The early summer sunlight was fierce and sharp, shooting down on the ground three zhang before the Imperial Capital’s city gate. Dust kicked up by galloping hooves rose dramatically in the sunlight, submerging the tall, broad city tower in a haze of swaying pale yellow mist.
The massive delegation serving as envoy to Xi Liang, seen off by all officials led by the Seventh Prince, left the Imperial Capital in grand procession.
With Feng Zhiwei as chief envoy and two Grand Secretaries from the Cabinet as deputy envoys, the envoy delegation’s formal rank didn’t appear too high. But Wei Zhi’s identity—famous throughout the realm, truly Tiansheng’s first anomaly among important officials—drew the greatest interest from all nations. It was said that Prince An of Da Yue had secretly offered a million-tael bounty for his head. The weight of this chief envoy alone was enough to give Xi Liang face. After all, the birthday celebration was only for the Regent.
When Feng Zhiwei left the city, she didn’t look back at the Imperial Capital. The carriage body swayed slightly, her expression somewhat dazed. She suddenly remembered that year when she’d served as envoy to Nanhai, also departing through Yongning Gate. At that time, she’d been full of excitement about traveling far, bidding farewell to the Imperial Capital in high spirits, thinking that when she returned she could retreat with Mother and her brother to farm fields in seclusion. When she did return—seas had become mulberry fields, mulberry fields had become seas.
Time flowed torrentially like departing water. The simplest phrase—only now thinking of it did she feel bone-deep, forest-like coldness.
The convoy didn’t travel quickly. Along the way, local officials would receive and see them off according to protocol. This was a rare opportunity to curry favor with Marquis Wei. Officials everywhere mustered all their energy and used every means to leave a good impression on Feng Zhiwei. On the first day of departure, they were delayed two hours in Dongshi County on the capital’s outskirts, so much so that in one day they only traveled forty li, lodging at the relay station in Leping Town of Dongshi County.
Gu Zhixiao sat very obediently in Gu Nanyi’s carriage the whole time, fiddling with her cage. Feng Zhiwei didn’t bother with her. That evening after eating, she practiced martial arts for a while. Passing by Gu Zhixiao’s solo room, she saw the lamp still lit. After thinking, she pushed the door open.
Gu Zhixiao sat under the lamp, gritting her teeth as she busied herself with that cage. Her small hands were covered in blisters from being poked by the bamboo strips. Two maids surrounded her, trying to persuade her in low voices. She paid them no attention. From the look of things, if she didn’t fix it tonight, she didn’t plan to sleep.
Feng Zhiwei waved her hand. The two maids retreated as if granted amnesty.
Feng Zhiwei watched silently for a while and discovered the cage seemed to have other mechanisms. Afraid she might accidentally trigger them, she squatted down and said: “I’ll help you fix it.”
Gu Zhixiao’s hands, busy working away, paused. Without raising her head, she said quietly: “You can’t. I can’t either. Number Four said he won’t help me fix it anymore—causing trouble, can’t bear the responsibility.”
Feng Zhiwei knew Number Four was one of Zong Chen and Gu Nanyi’s subordinates. He’d originally been in Longnan responsible for gathering and transmitting intelligence, ranked fourth. This organization of Zong Chen’s was itself extremely secretive. All subordinates had no names, only code designations. They rarely appeared around Feng Zhiwei. Those who weren’t extremely trusted close associates of Zong Chen didn’t know Feng Zhiwei’s identity either. This person was said to be extremely meticulous and deft, very reliable in handling matters. He’d come to the Imperial Capital a month ago to handle affairs and was supposed to return to Longnan. Since Feng Zhiwei’s Xi Liang envoy mission would pass through Longnan, and this person was familiar with the roads and southern customs, Zong Chen had him accompany Feng Zhiwei, responsible for arranging and serving along the way, making things convenient for Feng Zhiwei’s use.
“Who says I can’t?” Feng Zhiwei smiled, took the cage over, flipped it, and pressed her fingers on the base several times in succession. With a “click,” the bamboo strips on the cage’s upper end that Gu Nanyi had damaged and left open suddenly closed tight.
