The night was deep, and the rain began to soften.
“What is that?” asked Duke Jin’an.
“You have one too,” said Cheng Jiao-niang, pointing to the sachet the Duke had removed and placed inside the carriage.
“But…” Duke Jin’an exclaimed in surprise.
“I made it a bit larger,” Cheng Jiao-niang explained with a smile. “But the principle is the same.”
Duke Jin’an gazed at her.
“…So that’s why you were carrying so many things,” he remarked. “They all come in handy.”
Cheng Jiao-niang smiled at him in response.
“Yes,” she said.
In the flickering light of the torch inside the carriage, Duke Jin’an once again caught a glimpse of that radiant spirit in her smile.
“Tell me, what other treasures are you keeping from me?” he said, pretending to threaten her as he reached out and pulled Cheng Jiao-niang into his arms.
His hand accidentally brushed against her waist and under her arm, tickling her slightly.
Cheng Jiao-niang let out a soft sound, squirming to escape, and reached out to hold his hand in place.
“Stop it,” she said.
Her voice was filled with laughter.
Duke Jin’an seemed to have discovered a huge secret and let out a laugh.
“You’re ticklish,” he chuckled, reaching toward Cheng Jiao-niang’s sides.
Cheng Jiao-niang quickly raised her hands to block him.
“Stop it,” she said, her voice rising slightly.
But she was too late – his fingers found their mark, and her scolding melted into a fit of laughter.
“Fang Bocong,” she grabbed his hand and raised an eyebrow, “do you really think you can win against me?”
Hearing her call him “Fang Bocong” made Duke Jin’an’s heart flutter wildly, like water coming to a rolling boil.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled them both down onto the carriage floor.
“Cheng Fang,” he shot back with a playful smirk, “do you really think I can’t?”
The laughter and rustling from inside the carriage drew a disapproving smirk from Eunuch Jing outside.
Master Gu glanced back from the front.
“Ah, young people,” Eunuch Jing cleared his throat lightly. “And after such danger earlier – it’s only natural they’d want to unwind a bit.”
Master Gu couldn’t help but snicker.
“So, should we still take a few more turns around that run-down temple?” he asked with a knowing wink.
Pinned beneath him, Cheng Jiao-niang braced a hand against his chest, her brows drawn together again.
“Get up,” she said. “Or else I’ll…”
As she spoke, she started to lift a leg, but before she could raise it, a long, heavy leg pressed down firmly over hers, while his hand gripped her wrist and pinned it beside her.
“Thinking of kicking me off the bed again?” Duke Jin’an chuckled. “There’s no bed here – unless you mean to kick me right out of the carriage.”
Mention of that word kick brought back the memory of last time – that moment of interrupted intimacy.
The Duke’s voice caught. His gaze settled on Cheng Jiao-niang’s face, shifting in and out of shadow, bright as scattered stars.
Against his chest, two soft curves brushed him again and again with every breath she took, enticing him, stirring him.
It was like the moment Steward Cao had thrown the torch onto the carriage soaked with wine and cooking oil – a sudden, blazing ignition.
“Cheng Fang,” his voice came low and unsteady as he leaned closer, “let me touch you…”
With that husked plea, the hand clasping her wrist suddenly slipped inside her garment, his palm closing firmly around…
The carriage door was knocked, followed by someone clearing their throat loudly from outside.
It felt to Duke Jin’an as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head.
“What is it?!” he shouted.
In that pause, Cheng Jiao-niang had already pushed him away and sat up.
“Your Highness, we have reached the abandoned temple. Perhaps you would like to step down and rest for a moment,” Eunuch Jing said, sounding somewhat apologetic.
The temple was brightly lit, with people constantly moving in and out. The wounded from earlier were being helped to a corner to receive care, while on the other side, preparations were underway to set up cauldrons and prepare a meal.
Steward Cao and others directed the unloading and arrangement of various furnishings from another carriage.
A screen, floor mats, a low table, a four-legged couch…
In no time, a small, cozy living space took shape.
“The Madam is truly well-prepared,” Eunuch Jing praised effusively, turning to Duke Jin’an with an admiring smile.
The Duke’s face remained long and stern. He shot a glare at Eunuch Jing before stepping inside.
