Quanjie walked alone on the street, heading towards his next target.
He had just come from the Feng residence in Guoyun County.
The Feng residence was the home of Prefect Feng. As the local power in Guoyun County, Prefect Feng's family wealth naturally surpassed that of the other prominent local families. Quanjie had infiltrated it, catching a distant glimpse of Prefect Feng's principal wife, and then gone to seek out the recently favored concubine who was currently the talk of the household.
He had arrived without a sound, and left the same way.
Having found nothing at the Feng house, Quanjie changed course for the Zhang residence. For an entire day, he traversed the county, visiting several other influential and notable households.
He found nothing.
He had basically checked all those that fit the criteria, except for...
Quanjie looked towards two large neighboring mansions not far away. He had infiltrated one of them yesterday, but had not yet explored the other.
After surveying both for a moment, Quanjie fixed his gaze on the one he had not entered.
The sun dipped westward, dyeing vast stretches of the sky a brilliant orange-yellow. The evening clouds spread for miles, then gradually faded away along with the sunlight.
Night fell, and darkness reclaimed the land.
Quanjie patiently waited until deep into the quiet night before cloaking himself in the darkness and scaling the wall once more. He had studied the layout maps of both mansions. For his entry point this time, he deliberately chose the most remote courtyard within the compound.
But Quanjie hadn't expected that the moment his feet touched the ground, several sets of footsteps would sound from the direction of the courtyard entrance.
"Ah Hu, get up for your shift!"
After this shout, rustling noises came from inside the house.
Quanjie immediately moved to the side of the building, pressing himself flat against the wall. Moments later, he heard the door open, and several figures emerged from within.
Someone yawned, "Shift change already? Feels like I just fell asleep."
"Can't be helped. After the attack on the Qin mansion next door yesterday, our Lord Nangong Qingzhou is taking a lesson from it and increasing patrols too. I even heard one of those assassins last night was captured alive and claimed they were sent by our Qingzhou forces—what absolute nonsense!"
"A bunch of demons and monsters causing trouble in the shadows, utterly detestable. By the way, did those assassins who slipped in next door last night hurt anyone from the Northern Territory?"
"I'm not clear on that. I only heard that late last night, beyond the two walls, someone suddenly shouted 'assassins!' and then it got as lively as if thunder had struck the ground."
"A night assault, and a group operation at that. If they had really managed to get inside the rooms, it would've been bad. Lord Qin even brought a woman with him on this campaign. Isn't he afraid a misstep might lead to the beauty perishing?"
"You're overthinking it. How could she possibly perish? I heard when they got out of the carriage, there were three young women—two were her maidservants. And after entering the city, Lord Qin dared to leave our Lord Nangong Qingzhou waiting, going to his residence first, most likely to settle the woman. With that kind of treatment, she's definitely a favored concubine. At night, she probably shares Lord Qin's quarters. If assassins made it to his room, hah, no matter how many came, it wouldn't be enough."
"In the past, I never heard of Lord Qin taking a woman on campaign. Why break precedent this time? Could that woman be a stunning beauty, making him unwilling to part with her even on a military expedition?"
"I heard she is indeed extraordinarily beautiful, surpassing all others. But more than that, she must truly be capable. Have you heard about the dragon-bone waterwheel from the Northern Territory? I heard it was brought out by this Lady Dai from the hands of a recluse. What a marvelous thing—small landowners and tenant farmers are overjoyed."
"Suddenly I feel a real itch to see this Lady Dai."
The soldier elbowed his comrade who was currently rubbing his chest. "You'd better not. Remember years ago when Lord Qin went alone into a wolf pack and took the head of Langye of Wuhuan from among twenty thousand men? Wringing one more head like yours would be child's play for him."
"Hey, why are you boosting their morale and dampening our own?"
"It's not exactly 'theirs' anymore, since our armies have formed an alliance."
...
The group chatted as they walked away, while another group entered the house to rest—a routine shift change.
No one noticed the figure clinging to the side of the building like a gecko.
Quanjie struggled to steady his breathing, yet the heart in his chest, dead for many years, thumped violently, each beat stronger than the last.
The information he had previously overlooked now surged into the center of his vision like startled butterflies taking flight.
Ying County. This place was originally held by a salt smuggler surnamed Li. Several months ago, Ying County was captured by the Northern Territory army, and this county bordering a salt lake changed hands once more. Since then, that entire vast stretch of the Northern Territory was finally connected end to end, all becoming part of Qin Shaozong's domain.
The salt merchant's order originated in Ying County; the one who issued the search order must belong to Qin Shaozong's forces.
