As the song concluded, Duan Qimo and Zhang Zhuyi took their leave of one another. Duan Qimo had her attendant carry the qin and was the first to exit the pavilion. Zhang Zhuyi spoke a few words to Qu Chen with a serene expression; the young girl responded with stammers, her face flushed like a sunset cloud.
At the same time, Master Wei unexpectedly decided to call it a night as well. She summoned Bi Han, who had been hiding in the inner chamber, and handed her an ancient music score along with a small pouch of spirit stones. "The middle strings are brittle," Wei said tonelessly. "A few more plays and they will snap against your hand. You should replace them with a new set."
A flash of surprise and gratitude crossed Bi Han’s silent face. Her voice trembled slightly. "This qin has not been heard for a long time. I have offended the Envoy’s ears."
Wei Qingming shook her head slightly, indicating she took no offense. I quickly added with a smile, "Sister, please don't say that. You did a great service tonight. Have a good rest; we’re heading out."
By now, I had reverted to my natural female voice. Only then did Bi Han realize why the Envoy had been acting so intimately with this "scrawny man." She pressed her lips together in a smile and, forgoing further formalities, respectfully saw us to the door.
Before leaving, Wei Qingming entrusted the pair of eavesdropping cups to her, instructing her to retrieve them once Prince Xuan’s party had left and to send word if anything urgent arose. Bi Han nodded reliably. Wei Qingming then hurried off, actually pursuing Zhang Zhuyi rather than Wu Ziming, who had left at nearly the same time.
I was utterly bewildered. Just as I was about to tease her for being captivated by the capital’s greatest beauty, she led me to the back of the building. With a light leap, she drifted out of a window. By the time she hit the ground, she had reverted to her original, handsome appearance. I followed suit, jumping into the back alley and hitching up the hem of my male robes—which were now dragging on the ground after I regained my true height. Looking up, I saw Luo Cheng’s carriage already waiting.
Wei Qingming pointed toward Zhang Zhuyi’s carriage, which bore the insignia of the Prime Minister’s manor. Luo Cheng steered our horse through the narrow shortcuts of the alleys, trailing them at a discreet distance.
Inside the carriage, I rapidly changed my clothes and pinned up my hair. Wei Qingming lent a hand with my adornments, and soon I had reclaimed the visage of Su Zhenzhen. Though her expression remained elegant, the gaze she fixed on Zhang Zhuyi’s carriage was solemn. Realizing Master Wei had some scheme in mind, I was about to ask when I saw the carriage ahead turn south. Instead of heading toward the northwestern district where the official residences were, it was traveling toward the southwestern gardens—the exact same route we were taking!
I understood immediately. She was heading to the Zhang family’s secondary villa, which sat back-to-back with our own home. I also realized why Wei Qingming had reverted to her true appearance; she was likely preparing for a potential encounter. But why?
Fine snow began to drift from the sky. The two carriages traveled in tandem. Just as we entered the Yongzhao District, several dark shadows suddenly lunged from a pitch-black, secluded path, descending upon Zhang Zhuyi’s carriage!
I was stunned. Master Wei truly was divine; her wisdom bordered on the demonic. How could she have foreseen this?
Master Wei flashed me a smile. "The chance to stretch your muscles that you wanted, A-Zhi."
"Orders received!" I chirped, being the first to leap from our speeding carriage. In an instant, Hanguang was in my hand. Veiled by the night, I drifted silently onto the roof of the lead carriage and flipped two of the thugs over with a flick of my wrist. It was fortunate we were already traveling the same way; otherwise, our sudden appearance here would have been suspicious.
The two men rolled to the ground. They were well-trained and seemingly unafraid of death. Even after I pierced one’s lung and blinded the other’s left eye, they didn't even clutch their wounds. Instead, they leapt back up, dripping with blood, to continue the struggle.
There were over a dozen attackers in total. Zhang Zhuyi had only brought two guards; including the coachman, who had some skill, there were only three men, and they had to divide their attention to protect her and her maid. It was a struggle. However, aside from the leader whose cultivation matched mine—somewhere around the middle stage of the Cloud-Swallowing Realm—the rest were nothing special. If Master Wei had stepped in, there would have been nothing left for me to do. She was intentionally leaving them for me to brush up on my martial skills. Not only did she stay in the carriage, but she even took out a portable tea set to brew tea for me, as if to quench my thirst once the fight was over...
