The rain fell all night, only barely subsiding as dawn broke in the east.

As soon as news arrived from the Ni family ancestral residence, Ni Zong hurriedly dressed and rose, bringing his wife Liu Shi, daughter Ni Mizhi, and daughter-in-law Tian Shi to the ancestral residence.

“When did sister-in-law pass?”

Ni Zong’s face showed grief as he stood outside the door asking the old steward.

“Madam passed at the hour of mao.” The old steward wiped tears with his sleeve while answering with a choked voice.

Ni Zong raised his head and saw Liu Shi sitting on the bedside inside the door, sobbing. His gaze swept again—he only saw Nanny Qian standing to one side. He frowned, only now realizing that since entering the courtyard, apart from this old steward and that Nanny Qian, he hadn’t seen a single other servant.

Even that niece of his, Ni Su, hadn’t appeared.

“Where are the household servants? And where is my niece Ni Su?”

Ni Zong felt something was very wrong.

“Before Madam’s death, she dismissed all the household servants.” Hearing his voice, Nanny Qian came out from the room and bowed to Ni Zong, then continued: “As for Miss, Madam couldn’t bear to have her watch her pass away in front of her. Yesterday she sent her to Great Bell Temple. Miss is currently praying for Madam’s blessings at the temple. News from here was just sent—I’m afraid it will be later before Miss can return.”

Ni Zong didn’t know where this false mother-daughter pair got such affection from, but at this juncture, he couldn’t say much. He could only nod, then wave over his own household steward, having him bring servants from his residence to arrange the funeral.

Ni Zong felt angry in his heart—angry that Cen Zishu had created trouble for him even before death. Clearly knowing her funeral matters couldn’t be managed without people, she had still dismissed the servants first.

But thinking it over, Cen Zishu must have known that after she died, the estate she’d clutched tightly in her hands would rightfully fall into his, Ni Zong’s, hands. Unable to swallow this bitter pill, she deliberately acted this way.

Ni Zong felt somewhat pleased, though his face still bore grief. Seeing a young servant pass by with a bow, he kicked the servant: “Where’s Qingwen? Where did he run off to at this critical time? Quickly bring people to find him!”

“Yes!”

The young servant took a kick to his lower back, fell to the ground, then hurriedly got up and ran off.

Ni Zong busied himself at the ancestral residence for half a day. He didn’t wait for Ni Su to return but heard the steward report that Ni Qingwen was at the Ni family medical practice.

When Ni Zong rushed to the medical practice, his daughter-in-law Tian Shi was wailing to heaven and earth: “Which heaven-damned person dared to be so vicious to my husband!”

What vicious hand?

Ni Zong walked into the hall. Sunlight streaming through the window illuminated Ni Qingwen’s festering, rotting hand. He only needed one glance before his pupils constricted slightly. He asked in a low voice: “What happened here?”

The resident physician was perceptive. With the first branch’s mistress dead, he became much more respectful toward this Second Master: “Second Master, Young Master Qingwen came into contact with the juice of cat’s eye grass.”

Cat’s eye grass was what local herb gatherers called it colloquially. Its proper name was Five Phoenix Spirit Branch. When dried for medicinal use, it was called Painted Marsh.

“I got drunk myself and don’t know where I fell—that’s how I came into contact with it.” Ni Qingwen’s face was deathly pale from pain. Even his voice trembled as he spoke.

With his fierce wife nearby, Ni Qingwen trembled all over, not daring to reveal the truth at all.

“How did I raise such a…” Ni Zong’s anger rose from his heart. He pointed at Ni Qingwen. Seeing that hand covered in blood, he turned his head away, swallowing the unfinished curse. He urged the physician: “Hurry and apply medicine for him!”

The physician repeatedly assented. After cleaning Ni Qingwen’s wound, he had the medicine apprentice fetch wound medicine.

“Master!”

