Footsteps approached from behind and stopped in front of her.
Who would have the mood to sneak a glance at the Living Yama? Nan Yang hugged her knees and kept her head down, staring at the ground.
Huaiyang Marquis’s mood was unpredictable—just moments ago, he had seemed pleased, but now his voice turned cold again.
A pair of thick-soled black leather boots came into view, their owner looking down at her from above. “Anything else you want to say?”
Nan Yang had nothing to say.
She had hurried for over ten days, enduring hardships along the way, only to be intercepted not far from the Capital Region.
If they hadn’t rested and traveled day and night, would their small carriage have safely reached the capital by now?
But what awaited her back in the capital was no better.
Day after day confined within the inner quarters of the Wei Family, looking up at nothing but a square patch of sky, seeing the same few faces drifting in and out of sight—how was that any different from being dead?
Life wasn’t all that meaningful, so death wasn’t all that frightening either.
With that thought, she suddenly felt calm again…
Nan Yang spoke calmly, negotiating, “Grandma doesn’t know how to read. Please spare her.”
Not far away, Grandma grew agitated, pushing and shoving against the armed soldiers in an attempt to rush forward and protect her. Several soldiers dragged her away, and a dull thud followed—who knew where she was thrown.
“Is that all? Not begging for yourself?”
Would begging even help? Nan Yang thought to herself. You look like the kind of Yama who gets more excited the more people beg…
She hadn’t yet decided whether to bring up what happened by the river in Ping An Town.
Hugging her knees as she crouched, she slowly asked, “Marquis Xiao, why were you looking for young women aged fifteen to twenty-five in Ping An Town?”
Xiao Chengyan leisurely took a couple of steps away.
“Of course, to eat maiden’s flesh. After all, I am ‘cruel and wicked to the extreme,’ so much so that even ‘the beasts of ancient times’ would bow before me.”
Nan Yang: “…”
Better not say anything. Just wait for death.
She rested her chin on her knees and fell silent.
But the Living Yama in front of her seemed to be pondering something, pacing in circles around her. Soon, several rings of footprints appeared in the dirt before her.
When his footsteps stopped in front of her again, his tone shifted, once more carrying a pleased lilt:
“Wei Erniangzi didn’t make a fuss tonight and behaved obediently. Compared to clever people, I prefer the obedient ones.”
“Very well, I’ll give you a way out.”
Clang—a gleaming dagger was tossed in front of Nan Yang.
A shadow loomed over her from above, and suddenly, the man’s sturdy, lean-waisted figure appeared in her field of vision as he bent down. The long sword hanging at his waist swayed before her eyes.
Without a second thought, Nan Yang closed her eyes.
Life was hard enough—she didn’t want to see the face of a Yama!
Her chin was pinched and lifted again as he examined her expression up close by the lamplight.
After a moment, he released her and took a few steps back, the oppressive feeling of his gaze fading.
“Pretending to be obedient won’t save you. If you want to keep your life, pick up the dagger.”
His footsteps circled halfway around her before stopping behind her. He uttered his final words of the night:
“Before dawn, as long as Magistrate Yang dies—you and your servant will live.”
A crescent moon slowly moved across the sky.
It was the second watch of the night.
The soldiers dispersed in twos and threes, some resting, others standing guard.
Nan Yang sat on the ground, clutching the dagger, speechless.
Grandma sat beside her with a complicated expression.
Magistrate Yang sat opposite them, his face grave.
“Tonight is a dead end,” Magistrate Yang began.
“Wei Erniangzi, even if you truly kill me, the Huaiyang Marquis may not keep his promise to let you leave. If you don’t act, it will give him the perfect excuse to take action. By dawn tomorrow, I fear none of us will survive.”
“How about…” His gaze fell on the sharp dagger.
Magistrate Yang made up his mind, “Wait until the fourth watch. When sleep is deepest before dawn, I will charge forward and fight them. The Wei Family’s wet nurse will hold the dagger to cover the rear. Wei Erniangzi, you must flee immediately. Run as far as you can and hide under the cover of darkness. Perhaps one of us might survive.”
Grandma immediately agreed, volunteering to cover the Second Miss’s escape.
Only Nan Yang shook her head.
“There’s no escaping,” she said honestly. “They caught up with us after more than ten days of travel by carriage. Their tracking skills are formidable. How far can Grandma and I run on our four legs?”
Nan Yang handed the dagger to Grandma, “It would be better if I cover the rear. Grandma, you run. You are the most likely to survive among us.”
Grandma adamantly refused to take the dagger, weeping uncontrollably.
Magistrate Yang cautiously scanned the surrounding soldiers and whispered in an extremely low voice, “Don’t lose hope. There is a way to escape. Just run backward—Prefect Lu has led troops and followed us.”
Grandma’s soft sobbing abruptly ceased.
Overwhelmed with shock and joy, she felt as if salvation had arrived in the direst moment, “Truly?! Prefect Lu of Shanyang Commandery? He really followed us all the way?”
Magistrate Yang solemnly replied, “Absolutely true. Shanyang Commandery also has light cavalry forces. The distance between the two sides should not exceed a day’s journey. As long as you stay alive and encounter Prefect Lu, you will be saved.”
Amid Grandma’s incessant questioning and Magistrate Yang’s whispered assurances, the moonlight above shifted, and two quarters of an hour passed.
The second watch and two quarters, drawing two quarters closer to dawn…
Nan Yang lay down peacefully.
Holding the dagger, breathing evenly, she curled up on her side and fell asleep, drifting into dreams at some unknown moment.
Magistrate Yang: “…”
How can she sleep in such a situation? Aren’t we discussing matters of life and death?!
