He was still a child. Those he had seen, heard of, and was familiar with took priority.

He had never known of Chu Ling or Chu Zhao before. Hearing this name would have provoked no reaction.

But just moments ago, this name had been carved into his heart, accompanied by the impact of life-and-death separation.

He watched her from the darkness beneath the woodpile, motionless.

Beside him, someone rustled and stood up, asking softly: “Miss Chu?”

Chu Zhao was overjoyed. Seeing a figure rise from beside the woodpile, she hurried forward. The lamp in her hand revealed this was an old man.

The old man’s hair was somewhat disheveled, his face pale and beardless, wearing servant’s clothing that was obviously ill-fitting.

“I am Chu Zhao. I overheard Uncle speaking with someone,” Chu Zhao said directly without waiting for the old man to speak or ask. “Is the young prince here?”

The old man’s expression changed slightly. He understood the word in the girl’s statement—overheard, someone.

Chu Lan was talking with someone else!

He looked at this girl and without hesitation reached out to move aside the firewood.

“The young prince is here,” he said.

Chu Zhao then saw beneath the woodpile, curled into a tiny ball—the lamp flickered, and that child’s large eyes stared fixedly at her, motionless.

She didn’t know why, but at this moment, Chu Zhao’s eyes stung. She extended her hand.

“Come,” she said softly. “Come with me.”

The old man was about to say something when he saw the motionless child rise and grasp Chu Zhao’s hand.

Chu Zhao pulled him close beside her, wanting to pick him up.

Although she was thirteen years old, she was actually still a child herself. Picking up a six-year-old child was like a cat carrying a mouse—

The old man hurried forward: “Let me, let me.” He quickly picked up the child.

Chu Zhao didn’t insist. She turned and walked outside, and the old man didn’t ask questions but simply followed her.

The back courtyard was pitch black. Chu Zhao carried the small lamp, its dim light illuminating the path. Only the soft sound of two sets of footsteps could be heard. Soon they arrived at a courtyard gate.

“Miss.” A’Le’s voice came from the side, and the door was opened.

Chu Zhao led the old man and the two others through. A’Le closed the door, bolting it several times, then propped wood boards against it.

“Miss.” Only then did she look at the old man and child, but didn’t ask questions. She opened a bundle on the ground. “Everything is prepared.”

Chu Zhao said to the old man: “We need to go out. There are people watching outside. You should disguise yourselves.”

……

……

The sounds of crying and fighting in the night streets seemed much quieter, but the sounds inside Chu Garden suddenly became much more chaotic.

Chu Tang, hiding in a crevice of the artificial mountain, was startled.

“What’s going on?” she demanded in a low voice.

The maid squeezed beside her nodded angrily: “Exactly. At a time like this, Sister Zhao letting them hide here is already dangerous enough, and now they’re making loud noises.”

Though they said this, master and servant remained motionless—neither willing to stop the commotion.

“What’s happening!”

The servants guarding the gate were extremely alarmed, watching an old person and a small child push past Miss Chu Zhao.

In the dimness, an old woman in floral cloth clothing held a small girl, looking bloated and ungainly, yet possessing considerable strength—she’d pushed both Chu Zhao and A’Le aside.

“We want to go home. My son is still at home,” the old woman shouted, her voice crying, garbled and strange.

“It’s still very dangerous outside,” Chu Zhao said urgently. “Don’t go out.”

A’Le said angrily: “Miss, don’t mind them. If they want to die, let them die. Making noise here will get us all killed.”

Hearing this, the gate-guarding servants became even more alarmed. Yes, making noise in the house would invite trouble—

They stepped back, not blocking the way, letting the old woman carrying the child open the door and run out.

Chu Zhao stamped her foot: “Too dangerous. I’ll go persuade them back.”

She ran out after them.

“Miss, don’t mind them—” A’Le wanted to dissuade her mistress and chased after her.

The servants stood inside the gate, at a loss. To chase out—they didn’t dare. Not to chase out—they also didn’t quite dare.

“Miss, Miss—” They clung to the gate, calling softly. “Come back quickly—don’t mind them—”

This commotion in the dark night was very conspicuous, attracting the attention of watchful eyes hiding in the surroundings.

What’s happening?

“Someone ran out.”

“Ordinary people.”

“Many civilians came to Chu Garden to take shelter.”

Low voices conversed, gazes met. The night remained frozen.

Chu Zhao had already caught up to the old woman carrying the child: “It’s really too dangerous outside. Wait until daybreak to go home.”

“You’re worried about your son—if something happens to you, how heartbroken your son would be,” A’Le also complained angrily.

The old woman wailed in a drawn-out cry: “Even if I die, I want to die together with my son—”

The girl in her arms suddenly began crying too.

Chu Zhao reached out to pat and comfort them: “Don’t cry, don’t cry—”

A’Le scolded: “Quiet, quiet—”

The four pulled and tugged along the alley heading outward. Soon they would exit the alley and disappear into the night—

The frozen gazes in the night suddenly wavered.

“No.”

“Not one person, not even a dog can be let out.”

……

……

Walk faster.

But also walk slower.

Chu Zhao told herself.

The street intersection ahead was almost reached.

“Where are we going?” A’Le asked in a low voice.

Chu Zhao looked at the dark night ahead. In the distance were sounds of fighting, continuous crying.

Behind was a beast’s open maw—but wasn’t the front the same?

“I don’t know either,” she said quietly.

Staying home was death. Running out, perhaps, there was a chance—

Having run out, yet not knowing where to go—how despairing, how questionable. But the old woman holding the child asked not a single question, her footsteps unhesitating, following closely behind this girl.

The child in her arms had stopped crying too.

As if even if she were leading them to the deepest hell, they would step forward with her.

And weren’t they already in hell right now?

“Miss—”

A shout suddenly came from behind.

“Miss, come back quickly. The master has ordered—”

A’Le looked back and saw black shadows emerge from the estate, transforming into two figures, chasing after them.

The voice sounded like worried servants, but looking at their movements, these servants were running really fast.

A’Le clenched her hands. So even this wasn’t enough—

Chu Zhao stopped: “You’ve come at just the right time.”

She said, turning to face the approaching men, standing in the middle of the road, also blocking them from the old woman.

“Help me persuade them—or escort them. It’s too dangerous—”

Seeing Chu Zhao act this way, the approaching servants lowered their hands, using their garments to conceal something, slowing their pace.

“Alright,” they said. If they could bring people back without a fuss, even better.

It wasn’t that they feared killing people—it was to be able to kill more people without alerting the prey.

They lowered their heads, adopting the appearance of docile servants, walking past Chu Zhao.

Just at the moment of passing, short blades slid from the girl’s sleeves. Like a wildcat leaping, two strikes, left and right.

The two servants’ throats were pierced. They twisted violently, pulling knives from beneath their garments, but it was too late. They only had time to turn and look at the girl.

Blood spurting from their throats splattered the girl’s face and body. In the dark night, her pale face and red blood flashed with an eerie light.

With a clang, the knives in their hands fell to the ground, and the two men also collapsed.

……

……

In the darkness, a black shadow on the wall beside the street moved and whistled silently.

“Amazing,” he said, his small eyes widening. “Sister Zhao really is formidable at fighting.”