The small Changle Tavern suddenly fell silent. The lead black-clad figure let out a burst of wild laughter. “Then let’s do this!” As the words fell, the other twelve black-clad men swiftly formed a circle. Liu Jue sighed—death-warriors like these could not be taken alive—and said in a low voice, “Loose arrows!”

The soldiers released their bowstrings; arrows flew toward the black-clad men. The twelve fought desperately, swinging their long swords, shielding their leader. Suddenly, with a loud roar, four of them climbed onto the shoulders of the others, using their own bodies as shields to catch the arrows. Liu Jue’s heart stirred. The lead black-clad figure had already leapt into motion, pushing off with his feet to spring free; with a few swift bounds, light as drifting snow, he had already cleared the tavern’s courtyard wall, striking down several soldiers with backward sword strokes as he fled into the woods. The rest were instantly struck by the rain of arrows, and at the very moment their leader escaped, they took poison and killed themselves.

Liu Jue watched, chilled, not knowing the origin of this black-clad man whose skill was not below his own, one worthy of twelve masters sacrificing their lives to protect him. Before long, the Black-Clad Knights sent to pursue him returned to report: “That man has jumped from the western mountain cliff into the Han River.”

Liu Jue thought for a long while and said, “Return to the residence. Ask General Tianxiang to reinforce security tonight; troops stationed at the east, west, and south city gates should be ready at all times.”

The soldiers withdrew from the tavern. Only Liu Jue and his Black-Clad Knights remained in the courtyard. Seventh Madam, Xiao Yu, and Nanny Zhang’s family, their acupoints released, were all crying uncontrollably. A’Luo felt her legs and hands go weak, and she suddenly sat down on the ground. She felt a sudden warmth over her body—Liu Jue had already taken off his cloak and draped it over her.

A’Luo looked up. Liu Jue’s face was cold as ice, staring hard at her. She pulled the cloak tighter around herself and only then felt how cold she was. Liu Jue looked down at A’Luo’s slightly trembling body, unable to stop himself gritting his teeth.

A’Luo, feeling somewhat guilty, lowered her head but still refused to yield, saying quietly, “Wasn’t it because I was anxious?”

“Anxious? Anxious enough to tell the enemy the value of the hostage!”

A’Luo slowly stood up, looking Liu Jue straight in the eye. “I’m not like you, able to command your subordinates so effectively. Nor am I like you, staying calm in the barracks day after day, always aware of how to guard against the enemy, responding to an attack with such composure! How could I not be anxious? However calm I try to be, I’m not heartless. Yes, you had your plan—if I hadn’t spoken up, maybe they wouldn’t have known how valuable their captive was. If I could hide my own feelings that deeply, staying unbothered even with water rising to my throat, then, Young Lord, you’d be giving me far too much credit! But in the end, it’s my fault for not staying calm enough and ruining your plan—so I walked over. The worst-case outcome was simply not distracting them enough, in which case you would have had them shoot me too along with the rest!”

Hearing this last sentence, Liu Jue’s heart clenched violently; a wave of aching pain surged through him, and he had to draw several deep breaths before he could calm down. He wasn’t angry at her lack of composure—when he had seen her hold the sword to her own throat and back toward the black-clad men, his heart had clenched into a knot. And yet she calmly said that if it hadn’t worked, she’d have let him order her shot along with the rest! He stared at her in anguish—she truly didn’t understand his heart. She didn’t know that over these past three years he had grown so deeply attached to her, thinking of her to the point of madness. And she actually believed he could bring himself to kill her! Liu Jue’s eyes burned; in that moment he almost wished he really could kill her.

A’Luo felt the chill radiating from Liu Jue, his eyes as if they would swallow her whole. She felt somewhat afraid of him like this. She tightened the cloak again, trying to keep her voice from trembling. “I don’t blame you at all, truly. Even if you had given the order to shoot then, I wouldn’t blame you. If it were me in your place, I would have done the same. You did nothing wrong. It’s only that, given the chance again, I would do exactly the same thing.”

Liu Jue was already at the end of his patience. She didn’t blame him, but how could she not understand his own heart—if something truly terrible had happened to her, Liu Jue shook his head, simply unable to bear thinking further. How dare she frighten him like this! He abruptly reached out and pressed a nerve point to render A’Luo limp, then scooped her up and leapt onto a horse. He ordered, “Take Seventh Madam and that maid back to the residence.” He spurred his horse and galloped toward the General’s Residence.

