24. The Mrs. Long San Who Once Again Encounters Mysteries
Translated by Ju Hua | Edited by Pu Er

Long San brought Feng Ning to a different inn, and only requested for one high cla.s.s room. Feng Ning felt a faint feeling of being fulfilled in her heart, and happily entered to rest.

Long San from who knows where pulled out a pile of files and sat in the room going over them carefully. Feng Ning laid in bed restless for a while, and while clutching the blanket she looked at the person beneath the lantern. With some uncertainty she asked, “Long San, where did those things come from?” Besides carrying a sword, he clearly only had a bag on the horse’s back and nothing else.

“If you are constantly travelling, it’s important to know how to position things.”

“Oh.”

Feng Ning didn’t want to find out, and it seemed like it was a secret arrangement. She then asked, “Long San, will the family head blame me for what happened? If I go back with you, will they even give me any face?” She used her legs to kick off the blanket and said, “If that’s the case, I don’t want to go back. I’ve thought it over, if everyone dislikes me, then I don’t want to stay there. Since you guys want to send me back to my maternal home, then go ahead.”

Long San blanked for a moment. “I’ve sent a letter to them explaining the whole story. They won’t blame you for this.”

Feng Ning felt a bit relieved. “Then, will you still send me to my maternal home?”

Long San turned to look at her. She was holding onto the blanket staring wide-eyed at him, and her small face was illuminated by the candle light, revealing a bit of fragility. She knew martial arts, but even when she was faced with unfair accusations, she had never used brute force on them. When she fled, he questioned around and, besides the damage caused by the evil bandits chasing after her life, she did not hurt a single innocent person.

With this kind of temperament, how could he think of Feng Ning as unlovable in his mind? Long San couldn’t resist going over to the bed, and caressed her head. “If you want to go, then I will send you off. But if you are willing to stay at Long residence, then it will be your home.”

Feng Ning stared into his eyes, confirmed what he said was the truth, and the corners of her mouth couldn’t resist curving upwards. She rushed over and buried her head into his chest. “You’re the one who said it. I’m willing to stay. You guys can’t drive me out.”

“Yes.” Long San also couldn’t help but smile slightly. She was always so easy to cheer up.

“Then promise me again, when I return to my maternal home, you are going to personally send me there so if they don’t treat me well, you can also take me home, okay?”

“Ok.”

Feng Ning felt very satisfied with his reply, and after giggling enough, moved back to lay down on the pillow, closed her eyes and said, “You are good to me, so I will forgive you.”

Long San raised his eyebrows, and for the sake of playing along said, “Thank you, wife, for your generosity.”

Feng Ning was happy again, and wrinkled her nose. “That’s because, I am extremely magnanimous, much more than second brother-in-law by a hundred times.” She decided that Long Er was the pettiest person she’d ever seen.

Long San laughed. “Quickly sleep, tomorrow I’m bringing you to see someone.”

“See who?” Feng Ning opened her eyes, curious.

“The person you saw in your dreams that was trying to kill you; square face, down-cast eyes, wide mouth, big nose…” Long San didn’t finish speaking when Ning Feng suddenly sat up and nodded, “Yes, it’s this person. Have you found him?”

“When I arrived in Bai Qiao Cheng I barely received information that someone saw him coming and going in Jiang Ling. Jiang Ling is not far from here, we could arrive by tomorrow.

Feng Ning firmly grasped Long San’s hand. “We should head out now, in case he decides to escape.”

“Don’t worry, just rest well first. I would also like to make a few more arrangements. There will be someone in my place to hold him there, rest a.s.sured.”

Feng Ning looked at him for a long time, and finally nodded. “Alright, I’ll listen to you. Long San, we will definitely be able to capture him, right?” She laid down on the pillow, while her heart was beating chaotically. If this person was caught, and they ask about the truth, would she be able to find out who she is?

“Have a good rest, I’m here. About those black-clothed men chasing after you, I am also investigating them and I’ll get to the bottom of this situation.” He gently touched her eyes, urging her to quickly sleep.

Feng Ning reached out and gripped his hand. “Long San, I’m afraid.”

“Afraid of what? Our Long Family won’t abandon you and not care.”

“If I’m worse than you think, will you still want to protect me?” Feng Ning opened her eyes. “If I really did do terrible things, would you still protect me?”

Long San was silent for a moment. “I guarantee, for as long as you continue to be the current Feng Ning, I will protect you.”

