At the same time, within the Qinghe County Yamen.
The air in the inner chambers was thick with the strong scent of medicinal liniment used for treating injuries from falls and blows.
Head Constable Zhao sat in a large armchair with a dark expression, one arm supported by a sling. Although the arm that Xiao Hanyuan had disjointed had been set back in place, it still throbbed with piercing pain whenever he moved it even slightly.
“Chief, regarding this injury of yours… was it really caused by that son-in-law of the Su family?”
A young constable standing nearby asked cautiously while applying fresh dressing to the wound.
“Is there any need to ask?” Head Constable Zhao gritted his teeth in pain and kicked the young man in the rear. “Be more gentle! Do you want to hurt me to death?”
Clutching his arm, he thought back to the look in that man’s eyes the night before, and couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine.
That kind of gaze was not something an ordinary martial artist could possess.
It was the fierce, menacing aura belonging only to someone who had killed before, who had seen bloodshed, and who had crawled back alive from piles of corpses.
Head Constable Zhao narrowed his eyes and shifted his gaze toward the senior constable who was polishing his weapon nearby. “Old Zhang, has your distant uncle, who serves in the Ministry of War in the capital, sent back any news lately?”
The senior constable paused what he was doing, looking somewhat surprised. “Chief, what matter are you referring to?”
“The Northern Border Army.” Head Constable Zhao spoke the three words slowly and distinctly.
Upon hearing this, the senior constable’s expression changed drastically. He hurried over and lowered his voice. “Chief, you really are incredible! I only just heard about this matter myself, and haven’t dared to spread it around yet.”
“Go on.”
“Word has it that the Prince of Zhenbei, the very man known as the War God of our Great Zhou Dynasty, was ambushed on his way back to the capital a while ago. Both he and his horse fell off a steep cliff. There has been no sign of him alive or dead since.” The senior constable spoke in a mysterious tone. “News has spread all over the capital that he must have perished. Right now, the Northern Border Army is being temporarily managed by his deputy general.”
Head Constable Zhao’s heart sank heavily.
“I have a distant uncle who works in the capital, and he was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of the Prince from a distance once. He said the Prince stood eight feet tall and was peerlessly handsome. Yet he carried such an icy, cold presence that people could freeze to death even if they were three streets away. It is truly a pity that he ended up in such a state…”
Head Constable Zhao instantly pictured Xiao Hanyuan’s face in his mind.
Handsome, tall, and cold as a block of ice.
And that precise, clean technique for disjointing joints…
“Did your uncle describe what the Prince looked like? Any distinguishing features?” Head Constable Zhao sat up straight, completely forgetting the pain in his arm.
“How could he see every detail clearly? He is a member of the imperial family, after all.” The senior constable scratched his head. “But I heard that the Prince was a master swordsman. And… and he was a man of few words, with a gaze that was absolutely terrifying.”
Everything matched perfectly.
Head Constable Zhao’s heart began to pound wildly in his chest.
If… if that son-in-law living with the Su family was really the missing Prince of Zhenbei…
Then hadn’t he offended a person of immense power and status…
“No, I must confirm this matter beyond doubt.” Head Constable Zhao clenched his teeth and stood up despite the pain.
“Chief, what are you planning to do?”
“Find me an artist!” Head Constable Zhao smiled coldly and sinisterly. “The very best artist available! I want to have that young man’s face painted in detail, so your uncle can take a good look and confirm his identity!”
If it turned out he wasn’t the Prince, he would make that young man suffer a fate worse than death, to avenge the injury to his arm.
But if it was really him…
Would he still be able to keep his life after offending such a powerful figure?
Over the next few days, Su Qinghe was so busy she barely had time to catch her breath.
Although the Wang family and their associates had finally quieted down, her business selling river snails in the village had to keep running. She spent her time keeping an eye on the supply of goods while also traveling to town to inspect potential storefronts.
Xiao Hanyuan was not idle either.
He built a simple furnace in a corner of the courtyard and spent all day long hammering metal with rhythmic clangs.
