Chapter 44: Escape (Part II)

Judging by his expression, it was not that the formal calling card had failed to reach him or that he was unaware of their arrival.

Rather, it seemed as though he had never intended to receive them at all...

Without a doubt, the hearts of the two women sank even further...

*******

March 11th, the anniversary of Shen Xun’s death.

Seven years had passed in the blink of an eye, and on this day every year, Yan Xi would weep for a long time.

Seven years...

She wondered how many people in this world still remembered her father...

*******

In a certain residence in Taizhou, inside a bedchamber.

A spirit tablet was placed upon a high altar, the incense burning before it now reduced to half its length.

Standing beneath it was a man in his forties, clad in a dark green brocade robe. His posture was upright and stern, with jet-black hair and a mustache.

Time had left faint, delicate lines upon his face, and his gaze was dim. The room was exceptionally quiet.

A moment later, a soft knock sounded from outside the door.

A servant opened the door, and a woman dressed in plain mourning attire was helped inside.

She was pale-faced and unadorned, her dark hair loosely pinned up. Around thirty-seven or thirty-eight years of age, she possessed a face as beautiful as an immortal.

Before the door was fully opened and before she had even stepped inside, her tears had already begun to fall.

Her maid supported her as she entered.

The man slowly stepped aside.

A servant handed her three sticks of incense.

The woman received them with both hands, her face already covered in tears. Slowly, she raised the burning incense above her brow and bowed deeply...

Outside the chamber, the scenery was lush and vibrant.

The courtyard was antique and exuded extraordinary nobility.

There were painted corridors and murals, pavilions and terraces...

Little bridges over flowing water, glazed tiles and bricks...

A swallow fluttered upward with a rustle of wings...

It crossed the hanging flower gate and the great vermilion gates, coming to rest upon the plaque outside the manor.

The two characters "Xie Residence" were gilded by the morning sun...

*******

The next day, March 12th, Yan Xi had been at the temple for four days.

Once the day passed, her grief gradually subsided.

The scheme she was plotting reclaimed her thoughts.

That evening, right after dinner, just as night began to fall, Yan Xi gave a subtle cue to Qinglian and Taohong, just as she had the previous few days.

Understanding her intent, the two maids quickly began brewing tea in the room.

Once prepared, they distributed the cups to the various chambers.

The closer the day approached, the more nervous Yan Xi became, terrified that some unexpected mishap might occur.

Another three days passed in this manner, bringing them to the seventh day.

Taking the initiative, Yan Xi did not mention it to the nine assassins, nor did she inform Mama Yan. Instead, she directly instructed A-Tai and Yun Sheng to take Qinglian and return to the Military Commissioner's Mansion under the pretext of retrieving an item for her, thereby checking on the movements within the household.

Having received the instruction in the morning, the three of them returned by the afternoon.

Upon learning of this, Jin Ye remarked, "If the Young Madam wishes to retrieve anything from the manor again, you need only inform a few of us. Riding horses back and forth would halve the travel time..."

"Ah..."

Yan Xi feigned ignorance. "I merely thought A-Tai and Yun Sheng had nothing of importance to do during the day, so I sent them off..."

Jin Ye replied, "It is of no consequence."

After all, it was nothing major; whoever went made no difference, and the matter was thus dropped.

Yan Xi naturally knew that riding horses was faster, and she also knew that those tasks were better suited for the assassins.

The problem was that she neither wanted these people nor could allow them to leave the Baohua Temple.

The young girl looked entirely ordinary, her eyes still shrouded in a misty haze like those of a startled fawn. She appeared completely innocent and harmless, delicate and tender, her gaze shifting slowly. Once the topic passed, it was over, and she smoothly transitioned to another: "I just heard Qinglian say that those two cousins from Chang'an have actually not moved into the Military Commissioner's Mansion after all. Since that is the case, three days from now, I shall return..."

Jin Ye nodded. "Whatever the Young Madam desires."

With this, the conversation came to a complete and final end.

Yan Xi appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly, she was in turmoil—heaven alone knew how terrified she was.

Long nights bring many dreams; she desperately wished to conclude this matter quickly, yet she could not help feeling deeply puzzled.

Meng Wenhui and Lin Yao'er had actually not moved into the manor.

Qinglian had hurried back and forth without managing to find out clearly; in other words, the maids in the mansion were entirely unaware of this development either.

Yan Xi had sent people back merely to see how many more days the two cousins intended to stay, so that once she knew, she would have a pretext to choose a date for her return and put her plan into motion.

Long nights bring many dreams, but since those two people were not in the mansion at all, she could initiate her return at any moment. Nothing could be more convenient.

*******

That evening after dinner, she ordered tea to be served as usual.

Lying in bed that night, she pressed her palms together in prayer, silently chanting for the Buddha to show benevolence and ensure her absolute safety.

Now, she only needed to wait three more days to completely escape that man. Under no circumstances could anything go wrong during these final three days.

