After ten days of walking, Xia Zhaoyun finally reached Jian'an City. It was noon, and the scorching sun beat down mercilessly. He entered an inn to take a rest, and as soon as he stepped inside, he noticed a strikingly handsome young man sitting in the center of the main hall. Two servants stood on either side of him—one massaging his back, the other fanning him. Xia Zhaoyun found the scene amusing but didn't think much of it, casually choosing an empty seat and ordering a simple meal.
At that moment, an elderly woman, her hair white as snow, hobbled inside, making her way to the young man. With a trembling voice, she pleaded, "Kind sir, this old woman has not eaten for three days. Please, grant me a morsel of food."
The young man glanced at one of his servants, who promptly handed a silver ingot to the old woman. Xia Zhaoyun watched this scene unfold, thinking, "It turns out this young man is kind-hearted, not as arrogant as he appears." Though such thoughts crossed his mind, he couldn't help but steal a few more glances at the young man, whose elegance and demeanor were far beyond what a simple villager like himself could ever hope to match.
With that, Xia Zhaoyun lowered his head and quietly poured himself a cup of tea. But suddenly, the sound of a scuffle erupted behind him. The old woman, after accepting the silver, had unexpectedly launched a fierce attack, striking the young man with a palm strike, sending him flying from his chair.
Realizing something was amiss, Xia Zhaoyun quickly surmised that the old woman was no ordinary beggar—she must be the young man's enemy. The old woman's eyes gleamed with malice as she attempted to capture the young man with a swift move. His servants rushed forward to intervene, but the old woman's agility was unmatched, and they were no match for her.
Xia Zhaoyun watched this thrilling scene unfold, his heart filled with worry for the young man. Several times he almost stood up, but at the last moment, he recalled Chang Jingyun's words: "Keep a low profile when you're outside." He thought to himself, "I shouldn't meddle in others' affairs. But what if the young man gets seriously hurt?"
The young man, brushing the dust from his clothes, glared at the old woman and demanded, "I have no quarrel with you. Why are you trying to harm me?"
The old woman laughed coldly. "You may have no quarrel with me, but your father is a heartless scoundrel."
Upon hearing this, the young man became furious. "Don't you dare insult my father!" he shouted, leaping toward Xia Zhaoyun and snatching the Glimmering Sword from his hand. "Young hero, may I borrow your sword?" Without waiting for a response, the sword was already in his grasp. He drew the blade and aimed a fierce strike at the old woman's abdomen. But with deft skill, she caught the sword's tip between two fingers, rendering his efforts futile.
"The men of the Shangguan family are all spineless fools," the old woman sneered.
With that, she sealed the young man's acupuncture points, leaving him immobilized. Then, she took out a large sack, threw it over the young man, and hoisted him onto her shoulder. Before leaving, she turned to the two stunned servants and said, "If you want to save your master, tell your lord to come find me." With that, she disappeared like a gust of wind.
Xia Zhaoyun stood frozen in place, but then he suddenly remembered the Glimmering Sword. "This is bad! The sword is still in her hands!" Without hesitation, he sprinted out of the inn to follow her.
The old woman moved swiftly, but despite this, Xia Zhaoyun managed to keep up. His youth and vigor gave him an advantage, while the old woman, carrying a man on her back, could only go so fast. After a mile, a great river came into view. The old woman boarded a boat with the young man, and everything fell silent.
To avoid alerting her, Xia Zhaoyun concealed himself in the bushes by the riverbank. Two hours passed, and the night grew darker. The moon hung low, and the river lights flickered faintly. Suddenly, a voice came from within the boat.
"Old hag, if you have any courage, let me go! When my father finds me, you'll regret it!"
"Hahaha! I'm hoping your father does find me. I'll kill him first, and then I'll send you to the underworld to keep him company!" the old woman replied.
Xia Zhaoyun thought, "There must be some deep grudge between them. I'll wait until she's asleep before retrieving my sword."
He waited until the middle of the night, when the boat's lights finally went out. Quietly, Xia Zhaoyun crept onto the boat and carefully made his way into the cabin.
Inside, it was pitch black, and he could see nothing. He groped around in the dark, trying to find his sword, but after a long search, he still hadn't found it. Suddenly, a tingling sensation spread across his back, and his limbs went numb. He collapsed onto a soft mattress. He realized someone had sealed his acupuncture points, but it was too late. The lights in the cabin flickered back on.
Xia Zhaoyun blinked and saw the young man lying in bed, glaring at him. Behind him, the old woman's voice rang out.
"You insolent brat! How dare you sneak onto my territory, Qin Sanniang's, in the middle of the night?"
Unable to move, Xia Zhaoyun could only lie there and speak, "Madam Qin, this was all a misunderstanding. I'm only here to retrieve my sword."
"Sword? What sword?"
"The one this young master borrowed from me earlier today."
Madam Qin glanced at the young man. "Is that true?"
Xia Zhaoyun had hoped the young man would explain the truth since he had lent him the sword, but to his surprise, the young man said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Aren't you the one my father sent to protect me?"
Seeing the misunderstanding deepen, Xia Zhaoyun didn't bother to argue further. His mind was still on the Glimmering Sword. "You've got it wrong, young master. I'm just a passerby. I don't know your father, and he didn't send me. I just want my sword back. Whatever feud you have, I won't get involved."
The young man sneered. "You ungrateful coward! You'd leave me to die?"
Xia Zhaoyun sighed. "You really have the wrong person. I'm not here on your father's orders."
Madam Qin, watching them argue, finally said, "I don't care who's telling the truth. Neither of you is leaving." With that, she grabbed Xia Zhaoyun, flipped him over, and tossed him beside the young man.
"Both of you stay put. When Shangguan Feiyu arrives tomorrow, you'll both die."
Xia Zhaoyun felt a great sense of injustice and protested, "Madam Qin, I truly don't know him! Please, just let me go."
Madam Qin had already left the cabin, but the word "Madam" seemed to irritate her. She stormed back, lighting every lamp in the cabin. "You two brats, look carefully! I am no old hag." With that, she ripped off a human skin mask, revealing a face of striking beauty. Both Xia Zhaoyun and the young man were utterly astonished—Madam Qin wasn't an old woman at all; she appeared to be in her early thirties, though her true age remained a mystery.