The crackling sound of the furnace filled the room. The warm, white light from the luminous pearl mingled with the glow of the oil lamp lit by Hongshuang, casting a clear illumination on Ji Yuluo’s face, highlighting her expressions distinctly.
For a moment, she was stunned, and when she looked at the folding fan presented by Hongshuang, a faint crease appeared between her brows but quickly vanished. “Why has Shen Qingli come to the capital? What trouble has he caused?”
Shen Qingli was one of Xie Subai’s men, and so was Hongshuang. Naturally, Ji Yuluo assumed Hongshuang was in the know.
However, Hongshuang truly had no idea. Since entering the Huo residence, she hadn’t had any contact with her master, so she shook her head and said, “I don’t know. Besides, Young Master Shen’s whereabouts have always been erratic… Miss, should we intervene?”
The relationship between Ji Yuluo and Shen Qingli was hardly good. Shen Qingli surely knew that under normal circumstances, Ji Yuluo wouldn’t help; she would typically watch indifferently as he met his end. Thus, he had specifically mentioned in his note the incident three years ago when he had helped Xie Subai rescue her from prison.
To repay a debt of gratitude, after all.
Ji Yuluo tossed the note into the oil lamp and said, “Take off your clothes.”
Hongshuang was momentarily stunned but quickly understood her intent and complied.
Moments later, Ji Yuluo, disguised as Hongshuang, stepped out of the inner room, carrying an oil lamp. Many eyes were hidden in the shadows of the swaying trees around her, but none were watching the maid. She lowered her head and walked calmly through the main courtyard gate, heading towards the kitchen.
After climbing over a high wall, Ji Yuluo hurried towards Chaotian Street. After turning down a couple of alleys, she stopped at the end of one in front of “Li’s Pharmacy” and knocked on the door. The one who answered was Chaolu.
Chaolu’s eyes lit up, “Miss!”
A middle-aged man came up behind him. Ji Yuluo greeted, “Uncle Li.”
Uncle Li was the owner of the pharmacy and the leader of this secret stronghold. He glanced cautiously outside before quickly inviting Ji Yuluo in, asking, “Miss Yuluo, why have you come at this hour?”
Ji Yuluo quickly explained her purpose.
Uncle Li asked, “You want to intercept someone from the Jinyiwei?”
Ji Yuluo nodded, “It will be difficult if they enter the imperial prison. Intercepting them en route is the best chance.”
Uncle Li pondered for a moment before gritting his teeth and saying, “Alright! I’ll gather some people.”
Ji Yuluo had thoroughly familiarized herself with the layout of the capital in recent days. To intercept a prison cart, it would ideally be done in an open, flat area with cover from the surrounding trees. However, confronting the Jinyiwei directly was not advantageous. Pointing to the map, Ji Yuluo said, “We’ll act in the market area. The maze-like streets are good for retreating. Our goal is to grab the person, not to linger.”
Uncle Li nodded.
—
At night, a group of people, cloaked in black, with wide hoods covering half their faces, moved like bats blending into the dusk, making them hard to discern.
Ji Yuluo lay on the roof tiles, her eyes through the dark purple mask were exceptionally calm, reflecting the cold white moonlight over the quiet, deserted alley. At this moment, she hoped not to encounter Huo Xian.
That would be too troublesome.
Suddenly, a figure appeared at the alley’s entrance, followed by the sound of hoofbeats and footsteps, and the Jinyiwei’s angry shouts: “Shut up! Be quiet!”
A large group of people were being herded, as they had apparently rounded up everyone from the gambling den.
Ji Yuluo frowned. Shen Qingli was a flamboyant man with an unconventional style of dress. She quickly scanned the group but did not recognize him. However, there were a few men dressed as workers on the prison cart, and among them, she spotted Zhoushu.
At the same time, she also saw Huo Xian riding at the rear.
Ji Yuluo’s curled eyelashes trembled slightly, and her brows showed a trace of annoyance.
Chaolu, holding a crossbow, aimed it at Huo Xian, waiting for them to take a few more steps into the optimal ambush zone before releasing the arrow. But unexpectedly, the group stopped moving.
Huo Xian suddenly raised his eyes, scanning the rooftops around him. His gaze finally fixed on the crossbow aimed at him. Chaolu hesitated; even though the shadows of the trees provided cover, she felt as if he saw through the concealment and looked directly at her!
He had indeed detected them!
Suddenly, Ji Yuluo grabbed Chaolu’s crossbow and leaped into the air. With a sharp “swish,” the arrow flew, piercing through the air, and with a “clang,” it struck Huo Xian’s steel blade and fell to the ground.
This was the signal. Instantly, shadows sprang up, and arrows shot towards the Jinyiwei from all directions.
The first to scream were the innocent gamblers caught in the crossfire, who now disregarded the Jinyiwei’s swords and scrambled in all directions, covering their heads.
Uncle Li, wielding a sword, said, “I’ll hold them off with my men.”
Shouts of battle echoed through the night, and the clash of swords and sabers resonated.
