12: Chapter 12 Enemies Meet on a Narrow Road

Yang Yuan did not sleep.

He sat in the courtyard, his back against a jujube tree, a single-edged blade resting across his knees, staring at the courtyard gate.

Old Zhang's words played over and over in his mind: "Someone dressed in black, with a scar on his face."

The scarred man had tracked him down. And he wasn't alone. Old Zhang had mentioned "a few unfamiliar faces" with "northern accents."

Yang Yuan closed his eyes.

Fighting them head-on wouldn't work. If he killed the scouts, Li Mochou would just send more. Running wasn't an option either; Cheng Ying had just given birth, and little Xue Jian was only a few months old.

The best method would be to send them away.

The next morning, Yang Yuan changed into a dusty, worn-out robe and donned a tattered straw hat, blending into the crowd heading to the market as he walked toward the street entrance.

He saw three men from afar. All were dressed in dark clothes, with bulging waistlines. The leader had a square face and a black mole between his eyebrows, and he was currently talking to the owner of a tea stall.

Yang Yuan turned into a side alley, circled around to a general store, and pricked up his ears to listen.

"...A young man, around twenty years old, with a pregnant woman, northern accent."

The tea stall owner's voice replied: "There are many people coming and going here from the north and south; I don't recall."

"Think carefully." The square-faced man lowered his voice. "This couple came from the direction of Zhongnan Mountain, and someone saw them settling down in Jiaxing."

Zhongnan Mountain.

Yang Yuan's hand froze in mid-air. They were indeed Li Mochou's men.

He leaned against the wall at the alley entrance, watching the three men continue their interrogation. Their method was crude—directly describing physical features—but in a small city like this, such a clumsy approach would eventually be effective.

He had to take the initiative.

He spent half the morning observing them. The three split into two groups—the square-faced man and a short, stout man headed east along the main street, while a lean, thin man went west alone. The search area was in the south of the city, not far from their small courtyard. At this rate, they would be knocking on their door by tomorrow at the latest.

Yang Yuan squatted in a quiet corner, his mind racing.

Fighting wouldn't work, and running wouldn't either. The only option was to make them think they had found the wrong place and have them leave Jiaxing on their own.

How could he make them believe it?

He closed his eyes, recalling Liu Qingyun's words—Black Wind Fortress was looking for "a woman" and a "dark iron fragment." If there was a connection between Li Mochou and Black Wind Fortress...

He opened his eyes. He had an idea.

In the afternoon, the square-faced man took the short, stout man into a noodle shop in the south of the city.

"Boss, this Jiaxing city isn't small. How long are we going to be asking door-to-door?" the short, stout man complained.

The square-faced man took a sip of tea: "The Mistress said we must find them."

"Excuse me, brother."

Both turned their heads. A young man in a gray robe and straw hat stood by the table, holding a bowl of noodles, his face full of smiles.

It was Yang Yuan.

"Are you looking for someone?" Yang Yuan sat down opposite them. "My name is Yang Da, I carry cargo at the docks. What do the people you are looking for look like?"

The square-faced man stared at him for a few seconds: "A young man, around twenty years old, with a pregnant woman, northern accent."

Yang Yuan gave an "oh" and stirred his noodles with his chopsticks: "Around twenty, with a pregnant woman... that description is a bit vague."

"Have you seen them?"

"I haven't." Yang Yuan shook his head. "But a few days ago, I heard some brothers at the docks talking about something—someone saw a young couple heading west, it seemed like they were heading toward Taihu Lake."

The square-faced man frowned: "Taihu Lake?"

"Yes. There's a boatman at the docks who specializes in the route from Jiaxing to Huzhou. He said that a couple of days ago, he carried a couple—the man was carrying a bundle, and the woman had a big belly; they looked like refugees."

The square-faced man was silent for a moment, then turned to look at the short, stout man. The short, stout man leaned in and whispered: "Boss, if they really went toward Taihu Lake, then asking around in the city is a waste of time..."

The square-faced man looked at Yang Yuan: "How did you know we were looking for people like that?"

"Hey, the south of the city is only so big. You've been asking for half the day; the neighbors have all heard about it." Yang Yuan smiled. "I'm just a warm-hearted person."

The square-faced man stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded: "Many thanks. We'll head to the docks now."

"You're welcome, you're welcome."

The square-faced man led the short, stout man out of the noodle shop, their pace noticeably faster.

Yang Yuan stood at the entrance, watching their backs disappear around the street corner. The smile on his face vanished.

He didn't go home immediately; he wandered around the streets for a while to confirm that the three men had indeed headed toward the docks, before turning back.

Passing through a small alley, he suddenly stopped.

There was an envelope on the ground. Half-buried in the dust, its corner had been stepped on.

Yang Yuan bent down and picked it up. The envelope wasn't sealed; he pulled out the paper inside and unfolded it to read—

A few lines of sloppy handwriting:

"...Lu Wushuang has been confirmed as the target. The Mistress intends to take her under her tutelage, or kill her to prevent future trouble. This mission is of great importance; the search must be completed before the Mistress arrives in Jiaxing..."

"...Li Mochou will arrive in Jiaxing around the fifteenth of this month to personally oversee this matter..."

Yang Yuan's pupils contracted sharply.

Lu Wushuang. The person Li Mochou was looking for wasn't just Cheng Ying, but also Lu Wushuang? And Li Mochou herself was coming to Jiaxing?

He stuffed the letter into his clothes and walked quickly back home.

The courtyard gate was closed. Yang Yuan knocked: "It's me."

The door opened, and Cheng Ying stood behind it, her face a little pale, but her eyes calm.

"We're safe for now." Yang Yuan walked into the courtyard, closed the door, took out the letter, and handed it to her: "Take a look at this."

Cheng Ying took it, read it for a few seconds, and her expression changed.

"Lu Wushuang..." her voice was very soft.

Cheng Ying's eyes turned slightly red: "She is my cousin. We studied arts together in the Ancient Tomb when we were young... Later, our Master was biased and passed the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra to her, and Li Mochou left the Ancient Tomb in a rage..."

Yang Yuan was silent for a moment: "Li Mochou is coming to Jiaxing on the fifteenth of this month. Today is the ninth. There are six days left."

Cheng Ying's hand tightened on the letter.

"Don't panic yet." Yang Yuan held her hand. "I've already sent them away; we're safe for now. But this is only a delaying tactic."

He paused: "First step, continue acting like ordinary people. Second step, I will focus on practicing my martial arts. Third step—find out where Lu Wushuang is. If we can find her before Li Mochou, perhaps we can turn our passive situation into an active one."

Cheng Ying was stunned: "You want to help my Junior Sister?"

"The enemy of an enemy is a friend."

Cheng Ying looked at him, and the corners of her mouth curved up slightly: "Yang Yuan, you've changed."

"How have I changed?"

"When I first met you, you only knew how to run. Now, you know how to think of solutions."

Yang Yuan was stunned, then laughed: "I have no choice. With you both here, I have to live a little smarter."

He walked into the main room. Little Xue Jian was already awake, and when she saw him enter, she immediately grinned: "Daddy!"

Yang Yuan picked her up and lifted her over his head. Little Xue Jian giggled non-stop.

Yang Yuan looked at his daughter, his heart heavy, yet calm.

Six days.

He still had six days.

(End of Chapter 12)