Destined

Shen Ming rushed out the door and, upon passing a corner, blew a whistle. A beggar by the street stood up. Shen Ming galloped over on his horse and whispered, "Where did Wang Siyuan go?"

"The Wang residence."

The beggar replied respectfully, "Judging by the direction, he should be heading home."

Shen Ming nodded and then said, "Act as if you never saw me."

With that, Shen Ming hurried off in the direction the beggar had indicated.

He calculated the speed and distance of the carriage and, along the way, borrowed a knife, a bow and arrows, and some basic tools for setting traps from an informant planted by Gu Jiusi.

Then, carrying two large swords on his back, short knives strapped to his limbs, and two full quivers of arrows along with his bow, he raced ahead to intercept Wang Siyuan's inevitable path.

He glanced at the ground to confirm no carriage had passed recently and began setting up rudimentary traps using ropes, stones, and other materials. Once everything was prepared, he lay in wait by the wall.

The autumn night rain soaked his clothes as he lay motionless on the eaves, hiding in ambush. Suddenly, he felt as if he had returned to the time before he met Gu Jiusi—a time when he wandered the martial world alone, with no friends or family except for Brother Xiong. Brother Xiong couldn't offer much help, so Shen Ming was always alone.

He killed corrupt officials, became a mountain bandit, robbed the rich to aid the poor, and constantly fled from place to place.

He was like a lone wolf, fierce and desperate, navigating this bleak and hopeless world.

It was Liu Yu Ru and Gu Jiusi who brought him hope, who showed him that there were still people in high positions with a conscience. He wasn't fighting alone in this world.

The principles he upheld were never laughable; the world he yearned for was also one that others were willing to risk their lives for.

He had friends—Gu Jiusi as his ninth brother, Zhou Ye, Ye Shi'an—and he had even softened his heart enough to consider settling down, dreaming of liking a girl, achieving great deeds, and marrying her one day.

It felt like a beautiful, long dream, but as the autumn rain beat down, gradually waking him, he slowly came to his senses.

It was all an illusion. He could never truly enter this circle; he would always be a lone wolf.

He couldn't learn the restraint of the official world. He had nothing—all he ever had was the blade in his hand.

What he was best at was never being a guard or a soldier.

What he excelled at—

Shen Ming lowered his body, watching Wang Siyuan's carriage slowly approach. He drew three arrows from his quiver, silently nocked them on his bow, and aimed at the guards surrounding the carriage.

As the carriage entered the alley and ran over the rope he had prepared, the arrows flew out, striking three men instantly!

Then, Shen Ming raised his bow and, amidst the chaos, swiftly used his arrows to block the enemies' paths. With extraordinary calm, he watched blood spread across the ground, listened to the panicked sounds of men and horses, and saw the signal flare shoot into the sky with a "bang."

His mind was clear. He knew with certainty.

The only thing he was truly good at in this life was killing.

He quickly exhausted his arrows and, after depleting the first wave of enemies before they could react, leaped directly from the eaves onto Wang Siyuan's carriage.But the moment he appeared, Wang Siyuan's guards released their arrows, forcing him to roll to the ground.

Shen Ming quickly scanned his surroundings, calculating the number of people present and the time needed for the nearest reinforcements to arrive. He drew his blade and engaged everyone in combat.

He fought with pure speed, completely disregarding life and death. Even if it meant taking a blow from his opponent, he would ensure they were killed.

Everything happened in an instant. Wang Siyuan's coachman watched as Shen Ming single-handedly battled over a dozen elite guards. Terrified, he immediately turned the carriage around and fled back the way they came.

By then, Shen Ming had already beheaded the last guard and began chasing the carriage. He threw his blade, which pierced straight through the coachman's chest. Simultaneously, the horse stepped onto a rope he had laid earlier, let out a panicked whinny, and crashed heavily to the ground.

Shen Ming walked over, blade in hand, drenched in blood and covered in wounds large and small. He used his sword to lift the carriage curtain, breathing heavily.

Wang Siyuan cowered inside the carriage, trembling all over as if paralyzed by fear.

Shen Ming reached out for him. Wang Siyuan kicked wildly and shouted, "Shen Ming, how dare you! My men have already gone for help! If anything happens to me, neither you nor Gu Jiusi will escape!"

Ignoring him, Shen Ming dragged him out and knocked him unconscious with a chop to the neck.

He then hoisted Wang Siyuan over his shoulder, climbed into a nearby residence, navigated through alleyways, and headed toward the city outskirts.