Ji Yuluo led another group of men, charging towards the prison carts. Her movements were ghostly and swift, making her hard to catch. A Jinyiwei had just raised his sword to strike the shadow when he fell to the ground.
More enemies kept coming. Amidst the chaos, Ji Yuluo slashed open a prison cart and heard someone shouting amidst the turmoil, “Here! Here!”
She looked over and saw Shen Qingli, disguised as a worker. He wasn’t wearing his usual high ponytail; instead, his hair was wrapped in a turban, with a fake mustache on his lip and a scar on his face, although the scar was now dangling precariously and about to fall off.
“…”
Ji Yuluo momentarily paused her sword-swinging stance to break the lock.
After breaking the lock, Shen Qingli jumped down from the cart. Before he could catch his breath, Ji Yuluo grabbed him and pulled him into a corner, a gust of wind sweeping by, a steel blade pressed against his neck. “What trouble have you caused? My people are dying for you!”
“Ugh.” Shen Qingli carefully pushed her blade away. “Miss Yuluo, you’re still so rough. Now is not the time to talk; you’ll know by tomorrow.”
As he finished speaking, an arrow embedded itself in the wooden pillar.
Ji Yuluo and Shen Qingli both dodged aside. The Jinyiwei, previously held off by Uncle Li and his men, now rushed forward, their bowstrings and arrows relentless. Uncle Li was already struggling against Huo Xian, who skillfully avoided fatal blows but did not deliver any lethal strikes. Uncle Li, gravely injured, was on the verge of being captured alive.
Shen Qingli seized the opportunity and ran.
Ji Yuluo called for Chaolu, instructing her to lead the others to retreat through the alley. Then, gripping her steel blade, she leaped up, stepping on a few heads, and slashed down towards Huo Xian from above.
“Clang—”
The two steel blades collided, creating a harsh, grating sound.
The blade’s owners faced each other, silent animosity flashing in their eyes. Then Huo Xian’s sword moved straight towards her mask.
Ji Yuluo sidestepped, using two fingers to snap his blade.
Huo Xian chuckled softly from his throat, using the broken blade to simultaneously cut through her steel sword.
They exchanged a glance and began to fight barehanded.
Ji Yuluo, being a woman, was petite and not as strong as a man. Her master had told her that training with a heavy sword would be twice the effort for half the result. Therefore, she was taught to focus more on agility and speed.
With her speed, Ji Yuluo could slit the throat of a burly man in an instant and escape unscathed from being surrounded by numerous pursuers. Most of her opponents either lacked her speed or couldn’t match her techniques.
Except for Huo Xian.
Not only was he fast, but he also overpowered her in strength.
Huo Xian leaped and swept across. Ji Yuluo raised her arm to block but was forced back several steps, her arm numb from the impact.
Beneath her mask, her small face hardened like ice. Seeing that Chaolu had successfully led their people to retreat, she decided it was unnecessary to continue the struggle. She aimed to leap onto the roof and escape, but as soon as she jumped, her left shoulder was pressed down.
Huo Xian was determined not to let her go.
After two months, she had finally appeared.
If their previous encounter had been too brief for him to be certain, his recent test confirmed it. This was clearly the technique created by Lou Panshun, indicating a close connection between this person and Lou Panshun.
However, this woman lacked Lou Panshun’s ferocity but exhibited cunning to the fullest. Her petite frame made her reactions more agile, slipping away like an eel whenever he tried to catch her.
As she turned, she flung a handful of powder at him. Huo Xian brushed it away with his sleeve, but she was already gone, a shadow flitting across the rooftop.
—
The Jinyiwei had set up a tight perimeter, blocking all the streets and alleys. Ji Yuluo stuck close to the walls, pressing her hand against her numbed arm where Huo Xian had struck her. Beads of sweat dripped from her forehead into her mask.
Footsteps approached from the alley’s entrance. Ji Yuluo retreated and turned into another narrow alley. She lowered her hat brim and continued walking, but voices came from both sides—
Her soft lips pressed into a straight line of frustration, her eyes flashing with a murderous intent. She reached for an iron rod lying across a trash bin, holding her breath as she waited for the men to approach. Just then, a cold hand grasped her wrist, making her tense up.
She swung her fist, but it was caught by a large hand that pushed it down, pulling her into a narrow corner. A hand covered her mouth.
A deliberately low voice whispered in her ear, “Scream if you want to die.”
Ji Yuluo was stunned.
With footsteps approaching, her attempts to fight back froze. Her breathing was rapid, her hot breath warming Huo Xian’s palm as he looked into her eyes through her mask.
It was a silent standoff.
Their eyes locked, and Huo Xian reached for her mask.
Ji Yuluo grabbed his wrist, but she had no advantage in strength. After a silent struggle, the mask was torn away, revealing a clean, pale face under the moonlight, her brows furrowed in annoyance.
Before Huo Xian could speak, a palm strike came at him!
Huo Xian sidestepped, catching her wrist as she thrust a hairpin towards his neck. In their struggle, the hairpin flew through the air and landed in the middle of the road with a clear “ding.”
“……”
All around, footsteps paused for a moment, then grew closer.
