Chasing Jade (Zhu Yu)

Fan Changyu noticed the obvious discord between Sui Yuanqing and the bandit leader. It seemed Sui Yuanqing was even betrothed to someone, which made her inwardly curse his cunning.

If the bandit leader ordered him to kill her and he refused, the leader might take matters into his own hands—then her act of holding him hostage would be exposed.

For a moment, sweat dampened the palm gripping her boning knife, but she forced herself to remain calm.

The worst outcome was being discovered for kidnapping him. As long as she silenced him with a blade before he could reveal the people hidden in the dry well, Changning and the others would remain safe.

Alone and with nothing to lose, she might even seize a horse and escape.

Sui Yuanqing stood close enough to sense Changyu’s tension—her entire body was coiled like a predator ready to pounce and tear its prey apart.

If she truly decided to strike, he would be the first to meet his end.

He didn’t provoke her now, merely chuckling lightly. “Big Brother, are you asking me to remain chaste for Thirteen Sister, devoted to her alone for life?”

They were all bandits—who didn’t know the fickle nature of men?

Scarface Man roared, “She’s my only sister! I don’t care what happens later, but before you’re even wed, you dare bring another woman back to the stronghold? What do you take Clear Breeze Stronghold for?”

Sui Yuanqing frowned, his tone deceptively sincere. “When I joined Clear Breeze Stronghold and became sworn brothers with you, it wasn’t through a woman’s connections. I, Qin Yuan, am a rogue at heart—utterly unworthy of Thirteen Sister. Why not find her a better match? From now on, I’ll treat her as my own sister. If anyone dares harm her, I’ll be the first to strike.”

Scarface Man gritted his teeth. “You really look down on my sister that much?”

Sui Yuanqing lowered his gaze. “It’s my nature—too wayward to be a good match for her. Today, you can force me to kill this woman. But what about tomorrow? Will you make me kill every woman I fancy? Over time, it’ll only strain our bond. Better to lay things bare now.”

Though furious, Scarface Man knew Sui Yuanqing had a point.

It was precisely his roguish charm that had captivated Thirteen Sister. But if this was his nature, could he be forced forever?

Still, resentment for his sister burned in his chest. “Thirteen Sister saved you from the river—never mind the debt of life. You’ve already been intimate with her! If you won’t marry her, what becomes of her?”

Sui Yuanqing lifted his eyes. “To make me wed her, you’d resort to such conventional arguments?”

Scarface Man’s expression darkened—he knew his reasoning was flimsy.

In the martial world, men and women paid little heed to trivialities. If word spread that he’d used his sister’s life-saving intimacy to force a marriage, it would invite ridicule.

In the end, he didn’t press further. With a grim face, he turned his horse and barked, “Back to Clear Breeze Stronghold!”

The underlings noisily followed, though a few lingered to flatter Sui Yuanqing. “Fifth Leader truly is a man of honor! Some said you only won the First Leader’s favor through Thirteen Sister, but clearly, he values your skills—that’s why he wanted to marry her to you. When Black Dragon Stronghold attacked, it was all thanks to Fifth Leader’s strategy…”Sui Yuanqing had a knife pressed against the wound under his ribs by Fan Changyu, so he wasn’t in the mood to listen to these underlings flatter him. He interrupted them, saying, “Stop talking nonsense, lest it harm the bond between me and Big Brother. He treats me like a blood brother—he was just protective of his sister because of Thirteen Sister’s matter. Let’s head back to the stronghold.”

The men, having been reprimanded, looked embarrassed and didn’t dare to say anything more to deliberately please him.

Fan Changyu remained silent. From their conversation, she had already figured out why Sui Yuanqing was mixed up with these bandits.

So after he was injured by Yan Zheng that day and fled into the river, he was rescued by the people of Clear Breeze Stronghold.

She noticed that among the flattering underlings, one had quietly moved forward. She guessed that person must be from the leader of Clear Breeze Stronghold, and Sui Yuanqing knew it, which was why he deliberately said those things?