Gu Zhixiao’s eyes lit up. With a cheer, she snatched the cage and carefully held it in her arms. Feng Zhiwei smiled and stood up, but the hem of her robe was suddenly pulled.
Looking down, a pair of small but bright eyes looked up at her with a strange expression. Feng Zhiwei saw the question in those eyes. She smiled and couldn’t help but stroke her head again. Gu Zhixiao turned her head slightly with some discomfort but didn’t completely avoid it, only muttering: “…During the day… Zhixiao didn’t know…”
Feng Zhiwei paused before understanding that this somewhat strange child wasn’t expressing thanks, but rather explaining about what happened during the day. Those eyes staring at her showed a feigned nonchalance, yet one could still see small nervousness.
Small nervousness desiring to be believed.
This was also a sensitive child.
Smiling contentedly, Feng Zhiwei simply sat down and drew Gu Zhixiao into her arms. The child twisted her body somewhat awkwardly, hesitated a while, then leaned over.
Feng Zhiwei sniffed her hair that still carried a milky fragrance, holding her as she said leisurely: “I know you didn’t know.”
Gu Zhixiao pouted her lips, turned her head aggrievedly, and played with Feng Zhiwei’s clothing buttons. “Daddy didn’t know.”
“Daddy also knew.” Feng Zhiwei’s lips curved, her gaze tender.
Gu Zhixiao raised her head suspiciously to look at her.
“Daddy just doesn’t want you to be so willful.” Feng Zhiwei gently rocked her, smiling. “Zhixiao, we women—living in this world is very difficult. Living in a world with many men is even harder. Look at me—I have to kill people, set fires, and guard against others killing me and setting me on fire. Sometimes you meet someone you think is good, but he turns out to be bad. Sometimes you meet someone bad and want to oppose him to the end, but he gradually makes you feel you can’t bring yourself to do it. You think you’ll stab with a white blade and pull out a red one, but matters are never that simple. See how tiring and complex it is? How can one afford to live willfully? You’re willful, but others won’t necessarily indulge you. What will you do then?”
Gu Zhixiao raised her head, listening seriously. Who knows if she understood. After a long while she muttered: “Daddy doesn’t listen either.”
“Does your daddy have the world’s most powerful martial arts? Do you?” Feng Zhiwei was both amused and exasperated as she ruffled the little girl’s hair. She had quite a headache about how this child blindly followed her daddy in everything. She was considering whether to ask Gu Nanyi to let her raise this child. Following Gu Nanyi, she’d ninety percent become a great weirdo in the future.
Gu Zhixiao yawned, leaning softly in her arms, holding up the cage: “I have the cage.”
Feng Zhiwei sighed. After thinking, she felt since this child was already like this, rather than try to correct her completely, she might as well teach her to better protect herself. She took the cage: “I see you’re not that familiar with this cage. How can that properly protect your daddy? Come, I’ll teach you to kill people.” Saying this, she enthusiastically began dismantling the cage.
A maid happened to enter to add tea and pour water. Hearing this calm yet fierce statement, she stumbled. Then she saw that three-year-old child helping dismantle the cage while even more calmly and fiercely discussing with Feng Zhiwei: “Should we add poison to the bamboo strips?”
“Where would the poison come from?”
Gu Zhixiao pulled a black bottle from her pocket and with a clatter poured out a large pile of pills, saying proudly: “I stole them from Uncle Zong.”
The maid stumbled as she fled. Feng Zhiwei sprayed out the tea in her mouth with a “pfft.”
That night the lamp in Gu Zhixiao’s room remained lit until midnight. On the window paper, the shadows of one large and one small figure busily working were reflected. From time to time, mysterious and sinister dialogue drifted out quietly:
“…Sharpen it, sharpen it…”
“…I think add a groove so blood won’t dirty the cage…”
“…This poison only kills one bird, don’t want it…”
“…An empty cage arouses suspicion…”
“…Add a bird…”
“…There aren’t birds this big…”
“…The kind that goes hoot-hoot. I’ve seen them. Very big. One eye open, one eye closed…”
“An owl?”
