Chasing Jade (Zhu Yu)

The weather today was truly unfavorable, with fine snow falling continuously, and the river's edges covered in a layer of broken thin ice.

Fan Changyu had just used a bamboo pole to sweep away the bandits clinging to the ship's side when the young man behind her suddenly let out a cry. Turning around, she saw a bandit gripping one of his legs, dragging him forcefully toward the water.

More bandits were climbing onto the stern. With no time to spare, Changyu gritted her teeth, kicked the bandit at the stern into the water, and thrust the bamboo pole backward. The bandit holding the young man’s ankle was shoved into the river before he could even take a breath, icy water flooding his mouth and nose, leaving him half-drowned.

The young man scrambled up, his leg and foot soaked, the biting cold turning his lips pale. Still, he remembered to thank her: "Thank you, miss—"

His expression suddenly changed as he shouted, "Watch out!"

Instinctively, Changyu swung the bamboo pole behind her to block. A scar-faced man leaped from the water, wielding a broadsword that came slashing down at her. The pole in her hands was cleanly severed in two.

Seeing the blade nearly upon her, dodging was impossible. Changyu leaned back to avoid a fatal strike while thrusting the sharp end of the broken pole forward. Though she intended to take at least one enemy down with her, the makeshift spear did pierce the scar-faced man—yet the blade meant for her left shoulder never landed.

A sharp whistling sound tore through the air as an arrow, carrying immense force, grazed past her temple. The gust of wind it left behind stung her cheeks.

"Clang—"

A metallic screech rang out as the arrow struck the scar-faced man’s broadsword, sparks flying. The arrowhead shattered from the impact, and the steel blade cracked apart like broken ice.

More arrows followed, raining down on the bandits clinging to the ship’s sides.

Everyone froze in shock.

The scar-faced man reacted swiftly, drawing a dagger to cut off the bamboo lodged in his body before diving into the water, no longer willing to stay exposed as a target.

Changyu looked toward the source of the arrows and saw a squad of cavalry with large bows charging forward. The soldiers on horseback wore identical heavy armor, making it impossible to tell who had fired the arrow that shattered the scar-faced man’s blade.

Assuming the Jizhou Prefecture authorities had learned of the massacre in Qingping County and sent troops to suppress the bandits, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Most of the bandits were mere rabble, barely capable of wielding their weapons. Against mounted archers, they could only flee in panic.

Arrows fell like locusts upon the water. The bandits, clustered tightly together, soon filled the river with cries of agony, the surface tinged red with blood.

Unable to reach the shore and with the freezing water unbearable, a group of skilled swimmers among the bandits began pushing Changyu’s boat toward the river’s center.

When she realized the wooden boat was drifting farther from the dock, Changyu knew trouble was brewing.

Once out of the archers’ range, she would be left alone to fend off these desperate bandits—a far more daunting task.

Moreover, the river’s current was swift at its center. Without needing to row, the boat was swiftly carried downstream.The soldiers on the shore had clearly noticed this as well and ceased firing arrows. Some of the troops who could swim removed their heavy armor and dove into the river.

The bandits who had pushed the wooden boat away from the ferry now surfaced from the water, intent on retaking the vessel. Fan Changyu had no time to worry about the young man. Grabbing him by the collar, she muttered, "Forgive me!" before hurling him with all her strength toward the soldiers entering the water.

The young man paled in shock, barely managing to cry out, "Miss—!" before his body arced through the air and plunged into the river. Clearly unable to swim, he flailed desperately in the icy water, screaming for help. The soldiers swimming toward him struggled to avoid his flailing arms before finally seizing him by the nape and dragging him back to shore.

Xie Zheng watched from the bank, his lips pressed into a tight line. He nocked another arrow on his great bow. His personal guard wanted to point out that the boat had drifted too far—it was well beyond the range of any arrow—but in the next instant, a volley of white-feathered arrows exploded from his bowstring. One by one, corpses floated to the surface near the distant boat.

The landlubber cavalrymen on the shore stared in stunned silence before erupting into cheers. Yet Xie Zheng's expression remained icy.

The boat had reached the center of the river, carried downstream by the current. The arrows could no longer reach the bandits hiding beneath it.

The rescued young man lay on the ground, his face blue from the cold, soaked and coughing up water. As soon as he caught his breath, his first words to the surrounding soldiers were, "Quick, save the young woman on that boat!"

