Chapter 153: Miss
Fang Ze was startled, and only then did he confirm that the young girl before him was not a sprite, but someone of extraordinary origin. Since she knew Huo Zi’an, she must be an accomplice of the Fake Li King.
His heart stirred, and he lowered his gaze, saying, “Lord Huo is one of our leaders. He has a secret mission.”
He spoke with certainty, but Jin Sui’s intuition told her this person was lying!
If he had said he didn’t know Huo Zi’an, or was unaware of Huo Zi’an’s mission, she might have been half-convinced.
But the fact that he immediately stated Huo Zi’an had a secret mission made Jin Sui suspect it was a ploy to sow discord.
Thinking about it for a moment, who would betray their companion so readily?
Huo Zi’an had said he encountered another group of assassins sent by Prince Yu and that his identity had been exposed. It seemed these were the people.
She let out a cold laugh, drew her saber again, and aimed it at his other big toe. Amidst his screams and pleas, she sliced it off.
“I told you, don’t play games with me! I don’t have that much time to waste on you!”
“Now, answer me again, what is Huo Zi’an’s mission?”
Fang Ze was drenched in sweat, the veins on his temples bulging, his teeth clenched so hard they nearly shattered. Countless curses churned in his throat, but he dared not utter them.
He watched helplessly as his two toes turned into two pieces of mangled flesh.
“Huo Zi’an betrayed the Prince, stole a secret letter, and disappeared.”
Jin Sui raised an eyebrow. “A secret letter? What did it say?”
Fang Ze gritted his teeth. “I am just a minor Imperial Guard, I have no right to know.”
Jin Sui believed him and asked, “Who was the secret letter originally intended for? You must know that, right?”
“Chief Steward Wu.”
Seeing Jin Sui’s confused expression, he added, “Eunuch Wu, who was sent to the Border City to deliver an imperial decree.”
Jin Sui suddenly understood. Huo Zi’an had stolen the secret letter Prince Yu intended for Chief Steward Wu. When he wanted to speak with Gu Changxiao alone that day, it was likely to discuss the secret letter.
Shaking her head, she realized this was no longer her concern. What was most important now was: “Are you pursuing an old man and a child?”
Fang Ze nodded and then shook his head. “There’s also a youth with exceptional combat skills. That youth killed several of my brothers. If not for him, we would have captured the close relatives of the Fake Li King long ago.”
Jin Sui lowered her gaze in thought. With just a moment’s consideration, she knew who it was: it had to be Liu Yun!
It seemed Liu Yun was the one who killed the wolves that night. He had saved Grandpa and Jin’an. Jin Sui didn’t want to question the motives behind it; judging solely by the outcome, Liu Yun was trustworthy.
She thought of the blood on Jin’an’s handkerchief and asked, “Who among the three of them is injured?”
“That youth. He was carrying the child and pulling the old man, so his movements were too slow. He took several blows.
He added sarcastically, “Heh, if we don’t find them tonight, by tomorrow they’ll be three frozen corpses!”
Jin Sui looked at him as if he were already dead. Based on that remark alone, he would soon be on his way to the underworld.
“Your mission was to capture the Fake Li King. What about the Real Li King?”
Fang Ze shivered, whether from the cold or blood loss, he couldn’t tell. “The leader said the Real Li King would die soon without Prince Yu needing to act.”
If Jin Sui hadn’t taken Gu Changxiao’s pulse, she might have thought he had a terminal illness!
She couldn’t understand Prince Yu’s logic. Why would he want to capture her, an imposter?
Fine, originally you only had Gu Changxiao as an enemy, and I had no intention of getting involved in your royal squabbles for the throne.
Now, you have one more enemy! Even if it’s just to avenge the coachman youth, I can’t let this go!
He died while acting as my body double, meaning he died for me. I owe him a life.
Jin Sui asked him one last question. “Are you sure those three fled into this area?”
Fang Ze nodded. “Certain. The blood trail ends here. They couldn’t have escaped far.”
Jin Sui stood up. “Very well! You can go find your brothers.”
Fang Ze froze. Find my brothers? Did she mean she was letting him go to find others?
Then he saw the strong, strange girl before him pick up the long saber that belonged to his brother.
So, that’s what she meant…
Jin Sui piled the two corpses together and covered them roughly with weeds. She didn’t know how many more black-clothed men were in the area, and it was impossible to let Fang Ze live.
Fang Ze was different from Huo Zi’an; she had neither the time nor the inclination to try and win him over.
She put the two sabers into her space. The moon had risen to its zenith. She took out her flashlight and walked deeper into the forest.
The cold night brought a sharp drop in temperature, and her heart tightened with it. Fang Ze’s words were harsh, but they were also true. In such a cold night in the wilderness, people could freeze to death.
Especially since Liu Yun was severely injured and had lost a lot of blood.
As she reached a rock, Jin Sui found something familiar: a few small stones arranged in a circle, with a fallen branch in the center.
