Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I stuffed Tian’er under the bed and wrapped her in an old, tattered quilt.

“No matter what happens, don’t come out.”

Tian’er was a sensible child. With tears in her eyes, she nodded. “Mother, you and Grandmother have to come back.”

I smeared soot over my face, tucked a pair of scissors into my clothes, and opened the door. Two horses stood in the courtyard. The marauders were dressed in furs, their skin rough and their eyes vicious. They carried blades, blood dripping from the tips. Even standing still, they radiated murderous intent.

I was terrified. But fear solved nothing.

Aunt Yang was crouched in the corner by the wall, her face deathly pale. When she saw me, she snapped, “Go back inside!”

I went over and helped her up, lowering my voice. “They came here to rob us. Tian’er and I can’t hide from them forever.”

“Two women!” One of the marauders pointed his blade at me. “Hand over everything valuable in the house.”

“We’re poor. This is all the money we have. Take it.”

I tossed the purse over. They picked it up and counted the contents. There were eleven taels of silver inside-the money Aunt Yang had given me last time.

Perhaps they were satisfied enough with the amount, because the two marauders looked pleased. They used their blades to poke through the firewood in the courtyard, then kicked open the door and searched the rooms before coming back out.

“Let’s go! Next house.”

They had entered the city to plunder money. They would not spare anything of value.

But fortunately, Tian’er was curled up under the bed in that tattered quilt, and they did not find her.

I let out a silent breath of relief and waited for them to leave. Just then, the two men who had already started walking away suddenly stopped and looked back at me.

“Her face is so black, but her hands are so soft?”

One marauder hitched up his trousers and stopped in front of me. Then he bared a mouthful of yellow teeth and laughed. “This woman’s got soot smeared on her face.”

The other marauder tried to pull him away, but he shoved his companion aside and stared at me like a starving wolf.

I tightened my grip on the scissors hidden in my sleeve.

The marauder used the tip of his blade to lift my collar. “Take it off yourself.”

“Don’t hurt innocent people,” I said, my voice trembling. “Go… go into the room.”

He dragged me inside. Tian’er was right under the bed. All at once, I remembered the year the Marquis of Changping burst into my room.

My whole body shook as I drove the scissors toward the man’s neck, but he reacted quickly. He jerked his head aside, and I only stabbed him in the shoulder.

Humiliated and furious, he slapped me across the face, then drew his blade and swung it down.

I did not die. When that blade came down, someone saved me.

That man’s swordwork was swift and ruthless. In the blink of an eye, the marauder collapsed into a pool of blood. Even in death, his eyes remained wide open, staring straight ahead, as if he could not rest.

“Are you hurt?”

The man stood before me. Still shaken, I clutched my clothes together and looked up at him.

It was the man I had saved a few months ago.

He had shaved off his beard, but the cold sharpness of his features and that rugged air had only grown stronger.

His gaze swept over my chest once before he expressionlessly looked away.

“I’m here tonight. They won’t come back.”

I forced myself to calm down and thanked him.

“Lock the door. I’ll take the bodies away.”

He grabbed one corpse in each hand and dragged the marauders out.

Aunt Yang rushed in and pulled me into her arms. We both felt as if we had barely survived a disaster.

At dawn, the man returned.

He walked with a gust of wind at his heels, his steps steady and powerful. After striding straight through the gate, he caught sight of Tian’er and quickly withdrew to the courtyard. When he came back in, he had already taken off his bloodstained outer robe and thrown it outside.

The man stood in the courtyard with a commanding presence and spoke to me in a tone that allowed no argument. “You can’t stay in Lincheng. Move away as soon as possible.”

Aunt Yang grew agitated. “Move where?”

“Capital City! No matter how hard those marauders fight, they can’t possibly make it to Capital City.”

The man said nothing more. He left behind a pouch of silver and turned to go. As he mounted his horse, he suddenly asked me, “What’s your name?”

“I don’t have one. Everyone calls me Shi’er Niang.”

“Shi’er Niang.”

My name seemed to roll once through his mouth, ground between his teeth, his voice low and heavy.

“My name is Xiao Changfeng,” he said. “Pack your things. After daybreak, I’ll send someone to escort you to Capital City.”

With that, he spurred his horse and left.

I stared blankly after his retreating back. Aunt Yang sank weakly onto the threshold.

“Are we really moving?”

“We should. Nothing matters more than staying alive.”

If what happened tonight happened again, we would not be so lucky next time.