After running for a long time, he finally reached an extremely secluded house. Dragging Wang Siyuan along, he quietly observed the residence for a moment, confirming the layout and the number of occupants. Waiting until the household was asleep, he entered, knocked out the owners, tied them up, blindfolded them, and then dragged Wang Siyuan inside.

The family brewed liquor and had a cellar. Shen Ming hauled Wang Siyuan down into the cellar, tied him to a chair, and blindfolded him. Then, he took some liquor and splashed it directly onto Wang Siyuan.

Awakened by the alcohol, Wang Siyuan jolted awake and immediately roared, "Shen Ming?! Where have you taken me? Shen Ming, have you lost your mind?!"

"Shout one more time," Shen Ming said coldly, "and I'll cut off one of your fingers."

Hearing this, Wang Siyuan fell silent at once. The room was deathly quiet. Having experienced major situations before, Wang Siyuan quickly composed himself and slowly reasoned, "Shen Ming, I know you're desperate, but this matter isn't beyond discussion. Gu Jiusi just wants to repair the Yellow River—it's not something I can't accept. We don't need to resort to violence. After all, I'm an imperial official. My guards saw you. If anything happens to me, under Great Xia law, your entire clan will be exterminated."

Shen Ming remained silent and took a sip of liquor. Seeing his silence, Wang Siyuan thought he was being persuaded and continued, "Let me go now, and I promise to let bygones be bygones. Moreover, whatever Gu Jiusi wants to discuss, I'm willing to negotiate. At the very least, I will no longer obstruct the Yellow River repairs. I've seen your capabilities. I'm old and can't endure this kind of ordeal..."

"Where is Qin Nan's family?"

Shen Ming cut straight to the point. Wang Siyuan froze for a moment, then forced a smile. "Th-this... how would I know—"

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Siyuan felt something cold press against the gap under his fingernail."Do you know, Lord Wang," Shen Ming's voice was very soft, "I used to be from a mountain bandit background. I've witnessed many interrogations, with various methods. The most common one was pulling out fingernails."

"Sh-Shen... Lord Shen..." Wang Siyuan's voice trembled. Shen Ming said calmly, "Lord Wang, you're getting old. I imagine you wouldn't want to suffer such torment. So please be honest and don't try any tricks with me. I just want to ask you—" A steel needle suddenly pierced Wang Siyuan's fingertip. At the same time, Shen Ming stuffed a rag into Wang Siyuan's mouth, muffling all his agonized screams. Shen Ming said coolly, "Where are Lord Qin's family members?"

Wang Siyuan had released a signal flare at the first sign of the attack. Gu Jiusi was still in his study pondering solutions when he suddenly heard the signal flare. He turned to look, somewhat surprised, and said, "Whose signal is that?"

Signal flares were primarily made from fireworks with different identifiers. Although Gu Jiusi often saw them, this was the first time one had been set off within the city. After all, taking action in the city meant reinforcements would arrive too quickly, making it difficult to achieve any substantial outcome.

Hearing Gu Jiusi's question, Munan immediately said, "I'll send someone to investigate."

With that, Munan went out. Not long after he left, Gu Jiusi heard hurried footsteps outside, followed by Huzi's voice: "Ninth Master, it's bad! Shen Ming has kidnapped Wang Siyuan!"

"What?!"

Gu Jiusi looked up abruptly, his face full of shock. "Who kidnapped whom?"

"Just a short while ago, my men told me that Shen Ming asked them about Wang Siyuan's whereabouts and borrowed knives and arrows from them. I was about to report to you, but when I reached the door, I saw Wang Siyuan release a signal flare. The Wang family guards have sent large reinforcements to White Robe Lane."

"Send people over," Gu Jiusi said immediately. "We can't let them capture Shen Ming."

"I've already sent people," Huzi said, then hesitated. "But... I was thinking, if we intervene openly in this matter, wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

Reminded by this, Gu Jiusi came to his senses.

Shen Ming was his man, and now he had kidnapped Wang Siyuan. Regardless of whether Wang Siyuan was guilty or not, he was currently a court-appointed official. To ambush an official without any evidence of crime—even if Wang Siyuan were convicted later—would be a serious offense.

If he didn't get involved, he could later claim it was Shen Ming's personal doing. But if he sent reinforcements now, it would mean he had ordered Shen Ming to act.

"Shen Ming didn't ask for our help. Even when dealing with my men, he told them to pretend they hadn't seen him..."

Huzi said hesitantly, "Shen Ming's intention... I think Ninth Master should understand."

Why he went alone, why he went without a word.

It was all to avoid implicating him. Later, he might even have to personally hand Shen Ming over to the authorities.

