Jingmo looked troubled. “Before the master left, he specifically instructed that your safety must come first in all matters. The places the master goes are fraught with danger—forgive this humble one for not being able to take you on such risks.” Seeing Shen Lingzhen still hesitating, he added, “Young Madam, time is of the essence. Please depart with this humble one quickly. The master’s situation will have other personnel going to provide support. Your safety is the greatest reassurance you can give him.”
Shen Lingzhen could only grit her teeth and give up, instructing Jianjia to prepare for departure.
There wasn’t much luggage for this trip. Jianjia worked nimbly and finished packing shortly, then helped Shen Lingzhen into a sturdy, spacious carriage through the violent wind and driving rain.
The sky gradually darkened, yet the rain showed no sign of lessening. Bean-sized raindrops pelted the carriage roof with a frightening intensity.
On the road, Shen Lingzhen heard Jingmo say they were now heading northwest toward another Dingbian Army stronghold called East Valley Fortress. It wasn’t far from Baibao City, but because traveling by carriage in rainy weather was difficult, a journey that should normally take one hour would probably require twice the effort.
Shen Lingzhen had no mind to care about these details. She only worried about Huo Liuxing’s whereabouts, recalling in her heart how she had previously cursed harsh words at him, and vaguely felt regret.
If something happened to him, she wouldn’t even have anyone to vent her temper on. How could she settle that account of him deceiving her?
She anxiously wrung her hands, heart raised and nerves taut, until two incense sticks’ time later when the carriage suddenly slowed. Outside, Jingmo, who was driving, knocked on the carriage wall.
Jianjia pushed open the carriage door to see him hand back a fierce-looking hawk, calling out through the urgent rain, “Young Madam, this humble one is inconvenienced while driving. Please examine this—it may be news of the master.”
After a moment of confusion, Shen Lingzhen reacted and quickly pulled off a thin bamboo tube tied to the hawk’s leg. She twisted open the cap and pulled out a rolled silk strip.
On the silk strip was a line of unfamiliar handwriting, brief and to the point: Twenty li south of Shengqiang Fortress.
Below was also attached a triangular diagram that looked like ghostly scribbles.
Shen Lingzhen was unfamiliar with the Dingbian Army area. She immediately told Jingmo the message’s content and asked, “Does this message mean that the master is currently twenty li south of Shengqiang Fortress? Where is that place? And what does this diagram represent?”
Anxious and burning with urgency, she asked three questions in succession. While driving, Jingmo turned back to say, “This message indicates that the master’s triangular marker was discovered twenty li south of Shengqiang Fortress. By estimation, the master is currently in that vicinity. This humble one remembers… that should be a mountain hollow, about ten-plus li from here. This humble one will first escort you to East Valley Fortress, then circle back to meet the master.”
Shen Lingzhen looked at the heavy clouds outside like a canopy, the wind and rain dark and gloomy, then at the nearby rugged mountain roads and the distant sheer cliffs rising and falling. She shook her head. “No, that’s too roundabout. What if the situation on the master’s end is urgent—wouldn’t that cause delays? We’ll go meet the master first.”
Jingmo was about to bring up that set of arguments about prioritizing her safety when she cut him off with a serious expression. “Jingmo, I am the young madam of the Huo family. You must listen to me!”
He hastily nodded and said “yes,” changing course at the next fork in the road.
After another incense stick’s time, the rain gradually weakened. When the carriage entered a mountain hollow, Shen Lingzhen estimated they should be nearby and leaned against the carriage window edge to look outside.
With this look, she vaguely saw through the rain and mist a chestnut-colored horse slowly plodding toward them. On the horse’s back seemed to be someone dressed as a soldier, wearing armor and a helmet.
Remembering that Huo Liuxing had said all his actions in Dingbian Army territory would be disguised as a soldier, her heart skipped a beat. “Jingmo, look—is that the master?”
Jingmo immediately spurred the horses forward at full speed. As soon as the carriage stopped, Shen Lingzhen urgently jumped down, heedlessly stepping into the mud.
The rain had stopped by now, but the wind still howled fiercely. Jianjia held up an umbrella to shield Shen Lingzhen from the wind and followed to assist. Drawing closer to the horse, they indeed saw the unconscious Huo Liuxing on its back. Turning her head, Jianjia saw Shen Lingzhen’s tears falling pitter-patter.