“…I guess?”
“…”
Near dawn, on the ground sat an improved killing cage. Feng Zhiwei and Gu Zhixiao lay sprawled asleep in disarray. Gu Zhixiao clung to Feng Zhiwei’s belt, burying her face in her abdomen, one hand still clutching a monkey. Drool had soaked through Feng Zhiwei’s front.
Near dawn, Gu Nanyi floated down lightly from a tree outside Gu Zhixiao’s room, silently pushed the door open, placed the cage farther from those two females, threw the monkey aside, covered the two with a quilt, and stuffed a wad of cloth into Gu Zhixiao’s wide-open mouth—her drool was about to drown Feng Zhiwei.
An hour later, the courtyard filled with shouting people and neighing horses preparing to depart. The door whooshed open. Feng Zhiwei emerged carrying the cage, her face full of pain, shaking her soaked front! Muttering: “Coaxing children really isn’t work suited for Auntie Feng.”
She left the door, turned past the moon gate, returned to her own room to change clothes, came out, shook the cage in her hand, and said to Number Four who was waiting in the courtyard for instructions: “Yesterday was Number Six’s turn on guard duty. Today it’s your turn. When we pass a large market town, remember to buy an owl. Since you helped make this cage, you carrying it should be fine. Be careful.”
Number Four opened his mouth wide with an “Ah!” “An owl?”
Feng Zhiwei had already stuffed the cage over without allowing argument. Number Four examined the cage, eyes staring straight ahead, murmuring: “An owl?” He drifted away like a wandering ghost.
The convoy continued forward. Feng Zhiwei learned from yesterday’s lesson and didn’t have the notice sent ahead to inform local authorities. Mid-afternoon, the convoy passed through Fan County over a hundred li from the capital. Ahead was a wasteland forest. For safety, Feng Zhiwei ordered an early rest. After Number Four settled the convoy, remembering the task Feng Zhiwei had assigned, he took people to the market to purchase an owl. But how could the bird and flower market have this legendarily fierce and inauspicious strange bird? There were only painted buntings, larks, and the like. Number Four wandered for half the day with nothing to show for it, returning to report with a face full of shame. Feng Zhiwei listened casually and smiled: “Everyone says you’re clever. How are you so inflexible today? Can’t buy it in the market town—isn’t there a wasteland forest ahead? Just go catch one there.”
“This subordinate did think of that,” Number Four smiled. “But today I’m responsible for guard duty and dare not lightly leave your side. Better to let other guards go.”
“I see no problem.” Feng Zhiwei smiled. “The envoy delegation has two thousand guards. It’s peacetime, and this Fan County isn’t far from the Imperial Capital—always been stable. What trouble could there be? You go ahead. If you’re late, Zhixiao will cry and fuss again.”
Then she smiled again: “Though I’ve heard that wasteland forest is haunted? Be careful—don’t let ghosts drag you away. I’d lose a capable assistant.”
“This subordinate has never feared ghosts,” Number Four smiled. “People are much more frightening than ghosts.” Saying this, he led several of his subordinates and hurried away.
Feng Zhiwei stood with hands behind her back in the corridor, watching his figure disappear beyond the moon gate. A faint smile at the corner of her lips, she suddenly raised her head toward the tree: “Nanyi, the weather tonight is very comfortable. Want to go out for a walk?”
The leaves rustled. A bit of walnut shell fell on her head. Feng Zhiwei smiled faintly. Her eyes reflected the sunset’s light and shadow, rippling gently like flowing water.
Three li outside Fan County was a wasteland forest. In early years, some people still lived near the forest. Later, a young widow hanged herself in the forest. Gradually, rumors of hauntings spread. People all around moved away one after another, and the forest became desolate.
With no one coming for a long time, the forest floor grew wild with grass and crawling withered vines. The moon rose coldly from behind the mountain, illuminating those crisscrossing, gnarled vines like dust-covered nets everywhere.
Night birds called mournfully. Black wing-tips swept past floating clouds beneath the remaining green moonlight, scattering clusters of iron-blue thin mist that condensed on treetops and beneath orange leaves like wandering ghostly vapors.
