Song Wan and Song Qingtao started arguing.

Chen Zheng was utterly frustrated, not knowing how to mediate. Women’s quarrels were truly headache-inducing.

Song Wan had no idea who she was cursing at. As they say, ignorance breeds fearlessness—she kept calling Song Qingtao a “tigress,” which made Song Qingtao hop with rage.

“Tigress, look at your face, red as a monkey’s butt from the back mountain. Even a monkey’s butt looks better than you! What are you glaring at! Your eyeballs are about to pop out! What man would like a girl like you?”

“Oh my, you even have holes in your hands.”

“Someone like you, even in our countryside, would only be good for feeding pigs. Even the boars would find you ugly!”

“You’re dressed up all fancy, but you’re wasting those clothes!”

Song Qingtao kept threatening to kill Song Wan, but she was also worried about repeating past mistakes and didn’t dare make a move, afraid that He Feng would come after her again in a rage.

“This is the young master’s residence. Try rushing in and see what happens. Be careful he doesn’t turn you into a honeycomb when he gets back. You don’t dare now, do you? If you’re so capable, come in!”

“Tigress, tigress, tigress! Hurry up and get lost, stop being an eyesore here.”

Song Qingtao couldn’t take it anymore. Her hands trembling, she raised her gun.

Song Wan stuck out her tongue and hid behind Chen Zheng. “Go ahead and shoot! Look how your hands are shaking—you can’t even hold the gun steady. And you want to learn how to shoot like a man? Tigress!”

“You—” Song Qingtao’s tongue tied up in knots, unable to get out a single word. She had never quarreled with anyone in her life, never been cursed at like this. “I’ll kill you.”

She wasn’t skilled with her left hand, and being extremely angry made her hand unsteady. Song Wan easily dodged the shot.

Song Qingtao chased Song Wan around Chen Zheng, trying to catch her.

Xie Chi rolled out in her wheelchair. “Miss Song.”

Hearing this, Song Qingtao stopped and looked over. Her rage flared to the top of her head, making her want to burn down the entire stronghold. “Oh, damaged goods, still sitting in a wheelchair.” Song Qingtao put her hands behind her back and mocked, “How do your legs feel?”

“Thanks to you, they feel wonderful.”

Song Qingtao tilted her head to look at the back of her neck. The whip marks on her body had completely faded, unlike her own, which had left two horrifying scars.

Thinking of those ugly scars made Song Qingtao even more furious.

“Thank you for coming to visit me, but unfortunately He Feng doesn’t allow outsiders in. You should head back.”

“Acting like a dog relying on its master’s power.”

Xie Chi looked at her calmly and said coolly, “What a pity. You’re not even as good as a dog, yet you want to learn from dogs, staying here to bite people.”

“Say that again!” Song Qingtao raised her gun at her.

Chen Zheng blocked her path. “Miss, please don’t be impulsive. You should go back.”

Song Wan also mocked, “See? Nobody welcomes you here. Don’t be so shameless standing here like a post. Even when driven away, you won’t leave. I’ve never seen anyone so shameless.”

Xie Chi tugged at Song Wan’s sleeve. “Don’t bother with her. Let’s go back to the room.”

Song Wan glared at Song Qingtao. “Ptui! Shameless.”

Seeing them leave, Song Qingtao stamped her feet in anger. “Stop right there!”

She tried to chase after them but was still blocked by Chen Zheng. “Miss, you really can’t go in.”

Song Qingtao slapped him across the face. “Guard dog.”

Chen Zheng silently endured it.

“You can guard this place for the rest of your life!” Song Qingtao snorted and left in a huff.

…

Song Wan pushed Xie Chi back to the room, chattering excitedly all the way. “Look how angry she got! It was hilarious. Quarreling with me? I’ve never lost a quarrel in our village!”

Xie Chi was distracted and didn’t hear what she was saying.

When they reached the room, Xie Chi said, “I’m a bit tired and want to sleep for a while. Don’t come in unless I call you.”

“Alright.”

Song Wan closed the door and went out. Seeing Chen Zheng approaching, she bounced over to him and asked with a smile, “Did she leave?”

Chen Zheng had a clear handprint on his face. Song Wan frowned slightly, looking at him with sympathy. “She hit you?”

“Mm.”

“You didn’t hit back?”

Chen Zheng didn’t answer, just sighed. “From now on, say less when you see her.”

