There were two types of escort missions in security bureaus: open escorts and secret escorts. Open escorts, would raise their bureau’s banner and announce their presence as loudly as possible to gain face in the martial world. These typically transported ordinary goods and naturally traveled conspicuously. In contrast, secret escorts had their guards travel in disguise, avoiding attention as much as possible. Generally, secret escorts transported valuable items like gold, silver, jade, or antique treasures.
Open escorts carried the bureau’s name and ordinary goods, so most martial artists would show some respect and refrain from robbery. But today’s ambush at the inn was premeditated, suggesting the cargo must be a valuable secret escort.
At this point, Lu Chang and Ming Shu had silently reached a consensus.
“Tonight’s snow and wind will likely get fiercer. The dangers of sleeping outside are no less than staying at an inn,” Lu Chang pondered before speaking.
The night’s snowstorm grew more savage. If they stayed outside, they risked death by freezing or at least losing half their lives. Moreover, in these remote hills with abundant trees, the fierce winds could not only drop stones and break branches but possibly overturn their carriage. They had no other choice.
Hearing his implied intention to enter the inn, Ming Shu immediately nodded in agreement: “I was thinking the same. How should we proceed? Scout the situation inside first?”
“Who’s ‘we’? Get back to the carriage and don’t come down without my orders. Can you drive the carriage? If you can, move it somewhere hidden.” Lu Chang lowered his voice, then reconsidered and added, “Never mind, don’t drive it. I’ll go back with you.”
“I won’t.” Ming Shu lifted her chin stubbornly, shaking her head. “I can help you here.”
“Help me? What can you help me with?” Lu Chang looked at her contemptuously, his face full of disdain. “Go back quickly!”
“How can I not help?” Ming Shu glanced behind him, waving him closer before continuing, “Since this secret escort is valuable, there must be many guards. From the tracks, they didn’t arrive much earlier than us, yet there were no signs or sounds of fighting. These bandits must have used knockout drugs while the guards were taking shelter from the snow with their guard down. We just need to find the antidote. You can lure the bandits away while I sneak in to cure their poisoning. Then we can use the security bureau’s help to drive off the bandits, and we’ll have a place to stay too.”
She lifted her chin after speaking, showing pride between her brows as if she’d made some brilliant plan. Lu Chang was very familiar with this expression. Ten years ago in Jiangning Prefecture, there was a bloody case where the crime scene was considered haunted. Ghost stories spread wildly, but Simple Ming Shu didn’t believe in superstitions. Being young and naive, she invited friends to play in the haunted house, only to be locked inside overnight by children who disliked her. When he carried her out on his back, her eyes were red but she remained stubborn, refusing to show any weakness.
Afterward, she gained the nickname “Bold Simple.”
But those were just childhood memories. As she grew up, she changed, developing airs and distance, no longer doing such foolish things, and becoming every bit the Young Lady of the Simple family.
Now with her memory loss, her old temperament had resurfaced.
“How about that? Not bad, right?” She waited for his praise.
With only his eyes visible, Lu Chang showed no approval in them as he poked her forehead: “Stop thinking these impractical thoughts. Go back!”
“I…” Ming Shu wanted to argue but suddenly changed expression, lowering her voice, “Someone’s coming.” As she spoke, she pulled Lu Chang to hide behind the stable.
Lu Chang had also heard the movement and reacted faster, pulling her behind him and pressing her head down to crouch.
The sound of shuffling footsteps arose as two people emerged from behind the inn, both wearing hoods and thick clothes, passing in front of the stable.
“*Cough*, *spit*.” One of them cleared his throat and spat on the ground, cursing, “Damn it all, in this freezing weather, what idiotic fool would dare travel in this remote wilderness? Boss is too cautious, making us freeze our butts off keeping watch in this ghost weather. That bit of blood earlier wasn’t even enough to warm my hands!”
The idiotic fools were currently crouching behind the stable, spying.
Through gaps in the wooden fence, Ming Shu saw the speaker carrying a long sword with blood still dripping from its blade, leaving a long trail in the snow. It sent an involuntary shiver through her.
