Wen Lisheng sat on the ground for a long time before her breathing gradually steadied and her heart rate returned to normal.
She stood up from the ground extremely slowly, making sure not to make the slightest sound. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could vaguely see moonlight shining through the window, outlining a slender, blurry silhouette of the young man by the door.
She stood still, not daring to move.
After a long while, the young man shifted his posture, straightening up and relaxing his guard.
Wen Lisheng guessed that the two people chasing her outside had already left.
She lit the fire starter again, blowing on it twice. The faint, small flame flickered to life once more, its light illuminating only a small area, but just enough for her to see the young man before her clearly.
It was an extremely ordinary face—not exactly ugly, but so plain that one would hardly notice it at a glance. Wen Lisheng was taken aback for a moment, thinking of Qiao Ling’s handsome appearance, the one named Xi Lu’s decent looks, and Xie Xiaonan’s exceptional features. Surrounded by such striking individuals, wouldn’t this little pickpocket have any other thoughts?
“Do you ever feel insecure?” Wen Lisheng abruptly asked.
Xie Xiaonan was momentarily stunned, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes. “What?”
Wen Lisheng pointed to her face. “About your appearance.”
Xie Xiaonan let out a light snort. “Never.”
“Well, you’re quite confident, aren’t you?” Wen Lisheng chuckled awkwardly.
Sensing the disbelief and even a touch of mockery in her words, Xie Xiaonan frowned. “In all my years, I’ve never known how to write the word ‘insecure.’”
His words carried a hint of arrogance, but for Xie Xiaonan, it was the truth.
Wen Lisheng, however, misunderstood. She let out an “ah” and wore an apologetic expression. “It’s okay, I don’t discriminate against people with little education. Next time, I’ll teach you how to write it.”
Xie Xiaonan felt his fists clenching again.
Without wasting any more words on Wen Lisheng, he pulled open the door and walked out. Seeing this, Wen Lisheng hurriedly followed, sticking close to his footsteps, afraid she might lose him if she wasn’t careful. At the same time, she tried to make conversation. “Where are you going? Maybe we’re headed in the same direction?”
Xie Xiaonan ignored her, only saying, “Stop following me.”
“While I was sleeping, someone suddenly tried to assassinate me. I don’t know anyone else here besides you, so I have no choice but to follow you.” Wen Lisheng resorted to her old trick. “Protect me, and when I get back, I can give you lots and lots of gold and silver.”
He suddenly stopped. Wen Lisheng, following too closely, couldn’t react in time and bumped into his back. His spine felt incredibly hard, and her nose immediately throbbed with pain. She quickly took two steps back, looking up with teary eyes.
“I’m going to look for death. Are you coming too?” Xie Xiaonan, who was much taller than her, looked down at her with a cold expression.
“Well…” Wen Lisheng thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully. “Could you maybe not go looking for death just yet?”
Xie Xiaonan glanced to the side and suddenly spotted something. He tilted his chin slightly and said, “There’s a dog hole over there. Crawl in and hide. The assassins would never think to look for you there. Once everything’s over, you can come out. You won’t die.”
Wen Lisheng followed his gaze, but in the darkness, she couldn’t see anything. She only said, “How long would I have to hide…”
But she quickly realized what he meant and spat out, “Bah! The Wen family has unyielding integrity. Even if I die, I won’t crawl through a dog hole!”Besides, dying in a dog hole would be utterly humiliating.
Xie Xiaonan sneered, not bothering to hide his mockery: “Do you even deserve to be called ‘unyielding’?”
Wen Lisheng wanted to retort that at least she knew more than someone who couldn’t even write the word “inferiority,” but considering the critical situation and the fact that she still needed his help, she forced a smile and said, “I have an idea. Since we don’t know what’s going on in the He Family residence and it’s so dangerous, let’s go find Xie Xiaonan.”
Hearing this, Xie Xiaonan frowned: “What did you call him?”
“Young Master.” Wen Lisheng immediately switched to a respectful title: “Only his place is absolutely safe right now. At the very least, you could take me to the Young Master.”
She wasn’t clear about Xie Xiaonan’s movements, but as someone who had been reborn, many of her thoughts differed from her previous life, leading to different actions and choices. Coming to the He Family to deliver gifts was something she hadn’t done in her past life. However, Xie Xiaonan was different—without external interference, his choices and actions would remain the same as before.
