Chapter 13 Loyalty: This Little Sword Slave Fears No Death

“It’s you.” Pei Chu recognized Guan Ye’s face. He remembered this face. Jiang Muyun had also said that this little sword slave was not afraid of death.

“Young Master…” Guan Yeping composed herself, “Jiang Muyun has been taken to a prison cell by the sect leader.”

The thing he feared most still happened. Pei Chu's face was stiff, his high cheekbones stood out, and his knuckles were so tense that they revealed terrifying blue veins. He didn't ask Guan Ye the reason. He had done what he could, but he still couldn't fight against so-called fate.

"Birth date and time." Guan Ye steadied the trembling bamboo chair. "After they heard Jiang Muyun's birth date and time, the shop owner had Jiang Muyun taken away. Young Master, Young Master?"

"I'm listening." Pei Chu felt a sudden dizziness.

"Please, young master, save her." Guan Ye's forced resolve began to crumble. "The sect leader is furious. Jiang Muyun hasn't done anything wrong, so why is she being taken to a prison cell?"

"May I have your name?"

"Young Master?" Even at this critical moment, he still asked me what my name was? "My name is Guan Ye."

"Guan Ye," Pei Chu whispered, "Go where you need to go first. If I need anything, I'll come find you."

"Do you know where to find me?" Guan Ye didn't quite understand.

Pei Chu pointed to the half-stack of calligraphy copybooks on the desk. "You haven't been auditing classes lately. Mu Yun said she'd wait for you to come back and give you these copybooks. She's seen the characters you traced on the ground. You learn very quickly, and your handwriting is quite good." As she spoke, her arm drooped limply. "Take them back with you."

"Young Master..." Guan Ye choked up, "Please save Jiang Muyun, only you can save her."

“You’re not even that familiar with Jiang Muyun, yet you’ve come to beg for help because of her.” Pei Chu stared at Guan Ye’s clean, silk-like face. “My father is the most respected person on the island, and he always keeps his word. If he finds out that you’ve come to me to save someone… Guan Ye, do you know what the consequences will be?”

"I'm alone, I only have one life, what consequences could there be?" Guan Ye said without fear. "That day, Lou Shitou and I were almost surrounded and beaten up, and it was she who helped us."

"She helped you?" Pei Chu's pale face twitched.

"I, Guan Ye, will always repay kindness." Guan Ye patted her chest, carefully picked up the calligraphy scroll on the table, and gently wiped it. "If there's anything I can do to help, Young Master, you can send someone to the Lou family to find me." After taking a few steps, Guan Ye remembered something and turned back to ask, "Young Master, will Jiang Muyun be able to come out in a few days?"

"If she can get out, but it will be at considerable risk, how much can you help?" Pei Chu scrutinized her expression, and if she hesitated even slightly, he wouldn't continue. "And how much courage do you have?"

Guan Ye thought he was about to say something, but upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "I haven't spoken a single word to the young master, yet I dared to come straight to you. I have nothing of value, only my courage and my life." Seeing Pei Chu hesitate as if he was conflicted, Guan Ye asked curiously, "It's just a birth date and time, why does it seem so mysterious, as if it involves someone's life?"

"Besides you, is that guy named Lou Shitou reliable?"

“Him,” Guan Ye said honestly, “is reliable, but his brain…”

Pei Chu already knew a thing or two, and shook her head to tell Guan Ye not to say anything more. Guan Ye bit her lip and pondered for a moment, "We don't have enough manpower... but I know a swordsman. Jiang Muyun was taken away by the swordsmen at the behest of the shop owner."

Swordsmen. Pei Chu recalled a series of young, spirited faces, each with lofty ambitions, unlikely to jeopardize their future prospects for their own sake.

Guan Ye noticed Pei Chu's hesitation and stepped forward, saying, "It was also a swordsman named A Jiu who reminded me to come find you."

Ajiu? Pei Chu had heard her father and Pei Bi mention this name. He was a visitor from outside the island, and no one knew his past. He was a smuggling youth, and how many stories could be traced back? Most of what could be remembered were unbearable to recall. There was not much time left for Jiang Muyun. Whether to use him or not, Pei Chu had to make a decision.

