Xie Xixiao seemed to be mocking her.
But Hu Shen had no time to care about what he thought. She merely glanced at his ankle, saw that the iron chain was still in place, and then turned her attention back to the two women behind her.
She had long been prepared. The excuse she used last night could only fool them temporarily. Once the two of them put their heads together and thought it over, they would eventually realize the truth.
She placed the stone tool on the ground and pushed it farther away, then turned to face the two women. Their expressions clearly showed anger at having been tricked, and they were rolling up their sleeves, determined to teach her a lesson.
Hu Shen steadied herself, clenching her fists tightly inside her narrow sleeves, and replied coldly, “It’s not that I’m cunning; it’s that you’re foolish. In Zhongyuan, there’s a saying: ‘All is fair in war.’ I won him with my own abilities.”
Knowing she couldn’t avoid this, she slowly rolled up her sleeves, revealing her slender yet firm forearms.
“Only the bravest warrior can win the most beautiful woman. The same goes for men. There’s only one piece of meat. If you’re not convinced, then come and take him. Do you dare swear to the Heavenly Maiden of the grasslands that whichever of us three wins today will have him all to herself?”
Provocation had always been effective, especially when used on two spirited young women.
As soon as she finished speaking, both of them responded in unison.
Naye stepped forward first, tightening her belt and revealing her strong, sun-tanned forearms.
With thick eyebrows and large eyes, she was considered exceptionally beautiful whether on the grasslands or in Zhongyuan. Perhaps it was the innate advantage of her grassland heritage—her deep-set eyes, dark eyebrows, tall and sturdy yet not overly bulky build, and agile, nimble figure. Hu Shen had once seen her wrestling with others, and she possessed immense strength.
In comparison, Hu Shen was not as robust as her. Perhaps because her mother was a woman from Jiangnan, Hu Shen was slimmer than Naye, and even her braids were not as thick or coarse. So, she shifted her gaze to Guzi.
“Let’s fight together. Let’s make it quick. I don’t want to delay applying medicine to him.”
Guzi sneered, her face flushed with anger at the provocation, and immediately adjusted her animal-skin tunic. “Fine! Just wait until you go crying to your brother!”
Hu Shen stared coldly at them, took a step back, slightly bent her knees, and clenched her fists in front of her chest.
Unlike Naye, who was naturally strong, Guzi relied on her fists rather than brute strength, making her more difficult to deal with. But with both of them attacking together, Hu Shen could use their momentum to her advantage and seize an opportunity to win.
Gritting her teeth, Hu Shen dodged as Naye lunged at her and instead threw a punch at Guzi. In a few moments, the three of them were tangled in a fierce struggle.
Though Hu Shen was not as agile as them, she made up for it with her nimbleness and the martial arts she had learned from her brother. Taking advantage of Naye’s momentary hesitation, she pushed Naye forward, causing her to stumble and fall on top of Guzi. Guzi immediately flared up, shouting at Naye, “You fool! You’re crushing me!”
Seeing this, Hu Shen quickly added, “Naye, do you think I was the only one deceiving you last night? Guzi clearly used you as a pawn. Who wouldn’t want to have that piece of meat in the tent all to themselves? Haven’t you ever wondered why it was you who got choked last night and not Guzi?”
Naye was straightforward and honest, slow to react but obedient, and she tended to take others’ words to heart. Provoked by Hu Shen’s deliberate instigation, she froze for a moment, her grip loosening slightly.
But Guzi was sharp-witted and quickly retorted, “You’re lying!”
"Whether it's nonsense or not, Naye, you think for yourself. Who came up with the idea to go to the tent last night? It was Guzi, wasn't it? Why insist on going knowing he was injured? She clearly set a trap deliberately. If anything happened to that man, she would have reported you to the Khan."
Hu Shen endured the pain of her arm being tightly gripped. "How many times have you suffered following Guzi around? Do you remember the wrestling match half a month ago? You clearly threw everyone down, so why did Guzi end up with the reward—"
Before she could finish, she was solidly punched by Guzi.
Clearly furious, Guzi gritted her teeth. "You're talking nonsense!"
But now, Naye had turned her gaze to Guzi, questioning her. "Guzi, why?"
Hearing this, Hu Shen breathed a sigh of relief, raising her hand to wipe the corner of her mouth. The pain made her instinctively hiss, and sure enough, there was a trace of blood on the back of her hand.
But it didn't matter—she was about to win.
These two had long been at odds. Hu Shen deliberately stirred things up, and now that they were digging deeper, they were entangled in a fierce argument and fight. Seizing the moment, she subdued them both, declaring sternly, "I've won. The one in the tent belongs to me."
Guzi, her face bruised, snarled viciously, "You said all that on purpose. Your victory isn't honorable!"
"So what? Only those as fierce as hyenas and as cunning as clever mice can win. The Heavenly Maiden of the grasslands will acknowledge me."
She loosened her grip and stood up from the ground. "Leave here, leave my people."
With that, Hu Shen turned and picked up the stone vessel. When she looked toward the tent again, the heavy curtain had fallen, and the person who had been standing there earlier had long since returned inside, unnoticed.
She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and strode toward the tent. But as soon as she lifted the curtain and stepped inside, someone grabbed her wrist fiercely and dragged her forward.
Unable to dodge in time, the stone vessel in her hand fell to the ground, the clanking of chains ringing in her ears. Hu Shen felt her arm twisted behind her back, followed by a sharp pain in her shoulder as she was slammed to the ground, a muffled groan escaping her lips.
"Don't move."
A cold, detached male voice sounded behind her, carrying a hidden sharpness and killing intent. Something sharp seemed to press against her neck.
Hu Shen froze, not daring to struggle recklessly.
No wonder he had caught the Khan's attention. No wonder her brother said he was fierce. She had truly believed he was gravely ill and on the verge of death, yet even injured and feverish like this, he could still move swiftly to capture her.
Before she could think further, Xie Xixiao spoke the next moment. The humiliation from last night fueled his tone with immense resentment as he sneered, "Didn't I say I would kill you?"
With that, his arm tensed, his wrist bone exerting force, determined to drive the sharp wooden stick in his hand deep into her neck.
Hu Shen's pupils trembled, her breath catching in her throat.
"Wait! You'll regret this!"
"Regret?" Xie Xixiao's expression was cold and severe. "My only regret is not killing you sooner, giving you the chance to humiliate me."
He closed his eyes briefly and sneered. "Don't worry, I'll send your brother to join you soon enough."
Hu Shen gritted her teeth fiercely. "If not me, there will be others. If I die today, tomorrow Naye and Guzi will rush into your tent, and there could be countless others!"
"You can kill me, but think carefully: would you rather have only me, or would you prefer everyone barging into your tent to humiliate you like that?"
Author's note:
What Xie Xixiao said: You are as despicable as a hyena, as cunning as a crafty rat!
What Hu Shen heard: …hyena…crafty rat…
Hu Shen: Oh, he's praising me for being fierce and clever.
ps: "Boke" means wrestling.