Cuddling with the Cold Female Protagonist – Chapter 98
by Little PandaVolume 4: The Perils of the Jianghu
Well, some people are just born lucky
After Ji Qingchi left with Su Yi, Yue Ling immediately dispatched people to follow them.
However, it was too late. By then, the two had already jumped off a cliff. The mountain forest was empty. The guards didn’t encounter any assassins from Xuanji Tower, nor did they know where the two had gone. Even the footprints of the beasts chasing them had been deliberately destroyed by those assassins. There wasn’t a single trace of them. After fumbling around in the forest for a long time, they could only return empty-handed.
Having lost the imperial princess of Yanxue Kingdom and the future Marquis Pingyang for no good reason, Yue Ling could feel the chill on the back of her neck even through two layers of clothing. If she couldn’t find these two people, let alone getting reinforcements to secure the throne, she would probably be arrested and executed the moment she returned to Yanxue Kingdom.
She dared not delay and immediately began searching the forest with her guards.
Feng Zhu and the others also felt extremely apologetic. Those two guests had gone missing in Changsheng Valley, so they too bore responsibility. Thus, they joined the search party for Su Yi and the others.
That day, the group searched until midnight. Forget people, they didn’t even find a single strand of hair.
Instead, such a large commotion alerted the mountain patrollers of Changsheng Valley. After reporting to the Valley Master, the Valley Master immediately sent people over to persuade them to return.
Everyone was well aware that this forest concealed secrets.
The people sent by the Valley Master were very eloquent, appealing to their emotions and reasoning, saying that the Valley Master was concerned for their safety and insisted they return.
Yue Ling watched the earnest efforts of the people sent by the Valley Master, sneered inwardly, said nothing, and left with her people.
She went back and slept. By noon the next day, Feng Zhu came over, worried, to tell her that the guards in the valley had been strengthened, and that many Gu insects might have been released in the forest again. The back mountain was likely inaccessible.
Ji Qingchi and Su Yi were still inside; how could Yue Ling not go? She verbally agreed but took advantage of the evening shift change to sneak into the forest with several highly skilled guards to search for them.
After persisting for nearly ten days, just when she herself was beginning to suspect that the two were no longer alive, they actually appeared on their own!
Besides the two of them, there were also the missing Feng Ruoqing and Hua Wuying. In the middle of the four of them stood an unfamiliar old woman.
The five people supported each other as they slowly walked from the depths of the forest towards the exit.
Yue Ling stepped forward in pleasant surprise. “Miss, you’re finally back.”
“Guard Lin must have been looking for us. Thank you for your hard work.” Ji Qingchi nodded at her. Seeing Yue Ling here, she was very satisfied; it showed that this person was loyal and protective of her master, and understood the priorities. She pointed to Feng Qing in the middle. “We all fell off the cliff and were saved by this senior. She is a peasant woman from the foot of this mountain who makes a living by growing medicinal herbs. Her family is very poor. We are grateful to her and couldn’t bear to see her live in solitude, so we brought her back with us, intending to reward her generously.”
Bringing back a stranger for no reason would likely arouse suspicion. To rationalize their disappearance and to give Feng Qing a legitimate identity, the group had concocted this story on their way.
Yue Ling was very tactful and didn’t ask questions she shouldn’t. She bowed to Feng Qing, “Thank you, Senior, for saving my Lady.”
Feng Qing smiled and shook her head. Just as she was about to speak, Feng Ruoqing nudged her arm from behind.
She immediately remembered what the younger ones had said on the road: her voice wasn’t like Feng Ruoqing’s, who could disguise hers. To prevent the Valley Master and others from seeing through her, she absolutely could not speak while in the valley; she had to pretend to be a mute.
So, she took a sharp breath, choked back the words, and smiled at Yue Ling as a gesture.
Feng Ruoqing quickly answered for her, “Senior has been unable to speak since childhood.”
“Oh, what a pitiful person. No wonder Miss wanted to bring her out.” Yue Ling sighed regretfully, then turned to instruct the guards she had brought, “This is the Misses’ savior. You must also treat her with courtesy. After we return, inform all the guards, maids, and servants to also show respect to Senior, understand?”
