Jiang Fanyin: “…”
As a County Magistrate, she actually had the gall to say she didn’t have a single person of her own in the government office?
She couldn’t help but give Song Boxue a long, searching look.
Song Boxue felt a bit embarrassed under that gaze and explained, “I’ve only been in office for a month, so I’m not very familiar with the staff yet. Does Sister Jiang have someone she trusts?”
This was entirely the original owner’s fault. During that first month, the previous Song Boxue had only thought about how to line her pockets and hadn’t done a lick of actual work. If it came down to familiarity, Advisor Zhou probably knew the bailiffs and guards better than anyone, which made them even less trustworthy.
“From here to Weitian Prefecture, if one travels quickly, a round trip could be made in four or five days.”
“Sister Jiang, are you offering to make the trip for me?”
Jiang Fanyin blinked, stunned. Is that what I meant?
The two looked at each other, falling into a temporary silence.
Song Boxue froze for a moment, then pointed at herself uncertainly. “I should go?”
It wasn’t that she couldn’t go, but if the Magistrate disappeared from the office for several days, it would surely alert their enemies.
Jiang Fanyin shook her head slightly. “It is inappropriate for you to go alone. You could send a reliable domestic servant.”
Even if there was no one in the yamen, surely there were trustworthy servants in the private residence?
To her surprise, Song Boxue came out with a shocker: “You’re right. We’ll go together.”
That way, she wouldn’t have to worry about the female lead’s safety, and having her along would make the journey feel much more secure.
Jiang Fanyin looked at her with a peculiar expression, momentarily speechless. Does she really not even have a reliable servant?
Unaware that her reaction was being scrutinized, Song Boxue continued to plot to herself: “If it’s four or five days, I’ll need a solid excuse. How about tomorrow, when we go out, I pretend to fall off the carriage and claim I need to recover from my injuries?”
Jiang Fanyin fell silent for a moment before slowly nodding, unsure of what else to say.
She had thought that after her father’s downfall, she was the only one without anyone to lean on. She hadn’t expected the person in front of her to be just as much of a lone wolf—not even a single person to trust. This County Magistrate was living far too casually.
For a moment, she actually felt a twinge of “fellow sufferers” sympathy.
Seeing her nod, Song Boxue breathed a sigh of relief. “Then it’s settled. It just so happens I wanted to visit the county school today anyway.”
The original owner had embezzled a sum of money from Scholar Li, and now that Song Boxue had been forced to “donate” that money back, she had to make sure the underlying issues were actually resolved.
Having made up her mind, Song Boxue gave Jiang Wuyi a feigned agreement.
Once Jiang Wuyi received the confirmation, he thought to himself that the “dog official” wouldn’t dare refuse him anyway, and returned to his inn.
That night, he received another secret message from Advisor Zhou: The Magistrate is inspecting the county school tomorrow.
He pulled out a map of Pingchuan County, a plan forming in his mind. He had been worrying about lacking an opportunity, and now one had dropped right into his lap. This time, he would make that corrupt official show her true colors so Yin’yin would finally see the truth.
It was early autumn, and the weather wasn’t particularly cold yet.
Since Song Boxue was planning on jumping from a carriage, she wore an extra layer of clothing. Even though her Alpha constitution was superior to an average person’s, she was worried about missing her footing and actually hurting herself. After some thought, she even strapped on some knee pads.
As the carriage rattled toward the county school, Song Boxue couldn’t help but lift the curtain to peer outside. Finding the scenery no different from the original owner’s memories, she let the curtain drop with a lack of interest.
“Pingchuan County really is sparsely populated.”
The carriage jolted again as she spoke.
“It is,” Jiang Fanyin replied. She lifted the curtain to look at the sky, where several unknown birds circled freely.
Pingchuan County sat at the border of Liuping and Jiangzhong Prefectures. Although it was technically a plain, its proximity to the sea meant nearly half the area consisted of hills, and agriculture was underdeveloped. Combined with the uneven roads, the region had grown increasingly impoverished over time.
The county school wasn’t far from the office. As the carriage came to a halt, before they could even disembark, the driver reported: “Sir, the gatekeeper says the instructors took the students out for an autumn excursion early this morning.
They have already left the city.”
The two women exchanged a look.
Jiang Fanyin couldn’t help but ask, “Did you not send someone to notify the instructors yesterday?”
Song Boxue rubbed her nose. “I forgot.”
When she had ordered the carriage last night, she had thought about sending word. But then she figured a surprise inspection would be better to see the reality of the school—who knew it would be this poorly timed?
