In just half a day, the entire city of Fangu was covered in a layer of snow. The blue bricks and red tiles were nowhere to be seen; everywhere was a refreshing white. There were no truly wealthy people in Fangu City; if one had to name one, Fang Jie could barely be considered one.
But Fang Jie didn't actually have much money. He was the head manager of Jin Yuan Fang, the owner of Hong Xiu Lou, and he also built Ke Sheng Ju. Yet, he was merely a high-level employee; he was the one who brought wealth to Fangu City. These three buildings brought in two hundred thousand taels of silver annually. But he only received a share of the profits. He didn't own a single copper coin from the initial funds raised to build Jin Yuan Fang. Each year, after distributing the profits to the people, most of the money had to be handed over to Li Xiaozong for management.
Although he wasn't extravagant with his money, he held the position of deputy head of a scout team and had many social engagements. With so many properties under his name, he was always the one hosting the banquets. So, over the past two years, he hadn't saved much. After rummaging through his belongings and collecting all his silver notes and taels, he only managed to accumulate three or four thousand taels. This was a considerable sum in Fan Gu, but in Chang'an, it would barely cover a few visits to upscale establishments like the Half-Moon Pavilion.
Therefore, when Fang Jie realized this was all he had, he couldn't help but feel frustrated and annoyed.
"I absolutely cannot start a fundraising business again!"
He muttered to himself, stuffing the silver notes into his pocket. He packed the remaining two or three hundred taels into his bundle, and before leaving, he couldn't help but glance reluctantly at the border army uniform on the clothes rack by his bedside. Black leather armor, blue uniform, black leather boots, and the bright red cloak worn only during festivals.
"It's a pity... I wanted to ask Emperor Li Xiaozong today to gather enough military merits before going to Chang'an. Now I don't have enough, and taking the martial arts academy's exam will be even more difficult. I don't have much silver either; I'm afraid it wouldn't even be enough to bribe a lowly seventh-rank official in the capital."
"We can't go to the main camp; those four experts are all in that direction," Mu Xiaoyao said softly.
Fang Jie was reluctant, but he wouldn't hesitate.
The first thing he learned in recent years was to be decisive. When it's time to leave, you must leave; there's no room for hesitation. Although he wasn't needed for combat, he didn't want to be a meaningless waste. It was precisely because he had been protected for so many years that he had almost no ability to protect himself against pursuers, so he had an obsessive desire for cultivation.
"What rank?"
He asked, following behind Mu Xiaoyao. "There's one who's broken through the sixth rank and is now firmly established at the seventh rank. He looks familiar; it must be Li Xiaozong. Not counting him… of the remaining four, three are at the sixth rank, and the other one, I can't quite place, seems to be at the seventh rank as well. This person has a sinister aura; he's probably deliberately hiding. We need to be careful; he might be lurking in the shadows. It's best not to encounter an assassin who specializes in lying in wait."
Mu Xiaoyao and Daquan both knew that on nights like this, the most dangerous and difficult to guard against were those assassins who never engaged in direct combat.
"Sister Xiaoyao, you've kept this a secret all these years."
Fang Jie asked with a smile as they walked, "You can sense the enemy's presence within a two-mile radius, even accurately judging their strength. So, what rank are you? If we didn't flee and fought head-on, could you and Daquan easily take them down?"
"No."
Mu Xiaoyao answered decisively, then added with some pride, "Anyone who enters a two-mile radius cannot escape my perception. Whether they're a first-rank expert or a ninth-rank supreme master, they can't hide it from me. That's why, although fleeing has been arduous all these years, I've always escaped unscathed. That's why back in Nan Yan..." "When we parted ways in Dali City, it was Daquan and me who stayed with you, not Qilin and his group."
"So arrogant! What rank are you anyway?"
"Can you please not ask?"
Mu Xiaoyao rolled her eyes at him, then couldn't help but say angrily, "If I were higher than seventh rank, would I have run away? An eighth-rank cultivator could easily wipe out those five sixth- or seventh-rank experts in Fangu City. It would be a bit troublesome, but there wouldn't be much risk. So can you stop being so idiotic? If you decided to run, it's because you couldn't win."
