Dark clouds loomed overhead, yet the rain held back until the moment Dai Li and Zhou Zhou arrived in Nanyang County.
Nanyang was merely a county, and its scale could not compare to that of a prefecture. The mother and son arrived just as the curfew was beginning. Unable to worry about anything else, they found the nearest inn to stay for the night.
Dai Li used travel documents identifying her as a merchant's wife, while Zhou Zhou had his own. They booked two adjacent rooms. After having dinner in the main hall, they returned upstairs.
Zhou Zhou followed Dai Li into her room first, carefully inspecting every corner to see if the accommodations truly lived up to the "first-class" standard the young attendant had boasted about.
Dai Li stood by the window, leaning out to look. "Zhou Zhou, that gyrfalcon, Bai Ye, is still there."
"Time was tight today, so I couldn't deal with it. Tomorrow, I'll find a bow and shoot that bird down," Zhou Zhou said, already forming a plan.
Dai Li nodded in agreement.
Just then, two attendants entered carrying wooden tubs filled with water. This was an additional service Dai Li had requested when they first checked in. By the time they finished dinner downstairs, the water was ready.
"Mother, I'll keep watch for you outside the door," Zhou Zhou said as he stepped out.
Dai Li waved a hand. "No need. You've been exhausted all day; go back to your room and rest. These rooms are close together. If anything happens, I'll just shout."
Zhou Zhou hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.
Once everyone had left, Dai Li began to undress for her bath. Staying in a farmer's house in a small village the night before had been a blessing—simply having a roof over their heads and not sleeping on the streets was good enough. One couldn't ask for more.
As for the night before that, there was no need to even mention it; the environment of the ruined temple had been far worse.
But that was all in the past. Now, she and Zhou Zhou had entered Yuzhou and were finally out of Qin Shaozong's territory. Once they dealt with that gyrfalcon, Bai Ye, she and her son would head further south. Ideally, they would pick a small county neighboring a prefecture where the provincial governor resided.
When the time came, they would buy a small house, plant some flowers, and raise a cat or a dog.
Zhou Zhou was nineteen this year; he was old enough to start dating girls. No, that wasn't how it worked here. Here, it was all about parental commands and matchmakers. The process was quite different, but there would be a way...
Dai Li placed a warm towel over her face and let out a contented sigh.
***
Mo Yanyun rode his half-dead horse alone along the mountain path. He hadn't set out again until the afternoon and had traveled until deep into the night, barely reaching the vicinity of Nanyang County.
Suddenly, Mo Yanyun heard a low rumbling.
At first, he thought it was thunder, but a moment later, he realized it was clearly the sound of galloping hooves.
He was currently at a crossroads. Ahead lay Nanyang County, behind him was the road he had come from, and the third path was the official highway leading northwest.
Mo Yanyun muttered to himself, "It seems to be coming from the northwest. Who would be traveling at night at this hour? Could it be reinforcements from Sizhou trying to bypass the area to reach the east of Xiagu City? But that doesn't make sense. If they wanted to bypass it, they could do it anywhere. Why take such a long detour?"
Regardless of whether it made sense or not, he quickly dismounted and led his horse into the nearby bushes, doing his best to hide.
"Well, thank goodness it's dark. I shouldn't be noticed." Mo Yanyun began to wait.
Within moments, the troop arrived.
The night was pitch black, making it impossible to see exactly who was leading them, but he could make out the general shape of the force. The cavalry was swallowed by the darkness, their powerful horses galloping with a grand momentum. The soldiers were all clad in uniform black light armor.
Mo Yanyun stared blankly.
Something was definitely wrong. The more he looked, the more familiar they seemed.
Suddenly, he shuddered. This looked like his own lord's cavalry!
Mo Yanyun immediately jumped out and shouted, "Xuanxiao Cavalry, wait!"
The cavalry moved with incredible speed. By the time Mo Yanyun shouted, only the tail end of the troop remained. As his voice fell, someone at the very front reined in their horse and ordered a halt. The entire column quickly came to a stop.
Mo Yanyun hurried forward on his horse. Before he had gone far, a towering, imposing figure gradually became clear in the darkness.
