Chapter 30: Resolution
The small cart jolted its way out of the village.
Fu Tingyun followed closely behind Ninth Master Zhao, her lips pressed tightly together.
A Sen remained unconscious, and despite Ninth Master Zhao's objections, she had insisted on giving the cart to him.
"If you can't walk anymore, say something," Ninth Master Zhao said coolly, walking ahead with an upright posture without turning his head. "If you get blisters on your feet, I'll have to take care of you."
Fu Tingyun remained silent.
Ever since she had broken down in tears in front of him earlier, she had resolved never to speak to Ninth Master Zhao again.
Since he always treated her like a spoiled young lady from a wealthy family, there was no point in saying anything more.
Besides, since he had promised to take her to Xi'an Prefecture, he would definitely do so. She had nothing to worry about.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the withered old locust tree at the village entrance—and the dark-skinned, ruddy-faced man who had followed them into the village the day before, now hiding behind the tree and spying on them.
Fu Tingyun was startled and slowed her steps.
After the commotion yesterday, any sensible person would have hidden and fled before they left the village. Given how many people had attacked them and failed, shouldn’t this man fear being silenced?
Unless… he wasn’t an ordinary person either!
As she pondered how to subtly alert Ninth Master Zhao to the man’s presence, Ninth Master Zhao suddenly turned around.
"What’s wrong?"
As if he had eyes in the back of his head!
Fu Tingyun silently grumbled before pointing at the old locust tree.
The man, realizing she had spotted him, panicked. Clutching a child, he turned and bolted!
But this was a year of famine—the fields were barren, offering no cover. Ninth Master Zhao hurled an empty waterskin, striking the man behind the knee. With a loud "thud," he collapsed to the ground.
The child tumbled down with him and immediately burst into tears.
The man scrambled up and fell to his knees before Ninth Master Zhao, who strode toward him.
"Spare me… spare me, Master… please spare me!"
The mere sight of him begging for mercy was enough—no need to ask. This man was clearly involved in Master Feng Four’s affairs!
A cold glint flashed in Ninth Master Zhao’s eyes. His fist clenched, and a gust of wind swept around them.
Sensing imminent danger, the man instinctively pulled the child into his arms.
"Master, Master, I meant no harm… I just saw how skilled you were, taking on seven or eight men with ease, and thought I could follow you for protection!" He kowtowed frantically, his forehead thudding against the ground. "I never expected to run into those killers… I swear, we didn’t mean any trouble…"
Ninth Master Zhao relaxed his fist but kicked the man in the shoulder.
"Few in this world can deceive me!"
Fu Tingyun gasped softly in surprise.
The man toppled onto his back.
The child froze in terror.
"Hero, spare me, spare me…" The man pleaded in terror, scrambling back onto his knees. "I’m telling the truth! I’m from Wang Family Village in Weinan. My clansmen and I were heading to Xi'an to seek refuge with my uncle, but we were robbed by migrant bandits at night. I got separated from my brothers, lost all our food, and had no choice but to follow you… I just wanted to beg this young lady for some food… That’s why I kept trailing you…" As he spoke, he cast a nervous glance at Fu Tingyun."So when you encountered a group of bandit-like fellows, you thought they were after your grain," Ninth Master Zhao sneered, his face etched with mockery, "and fearing they'd kill you upon finding you had none, you told them there were others staying in this village with plenty of supplies..."
The man turned deathly pale, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. "Spare me, great hero, spare me..." His voice was barely a whisper.
Only then did Fu Tingyun understand.
So Master Feng Four had been able to track them down because of this man.
And to think this same man had tried to beg food from her earlier... Did she really look that gullible?
Fu Tingyun was so angry she could feel veins throbbing at her temples.
"Ninth Master, let's hurry!" She completely forgot her earlier resolve. "We still need to find a place to treat A Sen's wounds!"
Ninth Master Zhao arched an eyebrow slightly.
"Very well!" He turned and strode off without hesitation.
Fu Tingyun hurried after him.
After some distance, she suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no! Ninth Master, what if that man was lying to us? Why wouldn't he have run away otherwise?"
"He wasn't," Ninth Master Zhao's voice was measured and reassuring, carrying an air of reliability that was oddly comforting. "He was probably eyeing those dead horses by the courtyard entrance as potential food. Might even have hoped to scavenge valuables from the corpses..." He paused briefly before continuing, "Even if he was lying... I examined the boy's features carefully—he bears six or seven parts resemblance to that man. With his mother already gone, if his father dies too, what future would that orphan have? Probably none at all." Suddenly he chuckled darkly, "You're not suggesting I adopt the child, are you? I'm the murderer of his parents—there's blood feud between us. I've no intention of raising someone who'll grow to hate my very bones!"
"Stop the cart!" Fu Tingyun pulled sharply on the handcart, her face stern. "My feet hurt. I'm riding now."
Ninth Master Zhao froze in surprise.
Fu Tingyun, now in much better spirits, cheerfully climbed onto the cart and adjusted her headscarf with satisfaction.
With resigned acceptance, Ninth Master Zhao began pushing the cart again.
They first took the dirt road leading out of the village, then turned onto another path, then another, twisting and turning until Fu Tingyun quickly lost all sense of direction.
The cart stopped before a modest City God Temple.
