After Lu Zhidao went out, Chu Ning curled up by the campfire and took a nap.
It wasn’t until the sky was bright that she struggled to sit up.
The bonfire had gradually died out, but the morning sunlight was already shining into the mouth of the cave, and the interior no longer felt as damp and cold as it did during the night.
Chu Ning sat on the ground blankly, holding her small bamboo tube. She remained in a daze for a long time; it felt as though she had been woken by Lu Zhidao in a dream, yet also as if she were still dreaming.
How could someone wake another person up specifically just to say, “I am going outside the cave to practice my sword”?!
Did even this require an explanation?
Having finally regained her senses, Chu Ning stood up and walked out of the cave. Sure enough, Lu Zhidao was in the open space not far from the entrance, focused intently on her sword practice.
The long sword was like a beam of light; her strikes had the force of thunder, while her parries were as steady as light reflecting off a still lake. With a light flick of her wrist, the blade turned, the glinting steel flying in all directions following her silhouette.
At first glance, she looked domineering and unapproachable.
But upon closer inspection, beneath that sharp sword intent, one could see her crimson lips and vermilion sleeves.
Clad in the glow of the morning dawn, Lu Zhidao’s robes fluttered elegantly.
Chu Ning actually felt that the scene before her shouldn’t be called “practicing the sword,” but rather “dancing with the sword.”
Seeing Chu Ning come out, Lu Zhidao finished her set and stopped. She practiced sheathing her sword skillfully and walked over to Chu Ning, fine beads of sweat visible on her forehead.
“This should be accompanied by a tune of Guangling San,” Chu Ning teased playfully.
“What?”
“Nothing. Now that you’ve finished practicing, we can set off.”
“Okay. I am entering the cave.” Lu Zhidao remembered that everything needed an explanation, so she deliberately added those four words to tell Chu Ning she was going back inside.
Chu Ning smiled helplessly and waited outside.
She saw Lu Zhidao fetch water to completely extinguish the fire. Then, Lu Zhidao took her outer robe, draped it over her arm, and walked out of the cave.
“Let’s go.”
The two maintained a polite distance as they walked side by side.
They had to visit a market. Firstly, all their personal belongings had been lost and needed replacing. Secondly, Lu Zhidao planned to enter the capital by water; going to the pier to catch a boat required passing through the market.
This was Lu Zhidao’s plan. Chu Ning, on the other hand, was completely in the dark, following Lu Zhidao aimlessly.
They walked in silence. Chu Ning didn’t speak, and for Lu Zhidao to initiate a conversation was harder than climbing to heaven.
“Lu Zhidao,” Chu Ning finally couldn’t hold back and called her name.
“Mm.”
“This morning… was I mean to you?”
“It was alright.”
“I didn’t do it on purpose. I wasn’t fully awake.”
“Okay.”
Chu Ning glanced at her with dissatisfaction. No matter what she said to this woman, it felt like she was being sentimental for nothing.
Chu Ning pursed her lips and explained, “When you go out to practice your sword in the morning, you don’t need to tell me. Just now, when you entered the cave, you didn’t need to say anything either.”
“Why?”
Chu Ning was actually stumped. She didn’t know how to explain, because only the day before she had requested that Lu Zhidao give an account of everything.
But Chu Ning couldn’t understand—wasn’t it common sense to know what needs explaining and what doesn’t?
She didn’t know if this person was truly dim-witted or intentionally making trouble. She had many questions she wanted to ask, but now she didn’t want to say a single word.
She gave her a side-eye and quickened her pace.
Lu Zhidao had no choice but to catch up. She looked down at Chu Ning, who was half a head shorter than her, pursed her lips, and remained silent.
Chu Ning, however, walked faster and faster.
One walked ahead in a huff; the other followed behind like a block of wood.
Suddenly, Chu Ning came to a screeching halt. A fork in the road was ahead of them.
Chu Ning puffed out her cheeks and looked up at Lu Zhidao.
“This way.” Lu Zhidao pointed blankly to one of the paths.
Chu Ning let out a forceful “Oh!” and marched ahead again.
After a long silence, Chu Ning, who couldn’t stand this eerie quiet, finally turned around to face Lu Zhidao.
With a dark expression, she asked, “Are you always like this?”
“Like what?”
Chu Ning exhaled a long sigh and replied patiently, “Not speaking. Understanding nothing.”
Lu Zhidao stared at her blankly. Her right fingers, which had been resting on the sword hilt, lightly rubbed the handle.
“If it’s not a question, you just won’t speak, is that it?!” Chu Ning questioned angrily.
