Chapter 7: Escape
The waning moon sets in the west, the sky is still dark, and the frost penetrates the bones.
Through the crack in the door, Yun Yuan glimpsed Yuzhu being dragged past by Haofeng Guards. The woman suddenly looked up and gave him a venomous sneer through the morning mist.
In front of the bronze mirror, the rouge on her fingertips condensed into blood beads.
It wasn't difficult to pry open the mill's ordinary iron lock. She calculated the time the patrol would pass by, sprinkled flour inside the warehouse, and then jumped through the window to let the wind in, which would also attract the guards. When the guard opened the door with a candle, the dust would explode when it met the fire. She had already retreated into the shadows and blended in with the firefighters.
The sachet around her waist was a special bait she had prepared for Yuzhu. Over the past few days, she had carefully kept all her belongings, except for this sachet, which swung constantly, waiting to be snatched away.
But……
The bronze mirror reflected her pale face.
During the interrogation last night, Feng Yanyuan's flying knife came suddenly, as if he was already well aware of Yuzhu's abilities - it was more like he was... impatiently ending this farce rather than testing Yuzhu's martial arts.
Yun Yuan frowned slightly.
Could it be that Feng Yanyuan already knew the truth? Then why was there an interrogation last night?
"Snap"
The eyebrow pencil broke in the palm of my hand.
This was not an interrogation at all, it was clearly a carefully designed performance to test Yuzhu's accomplices!
She stared at the wooden thorn in her palm and suddenly realized that she had made a fatal mistake - the sachet! The extra sachet!
If Feng Yanyuan was testing her, then she deserved to be framed and convicted, instead of getting away with it!
The morning mist was bitingly cold.
Pushing open the door to Yuanshanzhai, Yun Yuan was greeted by a silence that made her breath catch. In the empty hall, the candle on the table flickered in the cold wind. The centipede on the plate was still curled up quietly, emitting a strong smell of blood.
Dust drifted from the sandalwood bookshelf in the morning light. She was concentrating on brushing it when she suddenly felt a wisp of gentle orchid fragrance permeate her nostrils. The aroma was clear and distant, but it instantly froze her blood - she had no idea when the person behind her approached.
A cold fingertip suddenly pressed against her throat, hovering over her lifeline like a venomous snake's tongue. She held her breath, not daring even an eyelash to tremble. The man's breath, wrapped in the fragrance of orchids, enveloped her layer by layer, and every breath was saturated with murderous intent.
"What are you doing here?"
The girl's voice trembled: "Slave...I am on duty at Yuanshanzhai at noon today."
The pressure in his throat suddenly eased, and the deadly finger slowly withdrew, replaced by a low, icy roar: "Get out."
Yun Yuan's body trembled, and she instinctively wanted to turn around, but she froze in place. In this small space, with the Yao Zheng on her left and the bamboo couch on her right, her only escape route was completely blocked by that slender figure.
"Young Master..." She called softly, her voice thin as a thread.
The figure behind her seemed to pause imperceptibly, finally slowly sideways, leaving half an foot of space. She hurriedly squeezed out of the narrow gap, and as she skittered across the desk, she suddenly noticed something strange—his breath seemed a little more disordered than usual.
She mustered up the courage to glance back - in the morning light, the face that had always been as beautiful as jade was as pale as paper, and the tall body was extremely tense, as if he was enduring some severe pain.
"roll!"
This roar came suddenly, but surprisingly lacked its usual sharpness. Beneath the suppressed rage, a hint of weakness was evident.
Yun Yuan's eyes suddenly changed from suspicion to fear, and her gaze swept over the dagger on the table. In a flash, she suddenly jumped up, rushed to the desk, picked up the dagger and pounced towards Feng Yanyuan.
Feng Yanyuan didn't move at all, just staring at her rushing figure in astonishment, watching the cold light coming straight at him -
“clang!”
The girl's scattered black hair brushed against his clothes and fell to his side. Feng Yanyuan slowly lowered his eyes and saw that the pair of jade-white hands were pressing the dagger that was embedded in the wooden board, and the tip of the knife accurately pierced through a colorful python that was about to attack.
When he looked up, Feng Yanyuan's face changed drastically - in the shadow of the desk, three or four colorful pythons were spitting out their tongues and winding towards him.
The girl decisively gave up the dagger stuck in the floor, picked up the candlestick with her backhand, and the dancing flames forced the snakes back several feet, but there were still a few with their heads raised and their tongues spitting out, ready to attack.
Suddenly, a furious shout was heard: "Why are you here?!"
Feng Jiu had just arrived at the entrance of Yuanshanzhai when he rushed to the front in the blink of an eye. The cold light flashed with the long sword in his hand - several colorful pythons were instantly broken into two pieces, and the smelly blood splattered on the bluestone ground.
Before Yun Yuan could calm her pounding heart, the tip of the cold sword was already against her throat.