This truly was a place even ghosts wouldn’t visit.
Yet two human figures appeared at the wasteland forest’s edge.
“Running yourself to death trying to reach the mountain…” One person muttered quietly, treading carefully through gaps in the vines seeking a path, one foot deep, one foot shallow. “This forest is actually so large…”
The other person floated calmly on the vines, looking left and right, posture leisurely, forming an even greater contrast with the companion’s dishevelment.
The one constantly jumping about in the vine gaps dodging those unpredictably appearing insects glanced somewhat resentfully at the companion, thinking overly honest people were just like this—never knowing when they should help you.
Just grumbling inwardly, she suddenly felt the world spin.
With a whoosh, the vines covering the ground rushed toward the sky, then pressed close to her eyes—so close that if she blinked her eyelashes, she could brush off a mountain ant crawling on the vines.
Then she belatedly realized she’d already been easily tucked under someone’s arm.
Needless to say, someone finally knew when he should help—just the method was wrong.
The one tucked under someone’s armpit hadn’t yet had time to protest when that fellow seemed to suddenly discover this method wasn’t so proper for a lady. With a whoosh, he switched her to his back.
Perched on his back, she felt this position was also barely acceptable. She hadn’t originally wanted to slack off like this, but the vines below were too dirty, with rotting animal bones and such in years of accumulated mud—she really didn’t want to step on it.
Just thinking of properly slacking off on someone’s back, that fellow she’d trained to have increasingly complex thoughts and considerations seemed to feel the back position wasn’t so good either—he couldn’t see her and wasn’t used to it.
So with a whoosh, he switched the one on his back to yet another position, embracing her before his chest.
Placed firmly against his chest—chest pressed to chest was one thing, but he was even rarely so meticulous that to prevent her boots from touching the ground, he had her feet rest on his boots.
This time, a certain Miss Feng was stunned.
What kind of posture was this?
She was held embraced before someone’s chest, tightly pressed together, feet stepping on his feet, held by the waist as he brought her forward. The two were like conjoined twins, step by step moving together. Feng Zhiwei felt even more like she’d suddenly become a stringed puppet, the strings in Young Master Gu’s hands.
She was a head and a half shorter than Gu Nanyi. Stepping on his boots, she was right at the level of his eyes. Soft face veils pressed tightly against each other’s faces. Opening her eyes wide, Feng Zhiwei could see the young master’s face within the veil. Radiant light shot from somewhere. Feng Zhiwei felt herself about to get dizzy again and quickly turned her face. Turning, she brushed against his high, straight nose. Even through the veil, rubbing like that, she could feel the slightly cool nose tip, jade-like and delicate. This time Feng Zhiwei didn’t even dare turn her head, afraid that another rub would reach someone’s lips.
Clean, fresh young water-grass fragrance rushed toward her face, diluting the forest’s gloomy, slightly corrupt smell. Feng Zhiwei stiffened her body and struggled once. Couldn’t break free. She sighed sadly, knowing she could never escape from the young master’s clutches. She could only pat Young Master Gu’s shoulder and negotiate with a dry laugh: “Um… please put me down. No need for this.”
“I need to.” Young Master Gu answered without room for discussion.
He truly needed to—just now when he’d gripped her waist, he felt the feel beneath his hand was quite good. Slender, flexible, yet full of elasticity. He felt it resembled something. After seriously pondering for a long time, he finally remembered—early spring willow branches. This discovery made him rarely somewhat excited. He very rarely generated associations from something. He felt this was a novel sensation. He also felt that if he could generate associations, it was mostly because it was Feng Zhiwei. So he became intent on finding more wonderful things from Feng Zhiwei’s body. For instance, her body—from his eye angle looking down, shoulders delicate and gentle, waist flowing and gathered, long legs exquisite, like… like a jade vase. For instance, her fingers, resting on his shoulder, joints slender, back of hand snow-white, like a gardenia flower. But the nails were faintly pink, crystalline and translucent, embedded at the jade-like fingertips, like… seashells. Wide sleeves fell from wrist to elbow. That section of arm was delicate, full, skin like snow, like… lotus root. Near the elbow, because of the raised-arm posture, there was a place slightly raised, perky and full, like… like… like…
Young Master Gu’s focused gaze suddenly went straight.