Seeing her like this, Jingmo paused slightly and coughed. He quickly stepped forward to check Huo Liuxing’s breath and neck pulse, then turned back. “Young Madam, rest assured—the master is not in serious danger. He’s only suffering from his leg condition and was drenched in rain for too long, temporarily unconscious.”
Shen Lingzhen nodded with sobs. “Then… then what do we do now?”
“This humble one will carry the master back to the carriage and find a nearby place to shelter.”
Shen Lingzhen wiped her tears and told Jianjia to help Jingmo carry him while she took the umbrella and stood on tiptoe to hold it over Huo Liuxing from behind.
Jingmo advised, “Young Madam, you should shield yourself from the wind. The master’s constitution can handle it.”
“He’s like this—how can he handle it!” She shook her head with a sobbing tone and instead protected Huo Liuxing even more thoroughly.
After carrying him into the carriage, Jingmo rode ahead to scout the route, searching for nearby hunters, while Jianjia took charge of driving the carriage.
Inside the carriage, Shen Lingzhen carefully removed Huo Liuxing’s helmet. Seeing him tilt crookedly toward the carriage wall, she scrambled to steady him. After thinking, she firmly pressed his head against her shoulder, then took out a clean handkerchief to wipe his dripping wet face. As she wiped, tears fell uncontrollably again.
Huo Liuxing’s brow slightly furrowed.
Shen Lingzhen thought he was about to wake and quickly dried her tears, joyfully calling “Husband, husband.” But he seemed merely uncomfortable in his unconscious state and still didn’t move a muscle, leaning against her.
She felt dejected and could only proceed to remove his armor. After puzzling over it with great difficulty for a long time, she finally loosened the locks. But when she tried to pull it off, she couldn’t maneuver because he was leaning too tightly against her.
She was pressed until she panted for breath. She gently patted Huo Liuxing’s face. “Husband, husband, can you hear me? I’m about to be crushed by you. Can you sit up a bit?”
Huo Liuxing seemed disturbed by her patting and shifted his body somewhat reluctantly. Shen Lingzhen seized the opportunity and yanked off his armor in one motion, then unfastened his waist sash.
But just as she breathed a sigh of relief, the carriage jolted. Huo Liuxing’s whole body swayed and toppled over again.
Shen Lingzhen cried “Aiya!” Looking down, she saw his iron-like head had landed squarely on her still-developing chest.
She immediately curled up like a shrimp from the pain, letting out a low “wu” sound. After quite a while she recovered. She looked down, wanting to push Huo Liuxing away, but halfway through she withdrew her hand, consoling herself that she couldn’t hold it against an unconscious person. She then continued to rally her spirits, gripping the handkerchief and reaching down through his inner robe’s collar to wipe his body.
This wasn’t Shen Lingzhen’s first time seeing Huo Liuxing’s body, but the previous two times had been fleeting glimpses. Only this time, being so close, when she lowered her eyes she could see his jade-colored skin with distinct muscle definition. As she wiped, she could feel the undulating contours containing explosive power.
From initial embarrassment, she became interested and forgot the proper task at hand. Like studying a small animal, she poked here and pressed there. Her fingertips moved inch by inch along his muscle lines as she made sounds of amazement. “Wow…”
Huo Liuxing’s jaw gradually tightened.
Shen Lingzhen was completely unaware. The handkerchief had been tossed who knows where as she actually began counting. “One piece, two pieces, three pieces, four pieces, five pieces…” Her finger meandered downward, exploring toward the narrowing area, when she suddenly heard Huo Liuxing let out a muffled groan.
She hastily withdrew her hand, only then discovering her finger had nearly slipped into his waistband. Her face flushed bright red as she muttered to herself, “I was too presumptuous, I was too presumptuous…” Saying this, she flustered about looking for the handkerchief.
But just as she was about to continue wiping, she discovered Huo Liuxing’s body was burning hot—he had actually steamed himself dry.
She exclaimed in shock, “Does he have a fever?” Then urged outside, “Jianjia, have you found shelter yet?”
“Young Madam, there seems to be a hunter’s home ahead. We’re just about to go there.”
Shen Lingzhen felt relieved. She properly covered Huo Liuxing’s robe, then worriedly felt his forehead. “Hang on a bit longer, husband. We’ll arrive very soon.”
When the carriage stopped by the roadside, Jingmo came in to carry Huo Liuxing again while Jianjia scouted ahead, holding her sword and leading the way to two thatched huts.
But after inquiring outside for a long time with no response from inside, she pushed the door open to find both thatched huts completely empty.