The steward from Ni Zong’s residence ran in drenched in sweat, not bothering to catch his breath: “Following your instructions, this humble servant went to the first branch’s estates to check accounts and collect fields. Who knew the first branch’s farmland and estates had all been sold off!”

What?

Ni Zong felt darkness before his eyes. The steward quickly stepped forward to support him.

“All sold?”

Ni Zong murmured in disbelief.

“Yes, all bought by Squire Li. It went through proper channels. This humble servant sent people to the Li residence to ask—they said some days ago Nanny Qian, who was by Cen Shi’s side, personally handled these matters.”

The steward panted heavily.

“Cen Zishu!”

Ni Zong came back to his senses. Fury burned until his face turned ashen. Brushing aside the steward’s hand, he paced back and forth in the hall, then roared at the steward: “Where is Ni Su? Where is Ni Su? Cen Zishu exchanged all that money—who else could she leave it to besides her?”

“Master, the people we sent to Great Bell Temple have also returned. The ancestral residence never sent anyone to Great Bell Temple to pass word. Most importantly, that Miss Su never went to Great Bell Temple at all!”

The steward wiped sweat from his forehead, speaking indignantly.

“Didn’t go?”

The heart in Ni Zong’s chest pounded rapidly. The bad feeling in his heart grew increasingly strong.

“Why would she go to any Great Bell Temple? I saw her outside yesterday!” Ni Qingwen looked at his father’s increasingly dark expression. Despite severe pain, he didn’t forget to add fuel to the fire with a trembling voice: “She and Ni Qinglan, the brother and sister, have a study outside. She went there yesterday! I also saw her pack up several things. If she didn’t return to the residence last night, I’m afraid she took that money and ran!”

“Since you saw her, why didn’t you come back to tell me? What wine house were you drinking at? If it weren’t for your injured hand, I’d break your legs!” Ni Zong angrily kicked Ni Qingwen, who was sitting in a chair, to the ground.

Ni Qingwen had already been beaten at the study last night. Being kicked by Ni Zong hit injuries beneath his clothes, but he didn’t dare speak out. Seeing his wife Tian Shi bend down, he was about to reach out to borrow her strength to rise, only to have her grab his collar directly and glare fiercely: “Ni Qingwen, you went to drink at a wine house?”

“No, no…”

In fact, Ni Qingwen had drunk before going to the study, but how could he dare tell Tian Shi the truth?

Relying on her maternal family’s aid to his family, Tian Shi had grown accustomed to being domineering over Ni Qingwen. How could she let this go? The medical practice became extremely noisy for a time. Ni Zong was too lazy to care. He quickly walked out the door and leaned against the doorframe, so angry he couldn’t speak.

“Master, according to Young Master’s meaning, Miss Su only left last night. But the rain was heavy then—she probably couldn’t have gone far. It’s only past noon now. If we send people to pursue her, we can still catch up.”

The steward followed out and spoke in a low voice.

“Send people?” Ni Zong stopped rubbing his eyelids. “Your meaning is—send what people?”

The steward smiled mysteriously: “I’ve heard that bandits haunt Golden Magpie Mountain outside the city. They’re all the sort who take money to handle matters. If Master is willing to spend some money and have them go, they’ll certainly be able to bring the person back.”

Ni Zong pondered for a moment. Though usually extremely stingy, thinking now of how much money those sold estates and farmland of the first branch were worth combined, he clenched his hands: “Handle this matter quickly. But you absolutely cannot tell those people what she’s carrying. Just say she’s fleeing from an arranged marriage. Make sure they bring the person back to me.”

“Yes.” The steward responded, then looking at Ni Zong’s expression, asked carefully: “But right now, should we still hold Cen Shi’s funeral?”

Hearing this, Ni Zong’s expression grew even worse.

Who told his brother Ni Zhun to have cured the county magistrate’s chronic illness years ago? The county magistrate had always shown much care for their Ni family’s first branch. With Cen Shi’s death, the county magistrate would likely come to pay condolences too. If Ni Zong wanted to rightfully grasp the Ni family’s medical practice businesses in his hands, he couldn’t just let it go.