Master Gu nudged him playfully with an elbow.
“Ruining a man’s moment – he probably wishes he could bite you,” he chuckled under his breath.
Eunuch Jing snorted and lifted his chin slightly, ignoring the remark as he followed the Duke inside to assist him in changing his robes and shoes.
Cheng Jiao-niang approached from the other side.
“Hurry and change your clothes,” Duke Jin’an urged, waving Eunuch Jing aside as he grabbed his own belt and began fastening it himself.
Eunuch Jing had no choice but to withdraw. Meanwhile, Cheng Jiao-niang turned and moved further back instead.
“You go ahead and change,” she said, pausing to glance back and offer him a small smile. “I’ll step outside for a moment.”
She smiled! She smiled! She smiled!
To Duke Jin’an, it felt like fireworks exploding before his eyes.
She isn’t upset! She isn’t upset! She isn’t upset!
“Go, go ahead,” he said quickly.
Cheng Jiao-niang then turned and made her way behind the dilapidated statue of the Buddha, followed quietly by Ban Qin and Su Xin with their heads lowered.
“Have the surroundings all been thoroughly checked?” Duke Jin’an asked as he held out his arms.
Eunuch Jing nodded.
“All clear. Three layers of sentries have been posted, both visible and hidden,” he replied.
Truth be told, after the enhanced version of the fire lance was used earlier, no one would dare approach him for quite some time.
A faint smile touched the Duke’s lips, but he then turned and shot a sharp glare at Eunuch Jing.
“The belt! What are you standing there blankly for?” he snapped, brows furrowed. “Scared out of your wits? Have you lost all sense of what’s needed?”
Fine, so I’m clueless – let him scold, thought Eunuch Jing. After the long journey and the poor lodging conditions, the only outlet His Highness has for his frustration is probably me.
Lowering his head with a dutiful “Yes,” Eunuch Jing quickly stepped forward to fasten the belt.
A maid brought over a small dining table. Duke Jin’an had been sitting sideways on the four-legged couch, staring blankly at a book, occasionally hiding a goofy grin behind its pages. He snapped back to attention.
“Is the meal already ready?” he asked in surprise.
Had that much time passed already?
Where was Cheng Jiao-niang?
He stood up abruptly.
Even answering nature’s call wouldn’t take this long, would it?
“Your Highness?”
Two maids entered. Seeing them, Duke Jin’an’s heart sank, and his expression darkened.
“Where is your mistress?” he demanded.
Ban Qin bowed her head, trying to hide the tears welling in her eyes.
“Miss did inform Your Highness she would be stepping out for a moment,” Su Xin replied, forcing herself to speak.
The Duke stared, stunned.
Stepping out for a moment…
Was that what she had meant?!
The rain began falling again. Eunuch Jing hastily raised an umbrella but could barely keep up with the Duke’s swift strides.
As Duke Jin’an emerged, everyone around paused and fell silent.
His gaze swept the area and landed on Steward Cao and over a dozen others gathered together.
One, two, three, four…
Counting silently in his mind, Duke Jin’an suddenly felt a wave of dizziness.
These were the same fifteen people who had always surrounded her – from the capital to Jiang-zhou, from Jiang-zhou back to the capital, from the Cheng family to the Duke’s residence.
Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen… Sixteen!
“Your Highness,” Steward Cao took a deep breath and stepped forward, bowing deeply in greeting.
Duke Jin’an also took a deep breath, closed his eyes briefly, and reopened them, but he did not speak. Instead, he walked past Steward Cao toward a nearby carriage that had already been covered with waterproof cloth.
She had brought three carriages: one for the fire-lance artillery, one filled with furnishings and utensils for daily use, and then the third…
“…I said you were carrying so many things – turns out they all come in handy.”
“Yes.”
Duke Jin’an reached out and tore away the waterproof covering.
The tightly fastened cloth was not meant to be removed so roughly. Duke Jin’an seemed driven by a surge of fury, pulling with all his strength.
“Your Highness!”
Both Steward Cao and Eunuch Jing cried out, no longer daring to hesitate as they hurried forward to assist.
Master Gu, having heard the commotion, followed and caught up with them.
