment.”
Cao Hai sat high on his horse, took the map, and opened it. After looking for a moment, he rubbed his lips with his fingertips, and spat on the ground, his eyes showing fury. He cursed crudely before ordering, “Chen Yong, are all our men in position?”
His adjutant Chen Yong, sitting on horseback beside him, rode to his side and replied, “Following your orders, sir, I’ve gathered troops from around Jiangning to rush here. They’re now lying in ambush on the south side of Raven’s Crossing Forest. We await your command to trap them like turtles in a jar and capture Jiao Chunlu and his accomplices in one sweep.”
“This isn’t Jiangning territory. Remember, don’t draw the attention of local officials. I don’t want trouble,” Cao Hai added.
“I understand, General. Please rest assured.”
“Once we capture them, deal with them on the spot. Cut off the weeds and eliminate the roots – don’t leave anyone alive.” As he spoke, Cao Hai looked toward the gloomy Raven’s Crossing Forest, suddenly breaking into a satisfied smile. “Trying to scheme against me? I’ve been itching to find you all. I’ll make sure none of you leave alive.”
“Yes, sir.” Chen Yong accepted the order.
Cao Hai waved his hand: “You command here. The rest follow me into the city.” He then turned his horse and instructed the others, “When we reach my mansion, except for my family members, seize anyone you encounter first and ask questions later. If they resist, kill without mercy.”
After a pause, he added: “Jian Ming Shu – remember to keep that one alive!”
Autumn days darkened early, and with the overcast sky, lamps were lit throughout the Cao mansion before the usual hour.
Many lamps were lit in the empty alley outside the Cao residence. The rain shelter wasn’t fully erected yet, and the craftsmen had temporarily stopped work, sitting against the wall to eat before resuming their labor.
It was mealtime, and the Cao family kitchen had prepared food, which servants were delivering to various courtyards for their masters. The guards’ meals had also been distributed. Today’s meal was particularly sumptuous, with meat and wine.
Everything seemed normal.
Ming Shu had been coming to pay respects to Old Madam Cao these past two days, often keeping her company reading scriptures. The Old Madam was fond of her and had invited her to stay briefly at the Cao residence. At this moment, she was dining with the Old Madam in the meditation room of the Buddhist hall.
Old Madam Cao was vegetarian, so her meals differed from others. She rarely required her sons and daughters-in-law to attend to her, with each household eating separately. She kept only an elderly nurse and a young maid by her side, and finding it too lonely to eat alone, she disregarded hierarchy and had them dine with her.
Today Ming Shu was present, making four at the meal. Ming Shu sat cross-legged with her on the arhat couch while the elderly nurse and young maid sat on small stools at the lower table to accompany them.
Each person had four dishes and a soup. Though vegetarian, the food was prepared exquisitely.
“This is what I call a lively meal,” Old Madam said cheerfully. “Though it’s a shame for you, so young, to eat such plain fare with an old woman like me.”
“It’s no hardship. I often eat vegetarian meals at home too,” Ming Shu smiled as she ladled soup for the Old Madam and placed it before her.
Chatting while eating, the Old Madam’s mood improved greatly, along with her appetite. She ate one and a half bowls of rice and drank two bowls of soup before stopping. The elderly nurse and young maid also ate well, but Ming Shu, occupied with conversation, barely touched her food.
“Why do I feel my head getting heavy?” Old Madam Cao had just finished her soup and was about to chat more with Ming Shu while reclining on the couch when her vision suddenly blurred.
The elderly nurse tried to stand to attend to her but felt dizzy and collapsed back onto the ground: “Old Madam… I… I’m dizzy too…”
The young maid, seeing this, sensed something was wrong and quickly stood up calling: “Old Madam? Nurse?” But they had already fallen silent, slumped over the table. The maid panicked: “What… what’s happening?” She looked at Ming Shu, “Miss Shu…”
Ming Shu had already stood up and was waving her hand in front of the Old Madam’s face. The Old Madam had fallen into a deep sleep.
She calmly said, “There might be something wrong with the food. Go call someone, I’ll watch over them.”
The young maid hurriedly ran out to call for help, but after just a few steps, she too collapsed limply to the ground.
Ming Shu looked at the three fallen people in the room, adjusted her clothes, and stepped out of the Buddhist hall.
