Chapter 69

Nan Yi had already traveled with the Yucheng army to set up camp in the deep forest to the north of the mountain.

For now, she remained in the military camp, learning some martial skills and strengthening her physique. Once the situation had calmed down and the people in Lidu had completely forgotten her, she would return to the city and help Song Mu Chuan accomplish his goals.

Ying Huai diligently became Nan Yi’s martial arts teacher. At first, he was cautious, unsure how advanced she wanted to get. He carefully taught her some basic moves, worried that she might hurt herself and offend her.

Soon, he realized that Nan Yi was serious. Every morning, she would run for an hour with sandbags on her back, and then practice the moves he had taught her on a wooden stake. The weather had warmed slightly, but the cold wind still cut through, and while many soldiers took the opportunity to slack off, she was relentless, unaffected by rain or wind.

He had always admired those with perseverance, so he began to teach her more seriously, never looking down on her because she was a woman. He treated her like a real soldier, training her hard, and she never asked for a break. Time and again, she gritted her teeth and got up after falling into the mud, her hands calloused and thickening with each day.

But Nan Yi knew that this was still not enough. She would never forget how fragile she was under Xie Que Shan’s overwhelming strength. Women were naturally weaker than men, but not everyone would show sympathy or respect just because she was a woman.

The weak would always be trampled. She wanted to grow stronger, faster.

Days quietly passed in a flurry of punches and kicks. The branches began to sense the coming of spring, and the bare limbs from the previous season unknowingly began to sprout buds.

However, in a corner unnoticed by everyone, a small soldier quietly left the camp during a hunting trip.

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The next day, he appeared in the Dajue Temple in Lidu. The temple had closed its doors for seven days, refusing all visitors, in order to hold a grand Buddhist ceremony.

The soldier looked anxious, clearly having important news to report, but he was stopped by Luo Ci outside the main hall, signaling that he should not disturb the master at this moment.

The bell rang a few times before the ceremony started, with offerings made and eight auspicious signs shown. Zhang Yuehui sat serenely on a cushion in front of the Buddha, with his eyes closed and hands clasped.

Ironically, although he was doing things that betrayed his loyalty, he was particularly devout when it came to gods and Buddhism. He used flowing silver to donate to temples for incense and offerings. Every year, on the anniversary of his family’s death, he would invite high-ranking monks to perform ceremonies for his deceased relatives.

The ceremony didn’t end until dusk, and only when Zhang Yuehui came out did the soldier approach with Luo Ci. They spoke briefly as they moved toward the back courtyard.

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“That woman claimed to be the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xie family… Then, another man arrived, his surname was Song. He spoke a few words to our Ying Duyi, and the general trusted him and ordered us to withdraw to the original campsite. We didn’t go far when the tunnel exploded.”

There were spies hidden within the armies across various regions, including in the Yucheng army.

Although he already knew where the Yucheng army was hiding, when people from Qi inquired, he only pretended to have no leads.

The threat of the Yucheng army was neither too great nor too small, and this information wasn’t worth much. Besides, it involved the lives of about a hundred soldiers, and he wasn’t so heartless as to sacrifice so many men needlessly—such an action would destroy his moral integrity.

Moreover, Zhang Yuehui didn’t sell every piece of information. He preferred to let a piece of news ripen until it became most valuable before acting on it.

For instance, now.

The battle report from Qi stated that the entire Yucheng army had been wiped out overnight, but he had received entirely different information. This affair involved the widow of the Xie family and the seemingly harmless Song Mu Chuan... and even more importantly, the mastermind behind it all was likely the man in the shadows, Xie Que Shan.

This information had finally become valuable.

After a moment’s pause, Zhang Yuehui decided to target the most crucial and yet the weakest link in the chain. He had been watching for so long; now it was time to close in.

He ordered, “Capture that woman.”

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Whoosh—an arrow shot from a bow, hitting the bullseye, sending the birds in the tree scattering.

After a few seconds, the sound of a girl’s joyful cheer followed.

Nan Yi, dressed in men’s clothes and with her hair tied up, at first glance seemed like a malnourished new recruit, her height much shorter than the others. Her face was dotted with mud, disheveled, yet she didn’t appear to be a mess. Instead, she exuded a healthy and vibrant energy.

After practicing archery for several days, this was her first time hitting the target.

Without realizing it, Ying Huai smiled slightly, expressing approval. “The lady has a great talent for archery.”

Nan Yi smiled. “I like archery.”

“Why?” Ying Huai asked, curious.

She had once owned a small sleeve arrow, her first weapon. Even when sleeping, she would always tie it around her wrist, as if it were a protective charm. It had saved her life several times.

Each time the arrow left the bow, it was like a small gamble. You could only control the moment the arrow was shot, but not what it would encounter on its way, or where it would land in the end. Nervousness, anticipation, every sense heightened, all focused on that tiny arrowhead. She loved that feeling.

She had to admit, deep down, she was not a person who followed the rules. She was fond of adventure, and that person had indeed given her a weapon that she found both satisfying and useful.

But why did she always think of him? Perhaps it was because he had left something behind that could only be described as a brand, an indelible mark that haunted every one of her actions.

It was so annoying. She wanted to forget everything.

Nan Yi didn’t answer Ying Huai’s question, put down her bow, and suddenly felt a bit disinterested.

“Just saying... it’s not that I like it,” Nan Yi said, her gaze briefly avoiding his. “I’ll go get something to eat, I’m hungry.”

With that, she hurried off. As she passed near the camp, she overheard a conversation among the soldiers.

“He’s actually going to die?”

“Yeah, they say his injuries are too severe. I heard it when I went to pick up the rations.”

