“Constable Wang, where did the dried fish in the exile party come from? And how have they managed to keep their clothes and bodies so clean? Are they carrying scented balm with them?”
Constable Wang hurriedly explained, “My lord, the villagers of that deserted village poisoned our provisions, so all the food had to be discarded. It was Lady Cheng who taught everyone to fish in the river using baskets, allowing us to survive. As for washing, everyone was truly filthy and we feared an outbreak of disease. The day before yesterday, we used some bath beans that Lady Cheng had brought from her family home and managed to wash ourselves a little by the river.”
He made light of it, deliberately downplaying Cheng Yao’s contribution.
Zhou Yan’s eyes flickered, but he made no comment.
The couple, Zhan Haoting and his wife, definitely had something to hide. These runners were afraid of offending them, so they had glossed over the details.
However, he had been unable to squeeze anything useful out of the pair for now, so he had no choice but to suspend his questioning.
He called two men out from his own group. “Constable Wang, you have suffered casualties among your runners, leaving you short-handed for the escort. I have more than enough men with me, so I will transfer two of them to temporarily serve as runners and help you escort the prisoners to Jiuyou Prefecture.”
Two Black Armored Guards stepped forward, removed their armor, and bowed in the manner of subordinates.
“Zhu Zhixin.”
“Wang Bohai.”
“We pay our respects to Constable Wang.”
“Very good, very good.”
No matter who had assigned these new runners, Constable Wang had no choice but to obey. He had no authority to refuse.
With a smile, he welcomed the two men into the relay station and recorded their names in the documents. Once they passed through another government office, he would report the matter so the imperial court could verify it.
The two Black Armored Guards changed into ordinary runner uniforms, but their cold, fierce, and battle-hardened bearing could not be concealed.
Zhu Zhixin had a sinister face and eyes like a venomous snake. Wang Bohai was burly, with a face full of coarse flesh. One glance was enough to tell that neither man was anything good.
Zhou Yan mounted his horse and pulled on the reins. His gaze fell on Zhan Haoting one last time. His voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly to everyone’s ears.
“Zhan Haoting, stay alive and make it to Jiuyou Prefecture. His Majesty is benevolent enough to spare your life. But if I discover that you have even the slightest connection to that earth-shattering case in the capital… the imperial decree to execute your entire clan will arrive in the blink of an eye!”
Before the words had even faded, he flicked his whip and led the Black Armored Guards away like a whirlwind, leaving behind only clouds of dust and a deathly silence among the exiles.
…
It was already late autumn, and the weather had turned cold. Their clothes were worn and thin, and everyone in the exile party was suffering terribly.
The two new runners, Zhu Zhixin and Wang Bohai, were like a pair of fiends from hell. After taking control of the group, they showed none of the restraint the previous runners had maintained. They beat and cursed at the exiles at the slightest provocation, their whips lashing out like venomous snakes whenever anyone moved too slowly. They were especially “attentive” toward Zhan Haoting’s family.
“Move! Are you looking to die?” Zhu Zhixin’s whip struck Madam Zhan across the back. A deep bloody welt immediately showed through her clothing.
“Mother!” Zhan Qingrou cried as she rushed forward to shield her. The whip struck her shoulder and knocked her to the ground.
Her forehead happened to hit a stone, splitting the skin. Blood began to flow.
“Qingrou!” Madam Zhan pulled her into her arms and shielded her tightly, her heart twisting with pain.
“Get up. Don’t pretend to be dead.” Wang Bohai raised his whip again.
“Ah!”
The whip struck Madam Zhan squarely, and Zhan Qingrou, still in her mother’s arms, was caught in the blow as well. Fresh wounds appeared on both mother and daughter.
Zhan Haochen was carrying Zhan Haoting on his back some distance behind them. Hearing the commotion, he looked up, his eyes nearly splitting with rage when he saw the scene.
“Mother! Little Sister!”
“What are you looking at? Keep staring and I’ll gouge your eyes out!” Wang Bohai snarled at him. He raised his whip again and swung it viciously at Madam Zhan and her daughter.