"Come here with Ajiu at midnight tonight and wait for me." Pei Chu had no other choice. "Whether Jiang Muyun lives or dies depends on you two."

Will he live? Guan Ye thought she had misheard. How could a birth chart really take a person's life?

“Three days later,” Pei Chu sighed deeply, “if we can’t rescue Jiang Muyun, she will have to sacrifice herself for the furnace.”

Guan Ye's hand suddenly loosened, and the calligraphy copybook scattered all over the ground.

Guan Ye didn't even know how she got back. She had sacrificed herself for the furnace. No wonder, no wonder Young Master Pei had gone to such lengths to convince Jiang Muyun that they were born on the same day, month, and year as him. He already knew that Jiang Muyun's birth chart was purely Yin, but why... Guan Ye regretted not reminding Jiang Muyun. She had memorized the birth chart herself, how could Jiang Muyun have forgotten it? She clearly remembered it too.

Guan Ye, Guan Ye, you're usually so talkative and nosy. Why didn't you say a word this time? Guan Ye slapped herself hard. Just one more word, that's all. Even if I get punished by lying against the wall, it's better than letting someone else lose their life in vain.

If Jiang Muyun were really dead… Guan Ye’s heart clenched. She wouldn’t die! Guan Ye trusted Pei Chu. He was the young master of the Pei family. He was omniscient and omnipotent in the academy. If he could get her to gather manpower, he must have a way to save Jiang Muyun.

We must save Jiang Muyun.

Aunt Lou had been observing Guan Ye for quite some time. The girl had been out of her mind since she came back from outside. She hadn't eaten for two meals in a row, and she hadn't even gone to work in the afternoon. As a result, her husband, Shi Tou, had to do the work of two people. When he got home, he was so exhausted that he couldn't even chop firewood. Aunt Lou told Guan Ye about everything, but she didn't react at all, as if Shi Tou deserved it.

That heartless brat! Aunt Lou heated up a steamed bun and glanced at Shi Tou, telling him to deliver it to Guan Ye. Shi Tou ignored her, lying on the bench and dozing off. Somehow, after noon, the workshop master personally gave an order, telling everyone to roll up their sleeves and work harder, to burn a thousand catties of silver charcoal within three days. A thousand catties! Shi Tou isn't made of iron. He refused to deliver the steamed bun.

The courtyard gate creaked open, and Aunt Lou, who was holding steamed buns, froze when she saw the newcomers. "You're not...that?" In the moonlight, the boys at the gate looked somewhat familiar. Aunt Lou slapped her thigh. "You're with Little Stone!"

"Excuse me, Auntie, is Guan Ye here?" the leader, Ajiu, asked politely.

"Yes, yes." Aunt Lou said, glancing behind Ajiu. Seeing that Lou Cangyu was not inside, her sunken eyes showed a hint of disappointment.

“Cang Yu still has homework to do,” A Jiu said knowingly. “We’re here to find Guan Ye too.”

Aunt Lou snapped out of her daze, turned her head to look at Guan Ye's room, then glanced at A Jiu's handsome face, and immediately understood a few things. It seemed that his soul hadn't been bewitched by something evil, but had been eaten by someone. He said he looked down on swordsmen, but he was just being hypocritical. Ugh.

"Guan Ye is inside." Aunt Lou stuffed a hot steamed bun into A Jiu's hands. "You've come at the right time. I don't know why, but that brat hasn't eaten or drunk anything today. Is she trying to become an immortal?"

Ah Jiu headed straight for the side room. The two boys clasped their hands in greeting to Aunt Lou and followed closely behind. Aunt Lou watched their backs as they walked away. As soon as she approached the room, she opened the door and led the group inside. Then she slammed the door shut, leaving only the flickering shadows by the window.

"If you don't come soon, I'm coming to find you." Guan Ye added some lamp oil, and the dim room brightened up a bit, illuminating the enthusiastic yet tense faces of the group. "This is A-Jiu, what are your names?"

"My name is Feng Shisan, but they all call me Young Master Shisan." The dark-skinned boy smiled, revealing his white teeth, and his sword-like eyebrows gave him a heroic air. "You can just call me Shisan, there's no need to add 'Young Master'."