While they were pondering their next move, the driver asked from outside, “Sir, they say the students are at the Green Pine Forest outside the city. Shall we head there?”
Because of the sandy soil near the sea, pine trees were the most common flora in Pingchuan. There was a vast stretch of them outside the city known by the locals as the “Green Pine Forest.”
“Let’s go,” Song Boxue replied. Since she had prepared so thoroughly, she didn’t want the trip to be a waste. Many things were better handled sooner rather than later; the iron ore matter couldn’t be dragged out forever, and she wanted peace of mind.
The carriage lurched forward again, heading out of the city.
“Sister Jiang, do you think I should jump out on the way there, or on the way back?”
“On the way back.”
They looked at each other and lapsed into silence again.
Song Boxue arched an eyebrow. She wasn’t exactly the type to liven up an atmosphere—in fact, she was often quite laconic—but she hadn’t expected the female lead to be just as quiet. With no one talking, the carriage was exceptionally silent, save for the constant bumping of the uneven road.
Once they left the city, there were no signs of other travelers. Song Boxue peeked out the window again; aside from barren hills and scattered pines, the place truly lived up to the definition of a “backwater hole.”
Upon reaching the pine forest, the driver waited with the carriage while the mounted guards tied their horses to the trees. The leader was the yamen’s head constable, a man named Wang.
Constable Wang cupped his fists. “Sir, the students are just inside the forest. Should we follow you in?”
He was implying that as government officers, their presence might disturb the students’ peace.
Song Boxue took the hint and was about to tell them to stay behind when she felt a tug on her sleeve.
“It is better to have two people follow us,” Jiang Fanyin whispered. Even though the students were nearby, she didn’t trust Jiang Wuyi and worried about their safety.
Song Boxue changed her mind and pointed to Constable Wang and another clever-looking young runner. “You two follow us; the rest of you stay here.”
The four of them ventured into the forest.
Although the Green Pine Forest was vast, the trees were not dense. In the distance, figures could be seen moving—likely the students from the county school.
Song Boxue and Jiang Fanyin walked side-by-side in the lead, while Constable Wang and the young runner followed a few paces behind.
As they drew closer to the students, they noticed the figures shifting toward the left, disappearing behind a low earthen slope.
Constable Wang spoke up at the opportune moment: “Sir, allow me to scout ahead and have the students wait for a moment.”
Song Boxue nodded. Constable Wang jogged up the slope and, after a short while, turned back to wave them over.
However, by the time they crested the hill, Constable Wang was nowhere to be seen.
Song Boxue focused her senses, listening to the distant footsteps. “Still ahead.”
The three of them continued deeper into the forest.
Crossing yet another slope, they finally encountered people—but it was not the students.
“M—Magistrate!” The young runner’s legs shook at the sight of a group of masked men in black suddenly blocking their path. He immediately unsheathed the saber at his waist.
Song Boxue raised a cold eyebrow, completely unfazed. If this was the “devoted” male lead’s grand plan, he might as well have stuck to poisoning her.
As a modern Alpha, she possessed the advantage of spiritual suppression over ordinary people. Taking on a dozen opponents single-handedly in this ancient world was hardly a challenge.
Before she could speak, the men in black brandished their blades in unison. Their leader growled in a low, gravelly voice, “Stay put and don’t move, or my blade won’t be merciful.”
Song Boxue glanced at the trembling runner behind her, then looked at Jiang Fanyin. “Go, now.”
“Sir.”
The runner called out but didn’t budge. Jiang Fanyin also remained rooted to the spot, staring at her with an unreadable expression.
Song Boxue frowned and snapped, “Go get help! I can hold them off; staying here will only get in my way.”
In truth, she had only manifested as an Alpha for a month and her control over her spiritual pressure was not yet refined. Because she had to concentrate on ensuring the suppression didn’t affect the two people beside her, her tone was sharp and impatient.
Jiang Fanyin bit her lip. With her father’s fate still unknown, she couldn’t afford to be captured.
She gripped the dagger hidden in her sleeve, pressed it into Song Boxue’s hand, and turned to run back with the young runner.
The leader of the black-clad men opened his mouth to shout, “Surround them! Don’t let anyone escape!”—only to find that he couldn’t even part his lips. His limbs were suddenly heavy as lead, frozen in place.
What is happening?
He tried to look back at his companions, but even his neck refused to turn.
A bizarre silence fell over the air. The leader felt a surge of horror as he realized his men were likely in the same state.
Just what kind of sorcery was this?
________________________________________
Author’s Note:
Song Boxue: It’s time to show my true strength!