“Why?”

“She’s the young miss of Qing Village, and her methods are very ruthless. Don’t let her being a woman fool you—who knows how many lives are on her hands. It’s only because the young master just taught her a lesson recently that she’s being more restrained this time. Otherwise, you would have died dozens of times over for those words you said.”

“So what if she’s a young miss? I’m not afraid of her.”

“Anyway, listen to me. Stay far away when you see her from now on.”

“I won’t. I’ll curse her every time I see her.”

“My lady, please don’t cause me trouble. I can stop her once or twice, but if I fail to stop her one time, we’ll all suffer.”

Song Wan pouted. “Fine then.”

“Where’s A’Zhi?”

“She said she was tired and went to sleep.”

…

Song Qingtao didn’t want to stay in Yun Village for another minute and went back to Qing Village alone.

There were too many guests today, and the horses from down the mountain were all tied up at the western horse field. To get there, she had to pass through a secluded forest path. Song Qingtao was so angry she took it out on the trees, slashing at them with her knife until they were covered in wounds.

Her gunshot wound still hadn’t healed. Two of her fingers had lost feeling, and bending the remaining three caused excruciating pain.

“Damn woman, let’s see how I kill you.”

“Dare to call me ugly—you’re the ugly thing.”

“Two stinking bitches, just wait for me.”

Rustling sounds came from behind.

Song Qingtao turned to look back at the dark, empty forest.

She continued slashing at the tree. “I’ll skin you alive and feed you to the wolves and dogs!”

Suddenly someone poked her back. Song Qingtao was still cursing when she turned around and saw a face suspended in front of her.

Thud—

She collapsed.

When Song Qingtao woke up, she was still in the forest, just in a different part. She was familiar with the forests around Yun Village and knew this place was remote with few visitors. She was tied to a tree, her hands and feet bound with thorns and hemp rope. Her mouth was stuffed with dirt, lips sealed with tape, and wrapped with thick, inelastic hemp cloth strips.

When she struggled, the thorns pierced her flesh and drew blood. She could only endure without moving, letting out muffled groans of pain.

“If you’re not afraid of pain, keep struggling.”

Song Qingtao glared at her with hatred.

Xie Chi sat on the ground, wiping the dirt from her hands.

“Didn’t expect this, did you? That I could wait here for you.” She smiled. “I have to thank He Feng for making me this wheelchair. I sit in it every day and wander around, getting completely familiar with Yun Village’s terrain.” She threw away the cloth and looked at Song Qingtao. “I also have to thank the people he assigned to me—otherwise I wouldn’t have known there were so many guests today and that your horses were all tied up in this godforsaken place.”

Xie Chi looked at her wide eyes. “What are you looking at?” She moved closer to her face and repeated words Song Qingtao had once said to her: “Keep looking at me like that, and I’ll gouge your eyes out.”

Song Qingtao retched but couldn’t vomit. The dirt mixed with saliva flowed down her throat.

Xie Chi patted her face. “How does it taste?”

Xie Chi had her hair in a high ponytail today. She raised her hand, took a needle from her hair tie, and slowly stood up.

Song Qingtao looked at her in shock.

Xie Chi knew what she wanted to say.

“My legs have been able to walk for a while now. I just sit in the wheelchair to gain more sympathy and make you all lower your guard.” She walked behind Song Qingtao, grabbed her right hand, and inserted the needle into her middle finger. “Let me tell you about myself.”

Song Qingtao whimpered in pain, struggling with her hands and feet, getting pricked by thorns that left spots of blood. She tried desperately to retract her finger, but how could she match Xie Chi’s strength with both hands? Her finger was pried open again.

“I had no parents to love me from childhood. I lived with grandfather and ran with mountain beasts. Later when I returned home, my sisters called me a wild child, a mountain girl, even though when dressed up, I was the most beautiful among the sisters.”

Song Qingtao’s right hand trembled violently.

Xie Chi smiled and let go of her middle finger, then pried open her index finger. “Once my father went to Shanghai and brought back lots of chocolate. He had Second Sister distribute them among us sisters. I had never eaten such things and really wanted to try some. Everyone got more than ten pieces, but I got none.”

“Later Ninth Sister gave me one piece. I still remember that taste—bitter yet sweet.” Xie Chi listened to her whimpering, feeling extremely satisfied. “These days I kept comforting myself, telling myself I had no feelings for her, that we just shared the same father. I didn’t even know which month she was born, and I couldn’t even remember her face clearly.

