Chapter 3

“Why wouldn’t I dare!” Pang Yuejiao lifted her chin at once. “Just you wait!”
Her father had just arranged an excellent match for her through a young aunt— not yet announced. This round, she was sure to win—hmph!
Seeing Yuejiao agree so readily, so full of confidence, Xixi realized she might have been played.
That brought a twinge of regret—but words were spoken and could not be taken back. Xixi answered without yielding: “Settled!”
Find a man to marry? Men were everywhere. She refused to believe not one would have her!
**
After the wager with Pang Yuejiao, Xixi went to handle real business.
March brought rain. On the way down the mountain, a fine spring drizzle began to fall. Luckily they had brought straw capes and bamboo hats—no one was soaked through.
By the time they lay in ambush beside the trail at the foot of the mountain, the rain was easing.
The earthy smell of rain mixed with apricot blossom from a grove nearby made Xixi’s nose itch on the tree branch—she wanted to sneeze.
She rubbed her nose and craned her neck toward the empty trail—still quiet—and called down to Xiao Yuanfeng in the grass under the tree: “Half a day and still nobody. Third Brother, is your fat sheep not coming today?”
“The word came from Fourth Brother. It should be right.” Yuanfeng took the grass stem from his mouth and shifted position. “Maybe delayed on the road. Wait a bit more.”
Fourth Brother was Xiao Yuanchuan.
Xixi had three full brothers. Eldest brother Xiao Yuanshan had gone missing years ago. Fourth Brother Yuanchuan had left half a month ago with second cousin Xiao Yuanhai on business and had not returned.
They should have been back for her wedding. Their absence worried Xixi. She was about to speak when Yuanfeng suddenly tossed the grass stem, bent low, and hushed her.
“They’re coming.” Yuanfeng listened to the ground a moment, then rose smiling.
Xixi looked up. At the misty end of the trail, a line of horses and carts drew nearer.
“Markings are right—it’s our sheep.” Target confirmed, Yuanfeng ordered the strike.
Dozens of arrows flew from the woods. The lead riders cried “Ambush!”
They were servants of Pan Daping, magistrate of Jiuhe County.
Pan was a great corrupt official. In office he had squeezed the people dry, committed outrage after outrage, and left the county boiling with resentment.
Three days ago the county rose in revolt. Pan fled north with gold and silver. By time and distance he should pass this place today.
Born to a great clan, Pan rode in a carriage bearing his family crest—Xixi saw it too. Light as a swallow she dropped from the branch, battle-axe in hand, and led the charge.
They had robbed the rich to aid the poor and killed corrupt dogs these years. Thinking of Pan’s crimes, Xixi showed no mercy. She fought into the press alone, dragged the villain from his carriage, confirmed his identity, and took his head.
“Dog official Pan is dead! Surrender and live!”
She leaped onto a cart roof holding the bloody head and shouted. Pan’s men fled or surrendered.
Battle over.
Xixi tossed the head aside and entered Pan’s carriage to search.
Only Pan’s two concubines and some valuables—the baggage train was in the cart behind.
She went to check that cart. Lifting the curtain she saw a youth bound hand and foot among piled chests.
“Don’t kill me! Please don’t kill me! I know nothing—I was captured waaah—”
The boy looked fourteen or fifteen—fair and rather handsome—but his voice was rough and ugly.
Eyes shut, wailing like a ghost, Xixi covered her ears and threatened: “Shut up or I’ll cut out your tongue.”
The boy jolted and dared not howl again.
Xixi lowered her hand and looked him over. “Who are you? Why did they take you?”
The boy opened his eyes trembling. The spirited young woman with bright apricot eyes made him less afraid.
“I… I’m called Sui He,” he said small, shrinking his neck. “I don’t know them. My young master and I—we were going to Jiuhe to join family by marriage…”
“Your young master?”
Only then did Xixi realize someone else was in the cart. She leaned past the boy and saw white robes.
The owner was hidden by high chests. She could not see his face. He lay motionless—no response. She arched a brow. “What happened to him?”
