Xiao Nanhui practically sprinted all the way back to her courtyard. Fortunately, the sun had risen, making it much easier to find her way than it had been the previous night. By ducking and weaving through the shadows, she managed to avoid any direct encounters.
Once inside her room, her first priority was to bolt the door and inspect the black *ziyi* she was wearing.
She had no idea what kind of knot the man had used, but she couldn't even undo the sash at her waist. She didn't dare tear it, yet she couldn't find a place to start unpicking it. After fumbling for a long time until her fingers ached, she had made no progress at all.
What was she to do? She couldn't very well attend the Spring Hunt flaunting the Emperor’s own clothing, could she?
Anxiety flared within her, and sweat began to bead on her forehead. As she moved to wipe it away, she realized her hair was still half-undone.
The hour for the hunt was fast approaching. Steeling her heart, Xiao Nanhui decided to deal with her hair first.
It was all because the situation earlier had been so bizarre. She had been defeated so inexplicably that she had practically fled in a panic, even forgetting to retrieve her hairpin.
By her count, that was the second hairpin she had left with him.
Last time, the Right Supervisor of the Palace Administration had compensated her with quite a bit of silver. If it happened again this time, would she soon be able to use this method to amass a fortune?
As she indulged in this flight of fancy, she took a step, and the sole of the shoe that had been soaking all night let out a sharp *crack*, splitting open to reveal a mocking hole.
Xiao Nanhui threw the shoe aside in a fit of grief and indignation. Glancing at her lonely, mud-caked boots in the corner, she simply walked barefoot to the table.
Her room had been assigned according to her rank. Perhaps because the position of Imperial Attendant was usually held by men, there wasn't even a bronze mirror to be found. She had to fetch a basin of washwater and fiddle with her hair using the reflection in the water.
When she was a child following Xiao Zhun around the martial arts grounds, she had a habit of being scatterbrained. Most of the time, she wouldn't even notice if her hairpin fell out during training. When Du Juan saw this, she had taught her hand-by-hand how to secure her hair without a pin.
Back then, she had been quite adept at it. Later, as she grew up and stopped losing her pins so often, she hadn't done it for a long time.
She vaguely remembered the method, but her hands couldn't quite keep up. She would tuck in one side only for the other to fall loose; just as she smoothed one section, another lock would slip out.
*Knock, knock.*
A knock sounded at the door.
Truly, whatever one feared most was bound to happen.
Xiao Nanhui froze. She quickly grabbed her black gauze official’s hat, stuffed her hair inside with brute force, and hurried to open the door.
Standing outside was Xiao Zhun.
He was carrying a large bundle. Seeing her open the door, he spoke quickly.
"Du Juan asked me to bring you some things. I saw them when I was packing this morning and brought them over..."
His voice trailed off.
Xiao Nanhui had just breathed a sigh of relief when she felt a sudden lightness on her head. Reaching up to feel, she discovered two "feelers" had sprouted from her scalp.
Perhaps because she had opened the door too hastily, her fragile, makeshift hairstyle had revealed its true form. Half was still tucked inside the official hat, while the other half had escaped in a wild, unruly mess. It looked worse than if she had simply left it all down.
Xiao Zhun stared fixedly at the strange head before him, and the owner of said head stared back, unmoving.
One inside the door, one outside; they remained in a stalemate for a moment.
After a long while, Xiao Zhun’s expression turned peculiar. He reached out and pinched the two stray locks of hair.
"Your hair..." His gaze drifted downward, pausing as he saw the black *ziyi*. "This robe..."
Xiao Nanhui gave a couple of forced laughs and pulled her "feelers" back from his hand.
"I got up in the middle of the night and lost my pin. I thought I'd handle it myself, but my skills are lacking. A miscalculation, truly."
Hearing her say this, Xiao Zhun seemed to remember something. He lifted the large bundle and gave it a shake.
"This is the luggage Du Juan helped prepare. There might be a pin inside."
Xiao Nanhui stared at the massive bundle, practically able to imagine the vigor and determination with which Du Juan had stuffed it full.
Was he joking? She had ridden here on horseback; where was she supposed to put such a giant bag? Furthermore, if she carried such a thing on her horse, she would be the laughingstock of the entire Guangyao Camp.
