This time, she once again took the path through the fields. The sun was setting in the west, and twilight gently enveloped the land. The farmers had all finished their work, and the surroundings were quite desolate. After walking a few steps, she looked back with doubt, bit her lip slightly, and quickened her pace. Suddenly, several dark figures darted out. Before she could even scream, one of them struck her neck with a chop, hoisted her onto his shoulder, and dashed off into the distance. The field was still empty, save for a figure stepping out from behind a mulberry tree. This was a handsome young man with a tall, upright figure. The twilight cast shadows on his profile, highlighting his stern features. Jun Ye’an. He gazed in the direction where those people disappeared, a moment of confusion in his heart. Should he chase? If he chased now, he would surely catch up. But why should he chase? He had only seen a fleeting glimpse of her at the Di family’s villa, and just from seeing her back, he couldn’t help but follow. Was it her? The silhouette did resemble her somewhat. If it truly was her… why would she be working as a maid in the Di family? But if it wasn’t… then he would consider it a favor done for Di Yin Hai. Having made up his mind, he followed them unhurriedly towards Mang Mountain outside Luoyang.
That night, in a dilapidated temple outside Mang Mountain, the girl was still unconscious. A man in black, by the flickering light of a candle, scrutinized her several times, hesitating, “Boss, did we kidnap the wrong person?” The girl’s nose bridge was slightly flat, her mouth somewhat large; her appearance was quite ordinary. “How could Di Yin Hai take a liking to her looking like this?” someone else puzzled, “A man like Di Yin Hai, what beauties hasn’t he seen? And why would the future young mistress of the Di family go out without even a single attendant?” “Heh, I didn’t believe it at first. After following her for half a year, I discovered that the future Mrs. Di has a habit of going to the White Horse Temple to pray alone, dressed and looking so ordinary that she wouldn’t attract attention if thrown on the street. What’s there to worry about?” “That makes sense.” “Has the message been sent to the Di family?” “It’ll be sent in a couple of days, after we’ve hidden in Mang Mountain.” The leader nodded, pondered for a moment, then said, “I also don’t believe Di Yin Hai would marry such a woman. There are people in the martial world who can disguise themselves; let’s see if she’s wearing a mask.” “How do we test it?” “Do we have water?” “No water.” One man grinned, showing yellow teeth, crudely saying, “We’ve got piss, though.” The leader thought for a moment, didn’t ask further, and flipped his hand to reveal a gleaming dagger, which he drew across the girl’s cheek. The cut was made with perfect control. Several onlookers gasped, “No blood! She’s definitely disguised.” The man threw away the dagger, roughly pulling off the mask, revealing an entirely different face beneath. “Gulp…” Someone swallowed, his eyes filled with a dazed admiration, murmuring, “Holy shit, this chick is so beautiful.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven (Part One)
The girl slowly came to. Her eyes, clear as water, contrasted starkly with the half-dangling mask, making her look bizarre. Her vision gradually cleared, her eyes showing little panic or fear, only fixedly watching the leader, calmly saying, “Do not hurt me. Whatever you want, the Di family will provide.” The man grinned, “Indeed, not an ordinary woman.” The girl closed her eyes again, silent. Suddenly, someone pinched her waist hard, her long lashes fluttered, trying to shrink away, but she was firmly held. “Boss, let me have some fun first…” the man drooled, “No one will know.” The leader fell silent. Seeing him tempted, the man quickly added, “Or you can go first—” The girl suddenly opened her eyes, her breath trembling, “Don’t touch me. The Di family will give you any amount of money!” “Money is easy, beauties are hard to find.” The man’s smile was lewd as he touched her cheek, soft and smooth, stirring his desire. He looked at the leader with barely contained eagerness. The leader was still undecided when suddenly, a gust of wind extinguished the torch outside the temple. “Who’s there?” There was a rustling sound outside, and the leader shouted, “Who’s there?” He brandished his long knife, turned back, and commanded, “Third, stay here. The rest, follow me out!” Several dark figures quickly disappeared outside the temple. After half an incense stick’s time, they returned, saying, “Damn, it was just a crow.” But as they entered, a faint smell of blood filled the air. They were startled to see an arm on the ground and the third, mute from having his mute point hit, rolling in pain. The leader quickly undid the mute point, angrily asking, “Who? Who did this?” The third, sweating profusely, endured the pain, his gaze filled with terror, “That person’s skills… not human, not human! It must be a ghost!”
The girl was carried by someone running fast, and once again placed on the ground in her dazed state. She took a deep breath, suppressing her discomfort, looking at the man before her, her voice hoarse, “You… you’re not with them?” The man sat down quietly, only after a long pause saying, “No. I’m taking you back to the Di family for the reward.” Under the starlight, he appeared as a tall young man, typical of a wanderer in the martial world. Seeing he didn’t approach her, she felt slightly at ease, whispering, “Can you let me go first?” The young man didn’t respond, leaning against a tree trunk as if he had suddenly fallen asleep. The girl moved her body, seemingly in great discomfort, and after a while, she softly said, “Hey, can you untie me… I won’t run away, and when we get back to Luoyang, you’ll get your reward.” The man shifted slightly, still silent. Earlier, she had gritted her teeth through the ordeal, but now her voice carried a hint of crying, “I need to relieve myself…” The man, still with his eyes closed, weighed a small stone in his hand, and without any visible effort, a whooshing sound followed, and the ropes around her wrists loosened. She hurriedly untied her feet and dashed into the rice field. When the rustling sound had faded into the distance, Jun Ye’an finally opened his eyes, looking into the darkness with infinite clarity. After a while, the girl returned, smiling at Jun Ye’an, and sat down hugging her knees, “Hero, thank you for saving me.” He only gave a faint “Hmm,” not speaking further. The young girl immediately noticed that he was wearing an extremely delicate human skin mask, perhaps to conceal his true identity. She didn’t press the issue, merely asking, “Did Yin Hai ask you to follow me?” He neither confirmed nor denied. The girl quietly glanced at him several times, observing his impassive, cold expression, yet she inexplicably felt at ease, as if knowing he would not harm her. “Who are those people?” she inquired. “Mang Mountain is full of bandits,” he slowly explained, “The Di family has been targeted for a long time.” “Oh…” she wanted to say more, but his expression subtly changed, and he gestured for her to be quiet. Then he crouched down, pressing his ear to the ground. “Someone’s coming,” he whispered, extending his right hand, pushing and then lifting her onto a tree by the roadside, while he himself crouched low, waiting silently. In the darkness, without stars or moon, visibility was poor, and the girl, sitting dazed on the tree, was unaware that her palm was bleeding from splinters.
He didn’t want to carry her away quickly, nor did he wish to reveal his true face. His push and lift… she bit her lower lip hard, recalling how she had begun to suspect him when he first leaped into the dilapidated temple to save her. Yet, she dared not believe, unwilling to believe, that he was so close when she wasn’t ready, and he had already returned.