In a gap between exchanges, I caught a glimpse of her leaning against the carriage door, eyes lowered as she idly watched the water boil. I couldn't help but laugh out loud. This diligent, subservient act really did make her look like a "pretty boy" kept by my side... I wondered how the assassins would react if they saw her, or what the terrified mistress and maid inside the other carriage were thinking.
Usually, a martial artist holds back during the first exchange, not seeking to kill immediately. But these thugs were likely "dead soldiers." Their persistence became annoying, so I granted them each a strike—one through the throat, one through the heart. Blood sprayed like a fine mist, melting the frost-like snow. Before they could fall again, I activated my illusion technique to vanish, striking directly at the leader’s face.
In truth, I wasn't *that* powerful. If not for my illusions making it impossible for others to aim or land a hit, a dozen middle-stage assassins would have been enough to keep me frantic. I wouldn't have dared to risk a close-quarters confrontation with a late-stage practitioner while surrounded.
Seeing that I had moved away from the circle protecting the Prime Minister’s daughter, and that the two guards were struggling, Luo Cheng requested instructions from Wei Qingming before drawing his blade to join the fray.
The leader had sharp instincts. He narrowly avoided my thrust to his chest, his body drifting back several yards. I wasn't about to let him escape. In a flash, I pressed my sword against the small of his back, but he dodged again. After three or four such exchanges, I had figured out his footwork. With a slight smile, I thrust twice as fast as the wind toward his eyes. He ducked just in time, only to find Xiaolian—held in my left hand—resting against his throat in a "Falling Rain Parting Flowers" parry.
Snowflakes as delicate as apricot blossoms drifted down from the nine heavens, softly tapping against the tip of Xiaolian. They triggered the spiritual power of this transparent, divine artifact, causing it to emit a faint, ghostly glow like a firefly.
Though the bandits knew their leader had been captured, they continued to fight to the death as if they hadn't seen a thing. Luo Cheng worked with the two guards to clear out most of them, while Wei Qingming casually flicked her sleeves, releasing several talismans that bound the survivors.
Luo Cheng leapt forward to bind the leader, but the moment he made contact, the man collapsed like a pile of loose earth, already dead. The others who had been bound were the same.
I felt a great pang of regret. I had intended to keep them alive for Master Wei to interrogate. It was my oversight; I hadn't seen how he committed suicide. Wei Qingming understood my thoughts. She smiled faintly and stroked my back. "Don't blame yourself, Zhenzhen. He had a soul seal planted on him. The moment he was captured, he died. Dead soldiers often carry such restrictions; they are impossible to guard against."
I let out a long breath, finally beaming as I took the tea from her and drained it in one gulp.
By then, the two Zhang family guards had hurriedly pulled back the carriage curtains to check on the situation. The rescued pair was unharmed. Zhang Zhuyi herself sat perfectly upright, her bearing dignified and solemn, though her face was slightly pale. In the snowy light, she looked like fine porcelain, devoid of color. Her maid, however, was scared nearly to death, shaking like a sieve as she clung to her mistress and sobbed.
Zhang Zhuyi glanced back at her, seemingly reproaching her for her lack of decorum. Only then did the maid manage to regain some semblance of etiquette, helping her mistress down from the carriage to offer thanks.
"Master Wei, Madam, thank you for your assistance." Clearly, she and Wei Qingming knew each other. Earlier, while eavesdropping, her voice had been muffled and unclear; hearing it now, it was indeed ethereal and cold, much like the winter blossoms falling before her.
I had assumed that, given her status, she wouldn't deign to speak to a lowly woman like me. To my surprise, she turned slightly toward me, bowed respectfully, and thanked me a second time, politely asking for my name. I gave her my name, Su Zhenzhen, with a smile and comforted her. "Miss Zhang has had a fright. If you need, we can escort you back to your manor." She declined gracefully, saying she would visit the next day to properly thank us for saving her life. She bowed low, gathered her skirts, and returned to her carriage.