The hour was late, there was no moon in the sky, and the night was deep. Except for the lit lamps, the Cao mansion had fallen silent at some point.
The lamps hanging in the Cao family alley had been taken down at some unknown time, leaving the entire alley pitch dark, with only the incompletely secured tung oilcloth on the rain shelter flapping loudly in the wind. The craftsmen who had been squatting against the wall eating had also vanished, and the Cao family’s main gate was tightly closed as if falling into slumber with the night’s arrival.
The vast Cao residence had two side gates in the west and north beside the main entrance, all now tightly shut with two armed men guarding each door, holding gleaming long sabers.
For this moment, Zhan Yi and his men had been investigating the Cao residence for many days, gradually understanding the mansion’s layout, the number and rotation schedule of guards, the family’s living habits… Only after thoroughly understanding everything did they set this plan with Jian Ming Shu.
They would strike on the night of the sixteenth, drugging the Cao family to allow Jian Ming Shu to take her revenge undetected. At dawn on the seventeenth, as the city gates first opened, they would escape and rendezvous with Jiao Chunlu and his men in Raven’s Crossing Forest.
“Brother Zhan, all the Cao family members have been tied up and taken to the Buddhist hall for Jian Ming Shu. The rest are blindfolded and bound in the west wing. I’ve counted heads – none are missing,” reported a man in short clothes standing beside Zhan Yi in a low voice.
Zhan Yi nodded: “Post some men to guard the front and back of the Buddhist hall, don’t let Jian Ming Shu escape. The rest come with me to retrieve the treasure.”
He stepped into the third courtyard after speaking.
While Jian Ming Shu took her revenge, he would retrieve the Simple family treasures that Cao Hai had hidden in the residence.
The light gradually brightened in the Buddhist hall as someone lit the candles one by one in the seven-tiered copper candlesticks on both sides, illuminating the Cao family members lying scattered on the floor beneath the Buddha shrine.
After lighting the last candle, Ming Shu, holding her candle, walked to the shrine and lit three sticks of incense.
As the thin white smoke rose and sandalwood fragrance spread, Ming Shu fanned out the incense tips and stood before the shrine, bowing three times respectfully to the jade Guanyin statue enshrined above, before placing the incense in the burner.
Some people began to wake, but as soon as their blurry vision cleared, they found themselves bound hand and foot lying in the Buddhist hall. They tried to scream in terror, but with their mouths gagged with cloth, they could only whimper, raising their heads to fearfully look at Ming Shu standing beneath the shrine.
Ming Shu wore plain clothes without any ornament, her usually smiling face now expressionless, emanating a chilling aura in the candlelight as she gazed coldly at the people scattered on the floor.
Those on the ground were gradually waking, each inevitably shrinking back in terror.
Ming Shu was unsurprised by this; she had already given them the antidote incense pill, wanting them to wake up.
“Now that you’re awake, kneel,” Ming Shu coldly commanded.
Someone made muffled sounds and writhed toward the door, which burst open, but outside there was only the cold flash of blade light, frightening them back inside as the door closed again.
“Don’t think of escaping,” Ming Shu said coldly, ignoring those who tried to flee.
Terrified whimpers and cries came from the floor as the Cao family members, not knowing what was happening, huddled together in fear.
“KNEEL!” Ming Shu suddenly shouted harshly.
The sharp voice cut like a blade.
Several of the most frightened Cao family members trembled as they knelt before the shrine.
Old Madam Cao woke last, and as she hazily opened her eyes, Madam He was crying beside her.
Ming Shu walked to the Old Madam, crouched down to remove the cloth from her mouth, then stood up again, looking down coldly at her, no trace remaining of her former ingratiating smile.
“Miss Shu… you…” Old Madam Cao’s consciousness gradually cleared, her face already pale white with shock as she struggled to ask.
“I am not Miss Shu. You’ve all heard of that family massacre in Jiangning last year? I am the only daughter of the Jian family and the only survivor. Besides me, thirty-seven members of the Jian family… all dead. Old Madam, do you know who the real culprit is?” Ming Shu said slowly.