A’Luo couldn’t move or speak, staring wide-eyed at Liu Jue. Seeing his darkened face turned away from her, she sighed. She really didn’t blame him, and in fact was quite moved. Liu Jue must have known her whereabouts from the moment she’d arrived in Linnan City. Those two men had fought to protect her with their very lives, one even losing his own. If it hadn’t been for the men he’d sent, she would surely have died at the hands of the black-clad men already. She wasn’t foolish—if it hadn’t been Liu Jue’s order, why else would those two have fought to the death to save her!

Back at the General’s Residence, he carried A’Luo into the inner hall. Without releasing her acupoint, he instructed a maidservant, “Give her a bath and get her tidied up.”

A’Luo watched helplessly as he set her down and walked away. Then several maids came over and began removing her clothes. A’Luo’s face flushed; she closed her eyes, silently cursing Liu Jue—she’d already said she didn’t blame him, already explained her reasons, and still he kept that dark face! Unable to move anyway, she let them do as they pleased.

Calming down, she replayed the whole night’s events in her mind like a running lantern. If those black-clad men were Chen’s agents trying to infiltrate and coordinate from within, choosing the small tavern as their hideout must mean they were waiting for the appointed time. The black-clad man had said there were still ten hours until tomorrow’s operation. Ten hours! A’Luo was alarmed, silently calculating the time—wasn’t that tomorrow night at the Hai hour? If the fleeing leader made it back and reported early, the time would be even tighter. She didn’t know when her acupoint would be released, or when Liu Jue would come. A’Luo told herself to stay calm; she didn’t know what attitude Liu Jue would take—he seemed thoroughly furious. Ordinarily, the conflict between the two nations wouldn’t concern her at all. But now that war had broken out, she still didn’t want Liu Jue to lose.

The maids finished dressing A’Luo and laid her on the bed. A’Luo slowly worked through the whole sequence of events in her mind. Eyes closed, a faint smile crept to the corner of her mouth. Was he worried about her?

Having finished discussing military matters, Liu Jue hurried into the inner chamber and saw A’Luo, freshly bathed with a flush still on her face, lying delicately weak on the bed. He stood stunned for a moment—she really was beautiful. Liu Jue stood quietly watching her for a while, and when he saw the corner of her mouth twitch, he smiled. The anger he had bottled up for so long flared, and he couldn’t help but say coldly, “Still able to smile?”

A’Luo opened her eyes and looked Liu Jue up and down carefully. It had been years since they’d last met, and even tonight on the mountain she hadn’t had the chance to look at him properly. Now she saw clearly—still that same finely defined face, though his brow carried far more composure now, and he’d nearly caught up to being an ice block. She blinked, her smile deepening.

Seeing her unable to move yet still daring to smile so brazenly, Liu Jue grew even more incensed. “You should be laughing—it’s a wonder your amateurish little skills didn’t get you cut down! You’re lucky to be alive!”

A’Luo glared at him and rolled her eyes. She thought, wasn’t that exactly the point—to catch the black-clad men off guard? She’d already been unable to move for so long, quite uncomfortable, and now she could only lie here and listen to him lecture her. She simply closed her eyes.

She was still smiling and rolling her eyes at him? Liu Jue’s anger flared further—he’d been tense with worry ever since she’d entered danger. Only when she smiled did he suddenly remember that she was the one who had dared to set fire to a bridge and disappear into hiding for two or three years; of course she wouldn’t simply surrender herself so easily. He’d been ready to act at any moment. When he’d seen her let down her hair and even take off her outer garment, he understood at once that she meant to distract the black-clad men. They had won—but it had been a victory that left him shaken to the core.

“Closing your eyes to ignore me?” Liu Jue’s voice turned dangerous. After a long moment, he forced out the words through gritted teeth, and one hand caught A’Luo’s chin.

What was he going to do? A’Luo was startled and quickly opened her eyes. Liu Jue’s eyes were a churning storm. A’Luo thought, you won’t let me move, won’t let me speak—what am I supposed to do!

Seeing her open her eyes, Liu Jue released her chin and moved his hand down to her neck. Her slender neck—he could have snapped it with one hand. Liu Jue paused, his fingers brushing the skin of A’Luo’s neck; the smooth, jade-like touch made him reluctant to pull away. He thought of her in that thin silk robe trembling in the wind, and grew angrier still—how dare she undress in front of so many hostile eyes! The more he thought about it, the angrier he became! His hand moved, and he had already pulled loose the sash at her waist. A trace of fear finally showed in A’Luo’s eyes, mingled with a rising sheen of angry tears.

Liu Jue’s hand stopped; the muscles of his cheek twitched, and he stood up abruptly, reaching back to release A’Luo’s sealed acupoint.

A’Luo, not expecting to be able to make a sound already, cried out “Ah!” and, feeling the point released, struggled to sit up, pulling her collar closed and saying angrily, “You lecher!”