Villagers passing by would stop and peer inside with curiosity.
“Well, now! Has Master Xiao changed his trade and become a blacksmith?”
“You know, the way he goes about it really does look the part.”
Xiao Hanyuan paid no attention to these comments. He focused entirely on the piece of iron in his hands, his expression as concentrated as if he were carving a priceless work of art.
Every time Su Qinghe saw him like this, her heart was filled with anxiety and unease.
This man was simply too outstanding, so much so that it was impossible for him to remain hidden.
Even a pile of scrap metal, when placed in his hands, could be transformed into a weapon of extraordinary power.
“Husband, have some water.”
Su Qinghe walked over carrying a bowl of mung bean soup, and wiped the sweat from his forehead as she handed it to him.
Xiao Hanyuan paused his work, took the bowl, and drained it in one gulp.
“Have you found a suitable shop in town yet?” he asked.
“I did find one, right at the entrance to the market. The location is excellent, but the rent is a bit steep.” Su Qinghe winced at the thought of the cost. “Twenty taels of silver a month.”
“Rent it.” Xiao Hanyuan’s reply was concise and firm. “If you are short of money, I have some here.”
As he spoke, he took a cloth-wrapped bundle from his chest and handed it to her.
Su Qinghe opened it and was stunned to find fifty taels of silver inside!
She looked at him in shock and lowered her voice. “Where did you get this? You didn’t go rob a bank, did you?”
This was fifty taels!
An ordinary farming household might save money their entire lives and never see that much silver all at once. How could he, someone who spent his days chopping wood and forging iron right here in the yard, have obtained such a sum?
Xiao Hanyuan glanced at her, picked up a towel hanging around his neck, and wiped the sweat from his face. His tone was as calm as if he were merely commenting on the weather. “A few nights ago, I went up into the mountains and hunted a bear. I sold the pelt and parts.”
Su Qinghe gasped sharply in surprise.
A bear?
She looked Xiao Hanyuan up and down carefully. Seeing that he was indeed unharmed and had all his limbs intact, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Xiao Hanyuan walked over to the water vat, scooped up a ladle of water, and drank with his head tilted back. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed, while drops of water slid down his attractive, thin lips and disappeared beneath the collar of his shirt.
Su Qinghe held the silver tightly in her arms, her mind rapidly calculating her finances.
She now had enough for the shop rent. Twenty taels a month, and while she might be a little short for paying the first month plus a security deposit, that was a minor issue. Once the shop was open for business, revenue would naturally start coming in.
The most important thing was —
She touched the hard silver ingot tucked inside her clothing, her heartbeat quickening.
With this sum added to what she already had on hand, she was getting very close to the one hundred taels she needed to redeem that black jade ring!
Thinking of this, Su Qinghe’s dark, almond-shaped eyes sparkled brightly, and the corners of her lips turned upward in a wide smile.
“Husband!”
She slapped the silver down onto the table, wrapped her arms around Xiao Hanyuan’s, and swayed it gently. She looked up at him with her fair, delicate face, her eyes curved like crescent moons, clear and bright, filled with shimmering light that shone with astonishing brilliance. “With this money, we can finally open our shop! You are truly amazing!”
That smile was dazzlingly bright, like the fierce sun at high noon, shining straight into the deepest part of his heart.
The fingers holding the water ladle tightened slightly.
He looked down at her.
When she smiled, two shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks. A speck of flour, left over from cooking earlier, still dusted the tip of her nose. Her whole being radiated a vibrant, lively energy.
“What is it?” Seeing him remain silent, Su Qinghe waved a hand in front of his face. “Are you so happy you’ve been struck dumb?”
Xiao Hanyuan recovered his senses. His gaze lingered on her smiling face for a brief moment before he turned away, looking somewhat flustered.
“Nothing.”
He put down the ladle. “I will go prepare the meal.”
“Let me do the cooking! You go and rest.” Su Qinghe stepped ahead of him, walking lightly toward the kitchen.
