In the quiet temple, Duan Wu and Lord Yuchi sat around a fire basin. She stared at the flowers in the Brahma vase, feeling as though she were experiencing a dream. The tears shed by the Bodhisattva for the world had transformed into the drizzle of rain, then further into Yuchi Wuyi's words.
"...And so, I met Lady Ba and the commander, and received the two measures of pearls that brought me to where I am today. At the time, I was thirteen and understood the importance of repaying kindness. To me, Lady Ba was a beautiful woman. She had a keen eye, knowing the value of every jewel, yet never letting emotion cloud her judgment. The night before I left, I went to find her and asked a question. I said, 'With the ongoing wars, the jade of Mount Kunlun has lost its former influence. Under the Mongol iron hoof, I cannot restore the Yuchi family dynasty. But I wish to build a kingdom of white jade here in Hetian, just like the Pearl Bureau in Hepu. For that, I need the finest jade and the best talents. When I have the ability, can I come back for you?' She smiled—a bitter smile that pained the observer—and said, 'My heart is already half-dead. By then, it will have turned to the blood of old pearls. Child, if you truly have such resolve, would you make a promise with me?' I replied, 'It depends on what kind of promise.' She did not light a lamp but led me to a row of shabby huts by the sea. Inside one hut, there were straw mats and an oil lamp, with many children sleeping haphazardly... Suddenly, Lady Ba grasped my hand and, with a near-painful gasp, said, 'There is a secret here. Child, if you reveal it to outsiders, I swear you won't leave Lianzhou alive.' She gripped me so tightly that it hurt. I swore on the honor of the Yuchi family that I would keep it a secret."
Yuchi glanced at Duan Wu, her dark eyes filled with confusion.
"Then she told me, 'I was born ugly, but I met someone who truly cared for me. He was once the most handsome man in the Pearl Bureau and the only slave who couldn't forget his life before being captured. To punish him, the Mongols disfigured his face and forced him to labor day and night. After I came of age, the other male slaves avoided me at night, but he respected and cared for me. Despite his hunchback and hideous face, I still saw him as young and handsome. In this place, love is like a wildflower—it thrives only in secrecy. He loved to talk about his days as a young warrior, running through the forests, and about the sea god's love songs he heard while on night watch... But... there was no future for us. He suddenly and resolutely chose to die. A few months later, I gave birth to a girl. It was the fifth day of the fifth month, and I remember smelling the fragrance of calamus in my dizziness. Do you know? When I was promoted to overseer, I saw a little slave girl just learning to walk. She stumbled and laughed as she came out of this hut. People called her Duan Wu. I couldn't be mistaken—her eyes were just like his!'"
Duan Wu's mouth fell open, her eyes brimming with tears. She understood what she had just heard. Lady Ba and the man she had never met—were they her parents? Duan Wu had not been abandoned at birth; she had a father and a mother. The stern, reserved Lady Ba, who had shown her the treasures in the darkness and told her tales in the sea breeze—why had she never spoken of that man, the young warrior who ran through the forests, the slave who heard the sea god's love songs at night? Lala had always told Duan Wu that Lady Ba treated her differently, but why? Duan Wu always laughed it off, saying, "Is that so? Maybe she just thinks I'm difficult and keeps an extra eye on me." Lady Ba had handed her over to Harbara, had her offered to the sea god as a sacrifice. For a moment, Duan Wu felt a surge of hatred—not for Lady Ba, but for the circumstances. She suddenly remembered the last look Lady Ba gave her. Though it was cold, how long had those eyes lingered on her? Even when Duan Wu resigned herself to fate and closed her eyes, she could still feel that gaze on her face, on her body. She had tried to forget that look... but now, she could not. She no longer hated Lady Ba; she understood. The turmoil and pain in her heart exploded into a sob. Tears streamed from her eyes as she hugged herself, shivering, wishing the fire could be warmer, hotter.
A cloak was draped over Duan Wu's shoulders. She looked up and saw Yuchi standing before her, his gaze warmer and more peaceful than the fire.
The rain had lessened, and a cat meowed softly from the corner of the room. The earthy smell mixed with the fragrance of the Bodhi leaves, drifting in the night breeze.
Duan Wu wiped away her tears. She no longer saw herself as a child, nor did she need Yuchi's sympathy. She calmed herself and calculated the distance from Lianzhou to Hetian. Her expression still carried a hint of bewilderment, but her eyes, washed clean by tears, shone as brightly as stars in the night sky.