Wasn’t this what Grandpa used for divination and to find their way? Jin Sui’s eyes twitched slightly. Even in such a dangerous environment, Grandpa hadn’t forgotten to divine!
She recalled how Grandpa had been when the three of them were fleeing before, with wolves chasing them, he still threw a branch to calculate their direction.
And it was always by chance that, despite the danger, they always managed to escape.
Jin Sui followed the direction of the branch and saw a steep slope. Anyone with poor eyesight would have rolled down.
However, at the bottom of such a steep slope, there were likely natural hiding caves.
Jin Sui’s heart raced. She cautiously approached the landslide area, shone her flashlight on it, and called out softly, “Jin’an, Grandpa.”
Just as her hand rested on a patch of grass, a sword tip suddenly shot up from below, nearly piercing her hand.
Instead of being alarmed, she was delighted, her voice growing louder. “Jin’an! Grandpa!”
From below came Jin’an’s tearful voice, “Sister.”
Jin Sui’s voice also choked up. “It’s me, hurry up and come up.”
She lay on the ground, digging through the dry grass at the bottom of the slope. The first one she pulled up was Jin’an, the little fellow holding his sword, looking vigilant like a fiercely protective kitten.
After confirming it was indeed his sister, he suddenly let go and rushed to hug Jin’an. “Sister, Liu Yun Gege is dying.”
Jin Sui quickly said, “Don’t panic, Sister will save him.”
Just as she was about to jump down the slope, she heard Grandpa say, “Sui Sui, don’t come down. I’ll push Liu Yun up, and you and Jin’an can pull from above.”
Liu Yun was as good as dead, completely unconscious, and limp. The three of them, like they were moving an object, dragged him from the cave back onto the ground.
Grandpa Ling was exhausted to the point of collapse, barely able to climb up himself. Jin Sui and Jin’an then worked together to pull Grandpa up.
Looking at Liu Yun’s condition, it was indeed dire. To put it simply, if Grandpa Ling and Jin’an were to freeze in the wilderness for a night, they would have a fifty percent chance of survival. Liu Yun, however, was guaranteed to die.
He had lost too much blood, and one of the wounds, just three inches higher, would have pierced his heart.
Grandpa Ling had already bandaged him with medicine he carried, and Jin Sui also gave him several more medicines from her space.
She said softly, “The most important thing now is to find a safe place for him to recover.”
Jin’an choked out, “Liu Yun Gege was seriously injured protecting me and Grandpa. If he had escaped alone, he would have been safe long ago.”
Jin Sui knew what the boy was worried about and sighed, “I won’t abandon him.”
He was worried that she, in her anger at Gu Changxiao, would abandon Liu Yun.
Grandpa Ling sat on the ground, gasping for breath, exhaling clouds of white mist. “Let’s leave this cursed place first. There’s a village not far ahead. We’ll pay them generously for lodging. If we spend the night out here, young master Liu Yun will die.”
Jin Sui quickly asked, “Grandpa, how many people were chasing you?”
“There were at least a dozen!”
Jin Sui’s heart leaped. She had only killed two…
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she heard hurried footsteps in the forest, followed by suppressed joy. “Found them! Quickly, they’re here.”
Grandpa Ling’s first instinct was to hide in the deep pit below the slope again, but it was too late. The two black-clothed men leading the charge leaped towards them with their sabers.
Jin Sui reacted extremely quickly, raising her hand crossbow and firing a fish oil firearm.
With a “boom” like thunder, the two leading men were sent flying backward. Flames ignited the dry grass in the forest, creating a wall of fire between the four of them and the black-clothed men.
Jin Sui propped up Liu Yun and said to Jin’an, “Hold Grandpa’s hand, let’s go!”
However, she underestimated the black-clothed men’s capabilities. They were not as fearful of firearms as the Tartars. Soon, several of them circled around to the other side and charged forward.
They were too close. If she fired another fish oil firearm, her own position would be engulfed in flames.
Jin Sui switched to an anesthetic needle, taking down only one person, but another’s saber was already upon her.
At the critical moment, Grandpa Ling and Jin’an both lunged forward, intending to shield her.
With a “thud,” an arrow shot from behind them, piercing the chest of the charging black-clothed man.
Jin Sui, Grandpa Ling, and Jin’an all turned to look. A troop of people was charging from a distance. Their target was clear: to kill the black-clothed men in the forest.
In the faint moonlight and firelight, Jin Sui strained to identify them. This troop was not from the Border City soldiers.
She knew every soldier in the Border City, including the newly recruited ones.
She faintly heard someone among the approaching group ask, “Where is the Li King?”
Someone else replied, “Not here. Both Taoist priests are here.”
Before Jin Sui could guess the meaning of this statement, she heard someone give an order: “Take them all back!”
She was suddenly startled. Although this unknown group had saved them from Prince Yu’s men, they didn’t sound like good people either!