Watching that slender figure dressed in pale purple hum a tune and disappear into the kitchen, the veins on the back of Xiao Hanyuan’s hand gripping the axe handle bulged slightly.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm the strange restlessness rising in his chest.
For a split second just now…
He had actually thought that spending a lifetime with her wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all.
…
Early the next morning, Su Qinghe went straight to the pawnshop in town.
“Shopkeeper, I’m here to redeem an item.”
The shopkeeper was an elderly man with a goatee. He slowly adjusted the spectacles resting on the bridge of his nose. “Redeem what exactly?”
“A black jade ring I pawned here six months ago.” Su Qinghe recited the number listed on the original pawn ticket.
The shopkeeper flipped through his account books and looked up at her. “The person who pawned that item wasn’t you, was it? I remember it was a rather plump woman who came in…”
“It was me. I’ve simply lost a lot of weight since then.” Su Qinghe replied with a beaming smile.
Well, you really have changed beyond recognition! The shopkeeper stared at Su Qinghe with wide eyes. In just half a year, you look like a completely different person!
That’s true, Su Qinghe replied with a soft laugh. Sir, could you please check if the ring is still there?
Oh, you mean that ring. That’s a rare and precious item. Just the other day, a distinguished customer took a fancy to it and offered a high price to buy it, the shopkeeper said, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Su Qinghe’s heart sank.
This was him trying to drive up the price.
That ring had been treated as an unredeemable item under the terms of the pawn. According to the rules of the trade, the pawnshop had the right to sell it.
If it had truly been sold to someone else, then once Xiao Hanyuan recovered his memories, the very first person he would execute would be her — the one responsible for losing such an important token.
Su Qinghe pinched her thigh hard to summon tears. She blinked, her eyes turning red and watery, and spoke in a soft, choking voice. Sir! Please, I beg you, do not sell it…
This was the only keepsake my mother left me before she passed away… Just before she died, she held my hands and repeatedly told me that this ring would bless me with many children, good fortune, and peace for my family and home.
I was only forced to pawn it back then because I had absolutely no food left in the house. I did it out of desperation, just so I could buy medicine for my husband. All this time, I’ve lived on nothing but bran and wild vegetables, saving every single copper coin day and night, just so I could come back and redeem it.
Tears rolled down her fair, delicate cheeks like pearls falling from a broken string. Her long, curled eyelashes fluttered gently as she looked at the shopkeeper through a mist of tears, looking utterly heartbroken and pitiful.
Ah, now see here… The shopkeeper was momentarily at a loss for what to do.
Last night, my mother came to me in a dream. She said her spirit had already settled within that ring. If I don’t bring it back where it belongs, she will haunt this place and bring unrest to everyone living here… Sir, I beg you to have a heart and let me redeem it!
Upon hearing those last words, a chill inexplicably ran down the shopkeeper’s spine.
People in his line of work were always most superstitious and fearful of such talk about ghosts and spirits.
The shopkeeper wore a troubled expression. I have already accepted a deposit for this ring. The other party offered one hundred taels of silver. If you can offer a higher price than one hundred taels…
I offer one hundred and one taels.
Su Qinghe took out another silver ingot from her clothing — money she had specially exchanged at the bank just moments before.
Here is one hundred and one taels. Surely this shows my sincerity is more than sufficient?
The shopkeeper looked at the gleaming silver on the counter, his face breaking into a wide, greedy smile.
He never expected she could actually come up with the money.
Since the money was right here in front of him, he might as well give it to her.
After all, he would make a profit either way.
Very well, very well. I’ll let you have it out of respect for your great filial piety.
The shopkeeper swept the silver into a drawer, then turned and walked toward the storeroom at the back.
A moment later, the black jade ring was placed on the counter.
Su Qinghe’s eyes lit up instantly, and she quickly picked it up with both hands.
The surface felt smooth and warm to the touch. On the inner band, there was indeed carved an intricate, ancient totem resembling a roaring kirin.
This was it!
The heavy weight that had been resting on Su Qinghe’s heart finally lifted. She carefully tucked the ring inside her clothes, holding it close against her body. After thanking the shopkeeper profusely again and again, she left the pawnshop with a light, happy step.
