The blue-eyed bandit leader came and went like the wind. Although he didn’t rob or kill anyone, the group was still left with lingering fear after waking up. A few chatterboxes speculated whether he was the legendary “Amber Light” or “Snow Among the Leaves,” but before they could reach a conclusion, Yan Zijin had already urged them to continue on their way.
The weather in the mountains was unpredictable, with hailstorms striking twice in a single day. When the hail fell, the travelers had no choice but to pull their animals to the side and take shelter beneath the cliffs. Duan Wu shivered so much her teeth chattered, but knowing she could sit inside the carriage clutching the pearls, she kept her complaints to herself.
Back when she lived by the South Sea, she had longed for cooler weather. But now that she had it, it felt more like torture.
Yan Zijin, as usual, led the way on horseback. Perhaps his encounter with the bandit leader had dampened his spirits, for he seemed more determined than ever to press on without rest. Even when the others were eager to take a break, he stubbornly insisted on pushing forward. The servants, who had always feared this "plague-ridden" young master, could only grit their teeth and bear it.
Ever since Duan Wu discovered the truth about Little Squirrel, she felt a strange sense of calm. She, too, wanted to reach the prince's tent as soon as possible to fulfill Lord Yuchi’s request. She had considered what to do if Yan Zijin lost his mind and tried to use her as a medicine to treat the "sick prince." If it came to that, she would fight him to the death. He had saved her life, but he didn’t own her contract of servitude. His actions against her—a slave of the Yuan Dynasty government—would be not just a betrayal of loyalty but a violation of the law.
As she plotted her next move, she made sure to appear as obedient as ever, with a sweet, accommodating smile.
The Eagle’s Beak Pass was narrow at the end, and the convoy had to squeeze through a narrow gap between the cliffs. Duan Wu took out the small jade Buddha hanging around her neck, breathed on it, and wiped its face clean with her sleeve. Kunlun jade… so this is Kunlun jade… She closed her eyes, feeling its smooth, soft texture, and was convinced it truly was the finest of all jade stones.
Suddenly, there were several sharp screams, followed by the echo of horses' whinnies, and the convoy came to a halt.
Duan Wu stuck her head out to see Yan Zijin standing with his arms crossed. His horse lay on the path, barely alive.
A few servants reported, “Master, the horse's leg is broken.”
Yan Zijin’s face, shadowed by the mountain, appeared as a gray blur. He stepped forward, gently stroked the horse’s neck, and tapped it lightly with his fingers before suddenly drawing his sword and stabbing it through the neck. Everyone sighed, “What a pity.”
Ignoring the blood staining his robe, Yan Zijin stood up and ordered, “Push it off the path. Keep moving. Quickly!”
The servants scrambled to clear the road. Duan Wu took a deep breath, sensing trouble. The servants all rode donkeys, and apart from the unfortunate dead horse, the only other horse in the convoy was the one pulling her carriage. She quickly ducked back inside, clutching the box of pearls and pretending to sleep.
She cracked her eyes open, glancing around the warm and cozy carriage interior, which only made her more reluctant to leave.
Just as she was savoring the comfort, a servant called out, “Hey, Duan Wu, the master wants to ride in this carriage.”
“Alright, alright, just give me a moment to tidy up, and I'll get out…” Duan Wu hesitated, stalling as long as she could. “You don’t know, that little bandit ate, drank, slept, and even bled in here. It’s dirty… I can manage, but the master is a nobleman… Just a moment, I’ll be ready…”
Finally, she lifted the curtain and came face to face with Yan Zijin. It was hard to tell whether he was shivering or stomping his feet.
Without looking at her, he immediately climbed into the carriage. As Duan Wu stepped down, she heard him sigh in relief.
What’s with him now? She couldn’t be bothered to think about it.
She hugged herself tightly, her teeth chattering as the cold bit into her cheeks, turning them frost-red.
