On the dark lakeshore, solitary lanterns cast a dim light on the nearby flowers, grasses, and trees. The woman hid in the shadows, watching as the scholar hummed a tune, rummaging through the grass. After finding a large stone, he tossed it a couple of times with apparent satisfaction before heading back.
At one end of the road, the Wulie soldiers were gradually drawing near, while officials with lanterns patrolled the lakeshore, seemingly arriving a step ahead of the soldiers. Suddenly, a series of loud thuds echoed; the scholar squatted beside the carriage, using the stone to strike the carriage wheel, apparently dealing with some problem. When he tossed aside the stone, dusted off his hands, and stood up, the officials were already close. The woman held her breath, knowing that the officials would naturally approach the scholar first. She heard their conversation.
"This young master… are you from the imperial son-in-law's residence?"
"Is there a problem?" The scholar responded nonchalantly, turning to ask.
"Uh... something happened in the city. We're pursuing a fugitive. Since you're not one of the imperial son-in-law's people, may I ask why you have this carriage...?"
The scholar's attitude suggested he had some connections. The officials maintained a respectful demeanor. After a moment of thought, the scholar asked in confusion, "A fugitive?"
At this moment, several Wulie soldiers approached and gathered around to see what was happening with the carriage, while a few remained vigilant, peering into the darkness by the river. The scholar turned back and asked, "Are you involved as well?"
"We're pursuing an assassin. What do you want to know?" the lead soldier responded steadily.
"What exactly happened?"
"Earlier in the city, there was an assassination attempt, and the assassin likely came this way. Might this young master have seen any suspicious individuals? Additionally, if you don't mind, we need to conduct a routine search."
"Ah, I understand. Please, go ahead," the scholar gestured with open hands, then asked, "By the way, has anyone been attacked?"
"Where did you come from?"
"From Bailuzhou, the flower queen competition. I'm Ning Li Heng, not from the imperial son-in-law's residence, but I know Mr. Ming, so I borrowed his carriage to return to the city. Mr. Ming should still be behind, returning by boat. Since you have your duties, if necessary... oh, the person responsible for my carriage is Steward Lu Agu from the imperial son-in-law's residence; you can ask him."
The soldiers couldn't casually disclose the details of what had happened, so they only inquired about the scholar's background. After checking the carriage, the soldiers became respectful upon hearing his words. The lead soldier bowed, saying, "My apologies."
One of the officials remarked, "Ning Li Heng... could it be the Ning Li Heng from 'When Will the Moon Be Clear?'"
This person seemed to have some standing. During the conversation, both the soldiers and officials changed their attitude toward him. The lead soldier lowered his voice slightly and said, "Earlier at the Xuanling Street intersection, an assassin attacked Lord Song Xian, resulting in numerous casualties. The assassin is skilled and ruthless, and she likely escaped into this area. Young master, please be careful and return home as soon as possible."
Both parties had their duties. After exchanging some words, they moved toward one direction, where they encountered another group of patrols. The scholar waved goodbye to the three groups in the distance, then, in the night, he hummed, "Heh, Song Xian..."
He then climbed onto the carriage, took the reins, and urged the carriage to move forward.
The carriage turned at the upcoming intersection, moving steadily. Ning Yi lifted the curtain and hung it up, watching the flickering lights around him. People returning from the flower queen competition passed by, and a few officials hurried in the opposite direction. Upon seeing the open curtain and the insignia on the carriage, they paid little mind.
The crowd had increased significantly; those returning from the competition mostly had some connections. It would be overly troublesome to interrogate each person while they were already moving away from the suspicious central area. Moreover, the number of personnel available at that moment was insufficient. The best they could do was to strictly check those leaving through the city gates.
The bait had been cast; whether it was effective would depend on luck. According to his expectations, the assassin was most likely hiding near the lakeshore. However, that area was quite expansive, so he searched for what he deemed the most probable spot. The surroundings were quiet, and spoken words would easily carry, making the chances of the fish taking the bait about thirty percent.
He didn't know if someone was already in his carriage; there was no way to check without risking a sudden strike. Instead, he kept his eyes on the roads on either side of the carriage. There were still people around, so if the other party took the bait, they wouldn't get off here. However, the road leading to the school was somewhat secluded. When the streets were empty, he slowed the carriage and decided to speak.
