Volume 6, Chapter 41: Difficult Travels

Although the Duke died by suicide, his prestige still remained, thus giving his last act of kindness to the common people.

At the beginning, the people following the Duke south from Xiangyang flowed ceaselessly. Along the way, the Duke composed a pet.i.tion to the throne in the fallow fields of Changsha. It was unsuccessful, and the Duke was executed in prison for the crime of planning a rebellion.

Prime Minister Shang went to the wilderness of Anlu and Yunmeng¹ and suspected spies among the commoners. He exercised severe control over them. The people all suffered and wept, “It would’ve been better to die to military law.”

Prime Minister Shang grew angry when he heard and secretly ordered his confidants to ma.s.sacre the civilians.

One of the Duke’s former subordinates stealthily related it to the ma.s.ses, saying, “Grand General rescued all of you. Now. Prime Minister Shang wants to kill the innocent. I cannot bear it and request you promptly leave.”

The commoners all wailed, not knowing what to do. The Duke’s former subordinate handed over the Duke’s letter and command pendant and ordered the ma.s.ses to return to Xiangyang during the night.

The obedient confidants heard and pursued unflaggingly. The generals on the way, all the Duke’s former subordinates, let the ma.s.ses pa.s.s when they saw the command pendant. Eight or nine out of ten commoners successfully returned to Xiangyang. When they reached Xiangyang, the people all sobbed below the walls, saying they were willing to be subjected to military law.

General Zhangsun Ji of Yong couldn’t bear to do so and hesitated without making a decision. The people presented the Duke’s letter, and Zhangsun Ji sighed upon reading it, asking the Emperor to pardon all of them.

Thus far, the people of Xiangyang honored the spirit of the Duke.—Southern Chu Dynastic Records, Biography of the Duke of Loyal Courage

“Rivers cascade over flat ground,Each flowing north, south, east, or west.Human lives have their fates,How can one travel with sighs and in sadness sit?Drinking wine to comfort myself,I stop singing ‘Difficult Travels’ by raising my goblet.The heart is no log or stone.How can one be emotionless?Swallowing my voice, I dither.”²

On mountain roads craggy and winding, difficult to traverse, a beautiful, middle-aged woman scaled the mountain with two swordswomen. Hearing a melancholic song meander by, mockery first appeared on the pretty face of the middle-aged woman, but her expression then became sorrowful. She heard the babble of water and increased her pace. Going around the bend of a cliff, her eyes lit up as the road opened up.

Halfway up the mountain was a terrace half a square mu³ in size. On the right stood a great many cliffs that had been eroded into brushlike structures. On the left, a line of falling water cascaded intermittently down the bluffs, as green as a jade belt. Under the waterfall was a deep pool of water sitting in between jagged rocks. The waterfall splashed onto a ma.s.sive boulder in the middle of the green pond, drenching it white as jade. With the sun s.h.i.+ning on it, it looked just like a pearl.

A man in black clothes sat on a bluestone near the pond, his shoes and socks off, both feet in the water. He seemed not to feel the biting chill of the water created by the winter snow.

The middle-aged woman gazed at the sword in scabbard at the man’s side and sneered, “Wei Ying, do you regret your past decision to firmly side with Lu Can and oppose us?”

Wei Ying didn’t even look back, calmly saying, “There’s too many things one can regret in this world. If I regretted that decision, I should rather regret the Hunting Palace affair instead. Over the past few days, you’ve suffered more terribly than I have. Although I have no backer, you’ve lost your core forces. Do you not regret that, n.o.ble Consort?”

A cruel and violent look appeared on the woman’s face, her gorgeous visage almost warping. After a long while, she calmed down and coolly said, “Don’t call me that. What n.o.ble? What consort? I’m just a p.a.w.n of my senior apprentice sister. Empress Dou, n.o.ble Consort Zhangsun, and n.o.ble Consort Yan were the truly beloved wife and concubines of Li Yuan. What did I, Ji Xia, count as? However, there are benefits to this status too. How else could Shang Weijun, with power over Jiangnan, have fallen into my snare?

“This time, our losses were quite serious indeed. Xiao Lan, Feng Feifei, and Xie Xiaotong all died. Feifei and Xiaotong will not be missed. Other than their swordsmans.h.i.+p, they were overly cautious when handling standard matters. The loss of Xiao Lan is unfortunate, however. The Moonlight Pavilion had always been under her management. With her death, I’ve lost an a.s.sistant, which is quite the headache.”

“The Fengwu Hall and Yihuang Hall’s only remaining members are the two heads, you and Yan Wushuang. It’s a hollow force. As such, you tried to persuade the Sect Master to reconcile with the North Star Hall, such that you won’t even dispute my aid to the Grand General?” Wei Ying sternly said.

Ji Xia raised an eyebrow. “Correct. Not only do I hope to cooperate with you, I also hope you’ll help me seize power. Yan Wushuang personally a.s.sa.s.sinated s.h.i.+ Guan to save face. Now, she’s bedridden due to serious injuries. Ling Yu has never cared. If we cooperate, it won’t be impossible to gain the position of sect master.”

Wei Ying looked back and said, “That’s a pipe dream. Ling Yu can stay steady in the sect master position because of, for one, Sect Master Fan’s final order. Second, it’s because half of the swordswomen senior apprentice sister Wen trained back then still listen to Ling Yu’s orders. She silently endured for many years, tolerating us turning her into a mere figurehead. But she’s no coward and absolutely won’t permit your actions. Moreover, while our three halls have plummeted in power, old inst.i.tutions die hard.⁴ Head Yan succeeded in a.s.sa.s.sinating s.h.i.+ Guan, enabling us to involve ourselves in the Huaixi army. This is no small feat.

“Although I’ve been disgraced, if the North Star Hall didn’t serve as the perimeter power, you all couldn’t have wished to get a stable foothold in Southern Chu. On the contrary, you, your Yihuang Hall suffered most of the losses in the Qiao Courtyard. If you can’t accomplish your strategy of luring the enemy into your trap, the Yihuang Hall will be reduced to servitude even though you all have beguiled Shang Weijun and Zhao Long.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t think of internecine strife. I’d instead think of how to eliminate in one fell swoop the jianghu forces that supported the Grand General.”

Ji Xia listened to Wei Ying’s derisive words and not only wasn’t upset but also laughed, “All right, all right, you speaking bluntly and calmly means you see yourself as one of us. Sect Master, you heard him. You won’t suspect Head Wei’s loyalty anymore, right?”

The look in Wei Ying’s eyes slightly changed. His gaze landed on the two swordswomen behind Ji Xia. Both were around thirty-five with wooden faces and imposing auras borne of their swordsmans.h.i.+p. He couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but just as surprise appeared in Wei Ying’s eyes, one of them suddenly declared, “Martial Uncle speaks well. Head Wei is as loyal as expected.”

The speaker walked up to the pond and placed her hand in the flow of the waterfall. Scooping up some water, she washed away the makeup on her face, revealing her natural, stunningly beautiful features. She smiled sweetly and said, “Martial Uncle’s methods are still as clever. But some cosmetics tricked Head Wei’s eyes.”

