Chapter 51

Where was Yan Ji, that rascal, squatting then? Right at the city gate. Chen Shu had originally entered the city via the ferry pier. At the flood’s arrival, she had indeed gone to the city gate once before, but that had been the north gate. What she’d seen then was a half-submerged wall, the entire gate engulfed by turbid floodwaters, visibility poor. Now, seeing it clearly, she couldn’t help but find it novel.

Patches of silt and water grasses still clung to the gate, glistening faintly under the sun where not entirely dried, yet it retained an imposing presence. This gate faced east, precisely the direction toward Yingqiu City. Looking out from the high gate, however, the view wasn’t an endless expanse like other city gates or Mengcheng might offer. Instead, there was only a single mountain path.

This trail was barely passable as a broad path. One side pressed directly against sheer cliffs, narrowing the view; the other side edged the riverbank. Without needing to look down, one could sense the fierce rapids below, the waves pounding the cliff face with thunderous booms, seeming to drench the entire mountainside, faintly evoking memories of yesterday’s catastrophic deluge. The path climbed the cliff beside the river, initially traversing a long riverside section like a plank walkway, before finally branching. Though the two forks at the vista’s end delved into the mountains, leaving the river behind, this very remoteness heightened their peril—steep, narrow, and utterly daunting.

Chen Shu arrived at the city gate and upon seeing Yan Ji, froze momentarily. Yan Ji was passable, just some dust on his face, spirits seeming a bit low, likely a consequence of a night of chaos. His features were still recognizable, however, and Chen Shu picked him out from the crowd instantly. She summoned him over, but he took a long moment to respond.

Consider Chen Shu’s own state. She’d not only tackled the flood but had also been running around tirelessly. Unaware of her own weariness, her robe was hopelessly tangled; its hem and lower trousers were saturated with floodwater, stained with stubborn mud spots. Blown by the wind all night, these stains had dried leaving patterns that were almost amusing. A night of restless sleep had left her hair tousled, looking like it had grown like sprouting twigs—fine and tangled. She was also draped in the gray long robe Yun Shen had hurriedly caught up to throw over her shoulders.

Looking like this, even her senior brother or senior sister might well have struggled to recognize her, let alone Yan Ji.

Yan Ji eventually answered, his gaze drifting behind her until he spotted Yun Shen and He Yu. Only then did he seem to confirm her identity, cracking a wide grin.

“You’re here?” Chen Shu exclaimed, immediately forgetting their previous friction. Simply overjoyed to see a familiar face, her eyes curved happily. “Didn’t you return to your Linbo Prefecture?”

Hearing this, Yan Ji stepped aside, revealing the horses behind him. He let out a soft chuckle, “Didn’t I come ‘paying the debt’? Brother He just warned me, said he’d send you to shake me down hard?”

“Who said shake down? It’s collecting a debt!” Chen Shu retorted, but before the words were fully out, her eyes were uncontrollably drawn to the horses leisurely pacing behind Yan Ji.

Then, without Yan Ji needing to invite her, in the blink of an eye, Chen Shu was walking among the horses, touching this one, inspecting that one, excitement bubbling over. By the time she was softly muttering to a tall black steed, Yun Shen and He Yu had only just emerged from the city gate behind her.

Though they had remained by the city wall, they had clearly overheard the last few lines. Yun Shen’s stride hadn’t even steadied as he nodded to Yan Ji, a perfunctory greeting, before asking curiously, “Master Yan, you traveled through the night?”

Yan Ji saw the missing gray robe on Yun Shen and instantly knew whom Chen Shu was draped in. He looked at him meaningfully, raising an eyebrow, “Not quite the whole night, but indeed rushed. Heard about the flood and set off at starlight, raced over treacherous mountain roads. Good thing these horses aren’t just steady, they’re spirited too. No mishaps along the way. Made it back to Diancang Pass in just a few hours.”

