Chapter 57: Water Dragon Song (Part 2)
Zhou Ting hurried back to his residence from the Yin Ye Si in the pouring rain. He didn’t bother with an umbrella. Crossing the courtyard and climbing the steps, he saw his mother, Lady Lan, sitting in the hall, drinking tea.
“Mother.”
Zhou Ting entered. Rainwater dripped from his clothes. “What urgent matter made you call me back so hastily?”
“If I hadn’t said it was urgent, would you have come back so quickly?” Lady Lan said, noticing his pale face. She reached out, supported by a maidservant, and rose to approach him. Wiping the rain from his face and clothes with an embroidered handkerchief, she continued, “Son, you’re still injured. You just won’t listen to me and stay home to recuperate longer.”
“Mother, I’m fine.”
Zhou Ting shook his head. “You don’t need to worry about me.”
Although Emperor Zheng Yuan hadn’t yet issued an official decree replacing private banknotes with government-issued ones, Zhou Ting hadn’t been having an easy time lately. He had endured open and covert ostracization, as well as occasional assassination attempts. His injuries weren’t sustained in a single incident, but he hadn’t revealed any of this to his mother, simply saying it was due to official business.
“You’re my son. How could I not worry? Both you and your father are so tight-lipped, never telling me anything. He’s been an official in Wanjiang for so many years and never comes back. Though you’re in the capital, you’re rarely home. How long do you want me to keep this house alone?”
Lady Lan handed the damp handkerchief to a maidservant. “Ding Zhao, you wouldn’t come home when your father was in the capital, and you haven’t come back much since he went to Wanjiang. I know you’re afraid I’ll say those things again. But, Ding Zhao, we’re your parents. Would we ever harm you? We weren’t afraid that you joining the Yin Ye Si as a military official would make people laugh at our family. We’re afraid you’ve chosen the wrong path. Look at those officials, who don’t regard civil officials and scholars as honorable? Your superior is a eunuch. Even if someone else becomes the Director of the Yin Ye Si, it will still be a eunuch. How can it ever be your turn? How can you have a bright future like this?”
“Mother,”
Zhou Ting lowered his eyes. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll return to the Yin Ye Si. I’ve been busy lately. I’ll come back to see you when I have time.”
Seeing him bow and turn to leave, Lady Lan called out to him again. “Ding Zhao, you’re twenty-three this year. If you have someone in your heart, you should tell me.”
Hearing this, Zhou Ting turned back and met Lady Lan’s gaze.
Lady Lan sat down again and took the teacup offered by the maidservant, blowing away the tea foam. “I’ve heard some rumors, saying you have frequent interactions with that Ni girl who appealed to the Dengwen Drum Court for her brother.”
Hearing her mention Ni Su, Zhou Ting couldn’t help but take two steps forward, frowning. “Mother, such rumors were mostly fabricated by Wu Dai to frame Wu Ji Kang. My acquaintance with Miss Ni is solely due to the Winter Examination case.”
“I didn’t ask about that. A young lady’s reputation is extremely important, don’t I know that? Today, we’re just mother and son, speaking privately. I went to see that young lady today.”
Lady Lan took a sip of hot tea.
Zhou Ting’s heart sank. “Mother, what did you go see her for?”
Lady Lan smiled faintly. “I didn’t go to make things difficult for her. I just wanted to see what kind of girl she is, unafraid of torture and death.”
“I think she’s very pretty, looks like someone people would like,” Lady Lan placed the teacup on the table, carefully observing Zhou Ting’s expression. “Ding Zhao, our family is small, and we don’t have that many rules. She’s an orphan who went to such lengths for her brother; she’s a rare girl. If you have feelings for her, Mother can grant your wish.”
“Ding Zhao, tell me, what are your thoughts?”
Zhou Ting’s mind was in turmoil. He looked at his mother’s face. As the rain pattered, he was about to speak, but suddenly remembered something. He immediately said, “Mother, matters at the agency are pressing. I must go now.”
Before Lady Lan could react, he had already strode out the door.
Chao Yi Song was yawning outside the Zhou residence. Hearing the hurried footsteps, he immediately ran forward with an umbrella. “Young Master Zhou, where are you going?”
“Nan Huai Street.” Zhou Ting mounted his horse. The wounds under his robes had split open a bit, but he ignored them. He asked Chao Yi Song, “Why didn’t you tell me about my mother going to Nan Huai Street?”
“Madam… told me not to,” Chao Yi Song replied weakly.
Due to the recent open and covert targeting of Zhou Ting by court officials, Chao Yi Song had brought a group of his men to guard the Zhou residence, in case anyone tried to harm Lady Lan.
“Don’t you know my current situation?”
“What…”
Chao Yi Song was taken aback, then realized, “Sir, you’re worried that after Madam’s visit, those people will target Miss Ni…”
Before he could finish, Zhou Ting had already spurred his horse forward.
“Quick, follow Young Master Zhou!” Chao Yi Song’s expression turned serious, and he immediately summoned several men and gave the order.
Because it was raining and nearing dusk, the sky was dark. There weren’t many pedestrians on the street. The sound of hooves was rapid and clear. Zhou Ting quickly arrived at Nan Huai Street, but after knocking on the clinic’s door several times, no one answered.
A-Fang from the herbal medicine shop across the street watched him for a while before coming out and calling, “Are you looking for Sister Ni?”
Zhou Ting turned around and saw a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl. He walked over, his clothes almost completely soaked by the rain. “Do you know where she went?”
“She went to Yong’an Lake,” A-Fang said.
