Jun'er felt no sense of danger at all; everything on the street was new and fascinating to him.
“So the candied hawthorns are sold stuck on haystacks—how interesting.”
“There are so many fragrant sachets! Which one does Big Sister like? Jun'er will buy it for you.”
“Is this a mask? Why are they all painted with opera faces and animals?”
“Wow, that fire breath is so long! So that’s how the opera troupe is so amazing.”
“...”
Ye Chutang didn’t mind Jun’er’s chatter. She would occasionally respond to him and bought all the things that caught his interest, handing them over to the bodyguards trailing behind.
When buying preserved fruits, she quietly warned the oblivious bodyguards.
“Looks like someone is following us. Stay alert.”
Hearing this, the bodyguards instinctively wanted to look back but were stopped by Ye Chutang.
“Don’t look back; it might alert them.”
After paying for the preserved fruits, Ye Chutang picked up Jun’er.
Though Jun’er was five years old, his chronic illness had left him about the weight of a three-year-old.
Carrying him briefly wouldn’t tire her out.
“Jun’er, someone wants to harm Big Sister. If a fight breaks out later, you must listen carefully and not act beyond your strength.”
Jun’er tightened his small hands around Ye Chutang’s neck. “Okay, Jun’er will listen.”
He was too weak; the only way he could help Big Sister was by not becoming a burden.
“Don’t worry too much. Big Sister will be fine, and she won’t let anything happen to you either.”
As she spoke, Ye Chutang carried Jun’er towards Wanbao Pavilion.
The jewelry she had previously ordered was ready.
When collecting the pieces, she taught Jun’er how to use the hidden sleeve dart and the Rainstorm Pear Flower Needle.
Though she doubted Kong Ru would be cruel enough to harm Jun’er, it was better to be safe than sorry.
After Jun’er learned, Ye Chutang coated the hidden weapons with a sedative and then met with the Wanbao Pavilion shopkeeper.
“Shopkeeper, in fifteen minutes, please send someone to report to the authorities that something big is about to happen at Yunyin Lake.”
She handed him fifty taels of silver.
The shopkeeper didn’t ask any questions, smiling as he accepted the money.
“Miss Ye, rest assured. I’ll arrange it right away.”
Seeing Jun’er’s small face drawn tight with tension, Ye Chutang asked, “Are you scared?”
The reason she hadn’t let the bodyguards take Jun’er back to the mansion was that he would be in even greater danger without her.
Those people might kidnap Jun’er to use him as leverage against her.
Jun’er shook his head firmly. “With Big Sister here, Jun’er is not afraid of anything.”
If it weren’t for Big Sister, he would have died long ago.
So even if he didn’t come back alive today, he wouldn’t regret it.
Ye Chutang smiled and gently flicked Jun’er’s nose.
“So brave. Big Sister will take you boating on Yunyin Lake.”
It took about the time of burning an incense stick to walk from Wanbao Pavilion eastward to the end of the street.
The Shangshu Mansion’s carriage was waiting there.
“Let’s go to Yunyin Lake.”
Thanks to Ye Chutang’s warning, the bodyguards were already aware someone was following them.
They strongly disapproved of Ye Chutang’s decision.
“Miss, since you’ve sensed danger, you should return to the mansion.”
There were more than ten pursuers, all skilled fighters. Going boating on Yunyin Lake was far too risky.
“I must go to Yunyin Lake. You can choose not to follow.”
After saying this, Ye Chutang turned to Chen Zhong. “Let’s go.”
Chen Zhong wanted to warn of the danger but was silenced by Ye Chutang’s icy glare as she drove toward Yunyin Lake.
The bodyguards could only follow reluctantly.
The lake wasn’t far from the street’s end; with a swift ride, it took about fifteen minutes.
By the time the carriage stopped at the lakeside, the people from Wanbao Pavilion had already gone to report to the authorities.
The shore was crowded with flower boats of various sizes—large, medium, and small.
Yet, only a few boats floated on the lake itself.
The cloudy sky had shifted to overcast.
The gloomy weather made the lake’s water appear dark and bottomless.
A storm was brewing.
Ye Chutang rented two medium-sized flower boats and ordered two tables of simple yet exquisite dishes and wine.
She and Jun’er took one boat, while the four bodyguards boarded the other, each with their own boatmen.
The two boats stayed close together.
The fourteen men who had followed Ye Chutang seemed to see a godsend opportunity to capture her.
They immediately rented boats as well, two boats in total, rowing themselves.
One group consisted of eight martial arts experts hired with a hefty sum by the Kong family; the other, six men arranged by Zhao Qingshu.
Ye Chutang’s boat drifted leisurely toward the center of the lake, steady and calm, not disturbing their meal.
The two pursuing boats rowed swiftly, clearly closing in.