Fan Changyu thought to herself, This guy really has more schemes than a lotus root has holes.

With a knife pressed against his chest, Sui Yuanqing acted as if nothing was wrong and led Fan Changyu to the horse. Only then did he lower his head slightly and ask in a hushed voice, “With your knife pressed against me like this, how am I supposed to mount the horse?”

Whether he mounted first or Fan Changyu did, she wouldn’t be able to continue holding him hostage.

The underlings assumed Sui Yuanqing was flirting and stole a few longing glances, not daring to act out of line. They muttered a couple of crude jokes and laughed as they walked ahead.

One of them said, “This time we really pulled off a big job. We can rest easy for a while after returning to the stronghold. Last time, the boss took us to ambush that escort and search for some damned treasure map, but it turned out to be fake…”

Fan Changyu had been focusing solely on dealing with Sui Yuanqing, but when she suddenly heard this, her blood nearly boiled over.

Ambushing escorts, a treasure map…

When the authorities closed the case, hadn’t they said her parents were killed by bandits because of a treasure map?

What a coincidence—were her parents also murdered by this very group?

She could barely suppress the killing intent surging through her.

Sui Yuanqing, noticing her silence and the sudden spike in her murderous aura, immediately grew wary, thinking Fan Changyu intended to kill him right there and escape alone on horseback.

He said, “Killing me here isn’t a wise choice unless you want to face hundreds of men alone.”

Fan Changyu tightened her grip on the knife handle, knowing this wasn’t the time for rash actions. She could avenge her parents later—right now, the priority was to lead these bandits away, as Changning and Aunt Zhao were still in the dry well.

After a brief consideration, she said, “Take off your sword and give it to me. You mount first, then pull me up.”

Thinking he had persuaded her, Sui Yuanqing smirked and complied.

The moment he turned to grab the saddle, Fan Changyu suddenly struck at the back of his neck with a knifehand strike. Sui Yuanqing, having learned from last time and now prepared, dodged sideways as her palm sliced through the air. With lightning speed, he intercepted her wrist and twisted hard. Fan Changyu let out a muffled groan as her entire arm went limp—she knew it must be dislocated.

Sui Yuanqing watched the cold sweat bead on her forehead and said leisurely, “I won’t fall for the same trick twice…”

Fan Changyu’s round almond eyes glared at him fiercely, filled with unyielding determination.As Sui Yuanqing pulled her dislocated arm toward him, attempting to seize her other hand, Fan Changyu abruptly kicked him hard between the legs.

This time, it was Sui Yuanqing’s turn to let out a muffled groan. He doubled over in pain, gritting his teeth as he spat, “You—”

He clearly hadn’t expected Fan Changyu to resort to such an underhanded trick.

Changyu didn’t care about fighting fair. As he hunched over, she drove her elbow sharply into the back of his neck—twice. Sui Yuanqing’s vision swam with darkness, and he staggered before finally collapsing.

The commotion drew the attention of the bandits walking ahead.

Torches in hand, they turned and froze at the sight of Fan Changyu hauling the unconscious Sui Yuanqing like a dead dog.

Without hesitation, Changyu hoisted him onto the horse.

She would have preferred to finish him off right then with a knife, but Sui Yuanqing’s earlier words held some truth—even at her peak, she might not have been able to take on this gang of bandits. Now, with one arm dislocated, the odds were even worse. Keeping him alive meant she could use him as a hostage if needed.

Everything happened in an instant. The bandits finally snapped out of their shock and shouted, “That woman’s kidnapped the Fifth Leader!”

They brandished torches and blades, rushing to intercept her, but Changyu was already on horseback. Digging her heels into the horse’s sides, she charged out of the alley. The bandits scrambled to avoid being trampled—some dodged, others were slammed into walls—but none managed to stop her.

The noise made Scarface Man, riding at the front, glance back. Through the flickering torchlight, he saw a powerful horse burst from the alley, carrying two figures. The one gripping the reins was unmistakably a woman.