The muscles on his cheeks twitched. He gritted his teeth: “Hold it. Must hold it splendidly. Give her a grand funeral.”

——

After sending off Uncle Zhang and Xing Zhu last night, Ni Su didn’t leave immediately either. Instead, she had two young servants go back to fetch a carriage, then first went to Zao Hua Village to find a medicine woman. That medicine woman possessed detailed records of women’s intimate ailments she’d seen in half a lifetime, as well as folk remedy methods she’d learned from other medicine women in her youth.

A month ago, Ni Su had already paid silver to her, having her hire someone literate. She would dictate orally while they recorded her observations and experiences from half a lifetime. Having lived half her life, the medicine woman had never seen such a young, unmarried girl who dared to associate with people like them. Moreover, with an acquainted midwife’s introduction, she readily agreed.

After obtaining things from the medicine woman, Ni Su immediately departed by carriage. But the rain at night had ultimately fallen too urgently. The carriage got stuck twice on the muddy mountain path, wasting considerable time.

As dusk fell completely, two young servants stopped the carriage by a stream, unharnessed the horse, and let it graze and drink at the stream’s edge. Ni Su ate a few bites of dry rations the servants brought, gazing blankly at the setting sun reflected obliquely on the water’s surface.

This place still had some distance to the nearest Qiao Town, but the sky was already darkening. The two young servants didn’t dare delay. After feeding the horse, they set off again.

Traveling through half the night, just as Qiao Town was about to arrive, the servant driving the carriage forced himself alert and pushed awake the person beside him. Just as he was about to speak, he heard waves of galloping hoofbeats rapidly approaching.

The other startled servant turned to look back. Under the moonlight, a mass of shadows soaked in light accompanied by horses’ neighing sounds drew nearer. For some reason, the servant’s heart tightened. He quickly called out: “Miss, many people are coming from behind!”

Hearing this, Ni Su lifted the curtain and leaned out the window. Indeed seeing those shadows approach, she also felt something was wrong. But before she could say anything, those people traveling light on horseback were much faster than the swaying carriage. They quickly ran forward to surround the carriage completely—there were actually over ten people.

This time Ni Zong was truly willing to spend.

“Miss…” What had these two young servants ever seen? Seeing the knives in those people’s hands, they were so frightened they quickly shrank into the carriage.

Immediately after, the bearded leader outside cut down the curtain with one slash, then used the blade to take down the lantern hanging beneath the carriage cover and thrust it into the carriage. Beside him, another tall, thin man on horseback unrolled a portrait, squinted to look, and said: “Got it, Big Brother. It’s her.”

The bearded man stared at Ni Su’s face, somewhat unable to look away: “They all say viewing a beauty under lamplight—the more you look, the more beautiful she becomes. This saying is indeed correct. Miss is truly a young lady from a wealthy household. Having never left Que County, you don’t know this route has mountain paths closer than the official road. We brothers rushed and hurried—finally caught you.”

“How much money did Ni Zong give you?” Ni Su leaned against the innermost side, staring at that sharp blade hanging a lantern, forcing herself to stay calm.

“What? Does Miss also have silver to give?” That bearded man was cavalier. From horseback, he scrutinized her with a pair of fierce eyes: “We can’t be dismissed with just a few coins.”

“What Ni Zong can afford, I can also afford.”

Ni Su’s palms were full of sweat: “As long as you gentlemen no longer make things difficult for me.”

“Big Brother, how much money can a girl fleeing from marriage have?” The thin man looked at Ni Su’s dress and skirt still stained with mud spots, her hair coil adorned only with a single pearl flower. But shifting his gaze to her face, the thin man laughed sinisterly: “If you ask me, I’ve never seen a young lady with such beauty. If we sold her, the price might be even higher than what that rich man offered!”

“You dare.”