In other words, he had also come to the He Family in her past life and experienced this bizarre incident, yet he emerged unscathed, proving that his side was absolutely safe.
Choosing between the eerie He Family and Xie Xiaonan was easy. After all, Xie Xiaonan had visited Wen Manor for drinks not long ago, and out of respect for Wen Puchang, he should lend a helping hand.
Xie Xiaonan, however, said, “He’s at the Bamboo Garden in the southwest. Go find him yourself.”
With that, he turned to leave, and Wen Lisheng instinctively grabbed his wrist.
“Let go.” His voice carried a hint of impatience.
Wen Lisheng had no choice but to release him. Watching him walk a few steps away, she cursed his dog-like temper under her breath and followed him.
Under these circumstances, she definitely couldn’t wander around on her own. Even if she could accurately find the Bamboo Garden in the southwest, encountering those murderous bandits on the way would mean certain death.
This pickpocket might be fierce, but he didn’t seem like a truly evil person.
She hurried forward a couple of steps and whispered, trying to get closer: “Big brother, what should I call you? My surname is Wen, you can call me Li.”
Xie Xiaonan turned to look at her, a big question mark forming in his mind: “Are we familiar?”
“First time strangers, second time friends,” Wen Lisheng said with a grin. “Isn’t this our second meeting?”
Xie Xiaonan ignored her, but she didn’t mind. As long as he didn’t tell her to leave, it was a good sign—at least her life was temporarily safe.
Since he refused to give his name, Wen Lisheng naturally couldn’t keep calling him “pickpocket.” She studied him carefully. Though his appearance was rather ordinary, his skin was very fair, resembling flawless white jade under the cold moonlight.
“Big Brother Bai, where are you heading?” Wen Lisheng asked, leaning in again.
Xie Xiaonan was genuinely taken aback, frowning as he asked, “Who are you calling?”
“I figured since you’re so fair-skinned, you might have the surname Bai,” Wen Lisheng said, her voice growing softer as she spoke, knowing she was making it up.
Xie Xiaonan retorted, “Since you’re so foolish, why not take the surname Mei? Call yourself ‘Brainless.'”
Wen Lisheng frowned, pretending to be angry and clenching her fists: “How can you insult people like that! You’ve hurt my feelings. You have to take responsibility and escort me to the Young Master.”
This time, Xie Xiaonan truly ignored her. He turned and walked ahead, occasionally observing his surroundings.Wen Lisheng saw that her tricks were useless and quieted down, but she still followed closely, stepping in his footprints as they moved forward.
Soon she realized that after she quieted down, the young man ahead, wrapped in a layer of vigilance, melted into the boundless night, silent and soundless. If Wen Lisheng hadn’t kept her eyes fixed on him, he might have disappeared in the blink of an eye.
His hearing seemed exceptionally sharp, able to detect movements from far away. Before the assassins arrived, he would hide behind nearby flower bushes or rocks, avoiding collisions and conflicts with them.
After evading four or five times along the way, the two stopped before a large gate.
Wen Lisheng found it familiar. Moving closer, she saw the intricate mechanism lock and realized it was the gate leading to the inner residence. She asked, “Are you going to the inner residence?”
Xie Xiaonan didn’t respond. He looked up as if measuring the height of the gate, then flicked a small whistle attached to a string from his fingertips and handed it to Wen Lisheng. “You can’t enter this gate. Stay here and blow the whistle in a quarter of an hour. Someone will come to rescue you.”
But Wen Lisheng didn’t take it. “I can enter.”
She hadn’t expected that her impulsive desire to wander inside that afternoon would come in handy now.
Xie Xiaonan glanced at her. “This is a mechanism lock.”
“I know,” Wen Lisheng said mysteriously, closing her eyes. “I can divine the password for this mechanism lock with a simple calculation.”
His lips tightened, unconvinced and impatient. “Don’t waste my time.”
Wen Lisheng insisted, “Don’t doubt me!”
She began pretending to calculate, pinching her fingers and putting on a show before opening her eyes. She tapped the mechanism lock a few times, then pressed the buttons in sequence. The sound of gears turning inside the gate echoed, and after a moment, a click was heard—the gate opened.
Wen Lisheng raised an eyebrow triumphantly at Xie Xiaonan and swaggered through the gate.
Her memory had always been sharp. He Zhuyuan hadn’t avoided her when opening the mechanism lock earlier that day, and she had watched carefully, so she still remembered the steps to unlock it.
