Chapter 11

Inside the dim cave, the only sounds were the occasional drops of water falling from the stalactites above.

A man dressed in black, carrying a long sword, moved slowly in from the entrance. His expression was cold and murderous, his appearance that of a wandering mercenary. He glanced at the campfire, then crouched to inspect the pile of wild fruits laid out on leaves. He didn’t find anything suspicious. But just as he was about to rise, something pale at the edge of his vision caught his eye.

He stood up sharply and darted toward the figure.

“Stop!”

The person ahead seemed terrified, running deeper into the cave in a panic. The man in black gave chase, led by the fleeing figure into the winding depths of the cavern.

Eventually, the white figure reached a dead end with no way out. He turned around in fright, backing away step by step like a rabbit cornered by a wolf.

From the figure’s back, the man had already guessed this wasn’t the one they were after. But after days of searching without any leads, now that a clue had surfaced, there was no way he would let it go.

When he had inspected the camp earlier, he saw signs that two people had been living there. This pale boy must know where Bu Nian was hiding.

His eyes narrowed with menace as he raised his sword and stepped forward. “Behave, and I’ll make it hurt less.”

Lian Ai had nowhere left to run. His back was pressed against the damp cave wall, yet he still tried to shrink away from the man, his feet scrambling against the ground.

He clamped his lips tightly shut, refusing to speak. But the fear in his eyes was impossible to hide, almost leaking out of him like it had a will of its own.

The man sneered. He gripped his sword and stepping in. Just as he moved, a hand clamped over his mouth from behind.

A sharp pain pierced his neck. In the same instant, a silver glint flashed through the gap in the attacker’s fingers.

Bu Nian had appeared silently behind him, and stabbed the silver hairpin straight into his neck. The weapon slipped into the flesh as easily as a blade through water.

As he held the man’s mouth and nose shut, Bu Nian twisted the pin hard. A moment later, he pulled it out. Blood sprayed in bursts like a broken spring.

The man gurgled from his throat, body twitching a few times before going still.

Bu Nian flung the corpse into the nearby pool. The clear water turned bright red in seconds.

Although Bu Nian had used surprise and precision to kill with a single strike, the man in black was still a trained fighter. His final struggles had been powerful. Bu Nian had to exert great force to hold him down, and because of that, pain flared again in his injured ribs.

He pressed a hand against his side and sat down on a smooth rock nearby, trying to steady his breathing.

Lian Ai had never witnessed a killing before. And this one was bloody. He stared at the pool of blood on the ground, frozen, his mind blank. His heartbeat pounded so hard it felt like it might burst from his chest.

His legs were shaking. He could barely keep himself upright. Just as he was about to sink to the ground, he looked up and saw Bu Nian seated on the rock with blood smeared across his hands and clothes. His face was pale, his eyes dark. He looked like a demon that had crawled out of hell.

Lian Ai crept closer, his voice trembling. “G-General… your wound… is it bad?”

Bu Nian glanced at him. “Nothing serious.” After a pause, he added, “You did well just now.”

Lian Ai was stunned. He couldn’t recall the general ever praising him before. A faint sense of joy rose in his chest, dulling the terror still lingering from the assassin’s arrival.

Bu Nian was too calm, too steady. He seemed invincible. Just being near him gave Lian Ai a strange feeling of safety, like as long as he followed this man, he would survive anything.

Lian Ai crouched beside him, though his voice remained tense. “There are still three left.”

Bu Nian gave a low “Mm” and picked up the long sword the dead man had dropped. Then he told Lian Ai to bring him the wooden spear he had hidden earlier.

But just as Lian Ai handed it over, footsteps echoed again from the cave entrance. This time, there were voices.

“Third went this way… Old Six, look! There’s a fire!”

“They’re definitely inside!”

Bu Nian gripped the bloodied spear and pushed himself up.

Lian Ai’s face turned even paler. He mouthed the words, “What do we do?”

The general had already been strained killing one man. His injury looked worse now. And with two attackers this time, there was no chance of pulling off another surprise strike. What could they possibly do now?

Bu Nian handed him the bloodstained hairpin and told him to hold it tightly. Leaning in close, he whispered, “Each of us will draw one away. Keep them separated. Once I finish mine, I’ll come for you right away.”

Lian Ai’s hand trembled as he listened. He couldn’t help but glance into the general’s eyes, but those dark irises gave nothing away.

