The next day at mid-morning.
The storm on the river had dissipated, with only occasional light rain falling from the sky. The boatmen worked together to hoist the sails, and everyone continued their journey.
After washing up, Lian Yue walked onto the deck and noticed that everyone on board had begun maintaining strict security.
Shao Qing handed her a flatbread, explaining: “Traveling by water is faster than by land, but we can’t avoid encountering river bandits. They particularly like to raid ships right after storms.”
Lian Yue accepted the bread: “Thank you.”
He asked: “Aren’t you curious why?”
Lian Yue: “Why?”
Shao Qing explained: “Probably because the bandits think that after dealing with emergencies on the river, the boatmen’s tense nerves will relax, making them less vigilant. Attacking at such times makes it easier to succeed.”
The young woman looked at the river, noticing the surrounding area was empty and very quiet: “Would river bandits really come out to rob in such cold weather?”
Shao Qing: “Not sure. But staying alert is never wrong.”
Lian Yue ate her bread without saying more.
She hated bandits most of all.
Since she had promised yesterday to play chess with Yuan Jing, after finishing her bread, Lian Yue went with Shao Qing to find him in his room.
Yuan Jing was reading bamboo slips, dressed in white robes with wide sleeves and hem. His ink-black hair cascaded over his shoulders, creating a handsome picture.
Hearing knocking at the door, he calmly looked up, placed the bamboo slips beside the desk, and said in an unhurried tone: “How did you two end up coming together?”
Shao Qing said: “The boat’s only this big. Running into each other is perfectly normal.”
Yuan Jing nodded: “Have a seat.”
He then turned to his servant and instructed: “Bring a pot of hot tea.”
Servant: “Yes.”
Lian Yue lifted her robe and sat to one side, facing the window where she could gaze at the distant mountains.
“She said she wanted to play chess with you, so I tagged along,” Shao Qing said with some dissatisfaction. “I personally think my chess skills, while not masterful, can occasionally win a game. But yesterday I didn’t win a single match. I want to see who wins when you two play – it can’t possibly be that I’m just that bad.”
Whatever Lian Yue might say now seemed inappropriate, so she simply remained silent and smiled instead.
Yuan Jing glanced at the young woman, noticing her bowed head with a strand of hair falling beside her fair cheek, her overall demeanor appearing harmless.
He said: “We’ll know after we play.”
As he spoke, Yuan Jing set up the chessboard: “Since we have nothing else to do now, how about a game?”
Lian Yue didn’t decline: “I did promise yesterday to play chess with Young Master Yuan to pass the time.”
After two games, they each won one.
Seeing Yuan Jing win, Shao Qing crossed his arms and sighed: “How did you win? It seems my chess skills really are the worst here.”
Yuan Jing said: “Good that you know.”
As he finished speaking, the boat suddenly shook with a loud crash.
Lian Yue steadied herself against the desk, her ears catching the commotion outside followed by the sound of clashing weapons.
Shao Qing frowned: “Damn.”
He grabbed his sword nearby, leaned out the window to look, and told Yuan Jing: “River bandits, A Jing. You protect Moon Consort. I’ll deal with them.”
Yuan Jing nodded: “Go ahead.”
When Lian Yue heard the words “river bandits,” a flash of disgust crossed her eyes, though she hid it well.
Yuan Jing retrieved a dagger from the room and handed it to her. “For self-defense when necessary.”
Lian Yue didn’t refuse, accepting the dagger into her hand.
After strapping on his own sword, Yuan Jing encountered a shirtless river bandit bursting into the room, whom he swiftly dispatched with a single strike, blood splattering across the floor.
The thick metallic scent of blood filled the air.
He shielded her behind him. “Stay close.”
Lian Yue nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
Upon exiting the room, they discovered the ship’s hull had been shattered, the vessel slowly sinking. On the deck, the fighting intensified. Any river bandits foolish enough to approach Yuan Jing met their end beneath his sharp blade before they could even get near.
Blood.
The river surface was stained crimson.
He turned back to ask, “Can you swim?”
Lian Yue shook her head. “It’s been a long time since I last swam. I’m not sure if I can manage alone.”
Yuan Jing said, “This ship is about to sink. Once you’re in the water, don’t struggle. I’ll follow right behind to protect you and guide you to shore.”
“Alright.”
Staring at the dark river waters, Lian Yue’s heart pounded. She glanced back at the composed young man and resolved not to burden him. Taking a deep breath with closed eyes, she plunged straight into the water with a splash.
“Plop—”
The winter river was bitterly cold, its embrace sending uncontrollable shivers through her body.
Yet prolonged exposure to cold water gradually warms the body. She focused on slowing her breathing, keeping herself afloat.
The river now carried drifting dismembered limbs. Without warning, a thick fog had risen. Combined with the river’s natural breadth in this section, visibility became severely limited, making it easy to lose direction.
Lian Yue remained expressionless.
Soon, she heard splashing and gripped her dagger tighter while turning—only to release a sigh of relief upon recognizing Yuan Jing.
Yuan Jing instructed, “Hold onto my sleeve. I’ll lead you ashore.”
Obediently, Lian Yue’s reddened fingers clutched his sleeve as she followed behind him.
They encountered more river bandits in the water, but these were easily eliminated by Yuan Jing.
Brushing aside a floating severed arm, Lian Yue stared at his broad back and suddenly asked, “Young Master Yuan, are they genuine river bandits or assassins disguised as such?”