With this, they wouldn’t need to explain to everyone they met. Soon, the entire valley would know Feng Qing’s identity as their savior.
A lie told by one person might be doubted, but if a group of people says it, it becomes true, and no one will suspect.
Yue Ling had helped solidify Feng Qing’s identity.
Ji Qingchi and Su Yi exchanged a glance—
This Guard Lin was remarkably astute and understood people’s hearts. She was certainly not a simple guard.
Yue Ling turned around and said respectfully, “It’s wonderful that Miss has returned. Let’s go, I’ll escort the Misses back.”
Su Yi and Ji Qingchi withdrew their gazes, smiled, and nodded at her. The group was escorted back to the bamboo building within the valley by Yue Ling.
The beautiful guests who had been missing for ten days were back!
This news spread like wildfire throughout Changsheng Valley.
Never before had anyone who went missing in the back mountain for ten days returned alive.
When Feng Lin heard this news, he was in the pharmacy refining medicine with several of his senior brothers.
The fire from the alchemy furnace illuminated the smile on his face, its distorted shadow flickering on the wall. “Aiya, those guests are truly lucky to be alive.”
“Yes, those guests are truly amazing. I heard they know martial arts, so they managed to survive in the back mountain.” An oblivious senior brother added a piece of firewood. “People who know martial arts are just incredible. If only I knew martial arts too.”
Another senior brother sighed, “Yeah, look at those assassins from Xuanji Tower. They go out once and earn thousands or hundreds of liang of gold. We work ourselves to death on a trip and barely get one ding1 of gold.”
The senior brother sorting herbs said, “But among that group, isn’t there one who doesn’t know martial arts? The one who looks like a weak willow in the wind. She can’t possibly know martial arts, so how did she survive?”
“Who can blame her for having good fortune? Didn’t you see so many people revolving around her?” The senior brother tending the fire tsked. “A few days ago, I was responsible for delivering medicine to that young lady. She just coughed once, and that stunningly beautiful lady who is always by her side, as well as the other serving maids and servants, all acted as if something terrible had happened, rushing over to see her. That scene, tsk tsk tsk, truly unprecedented. I’ve really broadened my horizons.”
“That’s not all! Look at what that young lady eats, wears, and uses. Which of it isn’t top-quality? Being held in the palm of so many people’s hands, tsk tsk, truly good fortune.”
Finally, they all sighed in unison, “Sigh, she has such good fortune! Truly, different people, different fates. Why don’t we have such good fortune?”
Right, why didn’t he have such good fortune?
Feng Lin picked up a dried datura flower2 in his hand and sniffed it. Such a lovely scent. If it were added to that woman’s medicine, would she die instantly?
He was still too soft-hearted and soft-handed3. Why use a slow-acting poison? The kind that melts the intestines and stomach upon drinking was the most suitable for that woman.
A pity, a pity… He still wanted to snatch everything she had. She couldn’t die so quickly. She still had to live for some time longer.
Sigh, he was truly too soft-hearted and soft-handed.
The chatting senior brothers finally snapped back from their reverie. Seeing Feng Lin’s action, they quickly shouted, “Little Junior Brother, don’t touch that, it’s poisonous!”
“Is it?” Like a startled rabbit, Feng Lin released the datura flower. “I accidentally…”
He was the Valley Master’s son; the senior brothers dared not scold him. They just said, “Sigh, you’re still young. This medicine refining is so tedious, it’s normal if you don’t like it. Go out and play for a while. You can leave this to us.”
“My apologies, Senior Brothers.” Feng Lin apologized while tremulously walking out of the pharmacy.
After closing the door, his expression instantly became devoid of emotion.
He stood pressed against the door, listening to the idle chatter inside.
“Tsk, I really can’t stand it. An illegitimate son who knows nothing, yet he follows us around to refine medicine all day, making us clean up his messes.”
“Forget it, he’s the Valley Master’s son after all, his status is noble…”
“Hmph, what noble? Isn’t he just a bastard? He can’t even compare to a single toe of others. That sickly woman who brought a large retinue of servants, she’s the truly noble one, right!”
“That’s right. A pheasant wanting to compare itself to a phoenix. Although she’s a woman, her bearing is countless times better than his!”