Bu Nian’s expression made it clear. There was no room for discussion. And at a time like this, with life and death hanging in the balance, Lian Ai had no choice but to put his full trust in the man before him.

“Alright.” He gritted his teeth and locked eyes with Bu Nian, giving a firm nod.

The general’s face didn’t change, but something flickered in his eyes.

The voices at the cave’s entrance were getting louder. There was no more time. Bu Nian gave him a final silent look and mouthed the words, “Go.”

Lian Ai clutched the hairpin tightly in his palm and ran in the opposite direction.

The two men in black rushed in, drawn by the sound. They saw a flash of white darting through the shadows and immediately gave chase. But another noise came from deeper within the cave.

They exchanged a quick look, nodded, and split up.

The man chasing Lian Ai nearly got turned around by the twisting path. His frustration built with every step. But since he didn’t know who this person was, he decided to catch him alive and interrogate him later. He lunged forward and grabbed Lian Ai’s arm.

To his surprise, Lian Ai spun and slashed the back of his hand with the hairpin.

The man hissed in pain and let go. His eyes flared with anger, face twisted into something monstrous.

Lian Ai turned and tried to run, but his foot slipped. He fell hard to the ground. His legs gave out completely. He couldn’t get back up.

He scrambled forward on all fours, dragging himself across the damp floor. The man followed at a casual pace.

“Who are you?” he asked. “Where’s Bu Nian?”

Lian Ai didn’t answer. He clenched his teeth and kept crawling. Even if it was just a few inches more, he had to get away.

Just a little longer. If he could hold on a little longer, the general would come.

“Ah!” A scream tore from his throat as the man drove a sword straight through his shoulder from behind.

The sound of his cry echoed through the cave. The man wasn’t satisfied. He pulled the blade out slowly, savoring the pain, his face curling into a cruel grin.

“So you’re the stubborn type.”

Lian Ai’s vision blurred. He was losing strength fast. With the last of his will, he flung the silver hairpin at the man, then used the brief opening to crawl forward again.

Thinking it was some kind of hidden weapon, the man instinctively raised his sword to block. But the attack had no force at all.

“You want to die that badly?” he roared and strode toward Lian Ai in a rage.

Lian Ai clutched his bleeding shoulder, his face pale as paper. He kept his eyes on the man in black as he approached, dragging himself forward inch by inch with trembling elbows.

Blood trailed behind him. The man was closing in.

Tears welled in Lian Ai’s eyes, fear soaking through every breath. But soon, despair began to creep in.

Would the general… really come for him?

The man raised his sword to strike. Lian Ai shut his eyes and braced himself for the blade.

But the pain didn’t come.

He opened his eyes in confusion.

The man in black stood frozen in place, his expression locked in disbelief. His limbs twitched violently. A long wooden spear had pierced straight through his chest, and lood dripped steadily from the pointed tip.

The sword slipped from his hand. He died with his eyes wide open, never seeing who had killed him.

He collapsed with a thud, revealing Bu Nian behind him, body streaked in blood.

Relief crashed over Lian Ai. He actually laughed.

It was a strange time to laugh. Bu Nian was reaching down to grab the dead man’s sword but paused at the sound. He shot Lian Ai a puzzled glance.

“You’ve lost it?”

Lian Ai didn’t know why he was laughing either. Maybe people who survive a brush with death go a little mad afterward.

He’d heard all kinds of sweet talk growing up. Men’s lies. Women’s lies. Faces that smiled one way and turned cold the next. He used to believe them, used to trust, and always got hurt in the end. He was used to betrayal. Used to disappointment.

People said prostitutes had no feelings, but how could they? In a place like brothel, having feelings meant being eaten alive, down to the bone.

He learned to smile, to beg, to serve. All just to survive a little longer. But he also knew he was nothing more than a plaything, something a master could crush with a finger.

He thought Bu Nian wouldn’t come. He had already prepared to die.

But he came at the last moment. Like a god descending from the sky.

For once, hope hadn’t betrayed him.

Lian Ai sat up slowly and pressed a hand to his wound. The smile faded from his lips, but the warmth in his eyes lingered.

He bowed low. “Thank you for saving me, General.”

Bu Nian had a cut on his arm too, a clear sign that he hadn’t come out unscathed. But his dark clothes made it hard to tell how bad it was.

“I said I’d come for you.” He gave the sword a spin, then glanced at the blood flowing from Lian Ai’s shoulder. He stared for a moment before asking, “Can you still walk?”