Gu Jiusi understood Shen Ming's meaning. He couldn't help but clench his fists and tense his body. He felt something rise in his throat, stuck there, hurting so much it made his eyes ache.

"Go find..."

His voice was hoarse. "We can't let them find him first."

"But..."

"Go find him!"Gu Jiusi roared, "I don't care what he thinks, and I don't care what any of you think," he fixed his gaze on Huzi, gritting his teeth as he said, "I won't let him shoulder these burdens alone. Go find him and bring him back to me safe and sound."

Huzi listened to Gu Jiusi's words, took a deep breath, and finally replied, "Yes."

After Huzi led the men out, Gu Jiusi stood in place for a long while before suddenly sweeping everything off the table, sending it all crashing to the floor.

Liu Yu Ru had just rushed over upon hearing the news. As she reached the doorway, she saw Gu Jiusi overturning the items. She froze for a moment. Gu Jiusi looked up with red-rimmed eyes, and upon seeing it was her, he reined in his emotions and said softly, "Why have you come?"

"I heard something happened to Shen Ming."

Liu Yu Ru pressed her lips together and said, "I came to ask about it."

Gu Jiusi grunted in acknowledgment and crouched down to start cleaning up the mess. Liu Yu Ru waved her hand, and the servants all withdrew. She knelt beside him, helping him pick up the scattered items, and asked calmly, "What happened to him?"

"He went to intercept Wang Siyuan on his own," his voice was thick with emotion, "and now he's missing."

Liu Yu Ru didn't speak. The two of them crouched on the floor, tidying up together as if they were sorting through the chaos in Gu Jiusi's heart.

Liu Yu Ru's movements were slow and steady. Gu Jiusi watched her slender, pale hands gradually restoring order to the mess he had made, and in that process, he seemed to find a silent peace.

Crouched on the ground, he spoke hoarsely, "Yu Ru, tell me, why hasn't anything changed?"

Liu Yu Ru paused her hands. Gu Jiusi lifted his head, his eyes red as he looked at her: "Why, back then I couldn't save Wen Chang, and today it's the same."

"Why are they always so foolish? Wen Chang had to go back to save his family, and now Ah Ming is risking his life for his principles. Why are they so stubborn? Why can't they understand," Gu Jiusi could no longer hold back, his voice breaking into sobs, "that only by staying alive can we find a way forward."

"Why can't they be persuaded?" Gu Jiusi closed his eyes. Liu Yu Ru reached out and pulled him into her embrace. Gu Jiusi leaned against her, trembling as if he had found his only anchor. "Why do they have to play the hero alone, bear everything by themselves? Why couldn't he wait just a little longer, wait until I might have found a way?"

"Why must he always choose this path..."

Liu Yu Ru didn't speak. She gently patted his back, silently comforting him as he murmured, "Why must he walk it alone?"

"Because," Liu Yu Ru said gently, "he is your brother. Jiusi," she sighed softly, "you are all the same kind of people."

Everyone wants to give the best to others; no one wants to be a burden.

Yet everyone wants to help each other, wants the other to be safe and sound.

"Jiusi," Liu Yu Ru said slowly, "there will always be a way. As long as we keep living, everything can turn around. Let's find him first, alright?"

Gu Jiusi didn't speak. He leaned against her for a long time before finally responding, "Alright."

His voice was hoarse as he said, "I'll go find him."

"I'll go with you."

Liu Yu Ru took his hand, clasping it firmly in hers. "He'll be fine."Gu Jiusi took a deep breath, finally pushed himself up, stood, and then reached out to help Liu Yu Ru to her feet as well.

Liu Yu Ru took a handkerchief and wiped away Gu Jiusi’s tears. Just as the two were about to speak, they heard the voices of soldiers outside, followed by an angry male voice shouting, “Gu Jiusi, hand over Shen Ming!”

Gu Jiusi’s expression turned cold. Liu Yu Ru patted the back of his hand soothingly and said, “Stay calm.”

Gu Jiusi nodded. He walked out and saw a young man standing in the rain. He appeared to be nearly thirty years old. Gu Jiusi recognized him as Wang Shusheng, the second son of Wang Siyuan. The eldest son of the Wang family held an official post in the Eastern Capital, while the second son stayed in Xingyang, assisting Wang Houchun in managing the family’s business. Gu Jiusi’s expression remained unchanged as he said coldly, “What business does Second Young Master Wang have with Shen Ming?”