Sighing softly, Wei Ying smoothed his clothing in a calm manner. Putting on his socks and shoes, he stood up and evenly said, “So Sect Master tried to test me. Although I served Grand General with my life, I was thinking only of the sect. Did Sect Master believe I had another choice?”

Shame appeared on Ling Yu’s face. “This seat was too suspicious. Brother Wei and we are fellow disciples, as well as shared in the same misfortune. How could you be duplicitous? This time, we must unite and work together to realize our Fengyi Sect’s ambition in Southern Chu. Please, brother Wei, don’t fault this seat for deliberately testing you.”

Wei Ying sighed gently in his head. After so many years, the dreary woman set the world ablaze by taking over the multiple years of efforts all three halls had exerted. The Fengyi Sect Master had selected her as the successor not just to maintain the balance of forces. Although he was internally emotional, nothing changed on his face. He just said briefly, “That’s a matter of course. With Sect Master reforming the three halls, she should, of course, verify our loyalty.”

Although Ling Yu wore an impa.s.sive expression, she couldn’t stop the joy from s.h.i.+ning in her eyes. She rejoiced, “Head Wei believing this is for the best. However, when we lay our trap this time, we must eliminate all the ungrateful jianghu combatants in one fell swoop. Afterwards, our Fengyi Sect will dominate Jiangnan. Coupled with our forces having infiltrated the court and military, we’ll regain our past glory within several years.”

Wei Ying didn’t say anything, merely sneering in his head.

Seeing him look unconcerned, Ling Yu was even more rea.s.sured. She knew all about Wei Ying’s extensive scheming. If he weren’t genuinely rejoining, he wouldn’t be so calm. That being the case, she needed to win over Wei Ying even further. In her opinion, Wei Ying’s talent was superior to everyone’s in the sect. If she couldn’t gain his sincerity, it would be exceptionally arduous for the Fengyi Sect to establish itself in all levels of society. With these thoughts, Ling Yu smiled at Ji Xia. “Martial Aunt, please go on patrol again. Only Martial Uncle himself can undertake this matter for me to rest easy.”

“This subordinate obeys!” Ji Xia replied with a curtsy. She then climbed down by herself. The other swordswoman retreated to the bend in the mountain road, acting as a guard, her hand on her sword. Ji Xia walked for a moment and, upon figuring out she was out of range of the swordswoman’s line of sight, slowly halted.

Sadness appeared on her face. She thought of how she’d been at the mercy of others all her life. After she fled to Southern Chu, she spared nothing for the sake of seizing power, but in just a few days, all her efforts went up in smoke. She let Ling Yu play dumb⁵ and benefit from her efforts.⁶ Just thinking about it made Ji Xia utterly exhausted.

A long while later, she roused herself. Although Ling Yu had returned to power, Ji Xia didn’t believe Wei Ying would willingly follow orders, and her own three disciples were rather determined to make a good showing. Her newest disciple, Ji Lingxiang, was already a n.o.ble consort and the favorite of the harem. Her second disciple, Ling Jian, may not have looked all that pretty, but her mastery of swordsmans.h.i.+p was second to none among new disciples.

As for her most senior disciple, Ling Yu, Ji Xia furrowed her brows when she thought of her. This disciple didn’t focus on swordsmans.h.i.+p and was only devoted to music. This wouldn’t have been a problem if she were willing to focus on roping in the n.o.bles of the court. With her talent and looks, it would’ve been fine. Yet she was dead set against it. If not for her standoffishness making people fall for her, Ji Xia wouldn’t have let her be so presumptuous. However, she couldn’t indulge her this time.

Winning over Cai Qu was not only Ling Yu’s decision but also an important means for Ji Xia to seize power, so she would have to compel that girl to do so when she returned. Her mind whirling, Ji Xia started walking down the path again. After all, the most important thing currently was the approaching battle.

Wei Ying looked away from the waterfall. “Head Ji’s forces cannot be underestimated. Sect Master should not neglect her so.”

Ling Yu’s gaze roamed about, and she said with a smile, “But of course. But I wonder, does brother Wei still detest us for the events related to the Lu family?”

“I served the Grand General merely to seek personal vengeance. Now that Grand General’s died, I won’t bury myself alive for the Lu family,” Wei Ying coldly said. “But with your sect’s shortsightedness, addition of fuel to the fire, and self-destruction, do you not worry about the Yong armies marching south? If Southern Chu is conquered, even if you dominate all levels of society, what use is it?”

Ling Yu sighed, “There’s no choice to it. If Lu Can had agreed to work with us, this seat wouldn’t have wanted to do this. But you know that Lu father and son have no sympathies for our Fengyi Sect. If he had gained power, I’m afraid we wouldn’t have had a place to stay. Although Lu Can is no longer here, the strength of the Southern Chu military has grown greatly in the past few years. It can at least hold the Yangtze River. As long as Jiangnan is held, we’ll have a place to live. As a result, the time might not be opportune, but action must be taken.”

Wei Ying sighed softly and didn’t respond.

Ling Yu noticed and said with a smile, “This time, you’ve chosen this location as the ambush spot. Is it truly the most suitable area?”

“There are two roads that go from Yue Commandery to southern Fujian. One road goes from Heng Prefecture⁷ to Changshan County via Fenshui Pa.s.s Road. The other goes from Heng Prefecture to Jiangshan via the narrow pa.s.s in the Xianxia Mountains,⁸ then goes from Qinghu in Jiangshan to Pucheng.⁹ Along the way, one must cross the Xianxia Mountains, the Danfeng Mountains, the Li Mountains, and the Xianyang Mountains. The hundreds of li of mountain roads are all deadly,” Wei Ying calmly answered. “Among these, the Xianxia Mountains are the most dangerous. The precipitous mountain range is three hundred sixty terraces high, has twenty-four switchbacks, and is twenty li long.¹⁰ The numerous mountain pa.s.ses on the road are no more than one zhang wide.¹¹ When occupying the high ground, one man can hold back all enemy forces. It’s a dangerously steep place, no less so than Jiange in Sichuan. If we set an ambush there, nothing can possibly go wrong.”

Ling Yu’s eyes glowed with light. “Although there’s quite a few members of the Lu household migrating in exile, outside of Lady Lu and Lu Can’s youngest son, Lu Ting, the lives of the others don’t matter. However, Prime Minister Shang believes the people who rescued Lu Yun will most certainly come to save the descendant of the Lu family. To eliminate them in one fell swoop, we need to flush them out. I would like for your North Star Hall to act first. After luring the protectors out of the shadows, we’ll then concentrate all of the sect’s forces and thunder through their lair, clearing it. What do you think?”

To Ling Yu’s surprise, even though the strategy would clearly weaken the strength of the North Star Hall, Wei Ying agreed, “As it should be. The North Star Hall may have many men, but more than half are average people. Even if we suffer terrible losses, it won’t be a problem. It’s the lives of the Lu mother and son that are important. If they die in tumultuous battle, the rescuers will cower. It’d be better to allow the North Star Hall’s perimeter agents and the crack troops sent by Prime Minister Shang to attack first. And I, along with the hall’s experts, will disguise ourselves as rescuers, then strongly defend Lady Lu and Lu Ting while waiting for reinforcements. This way, the protectors in the shadows will voluntarily hurl themselves in like moths drawn to flame. Once it’s the right time, Sect Master can activate all forces and annihilate them.”

