Chapter 23

The night was ink-black, the moonlight dim. A layer of mist rose from the river, stretching into a vast, hazy expanse that vanished into the distance. With the lamps extinguished, Wen Ruxu could only see clearly within the span of an arm. He let go of the oars and rubbed his eyes, trying to peer further into the gloom, but it was of little use.

"Big Brother, go this way."

Noticing Wen Ruxu rubbing his eyes for the third time, Wen Hening sensed something was wrong. He pursed his lips and asked in a low voice, "Big Brother, can you not see?"

The others on the boat turned their heads sharply to stare at Wen Ruxu’s eyes.

Wen Ruxu let out a self-deprecating laugh, making no attempt to hide it. "I cannot see very clearly at great distances in the night. It is no matter; you point the way, and I shall follow."

Wen Hening was momentarily struck speechless, eventually responding dryly, "Oh, right."

Now was not the time for such talk; even if there were issues, they would have to wait until they had cleared this hurdle. The boat fell into silence once more. Wen Changning sat obediently, clutching the "divine chicken," its beak bound tightly with a strip of cloth. Concerned it might come loose, she kept two fingers pinched firmly over the binding.

They had originally intended to kill the chicken to take with them, but realized they couldn't finish such a large bird in one sitting, and the meat would spoil quickly in the warming weather. Thus, they decided to keep it alive. It had been sitting in Wen Hening’s lap, but once he took the oars, the chicken fell to Wen Changning. The way she held it—with such obvious disgust that she seemed desperate to toss it away, yet forced herself to keep holding it—especially the way she pinched its beak, was truly amusing.

Sensing Wen Yan staring at her with a faint smile, Wen Changning felt uncomfortable all over. She wanted to tell her to stop looking, but she didn't dare. Pouting, she turned her head away in grievance, pretending not to notice.

Before long, the boat reached the bank. Wen Changning put down the oar, took a step, and leaped from the boat, wading through the water to the shore.

Wen Hening waved. "Big Brother."

Hearing his voice, Wen Ruxu picked up the mooring rope and tossed it over. "Catch."

Wen Hening caught it and tied it to a nearby tree trunk to secure the boat. The others followed suit, disembarking one by one. When it was Wen Changning’s turn, she didn't want to soak her shoes and socks, so she stood at the prow and prepared to leap onto the bank in a single bound.

She hadn't anticipated that she would miss the solid ground, instead landing with one foot deep into the tall weeds along the riverbank. The weeds were knee-deep, and in the darkness, it was impossible to see what lay beneath them.

The moment her foot touched the ground, her heart skipped a beat, a sense of foreboding washing over her. The next instant, an unbearable, searing pain shot through her. She went numb, her body reacting faster than her mind. Before she could process what had happened, she let out a sharp scream, tears streaming down her face.

Fortunately, Wen Ruqing, who was close by, reacted quickly and covered her mouth. But that initial cry had already escaped—short, perhaps, but enough to invite scrutiny. The two groups were not far apart, and the sound startled the birds in the forest, and more importantly, alerted the men on the other side.

"Someone is there!"
"There's movement!"
"Go and check!"

Hearing the commotion, Wen Hening didn't hesitate. He pulled out a knife, cut the cloth binding the chicken's beak, and gave it a hard slap. The divine chicken let out a loud, piercing cry that echoed through the heavens. It seemed the bird had been stifled for too long and continued to crow until Wen Hening forcibly closed its beak again.

The Wen family held their breath, pricking their ears to listen to the activity across the water. Whether or not the ruse worked, the commotion on the other side gradually faded back into the previous silence.

The group breathed a collective sigh of relief, their attention finally returning to Wen Changning. In the darkness, Wen Ruqing couldn't see her sister's face clearly, but the warmth and wetness covering her hands told her something was terribly wrong. Wen Ruxu struck a fire starter, and in the flicker of light, they saw Wen Changning drenched in sweat, her eyes brimming with pitiful tears.

Wen Ruqing let go of her hand and whispered, "Changning?"

Wen Changning trembled, speaking weakly, "My foot... my foot..."

Wen Ruxu immediately knelt by her feet and cleared away the weeds. When he moved the light closer, they were horrified to see a jagged tree root protruding from the earth, having pierced entirely through the sole of her foot. The root was as thick as a little finger and sharp at the tip, hidden beneath the thick grass. When Wen Changning had jumped, she had landed directly upon it.

Realizing the severity, their expressions paled. They were anxious and helpless, unsure how to proceed for fear of causing further injury. Wen Changning tugged on Wen Ruqing's hand.

Wen Ruqing looked down and, seeing her sister’s gaze was clear, released her. "Changning, how are you?"

"It hurts," Wen Changning whispered, biting her lip so hard she drew blood.

Lady Lu took out a folded handkerchief and pressed it to her lips. "Be a good girl, Changning, bite down on this."

Wen Changning obeyed. "Don't be afraid, Mother is here," Lady Lu said, soothing her daughter without a trace of the weakness she had shown days prior.

As blood continued to seep from the wound, the family remained at a loss. Wen Yan, who had been the last to disembark, walked over and nudged Wen Hening. "Move."

