“Can’t you see? I’m gambling with my own life for a future.”
In the firelight, Shen Miao’s eyes burned brighter than the flames, yet the determination within them was as immovable as bedrock.
“What use is a future if you’re dead?” Xie Jinghang said harshly. “It’s too risky.”
Shen Miao laughed, looking at him with mockery as she replied, “I’m different from you, Young Marquis. Your connections reach the heavens; you need little effort to get what you want. I’m different—if I don’t risk my life, my fate will be worse than death. Since I’m not afraid of death, how could I fear fire?” She paused. “You should leave.”
Xie Jinghang frowned as he studied her, a thoughtful gleam passing through his beautiful peach blossom eyes. He was no good man and had no intention of playing the rescuer. His earlier help had been mere coincidence, and now that he’d regained his composure, he found himself mocking his impulsiveness. With this thought, Xie Jinghang leapt onto a beam that hadn’t yet caught fire, crossing his arms with amusement. “I forgot, you’re the clever one in the Shen family. Of course, you can escape unharmed. However, this Marquis would like to see exactly what skills you possess.”
In the firelight, his purple robe seemed to shimmer with flowing gold, yet even more dazzling than his clothing was the smile at his lips. The young man’s expression was arrogant, his features as handsome as a painting. Viewed this way, he resembled the romantic young master from an opera, yet his gaze revealed a coldness and cruelty that made even his carefree exterior seem chilling.
At the banquet in the East Courtyard, upon hearing that Lord and Lady Shen had returned, Ren Wanyun had panicked. She still clung to a faint hope that it was just some servant playing a cruel joke. But before she could devise a solution, she watched servants escorting a group of travel-worn people inside. The man at the front was laughing loudly from a distance, “Mother, your son has returned to the capital to celebrate your birthday! I’ve arrived a bit late, please forgive me!”
All eyes turned to the approaching group. At the front were a large bearded man and a spirited, beautiful woman—none other than Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan. Behind them, smiling warmly, was the young man Shen Qiu.
In the past, this would have been a moment of joyous celebration. With Ren Wanyun’s social skills, she would surely have pleased Shen Xin and his wife immensely. But today’s emergency was unexpected—the fire had broken out at precisely the moment Shen Xin returned, and Shen Miao was trapped in the ancestral hall. Ren Wanyun froze, not knowing what to do.
Old Lady Shen was even worse off. She had always been indecisive, only wielding power within the inner courtyard. Even when dealing with Shen Miao, she had only used underhanded tactics. Now, in front of everyone, she couldn’t even manage to fake a distressed expression.
Chen Ruoqiu felt anxious. Although she wanted both the Second and First Branches to destroy each other, she was also at this banquet. If Shen Xin hadn’t returned today, Shen Miao’s death in the fire would have been the end of it—there would be no witness to testify against them, and they could say whatever they wanted. But Shen Xin had returned; he had eyes to see, and any clear-headed person would understand what had happened. What should she do now?
Shen Qing and Shen Yue both feared their uncle. After all, Shen Xin was a military official who carried an air of decisive sharpness. These delicate young ladies instinctively feared such qualities, and seeing their mother’s cautious demeanor made them even more anxious.
Shen Gui and Shen Wan exchanged glances, both their eyes grave. For so many years, they had hidden their true intentions well, never making mistakes, and never witnessing their elder brother’s anger. But if something happened to Shen Miao today, what would Shen Xin do? The thought made them shiver.
While they were pondering, Shen Xin, his wife, and Shen Qiu had already reached Old Lady Shen’s table. Seeing the guests’ silence, staring at them with strange expressions, Luo Xueyan frowned, sensing something was wrong but not knowing what.
It was Shen Qiu who scanned the table carefully, then asked with confusion, “Grandmother, where is my sister? I don’t see her at this table.”
At this, Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan noticed too. Shen Yue and Shen Qing were present, even Shen Dongling, the Second Branch’s concubine-born daughter, was there, but among all the young ladies, Shen Miao was nowhere to be seen. Shen Xin’s smile faltered as he asked, “Mother, where is Jiaojiao?”
Old Lady Shen was speechless. What could she say? Ren Wanyun had claimed she was going to call the guards, but her slow movements clearly showed she didn’t take the matter seriously. They hadn’t even left their seats yet.
“General Shen!” Feng Anning suddenly stood up and called out loudly, “You’ve arrived just in time! The ancestral hall caught fire, and Fifth Miss Shen is currently trapped inside!”