Yuan Jing remained calm. “Why do you ask?”
She explained, “If these were ordinary river bandits robbing a ship, now that the vessel is sinking, they should be salvaging cargo instead of pursuing us. That seems rather peculiar.”
Yuan Jing turned to look at her.
Lian Yue was completely drenched, wet hair dripping at her temples, her face pale yet flushed from cold, but her eyes held a trace of irony.
He replied, “Even river bandits take on side jobs occasionally. Nothing unusual.”
Lian Yue lowered her gaze, voice slightly hoarse. “I’m sorry. If you hadn’t brought me along, perhaps this wouldn’t have happened.”
Three times now.
It’s becoming unbearable.
Yuan Jing said, “When I promised A Quan to ensure your safety, I already anticipated this situation. There’s no need for guilt.”
After swimming for quarter of an hour across the river, they reached the bank. Lian Yue dragged her soaked, heavy garments ashore.
Wringing water from her sleeves, she asked, “Young Master Yuan, what about Diviner Shao and the others?”
Yuan Jing answered, “His martial skills are excellent. He’ll be fine.”
Lian Yue: “Oh.”
The cold hadn’t been as noticeable in the water, but emerging into the riverside wind made her feel like a frozen icicle. Her teeth chattered uncontrollably.
A light drizzle continued to fall—truly, heaven showed no mercy.
Yet Yuan Jing, who was clearly drenched from head to toe and standing in the cold wind, seemed completely unaffected—truly admirable.
He lowered his gaze, extended his hand, and said, “Hold my hand.”
Lian Yue let out a confused “Ah?” and looked up to see his serious expression, which showed no sign of jest. Tentatively, she placed her hand in his.
Yuan Jing grasped her hand, and immediately, a warm current flowed along her arm and spread throughout her body. In no time, she felt warm all over.
Puzzled, she asked, “What is this?”
Yuan Jing explained, “It’s inner force.”
Huh?
Aha?
No way, no way! Why hadn’t she heard of this after being here for so long? Was the information barrier really that huge? It felt no less shocking than Columbus discovering the New World!
Lian Yue was stunned by his words, but then it occurred to her: the dynasty she had transmigrated into wasn’t recorded in any history she knew. Though the language and culture bore traces of Chinese civilization, giving her a sense of familiarity that helped her quickly learn the local tongue, aside from the production level and political climate reminding her of the Han and Wei dynasties, she was largely ignorant about many aspects of this world.
So.
Lian Yue had to admit that, at this moment, she truly lacked knowledge.
Moreover, the concept of inner force and qigong wasn’t entirely baseless. She had heard of it before her transmigration, though she had dismissed it as mere boasting or deception. Who knew it was real?
How marvelous.
The young woman lowered her gaze, studying his well-defined hand, and cautiously asked, “Do all martial artists possess inner force?”
But in the half-year she had been here, she hadn’t sensed any inner force in the soldiers around her. They just seemed stronger than ordinary people and skilled in lethal techniques.
The only ones she had seen with extraordinary martial prowess were Lu Xun and Gu Quan.
That was also why, when she had relied on Lu Xun before, she never imagined he would die so easily.
Yuan Jing didn’t hide the truth: “Ordinary people don’t have access to it.”
Lian Yue looked down. “I see Wu County Governor as a local hero. As his daughter, why doesn’t Madam Wu seem skilled in martial arts?”
Hearing this, he replied coldly, “Perhaps because this world does not permit women to practice martial arts.”
Lian Yue was puzzled. “Why?”
Yuan Jing looked at her. “It would shake the foundations of the dynasty.”
Lian Yue asked no more.
In this era, where men held the power, rules were naturally made by men. In Lian Yue’s view, they forbade women from learning martial arts simply because they feared women’s fists would become as strong as men’s, worried that women’s strength would threaten their rule.
Of course, setting aside grand principles and focusing on personal grudges, the fact that Madam Wu wasn’t skilled in martial arts did relieve her, especially since the other woman wanted her dead.
She changed the subject and followed Yuan Jing, asking, “Where are we going now?”
Yuan Jing said, “First, we find shelter from the rain.”
After walking for about half an hour, they found a hunter’s cabin on the mountain. Inside were firewood and flint, but it appeared no one had been there for a long time. Cobwebs draped from the beams, dust was everywhere, and the cabin seemed abandoned.
Lian Yue’s clothes were still wet, so she quickly cleared a clean spot and built a fire to warm herself.
Outside, the rain continued relentlessly, and the air was bitterly cold. Merely warming herself by the fire couldn’t drive away the chill—it was nowhere near as effective as Yuan Jing’s inner force.
She was too embarrassed to take off her clothes to dry them, so she endured the discomfort until her head began to spin, her cheeks grew hot, and she nearly toppled into the fire.
The back of her collar was grabbed, and the back of a hand pressed against her forehead. A deep voice remarked, “You have a fever.”
Lian Yue looked up at Yuan Jing. “Probably.”
With that, she collapsed into his embrace. Feeling the warmth of his chest, she sighed.
So warm.
Yuan Jing felt how light the woman in his arms was, as if she weighed nothing. He glanced down at her flushed cheek and noticed her trembling against him, his breath catching slightly.
Annoyance stirred within him.
Wasn’t seducing A Quan enough? Now she had to deliberately provoke him too? How utterly…
His expression remained cold, yet he held Lian Yue close, placing his other hand against her back to transfer his inner force to her.