Chapter 22

"Does he still refuse to say which house ordered this?" Yan Nanjing asked.

Cui Ti’s brows knit even tighter at the mention of it. He gave a curt nod. "I broke both his legs, and he still won't utter a word."

Yan Nanjing had been tending to Qi Yun’s wounds earlier and had not witnessed Cui Ti’s interrogation, but the brutality was evident in his words. She felt little about it; perhaps it was the result of living in such chaotic times and having faced death twice already. The habits of her past life had long since faded. Kindness was a virtue, but it only had room to flourish in times of peace. Here, a moment of carelessness could cost her and her family their lives.

"If he won't talk, he must be a bondsman born into their service," she said to Yang Zhijian. "I’ve heard that noble families rarely employ outsiders as guards. Most of their personnel are either house-born servants or their own tenant farmers."

"Both types are raised by their masters, with their entire families—parents, wives, and children—held in the master's grip. No matter what, they would rather die than betray their master and bring ruin upon their loved ones."

Yang Zhijian nodded; he had suspected as much. To carry out an assassination, one had to use their own servants to ensure silence.

"Then what do we do?" Cui Ti sat there, his face full of worry. "That brat is stubborn as a mule."

There were ways, of course, but they were not easily employed here. Yang Zhijian had seen the tortures in the Governor’s office; there were almost no men who could endure a full set and remain tight-lipped. He did not particularly enjoy torturing people, nor did he have any interest in their screams. However, at this moment, soft-heartedness was a luxury they could not afford.

"Since that is the case, go dig a pit, throw him inside, and cover him with dirt. Stop only when he is ready to speak. If he still refuses—" Yang Zhijian’s lips tightened into a cold, strange smile. "Then fulfill his wish to be a loyal servant."

Cui Ti gave a grunt of acknowledgment, rose, and left.

Seeing Yan Nanjing also move to stand, Yang Zhijian called out to her, "Zhishan, don't go. You shouldn't be present for such things. I don't want you to be frightened."

"Brother, I wasn't going to follow," Yan Nanjing shook her head. "My courage isn't as great as you think it is."

"I’m just worried about A-Yuan. I want to go and check on him." A-Yuan had helped her tend to Qi Yun and had immediately gone with Bai Su to handle the corpses and bloodstains outside.

"Those people are all dead now." A dead body lying there would do nothing; it was much more peaceful than a living one.

"It’s cold outside. You’ve been frail since childhood, so don't go out."

Yan Nanjing did not immediately agree. She said suddenly, "Actually, it’s you who are scared in the aftermath, Brother, and you want someone to keep you company."

A look of flustered embarrassment appeared on Yang Zhijian’s handsome face. Yan Nanjing sat there, smiling. "I remember you were always much more afraid of the dark than I was. When Grandfather was alive, you would hide in your room as soon as night fell."

Her voice was soft and gentle, laced with nostalgia. It made Yang Zhijian chuckle in spite of himself. "You just love to tease me with those old stories."

As he spoke, a tinge of melancholy washed over him. The habit of fearing the dark from his youth had followed him to this day, but he no longer had the luxury of being weak. He had to command armies and plan maneuvers in the dead of night, and he had to protect his sister in the freezing cold. Remembering this, the smile faded from his face, replaced by guilt. "I’ve failed you today, sister."

"It wasn't your fault, Brother," Yan Nanjing said. "Who could have predicted they would choose this moment to strike?"

This did not make Yang Zhijian feel any better. He shook his head. "It was I who brought these people upon us. And I had been drinking, which only made things worse."

He was full of regret. "It’s fortunate that others held the line, or who knows what would have happened."

"I was ashamed to the core when I saw you drive that blade into the assassin. As your brother, it is my duty to ensure your safety. I never imagined I would implicate you in such danger." He knew she was a kind-hearted soul, one who wouldn't even strike a cow or a sheep, let alone a person. He feared she was not as calm as she appeared. "If you are upset, it is alright to cry. It is better than holding it inside."

"It is all my fault," Yang Zhijian said. "Don't force yourself."

Yan Nanjing covered her face, feigned a few dry sobs, and then lowered her hands. "There, I’m done."

Yang Zhijian was left between laughter and tears, but seeing that she was truly fine, he finally felt a sense of relief.

"By the way," Yan Nanjing said, remembering the night's turmoil, "Are you really not afraid of losing the witness?"

Yang Zhijian shook his head. Under the lamplight, his expression was resolute. "What kind of witness is that? For the sake of their parents, wives, and children, they would never betray their master even in death. Since that is the case, it is better to dispose of them. They came with the intent to kill; they are not innocent. Besides, they are of no use for turning."

They could not reveal the mastermind, nor would they be grateful enough to be of any value. They were useless, and keeping them alive might only invite more trouble later. The world was full of petty, grasping people and very few honorable men who knew how to repay a favor. Rather than playing the fool and acting the saint, he would rather be the villain.