Ling Yu mentally delighted in Wei Ying’s ruthless strategy and said, “That being so, I’ll be troubling brother Wei. However, according to what I know, Lu Can’s second son, Lu Feng, should be in your hands. This son cannot stay alive either. Brother Wei cannot show mercy.”

Wei Ying knew Ling Yu had spies around him, and he wasn’t low status either, or else he couldn’t have known about such a clandestine affair. However, he no longer cared about something like that, so he merely raised an eyebrow. “What importance does the life or death of that son have? However, I’ve always been cautious, on guard against any eventualities. He can still be used to win over the former subordinates of the Grand General. Even if you must kill him, you must wait until this plan is successful. Wouldn’t it be too unfortunate otherwise?”

“Brother Wei speaks too late,” Ling Yu replied with a wry smile. “I’ve already sent Martial Aunt Zhu to kill him. But this plan presumably won’t fail?”

Wei Ying’s pupils contracted sharply, but he lowered his head as if incidentally to hide the killing intent in his eyes. “I fear the person I sent to monitor the son won’t let Elder Zhu easily take action. I feel sorry for the four bodyguards I took pains to bring to heel.”

“Don’t worry, brother Wei. I’ve asked Martial Aunt Zhu to be careful. She won’t randomly injure your men. Martial Aunt Zhu fought with Master throughout the world. Although she’s been retired for many years, her prestige endures. And she’s an experienced and merciless swordswoman. She should be able to knock out those bodyguards without needing to take their lives,” Ling Yu said with a smile.

Wei Ying looked down and reflected to himself, Ling Yu was able to seize power with one action partly because of Elder Zhu and people like her, in addition to the Yihuang Hall and Fengwu Hall losing a great deal of strength. Most of them are apprentice sisters in the same generation as the Fengyi Sect Master or formerly maids. They’d long since hung up the sword and gone into seclusion, not even partic.i.p.ating in the coup attempt at the Hunting Palace. Yet because they got caught in the crossfire, they were all forced into exile in Southern Chu. Now, they refuse to be left alone and reappeared from jianghu, and they’re very difficult to handle. I wonder if Lu Feng can save himself. However, whether or not Lu Feng survives, I can’t worry about him anymore.

The conversation ended there, the two of them feeling there was nothing left to say. They both went silent, gazing down the mountain road. Not long after, Wei Ying’s confidant with him, Cui Xiang, hurried up the road. The swordswoman gently shouted at him to stop. Before Wei Ying could speak, Ling Yu had given the order to let him pa.s.s. Wei Ying stared, but he didn’t say anything. Cui Xiang came up, saluted, and said, “Reporting in, Sect Master, Chief, in one hour, the Lu family’s exiled entourage will reach this location. Please give instructions.”

Wei Ying turned to look at Ling Yu. She smiled and ordered, “The North Star Hall’s offensive can be prepared by brother Wei himself. This seat also needs to make proper arrangements. When the time is right, we’ll act.” Ling Yu then swished away.

Wei Ying knew Ling Yu still held a sc.r.a.p of wariness for him. It was likely that only after the North Star Hall had suffered disastrous losses that she would truly trust him. He sighed to himself and ordered with composure, “Lead the hall’s members in the attack. I’ll burst in with the North Star Hall’s Sanguine Guard to defend Lady Lu and young master Lu. We’ll be masked while conducting operations. You all can’t reveal your ident.i.ties either. Don’t let them learn the truth. This way, neither side will show mercy to each other in melee combat and won’t expose any openings.”

“Chief, doing so will badly damage the North Star Hall’s strength. Please carefully consider this, Chief,” Cui Xiang replied in surprise.

Wei Ying laughed grimly and said, “The North Star Hall may have many members, but most were forced in, using both the carrot and the stick. Those loyal to this seat are only two or three out of every ten. The others are mostly social climbing. This seat has been disgraced and fears they’ve long since harbored rebellious intentions. This is the perfect time to borrow strength to purge the sc.u.m of the hall. It’s no pity even if they all die. This seat’s Sanguine Guard is enough for self-defense. You don’t need to worry about my safety either. Just consider us two foes. As long as you’re somewhat careful and don’t throw away your life, it’ll be fine.”

A chill ran through Cui Xiang. Although Wei Ying always decided to fight, his present ruthlessness still flabbergasted Cui Xiang. The people who’d come from the hall to serve as ambushers were experts who’d been taken in many years ago. They made up fifty to sixty percent of the hall’s strength. Once they were lost, the North Star Hall’s power would ma.s.sively decrease. But Wei Ying didn’t care a whit.

His thoughts turned to how Wei Ying had annually recruited experts over the past several years to form the Sanguine Guard. The Sanguine Guardsmen not only had impressive martial arts, they were also loyal only to Wei Ying. They may have been few in number, but they made up forty to fifty percent of the hall’s strength. However, the Sanguine Guard were responsible for storming fortifications, so they often suffered losses. Even today, their numbers still didn’t reach fifty men.

This time, Wei Ying had brought almost the entire unit of the Sanguine Guard. Cui Xiang had thought they’d land the killing blow. He didn’t expect Wei Ying would want the Sanguine Guard to engage in fratricidal combat with the main forces of the North Star Hall. Once both sides exhausted each other, they’d have broken their own arms.

The more he thought, the more Cui Xiang felt Wei Ying had gone insane. He stood there in shock, not even able to say he’d do as commanded.

Wei Ying had ice in his veins. Seeing Cui Xiang stunned, he said mercilessly, “Why haven’t you left yet? Are you trying to defy orders?”

Cui Xiang perceived the icy killing intent radiating from Wei Ying and grew fearful. He suddenly realized Li Ming was nowhere to be seen. Wei Ying had always trusted Li Ming more. But he hadn’t brought him along this time. Perhaps he was acting on Wei Ying’s orders to wait in the shadows for further orders. As such, Wei Ying didn’t hesitate to damage the strength of the North Star Hall. Presumably, this was all done to purge the threats hidden in the organization. Having figured it out, everything became clear at once. This was the means by which Wei Ying had always utilized people, not letting others effortlessly learn about his actual plans and goals. Cui Xiang rejoiced, “This subordinate obeys.”

Wei Ying watched Cui Xiang’s figure recede, his eyes icy. On the surface, the two confidants by his side were Li Ming and Cui Xiang. Cui Xiang was in a more valuable position, but in reality, Wei Ying was a little distrustful of Cui Xiang. The man had the ability to subdue the bad elements¹² that offered service to the North Star Hall. His martial arts were outstanding, and he was very effective in carrying out his usual duties. This sort of talent was willing to take a humble position, and he hadn’t graced him much. No matter how he thought about it, he felt uneasy.