Once the waterproof cloth was pulled back, Duke Jin’an yanked open the carriage door with force.
Inside, illuminated by torchlight, a few items lay scattered – including the broken fire lance they had seen earlier, along with some jars and containers…
“They’re gone!” Eunuch Jing suddenly exclaimed, pointing inside the carriage.
He had seen it earlier – the carriage had been filled with weapons, long and short, made of iron and bronze, glinting coldly. Now they were gone, all gone.
Duke Jin’an closed his eyes again and drew a deep breath.
“Where did she go?” he asked hoarsely.
Only the steady patter of rain broke the heavy silence. No one spoke.
“Where did she go?!” the Duke turned and roared.
Steward Cao knew this duke. While in the Zhou residence, he, like others in the capital, had spent nights drinking, gambling, chatting, and jesting about this particular prince. Later, he witnessed the reckless antics of a pampered noble youth in the wilderness, and still later, he saw the pitiable yet admirable figure who traveled all the way to Jiang-zhou seeking medical help.
Since then, he had had no further dealings with him – until now, after arriving in Jiang-zhou and moving to the Duke’s residence, when the mistress married the Duke and he too became part of the household. Yet, in truth, Steward Cao felt no real reverence for this duke in his heart.
At this moment, under the flickering torchlight, the young man wore only plain dark robes, his handsome face frozen in sternness. With that roar and sudden turn, he carried an air of autumn’s killing frost that swept over them like a gust.
Steward Cao involuntarily took a step back, his legs softening slightly – almost to the point of kneeling.
That’s right, he is a duke. No matter how he might be hunted or scorned, he was still a member of the imperial family. He was someone considered when the topic of adoption came up, someone who could potentially become Crown Prince, even ascend to the throne one day…
“Your Highness,” Steward Cao said, lowering his head.
“Speak quickly, what is she doing with weapons in the middle of the night, in the rain?” Eunuch Jing also shouted, growing frantic.
“Miss only said she had some business to attend to,” Steward Cao replied, head still bowed.
“What business? Ugh, you’re driving me mad with worry!” Eunuch Jing cried, reaching out to grab Steward Cao by the collar.
Steward Cao was startled once more. This eunuch appeared thin and frail, but his grip left half of Steward Cao’s body feeling numb.
“You know my mistress’s temperament,” Steward Cao no longer dared to hold back and spoke quickly. “If she says there’s business, then there’s business. If she doesn’t explain, we wouldn’t dare ask.”
That did sound about right…
“Then why didn’t you follow her?” Eunuch Jing roared.
“My mistress forbade us,” Steward Cao replied, his voice rising as well.
Did he not want to follow? The moment he saw the way she was arming herself, he knew something big was about to happen.
She was loaded with weapons – everything she could carry. Watching nearby, his heart had nearly leaped out of his chest.
This looked like preparing to charge into hell itself, ready to fight for her life.
“Fuck!” Eunuch Jing yelled. “And you still didn’t go after her? If she said not to follow, you just… didn’t? You guards sure have it easy and comfortable, don’t you? Damn it!”
Fuck?
Steward Cao couldn’t help but glance down briefly.
Could you even?
Eunuch Jing kicked him, sending him sprawling to the ground.
“Your Highness, this servant will take men to pursue her–” he turned and said to Duke Jin’an.
“Pursue?” the Duke said heavily. “Where to?”
In every direction lay a vast, rain-blurred night.
“No – my mistress said we should not be a burden to her,” Steward Cao pushed himself up from the ground, grimacing as he pressed a hand to his waist.
This damn eunuch – he’s got real strength.
“Are you so certain your mistress will come to no harm?”
Master Gu, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up.
Steward Cao gave a bitter smile.
Yes, when Cheng Jiao-niang had spoken those words, he truly stopped insisting in his heart.
To him, this girl was like a deity – untouchable, almost divine.
“My mistress said,” he replied, “that she will be safe. If she… if she dies, then it is her time to die. No one can avoid fate, so there’s no need to dwell on it.”
No need to dwell on it?
Upon hearing this, Ban Qin and Su Xin, standing nearby, could no longer hold back their tears.
No need to dwell on it?