After entering, Xie Xiaonan closed the gate behind him. The mechanism lock reset, and after a series of mechanical sounds, the surroundings returned to dead silence.
Ahead was a broad path. Since the roadside lanterns weren’t lit, only the faint moonlight provided weak illumination, making visibility low. She was practically half-blind here, but she still said, “From now on, you have to tell me wherever you’re going. This inner residence is full of mechanisms, and one careless move could trigger them. I can foresee dangerous spots in advance.”
She said this hoping to pry information from him, but Xie Xiaonan immediately knew she must have been here before.
He replied indifferently, “Just watch out for your own life.”
Wen Lisheng pouted—her attempt to extract information had failed.
The two walked along the path. At this hour, no servants were passing by. Occasionally, the chirping of insects or the rustle of the wind could be heard. The warm summer night breeze gently brushed her face, slightly soothing the unease in Wen Lisheng’s heart.
Xie Xiaonan would stop every so often to observe his surroundings before choosing a direction. Wen Lisheng could tell he hadn’t been here before, but he likely had a map of the inner residence and was now navigating according to it.
However, it was nighttime, with only a few lanterns providing light. Moreover, the two were deliberately staying in the shadows, so it was inevitable that they would occasionally take a wrong turn.Xie Xiaonan walked ahead. When his footstep landed on the ground with a faint mechanical click, he immediately realized it might have triggered some mechanism. Instantly, he tapped his toes lightly against the floor and leaped up. In the blink of an eye, with a series of swift and precise jumps, he put over a dozen paces between himself and Wen Lisheng, landing farther ahead.
Wen Lisheng was stunned. Just as she was about to follow, the stone tiles in front of her suddenly flipped over, and sharp, gleaming blades shot out with incredible speed. If anyone’s foot had been on them, it would have been completely pierced through.
Startled, she took a step back and cast a pleading glance toward the young man across from her.
Xie Xiaonan glanced at her but said nothing. With a flick of his finger, the small whistle attached to a string dangled from his fingertip. Wen Lisheng could almost guess what he was about to say and quickly raised a hand to stop him. “Don’t give it to me. I don’t want it.”
She added with some annoyance, “Why do you always try to ditch me? I haven’t been holding you back!”
She reflected inwardly that she had been quite obedient along the way, struggling to keep up with his pace and doing her best to move quietly. Just trying to stay close to him had already taken a tremendous effort.
Xie Xiaonan replied, “You shouldn’t have followed me in the first place.”
“My dear brother, look around. Who else can I follow besides you?” Wen Lisheng retorted angrily. “Only you can save me.”
Xie Xiaonan paused, thought for a moment, and then said, “If you can make it over here, I’ll take you with me.”
Wen Lisheng felt a surge of anxiety. She lowered her gaze to the stone tiles on the ground and noticed numbers carved into them, which she hadn’t seen earlier due to the dim lighting.
Suddenly, she remembered that He Zhuyuan had once brought her here to walk through this place. There was only one correct path; stepping on the wrong tile would result in the blades piercing through one’s foot, and the barbs on the blades would pin the person firmly to the ground.
Frowning, she racked her memory, trying to recall the numbers from today’s path. Seeing that the person across from her seemed about to leave, she blurted out in desperation, “Wait, wait! Twenty-seven, eighteen, fifty-four—what’s the pattern between these numbers?”
When she had followed He Zhuyuan earlier, she could only remember these few numbers, but there had to be a pattern to the mechanism. If she could figure out the connection between these numbers, she could crack it.
Xie Xiaonan halted his turn. “Multiples of nine.”
Wen Lisheng’s eyes lit up. That was it—they were all multiples of nine, just in a scrambled order.
She looked down at the numbers and saw that the multiples of nine were indeed close together, forming a path. She hurriedly stepped onto them, taking exactly nine steps before safely reaching Xie Xiaonan. She let out a huge sigh of relief and wiped the slight sweat from her nose.
Xie Xiaonan took in her expression, then turned and said, “Keep up.”
Seeing that he was no longer resisting, Wen Lisheng followed with a grin, feeling rather smug. “See? I told you I could figure it out.”
Xie Xiaonan said, “If you keep talking, you’re on your own.”
With that dog-like temper of his, if it weren’t for the urgent situation, she would’ve picked a fight with him right then and there!
Wen Lisheng had no one to brag to and felt stifled, but she didn’t dare chatter any further. Given how he had landed over a dozen paces away in the blink of an eye earlier, if he truly wanted to shake her off, she wouldn’t be able to catch up even if she ran her legs off.