Feng Jiu's eyes were filled with murderous intent: "You released the poisonous snake?!"
She was forced to raise her head, the skin on her throat clearly feeling the chill of the sword's edge. Before she could speak, she heard a muffled "bang"—Feng Yanyuan fell heavily to the ground, the front of his long robe disheveled, revealing his chest covered in strange red veins. His eyes were bloodshot, his breathing was rapid and labored, and he squeezed out a few words through his teeth: "Have you got the medicine...?"
"Young Master!" Feng Jiu put away his sword, knelt forward, and handed over a white jade bottle.
Feng Yanyuan raised his head and drank it.
"Who can be alarmed?"
"A similar medicine bottle was also replaced in the dark corridor through the secret door."
Feng Yanyuan nodded with difficulty.
Yun Yuan turned and walked towards the window, but was hit on the back by the rapier again.
"What are you going to do now?" Feng Jiu asked.
"This centipede has a strong smell..." Yun Yuan didn't dare to move. "Leaving the window open will attract snakes and insects."
"Stop the drama!" Feng Jiu snorted coldly, "Why did this venomous snake crawl in just when you were here?"
"Lord Wei, I was on duty this morning and had just entered Yuanshanzhai." She lowered her voice very softly, "I didn't leave this centipede there, and I didn't open the window...either."
Feng Jiu was stunned. He had opened the window because the doctor had instructed the young master to cultivate inner breath by connecting with the energy of heaven and earth, especially during the morning hour. He had forgotten to leave the centipede behind in his haste to retrieve the medicine. Realizing this was his oversight, Feng Jiu felt a surge of guilt and weakness. After a long pause, he finally spoke, "If you knew this, why didn't you close the window earlier?"
"I rarely work at Yuanshanzhai, and I didn't know there were such snakes and insects... I beg Lord Wei to forgive me."
The words sounded soft and contained a hint of grievance, but they actually concealed a knife: Feng Jiu was the one who often came to Yuanshanzhai, and he was the only one who knew that the young master was currently unable to move due to the backlash of his internal energy.
Feng Jiu felt as if a thorn was stuck in his back, and he choked for a long time without being able to utter a coherent sentence.
Feng Yanyuan looked up at her. The warm light of the rising sun shone on her pale profile, her expression no different from that of an ordinary maid. And the position of her hands, even in the moment of desperation, showed no trace of martial arts. Was she really not an accomplice of Yuzhu? But why did Yuzhu want to pin the blame on Ruyue? If we were to talk about suspicion, she was clearly the more appropriate person. The granary was far from Mulan Pavilion. Even if Yuzhu was an exceptional martial artist, wouldn't it be more reasonable to have an accomplice to help her? Even more strangely, Yuzhu never mentioned her from beginning to end, as if she was deliberately protecting her companions to complete her mission.
But after all, she had saved him.
Feng Yanyuan whispered, "Let her go."
"Sir..." Feng Jiu hesitated for a moment, and finally put away his sword, "Why don't you leave quickly?"
As Yun Yuan turned to leave, she heard Feng Jiu add, "If you dare to reveal even a word about what happened today..."
"It's saved for me."
Feng Jiu was about to close the window when he suddenly caught sight of a green pottery jar in the grass outside. He jumped out of the window and was nearly ambushed by another colorful python when he picked up the pot. Feng Jiu cut off the python's head and examined the pot.
"I told you where the snakes came from." Finding the jar somewhat alleviated his guilt for neglecting his duty. "This jar reeks of the centipede. It must be the jar used to make poisonous insects." He frowned. "Yuzhu is truly vicious. She even had this trick up her sleeve."
Feng Yanyuan closed his eyes, thinking. He had clearly regained some strength, now sitting upright on the bamboo couch, regulating his breathing. The hideous bloodstains on his chest were slowly fading.
This chain of events was ingenious. First, he knew that his orchid bathing meditation had been interrupted last night, and that his internal energy would be unstable the next day. Second, he calculated that the windows would be open during Yuanshan Zhaichen. If it weren't for Feng Jiu, the person on duty would have opened the windows to let in some air... If it were an ordinary servant, even if she hadn't been bitten, she would have been suspected.
Feng Jiu dealt with the poison jar and jumped back into the house.
"This Yuzhu knows you too well. Such secrets are simply beyond the reach of the cook." Suddenly, he whispered, "Master, do you think the evil spirit Yuzhu mentioned could be..."
"Don't make rash assumptions." Feng Yanyuan interrupted in a deep voice.
Feng Jiu dejectedly said, "This person has been taken away by the Young Master again. Is there a single one of those Haofeng Guards who truly works for you, Young Master?" He pulled out the dagger that had pierced the python's body and stabbed into the wooden board, pondering for a moment, "There's something fishy about this Yun Yuan. Why did you let her go, Young Master?"
Feng Yanyuan opened his eyes slightly, thinking of Yun Yuan's appearance just now... He was a little confused about her intentions.
