Chapter 17

Shen Molan was stunned.

“…I’ll come to find you tomorrow morning,” the shadow guard said before leaping out the window and disappearing.

“Does Hero Shen truly not feel care or liking towards Master at all?”

It seemed like this was the first time someone had asked him such a question.

If it had been a few years ago, or even just a few months ago, he would have sneered and said it was impossible, or perhaps not even bothered to give a reply.

However, currently, as he finally gained the freedom he had long dreamed of, a strange, unfamiliar feeling surged through him like an undercurrent.

That feeling was hard to describe with words, like when something you’ve desired for a long time suddenly becomes within reach, but after the initial excitement, a deep sense of emptiness sets in.

The person he used to find annoying and indifferent now stirred feelings of nostalgia and regret.

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…Tl nyale.

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Mblal oyp yzps bkp qkapv qllzkdt sq yqqlnvksd, bkp qkapv jkpp, bkp qkapv vawl kdvkxyvl nsddlnvksd okvb psxlsdl…

Mbl vkxl vblu bye prldv vstlvbla yxswdvle vs xsal vbyd byzq bkp zkql.

Xq nswapl, bl nyale.

Gp qsa zkjkdt…

That word felt too unfamiliar to him, something he wasn’t willing, or perhaps even afraid, to examine too closely.

Knock, knock. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, pulling Shen Molan from his thoughts. The door hadn’t been bolted, so he said, “Come in.”

“Sorry to disturb you,” the innkeeper’s assistant said as he entered. “Hero Shen, there’s an urgent letter from the courier station, indicated to only be read by you.”

Shen Molan frowned in confusion. What urgent matter could have prompted someone to send him a letter via express courier, traveling hundreds of miles in a short time?

---

The next morning, when the shadow guard returned to Shen Molan’s room, he found it empty.

The shadow guard was bewildered. He knew Shen Molan had sharp senses, so he had deliberately kept his distance to give him enough time to think.

But now…

“Excuse me, when did Hero Shen leave?” Desperate, the shadow guard rushed downstairs and grabbed the assistant by the collar, asking in a panic.

“L-last night, during the late hours,” the assistant stammered, startled by the guard’s strength.

Realizing his mistake, the shadow guard quickly released him. “Sorry. Do you know why he left or where he went?”

The assistant, seeing the guard meant no harm, caught his breath and replied, “Last night, there was an urgent letter delivered by the courier station. After Hero Shen read it, he left immediately without saying anything. I don’t know where he went.”

“…”

There were no clues.

The guard’s gaze became lost, his lips trembled, and in the end, lowered his head.

Master…

I’m sorry. In the end, I couldn’t fulfill your wish.

---

One month earlier.

When Chen Shaoqing returned home, his father arranged a marriage for him with Li Wanyin, the beautiful and gentle daughter of the Li family, with whom they had long-standing business ties. The two families were well-matched in status, and the pairing seemed perfect. Chen Shaoqing, as the youngest and most beloved legitimate son, had always been his father’s pride. His father, now growing old, had long hoped that Shaoqing would settle down, carry on the family line, and give him the joy of holding a grandson before he passed.

Chen Shaoqing had no objections when he met Li Wanyin. To him, his future required a gentle and beautiful wife waiting at home, and Li Wanyin fit the role perfectly.

Suddenly, a woman’s face flashed in his mind, making Chen Shaoqing feel a surge of disgust and nausea.

Seeing that Chen Shaoqing agreed, his father was overjoyed and began preparing for the wedding early. He had their birth dates matched, chose an auspicious date, and sent out invitations, eager to announce his son’s marriage to the world.

The Chen family, being a prominent household, couldn’t skimp on any of the wedding’s elaborate details. After going through the many social events leading up to the wedding that he detested, Chen Shaoqing was finally locked up at home by his father to finalize the bride price.

A few days before the wedding, Chen Shaoqing took advantage of his father being preoccupied with guests to sneak out and enjoy some fresh air.

