In the flash of lightning and spark of flint, Qing Xia, who had been lying on the ground barely breathing, suddenly sprang up like a released spring. The cold blade was instantly pressed against the man’s neck. In a moment she had turned the tables, kneeling and striking hard into the man’s lower abdomen, saying coldly: “Touching others carelessly – don’t you know that’s very impolite behavior?”

The man was shocked, staring dumbfounded as Qing Xia pulled out a hard bundle from her plump little belly, with half of his own arrow still stuck in it.

“When traveling, you can’t let your wealth show – don’t you understand?” A large bundle of gleaming silver was what Uncle Zhong had given her earlier. Qing Xia had been carrying it with her all along. Just now when she saw the arrow coming, she had gone along with the situation without dodging, and after deceiving her opponent, easily captured this troublesome man.

“Who are you?”

The man was quite the tough guy, snorting coldly and saying in a deep voice: “Sinister and cunning, despicable and shameless.”

“Hmph!” Qing Xia snorted coldly: “Did you call out before shooting that arrow at me? If I weren’t a bit more skilled than you, I’d already be dead under your arrow. How dare you criticize others?”

“Hmph!” The man snorted coldly, unconvinced and speechless.

“I knew you wouldn’t talk.” Qing Xia said with a smile, holding the dagger against the man’s neck with one hand while skillfully tying the man’s hands tightly with the other. Her technique for binding people was extremely sophisticated – in the blink of an eye she had tied him securely. When the man struggled twice, he discovered the knots only got tighter, and his expression grew furious.

Qing Xia paid him no mind, leaped onto horseback, grabbed his rope, cracked her whip, and began galloping across the wilderness.

The man was dragged behind. Fortunately this wilderness was all dry grass without stones, otherwise just this dragging alone would have been enough to take half his life.

Returning to that earthen mound from before, Qing Xia exerted great effort to finally tie the man to the high dead branches of a withered tree. She gagged his mouth, gathered some straw to cover him – from below one could hardly tell he was there – then said with a smile: “Just stay here obediently.”

After completing all this, Qing Xia felt exhausted to death. The clothes on her body had also dried quite well by now. She built a fire right beneath that man and brazenly went to sleep.

When she woke in the morning, it was to the sound of horse hooves.

Qing Xia stood up from behind the earthen mound and saw Uncle Zhong’s convoy slowly catching up from behind, moving very slowly as if leisurely sightseeing.

“Miss Tang, we meet again.”

Though Uncle Zhong was old, his eyesight was good, and he greeted her with a smile.

“Yes, elder, we’re so fated!” Qing Xia said with a smile, rubbing her eyes and lifting her head to breathe deeply of the fresh morning air. “Elder, in two more days we can walk out of this wilderness, right?”

“Yes, Miss Tang, you’ll reach Qin soon.”

Qin? Qing Xia raised one hand, gazing toward the distant north. She could only see the vast ancient road hidden in withered grass, extending far into the distance. Over there to the north was Qin, the most powerful of the four nations.

Perhaps because they were approaching Qin’s border, Uncle Zhong kindly invited Qing Xia to travel with them.

By this time, Qing Xia had come to understand somewhat. After all, with someone sending such formidable forces against them, Uncle Zhong’s party couldn’t possibly be unaware they had such enemies. In that dangerous situation, naturally they couldn’t invite her to travel together, to avoid involving innocent people.

Now they were about to leave the Xihei Wilderness and approach Qin’s border. Even those stern-faced guards showed traces of relaxation.

The further north they went, the colder the weather became. Qing Xia put on thick cotton clothes and wrapped herself completely in white fox fur, yet still felt her teeth chattering, with small icicles forming on her eyes and eyebrows. Such weather couldn’t help but remind Qing Xia of that time executing a mission in Eskimo territory, when she had hidden in glacier crevices for three days without supplies, later frostbiting both feet. Every winter since, they would fester and swell, and even much traditional Chinese medicine hadn’t helped.

Qing Xia wrapped Da Huang’s belly in thick cotton cloth to prevent him from getting frostbitten. This horse was very intelligent and affectionate toward Qing Xia. Unconsciously, it helped her find a trace of warm comfort in this icy land.

Before she knew it, they had traveled for two days in such harsh conditions. This evening, the sky was dimly overcast. Actually by modern timekeeping methods, it was at most after three in the afternoon, yet the northern weather was already half-dark. Qing Xia rode on horseback with her huge hood covering her eyes. She reached out her clumsy gloved hand to push up the hood and raise her head.

She saw only darkness in the distance, boundless and endless, impossible to see the edge. Everywhere was white snow, the world silver-white, with northern winds howling all around, blowing sharply across the earth. Qing Xia’s breath formed white puffs in the air. She rubbed her eyes and suddenly saw a gray, dim iron line in the distance, like a giant dragon coiled at the edge of the wilderness – magnificent and imposing, with thick solemnity and majesty.

