SF 19

The four low-ranking soldiers bringing up the rear of the convoy saw a figure suddenly leap out of the carriage window. They were about to shout, but before any sound could escape, their vision filled with blinding white. The next moment, they collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Ling Xun’s handkerchief spun rapidly in his hand. The intricate silk held a formation spell woven into its threads, one that could lull onlookers into unconsciousness.

But these four soldiers had only succumbed because they were unprepared and too few in number. Up ahead, the soldiers at the front of the convoy had heard the commotion. Over a dozen of them charged toward him in unison. The handkerchief was now useless. Ling Xun shoved it haphazardly into his robes and grabbed the saber from one of the fallen soldiers, then turned to face the onslaught alone.

“Minister of Civil Affairs!” the officer in charge glanced into the carriage. He saw the white-haired old official slumped over the seat without any response. Blood rushed to his head as he shouted, “Impudent heretic! You dare harm a court minister! Seize the traitor at once!”

The man was merely unconscious, yet already rumors of his death were taking shape. People feared formation masters precisely because of this kind of wild speculation.

Although Ling Xun had received the gray-robed man’s secret treatment and his knees no longer throbbed, the injury was far from healed. His movements were sluggish, and he struggled to hold his ground. After resisting for a while, his strength began to wane.

At the mouth of the alley, the officer held his blade across his chest and watched gleefully. He was nearly certain that this formation master was one of the rebels who had caused chaos the night before. Eager to claim the credit for himself, he sent no one to call for reinforcements. Seeing that the formation master had already taken several hits and was clearly slowing, he signaled for his men to close in. But like a mantis stalking a cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it, just as he thought he was about to capture Ling Xun, dozens of figures suddenly descended from the shadows and surrounded his squad instead.

These new arrivals moved with speed, striking with unerring aim. They targeted the backs of their enemies’ heads, dropping soldier after soldier. In no time, the tide had turned.

Realizing the tide had turned against him, the officer attempted to slip away quietly. However, sharp pain suddenly shot through both arms. Before he could react, a young man had approached from behind and wrested him under control.

“Who are you people?” the officer shouted while struggling. “Striking officers right under the capital’s nose, are you trying to rebel?”

The youth pinning his arms showed no emotion. His voice was flat as he said, “Stay quiet, or I’ll knock you out.”

“Pah, you little bastard—” The officer was not about to back down and had just started to curse again when the youth abruptly yanked him backward a few steps, then suddenly charged him forward into the wall. The officer’s pupils shrank. He did not even have time to scream before there was a dull thud, and everything went black.

Ling Xun had knocked someone out with a knife-hand strike and happened to glance toward Fang Jue. He raised a brow and clicked his tongue. “Fang Jue! How many times have I told you, if you want to knock someone out, use your hand. Slamming them into a wall like that would turn a healthy man into a fool, let alone someone like this little officer who wasn’t too bright to begin with. Do you even know if he’s married? What if you’ve knocked him senseless and he stays single for life? He might just curse you with paper effigies till he dies.”

Fang Jue could not care less about Ling Xun’s useless rambling. He thought this officer looked smarter than him. Seeing the man go limp, Fang Jue shifted his grip, but did not release him entirely. With one hand free, he reached to the back of his waist and, like pulling off a trick, produced a leather cord. In just a few swift loops, he had the man bound tightly and tossed to the side.

Once the last soldier had been knocked unconscious, the team moved. Each person hoisted one officer onto their back. Someone else swiftly took control of the Minister’s carriage, and they withdrew from the alley in perfect coordination. Like fish slipping into the sea, they disappeared into the maze of alleyways without a trace.

In the now-empty alley, nothing remained except a single pale handkerchief, lying quietly in the corner by the wall. There was not even a hint of battle left behind.

Before long, a light breeze swept through, lifting the handkerchief into the air. A slender hand reached out, caught it, and tucked it into a sleeve.

“Master Feng, we’re leaving them all here? They might wake up before long. If they make a sound, someone could notice.”

It was a half-worn courtyard. If not for the gagged and tightly bound officers sprawled all over the place, it would have looked like nothing more than an ordinary back garden of a civilian home.

The speaker standing beside Ling Xun was a composed-looking young man named Tang Xu. He was in charge of both the overt and covert operations of Jinxiu Pavilion in the capital and held Ling Xun’s full trust.

“We’ll leave them here. No need to station guards. Everyone in the capital is pulling out. Are your supplies ready?” Ling Xun stood in the courtyard, half-shirtless while Fang Jue tended to the knife wound he had sustained during the fight. The gash oozed fresh blood. Spirits were poured over it for disinfection, and the skin beneath, though pale, was taut with muscle. He did not so much as flinch.

“We received your orders in advance and were fully prepared. Jinxiu Pavilion’s storefronts in the capital closed five days ago. All the fabrics and silks have been liquidated. The brothers’ families were sent out of the city early. Only the house property and valuables still need time to convert. We haven’t been able to move them yet. The wagons are waiting at the western relay station, but we didn’t expect the lockdown to happen so fast.”

