Chapter 18: Awake?
The night was deep, and the myriad lamps of Chang’an’s streets and districts had dwindled to a faint glimmer. The streets were deserted, save for the swirling snow.
Xu Buling, held securely in the assassin’s arms, soared through the air, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Once they had left Daye District, the sword at his throat was withdrawn.
Being carried by a woman, especially given his tall stature and bulky fox fur cloak, felt rather odd.
After traversing a considerable distance, with no sign of pursuit, Xu Buling decided to break the silence:
“Heroine, you’re not going to kill me, are you? I’ve always been a law-abiding citizen…”
The assassin, clearly injured, her steps faltering as she carried him, replied in a cool voice:
“I won’t kill you. Don’t panic. I’ll release you once I escape.”
Xu Buling feigned fear:
“Don’t lie to me.”
The assassin, a woman of few words, likely wanting to conserve her energy and prevent any resistance, remained silent for a moment before replying softly:
“At the Sun family’s shop, you overpaid the apprentice. The shopkeeper said you’re a good person. I won’t kill you.”
Xu Buling feigned relief and chuckled:
“Is that so… What’s your name, Miss?”
Silence.
The assassin continued carrying him through the streets of Chang’an. However, her strength was waning, and her vision blurred. As they leaped across an alley, her legs gave way, and she stumbled.
She jolted awake, regaining her balance just in time to land softly in the narrow alley. She pushed Xu Buling away:
“Go!”
Clutching her chest, she sprinted deeper into the alley, her steps unsteady.
Xu Buling stood there, patting his shoulder. A few bloodstains marred his fox fur cloak. He watched as the assassin disappeared around a corner, and a moment later, a soft thud echoed from the darkness.
After a brief pause, he followed, his footsteps crunching on the snow.
He found the assassin collapsed on the ground, her hand still gripping her sword. Her delicate features, framed by slender eyebrows and thin lips, held an ethereal beauty, but her face was pale, masking her natural radiance. She looked utterly miserable.
Tap, tap—
Footsteps approached. Old Xiao, leaning on his cane, arrived beside Xu Buling and frowned:
“I didn’t realize she was such a beauty. She rivals you, Young Master.”
Xu Buling frowned, touching his face:
“Don’t compare me to a woman.”
“Heh…”
Xu Buling crouched down and searched the assassin’s waist, finding a jade pendant engraved with a yin-yang symbol and the characters “Changqing” on the back.
“A token of Changqing Temple.”
Old Xiao knelt down, examining the pendant:
“Judging by her age and appearance, she must be Ning Qingye, the disciple of Master Gu Qiu of Changqing Temple.”
Unfamiliar with the intricacies of the martial world, Xu Buling asked:
“Is she formidable?”
Old Xiao, well-versed in the gossip of both high and low society, readily shared his knowledge of the female swordsman:
“According to rumors, Ning Qingye’s parents were caught in the crossfire of the ‘Iron Eagle Hunts the Deer’ ten years ago and became wanderers. They were eventually taken in by Changqing Temple near Mount Wudang. Ning Qingye showed exceptional talent at the age of thirteen and is said to be breathtakingly beautiful. However, she rarely leaves the temple, so few have actually seen her. This information came from a well-traveled Taoist priest from Mount Wudang.”
“Ning Qingye’s master, Gu Qiu, was originally from the Tang family of Youzhou. She was a renowned beauty during the Xuanhe era but later became a Taoist nun. That explains why Ning Qingye knows the Tang family swordsmanship but hasn’t mastered it.”
Xu Buling, uninterested in the complicated relationships of the martial world, crouched down and observed the unconscious woman:
“No wonder she concealed her face. If Zhang Xiang recognized her, Changqing Temple would be in trouble.”
Old Xiao nodded:
“She dared to attempt an assassination in the capital. She must have a deep grudge against Zhang Xiang. If we hand her over to the Wolf Guards, Zhu Manzhi could be directly promoted to the Heavenly Stem units. But Zhang Xiang is always at the archives. It would be risky for Zhu Manzhi to sneak in and search for information about the Dragon Locking Gu. What do you think, Young Master?”
Xu Buling chuckled softly:
“You’re suggesting we use her to create a diversion while Zhu Manzhi searches the archives?”
Old Xiao stroked his cane and grinned:
“I can’t bear to see such a beauty suffer. The flowers of the martial world need the protection of discerning gentlemen like us…”
“Stop right there!”
Xu Buling shook his head, removed his fox fur cloak, and covered Ning Qingye with it. He then lifted her gently and carried her towards an empty courtyard deeper in the alley.
They entered the courtyard, its ground covered in fallen leaves. The windows of the house were broken and dilapidated.
Old Xiao pushed open the gate, scanned the surroundings, and then fetched a bucket of water from the well.
Xu Buling placed Ning Qingye on a bed, using his cloak as a blanket. He sat beside her, took her wrist, and checked her pulse:
“She has internal injuries. She won’t wake up anytime soon. Do you have any medicine?”
Old Xiao placed the bucket of water beside the bed and retrieved a small porcelain bottle from his clothes.
Xu Buling poured out a pill, pried open Ning Qingye’s blue lips, and slipped it inside.
Her face contorted in pain, her brows furrowing. But after a while, sweat beaded on her forehead, and her complexion gradually returned to a healthy flush.
Old Xiao observed her for a moment, then turned to leave:
“Madam Lu must have heard about your abduction, Young Master. We need to return before dawn to avoid causing a commotion.”
“Alright.”
Xu Buling chuckled softly, closed the door, glanced around, and then shattered the old wooden table with a palm strike. He picked up a piece of wood and began repairing the broken windows…
…
The wind whistled through the dilapidated courtyard, rattling the aged window frames.
“Hmm…”
A soft moan echoed from the dimly lit room.
Ning Qingye opened her heavy eyelids, her vision blurry. She felt warm and comfortable, but the bed was hard, and her body ached.
She turned over, her eyes suddenly snapping open, and grabbed her sword. The blue blade flashed as she pointed it towards the window.
A tinderbox stood on the bedside table, its flickering flame casting a dim glow.
In the faint light, she saw a tall figure standing by the window, dressed in a white robe. He was patching the broken windows with pieces of wood, his hands occasionally pausing to rub together for warmth.
He looked young, perhaps seventeen or eighteen, with strikingly handsome features. He was clearly a pampered young master, unaccustomed to such menial tasks. The window was patched haphazardly, and his robe was covered in dust.
Ning Qingye held her sword aloft for only a moment before a wave of dizziness forced her back onto the bed. She looked down and saw that she was covered with a luxurious white fox fur cloak. Her clothes were intact. The cloak was so warm that she had broken out in a light sweat, and her collar was slightly unbuttoned. She wasn’t sure if someone had loosened it or if she had done it herself in her unconscious state.
She blinked, her body weak and powerless. Her sword slipped from her grasp and clattered to the floor.
Xu Buling, busy repairing the window, noticed the movement beside the bed. He turned his head and smiled gently:
“Miss, you’re awake?”
…
Ning Qingye
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