Chapter 68
Chapter 68
The journey there had taken half a day; the return took no longer. Before the sun set below the ridge, a figure, galloping hard upon the mountain path winding through the peaks, approached Diancang Pass, drawing ever nearer to its gates.
Knowing nothing of protocol, Chen Shu rode straight to the base of the wall, heedless of the archers above, and shouted boldly, “Open! I’ve returned!”
The city must have never encountered such a brash approach. Not only did no one loose arrows to drive her off, but for a good long while, no reply came at all.
Watching as the makeshift soldiers hastily assembled atop the wall conferred among themselves, and finally pushed one spokesman forward, his voice rang down:
“Who comes? State your name!”
“I am Hero Chen! I’m here to report my return from delivering the message to Yingqiu City!” Chen Shu called back.
Her words hadn’t fully faded when an indistinct buzz of conversation erupted on the wall. One soldier immediately bolted down from the gate tower, yelling as he ran—so loudly his cry echoed beyond the walls:
“Our Hero Chen has returned! Quickly! Open the gates!”
The soldier vanished behind the battlements. The moment he disappeared, gears and pulleys groaned within the mountain-like wall. The towering gate slowly lowered amid the grinding cacophony, revealing the guards massed at the entryway and a throng of onlookers who seemed to have gathered just for the spectacle.
The shouting soldier reappeared at the gate too, dashing forward until he stood before Chen Shu’s horse. The black steed snorted contemptuously, but undeterred, he practically tried to help her dismount in his eagerness.
Surprised, yet undeniably pleased, Chen Shu patted her horse, calming the increasingly restless animal beneath her. Leaning forward slightly, she inquired:
“…Do you know me?”
“Who in this vast Diancang Pass wouldn’t recognize Hero Chen! General Liu said that once Hero Chen returns, she should be escorted to the magistracy to be properly received!” The soldier replied with robust energy, undeterred by the black horse’s rebuff. He turned to take Chen Shu’s reins, leading her toward the newly opened city gate with deep reverence.
Bathing in the sunlight, they walked step by step toward the pass that had withstood calamity.
In just two days, the warmth of human activity had already returned. Faces peeking out near the city gate, lifted on tiptoes, glowed in the twilight—each brimming with vitality, making a truly bustling and thriving scene. Though the flood’s lingering devastation remained, its contrast to the desolation just two days prior was stark. Even if less prosperous than during Chen Shu’s last visit, this surge of life brought a lump to one’s throat, stirring deep emotion.
The gate’s shadows stretched several feet deep. Leading the horse, the soldier guided Chen Shu slowly through this dark passage before they emerged into the city’s radiant glow. As they entered, the muffled clamor outside suddenly swelled into a cacophony. Voices—young and old, male and female—crowded her ears, all joyful yet silently well-ordered as they cleared a path wide enough for her to ride through.
“Is this Hero Chen?”
“It’s her! I got my first hot bowl of porridge from her that day—oh, it was delicious!”
“Didn’t you see her at the charity porridge distribution? How can you not recognize her now?”
“Hero Chen has returned! Our grain is assured!”
Some even braved the muddy street to kneel in gratitude, tugging their robes aside as if to kowtow.
Chen Shu initially glowed with pride, biting her lower lip to contain her laughter. But as she saw one kneel, and others preparing to follow, her expression froze.
A gentle breeze rustled as man-made walls seemed to close protectively around her, urging her forward.
Unfazed, the soldier leading her merely remarked, “Don’t kneel on the road, blocking the honored guest’s way.” Yet his words rippled through the crowd, sparking not restraint but heightened fervor. Those who hadn’t knelt were stirred awake by his call, rushing to touch their foreheads to the ground.
In moments, waves of thunderous gratitude rose like mountain cries.
Chen Shu faltered. Reining in her horse, she dismounted before the soldier could react, darting to the kneeling figures. Frantically, she reached to help one rise.
A yellowed, thin face lifted to meet hers, eyes bright and steady.
“Why kneel to me?” Chen Shu said. Bewildered, she raised her voice to those kneeling nearby: “Don’t do this! I’m no temple idol—kneeling gains you nothing! The grain was secured by Lord Shen’s letters; it’s not my doing!”
Instantly, shouts answered her:
“The temple gods couldn’t do what you did, Hero Chen!”
“Lord Shen? Has Lord Shen returned? I’ll bring my daughter to bow to her too—”
The man before her—a spirited elder—didn’t respond at once. Steadied by her hand, he rose slowly, waiting for the voices to quiet before speaking:
“My life was saved by Miss Chen. This whole city was saved by her. Forget the grain. Alone, she braved floodwaters to breach walls and rescue us. This bow… owes you.”
Applause cut through his speech; others chimed in loudly. But Chen Shu kept her eyes locked on him, absorbing every word. When he finished, she blurted:
“Yet saving you—it wasn’t for your bows!”
All along the street, scores—no, hundreds—of gazes froze. Half-kneeling figures rose; well-wishers silenced; bystanders stared. Her words, light yet heavy, moved the crowd to stillness. Only then did her escort jolt awake, marching before Chen Shu to calm the crowd.
But how could even ten hands soothe passions this fervent? These were people who’d gathered just to glimpse or thank Hero Chen.