"Then, among those who protected me, who was the strongest?"
"Shen Qingshan."
Daquan answered from the side.
"That incredibly beautiful, cold-blooded sister who always carries a sword? Wow… I didn't expect her to be so powerful. Is she ninth rank?"
"No, but she should be in the eighth rank, maybe even above eighth rank."
Daquan replied. "Aren't you two annoying?"
Mu Xiaoyao glared at them, then grabbed Fang Jie by the belt and threw him over the wall. Fang Jie, used to being tossed around like a stone over the years, landed steadily, and in the blink of an eye, Da Quan and Mu Xiaoyao also leaped out.
While speeding westward, Da Quan said, "Of all the people who protected you back then, the most skilled was Mu Xiaoyao. If it weren't for her incredibly strong senses, who knows how many dangers she would have faced over the years. Even if Shen Qingshan was a formidable fighter, he would have been worn down long ago. The second most skilled is naturally me… Although I can't sense the enemy's strength, I can pinpoint their location more accurately, thus finding the best escape route. Shen Qingshan can easily kill me, but I can also easily prevent him from killing me."
"What rank are you?"
Fang Jie, being carried by Mu Xiaoyao, was somewhat bored. Not having to run himself meant he wouldn't get tired, but the thought of a man being carried like a bundle by a woman was rather pathetic.
"Lower Fifth Rank."
Big Dog answered truthfully, "So, if we were to encounter even one of these enemies today, we probably wouldn't escape. A Upper Sixth Rank expert could easily take down the three of us."
"Huh?"
Fang Jie had asked before, but Big Dog and Mu Xiaoyao simply wouldn't answer. Now he understood that these two people, whom he considered to be as powerful as reclusive masters, weren't as formidable as he imagined. Although Mu Xiaoyao didn't say anything, he could deduce from Big Dog's words that she was at most an Upper Fifth Rank expert. Shen Qingshan is an eighth-rank official! If she were here, there would be no need to run away…
"Don't look at me like that!"
Mu Xiaoyao said as she ran, "I didn't say anything before because only Li Xiaozong in Fan Gu City is a dangerous person, but he doesn't know your identity and won't kill you for no reason. I'm saying it now because we're about to escape to Chang'an. What kind of place is Chang'an? It's full of hidden talents! What I'm telling you now is that you should keep a low profile from now on. When you get to Chang'an, if you can act like a grandson, don't act like a grandpa."
"Acting like a grandson for the whole of Chang'an, the pressure is really immense."
Fang Jie couldn't help but sigh. He had once fantasized that after arriving in Chang'an, he wouldn't have to worry about those inexplicable pursuers. With experts like Da Quan and Mu Xiaoyao protecting him, wouldn't he be able to act like a playboy in the capital? He could flirt with young girls, seduce pretty widows, and have Da Quan beat up anyone who offended him. Before long, the name of the handsome young master of the capital would be known. Now it seems he'd been overthinking things.
...
...
A snowy night, a bright moon, and a beautiful woman with long legs and a slender waist beside him—it should have been a romantic night. If only they weren't on the run, if only Mu Xiaoyao weren't so cold. Fang Jie was fifteen that year, and Mu Xiaoyao was twenty-seven. Fang Jie had no doubt that he was the only man who had ever held Mu Xiaoyao's waist. He was also the only man who had ever touched her breasts.
But Fang Jie felt a deep sense of awe towards this woman.
Fangu City was small. After jumping out of the backyard of Jin Yuan Fang, they ran westward and reached the city gate in no time. Fang Jie knew all the border soldiers on duty. But when they reached the west gate, they realized their estimate had been too optimistic.
The west gate was guarded by his familiar border soldiers, along with six men wearing flying fish robes. Knowing the significance of those flying fish robes, even in the capital, this attire could instill fear in most people. Their official ranks weren't high, but their status was.