Xie Zheng shot him a cold glance before yanking his reins and galloping down the riverside highway. His guards, realizing he intended to pursue the boat by land, swiftly mounted their horses and followed.

—

Fan Changyu stood on the boat, gripping a broken bamboo pole, and thrust the last bandit attempting to climb aboard back into the water. The river surface grew still, as though all the bandits hiding beneath the boat had perished. Not daring to let her guard down, she cautiously scanned the water. Only the rippling current remained. Satisfied, she moved to the bow to pick up an oar and began rowing toward the shore.

She had only taken a few strokes when a sudden splash erupted from below. A bandit surfaced, startling her. Reacting instinctively, she swung the oar to strike. But the bandit was already dead—Scarface Man had used the distraction to leap up alongside the boat, slashing at Changyu's neck with a dagger. She dodged, but the blade still grazed her arm, leaving a long gash.

Gritting her teeth against the pain, Changyu reversed her grip on the oar and rammed its handle into Scarface Man's abdomen—right where the bamboo pole had wounded him earlier. Though he had managed to board the boat, the blow to his injury sent him staggering back. He collapsed onto the deck, veins bulging at his temples from the agony.

Changyu drew her boning knife and lunged. Scarface Man's pupils contracted as he rolled aside, barely avoiding the strike. He retreated to the stern, panting, and attempted to negotiate: "Heroine, neither of us wants to die in this river, food for the fishes. Rather than fighting to mutual ruin, why not call a truce for now? Any grievances can be settled another day. What do you say?"

Changyu appeared to consider this seriously before sheathing her knife. "Fine."

Scarface Man exhaled in relief but remained at the stern, not daring to lower his guard for even a moment.After navigating through the turbulent stretch, the river calmed, and the boat slowed down. The pursuing cavalry could now be seen on the shore.

Xie Zheng led the charge at the forefront. The elevated official road gave him a clear view of the distance from the riverside to the boat in the middle of the river. He whipped his warhorse twice, urging it forward with such speed that it left his personal guards far behind. Only after passing the boat on the river did he abandon his steed, swiftly removing his armor as he hurried toward the water's edge before diving in bare-chested.

The boat was drifting downstream with the current. To intercept it, he had to swim diagonally toward the center, requiring him to run ahead before making the crossing.

On the boat, Scarface Man only noticed the pursuing cavalry and grew visibly anxious. Fan Changyu, ever considerate, suggested, "How about I give you the oar, and you row yourself?"

Scarface Man hesitated but nodded.

Fan Changyu grabbed the oar from the bow and threw it toward him—along with the boning knife. At the same time, she lunged at him with the two-foot-long bamboo pole she had sharpened earlier.

Under this triple assault, Scarface Man had no time to dodge. He barely managed to evade the knife aimed at his throat and blocked the sharp bamboo pole with his hand. The oar struck him square in the face, nearly breaking his nose and sending blood gushing out.

What he didn’t expect was that the bamboo pole was also a feint.

Fan Changyu had endured excruciating pain to grip the pole with her dislocated arm. She had tried to reset the joint earlier, but with no medical knowledge and suffering such an injury for the first time, she couldn’t be sure of the exact alignment. Though she could now move her left arm, every motion sent searing pain through her bones, leaving her with little strength.

As Scarface Man blocked the pole, Fan Changyu grabbed his hair with her right hand and shoved his head underwater. Her eyes burned with ruthless determination.

Scarface Man thrashed desperately, but the hand pressing his skull down was unnaturally strong, preventing him from resurfacing.

Icy river water flooded his mouth and nose, threatening to choke his lungs.

Only when his struggles weakened did Fan Changyu yank him up briefly by the hair. Gasping and coughing, his former bravado gone, he begged, "Spare me, warrior! I’ll serve you for life—"

Fan Changyu’s thoughts flashed to the mourning hall draped in white and her parents’ bodies in their coffins. Her gaze turned icy as she plunged him back into the water. After a moment, she hauled him up again, hatred lacing her voice. "Did you ambush a retired escort for a treasure map?"

Thinking she sought wealth, he babbled, "That map was fake! The real one is already in Changxin Wang’s hands! But I’ve run Clear Breeze Stronghold for years—I have other hideouts! All my silver’s stashed elsewhere! Let me live, and I’ll give you everything—"

"You think a monster like you deserves to live?" Fan Changyu spat coldly. "How many died in Qingping County last night? Answer me—did you kill that escort?"

