The fierce struggle in the forest had ceased, and a chilly pale blue light filtered through the gaps in the leaves. A gentle breeze slowly dispersed the lingering scent of blood in the air. Shao Shang took a deep breath, letting the cold, pungent odor clear her mind. Turning her head, she noticed Ling Buyi’s black armor, now stained a dark, rust-like crimson, as if soaked in coagulated blood.
Ling Buyi paid no heed to the blood on his body, calmly issuing orders for the aftermath—tending to the wounded and weak, gathering carriages, horses, and weapons. Of course, the most crucial decision was where to go next. With Lao Wan unconscious, Cheng Song and the others deferred to Ling Buyi as their leader, following his instructions to return to the relay station for temporary rest.
While the group was regrouping, Ling Buyi took a moment to write a letter on a guard’s back. After sealing it with wax, he had Liang Qiu Fei swiftly deliver it by horse.
“What did you write?” Shao Shang asked.
Ling Buyi replied, “A reminder to His Majesty to send protection for Huang Wen, lest he meet with an accident.”
“Ah.” Shao Shang, having stayed up all night, felt her mind sluggish.
Ling Buyi didn’t want to be too far from Shao Shang, keeping hold of her hand as they moved among the carriages. As Wan Qiqi put it, he ‘might as well tie her to his wrist.’ As they prepared to mount their horses, Ling Buyi noticed the dark circles under the girl’s eyes and softened. “You’ve been up all night and had quite a shock. Rest in the carriage.” His tone was gentle but firm, and with a wave, he had his men bring the carriage over.
Cheng Shao Gong silently grumbled to himself: First, everyone had been up all night. Second, his little sister was definitely not frightened.
“...Zifu, what do you think?” Ling Buyi turned to Cheng Song.
Cheng Song naturally had no objections and casually nudged Wan Qiqi into the carriage as well. As a result, his dear third brother, Cheng Shao Gong, had no choice but to mount his horse with a grimace, his delicate flower-like demeanor turning rigid.
Fearing further mishaps, the group ate their fill and hurried on for most of the day. By evening, they finally left the mountain path, where Shao Shang, rubbing her eyes, noticed another group of thirty or forty people setting up camp at the exit, cooking over fires.
Most of them were injured, their low groans and curses unending, though their wounds didn’t seem severe. Some limped about gathering firewood and water, while others roasted meat and fish with arms in slings.
At the sight of Ling Buyi and the others, they cheered. A scholarly young man at the forefront rushed over. Shao Shang found his face oddly familiar, but Wan Qiqi beside her cried out first, “Xiao Hou Ban? What are you doing here?”
Ban, seemingly timid by nature, seemed to find his backbone upon seeing Ling Buyi. Tearfully, he wailed, “Lord Ling... Brother Zisheng, you’ve finally returned! What if those villains come back? I was terrified! My uncle... my uncle still hasn’t woken up! What are we to do...?”
Ling Buyi patiently answered each concern: “Since those men spared your lives initially, they won’t return for you. Your uncle was given medicine meant to keep him asleep for a full day and night. From what I see, he should wake soon.”
Ban wiped his tears. “Oh, that’s good, that’s good...”
Then, a steward-like figure beside him whispered a reminder, “Young master, Lord Ling and his party seem exhausted. We’ve prepared tents and meals. Perhaps you could invite them...”
Ban, as if waking from a dream, eagerly ushered everyone into the tents to rest and dine.Entering the spacious round tent, Liang Qiuqi initially moved to help Ling Buyi remove his armor. Ling Buyi slightly sidestepped to avoid him, his gaze shifting to Shaoshang. Liang Qiuqi immediately understood his intention and quietly stepped aside. Shaoshang was about to pull Wan Qiqi aside to find a place to change when she caught Ling Buyi’s glance. Quick-witted, she promptly stepped forward to help him unbuckle his armor. The heavy iron belt, the shoulder guards cast in the shape of roaring tigers, the breastplate adorned with delicate obsidian, followed by the abdominal leather, arm guards, knee guards… Liang Qiuqi stood by, receiving each piece one by one.