Slowly, the mass surged inward. Order dissolved as excited villagers pressed closer. After a breathless pause, cries erupted anew—so thunderous that Chen Shu’s black horse startled, hooves stamping.
The noise was incoherent now, yet hotter than the setting sun’s blaze. It seared like a heatwave, quickening pulses and breaths.
Chen Shu stood trapped, limbs stiff, as cheers enveloped her. More poured from the city, sealing the gate district in layers.
Just as chaos threatened, a deep bell tolled above the gate!
Chen Shu looked up. Against the dusk, the shadow of a figure leaped monkey-like from the wall, striking the bell before vaulting down into their midst. He landed in the center of the road and stood.
“Yan Ji!” Chen Shu shrieked, joy flashing. “Why are you still here?”
“‘Why still here’?” Grinning, Yan Ji slipped through the crowd. Amused, he even tossed a few thanks before sauntering to the black horse, slapping its flank. “Tell me. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“…Surely it’s because you’re worried about the common folk suffering here at Diancang Pass and are reluctant to part with them?”
These words fell, and the surroundings immediately fell silent. Some of those who had clustered around Chen Shu moments earlier seemed convinced by the notion, stealing glances at Yan Ji and whispering amongst themselves.
“Who’s that? Was he helping with the flood rescue earlier?”
“Doesn’t look familiar, not one of us from the Pass… Maybe here to deliver grain?”
In the days since arriving at Diancang Pass, Yan Ji, true to his indolent nature, had idled about aimlessly. He spent entire days avoiding work, often sunbathing on rooftops where even finding him was a chore, let alone expecting him to help with the flood rescue.
Instantly, Yan Ji’s smile froze. He bared his teeth at Chen Shu, hissing a low, humorless reprimand through gritted teeth, “You little macaque! Run off to Yingqiu City with Shen Jie just once, and you come back so smooth-tongued! Not the least bit adorable anymore!”
Chen Shu snorted, also lowering her voice, and stuck her tongue out at him, “Like I care what you think!”
As the two squabbled, the soldier finally seized his opportunity. Amidst the murmurings of the crowd, he raised his arm, gesturing to gradually disperse the people.
Slowly, as the crowd scattered, the press of bodies retreated. The evening breeze finally brushed against the stray hairs at Chen Shu’s temple. Though he’d just exchanged several rounds of teasing, Yan Ji wasn’t annoyed. He reached for his black horse, but simultaneously spotting an opening, his long arm swept out. With rough carelessness, he used the back of his hand to shove the stray strands of hair off Chen Shu’s brow. He smoothed them back with such force that two faint red streaks immediately appeared on her cheek from the pressure.
“…Hold on! Patting the horse is one thing, how dare you pat me!” Only on the third sweep did Chen Shu finally react. She puffed out her cheeks, dodging Yan Ji’s hand, and glared straight at him.
Yan Ji withdrew his hand, a look of distinct disappointment on his face. He then jutted his chin towards the soldier. Some unspoken understanding passed between them, for the soldier obediently turned and walked away, leaving Yan Ji alone. He waved dismissively at Chen Shu, his reply slow and deliberate,
“What of it? If He Yu can do it, why can’t I? You ‘paragon of chivalry’ are quite unreasonable.” He spoke, completely ignoring Chen Shu’s look of furious rebuttal, and just kept talking, “Fine! I’m feeling magnanimous today. A great man doesn’t hold trivial grudges! So, magnanimously overlooking your previous transgressions, I shall escort you to see the esteemed General Liu at the local magistracy!”
As if she actually needed anyone to show her the way! Within the whole of Diancang Pass, apart from the courtyard house surrounded by the Vermilion Wall where they’d originally lodged, and the Sword Discussion Platform that had miraculously withstood the catastrophic deluge, the place Chen Shu knew best was this very magistracy.
Counting the time she’d waited outside for Shen Jie, she’d only been here three times in total, yet she still remembered that little mound of earth tucked in a corner of the yard. Now, looking at it again, not only was Shen Jie’s hempen cloth marker still there, but several other items had also been piled onto it, though haphazardly—one seemed like an offering for a small dog, another perhaps for a horse.
The magistracy now belonged to Liu Mao. Other aspects aside, at least the bedding and bedstead in the inner partition had been properly tidied. A candle lamp stood upon the desk, alongside a small bowl of stir-fried meat emitting a savory aroma. The moment Chen Shu stepped inside, her nose twitched, and her gaze was instinctively drawn towards that little plate of fried meat.
At this hour, it was indeed time for supper.
Yet, upon seeing her hungry stare, Liu Mao pretended not to notice. He gestured further into the room. Sitting down comfortably on a chair he pulled out himself first, he finally said, “Miss Chen, you finally return. I calculated you should have arrived by now, yet we saw no sign of Lord Shen. Is she still in Yingqiu? Or…”
“A—Lord Shen, she has returned to the capital!” Chen Shu blurted. After getting used to it these past two days, she nearly slipped and called out “Big Sister” again. She quickly covered it with a laugh. “After all, such a major incident occurred. Lord Shen was eager to return to the capital and report. We parted ways after leaving Yingqiu City.”
“…Oh?” Liu Mao’s eyes crinkled gently at the corners as he looked at Chen Shu. A perfunctory smile clung to his lips, almost unchanging. “So that means Lord Shen, in Yingqiu City… Or rather, Yingqiu Weir… She truly uncovered something?”