She deliberately said it in a way to provoke indignation, partly to avenge Shen Miao. Feng Anning herself was cherished in the Feng family—even if she had merely tripped in her household, everyone would have shown concern. Now, seeing Shen Miao in danger while the Shen household members remained nonchalant, she felt sympathy for Shen Miao. Since Shen Xin had arrived at such a convenient moment, she might as well report to him.
Upon hearing this, Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan were stunned. The ancestral hall was on fire, and Shen Miao was trapped inside. Why would Shen Miao be in the ancestral hall in the first place? More importantly, why were her family members still drinking and feasting at the banquet while she was in mortal danger?
Ren Wanyun regained her senses and quickly explained, “Brother, Sister-in-law, I was just about to find the guards when you arrived…”
Before she could finish, Shen Xin rushed past her. His glance at Ren Wanyun was terrifying—so fierce and ruthless that it made her feel as if she had fallen into an icy abyss.
Luo Xueyan and Shen Qiu also snapped back to reality and hurried toward the ancestral hall without another word.
In the ancestral hall, the fire grew increasingly fierce, nearly becoming a massive fireball. Inside, Shen Miao covered her nose and mouth with a pre-prepared wet cloth. Xie Jinghang frowned at her, yet despite the choking smoke, he appeared quite at ease, not the least bit disheveled. He said to Shen Miao, “If you don’t leave now, you’ll truly die here.”
“If you don’t leave, you’ll have to die with me,” Shen Miao retorted.
“Sharp-tongued,” Xie Jinghang smiled indifferently. “What are you waiting for?”
Before he could finish, a roar came from outside: “Jiaojiao!”
Xie Jinghang suddenly moved to the window and could see clearly through a small gap in the flames. Outside were none other than Shen Xin, his wife, and Shen Qiu.
When Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan arrived, they hadn’t expected the fire to be so fierce, and they were immediately horrified. Guards surrounded the ancestral hall, yet not a single one had gone in to rescue Shen Miao. They were merely fetching buckets of water to douse the flames, but this was like a drop in the ocean—if they waited until the fire was extinguished, Shen Miao would have no chance of survival.
Shen Qiu gritted his teeth. “I’ll save my sister!” He rushed forward, but before he could take more than a few steps, a burning beam fell in front of him with a loud “crack,” the burning fire making “pop-pop” sounds as it blocked his path completely.
“Jiaojiao!”
“Sister!”
Inside, Xie Jinghang raised an eyebrow and said, “So your pet name is Jiaojiao. It doesn’t suit you at all.”
“The people I’ve been waiting for have arrived. Young Marquis, find your way out.” Shen Miao’s eyes held a murderous gleam. She had arranged this scene specifically for Shen Xin to witness clearly what kind of place the seemingly harmonious Shen household truly was, and what evil intentions those who claimed to love her harbored. Military officials valued loyalty and righteousness; they weren’t fools—they simply refused to judge people with the most malicious assumptions. Shen Miao didn’t have time to let Shen Xin understand gradually; she could only use such direct and violent means to make them see the truth.
She picked up a burning piece of wood from the ground and suddenly pressed it against her arm. Xie Jinghang was startled. Shen Miao gritted her teeth as large beads of sweat ran down her forehead. She dropped the wood, and a stark burn mark appeared on her fair arm.
Xie Jinghang couldn’t hide his shock. In his life, he had encountered women who were ruthless toward themselves—those female death soldiers who would treat themselves without hesitation. But Shen Miao was not a death soldier; she was just a delicate young lady from a noble family. Her life should have been like those of other young ladies in the capital—as her pet name suggested, pampered and gentle, not burning herself without even flinching.
He watched as Shen Miao scattered more flames on herself, then straightened up and ran outside. She ran staggeringly, as if about to fall, yet her movements were incredibly precise, and wherever she ran, there were no flames. Xie Jinghang narrowed his eyes, seeing clearly that there was a narrow path, a small opening left in the fiercely burning ancestral hall. It seemed someone had prepared it in advance, applying something that wouldn’t catch fire, specifically to allow for a smooth escape.
Everything had been arranged by Shen Miao. She truly was gambling with her life for a future, and she had won. The unfortunate ones would be the others.
Xie Jinghang smiled meaningfully, watching the figure disappear into the flames before he moved toward another exit—the back door of the ancestral hall. His movements were light and graceful, like a swallow, and with a punch and a kick, this extremely dangerous fire cage was like level ground to him. In the blink of an eye, he had escaped.
His men were already waiting outside. Seeing him emerge, they all sighed with relief. “Master.”
