The north wind howled, and the lamplight cast a desolate glow.
Upon hearing Zan Jin and Ding Gou’s words, A’Hao and A’Yue had already sat up, half-crouching with swords in hand.
Mo Zi, upon hearing sounds on top of the carriage canopy, asked, “What is it?”
Zan Jin poked his head in. “It’s torches. Brother Mo, don’t come out under any circumstances. There are many opponents—their martial skills may not be particularly advanced, but caution is paramount.”
Were they trying to burn the carriage, or burn the people inside? Mo Zi drew a small sword from her waist and concealed it in her grip.
“Miss, rest assured, there’s no need for you to lift a finger.” With these words, A’Hao suddenly darted out of the carriage and flipped onto the roof.
Ding Gou opened the rear carriage window, expressing dissatisfaction with A’Hao’s actions. “If a sworn guardian doesn’t stay close to the body, how can she protect the master thoroughly? Call her down—she’ll just get in the way.”
Well then. Although the five of them traveled together regularly, there might not be much coordination. This was her fault for usually letting them run free. Would last-minute preparation work?
“Don’t underestimate her.” Mo Zi defended her fellow woman, then said with complete seriousness, “You look after yourself.”
Ding Gou’s eyes rolled upward, as if to give her a withering look, but remembering his master’s instructions, his eyes stopped halfway and gazed straight ahead. “This one—absolutely do not let her do anything, otherwise no one will serve as your scapegoat. Don’t blame me later.”
“Ding Gou, aren’t you someone who values non-action? Haven’t you noticed that lately your words aren’t just venomous, but you’ve become quite meddlesome?” That air of superiority at first meeting was cultivated behavior—was this actually his true nature?
Ding Gou snorted and lowered the curtain.
Mo Zi glanced at the expressionless A’Yue. “For this level of confrontation, neither of you needs to sacrifice your lives for me.”
“Has Miss already discerned what kind of confrontation this is?” Having followed Mo Zi through numerous incidents, she was a woman who could remain composed and laugh in the face of disaster. Others might not be less intelligent than her, yet they couldn’t match her ability to bend and adapt, and her capacity to respond to sudden changes was astonishing. What kind of environment had produced someone who could navigate situations with such ease?
“Making such a thoughtless move as trying to burn the carriage roof with torches, and with Zan Jin saying their martial skills aren’t high, they’re probably just common bandits. Starting a fire will definitely attract the guards. If we wait a while, we’ll be fine.” Mo Zi spoke with complete certainty.
A’Yue, seeing the reality, stated matter-of-factly, “You’re gripping that small sword too tightly—you might cut yourself.”
Caught with her inner tension exposed by A’Yue, Mo Zi quickly improvised an explanation. “It’s rare to have an opportunity to hold a sword like this. I’m testing my grip. Don’t I have a bit of a heroic swordswoman’s bearing?”
A’Yue ignored this and peered through the curtain gap. “We’re blocked in an alley. The surrounding households are common folk who certainly won’t dare get involved.”
Mo Zi was just about to ask how many people there were when she heard a man’s voice.
“Which official is in the carriage?”
They knew this was an official carriage! Mo Zi’s eyes immediately narrowed.
Zan Jin said nothing. Ding Gou spoke up.
“Since you know this is an official carriage, you still dare cause trouble here?” Though Ding Gou’s family had fallen on hard times, they had once been prosperous, so his tone and manner conveyed official authority better than Zan Jin, that boy from the mountains.
“We’re stopping you precisely because we know it’s an official carriage.” That voice wasn’t brutish; rather, it sounded quite rational. “However, we rob for wealth, specifically from officials. If you tell us clearly which official you are, I can remember it. If someday I fall into your hands, at least I can die knowing the truth.”
Zan Jin laughed. “There’s such logic?”
“Even thieves have their code. If not driven by desperate circumstances, who would willingly engage in this beheading business? Speak quickly—what is the surname and name of the official in the carriage? If it’s an honest official, I’ll naturally let you pass.” A righteous bandit among thieves?