Feeling uncomfortable under the gaze, Lu Zhidao looked past Chu Ning toward the distance and replied in a flat tone:
“No.”
The more she talked to her, the more Chu Ning felt like she was going crazy. She felt like she was punching cotton; using even a bit of emotion while talking to her felt like a waste.
“You, right now…” Chu Ning swung her hands forcefully, “Every sentence you say must be over ten words!”
“Say what?”
“Anything! Hurry up!” Chu Ning glared at her.
Lu Zhidao looked away awkwardly. After a long time, she squeezed out: “I am ordered to escort you to the capital.”
“I am ordered to escort you to the capital…” Chu Ning counted the characters on her fingers. “That’s only nine words. This one doesn’t count.”
But no matter how much she struggled, Lu Zhidao couldn’t squeeze out any more. Her right hand rubbed the hilt back and forth, her thumb pushing the blade out slightly before pressing it back in, repeating this several times.
Seeing a trace of embarrassment in her eyes, Chu Ning actually felt a bit of pity. Even though this woman was a skilled martial artist who could beat ten versions of her in a fight, now that she was being interrogated, her shifting gaze made it look like Chu Ning was the one bullying her.
If she were just a block of wood that was completely indifferent, that would be one thing, but she turned out to be a block of wood that could feel embarrassed.
“Forget it…” Chu Ning softened, her head drooping as she turned to walk away. “Let’s just get to the market first.”
Lu Zhidao felt a sense of relief and quickly followed.
They remained silent for a long time, with only the occasional sound of insects by the roadside breaking the quiet.
Chu Ning made up her mind. Since Lu Zhidao had dragged and carried her like a sack of rice several times, she would simply treat her like a piece of wood.
After walking for a long while and nearing the market, she suddenly heard Lu Zhidao say softly:
“I do not understand your mind, Miss. I did not mean to anger you.”
Chu Ning turned around and looked at her, bewildered.
“Sixteen words,” Lu Zhidao said calmly.
Chu Ning bit her lip, but couldn’t help but laugh at her serious expression. She tilted her head and said fiercely on purpose:
“You’re a step too late. I already planned to treat you like a block of wood.”
“Okay.”
Chu Ning helplessly covered her forehead with her hand, but her lips curled into a beautiful arc.
How could there be such a person? She looked so difficult to approach, yet she took every word seriously. She looked like her survival skills were maxed out, yet her social skills were lagging several beats behind.
Seeing her hiding her face and laughing, Lu Zhidao’s eyes crinkled slightly, a fleeting trace of a smile passing through.
“Lu Mumu…” Note: Mumu means “Woody” or “Blockhead”
“I’m calling you, Lu Mumu.”
“Oh, I’m here.”
All along the way, Chu Ning kept calling her “Mumu.” Because one “Mu” (wood) wasn’t enough to describe her—she was more wooden than wood, so she could only be “Lu Mumu.”
She found that Lu Zhidao had a good temper; she didn’t get angry no matter what she was called.
The two walked for half a day until the crowds gradually increased. They had reached the market at the junction of Lin’an Prefecture and Jiahe Prefecture, and their stomachs were already empty.
Because this was a junction, many travelers stopped here to rest. There were many stalls selling maps, and Lu Zhidao quickly bought a suitable one.
“Do you have any dietary restrictions?” Lu Zhidao asked as she folded the map and put it away.
“No, Mumu.”
“Money is tight. We’ll eat simply.” It was a statement, but it carried a questioning tone.
In Lu Zhidao’s eyes, Chu Ning was a young lady from a refined household, unlike herself who could get by on anything.
Although an Investigating Censor was only a seventh-rank official, the duty of “inspecting on behalf of the Emperor” was not something an average person could handle. Generally, they were from scholarly backgrounds and had to be people who wouldn’t bow to the powerful. Chu Ning’s father had been the third-ranked scholar (Tanhua), proving they were a family of letters.
Despite the misfortune her family had suffered, she was still a lady with upbringing. To Lu Zhidao, no matter how strong or stubborn Chu Ning was, she always seemed a bit delicate.
That kind of manner was different from anyone Lu Zhidao had known before. She wasn’t as cold and decisive as other secret guards, nor was she as melodramatic as typical sheltered young ladies.
Lu Zhidao had been an orphan for as long as she could remember. Once, she had fought a vicious dog for half a bun and was spotted by the Vice Magistrate of Lin’an. Seeing that she was young but fierce, he thought she had potential. So, he took her in as his “foster daughter”—but that was just a title to avoid gossip. In reality, she was trained as a secret guard.
From then on, she never lacked food or clothing, but she never received much affection either. Her foster father had only two requirements: complete all orders on time and maintain absolute loyalty.