“The item isn’t in the ancestral hall. Shen Xin has returned. Let’s go.” He spoke quickly, then disappeared into the trees behind the ancestral hall.
Meanwhile, Shen Miao stumbled out.
Seeing her, Shen Qiu jumped up. “Sister!”
Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan were almost weeping with joy. They had tried to rush into the fire but couldn’t get in. Now, seeing Shen Miao run out by herself was an immense relief.
“Jiaojiao!”
Just as Shen Miao ran out, her legs gave way and she fainted. Shen Qiu quickly caught her and saw a shocking burn mark on her left arm. His eyes immediately reddened. Shen Miao, curled in his arms with closed eyes, murmured, “Let me go… I won’t marry…”
When Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan heard this, they froze on the spot.
—–
In the West Courtyard’s inner room, thick medicinal fragrance permeated the air. Servants inside and outside seemed suddenly busy, bringing an unexpected vitality to this usually lazy and somewhat desolate courtyard. The room itself was now lively as well.
“I entrusted Jiaojiao to my two sisters-in-law, thinking they would certainly take good care of her for me, but now it seems that’s not the case. If I hadn’t returned today at the right moment, Jiaojiao might have died in the fire with no one knowing.” Luo Xueyan crossed her arms and said with a cold smile. She was certainly not someone to be trifled with, known on the battlefield as the “Rakshasa Woman.” She had been courteous to the Shen household members only out of gratitude for raising Shen Miao. Today, it was as if masks had been torn off, and in her extreme anger, her words were merciless.
“Sister-in-law, it’s not like that.” Ren Wanyun smiled apologetically. “I had already asked the guards to put out the fire. I treat Jiaojiao as my daughter—how could I watch her fall into danger without concern? Sister-in-law, you know how I’ve treated Jiaojiao all these years. Otherwise, how could she be so close to us?” She was anxious inside. Luo Xueyan had never confronted anyone like this—perhaps because she didn’t understand the ways of inner courtyard women. In the past, she had been easy to appease, but now that she was truly angry, her presence was indeed intimidating.
“Own daughter?” Luo Xueyan gave a cold laugh. “Our Jiaojiao deserves better than such a vicious mother.” Facing Ren Wanyun, she stepped forward, forcing Ren Wanyun to retreat, her tone carrying a biting chill. “I also want to ask my sister-in-law, since it’s Old Lady’s birthday, why was Jiaojiao alone in the ancestral hall?”
“Fifth Miss wanted to go to the ancestral hall to offer incense to the ancestors…” Under Luo Xueyan’s intense gaze, Ren Wanyun panicked and came up with a clumsy excuse.
“Ren Wanyun!” Luo Xueyan shouted harshly. “Using these excuses to fool me—do you take me for an idiot? Being locked in the ancestral hall, being forced into marriage—I will settle these accounts one by one, and this matter won’t be resolved so easily. Ren Wanyun,” Luo Xueyan, naturally fierce when provoked, possessed a domineering authority. “If my Jiaojiao is harmed in any way, you’ll see how I settle accounts with you!”
She finished in one breath, frightening everyone in the room. Luo Xueyan was rarely at the Shen household, and the servants no longer considered her a proper mistress. Most were Ren Wanyun’s informants. Whenever Luo Xueyan returned, she was always smiling. With her open-minded and cheerful nature, she didn’t dwell on trivial matters, so everyone thought she was easy to get along with. Who would have imagined her being so stern? She left Ren Wanyun speechless, her face turning purplish-blue.
Shen Miao, lying in the inner room, turned to face the wall, but her eyes were completely clear. She had orchestrated this entire scenario, even to the point of scarring herself, to eliminate any possibility of Ren Wanyun being forgiven. The Shen family members were all skilled actors; if they performed a few acts and said some nice words, they might make others soften. Unless the harm had already been done, no parent would tolerate someone hurting their child, just like her, Wanyu, and Fu Ming.
Now Luo Xueyan no longer trusted Ren Wanyun and Chen Ruoqiu as she had in the past, treating the Second and Third Branch members as enemies. At least her burn wound hadn’t been in vain. This was good.
Meanwhile, in the outer courtyard, Shen Xin and Shen Qiu were facing Shen Gui and Shen Wan.
“Brother, this is all a misunderstanding.” Shen Gui was somewhat desperate. He didn’t know about Ren Wanyun’s plan to switch the marriages of Shen Miao and Shen Qing. Shen Miao had been confined to the ancestral hall because she had committed a previous offense. Shen Gui still resented Shen Miao for confronting him at Rongjing Hall and didn’t object to her confinement in the ancestral hall, not knowing that an incident would occur at such a critical moment.