Since the entire city was buzzing about his upcoming marriage, even Chen Shaoqing, thick-skinned as he was, felt a bit embarrassed. He disguised himself with a ridiculous fake mustache, making him look like an odd scholar. Once in disguise, he confidently strolled through the city.

Although he had long grown bored of Gusu, being cooped up for so long made him appreciate the city again. He wandered around, buying trinkets and snacks, mocking the calligraphy and paintings sold by street vendors, and loudly heckling the actors and storytellers. While he annoyed some passersby, no one complained, as he carelessly spent money.

He played around like this all day. By the time night fell, he realized it was time to head home, lest his father start nagging him again. While he was used to his father’s lectures, his recent brush with death had made him somewhat more considerate.

After finishing his last bowl of rice wine, he generously tossed a coin onto the table and stood up. The inn was beginning to fill up for dinner, and as he glanced around, he noticed a lone figure sitting at a round table in the southeast corner—a woman dressed in black, her face partially obscured by a veil and a bamboo hat. Despite the bustling inn, her presence seemed strangely out of place, a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere.

Chen Shaoqing didn’t think much of it—after all, the martial world was vast, and one could encounter all kinds of people. He was about to leave when he noticed a drunk man staggering over to harass the woman.

“Hey there, little lady. That’s an interesting attire. Let me see what you look like under that hat…”

The woman remained motionless, calmly sipping her drink as if she hadn’t heard a thing.

Just as Chen Shaoqing frowned, the drunkard reached out to touch her face, only to yank his hand back as if he’d been stung. His drunken, flushed face turned purple, his pupils shrank, his breathing became labored, and his muscles started convulsing. All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

The man staggered backward a few steps before collapsing to the floor, his eyes wide open in terror, unmoving.

Chen Shaoqing was stunned. His impulse to intervene vanished, replaced by a growing realization…

This scene felt eerily familiar.

The crowd hadn’t yet reacted, but the drunkard’s friends were already looking at each other in confusion. One of them stepped forward, trembling, and asked, “W—what did you do to our brother?”

The woman tilted her head slightly, looking at them through her veil. From his angle, Chen Shaoqing still couldn’t see her eyes. Then, he heard her voice.

Her voice was singular —sweet, with a slight rasp, carrying a unique charm.

“Heh… You tell me, what did I do to him?”

A chill ran through Chen Shaoqing’s body, raising goosebumps all over.

It was her.

She had come…

She had finally appeared!

One of the drunkard’s friends, emboldened by fear, drew a knife and swung it toward the woman’s slender back. But before anyone could see how she moved, the man collapsed, suffering the same fate as the others—muscles seizing, eyes wide in terror, and dead within moments.

“Disgusting…” the woman said coldly, still seated calmly as if the carnage before her had nothing to do with her.

At last, the inn’s patrons realized what had happened and fled in panic. Chen Shaoqing, gripped by a mix of fear and revulsion, suddenly recalled Shen Molan’s words. Though he hated to admit it, he knew he wasn’t a match for her. He couldn’t afford to make the same mistake twice.

Suppressing his urge to seek revenge, Chen Shaoqing scowled and swiftly left the inn amidst the chaos.

---

The Chen family patriarch hadn’t seen Shaoqing all day. Though he was displeased, there was also a hint of helplessness. He guessed that his beloved son had likely snuck out to have fun while he was busy. As he pondered whether to give him a lecture or just a mild scolding, the youth suddenly strode in, his fair face clouded with a faint gloom.

The patriarch didn’t notice at first and cleared his throat. “Shaoqing, I have something to say—”

“Father,” the young man interrupted, his expression dark and his youthful face showing a newfound maturity, catching the patriarch off guard. “I have something important to do. Please go and rest.”

“Wha—Shaoqing…” By the time the patriarch regained his senses, his son had already stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him.

That night, Shaoqing sent someone to deliver a letter to Shen Molan, who was far away in Qingzhou on a commission.

“Dear Shen-dage, 

I hope this letter finds you well.

