Ming Shu crouched low, following behind Lu Chang as they carefully made their way around the back of the house, moving along the outer wall toward the room where the person was being held. She wasn’t sure if she felt more worried and afraid or more excited and thrilled. Her heart was pounding, and her blood felt like it was burning, making the severe cold outside unable to chill her. Lu Chang’s silhouette was like a wall shielding her from wind and rain, inexplicably allowing her to cast aside her worries and fears while becoming increasingly exhilarated.
Following the map drawn by the mountain bandit, the two of them crouched down beneath the window of that room. When Lu Chang turned his head, he saw Ming Shu’s bright eyes, like two small flames. The image of that little person who had dared to enter the haunted house flashed through his mind again; she had had the same look in her eyes then.
What a fearless woman, he thought. How did she grow such a bold heart? Other girls would go weak in the knees at the sight of such things, but here she was, eager to get involved.
He placed his palm on the back of her head, drawing her close to whisper instructions on what to be mindful of.
Ming Shu listened attentively, a faint scent of licorice emanating from her lips, carried by her breath into Lu Chang’s hood.
He was momentarily distracted.
Ming Shu nodded firmly after hearing Lu Chang’s instructions.
————
Lu Chang quickly disappeared, leaving Ming Shu alone, crouching in the bushes by the wall.
The snowy day was gloomy, making it difficult to tell the time, but by her reckoning, it was just past the hour of You (5-7 PM). Apart from the sound of wind and snow, there was nothing else to be heard. Ming Shu tucked in her neck, belatedly realizing that it had gotten even colder than before.
According to Lu Chang’s plan, he would devise a way to lure the mountain bandits away from the inn. Once they had all left, he would signal her, and she would then sneak into the inn to rescue the person.
Until then, she could only wait here.
As time passed, her palms grew increasingly sweaty, but outside remained eerily quiet, without any sign of movement. The medicinal pill in her mouth had long since dissolved and been swallowed, its aftertaste fading away, yet Lu Chang had still not given the signal. She didn’t know if he had started the operation or not.
It had been so long—could he have been captured? Or perhaps he had encountered danger?
The more Ming Shu thought about it, the more afraid she became—how dangerous was it to lure away the mountain bandits? She shouldn’t have let him take such a risk alone.
He usually seemed so mature and dependable, a pillar of strength for her and the Zeng family. These days, she had grown accustomed to his care, almost forgetting that Lu Chang was just a young scholar approaching his twentieth year, not much older than herself.
With this thought, she grew even more worried. Suddenly, the sound of frightened horses neighing and calling out came from outside. For some unknown reason, the horses in the stable to the east had been released and were charging into the courtyard. The inn quickly descended into chaos. The mountain bandits standing guard in the courtyard cursed a couple of times and seemed to give chase. Soon after, flashes of light and explosions erupted in the forest. The inn’s door opened, and the bandits hurriedly rushed out.
Amidst the commotion, Ming Shu only heard a bandit ask, “Gao Fu, what happened?”
“The Zhenshanzhai gang also has their eye on this shipment. They sent people to scout, but Ninth Brother discovered them and went after them,” replied a familiar deep voice, speaking in an accent unfamiliar to Ming Shu.
“Damn it! Those Zhenshanzhai bastards, they dare to try and steal my goods? Brothers, follow me!” a coarse voice shouted.
This was followed by the sound of blades being drawn and footsteps. It seemed the mountain bandits had left the inn to give chase, and the courtyard quickly fell silent again.
Lu Chang still hadn’t given her the signal.
Ming Shu pondered, feeling that something wasn’t quite right.
Gao Fu? Wasn’t that the person Lu Chang had knocked unconscious earlier?
After a moment’s thought, she gritted her teeth and cursed under her breath, “You sly dog, Lu Chang!”
————
With the mountain bandits having left en masse, only two guards remained sitting in front of the room where the prisoners were held, drinking wine. The inn was in disarray, and the dim firelight flickered in the wind blowing in from outside. Someone entered and quickly closed the door.
The guards looked up. The light was poor, and the person wore a thick hood, making it impossible to see their face.
“Who is it?” one guard stood up and demanded.
“You don’t recognize me?” the person asked, drawing closer.
“It’s Gao Fu,” the other guard said, apparently recognizing the clothes. He patted his companion’s shoulder, motioning him to sit back down. “Keep drinking.”
The person approached the two guards and, seizing the opportunity as they drank, swiftly struck out with his palm.
The two guards collapsed without a sound. The person then strode directly into the room where the prisoners were held, and pulled down his hood, revealing a handsome face.
Who else could it be but Lu Chang?