Could the "Lady Dai" mentioned by those Qingzhou soldiers just now be...?
The soldiers finishing their night watch returned to the house and slammed the door shut. The sound of the door closing overlapped with a soft, murmured name, completely drowning it out.
Quanjie cautiously waited another half hour before leaving this remote courtyard.
He retraced his path, exiting the mansion.
The dark clouds obscuring the bright moon hadn't moved. Tonight, there was no moon or stars. Under the heavy sky, gloomy winds rose intermittently—the weather was just as bad as yesterday.
The young man looked towards the neighboring mansion. His figure light as a spirit-cat, he swiftly scaled the wall.
If Wang Jiang were here now, he would be greatly astonished, for Quanjie was scaling the wall at the exact same spot as yesterday, even choosing the same landing point.
It couldn't be described as anything less than audacious.
Bai Jianping, wounded the previous night, couldn't sleep. The pain from his injury was secondary; after all, he was used to the rough and tumble of the battlefield, and the wound wasn't serious.
The main issue was that upon hearing of his injury, that fellow Feng Feng had taken the initiative to come to his room, insisting on sharing it, saying it was to guard against another attack tonight.
The result was that the guy snored like thunder, bellowing like an ox, audible even through a wall. It was maddening.
Tossing and turning, unable to sleep, Bai Jianping finally got up and walked out, intending to kick the fellow out.
Hurry up, back to where you came from.
But as he reached the outer room, before he could even rouse the man, Bai Jianping happened to see through the unclosed door a shadowy figure flash quickly past the courtyard entrance.
Bai Jianping froze for a second, then instinctively sprinted towards the courtyard entrance, thinking in disbelief: Good heavens, surely no one could be that audacious!
By the time he reached the entrance barefoot, he just caught sight of the figure ahead turning into another corridor. Bai Jianping drew a sharp breath—he couldn't believe someone really had the gall to come again!
What, did they think that after failing with one strike yesterday, today's heightened security was just for show?
"Assassins!" Bai Jianping yelled at the top of his lungs.
This shout stirred up a hornet's nest. The nearby patrol guards paused briefly, then swarmed towards the area.
Quanjie successively dodged several squads. For those he couldn't avoid, he first blocked with his drawn blade, then angled it sideways. After deflecting most of their force, he kicked them away.
In the darkness, the young man's figure was as slippery as an eel. He passed several men in succession, steadily advancing towards the main courtyard, infuriating Bai Jianping and Qiao Wangfei, who were rushing over from the front and rear directions respectively.
Well, there really is someone who isn't afraid of death!
"Get out of the way. Let me deal with him," Bai Jianping drew his sword and stepped forward.
Bai Jianping held a long sword in his hand, while Qiao Wangfei grasped a scimitar in each hand. The two of them launched a pincer attack on Quanjie.
The glint of knives and the shadow of the sword flashed before their eyes. Quanjie's face remained unchanged. He quickly took out another short knife from somewhere, holding the long one in his right hand and the short one in his left.
"Clang!"
The knives clashed violently, and the metallic sound was ear - piercing.
On the other side, the long sword collided with the short knife. As the blades slid against each other, sparks flew. After the gradually intensifying fire around, it became the only bright spot in the center.
Quanjie was caught in the pincer attack. In their first close - range encounter, after the knives and the sword clashed, both sides paused for a moment.
Taking advantage of this moment, Quanjie said, "I've come to your mansion to look for someone, Daili."
At this time, the guards holding torches had rushed over. They quickly formed a circle, surrounding the three of them. The firelight illuminated Quanjie's eyebrows. Qiao Wangfei, who was about to launch a second attack, was stunned.
The young man's face was uneven, with scars like wriggling worms coiling on his cheeks. Only his pair of eyes were extremely outstanding.
The inner corners of his eyes were deep, and the outer corners were slightly curved and upturned. They were very standard peach - blossom eyes. And he had seen a similar pair of eyes just the day before.
Remembering the strange story about "ten years" that Hu Bao had privately told him, Qiao Wangfei took a dazed step back.
Bai Jianping, however, flew into a rage. "Don't try to deceive me with such despicable tricks, you villain. Quickly accept your death!"
As a result, he vigorously swung his sword, aiming straight at the opponent's vital point. From the corner of his eye, he saw Qiao Wangfei, who was holding two knives, take a step back. His body straightened from a bent - over and out - stretched position, and even the tips of the two knives slowly drooped towards the ground.
Bai Jianping couldn't believe it. "Old Qiao, what are you doing?"
Was Old Qiao suffering from an old injury? Well, it was understandable if that was the case.