Lian Ai was already starting to feel cold. He must have lost too much blood. But he didn’t dare shake his head, afraid the general would think he was useless and leave him behind.

“I can!” he said quickly, forcing himself to rise. But he moved too fast. His vision went black, and he nearly collapsed.

Bu Nian stepped in and caught him, letting him lean against his shoulder. He parted Lian Ai’s robes and took a look at the bleeding wound.

“This cut is too deep for someone like you,” he said gravely.

On his own body, such a wound would’ve been just a scratch. But Lian Ai was different. If it wasn’t treated quickly, he wouldn’t last long.

Lian Ai felt himself drifting. Sleep tugged at him, but he fought it.

He leaned into Bu Nian’s solid arm, his face damp with sweat. “General… am I going to die?”

Bu Nian tore a strip from his sleeve and pressed it hard against the wound. Lian Ai cried out in pain, his body shaking like he’d been thrown into a fever chill.

“No,” Bu Nian said as he worked. “I told you, do as I say and you won’t die.”

There was no softness in his tone, no comfort on his face, and yet, he brought a strange kind of peace.

Just then, voices echoed from the cave entrance. It sounded like more than one person. Lian Ai blinked, and sweat ran from his lashes into his eyes, stinging so badly he couldn’t open them fully. He didn’t even have the strength to wipe it away.

Was this how it ended?

Bu Nian heard it too. His focus sharpened, listening carefully to the approaching sound. A moment later, his eyes lit up.

“I’m here!” he shouted.

The clatter of armor grew louder. Moments later, a group of men in black armor rushed into view, weapons drawn.

One of them stopped short at the sight of Bu Nian and Lian Ai. Then he dropped to one knee.

“Forgive me, General. I came too late.”

Bu Nian waved him up. “There was one more assassin. Did you get him?”

The man’s expression darkened. “He bit off his own tongue. We couldn’t stop him.”

Lian Ai recognized the voice. It was familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he’d heard it before.

He looked up, and when he saw the face of the leader, he was genuinely taken aback. It was none other than Song Qiao, the very man who had once tried to help him escape.

He had believed that Bu Nian had already executed him in secret. He never thought he would see him again like this, without the slightest warning.

Had Bu Nian really let the past go and reinstated Song Qiao? Or had it all been a setup from the very beginning? The talk of falling for him at first sight, the promise to run away together… was it all a lie, just a ploy to draw him in?

Bu Nian felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. He turned his head and saw that Lian Ai had lost consciousness, his eyes tightly shut.

When he woke again, Lian Ai found himself inside a courier station, with Song Qiao sitting beside the bed.

He was still groggy, but as the memory of what he saw before fainting returned, he sat up warily.

“Who are you, really?”

Song Qiao seemed to have been waiting for the question. He did not make excuses and answered truthfully.

“I am the general’s deputy, Song Qiao.” He cupped his fists and added, “Back at the mansion, I had no choice but to deceive you. I hope you will not take it to heart.”

Lian Ai had braced himself for this, but his face still showed confusion.

“I don’t understand. I’m just a lowly bedslave. Why would I be worth lying to?”

Song Qiao did not try to dodge the question. Instead, he spoke frankly.

“It was all arranged by the general. But it wasn’t meant to deceive you. You have spent enough time with the general to know his nature. He is cautious and deliberate in everything he does. This was simply a test. A setup to see what kind of person you are.”

“A test?” Lian Ai repeated.

Song Qiao nodded. “Aside from testing you, it was also meant to establish control and keep everyone in check. Before the trial at the mansion even began, the general had already investigated every one of you. Those with questionable backgrounds were dealt with ahead of time. The ones who remained appeared clean on the surface, but he still couldn’t place full trust in them. I was the first test. Mianmian was the second. Only after passing both were you considered acceptable.”

Lian Ai thought of Concubine Yi and the others who had been cast out. His mind grew even more tangled.

“Then why are you explaining all of this to me now?” He was beginning to understand a harsh truth. Knowing too much could be dangerous. If not for the calm and mild look on Song Qiao’s face, he would have suspected the man was already planning to silence him.

Song Qiao scratched his head. “The general told me to explain it to you. As for why, I don’t know. His thoughts are beyond me.”

Lian Ai fell silent. He realized that Song Qiao was the kind of man who followed orders to the letter. There was no use pressing him further.