After separating from Ming Shu, he first moved the carriage where Zeng was sleeping to a hidden location, then returned to the inn. Thanks to the heavy snowfall, the mountain bandits outside were also wearing hoods. So, he changed into Gao Fu’s clothes, put on a hood, and was able to pass unnoticed in the dark and stormy night. He then tied some of the firecrackers he had brought for self-defense to a horse’s tail, released the horse to draw away Ninth Brother, and then tricked the bandits into believing another gang was after their loot, causing them to leave en masse. This allowed him to sneak into the inn to rescue the captives.
As for Ming Shu, she was probably still waiting foolishly outside the window.
————
Lu Chang hadn’t intentionally deceived Ming Shu. He had considered having her help with the rescue.
As Ming Shu had suggested, one person distracting the bandits while another sneaked in to rescue the captives was indeed the best plan.
The words had been on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t bring himself to say them.
He didn’t want her to be in danger, but he knew her temperament wouldn’t allow her to easily give up. So he could only trick her into waiting in the bushes outside, telling her to stay put and wait for his signal.
Of course, he had no intention of giving that signal.
He could already imagine Ming Shu’s furious reaction when she discovered the truth, but anger was better than losing her life. He still wanted to take her to the capital, buy her fine clothes, and let her return to being the young lady she once was.
The room wasn’t very secure; the bandits probably hadn’t planned to stay long. The windows weren’t even sealed, just closed. The air inside was stuffy, with a musty smell. Many people lay bound on the floor, their hands tied behind their backs.
Lu Chang crouched down next to the nearest person, feeling around their waist. As expected, he found the antidote these people carried. He quickly took it out and administered it to the person. After saving one, he was about to stand up when he suddenly felt a tightness in his back. An instinctive sense of danger crept up his spine, and he whirled around just as a long sword came slashing down towards his head.
It turned out that when the bandits returned to the inn’s vicinity, they found it too quiet and sent one person back. This person had entered the inn, discovered their unconscious comrades who had been guarding the captives, and had quietly entered the room, leading to this dangerous situation.
Cold sweat broke out on Lu Chang’s forehead as he rolled to the side.
Crash!
The sword didn’t connect. Instead, Lu Chang heard the sound of shattering porcelain.
The bandit wielding the sword closed his eyes and fell, his weapon clattering to the ground. Behind him stood Ming Shu, her hand still frozen in mid-air. On the floor lay the shards of a broken wine jar.
Lu Chang was also stunned—this sword strike had been extremely dangerous. If not for Ming Shu, even if he had dodged it, he might have lost an arm.
“Gao Fu? Hm?” Ming Shu came to her senses, clearly furious, her tone hostile.
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. She had played the role of the oriole this time.
Lu Chang knew she was clever, but he hadn’t expected her to be so quick-witted, figuring out so quickly that he had impersonated Gao Fu.
He was about to say something, but Ming Shu glared at him fiercely: “Save the people first. We’ll settle accounts later.”
With that, she turned to rescue the captives. Lu Chang, knowing he was in the wrong, said nothing more and joined her in the rescue effort.
————
By the time Ming Shu had administered the antidote to the third person, she had run out of the fragrant pills. She imitated Lu Chang, searching this person’s body to find their antidote to save the fourth person.
However, after searching thoroughly, she couldn’t find any antidote in the waist or sleeve pockets. Ming Shu then lifted the person’s collar—
“Young lady… what are you touching…”
A mumbled voice startled Ming Shu. She looked down and realized that this person was unusually gifted. Even though the antidote had just been administered, he was already showing signs of waking up. He was smacking his lips, half-asleep and half-awake, as if amid an erotic dream. Ming Shu was about to withdraw her hand when the man, still dreaming, suddenly grabbed her hand and pressed it to his chest.
“Young lady, such soft little hands…”
He was still sleep-talking, but Ming Shu was already furious. She raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.
Looking at this man’s seemingly decent appearance, yet having such an indecent dream, she was sure he was no good!
The slap jolted him awake, shattering his beautiful dream. He opened his eyes wide, stupidly staring at Ming Shu while holding his cheek where her handprint was forming.
Lu Chang, alarmed by the noise, turned back. Ming Shu complained, “He touched my hand!”
“I didn’t!” The man, startled by Lu Chang’s gaze, immediately tried to explain, disregarding the current situation.
Lu Chang’s gaze turned cold as he said, “If you don’t want to die, quickly wake up your companions. The bandits will be back soon.”
The man finally realized that all the people lying on the ground were his comrades. He immediately jumped up and exclaimed, “What happened here? I remember… we encountered a blizzard and stopped at this inn. We ate some food… the food! It must have been drugged!”
Now awake, his mind was working quickly. He figured it out without needing an explanation from Lu Chang or Ming Shu.
“If you know that, hurry up and save the others!” Ming Shu, finding him particularly annoying, spoke harshly.
“Alright.” He nodded, then removed an ornament from his waist. Instead of using the antidote, he brought the ornament close to the noses of the people on the ground.
Although Ming Shu wasn’t familiar with the ways of the jianghu, she could recognize valuable items.
