Chapter 155: Blades of Ice in the Night
The small woman looked up at the girl in the simple dress.
The girl whispered something to her, and then the small woman rummaged through her sack.
She pulled out a small blue bottle, handed it to the girl, and said a few more words.
The girl took the bottle and walked away.
Halfway there, she saw Hou Bomin, the Monkey Thief, sitting on a rock, smoking his pipe.
“Old Monkey, what are you doing here?” she called out.
Hou Bomin chuckled, “Waiting for you, of course.”
“Waiting for me?”
Hou Bomin looked up, glancing at the monastery behind her, “Where are you going, girl?”
Xu Xiaoyan smiled, “Just taking a walk, running some errands. And you, that smoke is bad for you. You should cut down.”
Hou Bomin chuckled, “In the jianghu, we live on the edge of a blade. We’ve faced death countless times. We don’t worry about such trivial things.”
Xu Xiaoyan said, “Precisely because we’ve faced so much danger, we should value our lives even more. It would be a shame to die from something like this.”
“You have a point,” Hou Bomin tapped his pipe against the rock, emptying it. He stood up, his hands clasped behind his back, and looked at the fading light in the distance, “You’ve been in our ‘unorthodox’ circle for quite some time now, girl.
“I remember when that man brought you to us, you were just a little thing.”
Xu Xiaoyan said, “I wasn’t that small. I was nine.”
Hou Bomin chuckled, “Still small! In this circle, we’re all wanderers, rarely staying in one place for long. Some have died, others have joined us. We’re all busy. Although we’ve known each other for years, we haven’t actually met that many times.”
“And you’ve made quite a name for yourself. When the name ‘Night Lily’ appeared, we all knew it was you. But you were still in the south then. And then you came north. Everyone says you’re a slippery one.”
Xu Xiaoyan said, “Are you getting sentimental in your old age, Old Monkey? You’re quite talkative today.”
Hou Bomin, his hands still behind his back, said, “There’s something I wanted to tell you. But you seem to have settled down now, found a companion. That Shi Chongyun seems like a decent, capable young man. I wasn’t sure if I should tell you.”
Xu Xiaoyan looked at him intently, “What is it?”
Hou Bomin, his back hunched, walked past her, “I’ll tell you when you return. You have errands to run, don’t you? Go on. You haven’t changed a bit, always helping others secretly, never asking for anything in return.”
“I remember when that man brought you to us, you were so small and quiet. We all thought you were mute. But now, you talk so much.”
Xu Xiaoyan turned and called after him, “Just tell me, Old Monkey!”
Hou Bomin, his back to her, waved his hand dismissively as he walked towards the monastery, “Later, later.”
Night fell, its darkness deepening. Inside, Shi Hao lay on the bed, holding Yuejiao in his arms.
Her smooth skin was warm against his chest. The faint moonlight, filtering through the window, cast a silvery glow on the floor.
In her sleep, she turned, her slender arms wrapping around his neck, the sweet fragrance of her body, lingering from their earlier intimacy, filling the room.
Shi Hao’s mind, finally calm, his earlier frustration and despair fading.
He heard the distant neighing of horses, followed by a muffled thud.
The sound of something approaching rapidly, and then shouts.
He gently patted Yuejiao’s bare back and got out of bed.
“What is it?” Du Yuejiao mumbled sleepily, her hand covering her chest.
“Trouble,” Shi Hao said, quickly getting dressed.
He rushed outside and saw two patrolling Daoists helping a young man, his face pale with exhaustion, into the monastery.
“What happened?” Shi Hao asked, his voice sharp.
“The Hanyang Three Fiends!” the young man gasped, “They’ve attacked Mount Nangong! The Clan Leader sent me for help!”
They’re fast, Shi Hao thought, sensing the Hanyang Gang’s ruthlessness.
Daoist Chuan and the others, alerted by the commotion, emerged from their rooms.
“We have to help the Gong family immediately!” Shi Hao said to Daoist Chuan, “They’re outnumbered and lack high-ranking experts. If we don’t help them, they won’t survive the night.”