His wound had already been treated, and now the strong scent of medicine clung to his shoulder. There must have been something mixed in to dull the pain, because it no longer hurts as badly.

He didn’t have much energy left. After speaking for a while, he began to feel drained. He drank a few sips of the medicine Song Qiao brought him, and before long, fell into a deep sleep.

The second time he woke, the oil lamp was burning quietly, and there was no one else in the room. Everything around him was silent.

He grabbed a robe and stepped outside. He could still hear voices coming from the front courtyard, like the clamor of people having dinner.

He was on the ground floor, just a few steps from the courtyard. As he was about to head that way, a voice came from a nearby window, low and unmistakably familiar.

“Where are you going?”

Lian Ai flinched. Hugging his robe close, he looked toward the voice and saw Bu Nian standing at the window. He was bare-chested, bandages tightly wrapped around him all the way to his lower ribs. Over that, he wore a black cloak embroidered with crane patterns, and in his hand was a white porcelain wine jug.

Lian Ai stepped over and called softly, “General.”

“Where were you going?” Bu Nian asked again.

“I was about to head to the front courtyard to find something to eat,” Lian Ai answered. He had not eaten all day and was starving. Glancing at the wine jug in Bu Nian’s hand, he hesitated before adding, “General, since your wounds are not healed yet, it would be best not to drink too much.”

Perhaps it was because of the past few days spent together, night and day, but the fear he once felt toward Bu Nian had lessened quite a bit. And besides, since the general had saved him and not left him to die, at the very least it meant he had no intention of killing him. At least not for now.

Bu Nian glanced at the jug in his hand and raised an eyebrow slightly.

He turned back toward the room. “Come in. I have food here.”

Lian Ai did not expect him to invite him in, and for a moment he stood frozen. When Bu Nian noticed the lack of movement behind him, he turned his head with clear irritation.

“Stop making me repeat myself.”

Lian Ai saw that he was getting annoyed and dared not hesitate any longer. Pressing a hand to his wound, he followed as quickly as he could.

There really was food inside, and quite a lot of it. The table was full, with dishes of every kind. Clearly, someone had decided to serve a bit of everything to make sure there would be something he liked.

Knowing that his body could not handle oily or heavy meat dishes, Lian Ai served himself a small bowl of porridge and drank it slowly. As for Bu Nian, whether it was because he had taken Lian Ai’s advice or simply had enough, he set the jug down and returned to bed to rest.

Lian Ai was still weak. Even sitting upright to eat porridge made him feel tired, and before long, his palms were slick with cold sweat.

At that moment, Lian Ai truly admired Bu Nian. They were both injured, yet he had nearly lost half his life from a single stab, while the general had coughed blood, suffered broken bones, and still managed to kill three men in a row. It was something no ordinary person could achieve.

But Bu Nian seemed to have a third eye. Without even opening his, he sensed Lian Ai’s gaze and spoke, eyes still closed.
“You’re done eating? Then get out.”

Lian Ai had wanted to ask why the general had instructed Song Qiao to explain everything to him. Was that supposed to be some kind of explanation? But after thinking it over, he said nothing. Even if he got an answer, it wouldn’t change anything.

“This slave takes his leave.”

He had just reached the door when Bu Nian’s low, raspy voice sounded again from behind.

“Why didn’t you leave me and run?”

Lian Ai turned around, startled, and saw that Bu Nian still had his eyes closed. He hesitated, then replied carefully,
“This slave… doesn’t understand what the general means.”

Bu Nian cracked his eyes open and looked at him.

“I’ve removed the gu. You’re no longer bound to me. So why didn’t you abandon me and run for your life?”

“This slave was born a servant of the general, and even in death will remain his. How could this slave possibly betray the general? Even if it meant dying, this slave would never leave you behind.”

His words weren’t wrong, but the tone reeked of false devotion.

Bu Nian let out a soft click of his tongue.
“If you won’t tell the truth, I’ll give you Mianmian.”

Lian Ai’s legs trembled beneath him. He didn’t care if it offended the general anymore. He blurted out, “This slave is useless. I knew I’d never make it out of the valley alone, so I gave up on that idea from the start.”

The answer wasn’t pleasant, but at least it was honest. Bu Nian seemed satisfied and closed his eyes again.

“You found the cave, made a fire, roasted a snake, and even lured away an assassin for me. You’re not as useless as you think,” he said.