Old Madam Cao looked at her in terror, then at the Cao family members kneeling or lying all over the floor, realizing something, and tremblingly said: “Shu… Miss Jian…”
“Yes, Old Madam, you’ve guessed correctly. The true culprit is your third son, Cao Hai,” Ming Shu said when she saw the Old Madam couldn’t speak.
“No, impossible. My son fought on battlefields, earned merits, and received the Emperor’s praise. He’s the government-appointed general in Jiangning. He couldn’t… couldn’t commit such a crime… You must be mistaken…” the Old Madam trembled, shaking her head, her clouded eyes showing disbelief.
She didn’t believe Ming Shu’s words.
Ming Shu turned to look at the Guanyin statue on the shrine, her eyes reddening though her tone remained sharp: “Old Madam, you’ve been worshipping this Guanyin statue for half a year, yet you don’t know its history. Let me tell you – this Guanyin statue was carved from a precious jade that my father, Jian Jinhai of Jiangning, spent a fortune to acquire. He had it carved to resemble my mother, cut by cut, as a gift to her years ago. After my mother, this Guanyin was placed in my father’s room. This is… my mother’s jade likeness.”
As she spoke, she reached out to touch the jade statue’s robe hem, then turned around: “For half a year, day and night, you’ve been worshipping my mother, not Guanyin Bodhisattva! Though you’re not wrong to kneel – your entire family should kneel before my mother, before the thirty-seven lost souls of my family!”
“Impossible… this cannot be…” the Old Madam mumbled, then suddenly turned to Madam He beside her, demanding, “Third daughter-in-law, this Guanyin statue was brought by you all. Did… did you know its origin?”
Madam He just shook her head desperately, tears of fear streaming down.
Ming Shu stepped forward and pulled out the cloth from her mouth. She then shrieked: “I don’t know anything! Cao Hai bought this Guanyin statue from the Jiangning market. There must be some misunderstanding! Miss Jian must be mistaken…”
“Misunderstanding?” Ming Shu didn’t even need to mention the official collusion and private army matters, she just brought up one thing, “Third Madam Cao, the items hidden in your courtyard – that’s no misunderstanding, is it? Even if you were unaware, how could you accept so many chests of treasure with a clear conscience?!”
Madam He suddenly fell silent, staring at her with an ashen face before finally saying: “I don’t know, I don’t know… those were… were…”
“Were they brought back by Cao Hai for you to keep? Why didn’t you think – how could Cao Hai, a mere military official, accumulate such enormous wealth from his annual salary? Old Madam, why didn’t any of you wonder where Cao Hai got the money for all your living expenses these past three or four years? Your family had no inherited wealth, so this money… where did it come from? How could you live so comfortably without question?”
Ming Shu’s voice and expression grew fierce, her red-rimmed eyes seeming about to weep blood.
“Old Madam, you speak constantly of Buddha and gods, but do you know that the Guanyin you worship day and night, your food and clothes, even the first coin you spent on charity – all of it is stained with my family’s blood! What kind of good deeds are you doing building bridges and roads? What kind of merit are you accumulating? If the gods have eyes, they would be ashamed to accept your offerings!”
These pointed questions made Old Madam Cao slowly collapse, her breathing becoming rapid. Beside her, Madam He cried out: “You schemed to infiltrate our family and brought us here – what do you want to do?”
“I want you to kneel before my mother, to kowtow to her, to kowtow to my thirty-seven dead family members!” Ming Shu commanded harshly. Seeing them still shrinking back, she grew furious: “Kneel and kowtow!”
The sky grew darker, and the wind continued to blow fiercely. The two bandits guarding the west side gate shivered as they clutched their collars, cursing the weather and making lewd comments about the young women in the Cao mansion. Just as their eyes filled with lecherous intent, they were suddenly grabbed from behind, hands covering their mouths and noses.
A cold flash of light, a spray of blood, and both bandits fell limply to the ground, eyes still open.
The side gate creaked open carefully by those who had acted, admitting a group of people who stood silently outside.
At the front was none other than Cao Hai.
The group wasn’t large, fewer than ten people, but they were well-trained elite soldiers – not just agile and skilled, but rich in combat experience. Ordinary bandits were no match for them. These men were more than enough to handle the rabble currently occupying the Cao mansion.
Using the night as cover, Cao Hai led his men quietly into the compound, systematically eliminating the bandits posted as lookouts.