Watching this scene, Wan Qiqi felt inexplicably displeased, as if her own well-behaved child was being bullied by a schoolyard tyrant. Cheng Song’s thick brows furrowed into a knot, while Cheng Shaoshang yawned and rubbed her sore back, pretending not to notice.
As Shaoshang loosened Ling Buyi’s wrist guard, she noticed his left sleeve was fastened with several loops of thin, stiff thread. She couldn’t discern the material upon touching it and wondered if it might be a hidden weapon. Just as she was about to investigate further, Ling Buyi abruptly withdrew his hand. He lowered his head and spoke gently to the girl, “I had someone fetch a cart of mountain spring water earlier. It should be heated by now. Go and freshen up—take your time, no need to rush.”
Cheng Shaogong nearly wept—he also wanted to wash up, exhausted as he was. Cheng Song, too preoccupied to dwell on it, casually nudged Wan Qiqi toward Shaoshang, letting her tag along for a bath.
After soaking in the hot water, the two girls emerged refreshed, as if reborn. Wan Qiqi even began to think she had misjudged the so-called schoolyard tyrant. When they re-entered the large round tent, Ling Buyi and the Cheng brothers had also changed into fresh robes and washed up. Xiao Hou Ban warmly invited everyone to take their seats.
Cheng Song raised his cup. “Lord Ling, we first thank you for saving our lives.” With that, he tipped the wine vessel and drained it in one go.
Cheng Shaogong and Wan Qiqi followed suit. When it was Shaoshang’s turn to down hers, Ling Buyi casually plucked the wine vessel from her hand, leaving only a sip before returning it. Under the varied gazes of the others, Shaoshang forced a laugh, tilted her head back to finish the wine, and then said with exaggerated formality, “Thank you, Lord Ling.”
The group collectively scoffed inwardly in disdain.
As they ate, conversation flowed. Ling Buyi smiled and said, “Speaking of which, you should also thank Xiao Hou Ban. If not for their ambush, I wouldn’t have arrived so quickly.”
Xiao Hou Ban’s wooden chopsticks trembled, causing the grilled fish to slip onto the dining table. His eyes reddened, on the verge of tears again.
The Emperor often lamented Ling Buyi’s tragic fate as the last surviving bloodline of the Huo family. But in the Capital City, there was another who could rival Ling Buyi in this regard—Ban Jia, Xiao Hou Ban. Old Marquis Ban was a hero who grew only more resilient with age. Persecuted by the previous dynasty’s Emperor Li, he lost his entire family, with all his children dying young. Yet his five grandsons were each brave and skilled in battle, fierce and fearless.
But when misfortune strikes, it’s unstoppable. Over the years of war, four of the Ban family’s five tigers perished, and the fifth was left disabled—victims of stray arrows, fevers, festering wounds… In short, every conceivable tragedy befell them. Worst of all, except for Xiao Hou Ban’s father, none of the other grandsons left behind heirs. The sole survivor seemed to have sustained injuries to vital areas, remaining unmarried and childless to this day.Therefore, the Ban family treasured Xiao Hou Ban, their only remaining heir. It was said that Ban Jia had never even left the family home before the age of ten, and now at fifteen, he barely recognized the roads in the Capital City.
Cui You was a kind-hearted man who pitied the Ban family for having only the elderly, the young, and the disabled left. He kept Ban Jia by his side, though he couldn’t send him into battle. Instead, Ban Jia was assigned to handle paperwork in the main tent—tasks like counting casualties, managing logistics, and allocating provisions. Surprisingly, Xiao Hou Ban handled these duties quite efficiently.
Unexpectedly, Old Marquis Ban recently had a nightmare and grew suspicious that something had happened to his great-grandson. He sent Uncle Ban to check on Ban Jia. Upon meeting, of course, nothing was amiss. However, the military camp was no place for idle visitors, so two days ago, Ban Jia personally escorted his uncle back. On the way, they encountered a group of strange bandits.
