"The water's ready…"
In the dark night, the flickering lights of the city cast shadows in the desolate small courtyard. Ning Yi placed a basin of water on the table in the inner room.
The woman in black was holding a small medicine pouch, leaning against the bed to tend to her wounds. When Ning Yi entered, she straightened her clothes and stopped, her face still covered by a veil, but her body was stained with blood. Ning Yi thought for a moment, then rummaged through a nearby cabinet and pulled out a long robe.
"There's no clean change of clothes here, only this one. It's clean enough, and your clothes are torn. You can change into it tonight; the new clothes will have to wait until tomorrow."
The woman shot him a cold glare. "Where do you think you're going?"
Ning Yi hesitated, then raised his hand with a smile. "Alright, when you trust me, you can handle your wounds first. I'll sit outside and boil some more water."
"If you try to leave, no matter how fast you think you can run, I guarantee you won't get out of this courtyard."
"Got it, I won't leave."
Ning Yi smiled and turned back to take down a jar from the shelf. He opened it, releasing a strong smell of alcohol.
"It's liquor, but it's too strong to drink. If you need to clean your wounds, you can use this."
Actually, it was all alcohol. Ning Yi stepped outside and closed the door. The woman frowned slightly as she listened to the sound of his footsteps. A moment later, in the light, she pulled open her clothing, revealing layers of blood-stained cloth covering her chest. Several pieces had already torn. From her shoulders down to her abdomen, her skin was covered in blood, some of it congealed into scabs, deep red and gruesome. The scars on her front were relatively light, but on her back and arms, there was a wound that likely reached the bone. As she pulled down her clothing, the scabs broke open again, and she bit her lip, enduring the pain. Most of her wounds had stopped bleeding, miraculously clotting on their own.
The woman twisted the cloth in the basin and began to wipe away the blood with a frown. The dim lights, the ancient sword, the simple room, and the woman cleaning her body… After a while, Ning Yi sat on a stool, looking at the lamp's glow. The woman could probably hear his movements; she paused for a moment before continuing to clean her wounds, applying the medicinal powder to them.
"This place was originally a deserted garden; not many people come here. In the past, it might have been searched during inspections, but I've rented it now, so there shouldn't be any problems. Next door is Yushan Academy, and further beyond is a small bamboo grove. A small river flows through there; it's not wide. Across the river are two inns, leading into a triangular residential area with alleys crisscrossing everywhere. If someone were to chase you there, it wouldn't be easy. There are Changxing Street and Changye Street nearby, and further on, the road leads to the South Gate… On the other side of the courtyard is…"
Leaning against the wall, Ning Yi began to describe everything around them slowly. The woman quietly tended to her wounds, listening. After a moment, she asked, "Are you a disciple of the Daoist school?"
"Hmm?"
"There are so many alchemical items outside."
"Oh, I'm not alchemical; I'm more of a Confucian disciple. These are for investigating things."
"More of?"
"More of."
"…How did you know I was under the carriage?"
"Just a feeling… or a guess…"
"Do you have a grudge against Song Xian?"
"No, I've just heard some of his infamous deeds."
"…Not entirely accurate."
"I've seen you before, miss."
There was a slight silence on the other side. "When?"
"During the Lantern Festival this year, I saw you fighting on Zhuque Street from a distance of a few dozen meters. Later, in the tavern, I saw you dressed as a maid serving wine."
"…I remember now." Her voice softened. On the other side of the wall, the woman paused in her actions, then suddenly swept her right arm, grabbing the hilt of the sword on the small table and stabbing it backward with a whoosh. With a thud, dirt and stone flew from the other side of the wall as the sword pierced through the earthen wall, stopping mere inches from Ning Yi's face. He tilted his head and smiled.
"Are you the scholar who wrote poetry that day… why are you following me?"
"Today, you're the one following me," Ning Yi replied, and the woman on the other side of the wall was momentarily taken aback. "But you should understand that I mean no harm."
After a moment, the woman withdrew the sword and placed it on the table, light filtering through the gaps in the blade.
"But why are you following me? What are your intentions?"
"Besides the matter with Song Xian… I want to learn martial arts," Ning Yi admitted. The woman was silent for a long while, seemingly surprised by this answer. After a moment, her voice softened slightly. "You're talking nonsense."
"It's the truth. Since I was young, I've admired martial arts. I've long wanted to know what the legendary profound martial arts are really like…"
"You have considerable talent?" The voice interrupted him.
"Uh, it's hard to say that myself…"
"That day in the tavern, when everyone asked you to write poetry, and you produced a verse, no one had anything to say… You scholars always look down on martial artists. You're a talented scholar with some fame, yet you say you want to practice martial arts, even profound ones. You don't go to battle or fight, just putting on a show—what's the use in that? I don't believe you."
The woman spoke calmly, without any emotion, simply stating her thoughts. Ning Yi pondered for a moment, hearing the faint sound of bells from outside the city. He chuckled, "That's indeed true… it's not much use. Besides, I've heard that to master profound martial arts, one must start training as a child, spending over a decade or two, without interruption to achieve anything. Is that correct?"
"You've already passed the age for practicing martial arts."
"What a pity," Ning Yi replied with a smile. "Actually… I'm good at investigating things."
