The Yaksa mask was grotesque and ferocious, with wide, glaring eyes. In the dim light, it appeared even more menacing, like a vengeful ghost clawing its way up from the depths of the earth.
Waking in the middle of the night to suddenly discover such a figure standing by the window would have frightened the courage out of anyone with a weaker disposition.
Yaoying remained relatively composed, only dropping a ceramic bowl without screaming.
The moment she saw the Yaksa mask, she guessed that the person by the window was most likely Su Dan Gu.
This wasn’t the first time.
…
On the journey to Gaochang, whenever they stayed overnight at posthouses or inns, Su Dan Gu’s room was always situated very close to Yaoying’s.
He kept to himself behind closed doors, making no sound at all, and she hardly noticed his presence—until one night when she accidentally knocked over a brazier in her room, causing a loud crash. Shortly after, Xie Qing rushed in, and the two of them tidied up the mess. As Yaoying opened the door to air out the room, she happened to glance down the corridor and caught a glimpse of a tall, straight-backed figure disappearing around a corner.
Yaoying remained calm and observant.
For the rest of the journey, she paid close attention to Su Dan Gu.
Sometimes, when they had no choice but to camp in the wilderness, she would sleep by the fire in her day clothes. Su Dan Gu, however, stayed far from the group. On occasions when she woke groggily from sleep, she noticed that he remained awake in the distance, keeping watch.
On several nights, Yaoying was jolted awake by the cold. Unwilling to disturb Xie Qing, she huddled, shivering, listening to the howling wind. Thoughts of being so far from the Central Plains and worries about her elder brother inevitably brought a wave of melancholy. Yet, when her gaze fell upon Su Dan Gu’s solitary figure seated apart from the others, her heart gradually grew calm.
Under the vast starry sky, surrounded by desolate wilderness, majestic snow-capped peaks, and deep ravines—amid the boundless expanse of heaven and earth—this man sat alone like an imposing, steadfast mountain.
He shouldered all hardships and difficulties single-handedly. With him there, their entire party could safely return to the Royal Court.
This sense of profound stability and reassurance was something Yaoying had felt in the presence of another person.
Back when the snow-white banner with golden patterns fluttered proudly in the wind, and when Tanmoroqie, astride his white horse, led ten thousand troops into view across the sweeping desert and gravel plains.
That was why Yaoying was not afraid of Su Dan Gu.
Though Tanmoroqie was aloof, he was still gentle.
Su Dan Gu, in contrast, appeared fierce and intimidating, yet his every movement exuded a powerful sense of compassion—a compassion so sharp and intense that its cold, piercing edge almost overshadowed its inherent mercy.
…
That day, they had taken lodging at a posthouse, and Su Dan Gu was staying right next to Yaoying.
Yaoying had just had a nightmare and might have cried out. Hearing the noise, Su Dan Gu thought something had happened to her and came over to check.
This meant he had been awake all night.
Yaoying quickly deduced that the figure was Su Dan Gu and calmed down. However, she hadn’t expected him to return after leaving. She got up, thinking to startle him a little, but instead, he caught her in the act. She gave an awkward, embarrassed smile.
Su Dan Gu watched her without a word, offering no explanation.
Unfazed by his cold, detached gaze, Yaoying leaned forward slightly, her dark hair cascading down. Her eyes curved like crescent moons, sparkling like stars, as she asked in a hushed voice, “General Su, did the Dharma Master assign you to escort us to Gaochang because of me?”
Su Dan Gu remained motionless.
Yaoying looked directly into his green eyes and continued on her own, “Originally, General Ashina was supposed to accompany me on this mission to Gaochang, but he was injured. Is the Dharma Master worried that Haidu Aling might suddenly appear?”Bi Suo failed to make Haidu Aling's cunning scheme backfire and ended up injured himself. Tanmoroqie dispatched Su Dan Gu, who had previously failed a diplomatic mission, to replace Bi Suo for another assignment—likely as a precaution against Haidu Aling. Haidu Aling possessed exceptional martial skills, and none of the guards were a match for him.