However, Wei Ying had never much trusted his subordinates who were coerced by force and wealth, which was why he’d given over half of the North Star Hall’s forces to Cui Xiang to lead while watching their activity from the sidelines. He allowed the fragmented experts of jianghu to fight openly and maneuver covertly. In the meantime, he selected some available people from among them, won them over, and incorporated them into the Sanguine Guard. He personally led the Sanguine Guard who were truly loyal; n.o.body else was allowed to meddle. In fact, it was Li Ming, who had a lower position than Cui Xiang, who knew some cla.s.sified information because Wei Ying trusted him.

Just then, when Wei Ying was conversing with Ling Yu, he knew some members of the North Star Hall had to be affiliated with Ling Yu. And her ambitions were towering. Cui Xiang could very likely be her target. He’d also just seen how Ling Yu behaved toward Cui Xiang, which made him even more suspicious. Just now, Cui Xiang calmly agreed to lead troops into internecine strife, with complete disregard for the lives of his subordinates, causing killing intent to grow stronger in Wei Ying. If not for Cui Xiang conspiring according to his wishes, Wei Ying would probably have butchered him already.

Repressing the killing intent inside him, Wei Ying thought that everything would soon come to a resolution. He cast his gaze to the waterfall again, seeing the cascading spring water pounding the boulder, the pearlescent foam splas.h.i.+ng out into white mist. He was overwhelmed with torment, gazing up at the clouds floating endlessly by. In the mist, Lu Can’s appearance and smiling face formed before his eyes. Thinking of how Lu Feng, who he’d toiled to protect, could have been murdered already, he felt anguished. Unable to bear it anymore, many teardrops fell into the pond, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

***

On the winding mountain roads, a column of people traveled slowly. At the very front was a company of royal guardsmen. They were carefully picking their way forward, afraid of falling into the deep valley on one side of the post road. They were all wearing their entire suit of armor. Although crossing a mountain was arduous, they had no intention of removing their armor to lighten their load.

In the middle of the column were forty-odd people with different appearances who all looked haggard and were covered in dust. They were the elderly, the infirm, women, and children. Among them was a middle-aged woman walking with great difficulty. Though the woman wore the coa.r.s.e robes of a prison uniform, she still looked graceful and charming. However, her features had been concealed by sweat and dust. The two young women beside her each carried a pack, and though it was exceedingly tough, they still had the strength to occasionally help the middle-aged woman walk forward.

Besides these three women were six other women. They were mostly in their twenties, and most had men with them supporting them. They looked like married couples. The male and female children were also grouped with them, holding hands and trying their best to climb the road. A little boy around six years old truly couldn’t climb the mountain alone, so a middle-aged man strapped him to his back and continued walking.

Other than them, there were twenty-odd men who all seemed around thirty years old. They may have all been wearing prison garb, but there was vague murderous weight in their movements. They formed a nebulous formation, protecting the flanks of the women and children.

Behind them was another company of royal guardsmen. As they climbed, they still kept a cautious watch on the prisoners in front of them, fearful that something would go wrong. Normally, if a couple people escaped en route or an accident occurred, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. At worst, they could report to their superiors that the prisoners died of illness. But these were political prisoners. If one died, let alone one escaping, the higher-ups would probably blame them.

Moreover, the royal guardsmen all knew who they were escorting. Grand General Lu Can’s military exploits were ill.u.s.trious, and he had countless subordinates. The loyalists willing to die for him were even more innumerable. But it was water under the bridge. The rescue attempt on the day Lu Can committed suicide by poisoned wine in the Qiao Courtyard was all the rage, in addition to the news of Lu Yun, who’d been sentenced to capital punishment, being broken out of jail. If someone told the royal guardsmen n.o.body would free the prisoners on the road, they absolutely wouldn’t believe it.

The Xianxia Mountain Road may have been precipitous, but it couldn’t stop jianghu martial artists. If someone seized the chance to rescue Lady Lu or the youngest young master, the crime would be so terrible their entire family would be wiped out.

The commandant of the rear squad of royal guardsmen, Duan Yue, had more pressing concerns on his mind. He was the son of an aristocratic family. Although his family didn’t have much influence, they managed to establish themselves in Jianye. He may not have been a son of the first wife, but his family still took care of him by making him a commandant in the royal guard, leading over a thousand troops stationed outside the city of Jianye.

He had a.s.sumed he’d drift through life just like that and never expected to receive a tall order. The order he received was to escort Lu Can’s family to Dingyuan in Ting Prefecture.¹³ That area was untamed wilderness and contained subtropical diseases. Whether he could return alive, just thinking about the perils on the journey was enough to make him drag his feet.

And besides worrying about people trying to free the prisoners, he fretted over something else. Due to Shang Weijun’s oppression, few people dared to discuss in private, but gossip of Shang Weijun intending to carry out exterminations circulated on the sly. Duan Yue wasn’t a confidant of Prime Minister Shang, so he thought he wouldn’t be secretly ordered to attack on the journey. However, if he truly received said confidential order, he was doubtful he would even have the courage to do so.

The Grand General’s military exploits were celebrated while he was alive, and his former subordinates were countless. If Duan Yue were actually made an accomplice, he would most probably be turned into the scapegoat. Even if Prime Minister Shang didn’t silence witnesses, the unruly commanders and soldiers wouldn’t let him get away. Even if, by chance, nothing happened to him, he couldn’t raise his head high in the military. Accused of this kind of crime, even the royal guardsmen under Prime Minister Shang’s direct command would find it difficult to avoid being ostracized.

Duan Yue was given an even worse headache by the fact that he hadn’t received any secret orders ever since they departed from Jianye. There were two possibilities for this to occur.

One, Prime Minister Shang had no intentions of making things difficult for the Grand General’s family. This was the best scenario. As long as he safely escorted the political prisoners to Dingyuan, everything would be fine. Presumably, the Grand General’s former subordinates weren’t willing to champion rebellion either by freeing the prisoners en route. Even if they were successful, as long as he was a little tactful, he might not die. When he returned to Jianye, he would be removed from his post, at worst. With his family’s mediation, he should be able to live unhindered.

However, if Prime Minister Shang had sent other people to intercept them, his troops and he would all be buried together as sacrifices. He would then have no chance of living.

With this train of thought in mind, Duan Yue was not only cautious on the journey but also unwilling to make any breaches of etiquette with the Lu family’s group of people. He thought that if they actually suffered an enemy attack, he might receive the Lu family’s a.s.sistance. He knew that in addition to Lady Lu, her son, and some maids and menservants, the armed retainers of the Lu family were also being exiled. The majority of them had fought on the battlefield, so they were more useful than the royal guardsmen who had no experience. If they could safely reach Dingyuan, he would have a chance to live even if he secretly offended Prime Minister Shang.

Wei Ying watched Lady Lu’s column from afar. Even though they were many li away, it looked to him like they were right before his eyes. Because of the twisty mountain roads, the column sometimes couldn’t be glimpsed, but his gaze penetrated through nearly every layer of rock to land on Lady Lu.

The Xianxia Mountain Road may have been constructed quite well with flat and tidy surfaces paved with bluestone quarried from the cliffs, but the mountains were dangerous. Five steps and the road curved; three steps and the road went up a peak. On one side were steep cliffs; on the other were mountain streams. It wasn’t possible to ride a horse or drive a carriage. Travelers could only climb the mountains on foot. Even the average man would suffer when journeying across the mountains, to say nothing of a woman like Lady Lu.