Better to save her words for later and brag to Shen Jiaqing when she got back. That fool would believe anything anyway.The deeper they went, the denser the guards became, requiring the two to be extremely cautious. Wen Lisheng knew these men were trained in martial arts, with senses far superior to ordinary people. Even the slightest sound could alert them, so she walked on tiptoe, careful not to make any noise.
Along the way, Wen Lisheng tried her best to memorize the terrain. Whenever she spotted a trap, she dared not speak but would lightly tap the young man’s fingers ahead of her as a warning. After bypassing several places that could trigger mechanisms, they successfully made their way deeper into the inner residence, arriving at a large courtyard surrounded by woods.
Wen Lisheng hadn’t ventured this far during the day and didn’t know what this place was. However, seeing the exquisite and grand architecture, she guessed it was either the residence of someone of high status in the He Family or perhaps a place like the ancestral hall.
Outside the courtyard, guards stood watch and patrolled back and forth, occasionally glancing around, clearly on high alert.
Xie Xiaonan moved quietly behind a rock not far from the courtyard. His distance was precisely calculated—any closer, and Wen Lisheng’s footsteps would alert the guards. He turned and signaled for her to stop there.
She immediately grabbed his wrist and whispered, “What are you going to do?”
Xie Xiaonan twisted his wrist, freeing it from her grasp, but didn’t reveal his purpose. He only said, “Wait here.”
Hearing him say “wait,” Wen Lisheng assumed he would return, so she nodded. Still uneasy, she added, “I won’t go anywhere. Brother Bai, you must come back.”
Xie Xiaonan glanced at her once more before turning and leaving.
His movements were light, his footsteps making no sound as he easily approached the courtyard in the dark. Four guards stood watch at the front, while four others patrolled the perimeter. When the patrolling guards moved to the back—
Wen Lisheng couldn’t see clearly, but she noticed the four standing guards suddenly collapse as if struck by something, without even a grunt. Then, the young man’s figure flashed, and he entered the courtyard at incredible speed.
The patrolling guards would circle from the back to the front in less than half a quarter-hour. They would notice the four fallen guards long before reaching them, so the young man had very little time. If discovered, the two of them would surely be trapped here. Wen Lisheng watched with bated breath, her heart pounding.
But he emerged quickly. He had entered empty-handed but came out carrying something that looked like a wooden stick from a distance. In no time, he was back in front of Wen Lisheng.
Truly a seasoned thief.
Wen Lisheng inwardly grumbled but put on a smile, leaning closer to say, “You’re amazing! You managed to ‘borrow’ something in such a short time.”
Looking at the object in his hand, she saw it was pitch black, with a rough and uneven surface, slightly longer than an arm. It resembled the crude, unfinished form of an iron sword.
Why steal this thing? Even grabbing some gold or silver would be better!
Wen Lisheng couldn’t help but mutter to herself, though she kept smiling and asked persistently, “Was this what you went in for?”
Xie Xiaonan’s eyes seemed to reflect the moonlight, dark and heavy as ink. Just as he was about to speak, a sudden scream erupted from the courtyard behind them: “Ah—! An assassin! The Old Matriarch is dead!”
Wen Lisheng’s heart sank. Staring at the person before her in disbelief, she stammered, “You… you killed Old Madam He?”Xie Xiaonan paid no mind, his half-lidded eyes appearing cold and ruthless: “She should have died long ago.”
Wen Lisheng was utterly shocked, momentarily unable to utter a word.
Indeed, since encountering this little pickpocket, he had spoken little and acted fiercely, rarely uttering a kind word, but one thing he said was true.
He truly had come seeking death.
He was purely a wicked villain who killed and plundered!
Once news of Old Madam He’s murder spread, the He Family would inevitably descend into chaos, so this was no place to linger.
Wen Lisheng also knew she had no way out. This person had already warned her earlier, making it clear he didn’t want her following, yet she had insisted on tagging along.
Now that he had killed Old Madam He, she was practically half an accomplice. Even if she jumped out now to accuse him, no one would believe her.
She took a deep breath and quickly grabbed Xie Xiaonan’s arm: “Let’s get out of here quickly!”
Of course, she didn’t need to say it—Xie Xiaonan was already on the move.
The route he chose was both dark and secluded, his footsteps silent. Wen Lisheng struggled to keep up with his pace.
