Dusk, like inky black, hung heavy over the Taihang Valley, seemingly swallowing everything in this endless darkness. The moment Su Jinli raised her hand, the crimson powder within the oil-paper envelope burst forth like a stream of fire, piercing the air with fierce momentum. That powder, a mixture of chili peppers and realgar, meticulously crafted by the boatmen at the Yangzhou docks, instantly exploded in the howling mountain wind, transforming into a fine mist. Its pungent, pungent aroma, like a surging tide, quickly permeated the already damp air. Every breath of wind seemed ignited by the intense scent, becoming scorching and incandescent.
The bandit leader opened his mouth to curse, but the red mist, like a ghost, poured directly into his mouth and nose. Instantly, his throat felt as if it were on fire, and a piercing hissing sound like a broken gong emanated. The sound echoed through the valley, startling the birds nesting in the cracks of the rock wall, who fluttered their wings and fled in panic.
"Watch out!" Su Jinli cried out, and with a nimble twist of her wrist, the remaining powder swept across the bandit leader's face like a fan-shaped sharp blade. The bandit leader couldn't dodge in time, and stumbled back screaming. The ghost-head knife in his hand slammed heavily on the bluestone slab with a clang. The blade collided with the stone slab, leaving a striking white mark, as if telling of this sudden change. He covered his eyes tightly with both hands, rolled around in pain in the pile of fallen leaves, and kept howling in pain. The sheepskin human ear also fell off the tassel of the knife and rolled to the edge of Su Jinli's embroidered shoes. The flying fox embroidered on the shoe was holding a string of copper coins in its mouth, forming a strange and subtle echo with the bookstore badge faintly exposed on the bandit leader's waist, as if hinting at the complex conspiracy hidden behind it.
"It's so spicy! Water! Get some water!" The bandit leader's roar was like a bombshell, sending moss rustling off the rock face. He dug his nails into his eyelids, trying to rub out the stinging chili powder. However, his frantic action backfired, rubbing the chili powder deeper. The cornea of his left eye glowed an abnormally blood-red, a color strikingly similar to Su Qingyao's newly blended "Riverbank Red," a particularly eerie sight in the dim twilight.
Seeing this, the other bandits swarmed forward like enraged beasts. The tall and thin man in the lead had a fierce glint in his eyes. He quickly pulled out his dagger. The blade flashed a cold light in the twilight, like a poisonous snake hidden in the darkness, ready to launch a fatal blow at any time. At this critical moment, the young Marquis Su rushed out from the side like a black lightning, carrying a toy sword. The red silk on the tassel of the sword was like a smart snake, wrapping around the trouser leg of the tall and thin man with incredible precision. The young man gritted his teeth and exerted force suddenly. With a cry of "Ouch", the tall and thin man fell forward, and the dagger in his hand was deeply embedded in the rotten leaves. The splashed mud fell right on Jiang Yan's official boots.
"You dare sniff my sister's chili powder? You're courting death!" Young Marquis Su stood majestically, his hands on his hips, his toy sword across his chest. The copper bells on the tassel jingled with his rapid breathing, as if cheering him on. His eyes inadvertently caught the plum blossom birthmark on the back of the lanky man's neck, and a sudden flash of inspiration struck him. He remembered the secret letter from the Jiangnan Booksellers Alliance he had seen at the post station three days ago—the wax seal on the letterhead had the same plum blossom pattern printed on it. This discovery further confirmed his conviction that these bandits must be inextricably linked to the Jiangnan Booksellers Alliance.
At the same moment, the curtains of the next carriage were flung open, and Su Qingyao poked her head out. The pearl pendants on her ebony hairpin dazzled the eyes. In her hand, she held a mother-of-pearl makeup box high in her hand. The lid opened, revealing the vibrant scarlet of her rouge. "Jinli! Look at my new 'chili red'!" The rouge, blended with fine gold foil, cast a blazing, captivating glow in the twilight, like a burning flame. "I was just about to try out a color, but these blind people interrupted me!" Su Qingyao's voice was filled with anger at the bandits and heartache for her rouge.
Su Jinli ignored the chaos around her. She placed her foot firmly on the bandit leader's wrist, the tip of the hairpin pressing precisely against the soybean-sized mole on his Adam's apple. That mole, identical to the one behind Shopkeeper Qian's left ear, seemed a mark of their sin. With a slight pressure, the silver fox pendant gently rubbed against the bandit leader's skin, the garnet diamonds inlaid on the hairpin scraping off a layer of pungent dander. "Tell me, who sent you?" Su Jinli's voice was cold and firm, as if it came from the Netherworld, sending a chill down your spine.
The bandit leader's eyes rolled back from the strangulation, and a hoarse sound emanated from his throat, like a trapped beast making its final struggle. Jiang Yan finally climbed awkwardly from the pile of fallen leaves. The Qingfeng sword was still stuck in the soil three steps away, the red silk thread wrapped around the hilt swollen with dew. He reached out and wiped the rotten leaves from his face, his eyes fixed on the mud stain on the hem of Su Jinli's skirt—it had been splashed there when she kicked him earlier. Now, in the twilight, it resembled a blooming black plum blossom, adding a unique sense of heroism to her.
"My lady..." Jiang Yan gazed at her silhouette against the light, a wave of admiration welling up in his heart. The mountain breeze whistled past, lifting her moon-white skirt high. The pearl headband in her hair trembled gently with her movements, like twinkling stars in the night sky. "So cool..." He hadn't even finished his admiration when Su Qingyao suddenly slammed the rouge box into his arms. The lid popped open, nearly brushing his chin.
"What are you looking at?" Su Qingyao rolled her eyes and swept her wide sleeves across Jiang Yan's shoulders. "Hurry up and wipe your wife's hairpin clean. There's chili powder on it. What if it stings her later?" Although there was some anger in Su Qingyao's words, it was more of concern for Su Jinli.
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