She thought: Clams from the South Sea really aren’t suited for life in Kunlun. After a few years of working for Yuchi, I’ll save up some money and find a way to bring my mother over. Then we can open a little jewelry shop in Quanzhou. Just the thought of it sounds wonderful…
She pulled out a piece of rough cloth and wiped the snot from her cold nose.
Yan Zijin knocked on the carriage wall. The driver immediately asked, “Master?”
“Bring me my sable coat,” Yan Zijin replied in a low voice.
The driver obeyed and told Duan Wu, “Go fetch the sable coat.”
Duan Wu had heard of sable coats but had never seen one. Sniffling, she went to find the servant in charge of the luggage.
The servant rummaged through the bags, muttering to himself, “Strange, we didn’t even need this coat last winter when we traveled beyond Shanhai Pass in the dead of winter… But now, he wants it…”
Duan Wu’s little nose had turned as red as a garlic bulb from all the wiping. The servant glanced at her and remarked, “Huh, it must be really cold.”
He handed the bundle to Duan Wu, saying, “Just hand the coat directly to the master.”
Duan Wu’s large eyes sparkled with understanding, and she quickly thanked him.
She unwrapped the bundle, revealing the glossy, warm sable fur. But it belonged to Yan Zijin…
Duan Wu smirked and approached the carriage, calling out, “I’ve got it.”
Yan Zijin quickly reached out and snatched the sable coat inside. Though the coat wasn’t light, Duan Wu could still see him through the curtain.
She was stunned. Yan Zijin’s face was flushed, almost as if he were ill.
Last night, after he had returned to the cave from the cliff, he seemed a bit like this… So, this man wasn’t as invincible as he appeared.
She shook out the thick woolen blanket and wrapped it around herself. Inside the carriage, Yan Zijin seemed to be gulping down water.
There was no point in pitying him. If she were to pity anyone, it would be herself.
If he could treat Little Squirrel’s injuries, what was a bit of wind and cold to him? She thought deeply, comparing everyone she knew from the Pearl Collecting Bureau with Yan Zijin. She concluded that among all types of people, he belonged to the “stubborn to the bitter end” category. But fate has a way of playing tricks on people. The more someone clings to their pride, the more likely they are to lose everything in the end… She wasn’t cursing him, just categorizing Yan as one of life’s many ironies.
By nightfall, they had exited the Kunlun Mountains and rejoined the main road, where everyone visibly relaxed.
A few servants who had arrived earlier, along with guards from the Yuchi family, came to greet them.
Yan Zijin ordered the carriage curtains to be rolled up, and Duan Wu complied.
His eyes were bloodshot, making him look like a worn-out lantern.
The men paid their respects and reported, "Master, everything is settled. We’ve scouted the area within ten miles, and all is peaceful."
"Good. We must reach Yarkand within five days."
"Master, five days?"
"Yes, five days," Yan Zijin said. "Tonight, I want a watch posted around the clock."
"Master, are you concerned…? We heard rumors of a few scattered bandits on the road…"
"No! Better safe than sorry."
Duan Wu noticed Yan Zijin wiping his palms with a silk handkerchief. His eyes were half-closed, lacking the usual pretentious air, looking more like someone too exhausted to keep them open.
The inn stood alone in the wilderness, its green lanterns glowing eerily. Though it wasn’t far from the main road, the wars between the Chagatai Khanate and the Yuan Dynasty, along with the recent rise of Kunlun bandits, had long driven travelers away.
Yan Zijin led his large group into the inn, making the dilapidated building seem even more fragile.
Those who arrived first had prepared food and drink for their master, but Yan Zijin only cast a cold glance before asking the innkeeper to take him to the main room.
Duan Wu trailed behind, her eyes lowered, holding an empty box wrapped in a bundle. Her shadow overlapped with Yan Zijin’s, making her look like a pitiful weed against the wall.
In truth, she was paying close attention to the boots beneath Yan Zijin’s fur coat.
His legs were trembling… If this continues, he might not even be able to stand…
How amusing. At this moment, the weak one wasn’t her but him!
Duan Wu suddenly looked up, her eyes glowing like black gold tempered in fire.