“Those villains—they broke my young master’s leg. He fainted from the pain!” Sui He said, eyes red, voice breaking.
His grief looked real. Xixi pulled him from the cart and climbed in herself.
She meant to get the man out and see how badly he was hurt. In the dim light she saw a face that stole her breath.
The owner was a young man of about twenty—tall, lean, in plain white robes stained with blood at the hem.
His skin was very fair. His features were carved deep—brow bone, eye sockets, nose bridge, jaw—like fine white jade, like frost, like every beautiful word in the world.
Hair loose, clothes disordered, wretched as he was—Xixi still stared dumbfounded.
There could be a man this handsome in the world…
Beside him, what was Ge Qingsong? Nothing!
Thinking of Ge Qingsong led to Pang Yuejiao and the wager before they came down the mountain.
Who marries first…
Her, of course!
As for whom—no suitable man in the stockade. She could find one below the mountain. This one in front of her looked very suitable!
Xixi’s mind raced. She could not stop staring at that face a long while before forcing her eyes away. She turned to Sui He: “Is your young master married? Does he have someone he loves?”
The question came too sudden. Sui He blanked and said no without thinking.
No—wonderful!
Heaven was helping her. Xixi pressed on—names, origins.
Sui He hemmed and hawed until Xixi scowled and frightened him into talking: “M-my young master is Xie Guiyuan, from Chen Prefecture. His family runs a publishing house. He had been studying in Rong Prefecture. Half a year ago southern rebels took Chen city—burning, killing, looting. Disaster struck his home—the house burned, family missing, unknown fate.”
“He and I escaped because we were in Rong—but we had no home left. We went to Jiuhe to join his aunt. When we arrived we learned she had died not long before. My master was ill on the road. The news struck him down in the street. I was taking him to a doctor when two burly men rushed from nowhere and seized us onto a cart. Last night that Pan bastard tried to… to force my master. Master refused. So he—he broke Master’s leg wuwu…”
Xixi listened in shock, climbed down, and grabbed a servant beside Pan’s body for questioning.
The servant remembered how this female demon had lopped off his master’s head with one axe. Legs shaking, he told everything he should and should not.
Xixi learned Pan was a debauched creature who spared neither sex. Leaving the city he had seen Xie Guiyuan fainted in the street, been struck by his beauty, and on impulse had him seized to enjoy on the road.
In haste, and because Guiyuan would not yield, the dog had ordered his leg broken—to break his pride and keep him from fleeing.
Xixi raged. She should not have let him die so easily!
“Miss—no, heroine—please let us go! My master is already so pitiful—” Sui He was pleading when his wail broke off and turned to joy. “Master—you’re awake!”
Xixi turned quickly—and walked straight into a pair of long, deep-set eyes, outer corners lifted, as if holding ten thousand stars—or a cold deep pool.
Those eyes could pull a person in. Xixi’s heart leaped. She felt struck by lightning from head to toe.
“You… you’re awake?”
Delight and strange nervousness together. She reached to help him. He jerked away at once.
Xixi paused, then explained quickly: “Don’t be afraid. I’m not a villain. The official who seized you—I’ve already killed him.”
Poor man—he must have been terrified by what came before.
The man’s gaze was cold and sharp. Panting slightly he asked: “Who are you?”
Xixi curved her eyes at him. “I’m Xiao Xixi. I live in the mountains nearby. You’re hurt—I’ll take a look.”
“No need.” He turned his head aside and coughed, rejecting her from a thousand li away.
“How can that be? You’re so pale—you’ve lost blood. If we don’t treat you it’s dangerous.” Xixi disagreed, climbed into the cart, and forcibly lifted him out.
Xie Feng stiffened. He tried to push her off but tore his wound. Teeth clenched hard, cold sweat on his brow: “…Let go.”
His tone was foul. Xixi was not afraid. She carried him to the empty cart ahead, pressed him into the seat, and tugged up his right trouser leg. “No. I need to see the injury first.”
Not only was his right leg broken—before Pan he had been given a strong drug and was still weak, powerless. Xie Feng: “……”
He shut his eyes in anger and humiliation. Murderous intent rose in waves.