He’d pondered single-mindedly for so long before suddenly realizing what body part he’d been desperately trying to find associations for.
Before his eyes whooshed the bathtub encounter from over two months ago. Feng Zhiwei who’d viciously tumbled down from the roof had also been pressed this close, this close before him. Because her body was wet then, her form was even more distinct. He remembered that gorgeous plum blossom—amid a ground of frost and snow, gracefully turning with no support, trembling in the wind as if extending an invitation to be plucked. So he had plucked it. But Feng Zhiwei seemed unwilling to let him touch it, telling him men and women were different. This problem he hadn’t understood at the time. For instance, why didn’t Gu Zhixiao have that plum blossom when Gu Zhixiao was clearly also female? But not understanding, he hadn’t thought much about it and let go. Now in this wasteland forest, in early summer’s night wind, when no one was around on all sides, once again pressed face-to-face this close with her, so close there was no gap as they traveled together—somehow, he felt the warmth and softness of the body before him, the dark fragrance of the woman in his arms. Her waist was exquisitely slender. Gripping it, he felt the tiger’s mouth grow hot. And that faint rise made him remember that night in the water’s waves—the shockingly bright white and red, like an unblossomed lotus bud in jade-green water, or perhaps a cluster of fire burning intensely upon white snow. Merely seeing it, his whole body grew hot. The originally careless, subtle collisions of their bodies as they moved forward also suddenly made him delicately feel the softness of skin. From this softness, he thought of that raised softness. Within his limbs and hundred vessels, dark flames suddenly surged, licking over in a scorching path.
His face behind the veil, because of this heat, unprecedentedly turned slightly red.
Where his gaze was fixed, sensitive Feng Zhiwei could naturally perceive. She quickly lowered her hand and clamped her arm, covering that slightly rising curve. Feeling Young Master Gu seemed somewhat distracted, she quickly jabbed with her elbow. With that jab, Young Master Gu actually truly released his hands. Feng Zhiwei, not caring about the filthy ground, quickly jumped down. Just about to say a few polite words to salvage this instant’s awkwardness, she heard Young Master Gu murmur: “…Lotus flower.”
Hm? Feng Zhiwei frowned. What was he talking about in the dead of night for no good reason? Lotus flower? Lotus flowers haven’t bloomed yet!
Suddenly she heard Young Master Gu sigh. Feng Zhiwei didn’t react at first. The next instant she widened her eyes—a sigh! Young Master Gu was sighing!
This person without emotions, for whom even anger was difficult for others to perceive, had actually issued his life’s first sigh.
Had something wrong happened?
No matter how supremely intelligent Feng Zhiwei was, she couldn’t possibly figure out Young Master Gu’s mental activity in that instant. She only sensed Young Master Gu’s emotions had something somewhat special—seemed a bit bewildered, a bit uneasy, a bit budding, and also a bit… unhappy.
Unhappy?
Then she saw Young Master Gu didn’t continue wanting to carry or embrace her, allowing her to jump away. He himself even stepped back. Feng Zhiwei breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that Young Master Gu not touching her was absolutely a good thing. But she also felt something wasn’t quite right. She bent down, lowered her head, angled her body to carefully observe the young master for a while. The young master stood quietly, motionless, letting her look, thinking his own thoughts in the cold moonlight.
He finally had thoughts to think about.
So… this was a woman.
Indeed, a very beautiful thing.
Many years ago, his wet nurse liked to hold him and rock, squinting as she told him: “Your mother… a very, very, very beautiful woman. You in the future must also marry a very, very beautiful woman…”
He listened, listened until he fell asleep. A very beautiful woman—what did that have to do with him? Mother? Didn’t remember.
How bothersome!