Once she was gone, Master Wei began praising my martial arts as if her tongue were coated in honey, saying my skills had improved rather than regressed. She praised me until I was embarrassed. I gave her shoulder a playful swat, and she only smiled, taking my hands—chilled by the wind and snow—to warm them with her breath before leading me into the carriage.
Back at home, Mu Yu alone attended to our washing. Once she had prepared everything, she withdrew. I bathed first. Wrapped in a warm quilt, I peered lecherously through the screen at the silhouette of Master Wei bathing by the lamplight. I chatted with her, asking, "Master Envoy, you really are uncannily brilliant. How did you know Miss Zhang would be ambushed?"
"I didn't," Wei said. "I just had a feeling she was... well, worth following to investigate."
I shook my head. It was likely that "hound's nose" of the secret service again, picking up a scent I couldn't possibly understand. Just as I was about to ask for more details, there was a splash as Wei Qingming stood up from the tub. A long leg stepped out from behind the screen.
I instinctively covered my eyes, but couldn't help peeking through the gaps in my fingers. My heart hammered wildly. In truth, over this past month, as long as she was home, our physical intimacy had been constant. Yet she rarely even took all my clothes off; she loved the look of being half-covered, or appearing fully dressed on the surface while actually...
She was well aware of her own greatest charm—that ascetic look with every button fastened to the throat, while constantly plotting unspeakable things against me. Whether she unbuttoned her clothes or not, when she did it and to which layer was all calculated and deliberate. It was all on purpose! It had reached the point where whenever I saw a small patch of her skin—perhaps just the nape of her neck or her wrist, places that were common and entirely unsexual—my face would flush with more heat and shyness than before we were married...
"What are you doing?" I heard her light chuckle. She gently pulled my hands away and tilted my chin up, forcing me to look at her. She narrowed her eyes playfully. "Does A-Zhi not wish to look at me?"
I was so stared down I could hardly breathe. She had already put on her sleeping robe, but her eyes still flickered with that familiar, dangerous intent, throwing my mind into a mess. The only thing I knew was that if I didn't use my mouth, she was going to use her hands. I whispered hurriedly, "You spent the whole night dressed as someone ugly. Now you're so handsome it's dazzling. I'm just not used to it yet."
This answer was barely acceptable. Master Wei moved her hand and tightened the loose sash at her waist, perversely hiding herself from my sight again. Look at that—this villain was playing games and strategies with me again!
Having guarded her precious, smooth skin like a treasure, she smiled and asked, "Is A-Zhi tired? Do you want to try the hot spring?"
I stared at her for a moment, then looked at the Western clock in the room. It wasn't midnight yet, but it was certainly late. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I should be asking if *you're* tired. You finally made it home; you should sleep more... I mean *actually* sleep! Wouldn't it be good to sleep a bit longer?"
She shrugged and reached out to carry me. When I refused, she wouldn't have it. I had no choice but to let her wrap me in another layer of fur and quilts, carrying me out like a kitten. As she walked, she didn't forget to coax me with a "proper" reason: "A-Zhi used martial arts today. You should have your meridians massaged and relaxed to maintain your skin."
I suppressed a sweet smile and agreed, while inwardly laughing at how clingy she was. Before the Tianshan Meeting, I had practiced martial arts for ten hours a day, and I never heard her say she wanted to give me a massage then... Ah, but it must be incredibly comfortable. Thinking of it that way, I, Su A-Zhi, would be the one losing out if I refused!
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
灵石 | Spirit stones | Common currency/energy source in xianxia.
令使 | Envoy | Wei Qingming's official title/rank.
含光 | Hanguang | Su Zhenzhen's sword (literally "Containing Light").
宵练 | Xiaolian | Su Zhenzhen's second sword (literally "Night Melt/Polished").
吞云 | Cloud-Swallowing | A stage of cultivation/martial power.
魂契 | Soul seal | A magical restriction placed on a person's soul.
阿栀 | A-Zhi | Su Zhenzhen's nickname (Zhi refers to the Gardenia).
永昭坊 | Yongzhao District | A residential/administrative ward in the city.
死士 | Dead soldiers | Suicide squads or warriors trained to die for their cause.
落雨分花 | Falling Rain Parting Flowers | A specific martial arts technique or stance.