She took an imperceptible half-step back and waved her hand politely.
"That... Sister Du Juan put so much heart into it, it must have been prepared specifically for you, Father. How could I possibly accept it?"
He persisted, taking a half-step forward, the bundle drawing closer.
"I have ten more like this at my place. One less won't matter."
Xiao Nanhui was dumbfounded.
After a moment, she burst out laughing.
She had thought Du Juan only gave her "special treatment," but she hadn't expected Xiao Zhun to receive the same.
The thought of Xiao Zhun dragging ten of these massive bundles along when he arrived was truly hilarious.
She lowered her voice, her expression turning solemn.
"Father, do you find this bundle to be incredibly heavy, perhaps even more difficult to handle than a hundred-pound Azure Dragon Great Saber?"
The corners of Xiao Zhun’s mouth curled up, though his brow remained furrowed in mock sorrow.
"Just as you say, Nanhui. It is truly a source of great distress. I wonder if there is any clever way to solve this?"
Xiao Nanhui pondered for a moment.
"Next time, Father, remember to mention that the household funds are running low. Sister Du Juan might restrain herself a bit. As for now..." She paused and reached out to take the incredibly heavy bundle. "I shall sacrifice myself for the sake of righteousness and endure this burden."
Xiao Zhun smiled and made a mock bow.
"In that case, I am in your debt."
Xiao Nanhui was momentarily stunned.
It had been a long time since she had seen Xiao Zhun smile. Everything that had happened over the past year carried the power to upend and destroy, leading her to believe that many things had ceased to exist.
But just now, on an ordinary late spring morning, that long-standing silence and distance had been easily broken. The warmth of their many years together was gradually exerting its force, radiating heat.
Xiao Nanhui understood that Xiao Zhun would always be a very important person in her life, and not just because she had once loved him.
How many decades does one get in a lifetime? In the blink of an eye, one reaches the twilight of parting. And the first decade of her life had been spent entirely with the man before her. They were master and disciple of the same sect, kin without blood relation, and friends who had supported each other through years of sorrow.
Yes, Xiao Zhun was Xiao Nanhui’s friend. A friend who had led her out of the Great Desert and given her a new life.
He didn't actually owe her anything.
They had simply gone from traveling the same path to a point where they needed to go their separate ways.
Xiao Nanhui took a deep breath.
She wanted to apologize for her previous distance, and she wanted to pour out the secrets she had been keeping in her heart.
"Father, actually, there's something I..."
Just as she was hesitating whether to first mention her involvement with the Emperor or the matter of Zong Hao and the ribbon, the voice of a ritual official interrupted everything.
"Greetings, Marquis of Qinghuai. So you were here, my lord. You were truly hard to find." The official was panting, clearly having hurried all the way. "The Spring Hunt ceremony is about to begin. All generals participating in the hunt must be ready half an hour in advance. Subei is ranked second; I fear we cannot delay."
Xiao Zhun nodded and glanced at Xiao Nanhui. She understood immediately.
"In that case, Father, you should go quickly."
The official seemed to notice her only then, offering a lukewarm bow.
"Greetings, Attendant Xiao."
When he looked up, his gaze froze on Xiao Nanhui’s bizarre and messy hair. His expression shifted from stunned to terrified, and then from terrified to bewildered.
Xiao Nanhui nonchalantly flicked her two stray locks of hair behind her shoulders.
"I practiced my forms late last night and didn't have time to tidy up this morning. My apologies for the sight."
The official remained silent, casting an urgent look at Xiao Zhun, clearly signaling they needed to leave immediately.
Xiao Zhun, however, looked at Xiao Nanhui.
"The matter you were about to mention...?"
Catching the official’s anxious expression out of the corner of her eye, she smiled and waved her hand.
"It's nothing. I'll tell you all about it after the Spring Hunt is over."
Xiao Zhun nodded. Before leaving, he pointed to his head, signaling that she must fix her hair before leaving the courtyard, and then followed the official away.
Silence returned to the courtyard.
Being a low-ranking official had its perks; no matter how big the event, it wouldn't fall on her head. Even with something as significant as the Spring Hunt, her presence or absence was inconsequential.