"I want to say a few things, so please, warrior, don't be too sensitive. Song Xian is ruthless and arrogant, using any means necessary to climb the ranks. In the autumn of the sixth year of Jinghan, he even accused an entire family in Eryue Village outside the city of a crime to seize their land, resulting in their death—a fact that became widely known later. Yet, without evidence, no one could touch him. I've long heard of his evil deeds, and before this, I admired the bold and chivalrous spirit. If you trust me, I am willing to lend you a hand…"
His earlier wandering had merely skirted the edge of danger, but uttering those words was a real gamble. Of course, with the details of the two assassination attempts and the current situation, he was confident that the risks had been minimized. However, any potential effectiveness relied entirely on the assassin boarding the carriage, which had a mere thirty percent chance.
There were no pedestrians on the road. After finishing his statement, Ning Yi waited for a possible response, but after a long pause, none came.
Had he miscalculated?
In a situation where the layout couldn't be perfect, failure was common. After all, the opportunity had been slim from the start, so he didn't feel he had lost anything. As time passed, a faint sense of regret arose in Ning Yi's heart. He sighed, preparing to stop and check beneath the carriage when a sudden thud echoed from behind.
His heart jolted. He jumped down from the carriage, lantern in hand, and moved towards the sound, only to find the assassin collapsed on the road, the black cloth she had wrapped around herself lying nearby, unconscious.
From the beginning, after killing Song Xian and being surrounded, she had fought with all her strength to take him down, sustaining many injuries. Ning Yi had seen her fierce demeanor, but after racing through the city while being hunted, her body had been pushed to its limits. When he had exposed her hiding spot, she might have attempted to burst out but ultimately fainted instead. To avoid bleeding on the way, she had tightly wrapped herself in the cloth, which she still clutched now. Ning Yi observed for a few seconds before quickly picking her up.
There had been several miscalculations and unexpected events earlier, but at this juncture, it truly felt like a perfect turn of events.
From the outset, the chance of getting her into the carriage had been low. After she boarded, building her trust amid a delicate situation and gradually assisting her to create a debt of gratitude before negotiating… Each of these steps had a diminishing probability of success. Yet now, this was indeed the most ideal outcome. Just by speaking, he had gained her trust; the controllability was too low. Now that she was unconscious, many subsequent steps were simplified. All he needed to do was tend to her injuries first, and once she regained consciousness, she would naturally consider her situation more rationally, reducing suspicion and doubt.
The road was nearing the small courtyard he had rented near the school. After turning the corner, he reached the entrance. Ning Yi looked around before carrying the cloaked woman inside. The outer room was used for his experiments, while the inner room had a small storage area, though it was still sparsely furnished. There was a bed and some chairs left by previous occupants. He laid the woman down on the bed, then stepped outside to check for any suspicious signs before returning to gather medical supplies.
He had prepared some common ointments and bandages, anticipating possible injuries from his experiments, and had also brought needles and thread. He lit a crude alcohol lamp he had made from a porcelain bottle—having developed a small distillation apparatus for a food business with Nie Yunzhu, he had managed to produce a small amount of alcohol. As he pushed open the door to the inner room and stepped inside, he suddenly felt a sharp blade pressed against his neck.
She woke up too quickly…
Holding the alcohol lamp motionless, Ning Yi silently cursed. The woman leaned against the wall, the sword coldly aimed at him. It seemed that his words in the carriage had indeed made some impact; she didn't seem to have any immediate intention to kill. After a moment, she asked, "What do you want?"
"Medicine for your wounds." Ning Yi raised his right hand, revealing a small package, and slowly placed it on the small table in front of him, opening it. "Light." He said, setting down the alcohol lamp and raising his hands. "I'll help you treat your injuries."
"How can I trust you?"
"Judge for yourself."
The woman picked up a small package of ointment, sniffed it, glanced at Ning Yi, and tossed it aside. She opened a porcelain bottle to inspect its contents, only to throw it away as well. During this process, she finally lowered her sword slightly. After a moment, she asked, "What's the hook for?"
"It's a needle, to help stitch your wounds."
"Stitch… my wounds?"
"Yeah, to close the wounds so they heal faster."
She looked at him oddly for a moment. "Get out."
Then she added, "You can stay outside. If you leave or pull any tricks, I'll kill you immediately!"
"I'll boil some hot water for you."
This woman probably had better medicine of her own, so it wouldn't be wise for him to handle her injuries. Ning Yi nodded and stepped out. He shook his head with a smile; no matter what, the first step had been successfully completed.
"My name is Ning Yi, courtesy name Liheng. What about you, miss?"
With that, he maintained a humble demeanor and began to chat casually…