Soon, she realized that the paths he took completely avoided the locations of all the traps. He had memorized these routes perfectly after just one pass and even found ways to evade the patrolling guards. Aside from Wen Lisheng, only the occasional moonlight illuminating his figure knew of his whereabouts.
However, as they avoided the guards all the way to the road in front of the inner residence’s gate, under the cold moonlight, Wen Lisheng saw corpses strewn haphazardly across the path.
She took two steps back in shock, and upon closer inspection, she noticed the ground was splattered with blood, clearly the aftermath of a fierce battle.
Xie Xiaonan glanced at the corpses and silently handed the object in his hand to Wen Lisheng.
The moment she took it, Wen Lisheng’s arms sank, nearly causing her to stumble and fall from the weight. She had never expected this object, which the youth had carried effortlessly all this way, to be so heavy!
It was so heavy that she was completely unprepared, forced to cradle it with both arms.
“Well, what treasure are you holding there? Let me have a look.” A bold and hearty female voice suddenly sounded from above.
Wen Lisheng looked up and was startled to find many people perched on the walls on either side, some crouching, some sitting, all staring at the two of them.
The speaker was a woman, though only her light-colored dress was vaguely visible. A bracelet strung with bells adorned her raised wrist, but little else could be discerned.
Seeing the sheer number of people on the other side, Wen Lisheng had no intention of confronting them head-on. She immediately wanted to offer the object in her hands, but it was too heavy to lift. She said, “If you all want it, please take it.”
Xie Xiaonan, standing beside her, saw her so readily handing over his possession but showed no anger, merely glancing at her: “Is that all the dignity of the Wen Family, who wouldn’t even crawl through a dog hole, worth?”
“My dignity isn’t worth much, but my life is,” Wen Lisheng whispered. “A wise man knows when to yield.”
She paused for a moment, then added uncertainly, “Do you understand what that means?”
Xie Xiaonan said irritably, “Shut up.”
Wen Lisheng wanted to say more, but holding this heavy object took all her effort just to keep it from falling. She had no energy left to banter with him.
“Did you come from the inner residence?” the woman spoke again. “The inner residence is in chaos right now. What happened inside?”This person clearly wasn’t with the He Family. Wen Lisheng couldn’t see the corpses on the ground clearly, but she could guess that eighty percent of them were He Family guards.
Xie Xiaonan didn’t respond, not even sparing a glance. Yet despite the people sitting on both walls, he showed no trace of fear, standing quietly, lost in thought.
The woman grew impatient: “Let’s take him back first and talk later.”
Then, someone unknown made a move—a silver needle shot from above, aimed straight at Xie Xiaonan’s neck.
He leaned back slightly, easily dodging the needle, but forgot that someone was standing beside him. Immediately after, he heard a small cry of pain from Wen Lisheng.
Turning to look, he saw the silver needle embedded diagonally in Wen Lisheng’s forehead. She freed one hand to pull it out, held it up to her eyes for a closer look, then raised her head and asked very seriously, “Is this thing poisoned?”
Before anyone could answer, her eyes rolled back, she dropped the heavy object in her hands, and collapsed to the ground.
Just before losing consciousness, she cursed inwardly, Damn it, can’t you aim better? Don’t hurt innocent bystanders!
After that, she knew nothing of what happened.
Fortunately, the drug only had a sedative effect and wasn’t poisonous. Wen Lisheng felt as if she had slept soundly. When she woke, she found herself in a very simple room, with an oil lamp on the table flickering occasionally.
Still a bit dizzy, she tried to rub her eyes but realized her hands were tied with rope. As her consciousness gradually cleared, she quickly looked around and saw the young man in black sitting not far away, his hands and feet similarly bound. His gaze was fixed on the window, as if deep in thought.
“You woke up before me again,” Wen Lisheng said with a surprised laugh. “Last time too.”
Xie Xiaonan had noticed her waking earlier but hadn’t spoken to her. Now, seeing her tied up so tightly yet still laughing, he wondered what she found amusing.
Wen Lisheng, accustomed to his silence, leaned forward and wriggled like a worm over to Xie Xiaonan’s side. In a low voice, she asked, “How did you get caught too? Did you also get hit by that needle?”
Xie Xiaonan glanced at her. “Too many people. Didn’t feel like fighting.”