Ling Xun nodded. “That’s all money the brothers worked hard to earn. We’re taking every coin with us. No need to leave it for those turtle-bastards to scoop up.”

“But… wagons are too conspicuous. And the city’s sealed…”

Ling Xun waved a hand broadly. “You don’t need to worry about that. We’re heading to the southwestern gate now. Everything’s already arranged.”

Tang Xu brightened and bowed to Ling Xun. “Thank you for handling everything, Master Feng. I’ll go make the preparations.”

The group moved at once. In no time, the courtyard emptied out completely. Minister Liu, slumped in front of the chicken coop, was the first to wake. His round old eyes bulged even wider than the hen inside the nest, glaring at Ling Xun with such resentment it was as if Ling Xun had dug up his ancestors’ graves.

Ling Xun walked past him without the slightest guilt. Just before leaving, he even pulled the courtyard door shut behind him. He draped the black gauze cloak over his shoulders and was just about to slip away with the others toward the southwest when he instinctively reached into his robes. His fingers came up empty. A jolt ran through him. He checked himself again, searching every pocket, but the white silk handkerchief was nowhere to be found. It felt as if someone had gouged into his chest with a steel shovel and scraped the flesh clean off his heart.

His formation skills were limited. On most fabrics, the best he could manage were simple enchantments to stay warm in winter, cool in summer, maybe something to absorb sweat or release heat. After working himself half to death, he had only managed to create two usable items. One was a small handkerchief that could lull people to sleep, the other a black gauze cloak that helped him slip around unnoticed. One white, one black. Together, they were known as the Two Treasures of Wuge. Losing even one felt like losing a child.

“You go on ahead. I’ll meet you shortly,” Ling Xun told the others, handing the jade pendant from the Minister of Civil Affairs to Tang Xu. “Show this to the gate officer. He’ll let you through. You must get our silver and supplies out of the city before someone discovers the minister and the others.”

Ling Xun turned to leave in haste, but after only a few steps, he noticed Fang Jue silently trailing behind him. With a flick of his sleeve, he tried to shoo him off like herding a pig. “I don’t trust Tang Xu going alone. Go with him.”

Fang Jue’s expression twisted into silent protest, as if one eye said “I” and the other said “won’t.”

Ling Xun, both anxious and irritated, finally resorted to his ultimate threat. “If you don’t listen to me, I’ll carve a birthday plaque for you and Fang Ke. He’ll be the older brother, and you’ll be the younger one.”

That hit Fang Jue’s weak spot. The boy froze for a moment, then ran off, red-faced.

Once he had shaken off his tail, Ling Xun circled back toward the alley. It was a dangerous move. The area was full of residential homes, and if anyone had reported the earlier fight, the authorities were likely already setting up a net around the neighborhood. Even so, he could not bring himself to abandon the handkerchief, so he took the risk and slipped back in.

The alley was deserted. Ling Xun searched it twice over but still found no sign of the handkerchief. Just as he was about to leave in frustration, he caught the sound of approaching footsteps.

He reached for the dagger at his waist as he looked toward the direction of the footsteps.

Finally, the figure came around the corner of the alley and revealed himself.

The alley was narrow and shadowed. The figure walked against the light, tall and lean, dressed in wide sleeves and flowing robes. His silhouette carried a kind of detached elegance, as if untouched by the dust of the world. Only when he drew closer and his features came into view would one realize the man was not much older than him, perhaps five or six years at most. Yet the quiet steadiness in his every movement, the calm self-possession he carried, was something a wild creature like Ling Xun could never match.

Ling Xun found himself momentarily stunned, as if he had plunged headfirst into those star-like eyes, clear and deep as still water. The faint smile on those thin lips curled just slightly at one corner, yet it felt like a hook tugging at his breath.

If Ling Xun was the best-looking person in the world, then this man was surely the most rarefied and refined.

All those so-called young lords and peerless beauties were nothing but dust next to the man now walking toward him.

Still, he only froze for a moment before he forced down the surge of desire, tightened his grip on the dagger, and raised his guard. This man might look harmless, but appearances could deceive.

“I saw you rushing through the alley just now,” the man said. “Are you perhaps looking for something? Could it be this silk handkerchief?” His voice was just as Ling Xun had expected. It was so pleasant it made his ears itch.

The moment Ling Xun saw his precious treasure, joy flooded his chest. He was just about to speak when his expression suddenly changed. From behind the man, a white light streaked through the air. It dragged a long, trailing tail behind it. Though it wasn’t very bright in daylight, he was certain it was the same kind of formation projectile he had seen the night before. If it touched human flesh, it would turn the person to ash in an instant.

“Look out!” he shouted, lunged forward and pulled the man out of the way.

The moment his hand touched the man’s arm, Ling Xun let out a breath of relief.

This man clearly had no combat training. He had pulled hard, and the man lost his footing immediately, nearly toppling over. Ling Xun reacted quickly, slipping one arm around his waist to catch him. A soft burst of orchid fragrance hit his nose. He turned his head and found that the man, who was half a head taller, had also turned toward him at the exact same moment. In those luminous eyes, Ling Xun saw his own reflection. It felt as if, in that single glance, even his soul had been drawn in and held fast.