"What's the trick to this?" another boy tapped his shoulder with the hilt of his sword. "Why is she different from others?"

“She dares to stand up for someone in front of the brothel owner, who else would dare?” Feng Shisan shrugged and pushed the hilt of his sword away. “I respect her more than any man, so you can just call me by my name. You, on the other hand, have to call me Young Master Shisan.”

This reason was valid. The young man sheathed his sword, pointed at himself, and smiled at Guan Ye with narrowed eyes, "My surname is Ma, you can just call me Little Ma. I don't have a given name, so I'll just call you Little Ma."

"Feng Shisan, Xiao Ma." These two names weren't hard to remember, and Guan Ye silently memorized them. "My name is..."

"Guan Ye," they both said in unison, "I've heard it countless times."

"I've made a name for myself on the island?" Guan Ye looked at them suspiciously.

"I don't know how many times I've heard people mention it." Xiao Ma glanced at A Jiu, who coughed softly. Xiao Ma understood and shut up, then winked at Feng Shisan.

"Tell me," Feng Shisan said with a serious face, "How does the young master plan to save them?"

"Jiang Muyun has been locked in a cell in the backyard. Besides the other swordsmen, there are several guards watching over him. Pei Bi said that in three days, Jiang Muyun's sacrificial furnace will be burned..." Ajiu stared at Guan Ye's pale face. "Young Master Pei must know about this."

Guan Ye nodded. "At midnight, the young master will be waiting for us at the school." Guan Ye glanced around at the group and, mimicking Pei Chu's probing question, asked, "You dare to interfere in Jiang Muyun's affairs?"

"If you dare to interfere, why shouldn't we?" Seeing the light dimming again, Feng Shisan reached out to rub the still-burning wick, sniffing the greasy smell on his fingertips without a care. "Meteorites are inanimate objects, people are living things. Using living people to fill inanimate objects is absurd. It's just a matter of fate, it won't kill anyone. I don't believe it, and I won't accept it."

“Jiang Muyun helped me before, so naturally I can’t just stand by and do nothing when she’s in trouble.” The previously laughing Xiao Ma stopped his playful antics. “My swordsmanship isn’t as good as others, and I inevitably get injured every time we spar in the back mountains. Seeing that my injuries haven’t healed for days, she’ll bring me some herbs next time.” Xiao Ma pulled at his shirt, revealing a scar on his arm. “Speaking of which, Lou Cangyu is quite ruthless…”

"Stop talking," Ajiu interrupted. "Who talks about someone else's son behind the Lou family's back?"

Guan Ye listened attentively. As intelligent as she was, she could tell that A Jiu was quite prestigious among the swordsmen, and these two were even on good terms with him, and they wanted to accompany him on the important mission of entering the tiger's den and diving into the dragon's pool.

What one person cannot do, can surely be accomplished by working together. Guan Ye felt a surge of excitement and jumped up impatiently, "Let's go see the young master."

"Aren't you going to finish eating before you go?" Ajiu opened his big hands. On Hu Xian's boat, Guan Ye could eat ten steamed buns a day. He watched in amazement at how her small body could eat so much. Guan Ye would eat three at a time, and at night she would secretly hide one. If she couldn't fit it in her arms, she would hide it in her quilt, afraid that one day her food would be cut off. Only those who have suffered hardship and are afraid of hunger will live cautiously and prepare for the future. Guan Ye in the corner would keep every word discussed on the boat in her heart.

She asked herself, "Is Canglang Island really that scary?"

I've never been there myself, so what can I tell Guan Ye? The road ahead is uncertain and unpredictable; all we can do is support each other and face the unknown second half of our lives together.

"Here you go." Guan Ye pushed open the door without even looking at it.

Feng Shisan and Xiao Ma chuckled softly, snatched the steamed buns, broke them in half, and each stuffed half into their mouths. "Ajiu is reluctant to eat them, so let's eat them for him."

The empty room was left with only the flickering light of the still-burning lamp. Lou Shitou leaned out of the window, took a deep breath, blew out the oil lamp, and took out a hidden silk handkerchief to caress it carefully—"Shitou dares to meddle in Jiang Muyun's affairs."