Wen Hening looked up, seeing the vague silhouette of his third sister in the darkness, and his panicked heart suddenly settled. He called out, "Third Sister," and quickly made room.

Wen Yan knelt in his place and glanced at Wen Ruxu. "The light."

Wen Ruxu hurriedly moved the fire starter closer. Wen Yan took it, inspected the wound, and commanded, "Hold her down. Cover her mouth."

They did not hesitate. Wen Yan held the light with one hand and gripped Wen Changning’s ankle with the other. Without warning or hesitation, she yanked the foot free.

The movement was so swift the others barely reacted. Wen Changning’s body shuddered violently; the family held her down, tightly covering her mouth. She let out a muffled whimper of pain before losing consciousness.

Wen Yan directed them to lay her on flat ground, with Wen Ruqing cradling her sister’s head on her lap. After this, the family realized their backs were drenched in cold sweat. They turned their eyes toward Wen Yan, waiting for her next command.

Wen Yan rolled up Wen Changning’s trousers and used a knife to cut away her shoe and sock. The wound was significant—a hole the size of the tree root, with mangled flesh still bleeding profusely.

"Clean cloth, give it to me," Wen Yan said.

Lacking clean bandages, Lady Lu pulled a piece of white undergarment from their belongings and handed it over. Wen Yan tore it in half, rolled the pieces, and pressed them firmly against the entry and exit points of the wound.

"Mother, hold this," she said. Lady Lu did as instructed.

Using the light, Wen Yan meticulously pressed on the pressure points to stem the bleeding. Her movements were fluid and efficient; the terrifying flow of blood slowed to a trickle before their eyes.

"The bleeding has stopped," Wen Hening said happily.

Wen Yan poured cold water on his enthusiasm. "It won't stay stopped for long."

Wen Hening’s smile stiffened. "Is there any way, A-Yan?" Father Wen asked anxiously.

Wen Yan certainly had ways. In her earlier years, when her cultivation was low and she could not heal herself with spiritual energy, she had relied on conventional methods. However, none of these could be performed in the pitch black without risking the girl’s life. She made a quick decision: since those strangers were a nuisance, she would simply eliminate the trouble.

Wen Yan turned to Wen Hening. "Come here."

He knelt beside her obediently. "Hold this pressure. Do not let go until I return."

"Yes, Third Sister."

With that, Wen Yan rose and left.

"A-Yan, where are you going?" Father Wen called out.

"To settle the trouble," her voice drifted back from the distance. "Wait here."

Wen Yan moved with incredible speed through the forest and hillside, reaching the riverbank in the blink of an eye. The boats had docked, and the men were gathered, seemingly discussing some mishap.

Wen Yan stood under a tree, absentmindedly playing with a few leaves as she listened. Finding nothing of value in their conversation, she stepped out from the shadows.

"Who goes there?"

The men on the shore stopped their discussion, drawing their sabers in alert. Wen Yan remained expressionless. She flicked her wrist, and the leaves she held were launched with the speed and lethality of knives.

The leaves sliced through the night air. With a few dull thuds, the men closest to her collapsed, their throats slashed open, blood pouring out. Seeing the woman’s ruthless skill, the others turned to flee, but before they could take a step, more leaves flew, claiming their lives. In moments, not a soul remained alive on the riverbank.

The night air grew colder, and the mist on the Huan River thickened, tainted with the scent of blood. Wen Yan did not linger. Passing through a grove, she spotted a green-canopied carriage. A coachman and two other men were whispering urgently nearby.

Wen Yan walked straight toward them. The men stopped talking.

"Who are you?" the coachman frowned.

Wen Yan did not waste breath. She attacked immediately.

"Overconfident!" The coachman was a top-tier expert in disguise. He laughed in rage, already imagining a thousand ways to kill her. But as they clashed, he realized his error. Within moments, he was forced onto the defensive. "Why are you just standing there! Do you want to see me die?"

The other two joined the fray, but they too soon realized her terrifying strength. One had his hand crippled by a single strike.

"Who are you?" the coachman asked in terror. "Do we have a grudge against you?"

Wen Yan gestured toward the carriage. "My sister is injured. I want that carriage."

The men, already reeling from their wounds, twitched. "We would have given you the carriage! Why kill us for it?"

"You are too much of a nuisance," Wen Yan replied. "It is simpler to kill you."

The remaining two died by her hand. The coachman tried to flee, but it was too late. The three experts lay dead in the wilderness.

Wen Yan climbed into the carriage, finding it clean and spacious, with a tea set still warm on a small table. The previous owners had clearly left in a great hurry. She did not dwell on the reason. She took the reins and drove the carriage back, finding the Wen family.

She jumped down. "Prepare some water. There is a kettle in the carriage."

The family was both shocked by the appearance of the carriage and overjoyed by her return. As they scrambled to gather firewood, Wen Hening asked anxiously, "Wait, if we light a fire here, we’ll be discovered!"

Wen Yan uncovered the blood-soaked fabric on Wen Changning’s foot. "It is fine," she said nonchalantly. "They are all dead."