She spotted him too. After a brief pause, she swiftly turned the horse and galloped in the opposite direction down the street.

The bandits who had chased her out of the alley yelled, “The Fifth Leader’s on that woman’s horse!”

Scarface Man recalled how the woman had clung to Sui Yuanqing earlier, her demeanor anything but that of a respectable woman. Realizing something was amiss, he spurred his horse after her. “Stop her!”

Fan Changyu led the pursuit for over ten miles beyond Lin’an Town. Some of the bandits were skilled archers, loosing arrows at her the entire way. Changyu shifted the unconscious Sui Yuanqing behind her, using him as a human shield. The archers hesitated, and their arrows no longer threatened her.

But her horse, burdened with two riders, couldn’t outpace the mounted bandits. The longer the chase went on, the closer they got. The thunder of hooves behind her matched the frantic rhythm of her heartbeat.

Changyu estimated that Aunt Zhao and the others had already escaped Lin’an Town with Changning. If she could keep the horse running straight at the upcoming mountain bend, drawing the bandits after her, she could leap off and evade them—at least temporarily.

She glanced back at the man serving as her shield, then thought of the chaos in Qingping County and the innocent lives lost tonight. Her hand moved to the boning knife at her waist.

But before she could strike, the jolting ride roused Sui Yuanqing. His eyes snapped open to the glint of steel, and instinct drove him to seize her wrist with a crushing grip.With the previous lesson of making him lose an arm, Fan Changyu reacted extremely quickly this time. Using his momentum, she leaned back sharply, driving her elbow hard into the wound on his chest.

Sui Yuanqing gasped in pain and released his grip on her wrist. As Fan Changyu twisted to stab again, he had no time to dodge, so he kicked at the back of her knee where it braced against the stirrup.

Losing her balance, Fan Changyu nearly toppled from the horse, and her blade veered off course, stabbing the horse’s flank instead.

Just as she fell, the horse let out a pained whinny and bolted wildly.

Having barely dodged the knife, Sui Yuanqing now nearly got thrown off. At this speed, a fall would leave him either dead or missing limbs. Cursing under his breath, he had no choice but to grip the reins tightly to steady himself.

The ground was blanketed in a foot of snow. Fan Changyu rolled several times upon landing to disperse the impact, avoiding further injury—except for her dislocated arm, which had been jolted during the tumble, sending waves of agony through her. One of her shoes had also been torn off by the stirrup when she fell.

Ignoring the cold and the pain, she scrambled up, snatched the shoe, and hurled it toward the riverbank by the roadside before plunging into the dense, snow-laden forest on the other side.

Soon, the thunderous sound of hooves approached but didn’t pause, chasing straight after the runaway horse.

Snow continued to fall heavily. Fan Changyu exhaled slowly.

She had thrown the shoe toward the river to mislead the bandits into thinking she had fled across the water.

Now, she trudged deeper into the pine forest. Snow was the worst for hiding—every step left tracks. Fortunately, it was night, and without torches, the footprints would be hard to spot.

Still, Fan Changyu broke off a pine branch and swept away her trail. With the snowfall this heavy, the marks would soon be buried.

After erasing the tracks near the forest’s edge, she discarded the branch and relied on the North Star to guide her forward.

With one foot bare, clad only in a felt sock, she staggered through the snow. The sock quickly soaked through, the biting cold creeping up from her sole until her entire leg grew numb. Her lips turned pale, and she shivered uncontrollably.

But Fan Changyu dared not stop for even a moment.

Changning was waiting for her—

A scouting party reached the borders of Qingping County and froze at the sight of the entire town engulfed in flames.

The well-trained scouts dismounted, preparing to gather intel, when they spotted a group of over a dozen elderly, women, and children supporting each other as they hobbled along the rugged path…

……

Lucheng.

At dawn, a swift messenger horse raced toward the Yanzhou military camp.