Thinking of this, Wei Ying unwittingly became mournful. How could the posterity of the Grand General decaying so be endured! His eyes darted, and he caught sight of Lu Ting being carried on the back of a Lu family armed retainer. When he thought about how the survival of the young child’s older brother and older sister was mostly unclear, he felt a slight ache in his heart.

As Wei Ying’s thoughts were descending into disarray, the royal guardsmen at the front of the column reached the rather flat ground in the mountains. The royal guardsmen haunted with fear all felt relieved, each avoiding the tall gra.s.s growing on the sides of the road and either sitting or reclining on the ground, resting.

Wei Ying watched and sneered slightly. He stood on high ground overlooking the mountain road below, yet the royal guardsmen didn’t even notice. He thought of how the Yong army and Lu Can’s Southern Chu army were never this cavalier while on the march. He retrieved a dark green silk kerchief from his breast and covered his face, leaving only his eyes exposed. Afterwards, he took a few steps back to avoid being noticed by the Lu family’s armed retainers. The armed retainers were sure to pay attention to their surroundings, so they would inevitably see his figure.

At this time, thirty masked men wearing tight-fitting clothes walked up from behind the bluffs. They all had bladed weapons strapped to them and walked steadily. After they saw Wei Ying, they bowed. Wei Ying indicated for them to not make a sound, still gazing down below.

Not long after, the din of human voices came from below the cliffs. The latter group had arrived. Duan Yue saw the area was expansive and flat, so ordered the advance to halt. It was already noon, just in time for a break.

All the soldiers and members of the Lu family took out rations and drinking water and ate lunch. The royal guardsmen had always lived in the prosperous land of Jianye and complained incessantly, never having suffered like this before. Meanwhile, the members of the Lu family were silent. The two young women helped Lady Lu sit on a bluestone on the roadside. The middle-aged armed retainer untied Lu Ting and carried him over to Lady Lu’s side.

The retainer’s name was Lu Kang. He used to be a household guard of Lu Xin and was staunchly loyal to the Lu family. Because of his upright character, he was unwilling to leave Lu Xin, so he never led an independent force. After Lu Xin died, Lu Can esteemed him greatly, and because he was already over forty, Lu Can left him in command of the household’s armed retainers. This year, Lu Kang was forty-six years old. His wife had pa.s.sed away last year, and he didn’t have any children, so he loved all of Lu Can’s sons like they were his own, especially Lu Ting, who he cherished the most.

For the catastrophe the Lu family suffered this time, Lu Kang went with Lady Lu into exile. The Xianxia Mountain Road was arduous, and Lu Kang feared Lu Ting would lose his footing as a young child, so he strapped him on his back. Even if other armed retainers wanted to carry Lu Ting on their back, he couldn’t rest easy.

Although Lu Ting had been piggybacked, he, at such a young age, had experienced all sorts of tragic events over the past several months. Then he learned of his father’s death and cried without end. When they hit the road, he was already somewhat unsuited for it. Over the past few days, the roads were tough, and he was unaccustomed to the climate. He’d become thin and gotten dark circles under his eyes. It made their hearts ache to see him so.

Lady Lu took Lu Ting, feeding him water in a gentle voice and having him eat rations. Lu Ting only took two bites before refusing to eat any more. Lady Lu worried, but there was nothing she could do. Although the two young women with her were nominally maids, Lady Lu treated them like sisters. One of the maids, named Lu Zhen, entreated, “My Lady, when we reach Pucheng, we can ask Commandant Duan to stay there a few days and invite a doctor over to treat the youngest young master. Once we enter Fujian, Shang Weijun isn’t as powerful. Commandant Duan has been rather attentive the whole journey. I presume he wouldn’t deny it.”

Lady Lu sighed softly and said, “That’s the only choice left. Yun’er, Feng’er, Xiu’er, and Mei’er are all unaccounted for. If ever more untoward things happen to Ting’er, I could hardly meet their father even if I die.” Then she broke the ration apart again and forced Lu Ting to eat it.

Seeing her in this state, tears fell from both maids’ eyes. The two of them were both orphans Lady Lu had taken in, and they’d even learned martial arts with the armed retainers. Lady Lu had been aware beforehand that this catastrophe was coming for the Lu family and dismissed the maids and menservants in the family. All who remained in their posts to this day had received immense grace from the Lu family and resolutely refused to leave. These two maids had always been beloved maids at Lady Lu’s side and had some skill in martial arts, so they insisted on staying. If the two of them weren’t on the journey to take care of Lady Lu, it would have been even tougher on her.

Right at this moment, Lu Kang, lying against a cliff and resting with eyes closed, suddenly furrowed his brows and said in a low voice, “Be careful, everyone. I hear people hurrying over from behind us several li away. The intruders’ footfalls are numerous, disorderly, and rapid. I think they aren’t a normal trade caravan.”

The armed retainers of the Lu family knew Lu Kang had served in the army for many years and was most skilled in the art of ground listening. They were all surprised and looked at Lady Lu. Lady Lu didn’t understand military affairs, so she looked to Lu Kang. Lu Kang softly said, “If the Grand General’s former subordinates were coming to the rescue, they’d mostly be soldiers. Those men certainly aren’t. Although I’ve heard some jianghu patriots partic.i.p.ated in the Qiao Courtyard affair, if My Lady can safely reach Dingyuan, it’s better than staying hidden to escape punishment. As a result, those people most likely aren’t here to rescue us. However, the Royal Guard are useless. It’d be better for us to think of a way to seize their weapons in the chaos to defend ourselves.”

The retainers all abhorred the royal guard and couldn’t help but show approving expressions. Right at this moment, Duan Yue led two soldiers over. Everyone saw it and slightly moved their bodies, on guard against sudden changes. Duan Yue didn’t notice a thing and declared, “Lady Lu, this general also didn’t expect this journey to be so arduous. When we reach the Xianxia Postal Station at the foot of the mountains, why not hire a palanquin? How does Lady Lu and youngest young master traveling in a palanquin tomorrow sound?”

The members of the Lu family who heard rejoiced, but Lady Lu briefly said, “Your servant thanks the general for his kindness but is deeply fearful of breaking the law and implicating the general.”

Duan Yue realized Lady Lu hadn’t strictly refused and knew Lady Lu was worried about her beloved son. As such, he was willing to accept it, replying with a smile, “My Lady flatters me. This general has no other skills. My brothers under my command can maintain control. As long as pa.s.sersby don’t know, My Lady can start walking again when we reach the flat ground of the Xianyang Mountains.”

Lady Lu was slightly pleased. If she had a soft palanquin, she could at least let her beloved son get rest. Gazing at Lu Kang, she nodded as a signal. Lu Kang understood and went over, stating, “Lu Kang thanks the general greatly for My Lady.” Then he whispered, “General, exercise caution and vigilance. There are uninvited guests behind us.”

Duan Yue was floored and glanced blankly at Lu Kang before hurrying to the rear. He thought about how he no longer felt it necessary to be Prime Minister Shang’s eyes and ears upon crossing the Xianxia Mountains, thus kindly suggesting he could hire a palanquin for Lady Lu. If he hadn’t done these things, the armed retainer might not have told him about the surprise. He lauded the fact that one good turn deserved another.