But on those cold nights when iron horses struck the cold window, wet nurse’s warm embrace and descriptions of beautiful women, because repeated too many times, still remained in his shallow memory. Only that retention was like dried leaf petals in an old clothes chest—lacking the moisture of longing, too light and insubstantial to move his heart.
Beautiful women, to him, were an irrelevant term. His concept of women was just that bathing and using the privy couldn’t be done together, nothing more.
Later, coming to Feng Zhiwei’s side, he knew she was female but hadn’t cared about this fact. He only cared about Feng Zhiwei. At first, he cared because of responsibility. Later, he cared because of the person Feng Zhiwei was. What kind of emotion this caring was, he hadn’t thought about. He just felt he liked being with her, had to see her constantly, couldn’t accept her leaving or being in danger. If she were to die, one would first have to step over his corpse.
She was like his flesh and blood or heart—an existence connected by tendons and veins. Severing was intolerable; losing meant collapse.
What he cared about so much was Feng Zhiwei.
Yet suddenly tonight, he finally connected “woman” with Feng Zhiwei.
Beautiful equals woman.
Feng Zhiwei equals beautiful.
Feng Zhiwei equals woman.
Young Master Gu’s mood improved.
Feng Zhiwei was female.
How wonderful.
Feng Zhiwei naturally didn’t understand that in this very brief instant, the young master had ceremoniously gained enlightenment, understanding she was a woman, and furthermore, quite powerfully derived the three-stage theory of women. This three-stage theory of women related to her—the impact was very important… Unfortunately, she didn’t know.
She tugged Young Master’s sleeve, indicating there was a cave ahead. The young master was pondering the next important question—for instance, this hot feeling he had tonight, was it because Feng Zhiwei was a woman, or would he have it if any woman came close? He was considering whether he should find another woman to test it. Thinking over and over, the other women he knew, besides Shaoning, were Hua Qiong. But these two—one in the Imperial Capital, one in Minnan—seemed like distant water couldn’t quench immediate thirst. The young master was a bit worried. If that didn’t work, test it on the road? Test it in Xi Liang?
When the young master thought, problems became very serious. The young master, very dissatisfied at having his train of thought interrupted, shook off Feng Zhiwei’s hand and strode into the cave. Feng Zhiwei, who’d been especially innocent tonight, looked at the moon, sighed, and followed inside.
Night mist floated coolly. In the distance, an owl hooted two or three times.
The forest suddenly had movement. Several human figures emerged in the moon shadows. The one in front carried a cage on his back.
“Spread out, everyone spread out.” The leader was directing those behind him. “This forest definitely has owls. Catch several. Pick the prettiest one to bring back.”
“What pretty or not-pretty about owls?” Someone muttered as they scattered.
The scattered people stepped on vines, silently walking in several directions. Then vaguely, some subtle sounds arose. In the wasteland forest’s depths, something flashed—like sword light.
The leader carrying the cage—in the moonlight, a turn revealed a slender, vigorous form. Slightly upturned eye corners like legendary peach blossom eyes, yet unlike ordinary peach blossom eyes, didn’t carry seductiveness. Instead bore three parts wickedness. Turning, they moved with clever sharpness, making one feel these eyes were very attractive, brightening that ordinary countenance several degrees.
It was precisely Number Four, ordered to catch owls.
He’d dispersed his subordinates to each catch owls themselves while he casually wandered the forest, as if waiting for something. Then from his diagonal front direction came the hooting of an owl.
Delighted, he lightly clapped his hands together and tiptoed over. On a tree there, sure enough, was a mottled-feathered owl, one eye open, one eye closed, watching him.
He laughed “hehe,” rose from the ground like light smoke, and in a blink had swept onto the tree. The owl tried to struggle, but his hand had already silently gripped the bird’s neck. Beneath the tree, variegated feathers fell to the ground in a rustle.
He smiled proudly, about to jump down from the tree, when he suddenly saw someone below the tree looking up at him.
Milk-white face veil fluttered on that person’s face. The gaze remained distinct—carrying no killing intent yet omnipresent, shrouding him.
Beside him was another person, hands behind back, looking at that tree, smilingly picking up a few bird feathers to examine. Expression very relaxed, posture very peaceful—from that appearance, just like someone who’d finished dinner and come out for a stroll.