But I kept thinking about that bitter chocolate. Every time I thought of it, I could recall Ninth Sister’s face, and then I’d start imagining how you people defiled her, how she looked when she died, how her corpse was eaten by wild beasts.”

“Your Third Brother is really something—he taught me to shoot and use knives. What a pity that he took away all the guns and knives.” Xie Chi stood up and squatted in front of her. “I imagined dozens of ways to kill you in my mind, but just now I thought for a long time and realized I can’t bring myself to do it. I’ve never even killed a chicken.”

She lifted Song Qingtao’s face. “So you can just stay here and wait for wild beasts to eat you.”

Song Qingtao shook her head desperately, tears streaming down.

“You can cry too?” Xie Chi wiped away her tears. “My Ninth Sister also loved to cry. Back in Jinan, she’d cry even from a small fall—such annoying crying. Did she cry when you killed her?”

Xie Chi wiped her hands on Song Qingtao’s body. “You really like He Feng, don’t you?”

“Do you know that whenever I shed tears, he softens? When I say I’m hungry, he catches wild chickens and rabbits all over the mountain for me. When I wanted to play with guns, he gave me his favorite gun. When I hug him, his heartbeat becomes irregular.”

“I haven’t had much contact with strange men, and I don’t understand love and romance. You know him better—tell me, does he like me?”

Song Qingtao nodded.

“Is that so.”

Xie Chi took out the silver needle and held it in front of her eyes.

Song Qingtao closed her eyes in fear.

Xie Chi pried open her eyes, and Song Qingtao looked at her in terror.

“Scared now?”

…

Song Qingtao had been missing for a day and night. When Song Mang learned she had last been to He Feng’s courtyard, he came looking for her viciously.

This made things extremely difficult for Chen Zheng, who risked his life guarding the door and stubbornly refused to let him in.

After Song Mang left, Chen Zheng collapsed on the ground, his back soaked with sweat.

One after another, they were all determined to torment him to death.

Deep in the night, Xie Chi was sleeping when she heard footsteps approaching.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Song Mang pouncing on her like a demon, grabbing her by the throat.

He had snuck in when no one was watching.

Xie Chi fought back with punches and kicks. Song Mang slapped her across the face, making her head spin.

“Where the hell did Qingtao go!”

“I don’t know.”

“She only came to see you last! What did you say to her!”

“Don’t know.”

Song Mang reeked of alcohol—not heavily, probably just had a few drinks. He applied pressure with his hands. “Are you going to talk or not?”

Xie Chi shook her head.

Song Mang grabbed her by the throat, spitting all over her face. “Stinking bitch, just like your short-lived sister—same damn nature. But you’re more capable than her, able to make that little bastard He Feng hurt Qingtao repeatedly for you. If she had half your ability, she wouldn’t have been tossed around, ridden by this one and screwed by that one.”

Xie Chi clawed at his hands, her neck and face flushed with blood.

“Slutty whore, can’t take much action—screams her head off at the slightest touch. I hadn’t screwed her many times before her bottom rotted like paste.” He tore open Xie Chi’s collar. “Today I’m going to smell what you’re made of, how you’ve got that little bastard so infatuated.”

Xie Chi was being strangled and could barely speak, struggling to get out a few words: “He… won’t… let you go.”

“Just some cheap goods snatched from down the mountain, and you really think you’re the mistress! I’d like to see if that boy can lay a finger on me for some stinking woman!” Song Mang leered and licked her cheek. “You’re much prettier than your sister.”

Xie Chi was nearly suffocating. Her hands were weak, her legs kicking against the bed, making creaking sounds.

His strength was too great.

Song Mang’s hand moved toward her waist, about to pull down her pants, when Xie Chi looked toward the door and desperately shouted, “Song Qingtao.”

Song Mang turned to look.

Xie Chi freed one hand, quickly reached behind his waist, pulled out a knife and stabbed it fiercely into his back.

“Ah—” Song Mang reached back to grab the knife. Xie Chi kicked him away forcefully, rode on top of him, and while he opened his mouth to curse, she stabbed the knife into his mouth, the blade piercing through his skull.

Song Mang wasn’t completely dead yet, his hands clawing at her waist.