He quickly spread orders in a low voice, having some soldiers block the rear pa.s.s while making other soldiers scout a path forward. The royal guardsmen weren’t well-trained, and in a singular moment, chaos descended on the mountain road. The Lu family armed retainers watching this all knitted their brows and sneered.

While the royal guard was in disarray, a shriek suddenly came from the front of the mountain road. Duan Yue was startled and turned his head to take a look. He watched a royal guardsman scuttle over. Right as he came out of the pa.s.s, he tumbled over, the armor on him split in half. Blood gushed out. It was clear someone had rent open the armor in one blow and taken his life.

A chill ran through Duan Yue. The attack was coming from in front. Had Lu Kang misled him? Before he could figure it out, loud curses came from his troops behind him on the mountain road, as well as the sound of weapons clas.h.i.+ng. Looking back, Duan Yue saw a group of black-clothed, masked men a.s.saulting the narrow defile. It was fortunate the mountain road was narrow and tenaciously blocked by the royal guardsmen. Although the guardsmen weren’t skilled in combat, they knew that if they lost this pa.s.s, they would probably lose their lives too. As a result, they spared not their lives, clogging the mountain road.

Duan Yue was relieved and ordered the royal guardsmen up front to obstruct the forward pa.s.s. If the two pa.s.ses on this road were taken by the enemy, he feared there wouldn’t be even a sliver of a chance at survival if they fought in the broad expanse between the pa.s.ses that most suited pitched battle. As such, Duan Yue constantly gave orders, forcing the troops under his command to fight to the death.

At this time, the number of enemy forces to the front and rear was discovered. After a moment, Duan Yue learned from the troops that both the front and rear were facing over a hundred enemy combatants. They attacked in turn, and they appeared to be jianghu fighters skilled in martial arts. The narrow area was the perfect place for them to engage in pitched battle. If he hadn’t brought several heavy crossbows, the martial artists would probably have broken through already. Duan Yue was racked with anxiety, but he loudly questioned, “Where are you bandits from? How dare you try to rob the Royal Guard! Beat a hasty retreat, and you all can keep your lives.”

The black-clothed people all laughed heartily. One man, after decapitating one of the soldiers before him in one swing, laughed, “You Royal Guardsmen are all incompetent! n.o.body values your lives when you’re killed. But if you all want to kill us, you have to have the capacity to do so. Are you truly the Grand General’s subordinates?”

Duan Yue was horrified by the words. He thought, It’s possible these are the jianghu personages who’ve come to rescue the Lu family. He again loudly stated, “If you are the Grand General’s former subordinates, you should know that freeing the prisoners brings nothing but harm. Lady Lu and the young master may have been exiled to southern Fujian, but there’s still a chance they might be pardoned in the future and can return home. If you run amok, breaking the law by freeing the political prisoners, the Lu family truly will never see the light of day again.”

The black-clothed people laughed mockingly again and ramped up the offensive. Some people even hurled obscenities. Although they didn’t besmirch Lady Lu, the words were abhorrent, making the members of the Lu family scowl the entire time.

Duan Yue groaned in his head. Those people both were neither normal bandits nor allies of Grand General Lu. Thus, they had to be a.s.sa.s.sins sent to slaughter the Lu family. Thinking of this, he felt a shared hatred for a common enemy and turned to Lady Lu, beseeching, “My Lady, these brigands are definitely malicious. Could My Lady please order for your household’s armed retainers to help this general?”

Lady Lu gave it some thought and said, “These people absolutely aren’t my late husband’s old friends. If the general is defeated, I’m afraid our suffering will become even more degrading. Indeed, it’s better to fight side by side. General, why don’t you give command of the defenders up front to Lu Kang and concentrate on the fighting in the rear?”

Duan Yue reveled on the inside and quickly agreed, distributing some weapons to the Lu family’s retainers. Lu Kang left five retainers behind to guard Lady Lu and the other women and children, while he led over twenty retainers to the front. These retainers were all valiant warriors skilled in combat. Coupled with Lu Kang’s apt leaders.h.i.+p, they stabilized the dangerous situation up front in less than a moment.

However, the black-clothed attackers were brigands with mastery in martial arts, and their weapons were of the best quality. Although they weren’t skilled in formation fighting, because the mountain pa.s.ses were narrow, martial arts became the key. One of them could nearly equal multiple soldiers, so both sides’ strength seesawed. Not quite two hours later, the royal guard had taken multiple ranks of casualties. If they didn’t have the strength of the Lu family’s armed retainers, the attackers would likely have already broken through the pa.s.ses.

Lu Kang was worried. He thought, These brigands attacking here must have checked that this location is easy to defend but hard to attack. Although they can’t easily burst in, we can’t easily burst out either. They’re trying to kill all of us in one fell swoop. He may have realized this, but he was helpless. Although the Lu family’s armed retainers had mastery in martial arts, they weren’t as good in melee combat as the brigands. If not for depending on strength and cooperation, the black-clothed attackers would probably have broken through long ago.

While Lu Kang was worrying, he suddenly heard the maid Lu Hui shout, “Uncle Kang, people are coming down from above!”

Lu Kang looked up upon hearing her and saw five or six long ropes dropping from the cliffs above. Black-clothed, masked men were rappelling down. He was shocked and was about to order troops to shoot their crossbows to kill when he saw one of the men raise a hand, a jade pendant held within, which he then softly tossed down. Lu Kang unconsciously reached out to catch it. It was Lu Can’s command pendant, which allowed the holder to enter the Grand General’s official residence.

Lu Kang scrutinized the thrower, and in just a moment, he made out the figure closely resembled Wei Ying. However, he was hesitant. Although Wei Ying was a confidant of the Grand General, he was also a member of the Fengyi Sect. The Fengyi Sect colluding with Prime Minister Shang to slander and damage the Grand General was no secret. He couldn’t yet be certain about why Wei Ying had come.

But while Lu Kang was hesitating, a dozen black-clothed men landed on the ground. The man who threw the jade pendant didn’t untie his kerchief covering his face, instead pointing at the blood red scarf on his arm. Afterwards, he walked forward with a weapon in hand. The royal guard had wanted to split off some people to fight him, but Lu Kang stopped them. Ignoring everyone’s misgivings, the man walked forward and stabbed a black-clothed brigand, who’d exploited a gap in the line to charge in, to death with his sword.

Lu Kang rejoiced at the sight and loudly said, “They’re with us. Don’t worry, everybody.” He gestured for everyone to take note of the red armbands. Only then did everyone put their minds at ease and meet the enemy with full force.

Meanwhile, the men with armbands had all finished rappelling and divided themselves to support both pa.s.ses. The masked men wearing black clothes and red armbands all had superb martial arts and braved death. With their aid, the masked brigands’ offensive was stalled. These people were all part of jianghu. They were evenly matched when it came to hand-to-hand combat and strategy. The losses also became more costly.

