1: Snowy Night's Upheaval
Lin Qingge stood beneath the corridor, watching the snowflakes drift down from the sky.
This would be the last New Year's Eve she would spend at the Lin family estate. The mansion was adorned with festive lanterns, and maidservants bustled along the covered walkways, carrying steaming plates of dumplings. In the main hall, her father drank with several uncles, while her mother soothed her baby brother in the warm chamber.
Everything seemed so ordinary, so ordinary that it made her uneasy.
She reached out to catch a snowflake, watching it melt in her palm. For some reason, she felt restless today, as if something terrible was about to happen. She looked up at the sky, where dusk was falling, and the distant mountains were barely visible through the curtain of snow.
"Miss, your mother wants you to join them for dinner," the voice of her maid, Chuntao, came from behind.
Lin Qingge pulled herself together and turned toward the warm chamber. But before she could take more than a few steps, a commotion erupted in the front courtyard. She stopped and listened.
"Bang—"
A loud crash was followed by screams.
Lin Qingge's heart clenched. She quickly hid behind a pillar, using the night to conceal herself. The front courtyard was ablaze, and dozens of black-clad men wielding swords were slaughtering the household servants.
"Run!"
Her father's voice rang out in the distance. Lin Qingge saw him holding a sword, fighting alongside several uncles as they retreated. Her mother rushed out of the warm chamber, clutching her baby brother, her face filled with terror.
"Qingge! Take your brother and run!" Her mother's voice was heart-wrenching.
Lin Qingge gritted her teeth and darted out from behind the pillar. She grabbed her brother from her mother's arms and bolted toward the side gate. Behind her, she heard her mother's screams, but she didn't dare look back. She held her brother tightly and ran as fast as she could.
The snow fell harder, soaking her embroidered shoes. The cold crept up from her feet. Her brother, sensing the danger, began to wail.
"Don't cry, don't cry..." Lin Qingge whispered soothingly, though her own tears streamed down her face. She couldn't stop, she had to keep running, out of the estate, into the alleyways, toward the outskirts of the city.
The sounds of slaughter faded behind her, but Lin Qingge knew their pursuers wouldn't give up so easily. She looked down at her brother in her arms. The little one had cried himself out and was now hiccupping softly.
"Halt!"
A sharp shout came from behind. Lin Qingge's heart leaped into her throat. Ahead, she saw a bamboo grove and dashed into it without hesitation. Snow slid off the bamboo leaves, falling onto her face, icy and stinging.
She hid behind a clump of bamboo, holding her breath. The footsteps of their pursuers grew closer, and she could hear the clang of swords.
"Search separately!"
Lin Qingge clenched her teeth and gently set her brother down. She picked up a sharp stone from the ground, knowing she couldn't just wait for death.
Just then, she heard a muffled groan, followed by the sound of something heavy falling. She cautiously peeked out and saw a black-clad man slowly collapsing, an arrow protruding from his back.
"Who's there?" The remaining pursuers looked around warily.
Another arrow whistled through the air, striking another man in the throat. Lin Qingge saw a dark figure flit across the bamboo tops, moving with astonishing speed.
The remaining pursuers panicked and scattered, but the figure wasn't about to let them go. Arrow after arrow found their marks with deadly precision.
Lin Qingge held her brother tightly, not daring to make a sound. When the last pursuer fell, she saw a man in dark robes leap down from the bamboo.
He wore a silver mask, revealing only a pair of deep, piercing eyes. He walked over to where Lin Qingge was hiding and looked down at her.
"Come out," he said, his voice low and melodious, yet commanding.
Lin Qingge stood up, holding her brother, and eyed him warily. "Who are you?"
"A passerby," the man said lightly. "What's your name?"
Lin Qingge hesitated. "Liu Xu."
"A good name," the man said with a soft laugh. "Light as a willow catkin, yet able to survive this snowy night. Impressive."
Lin Qingge didn't respond, only held her brother tighter. She could feel his body burning with fever; he must have caught a chill.
The man seemed to notice her concern. "Your brother is ill?"
Lin Qingge nodded.
"Follow me," the man said, turning away.
Lin Qingge hesitated, then followed. She knew that in her current situation, going with this mysterious man might be her only way out.
The man led her through the bamboo grove to a hidden cave. A fire burned inside, filling the space with warmth.
"Set him down," the man said, pointing to a stone bed covered with animal pelts.
Lin Qingge carefully laid her brother down and knelt beside the bed, gently touching his feverish forehead.
"You know medicine?" the man asked.
Lin Qingge nodded. "A little."
"Then tend to him yourself," the man said, handing her a medicine box.
Lin Qingge opened the box to find it fully stocked with various herbs. She deftly selected a few and began preparing a decoction for her brother.
The man stood to the side, silently watching her skilled movements, a hint of admiration in his eyes.
"How old are you?" the man asked suddenly.
"Sixteen," Lin Qingge replied without looking up.
"Sixteen..." the man murmured. "Just right."
Lin Qingge ignored his musings and focused on preparing the medicine. She knew that from this night onward, her life would change completely. But to avenge her family, she had to survive. She had to become stronger