Rummaging through the bundle for a while, she unsurprisingly found four or five hairpins, as well as two spare sets of boots.
Du Juan truly knew her best.
With a few quick movements, she wound her hair into the simplest of buns. She hurriedly changed her shoes and socks, then paused to think before pulling her Guangyao armor over the black *ziyi*. Fortunately, the Guangyao Camp hadn't reclaimed this set of armor yet; it served as a perfect cover for now.
As she finished her preparations to leave, a sudden, strange thought struck her: she wanted to mount Jixiang, gallop after Xiao Zhun, and finish what she had been about to say.
After a moment, she felt the impulse was groundless and unnecessary.
She shut the door briskly, took Jixiang’s reins, and headed toward the Imperial Hunting Grounds.
If it wasn't said, it wasn't said.
It was a long story anyway. She could use this time to think carefully about where to begin when the time came.
***
The Spring and Autumn Hunts of Tiancheng had once been held alongside the Spring and Autumn Sacrifices.
The Spring Sacrifice, also known as the Qingyang Sacrifice, had originated in Wancheng in the early years before gradually spreading to the common folk and the martial world, though its content and form had changed significantly. The Autumn Sacrifice, or the Baizang Sacrifice, had been passed down from ancient times. Its secret rituals were now lost to time; even the Imperial Family only knew fragments of them. Eventually, the sacrifices were discontinued, and the two hunts were merged into one, held around the Grain Rain period. The focus shifted to military drills, with sacrifices to the heavens, earth, mountains, and rivers serving as a secondary purpose.
Even so, whenever a great war ended in victory, Tiancheng’s Spring Hunt was exceptionally grand. The ceremony to open the grounds and enter the mountains alone took over an hour. The process was presided over by the Grand Invoker and the Grand Diviner of the Tiancheng Ritual Office, assisted by the Commandant of the Feather Forest Villa, with various departments executing the details. It was said that the Beast-Subduing Platform, used for the Heaven-Worshipping Rite and the tallying of the hunt’s catch, had been built overnight based on the ritual requirements, starting half a month in advance.
Of course, Xiao Nanhui didn't see a single bit of any of this.
The Tiancheng army was lined up strictly according to the rank of the officers and soldiers. Those below the rank of battalion commander without military merit weren't even qualified to participate in the hunt.
For Xiao Nanhui, she should have been standing proudly at the front of the advance, admiring the magnificent view of the distant mountains while quietly observing this legendary Spring Hunt ceremony.
That was, provided she hadn't been stripped of her rank as General of the Right.
Though she now held the waist tokens of two camps, she was merely an Imperial Attendant. Had it not been for the great military merit she earned in the Bi Border battle, she likely wouldn't even have been qualified to stand on the field.
She was squeezed behind the backsides of numerous generals, light cavalry, valiant cavalry, colonels, and lieutenants. Forget the silhouettes of the priestesses; even the Beast-Subduing Platform appeared no larger than a fingernail. The chanting of the high priests sounded like a voice from beyond the heavens, making one feel drowsy.
After an unknown amount of time, the crisp sound of a ritual official’s whip came from the front, and the surroundings instantly erupted into commotion.
The neighing of warhorses mingled with the low shouts of various riders. A cloud of dust rose, and by the time Xiao Nanhui regained her senses, she could only see the retreating backsides of a crowd of sturdy horses.
Jixiang slowly turned in a circle, its four hooves stepping through the horse manure on the ground.
As the saying goes, "many wolves but little meat." Given today’s situation, she would be lucky to catch a single rabbit before the sun went down tomorrow.
Sighing, Xiao Nanhui nudged Jixiang and headed in the opposite direction of the main force.
***
The mountain forests of late spring and early summer were alive with movement amidst the stillness. The rainy season had just arrived, and the south wind had not yet risen. Even the light rain was silent, serving only to highlight the clear and noisy sounds of birds and beasts.
The mushrooms of Yu'an weren't as good as those in Northern Zhi, but the yield was always plentiful. From the moment Jixiang stepped into the forest, its head never left the ground—sniffing here, nibbling there—as it gradually wandered deeper into the woods.