Both sides were utterly ruthless. Even if injured by a blade, they still feared nothing and risked their lives in the attack. In just a moment, the two pa.s.ses were slick with blood. However, the road was narrow. If a heavily wounded combatant or combatant killed in action could no longer keep their footing, they’d tumble off the mountain road. Otherwise, the road would likely be blocked by fallen bodies.

But even though the people trapped on the mountain road received reinforcements, the enemy on either side had the numerical advantage. After fighting hard for a long time, the trapped group was getting exhausted, and it was their enemy’s turn to attack, still as energetic and high-spirited.

Lu Kang wiped the blood off his face, his gaze landing on the masked leader who’d withdrawn and was standing by his side regulating his breathing. He whispered, “Sir Wei has come to the rescue. If Grand General knew in the underworld, he couldn’t possibly thank you enough.”

Wei Ying felt his unsteady breathing gradually fall under control but didn’t reply to Lu Kang. He just glanced briefly at the clouds enveloping the peak across the way. “I came only to die.”

Lu Kang was rocked to the core. He was about to say something when he heard a thunderous roar resound from behind, and a sonorous voice reached his ear. Someone was directing all their strength to bellow, “Ding Ming is here! Lady Lu and young master Lu need not worry.”

Afterwards, Lu Kang heard the scream of a scholar reach his ear. Powerful reinforcements had arrived. He exulted and quickly told Wei Ying, “Sir Wei, could I ask you to welcome Swordsman Ding? By striking from without and within, we can eliminate the enemy in the rear.”

A light glinted in Wei Ying’s eyes. “Don’t you worry.”

With that, he let out repeated loud shouts. Of the masked men wearing black clothes and red armbands, only sixteen still survived. Nine were at the forward pa.s.s, and seven were at the rear pa.s.s. Hearing Wei Ying’s shouting, four of the men from the forward pa.s.s split off and charged with Wei Ying at the rear pa.s.s. The remaining royal guardsmen all fell back in accordance with Duan Yue’s order, leaving behind only the Lu family’s armed retainers to coordinate with Wei Ying and the others.

Sandwiched, the brigands faced foes from the front and rear. In just half an hour, nearly all of them had fallen.

Wei Ying cut down a masked brigand, who desperately counterattacked with a saber slash, but he only sliced away Wei Ying’s kerchief and left a cut on his handsome face. That man had long since held suspicions and finally received answers when he saw Wei Ying’s face. Pointing at Wei Ying, he yelled, “You—”

Wei Ying sliced his throat with his sword before he could finish and kicked him off the mountain road. Then something flashed before Wei Ying’s eyes, and he saw the glint of a sword streak through the air. By the time he got a good look, a Confucian scholar in hemp ropes had turned around in the pa.s.s, the long sword in his hands throwing light in every direction. Two brigands covering their eyes shouted in pain and staggered away, falling off the cliff.

Ding Ming saw Wei Ying and was surprised. Although he knew the man had ties to Lu Can, he didn’t expect the man had the bravery to come and escort the Lu family to Fujian. While he was startled, Wei Ying tore a section of his s.h.i.+rt off, covered his face with it, and turned around, leading the remaining nine Sanguine Guards in a run to the forward pa.s.s.

Lu Kang came over and declared, “Is that Swordsman Ding? Those wearing red armbands are on our side.”

Realization dawned on Ding Ming, and he started walking, following Wei Ying and the others forward. Behind him, dozens of brawny men covered in dust strode over following Priest Bitter Bamboo. They left many people behind to guard the pa.s.s. Some people were also in charge of monitoring the royal guard to prevent them from attacking. After all, in Shang Weijun’s eyes, their faction was the enemy.

Ding Ming and Wei Ying were already acquainted. It was just that Ding Ming disdained Wei Ying’s betrayal of his country. As a result, the two men didn’t have a particularly deep relations.h.i.+p. Now, though, he hurried over to Wei Ying’s side and walked alongside him, emotionally saying, “Brother Wei doesn’t fear the power of the traitorous prime minister. Truly, a close friend of the Grand General. I’ve often caused offense. Please forgive me, brother Wei.”

Surprisingly, Wei Ying didn’t make a sound, just glancing at him coolly as he walked forward, sword in hand. Ding Ming was taken aback, but he wasn’t curious about Wei Ying’s lack of manners. He’d distinctly seen the decisive light radiating out of Wei Ying’s eyes.

Just a few paces later, they reached the forward pa.s.s. The situation was teetering on the brink. Only one of the five Sanguine Guard who’d been left behind was still fighting hard in the bloodbath. All the royal guardsmen were casualties, and the Lu family’s armed retainers had taken disastrous casualties as well. Ding Ming and Wei Ying charged into the enemy host simultaneously, swords glinting, and killed multiple people one after another to curb the situation.

Behind the black-clothed, masked men, Cui Xiang, directing the attack on the pa.s.s, grew more bewildered. He had just heard the bellow from Wei Ying they’d agreed upon beforehand. He knew it was telling him to seize the opportunity to launch a fierce a.s.sault, so he sent in the most elite experts he controlled. Now that he’d been stopped by the chief again, what exactly was the chief thinking by doing this?

Before Cui Xiang could figure it out, flames erupted on the cliffs above, then bells chimed with peals with laughter. Cui Xiang was surprised and looked up to see eighty-some women, who at some point had gotten on the escarpments above the mountain road.

Among them were old women who wore a thorn for a hairpin and a hemp skirt, clothing of impoverished women. There were also beautiful middle-aged women dressed in finery, as well as many women in snow-white clothing around thirty years of age. Some charming young women around nineteen were among them too.

All of the women wore icy expressions, sharp swords hanging from their girdles. The women were crowding around their leader on the escarpment, revolving¹⁴ around a woman in rainbow clothing whose natural beauty was outstanding. She looked just like an immortal.

Cui Xiang immediately understood that the others and he were bait to make the rescuers of the Lu family believe they hadn’t fallen into a trap. He still didn’t understand why the chief had to risk his life, not only sacrificing the North Star Hall subordinates Cui Xiang led but also sacrificing the chief’s trusted Sanguine Guard, and he even risked his own life in melee combat. However, Cui Xiang knew that if they wanted to live, now was the time to flee and hurriedly sounded the retreat.

Before Cui Xiang could withdraw his troops, the swordswomen in snow white on the escarpment drew crossbows and yelled in unison. Three dark missiles flew at the cliffs on the opposite side and deftly embedded in the stone wall.

Barely hearing the noise, Ding Ming and the others made a careful observation to see the dark missiles were special darts. Once the dart made contact with the stone wall, it extended into a claw, firmly grabbing onto a protruding rock. The iron claw was sharp enough to cut through iron like b.u.t.ter, and all grappling hooks penetrated deep into the stone wall.

Ding Ming, with his good eyesight, saw a silk thread floating behind each grappling hook, almost impossible to see with the naked eye. Before Ding Ming could figure it out, the swordswomen in snow white on the escarpment used the swinging thread to float to the ground, gentle as drifting petals, noiseless.