A sighting of Yun Niang has been reported in Gusu. Her intentions must be malicious. Please come quickly. I would be most grateful.

—Shaoqing”

Sent via express courier.

Thus, the same night Shen Molan encountered the shadow guard, he received the urgent letter from Gusu.

At this point, there were five days left until Chen Shaoqing’s wedding to the Li family’s daughter.

When Shen Molan arrived in Gusu, he went directly to see Chen Shaoqing.

It was only then that he realized he had left so hastily that he forgot to leave a message for the shadow guard at Feng Manor. Nevertheless, that didn’t matter now. Although Yun Niang’s appearance was sudden, everything was still within his plan. He would visit Feng Manor after Shaoqing’s wedding, possibly even the same night.

By then, that person should be satisfied.

“Shen-dage, you have to help me…” Shaoqing had clearly not been sleeping well these past few days. His fair, delicate face was marred by dark circles, making him look even more pale and fragile.

Shen Molan softened his voice. “Shaoqing, when and where did you see her? What was she wearing? Tell me everything.”

Shaoqing took a few deep breaths before steadying himself. “She wore a bamboo hat, a black veil, and all black clothes. She stood out quite a bit. The last time I saw her was at…”

After hearing Shaoqing’s detailed account, Shen Molan said, “You should focus on preparing for your wedding. I’ll go see if I can track her down.”

“…No,” Shaoqing said after a moment of contemplation, resolutely saying. “I’m going with you.

“I want to personally avenge myself.”

Shen Molan’s gaze flickered slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but seeing Shaoqing’s determined expression, he remained silent.

Gusu was neither too big nor too small.

Shen Molan and Shaoqing scoured nearly every inn but found no trace of Yun Niang. Only the innkeeper from the place Shaoqing had previously encountered her had seen anything, and even then, he had been too frightened to witness much. After the chaos, when he dared to look up, the black-clad woman was already gone.

After an entire day of searching to no avail, they returned home to avoid Shaoqing’s father’s nagging. Shaoqing was so furious that he ground his teeth, his face dark and far from the image of a soon-to-be groom.

After pondering for a long time, Shen Molan asked, “Shaoqing, why do you think she’s appearing in Gusu now?”

Still brooding, Shaoqing grumbled, “How would I know! She…”

Suddenly, he paused.

“You mean…” Shaoqing’s voice trembled with disbelief.

Shen Molan said calmly, “The whole Jianghu knows that the Gusu hero Chen Shaoqing is about to marry the Li family’s daughter. Even on my way here, I overheard people talking about how well-matched you two are…”

“She wants to see me…”

Shen Molan lowered his gaze, thinking for a moment. “She’s been biding her time, waiting for your wedding day. She knows you survived her poison and sees you flourishing. She must be… enraged.”

Or maybe, she wants to confirm it’s really you?

…If Yun Niang was deliberately waiting for the wedding day, something about this wasn’t making sense.

Shen Molan pressed his lips together, deep in thought.

“On your wedding day, make sure to arrange for highly skilled guards. Although I’m not sure we can stop her…” Based on previous descriptions, Yun Niang’s martial abilities were unfathomable, and her mastery of venomous techniques and poisons made her a formidable opponent. If she truly wanted to act, it would be hard to stop her.

“Shen-dage! Can I count on you to keep an eye on things as well?” Shaoqing’s hands were clenched into fists, his wide eyes full of hope as he looked at Shen Molan.

“Of course, I’ll help you fend her off. As soon as I catch wind of her whereabouts, I’ll notify you.” Shen Molan reassured him.

Shaoqing let out a heavy sigh, feeling somewhat reassured.

Although he prided himself on his martial prowess, he knew he couldn’t defeat that woman alone. But with Shen-dage, whose skills far surpassed his own, he could rest easier.

“These next two days, just focus on preparing for the wedding. Your father has already arranged for my room to be near yours, so I’ll be keeping watch.” Shen Molan said.

“…Thank you, Shen-dage.” Shaoqing managed a faint smile, though it was clear his worries hadn’t entirely disappeared.