Liu Jue was provoked into laughter, remembering how, when they’d first met in the flower grove, she had cursed him the very same way. His heart ached with bittersweet feeling. He’d finally longed his way to having her by his side, only to end up frightening her half to death instead. Three years ago, when A’Luo had run away, he had hated her, resented her. But the three years of tenderness and longing since had long since softened his heart.

He turned his back to her, looking out at the courtyard, where the whole tree of red blossoms he’d forced into bloom for her arrival burned fiercely in the hazy night. It was as if his own heart, too, were being roasted over fire in the cold wind, swinging between sudden chill and sudden heat, the burning heat in the end outlasting the cold. He drew a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

A’Luo watched Liu Jue’s straight back, the muscles seemingly tensed, as if he were using all his strength to control himself from losing his temper at her. Her heart sighed again. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Liu Jue didn’t dare turn around, afraid of seeing a disappointing look on her face. A’Luo lowered her head, a hundred mixed feelings in her heart.

At last, Liu Jue let out a soft sigh. At that moment A’Luo suddenly remembered she still hadn’t reported the intelligence, and before Liu Jue could speak, she hurried to say, “I heard the black-clad men say the operation is at the Hai hour tonight.”

Liu Jue turned around abruptly. “How do you know that?”

“I knocked out a black-clad man, changed into his clothes, and followed them into the room, and heard them mention it.” A’Luo quickly recounted what had happened. Liu Jue’s heart lurched again as he listened. He said through gritted teeth, “You really do have some nerve!” His heart filled with a lingering dread—it was fortunate he’d had the Ming guards follow her; otherwise, she might have died there without him even knowing until it was too late.

This was not the time to settle scores with her—guarding against the Chen army was the priority. He forced down his anger, which was on the verge of breaking, and said coldly, “Just stay here quietly.”

A’Luo, knowing he had business to attend to, couldn’t help asking one more question. “Where are my mother and the others?”

Without turning back, Liu Jue answered coldly, “Do you still think you have the right to decide anything? If you still want to see your mother and the others, behave yourself!” With that, he hurried away.

Once he’d gone, A’Luo thought Liu Jue really had been thoroughly angered. She was tired too, and didn’t want to keep dwelling on what he might do about her and her mother. Better to sleep first and recover her strength.

Tense, exhausted from the fighting, and worn out, A’Luo slept straight through until noon the next day. Opening her eyes, the snow’s glow filled the room with brightness. She got out of bed, and a maid brought hot water to help her wash her face. A’Luo sat before the mirror, and seeing the maid about to style her hair up, quickly stopped her, saying, “Do a man’s hairstyle instead.”

The maid replied cautiously, “The General had all the young lady’s men’s clothes thrown out; everything sent over is skirts and robes.”

A’Luo had no choice but to say, “Then just braid it in a long plait, no need to put it up.”

After changing clothes, A’Luo looked herself over—it had been a long time since she’d worn a skirt-robe. The clothes Liu Jue had sent fit her well, only the skirt trailed to the ground, less convenient for walking than men’s clothing. The maid also brought a few small dishes and a bowl of hot porridge, and A’Luo didn’t stand on ceremony—filling her stomach came first.

Having eaten her fill, she stood up, satisfied, and headed for the door. The maid said carefully, “The General instructed that if the young lady goes out, she won’t be able to see the Madam again.”

A’Luo froze, silently cursing Liu Jue for using Seventh Madam as leverage against her. But there was nothing she could do about it, so she put on a smile and said, “Staying in the room is too stifling—I’ll just go for a walk in the courtyard. If you’re worried, you can come with me.”

The maid shook her head. “The General instructed that the young lady is not to step outside the room at all. There are Black-Clad Knights guarding outside the door.”

A’Luo, having no other option, thought it over and calmed down. “Find me a few books about Linnan City—local customs, gazetteers, anything like that. Chen Guo books are fine too.”

Seeing that A’Luo had given up on going out, the maid readily agreed. Before long she came in carrying a stack of books, saying with a smile, “The General seemed to know the young lady would be bored, and had already given instructions—as long as you don’t leave the room, whatever the young lady wants to eat or do, we’re to satisfy it as much as possible.”

A’Luo sighed—it seemed Liu Jue was determined to keep her under house arrest. There truly was no escaping now. On second thought, though—eating well, drinking well, sleeping well, every wish granted, and no danger to speak of. It seemed Liu Jue had no intention of sending her and Seventh Madam back to the Chancellor’s residence in Fengcheng either. Until this war ended, she’d have to stay here. Only once the fighting was over would he have time to deal with her. For now, she didn’t ask after Seventh Madam and the others, content just to know they were safe, and settled her mind to slowly leaf through the books.