"Old Bai, wait," Qiao Wangfei shouted.
But Bai Jianping didn't hear him. All he could think about was taking the man's head in front of him. He had recognized this man now. This was the one who had lit a lamp in his room last night. He had let him escape last night, but today he would surely make him die here.
Bai Jianping used a single long sword. Seeing this, Quanjie put away the other short knife and fought with him using only one knife.
"The villain is so arrogant!" Bai Jianping sneered.
The blades clashed, separated, and then hacked at each other. In just a blink of an eye, there had already been several clanging sounds.
Slashing, hacking, picking, stabbing... In just a few short breaths, the two of them exchanged blows, and their moves changed in an instant. The more they fought, the more Bai Jianping's fighting spirit was aroused. He thought to himself that this young man really had some skills despite his young age.
Their fight was not limited to weapon - based combat. Occasionally, they resorted to fists and kicks, and the collisions of their bodies made dull thumping sounds.
But after a short while, Bai Jianping quickly noticed that the man in front of him gradually only defended and didn't attack.
"Old Bai, wait!"
The more Qiao Wangfei watched from the sidelines, the more something seemed off. He couldn't help but join the fight again. However, compared to before, this time he was more like trying to break up the fight and stop Bai Jianping from continuing to attack Quanjie.
Bai Jianping was blocked several times and got angry. "Old Qiao, what's wrong with you? If you're not feeling well, go to the side and stay there. Don't stop me."
Qiao Wangfei stepped between them, with his back to Bai Jianping and facing Quanjie. "You said you're looking for Lady Dai. What's the matter?"
Quanjie turned his head and looked into the distance. The night was vast, and he couldn't see anything. But his eyes gradually softened, and he whispered something.
Qiao Wangfei's pupils constricted. In extreme shock, there also seemed to be a bit of "as expected" in his expression.
Bai Jianping was completely stunned on the spot and blurted out, "Don't talk nonsense. How is this possible? Lady Dai's son is only nine years old!"
Seeing their expressions, Quanjie felt relieved, knowing that he had found the right place. "You can lock me up in a room first and report it tomorrow."
Qiao Wangfei stared intently.
Such a big commotion had occurred tonight. It was probably impossible to wait until tomorrow...
*
Tonight, Daili was sharing a bed with Qin Shaozong. As Mo Yanyun's return was approaching, certain things would soon be prohibited. Qin Shaozong was like a tiger preparing for winter, indulging himself to store up fat so that he wouldn't starve himself thin during the coming days.
After it was over, Daili was so tired that she just wanted to sleep, but she still didn't forget one thing.
"Change the quilt," Daili pushed the man beside her.
She would rather sleep on a wooden board than continue to lie on this dirty quilt.
The satisfied man was very easy - going. Instead of calling the maids outside, he got out of bed and went to the corner cabinet to get a new set of bedding. When he returned to the bedside, he found that the woman on the bed had gotten up and was walking outside.
Qin Shaozong grabbed her arm. "My lady?"
"I'm going to wash up," Daili slapped his hand away and continued to walk limply towards the side room.
Qin Shaozong snorted with a smile. "Is my lady a fish in disguise?"
Daili ignored him.
There was water prepared in the side room. Fortunately, it was summer, and the hot water still had some warmth left, so it wasn't cold to wash with. Daili quickly tidied herself up. When she came out again, she felt that she could fall asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.
But in fact, she couldn't.
Because just as she closed her eyes, there was a knock on the door.
"My lord, there's a nocturnal visitor in the mansion," it was Qiao Wangfei's voice.
Qin Shaozong, who had just closed the curtain, raised his long eyebrows. "Another one? Since he's so bold, then interrogate him properly."
Qiao Wangfei outside clearly hesitated. "My lord, this man claims to have been adopted by Fan of Yanzhou many years ago and changed his name to Quanjie. But he isn't parentless. He says his mother is Daili, and his original name is... Qin Yanzhou."
Daili on the bed suddenly opened her eyes.
Qin Shaozong was stunned.
Daili, who was sleeping inside, had already gotten up and was in a hurry to get out of bed. The room was pitch - black. Daili was too eager, taking big steps. She only stepped on half of the footstool and accidentally slipped and fell to the ground with a loud thud.
Qin Shaozong was startled and quickly picked her up. "The man isn't going to run away. Why are you in such a hurry, my lady? Where did you fall?"
Daili pushed his hand away. "It's okay. Light the lamp and help me get dressed. I'm going to take a look."