The first few women who jumped off the escarpment swung their swords the moment they landed, stabbing some dumbstruck royal guardsmen and killing them. However, Ding Ming was not only an expert in swordsmans.h.i.+p; he also understood strategy and gave successive orders to gather into a defensive line. Once all the women descended from the escarpments and were blocking the road, Ding Ming had already led the troops and members of the Lu family into shelter under the cliffs. Wei Ying, meanwhile, fought hard with his Sanguine Guard for a long while, and once exhausted, was shuffled to the rear under protection.

Ling Yu floated off the escarpment and mentally exulted when she saw the situation, though she didn’t betray her feelings. She walked forward and said, “This figure is presumably Wuyue’s best swordsman, Ding Ming, Swordsman Ding. That day in the Qiao Courtyard, this seat’s second senior apprentice sister and seventh junior apprentice sister died to brother Ding’s sword, I presume?”

“You used to be a good person. How did you become a criminal?” Ding Ming replied with a sigh. “I presume you are Sect Master Ling of the Fengyi Sect. When Sect Master Fan rebelled back then, she didn’t serve the interests of a traitorous minister and murder the loyal and honest. Sect Master doing this disgraces the sect.”

Ling Yu’s face turned stony. “As long as we annihilate you all, who will know about what happened today?”

Seeing killing intent fill Ling Yu’s face, Ding Ming laughed grimly and said, “If you don’t want others to know, don’t do it. Sect Master Ling believes her own lies, but who on earth doesn’t know the Fengyi Sect conspired with Shang Weijun in a scandal to frame the loyal and honest?”

Ling Yu burst into fury and ordered, “Kill all of them! This seat wants to offer their blood as a sacrifice to the souls of our departed sisters.”

Right as she finished speaking, a sudden shriek came from Lady Lu at the base of the cliff. Ding Ming and the others turned pale with fright and looked back to see Wei Ying clutching Lu Ting in his arms, his long sword resting on Lu Ting’s throat. The black-clothed men by his side were all protecting him, in a standoff with the Lu family’s armed retainers. Lady Lu’s hair fell loose as she risked her life struggling to throw herself in to seize back her son, but her two maids tenaciously held her back.

Ding Ming stopped caring about Ling Yu’s presence, pointing his sword at Wei Ying, and bellowed, “What are you doing?”

Wei Ying removed his kerchief and smiled grimly, replying, “Wei Ying risked life and limb just to lure all of you into this trap. I’ve achieved my goal now, so of course I’m unwilling to be buried with you on these verdant mountains. If you clear the way and allow me to take the youngest young master out, you can keep youngest young master alive even if you all die here. Otherwise, with Sect Master and me attacking in a pincer from within and without, don’t even think about surviving even if this seat dies here.”

Taking stock, Lu Kang castigated, “Wei Ying, Grand General regarded you highly and treated you with kindness and affection, yet you mercilessly turned your coat. I had just been grateful you rescued My Lady and young master heedless of your own life. I never expected you’d have the heart to be so cruel. Swordsman Ding, you absolutely can’t let him get away. Young master landing in his hands is a death sentence. If he leaves young master behind, then he can be set free.”

Ding Ming deeply agreed. “Wei Ying, you’re an immoral traitor to the nation. Now you’ve betrayed the Grand General’s good grace. Truly, death is too good for you. In my humble opinion, I would have dragged you down with me if I died, but if you’re willing to leave the youngest young master behind, I will let you keep your life for the time being and let you go.”

Wei Ying laughed heartily, the long sword in his hand softly quivering. Blood oozed from Lu Ting’s neck. Although he was sickly and only semiconscious, he still cried out in pain. Lady Lu screamed at the sight, and her beautiful head dropped as she fainted. Wei Ying wiped the smile off his face and sternly said, “I have good intentions, simply wanting to leave a bloodline for Grand General. If you want to die with youngest young master, I should just kill him right now.”

Ding Ming exchanged aghast glances with everyone, the decision difficult. At this moment, Lady Lu slowly regained consciousness, her bright eyes clear as water. She bemoaned, “Swordsman Ding, just let him go. Sir Wei, if you recall the slightest bit of Grand General’s grace, don’t take Ting’er’s life.”

Wei Ying gazed at the set of eyes full of sadness and sincerity. He trembled on the inside and replied, “Don’t worry, My Lady, absolutely n.o.body will be allowed to harm the youngest young master unless I die.”

Lady Lu nodded imperceptibly, covering her face and weeping. Ding Ming was saddened by the sight and finally ordered everyone to move out of the way.

Wei Ying ignored the contemptuous and loathsome gazes of the group as he carried Lu Ting to Ling Yu. “I fought hard for a long time. I would like to rest first. Would Sect Master be willing to permit it?”

“You truly wish to save this vile sp.a.w.n?” Ling Yu asked, a light glittering for a moment in her eyes.

A light flashed in Wei Ying’s eyes, and he whispered, “I watched Jiang Zhe pay respects to the Grand General in Guangling. I know the grief truly cut to his heart. If one son of the Lu family remains in our hands, it will definitely be useful. It’s just that Sect Master has already ordered people kill Lu Feng, so I have to preserve Lu Ting’s life.”

Ling Yu smiled, finally believing in Wei Ying’s sincerity. “All right, please go then. Good work. Once I’ve killed all these people, I’ll meet up with you and discuss this affair.”

Wei Ying smiled back and walked toward the mountain pa.s.s leading to Pucheng with Lu Ting in his arms. Lu Ting started wailing and grabbed for Wei Ying’s face, but he was sickly and powerless as well as young. Wei Ying didn’t seem to notice. In the blink of an eye, Wei Ying’s figure vanished from the mountain road, and only Lu Ting’s crying could be faintly heard.

Footnotes:

1. 云梦 – a county in modern-day Hubei Province
2. This is one of a series of poems ent.i.tled “Eighteen Poems in the Style of ‘Difficult Travels’” (拟行路难十八首) composed by Southern Song Dynasty poet Bao Zhao. “Difficult Travels” was a Han Dynasty-era yuefu medley.
3. Around 0.5 hectares (about 1.3 acres)
4. 百足之虫，死而不僵, baizu zhi chong, si-er-bujiang – lit. a centipede doesn’t stop wriggling when dead; fig. a decaying power can still exert strength
5. 扮猪吃老虎, banzhu chi laohu – lit. pretend to be a pig to later prey on a tiger; fig. play dumb to take advantage of someone
6. 坐享其成, zuoxiang-qicheng – lit. sit back and enjoy another’s success; fig. reap where one has not sown, benefit from another’s efforts
7. 衡州, Hengzhou – modern-day Hengyang
8. 仙霞岭, Xianxia Ling – lit. ridge of the dawn immortals; a mountain range in southern Zhejiang famous in ancient China
9. 浦城, Pucheng – nowadays a county in northern Fujian
10. About 11 kilometers (around 7 miles)
11. Around 3 meters (about 10 feet)
12. 牛鬼蛇神, niugui-sh.e.s.h.en – lit. ox-headed demons and serpent G.o.ds; fig. bad elements/bad characters, evil monsters
13. 汀洲, Tingzhou – governed parts of modern-day Fujian, Guangdong, and Jiangxi Provinces
14. 众星捧月, zhongxing-pengyue – lit. all the stars cup themselves around the moon; fig. regard someone as core, cl.u.s.ter around a revered leader