Mudan and Yuhe ran until they reached the most crowded area before stopping to look back. They saw a group of people dispersing the revelers and rushing towards the viewing pavilion they had just left. The group quickly surrounded the pavilion, and one person smoothly dismounted and climbed up. It was none other than Liu Chengcai.
“That was close!” Mudan and Yuhe saw fear and confusion in each other’s eyes. Yuhe murmured, “Danniang… what are they going to do? Will they harm Young Master Li?”
Mudan hugged herself tightly, unable to control her shivering. Her voice hoarse, she said, “Quick! We need to find help!”
“Need my help to find someone? What are you afraid of? You don’t think there’ll be bloodshed, do you? Our father is too clever for that. Tomorrow, just come with me to congratulate your cousin Li on becoming part of our family. Yuzhu has always admired your cousin Li.” Liu Chang gritted his teeth, emphasizing the words “our father.” He felt that if used properly, Liu Chengcai could still be useful at critical moments.
Mudan turned stiffly, looking up at Liu Chang behind her. Meeting his malicious, mocking gaze that also held a sense of certainty, she felt a chill run from head to toe. It was all her fault that Li Xing was in danger. What could she do?
Suddenly, Yuhe charged headfirst toward Liu Chang, shouting, “Danniang, run!”
Liu Chang had anticipated this move. He grabbed Yuhe’s hair and slapped her, saying coldly, “You’re asking for death!” He had disliked this maid for a long time.
Realizing there was no reason with such a man, Mudan took a deep breath. She rushed to support Yuhe and screamed shrilly, “Help! He’s assaulting me! Help! Help!!!”
She’s quite adept at this game of false accusations! Liu Chang thought. Seeing people around them turning to look, he felt urgent, hateful, and agitated. He pushed Yuhe away and moved to cover Mudan’s mouth, scolding, “What are you yelling about?” Before he finished speaking, Mudan bit his hand fiercely and kicked him in the shin.
Liu Chang endured the pain, refusing to let go. He couldn’t believe a grown man couldn’t handle a woman. The first time he had fallen into her trap, he was unprepared. This time, if he showed any weakness, he’d no longer deserve the name Liu.
Suddenly, a thunderous voice boomed nearby: “You dog! Let her go!”
Liu Chang looked towards the voice. He saw a young man wearing red baggy pants, holding a drum, with a demon mask half-lifted on his head. The man had thick eyebrows and fierce eyes, glaring at Liu Chang as if he were his mortal enemy. Behind him stood several similarly dressed men, their masks still in place, watching Liu Chang intently.
Liu Chang quickly assessed the situation. He didn’t recognize the man before him, who seemed to be nothing more than a street ruffian playing at being a hero. He sneered and said contemptuously, “Who do you think you are? Mind your own business! Don’t bring trouble upon yourself!”
Mudan, however, recognized the man as Zhang Wulang, known for his fearlessness of both the local magistrate and the King of Hell. He was also the ruffian who had been chasing her with his masked group earlier. But now, Zhang Wulang seemed like a lifeline to her. Mudan stared at him wide-eyed, struggling to pry Liu Chang’s hands away. She gasped, “Brother Zhang, he wants to kill me! He’s also harmed my cousin. Please help me inform my family!” As she spoke, she signaled Yuhe to quickly find help.
Zhang Wulang gave Mudan a fierce look and quietly instructed one of his companions. The man said to Yuhe, “Where are they? Go quickly!”
Yuhe looked worriedly at Mudan, who glared back urgently. Yuhe quickly said, “Be careful!” and ran off into the crowd with the man.
Zhang Wulang then turned to Liu Chang and said seriously, “Are you going to let her go or not?”
Only then did Liu Chang realize this was someone Mudan knew. She had only been out for a few days and already knew so many lowlifes. He felt a surge of hatred, his gaze towards Zhang Wulang turning hostile. He held Mudan’s wrist firmly with one hand while reaching for his sword hilt with the other. He sneered, “I’m disciplining my wife. It’s none of your business. If you’re smart, you’ll leave now. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being merciless.”
Mudan saw this clearly and shouted, “He has a sword!”
Zhang Wulang just chuckled, throwing his drum to the ground forcefully. He rolled up his sleeves high, revealing two rows of tattoos, and flexed his muscles for all to see before striding forward.
Seeing Zhang Wulang’s actions, his companions all rolled up their sleeves, surrounding the group. They beat their drums vigorously and shouted in unison. The crowd, sensing excitement, gathered around.
“It’s Zhang Wulang…”
“Who’s the other guy? He can’t beat Zhang Wulang, look at those skinny arms and legs.”