However, things did not go as she wished.

On the afternoon of the eighth day, to her utter disbelief, that man arrived in person in a grand procession!

As Yan Xi walked back toward her suite, long before she even reached it, her heart began to flutter with dread.

She saw his soldiers.

Over thirty soldiers had surrounded the six suites belonging to her group, and right outside her own door stood several men.

Yan Xi knew he was inside.

With a trembling heart, flustered and panicked, she forced herself to steady her thoughts. The young girl quickened her pace, reached her room, and pushed the door open.

Sure enough, that tall, imposing figure was lying across her bed.

"The Heir? Why has the Heir come?"

Feigning composure, Yan Xi managed a smile, a trace of surprise in her voice as she walked toward him.

Lu Zhi was not asleep; as she approached, he opened his eyes, slanted his gaze to eye her through narrowed lids, and uttered a single sentence.

"When are you going back?"

Yan Xi smiled as she replied.

"I just discussed it with Mama Yan and Jin Ye yesterday. I will return on the nineteenth; there are still tomorrow and the day after."

By the time she finished speaking, she had already reached his side, squatting down beside the edge of the bed and looking up at him with her face upturned.

The beds in the temple were low.

Lu Zhi slowly rose, his deep, heavy gaze locking onto hers.

The two of them—one on the bed, the other on the floor—looked like a wild wolf staring down a little white rabbit.

In a split second, Yan Xi felt a surge of ominous foreboding. Her face flushed crimson, and before she could avert her gaze, his large hand clamped onto the back of her head. He leaned downward, drawing close to her.

"We go back now."

It was neither a discussion nor an inquiry; it was an unmistakable command.

What Yan Xi feared most was hearing those words. She gently pressed her hands against his chest, trying her best to avoid his gaze, her voice as soft as silk while her heart thumped wildly.

She knew what he wanted to do.

"No, I have already agreed with the Master. Just two days from now, I will finish studying that volume of Buddhist scriptures..."

The corners of Lu Zhi’s lips twitched. His handsome face drew even closer to hers, and he let out a wry, humorless chuckle, his voice husky:

"No matter. Then we shall do it right here."

Yan Xi felt as though her heart had nearly jumped out of her chest. Having already averted her gaze and refused to look at him, she snapped her head back and pleaded:

"No... I beg you, no..."

"This is a Buddhist temple, it is absolutely forbidden... No... No..."

She was nearly frightened out of her wits, shaking her head as she uttered a string of refusals that carried an unmistakable plea.

Knowing his temperament and character all too well—he possessed neither principles nor bottom lines, was wicked beyond measure, and seemingly held no reverence for the gods—she knew what he was capable of.

Back then, even when she was already half-considered his younger sister, he had still treated her in that manner, violating human ethics and morality.

Such a taboo act was something he dared not only to imagine, but to execute.

There was scarcely any atrocity he had not already committed.

Given what he had just said, there was every likelihood he would actually go through with it.

Yet if she returned with him now, with him constantly at her side, her carefully laid plan would be utterly ruined.

At this thought, Yan Xi grew even more frantic, shaking her head once more.

Yet she heard the man chuckle, narrowing his eyes as he spoke with utter lack of human decency: "Tsk, why do I love watching you look so shy..."

As he spoke, his fingers lightly stroked Yan Xi’s face, a bright smile playing across his features.

Yan Xi genuinely wanted to raise her hand and slap him twice, but she dared not. Now was certainly not the time to burn bridges with him.

She had no choice, and she was painfully aware of it.

At this very moment, she could only placate him.

With that realization, Yan Xi grasped his large hand, gently shaking it. She alternated between pleading, coaxing, and desperately trying to evoke his pity...

"Heir, I know that as time passes, you miss me. I, too, actually miss you. But this is a Buddhist temple, and I came here to pray and chant scriptures for my late father. There are only two days left before this filial piety is fulfilled. Won't you indulge me this once, Heir?"

"The Heir may not care, but... but I am different. I hold the Buddha in my heart, and I believe in the gods. If the Heir insists on indulging in mere amusement and causes me to profane the gods within these sacred walls here... I fear I would not be able to go on living..."

From the moment she mentioned her late father, tears welled up in her eyes. As she continued, her words grew increasingly poignant. By the time she finished, the clear springs pooling in her lovely eyes had all spilled over, and she began to sob.

It was half-truth, half-falsehood.

Her words and her grief were entirely real; only her attempt to coax him was false.

After saying this, she stood up, leaned close to his ear to murmur a shy promise, and then lowered her head, holding a handkerchief to her lips as she wept softly...

Lu Zhi gave a light, scornful scoff. After a long moment, he lazily drew back, leaning his body against the frame of the bed, lowering his gaze to narrow his eyes at her for a while longer before finally standing up, straightening his clothes, and turning to leave.