“Ah! It’s mountains!”

Qing Xia cried out happily. After walking in the wilderness for more than ten days, seeing the same monotonous wild grass and small gray-yellow mounds everywhere, suddenly seeing mountains – how could she not be excited?

Uncle Zhong’s grizzled beard was covered with snowflakes. He smiled as he looked into the distance, saying kindly: “Yes, that’s Dragon Ridge Mountain. Below the mountain is the Iron Wire River. Once across the Iron Wire River, we’ll be within the borders of our Great Qin.”

Qing Xia felt a burst of joy upon hearing this. No matter what, she had finally left South Chu. Her heart felt as if a huge stone had suddenly been lifted, and she breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

“Uncle Zhong,” a low voice suddenly rang out from the carriage. Qing Xia turned to look and saw the curtain lifted slightly. Uncle Zhong quickly dismounted and walked over, saying in a deep voice: “Young Master, what are your instructions?”

“Tonight we’ll camp and rest at the foot of Dragon Ridge Mountain. Don’t cross the river – we’ll go tomorrow.”

Uncle Zhong’s brow furrowed slightly, then he quickly nodded: “Very well.”

“Miss Tang,” Qing Xia was startled. She had joined this convoy for two days and hadn’t heard this man speak a single word, hadn’t even glimpsed his face. Now hearing his mellow, hoarse voice suddenly calling her, she quickly copied Uncle Zhong’s manner and stepped forward, saying: “What can I do for you, Young Master?”

“Our slow progress has delayed the young lady.”

Qing Xia raised an eyebrow and smiled lightly: “Young Master speaks too seriously. You are my life-saving benefactor, and I’ve received your care all along the way – it’s my good fortune.”

“A small effort, hardly worth mentioning.”

“In Young Master’s eyes it may be a small effort, but in my eyes it was help in desperate need – great kindness and virtue that I must remember in my heart.”

“The young lady is too kind,” faint coughing suddenly rang out. After quite a while, it slowly stopped. The man’s voice carried slight weakness and hoarseness as he said gravely: “We’ve reached Qin’s border. Our stop-and-go pace shouldn’t delay the young lady’s time any longer.”

Though she had long understood what he meant, hearing him actually say it, Qing Xia still felt somewhat embarrassed. She smiled and said: “I was going to take my leave of Young Master anyway. Thank you for your care along the way. The road ahead is long – please take care of your health.”

“Thank you for the young lady’s concern.”

The clear voice spoke coldly, with a trace of aloofness that kept people at a thousand li distance. Uncle Zhong looked somewhat embarrassed, gazing at Qing Xia with reluctance. Suddenly he walked to the second carriage, and after a while, came down again.

“Miss Tang, Bailing Prefecture is still a long way from here. You’re a young lady traveling alone – please be careful in all things.”

Feeling the old man’s heartfelt concern, Qing Xia’s slight dissatisfaction immediately vanished. She said sincerely: “Elder, if not for you, I probably would have died long ago in Nanjiang’s wasteland. This great kindness and virtue – I hope someday I can repay your great favor.”

“Silly child,” Uncle Zhong reached out to tighten the fox fur on Qing Xia’s shoulders, handing her a bundle: “Take these with you. Meeting is fate – don’t speak of repaying kindness anymore. I hope you find your brother soon. The journey is long – please be careful!”

Qing Xia held the heavy bundle, suddenly feeling her eyes moisten. This stranger had helped her unconditionally from their first meeting. Without him, she might have perished long ago. Small icicles slowly formed on her eyelashes. Holding the bundle, she couldn’t speak, only nodding heavily while pressing her lips tightly together.

“Well, it’s getting late. Hurry to the Iron Wire River – the water has frozen over now, so don’t worry.”

Qing Xia could only keep nodding, then leaped onto her warhorse and said in a deep voice: “Elder, I will remember your great kindness in my heart forever.”

“Good child, go quickly! Take care along the way!”

Qing Xia rode on horseback, galloping rapidly toward the iron-gray line. After running for a long time, she looked back and could still see that aged, slightly hunched figure standing in the same place, gazing toward her direction.

Warm emotion instantly filled her entire heart. Unprecedented warmth made her feel as if she were immersed in spring sunshine.

“Giddyup!” With a great shout, Qing Xia galloped rapidly toward the Iron Wire River.

By the time she reached the Iron Wire River’s bank, the sky had completely darkened. The bright white snow reflected light, illuminating everything around in white brightness.

Large snowflakes still danced in the sky, swirling and falling in desolate beauty.

The Iron Wire River had frozen over. Qing Xia carefully tested it and, knowing that even an elephant could walk on it safely now, felt reassured.