Qiao Wangfei was standing outside the main room. Hearing a familiar female voice coming from inside, he couldn't help showing a look of surprise on his face. But by the time the door opened and the two people inside came out, his face had returned to normal.
"Where is he?" Daili asked anxiously.
Qiao Wangfei replied, "He's temporarily locked up in a pavilion courtyard. Please follow me."
The mansion was brightly lit. The corridor was illuminated by the firelight. Daili's gaze followed the corridor and saw a pavilion courtyard heavily guarded by soldiers.
"Slow down. Even if he grows wings, he can't fly away," Qin Shaozong noticed that she was walking awkwardly and guessed that she had hurt herself in the fall.
Daili still ignored him.
When entering the pavilion courtyard, Daili paused at the door, took a deep breath, and unconsciously clenched her fists.
Qiao Wangfei stepped forward a few steps and pushed open the tightly - shut door first.
"Creak." The door opened.
A figure with hands tied behind the back completely filled Dai Li's vision. The moment the other person looked up upon hearing the sound, it was as if something exploded in her mind.
It was an extremely ugly face. The scars on his cheeks sprawled across a large area, so hideous that they could give children nightmares.
However, those eyes... those eyes that looked at her were incredibly gentle, like a newly - born lamb, exactly the same as in her memory.
In Dai Li's world, a fierce wind sprang up around her. She could hear nothing and see nothing except the figure not far away. The wind was mixed with countless tiny blades, cutting her until blood gushed out and bones were exposed. Every nerve and every inch of her flesh was screaming in extreme pain.
Countless invisible saws stabbed into her heart, shredding it into pieces.
The color drained completely from her face, and Dai Li staggered unsteadily.
Qin Shaozong quickly reached out to support her waist. But the next moment, the woman in his arms stumbled forward. Even though her steps were unsteady and she seemed on the verge of collapsing to the ground at any moment, she still moved forward firmly.
Dai Li had often wondered in the past ten years that when her child grew up and she saw him again, would she be able to recognize him at a glance?
Now she had the answer. Yes, she could!
How could she not recognize her own child?
He had grown taller, and his face had changed, very different from the one in her memory. But she knew, she knew that he was a part of her flesh and blood...
"Zhou Zhou!" Dai Li cried out in despair.
She staggered up to him and raised her hand, wanting to touch the young man's face. But when her jade - white fingertips were less than an inch away, they twitched violently, making her afraid to move forward.
In Dai Li's eyes, the large scars gradually receded, back to the scabbed state, before the scabs formed, and then turned into wounds oozing bright red blood.
Tears welled up in Dai Li's eyes, completely blurring her vision. "Zhou Zhou..."
How painful those wounds must have been! Oh, her child. What kind of bullying had he endured here?
At this time, the young man lowered his head and actively pressed his face against her fair hand.
It felt as soft as in his memory, which made him so happy that he wanted to smile. However, this action was so unfamiliar to him that it was slow and stiff now, with an inharmonious and strange feeling. "It's not real. You don't have to worry," he said.
Dai Li couldn't hear those words, or perhaps subconsciously she thought they were just words of comfort. The rough feeling under her fingers made her heart ache so much that she sobbed uncontrollably.
Ten years ago, he was only nine years old, at an age when he would report to her wherever he went.
Such a young child. At school, he learned about civilization, harmony, freedom, and equality. However, every corner of this era was full of exploitation and cruelty.
With his mother not by his side and everything around him being strange, how many times had he secretly cried at night to grow into what he was now?
Quanjie.
He was like a domestic dog, and also like a weed.
Anyone could bully him, and anyone could trample on her child. The sweet bean she had held in her palm had become the mud in the field that others could trample on at will!
Just thinking about it made Dai Li's heart break. "You're not Quanjie. You're Qin Yanzhou. Zhou Zhou is Qin Yanzhou!"
Suddenly, Qin Yanzhou felt the restraint on his hands loosen. He knew that the person behind him had untied the ropes. He raised his arms and gently hugged Dai Li back.
The pendulum of time seemed to stop at this moment. The hands of the clock quickly moved backward, spinning round and round. Those precious memories that he had relived again and again over the years now took on a tangible form, as if they were reappearing around him -
The beautiful woman sent the little boy with a schoolbag to the school bus, gently tidying his collar. "Zhou Zhou, you must listen to Teacher Lin at school. Call Mom if there's anything. Mom will pick you up after school. Good boy, go."
Tears welled up in the young man's eyes and rolled down his cheeks. He forced a smile that was uglier than crying. "Mom, I'm sorry. I can never be a good boy again."
His hands were stained with blood, and he could never go back to the past.