This time, there was no need for Shi Feiyu to say a word. Three men behind him immediately spurred their horses and gave chase.
Those ruffians sent by Li Shen’s faction had sensed something was wrong as soon as Pei Liang blocked the army’s path. When two of their hotheaded men were swiftly executed, they didn’t dare stay any longer.
Terrified, they fled in utter panic.
Seeing riders approaching from behind, they immediately dashed off the main road, diving into the rice paddies and tall grass on either side.
The three soldiers didn’t pursue further. They were just a few scoundrels—not worth delaying the army’s march.
Pei Liang was satisfied with the outcome. Honestly, if those thugs had been killed outright, it would have caused even more trouble.
If people died outside the city, Li Shen would undoubtedly launch a thorough investigation. At this moment, with hardly any witnesses around, it wouldn’t look good if he discovered that Pei Fugui and his wife were back in their hometown.
Better that these few ruffians witnessed the whole family of three leaving with the army—then the risk of retaliation would be much smaller.
As she had predicted, the ruffians returned to the city in a sorry state and reported to Li Shen that the Pei family had left with the anti-bandit troops.
Although Li Shen deeply hated this woman’s cunning, he was powerless. He could only sneer coldly, “Unless she never returns to the capital in this lifetime.”
At noon, Shi Feiyu ordered a pause for rest and had the cooks start preparing the meal.
They were already nearly thirty miles from the capital—a considerable distance. Only then did Shi Feiyu command that Pei Liang and the couple be brought forward.
He scrutinized the three of them. The couple’s reaction was normal—timid and anxious, they had followed along for so long without complaint, their eyes filled with remorse when they looked at Pei Liang.
From a trusted aide’s morning observations and occasional conversations among the three, Shi Feiyu gathered that the couple were not actually familiar with this woman.
He asked, “You’re not family?”
“No,” Pei Liang said.
“My family fell into ruin because my father was addicted to gambling. Now, none of us can stand our ground in the capital. I planned to head south to seek refuge with a senior master in my sect. Not wanting my parents to endure such a long journey, I arranged for them to stay in our old countryside home.”
“But fearing retaliation from petty enemies, I discussed with our clan elders to conceal our whereabouts. I also hired these two to pose as my parents, so our foes would see us leave the capital as a family of three.”
Shi Feiyu had already suspected from the moment this woman publicly betrayed someone that she was meticulous, bold, and reckless. Hearing her explanation only confirmed his judgment.
In just a few words, she revealed a lot: a failed family burdened by irresponsible parents, a woman powerless under social conventions, yet quick to pull in the clan elders to shoulder the blame and cleverly employing others to pose as her parents—cutting off any chance of pursuit or revenge.
The Tianxiang Pavilion had just changed hands yesterday, yet in less than a day, she had deftly shaken off two seemingly insurmountable troubles. Truly impressive.
Her meticulous mind and daring decisions suggested she must have overheard the fool from the second brother’s loose lips at the tavern, piecing together the entire conspiracy. This proved she really had the capability.
Shi Feiyu’s eyes flickered—this woman was indeed a talent worth employing.
He asked a few more questions, and Pei Liang answered smoothly, without the slightest sign of fabrication.
Shi Feiyu understood that with her cunning, it was impossible for her to slip up on such matters.
With a slight narrowing of his eyes, the tense atmosphere from his serious questioning a moment ago instantly dissipated. Pei Liang suddenly felt as if the value of his interrogation had been completely drained, now shrouded in a looming sense of deadly intent.
Shi Feiyu regarded the three of them with the cold, lifeless gaze one might reserve for corpses.
The couple was so frightened their legs gave way, collapsing to their knees as they hurriedly explained their origins once again, desperately begging for mercy.
Shi Feiyu’s gaze never left Pei Liang. In a low, steady voice he said, “Though your words contain no obvious flaws, being so far from the capital now makes it impossible to verify.”
“Even if your identity and background are genuine, isn’t it suspiciously coincidental? Could this not be a trap set by the Second Master, who is aware of the distribution of the Firehead Troops and cannot be trusted?”
“To avoid the trouble of verification and eliminate all risks—”
As he spoke, the guards behind him began drawing their blades.
The couple was so terrified they nearly fainted, but seeing this, Pei Liang’s heart, which had been hanging in the balance, finally settled.
Shi Feiyu was right. His situation was complicated. Though he was the legitimate eldest son in his family, his birth mother had died early, and his father despised him. After his stepmother entered the household, her treatment of him was harsh.
Now that he had grown into adulthood and held the status of the legitimate eldest son, Shi Feiyu’s father showed clear favoritism. But as long as Shi Feiyu did not commit any serious faults, the title and family estate were still his to inherit.
This time, Shi Feiyu had been ordered to suppress bandits. If he returned having distinguished himself, it would likely mean an imperial decree granting him favor, rendering the schemes of his mother and the Second Master futile.
To prevent this from happening, the mother and son’s methods were both foolish and cruel, utterly disregarding the bigger picture.
Shi Feiyu was cautious by nature. In the original story, he narrowly avoided danger, uncovered the conspiracy, and ultimately exposed two spies.