It seemed the guards posted outside had already been killed.
“Ninth Brother, please calm down. As the saying goes, caution keeps the ship afloat for ten thousand years. The boss is just thinking of our safety,” the other person advised.
“*Smack!*” A sharp sound rang out as the first speaker heavily slapped the other’s head, raging, “You turtle’s egg, why are you speaking up for him? Have they ever cared about us while they drink and feast inside?”
“Brother, don’t be angry. These fat sheep have some background. We brothers finally lured them here and took action, so naturally, we need to be careful. Once the snow passes, we can divide up the valuable goods and live freely in the mountains. Isn’t that wonderful? Come, come, have a drink first to warm up.” The person quickly offered up a jug of wine.
The frontman snatched the wine, taking a huge gulp before saying: “At least you know your place.”
The other person smiled sycophantically with a few words of flattery, then said: “Ninth Brother, you go ahead. I need to take a piss first.”
The two separated, one going to keep watch at the front while the other sought a place to relieve himself, coincidentally right next to where Lu Chang and Ming Shu were hiding.
Ming Shu only heard the rustling sound of untying trousers. Her face wrapped in the headscarf grew hot as she tried to pull Lu Chang back, but he held her still, silently shaking his head with a hint of amusement in his soundless gaze as if teasing her.
She grew anxious as the sound of water splashing began, particularly clear in the silent night. The stench of urine spread, noticeable even through several layers of scarves. She couldn’t help but pinch her nose while squeezing Lu Chang’s arm hard—why aren’t we leaving? Are we staying to smell this stench?
“*Hiss!* Nearly froze my manhood off!” The man finished, shivering as he pulled up his trousers to leave.
Ming Shu only saw a blur as Lu Chang broke free from her grip, moving like a silent tiger in the night, crouching low. With lightning speed, he covered the man’s mouth and nose while his other hand quickly twisted the man’s arms behind his back. By the time Ming Shu recovered her senses, Lu Chang had already dragged the man behind the stable.
“Don’t shout. Answer whatever I ask!” At some point, Lu Chang had produced a palm-length dagger, its blade pressed against the man’s throat.
The man’s eyes widened as he hurriedly nodded. Lu Chang removed his hand from the man’s mouth, but unexpectedly, the man had some martial arts skills. He grabbed Lu Chang’s dagger-wielding wrist with both hands and pushed outward, opening his mouth to shout. Ming Shu saw the situation and acted without thinking, quickly gathering snow and stuffing it forcefully into the man’s mouth. Meanwhile, Lu Chang stomped on the man’s lower abdomen, making him release his grip, then mercilessly stabbed the dagger into the man’s upper arm before yanking it out.
A spray of blood flew up, splattering a few drops on Ming Shu’s face.
Ming Shu felt dazed—the Lu Chang before her was a stranger, the ruthless killing intent in his eyes and brows making him seem like a different person entirely.
“Try another trick, and this knife won’t just be in your arm.” Lu Chang lowered his head, his voice cold and fierce. “I ask once, you answer once!”
The dagger’s tip moved above his heart. Ming Shu did not doubt that if this person made any more sudden moves, Lu Chang’s dagger would mercilessly end his life.
The man’s face turned pale with pain, thoroughly intimidated by Lu Chang. He forgot even to spit out the snow in his mouth, just nodding continuously.
Through this question and answer session, the man practically revealed his ancestors going back eight generations. Lu Chang and Ming Shu quickly learned what had happened at the inn.
An escort team from Lin’an, hired by the major merchant house Tao Ji, was disguised as a porcelain merchant convoy heading to Bianjing. The real cargo, however, was jade jewelry hidden inside the porcelain vessels. These jade pieces were imported items, with several pieces even being tribute meant for the imperial palace, making them extremely valuable. Therefore, besides the Tao family’s own escorts, they had also hired a security bureau for protection.
However, one of the Tao family’s workers grew greedy at the sight of these jade pieces and hatched an evil plan, colluding with mountain bandits as an inside man. He revealed their route to bandits from the Henan region and worked with them to set a trap here, first taking over this roadside inn, then disguising themselves as inn workers to lay in ambush. The escort team was unfortunate to encounter the snowstorm midway and was tricked into coming here, falling into these bandits’ trap.