Mo Yanyun was shocked. "My Lord? Why have you come..."
"Where is my wife?" Qin Shaozong asked in a deep voice.
Mo Yanyun felt as if his throat had been suddenly seized. His mouth hung open, but no sound came out; he couldn't utter a single word.
"Mo Yanyun."
Mo Yanyun wanted to cry but had no tears. "My Lord, I lost them. At first, Lady Dai let me follow, but after staying a night in a small village... no, yesterday morning, I realized my horse was unwell. It seemed to have been poisoned. I couldn't keep up with Lady Dai and the young master."
As he spoke, the atmospheric pressure around them plummeted. Mo Yanyun sensed danger and quickly finished his explanation:
"The gyrfalcon, Bai Ye, shouldn't have been discovered yet. At least, everything was normal until my horse had its accident. Furthermore, Nanyang County is just ahead. Lady Dai and the young master are sharing one horse, so they definitely aren't moving fast. I suspect they entered the city around the end of the Shen hour yesterday. Time was tight; even if they noticed Bai Ye, they probably wouldn't have had time to deal with it yet."
For the first time, Mo Yanyun felt his brain working at lightning speed.
He carefully observed his superior. He noticed that while the man's expression hadn't exactly softened, the terrifying pressure from before had dissipated slightly.
Qin Shaozong simply said, "Keep up on your own."
Mo Yanyun's face fell.
Keep up?
His horse was in such a state; he couldn't keep up!
But Qin Shaozong clearly had no intention of coddling him. After leaving those words, he turned his horse around.
This location was not far from Nanyang County. An hour later, Qin Shaozong arrived outside the walls.
Whether it was a prefecture or a county, all city walls were thicker at the bottom and narrower at the top, built with a certain slope rather than being perfectly vertical. The difference lay in the fact that prefecture walls were higher and smoother, like those in Xiagu. County walls, however, were shorter, and due to lax supervision, there were many gaps and protrusions between the bricks. Nanyang County was a prime example of the latter.
The former was difficult to scale, while the latter provided numerous footholds. Without interference, a daring person could climb the wall quite rapidly.
Qin Shaozong looked up at the height of the wall.
It was a bit over twenty feet, not quite thirty. Not very high at all.
Mo Yanyun, who had swapped horses with one of the Xuanxiao Cavalry, caught up. He volunteered, hoping to make up for his failure. "My Lord, I wish to lead a few men up to open the gates."
Qin Shaozong granted permission.
In the darkness, a dozen figures flipped off their horses in unison. With swift strides, they reached the base of the wall and began to climb with practiced ease.
They clung to the wall like geckos, focused only on moving upward without looking back. Within moments, the dozen figures reached the top one after another.
A brief commotion broke out atop the wall, but it was quickly silenced.
A short while later, the relatively light city gates slowly creaked open.
***
Dai Li was sleeping in the middle of the night when she was suddenly startled awake by a crack of thunder. The summer was hot, so she hadn't closed her window before going to bed. Now, the wind was howling inside, rattling the window shutters and making the wooden hinges creak.
The sound was truly irritating. Dai Li listened for a moment before she couldn't take it anymore and got up to close the window.
The thunder rumbled loudly, sounding as if it were trying to tear through the sky. Purple lightning danced across the clouds, connecting to form a massive, terrifying web that seemed intent on catching every stray soul beneath it.
Dai Li glanced toward the roof across the way. The gyrfalcon, Bai Ye, which had been perched there earlier, was gone.
It had probably gone to seek shelter from the rain.
Dai Li closed the window and lay back down in bed. But before she could drift into a deep sleep, she thought she heard a knock at the door.
It was urgent, a sound that sent an inexplicable chill through her heart in the middle of the restless night.
"Mother..."
Dai Li’s eyes snapped open. It wasn’t an illusion or a dream; it was Zhou Zhou calling for her from outside.
She scrambled out of bed to open the door.
As the wooden hinges creaked open, Dai Li saw Zhou Zhou standing there. "Zhou Zhou, what is—"
Before she could finish her question, he cut her off.