“The entire Qingping County was slaughtered?”

Inside the central military tent, Gongsun Yin’s usually composed and gentle face darkened with rare severity.

The scout who had rushed back overnight bowed his head. “By the time we arrived at Qingping County on your orders, it was already a city of the dead. While investigating, we stumbled upon a few surviving families by chance.”

Gongsun Yin pressed urgently, “Where are they now?”

The scout replied, “I returned first to report. The rest of the unit escorted the survivors to Jizhou Prefecture.”

Gongsun Yin paced the tent, hands clasped behind his back. “Was that butcher’s daughter, Fan, among them?”The scout reported, "No, but her younger sister was there. The dozen or so survivors said it was the butcher's daughter who hid them in the cellar of her home and entrusted them to care for her younger sister. After the bandits discovered the people hiding in the cellar, the butcher's daughter somehow lured them away. When the survivors emerged, they couldn’t find her body, so they assumed the bandits had taken her back to their stronghold."

Gongsun Yin had never met Fan Changyu, but upon hearing his subordinate recount how she had been captured by the bandits to protect the others, he couldn’t help but admire her courage and righteousness—qualities that rivaled any man’s.

He dismissed the scout and summoned his personal guard. "Where is the Marquis now?"

The guard saluted and replied, "The Marquis went to survey the river valley terrain early this morning."

Gongsun Yin knew exactly why Xie Zheng had suddenly gone to inspect the valley. While Jinzhou and Huizhou relied on Chongzhou for their grain supply lines, Jizhou had an alternative water route for transporting grain. However, with the drop in river levels during winter, shipping had been suspended. Come spring, this route would reopen.

If Jizhou were also lost, Changxin Wang would truly have them by the throat.

To hold Jizhou, the barrier of Lucheng must not fall.

He and Xie Zheng had discussed it—the most effective way to counter Changxin Wang’s fifty-thousand-strong army was to leverage the spring floods after the thaw.

Gongsun Yin ordered, "Send someone to find the Marquis immediately!"

No sooner had he spoken than a voice called from outside the tent, "Marquis."

Gongsun Yin, already overwhelmed, hurried out to greet him.

Dawn had just broken. The man approaching the tent wore black armor, his shoulder guards and cloak dusted with fine snow and morning frost. His sharp, handsome features carried a chilling aura, forbidding any direct gaze.

Gongsun Yin cut straight to the point. "Qingping County seems to have been targeted in a revenge attack—the entire town was slaughtered."

Xie Zheng paused while removing his cloak. "When did this happen?"

Gongsun Yin said, "The scout just brought the news. It appears to be the work of bandits. That butcher’s daughter from Lin'an Town, surnamed Fan, was also captured by them. Something feels off—the whereabouts of Changxin Wang’s heir remain unknown. Could this be his retaliation?"

Xie Zheng grabbed a sword from the rack and strode out. "Prepare horses. Assemble a hundred light cavalry and follow me to Qingping County!"

By dawn, Fan Changyu had finally reached the main road, having long since shaken off the bandits.

She had walked barefoot through the snow for half the night, utterly exhausted. Whether it was due to catching a cold or not, her head throbbed incessantly.

In her heart, she cursed Sui Yuanqing a thousand times, vowing to take his wretched life the next time they met.

Jizhou Prefecture lay south of Qingping County. After leaving the county, Aunt Zhao and the others would surely report to the authorities in Jizhou Prefecture. If she headed there as well, she would eventually reunite with them.

Hearing the sound of wheels in the distance, Fan Changyu reasoned that bandits either ambushed in groups or rode horses—they wouldn’t operate with just a single carriage. So she didn’t bother hiding.

As the carriage drew near, she glanced at it. Though not ornate, its wheels were larger than those of ordinary carriages, allowing it to move steadily through the snow. The shafts looked sturdy, and the canopy was made of a thick fabric she had never seen before.