Yan Zijin, ignoring everyone and everything else, turned and headed up the stairs.
Once he left, everyone relaxed. The men clinked bowls, drank, and played games, while the four female slaves ate inside their room.
With no one to stop her, Duan Wu grabbed a bowl of hot wine and some mutton to eat. Tonight, no amount of food would be too much for her.
Nearby, two men, their chests exposed and smelling of sweat, were arguing endlessly.
"That bandit leader’s eyes were so blue… Blue enough to kill! If he were a woman, I’d want to join the bandits myself. But that kid’s knife skills… Killing without a trace of blood. Our master’s sword just disappeared!"
"Ah… No wonder the master’s so down tonight. Turns out… Yan Zi had his wings clipped, haha…"
"Shh, keep it down." The man glanced at Duan Wu, tilting his beard. "Duan Wu’s here too. Didn’t that blue-eyed guy give you something? Was it a love token? Are you going to be his bandit queen?"
Duan Wu drained her wine and grinned. "You guessed it! If you want to live, you’d better say nice things about me from now on. I’ll make sure my man spares your sorry hide!" She then slammed her bowl down on the table, her eyes flashing with anger.
She was about to find the female slaves to spend the night when the innkeeper stopped her. "Duan Wu? Master wants you to stay in the room next to his."
Duan Wu couldn’t refuse, so she went to the designated room. It had no door, just a half-drawn curtain.
The room reeked of sheep, and the bedding in the corner was tattered, worse than what she had in the Pearl Collecting Bureau.
She thought: Others may be climbing higher, but I’m just learning to scrape by.
Could Yan Zijin really sleep in a place like this?
Duan Wu didn’t bother to think too much about it. She laid the bundle on the bedding and curled up inside it like a caterpillar.
There was no sound from Yan Zijin’s room. Duan Wu turned over and noticed a few ants crawling in and out of the wooden wall. Following the ants, she found a crack in the wall. Curious, she blew out her lamp and peeked through.
Yan Zijin’s room was much cleaner than hers. He was wrapped in that heavy fur coat, lying with his back to her, his body slightly trembling as if he were shivering.
Duan Wu thought, In the southern seas, people often get a fever that makes them shiver—just like him. Yan Zijin was fine in Hetian, so why did he fall ill after passing through the Kunlun Mountains? Maybe it was the ghost of his "Sister Lan," lingering around him because of his deep feelings for her when he threw the red orchid off the cliff? He still thought he could reach Yarkand in five days? Perhaps his name was already written in the underworld's register.
As these thoughts crossed her mind, she scratched her back. The wounds had long healed, but the skin still itched now and then.
She chuckled to herself, not out of malice, but just to ease herself into sleep.
She felt inside her sleeve and spread out her hand, catching the faint light. The small white flowers she had received had dried up.
Surprisingly, these unremarkable little flowers released a pleasant fragrance as they dried.
The smell of the room, once filled with the scent of mutton, was now replaced by the delicate aroma of the flowers. She held the flowers in her hand, using it as a pillow, and drifted off to sleep.
At first, she dozed off, still hearing the men’s voices chattering like a flock of crows.
As she fell into a deeper sleep, the fragrance grew stronger, leading her into a beautiful dream.
Once again, she saw a mirage. Amidst the snowy mountains, wild apricots bloomed, and a young rider turned to smile at her, his eyes as blue as the memory of a pearl sea.
That sea was suddenly disturbed by dark clouds rolling in from the mountains. In an instant, it transformed into a sea of blood.
She heard Lady Ba’s anxious voice calling her from the depths of the sea: "Duan Wu… Duan Wu…?"
The little slave companions from her childhood, long lost to the waters, emerged from the blood sea, all wailing together: "Duan Wu… Duan Wu…"
She jolted awake, her mouth dry, instinctively reaching for the lamp.
She couldn’t see anything clearly in the room, which was now filled with a pale yellow mist.