“Where is this place?” Wen Lisheng sat up again, staying close but not touching his shoulder. She carefully observed the room and noticed it was made of unpainted wood, giving it a very plain appearance. The furnishings were sparse—only a table, without even a chair.
Just as she was looking around, the door opened, and the woman who had been crouching on the wall earlier strode in boldly, followed by three men. One of them had a handsome, somewhat delicate face, and Wen Lisheng found him oddly familiar, staring at him for a moment longer.
“Awake?” the woman raised an eyebrow, hopping onto the table and sitting with her legs spread casually. “Well then, how about introducing yourselves?”
Wen Lisheng immediately chimed in, “My surname is Xie. I’m the cousin of the young master who arrived in Yiguan County a few days ago…”
Xie Xiaonan was rendered speechless by her words, staring at her expressionlessly.
The woman grinned. “I know your surname is Wen. You’re Prefect Wen’s daughter.”
Wen Lisheng felt a bit awkward and wanted to scratch her nose, but her hands were tied. She said, “Then why are you still tying me up? Since you know who I am, you should also know I don’t know martial arts, right?”
The woman thought for a moment and agreed. With a wave of her hand, one of the men stepped forward and cut the ropes binding Wen Lisheng’s wrists and ankles with two swift strokes.
Wen Lisheng rubbed her wrists and asked, “Miss warrior, why have you brought me here?”
The woman raised a hand, and a man behind her respectfully handed her a wine jug. She took a swig and said, “No rush. Let’s play a game first.”Wen Lisheng’s gaze swept over the men before meeting the woman’s eyes, a look of confusion on her face. “What?”
“You guess something about me. If you guess anything correctly, you win, and I’ll answer all your questions truthfully.” She stretched out her arms as if in complete sincerity, then gestured toward Xie Xiaonan with her chin. “If you guess wrong, I’ll stab him once.”
Wen Lisheng glanced at Xie Xiaonan, her dark eyes shifting before suddenly turning fierce. “Why should you do it? I’ve long been fed up with him. Give me the knife, and I’ll turn him into a beehive with two stabs.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a crisp sound rang out as a short knife landed at Wen Lisheng’s feet. The woman’s face was full of amusement. “Then you do it.”
Wen Lisheng picked up the short knife, gripping it in her hand as she approached Xie Xiaonan.
Xie Xiaonan glanced down at the knife in her hand, his expression still calm and unruffled.
Then, Wen Lisheng cut the rope binding his wrists, freeing his hands.
The woman burst into laughter. “Little girl, honesty is the foundation of interaction. It’s hard for me to trust you like this.”
“Ah, that’s not right,” Wen Lisheng said. “I never said I would definitely stab him.”
“He knows martial arts. You can’t untie him.” The woman tilted her head, opened her mouth, and one of the men behind her handed her a grape, wiping the wine from the corner of her mouth along the way.
“Don’t worry about that,” Wen Lisheng said quickly, glancing at Xie Xiaonan without a hint of guilt as she lied. “He loves me so much he’d die for me. If I tell him to go east, he wouldn’t dare go west. If I tell him not to act, he absolutely won’t move.”
A flicker of irritation crossed Xie Xiaonan’s brow. Just as he was about to speak, Wen Lisheng leaned in, her shoulder pressing against his. Hidden from view, she squeezed his fingers, but her face was all smiles. “Right?”
Xie Xiaonan paused for a moment, the words still unspoken. He didn’t respond either, turning his head to the side and lowering his gaze.
Wen Lisheng clicked her tongue and said to the woman, “He’s sulking because I won’t let him act.”
“I didn’t realize you two had that kind of relationship,” the woman said, resting her chin on her hand with a smile.
“Of course. We usually don’t reveal our relationship in front of outsiders. Matters of the heart can interfere with my life as a wanderer.” Wen Lisheng leaned back, her posture becoming more casual and carefree.
But her delicate, unblemished beauty made such words seem out of place. The woman laughed heartily upon hearing them. “You’re quite interesting. I like you.”
Wen Lisheng asked, “Does the game we mentioned earlier still stand?”
“Of course,” she replied.
Wen Lisheng tilted her head slightly, adopting a relaxed posture. She showed no signs of tension or fear, a smile playing on her lips. “You are the leader of the Fire Fox Gang, Ruan Haiye.”
The woman raised an eyebrow and nodded. “Correct.”
Ruan Haiye was quite well-known in the Yiguan County area. She was the only female leader among the many gangs, but her ruthless methods and bold personality had earned her a considerable reputation. Shen Jiaqing had mentioned her to Wen Lisheng earlier.