Fan Changyu guessed this must belong to a wealthy household. After a brief look, she lowered her head and continued on her way.The coachman noticed Fan Changyu was missing a shoe and remarked to the person inside the carriage, "That young lady truly fears no cold—walking barefoot in such heavy snow."

A pale, slender hand lifted the thick carriage curtain. Light-colored eyes reflected the snowy mountain scenery along the official road and the barefoot woman walking upon it. "She must have met with some mishap. Ask where she lives—we can give her a ride."

Since the master had spoken, the coachman dared not refuse. Stopping the carriage, he called out to Fan Changyu, "Young lady, where is your home? My master pities your hardship traveling in this snow and offers you a ride."

Fan Changyu knew her current condition was far from ideal. Her dislocated wrist, left untreated, had swollen badly, and her bare foot was so numb from cold and pain it had lost all sensation.

She didn't refuse out of pride. "I need to go to the Jizhou Prefecture office."

To report to the authorities.

The coachman said, "That's along our way. Come aboard."

After thanking them, Fan Changyu boarded the carriage.

When the curtain lifted, warmth rushed out to greet her.

On the seat inside, a young man reading a book wore a plain violet robe without any embroidery, yet it exuded an air of "great simplicity"—the essence of sophistication.

At first glance, Fan Changyu thought he truly looked the part of a scholar.

Unlike Song Yan's self-proclaimed nobility or Yan Zheng's casual irreverence, his brows and eyes carried a gentle serenity, like a sudden ray of warm sunlight breaking through the icy wilderness—unexpectedly comforting.

Noticing Fan Changyu staring blankly at him, the young man showed neither impatience nor mockery. He merely gave her a polite nod. Seeing her collar and hair damp with melted snow, he pushed the charcoal brazier toward her and handed her a cloak of unknown material, soft to the touch.

"Young lady, your shoes and socks are soaked. Warm yourself."

Fan Changyu was acutely aware of her disheveled state. Though the carriage interior appeared simple, there was an indescribable refinement to it. She sat as close to the door as possible and shook her head. "Thank you, sir, but I'm not cold."

The frost and snow on her head and lashes had melted in the warmth, forming tiny droplets that clung to her like morning dew on a young leopard emerging from the forest at dawn.

Stripped of its ferocity, she instead appeared somewhat lost and pitiable.

Assuming she was uncomfortable with his presence, the young man closed his book and smiled kindly. "It's rather stuffy sitting in here for too long. I'll step outside for some air."

With that, he lifted the curtain and joined the coachman outside.

Fan Changyu stared blankly at the swaying heavy curtain for a moment.

The brazier's warmth gradually restored feeling to her frozen limbs. She still didn't take the cloak, folding it neatly and placing it on the seat.

She only used the brazier to dry her snow-dampened clothes.

The deerskin vambraces on her wrists grew uncomfortably hot from the heat, warming her entire arms through the fabric.

With one wrist dislocated, removing the vambrace would be troublesome—she wouldn't be able to fasten it again afterward—so she endured the heat.

When the vambraces became too hot, she lifted a hand to press against her cheek.

Remembering Yan Zheng's parting words, her chest inexplicably tightened.

Just as her clothes were nearly dry and she was about to invite the young man back inside, the carriage came to an abrupt halt.Fan Changyu heard the muffled groan of the coachman outside and the sound of something heavy hitting the ground. In an instant, she tightened her grip on the boning knife hidden close to her body.

The sound of hoofbeats approached from outside the carriage, followed by a laughing remark: "We couldn't find the woman who injured the Fifth Leader, but we've managed to catch a big fish along the way."

The young man was clearly encountering such a situation for the first time. Though his voice carried a hint of panic, his words remained composed: "Honorable heroes, please spare my servant's life. You may take all the valuables in the carriage. If that's not enough, I can write a letter home to fetch more silver."

The bandits blocking the road burst into laughter at his cooperation. "Good lad, you know what's what!"