Without a word, the bandits attacked immediately. But the Ban family’s guards were no mere decorations—they were seasoned veterans who fought valiantly. In the heat of battle, Uncle Ban, seeing his nephew terrified out of his wits, angrily grabbed his cane and stepped down from the carriage to join the fight. To everyone’s surprise, the two leaders of the bandits caught sight of Uncle Ban and swiftly retreated like the wind, leaving behind a scene of carnage—scattered corpses, the wounded, an unconscious and severely injured Uncle Ban, and a sobbing Xiao Hou Ban sitting on the ground.
After crying his heart out, Xiao Hou Ban quickly sent someone to find the nearest military unit. The Ban family guards rode swiftly and first encountered Ling Buyi, who was leading troops to patrol the area. Just as they had settled the casualties and Ling Buyi was escorting the Ban family back slowly, they ran into their own guards coming to seek help.
—This was also the luck of Shao Shang and the others. If they had taken the forest path to ride swiftly to Ling Buyi’s camp, it would have taken at least a day, and who knew how long the return journey would have been.
“The Ban family also encountered bandits?” Wan Qiqi looked puzzled. “Just how many groups of bandits are there?”
The three Cheng siblings, however, remained silent, exchanging grave glances.
Ling Buyi said calmly, “The road Xiao Hou Ban took was the same official route you were originally supposed to take.”
The Cheng siblings all let out a soft “ah,” as if understanding something.
The room fell silent. After a while, Shao Shang asked quietly, “...Aren’t you supposed to be serving in Cui Hou’s army?”
Ling Buyi smiled. “A few days ago, the main force of the rebels was crushed. Rebel Peng’s followers have been surrendering one after another. These days, Uncle Cui spends his time meeting with those who come tearfully to beg for forgiveness. Apart from the walls of Shouchun, Rebel Peng has nothing left.”
“Then why doesn’t Uncle Cui quickly breach Shouchun and return triumphantly?” Shao Shang asked.
Cheng Shao Gong shook his head. “I heard Father say that Shouchun’s walls are sturdy—a direct assault might not be wise.”
Cheng Song agreed. “Now that Rebel Peng is hanging by a thread, like ripe fruit about to fall, why should we attack their strength with our weakness? It would only lead to unnecessary casualties.”
Xiao Hou Ban clapped his hands. “You two Cheng brothers have excellent insight. That’s exactly what Cui Hou said. He’s currently planning to ‘subdue the enemy without fighting.’ The only challenge is keeping a few eager young masters from charging into battle.”
Wan Qiqi interjected, “Could it be they haven’t earned any merits yet and refuse to stay put?”
“Qiqi, don’t speculate about others’ intentions,” Cheng Song chided his fiancée softly, though privately, he thought the same. But this wasn’t the place to voice such thoughts.Shao Shang changed the subject: "What do you mean by 'subduing the enemy without fighting'? Do you mean to have someone inside Shouchang city capture and present Rebel Peng's head themselves? I've heard that in previous dynasties, several rebel leaders didn't die at enemy hands but were killed by their own people."
Ling Buyi gave her a faint smile, tacitly acknowledging her point.
After the meal, Ling Buyi suggested they visit the unconscious Uncle Ban. "You'll understand when you see him," he said.
In the neighboring tent, Uncle Ban lay unconscious on a soft couch, his body wrapped in bloodstained bandages. At a glance, everyone was shocked, with only Wan Qiqi letting out a soft gasp—Uncle Ban's build was strikingly similar to Wan Songbai's: medium height with a round general's belly. However, Uncle Ban had a fair, beardless face, quite different from Wan Songbai's features.
Under the starry night, they returned to the large round tent and settled in. Cheng Shao Gong was the first to speak: "This matter is targeting Uncle Wan."
Cheng Song nodded: "I asked A'Fu yesterday. He said Uncle Wan was attacked by assassins twice last month, both claiming to be remnants of the previous dynasty seeking revenge for Emperor Li, specifically targeting Your Majesty's high-ranking regional officials. Since similar incidents had occurred elsewhere before, Uncle Wan didn't pay much attention. But now it seems..."
"Now it seems, it's definitely targeting Father!" Wan Qiqi finished.