"The Marquis of Wu'an's men have found us. There are many of them, and they're already downstairs." A rare, visible flash of anxiety flickered in Zhou Zhou's eyes.
Dai Li froze, the color draining from her face instantly.
They were staying on the second floor. She hadn't noticed anything earlier, but now that her son had mentioned it, she realized the commotion downstairs was far too loud. On a night when everyone should have been sound asleep, the lights below were blazing, and voices were echoing.
The mother and son stood on the second-floor landing. The guesthouse was designed with a high ceiling, leaving part of the first floor open to view from above. From their vantage point on the stairs, they could see everything happening below.
At that moment, the guesthouse doors were flung wide. Two soldiers in black armor stood guard at the entrance, while two small oil lamps flickered on a table, their flames dancing in the draft.
The man leading them stood over eight feet tall. Clad in black armor and a crimson cloak, his massive silhouette loomed like an insurmountable mountain under the dim light. His dark red cloak flared with sharp, lethal edges as he moved, resembling a blade that had just drank its fill of blood.
Dai Li’s pupils trembled.
It wasn't just Qin Shaozong's subordinates. He had come in person.
The man on the first floor seemed to sense something and abruptly looked up.
Dai Li was standing in the shadows; logically, he shouldn't have been able to see her. Yet, when that piercing, scorching gaze landed on her, she felt for a moment as if she were being enveloped by violent, searing lava.
The wildfire in his eyes transformed into a great tiger with its jaws agape, desperate to tear her apart and devour her.
It was over. He had definitely seen her.
Dai Li’s legs felt weak.
"Mother, I'll take you..."
Dai Li grabbed her son’s arm, her grip tight and brook no argument as she pulled the young man back toward his own room. "Zhou Zhou, don't come out later. Leave everything to me. I'll handle him."
"No," the youth replied without a second thought, shaking his head.
"Listen to me!" This was the first time since their reunion that Dai Li had used such a stern tone with him. "If we appear together, it will only fuel his rage. Now is not the time to add oil to the fire. Zhou Zhou, be good. Stay in your room."
Dai Li patted her son’s arm, softening her voice. "It’s alright. I know what I’m doing. Don’t worry."
Without waiting for Zhou Zhou to say another word, Dai Li backed out of his room and pulled the door shut behind her. Before she could even turn her head, a dark shadow lunged into her peripheral vision.
The heavy pressure radiating from the man—a ruler who had fought his way through seas of blood—felt like the sharpest of blades, sending shivers of terror down her spine.
Dai Li remained frozen in the motion of closing the door.
After a few tense heartbeats, she finally turned around and forced a gentle smile. "The Marquis has arrived."
She acted as if nothing were wrong, her tone casual, as if everything—her being kidnapped by the Lotus Sect, her subsequent escape, her silent flight south to Yuzhou with her son—had never happened.
She didn't cry to him about her grievances or anger, nor did she show any fear at being "caught red-handed."
She was trying to whitewash the situation.
The fire that had been smoldering in Qin Shaozong’s heart suddenly flared up as if doused in oil. It burned so fiercely that his very organs ached, screaming for release.
The veins on the man's forehead bulged as he let out a cold, mirthless smile. "I used to think my wife possessed the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard. Now it seems you certainly have the gall, but whether you have a heart is another matter entirely."
The door wasn't very soundproof, and Dai Li didn't want to talk in the hallway.
She stepped forward and took Qin Shaozong’s arm. "What are you saying, My Lord? Circumstances were beyond my control; many things were forced upon me. Let’s not stand out here. Come inside with me."
A faint, familiar fragrance wafted toward him. The mockery on Qin Shaozong’s face faded, replaced by a cold, unmoving expression.
Dai Li continued to pull at his arm, trying to lead him forward. However, because Qin Shaozong was far taller and heavier than her, she couldn't budge him.
Realizing she couldn't move him, Dai Li let go. "My Lord must be parched after traveling through the night. Why don't I pour you a cup of tea?"
She turned back toward her own room. As she walked, she heard his heavy footsteps following her.
Bang! The door was slammed shut.
Her waist tightened as she was suddenly scooped up. After a dizzying whirl, her back hit the cold wooden door panel, with him looming over her.