“Big Brother, where are there any honest officials left in this world? Let’s not ask so many questions—just rob them and be done with it!” While the leader understood principles, his subordinates were a mixed lot.
Ding Gou declared loudly, “This is the carriage of Supervisor Song, a newly appointed female official by His Majesty, attending court to have an imperial audience for the first time today. The carriage contains only the four treasures of the study and no valuables.”
“A female official? Attending court?” The man seemed to have already heard something. “Weren’t you going south to purchase silk?”
Hearing this, Mo Zi’s heart stirred.
“They must be deceiving us because they see we’re many in number, Big Brother. Attack quickly, or it’ll be dawn. Every family has elderly and young mouths waiting for rice and grain to cook.” That subordinate was quite skilled at stirring up rebellious sentiments.
A commotion of footsteps outside the carriage.
The leader spoke again. “Could the female official come out for us to see? If this truly is a carriage attending court, then we’ve made a mistake.”
Mo Zi stood up.
A’Yue blocked her, shaking her head, then bent down and went out herself. “Who wants to see me?”
A’Yue moved too quickly. Mo Zi only managed to grab at her hem before it slipped from her hand. With the door curtain slightly open, lying on the carriage floor, she could see the scene outside.
In front of the carriage were about a dozen men, faces covered with cloth, wearing ragged clothes and broken shoes, wielding mostly woodcutting knives and axes. Only the leading burly man held a large blade, though it was chipped and damaged, with a serrated edge.
“Now do you believe us?” A’Yue’s voice rang clear. “If you step aside quickly, we won’t hold grudges. Otherwise, I’ll report to the metropolitan garrison, and you’ll be arrested and sentenced.”
The leader kept his word and had just turned sideways when suddenly someone among his brothers spoke.
“This isn’t that female official. Since they’re trying to trick us into letting them pass, there must be valuables in the carriage.”
The leader spun around sharply, cold light shooting from his eyes above the mask. “Is what my brother says true?”
A’Yue hadn’t expected to be recognized as impersonating Mo Zi and was momentarily speechless.
Her silence immediately convinced the leader that his brother was right—the real official was hiding inside with banknotes. Thus, he roared lowly, “Sure enough, no official is good. I treated you with sincerity, yet you schemed in the shadows. Brothers, go up there and drag that cowardly official out, strip him naked, and let the Great Zhou Emperor see how useless his subordinate ministers are.”
In an instant, firelight pressed closer.
Mo Zi saw shadows dancing on both walls, and it seemed there were quite a few more people behind the carriage as well.
Zan Jin lifted his thumb, and the Emerald Heart sword emitted a hissing sound like a serpent’s tongue.
These people were common civilians, moreover very poor and suffering civilians. Perhaps Zan Jin and Ding Gou could slaughter them leaving no survivors, their souls scattered to the winds, but there would definitely be bloodshed.
And after the bloodshed? Should she be glad to have preserved her life, or was someone hiding in the shadows waiting for her to display official authority? Thinking of Bi’er, Mo Zi swept aside the heavy curtain, walked out, and stood atop the carriage.
“I am Song Mo Zi, the newly appointed female supervisor.” At the same time, she completely pulled open the curtain. “If you gentlemen don’t believe me, look for yourselves—there’s no one else in the carriage. My subordinates didn’t know your circumstances and feared I would encounter misfortune, so they substituted for me. Please don’t take offense, gentlemen.”
Seeing Mo Zi’s frankness and confirming there was indeed no one else in the carriage, the leader waved his hand and called for everyone to halt.
“Big Brother, even if she’s not going out of the city to make purchases, since she’s an official, how could she not carry silver? Just rob her anyway!” Still that brother with the fervent spirit for killing, burning, and plundering.