Yan Xi’s heart pounded even more violently, but she did not move an inch, remaining steadfastly in place as her delicate shoulders trembled slightly.

After a long while, Qinglian and Taohong rushed in one after the other, hurriedly shutting the door behind them.

"Miss, he's gone! He's gone!"

Yan Xi instantly spun around, looking toward the doorway.

Whether it was a specific word of hers that had touched his conscience, or perhaps her shy promise that had worked its magic, the man had truly left!

Yan Xi immediately asked, "Were there any changes to the troop numbers?"

Qinglian shook her head. "No. The men he brought with him all left, and the ones remaining are still the same guards as before..."

Yan Xi asked again, "What about that flask...?"

Qinglian shook her head once more. "Don't worry, Miss, he..."

The maid did not finish, but Yan Xi understood completely.

The young girl let out a heavy sigh of relief, sank onto her straw meditation mat, and slowly closed her eyes.

Though there had been an interruption, fortunately it had not caused any major harm.

Now there were only two days left, and the plan was already more than half-accomplished.

"Go quickly and brew the tea..."

The young girl reminded them once again.

The two maids acknowledged the command and immediately set to work.

Over the next two days, everything proceeded according to routine. Yan Xi inevitably remained on tenterhooks, but thankfully, all went smoothly.

Two days later, the nineteenth of March finally arrived.

Bidding farewell to the temple masters and monks in the morning, Yan Xi finally descended the mountain with the rest of the party.

As she stepped into the carriage, she naturally glanced toward Yun Sheng and A-Tai.

The two men remained impassive, both nodding to her subtly.

Clasping her delicate hands tightly together, Yan Xi climbed into the carriage with the support of her maids.

The return journey was the same as the trip up.

Inside the carriage, Qinglian kept the curtain lifted almost the entire time for Yan Xi to look out.

Timing her moment as they passed the sides of the mountain road, Yan Xi waited until they reached the exact spot where she had called a halt ten days prior, and once again instructed her maid to raise her voice and order the carriage to stop.

Yun Sheng reined in the horses.

The carriage came to a halt.

Just as on the outward journey, the lead female assassin, Jin Ye, turned her fierce steed around and rode over to inquire.

"What is the matter, Young Madam?"

Dressed in the same attire, wearing the same expression, performing the same actions, and using the same voice as before, Yan Xi spoke in a soft, delicate, and endearing tone:

"I... need to relieve myself..."

With that, she allowed the maids to help her down from the carriage and walked toward the wooded hillside by the roadside...

Jin Ye tilted her head, said nothing further, and followed behind the three of them.

Yan Xi walked to the exact same spot as last time, hiding behind the two maids once again. Peeking out with half her face from between them, she said to the female assassin:

"You... turn around and walk a bit further away..."

Complying, Jin Ye turned on her heel and walked forward a few paces.

A short while later, before she even heard the Young Madam call out that she was finished, she heard a series of startled shrieks from the Young Madam and her maids.

"Ah! Ah!"

Jin Ye immediately whipped her head back. "What is it?"

"Snakes, snakes!!"

In the blink of an eye, tears welled up in the Young Madam's eyes. The three of them huddled together in a panic before scrambling away in fright. In the chaos, an earring slipped from her ear and dropped into the grass.

The Young Madam panted slightly. "You... please help me pick it up..."

With that, she and the maids fled further away.

Jin Ye acknowledged the request and drew her sword. She had already spotted that there indeed were snakes behind the rock—and not just one, but a dozen or so intertwined together.

To her, however, these were utterly non-threatening creatures. She raised her sword and flicked the mass of snakes away.

Snakes were easy to deal with, but finding the lost item proved difficult.

In her brief glance earlier, she had thought something fell, but now nothing was visible.

Jin Ye poked around in the grass with her sword for quite a while without finding anything, until, after some time had passed, she noticed what appeared to be an earring wedged deep inside a crevice in the rock.

The female assassin found it rather strange, figuring that the drop shouldn't have sent it sliding into such a deep crevice, but she didn't dwell on it. She hooked the item out, safely stowed it away, and turned back to rejoin them.

However, just as she emerged past two small opposing hills and came directly into view of the Young Madam’s carriage, at the most critical, split-second moment, she saw the horses suddenly and inexplicably bolt into a frenzy, letting out continuous, frantic neighs as their hooves pounded the earth in a wild charge...

Jin Ye’s pupils dilated abruptly, for right ahead lay a sheer cliff—a sheer cliff!

The assassin leaped into the air in a flash, but the distance was far too great; how could she possibly make it in time? She could only watch in helpless horror as the frantic horses dragged the carriage over the edge and plunged headlong down the precipice!

The surrounding female assassins, along with Mama Yan and the two maids in the rear carriage, all dismounted almost simultaneously.

At that critical juncture, the blood-curdling screams of Mama Yan and the two maids pierced the heavens, echoing one after another....

"Young Madam!!!"