Once out of the Golden Jade Pavilion, Su Qinghe went to check on the shop she had taken a liking to earlier.
It was located at the eastern end of the market — a two-story building with a backyard.
The front section could be used for business, selling snail rice noodles and ironware. The backyard was spacious enough for living quarters and for use as a storeroom. It was a hundred times better than the broken-down thatched hut she lived in now.
However, the owner was adamant about selling it for three hundred taels of silver. If she wanted to rent it, it would still cost forty taels a year.
Su Qinghe patted her now much lighter money pouch and sighed.
I’ll just have to keep earning more.
But as long as she held onto this token belonging to that formidable man, she had her life preserver. She could take her time with making more money.
By the time she returned to Qinghe Village, the sun was already sinking toward the west.
Even before reaching the village entrance, she could hear loud commotion ahead, as if things had completely erupted into chaos.
Good heavens! That creature is so huge, it must have turned into a spirit or monster!
Master Xiao always looks so gentle and refined. How can he possess such immense strength?
Those tusks are almost as long as my arm. If it had charged at someone, it would have run them right through!
Su Qinghe’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly pushed through the crowd and squeezed inside.
There, right at the entrance to her courtyard, stood Xiao Hanyuan. He was holding a long, blood-dripping sword upright with one hand. At his feet lay what looked like a small, dark mountain.
It was a massive wild boar, easily weighing between four hundred and five hundred pounds.
Its tusks were sharp and white, its fur standing stiff like steel needles. Though it was already dead, the sheer ferocity of the beast still kept people from daring to get too close.
The short coat Xiao Hanyuan was wearing had been torn in several places, revealing his firm, muscular body beneath. A few spots of blood had splattered onto his face, making him look even more intimidating and fierce than the boar itself.
Husband!
Su Qinghe cried out in alarm. She rushed over in a few quick strides and began patting and checking his body all over.
Are you hurt anywhere? Where does it hurt? Let me see quickly!
Xiao Hanyuan stiffened slightly. He caught her small hands as they were groping all over his chest.
I am unharmed, he said, looking down at her. The fierce glint in his eyes faded, leaving only gentle warmth. All the blood you see belongs to the boar.
Su Qinghe finally breathed a sigh of relief. She then turned her gaze toward the enormous creature on the ground, her dark, shimmering almond-shaped eyes shining brightly.
Such a huge pig! Just think of how much meat there is here!
She circled the boar twice, feeling her mouth begin to water.
This hide is thick and tough, perfect for making you a pair of boots. The meat is nicely marbled with fat and lean. We’ll keep half to cure into bacon, and smoke the other half. And with the rest, we can make red-braised pork, twice-cooked pork, steamed pork with rice flour…
She counted off dish names on her fingers, looking like a complete glutton. Seeing her like this, the corners of Xiao Hanyuan’s lips unconsciously curved upward.
The villagers around them swallowed hard as they listened, their eyes turning red with envy.
In these times, meat was a precious luxury. How many families could afford to eat it even a few times a year?
This single boar belonging to the Xiao family would be enough to feed the entire village for several meals.
Uncles, aunts, and everyone! Su Qinghe straightened up and smiled broadly, cupping her hands in greeting to the crowd. Today, my husband hunted such a magnificent beast. This is a joyous occasion for our whole village. In a little while, once we’ve dressed it, every household will receive a bowl of blood curd to enjoy and celebrate!
Cheers immediately erupted from the crowd.
Madam Su is truly generous!
Master Xiao possesses such incredible skill!
Wonderful! We get to share in the good fortune too!
Once the crowd of onlookers had dispersed, Su Qinghe directed Xiao Hanyuan to drag the boar into the courtyard.
Husband, you start butchering and preparing the boar first. I’ll go heat up some water, Su Qinghe said, rolling up her sleeves and heading toward the kitchen.
Wait a moment.
Xiao Hanyuan called her to stop. He thrust the sword he was holding deep into the ground.