Originally, she thought she would just escort Chu Ning to the capital and be done with it. But now that only the two of them were left, Lu Zhidao felt she had to take on more responsibility.
Therefore, she yielded to her, whether consciously or not—not just because she was ordered to, but because she simply didn’t know how else to get along with her.
Lu Zhidao found a restaurant by the road. She thought that someone like Chu Ning couldn’t eat too casually; at worst, they would just order fewer dishes.
Just as she was about to step in, Chu Ning pulled her back.
“Didn’t you say money is tight?” Chu Ning asked.
“Yes.”
“Then why are you going into a restaurant?”
Just as she was thinking of how to answer, she saw Chu Ning pointing at a noodle stall by the road. “Let’s have noodles.”
The noodle stall was covered by a large sunshade. The owner was working busily, and the diners sitting there in groups of twos and threes were all dressed in rough cloth. The silk robes the two women wore looked out of place.
Seeing that Lu Zhidao didn’t refuse, Chu Ning walked over and sat down gracefully.
“Two bowls of Yangchun noodles,” Chu Ning said to the owner, holding up two fingers.
“Coming right up! Two bowls of Yangchun noodles!” the owner shouted back enthusiastically.
Lu Zhidao was slightly surprised. Over the past two days, she felt more and more that this young lady was different from others.
“Can we add an egg? Mumu,” Chu Ning leaned her head on her hand and asked softly.
“We can,” Lu Zhidao answered woodenly.
“Boss, add an egg to both bowls,” Chu Ning turned and called out.
“Sure thing, just a moment!”
After they finally sat down, Lu Zhidao took out the map, spread it on the table, and studied it seriously.
Chu Ning leaned in. “How are we traveling?”
“To the pier. Going by water is the most convenient. I checked, and we have enough for boat fare.” Lu Zhidao’s finger stopped on the map, sliding northward along the Grand Canal.
Chu Ning’s eyes followed her fingertip. Seeing it stop at North Tongzhou, she asked, “We take the boat all the way to North Tongzhou and enter the capital from there?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Chu Ning clapped her hands, looking at the map with her eyes crinkling into smiles.
“Noodles are here! Careful, they’re hot.”
Lu Zhidao quickly tucked the map away.
The Yangchun noodles were steaming hot, with fresh green onions floating on the clear broth and a poached egg nestled on the side. Though simple, it was light and refreshing. Lu Zhidao lowered her head and took large slurps. She finished it in a few bites, picked up the bowl, and drank the soup clean.
When she looked up at Chu Ning, she wasn’t even halfway finished. Chu Ning was using both a spoon and chopsticks, picking up a few strands of noodles and placing them in the spoon before bringing them to her mouth. She chewed slowly, her movements unhurried. By comparison, Lu Zhidao felt like a complete brute.
Looking at the empty bowl in front of her, Lu Zhidao scratched her head sheepishly.
“Do you want more?” Chu Ning looked up and asked.
“No,” Lu Zhidao hurried to decline. As a child, she often went hungry, so she had developed a habit of eating very fast.
“Lu Mumu…”
“Shut up!” Lu Zhidao suddenly became serious. She lowered her voice and warned, “Keep your head down and eat your noodles.”
Chu Ning froze, her spoon still mid-air. She was confused, not knowing what had happened.
Lu Zhidao spoke again, her voice stern and brook no argument, “Head down. Eat.”
Chu Ning lowered her head and silently put the noodles in her mouth. She didn’t know what had suddenly gotten into Lu Zhidao and couldn’t help but feel a bit aggrieved.
Lu Zhidao gripped her sword hilt with one hand, her peripheral vision alertly scanning three men approaching from the distance. Although they wore commoners’ clothes and looked ordinary at first glance, they were wearing the same boots—official government boots.
She scanned the surroundings further. There were several others wearing such boots, all of them looking around as if searching for someone.
One of them had what appeared to be a badge from the Provincial Surveillance Commission hanging at his waist. Lu Zhidao calculated in her mind—these people were likely there for Chu Ning.
“Go.”
Lu Zhidao threw a few copper coins on the table. She grabbed her sword with one hand and pulled Chu Ning with the other.
“I haven’t finished yet…” Chu Ning said, feeling wronged.
“Shut up.” Lu Zhidao turned back and glared at her.
Chu Ning was frightened by her fierce expression. She didn’t dare say another word and let herself be pulled along with her head down.
She didn’t know about the danger surrounding them; she only knew that Lu Zhidao had suddenly changed her face. Feeling stifled, her eyes unconsciously turned red.