Xie Chi let him claw at her. “I didn’t want to kill you, but you talked too much. It’s truly disgusting.”

She pulled out the knife and stabbed it into his throat. “Then just go die.”

Chen Zheng heard the commotion and rushed over to see Xie Chi straddling Song Mang, covered in blood.

She gripped the knife and stood up, wiped the blood from her face—her hands were shaking, and the knife fell.

Chen Zheng stood frozen in the doorway, terrified.

Xie Chi walked toward him two steps. “Where’s He Feng?”

Only then did Chen Zheng come to his senses. He quickly closed the door and rushed over to check Song Mang’s breathing. “No breath left—he’s dead.”

“Where’s He Feng?”

“He’s not in the stronghold! Something happened at the mine! What do we do now?” Chen Zheng held his head, pacing back and forth in confusion. “What do we do? What do we do? The young master told me to protect you! You killed Song Mang—Qing Village definitely won’t let you go! No, you have to hide first. We’ll figure everything out when he gets back.” Chen Zheng was in a panic, and only then noticed that Xie Chi was actually standing. “You… your legs are healed?”

Xie Chi’s mind was blank. She nodded woodenly.

“Never mind, no time to worry about that. There are many people from Qing Village outside looking for Song Qingtao. Song Mang’s death here will be discovered soon.” Chen Zheng opened the wardrobe, found some clothes and threw them to her. “Change clothes. I’ll take you away first.”

Xie Chi cleaned herself up and changed into clean clothes, then followed Chen Zheng out.

…

Song Wan got up to use the bathroom and drowsily seemed to see the figures of Chen Zheng and Xie Chi. She thought she was seeing things and went to Xie Chi’s door to call softly, “A’Zhi.”

No one answered.

Song Wan yawned and walked away. When she reached the window, she saw it wasn’t latched and was creaking in the wind. She casually closed the window and caught a whiff of some strange smell.

She sniffed, pushed open the window to look, and saw the bedding was bunched up in a big lump.

“A’Zhi?”

…

With Chen Zheng along, no one stopped them on the way.

Xie Chi rode down the mountain with him. The mountain path was dark, and Chen Zheng used a flashlight for illumination. Xie Chi was still immersed in the emotion of having killed someone. Even though she could finally go down the mountain as she had wished, she felt no joy at all.

Where was Chen Zheng taking her?

To find He Feng?

…

“Stop!”

Gunshots came from behind—bullets whizzed past Xie Chi’s left side.

Chen Zheng immediately turned around and shouted to Xie Chi, “I’ll hold them off. Follow this road down two kilometers to a fork—take the left path and keep going down until you see lights. Head toward the lights and you’ll reach Mine One. Once you’re there, have someone take you to find the young master. Did you hear me?”

She answered in a trembling voice, “Yes.”

“Go quickly.” As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Zheng spurred his horse back toward the pursuers.

Unfortunately, Chen Zheng couldn’t stop the people chasing them. Xie Chi wasn’t familiar with this section of road and was quickly caught up. They were people from Qing Village who dragged Xie Chi back and locked her in the dungeon.

Aunt Wang spent several silver dollars to get inside to see her. Xie Chi had been whipped several times and was lying on the ground. She crawled to the door to eat what Aunt Wang brought her.

Aunt Wang cried with heartache. “How could you do such a thing? You… a young lady… where did you get the courage? What are we going to do now!”

Xie Chi was focused on eating and had no time to respond.

Aunt Wang fed her water. “Don’t choke, drink some.”

After Xie Chi finished eating and drinking, she asked, “He Feng still hasn’t returned?”

“Not yet.”

“Could you go find him, please?”

“I… I don’t even know where he is.”

“Please, I’m begging you.” Xie Chi grabbed her hand and pleaded, “Save me.”

Aunt Wang wiped her tears while nodding. “I’ll have my husband go look for him.”

Xie Chi let go of her hand and pushed her away. “I’ll wait for you.”

…

Not long after Aunt Wang left, Song Jiao came and first gave her a brutal beating, then interrogated her.

“Tell me, where’s Qingtao!”

“Speak!”

“Where did Qingtao go!”

She couldn’t tell. As long as she kept her mouth shut, they wouldn’t kill her immediately.

“Are you going to talk or not! Talk or not!”

Song Jiao stepped on her head.

Xie Chi gritted her teeth, her hands clutching the dirty, wet straw on the ground, enduring it all.