Only then did Yuchi continue, "At that time, I was a bit shocked. But having faced hardships myself, I understood Lady Ba's difficulties. She said to me, 'Child, if you are willing, please go and bring her out...' I did as she asked, lighting a torch and walking to the window, softly calling, 'Duan Wu, Duan Wu?' After a while, a little girl sleeping near the window woke up. She was wearing a small bellyband, with her hair down to her ears. She groggily climbed to the window, stood on tiptoe, and looked at me, pointing at herself, saying, 'Duan Wu?' I laughed and picked her up from the low window. She was as light as a cat... Duan Wu, do you remember what you said to me then? You said, 'Brother, are you here to take me away?' At that time, I had no way of taking you with me. I told you, 'Next time I come, I will take you with me.' You were satisfied and fell asleep in my arms. When I returned to Lady Ba, she said, 'Yuchi Wuyi, if you wish for this girl to help you build your kingdom of white jade, I will teach her everything I know. I cannot wait too long. Before she turns fifteen, you must come back. I will find a way to let her go with you. But... life is full of misfortune. If you cannot keep your promise, I will not blame you.' After some thought, I agreed. Lady Ba then drew a small knife, cut my arm, and tasted my blood. I told her that one day, I, Yuchi Wuyi, would return to take Duan Wu. She believed me and gave me a token. Duan Wu, can you guess what it is?"
Duan Wu shook her head. Yuchi smiled meaningfully. From the base of the white jade Bodhisattva statue, he retrieved a rusty iron box.
He spoke gently, "Ever since I closed this box, I haven’t opened it in over ten years. I swore as a youth that I would only open it again when I saw you, Duan Wu. Is it still inside?"
The iron box wasn’t locked. Duan Wu lifted the lid and found a short lock of dried yellow hair tied with a blue cloth strip.
She looked at Yuchi's face. His smile was as light as a breeze on a lotus pond, but his phoenix eyes held a deep, ocean-like tenderness.
"This is a lock of your hair from when you were a child. After Lady Ba cut it, I tied it with a thread from my clothing," he laughed. "Back then, I only had two ragged clothes. The threads blew in the wind, and a single pull would strip a strand—quite a sight, very dashing! You don’t believe me?"
Duan Wu shook her head and broke into a smile. She took the lock of hair and brushed it against her cheek.
Yuchi sat down and looked her in the eye. "This summer, as Prince Nomin's illness worsened, many things happened. The year I left Lianzhou was in the autumn. I planned to contact Lady Ba this autumn and find a way to take you. You must be fifteen by now, right?"
Duan Wu didn’t respond. Yuchi Wuyi, she believed, wasn’t lying. As the renowned lord of Hetian, what could he possibly gain by deceiving a girl like her? But everything was happening too quickly for her to accept calmly.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even notice the rain had stopped outside.
Yuchi continued, "Today, when Yan Zijing visited and I heard the name Duan Wu, and then saw you, I wondered if there was some divine will at play. That's why, during dinner, I had the pearls brought out to test you, and it turned out just as I expected. But Yan Zijing’s temperament… Before the rain, I was thinking about you, and then, you unexpectedly fell from the sky following my cat! How did you become Yan Zijing’s slave? Nonetheless, I must thank him for bringing you all this way to Hetian."
Duan Wu furrowed her brows, thinking for a moment before briefly responding, "I got into trouble. He saved me by the sea. He tried to sell me once but failed, so he brought me along to Hetian. There were five female slaves traveling with me. One died, and four of us are left. He made the other slaves drink pearl powder, but I refused, and he didn’t force me. He knows I was raised in the Pearl Bureau."
Yuchi remained silent. His clothes had dried by the fire, but his exposed wrist was bruised and purple. Duan Wu asked, "Your hand...?"
"It's nothing. Don’t worry about it," he said, gazing intently at her. "You... have already learned about pearls and jade, haven't you? But have you studied Hetian jade yet?"
"No. In recent years, Hetian jade has become scarcer, so I haven’t had the chance to learn," Duan Wu replied honestly.
Yuchi showed no disappointment.
He gently touched his jade-like forehead, his phoenix eyes smiling warmly. "It’s better that you haven’t learned. Let me be the one to teach you. Duan Wu, you are not an ordinary girl; you belong to the Kingdom of White Jade. You are the first person I have made a pact with in my life. Don’t break that promise."
