Content Summary: “Though I bet you in this game, I am certain that I will not lose you.” —— But in this game, what’s at stake are past events, power schemes, or perhaps just a sincere heart? Content Tags: Heavenly Favored One, Unique Affection, Jianghu Feuds. Main Characters: Jun Yian, Chu Xia ┃ Supporting Characters: Qing Long, Bai Xue, Su Fenghua… ┃ Others: Jianghu
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Early Spring Journey Author: Nowhere to Escape [Shanshui Ballad] Prologue
“Hey, the gang of horse bandits on the Gansu-Liangzhou road was eradicated last month! The culprits turned out to be some blue-eyed foreigners! Their swordsmanship was bizarre, and they had been rampaging for over a decade, causing endless trouble for merchants. This time, the young master killed one each night for ten consecutive days. Initially, those foreign bandits tried to fight back, but they couldn’t even touch the hem of the young master’s robe. By the last three days, they were in a panic, scattering like birds and beasts. Yet the young master remained unhurried, still taking down one each night until all were eradicated.”
“How do you know it was the young master?”
“Isn’t it obvious? In the martial world, who else would act so righteously and not leave a name besides the young master?”
“Ha… you are mistaken, my brother. I am certain that the eradication of the bandits was not by the young master.”
“Oh? Please elaborate.”
“I am so sure because… recently, there was a heinous case of extermination in Huzhou, Jiangnan. The mastermind was brought to justice by none other than the young master! Now tell me, how could the young master have been in Gansu eradicating bandits while also solving a case in Huzhou?”
“This…”
As the year-end approached, the teahouses in Cangzhou were bustling with customers. A girl sitting by the window on the second floor, dressed in a somewhat worn green jacket, savored her hot tea and pastries. However, the men at the next table were arguing so loudly that she couldn’t help but smirk. Having been in Cangzhou for almost a year, she noticed that whenever people debated in public places, the topic inevitably revolved around the young master. It seemed as if no one else could claim the title of “young master” since he took on the name.
As the girl finished her last sip of tea and was about to pay with the copper coins from her sleeve, she overheard someone say, “The entire Baochang Inn was rented out a couple of days ago.”
“Who could afford that?”
“Hehe, the Di family from Luoyang.”
“The Di family, famous for handling the imperial garden’s flowers and plants?”
“Indeed. Their eldest daughter is of marriageable age… her eldest brother came directly to the Jun mansion a couple of days ago.”
“Are these two families about to form an alliance through marriage?”
“Who among the eligible young ladies wouldn’t want to marry the young master…”
“Hey, has this matter been settled?”
“This was told by my distant relative working at the Jun mansion; whether it’s settled or not, how would he know…”
The girl passed by their table, couldn’t help but smile faintly. She had heard about the visit from the Di family’s young master, but since Jun Yian was not at the mansion, the matter was left unresolved.
From a corner of the teahouse, a woman’s sigh was heard: “Having seen the gentleman, how can one not be pleased?” Indeed… having seen the gentleman, how can one not be pleased? Originally a refined phrase not much appreciated by the jianghu, it has now become well-known because of this young master. The gentleman they speak of is none other than the current young master of Cangzhou’s Jun mansion, Jun Yian.
Chapter One: The Hour of the Tiger
Cangzhou. The back garden of the Jun mansion was where the family members resided. The Jun family, being part of the martial world, traditionally paid little heed to gender segregation. However, with the death of the previous head of the mansion just a year ago, and the young master not yet married and seldom at home, the mansion was currently occupied by the concubines of the former master. The steward had ordered several old women to patrol the doors of each room every night.
That night, there was a light rain, and due to the winter, the city was enveloped in a cold mist. A woman’s scream suddenly pierced the night’s silence, like a sharp light cutting through the tranquility, waking up the entire mansion.
Several old women hurried back. The highest point in the garden was a man-made hill with a few small buildings where Wang Yun, the favorite concubine of the former master, lived. The scream came from there.
The old women’s steps were not swift; by the time they reached the small building, breathless, the mansion’s steward, Cang Qianlang, had already entered. His gaze was sharp, staring directly into the inner room. Behind him, the old women saw a chilling scene, and their lanterns fell to the ground with a clatter.
Wang Yun, the concubine of the old master, had her hair completely shaved off, her body laid bare on the bed, a rope around her neck, blood splattered all over the headboard. Beside the corpse, Wang Yun’s maid, Chu Xia, stood dumbfounded, one hand clutching a strand of long hair, the other holding a dagger as thin as a cicada’s wing. Her shoulder was draped in a somewhat worn green jacket, now stained with blood, making for a shocking sight.
Cang Qianlang’s face was icy, his hands clasped in front of his chest, taking a defensive stance. He slowly said, “Put down your weapon.”
With a clatter, Chu Xia dropped the dagger, and the strand of hair fell from her hand, scattering on the floor. Only then did she come to her senses, screaming, “It wasn’t… it wasn’t me…”
Taking advantage of her confusion, Cang Qianlang stepped forward, twisting her arms behind her back, the joints making a snapping sound as they dislocated. Chu Xia, just a girl of sixteen or seventeen, grimaced in pain and screamed. Cang Qianlang remained unmoved, throwing her to the servants behind him, coldly saying, “Lock her up. Have someone guard here; no one is allowed in or out.”
Someone immediately dragged the collapsed girl away. Cang Qianlang then bent down to examine Wang Yun’s body. Her eyes were wide open in terror. The wound at her neck was still bleeding, not a clean cut but as if the killer had struggled, slashing several times before finally cutting her throat. The most bizarre part was her head, completely shaved, not a single hair left.
Cang Qianlang squinted, pondering for a moment, then turned to ask the patrolling old women, “When did you reach here? And when did you leave? Did you notice anything unusual?”
One of the braver women stepped forward and replied, “We patrolled here about half an incense stick ago. Everything was normal, no unusual signs. We then went to the bamboo grove, heard the scream, and rushed back.”
Cang Qianlang nodded, picked up the dagger for a closer look, and sternly instructed, “Leave now. If a word of today’s events leaks out, you’ll all deal with the consequences.”