Breathing in, she found that the mist’s scent made her dizzy. Alert, she quickly inhaled the fragrance of the white flowers, which helped clear her head.
In the dimness, she heard footsteps. The sound wasn’t particularly heavy, but it didn’t seem like they were trying to be quiet either.
Could it be someone on night patrol? But why would they need to move around inside the building? The yellow mist must be some sort of knockout gas. Oh no, are the bandits back?
She placed the white flowers in her mouth and began crawling on the floor like a gecko. She remembered that the curtain in the room was only half-drawn when she went to sleep…
She slipped out of the room, continuing to crawl until she hit a wall, then curled up in a corner by the stairs.
Her eyes were wide with fear, like a ghost's.
The mist was thinning, and there were more people downstairs.
They were masked, each holding a gleaming steel knife. Every time they encountered someone, several knives would strike down at once.
Duan Wu bit her arm to keep herself from making any noise.
This was… killing without a trace. Everyone had been knocked out by the mist. But she was awake. She touched the protective charm on her chest and silently prayed: Father, Mother, please protect me…
Her body trembled, the coolness of the Hetian jade seeping into her fingertips.
The footsteps drew closer. Upstairs, it seemed like only she and Yan Zijin were still alive.
Terrified, she accidentally swallowed the white flowers in her mouth. Her tongue tingled, and before she could understand what was happening, she fainted.
The next morning, she woke up in the sunlight, groaning softly. She remembered having a nightmare.
Feeling groggy, she got up, holding her head as she walked toward the bright light.
Her foot caught on something. Her ears rang as she looked down. It was a woman's corpse.
The girl’s long hair was spread across the floor, her throat slashed. She had been one of Duan Wu’s companions.
Duan Wu covered her mouth. Only then did she become fully aware of the overwhelming stench of blood. The floor below was littered with gruesome corpses.
Driven by some instinct, she moved from one body to the next, checking them. She felt as if she had lost her mind, which was why she could still function, still touch the dead.
Except for her, Yan Zijin’s entire retinue—the four female slaves, the four guards sent by Yuchi, even the inn staff—had all been killed.
In one night, everyone was dead! Except for her…
She had been left behind in this place. She ran outside, then back into the inn, only to find that all the horses, mules, and belongings were gone.
The Kunlun Mountain bandits—it had to be them! How did they manage to find the official road?
Suddenly, she recalled the conversation she had with the blue-eyed bandit leader in the empty mountains: "What a pity, the main group took the money and valuables…"
Could it have been her own words? Was it something she said that gave away their location? The blue-eyed bandit, so polite and kind, had only been following them in secret?
Did they spare her because she had unknowingly acted as their guide, a complicit accomplice?
Duan Wu felt a stabbing, heart-wrenching regret. She punched herself in the head, hard.
She sat on the ground and broke into loud, uncontrollable sobs. She couldn’t think about anything, except that she just wanted to cry.
Suddenly, she stopped crying and ran upstairs in one breath. A thought had just crossed her mind—Yan Zijin.
Yan Zijin was lying face down on the ground, completely still. He… he was dead too.
Duan Wu approached him, but just as she was about to turn him over, she pulled her hand back sharply.
Yan Zijin’s body was burning hot. Clearly, a person who was this hot wasn’t dead.
She couldn’t quite comprehend what she was feeling. In that moment, all she could think was: there’s still someone alive.
She stood there, dazed, and then Yan Zijin opened his eyes. His entire body was flushed with fever, his lips were parched and cracked, and there was a mix of confusion and a hint of clarity in his eyes.
He struggled to speak, asking, "Is it you? Why haven’t we set off yet?"
Duan Wu, still in a trance, replied, "…Everyone else is dead."
At first, Yan Zijin lay there stiffly, as if he were already dead, but then his body trembled violently.
He moved his lips and suddenly grabbed Duan Wu’s wrist, gripping it tightly.
The future truly was unpredictable. Duan Wu hadn’t died, and neither had Yan Zijin.
But now, Duan Wu had become Yan Zijin’s only possession!
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