They were from the Imperial Guard.
"Why didn't you sense any outsiders on the west side?"
"Six fourth-rank officials can't stop us!"
Mu Xiaoyao said in a low voice, then abruptly threw Fang Jie to one side of the street. When Fang Jie regained his footing, Mu Xiaoyao already held a length of red silk. That was her weapon, a very beautiful and dazzling weapon. Before separating from the other five guards in Dali City, Fang Jie rarely saw Mu Xiaoyao fight. Because in the group, she was only responsible for sensing enemies; killing was done by Qilin, Night Owl, and Shen Qingshan. Since separating from Dali City, three years had passed, and they hadn't encountered any enemies for three years.
Therefore, this was the first time Fang Jie had seriously watched how Mu Xiaoyao fought.
A length of red silk.
Within that length, this was Mu Xiaoyao's world.
The large dog didn't rush to help. Instead, it stood beside Fang Jie, pulled a pair of gloves with sharp steel spikes from its waist, and put them on. The spikes reflected a cold, menacing light in the moonlight. Looking at Mu Xiaoyao's graceful figure, the large dog suddenly sighed, "This is a woman of extreme ambition. Shen Qingshan looks down on her, but has she ever respected Shen Qingshan in return? Although that woman is indeed incredibly powerful, without Mu Xiaoyao's perception, she might not have survived to this day."
"Shen Qingshan is her junior sister."
This last sentence sent a jolt through Fang Jie.
He suddenly felt a pang of guilt, even though he hadn't said anything wrong.
Six imperial guards in flying fish robes, six experts of the fourth rank or higher—in the military, they would at least be fifth-rank generals. Li Xiaozong was an anomaly, serving as a general with seventh-rank cultivation; it was the court intentionally training him. Fang Jie had no doubt that once Li Xiaozong left Fangu City, he would rise rapidly in rank.
Furthermore, the location of Fangu City was too crucial; without a capable general to guard it, the imperial court wouldn't feel at ease.
In Wu Peisheng's view, using six guards in flying fish robes was already showing Fang Jie considerable respect, even greatly overestimating him. Unfortunately… Mu Xiaoyao completely disregarded these six men. Although she wasn't a combat-oriented martial artist, dealing with six enemies of this caliber wouldn't make her back down. The ten-foot-long red ribbon swirled around the west gate of the city, its beauty breathtaking in the moonlight and snow. The long red skirt and ribbon swirled around a graceful woman, creating an alluringly seductive beauty.
Especially when her skirt danced, her pair of long, slender, white legs were occasionally revealed, making one's blood boil. Even killing was beautiful; this was Mu Xiaoyao.
The red ribbon wrapped around an embroidered spring knife, snake-like, coiling around the arm of the guard in the flying fish robe. Without any visible movement from Mu Xiaoyao's hands, a snapping sound rang out as the red ribbon tightened, crushing the guard's arm! The embroidered spring knife fell to the snow, instantly losing its luster.
Mu Xiaoyao tugged at the red ribbon, pulling the guard, his arm bone shattered, towards her. A long, exquisitely beautiful white leg lashed out, her delicate foot, clad in red embroidered shoes, striking the guard squarely in the chest. With a soft thud, a large crater appeared in the guard's chest.
The red ribbon released its grip, and the guard's body slumped to the ground.
"Attack together!"
The remaining five soldiers in flying fish robes surrounded them. One of them turned and shouted to the border troops, "Aren't you going to raise the alarm?!"
"Raise the alarm?"
The border soldier in charge glanced at Fang Jie standing not far away, then at the horn at his waist. He didn't want to raise the horn. Fang Jie was his friend, but he had a more important identity… he was a soldier of the Great Sui Dynasty. He saw Fang Jie wave at him, and he knew that once he sounded the horn, the border troops would soon assemble and arrive, along with those from Chang'an.
"I'm sorry, Fang Jie."
The captain sighed and slowly took the horn down to his lips.
The mournful sound of the horn rang out in the quiet, snowy moonlit night.