Ye Chutang noticed but paid no mind, casually enjoying the fresh vinegar fish with Jun’er.
The boatman found it odd, murmuring as he rowed, “Why are those two boats moving so fast? Doesn’t look like they’re here for a leisurely lake tour.”
Before he finished, Ye Chutang smiled and said, “Right, they’re here to kill me.”
The boatman’s face froze.
“Miss, you must be joking.”
“Whether I joke or not, you’ll find out soon enough. Can you swim?”
“Of course—otherwise, I wouldn’t make a living as a boatman.”
No sooner had he spoken than the two boats charged straight at theirs.
*Bang!*
The boats collided violently, nearly capsizing.
Fortunately, the sturdy hulls held firm.
The boatman lost his footing and nearly fell into the lake but was grabbed by Ye Chutang just in time.
He was terrified, momentarily at a loss.
Ye Chutang wanted to keep the boatman as a witness and pushed him into the cabin.
Then she leapt onto the roof.
She shouted to the disheveled bodyguards, “Hurry over to protect Jun’er!”
No sooner had she spoken than the martial arts experts hired by the Kong family raised their swords and knives, rushing at her.
Meanwhile, Zhao Qingshu’s men tried to board the cabin to seize Jun’er.
The bodyguards knew that if anything happened to the young master, none of them would survive.
Ignoring their dizziness and blurred vision, they scrambled up and jumped onto Jun’er’s boat.
The medium-sized boat was sturdy enough—carrying four was no problem, even ten wouldn’t sink it.
Knowing their martial skills were inferior to Zhao Qingshu’s men, they instinctively grabbed the bow of their boat, shaking it violently from side to side to keep the attackers at bay.
Jun’er’s palms were sweaty with tension, but his face showed no fear. He sat steadily inside the cabin.
He told himself to trust his elder sister but couldn’t help the worry tightening his lips into a thin line.
Ye Chutang, watching the martial arts experts closing in, pulled from her space a long whip soaked in a potent anesthetic.
As long as the opponent’s skin was broken, they would lose consciousness in no time.
She swung her long whip fiercely.
The sharp crack of the whip slicing through the air sounded, and the experts surrounding her sensed danger and were forced to retreat temporarily.
They all landed on the bow of the boat controlled by the bodyguards.
The downward pressure pushed the bow into the water.
At the other end, a bodyguard let go just in time, narrowly avoiding being thrown off.
Taking advantage of the moment, Zhao Qingshu’s men pushed off with their toes and leapt into the air.
They aimed to jump onto the boat where Ye Chutang was.
Ye Chutang’s whip was perfect for long-range attacks; she immediately gathered strength and swept it across.
Zhao Qingshu’s men, having seen Ye Chutang’s moves before, didn’t retreat like martial arts masters usually would. Instead, they swung their swords to cut the whip.
“What cowards, actually scared off by a whip,” they sneered.
“No matter how good a whip is, just cut it, and it’s over!”
But then…
“Clang!”
The harsh clash of metal rang out.
The steel black matte whip, embedded with sharp barbs, lashed fiercely at two of them, tearing through flesh and blood.
The faces of the remaining four paled, but they swallowed their fear and stood their ground.
Although two comrades were injured, Ye Chutang’s whip was now restrained, making this the perfect moment to board the boat!
Ye Chutang looked mockingly at the four who had overestimated themselves.
She tossed the two unconscious men onto another boat she had rented.
At the same time, she raised her left hand and unleashed a volley of wrist darts.
The arrowheads gleamed with a cold, deadly light as they shot out.
One man was struck in the shoulder, while the other three dodged just in time.
The wrist darts were thin and short, so their poison wasn’t very potent.
The wounded man only felt a sharp pain but was otherwise unharmed.
This made Zhao Qingshu’s men believe Ye Chutang was merely bluffing — all show and no substance.
The leader shouted to the martial arts experts, “Split up! Half of you go after the little one!”
“Alright, she uses poison; be careful.”
The eight split into two groups: four attacked Ye Chutang, and four went after Jun'er.
The cramped space inside the cabin made it easy to defend but hard to attack.
The bodyguards were not just for show. In favorable conditions, even if they couldn’t win in the end, they could buy some time.
That was already enough for Ye Chutang.
Still, facing eight attackers alone was somewhat overwhelming.
Fortunately, these men didn’t take her wrist darts seriously, and soon two more were hit.
As the poison spread through their bodies, they gradually weakened.
Only then did the wounded realize something was wrong.
“These darts are poisoned!”
Just then, a panicked voice came from inside the cabin.
“The bottom of the cabin has been pierced! Water’s flooding in!”
The bodyguards realized that the number of martial arts experts trying to break into the cabin had dropped from four to three.
The water at their feet was rising, and the boat was slowly sinking.
But if they left the cabin, they would lose their positional advantage and couldn’t guarantee the safety of the young master.