Grandma lovingly removed her outer garment and draped it over Nan Yang, “Let her sleep. She’s exhausted.”
Magistrate Yang’s pupils trembled violently.
…Not waking her up??
On the other side.
Ming Wenhuan followed closely behind his lord.
Tonight’s events were significant. He felt he must advise, even at the risk of his own head.
Ming Wenhuan tactfully cautioned, “Marquis Xiao, although Magistrate Yang holds only a seventh-rank official position, he is after all the magistrate of a county. Abducting him from Ping An Town can still be explained, but if he dies tonight, the charge of killing an official is serious and will inevitably attract imperial investigation. At this critical moment with the Son of Heaven critically ill, the political situation is unstable… Marquis Xiao, please be cautious.”
Xiao Chengyan responded with extreme nonchalance and indifference.
“If Magistrate Yang dies tonight, the cause of death will be the Wei Family woman killing him with a dagger. With both witnesses and evidence present, since Wei Er Niang has committed murder, she can simply pay with her life.”
Ming Wenhuan was greatly alarmed—a total dead end?!
“Not necessarily.”
“However, being targeted by this marquis, Wei Er Niang’s luck is indeed poor.”
The Glazed Lamp had been extinguished. Xiao Chengyan led his horse, strolling leisurely across the open wilderness. The moonlight, clear as water, illuminated a faint curve at the corner of his lips.
“Her appearance seems quite docile. If it’s all an act, then she truly is a top-notch clever person. Betting her own life, we’ll see if she is genuinely docile or merely pretending.”
Ming Wenhuan hurried after him and asked anxiously, “If Wei Erniangzi would rather die herself than kill anyone… How does Marquis Xiao intend to deal with the Wei Family’s mistress and servant, and Magistrate Yang?”
How to deal with her? A young lady who doesn’t even know how to harm others—does she really need special handling? Send her back where she came from.
Xiao Chengyan instructed without turning back, “Send two men to inspect and repair the large carriage.”
Ming Wenhuan’s heart, which had been hanging high in his chest, finally settled back into place.
Under Marquis Xiao’s command, everyone was accustomed to riding fast horses. Unless injured, no one was willing to ride in a carriage.
Inspecting and repairing the carriage overnight clearly meant it was prepared for Wei Er Niang, her servant, Magistrate Yang, and others who did not ride horses tomorrow.
So, the so-called “all-death situation” Marquis Xiao arranged tonight was merely a test of character.
If Wei Erniangzi had firmly refused to kill, she would have instead opened the door to survival…
A relaxed, relieved smile appeared on Ming Wenhuan’s face.
Knowing when to stop, he prepared to take his leave. “It’s late, Marquis Xiao. You should rest early. Your subordinate will also—”
“Wait.” Xiao Chengyan walked ahead, bringing it up casually as if making conversation:
“Mr. Ming, you’ve been offering quite a few admonitions lately. Last time, you advised me not to burn the mountains; this time, you advised me not to kill an imperial official. Is it more out of public duty, or personal interest?”
Ming Wenhuan was taken aback. A life-or-death question?
Xiao Chengyan leisurely led his horse forward at a slow pace, tossing out a second question in the night breeze.
“Mr. Ming, you were flustered. Clearly afraid of this marquis, yet you still risked speaking up to admonish. What was your intention in admonishing? To salvage this marquis’s reputation? For the welfare of the local people? Out of pity for the young woman’s life? Or for Mr. Ming’s own future plans?”
Ming Wenhuan: “…” Very well, here comes the second life-or-death question.
Those who could follow Xiao Chengyan long-term as advisors naturally had their own skills.
Ming Wenhuan’s lips twitched a few times before he spoke bluntly.
“When Marquis Xiao forcibly kept this subordinate back then, didn’t you say I would only serve as a field medic, responsible solely for treating injuries and illnesses?”
“How did I end up with piles of troublesome matters dumped on me afterward? How did I become Marquis Xiao’s strategist? This subordinate never wanted to be a strategist!”
Xiao Chengyan stopped and laughed heartily.
Turning around, he cupped his hands in a salute. “My apologies for troubling you, Mr. Ming. Go back and rest.” With a smile still on his lips, he continued leading his horse for a stroll.
Ming Wenhuan steeled himself and shouted from behind, “Marquis Xiao, hear me out! The Wei Family’s Second Miss and Magistrate Yang have not committed any capital offenses. Let them go! And when searching for the young lady who saved you, please stop making jokes like ‘eating maiden’s flesh’ in public!”
Xiao Chengyan scoffed, waving a hand dismissively behind him.
“Just an offhand joke. It won’t hinder the search.”
Daybreak arrived.
Nan Yang woke up and rose from sleep. The early autumn weather was cool in the morning and evening, leaving her feeling refreshed and energetic, with all weariness swept away.
Grandma sat beside her, looking at her with a mix of worry and relief.
Magistrate Yang sat opposite, staring at her expressionlessly.
Nan Yang gratefully returned the outer garment to Grandma.
Excellent. Everyone was still alive after a night’s sleep. Truly something to celebrate.
As soon as she moved her hand slightly, clatter—a gleaming dagger slipped to the ground.
The crisp sound of the dagger hitting the ground seemed like a signal, or like the drumbeat announcing the start of a battle between two armies. Several sturdy personal guards approached with swords drawn, radiating killing intent.
Two more cold steel blades were placed against Grandma and Magistrate Yang’s necks.
“Day has broken. Wei Erniangzi, have you made your decision?”
The leading officer coldly reminded her, “If Magistrate Yang doesn’t die, you and your Wei Family servant will be sent to the underworld.”
Nan Yang: “…” Waking up to find this matter still unresolved.
Magistrate Yang: “…”