Duke Jin’an lifted his head, gazing into the pitch-black night sky. Eunuch Jing had long since tossed aside the umbrella, allowing the rain to pelt against their faces.
No need to dwell on it?
No need to dwell on it?
If she dies, then she dies – no need to dwell on it?
Cheng Fang, do you truly care so little?
…
On the main road, the sound of the rain drowned out everything else. Torchlights flickered vaguely in the distance, then disappeared moments later.
Passing through a stretch of bamboo forest, a faint glow gradually became visible. As they drew closer, a small wooden hut came clearly into view.
This was a guard post set up by the authorities to watch over the bamboo grove.
Inside the hut, the sound of slaps echoed sharply.
Three men, covered in mud and soaked, lay prostrate on the floor. Ignoring the bruises on their faces and bodies, they kowtowed repeatedly, their foreheads thumping against the ground.
“My lord, we swear we’re not lying – it was a sudden boom, like heavenly thunder and fire!”
“In an instant, our men fell dead and wounded everywhere,” they cried, terror still lingering in their eyes.
One of the men kicked them.
“Shut up!” he barked, then turned to look at a man seated cross-legged on the floor. “Young Master, could it have been stone projectiles? But the military armory in the capital is strictly guarded. Stone ammunition and catapults could not have leaked out.”
In the torchlight, Young Master Gao’s face looked ashen. He spat in contempt.
“Those may have been stone projectiles and catapults from the armory, but don’t forget – where did the armory get its stone ammunition and catapults in the first place?” he said coldly. “That slut is their damn originator!”
The room fell into a heavy silence.
“We overlooked that detail,” one person murmured quietly. “Never expected she’d been working quietly all along, without any sign, and came up with another killing device.”
So, what now?
“We don’t know what else that woman has up her sleeve. First, we need to find a way to gather information, then strike,” Young Master Gao said, grinding his teeth. “The road from the capital to Songping is long enough.”
The others in the room nodded in agreement.
“In that case, Young Master, it’s best not to linger here any longer,” someone advised. “Leave the rest to us. You should head back now.”
As he spoke, his gaze swept over the three men still kneeling on the floor.
Young Master Gao nodded. The man understood and bowed in acknowledgment.
As Young Master Gao stepped out of the wooden hut, his attendants hurried to drape a rain cloak over his shoulders. From inside, a few dull groans were heard, followed by complete silence.
“Burn it,” he said, preparing to walk away.
At that very moment, a sharp whistle cut through the air.
“Young Master, watch out!”
A nearby attendant shoved him aside, let out a cry, and stumbled backward.
Young Master Gao turned around in shock to see the attendant pinned to the wooden hut by an arrow.
More sharp whistling sounds came from all directions.
“Extinguish the torches!”
Following the shout, the torches went out instantly, plunging the world into darkness.
“Damn it!” cursed Young Master Gao as several attendants supported him and they began to run. “Who the hell is setting me up?”
Was it truly a case of “the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind”?
“Call for reinforcements!” an attendant shouted.
A sharp whistle cut through the rain-drenched night sky.
…
Another wave of arrows swept over them, their landing making soft thudding sounds against the ground.
“Young Master, it’s no good – they’ve broken through the blockade over there!”
Someone rushed up, shouting urgently.
Below an earthen slope, a figure leaped up.
“Mount up and pursue!” he yelled. “Gao Shi’si doesn’t have many men left.”
“But Young Master, we don’t have many men left either,” an attendant cried, hurriedly pulling on the reins of his horse.
In the heavy rain, voices grew indistinct.
“I’m still here,” he said, urging his horse to gallop forward.
Seven or eight men behind him hurried to follow.
Ahead, the faint sound of galloping hooves could be heard, punctuated occasionally by sharp, whistling signals.
“Could there be more reinforcements?” one attendant shouted. “Young Master, don’t risk advancing recklessly – let’s retreat!”
Instead, the young master beside him urged his horse even faster, pulling the longbow from his shoulder as he rode.
“No matter how many there are, as long as I’m here, it’s enough,” he said.
Closer and closer – they could even begin to make out the hazy figures of men and horses ahead.
Over twenty of them!
The pursuers ahead clearly noticed the riders closing in from behind. Immediately, some turned their horses around, sending arrows whistling through the air.