Come quickly.

Come quickly.

…

Before He Feng returned, they found Song Qingtao first.

She was lucky—no wild beasts had attacked her, and she was still alive, though she had passed out.

The death of the Qing Village master was no small matter.

With He Feng absent, no one could protect her.

The people from Qing Village came to demand justice, wanting to burn her alive. The head chief agreed—in his eyes, she was just one of He Feng’s women.

Xie Chi was tied to a wooden stake, prepared for burning. Even now, she felt no regret. Thinking of Xie Ying, she felt the killing was good and worthwhile. Though she feared death, a person still had to maintain some dignity.

Xie Chi looked at the people around her—mostly from Qing Village. They threw stones at her and kept shouting, wishing they could torture her slowly and eat her flesh piece by piece.

Song Qingtao had regained consciousness but was very weak. She sat beside the head chief, her eyes red with hatred. Just as someone was about to light the fire, she suddenly said, “Wait.”

The brother about to light the fire stopped.

“Doesn’t she know how to seduce men? Strip her naked—not a single piece of clothing left—let the brothers get a good look.”

The brothers from Qing Village cheered and raised their hands, all competing to take action.

“Let me!”

“Let me!”

A pair of black hands had just touched Xie Chi’s collar when Chen Zheng lunged forward, pulled the man’s hands away, and protected her. “This is the young master’s woman—you can’t do this.”

Song Qingtao struggled to stand on her ankles, which were covered in thorn wounds. “Get lost.”

“No!” Chen Zheng looked toward He Zhanghui. “Head Chief! The young master will be angry!”

He Zhanghui smoked with squinted eyes. “After all, she’s Little Feng’s woman. Leave her some dignity.”

No one dared make trouble anymore.

Chen Zheng still blocked in front of Xie Chi. Song Qingtao shouted again, “What are you still standing there for? Do you want to die with her?”

“Head Chief, wait for the young master to return before dealing with this.”

He Zhanghui said nothing, lost in his smoke-filled world.

“Chen Zheng, get down here now! Are you trying to oppose Qing Village?”

“Come down! Or we’ll burn you too!”

Chen Zheng turned to look at Xie Chi. “I might not be able to protect you anymore.”

Xie Chi hung her head, too weak to lift it.

Chen Zheng knew He Feng’s temperament—if she really was burned alive, who knew what chaos he might cause. He still had to try: “Head Chief!”

The brothers from Qing Village went up and carried Chen Zheng down directly.

“Let go! Put me down! Head Chief! You know the young master likes her! You can’t burn her! You can’t burn her…”

The voice grew distant. In a moment, the person had been carried out of sight.

They took torches and lit the wood. Hot flames surrounded her, thick smoke rushing into her nose, making it impossible to breathe.

The people outside the fire were still clamoring, even more enthusiastically than at the banquet celebration.

Xie Chi half-opened her eyes, watching the fire slowly closing in on her.

Before going to Jinan, grandfather had said he wanted to arrange a marriage for her. The man was even a college student. Grandfather said that although his family wasn’t distinguished nobility or extremely wealthy, the young man was honest, educated, and progressive in his thinking. Following him, she wouldn’t suffer hardships in the future.

If she hadn’t encountered these bandits, hadn’t been kidnapped up the mountain, she would have returned home long ago and might have already been engaged.

What was that man’s name again?

Xie Chi couldn’t remember for a moment.

It seemed his surname was Xue.

She closed her eyes and began to fantasize.

What kind of person was he? How tall? What did he look like?

If he were like He Feng…

She curved her lips, his image appearing in her mind.

If he were like him, that wouldn’t be bad.

Such a pity.

…

“Young Master!”

“Little Feng!”

It seemed someone was calling his name.

The heat made her unable to open her eyes. Suddenly a gust of wind swept over, carrying a familiar scent, and landed in front of her.

“Wake up!”

She struggled, with great difficulty, to open her eyes and saw the black boots below.

When they first met, he had worn these same black boots when he saved her from that drunkard.

At that time, seeing the blood on the edge of those boots, she thought her situation was even more hopeless.

She never expected he would be such a person.

“A’Zhi!”

“A’Zhi!”

He pinched her chin and lifted her face.

His hands and face were still stained with coal dust, his eyes reflecting the roaring flames, filled with fury.

“How many more times do you want me to save you?”

…