The man, still in his black armor, looked even more imposing. Outside, lightning flashed and thunder roared, the light flaring and fading. Yet, Dai Li couldn't see a single ray of light. She was caged by him, pinned against the door, her every breath filled with his thick, masculine scent.
"Why didn't you come to find me in the city? Why did you secretly head south with that boy?" Every word sounded as if it had been ground between his teeth before being spat out.
He was volatile, reeking of gunpowder and rage.
Dai Li thought to herself that things were looking grim. It seemed she wouldn't be able to smooth this over. She lowered her eyes, ready to admit her fault while simultaneously shifting the blame onto the Lotus Sect. "I'm so sorry. It was the Lotus Sect; they gave my son a mission that required a long journey. I didn't feel comfortable letting him go alone, so I insisted on going with him. I did consider informing you, but knowing your enmity with the Lotus Sect, I..."
"Liar!"
The force of those two words left Dai Li stunned.
She quickly looked up, staring at Qin Shaozong in shock. Her red lips parted, but no words came out.
Qin Shaozong stared at her intently. Even in the dim room, he didn't miss a single one of her expressions.
After being tricked by her once in Nankang Commandery, he had realized this little fox was an expert at deception. She mixed truth with lies and knew exactly when to play the victim.
Just now, when she lowered her eyes and spoke so piteously, that familiar feeling returned. It was harder to ignore than the thunder outside, making his head throb.
She was unparalleled at acting obedient and playing the victim, and she was quick to admit her faults—but she never, ever changed.
If there were a next time, he was certain she would do it again!
Qin Shaozong’s temples throbbed. Seeing her part her lips as if to speak again, he simply reached out and gripped her chin, forcing it up.
If nothing good came out of that mouth, then he wouldn't let her speak at all.
He leaned down and kissed those red lips ruthlessly.
Dai Li knew he was always aggressive in matters of passion, but this was the first time she felt a distinct "cruelty" behind that aggression. She was pinned completely against the door, unable to move, unable to even make a sound.
The dark fire that had been bottled up in Qin Shaozong’s chest for days finally found its outlet, surging forth with overwhelming power.
It swept through her, biting and pillaging, his tongue lashing through her mouth.
Dai Li was forced to tilt her head back. She couldn't see herself, but she could feel that he had left faint teeth marks on her lips and tongue.
A thin thread of silver escaped and trailed down, first pooling in a small spot, then slowly expanding until a small patch of her clothes was damp.
Attempting to quell the raging wildfire, Dai Li stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to soothe his fury with her own surrender.
Outside, thunder rumbled and lightning snaked across the sky like wild dragons. Inside the room, the air was filled with the incessant, heart-stirring sounds of a deep, wet kiss.
The sky, which had been heavy and oppressive all day, finally broke into a torrential downpour. The rain hammered down, a deafening deluge that blurred out the rest of the world.
While it was cool outside, the temperature within the room seemed to climb higher with every passing second. Dai Li felt as if she were being swallowed whole. She tilted her head back, her breathing ragged and her eyes clouded with a thin, shimmering mist.
She turned her face away, but he refused to let her go.
With one hand clamped around her waist, he used his sheer strength to hoist her up. His other muscular arm slid down the curve of her hip and hooked under her thighs, lifting her until she was practically seated upon his arm.
There was a height difference of nearly eight inches between them. While he had been kissing her just moments before, Qin Shaozong hadn't even stood up straight. Now, with Dai Li’s feet dangling off the floor, he pinned her firmly against the door.
The sudden sensation of being airborne startled Dai Li, and she instinctively grabbed onto his arms. He was still wearing his light armor, and the metal over his shoulders was cold and hard. Unable to get a firm grip, she instead reached for the crimson cloak draped over his back, clutching the fabric tightly.
He moved to kiss her lips again, but Dai Li, still gasping for air, instinctively turned her head to the side.
Qin Shaozong paused for a moment. Then, moving down from her flushed lips, he pressed his mouth against the pale, delicate skin of her neck.
His canines grazed her, nipping and licking at the tender flesh.