Suddenly, Shao Shang gasped. Everyone turned to her, and she looked at Ling Buyi as if waking from a dream: "So that's why you wrote to Your Majesty this morning to protect Censor Huang?"
Ling Buyi smiled while the others remained puzzled. He patiently explained: "This morning, I had the bandits' bodies examined and found they weren't ordinary robbers but well-trained remnants of defeated soldiers gathered together."
Seeing the Cheng siblings and Wan Qiqi still didn't understand, Xiao Hou Ban timidly added: "I heard my great-grandfather say that after years of continuous warfare, many scattered and fleeing soldiers didn't return to civilian life. Some became bandits, only to be eventually suppressed or recruited by imperial forces. So many skilled warriors unwilling to live ordinary lives drifted into the martial world, becoming hired 'wandering swordsmen.'"
"Can they really be called 'wandering swordsmen'?" Cheng Song, being young, still harbored some admiration for the wandering martial life.
"They are indeed wandering swordsmen," Ling Buyi said. "Han Feizi once said, 'Confucians use literature to disrupt laws, swordsmen use force to violate prohibitions.' Though biased, there's some truth to it. In peaceful times where people live contentedly, what need is there for wandering swordsmen? Young men, full of passion, roaming the martial world to broaden their horizons and forge friendships—such 'wandering swordsmen' are harmless. But others seek wealth and status, inevitably engaging in unlawful deeds in secret."
"So someone hired these men to ambush my father?" Wan Qiqi finally grasped the situation.
"What does Censor Huang have to do with this?" Cheng Shao Gong asked.
"Are you stupid? Isn't it obvious?" Shao Shang said indignantly. "Someone paid to have Uncle Wan killed. The first two attempts failed because Uncle Wan had many men in Xu County. So the mastermind had Censor Huang impeach Uncle Wan, forcing him to return to the Capital City for trial. How many men could Uncle Wan bring on the road? It would be much easier to strike then!"
"So it wasn't Huang Wen plotting against my father?!" Wan Qiqi fumed. "That treacherous villain—I won't let him get away with this!"“Whether Imperial Censor Huang was deceived into impeaching Uncle Wan or secretly schemed to frame him, we must not let him die! Only if he’s alive can we interrogate him thoroughly!” Shao Shang reassured her close friend.
The Cheng brothers and Ban Jia suddenly understood, silently admiring how quickly Ling Buyi’s mind worked. Having just rescued Wan Songbai and his group this morning, he had already thought to keep Huang Wen for questioning.
“Then why not start with those bandits? We might be able to extract the mastermind from them,” Cheng Shao Gong asked again.
Shao Shang frowned. “For such a business to last, it can’t be run like a vegetable stall shouting for customers. Aside from the leader, the rest probably don’t know the details.” All those martial arts novels she read weren’t for nothing.
“Then capture the leader!” Wan Qiqi fumed.
Ling Buyi’s lips curled slightly in mockery. “Where would we find them? They gather for profit and scatter when the situation changes, vanishing into the wilderness or blending into the city… If we really want to capture them, it won’t be done in a day. Questioning Huang Wen is faster.”
Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.
Just before leaving the round tent, Shao Shang suddenly said, “To hire such skilled bandits, the mastermind must be extraordinary. But why must they kill Uncle Wan at all costs?”
Ling Buyi took her small hand and smiled. “That’s another approach. Once Prefect Wan wakes up, you can ask him who he’s offended.”
Only then did Shao Shang realize that everyone, including Wan Qiqi, was solely focused on returning to the Capital City to interrogate Huang Wen—these people had no investigative spirit at all! She inwardly grumbled and forcefully shook off Ling Buyi’s hand, only to hear him hiss lightly in pain as he clutched his shoulder, brows furrowed.
Shao Shang tensed. “You’re injured?”
Ling Buyi lowered his thick lashes and gave a quiet hum.
“You haven’t rested at all these past day and night—your wound must have reopened. Come, let’s go to your tent so I can rewrap it.” Her heart ached for him.
Ling Buyi’s smile was clear and bright as he took the girl’s hand and led her away.
After a few steps, Shao Shang stopped and turned. “Third Brother, why are you following me?”