“Second Uncle, this can hardly be called a misunderstanding.” Shen Qiu stepped forward, tightly clenching his fists, trying hard to control his urge to strike them both down. “At Grandmother’s birthday banquet, only my sister was confined in the ancestral hall. I want to ask, what offense did she commit? And why were there so many guards at the door who didn’t rescue her but just watched from outside? Second Uncle, Third Uncle, can I understand this to mean these guards weren’t there to rescue her but to block others’ paths, deliberately attempting to take my sister’s life?”
Being young and impulsive, Shen Qiu naturally spoke his mind without filtering his thoughts. He had not disappointed Shen Miao’s expectations—in fact, his words were even more severe than what Shen Miao had anticipated. Upon hearing this, Shen Xin’s expression turned deadly serious, while Shen Gui and Shen Wan were startled. Shen Wan quickly consoled, “Nephew, how can you say such things? Fifth Miss is our niece—how could we harm her?” He looked at Shen Xin. “Brother, today’s events were all an accident. Brother, you’ve lived with us for so many years—if we wanted to harm Fifth Miss, how could we have raised her well to this age? Don’t you trust us?”
Shen Wan was a scholar who could put on an appearance of integrity, easily fooling others’ hearts, as if he were the only upright person in the world. But Shen Xin wasn’t deceived by this. In the past, he might have thought this was just a misunderstanding—after all, they had raised Shen Miao well all these years, and Shen Miao herself seemed close to them. But after today’s incident, looking at these people again, he saw only wolf-like ambitions thinly veiled behind their cultured facades.
So, to Shen Gui and Shen Wan’s shock, Shen Xin cursed loudly, “Bull****! You think I’m easy to fool? I entrusted Jiaojiao to you, and you tried to kill her. Locked in the ancestral hall, forced into marriage? Shen Gui, Shen Wan, don’t think that because I’m not in the capital, you can bully my daughter. Today, I, Shen Xin, am putting you on notice—when Jiaojiao wakes up, we’ll see what happens!”
Shen Gui and Shen Wan were dumbfounded. Although Shen Xin was a rough military man, for many years, he had always restrained his coarse temperament in front of them. Though not as elegant as the scholars, now they realized that at his core, Shen Xin was truly a ruffian! His words left Shen Gui and Shen Wan speechless!
In truth, Shen Xin had been pushed to the extreme. Seeing his daughter trapped in a sea of fire had already filled his heart with rage and pain. The words Shen Miao had spoken before fainting were the final straw. The simpler her words, the more they left to the imagination, making Shen Xin wonder what kind of life Shen Miao had been living in the Shen household. The more he thought about it, the more he despised his two brothers. If possible, Shen Xin would have drawn his sword and cleaved these beasts in two!
“Silence!” A shout came from behind, and everyone turned to see Fu’er and Xi’er supporting Old Lady Shen as she approached.
Old Lady Shen had nearly suffered a heart attack from anger. She had always been most concerned with saving face, yet today, on her birthday banquet, she had been humiliated in front of all the prominent figures of the capital. The guests had all witnessed Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan demanding answers, and not wanting to linger in such a contentious situation, they had departed hastily, leaving only the half-completed birthday banquet. Now that all the guests had left, she had hurried over to assign blame, only to witness Shen Xin questioning Shen Gui and Shen Wan, so she intervened without hesitation.
Shen Qiu turned around, saw Old Lady Shen, and greeted her as “Grandmother,” though his attitude was not especially warm. In the past, when Shen Yuan was alive, Old Lady Shen had favored Shen Yuan somewhat. Everyone said it was because Old Lady didn’t like fighting and killing, and Shen Yuan had taken the path of a civil official, so Old Lady Shen favored him. But children often have intuition—Shen Qiu intuitively disliked being close to Old Lady Shen, and later, as he returned home less frequently, the distance grew.
Now, having witnessed firsthand Shen Miao falling into a trap while the banquet continued, Shen Qiu felt uneasy and longed to stand up for his sister immediately.
Old Lady Shen glared at Shen Qiu, then swept her gaze over Shen Xin. Finally, putting on her dignity, she said, “Eldest son’s wife, you’ve just returned to the household and you’re showing such anger toward your two brothers? What, are you bringing your general’s authority into my Shen family?”