Xiao Nanhui didn't mind, letting the horse wander aimlessly. The surrounding forest was deep and the shadows thick, filled with the constant chirping of insects and birds. It was quite pleasant.
Dawn and dusk were the times when birds and beasts loved to emerge. At other times, one could rarely catch a glimpse of them; tracking them was usually a fruitless effort.
It was still early. Finding an open space by a stream, she let Jixiang loose to find mushrooms while she climbed a thousand-year-old banyan tree. With a few quick movements, she wove a simple vine bed and curled up inside to gaze at the sky.
The sky today looked even grayer than yesterday. The weak sunlight couldn't pierce the clouds; only the mist-like water vapor flowed silently.
After watching for a while, she suddenly remembered something. She reached into the pouch at her waist and pulled out the *Linglong Kan*.
She had been in such a hurry this morning that she hadn't had the chance to look at it closely. Now, after examining it, she was even more certain: this thing was a hundred times more complex than the black *ziyi* she was wearing. Even if ten of her tried to solve it, they wouldn't be able to open it.
*Hmph, the Emperor certainly knows how to calculate.* He had given her this hot potato to keep safe, yet he was certain that with her skills, there was no way she could secretly take out what was inside.
The exhaustion from her sleepless night caught up with her. She put the object away, unbuckled her heavy outer armor, turned over, and took a nap.
She didn't know how long she slept before a faint rustling came from beneath the tree. Xiao Nanhui’s eyes snapped open.
Instinctively, she didn't move, only shifting her eyes toward the source of the sound.
Through the layers of deep green leaves, she first saw a pair of slender hooves, then a coat of golden fur. A moment later, the owner of the fur revealed its head. It had large, furry ears, a delicate snout with white spots, and a pair of alert black eyes set in a wedge-shaped head.
It was a Golden Muntjac.
Xiao Nanhui’s eyes widened.
Rewards were given during the Spring Hunt. According to custom, the first-tier prizes were bears, roarers, lions, and pixius; the second-tier were tigers, leopards, jackals, and wolves; the third-tier were foxes, raccoon dogs, badgers, and boars; and the fourth-tier were river deer, deer, musk deer, and elaphures.
Beyond that, to add some interest, the officials in charge of the mountain forests would always add a few special twists. This year’s twist was the Golden Muntjac.
Whoever caught a Golden Muntjac would be declared the winner immediately.
Muntjacs were naturally timid and extremely agile. They would vanish in the blink of an eye at the slightest disturbance from miles away. Even in the deep mountains, few people ever saw them. During a normal hunt, the sound of horse hooves and bowstrings would scare them off before a single hair could be seen.
Xiao Nanhui moved gingerly, rolling over in the tree to observe her prey from a lower angle.
It was a female muntjac, hornless, with only slight bumps on its head. Two black-and-white stripes beneath its eyes looked like tear tracks. It had come for the sound of the stream, nibbling on the fresh floating hearts among the rocks on the bank, its tail wagging happily.
She took a hand-crossbow from her back and prepared to hook the string.
She could no longer draw a longbow. While she could still manage with a blade in close combat, she was at a severe disadvantage when it came to hunting. She had been forced to ask Mo Chunhua for this defensive crossbow.
A crossbow was lighter than a regular longbow, but the Golden Muntjac was even more sensitive than she had imagined. The moment her fingertip applied pressure to the trigger, the faint sound of the string alerted it.
The golden figure froze, then turned and bolted.
Xiao Nanhui cursed under her breath. Forgetting to put her armor back on, she flipped down from the tree and gave a sharp whistle. Jixiang leaped forward to catch her, and they took off after the fleeing figure.
Galloping through the forest was dangerous due to the tangled roots and dim light; a single misstep could cause a horse to fall.
But Jixiang was no ordinary horse. Having traveled far and wide with Xiao Nanhui in her early years, it was highly experienced in navigating difficult terrain. Combined with its stubborn temper and its belief that there was no four-legged animal it couldn't catch, it galloped several miles in a single breath.
By the time Xiao Nanhui looked up at her surroundings, she realized she was very close to the heart of the mountains.
The hunt was bounded by the forest and the foothills. She had reached the edge of the Feather Forest Villa’s territory.