Number Four stiffened on the tree.
But it was only an extremely brief instant—so brief that unless one was right next to him, it couldn’t be detected at all. Immediately after, Number Four smiled openly and greeted: “Marquis Wei and Lord Gu—such fine mood to wander all the way here. We’re catching owls. See if this one is good?” Saying this, he was about to raise the owl in his hand.
Gu Nanyi calmly waved his hand. Number Four’s raising motion was interrupted before completion. Then Feng Zhiwei said smilingly: “Don’t, absolutely don’t raise it. Once you raise it, I can’t guarantee what will happen.”
Number Four crouched on the tree holding that bird, looking at the two below. Silent for a long while, he suddenly laughed.
With that laugh, his utterly ordinary face became lively as water. His pair of peach blossom eyes became even more wickedly alluring. Under the moonlight, he truly looked somewhat bewitching. Holding that bird, crouching on the tree, using a tone of casual conversation, he amiably praised Feng Zhiwei: “Marquis Wei is truly formidable. No wonder they say nothing under heaven can be concealed from you. But may I ask one question?”
“Please speak.” Feng Zhiwei smiled affably.
“You suspected me because of that cage—I know.” Number Four spoke methodically. “But how are you certain I wasn’t kindly helping Young Miss Gu make the cage?”
“Zhixiao told me,” Feng Zhiwei smiled. “You demonstrated a clever cricket cage before her that could be used to kill crickets. That’s why she conceived the idea of making a killing cage. Zhixiao said when you made that cage, she kept getting sleepy and didn’t see how it was made. After finishing, you taught her which places could be pressed, but didn’t say what would happen when pressed. Zhixiao also said that the night the cage was completed, she wanted to show her daddy. You stopped her, saying it was for protecting Daddy—to bring it out in dangerous moments in the future to surprise Daddy. Zhixiao felt this fun thing not being shown to others was boring. You taught her she could wait until reaching Xi Liang, when Daddy wasn’t around, to show it to Marquis Wei. The result was yesterday, Zhixiao was eager to show off and casually activated the cage—Number Four, I’ll tentatively call you Number Four. If these things still can’t make me certain of your problem, I’m unworthy of being Wei Zhi.”
“This child’s mind is really good.” Number Four wasn’t angry, shrugging his shoulders. “When I spoke with her, one sentence here, one sentence there, deliberately trying to confuse her memory. She actually remembered all the crucial things clearly.”
“The most detestable people in this world,” Feng Zhiwei said lightly, “use innocent young children to harm others, destroying childish trust. Lower than pigs and dogs.”
Number Four was still smiling—several parts contempt, several parts disdain. Though dressed plainly in blue, his bearing was strangely noble. From his elevated position on the tree, he said: “Wei Zhi, just now I admired and appreciated you a bit. Now I look down on you again. A true man—to achieve his goals, shouldn’t he use any means necessary? Why care about old people, small children, so fussy like a mother-in-law? So strange—how did you build those achievements before? You didn’t cling to women’s thighs to get them, did you? Haha.”
“How I obtained such achievements need not trouble your mind.” Feng Zhiwei didn’t get angry either. “No matter how much you look down on me, at the very least, right now you’re a homeless cur wanting to flee but surrounded. I’m the hunter who waited by the tree stump for you to throw yourself into the net. After you become my prisoner, I’ll let you know how Wei Zhi’s achievements were built.”
“Is that so?” Number Four laughed lightly. His peach blossom eyes narrowed, still carrying several parts contempt. “Have you considered that tonight you very likely think you’re catching a turtle in a jar, but actually someone has lured the tiger from the mountain?”
With his words, in the distance at the relay station where the envoy delegation lodged, enormous bright light suddenly flared.
In that bright light, Number Four who’d been crouching on the tree all along released his hand. The “owl” in his hand shrieked strangely. Wings spread—half pitch-black, half snow-white wing patterns bizarrely, eerily like ghost faces. All around in the silent forest, countless sharp, penetrating whistling wind sounds instantly arose!