“Don’t play dumb with me,” Wang Shusheng, clearly enraged, snapped, “He has kidnapped my father. Hand him over immediately. How dare Shen Ming kidnap a fourth-rank court official in broad daylight? Lord Gu,” Wang Shusheng’s voice turned icy, “I advise you not to shield him deliberately. Otherwise, no one can bear the charge of kidnapping a court official.”

“Kidnapped Lord Wang?” Gu Jiusi feigned surprise. “Lord Wang usually travels with so many guards. How could Shen Ming alone manage to kidnap him?”

“Gu Jiusi!”

Wang Shusheng lunged forward but was restrained by someone beside him—the Wang family steward. Holding Wang Shusheng back, the steward whispered, “Young master, please calm down.”

With that, the steward stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Gu Jiusi. “Lord Gu, I am Wang He, the steward of the Wang family. My young master was anxious due to his father’s disappearance and acted rashly. I hope you can overlook his discourtesy.”

“It’s of no consequence.”

Gu Jiusi replied indifferently, “However, I truly do not know Shen Ming’s whereabouts. He has long resigned from his post and is no longer under my jurisdiction. You’ve come to the wrong person.”

“Lord Gu,” Wang He smiled, “The Wang family is aware that Shen Ming merely intended to invite Lord Wang for a cup of tea. As long as Lord Wang returns safely, it’s nothing more than a casual meeting—hardly a serious matter.”

Gu Jiusi understood the implication: Wang He was offering a compromise. If Wang Siyuan returned, they would let the matter drop.

Gu Jiusi pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, and finally said, “I truly do not know Shen Ming’s whereabouts.”

“You…” Wang Shusheng began anxiously, but Gu Jiusi cut him off, “All I can say is, I will do my best to try.”

This was a sign of concession. Wang He breathed a sigh of relief, took a step back, and said respectfully, “Then my young master and I will await your good news.”

Gu Jiusi nodded. After Wang He and Wang Shusheng took their leave and departed with their men, Gu Jiusi immediately gathered everyone and began searching everywhere for Shen Ming.

While others relied on searching, Gu Jiusi and Liu Yu Ru knew that given Shen Ming’s abilities, if he had gone into hiding, actively finding him would be extremely difficult.

And the longer it took, the slimmer Wang Siyuan’s chances of survival became. If Wang Siyuan died, Shen Ming would not be spared either.

Thus, Gu Jiusi, Liu Yu Ru, and others familiar with Shen Ming had no choice but to search for him on the streets using the most primitive methods.

The Wang family had locked down the city, so Shen Ming could not leave. Moreover, since he had abducted Wang Siyuan, it must have been for evidence, meaning he couldn’t have gone far.Thus, Gu Jiusi and Liu Yuru took to the streets, calling his name block by block.

The autumn rain seemed endless, and Shen Ming’s name echoed repeatedly through the streets. Meanwhile, after bandaging his wounds, Shen Ming untied the ropes binding the resident of the house, hoisted Wang Siyuan’s unrecognizable corpse onto his shoulder, tucked away the evidence, and leaped out of the dwelling.

He casually discarded Wang Siyuan’s body in an alley and then heard Liu Yuru’s voice.

Her voice was already hoarse, yet she persisted in calling for him.

Shen Ming’s eyes welled up with heat. He lowered his head and hurried away.

But it seemed the entire city was filled with his name; he kept hearing people calling him—Yin Hong, Huzi, Liu Yuru…

Calling him, over and over.

Shen Ming.

Come back.

We won’t abandon you.

Shen Ming, come back.

He dared not listen to these calls. He felt like a wandering ghost in the night, and hearing them, he couldn’t help but want to return.

The wounds on his body tore open again, seeping blood.

Unable to endure any longer, he randomly climbed into a tavern. The tavern had long been closed for the night. He found some liquor, tore open his wounds, and poured it over them.

Then he heard Gu Jiusi’s voice from outside.

His voice was raspy, as if his vocal cords had been torn raw, carrying a bloody tone that sounded painful just to hear.

Yet he kept calling.

“Shen Ming.”

Come back.

Shen Ming froze in his actions, then heard the sound of weary footsteps outside, followed by someone sitting down at the door.

Gu Jiusi was exhausted.

He had been searching for most of the night and could barely walk any further. So he sat down, leaning against the tavern’s door, to rest for a moment.

But shortly after he sat down, he heard a call: “Ninth Brother.”

Gu Jiusi abruptly straightened up, about to speak, when Shen Ming said, “Don’t move. If you come in, I’ll leave. I have something to say to you.”