Not far away, the Golden Muntjac was being driven into a corner. With a few leaps, it ducked into a gap where two mountains met. The terrain there was steep, impassable for horses. Seeing this, Xiao Nanhui quickly dismounted and gave chase. After rounding a few clumps of mountain beech, her pace suddenly slowed.
The cliffs rose high, and the narrow gap led into a shadowy passage. Strange rocks blocked the sky, and the color of moss obscured her vision.
It was a "Line of the Sky."
She had traveled through many deep forests and mountains. In places where the peaks were steep, she had seen many such narrow passages. In warfare, the cunning would use such treacherous terrain to their advantage. A "Line of the Sky" was always an ideal spot for an ambush; a few archers and infantry could wipe out a thousand-strong iron cavalry.
Therefore, for a long time, she had preferred the high ground to the low. Whenever she encountered a "Line of the Sky," she avoided it if possible.
It meant danger.
But the sight before her felt instinctively different from anything she had seen before.
This "Line of the Sky" was visible for only a dozen paces before the rocks above converged and sealed it off. The ground below changed from fine grass to jagged rocks. Those massive stones were interlaced, and the gaps between them were bottomless, as if the abyss beneath stretched for hundreds of feet, leading to the very core of the earth.
It was too quiet deep within that crack, as if even the wind couldn't blow inside. The tangled vines and thick, damp moss within all conveyed a sense of gravity accumulated over ages.
She felt a primal, ancient sense of oppression—decayed and heavy—as if one more glance into the depths of that crevice would cause her to be sucked in, never to see the light of day again.
Just like that muntjac.
Should she pursue?
Her feet hesitated for a moment. Just as she was about to step forward, a sharp voice rang out behind her.
"Xiao Nanhui!"
She snapped back to her senses and turned around. A short, stout figure was standing on a fallen log not far behind her. The log was letting out a low groan under the weight.
It was Bo Lao, whom she hadn't seen for many days.
She looked somewhat exasperated, and her complexion didn't seem as oily and smooth as it had been recently.
"I called you three times before you turned around. Are you possessed?"
What? Had she called her three times just now?
Xiao Nanhui felt a bit dazed, but she turned and walked toward her.
"What are you doing here? Where have you been hiding? I thought you didn't want to follow me anymore."
Bo Lao’s expression faltered, and for once, she didn't immediately snap back.
"It's a long story. Let's leave this place first."
Xiao Nanhui frowned.
"Leave? Leave and go where?"
She was still thinking about that muntjac, hoping that if she could trade it for a reward, she might be able to stand a bit taller before the Emperor in the future. Even if the reward was his own silver.
But the next moment, when she saw the object Bo Lao pulled out, she abandoned all such thoughts.
It was a ring of rust-covered iron keys, clinking raspily between Bo Lao’s short, pudgy fingers.
"The old city of Yu'an. The Xiao family’s private villa."
***
Deep within the "Line of the Sky," in a place where the light of day never reached.
The Golden Muntjac sniffed around in the darkness, stepping carefully among the jagged rocks.
Suddenly, a withered, shriveled hand reached out from the darkness and seized it by the throat.
The muntjac struggled desperately, mournful bleats escaping its mouth. Its four hooves pawed at the ground in vain, its eyes bulged, its pupils gradually dilated, and its limbs went stiff.
The withered hand finally loosened slowly, then stroked the beautiful golden fur.
"What a pity. One got away."
***
**Glossary**
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 缁衣 | Ziyi | A black ceremonial robe, specifically the Emperor's in this context. |
| 参乘 | Imperial Attendant | A high-ranking charioteer or attendant who rides with the Emperor. |
| 玲珑龛 | Linglong Kan | "Exquisite Casket" or "Exquisite Shrine"; the container for the secret seal. |
| 金麂 | Golden Muntjac | A rare, golden-furred species of small deer used as a special prize in the hunt. |
| 驺虞 | Zouyu | Officials in charge of the imperial hunting grounds and wildlife. |
| 一线天 | Line of the Sky | A geographical term for a narrow mountain pass where only a sliver of sky is visible. |
| 伯劳 | Bo Lao | Literally "Shrike"; a character's name. |