He looked around and saw Hou Bomin and Xiang Gu had also emerged from their rooms.
Yuejiao, hurriedly getting dressed, came out of his room.
“Where’s Xiaoyan?” he asked.
Hou Bomin, his back hunched, said, “She left in the evening. Said she had some errands to run.”
Du Yuejiao snorted, “Running away at a time like this!”
Shi Hao looked at Hou Bomin, “You and the abbot take our men to Mount Nangong.”
Daoist Chuan, knowing there was no time to waste, gathered the Wudang Monastery disciples and left with Hou Bomin.
“Yuejiao, Miss Xiang Gu…” Shi Hao turned to the two women and gave them instructions.
Du Yuejiao asked, “What about you, Brother Shi?”
Shi Hao said, “I’m going to Shennong Village. We’re outnumbered. Without their support, we can’t win.”
Du Yuejiao said, “Be careful, Brother Shi,” and quickly left with Xiang Gu.
After they were gone, Shi Hao set out for Shennong Village, his heart pounding with anxiety.
The fate of the Gong family depended on him.
The night air was cold, the wind howling through the trees, their branches swaying wildly.
The wind, like invisible blades of ice, chilled him to the bone.
He wasn’t confident in his ability to succeed, but he knew he couldn’t back down.
He had to do everything he could, even if the path ahead was uncertain.
The bright moonlight cast long shadows across the rugged terrain, the world around him a patchwork of light and darkness.
Moving through this landscape, he felt like he was walking a tightrope between the clouds and the abyss.
Perhaps this precariousness, this constant danger, was the true nature of the jianghu.
Suddenly, he stopped, his gaze sweeping across the forest beside him.
Then, his eyes widened in surprise, “Xiaoyan?”
A giggle came from the trees, “You found me.”
Xu Xiaoyan, holding the Plain Sword, emerged from the shadows, stepping into the moonlight.
She twirled the sword, its scabbard still attached, “I thought I was well-hidden.”
Shi Hao asked, surprised, “What are you doing here?” He paused, glancing towards Shennong Village, “No, the question is, what have you done?”
Daoist Chuan and the Wudang disciples hurried towards Mount Nangong.
Suddenly, Hou Bomin shouted, “Stop!”
His sharp command startled everyone, and they stopped abruptly.
Daoist Chuan lowered his voice, “What is it?”
Hou Bomin stared ahead, his gaze scanning the dark forest, his ears twitching slightly.
“An ambush,” he said calmly.
A laugh echoed through the trees, “Impressive.”
Zhao Xuanding, the Canyon Stabilizer, stepped out of the forest.
Dozens of martial artists in black emerged from the shadows, most armed with crossbows, the others radiating a menacing aura, clearly skilled fighters.
Daoist Chuan’s heart sank. If not for Hou Bomin’s warning, they would have walked right into the trap. A volley of crossbow bolts at such close range would have been devastating.
Zhao Xuanding glanced at Hou Bomin, “I was careful. I even had someone use a silencing technique to eliminate the birds in this area, so you wouldn’t be alerted.
“I didn’t expect you to see through it.”
Hou Bomin said slowly, “I’ve walked many night roads. I’m more cautious than most. Eliminating the birds was clever, but some birds sing at night. This forest is too quiet.”
“That’s your mistake.”
Zhao Xuanding, his hands behind his back, said, “Impressive, very impressive.”
He looked at Hou Bomin, “You’re not from the Ba Mountains. Why risk your life for them? You seem like a capable man. Our Hanyang Gang is recruiting. Join us. Once we control the Ba Mountains and the Hanyang River, you’ll be well-rewarded.”
Hou Bomin sighed, “You flatter me. I’m just an old thief, a nobody. Someone offered me a chance, an investment opportunity. I want to see how far he can go.
“Even if it means risking this old life, I’ll see it through.
“Life is cheap in the jianghu. Perhaps following this young man will lead to… greatness. I’m rather looking forward to it.”