“The three men behind you are your husbands,” Wen Lisheng said, then reconsidered. “Well, maybe not exactly husbands, but at the very least, you have intimate relationships with all of them.”From the moment she entered, Wen Lisheng had been observing the four people. She noticed that the three men standing behind her were being attentive and fawning over Ruan Haiye—not in a familial way, nor like subordinates, but with an indescribable ambiguity.
Sure enough, Ruan Haiye nodded. “You guessed right again. These three are my male concubines.”
She glanced at the pale-faced youth standing silently nearby and said, “You have a striking appearance too. Finding male concubines shouldn’t be difficult for you. Replace this one sooner rather than later—he’s cold and bland.”
Xie Xiaonan showed no reaction, but Wen Lisheng quickly coughed. “There’s one more. You like drinking, right?”
Ruan Haiye looked at the wine pot in her hand and smiled. “Right, that counts too.”
“Then you should answer three questions for me.” Wen Lisheng stopped guessing. Three questions were enough for her.
Ruan Haiye, straightforward and true to her word, said, “Ask away.”
“Why did you capture me and bring me here?” she asked the first question.
“Naturally, for the sword technique,” Ruan Haiye replied.
“What sword technique?” Wen Lisheng frowned, staring intently at the woman before her. She could sense that the question that had been puzzling her was about to be answered.
“Don’t play dumb. I know it’s the Frostbloom Sword Technique,” Ruan Haiye said, taking a sip of wine.
Wen Lisheng’s expression froze as numerous images rapidly connected in her mind. Finally, she understood why the Mei family had been so relentless in pursuing her.
It was rumored that the Frostbloom Sword Technique was a manual personally written by the legendary First Sword God, who rose to fame in the jianghu twenty years ago. It recorded his sword techniques and cultivation methods, and there was only one copy in the entire world. After the news spread, jianghu people fought desperately to obtain it. Later, due to the Sword God’s sudden disappearance, this coveted treasure vanished along with the Frostbloom Sword.
In other words, the pickpocket beside her that day had stolen the Frostbloom Sword Technique from Madam Mei’s room. No wonder the Mei family was so persistent. Even after escaping from prison, Mei Xing’an’s first move was to find her—all to reclaim this sword technique.
But the thing wasn’t even on her!
She pondered for a moment, and Ruan Haiye waited patiently without rushing her.
“One last question,” Wen Lisheng said, lifting her gaze. “How did you know the sword technique is with me?”
Ruan Haiye replied, “The Mei family spread the news. Now, everyone in Yiguan County knows the sword technique is in your possession.”
Wen Lisheng closed her eyes.
It’s over. Everything is over.
“So your situation is quite dangerous now,” Ruan Haiye said. “Although I captured you for the sword technique too, I really like your personality. I can help you.”
“How can you help me?” Wen Lisheng asked curiously.
“Hand over the part of the sword technique you have to me, and I’ll swear brotherhood with you. You’ll become the second-in-command of the Fire Fox Gang. If anyone tries to cause trouble for you, the Fire Fox Gang will back you up.”
Wen Lisheng’s eyes lit up, looking genuinely pleased. “Is that really possible?”
“It’s only because I like you. Others wouldn’t get this treatment,” Ruan Haiye said bluntly, without any pretense.
Wen Lisheng was overjoyed. “That’s wonderful! I couldn’t ask for more! But…”
“What?””However, I was captured twice before and nearly lost my life. Although my father is the prefect, his relationship with those gangs has remained neither close nor distant over the years. To seek protection, I handed over that sword technique to Xie Xiaonan and temporarily reached an agreement with him for him to protect me.” Wen Lisheng slowed her speech, sounding sincere.
“That young heir? Why give it to him?” Ruan Haiye frowned.
“Because he came from the capital and has no idea what the Frostbloom Sword Technique even is. He’s the only one who doesn’t covet it.” Wen Lisheng pursed her lips, speaking helplessly. “If not for that, I wouldn’t have sought his protection. He has a terrible temper, a narrow mind, often glares coldly at people, and looks down on us minor officials and commoners from the borderlands. He’s truly frightening.”
The very person in question, sitting nearby, endured it again and again but ultimately couldn’t hold back: “Nonsense.”
Wen Lisheng flared up: “Do men have any right to interrupt when women are speaking? Shut your mouth!”