“Two men fighting over a woman…”
“That woman is pretty, wonder whose daughter she is…”
The street was lit by lanterns and torches, illuminating everyone’s faces. Mudan could see their suggestive expressions and hear their comments, feeling utterly embarrassed. She half-covered her face with her sleeve, inwardly cursing Liu Chang.
Liu Chang was equally furious, feeling his temples throb. He glared at Mudan viciously, saying, “This is all your fault. You’ve completely humiliated me! I hate you!”
Fearing he might use his sword and cause a disaster, Mudan said scornfully, “You always blame women for everything. Why don’t you worry about winning this fight before talking about face? Look, he’s barehanded while you want to use a sword? Tsk, tsk, what a real man!”
Liu Chang glared at Mudan intensely, then suddenly released her hand. He untied his sword from his waist, solemnly presented it to the crowd, then threw it into Mudan’s arms, snarling, “Hold this!” He then rolled up his sleeves, revealing arms that were pale but equally muscular. Today, he’d show her what a real man he was.
Seeing this, Zhang Wulang glanced at Mudan, reached into his waist, and pulled out a dagger. He showed it to the crowd, then took off his demon mask and threw both items into Mudan’s arms as well.
The crowd cheered and clamored, approving of their honorable conduct and eager for the fight to begin.
The two men locked eyes, their gazes clashing like sparks. Without a word, they suddenly charged at each other, shoulders colliding. In an instant, they had exchanged over a dozen moves. Zhang Wulang was stronger and more experienced in real fights, while Liu Chang was agile and methodical in his techniques. The dull thuds of fists hitting bodies mixed with the crowd’s excited shouts, causing Mudan to break out in a cold sweat, almost unable to breathe in the heat.
Realizing this was no place to linger and no time for further trouble, Mudan quietly threw Liu Chang’s sword to the ground, handed Zhang Wulang’s dagger to one of his companions, and put on Zhang Wulang’s mask. She slowly backed away, the crowd’s attention fixed on the fighting men, no one noticing her small actions.
Mudan slipped out of the crowd and quickly scanned the area. She ran forward, searching until she finally found what she was looking for. She shouted, “There’s a group fight! Someone’s been killed!” She saw several ward constables spring into action as if injected with chicken blood. She then ran in another direction, shouting, “The constables are coming!”
From a distance, she saw the crowd of spectators quickly dispersing. Zhang Wulang, clearly experienced in such situations, immediately stopped fighting. He swiftly picked up his drum and led his group away, calmly blending into the dispersing crowd and soon disappearing, leaving Liu Chang standing alone in bewilderment.
Mudan found a hidden spot to observe the situation at the viewing pavilion while waiting for Yuhe to return with help. However, there was no movement at the pavilion. It remained as it was when Liu Chengcai arrived, surrounded by people who neither entered nor left. Mudan grew increasingly anxious. She wanted to go and gather information but feared being caught and falling into Liu Chengcai’s trap. She shifted from foot to foot, hesitating for a long while before finally making up her mind. She slowly made her way along the street, edging closer to the pavilion.
Princess Qinghua hadn’t gone far. After escorting Lady Qi to the Liu family’s viewing pavilion, she had merely wandered around, pretending to agree. Lady Qi revived with tea, had cold hands and feet, her legs trembling uncontrollably. Seeing Princess Qinghua’s radiant smile, she felt a stabbing pain in her chest, as if someone were twisting scissors in her heart. She could only glare fiercely at Madam Zhu, signaling her to send the princess away.
Madam Zhu, having received many favors from Princess Qinghua and knowing she would soon be one of her mistresses, couldn’t afford to offend her. She pretended not to understand Lady Qi’s signals and kept praising Princess Qinghua to Lady Qi, speaking of how worried the princess had been when Lady Qi fainted, and how patient, attentive, gentle, and considerate she was.
Lady Qi was furious. She closed her eyes and waved at Princess Qinghua, gesturing for her to leave, not wanting to say a single word to her.
You old shrew! If it weren’t for Chang’er, I wouldn’t even bother with you! Princess Qinghua thought resentfully. She had initially wanted to stay and irritate Lady Qi further, but she had other matters to attend to and was concerned about someone else. She stood up and said, “Since Madam needs to rest, I won’t disturb you further.” Assuming the role of the mistress, she sternly instructed the servants in the Liu family’s pavilion to take good care of Lady Qi, threatening consequences if they failed. Seeing Lady Qi about to faint again, she finally left satisfied. She mounted her horse and asked her guard, “Where did they go?”
The guard pointed towards Pingkang Ward: “They followed Princess Kangcheng in that direction. They went on foot, not on horseback. Ma Liu has been following them, so they should still be in that area.”
Princess Qinghua sneered, “Let’s go find them!” She couldn’t believe that with so many people around, Princess Kangcheng could constantly look after a stranger.