His long fingers lightly touched Duan Wu’s chin, the coolness of his touch lingering. Duan Wu glanced sideways, and he wiped away a tear from the corner of her mouth before withdrawing his hand.
The pact was made with Lady Ba, but if that was her mother’s wish, Duan Wu also hoped she could live up to it. However, she wasn’t sure if she could learn enough to meet Yuchi Wuyi’s expectations. Being sincere with others requires a genuine heart. She couldn’t rely on bluffing or jokes to deal with Yuchi.
Everything has a price. To establish a Kingdom of White Jade, how much time and sacrifice would it take? If Yuchi intended to emulate the Pearl Bureau of Lianzhou, even with the intention of supporting trade, she couldn’t impose the same whips that had scarred her own body and soul onto others.
Just as she was about to respond, Yuchi opened the window and sighed, "The moon is out again. Duan Wu, have you ever seen the Hetian moon?"
Duan Wu rubbed her cheeks with her hands, folded Yuchi’s garment neatly, and placed it on the long table. She stood up and said, "Isn’t that it?"
She followed the man’s gaze and saw the bright moon hanging high in the corner of the window. The night over the oasis was deep.
At that moment, a young attendant knocked on the door, and Yuchi asked with concern, "Is Lord Yan feeling unwell after drinking?"
"Master, Lord Yan is sleeping soundly," the attendant replied.
Yuchi whispered a few instructions and handed the little cat lying in the temple to the attendant. The young man bowed respectfully and left.
Yuchi turned back and studied Duan Wu for a while, then beckoned to her, "The moon here is just the courtyard moon. Let me take you to see the real Hetian moon."
Duan Wu hesitated for a moment, but his sincere expression made it hard to refuse. Her thoughts were still a bit jumbled, and getting some fresh air didn’t seem like a bad idea. She wondered to herself: If Yuchi had plans for her, how would he negotiate with Yan Zijing?
She ran into the garden but stopped.
Yuchi, dragging one leg, caught up with her. His voice was slightly hoarse, "Duan Wu, the ground is slippery after the rain."
"Alright, you lead the way then," Duan Wu replied.
She followed behind Yuchi, keeping an eye on the ground for him.
His long robe, now stained with mud, brushed against the grass, making a rustling sound.
Duan Wu suddenly realized that his steps weren’t heavy; instead, they seemed steady and relaxed. She smiled, feeling that her earlier worries had been unnecessary.
They passed through an archway surrounded by Pipal trees and arrived at a black stone platform under the Vajra Peak.
A side gate was open, and outside waited a cart drawn by two strong white oxen.
Lord Yuchi helped Duan Wu into the cart. He hesitated slightly as he used his arm strength to lift himself into the seat.
Duan Wu curiously asked, "We don’t need a driver?"
Yuchi smiled, "Isn’t that what you’re for?"
"Me?" Duan Wu tilted her head, her face looking refreshed as if she had just emerged from her earlier sorrow.
Yuchi smiled and pulled out a long green willow branch from his sleeve.
He lightly weighed it in his hand and flicked the tip of the willow branch, which tapped the oxen’s tails. With a swish, the two oxen began to move swiftly eastward.
The ox cart sped like the wind, with the moonlight accompanying them for miles. The moonlight of Hetian first graced the bright crowns of the oasis’s oleaster trees, then illuminated the ruins of ancient temples with a soft glow. As they gradually left the city behind, the majestic and vast Kunlun Mountains emerged in the distance. At that moment, the snow-capped peaks shone like silver, and the moonlight was equally silvery. Duan Wu’s spirit was ignited by the beauty of nature, sparking a joyful fire within her.
That spark remained on the young girl’s cheeks, reflected in her bright eyes, and cast forward to the broad river ahead.
The river gleamed with countless silver lights under the moon, flowing endlessly like life itself.
Yuchi observed her and said, "This is the Yulong Kashgar River. In Turkic, it’s called the White Jade River. Without it, there would be no jade from Mount Kunlun."
He let out a long whistle, and the cart stopped on the gravel beach by the river valley. Duan Wu was the first to leap from the cart. She seemed playful, grabbing the willow branch from Yuchi’s hand. Yuchi intended to give her the willow branch to play with, but as his body leaned forward, Duan Wu naturally supported him.