Nightfall came quickly on a rainy day. Ni Su held a willow branch and a paper umbrella as she walked back. Her shoes and socks were soaked through, and her skirt was muddy, making her uncomfortable.
A few lamps still flickered by the lake, reflecting the puddles at her feet. Ni Su lowered her head, seeing the faint mist clinging to the edges of her sleeves.
The rain had only stopped for a while last night and this morning, starting again in the afternoon. Xu He Xue had only managed to complete the bamboo frame of the kite. They had visited the Jiang residence in the afternoon and spoken with Censor Jiang. After returning, Xu He Xue couldn’t maintain his form and dissipated into mist.
Ni Su lit many lamps and sat alone under the eaves until she realized there were no willow leaves left at home. Only then did she go out to Yong’an Lake to gather more.
The constant dripping of the rain was irritating.
There were no pedestrians by the lake, only clusters of light in the distant canvas sheds. Occasionally, the scent of food drifted through the damp mist.
“Is it her?” A pair of eyes peered from the dark shadows, watching the young woman’s back.
“Yes.”
Another hoarse voice answered. “There have been rumors about her and Zhou Ting. Our men saw Zhou Ting’s mother, Lady Lan, entering this woman’s clinic today. It seems something good is about to happen.”
“Something good?” The man sneered sinisterly. “If Zhou Ting truly values this woman, we’ll turn the Zhou family’s good fortune into a funeral!”
Raindrops fell on cold blades. More than ten men, their faces half-covered by black cloths, emerged from the shadows.
The sound of footsteps splashing in the rain was heavy. Almost the instant Ni Su heard these sounds, she turned around. Just as a cold light flashed before her eyes, she was surrounded by these men with swords and knives, their faces obscured.
“What do you want?”
Ni Su remained relatively calm.
“If you come with us obediently, we won’t take your life,” the leader of the black-clad men said in a rough voice.
“Why should I go with you?”
Ni Su saw the fierce eyes of the man peeking out from beneath his cloth.
The man didn’t intend to say anything more. With a tilt of his chin, one of his companions stepped forward, pressing a blade against Ni Su’s neck. He used so much force that the back of the blade struck her shoulder and neck, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground in the rain.
“Brother, to lure Zhou Ting, we need a token. This woman isn’t obedient. I say, let’s cut off one of her hands and send it to the Zhou residence.”
The man with the hoarse voice narrowed his eyes, pinning Ni Su to the ground with the back of his blade.
“Do it.”
The leader gave the order, and two men immediately held Ni Su down. The canvas sheds in the distance were still lively. Ni Su opened her mouth to scream, but a hand tightly covered her mouth, the force almost crushing her bones.
One of her hands was pinned to the ground, her palm pierced by the fallen willow branches. She saw the raised blade, its sharp, cold edge glinting faintly in the dim light.
Ni Su’s eyes widened. Her muffled screams were reduced to whimpers. Her hand curled into a fist, the sharp edges of the willow branches cutting a long gash in her palm.
The blade fell. Ni Su squeezed her eyes shut.
A cold wind swept across her face, almost slanting the rain. A dull thud of flesh being cut sounded, followed by a short, sharp cry.
Ni Su felt something warm and wet on her cheek. She opened her eyes. The color dripping onto her clothes was crimson. She realized belatedly that it was blood.
Amidst the rain and mist, the young man in light green robes stood before her. His eyes were vacant, his form faint, so faint that even these seasoned killers couldn’t help but shiver.
They dared not approach. Their instinctive reaction was to flee, which inadvertently made it easier for Xu He Xue to locate them by sound. In the dense fog and secluded location, even the rain couldn’t mask the screams.
Xu He Xue’s figure flickered, appearing and disappearing. After listening carefully, he heard no more sounds. Only then did his grip on the sword loosen. The long sword shattered into fine dust, merging with his form.
Remembering the direction he had touched her, he took a few steps forward. “Ni Su?”
Corpses littered the ground. Ni Su hardly dared to look. Even that night in the alley when he had gone to rescue Jiang Xian Ming, she hadn’t seen clearly from outside. This was the first time she had directly faced such a bloody scene.
He was actually very close to her now, so close that Ni Su could reach out and tug on his sleeve.
Xu He Xue sensed her pull. His unhealed wounds made it difficult for him to squat down. His entire form was fading.
He was about to speak when Ni Su suddenly threw herself into his arms.
Xu He Xue stiffened, feeling her trembling. Her warm breath hit his chest, her suppressed sobs very close.
Xu He Xue pursed his lips. His form was difficult to maintain. He gently patted her shoulder, offering silent comfort.
“Is there a lot of blood on my face…”
She murmured, her voice trembling.
It was the blood of the man who had almost cut off her hand.
Unable to see, Xu He Xue groped to wipe her face with his sleeve.
The damp cloth, his cold fingers. Ni Su’s face was cupped in his hands. She looked up, but suddenly, the sensation on her cheeks vanished. His form was fading into mist.
Ni Su immediately looked at her own sleeves. Rainwater dripped down her chin. The mist clinging to her sleeve was still there, it hadn’t disappeared.
The sound of hooves approached, growing louder.
Zhou Ting seemed to see two figures from afar, but for some reason, as he drew closer, only the young woman sitting on the ground remained. Corpses lay scattered in the rain, and she sat amidst the winding streams of blood, her eyes lowered.
“Miss Ni!”
Zhou Ting dismounted and rushed to her side.
Ni Su lifted her head, her pale face wet with rain and tears.
Leave a Reply