Several bandits immediately stepped forward to lift the carriage curtain and inspect its contents. Fan Changyu, fearing recognition, had no choice but to shake out the cloak lying on the seat and drape it over herself. She could only hope that in the darkness of the previous night, with her face hidden beneath Sui Yuanqing's cloak, they wouldn't remember her exact appearance.

Before the curtain could be lifted, however, Fan Changyu first heard the sound of a blade piercing flesh.

Outside, the young man's voice rose in furious protest: "You... why did you kill him?"

The bandits laughed heartily. "You're the only one worth keeping for ransom, brother. Why should we bother hauling a servant around? Now, if there were women in that carriage, we'd gladly take them back to the stronghold."

When one bandit used his knife to flip open the carriage curtain, the figure inside kicked him flying over ten feet away. The remaining bandits were stunned by the sudden turn of events, momentarily frozen.

Cloaked, Fan Changyu lunged to the carriage shaft, swiftly cutting the harness ropes with her blade. With a leap onto the shaft, she landed atop the horse, gripping the reins tightly. As she urged the horse past the young man, she hauled him up by the waist.

"It's the woman who wounded the Fifth Leader! After her!" The bandits, now recovered, surged forward like hyenas.

The young man, clearly inexperienced on horseback, nearly tumbled off. "Grab onto my clothes!" Fan Changyu barked.

True to his propriety, even in mortal danger, he didn't overstep. He clung desperately to the fabric at her waist, yet still teetered precariously several times. Unable to spare the focus to secure him, Fan Changyu finally yanked him by the collar and laid him across the saddle in front of her. Now he wouldn't fall—though the jolting threatened to turn his stomach inside out.

The pursuing bandits closed in relentlessly, while ahead, another group blocked the fork in the road. Their leader was none other than Scarface Man. The two groups collided, both momentarily bewildered.

Fan Changyu noticed the newcomers were bloodied and disheveled, as if fresh from a brutal fight. She couldn't guess whom they'd clashed with but instinctively veered onto the only clear path.

The original pursuers caught up, spotting the other group. "Big Boss, what brings you here?"

Scarface Man spat bitterly, "Clear Breeze Stronghold has been razed by imperial troops!"

The first group gaped. "What do we do now?"

"Capture that woman!" Scarface Man roared. "The troops are hunting the one who wounded Fifth Brother last night!"

As the two groups merged into a single relentless chase, Fan Changyu cursed inwardly. It wasn't as if she'd dug up their ancestors' graves—why were they chasing her like their lives depended on it?

The road stretched onward, ending at a desolate ferry crossing. In the bitter cold, only a single small boat waited—with no boatman in sight.Fan Changyu dismounted and, using her uninjured hand, hauled the young man onto the only boat at the ferry. However, she didn’t know how to pole the boat. After pushing off from the shore with the bamboo pole to send the boat a few meters into the water, she couldn’t make it advance any further.

When the bandits caught up, they didn’t care how icy the winter river was and plunged into the water like dumplings in a pot.

Fan Changyu tried to fend them off with the bamboo pole, but there were simply too many bandits, and some still managed to find gaps to grab onto the boat’s sides.

Xie Zheng had destroyed Clear Breeze Stronghold but hadn’t found Fan Changyu there. After interrogating a few bandits and learning that she had never been captured the previous night, he led his cavalry to hunt down the fleeing outlaws.

Chasing them all the way to the ferry, he spotted a woman’s figure on the river from afar, which looked strikingly familiar. As he drew closer, he confirmed it was indeed Fan Changyu! Before the burning anxiety in his chest could settle, he noticed her desperately shielding a defenseless scholar on the boat. Xie Zheng’s lips pressed into a tight line.

His personal guard caught up and, seeing Xie Zheng halt his horse, glanced at the man and woman besieged by bandits at the riverbank. “Marquis, it seems the bandits are trying to seize the boat.”

Xie Zheng’s voice was icy. “Fetch my bow.”

His gaze, cold enough to freeze shards of ice, remained fixed on the young man sheltered behind Fan Changyu.