Jingmo said, “Perhaps the hunter hasn’t returned from hunting yet. Let’s go in to take shelter first. We’ll pay proper price for whatever we use. The hunters here all have chivalrous hearts—they won’t mind.”
Jianjia nodded. After entering, she fumbled about and lit an oil lamp.
Shen Lingzhen followed inside and looked around. The interior furnishings of this thatched hut were simple—just one bed, one cabinet, and several strings of cured meat hanging from vines above. But at least everything was tidy with no dust.
Seeing Jingmo carry Huo Liuxing onto the bed, she hurried forward to help, going to remove his boots.
Jingmo was about to yield space for her when he suddenly felt someone pinch his wrist. Looking down, he saw Huo Liuxing’s face twisted in pain as if something unusual was happening.
Jingmo immediately shifted his body to block him completely.
Today’s scene was actually the latter half of that chain of stratagems from days ago. Seeing Shen Lingzhen’s perceptive heart see through their schemes time and again, they firmly believed that fake things couldn’t deceive her—only half-truths had a chance of succeeding.
So Huo Liuxing suffering from his leg condition due to rainy weather was true, and needing to transfer Shen Lingzhen was also true. It was just that instead of personally going to the Baibao City inn to fetch her, they had falsely transmitted news of being “out of contact.” As for afterward, all the routes, timing, including these two thatched huts—everything had been arranged well in advance.
Seeing things progress smoothly to this point—the sympathy they wanted to gain was gained, the care they wanted to receive was received—it should be close to Shen Lingzhen softening and forgiving Huo Liuxing. But looking now, Jingmo saw something seemed to have gone wrong with the master.
He calmly turned to Shen Lingzhen. “Young Madam, please go tidy up the adjacent room first. This humble one will handle the master’s side.”
The two times Shen Lingzhen had gotten out of the carriage, the rain had already stopped so she hadn’t gotten wet, but her boots and hem were covered in mud. Now sticky and uncomfortable, it indeed wasn’t pleasant.
She wanted to say something more but was directly half-dragged, half-supported away by Jianjia.
Jingmo made a show of removing the armor from Huo Liuxing’s lower body.
Once the two had disappeared from view, the “unconscious” Huo Liuxing immediately opened his eyes a crack.
Jingmo was about to ask what had happened when he suddenly caught sight of the situation beneath Huo Liuxing’s waistband. Shocked, he communicated through eye contact: Master, this is?
Huo Liuxing nodded, rubbing his forehead with a headache, licking his back teeth. Even he found it somewhat unbelievable.
He had always had extremely strong self-control and viewed Shen Lingzhen as an immature girl not yet fully grown. Even though he had shared a bed with her almost nightly this past month-plus, he had never wavered in the slightest.
Yet unexpectedly today, without the slightest preparation, he had been aroused by her unconscious teasing and provocation into this state.
But thinking carefully, though this matter was beyond expectation, it was actually quite reasonable.
No matter how much he recited scriptures with pure heart and few desires, he was ultimately a red-blooded adult male. How could he remain resolutely unmoved under such circumstances?
Huo Liuxing silently took deep breaths, trying to relieve wave after wave of wild turbulent impulses that rose but couldn’t settle for a long time. Meanwhile, Shen Lingzhen in the adjacent room was also not having an easy time.
When Jianjia touched her chest while helping her change clothes, she unexpectedly shrank back like a startled rabbit.
“Young Madam, what’s wrong?”
Shen Lingzhen had nothing to be embarrassed about in front of Jianjia and spoke frankly. “Just now I was accidentally hit here by the master’s head. It still hurts now. Did he damage me?”
Jianjia laughed. “You’re still growing. This area normally has some swelling pain anyway. Being hit there naturally feels unpleasant. It will be fine in a couple days—nothing will happen.”
Shen Lingzhen nodded, then asked curiously, “But it’s not just pain. After the pain, I also felt tingly and itchy, like… like ants crawling, making my heart and liver tremble. Why is that?”
She asked seriously and earnestly, which made the worldly-wise Jianjia somewhat embarrassed. She coughed lightly and chose her words carefully and euphemistically. “This, this shows the Young Madam and the master have good feelings for each other…”
“Good feelings?”
“Right. With good feelings, it tingles and itches. Without good feelings, there would only be pain.”
Shen Lingzhen blinked and looked down at herself with furrowed brows, falling into deep thought.