“Ah Ming,” Gu Jiusi didn’t dare move again. He knew that with Shen Ming’s skills, if he forced his way in, Shen Ming would surely escape. So he could only persuade him, “I’ve spoken with the Wang family. If we return Wang Siyuan, they’ll let bygones be bygones.”

“He’s dead.”

Shen Ming spoke, and Gu Jiusi was stunned into silence. Shen Ming continued quickly, “He couldn’t endure the torture and died. I found out where Lord Qin’s family is. I’m going to rescue them now. Before dawn, I’ll bring them to the back gate of the Gu residence. Wait for me there. He also confessed to many things—all the crimes he’s committed in the past. I’ve left the evidence here. Don’t rush to act. Wait until the Yongzhou troops arrive before you make your move.”

Then Shen Ming paused.

He clutched his wound, afraid Gu Jiusi would detect the strain in his voice. After a moment, he finally said, “Don’t let on that you’ve seen me. Everything was done by me. They’ll think I haven’t given you the evidence yet and will hunt me down desperately. In the few days it takes for the Yongzhou troops to arrive, you can make your move.”

“And what about you?”

Gu Jiusi leaned against the door.

For the first time, he realized that Shen Ming was also very clever.

He, too, could calculate everything, plan it all out, and guide everyone’s steps. Leaning against the door, he asked hoarsely, “Where will you go?”

Then, in a low, raspy voice, Gu Jiusi added, “Ye Yun has replied to your letter. Don’t you want to see it?”Hearing Ye Yun's name, Shen Ming was momentarily dazed. After a pause, he said slowly, "You can just take a look for me."

"This kind of thing," Gu Jiusi couldn't help but choke up, "how could I let a brother check it for you?"

Hearing the sob in Gu Jiusi's voice, Shen Ming chuckled softly.

"Brother Jiu," he said calmly, "are you crying for me?"

"I'm not."

Gu Jiusi cursed under his breath, "Get your ass out here right now."

"Brother Jiu," Shen Ming lifted his head, gazing at the dark ceiling in the room, "don't be childish anymore. I've chosen my path, and I don't regret it. Actually, I'm still quite happy," Shen Ming curved his lips into a smile, "so many people care about me, I'm glad."

"Shen Ming..."

"Brother Jiu," Shen Ming said gently, "thank you."

Gu Jiusi didn't speak, clenching his fists as he restrained his emotions. After a long wait, he finally said, "Don't thank me. At the very least, you should meet me once."

There was no response from inside.

Gu Jiusi's heart grew panicked: "Shen Ming?"

Still no reply. Gu Jiusi abruptly stood up, kicking the door open with several forceful strikes, shouting, "Shen Ming?!"

The room was completely empty, with only a stack of confessions pressed down by a jade pendant at the threshold.

That jade pendant was given to him by Gu Jiusi. When they first arrived in the Eastern Capital, Shen Ming felt he wasn't refined enough, so Gu Jiusi gifted him the pendant to give him something to show off.

Gu Jiusi bent down, his hands trembling as he picked up the jade pendant and the blood-stained confessions.

His lips quivered, mouth slightly agape, but for a long time, he couldn't utter a single word.

The autumn wind swept in wildly with the rain, causing the papers in Gu Jiusi's hands to flutter.

He stood in the tavern for a very long time. By the time Liu Yuru found him, dawn was nearly breaking.

Seeing Gu Jiusi standing there in a daze, she rushed forward anxiously, "Why are you here?"

As she spoke, she glanced at the bloodstains on the ground and quickly asked, "Did you see Shen Ming? Where is he?"

"Gone."

Gu Jiusi's voice was hoarse.

Liu Yuru was momentarily stunned but quickly composed herself. Gu Jiusi wouldn't intentionally let Shen Ming leave. She immediately said, "As long as he's alive, that's what matters. Let's go back first."

With that, she reached out and took Gu Jiusi's hand. Gu Jiusi remained silent the whole time as Liu Yuru led him back to the residence. Just as they arrived, Munan hurried up to them, anxiously saying, "My lord."

Gu Jiusi looked up at Munan, who whispered, "Lord Qin's family has been found. They were sent to the back door early this morning and have already been brought in. What should we do?"

Hearing this, Liu Yuru turned to look at Gu Jiusi with some unease.

Gu Jiusi tucked his hands into his sleeves, secretly gripping the evidence tightly as he slowly closed his eyes.

"Jiusi?"

Liu Yuru sounded somewhat surprised. Finally, Gu Jiusi spoke: "Take my token and leave the city immediately. Mobilize three thousand elite troops from Sizhou."

Then he opened his eyes, which were filled with cold determination: "Right now, I demand to see Lord Li."