Finally standing firm beside them, He Yu glanced towards Chen Shu, who was now wholly in her element among the horses. A touch of genuine concern surfaced over his earlier joking. He chuckled twice, interjecting, “Though I jested about ‘shaking you down,’ this truly is your timely return, lending a helpful hand. We will remember this kindness, rest assured.”

“Do I look like I’m after your measly favor?” Yan Ji retorted, his laugh now decidedly more crooked and amused. “You should be more worried about yourself! Let me ask you—your Sword Discussion Tournament, pulling that lucky draw, the pittance of a reward you got, was it all washed away by the flood?”

“Actually, no,” He Yu answered, also smiling. “Metal itself is heavy, hardest to scatter. Moreover, those prizes were safely stored in strongholds, under constant guard. Washed away? Bah! Even if the overseeing yamen runners had been swept off, no telling if alive or dead, those treasures would still be sitting pretty in the securely locked vaults.”

“Oh?” Yan Ji still had a smile on his face, but he pretended to sound regretful. “Then did I suffer a great loss? I only thought about returning to see your commotion, and not only did I miss the excitement, but I also lost a few fine horses!”

“Master Yan is just joking,” Yun Shen replied. “You not only stay well-informed, but as soon as you got the news, you rushed here overnight. Considering how far you’ve come, you managed to arrive in half a day. Surely, you have a heart for the people and great love, so there’s no need to be so humble.”

Yan Ji laughed heartily and waved his hand at Yun Shen. “Brother Yun, your words are quite sharp today. Enough, don’t flatter me like that. I’m not some immortal. If I had truly traveled for several days, how could I have returned in half a day? I was just being lazy, stalling for time in Qucheng, so I could come back so quickly.”

“I knew it,” He Yu said. “You lazy rascal… Wait, how did you find out about the flood at Diancang Pass?”

“That’s thanks to my cleverness. Yesterday was a dark and windy night when all was…”

“—Quite simple, he also encountered the flood in Qucheng.” A cold, sharp female voice interjected. “Qucheng is several dozen miles from here, so the flood’s momentum must have subsided a lot. But Master Yan is indeed wise; he could deduce from the water situation that Diancang Pass was in danger.”

All present turned to see Shen Jie walking out from the city gate. She wore simple, fitted clothing and exuded an imposing presence despite her disheveled appearance. Having clearly gone without sleep throughout the night, her eyes bore faint dark circles, indicating that even if she did manage to sleep, it was merely a shallow nap, yet she strove to maintain her strength and came to the city gate to issue orders.

Behind Shen Jie were a few chivalrous men who had volunteered to deliver messages. Today’s messengers needed to head east, such as He Yu who was dispatched to Mengcheng in the southwest of Diancang Pass. However, the mountain roads were less rugged there. The departure time set yesterday was in the afternoon, and these individuals had all been busy throughout the day, taking the opportunity to rest longer. So at this moment, it was only He Yu, the hardworking workhorse who didn’t mind exhaustion, along with the Right Supervisor, Lord Shen, and the Alliance Leader of the Martial World. Those from Qin Xin Cliff had wanted to come and send them off as well, but unfortunately, they had been occupied from dusk until dawn and could only entrust the Alliance Leader of the Martial World to convey a few messages.

In addition, there was one rather out-of-place figure.

Guard Liu Mao.

He stood there at the city gate, looking taller than He Yu by several inches, but his eyes held an inexplicable sharpness. As soon as he exited the pass, he began scanning the messengers around him, glancing multiple times at the fine horses brought by Yan Ji, his eyes darting back and forth, embodying the air of a sneaky and cunning person. Shen Jie paid him no heed, showing him no respect, but he remained unfazed, quietly watching as she gathered everyone and assigned letters while completely ignoring him. He waited until she ordered the horses from Yan Ji to be brought forth.

“Fine horses! Truly fine horses,” Liu Mao finally spoke, echoing Shen Jie.

