Chapter 2 Peach Blossom Wine
He was startled by Hengbo's gaze and took a step back. After realizing that the person in front of him was just a seemingly frail young woman, an angry look appeared on his face: "Hand over the sword, and if I'm in a good mood, I might spare your life."
Hengbo remained silent, but answered him with her actions.
She gently lifted the sword, and before the man could even see how she moved, the silver-blue longsword was already drawn. When he finally reacted and prepared to draw the broadsword he was wearing, he was stunned into place by the deep chill at the side of his neck.
So, the sword was already in his throat.
At this point, the thief no longer dared to act arrogantly and immediately knelt down to beg for mercy: "Heroine, spare my life! I was blind and did not recognize your greatness. I hope you will forgive my lowly life."
Hengbo ignored him and pushed the sword forward, a bright red line of blood running down the blade along the man's throat. Feeling the stinging pain of his skin being cut, the man trembled violently. Hengbo stopped intimidating him, slightly turned the sword, and gently lifted the man's chin with the back of the blade, signaling him to raise his head.
The man looked up in alarm, but he had no intention of appreciating the beautiful face bathed in moonlight before him. This was because the rather cruel beauty was making a series of dazzling hand gestures with her free hand.
His bewilderment deepened, and he even unconsciously uttered an "Ah?"
A hint of disdain crept across Hengbo's usually calm face, and the moonlight added a touch of human warmth to her otherwise ethereal features.
She had no choice but to slow down her movements and ask again.
This time, the man finally realized what was happening, but he couldn't give Hengbo a satisfactory answer. He stammered, "Heroine, why don't you write it down? I'm too stupid to understand what you mean!"
Hengbo:……
At this point, Hengbo finally suffered the biggest setback since coming down the mountain. She never expected that the most difficult thing after coming down the mountain would be communicating with people.
Helpless, Hengbo had no choice but to find a rope in a corner of the room and tie him up tightly. However, after searching the entire room, they couldn't find any paper or pen, so the two could only stare at each other.
Hengbo didn't care, since it wasn't her who was tied up, and besides, she didn't consider herself their target.
But the thief couldn't stand being stared at silently by Hengbo, so he confessed on his own: "We were just paid to do a job. I'm just a small fry. All I know is that the target of this mission is a young man carrying a sword. I really don't know anything else. Tying me up here won't do you any good, will it?"
Hengbo naturally didn't believe he was so innocent. Besides, she had already offended someone with her actions. If she sent him out to report the news, she would be in a passive position no matter what.
But she still followed his lead and pointed to herself.
This time, the man understood Hengbo's meaning and said awkwardly, "Of course I know you're not a man, but you happen to be carrying a sword, so maybe you have some connection with that person."
Just then, Hengbo wiped the sword clean and laid it out directly in front of him, allowing him to see it clearly.
The man shook his head: "I don't know what that sword should look like either, I've only heard that it's a peerless sword."
Upon hearing this, Hengbo was slightly disappointed. How could this person know nothing when asked? He lost interest in communicating with him and sat on the bed, pondering how to solve such a big problem.
However, before Hengbo could figure it out, another commotion arose outside: "Damn it, that kid got away! Run, chase after him!"
"Where's the fourth brother? Why isn't he here?"
"I didn't see him."
"Could he have run away?" "I felt something was off about that kid before, and he really was a traitor!"
Seeing that they would let the man get away if they didn't give chase, the leader of the group finally made a decisive decision: "Old Fourth is a big man, he won't get lost. We'll deal with him later. Let's go after that kid first."
So the group hurriedly left the inn, heading off in an unknown direction.
Hengbo was left lying on the bed, staring at the fourth brother, who was bound and looked miserable. His mouth wasn't gagged, but he wasn't stupid; he knew very well that if he made a sound, he would probably die before anyone could rescue him.
Moreover, he was cursing in his mind, "Hmph, you old bastard, how dare you smear me behind my back! I knew you were no good!"
But given his current situation, he can only curse in his heart. Who told him to not only misjudge the person but also lose himself in the process?
Hengbo understood that he was just an innocent bystander implicated by the fool in front of him, and that their target was indeed someone else.
Since that was the case, she didn't want to meddle in other people's business. Under the fourth brother's terrified gaze, she knocked him unconscious with a sword, carried him downstairs, casually threw him into the stable, clapped her hands, and went back to sleep.
Before going to sleep, Yokobo was still feeling down. Didn't she see that her sword wasn't even drawn? Was she really that scared?
The next morning, Hengbo, who had finally had a good night's sleep, leisurely went downstairs and saw several soldiers in the inn. The reason was nothing more than a big man who had suddenly appeared in the stable, bound hand and foot, and who had even almost had his throat slit.
After finishing her meal, Hengbo climbed over the wall and left. Before leaving, Qingxuzi finally told her that Ruan Wangshu had gone down the mountain to Cangjian Villa three months ago, so she was determined to go there.
