Dusk descended, shrouding the sky in gloom; leaves rustled as the night grew heavy.
After the evening meal, Shen Xihe strolled in the small courtyard, both to aid digestion and to exercise her body.
"Smash it, smash it to death!"
"My ma says this thing bites and it's poisonous!"
"Hit it, hit it!"
The children's jeers, laced with local accents, reached Shen Xihe's ears, mingled with the panicked and pitiful cries of some strange wild creature.
The sound felt vaguely familiar, so Shen Xihe left the courtyard and headed toward the source.
Moyu hurried after her with a lantern. The village had a large open yard with a massive banyan tree at its center. Due to a local belief, the tree was always hung with lanterns for illumination, which was why the village children weren't confined to their homes after sunset.
When Shen Xihe and Moyu arrived, they saw about seven or eight children gathered around the old banyan tree, throwing stones at its roots. A clumsy figure dodged and screeched, its eyes glowing.
"Moyu," Shen Xihe stood at the edge of the yard.
Moyu flashed to the front of the old banyan tree, her sheathed sword sweeping aside a stone that was about to hit the small creature. She strode forward and lifted the blood-stained bundle.
The children were all afraid of adults, especially since their families had warned them these were nobles not to be offended. Seeing Moyu and Shen Xihe, they didn't dare follow.
"Your Highness, what is this creature?" Moyu held the struggling, bleeding little thing.
It resembled a cat but wasn't quite one, similar to a civet yet not exactly. Moyu had never seen such an animal before.
"Go wash it and tend to its wounds." Shen Xihe had a cleanliness obsession; the creature was too dirty now for her to touch or even approach.
Moyu understood that Shen Xihe intended to keep it, so her attitude toward it softened somewhat. However, the little creature had sharp claws and, thinking Moyu meant it harm, tried to resist—futilely, as it was in Moyu's grasp. Only after Moyu had cleaned it up did she bring it before Shen Xihe.
The washed and dried little creature was presented to Shen Xihe. Its fur resembled a leopard's, vibrant in color with clear patterns, soft and fine—a charming little thing. Shen Xihe reached out to stroke it.
But the little creature lay in wait, and as Shen Xihe's hand drew near, it unsheathed its sharp claws. Before it could harm her, however, Moyu's hand clamped around its neck, and it emitted a series of whimpering cries.
Shen Xihe tapped its head with her rounded, pink fingertip. "Learned your lesson yet?"
The little creature continued to whimper. Shen Xihe glanced up at Moyu, who released her grip.
The little creature lay on the table, not daring to move.
Shen Xihe lifted it by the scruff and examined its underside, where there was a swollen sac. "Fetch the box next to the incense set from the carriage."
This was a civet, a nocturnal animal. The injury on its leg suggested it had fallen into a trap and narrowly escaped, then wandered into the village where the playing children cornered it. Like cats, its eyes glowed at night, leading the children to see it as a freak and want to eliminate it.
Civets have scented sachets that produce civet musk, extremely precious and rare.
Civet musk can be used in medicine to relieve pain, calm nerves, unblock meridians, penetrate muscles and bones, and reduce abscesses.
When used in perfumery, it makes fragrances rich, soft, and long-lasting, and it can also suppress plague.
Moyu brought the tools, and Shen Xihe had her hold up its tail and grip its hind legs. She personally pried open its scented sachet and gently squeezed out the musk inside.Initially, the spirit cat struggled fiercely and emitted sharp, piercing cries. Sensing Shen Xihe's gentle movements, it gradually calmed down. After collecting its fragrance, she carefully applied glycerin to it.
The spirit cat, having experienced no pain but rather comfort during the fragrance extraction, lay curled up, squinting its eyes as if savoring the moment.
After storing the fragrance and washing her hands, Shen Xihe returned to find the little creature curled up in the same spot, clearly intending to stay.
"Very well, I'll keep you for a few days." The fragrance could be collected every three days.
The little thing was badly injured and wouldn't be able to hunt or climb trees for wild fruit if released now—it would likely starve to death. After tidying up, Shen Xihe had just lain down when the spirit cat scurried over, attempting to nestle beside her.
"Don't push your luck." She tapped its head and tossed it off the bed.
The spirit cat whimpered upon landing but didn't jump back up.
After about two hours of sleep, sharp arrows whistled into Shen Xihe's room, startling the spirit cat into whimpering and leaping onto her bed.
Shen Xihe slowly opened her eyes, her soft hand resting on the cat's back, stroking it gently while ignoring the incoming arrows.
Her bed was positioned with its back to the window, and the direction from which the arrows were shot was guarded by her own people.
After several arrows struck, bamboo tubes attached to them released white mist—knockout smoke.
"Crude datura fragrance." Shen Xihe frowned slightly, displeased by such shoddy workmanship.
"Moyu..."
"Help—!"
Just as Shen Xihe was about to order Moyu into action, a sharp scream pierced the night sky, instantly lighting candles throughout the entire village.
Shen Xihe closed her eyes, appearing expressionless but seething with anger.
After roughly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Moyu returned from outside: "A venomous snake slithered into Young Master Guo's room, frightening him."
"What about the others?" Shen Xihe asked, though she already knew the answer.
"Young Master Guo's screams scared them off," Moyu replied.
After all, they had only intended to use knockout drugs to deal with Shen Xihe quietly. Guo Daoyi's sudden scream woke the entire village—a community of four to five hundred people.
Would they dare massacre the entire village?
Slaughtering four to five hundred villagers would inevitably draw official investigation.
"Troublesome." Shen Xihe's voice carried the chill of the night.
In Luoyang City, he had disguised himself as an Embroidered Uniform Envoy and disrupted her plans. Last night, he posed as a scholar to interfere, and tonight he timed his scream perfectly.
The first attempt loses momentum, the second weakens, and the third exhausts itself.
Xiao Changqing would surely withdraw now—after all, he didn't necessarily want her dead. Repeated failures would make him uneasy.
The closer she got to the capital, the harder it would be for Xiao Changqing to act.
Her original plan was to escalate the situation and make her stance clear, so she wouldn't have to engage in hollow pleasantries with the Xiao family upon reaching the capital.
But this mysterious individual repeatedly obstructed her, though he didn't seem to be siding with Xiao Changqing. Shen Xihe's frustration stemmed from not understanding his motives.
"Your Highness, shall this servant..."
"Rest now." Shen Xihe closed her eyes.
Her health was frail, and she needed proper rest. When dawn came, she would teach him a lesson.
Shen Xihe soon fell asleep. In another small courtyard not far away, Guo Daoyi took a few sips of tea to moisten his throat: "Tianyuan, pack our belongings quickly. We depart immediately."
"Master, it's the middle of the night..." Tianyuan, also in disguise, glanced at the dark sky outside."If you don't leave now, your master will face great misfortune tomorrow." A flicker of amusement passed through Guo Daoyi's eyes.
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