As he said, if Pei Liang’s plan was aimed at his personality, sacrificing those two Firehead soldiers to win his trust would be reasonable.
But both Pei Liang and Shi Feiyu knew well that if Shi Feiyu’s mother and the Second Master had such brains, Shi Feiyu himself would never have grown up as he did.
Moreover, what Shi Feiyu truly sought was far beyond the mere credit of suppressing bandits.
Though places like Jingcheng and Jiangnan were prosperous and lively on the surface, the entire dynasty was already in decline.
In recent years, continuous natural disasters had left the people destitute. Banditry and warlords occupying mountains had become common, and several peasant uprisings had already broken out.
Shi Feiyu, for various reasons, harbored no loyalty to the current royal family. Instead, amid the chaos engulfing the land, he saw opportunity.
Even he sometimes thought his deep and unfathomable ambition was a fool’s dream. Yet instinctively, he gathered all people and things of use.
He was decisive and ruthless. Pei Liang admitted there was an element of gambling in his approach. But if he truly intended to kill now, those three would already be dead, their throats slit like the Firehead soldiers moments ago—not facing drawn blades in a slow, theatrical manner meant only to intimidate.
Pei Liang spoke up, “But didn’t General Shi already dispatch riders at full speed back to the capital to verify this matter? By now, they should be close.”
“The bandit troubles along the tribute route have long been known. Even if the army moves slowly, those bandits won’t flee. But General Shi refuses to waste a moment. I suppose he fears that any delay might lead to more innocent civilians or passing caravans being harmed.”
“This humble lady believes that such a man, who cares deeply for his people and shows compassion, would never kill without cause.”
Shi Feiyu smiled, “Ordinary women wouldn’t be as calculating as you—bold and unafraid. You don’t hide your cleverness; instead, you flaunt it openly, even at the risk of deepening my suspicions. If your only goal was to use us as a means to escape trouble, this would be unnecessary.”
Shi Feiyu rested one hand under his chin, tilting his head slightly. His hair, as dark as ink, cascaded down—
“Do you want to come with us?”
Pei Liang longed for her once all-powerful wealthy lady persona. Struggling to bring her gaze back, she immediately admitted, “Yes, I have admired General Shi for a long time. Previously, I was bound by family affairs and dared not act on my own.”
“Now that I have nothing left, it gives me the freedom to act as I wish. This time, I plan to head south to Jiangnan—first, to hone my skills, and second, to make a name for myself. I don’t have many strengths, but I am meticulous and sharp-minded. If General Shi finds me worthy—”
At this moment, the guards had already sheathed their swords. Hearing Pei Liang’s words, they were neither surprised nor indifferent but found it quite intriguing.
Their master was exceptionally handsome, almost divine in appearance, and many women openly or secretly expressed their affection for him.
But few dared to use this as a stepping stone. After all, most ladies were confined to their chambers; few dared to travel alone, let alone boldly declare their ambitions.
The guards couldn’t help but steal glances at their master’s reaction but saw nothing unusual.
After a moment, their master nodded, “Then you shall come along for the time being.”
Shi Feiyu didn’t hesitate. From the moment she appeared until now, her conduct had proven her to be sharp, courageous, cunning, and ambitious.
The intelligence gathered from returning scouts confirmed that her background was genuine. While that alone wasn’t proof enough, her ability to uncover conspiracies from mere fragments and instantly connect them with all the information he had, using it to escape danger with ease, was impressive.
Given time and luck, she was bound to rise above the rest.
She was also well aware that despite her boldness and ambition, she was still a vulnerable woman. Without protection, traveling to Jiangnan with a fortune in hand—and being beautiful to boot—might not guarantee her safe arrival.
A woman so calculating and determined, claiming admiration was just empty words. As a commoner who had made enemies in the capital, attaching herself to a promising noble was a wise choice.
From the start, she had been showcasing her value—or rather, her potential. It seemed as if he and she shared a hidden ambition that had never been revealed before.
Her background was clean, and Shi Feiyu recognized her unusual qualities. Offering to escort her was a simple favor, but if she truly had the potential to soar, it was worth looking forward to.
When Pei Liang saw he agreed to protect her, she generously said, “Then, General Shi, please release these two. They truly have no connection with me.”
Shi Feiyu nodded, and the couple, feeling as if pardoned, got up and prepared to leave.
Pei Liang quickly called out, handing them twice the agreed payment, apologizing, “You two have been troubled because of me and frightened. This is your reward.”
“You’d better change your clothes and destroy them before you leave. I saw earlier that I’m hiding from enemies. If there’s any slip-up, it could bring great disaster.”
The couple really had the mindset of getting clothes for free. After all, the Pei family was wealthy, and Pei Fugui and his wife lived in luxury. Those two sets of clothes were worth a decent sum to them.
After Pei Liang’s reminder, the two no longer entertained the thought of petty gains. They knew it was safest to keep this matter tightly under wraps once they returned. After accepting the money and changing their clothes, they expressed their deepest thanks and left.