Cheng Shao Gong, who had been silently trailing behind them, lifted his head with a sigh. “Actually… I’m also very concerned about Lord Ling’s injury. I just wanted to check on him too.”
“Third Brother, have you lost your mind?!” Shao Shang was baffled. “Or are you drunk? Go back to your tent and sleep!”
Ling Buyi glanced at Cheng Shao Gong, raising a brow slightly, his demeanor cool and displeased.
Cheng Shao Gong inwardly wailed—he didn’t want this either!
—If Cheng Song’s task on this trip was escorting Wan Qiqi to find her father, then his own mother had driven him out of the Capital City to keep an eye on his younger sister. Now, with the night serene and the wilderness quiet, leaving a man and woman alone in a tent… If he did nothing, Madam Xiao would surely skin him alive when they returned!
Shao Shang’s mind quickly pieced it together, and seeing Cheng Shao Gong’s expression, she understood somewhat. Unhappy, she said, “Third Brother, you should trust Lord Ling’s character! In all these years, have you ever heard any rumors about him and women?”
Cheng Shao Gong sighed again. “Then assume I don’t trust you.”
“You—!” Shao Shang was furious. Faced with such a handsome, broad-shouldered, long-legged fiancé, she had remained chaste and virtuous—and yet someone still dared to slander her!Ling Buyi couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at this comical pair. "Raise the tent flap," he instructed Liang Qiuqi before leading his still-stomping, indignant little fiancée back inside.
Cheng Shaogong also breathed a sigh of relief, wrapping himself in a white fox fur cloak as he sat by Cheng Song's tent entrance, watching the scene.
Ling Buyi sat upright on a camp stool while Shao Shang stood behind him, slowly loosening his collar. Sure enough, she found blood-stained bandages around his shoulder. Carefully unwrapping them revealed a reopened arrow wound—the dark red, congealed broken flesh forming a shocking blemish on the young man's flawless, pale, and muscular physique.
Her heart ached as she said, "Didn't you say this campaign wasn't a big deal? Why did you fight so recklessly?"
Ling Buyi comforted her, "Once blades are drawn, there's no distinction between major or minor battles. Negligence will only lead to disaster."
Shao Shang had no rebuttal. She could only ask Liang Qiuqi to bring hot water and medicine, then gently dissolve the blood-crusted fabric before reapplying ointment and rewrapping the wound. Every time she touched the injury, her heart clenched as if tweezers were pinching her own flesh.
Yet Ling Buyi loved seeing this tender, concerned side of her most—just like when the Emperor had caned him before. Sometimes he even considered injuring himself deliberately just to witness her anxious, pained expression. Upon reflection, he realized this tendency wasn't entirely normal.
"Truthfully, I've been quite troubled these past few days," Ling Buyi suddenly confessed. "That's why I left Uncle Cui's side to roam about with troops. Seeing you now has lifted my spirits considerably."
Shao Shang asked why.
"Remember when I mentioned finding leads about the remaining former subordinates of the Huo family? I sent two groups to investigate. One has returned—only to reveal it was a scam. The man was merely exploiting the Huo family's loyal reputation to swindle food and drink from local villagers."
Shao Shang's heart sank. "What about the other group?"
"No news yet."
Ling Buyi pressed the small hand on his shoulder and said wistfully, "Do you think all of my uncle's former comrades-in-arms truly perished? After searching for them all these years, we finally found some clues last year, only to have half our hopes dashed now."
Shao Shang murmured, "Even if their bodies have turned to dust, their heroic spirits remain undaunted, their noble qi enduring eternally."
Ling Buyi whispered, "I truly don't wish to be the Huo family's sole surviving descendant in this world."
Shao Shang declared, "That's easily solved! Once you father many children, the Huo lineage won't rest on you alone."
Ling Buyi laughed, turning to gaze at the girl with a sigh. "But bearing children isn't easy. I'm afraid—"
"Who said you'd bear them? I'll be the one giving birth! What's it to do with you, hesitating like this?" Shao Shang patted her chest without a trace of shyness. "Such a trivial matter—leave it to me!"
