The next day, as expected, Ninth Master was nowhere to be seen. Madame Changping’s expression remained calm; she neither paid me excessive attention nor deliberately slighted me. However, compared to the day before, there was something unusual in her demeanor. Moreover, no matter where I went, two or three people followed me, their presence framed as incidental yet clearly intentional.
I could only pretend not to notice these carefully arranged "coincidences." With a focused mind, I waited for nightfall.
Once darkness descended, the manor’s security became exceptionally tight, a stark contrast to the previous night. Masking my face, I lurked silently within the dense canopy of an ancient tree outside the Pavilion of Tranquil Hearts. While my green attire wasn't as stealthy as traditional night-traveling clothes, it was difficult to spot in the depths of the night.
A half-moon drifted in and out of the clouds.
Peering through the half-open window, I saw the Madame reclining on her bed while two maidservants massaged her. In the soft glow of the candlelight, it was a truly pleasing, sensuous scene.
I silently counted down the time. Five… four… three… two… one… Why wasn't there a fire yet? Could it be that the two jars of vegetable oil I’d stolen from the kitchen weren't enough? Or perhaps the candle I’d left standing had been blown out by the wind?
Just then, behind the bamboo grove not far from the Pavilion of Tranquil Hearts, a bright cluster of small flames flickered to life. The fire spread rapidly along the bamboo, surging toward the pavilion. The patrolling guards quickly discovered the situation, and the sound of wooden clappers rang out as they shouted for help.
The people inside the Pavilion of Tranquil Hearts were startled. The Madame sat up abruptly, and several maidservants ran back and forth in a panic. The Madame hurried to the window to look outside, let out a sharp intake of breath, and immediately turned back into the bedroom. With agile movements, she scrambled onto the large red sandalwood bed, which was adorned with exquisite carvings, and began rummaging frantically through the top of the bed curtains.
Two guards rushed into the outer room, shouting urgently, "Madame! Madame! Quickly, take cover! The fire is about to reach us!"
Inside the bedroom, the Madame pulled a silk-wrapped bundle from the top of the curtains, tucked it carefully into her bodice, and turned to flee. I moved swiftly, flicking several pebbles to extinguish the candles, and slipped into the bedroom the moment darkness fell.
The sudden darkness made the firelight outside appear even more menacing. Terrified by the sudden change, the Madame couldn't help but scream. Hearing the footsteps in the outer room drawing closer, I didn't dare delay. I lunged forward and snatched the silk bundle from her bosom. It was about the size of a book—likely a ledger of some sort.
Having been robbed of such an important item, the Madame lunged at me like a madwoman, screaming all the while. I had no wish to harm her, so I turned and vaulted out the window.
Outside, the flames roared, already consuming the eastern side of the Pavilion of Tranquil Hearts. This sudden blaze had alerted nearly everyone in the manor. Servants carrying wooden buckets sprinted between the lake and the pavilion, and the rhythmic clacking of the warning clappers filled the air. I scrambled onto the roof and ran toward the servants' quarters; that was the shortest route out of the estate.
At that moment, a strange sense of alarm prickled my mind. That familiar chill crept up from behind me, silent and pervasive. I leaped from the roof and blended into the crowd of running people. Dressed in a maid’s uniform, I didn't stand out in the chaos, yet that intensifying murderous intent clung to me like a shadow, refusing to be shaken.
I snatched a saber from a guard running past me. Since a major battle seemed inevitable, I needed to get further away. If I were trapped within this fortress-like manor, stealing the ledger would have been for nothing.
I pushed my lightness skill to its absolute limit. For a brief moment, it seemed I had lost my pursuer, but shortly after I scaled the high outer wall of the manor, he caught up again. He seemed to be playing a game of cat and mouse, maintaining a steady distance—neither too close nor too far.
The sound of gurgling water reached my ears. Judging by the direction, it was undoubtedly the Sishui River. This confirmed that the place I had just escaped was indeed the Sishui Manor.
Initially, I chose to run through dense woods, hoping the complex terrain would help me lose this dangerous tail. But after a while, I gradually abandoned that plan. I didn't want to exhaust my internal energy in a chase. If it came to that, my situation would be even more perilous.
An open meadow appeared before me. I halted my steps, gripped my saber, and silently watched the spot where the murderous aura was gathering behind me.
A lotus-shaped cloud drifted slowly by, and the world suddenly brightened.
A figure appeared silently before me. Clad in white robes and holding a folding fan, it was none other than the Ninth Master, who had claimed to be leaving on a journey. He looked at me without a word and suddenly extended his arm.