"…Investigating things?"
"Yeah, it means to exhaustively explore the principles of everything and then derive their uses. For example, the alcohol you use to clean wounds has undergone several rounds of cooling and distillation; right now, it's just a small extract. But if you were to use it for brewing…"
Time was getting late, and Ning Yi casually chatted as he waited. Inside the room, the woman continued to treat her wounds, occasionally distractedly saying a word or two. Her clothes were soaked with blood, still lying on the side. The white bandages wrapped around her chest wound, spiraling around her shoulders, and even on her thighs and right foot, there were several layers. After hesitating for a moment, she finally donned the long robe. At this point, she removed her veil, revealing a pale face that looked weak but still wary.
After a while, Ning Yi said, "It's getting late. If I don't head back soon, my family will likely come looking for me. I'll come back tomorrow morning; you should rest since you're injured."
Ning Yi waited for a moment, but there was no response from her. He extinguished the lamp and prepared to leave. Then he added, "Oh, if you want to put out that alcohol lamp, just cover the flame with a lid from the side. If you blow it out, it might explode." After saying this, he pushed the door open and gently closed it behind him.
Inside the room, the door was pulled open gently. The woman, holding onto the long robe, stepped out barefoot, silently walking to the door and peering out into the courtyard. Ning Yi had already left through the gate. Before long, the sound of a carriage rolling away gradually faded into the distance.
In the courtyard, the chirping of insects filled the air, and the stars twinkled in the night sky. The woman furrowed her brow as she gazed in the direction of the departing carriage, contemplating for a moment. She then turned to look at the room again, noticing the various items on the shelves, jars, and vials. When she had first woken up, she had only caught a glimpse of them, thinking it was a place for a Daoist to brew potions. Now, she saw even more things in the room. In the relatively open space, several tables were lined up in rows, strange iron frames, peculiar iron barrels, and pipes filled the room with incomprehensible instruments. A black wooden board hung on the wall at the far end, covered in white, bizarre symbols. Starlight streamed through the window, casting its glow on the pages of books and opened sheets of rice paper on the tables, while brushes clattered on their stands…
The night wind blew in through the open door, tousling her already messy hair and the slightly oversized long robe. Beneath the robe, the contours of her body wrapped in bandages were faintly visible. The woman closed the door behind her and walked back to the inner room, curling up in the corner of the bed with her sword and knees, falling asleep…
Tonight, she shouldn't suddenly leave…
As the carriage made its way toward the side door of the Su family, Ning Yi took a deep breath, thinking this, then smiled.
Because she has no clothes to wear…
Of course, the main reason is still her injuries. With an official like Song Xian dead, it won't be long before the soldiers set up checkpoints all over Jiangning. Given her serious wounds, she can't escape for now.
From the way this woman handled arranging for Song Xian's personal guards, she's not a fool; she understands the need for caution and isn't likely to do something reckless.
To directly state his interest in martial arts is a delicate matter. If he brings it up later, it might give the impression that the entire plan was built around this interest. In these times, although there's a bias towards literature over martial prowess, the personal arts are still held in high regard; especially with those rare and exceptional skills. While he may have outgrown the age for practicing martial arts, he isn't looking to be a top expert—he hasn't even considered wandering the rivers or going to battle.
This matter needs to be broached first, then diluted with other elements, making it seem open and honest. As long as he can get past this hurdle, bringing it up again later will feel stable. If he waits until later, it might provoke her discomfort, and if she feels indebted to him, she might suspect him of plotting against her.
He needs to leave a good impression tomorrow, to encourage her to stay…
After being in the Wu dynasty for so long, it's the first time he's proactively thought about planning things. It feels similar to negotiating deals or pitching ideas in the past—first, he must make the other party feel he is sincere, then slowly discuss conditions: what you need, what I need. For him, it's always been a matter of clear financial exchange; he just wanted to secure an equal standing for dialogue beforehand.
On the way home, he passed through the small path by the side door. Looking over at the little courtyard, there were no lights, so it seemed that Tan'er and her maid hadn't returned yet. He wondered if Xiao Chan had gone to bed. As he reached the courtyard entrance, he finally noticed the girl sitting in the central pavilion.
With her neat bangs and a floral white dress, the girl sat there lost in thought, her fists resting on her knees, giving off an impression of gritted teeth. The starlight fell from above, illuminating the girl's focused profile. Ning Yi watched for two seconds until her gaze shifted, and she stood up, looking over.
The night wind rustled her skirt as she stood there, staring blankly. This wasn't the bouncy Xiao Chan he was used to seeing with her hair tied up; she seemed more mature, like a version of Xiao Chan who usually hid in the background. This feeling lingered for two seconds.
"Master…"
The first syllable came out, already tinged with a sobbing breath, and tears rolled down the girl's cheeks. She raised her hand to wipe them away and suddenly began to cry.
"Master…"
Amid her cries, Xiao Chan rushed over and threw herself into his arms, nearly pushing him back a step. Ning Yi wrapped his arms around her back, letting out a soft sigh.
"I'm back…"
"Master… where on earth have you been…"
In the night, the crying girl seemed to shrink, transforming back into the old Xiao Chan…