Yaoying thought of a possibility: the reason Tanmoroqie's Falcon had been following them was not primarily to relay messages, as Yuanjue claimed, but to locate Haidu Aling's White Falcon.
Though Tanmoroqie had publicly declared Haidu Aling would not dare harm her now, their journey required secrecy. If Haidu Aling discovered their route, would he seize the chance to abduct her?
The sudden appearance of the Northern Rong prince Jin Bo in Gaochang suggested Haidu Aling might be nearby.
Hence, Su Dan Gu dared not let his guard down.
Yaoying stared unblinkingly at Su Dan Gu and pressed, "General Su, has Haidu Aling followed us? Are you keeping it from me to avoid frightening me?"
A flicker of surprise finally crossed Su Dan Gu's deep green eyes.
Yaoying sighed. "General, just tell me the truth. With you here, I'm not afraid."
She leaned against the window frame, her thick black hair cascading over her shoulders, accentuating her snow-white skin and clear, bright eyes.
The little prince, who had been noisy all day, had quieted down. The posthouse was immersed in water-like tranquility. Their room was at the innermost section, and the guards outside had fallen into deep slumber—so quiet one could hear a pin drop.
After a long silence, Su Dan Gu's hoarse voice broke the stillness: "Jin Bo has come to Gaochang. Haidu Aling might appear as well, but I haven't detected his presence yet."
Yaoying smiled. "You've worked hard all this way, General."
Indeed, he had been protecting her in secret all along.
Su Dan Gu averted his gaze. "Your Highness, you should rest."
Without waiting for her reply, his gloved hand, clad in black leather, gently closed the window.
All she could see now was the dull gray window frame.
Yaoying shook her head with a wry smile and pulled the window open again with a swift motion.
"General Su," she called softly, "I'd like to ask you something."
Su Dan Gu looked down at her.
Yaoying grinned and asked, "Since you've been on a diplomatic mission to Gaochang before, you must be familiar with its markets. Tomorrow, Old Qi and I plan to sell the goods we brought. Do you know which market has the fairest merchants?"
Without hesitation, Su Dan Gu replied flatly, "Gaochang has only one market where foreign merchants gather. Yuanjue will serve as your guide tomorrow."
Yaoying nodded, her gaze lingering on the terrifying mask covering his face.
From his reaction, it seemed he truly had been to Gaochang before...
Su Dan Gu closed the window again.
The corner of Yaoying's mouth twitched slightly.
A faint rustling sound came from the front door as Xie Qing pushed it open and entered, her expression alert. Seeing Yaoying by the window, she frowned. Despite days of travel exhaustion, Yaoying had insisted Xie Qing not stand guard tonight, so she slept next door. Hearing voices, Xie Qing had come to check on Yaoying in the dark.
"Aqing, I'm fine. I just got up for some water."
After sending Xie Qing away, Yaoying yawned and lay back down to sleep.
That night, she had no nightmares—even knowing Haidu Aling might be nearby.
The next day, Yaoying rose early and, accompanied by her guards and Yuanjue, went to explore Gaochang's busiest market.Prince Jin Bo was still asleep. Yuanjue left a few men to investigate his purpose for coming to Gaochang while the others split up to gather information from various places.
When Yaoying passed by Su Dan Gu's room, she paused to listen for a moment but heard no sound. She thought: His face is covered with scars and he must wear a mask to conceal them, making him too conspicuous to move around freely during daytime. Moreover, he stood guard until who-knows-when last night and must be resting now.
She instructed the guards staying at the posthouse not to disturb Su Dan Gu, and they all acknowledged her order.
Yuanjue overheard Yaoying's instructions to the guards, his eyes flickering briefly.
Yaoying glanced at him, and he immediately averted his gaze, pretending nothing had happened.
They exited the posthouse through a side door, with Qinian and others following at a distance with the large carts.
Gaochang's only market was a narrow street barely wide enough for two carriages to pass side by side—much smaller than the Royal Court, yet densely populated and bustling. Shops crowded together, thronged with people, and vendors' cries in various languages mingled into a deafening roar.