In her youth, although Old Lady Shen had been a singing girl with underhanded methods, she had maintained a perfectly gentle and virtuous appearance, keeping the old general firmly under control. Before his death, the old general had told Shen Xin that Shen Gui and Shen Wan would follow the path of civil officials, while only Shen Xin would inherit his mantle, so he should support his two brothers and ensure the family remained harmonious. The old general and Shen Xin had shared a deep father-son bond, so Shen Xin had always kept his words in mind. Therefore, over the years, his respect for Old Lady Shen hadn’t diminished in the slightest.
But generally, people’s affection flows downward. Parents love their children, and children love the next generation, but rarely do people love their parents more than their children. Shen Xin was no different—between a mother with no blood relation and his flesh and blood, Shen Xin naturally chose his flesh and blood without hesitation. Old Lady Shen’s words now did not affect him.
He bowed to Old Lady Shen, “Mother, I’m not trying to impose my authority in the household. It’s just that today’s incident is suspicious. As the Great General of Might and Valor, if I can’t even protect my own daughter’s safety, how can I face the Shen family ancestors? Wouldn’t I be failing my reputation abroad? I must investigate this matter thoroughly. Today should have been a celebration of Mother’s birthday, but your son is unfilial. I truly cannot watch Jiaojiao fall into danger and pretend nothing happened, so I can only apologize to Mother later.” His words implicitly criticized how, while Shen Miao was in danger, the Shen household members still had the heart to continue the banquet as if nothing had happened—truly condemnable.
Old Lady Shen stood frozen. Shen Xin had always been respectful to her. In her younger years, she had thought of using other means to have Shen Xin killed, but the old general had loved Shen Xin like his life, giving her no opportunity. When Shen Xin grew up, there was even less she could do. But since Shen Xin treated her with respect, she was happy to play along. This was the first time Shen Xin had so firmly contradicted her, leaving her momentarily speechless.
Shen Xin turned back to Shen Gui and Shen Wan, his tone grim, “I will certainly investigate exactly what happened here. Second Brother, Third Brother, farewell.” He turned and strode away without so much as a glance at the others, and Shen Qiu quickly followed.
After leaving the East Courtyard, Shen Xin said to Shen Qiu, “The fire rat fur cloak in the carriage—give it to your sister later. I see the household is more dangerous than the battlefield. Your sister needs it more than the old lady.”
“Yes.” Shen Qiu was overjoyed, then remembered something and said, “Father, before my sister fainted, she mentioned a marriage arrangement. We need to investigate this too. We never received any news about this in the Northwest.”
“Hmph,” Shen Xin said grimly, “I see the General’s household is full of demons and monsters. This time your sister nearly lost her life. I’ll find those who don’t value their lives and give them a taste of severe punishment!”
—
Linan Marquis’s Mansion.
Xie Jinghang had just returned to his room when he saw someone already seated at the table—a figure in white, gently waving a folding fan, smiling at him.
“What are you doing here?” Xie Jinghang put down his sword and asked.
“I heard you went to the Shen household to look for something. What was the result?” Gaoyang asked with a smile.
“Nothing.”
“I already guessed the item wasn’t at the Shen household,” Gaoyang shook his head, disappointment flashing across his face. “If it’s not there, what will you do next?”
“Each immortal crosses the sea using their unique powers.” Xie Jinghang sat down across from him and poured himself a cup of tea. “What else can I do?”
“But with Shen Xin’s return to the capital, Ming Qi might face new turmoil.” Gaoyang looked at him, his folding fan pausing slightly. “At a time like this, will the Fu family…” He placed his hand on his neck, making a gesture of execution.
“The Shen family’s achievements outshine their ruler, blazing like oil in fire—this day was inevitable.” Xie Jinghang took a sip of tea, his tone even as he commented, without a trace of sympathy.
Gaoyang shrugged, then suddenly remembered something and took out a small jade bottle from his robe. “Last time, Tieyi mentioned your hand was injured. This is medicine he prepared for you.”
“Why would a minor injury need medicine?” Xie Jinghang frowned.
“My medicine won’t leave scars.” Gaoyang insisted on placing the bottle in Xie Jinghang’s hand. “It would be unfortunate to have scars.”
“I’m not a woman.” Xie Jinghang tossed the bottle back as if avoiding the plague. “Take it back!”
“If you were a woman, you’d be crying and begging me for it.” Gaoyang said, “Take it. This medicine is precious—one bottle is worth a thousand gold.”
Xie Jinghang glanced at him, his lips curling with disdain, but he suddenly remembered the scene in the fire—the young lady unhesitatingly burning her arm with a fiery tablet.
Afraid of scars? That was doubtful.
After pondering for a moment, he reached out and tucked the medicine bottle into his robe.