"My name... is Jia."
That was the little girl's answer when I asked for her name after we rescued her on the road.
She looked no older than twelve or fourteen. Soft brown hair framed a delicate face, while her eyes shimmered with the faint green of young leaves beneath the morning sun.
She wasn't particularly thin, yet neither was she plump. She looked like the kind of girl who had been treasured by her family all her life—someone who had never once lifted a sword or drawn a bowstring. Her adorable features stirred both sympathy and an instinctive desire to protect her.
She wore a plain white hanfu, simple in design yet unmistakably woven from expensive fabric. Silk, perhaps.
"We'll stay here for the night. Before it gets completely dark, I noticed a blacksmith near the village gate. Go there and buy yourself a new sword, Shun Jin."
As dusk settled over the land, the three of us stopped at a small village near the crossroads. Inside a modest inn, Shun Jin and Jia were enjoying a simple meal of fried eggs and stir-fried tomatoes, accompanied by a pot of tea and a warm glass of milk for the little girl.
Jia stole nervous glances at me whenever she thought I wasn't looking, as like I were some ghost—or perhaps a strange creature she couldn't comprehend.
"Eat as much as you like, Jia. Don't worry, that crazy man over there is paying for everything."
Shun Jin paid more attention to watching Jia eat than to listening to me. The little girl was painfully shy at the table, chewing quietly while trying to hide even the faintest sound.
"Are you listening to me, Shun Jin?"
She glanced at me for a brief moment before looking away again.
Was she annoyed about something?
"Yeah."
That was all she said before returning to feeding Jia, making it abundantly clear that she had no interest in talking to me.
"Are you angry with me, Shun Jin?"
In response, she merely let out a quiet huff and turned her face aside.
I truly didn't understand what went on inside a girl's heart.
After dinner, Shun Jin left to purchase the new sword I had ordered her to buy.
Meanwhile, Jia and I sat across from each other at one of the inn's wooden tables.
She had just finished bathing and came downstairs while I quietly enjoyed a cup of alcohol.
"U-Um... Lord Long Yi."
I lowered my cup.
"What is it?"
"Um... do you happen to know Li Mubai?"
I looked into the little girl's emerald eyes.
Now that I thought about it... those eyes reminded me of another girl whom Ye Jing once knew.
The moment she spoke that name, memories flooded back—the battle between Ye Jing and me against the patriarch of the greatest orthodox sect in Jianghu a century ago.
Li Mubai.
Patriarch of Mount Hua Sect.
The leader of one of the most prestigious orthodox sects in the martial world, home to countless renowned swordsmen.
One of the Dragon Warrior who had reached the Immortal Realm.
And the man who had defeated both Ye Jing and me in nothing more than two exchanges of sword techniques.
I gave a slight nod.
"There's no one in Jianghu who doesn't know that pink-haired old man."
I calmly took another sip of my wine.
"I... I think I met you three years ago, Lord Long Yi."
My cup stopped halfway to my lips.
Jia...
Now that I looked at her more carefully, she did seem strangely familiar.
"My older sister, Li Yuan, was once betrothed to the Blue Sword Hero. It is an honor to meet the Blue Sword Hero's closest friend... C-Crazy Demon."
Jia rose from her seat and bowed respectfully.
Now I remembered.
The little girl before me was Li Jia, one of Li Mubai's beloved daughters.
I let out a quiet sigh.
"What are you doing here, Li Jia?"
The moment I called her by her real name, fear flashed across her face. Her small body trembled as she instinctively lowered her head and squeezed her eyes shut.
"I-I... um... I ran away from home..."
She looked like a frightened little rabbit standing before a wolf leisurely licking its fangs.
"Ran away from home? Why?"
"Well..."
"Well?"
"I wanted to accompany my sister to the tournament in Nanjing... but Father wouldn't allow it. So I secretly slipped away without any guards. The only person who came with me was our carriage driver... and he was killed by the assassins."
I raised an eyebrow.
"So?"
To be honest, I wasn't particularly interested in a little girl who happened to be a descendant of the most influential orthodox sect on the continent.
If it had been Ye Jing, he would have gladly escorted Li Jia all the way to Nanjing.
I, however, had no desire to add another burden to my journey.
"U-Um... Sister Shun Jin said that Lord Long Yi is also heading to Nanjing with her. I-If... if you would permit it... could I travel there with you?"
Li Jia bowed once again, her eyes tightly shut as her entire body quivered with fear.
I already knew that was what she was going to ask.
Frankly, the last thing I wanted was another girl tagging along.
"Back then... why did you refuse the engagement, Ye Jing? Wasn't marrying a beautiful girl—especially one from a great sect like Mount Hua—is your lifelong dream?"
I remembered asking him that question several months before our battle against that bastard, the leader of the Devil Cult.
Ye Jing merely chuckled as he took another swig from his alcohol bottle.
"She was far too perfect for someone like me. Besides, the one who truly wanted that marriage was her father. Li Mubai hoped I'd become one of Mount Hua's elders. You know I've always dreamed of founding my own sect, Long Yi. I had no choice but to refuse."
He paused before grinning shamelessly.
"Though I have to admit... she's incredibly beautiful. Especially those hips of hers."
I didn't bother replying.
We simply continued walking beneath the moonless night. Fresh blood still stained the sleeve of my robe, while the stars hid themselves behind thick clouds overhead.
After another long drink, Ye Jing suddenly spoke again.
"Her little sister, Li Jia, is pretty adorable too. Give it another ten years, and she'll probably grow up just as beautiful—and just as curvy—as her sister. If you ever visit Mount Hua, send her my regards."
"You shameless monk."
Ye Jing burst into hearty laughter.
Looking at Li Jia now, it seemed his prediction hadn't been far from the truth.
Even as a young teenager, she was already beginning to resemble her older sister.
I let out another sigh.
"Fine. You may travel with us." I shrugged lazily. "Besides... Shun Jin would probably scold me if I abandoned you."
Li Jia cautiously opened one eye.
A bright smile bloomed across her face for only a fleeting moment before she noticed my expression and quickly restrained herself.
"T-Thank you very much, Lord Long Yi."
I waved my hand dismissively.
"Go get some sleep."
She nodded repeatedly before hurrying upstairs to her room.
"I'm not particularly worried about money..."
I muttered to myself.
"But this journey is about to become twice as expensive."
***
The night had grown deep.
Yet Shun Jin still hadn't returned.
I'd already finished all my drink.
And my instincts told me something had gone terribly wrong.
When I arrived at the blacksmith's shop I had directed Shun Jin to earlier...
...the only thing waiting for me was a corpse sprawled across the anvil.
Warm blood dripped steadily onto the dusty ground.
The forge was still burning.
Shun Jin had been kidnapped.
***