Feng Ning was a bit excited, got up, and forcefully clenched Long San’s hand. “Don’t lie to me. I don’t recognize anyone, and I can’t even remember what my father and mother look like. I don’t have any friends or relatives, I am really afraid.” She talked and talked and choked up a little. “No matter what I’ve done in the past, as long as I am who I am now, you will treat me well.”

Long San nodded, and Feng Ning held onto his arm. “Long San, don’t leave me.”

Long San sighed, “Today there was clearly someone trying to steal the horses and leave me behind.”

“Well I was angry at the time!” Feng Ning sniffed, and shifted her body, changing into a more comfortable position and leaned on Long San’s arm. “I’ve thought about it, if even you didn’t treat me well at Long house, then I would really leave. I’ve got a pair of good arms and legs, and I’m young and strong, I definitely won’t starve to death.  I can wander from place to place, and maybe even get to know a few good friends, just like you. Having friends everywhere is a good thing. Once I’ve gathered enough strength, would there still be any fear in not being able to discover the truth? Perhaps even in the future, when you see me you might even pay your respects towards me, greeting me as female hero Feng[1].” She was speaking in such a manner, as if she already had a very high reputation.

Long San smilingly said, “Yes, yes, female hero Feng. I hear you have a rather lofty ambition, so why didn’t you go?”

“Well you’ve already apologized, and if I didn’t give you a chance, I’m afraid you would be upset.” Her tone was filled with forgiveness, but with her face buried underneath the blanket, Long San couldn’t help but laugh.

After laughing, the two were silent again, and the room was quiet for some time. Truthfully, the two people understood in their hearts. What wandering, and what fame, where can things be so easy? Especially since she’s a young woman, if she were to really live alone, being by herself would cause many to look down on her, and just how much suffering she would have, how much hardship she would endure.

“Don’t be afraid, Feng Ning, don’t be afraid.” This was the last sentence Feng Ning heard in such a warm and safe atmosphere before falling asleep.

That night she did not sleep well. That square-faced, down-cast eyes big man was again on the river bank, fighting with her, and she heard his husky voice saying to her, “Everything is your fault for being nosy.”

She felt like she was falling again, and knew that beneath her body was the river, and she struggled, shouting. There was someone calling her name, pulling her, and she didn’t fall in. Then she fell asleep.

Dazed and confused, with fragments constantly flashing through her mind, Feng Ning was not sure where she was. There was a voice who said to her, “The road forward is vast, and there may be no place to call home. If you treat others with sincerity, then you will not receive their enmity. You cannot do without wariness towards others, and you mustn’t harbor ill-intent towards others. This is the morality and justice of the Jiang Hu[2]”

Feng Ning couldn’t clearly hear the last words, and all around her was fog. She was really frightened and desperately moved forward, wanting to clearly see the person speaking to her. But as she continued walking, there was no one to be seen. She couldn’t see the road, and wanted to increase the pace of her steps, but she suddenly fell off a cliff. The fog dispersed, and the scenery suddenly transformed into the Cold River outside of the capital. She continued to fall, and with a plop fell into the river.

Feng Ning shrilly screamed, violently sitting up.

Outside the window, the sky was already bright.

Feng Ning didn’t tell Long San about her dream, because she also didn’t know what to make of it.

She was nervous and anxious while following Long San to Jiang Ling, and in her heart she kept wondering what kind of scenario would play out, once they met with the suspect.

Long San had left her at the inn and then went out. After a while he returned, telling her that the person was still staying in a lodge, allowing her to relax.

“Where is the lodge?”

“It’s not a convenient place for you to go to?”

“Where’s this place that is inconvenient for me to go to?”

Long San didn’t reply, and instead handed over a few parcels to Feng Ning then told her, “I’m going to inquire about this situation first. Wait here and rest first, eat some snacks, play with the trinkets, and then I’ll be back to discuss things with you.”

Feng Ning stared at the dessert and toys in front of her, and lifted her head to protest. Long San poked her nose. “Be obedient.”

Feng Ning closed her mouth, puffing her cheeks out in dissatisfaction. Long San went out, but returned to see her face unwittingly exhibiting a hint of mirth, and told her one sentence: “No mischief allowed, no sneaking out, and no losing your temper.”