Shi Feiyu, noticing how meticulous the others were and how thoroughly they considered everyone’s situation, silently raised his estimation of them by a notch.
By now, the soldiers had already built the fire pit and brought clean water to a boil.
Pei Liang said, “I’m a cook, so I can take over the tasks of those two firemen.”
Qiu Sanxiang, a nearby guard, rolled his eyes and said, “You’re not that reliable yet.”
On the other side, the well-born Ying Siji smiled and said, “Pei, the little cook’s skills are beyond doubt. But in a military campaign, the food is rough and simple, without all those fancy seasonings. And with time so tight, even if you had ten times the skill, you couldn’t show half of it. Just good enough is fine—no need to fuss.”
They were traveling light with only a few hundred men, each carrying just half a month’s rations—the basic setup for a military march.
Fifteen pounds of fried rice and fried noodles, along with measured salt brine, dried fermented soybeans, and steamed cakes repeatedly soaked in vinegar—the cakes, once dried, could be broken off into pieces the size of soybean grains to be used as seasoning.
They had just left the capital and still carried some easily preserved items like cured meats and dried vegetables. Since they would be able to resupply in bandit-infested areas, they didn’t bring too much to avoid slowing their pace.
At post towns and cities, they could improve their meals somewhat, but in the wild mountains and barren lands, better food was out of the question.
Pei Liang had left in a hurry and hadn’t brought much dry food. Though Qiu Sanxiang was verbally harsh, he handed over the rations of one of the two firemen who were to be executed to her. “Here, sort yourself out, chef.”
Pei Liang smiled and thanked him. The delicate, proud youth’s face flushed, and he snorted before turning away.
The water was boiling. The soldiers ladled out bowls of fried rice porridge, seasoned it, and added some sliced cured meat. They also made soup with wild vegetables gathered nearby and fish and shrimp scooped from the river while feeding the horses. Then they began eating.
Pei Liang took an empty pot, pulled out her knife, and quickly sliced a few pieces of cured meat, tossing them into the pot.
The pot over the fire immediately sizzled as the fat from the meat rendered out. She added a small pinch of wild ginger minced together with the wild vegetables dug up nearby. The ginger neutralized the greasy taste from the fat. Then she threw in a handful of wild garlic and stir-fried it all together.
In an instant, the air filled with the smoky aroma unique to cured meat, intensified to the extreme—a rich, tantalizing fragrance that made mouths water uncontrollably.
The soldiers, who had been eating noisily, slowed their movements as if their noses were tied by an invisible leash, all instinctively drawn toward Pei Liang.
She worked quickly, and before long, a dish of wild garlic sautéed cured meat was ready to be served.
There was just a trace of oil left in the pan when, somehow, Pei Liang found a few shrimp in her hands. In less than ten seconds, she deftly removed the shrimp heads and tossed them into the pan, pressing them down with the spatula she carried in her bundle. Instantly, the air filled with the rich, mouthwatering aroma of shrimp oil.
Next, she fished out the shrimp heads and poured in some rice flour, stirring it briskly. She also threw in some unknown ingredients—probably those wild greens she had hastily gathered earlier. Only when the mixture turned a faint golden color and the shrimp oil was fully absorbed did she scoop it out.
Her skills at the stove were impeccable. When the rice flour was done, neither the pan nor the spatula bore a single speck of residue.
Meanwhile, the iron wok gleamed like a mirror, so slick that even cracking an egg onto it wouldn’t cause it to stick.
Pei Liang then ladled in some water, sprinkling in a few bits of wild ginger. As the water heated, she rose and made her way to a large, slippery rock by the riverbank.
The rock was covered in moss, which she casually plucked a handful of. After a quick rinse in the river, she returned just as the water began to simmer. Pei Liang added the shrimp heads she had previously fried in the shrimp oil back into the pot, along with some unused shrimp meat and the jade-green, translucent, springy “moss” she had gathered.
Then, she pressed the earlier fried rice flour mixture into a pancake and laid it on the edge of the pot, just above the water’s surface. As the fragrant shrimp and moss broth came to a boil, the pancake crisped and took shape.
The entire process was swift—so quick that some hadn’t even finished preparing their porridge yet.
Pei Liang ladled a bowl of the soup and took a small sip. The fresh, savory flavors awakened her appetite, and the warmth spread through her entire body.
She hadn’t slept since yesterday afternoon and had been traveling continuously, all while preparing ten elaborate dishes that the original owner had painstakingly crafted. She was utterly exhausted.
Though Pei Liang had been trained in cooking since childhood and possessed more stamina than most men—otherwise, how could she handle the demanding, physically taxing work of a busy kitchen?—even she wasn’t made of iron. After just half a bowl of soup, she felt considerably lighter.
She bit into the crispy, golden pancake, enjoying it alongside stir-fried wild garlic and cured meat, savoring every bite.
Pei Liang ate with an elegant grace, yet not slowly; watching her only whetted the appetites of those around.
Drawn by the irresistible aromas of these dishes, the others were still eating, unaware of who it was that first broke the silence.
Suddenly, a rumble echoed from someone's stomach—
“Guuurrrr~~~”