Cangjian Manor is located in Jiangnan Road. After entering the official road from Biyun Town, you can take a boat south from Yun County to reach Changzhou, where Cangjian Manor is located.
Hengbo didn't know why Ruan Wangshu, a swordsman who never touched a sword, would go to Cangjian Villa, but it didn't matter; she would find out eventually.
Before leaving Biyun Town, Hengbo visited Zhang Niangzi's wine shop once again. In any case, she had to try this year's peach blossom wine, which could be considered as her keeping her promise to Ruan Wangshu.
However, she was stopped by Madam Zhang as soon as she appeared.
"Miss," Hengbo only realized that Zhang Niangzi was calling her when Zhang Niangzi stood in front of her.
Looking at the aloof-looking young woman in front of her with her slightly widened, bewildered eyes, Zhang Niangzi found her inexplicably adorable.
"Miss, are you Ayu?"
Now, Hengbo could no longer hide her surprise. Seeing her reaction, Madam Zhang already knew the answer. She naturally took Hengbo's hand and instructed her, "Ayu, wait for me here. I have something to give you."
After saying that, he rushed back to the shop, but before entering, he made a point of turning back to make sure that Hengbo hadn't left.
Hengbo was already stunned by the cry of "Ayu," so how could she possibly leave? Her blank mind was filled with only the thought, "Could it be my senior sister?"
Before long, Madam Zhang returned in a flurry, carrying a jar of wine and a letter. Seeing Hengbo waiting obediently in the same spot, a smile crept onto her face: "Three months ago, a young woman ordered the first jar of peach blossom wine of the spring from me and left this letter. She said that if she didn't come back to pick it up after spring, she asked me to keep it safe and give it to a girl named Ayu when she came to buy wine someday."
She handed the wine and letter to Hengbo, recalling, "At the time, I asked her, 'So many people come to my place to buy wine every day, including quite a few women, how am I supposed to know who Ayu is?'"
"She only told me that her little sister, Ayu, was a child like a honeysuckle flower, quiet and well-behaved, and that she knew it was you as soon as she saw it."
“I didn’t understand at the time, but when I saw you last time, I felt that you were very familiar. After thinking about it for two days, I finally remembered that it was A-Yu.”
As she recalled, Hengbo seemed to see Ruan Wangshu standing here describing her to Zhang Niangzi, imagining how reluctant and tender she must have been at that time.
Honeysuckle is a wildflower that grows everywhere on Biyun Mountain. In spring, it blends in with other unknown wildflowers and grasses and is inconspicuous. But in winter, when other flowers and grasses wither, it remains silently and tenaciously rooted there, a unique color on the white snow. It is also Ruan Wangshu's favorite flower.
Hengbo stood silently for a long time, staring at the two items in his hands. Zhang Niangzi looked at the person in front of her, whose very hair seemed to be tinged with loneliness, and suddenly understood something. Her heart clenched, and the smile on her face gradually disappeared, leaving her somewhat at a loss. She hesitated before speaking, "That girl... she..."
Hengbo shook his head, then forced a bright smile like honeysuckle, gave Zhang Niangzi a slightly stiff hug, waved to her, and walked away into the distance.
Hengbo dared not linger. She did not want Zhang Niangzi to know about Ruan Wangshu's death, nor did she want her to know that the quiet little sister was actually mute.
In this way, Ruan Wangshu, who would stubbornly tell everyone that Ayu was not mute, at least still lives in their memories.
A few days later, one evening, Hengbo finally arrived at the shipyard in Yun County. After showing the ship's manager the place and paying two taels of silver, he boarded the ship.
Yokomami, who was used to sleeping alone, paid for a room by himself. Since the ship didn't depart until the early morning of the following day, he settled in after finding a place to stay.
It was still early spring, and the wind carried a chilly air. Hengbo hadn't opened the window, so the room was dimly lit. An opened bottle of peach blossom wine sat quietly on the table, filling the air with its sweet and mellow aroma.
She stroked the envelope she had received from Zhang Niangzi in her hand, her eyes lowered as if deep in thought, her gaze seemingly fixed on the letter, yet also seemingly sinking into a void through it.
The envelope was still intact, indicating that Hengbo had not opened it, and judging from her appearance, she didn't seem to have any intention of doing so.
Hengbo wondered where this feeling of being apprehensive about returning home came from. Was it the fear that once she opened the door, she would lose all hope? Or was it the fear that Ruan Wangshu's gentleness would soften her resolve to go south?
After descending the mountain, Hengbo once again fell into a familiar state of confusion.
Fortunately, her journey down the mountain was destined to be anything but smooth, and the cold wind on the shore just happened to disrupt her thoughts.
In a flash, a figure burst through the window, rolled on the ground, drew his sword, and attempted to strangle Hengbo.
It turned out that the sudden cold wind was blowing in from the riverbank through the open window.
A note from the author:
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Who is this figure? Who is it? Find out in the next chapter!
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