I, a Fake Li King, have become a hot commodity. Why are you snatching me?
She wanted to snatch a horse. If they could get a horse, the four of them would have a chance to escape. Falling into the hands of unknown individuals, who knew what they would face.
Grandpa Ling clearly had the same idea. The grandfather and granddaughter exchanged a look, their minds in sync, and both looked at the horse closest to them.
Jin Sui had just loaded an anesthetic needle into her crossbow when she suddenly heard Jin’an urgently say, “Sister, be careful!”
She turned her head, but before she could see what was happening, a hand chop with a fierce wind struck towards her neck. Instantly, her vision went black, and she collapsed softly.
Indeed, the hunter often gets caught by the prey. In the past, she was the one who used such surprise tactics against others, and not long ago, she had killed two black-clothed men.
She never expected to be on the receiving end so soon. Before falling, she saw several people surrounding her, Grandpa Ling, Jin’an, and Liu Yun.
The last thought that flashed through her mind was that they didn’t seem intent on killing them. That was good. If they survived, there would still be a chance to try again.
But am I destined to be captured forever? Since I transmigrated here, I’ve either been running or on the verge of being caught…
Soon, Jin Sui completely lost consciousness.
After the fight in the forest ended, this troop did not pursue the escaping black-clothed men. Their mission was to rescue the Li King and his party, not to eradicate the enemy completely.
They placed the four individuals on horseback and soon arrived at the post station where Jin Sui had stayed the previous night. Unlike her stay last night, the post station was booked tonight.
Apart from two post station attendants, no outsiders entered or exited.
After escorting the four to the side rooms, a middle-aged man anxiously entered:
“Have you found the Li King? The one who died in the Earth God Temple is not the Li King at all… not Daoist Ji.”
“Reporting to the Steward, we followed the clues and only found these four. The old Taoist priest and the young Taoist child are both here. This severely injured person is the Li King’s bodyguard, and the other is this young lady of unknown origin.
We did not find Daoist Ji.”
The Steward said urgently, “Keep searching! The Master is still waiting for news! Daoist Ji is exceptionally intelligent; he must be hiding somewhere.”
As he spoke, he stepped forward to look at the four people on the communal beds: Daoist Ji, the young Taoist child named Jin’an, this youth whose name he didn’t know, whom he had seen once in the Border City, looking cold and mute.
This young lady is quite beautiful, and she looks familiar! No…
The Steward strode forward and cautiously reached out, trying to peel back the skin at the edge of the young lady’s forehead. Soon, he confirmed a fact: there was no disguise.
A bold thought arose, startling him. He took a few steps back, his face changing drastically. Impossible! This is impossible!
He glanced at the young lady’s chest, then quickly looked away. “See no evil.”
“Find a matron to change this young lady’s clothes.”
The main purpose was to confirm if this was indeed a young lady.
Given the Fake Li King’s actions in the Border City, and his understanding of Daoist Ji’s proud and unrestrained nature, it wasn’t impossible for him to disguise himself as a woman to escape.
The matron was brought quickly. The Steward, being habitually cautious, regardless of whether the ‘young lady’ before him was male or female, first had her moved to another room, then closed the door and let the matron examine her.
When the matron heard she was to confirm the gender, her brow furrowed as if swatting a fly. The Steward was still middle-aged; how could he be so confused?
Did she need to check if this was a man or a woman? Look at that small, fair face, and that head of dark hair. Even eunuchs who were castrated from a young age in the palace wouldn’t grow to be so handsome!
But she still obeyed the order and went in, closing the doors and windows. She carefully removed the clothes from the young lady on the bed, layer by layer. When only two inner garments remained, she confirmed.
“It’s a girl!”
The Steward gasped, nearly breaking off a few of his beard hairs, and paced under the veranda. “Impossible! How could this be?”
He asked the matron again, “Are you sure?”
The matron rolled her eyes. “I’m an old woman in my dozens of years; do you think I can’t tell a man from a woman!”
Do you think everyone is like you!
The Steward took off his hat and fanned himself. He felt a sudden heat. If it was truly a young lady lying there, it would shatter his decades of understanding.
Watching the cold wind rustle the treetops, the matron became even more convinced that the Steward, though not old, was not mentally sound. In such cold weather, to be so hot that he needed to fan himself!
“Steward, if you keep pacing like that, I’ll get dizzy. What’s wrong if it’s a girl inside? She’s not going to eat anyone.”
The Steward’s face flushed red. “It’s scarier than eating people! Ah, you wouldn’t understand even if I told you. Quickly, go find a clean set of clothes for the young lady to change into.”
He then ordered the guards, “Hurry and prepare a carriage, make it warm, and send them to the Master tonight.”
The guard asked, “What about the other three?”
“The old, the young, and the injured. Take them to Plum Blossom Villa to recuperate. Also, send people to erase any traces in the forest. We must not let anyone investigate.”
