Secret
Ci Ke was taken aback, while Ye Youqing, who was beside her, almost spat out the tea she had just drunk. She hurriedly covered her mouth with her hand, forcing herself to swallow it back down.
Young Master’s wife? How did such a strange title come about? Ye Youqing hurriedly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her mouth and the tea stains on her clothes.
Ci Ke sneaked a look at Ye Youqing and saw that although she was flustered, she did not refute. Her eyes held a bit of joy. She turned and pinched the girl’s cheek, whispering, “You can’t call that out loud.”
The girl took a bite of the candy and nodded quickly.
The courtyard was no longer as bright as it had been during the day. The light gradually turned into a soft orange-yellow, hanging like a light gauze on the willow branches, making the entire courtyard increasingly hazy.
A setting sun fell on the distant mountains, but it was blocked by the courtyard wall, leaving only half of the sky red.
Ye Youqing noticed that the girl kept glancing towards the door, her eyes filled with tears that never seemed to dry. Feeling a pang of sympathy, she reached out to pour the girl a cup of warm tea.
“Are you worried about your mother?” Ye Youqing asked.
The girl nodded. The six or seven-year-old’s voice was still soft and childish: “Mother said there would be bad people tonight. They took father away yesterday and today they want to take brother away.”
“Are you scared?” Ye Youqing asked, trying to find something to say.
“Men’er is not scared.” The girl shook her head, but she kept staring at the door, tears welling up and rolling down. “Mother said the people around the young master know martial arts, it’s very safe here.”
Ye Youqing glanced at Shi Li. Shi Li’s thin lips tightened as she silently put her sword away.
“Master, I told you, you’re a bit too conspicuous,” Ye Youqing said helplessly.
“So what now, just wait?” Shi Li touched her chin, changing the subject as she looked at the girl. “She’s quite pitiful.”
Ye Youqing held her teacup, looked at the sky, and after a while, she spoke.
“If we stay here, we’ll eventually be found by some bandits. I’m thinking, why not go meet them ourselves, at least to find out their martial skills.” Ye Youqing said slowly.
“And I suspect they might be related to…” Ye Youqing paused, then saw Ci Ke suddenly stand up and pick up the girl, her breath blowing on the white gauze covering her face. “The wind is strong outside, I’ll take her inside to sit for a while.”
Ye Youqing gratefully smiled at her, then watched as the woman carried the girl and walked into the house.
“Related to what?” Shi Li asked, puzzled.
“Related to the iron cavalry left by King Si Rong years ago,” Ye Youqing whispered so only the two of them could hear.
“Iron cavalry?” Shi Li’s pale pupils shrank slightly. Her mouth opened for a while before she continued, “You mean the people under King Si Rong are still alive?”
Ye Youqing shook her head. “Just a guess, but seeing how the Emperor wants to kill me, he shouldn’t know the whereabouts of the iron cavalry. So how could hundreds of people just disappear?”
“And at that time, the Emperor sent confidants to Huanglong Mountain, but later they never returned. They must have been silenced. And Huanglong Mountain is less than a hundred li from Weizhou.” Ye Youqing’s gaze fell on the table as she spoke softly.
“Weizhou is King Si Rong’s fiefdom. It’s said that the iron cavalry trained here back then. If they still exist, besides Weizhou, I can’t think of another place.”
Shi Li looked shocked. Her eyes moved for a long time before she spoke, “So you came to Weizhou for the iron cavalry?”
Ye Youqing shook her head. “Not entirely, because for me, the iron cavalry is still an unknown, not worth the risk.”
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She sighed. “But now I really suspect that the chaos in Weizhou is related to the iron cavalry. If it is indeed them causing trouble, I feel I must do something.”
Shi Li’s slender fingers touched her cheek as she considered Ye Youqing’s words. After a while, she nodded, “Okay, I’ll go with you tonight. But if there’s danger, we must prioritize retreat.”
“Of course,” Ye Youqing smiled, “Thank you, Master.”
“No need to thank me,” Shi Li threw the braid that hung over her shoulder to her back, her willow-leaf-shaped eyes curved, “Helping you is helping myself.”
Her gaze gradually passed through Ye Youqing, as if looking at a phantom behind her.
In Bianjing, sunset was the start of the bustle, but Weizhou was completely different. As soon as the sun set, each household extinguished their lights, closed their doors tightly, and fell into dead silence.
Only a few stray dogs roamed the streets, chasing and fighting over the daytime’s garbage, howling as they went.
Ye Youqing and Shi Li had early on changed into black clothes and pants, covering their faces and heads tightly. To avoid being mistaken for men, Ye Youqing had removed her disguise and chest bind, revealing her slender feminine curves.
This moonlit, windy night with trees challenging the sky was indeed a perfect night for murder and arson.
Ye Youqing and Shi Li leaned against a wall, listening closely for any sounds.
“Remember, you just need to follow behind me. If I don’t make a sound, you must not act rashly,” Shi Li reminded again.
“Don’t worry,” Ye Youqing nodded.
“Is your injury really alright?” Shi Li pressed her ear against the wall for a while, then frowned to confirm.
“It’s fine,” Ye Youqing moved her arm, dismissively, “I’m perfectly fine.”
Shi Li gave her a look and said no more. After a while, she finally whispered, “They’re here.”
In an instant, Shi Li lightly tapped the ground with her toes and silently leaped over the wall. Ye Youqing grabbed the brick and followed suit, landing softly.
It was quite easy.
A flock of birds flew overhead. Shi Li’s figure had already leaped over the courtyard wall opposite. Ye Youqing hurried to catch up. The courtyard was small, and when she landed, she saw the door was open, and there seemed to be a fight inside.