People were naturally drawn to gossip, especially when it involved life and death. They couldn’t help but listen more attentively.

“On Lantern Festival night, someone stabbed him in the heart. Even the best doctors couldn’t save him.”

And then that name suddenly flashed into her mind.

“Xie Que Shan, that traitor... dying like this is too easy on him. He should have been torn apart by five horses, only then would my hatred be relieved!”

Nan Yi froze in place.

How could that be? He was so cunning that she even suspected that the King of Hell himself could be tricked by him. How could he possibly die?

Severe injury with no hope of recovery? Was it the wound she inflicted on him? Did she kill him? She couldn’t have such ability.

She even scoffed, showing her disregard for this news.

He had wanted to kill her. Whether he lived or died had nothing to do with her.

Nan Yi mechanically took a few steps forward, but a strange feeling suddenly rose inside her, as if someone had pulled at the corner of her clothes. She couldn’t help but turn her head, her mind a whirlwind, and the surrounding sounds turned into a distant buzzing. The colors around her seemed to blur into strange, dizzying patterns.

She didn’t understand what was happening, why the news of his death had such a strong impact on her, making her feel so sad.

But her eyes were dry. She clearly didn’t want to cry, yet all her strength seemed to have drained away.

Someone supported her. “Lady, what’s wrong?”

The clear voice pulled her back to reality. She relied on Ying Huai’s support to stand up, and realized her face had gone pale.

Ying Huai looked at her with concern and confusion.

Nan Yi forced herself to steady her breathing and said, “I want to go to Lidufu.”

Ying Huai was a bit surprised. “You’re leaving now?”

“I’ll be back in a day.”

“Then I’ll send someone with you.”

“No need!”

Her abrupt refusal shocked Ying Huai. Why was she so resistant to having someone follow her?

Noticing the oddness in her tone, Nan Yi hurriedly explained, “I’m afraid the people in the camp will notice if I go to the dock with someone, and it might reveal the position of the Yucheng army. As a woman, no one will pay attention to me. I’ll be back in one day.”

She didn’t want anyone to know that she was going to see Xie Que Shan.

It was an utterly absurd thing to do. She knew it was unnecessary, even dangerous, but she couldn’t control the urge to walk towards him.

She kept thinking of him, filled with both hatred and inexplicable pain. She didn’t know how to resolve her emotions. The hidden secrets, the ones she could never speak of, churned in her chest, day and night.

She blamed everything he left behind on hatred. She hated him so much that even in death, she had to see him die with her own eyes. She wanted to see how that irreparable cage collapsed. She wanted to confirm if that iron-hearted man, who seemed impervious to everything, truly had the same life and death as ordinary mortals.

She wanted to witness the end. Only then could her hatred return to dust.

Ying Huai felt that Nan Yi seemed somewhat strange at this moment, but as he was not her superior, he couldn’t interfere with her decision. Seeing her so determined, he sent two people to follow her from a distance and escort her to the dock.

He thought that once she crossed the river, she’d reach Lidufu, where the Candle Holders’ Division would assist her, and there should be no problems.

Nan Yi immediately set off without delay. She reached the dock and boarded a boat.

The boatman was dressed plainly, wearing a large conical hat that covered his face.

The small boat headed towards Lidufu.

The last time they met had been during a piercingly cold snowstorm. Now, the wind that greeted them had a slight warmth, making it feel as though time had passed in a dream. Nan Yi spaced out, not noticing that halfway through the journey, only this small boat remained on the river.

Suddenly, the boatman spoke. “Bad news, Miss. The bottom of the boat is leaking.”

Startled, Nan Yi stood up to check. As she approached the boatman, she saw a flash of silver in his hand. She instinctively dodged, but it was too late.

His movements were swift, and he quickly drove a silver needle into the back of her neck. Nan Yi tried to resist, but the effects of the drug spread through her limbs in an instant. She weakly closed her eyes and fainted.

Under the conical hat, Luo Ci raised his eyes.

He had been troubled about how to abduct someone from the Yucheng army, but his master had said, “The human heart is not a solid block, you only need to try, and you’ll know.”

So they had played a little trick, spreading the fake news of Xie Que Shan’s impending death. Sure enough, not long after, she ran out of the camp alone, wanting to enter Lidufu.

He wasn’t sure how his master had deduced the close relationship between Xie Que Shan and the widow of the Xie family—was it because they had disappeared together during the Lantern Festival?

Luo Ci stared at the unconscious woman on the boat, a strange familiarity struck him. This was his first time seeing Nan Yi. She was a deep housewife, rarely seen in public. He had never inquired about her appearance before, and the scouts who followed her had only mentioned that she was a young, rather delicate woman.

Luo Ci frowned and studied her for a moment. It then struck him—she resembled the woman in the portrait.

But the woman in the portrait was softer, more delicate, almost like a gust of wind could blow her away, while the woman before him was someone who could camp with the Yucheng army in the deep mountains. These two had no real connection, and their resemblance was purely in the facial features. He quickly dismissed the thought. How could the person his master was looking for be the widow of the Xie family?

The master had to perform a seven-day ritual in the temple, leaving the external matters to Luoci. However, the master had already given clear instructions on what to do, and Luoci simply had to follow them step by step.

The master said that if the news of Xie Que’s death could draw the woman out, it would confirm they were on the right track. She must know many secrets, and the most crucial piece of information was Xie Que’s stance. No matter what methods were used, they needed to extract it from her.

Once that was done, they could capture Song Muchuan, Xie Que, and the Bingchu Si in one fell swoop. It was a highly profitable business deal.

Of course, the master also reminded Luoci that, since she was a woman, they should avoid making things too bloody.

That said, if it was necessary, they would still apply torture.