She immediately pulled away from him, turning her back and swinging the willow branch, stomping heavily on the hard gravel. Suddenly, she winced—her shoe had just developed a hole, and two of her toes were peeking through. She stuck out her tongue, pretending nothing had happened, and glanced back at Yuchi.
Yuchi, holding a silver cane that reached his waist, smiled slightly and continued walking. The cane struck the stones with a clear, tinkling sound.
Duan Wu followed him as they rounded a bend in the river. Yuchi stood still, facing the wind, and nodded at her.
A thin cloud drifted across the silver moon, and the Yulong Kashgar River looked even more like the Milky Way. Standing on higher ground, Duan Wu could see the river clearly and couldn’t help but gasp in amazement.
The great river roared as it carved its way through the valley, reflecting the vibrant colors of the snow-capped mountains in the water. Amid the shimmering light spots, she could see the silhouettes of naked women from the Western Regions. They held baskets, occasionally bending down as they waded forward, allowing the icy, snowmelt river to wash over their waists and legs. In the moonlight, the women’s bare backs glowed with a jade-like radiance, making one forget all worldly thoughts. Their heads were wrapped in brightly colored scarves, making them look like celestial maidens descending to the Jade River or flowers scattered across the rushing waters...
Yuchi’s voice was low and soft: "Kunlun jade, the finest comes from the offspring of this river. From ancient times to the present, the women and girls of Hetian have always come to this river under the moonlight to collect beautiful jade. My mother used to say: 'Jade is the soul of the moon, and wherever the moonlight is brightest, there you’ll find the best stones.' However, like pearls, jade gathers the yin energy of the earth and heavens, so this work is best suited for women. Duan Wu, tell me, will you love Kunlun jade as much as you love the pearls of Hepu?"
Duan Wu gazed out at the river and nodded. In truth, what she loved about the Hepu pearls was their inherent beauty, not their high value. Kunlun jade, because of this night and because of Yuchi, had gained a deeper, more mysterious allure in her heart.
She suddenly asked, "Are those women... slaves?"
Yuchi shook his head. "They are not anyone’s slaves, but they work hard to find jade. The stones can be exchanged for food, clothing, and medicine. Everything in this world comes at a price."
Duan Wu’s eyes shifted as she thought of the White Jade Kingdom Yuchi had mentioned... What kind of price would that require?
Yuchi seemed unaware of her thoughts, silently gazing at the Yulong Kashgar River with something close to reverence. As someone raised in the Pearl Bureau, who had seen how merchants relentlessly pursued profit at the expense of slaves, Duan Wu was unexpectedly moved by his expression. She thought of Lady Ba and felt a sudden wave of melancholy. Her nose tingled, and as she looked up at the sky, she saw a lone eagle soaring on outstretched wings.
Yuchi also looked up, and his voice became tender.
"Duan Wu, I know you’re thinking of your mother. When I’m lost in thought, I think of mine too. When I was just a baby, the Yuchi family fell from grace. People mocked our once-glorious name. My father abandoned my mother and me, choosing another woman because he believed a boy like me couldn’t carry on his ambitions. After my mother died, I wandered the world, slowly forgetting her face, but I always remembered her laughter and footprints by the Jade River. No matter where I went, whenever I thought of my mother, I would close my eyes and hear this river flowing. It calls me back, back. When you close your eyes, can you hear the sound of the sea?"
Duan Wu closed her eyes. After a moment, she opened them again, and they were wet.
She exhaled and said firmly, "One day, I will go back and find my mother."
Yuchi led Duan Wu out of the river valley. The wide river gradually narrowed, and reeds rustled on both banks.
On the opposite bank, dark silhouettes loomed, with clusters of torches lighting the hillside.
Duan Wu asked, "Are those houses?"
"Yes, to obtain the finest jade, we had to build a place in the most treacherous part of the Yulong River to manage the jade collectors and select the best stones in time. Those houses are still under construction... Just wait a little longer..."
As soon as he spoke, a commotion broke out across the river. Shouts and footsteps echoed back and forth.
Yuchi listened intently, his gaze sharp. Several people quickly waded across the water, the leader reporting something in the local Hetian dialect.
Duan Wu initially thought Yuchi’s actions tonight were secretive, but then she realized: as the city lord, he wouldn’t recklessly go on a night walk.
Yuchi waved his hand, a faint smile crossing his lips. Duan Wu was startled by that smile for a moment. Before she could figure it out, Yuchi said, "The other side is not as safe as here. Stay here, and I’ll be back soon."