"You said she was originally screened out by the Haofeng Guards?"
"Yes, that Mrs. Lu must be up to something again."
"What's her background?"
"After repeated examination, this girl is a beggar. Tao Yao took her to Baihua Tower and trained her to be a dancer." Feng Jiu thought for a moment and said, "There is also a rule in the slave register that she is good at medicine."
"Pharmacology?"
"All Taoyao disciples have this. Taoyao has always claimed to be an expert in pharmacology, and many nobles have come to ask for medicine under the pretext of doing so." Feng Jiu smiled and said, "Although the most requested item at Baihua Tower is Wushisan, it can still be considered a medicine."
Feng Yanyuan looked at the blade that had precisely landed on the python's seven-inch mark.
She didn't intend to hide it.
Outside the window, a pure white magnolia fell from the branch and landed under the bluestone eaves.
Though small, Yuanfeng Courtyard housed dozens of servants and guards. These men bustled about in corners Feng Yanyuan hadn't noticed, performing tasks he barely understood—sweeping the courtyard, arranging utensils, and so on. He encountered servants wherever he went in this small compound, but he hadn't seen the girl named Yun Yuan since that day. He casually questioned Ruyue, only to learn that, ever since the horrific experience in Yuanshanzhai, she had taken on a job in a side courtyard and refused to approach the young master, citing the fear of disturbing his hearing.
He hid completely.
He didn't mean to look for her, but when this thought suddenly crossed his mind, he realized that the yard was quite large.
The Feng family owned a vast expanse of land nestled between the mountains and valleys. Feng Yanyuan enjoyed going to the mountains behind to practice archery. This day, he arrived late, the sun already setting in the west, when he strolled to a flower field in the mountains behind. The lingering light of the setting sun cast a shimmering golden glow over the colorful sea of flowers.
Feng Jiu followed closely behind, secretly wondering why the young master had come to the back mountain so late in the day. This careless guard had forgotten that Feng Yanyuan always came at this time every year - today was the anniversary of his mother's death, and in the vast Feng family, he was the only one who remembered this event.
The sea of flowers was golden and undulating with the wind. In the light and shadow, a woman appeared and disappeared among the flowers. He was in a trance for a moment and couldn't tell whether it was the phantom of memory.
"Who is it!" Feng Jiu suddenly roared, breaking the twilight and shattering his trance - that was clearly a living person.
The man was so frightened that he hid in the flowers and disappeared in a blink of an eye. Feng Jiu, however, was very sharp-eyed and jumped forward, lowering his head and frowning, "It's you?!"
Feng Yanyuan's eyes moved slightly, and he saw the branches of flowers rustling in the twilight, and a slender figure standing timidly holding peonies.
There were still a few flower petals on the ends of Yun Yuan's hair. The sunset cast a soft glow on her, and her cheeks were even three times more beautiful than the pink and white peony in her arms.
The distant mountains were covered in dark green, the nearby water was shimmering, and she stood among the flowers, like an immortal in a painting. Feng Yanyuan felt a strange throbbing in his heart, but was suddenly startled by Feng Jiu's scolding.
"What are you doing here?! Don't you know this is a forbidden area?"
"I heard..." She pointed timidly into the distance and explained in a low voice, "The forbidden area is beyond that..."
"Which way...where else did you want to go?" Feng Jiu just remembered that the slave forbidden area was beyond this sea of flowers, and he interrupted, "Why are you here when you're not on duty in the courtyard at this hour?"
Yun Yuan lowered her head, pursed her lips and said nothing, only holding the bouquet in her arms tighter.
"Why are you here?" Feng Yanyuan asked as he approached.
The setting sun condensed into a hazy halo at the tips of her hair. When she looked up, her eyes were still filled with fear. "I heard that Yuanfengyuan is so beautiful that even the peonies in the back mountain are blooming very early, so I came here to see if they are real." As she spoke, she raised the branches in her arms and said, "They are really beautiful. I want to pick some to put in a vase..."
The evening breeze blew by, and a few petals fluttered down her shoulders. Seeing Feng Yanyuan's expression eased a little, she boldly asked, "Sir, are you here to enjoy the flowers as well?"
"You're so lively now that you're away from Yuanshanzhai." Feng Yanyuan said with a hint of sarcasm. Seeing her immediately shrink and lower her head, he softened his voice unconsciously: "You... can arrange flowers?"
Yun Yuan nodded slightly, and a silver hairpin in her hair swayed slightly with her movement.
Feng Yanyuan looked at her drooping eyelashes. He wanted to take another look at the clearness in her eyes, but she lowered her eyebrows so much that he could only see her crow-feather-like eyelashes trembling slightly.
Is she really just an ordinary maid?
"Tomorrow... let's go to Yuanshanzhai and put a bottle in it."
"Yes," the girl replied softly. The slanting sunset light brushed her cheek, coating her fair skin with a thin layer of crimson, as if she were embarrassed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