If that blow landed, the mother and daughter would surely be beaten bloody.
Cheng Yao had a silver needle pinched between her fingers and was just about to send it flying.
But then two black specks shot through the air.
With two sharp hisses, the whips snapped apart at the handles.
Zhu Zhixin screamed. A throwing knife was embedded deep in the hand holding his whip, and blood poured out as his palm trembled uncontrollably.
Cheng Yao withdrew her silver needle and cast him a faintly mocking glance.
“How impressive, beating women and children, Constable. Unfortunately, whenever injustice appears, there is always someone willing to draw a sword in defense. As you can see, a righteous hero just happened to step in.”
Zhu Zhixin’s face darkened with rage.
Righteous hero, my foot! It was obviously her hidden guards!
And she even had the nerve to mock him. She was utterly detestable!
Then he heard Cheng Yao continue languidly, “No matter how arrogant a person becomes, he should still retain a little humanity. Otherwise, if he loses all reason and conscience, how is he any different from a wild beast? Sooner or later, he’ll suffer the consequences.”
“Lady Cheng, you’re courting death!”
Zhu Zhixin was so furious that he felt his lungs were about to burst. He completely lost his reason. With his uninjured left hand, he snatched Zhang Dapeng’s whip and swung it at Cheng Yao.
But in the next moment, he let out another anguished cry.
“Ah!”
Another throwing knife pierced that hand.
A sharp gust cut through the air, and concealed weapons struck both his knees as well. His legs gave way, and he collapsed onto both knees.
“Ah!”
His face twisted with pain, and great beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks.
Wang Haibo’s eyes turned gloomy, as though he wanted to devour Cheng Yao alive.
“Lady Cheng, don’t push your luck!”
Cheng Yao shrugged. “The heavens are fair, and no one escapes retribution. Those who bring disaster upon themselves have only themselves to blame.”
“You!”
Wang Haibo nearly went mad with rage. His huge fists clenched, then loosened, then clenched again—but he did not dare lay a hand on her.
Cheng Yao helped Madam Zhan and Zhan Qingrou to their feet. When she saw the bloody welts left by the whips, her expression turned icy.
She did not have much affection for the mother and daughter, but she was fiercely protective of her own people. Since they had been injured so badly, she would certainly make the culprits pay.
Her eyes shifted, and a plan formed in her mind.
She helped the two of them sit down and apply medicine, secretly adding a little Spirit Spring water so their wounds would heal faster.
Wang Haibo treated Zhu Zhixin’s injuries as well. When he returned, he announced that the exile party had violated the law by fishing along the route and would therefore be cut off from food and water for five days.
The punishment plunged everyone into despair once more. They fell silent, resigned to their fate.
Deep into the night, the relay station and its surroundings were utterly still. Only Wang Bohai’s footsteps as he patrolled, along with the occasional sound of lashes and shouted abuse, broke the silence.
Cheng Yao slipped silently out of the temporary camp and found a secluded corner. She drew a deep breath and activated her teleportation ability once more.
Her destination—Zhou Yan!
That bastard emperor’s lackey had already set his sights on her. She could not allow him to live!
However, when she teleported to the vicinity of Zhou Yan’s encampment, the scene before her left her stunned.
In a clearing deep within the woods, firelight flickered, while the clash of metal rang out without pause.
The Black Armored Guards under Zhou Yan’s command were engaged in a fierce battle!
And they were not fighting just one group, but two.
One group wore black night clothing. Their techniques were vicious, their coordination flawless, and their advances and retreats perfectly measured. They were unmistakably Song Ze and Zhan Haoting’s other hidden guards. Acting on Zhan Haoting’s orders, they had come to intercept and kill Zhou Yan, eliminating the trouble for good.
The other group was dressed like a disorderly band of mountain bandits and roving thieves. Yet their attacks were cunning and vicious, their martial arts styles bizarre, and their numbers overwhelming.
All three sides were locked in a chaotic battle, and the scene was utterly tumultuous.