The escort guards, who traveled the martial world year-round, had strict rules and wouldn’t eat food prepared by the inn, instead borrowing the kitchen to cook their meals. They didn’t expect a traitor in their midst who added knockout drugs to their food. The guards and Tao family workers, completely unprepared, were all taken down.
These were common lowly tactics in the martial world, and normally wouldn’t have resulted in total defeat—the critical mistake was failing to discover the traitor.
“The… the boss ordered me and Ninth Brother to deal with the guards posted outside, then stay in the front courtyard as lookouts… The person, the killing was done by Ninth Brother, I didn’t do it, please spare me, heroes!” This man Gao Fu was a small-time bandit who greatly feared death.
“How many people do you have, and how many from the security bureau?” Lu Chang asked him again.
“We have thirteen people total. The security bureau plus Tao family workers add up to twenty-one people.”
“Where are you keeping them? Draw the inn’s layout and mark it on the map.” Lu Chang asked while pulling out paper and brush from within his clothes and throwing them on the ground. He was about to speak to Ming Shu, but she had already understood.
She took out a fire starter from her waist, using her palm to shield it as she lit it, then threatened Gao Fu fiercely in imitation of Lu Chang: “Draw quickly, or this young mistress will take your little life.”
“…” Lu Chang was speechless.
Gao Fu tremblingly crouched on the ground, moistening the brush tip with his tongue before quickly sketching out a crude layout of the inn.
“If we find out you’re lying, *click*…” Ming Shu extinguished the fire starter and made a throat-slitting gesture across her neck.
“I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare, this humble one wouldn’t dare.” Gao Fu hurriedly said.
Lu Chang was again speechless but quickly focused his attention on the layout map.
Ming Shu asked Gao Fu another question: “Tell me, where is the antidote for the knockout drug?”
“The antidote?” Gao Fu thought for a moment before answering, “It’s… it’s with the boss.”
Ming Shu frowned. The antidote was with the bandit leader. This would be difficult.
Lu Chang memorized the inn’s layout, then turned to look at Ming Shu. Seeing her worried expression, his lips curved slightly under his hood as he struck Gao Fu’s neck, knocking him unconscious. Gao Fu collapsed, and Ming Shu nearly jumped up: “Why did you knock him out?”
“Because I finished my questions.” Lu Chang had collected all the information he needed.
“But I wasn’t done! We still don’t have the antidote. Don’t tell me you plan to rescue everyone single-handedly… What’s… what’s this?” Ming Shu hadn’t finished speaking when she saw Lu Chang dangling a sachet before her eyes.
“The antidote,” Lu Chang answered simply.
Ming Shu snatched the sachet, opening it while asking in surprise: “Why do you have the antidote?”
Lu Chang flicked her forehead: “The knockout drugs used in the martial world are mostly just sleeping powder made from datura. They’re just made to sound mysterious. It can be countered with medicine balls made from licorice and other herbs.”
The journey from Jiangning to Bianjing was long, and fearing trouble along the way, he had prepared many items for self-defense. This antidote was one of them.
“But this amount isn’t enough, is it?” A cool fragrance wafted out, indeed refreshing and mind-clearing. Ming Shu estimated the quantity through the bag.
“The escort guards must carry antidotes regularly. They only fell victim this time because they were caught off guard by the traitor. We just need to wake up a few to let them help themselves.” Lu Chang had already thought it through.
Ming Shu complained: “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“The situation is urgent. How could I waste time explaining to you?” Lu Chang spoke while snatching back the sachet. He pinched out a medicine ball and, taking advantage of her speaking, flicked it into her mouth.
Ming Shu’s jaw closed suddenly, and she heard Lu Chang say in a deep voice: “My Young Lady, didn’t you say you wanted to help? Hold it without swallowing. The rescue mission is yours.”
That “Young Lady” he called made her feel weak to her bones.
Author’s Note: Lu Chang: Young Lady, Young Lady, Young Lady, my Young Lady.