The third courtyard had been turned upside down. The Jian family’s treasures had been hidden in a secret cellar beneath the courtyard, and now were being carried out box by box to the surface. Zhan Yi was watching his men load the treasure onto carts, taking them to the east side gate where others waited to transport them to a hidden location.
“We’re almost done moving everything, Brother Zhan. It’s getting late – we can proceed,” someone reminded Zhan Yi.
Zhan Yi nodded, about to give orders when suddenly, in the pitch darkness, came a slight whistling sound. Following this sound, an arrow unexpectedly struck the man beside him. Zhan Yi’s expression changed drastically as more arrows followed in quick succession. Without time to think, he pulled the wounded man in front of himself as a shield.
The man’s arrow wound hadn’t been fatal, but being used as Zhan Yi’s shield turned him into a pincushion, dying instantly. Zhan Yi was terrified. He shouted for the bandits around him to retreat while hiding in the darkness. After throwing the dead man aside, he had no time for anything else and rushed toward the Buddhist hall.
Behind him, arrows fell like rain as screams erupted.
The candles in the Buddhist hall remained fully lit, illuminating the people kneeling throughout the room.
Ming Shu’s eyes were completely red.
Old Madam Cao knelt on the ground, pleading: “Miss Jian if my unfilial son truly committed these sins, I’ll atone for his crimes. I’m willing to pay with my life… but please spare the others. Though they’re Cao family members, they’re innocent. Please spare them, spare them…”
“Innocent? Then weren’t my thirty-seven family members even more innocent? What did they do to deserve being completely slaughtered by Cao Hai? Let me tell you – tonight there are also bandits outside. The robbery my Jian family suffered, I want the Cao family to experience it too!”
“Miss Jian, I’ll give my life to you, I will! Not teaching my son properly was my fault. If you must kill someone, kill me, but please spare them – there are children among them!” the Old Madam painfully kowtowed while begging.
Madam He also knelt nearby, only pleading: “Mercy, please have mercy… spare my two children…”
The others were also whimpering and crying.
Ming Shu looked down at Old Madam Cao’s graying hair, at the old and young in the room, large tears falling from her eyes.
Just as she was about to say something more, there was suddenly a loud crash at the Buddhist hall’s back window. Someone broke through, catching Ming Shu off guard as they charged in, reaching for her with bare hands. Ming Shu couldn’t react in time and could only retreat in confusion toward the door. Two more people climbed through the back window, dressed like military men.
Cao Hai’s men had arrived?
Just as she was shocked by this, chaos erupted outside the door. A figure suddenly slammed against it, spraying blood across its surface. The door burst open, several crossing flashes of cold light passed through, and Ming Shu had no time to think – with Cao Hai’s men closing in behind her, she could only duck her head and rush out of the Buddhist hall.
Outside, the two forces had already engaged in battle, with the bandits retreating toward Ming Shu while fighting Cao Hai’s men. Ming Shu heard Cao Hai’s voice from afar: “Don’t shoot! Capture Jian Ming Shu alive!”
She frowned and fled toward the end of the corridor outside the Buddhist hall.
Few bandits remained, unable to handle Cao Hai’s men. They could only flee in panic, driven toward Ming Shu by Cao Hai.
Ming Shu had nowhere to run, surrounded by Cao Hai’s men.
Cao Hai’s unrestrained laughter rang out: “Stop running! If you’re smart, hand over Jian Ming Shu, and I’ll let you die quickly.”
Ming Shu stood in place, fearfully watching the torchlight rising around the Buddhist hall.
Unexpectedly, a hand suddenly gripped her wrist, pulling her backward. A figure darted from the flower bed outside the corridor, violently twisting Ming Shu’s arms behind her back, holding her firmly in front while the other hand gripped a long sword pressed against her neck.
“Brother Zhan!” a bandit cried out in surprise.
The man’s face was covered in blood, and standing in the shadows, his features were unclear, but he wore Zhan Yi’s clothes – it had to be him.
“Cao Hai, order your men to withdraw. If they dare come closer, I’ll kill her! Then none of us will find that thirty thousand taels of gold!”
The deep, hoarse male voice rang out in the night.
Ming Shu’s back trembled as she bit her lip in silence.