Mo Zi produced an ingot from her sleeve. “Rising early for court today, I didn’t bring much silver—only this ingot, thirty or forty taels. If you don’t think it too little, heroes, help yourselves and use it to buy rice and grain.”
Ding Gou executed a great roc spreading its wings, flying down from above, flourishing his sword in a flower pattern, saying indignantly, “Could you be any more spineless? These are just a mob—I alone could take all their heads.”
His display of martial skill, coupled with such ruthless words, greatly startled those people.
Mo Zi ignored this. “This hero, I can see you’re not like those who commit evil deeds. I also know you live in hardship, and that robbing is something you’re forced to do. How about this—consider this silver my donation to all of you. Even if the metropolitan garrison asks about it, I absolutely won’t mention a word.”
“Who believes you dog officials? You already deceived us once just now. Only when exposed do you put on airs, thinking you can dismiss us with fifty taels, then turn around and have the metropolitan garrison arrest us. Don’t think we don’t understand such tricks.” The person who had been constantly singing a contrary tune sneered repeatedly. “Cut the nonsense. Let us search you, or else produce at least a thousand taels. Otherwise, we’ll take your dog’s life.”
Ding Gou said coolly beside Mo Zi, “Fine then, you choose. Let this mob search you? Or shall I take their lives?”
Zan Jin gripped his sword hilt with his right hand, awaiting Mo Zi’s order.
Mo Zi said something softly.
Zan Jin immediately touched his toe to the ground, moving swift as lightning.
The bandit leader hadn’t even had time to defend when he saw Zan Jin had already returned to stand before the carriage. On that emerald green scabbard was a gray cloth. Then hearing someone nearby cry out, he looked to see his talkative subordinate brother without his mask, covering his face and hopping about on both feet.
This martial skill was terrifying!
“Gentlemen have seen it now. My brother hasn’t even drawn his sword, yet taking your lives would be as easy as turning his palm. The three of us in this carriage are all martial experts selected from hundreds. If you continue to pester us, those with wives will become widows, those with children will become orphans, those with elderly parents will become lonely elders. Think carefully—will you take these fifty taels, or lose your heads?” Mo Zi stood high above, the ingot resting in her palm, steady and unmoving.
This group, having seen the sharp-tongued one have his mask easily removed, had already grown fearful in their hearts, and the torches in their hands quietly withdrew.
The leader was perceptive and knew the other party spoke only truth. He slung the large blade onto his back. “I believe the female official’s word. I’ll take your fifty taels of silver. No need to come closer—just toss it over.”
Mo Zi threw it.
The leader caught it and called out once to leave.
It seemed this minor alarm could be settled with silver.
Ding Gou sheathed his sword, quite dissatisfied with Mo Zi’s spineless approach. “You really bring honor to officials.”
“Why should I gain face for them, especially when they want me to fall into misfortune?” Mo Zi had just turned to go back inside the carriage when the wind direction changed.
“Killing intent.” Ding Gou drew his sword again.
Eh? Mo Zi turned around, only to see several swift swords suddenly appear among that group of people. In the blink of an eye, they had stabbed down a whole swath. The swords were extremely fast and vicious—those who fell didn’t wail or groan, but went straight to meet the King of Hell.
A’Yue and A’Hao protected Mo Zi front and back.
A’Hao said strangely, “Are these people turning on each other?”
“No, it’s not internal betrayal! I’m afraid from the very beginning, when they blocked our carriage, someone incited and manipulated them.” Mo Zi finally connected the strange elements together.
Hearing this, Ding Gou looked at her several times. “So that’s why you wanted to send them away quickly?”
“They’re common civilians, seeking wealth not lives. It’s easy for us to kill them, and easy for someone to frame us with their deaths. Those who understand would know it was self-defense. Those who don’t would say we took private justice upon the people. I’m a Waterborne Transport Supervisor, not a law enforcement official. You’re here to protect me, not as assassins.” Harboring hopes of luck, hoping this was something that could be settled with silver, but now before her eyes—a scene of blood mist in firelight.