The crowd fell into a strange silence, and only Chen Shu, oblivious to the atmosphere, responded, “They really are fine horses! I would gladly deliver ten letters if I could ride one!” After saying this, she looked up, trying to bask in her triumph, but only noticed the varied expressions on everyone’s faces and promptly quieted down.

“They are indeed fine horses,” Shen Jie said. “Can you spare one?”

“That depends on who Lord Shen wants to give it to,” Yan Ji replied smoothly. “If there are other messages to send that involve the people, I would endure being stuck at Diancang Pass for ten days or half a month…”

“I’ll take it,” Shen Jie interrupted.

At her words, everyone was surprised; He Yu exclaimed, “What?” Even the Alliance Leader of the Martial World showed astonishment. However, Shen Jie didn’t glance at anyone, consistently looking directly at Liu Mao as she said those two words. Liu Mao was the only one who did not change his expression, merely smiling as he replied, “Lord Shen worked hard all night. You must have matters to attend to. I just happened to be leaving the city and could indeed deliver a message for you. It’s a bit of luck that I stumbled upon you.”

“After I leave,” Shen Jie huffed, a smile playing on her lips as she addressed the two officials accompanying her, “Everything will proceed according to my arrangements. If any difficulties arise, feel free to find Liu Guard to complain—Lord Liu, you wouldn’t mind, would you?”

“Who would dare?” Liu Mao chuckled, taking a step back as if in submission.

Seeing this, Shen Jie did not express whether she was satisfied or dissatisfied. She turned quickly toward the horses and, as she passed by Chen Shu, effortlessly lifted her onto the gentle black mare she had chosen, treating her like a small chick. Chen Shu felt somewhat wronged, wanting to chat more, but once on the horse, she watched Shen Jie gallop away into the distance. She glanced back at Yun Shen and He Yu standing at the city gate, just managing to yell, “We’ll gather again someday! — Oh, and Brother He, have you collected the money I owed for first place? Please redeem it at the pawnshop in Zhanglin Village!”

The latter part of her sentence was drowned out by the pounding hooves of the horse galloping away.

Though they ran alongside the Yushui River, riding fast, with the wind blowing through her hair, how could she feel timid? In no time, Chen Shu caught up to Shen Jie, completely forgetting the farewell words she intended to say to Yun Shen. Elated, she spurred her horse into the mountains, and in the blink of an eye, the Diancang Pass behind her had shrunk to a size smaller than her horse’s rear.

The fork in the road swayed into view.

Some people had already lifted their whips, urging their horses down one of the paths, soon disappearing into the winding mountain trail, stirring up a cloud of dust. Shen Jie raised her whip high, and just when Chen Shu thought she was going to lash down, she noticed Shen Jie pause and point the whip backward.

“Listen,” Shen Jie said softly.

The sound of waves echoed at the cliff’s edge, and apart from the gradually fading hoofbeats, there were also the cries of wild geese from somewhere above the cliff, reverberating at the mountain mouth accompanied by a familiar voice that grew closer.

“—Chen Shu!”

She turned in response, the sun hanging high above. The path along the cliff had gathered some water stains that hadn’t completely dried yet, shining brightly under the increasingly intense sunlight. As Chen Shu turned back in a daze, she saw that Shen Jie had also pulled up the reins, slowing her horse’s pace. Hearing the words “You go ahead,” she finally came to her senses, eagerly tugging at the bridle, making the black mare step back a couple of paces.

The sky filled her entire vision, and Yun Shen was not wearing his long robe; his slender figure was a bit blurry amid the dazzling autumn colors. As he approached, she gradually spotted him running quickly toward her. Chen Shu felt a pang in her heart and was about to call out for him to slow down, but she wouldn’t just leave him behind, only to see Yun Shen panting as he stopped a few steps away, bent over, resting on his legs for a while. He straightened up, said nothing, and simply raised his hand.

An object flew from Yun Shen’s hand, moving against the light, tracing a fleeting dark line across the air before landing gently in Chen Shu’s arms.

She looked down to see what it was.