After speaking, Yang Zhijian sat down beside her, though his posture remained slightly unsteady. "Let me see you."

She held out her hands, and Yang Zhijian carefully turned them over, checking them repeatedly. He then took her pulse, and only after confirming multiple times that she was truly unharmed did he breathe a sigh of relief.

"There shouldn't be any more of these incidents for a while," Yang Zhijian said softly. Their first attempt had failed, and they knew they had alerted their targets. With none of the assassins returning, and with the enemy unaware of the true strength here, they would not dare send anyone else in the short term.

"When this is over, you and I will return to Jingzhou together." Yang Zhijian frowned, his last trace of lightheartedness vanishing. "I left you here thinking that the power struggles in Jingzhou were too intense. Now it seems this place is no better."

He sighed. "I should have realized sooner. Everywhere is the same now. At least in Jingzhou, there are more people. No matter who they are, they would have to show some restraint."

Yan Nanjing nodded in agreement. She looked at his furrowed brow and said, "Brother, since you've decided what to do, stop frowning. We have a plan, and we can take things one step at a time."

She had always been like this; once she saw a way to resolve a problem, she would stop worrying about it. As for the rest, they would deal with it when the time came.

The night was deep. Winter nights arrived early and lingered long; it would not be bright until after the hour of the dragon. Yang Zhijian left the inner chamber for her and kept watch in the front room. Although he knew the attackers were all dead, he still could not fully rest. He felt it was better to keep watch himself.

The water clock in the room dripped steadily. By the first quarter of the dragon hour, the sky finally showed signs of whitening. Half an hour later, the ink-black darkness faded, replaced by a faint, cyan hue. Though it was still dim and difficult to see clearly, it was dawn.

After the slaughter of the night, they could finally handle the aftermath.

Yan Nanjing and Yang Zhijian went to see Qi Yun. Qi Yun’s complexion had been poor the night before, and in the morning light, it looked even worse. His lips were deathly pale.

Seeing them approach, he attempted to sit up. Zheng Xuanfu, who was nearby, reached out to assist him. Having been served by others his whole life, Zheng Xuanfu had no experience in caring for the wounded. He accidentally touched a wound, causing Qi Yun’s face to drain of even more color.

Hearing the sharp intake of breath, Zheng Xuanfu stood there, flustered and at a loss. When he saw Yang Zhijian approach, he turned to Yan Nanjing with a look of desperate appeal. He found her much more approachable than Yang Zhijian, whom he had barely met.

Yan Nanjing nodded to him, then turned her gaze to Qi Yun, startled. "He didn't look like this last night."

She couldn't help but look at his arm. Because of the injury, Qi Yun was only wearing an inner robe under a thick winter cloak. His collar was loosely gathered. A man of such tall, lean stature looked all the more gaunt wrapped in the oversized garments.

Yang Zhijian glanced at her, nodded to reassure her, and sat down to examine Qi Yun. For once, Zheng Xuanfu didn't put on a haughty air, but watched quietly from the side.

"It is still excessive blood loss," Yang Zhijian advised. "This is not a minor matter. You must rest, my lord."

"Does he need to drink medicinal soup?" Yan Nanjing asked. Bai Su had brought some, but it had not seemed to have much effect by this morning.

Of course he needed it, but there were no medicinal herbs here. The puffball mushrooms used last night to stop the bleeding had been kept only in case of minor accidents. Beyond that, they had nothing.

"I will have someone prepare it," Yang Zhijian said.

"I trouble you, Governor," Qi Yun said, bowing his head and pressing a fist to his lips to cough.

Yan Nanjing recalled that he had indeed been bare-chested for quite a while the night before. In this weather, it was easy to catch a cold if one wasn't careful. However, because he had lost so much blood, hot decoctions to stimulate circulation were out of the question, as they might cause the wounds to bleed again.

Yang Zhijian had Bai Su bring the incense burner to place inside Qi Yun’s blankets to prevent his condition from worsening.

Qi Yun was indifferent to this. He spoke to Yang Zhijian about another matter: "Leaving Jingzhou is now a matter of extreme urgency." A look of worry crossed his pale face. "Since someone has already tracked us here, it is likely our presence is known. If we stay here any longer, we will surely implicate you, Governor."

His emotions were intense and sincere, with not a shred of falsehood in his eyes. Yan Nanjing found it quite admirable; a man so weak was still capable of such passion. Most people, in his state, would struggle to even speak, let alone express such fervor.

"Let’s not talk of this now," she interjected. "What matters most is that you focus on your recovery."

There were things Yang Zhijian found difficult to say, so she had to be the one to say them. Seeing Qi Yun about to continue, she cut him off. "Crossing mountains and ridges is not something you can endure in your current state. As for whether others know of your presence, you can rest easy for now."

Seeing Qi Yun was still going to speak, she said sternly, "Do you truly wish to die halfway and have your grand foundation handed over to others?"