38: Chapter 38 The Four Women's Operation: Each Displaying Their Skills

Four figures stood in the courtyard; no one spoke first. The wind blew down from the wall, swirling half a fallen leaf that spun around before landing on the stone steps.

Zhao Hongling was the first to step into the house, slapping the table hard: "He insisted on going out alone; isn't this just adding to the chaos?"

She spoke to the air, though she knew no one would contradict her.

Leng Shuang didn't answer, only walking to the eaves and switching her sword from her right hip to her left; this was her habitual action before preparing for a night patrol.

She looked up at the sky; the moon hadn't risen yet, and it was the darkest time of the night.

"The more he acts like this, the more we must remain steady."

Liu Ruyan sat at the small table and took out paper and brush: "There won't be a shortage of people watching him outside; we cannot afford to be in disarray."

Dugu Xue stood in the corner of the courtyard, her fingers calculating the time within her sleeves.

The carrier pigeon from the Northern Territory she had brought was still resting on the roof beam, its wings tucked tightly. "At three quarters past the Hour of the Rat, the long street in the west of the city will be the quietest, and also the easiest place for trouble to occur."

After she finished speaking, her gaze swept over the three of them: "To protect him, we must be one step faster than the enemy."

Zhao Hongling slapped her thigh: "Then what are we waiting for? I'll send a message back to the Family right now!"

She turned and ran toward the side room, calling for a servant to fetch the seal and fire wax while digging out the Family's secret codebook.

In less than half a cup of tea, three urgent letters were sealed and sent to the informants near the Nangong Family, the Heavenly Blade Sect's contact point in the capital, and the inn where the Iron Bone Temple Disciples usually stayed.

"Watch their people closely." She bit her fingertip and drew a Vermilion Bird mark on the back of the envelope: "Whoever dares to harbor crooked intentions, report it to me immediately."

After hearing this, Leng Shuang picked up her sword and went out. She didn't take the main street but instead stepped along the rooftops, heading east.

The roof tiles were slightly cool under her feet, and the night wind scraped against her back.

She chose three street corners: the bridgehead in the East Market, the entrance to South Alley, and in front of the old pharmacy in the West City, all places Chen Xuan might pass by during his daily walks.

She left a faint trace of cold Qi at each spot, like a layer of invisible frost; if any outsider approached, they would feel their wrists go numb and their footsteps become sluggish.

This was her method: neither killing nor injuring, only driving them away.

Dugu Xue returned to her room and took out a bronze whistle from the bottom of her bundle.

She blew a short, sharp note, and the carrier pigeon on the roof beam fluttered down.

She tied a small slip of paper to the bird's leg, on which were written the names of several wandering knights from the border and the contact code. The pigeon took flight, heading toward the south of the city.

"They will arrive before noon tomorrow," she said in a low voice: "They aren't coming to help; they are coming to 'watch the show'."

Liu Ruyan spread out a map of the capital and used a red pen to circle several key locations: teahouses, gambling dens, the entrances to martial arts schools, and official post stations.

She also listed three possible ways he might be framed: spreading rumors to ruin his reputation, setting up a rigged competition, and planting stolen goods. Each one was paired with a countermeasure.

"If someone says he cheated in the arena, we will release the testimonies of the commoners who were watching at the time;

If someone asks him for an informal spar, we will have people from the Zhao Family occupy the venue in advance, saying that Young Master Chen already has other arrangements;

If they want to plant stolen goods on him..."

She paused, then took a small bronze mirror from her vanity case: "Then we will have him carry a scented sachet with a bell attached; it will jingle the moment it is touched."

She copied this "Seven Strategies" into four copies, keeping one for herself and handing the rest to her personal maid to hide in a rouge box, the lining of a shoe insole, and a hidden pouch in her hair bun.

The night deepened, and the lights on the street went out one by one. The four women returned to the courtyard one after another to meet up.

Zhao Hongling spoke first: "A retainer of the Nangong Family took silver this morning, planning to say tomorrow at the tavern that Chen Xuan won by luck. My Family has already invited him to 'have tea,' so he won't be able to leave for the time being."

Leng Shuang nodded: "I went through the three locations in the West City, and the cold Qi is set. If anyone is lying in ambush, they will be at least half a breath slower."

"The three people I contacted have replied; they will enter the city tomorrow morning, disguised as scholars taking the exams to blend into the crowd."

As Dugu Xue spoke, she took a receipt from her sleeve: "One of them was once a Loose Cultivator from the Northern Territory and recognizes Tuoba Lie's fellow Disciples; he will be able to detect any unusual movements in advance."

Liu Ruyan said last: "I have planted ears at the Drunken Immortal Tower and the Yuelai Teahouse, specifically listening for anyone discussing Chen Xuan."

"Additionally, I have had the cook prepare some hangover soup and medicine for injuries, just in case he returns late so they can be used immediately."

After the four finished speaking, no one said anything else. The courtyard was very quiet; even the cats had stopped calling.

Zhao Hongling sat under the lamp in the main room, clutching a secret letter that had just arrived, her brow still furrowed.

The letter said that a Jianghu charlatan claimed to have seen a Dragon shadow appear behind Chen Xuan while he was practicing, and he planned to report it to the authorities tomorrow, claiming he was a malevolent star descended upon the world.

She sneered and picked up her pen to reply: "This person is perpetually drunk and spouts madness; he has been sent to the infirmary for detention and treatment."

Leng Shuang stood by the window, her outer robe still on, her hand resting constantly on the hilt of her sword. She gazed toward the courtyard gate, not blinking once.

The wind blew the window paper, making it rattle; she immediately turned to the side, a wisp of cold Qi gathering in her palm. Only after confirming nothing was wrong did she slowly lower it.

Dugu Xue leaped onto the roof, standing on the ridge tiles draped in a black cloak.

She saw that there were still lights in several inns in the distance and knew her people had arrived.

She lightly tapped the roof beam three times, confirming the contact. Then she flipped down to the ground and returned to the west wing, but she did not close the door.

Liu Ruyan sat at the desk and finished writing the last line.

She blew on the ink to dry it, rolled up the paper, and tucked it into a hidden box in a hole in the wall. When she closed the lid, she let out a soft sigh, as if exhaling all the tension of the entire night.

She got up to blow out the candle when she suddenly heard slight footsteps coming from the alley. She didn't panic, only moving the dagger from under her pillow to her right side.

Leng Shuang heard it at the same moment. She didn't move, but the corners of her eyes lifted slightly, staring at the ground outside the door crack. A small patch of moonlight was lying there quietly.

Zhao Hongling gripped the letter paper tightly and stood up, about to rush out, but was stopped by Dugu Xue raising her hand.

"Don't move recklessly," she said in a low voice: "Let him come back on his own."

The footsteps grew closer and closer, the rhythm steady, neither hurried nor slow. They reached the courtyard gate and stopped.

The door was gently pushed open a crack.

A foot stepped inside.