“Young Master, there are only seven.”
Hearing this, Young Master Gao’s face twisted into a fierce grin as he looked back.
“Seven?” he said. “Kill them all. I want to see exactly who they are.”
Seeing the riders ahead turning back, the attendant could no longer hold back and reined in his horse.
“Young Master, dismount!” he yelled.
But in that moment of hesitation, the young master who had been riding beside him had already surged forward, widening the gap.
“Kill them!”
“Surround them – alive!”
Shouts, curses, and roaring commands slammed toward them.
The young master on horseback leaned aside to dodge an incoming arrow, released the bowstring in his hand, and a figure ahead tumbled from his horse.
The two sides were now closing in fast.
Mounted men on both sides drew their long blades.
“Young Master, it’s no good – there are too many of them!” the attendant behind him cried out hoarsely. “Get out of here now – nothing can go wrong!”
If something happened, it wouldn’t just be him who faced ruin!
A fierce gust of wind blew back the hood of the young master on horseback. In the dim night, his eyes glinted brightly.
I’m still here, I’m still here. We’re this close – I can’t let this chance slip.
Ahead, Young Master Gao had come into view.
But in the next instant, a surge of men poured forward, blocking his line of sight. Young Master Gao disappeared behind them.
Damn it!
He clamped the long blade under his arm and drew his bow again.
Suddenly, several figures across from him fell to the ground.
The young master couldn’t help but freeze in surprise – he had only just loosed his arrow.
“There are people behind us too!”
Panicked cries echoed along the mountain path.
More people?
Young Master Gao turned his head.
The sound of hooves grew louder and nearer. At the same time, a flare of light burst forth.
Unable to help themselves, everyone squinted and instinctively looked away.
In that moment of their reflex, the figure illuminated by the light shot three arrows in quick succession.
Thud-thud-thud – horses neighed in pain, trampling over riders who had fallen from their saddles and galloping away.
The light vanished, but the attackers pressed closer. Longbows were cast aside, and a long blade swung down with force.
Clang-clang-clang – the clash of metal sent sparks flying.
“Young Master!”
In that brief moment of breath, the attendants caught up, forming a protective circle around the young master holding the bow.
“Who are they?”
They looked toward the distant opposite side, where a scene unfolded as if a wolf had plunged into a flock of sheep – screams and the sounds of collisions echoed unceasingly. Even as men who had come to kill, they felt a chill of fear run through them.
The young master threw aside his bow, drew his blade, and charged forward. Before he could get close, a sudden, explosive sound erupted from that direction with devastating force.
Sparks sprayed in all directions.
This time, they finally saw clearly. In the instant the flare lit up the darkness, a lady with her hair loosely flowing grasped a short bamboo tube in each hand.
“Lady Cheng!”
Cries erupted from both sides – from those with him and from those being attacked.
Amid the shouts, another figure fell before Cheng Jiao-niang. She discarded the bamboo tube in her hand and, in one swift motion, drew a short blade from her horse, slashing downward with force.
The light faded, plunging everything into darkness, leaving only the continuous sound of screams.
She was here. She was really here!
Qin Hu felt a surge of emotion rising in his chest and let out a long, fierce cry.
Three horses suddenly charged toward him, one rider leading the way, heading straight for Qin Hu’s position.
“Come at me!” Qin Hu shouted, swinging his blade forward to meet the attack.
But before the rider could get close, another sharp sound cut through the air behind him.
Amid the wind, rain, and cries blending chaotically, Young Master Gao clearly heard that sound. He couldn’t help but look back.
A streak of light shot toward him like a meteor – launched from the lady’s mouth. For an instant, the brightness illuminated her face clearly.
That lady…
Her face and body were covered in blood, her long hair flying loose, like a flesh-eating rakshasa demon.
That lady…
I should have killed her long ago. I shouldn’t have hesitated back then, at Desheng Pavilion.
The thought flashed through Young Master Gao’s mind. Then he felt a sudden chill at his neck, as if something had pierced through his throat.
He raised a hand, trying to cover his neck, but before he could reach it, he tumbled from his horse.
I should have killed her long ago.
Damn..she ate!
One Gao down ! Next~