Feng Ning did not speak, pouted with an extremely resentful expression, and glared straight at Long San as he left. In this kind of situation, where did she have the heart to eat and play? She paced around the room wondering, is there anything she could do?

That person was in the city, and was so close yet away from her. She had a lot of questions to ask him. Why did he want to kill her, and did he also covet the Long family’s treasure? Was he involved with the people dressed in black?

Feng Ning walked around thinking, then suddenly saw the sword that Long San was carrying the whole time hanging on the bed. She thought of the way he dressed, in a long garment and jade hat, giving off the impression that he was an elegant young master. Not bringing his sword showed that he didn’t want others to take notice of him, and dressing up as a handsome and refined young master was naturally for the convenience of entering and leaving a certain place, a certain place… that wasn’t convenient for her to go to.

Feng Ning’s eyes narrowed, understanding. She looked at the sword, and thought of an idea.

Feng Ning was cautious. She discovered early on that by the foot of the inn’s door there was a protruding winged totem marking, just like the one at the inn they stayed at yesterday. Long San once said he had a base for operations, so Feng Ning made a bold speculation that the totem was an indicative mark. She went to look for the innkeeper, and after a brief exchange of words managed to sneak out, worried that this place really gave a lot of respect to Long San. She said that the third master gave her a task to do, and had the innkeeper find a set of servant clothes to give her and a beautiful sword box.

Then she tidied up and dressed up, turning into a diligent looking young boy, and went out with Long San’s sword. She was thinking that if someone were to catch her then she would just say that she was asked to deliver a sword to her master, and if she were to be caught by Long San then she would just tell him that he forgot his sword and that she especially went to deliver it to him.

Jiang Ling’s brothels were plentiful, but Feng Ning recalled Long San saying there would be someone in his place retaining the large man, which meant that even if it was a brothel, it was still a place Long San had spies in. So Feng Ning didn’t recklessly rush into places randomly. She carried the sword while searching from place to place carefully. A large hat covered her black hair, and concealed her appearance. From far away, it really looked like she was a little servant boy.

With a lot of effort, Feng Ning was finally able to find a clue at a brothel called Floral Fragrance Building, where bright red lanterns hung, and the wine aroma mixed with the scent of cosmetics almost made Feng Ning sneeze.

She circled around once, and from the back of the building she could see something like a flying leaf or wing-like totem on the second floor’s window frame.  Feng Ning hesitated a bit. Without a single soul in sight, she leapt up to the roof.  After finding an empty room, she entered through the window, then left through the room’s door while carrying the sword with both hands and, with head lowered, she respectfully stood at a corner like a servant who was waiting for her master to finish enjoying his pleasures.

Feng Ning was observant and alert. She was inwardly conflicted on whether to find Long San first or seek out the large man. Slightly raising her eyes she saw an extremely beautiful woman dressed up pulling on Long San as they left a room. This woman was smiling tenderly as she leaned into Long San’s chest. As they walked it seemed like they were talking about something, and the two of them were laughing and smiling together, seemingly tipsy with unsteady feet.

Feng Ning suddenly found herself seething with anger, but before she could react to what she felt in her heart, suddenly in the next room she could hear a “light clang,” and a loud clear sound. A woman had dropped the tea tray in her hands, and facing the room she had shrilly screamed.

Feng Ning no longer thought of Long San, and with a tight heart, she rushed over there only to find a scarlet, naked dead body lying on the floor of the room. With a pale and ashen face she rushed to the door. The body had multiple wounds, and blood was already spreading across the floor.

A square face, wide mouth, big nose, and closed eyes. But Feng Ning already knew that if they were open, the shape of his eyes would be angled downwards. Feng Ning only felt a chill rising in her spine. This is the large man who wanted to kill her.

“Everything is your fault for being nosy.” She could still remember him speaking these words to her in the dream.

She found him, but he had become a corpse.

[1]Female Hero Feng; original text is 鳳女俠 (Feng nu xia). Feng is her given name, nu is female, and xia is a type of chivalrous or heroic figure. Had a hard time translating this into English.
[2]Jiang Hu; original text is 江湖 (Jiang Hu). If you’re familiar with the wuxia (martial arts) stories, this refers to the world, or community in a larger sense, that those martial artists reside in.
[3]Floral Fragrance Building; original text is 花香樓 (Hua Xiang Lou). Most brothels have flowery, elegant names. The lou part refers to a multi-story building in this case, so I just went with building.