But the fight was too quiet, with only faint grunts and a woman’s muffled screams. Ye Youqing hurried inside and saw a woman pulling a boy back.
Ye Youqing quickly subdued her, covering her mouth and saying, “Shh.”
The woman, with tears in her eyes, nodded quickly.
Ye Youqing let go and looked up just in time to see Shi Li dodging a man’s punch. Her long leg swept like a whirlwind, causing the black-clad man to stagger, but he regained his balance at a strange angle.
Their movements were hard to see clearly, especially in the dark, where they became a blur. Due to the limited space inside the room, both had difficulty fully displaying their martial arts, resulting in a direct and hard confrontation.
At that moment, a glint of cold light flashed. The man, without anyone noticing, had drawn a short knife, aiming straight at Shi Li’s face.
Ye Youqing had just tensed up when she saw Shi Li somehow grasp the man’s wrist and pull it aside. At the same time, her hand formed a claw, instantly gripping the man’s throat and flipping him to the ground.
There was a loud clang, followed by a thud. Shi Li, holding the heavy short knife in a reverse grip, had knocked the man out.
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Shi Li, slightly out of breath, dropped the man, straightened up while holding her waist, and walked outside, beckoning to Ye Youqing.
The woman and the boy were too scared to make a sound. Seeing that Shi Li was unhurt, Ye Youqing stepped over the threshold, half-kneeled, and tore off the man’s face covering.
The face was unfamiliar, with a scar running across the left side, making it look quite frightening. Ye Youqing didn’t waste time, continuously searching his body. She found nothing except a few black, shiny stones in his rolled-up sleeve.
She set the stones aside and pulled open the man’s outer clothing, searching his scarred skin. As expected, she found a blurred tattoo when she tore open his sleeve.
“Light,” Ye Youqing said softly. Shi Li grabbed the kerosene lamp from the table, lit it, and handed it to her.
The lamplight illuminated the dark skin. The tattoo, although somewhat faded with age, clearly depicted two crossed sticks.
It was identical to the pattern on the Fenghua Pendant!
Ye Youqing froze, her gaze gradually deepening.
“What is it?” Shi Li asked in her ear.
Ye Youqing snapped out of it, pulled out some hemp rope, and tied the man up, then stood up. “Let’s throw him out first and talk later.”
Shi Li said nothing, hoisted the man onto her shoulder, and walked out. Ye Youqing was about to follow when she saw the woman, holding the boy, sitting slumped to the side, trembling with fear.
She hesitated for a moment, then walked over to them, speaking gently, “No matter how powerful they are, how would you know if you can’t escape unless you try? Since you have relatives in the neighboring town, why not give it a shot?”
The woman’s face was deathly pale, tears brimming in her eyes as she looked at her.
“If they only capture people at night, there are still a few hours until nightfall. Renting a carriage and hurrying could get you to the neighboring town in time,” Ye Youqing stopped speaking, rose, and left.
“Thank you, thank you, miss,” she heard the woman’s tearful voice behind her.
Ye Youqing sighed, her steps unbroken, quickly returning to her courtyard. She took off her black clothes and pants, removed her veil, and saw Shi Li stepping gracefully onto the ground under the moonlight.
“Thrown away?” Ye Youqing asked.
“Dumped at the city gate,” Shi Li said, sitting down on a stone stool. “This man’s martial skills are not as good as mine, but not low either. His strength is considerable, and his moves are lethal without any unnecessary flourishes.”
“You seemed off just now. Did you find something?” Shi Li asked, looking up.
Ye Youqing described the pattern on the Fenghua Pendant, then said, “That man had an identical cross on his arm.”
Shi Li’s eyes widened, reflecting the sky’s light, making her usually lazy eyes much brighter.
“You mean to say they are the iron cavalry from back then?” Shi Li’s tone was surprised, with a hint of excitement at discovering a secret. “But the iron cavalry followed King Si Rong, they should protect Weizhou City. Why would they harm the people here?”
Ye Youqing shook her head.
“Master, I think I may need to take a risk,” Ye Youqing said slowly.
Shi Li paused in her movements.
The round moon had sunk below the treetops, disappearing into a cloud. Only then did Ye Youqing and Shi Li separate, each returning to their rooms.
Ye Youqing’s movements had aggravated her wounds, causing a tingling sensation. She moved her shoulders as she opened the door, walked through the main hall, and entered her bedroom.
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Raising her head, she suddenly shuddered, her heart pounding at the sight of the woman sitting quietly on her bed.
“Ci Ke?” Recognizing her, she exhaled, lit the candle with a backhand, and took a few steps toward her. “What are you doing here?”
Ci Ke didn’t speak. She just looked up. The flickering firelight cast shadows on her furrowed brows, adding an inexplicable touch of grievance.
“Where did you go?” she asked softly.
“I went…” Ye Youqing hid her hands behind her back, tugging at her long hair draped over her shoulders, cautiously replying, “To the house opposite.”
“Where will you go next?” Ci Ke asked again, looking at the always cold and inscrutable phoenix eyes before her.
Ye Youqing suddenly found it hard to speak. She moved her lips, stepping forward to pull Ci Ke up, but unexpectedly, the woman stood up and, the next moment, her warm arms encircled Ye Youqing’s waist, pressing her into her embrace.
The soft touch against her chest was clear, the woman’s body as fragrant as ever.
Jade-like fingers spread out, gently grasping the wrinkled fabric on Ye Youqing’s back.
“Can you take me with you? I don’t want to hear from others that you’ve been hurt again.”