Yuanjue pointed out the goods sold in each shop along the way. Yaoying listened attentively, occasionally asking about unfamiliar exotic items, and Yuanjue patiently explained.
They stopped at a small food stall selling Sesame Flatbread by the roadside, waiting for the next batch to be ready.
Suddenly, Yaoying asked out of the blue: "Is the Regent a lay disciple like you?"
Yuanjue froze for a moment.
Yaoying smiled at him: "The Regent never eats with others. You're always the one delivering his meals. I noticed he seems to be observing a vegetarian diet."
She had been observing this for many days.
Yuanjue's expression stiffened. Collecting himself, he replied with a smile: "The King's personal guards are either martial monks or lay disciples. The Regent is no exception."
Yaoying pressed further: "Then is the Regent a martial monk or a lay disciple?"
Yuanjue said: "A lay disciple."
Yaoying continued questioning: "The Regent possesses extraordinary martial skills. Who did he learn from? General Ashina said they're martial brothers—did they share the same master? Why are their techniques completely different? Did they study different cultivation methods? When did the Regent begin his martial training?"
Beads of sweat formed on Yuanjue's forehead. "The Regent's master was a renowned expert who once served as chief of the palace guards. None of us have met him. Though General Ashina and the Regent are martial brothers, they studied different cultivation methods, hence their divergent techniques. General Ashina trained in martial arts since childhood, and so did the Regent..."
Just then, the Sesame Flatbread was ready, filling the air with its rich aroma. The deep-eyed baker shouted his wares loudly.
Yuanjue broke off his explanations and rushed forward with other foreigners, apparently worried about missing out on the bread.
Yaoying watched his retreating back, lost in thought.
Qinian drove the carts first to the market office to pay taxes before entering the market to trade with merchants.
Yaoying left the selling to others and strolled around with her guards. She deliberately lingered at shops selling silks, satins, jewelry, and jade, inquiring about patterns currently favored by Gaochang's noblewomen, popular palace makeup styles, and whether Yuchi Damo and the Turkic princess were living harmoniously.
Before sunset, she returned to the posthouse with Yuanjue and the others.
The guards reported that although Prince Jin Bo was arrogant, he hadn't swaggered into the palace openly. Like them, he was concealing his identity. He hadn't left his room all day, only summoning some singing girls and foreign dancers for drinking and entertainment."That's strange... He's accustomed to a life of luxury, why isn't he staying at the palace?"
Gaochang now paid tribute to the Northern Rong. Just by revealing his identity, Jin Bo could command respect even from Yuchi Damo. Moreover, he was cousins with that Turkic princess in the palace.
Yuanjue whispered: "The young prince must have some ulterior motive!"
Yaoying's heart stirred. She knocked on Su Dan Gu's door.
"General Su, it's me."
Footsteps soon sounded from inside. Su Dan Gu opened the door, his gaze falling on Yaoying's face - he froze.
Standing before him, Yaoying was dressed in Hu ethnic attire: a light green blouse, pomegranate-red skirt, with braids adorned with pearls and jade stones hanging over her shoulders. In her hand, she held a mask covering her small face.
It was an old man's mask with kind features, half blue and half red, like two different faces.
Su Dan Gu remained silent for a long moment.
Yaoying removed the mask, dimples appearing on her smiling cheeks. She directly slipped under his arm into the room and lowered her voice: "General Su, could you deliver an oral message to the Dharma Master for me?"
Su Dan Gu didn't drive her out, asking indifferently: "What message?"
Yaoying's voice dropped even lower: "Jin Bo has come to Gaochang, Haidu Aling has also come. The Northern Rong might be in turmoil. They have the same goal as us - they're also here to find Yuchi Damo."
Su Dan Gu's posture shifted slightly. After a moment, he said: "We'll go to the palace temple to see Yuchi Damo tonight."
Yaoying nodded, raising her eyes to gaze at the mask on Su Dan Gu's face.
His reaction was so swift, his decision so resolute... After Tanmoroqie's death from illness, why did he disappear without reason?
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