Ling Buyi's expression softened with joy, though he sighed again. "I wish I could handle everything for you. If only I could do this for you too."
His words filled Shao Shang with sweetness. After finishing the bandaging, she volunteered to clean Ling Buyi's armor. After all, armor, weapons, and warhorses were a soldier's three most vital possessions. Having spent considerable time with Ling Buyi, she knew he always personally maintained these items himself. Now that he was injured, how could she bear to let him lift a finger?She had Ling Buyi sit to the side while she cradled the heavy dark iron armor, carefully washing away the bloodstains with warm water, wiping and polishing each piece with a dry cloth before applying a thin layer of oil and rubbing it to a shine...
At the entrance of the opposite tent, Cheng Shao Gong suddenly found Cheng Song and Wan Qiqi standing behind him.
"Don't you feel a bit uncomfortable in your heart?" Wan Qiqi said.
Cheng Song nodded: "Look at our little sister, docile as a kitten in front of Ling Buyi. Mother used to worry she might bully her son-in-law, that our father and brothers would have to go apologize someday. But now... what kind of nonsense was that!"
“Sigh, for the first time, I think your mother’s words make some sense. It would be better to find an honest and gentle son-in-law—one where only Shao Shang could bully others, and no one could bully her. How wonderful that would be! But look at her now, firmly gripped in that Ling fellow’s hands, sold off and still counting the money for him!”
“At home, Niao Niao never even washed her own handkerchief, and now she has to clean Ling Buyi’s armor!”
“…Though, I can’t say that Ling fellow is all bad. Those rare steeds he sent last time were truly exceptional!”
“Ah, yes. When Mother gave birth to Xiao Zhu, she fell ill, and it was he who took notice and specially arranged for the Imperial Physician from the palace to come and tend to her. And Father’s back injury—the imperial-bestowed Tiger Bone Balm hasn’t run out for days.”
“He’s just a bit too domineering—what he says goes, and no one dares contradict him.”
“And not very considerate either. It’s so late, yet he still won’t let Niao Niao rest. How exhausting! She has to travel early tomorrow morning!”
“I’d say the two of you have said enough!”
Cheng Shaogong couldn’t take it anymore and turned to retort, “Niao Niao slept the entire day in the carriage—the entire day! Qiqi even got off to ride a horse at noon, but she slept the whole day! What exhaustion? Even if you let her sleep now, she wouldn’t be able to! And tomorrow, she’ll probably sleep in the carriage again! The ones who are exhausted are Ling Buyi and us, the ones riding on horseback!”
Cheng Song smacked his lips, and Wan Qiqi twisted her fingers awkwardly. The atmosphere grew tense.
“…Third Brother, why must you be so harsh?”
“Can’t you be a little kinder? No wonder no young lady has taken a liking to you yet!”
“Seems like you’re destined to stay single!”
“Absolutely right!”
After that, the young couple returned to their respective tents to rest. Cheng Shaogong, cold and sleepy, and having just endured personal attacks, noticed that the man and woman opposite still showed no signs of parting. Unable to resist, he decided to eavesdrop on their conversation—circling around two tents from the back, he approached from the side and pricked up his ears.
“…Why aren’t you saying anything? Just staring at me—did I use too much oil?” Shao Shang asked.
“Not too much. You learn quickly and do it just right.”
“Then what are you thinking about?”
“…I’m thinking about you.”
The girl chuckled dryly. “But I’m right beside you.”
“I still think about you.”
Cheng Shaogong, not yet at the age of romantic yearning, couldn’t bear to listen any longer.
He stepped away, took out three Divination Coins and a small, ancient Tortoise Shell from his sleeve, deftly inserted the coins, and prayed to the heavens three times, intending to divine a smooth romantic fate. Shaking the shell, he poured the coins out—gleaming golden coins arced through the air and landed on the ground. Excited, he crouched to examine them… and froze.
All three coins had embedded themselves vertically into the soil, forming a triangular pattern.
What did this mean? Cheng Shaogong suddenly felt his knowledge was lacking—this was a question he couldn’t answer.
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