"We'll treat A Sen's wounds here first," Ninth Master Zhao announced, carrying the boy inside.
He must know Lintong extremely well, Fu Tingyun mused, otherwise how would he know about this temple?
The temple's curtains and incense burners were all gone. The floor was littered with filth, emitting a foul stench—clear signs someone had camped here for some time.
Ninth Master Zhao laid A Sen on the altar table. Fu Tingyun retrieved the waterskin containing diluted saltwater and passed it to him to clean the boy's wounds.
After all, A Sen was still male.
Fu Tingyun tactfully stepped outside.
Not far from the temple ran a dried-up creek, beyond which stood a village with row upon row of houses—all eerily silent.
She sighed from the temple's front steps.
Remembering her deceased uncle and aunt.
Mother probably didn't know yet... When the news reached Huayin, who knew how heartbroken she'd be?
There was also an aunt who'd married into Huxian County, but she'd passed away long ago.Her mother no longer had any full siblings left in this world.
And now she had gotten herself into such trouble...
Fu Tingyun's mood sank heavily.
She stood alone for a long while, slowly gathering her emotions.
Forget it... better not dwell on these things. Being alive at all was already a blessing.
She stood up and exhaled deeply, only to see a group of riders passing by the village.
In these famine years, when people could barely afford food, who could still keep horses...
"Ninth Master, Ninth Master," Fu Tingyun called out in a fluster, "Come out and look quickly!"
Before her words had even faded, Ninth Master Zhao was already by her side.
With just one glance, his expression turned grave.
"Could it be the Feng family?" In that fleeting moment, a realization struck Fu Tingyun.
Ninth Master Zhao gave a low hum of acknowledgment. "You and A Sen stay here and don’t move. I’ll go take a look first!"
For them to have gotten the news so quickly—this Feng family was clearly no ordinary household.
"It's too dangerous!" Fu Tingyun grabbed the hem of his sleeve. "We should hide instead!" She wanted to say "flee," but feared wounding Ninth Master Zhao’s pride.
His gaze fell on the hands clutching his sleeve—pale, delicate, and smooth, like carved white jade, gripping the fabric as if clinging to a kite caught in the wind.
Noticing his stare, Fu Tingyun suddenly realized her impropriety and jerked her hands back as if burned.
Ninth Master Zhao watched the swaying hem of his sleeve, an inexplicable sense of loss flickering in his chest.
He steeled himself, quickly suppressing the emotion.
"There’s not even a blade of grass here—where could we hide?" Ninth Master Zhao said. "Better to face them head-on than to be chased around like prey. Sometimes, you have to strike hard for them to remember the lesson."
"You’re going to fight the Feng family?" The shocking decision made Fu Tingyun forget her earlier embarrassment. Her mind raced. "Didn’t you say Master Feng Four and Third Master Feng were on bad terms? If Third Master Feng learns of Master Feng Four’s death, any retaliation would just be for show, right? Why not try reasoning with Third Master Feng? You could put on an act for outsiders!"
A flicker of surprise passed through Ninth Master Zhao’s eyes. After a moment’s thought, he said, "I was just planning to meet Third Master Feng. Might as well settle this matter once and for all." Then he added, "Wait here and don’t move. I’ll be back soon."
"Don’t worry, Ninth Master," Fu Tingyun said hurriedly. "I’ll stay right here. Focus on your task—don’t let me distract you."
The words struck him as oddly comforting. After a pause, he pulled out a dagger in a sharkskin sheath from the cart. "Keep this for protection." Then he strode off without another glance.
She hadn’t expected him to carry something like this.
The dagger felt heavy in her hands as she clutched it to her chest, a faint unease stirring within her.
Ever since leaving Huayin, she had always been with either A Sen or Ninth Master Zhao.
Better safe than sorry. What if someone barged in? What would she do?
Her gaze fell on the dagger.
Its hilt was wrapped in faded black cloth, worn with age.
Could this be Ninth Master Zhao’s personal weapon?
She wanted to check if the blade was sharp.
But the dagger seemed fused to its sheath—no matter how she pulled, it wouldn’t budge.
Was it a fake? Had Ninth Master Zhao just given it to her for courage?
Surely not...
If someone really did break in, wouldn’t she be nothing but a lamb to the slaughter?It must be because my strength was too weak.
She tried every possible method.
But the dagger simply wouldn't budge.
Fu Tingyun listlessly stuffed the dagger back into the small cart.
Better not let anyone who might barge in get the wrong idea that she had defensive capabilities to deal with them. She'd just continue playing the role of a frail, delicate woman.
She went into the temple to check on A Sen.
A Sen was sleeping soundly, and his forehead didn't feel too hot.
Fu Tingyun felt relieved.
She leaned against the temple entrance, waiting for Ninth Master Zhao.
It wasn't until dusk that Ninth Master Zhao's figure finally appeared at the City God Temple.
"Ninth Master," she greeted him, "how did it go?"
Ninth Master Zhao was drenched in sweat, his lips slightly pale, as if exhausted from running for a long time.
"We'll leave Lintong tonight via the post road," he said with a gentle smile. "Third Master Feng will be gathering the family elders tonight to discuss Fourth Master Feng's matter. This gives us the perfect excuse to have all the Feng family members recalled to their ancestral home."
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Bonus update... O(∩_∩)O~
(End of chapter)
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