“A Golden Cage Ice Toad?”
This man must have quite a background.
The Golden Cage Ice Toad was a round cage made of gold wire, used to preserve a special incense made from dried Tianshan ice toads. This incense could only be stored in gold and had unique detoxifying properties.
Ordinary wealthy families couldn’t afford such an item.
“The young lady is knowledgeable,” the man smiled as he continued to revive the others.
The medicinal properties of the Golden Cage Ice Toad were much stronger than ordinary fragrant pills. Just a whiff was enough to gradually awaken the people on the ground.
“The bandits are back,” Lu Chang suddenly said.
Footsteps could be heard outside the inn. The bandits had realized they had been tricked and were returning.
Fortunately, about seven or eight out of ten of the escorts had already awakened. There were quite a few of them, and they all picked up weapons, ready for battle. It was clear that a chaotic fight was about to break out. Lu Chang pulled Ming Shu over and pushed open a window with one hand.
“It’s dangerous inside. Find a place to hide outside.”
Before Ming Shu could respond, Lu Chang, disregarding propriety, placed his hands under her arms and lifted her onto the windowsill as if she were a child.
Ming Shu sat on the windowsill, still not fully reacting.
Knowing her temperament well, Lu Chang took advantage of her momentary daze. He grabbed her legs and tossed her out the window.
And just like that, Ming Shu turned around and found herself outside the room.
She had no martial arts skills, and staying inside would only be a burden. Even without Lu Chang’s reminder, she would have hidden. But his method annoyed her.
Angry as she was, she couldn’t do anything about Lu Chang. He had already disappeared from the window, and the sounds of fighting came from inside. She could only find a big tree to hide behind, anxiously concealing herself.
Firelight blazed through the window, with shadows crossing and moving. The sight made her heart race. Suddenly, a splash of fresh blood spattered on the window paper, starting her so much that she covered her mouth tightly. The fighting quickly spread from the room to the courtyard, with the sounds of combat everywhere. Ming Shu forced herself to stay calm as she hid.
After an unknown amount of time, she suddenly heard a loud “bang.” Someone had been hit so hard that they crashed through a window and rolled out, tumbling until they hit the tree where Ming Shu was hiding. Unfortunately for her, it was one of the bandits. Seeing she wasn’t an ally, he got up and swung his knife at her without a word. Ming Shu ducked, barely avoiding the strike, her heart nearly stopping from fright. Disoriented, she ran without thinking.
All around her were people engaged in fierce combat, with flashing blades that terrified her. Ming Shu looked around frantically, trying to find another safe place to hide, but in her haste, she couldn’t spot a suitable location. With someone chasing her and feeling utterly lost, suddenly someone grabbed her wrist in the chaos.
“Didn’t I tell you to hide properly!” Lu Chang appeared, his voice angry. He was holding a long sword from somewhere, its blade dripping with fresh blood.
Ming Shu felt wronged; no matter how well she hid, she was no match for a bandit falling from the sky.
Neither had the chance to say more as the glint of a blade rose behind them, accompanied by a roar: “You little bastard, take this!”
The voice sounded like that of Ninth Brother.
The sword wind stirred up snow powder, making it difficult for Ming Shu to keep her eyes open. She could only follow Lu Chang, dodging left and right, trying to escape the battlefield. But Ninth Brother kept pursuing Lu Chang relentlessly, likely having recognized that Lu Chang had tricked him, and was determined to kill him.
The two retreated outside the inn, and Ninth Brother, realizing Ming Shu was Lu Chang’s weakness, directed every strike towards her to pressure Lu Chang. Lu Chang’s martial skills were on par with Ninth Brother’s, but because he had to protect Ming Shu, he was at a constant disadvantage. Before long, he was injured, and his sword was knocked away. Both were forced onto a mountain path.
A diagonal slash came, and Ninth Brother grinned wickedly, intent on taking Ming Shu’s life. Seeing that if this continued, Ming Shu would be in grave danger and his strength was nearly exhausted, Lu Chang shoved Ming Shu away hard. After dodging Ninth Brother’s sword, he rushed forward and wrapped his arms around Ninth Brother’s waist, rolling to the side. Suddenly, they vanished without a sound.
Ming Shu came to her senses and hurriedly took a couple of steps to follow, but her foot almost slipped. She stopped abruptly.
At her feet was a cliff.
The snowstorm was too heavy, the night too dark. No one had realized that on the other side of the mountain path was a precipice.
With that roll, the two men had fallen silently off the cliff.
Ming Shu stared at the cliff, which seemed like a bottomless abyss. She crouched down, stunned, as scenes of her time with Lu Chang over the past days flashed through her mind. Suddenly, grief overwhelmed her.
“Br… brother…”
After this call escaped her lips, everything that she had been unable to believe before suddenly made sense.
“Brother—”
She tore open her throat, calling out to him at the edge of the cliff.