"... Alright! Lord, be careful. I won’t wander off."
Yuchi handed her the silver cane, bending slightly as he said, "This cane contains poison; one stab can kill a person or animal. Keep it; don’t refuse!"
Duan Wu nodded, her heart racing, and hastily said, "You be careful too."
A large man hoisted Yuchi onto his back and waded through the river.
Duan Wu anxiously watched the opposite bank. Apart from the sound of the river and the commotion, she heard more—the sounds of the Kunlun Mountains, of birds and beasts, and the weight of the night. She hugged her shoulders, looking around, trying to make sense of everything in the moonlight.
Suddenly, she noticed a tailless lizard crawling out of the reeds on the riverbank. There was a creaking sound from the reeds.
She didn’t shout, suppressing her fear. She had to act first... She couldn’t wait for anyone to attack her.
The white reeds, glowing eerily in the moonlight, seemed almost malevolent. Duan Wu silently raised the cane and suddenly charged toward the sound.
She stabbed through the reeds, pointing the tip of the cane at the creature. She froze, and the curled-up figure also let out a startled cry.
It was a red-haired child... It was the little squirrel who had followed them into the city!
"Why is it you?" Duan Wu threatened harshly, "Hey, I won't let you move an inch."
The little squirrel's teeth chattered, and he trembled all over. His palm, wrapped in a handkerchief, was pierced by something, bleeding profusely.
Duan Wu, trying to muster courage, squatted down. The little squirrel opened his mouth but only managed to emit a faint sweet smell of pine nuts.
He stared at Duan Wu, struggling to say:
"Beautiful sister,
Don't pity me,
Don't help me.
I'm ready:
Where there's gold, there's a snake,
Where there's a flower, there's a thorn,
Where there's sweetness, there's bitterness,
Where there's life, there's death!"
Duan Wu's eyes flared with anger as she whispered, "What wrong have you done, thinking of death at such a young age? I've killed, I've deceived, but I still believe living is better than dying. All you can do is spout pretty words. If you were truly ready to die, why are you hiding here?"
The little squirrel closed his eyes, and through clenched teeth, he managed to say, "...Brother... Brother..."
A mist of confusion rose before Duan Wu: What should she do? Was this little squirrel the cause of the disturbance across the river? Wasn't he just a wandering little poet? The commotion had settled down again, leaving her with little time to decide... She picked up a few blood-stained stones from the reeds and pushed them into the water. Quickly standing up, she ran along the riverbank. After running for a while, she waded into the water, using the cane to stir the surface.
The people on the other side had noticed her, and Yuchi called out, "Duan Wu?"
She responded loudly, "I just saw a big fish..." but slipped and fell into the water.
Yuchi refused assistance and, with surprising speed, pulled her to the riverbank.
Duan Wu emerged from the water, holding the cane in one hand and a stone in the other. "Jade! Lord, I've found a piece of jade!"
Yuchi shook his head with a smile. "That's not jade. Come on up!"
Duan Wu, her mind racing, flashed a grin. A few others along the riverbank seemed to be searching for the "big fish" as well.
Duan Wu was brought to a wooden hut with a fire. Yuchi gave her some fish soup to drink. She asked, "Is the danger over?"
"Yes. In these riverbanks, wild boars and wolves often roam. Perhaps they were too hungry in the mountains and came down. It was just a brief scare, nothing more," Yuchi said reassuringly.
Duan Wu pondered whether to tell him about the little squirrel. What if... he couldn't forgive the little squirrel? What exactly had the little squirrel done? She quickly resolved to stick to her earlier decision: even if the little squirrel had committed a grave crime, she didn’t want to be the one to expose him.
She didn’t want Yuchi to notice her turmoil, and feeling guilty under his gentle smile, she pretended to be sleepy.
Yuchi seemed reluctant to wake her. When Duan Wu was truly about to drift off, he gently patted her, "Shall we head back?"
Even when getting into the cart, she kept up the pretense of being tired. The ox cart stopped in front of Yuchi’s residence, and only then did she fully open her eyes.
The sky was still dark, with the moon faintly visible through the clouds.
Yuchi didn’t hurry to get out of the cart. He looked at her intently and said seriously, "Duan Wu, I will make sure you stay here."
Her face flushed, not from youthful longing but from guilt.
From the shadow of the Vajra Throne, a young man leading a horse emerged.
His face was as cold as ice, and his tone even colder: "That’s not for you to decide, Brother Wuyi."