Behind him, two indistinct white figures flashed out like ghosts to his left and right. I was momentarily stunned. What kind of technique was this?
The two figures charged forward, both wielding sabers. Strangely, not only were their moves identical, but their pace was perfectly synchronized. Attacking from both sides, they left me breathless and struggling to keep up.
I slashed my saber into the arm of the white shadow on the left, but the figure only wavered slightly before lunging again. There wasn't even a trace of blood. I froze in shock. How was that possible? I had clearly struck him… In that split second of distraction, a searing pain flared in my left arm. I scrambled backward, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Ninth Master in the distance, making strange, rhythmic movements in the moonlight—as if the two white figures were puppets under his control. My heart sank. Could these white shadows be illusions projected from his own body? Was he splitting his internal energy between these two phantoms?
My scalp prickled with dread.
Driven by the growing fear in my heart, I stopped holding back. I swung a heavy blow at the shoulder of the left phantom, but the blade passed through empty air. What a sinister martial art—I couldn't harm them, yet the sharp blades in their hands could wound me.
The white shadow merely flickered, and its heavy saber swept down toward my back. I rolled across the ground to evade the strike, but the blade still grazed my back, leaving a trail of burning pain. The shadow on the right seized the moment to pounce.
I had never been so disadvantaged. Their bodies were ethereal; none of my lethal strikes had any effect.
Just then, a faint whistling sound came from behind, as if a sharp weapon were piercing the air. I parried a strike from one of the shadow assassins and tried to dodge the sneak attack from behind, but the other shadow lunged from that very direction, cutting off my retreat. With nowhere to hide, I felt a sudden tightening on my left shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a steel-forged Yin-Yang Claw attached to a long chain, its talons digging deep into my flesh. Before I could react, the claw was jerked back, sending a heart-wrenching, agonizing pain through my shoulder.
My vision went black, and I couldn't suppress a scream of agony.
The world suddenly dimmed as a thick cloud completely shrouded the bright moon. In that instant, the two white shadows vanished like ghosts. I spun around and saw the Ninth Master collapse in the distance, struggling to stand. The other end of the Yin-Yang Claw’s chain was gripped in his hand; the claw’s five fingers were clenched tight, holding a mess of blood and flesh. Seeing the bright red color of the blood, I actually felt a sense of relief. At least it wasn't poisoned.
I realized then that his mysterious technique relied on the energy contained within the moonlight. When the moonlight faded, the spell could no longer be maintained. I had to use this opportunity to end the fight quickly; otherwise, once the clouds moved, the blood loss alone would be enough to kill me.
I quickly tapped several acupoints on my left shoulder to temporarily staunch the bleeding and lunged at the Ninth Master before he could get up. Unable to leap away in time, he could only raise his folding fan to block. With a sharp *clang*, a numbing vibration shot through my palm.
His fan was actually forged from fine steel. What shocked me even more was the sheer strength of his internal energy.
A sliver of moonlight broke through the clouds, only to be swallowed by darkness again.
The Ninth Master stumbled back a step, a trace of blood spilling from his lips. I secretly wondered if the technique of manifesting shadow clones was too taxing on his internal energy. Regardless, I couldn't give him the chance to summon the shadow assassins again. I had lost too much blood, and my own internal energy was flagging after the long run and the intense exchange.
The Ninth Master dodged a slash aimed at his shoulder and thrust his fan toward my throat. At that moment, the world brightened as brilliant moonlight poured down like liquid silver. The Ninth Master looked as if he had been struck by a heavy blow; he spat out a mouthful of blood, his body recoiling as he let out a shrill, piercing cry.
I reacted instantly, swinging my saber in a reverse arc from his abdomen straight up to his shoulder. A spray of crimson erupted, drenching me in hot blood. The Ninth Master’s body slowly toppled backward, his face frozen in an expression of utter disbelief. I, too, slumped to my knees.
I used my saber to prop myself up, my vision swimming in darkness. With the last of my strength, I launched a meteor flare into the sky, hoping any nearby constables would see the signal and rush to my aid.
At the edge of the meadow, several figures in night-traveling gear appeared, wielding gleaming sabers. I took one look, and my heart sank to the bottom of an abyss.
By now, the first faint light of dawn was appearing on the horizon; the darkest hour had passed. The flat meadow allowed one to see for a great distance—there was nowhere to hide. Besides, even if I wanted to hide, it was too late. They had seen me and the Ninth Master’s body, and they began to fan out, surrounding me.
I forced myself to take a breath, not daring to stand up for fear that a stumble would reveal my weakness. The figures drawing closer seemed to merge and split before my eyes...
