The foliage grew thick within the mountain woods, and Jiang Yue had not traveled far before the light began to fail.
Having made this trip several times now, the path was familiar, yet halfway through her journey, she caught the metallic tang of blood in the air. It was a scent that whispered of danger—far different from the musk of the wild boars she usually hunted. Jiang Yue’s brow twitched as she sharpened her senses. She advanced cautiously, step by step, until she stumbled upon a grim scene: bodies clad in black lay strewn across the forest floor in every direction.
A dozen men, all dead. Their bodies were riddled with sword wounds, each strike delivered with lethal precision. The thick scent of gore emanated from these fresh gashes.
Evidence of a fierce struggle surrounded the corpses. Jiang Yue frowned; her boxing skills were no match for the art of killing with cold steel.
This is no place to linger, she thought.
She turned to slip back into the deeper woods, but she had only taken a few steps when a low, hoarse voice drifted from behind a massive tree.
“A young lady heading into the mountains alone… are you hunting?”
Jiang Yue gripped her bow, aiming it warily toward the tree. “That is none of your business.”
“Don’t be nervous, little girl. I mean no harm. Might I trouble you for a small favor?”
Jiang Yue cursed silently. She had likely been in his sights for some time. Human hearts were far more unpredictable than wild beasts, and while her hunting could sustain her family, she wasn’t about to let misplaced kindness land her in a deadly predicament.
Retreating step by step with her bow drawn, she said, “I can’t help you. And I won’t say a word about anything I’ve seen here.”
The man remained hidden behind the trunk. The fact that he was pleading for help without showing his face suggested he was wounded.
“Little girl,” the voice drifted out again, faint and haunting, “saving a life is worth more than building a seven-story pagoda.”
Jiang Yue arched an eyebrow. From the sound of it, the man was badly hurt—not strong enough to stop her from leaving. Keeping her bow raised, she replied coldly:
“I’m just a simple village girl. I don’t understand grand philosophies. Farewell!”
“I have money. I can pay you,” the voice countered. A hand reached out from behind the tree, a bright, shimmering piece of silver resting in the palm.
Jiang Yue paused. Her mind shifted gears; getting paid was a different story entirely.
Stopping her retreat, she called out cautiously, “Throw your weapon out first.”
“Hmm?”
“What if you’re a villain? If I save you and you use that weapon to kill me, what then?”
The man gave a soft, hollow chuckle. “And if I disarm myself, what’s to stop you from taking the money and finishing me off?”
Jiang Yue shrugged. “Since you don’t trust me, I’ll be going.”
She made a show of turning to leave.
The man behind the tree sighed and tossed a sword into the dirt. He held up the silver again. “There. My life is in your hands now, Miss.”
Jiang Yue let out a faint smile and took the silver. As her fingers brushed his palm, she noted it was ice-cold; he was clearly fading. Wasting no more time, she picked up his sword and rounded the tree to stand before him.
Night had begun to fall. A crescent moon hung quietly in the sky, casting fragmented beams of light through the canopy. Jiang Yue looked down at the man leaning against the trunk. His breathing was shallow, his eyes lifting to meet hers.
“Are there others in these woods trying to kill you?” she asked.
He shook his head weakly. “No. They’re all dead.”
Relieved that it was safe to start a fire, Jiang Yue gathered a pile of dry twigs and struck a flame. As the light flickered to life, she finally got a good look at him.
He was gravely injured. His pale robes were soaked through with blood, leaving him in a wretched state. Blood still seeped from his deeper wounds, leaving his face ghost-white. Yet, even in this state, Jiang Yue couldn’t help but marvel—the man was strikingly handsome.
He possessed a refined beauty, like a refreshing breeze across a summer field.
Jiang Yue arched an eyebrow. “You’re actually quite good-looking. It would be a pity if you died out here in the mountains.”
He offered a weak smile, a strange glint dancing in his eyes. “Am I being flirted with by a little country girl?”
One look in his eyes told Jiang Yue everything she needed to know: this man was deep. He was far more calculating than his calm, harmless exterior suggested.
“Since you’re so handsome, shouldn’t you pay extra?” she asked.
“My life is already in your hands, Miss,” he replied smoothly. “Where would I find anything more?”
Jiang Yue dropped the subject. The silver ingot she had already taken was worth ten taels—far more than the game she had stored in her cave. She wasn’t losing out on this deal.
By the flickering light of the fire, she searched the nearby brush for herbs. Thanks to the many times her eldest brother had applied medicine to her own wounds, she recognized the blood-stanching herbs immediately. She plucked a handful, chewed them into a pulp, and slapped the poultice directly onto his bleeding gashes.
The man watched her intently. Her movements were rough, yet her expression remained composed. Her face was thin and weathered, carrying a sense of calm that didn’t quite match her age.
Jiang Yue ignored his gaze. Her hands moved nimbly, providing basic treatment to every visible wound. Finally, she stood. “Once the bleeding stops, you can leave.”
With that, she slung her bow over her shoulder, preparing to depart.
“I can’t walk in this condition,” the man called out.
Jiang Yue didn’t break her stride. “Then that’s none of my concern.”
“Hey,” he said, his voice trailing her. “You took my money and now you’re just leaving? Where is your conscience?”
Jiang Yue turned back, unimpressed. “You paid me to save you, but you didn’t pay for a mountain escort, and you certainly didn’t pay for a meal. I’ve treated what needed treating. What more do you want?”
The man was silent for a moment. “I have a pouch of gold beads.”
Jiang Yue paused. A bright smile instantly broke across her face. “Honestly, you should have said so earlier.”
Only a fool would walk away from easy money.
She marched back to him and held out her hand. “Pay up.”
The man didn’t move. “The gold is in my vest,” he said softly. “If you want it, come and get it.” He wanted to see just how bold this ten-year-old girl really was.
Without a hint of hesitation, Jiang Yue leaned over and began searching for him. Sure enough, she pulled out a silk pouch. It felt heavy in her hand. She opened it by the firelight; inside, ten gold beads shimmered beautifully.
Watching her blatant greed, the man thought to himself that the girl was remarkably uncouth and lacked even a shred of politeness. He decided to tease her further. “I have more. Do you want it?”
“Where?” she asked. No one ever complained about having too much money.
Her hands roamed over him again, rummaging through his sleeves. She accidentally brushed against a fresh wound, causing the man to hiss through his teeth.
“No more, no more! Those gold beads are enough,” he gasped. “Consider them payment for you to take me down the mountain and provide some food and lodging.”
Jiang Yue stopped searching, her eyes landing on a jade pendant hanging from his waist. She untied it immediately. “I see there’s still this. This will do for the food.”
The jade was smooth and flawless, a pure white stone engraved with a single character in blue: Ya.
“What’s this scribble supposed to be?” she asked. She wondered if a piece of jade with a random name carved on it was still worth anything in this world.
The man nodded. “That isn’t a scribble, Miss. It’s the character for ‘Cliff.’ What is your name?”
Jiang Yue decided it was better if he thought she was illiterate. She curled her lip. “What does my name have to do with you?”
Seeing how she couldn’t seem to put the jade down, he teased, “That pendant was intended as a betrothal gift for my future wife. Does Miss intend to be my bride?”
Jiang Yue choked on her breath. She threw the pendant back into his lap. “Who wants to be your bride?!”