“Alright, alright, walls have ears. Just know he’s not presentable4. There’s no need to waste more time on that bastard. Refine medicine, refine medicine.”
“…What’s wrong! I feel like I can’t breathe…”
“Me… me too… help… help me…”
“Ah…”
The cries for help gradually weakened. Slowly, the once-bustling pharmacy became so silent that one could clearly hear the sound of fingernails scratching the floor.
Then, everything returned to calm.
Feng Lin looked at the sundial5 beside the pharmacy. “Sigh, what a letdown. Today’s batch, how come they only lasted less than a quarter of an hour? The previous batch lasted over half a shichen.”
No one answered his words. Only a paper umbrella slowly moved to his side.
“Lin’er.” The shadow holding the umbrella slowly approached. When it was close, the person under the umbrella lifted their head.
The Valley Master’s face, under the black oil-paper umbrella6, appeared exceptionally gloomy. Smelling a faint scent of datura, she asked coldly, “You killed another batch of people?”
Feng Lin tilted his head, looking quite pert and spoiled. “They insulted me, shouldn’t I teach them a lesson? Wasn’t it Mother who told me that whoever insults me, I should teach them a lesson back?”
“I never told you to kill people! This is already the third batch this year!”
Feng Lin shrugged, full of indifference. “But they’re already dead. No matter how much Mother scolds me, it’s powerless to reverse the situation.”
The Valley Master sighed deeply. Feng Lin had been spoiled by her, yet she couldn’t bring herself to be harsh with him. After all, he was her son, carrying half the blood of the man she loved dearly.
After a long pause, she used a secret signal to summon her personally trained shadow guards, ordering them to dispose of the bodies in the room.
As if not seeing the gruesome corpses bleeding from all seven orifices, Feng Lin smiled happily. “Mother, the poison I refined is getting stronger and stronger. Look, this batch died in less than a quarter of an hour.”
The Valley Master said tiredly, “How many more people must you kill before you stop? Our valley… has already lost too many people.”
“Not many. Who told them to displease me? By the way, those guests who came, how does Mother plan to deal with them?”
The Valley Master frowned. Before she could speak, Feng Lin cut her off, “Those people know the secret of our back mountain. If Mother lets them go, what if they spread rumors? Our Changsheng Valley’s centuries-old reputation will be ruined. Or what if they feel they suffered a loss in the valley and want to seek revenge? Looking at their food, clothing, and expenses, they don’t seem like ordinary merchants. Perhaps they are nobles from some country? I think they look like people from Yanxue Kingdom.”
If it was truly as Feng Lin said, then it would be troublesome. They had already offended Huachen Kingdom, and also had friction with Dongli Kingdom. The only one left was Yanxue Kingdom. If they also antagonized this country, then they would truly be attacked from front and rear7.
The Valley Master’s brow furrowed tightly. Feng Lin noticed her conflicted feelings, smiled, and tugged at her sleeve. “Lin’er knows a way. Mother, don’t interfere. Just give Lin’er enough manpower, and Lin’er will help Mother solve it. How about it?”
Footnotes
- 锭 | dìng | An ingot, a measure word for gold or silver.
- 曼陀罗花 | màntuóluó huā | Datura flower, also known as thorn apple or jimsonweed. It’s known for its potent medicinal and poisonous properties, often used in traditional medicine and sometimes associated with hallucinogenic effects or as a poison.
- 心慈手软 | xīncí shǒuruǎn | An idiom meaning “soft-hearted and soft-handed,” describing someone who is merciful, lenient, and reluctant to be harsh or inflict punishment.
- 上不得台面 | shàng bùdé táimiàn | Literally “cannot be brought onto the stage/platform.” An idiom meaning someone or something is not presentable, uncouth, lacking in class, or not fit for important or formal occasions.
- 日晷 | rìguǐ | Sundial, an ancient timekeeping device.
- 油纸伞 | yóuzhǐsǎn | Oil-paper umbrella, a traditional type of umbrella made from oiled paper and bamboo, common in East Asian cultures.
- 腹背受敌 | fùbèi shòudí | An idiom literally meaning “belly and back receive the enemy” or “attacked from front and rear.” It describes being surrounded by enemies or facing difficulties from multiple directions.
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