The bearded man had been somewhat swayed by the thin man’s words, but hearing that female voice from inside the carriage, he looked up to see that young lady’s hand now held a dagger pressed against her own neck.

“Let’s talk nicely…” The thin man was dumbfounded. He’d never seen anything like this—encountering their group, this delicate woman could still hold a dagger steady.

“I know all you seek is money. I can afford to pay a higher price than Ni Zong, willing to spend this money to protect my safety. But if you dare have other thoughts, I’ll make you lose both person and money.”

While speaking, Ni Su observed the bearded man’s expression. Seeing him indeed conflicted, she knew she’d guessed right—Ni Zong wanted her alive.

She immediately said: “If I die, you won’t know where I’ve hidden the money. These two servants of mine don’t know either. And the money from Ni Zong—you won’t get that either.”

“Big Brother… seems like that’s true.” The thin man scratched his head. Seeing another bloody mark appear on Ni Su’s neck, he became somewhat angry: “I say, you little lady, you’re really fucking fierce!”

The bearded man’s sharp gaze swept over Ni Su’s face. He still seemed to be deliberating. This moment of silence was undoubtedly torment for Ni Su. She silently met his confrontational gaze, not daring to relax in the slightest, though her back was already soaked through with cold sweat.

The two young servants hugged their heads, trembling even more, not daring to move.

“What you say is true.”

The bearded man laughed coldly: “But I hate women’s threats most. Since I can’t kill you, then I’ll kill one of your servants first to wash my blade!”

If no blood was seen, he probably couldn’t make this little woman know what fear was. As long as her courage broke, she wouldn’t have so many conditions.

“Stop!”

Ni Su watched as that bearded man turned his blade. The lantern rolled into the carriage. That blade light was fierce, heading straight for one young servant’s neck.

The lantern’s light extinguished.

This instant’s night wind was surprisingly extremely severe. The thin man riding horseback had dust blow into his eyes. He rubbed his eyes once. For some reason, his back felt icy cold to the bone. He turned his head to see that under the bright patch of moonlight, within their encirclement, an additional figure had somehow appeared.

“Big Brother!”

The thin man was quite frightened. He’d just shouted once when cold wind poured into his mouth and nose, blocking his words. That person’s sword left his hand, swept past his cheek, and pierced through the bearded man’s waist and abdomen.

The bearded man had no defense whatsoever. His blade was still half an inch from the young servant’s neck when it suddenly stopped. One young servant raised his head just in time to see the sword blade piercing through his abdomen. The servant cried out in fright.

Ni Su’s whole body was stiff and cold. She watched as that burly bearded man fell from horseback with wide eyes, making a heavy, muffled sound.

The black cloak moved with that person’s steps, revealing snow-white garment hem beneath. His silver crown bound his hair. His profile was pale and flawless, thick lashes half-lowered. He bent down to pull back that sword from the dead corpse.

The thin man saw his sword blade—blood drops dripping down.

He was too strange.

Appearing silently, yet this killing method didn’t seem like a ghost either. The thin man’s heart grew increasingly frightened, but others around had already rushed forward together. He could only charge forward too.

Hoofbeats were chaotic, screams even worse.

The two young servants trembled all over, not daring to look out at all. But Ni Su lay by the carriage’s curtain door, only seeing bandits fall from horseback one after another.

Heaven and earth suddenly quieted. The severe wind also retreated. Cicada cries boiled.

Ni Su saw those frightened horses flee and run away. One person stood among those bandits lying on the ground, motionless.

She boldly descended from the carriage. Her knees went soft. She barely steadied herself by holding the carriage, recovering slightly before moving steps forward.

Moonlight silvery white.

Yet the cloak on his body was black, embroidered threads flowing.

Ni Su suddenly stopped.

All manner of things from the cypress forest at Great Bell Temple swirled in her mind.

Ni Su involuntarily retreated two steps, but saw him turn his face slightly. His lashes blinked once. The sword held in his hand still dripped blood. His half-lowered eyes were hollow, without any trace of spirit.