Yuchi was silent for a moment, then lazily smiled, "Is that you, Zijin? It seems your drinking capacity has improved, as has your skill."
Duan Wu leaned forward. Oh no, Yan Zijin... He wasn’t drunk... Could it be he had followed them the whole way?
Yan Zijin sneered, "My drinking hasn’t improved; I was just wearing a ring that sobers me up. I heard someone from the Pearl Bureau was asking about you, so I used this girl to test you. Sure enough, Lord Wuyi, you’re always scheming. When the old man sent up the pearls, I knew you wanted to play with me. How could someone who drops a necklace on purpose be the one to be sent to the Mongolian court?"
Yuchi kept smiling, "Zijin, you’re as clever as ever. Yes, I have a connection to the Pearl Bureau. But as someone who started from nothing, I tend to be secretive about my rise to power. I just confirmed that Duan Wu is the daughter of an old acquaintance. I was planning to discuss it with you once you were well-rested."
"I’ve rested enough. You refused to help me; I can’t force you. I returned to the city before you. My servants are already waiting at the city gates. This girl is my property. I don’t want to sell her now, nor will I send her to you, because in the end, you deceived me."
Yuchi sighed, "Zijin, you’re being too suspicious. You came to my house asking for a pass document. But didn’t you already have a pass with the seal of the Privy Councilor Yan Tiemu’er? Of course, I don’t blame you."
"All merchants are deceitful. You taught me that," Yan Zijin replied.
"Better to say, ‘All’s fair in war.’ I taught you that as well," Yuchi said.
Duan Wu was fully awake now, biting her lip. Yan Zijin was unreasonable, and Yuchi was far from being simple.
Following Yan Zijin would be painful, but staying in Yuchi’s household wouldn't be easy either.
Yuchi slowly approached Yan Zijin, lifting the willow switch as if to strike the golden bell above their heads, but suddenly held back.
He asked, "This person, can you really not leave her with me?"
"I cannot! Earlier, I had already sent a messenger to bypass Hotan, racing ahead to present my gift list to the Nomun Palace. If you insist on keeping her, I can’t say who might be angered," Yan Zijin responded firmly.
Yuchi's smile faded. The willow switch in his hand was poised, ready to strike.
Yan Zijin stared directly at him, then suddenly shifted the conversation: "Brother Wuyi, it’s not worth straining our relationship over this. Why not ask Duan Wu what she wants? Does she want to go, or stay? Duan Wu, I almost forgot, your bundle is still on that donkey cart. Go get it first, then decide."
The donkey cart, covered with a canopy, was parked by the gate. The Yan family servants, hearing his words, brought the cart over to Duan Wu.
Duan Wu was puzzled—could those few broken items really make up her bundle? She walked to the cart and lifted the curtain.
Her pupils dilated, her hand froze, and she blinked.
Yuchi turned his face towards her, but her mind was a blank. However, it was only for a moment.
Then, she bowed to Yuchi: "Thank you, Lord. I’ve decided to continue the journey with the master. As for the bundle, it might as well stay on the cart."
Yuchi seemed surprised. He glanced at Yan Zijin but said nothing.
Yan Zijin appeared slightly surprised at how quickly Duan Wu made her decision. He looked up at the sky; dawn was breaking in the east.
Yuchi gazed at Duan Wu for a long moment, his tone returning to calm: "Until we meet again."
Duan Wu bowed deeply. She believed that when Yuchi said "until we meet again," it was certain they would.
Yuchi pulled something from his robes: "Zijin, here’s the pass document I prepared in advance. On this journey, it’s best not to reveal your connections with high-ranking officials of the Yuan Dynasty, to avoid suspicion. Also, don't take the back roads; stick to the main routes. Beware of the Kunlun Mountain bandits… be very, very careful."
Yan Zijin saluted and rode ahead. Duan Wu climbed into the donkey cart, waving goodbye. Yuchi stood with his hands behind his back, upright at the gate.
After a while, Duan Wu looked back through a gap in the curtain. The gate was already empty, left only with a sense of desolation.
From within the cart, a groan arose, and Duan Wu looked down. The little one, bound hand and foot, had finally woken up.
She removed the gag from the child's mouth. The little squirrel, still dazed, muttered, "Brother…? Sister, it’s you!?"
Duan Wu smiled awkwardly, thinking, "Who else would it be, if not this fool?"
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