Lan Zhuoran stood in the dimly lit courtyard, staff resting lightly in his hands. The flicker of lanterns threw wavering shadows against the mansion's cracked walls, while tattered banners rustled overhead. He drew in a slow breath, trying to ignore the twinge in his rib where a recent wound still throbbed. Across the expanse of broken tiles, Gao Tianrong paced with bow at the ready, scanning every dark corner of Lord Zhou's estate.
Occasionally, a night wind sighed through the corridors, carrying the faint odor of mold and neglect. The staff of the estate—fewer than a dozen men and women—kept to a central foyer, their anxiety palpable. Rumors of raiders or mercenary raiding parties had haunted them for weeks. Now, with three seasoned travelers to reinforce the watch, they dared to hope for some reprieve.
Yin Feiyan leaned against a chipped marble pillar near the manor's main entrance, the relic snug beneath her cloak. Though her arm remained splinted, she insisted on helping guard. A faint sheen of sweat dotted her brow; pain still flickered through her bandaged limb, but she forced herself to remain upright. Each time footsteps echoed along the mansion's corridors, she stiffened, half-expecting a midnight assault.
Lord Zhou, dressed in a fraying robe that hinted at lost nobility, approached with halting steps. He offered a tremulous smile. "You're doing us a great service," he whispered, voice quavering. "I only pray no one tries to breach our walls tonight."
Feiyan's eyes flicked to Lan Zhuoran, who nodded. "We'll do our best, Lord Zhou. Your guards have the courtyard's perimeter secured, and we'll patrol the manor's entrance."
The old noble sighed with relief. "Thank you. If we survive these troubled times, I won't forget your kindness." Then he retreated inside, leaving them alone under the sputtering lanternlight.
Hours crawled by, unease thrumming in each heartbeat. Lan Zhuoran circled the courtyard, occasionally exchanging quiet words with Gao Tianrong, who perched on a ledge for a better vantage. Feiyan maintained a vantage near the foyer's archway, her senses alert despite the dull ache pulsing through her arm.
Shortly after midnight, Gao Tianrong's voice hissed through the gloom: "Movement at the outer wall."
Lan Zhuoran froze. Feiyan tensed, gripping her staff in her uninjured hand. Within moments, two of Lord Zhou's guards hurried across the courtyard, armor clinking. Gao Tianrong signaled them to stay quiet. All eyes fixated on the low wall that encircled the estate's western flank.
A faint scrape of stone broke the silence. Then, like wraiths emerging from the shadows, silhouettes scaled the crumbling wall. Five or six figures dropped into the courtyard, armed with short swords and axes. One hissed, "Search quickly—take what we can!"
A swirl of tension seized the air. Lan Zhuoran raised his staff, heart pounding. Bandits? Or mercenary scouts? They moved with furtive speed, oblivious to the watchers hidden behind pillars. Gao Tianrong nocked an arrow, drawing back silently.
Feiyan's breath caught. Despite her injury, she refused to stay idle. She glanced at Lan Zhuoran, who gave a brief nod. They leapt into action. Gao Tianrong loosed an arrow that took the lead intruder in the shoulder. The man cried out, stumbling.
"Ambush!" another hissed, brandishing a sword. But the bandits had only seconds to react before Lan Zhuoran closed in, staff striking with focused grace. Feiyan advanced from the flank, ignoring the throb in her arm. She slammed her staff's end into a bandit's midsection, driving him back.
Lord Zhou's guards rushed forward, one letting out a battle cry. Though inexperienced, they fought with desperation, determined to defend their battered home. Swords clashed in the moonlight, sparks dancing against crumbling tile. The intruders cursed and slashed wildly, but Gao Tianrong's precise arrows whittled their ranks.
A quick pivot brought Lan Zhuoran face-to-face with a snarling bandit who feinted left then struck right. Lan Zhuoran twisted aside, staff connecting with the attacker's wrist. The man yelped, dropping his blade. Meanwhile, Feiyan grappled another intruder, staff pinned awkwardly against her splint-bound arm. She grimaced in pain but refused to yield, sweeping the bandit off his feet with a determined kick.
One bandit managed to slip past the initial defense, darting into the foyer in hopes of plunder. Gao Tianrong barked a warning and sprinted after him, arrow readied. The intruder skidded to a halt inside the half-lit foyer, confronted by two trembling maids huddled behind an overturned table. He snarled, raising his weapon. Gao Tianrong's arrow hissed, embedding in the man's thigh, halting him mid-lunge.
In minutes, the attempted raid ended as swiftly as it began. Two intruders lay wounded, the rest fled back over the wall or collapsed in the courtyard. Lord Zhou's guards, though shaken, realized they had fended off a nighttime theft. Sweat dripped from every brow; hearts hammered like war drums.
Feiyan collapsed onto one knee, panting. Lan Zhuoran knelt beside her, pressing a supportive hand to her shoulder. She clutched her splint, eyes scrunched in pain. "I'm fine," she managed, though trembling. "It's just… throbbing again."
Gao Tianrong emerged from the foyer, bow lowered. "I got the one inside. He's wounded, but stable. He won't try anything more." His amber gaze swept the courtyard, landing on the battered intruders. "We should see what they wanted."
A trembling hush enveloped the scene. Lord Zhou, drawn by the commotion, stood at the threshold in stunned disbelief, the tails of his robe fluttering. "You… you saved us." His voice shook. "I—this estate is indebted to you all."
No more raiders appeared. The night's tension eased only slightly as the guards secured the wounded intruders, dragging them into a side storeroom. Feiyan winced at each movement, leaning on Lan Zhuoran for balance. Gao Tianrong reorganized the watch, ensuring no second wave would catch them unprepared.
Dawn approached with pink streaks against a weary sky. Though bruised and exhausted, the trio had upheld their promise—defending Lord Zhou's estate for one perilous night. As the sun's first rays broke over the battered walls, relief mingled with the knowledge that they must soon depart. Their mission called them onward, deeper into the empire's fractured heart.