Recognizing her vengeful tone, Scarface Man hastily denied, "It wasn’t me! It was Third Brother!"The enemy was right before her eyes, and Fan Changyu's blood surged with fury. Her grip on Scarface Man's hair was so tight that her knuckles turned white: "Was it your stronghold's third-in-command who killed them?"

Scarface Man hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, yes."

Fan Changyu roared, "Birds of a feather flock together! I'll kill you first, then go back and slaughter your third-in-command to avenge my parents!"

Scarface Man shouted, "You're Ma Taiyuan's daughter? Ma Taiyuan was a eunuch—how could he have descendants?"

Fan Changyu froze: "Who is Ma Taiyuan?"

Scarface Man said, "The chief escort of the Four Seas Security Company. He was the one responsible for transporting the treasure map back then. A little inquiry would tell you his name."

He paused, then added, "Could it be that you've sought revenge on the wrong people?"

The authorities had clearly told her that her father was the one who escorted the treasure map back then—how did it become Ma Taiyuan?

Countless doubts swirled in Fan Changyu's mind as she demanded, "Last November, at Tiger Fork in Qingping County, a couple surnamed Fan was killed—wasn't it your Clear Breeze Stronghold's doing?"

Scarface Man cried out in protest: "The only job we pulled in Qingping County was last night's. Before that, we never came to Qingping County to kill anyone."

Suspecting he was lying to save his own skin, Fan Changyu shoved him back into the river: "Tell me the truth!"

Scarface Man thrashed about, half-dead already. When he was hauled up again, his face was purple, his eyes stinging from the icy water. He gasped, "I swear I'm telling the truth! Last November, our stronghold was locked in a feud with Black Dragon Stronghold—we didn't go out raiding. If you don't believe me, ask around!"

Now Fan Changyu was truly bewildered. Did that mean the group of black-clad men who had repeatedly attacked her home weren't bandits after all?

Having fought these bandits firsthand, Fan Changyu recalled the skills of those black-clad men. Though she hated to admit it, their martial prowess was extraordinary—nothing like ordinary bandits.

Then what really caused her parents' deaths?

The cold and the emotional turmoil made Fan Changyu's head throb with pain.

Her grip on Scarface Man loosened slightly. Seizing the chance, he reached back, grabbed her arms, and yanked her into the river.

The dislocated left arm sent searing pain through her at the slightest touch. Caught off guard, Fan Changyu was truly dragged into the water by Scarface Man, choking on a mouthful of river water.

After enduring Fan Changyu's humiliation for so long, Scarface Man didn't immediately try to kill her. Instead, with a vicious grin, he pressed her head underwater, letting her struggle until she was nearly spent before pulling her up—only to repeat the torment.

"You bitch! Where's all that strength from earlier when you were dunking me? Why aren't you fighting back now?"

His face was alight with vengeful glee.

Fan Changyu had no strength left. Starved for oxygen, she instinctively gasped for breath even underwater, bubbles streaming from her nose and mouth as the cold water flooded her lungs, the pain excruciating.

Her eyes burned. She knew she might die here.

But what about Changning?

Changning...

In the last second before losing consciousness, Fan Changyu seemed to hear the "crack" of something dislocating. Then the hand gripping her hair suddenly let go, and something warm and soft pressed against her lips. To someone about to die in the icy river, that warmth felt like the world's final comfort.

Her eyes closed heavily at last.After Xie Zheng shared a breath with Fan Changyu, he quickly carried her to the surface. The corpse of Scarface Man floated nearby, his head twisted halfway around, his neck bent at an unnatural angle. Even in death, his wide eyes remained frozen in terror.

The personal guards who arrived saw Xie Zheng had personally dived into the water to rescue her and hurriedly waded in to assist.

Xie Zheng had already carried Changyu to the shallows. Without a word, he strode toward the shore with her in his arms, his face darker than ever before. Water dripped from his tensed arms, veins bulging beneath his skin, the sheer ferocity around him suffocating.

A personal guard holding dry clothes stepped forward, about to call out, but instinctively fell silent. Remembering Xie Zheng never allowed women near him, the guard offered, "Marquis, let me carry the young lady."

But Xie Zheng ignored the guard’s outstretched hands entirely. Instead, he wrapped his cloak around Changyu’s drenched form and continued walking with her in his arms.

The guards stood frozen, still processing what had happened, when his icy, ruthless voice cut through the air:

"Take the bandit leader’s corpse back. Whip it."

Even these hardened soldiers, who had cut down men like melons on the battlefield, felt a chill crawl down their spines at his command.