Gritting my teeth, I drew my saber across my own leg. The sharp pain jolted me back to alertness. Two men were already charging; I struggled to my feet and raised my blade to meet them. But before I could reach them, their bodies suddenly stiffened, and they fell backward.
I blinked in confusion. Behind the black-clad men, two steeds had appeared out of nowhere. Their riders were already locked in combat with the remaining attackers. One of the horses was pure white—why did it look so familiar?
Darkness swamped my vision again, and I leaned heavily on my saber. I knew my wounds weren't fatal—mostly superficial—but the blood loss was taking its toll.
A voice called out to me anxiously from the distance: "Xi Xia! Xi Xia!" It sounded like Chen Zhan. My heart finally eased, and I could no longer hold myself up. I collapsed to the ground.
In a daze, I felt a white-clad figure rush over and gather me into his arms. An anxious voice whispered my name: "Xi Xia?" This wasn't Chen Zhan. Who was it? The voice was so familiar...
A surge of warm energy slowly flowed from my back into my body, and the dizziness eased considerably. I opened my eyes to find a face with perfectly sculpted features hovering above me. His shimmering eyes were filled with shock and pain.
Ming Shao? How could it be him? Was I hallucinating from the lightheadedness?
I reached out cautiously to touch his face. My bloody fingers left several streaks on his pale wheat-colored cheek. I wanted to laugh; it seemed he was real. How did he end up here?
Someone else called my name from the side. With great effort, I pulled the two ledgers from my bodice and handed them over. I heard the sound of pages flipping, followed by a sharp intake of breath. Just as I was about to ask what was written inside, I heard Chen Zhan’s voice cry out in excitement: "These are the accounts for Madame Changping’s illegal gold mines..."
Did I take the wrong thing? Why was it that?
Wait, illegal gold mining? According to the laws of Yantian, private gold mining was punishable by death...
My head was spinning, and I couldn't think. Leaning into Ming Shao’s embrace, I gradually lost consciousness.
I drifted in and out of a heavy sleep for a long time. My entire body felt like it was on fire, the stinging pain preventing any real rest. Occasionally, a cool sensation would spread over my wounds, but before long, the comfort would be replaced by pain again, as if it would never end...
I didn't seem to be thinking of anything, yet I seemed to be remembering many people.
The pain was everywhere, and in the darkness, there was no escape. In my delirium, it felt as if a cold gun barrel was pressed against my forehead again. A mixture of calm and despair wrapped around me, and cold sweat beaded on my brow...
It turned out I was that terrified, but why hadn't I felt it then?
In the darkness, Gu Xin’s arrogant laughter echoed: "Xi Xia, hope you're born into a better family in your next life!"
Something cold pressed against my forehead, and every muscle in my body tensed in an instant.
The cold object moved slowly; it was soft and comfortable, like a towel soaked in ice water... My heart slowly eased, and my tense body relaxed.
Suddenly, a pair of beautiful eyes appeared before me. They were large and elongated, with the brows and corners tilting slightly upward. When he looked at people, there was always a hint of a smile. In the moment our eyes met, the worried expression in those eyes transformed into a burst of joy.
It was Ming Shao. I let out a long sigh of relief.
"You're really awake?" He leaned in closer, as if unsure. His cool fingers brushed lightly against my cheek. It tickled, and I instinctively tried to pull away, but my body was limp and devoid of strength. With great effort, I managed to squeeze out a single word: "Itchy." My voice was so faint I could barely hear it myself.
I wasn't sure if it was just my blurred vision, but a mist seemed to rise in Ming Shao’s eyes. When I looked again, they were filled with a warm smile, as gentle as a spring breeze.
My senses were slowly returning, though my body felt as light and limp as a tattered rag. Using all my strength, I managed two more words: "Very hungry."
Ming Shao laughed again and said softly, "Very hungry? What should we do then? We only have porridge here."
At the mention of that last word, I involuntarily swallowed.
Ming Shao laughed once more. He raised his hand to signal someone nearby, and before long, a bowl of steaming meat porridge was brought over. With a slight smile, Ming Shao lifted a spoon and brought it to my lips.
I don't think I had ever let anyone feed me before.
But survival came first, and hunger eventually overrode my reserve. A brief moment of hesitation flickered through my mind, but I immediately opened my mouth wide, nearly swallowing the spoon along with the porridge.
Ming Shao’s laughter rang in my ears again. I looked up and met his gaze.
His eyes were calm and warm, like something with tangible weight... like seawater warmed by the summer sun, sweeping over me silently, as if to submerge the entire world.
My heart tightened for no reason, and suddenly, I felt as if I couldn't catch my breath.
***
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