“Miss, the boat is about to sink! What do we do?”
Before she could answer, officials from Jingzhao Prefecture appeared by the lake, accompanied by soldiers from the Military Affairs Office.
The people from Wanbao Pavilion had reported to the prefecture.
On their way, the officials met the Military Affairs Office patrolling the city, so they came together.
Seeing the fierce fight on the lake, the two groups quickly requisitioned all the small pleasure boats from merchants.
These small boats could hold four people, were light and easy to maneuver, and could move quickly.
Ye Chutang looked at the fast-approaching boats and said, “Don’t panic. The officials are here. Start bailing the water out of the cabin.”
The boatman and Jun'er hurriedly used the bowls they had eaten from earlier to bail out water.
The panicked guards gradually regained their composure, doing their best to fend off the three intruders trying to break into the cabin.
Zhao Qingshu’s men and the martial arts experts, upon learning that the officials were coming, realized they had fallen into Ye Chutang’s trap.
They were in the middle of the lake, making escape nearly impossible—they had no choice but to fight to the death.
At the bottom of the cabin, the martial artists had smashed a large hole.
Ye Chutang clearly felt the boat sinking, the lake water rising to the gunwale.
At that moment, dark clouds rolled in, fierce winds howled, and a storm was brewing.
The sinking boat rocked violently in the tempest.
Taking advantage of the chaos, lake water poured into the cabin, accelerating the sinking.
Bailing water was futile.
Worried about Jun’er’s safety, Ye Chutang said to the guards, “I’ll cover you. Take Jun’er and switch to another boat.”
Three of the guards were injured and could no longer guarantee Jun’er’s safety.
If not for Jun’er’s unexpected use of hidden darts to wound two martial artists, the guards would have long since been overwhelmed.
Hearing Ye Chutang’s words, they breathed a sigh of relief and quickly responded, “Alright!”
But just as they spoke, Jun’er’s startled cry rang out.
“Ah!”
A chunk of the cabin’s bottom was shattered by the martial artists’ internal energy, and Jun’er’s leg was grabbed, being dragged into the lake.
Ye Chutang’s expression shifted slightly. “What’s wrong with Jun’er?”
Distracted, the five assailants surrounding her struck simultaneously, closing in and cutting off her retreat.
The guards, seeing Jun’er being dragged away, tried to dive in after him, but were blocked by the martial artists.
By then, the officials had drawn much closer.
When they saw Ye Chutang surrounded on the boat’s roof and the vessel nearly submerged, their faces drained of color.
“Archers, ready your bows! Save Miss Ye!”
The informant had reported that something major was happening at Yunyin Lake, so the Jingzhao Prefect had dispatched both long-range and close-combat troops.
The archers took their positions, drawing their bows and releasing arrows.
But it was already too late.
The five assailants surrounding Ye Chutang were experts, their attacks far faster than the officials’ reactions.
Ye Chutang sized up the flawless formation of five and knew she had no choice but to endure their combined assault.
After all, she couldn’t use her supernatural powers or firearms with so many people around.
She lashed out with her whip, striking one; forced another back with a hidden dart; and wounded a third at close range with a “Pear Blossom Needle.”
The remaining two had already closed in.
Time was running out; Ye Chutang could only engage one at a time, accepting that injury was inevitable.
But the danger was manageable.
She chose to face the martial artist charging head-on, doing her best to minimize damage from the others behind her.
As the sword’s tip pierced her body—
A sharp “clang” rang out. The blade veered just an inch, sliding off Ye Chutang’s shoulder and falling from the wielder’s hand.
An arrow infused with internal energy had struck the blade.
Immediately, a “thud” sounded behind her as another arrow pierced a man’s body—one of Zhao Qingshu’s men—who fell into the water.
Ye Chutang had no time to wonder who had saved her.
After wounding the martial artist before her, she leapt into the lake to rescue Jun’er.
Zhao Qingshu’s men and the martial artists tried to pursue, but the officials’ dense volley of arrows forced them to retreat into the cabin for cover and to find a way to escape.
Suddenly—
“Rumble, rumble…”
Thunder roared, the fierce wind whipped, and the storm broke loose.
The lake’s surface churned with towering waves, visibility obscured by the heavy rain.
Ye Chutang could see nothing, relying solely on the scent of blood to guide her as she struggled forward underwater.
She hadn’t sunk to the bottom of the lake because she used her earth-based powers to transform the mud into tentacles, searching for Jun'er.
First, she was worried that the water was too deep and the pressure at the bottom might harm the child in her womb.
Second, she knew Jun'er was just a pawn those people were using to restrain her—he would be safe.
After swimming a certain distance, a medium-sized flower boat suddenly appeared, blocking her way.
Qi Yanzhou stood at the bow, holding an umbrella, and reached out his hand to her.
“Get on.”
