As the horse carriages journeyed along the mountain road, it was inevitable that it would be troublesome. Fortunately, the coachmen that Jiang Xin Zhi had found were very skilful. They navigated the extremely muddy roads such that the journey was steady and stable, and those sitting in the carriage felt not the slightest bit indisposed.
Xue Yi cliff was rugged and precipitous, looking like a sword which had been snapped in half, a sheer precipice which struck fear into people’s hearts. The mountain was densely covered in forest, and the night owls which nested in the trees were occasionally startled by the sound of horse carriages passing through. They would launch themselves into the air, leaving only black shadows behind.
The road to Xue Yi cliff wound through high mountains and deep valleys, lush with verdant foliage and sporting craggy rocks in strange shapes. It possessed a unique kind of danger, and those from rich families liked to stop there for a time, to enjoy the rare and beautiful scenery. However, ever since it had started to rain continuously in the capital, the road had become unbearably muddy. With the sun refusing to make its appearance, and dark, gloomy clouds continually looming overhead, the formerly beautiful scenery had taken on an eerie cast.
The five horse carriages moved forward in silence. The foremost carriage was Jiang Chao’s; his was the only carriage that looked different from the others, being not quite as refined. However, it was still presentable. Immediately following his carriage in sequence were those of Jiang Ruan, Jiang Su Su, Jiang Li, and Jiang Dan. The coachmen did not speak, and neither did the inhabitants of the carriages. As a result, the only sounds were those of the horsewhip landing on the bodies of the horses and the turning of the carriage wheels.
Carriage will probably look something like this.
Jiang Ruan leaned against the soft cushions of the carriage as Lu Zhu steeped tea for her. The carriage Xia Yan had prepared was indeed exquisite, and there was even a small table inside. Jiang Ruan had been very busy that morning and consequently had eaten little, so Lian Qiao and Bai Zhi had brought a few snacks along. Lu Zhu had skillfully preserved some of the plum blossoms that had been plucked two days ago, and was currently steeping plum blossom tea for Jiang Ruan in the carriage.
The sweet aroma issued forth from her carriage and wafted through the air, reaching the noses of the people in the carriages at the rear.
Jiang Li snorted in disdain and said, “Of course she would enjoy herself.” She looked around and grew angry at the fact that the maidservants beside her were not only not as quick-witted as Jiang Ruan’s, but were also not as close to her as Jiang Ruan’s were to her. Not a single snack had been prepared.
However, Jiang Su Su had something else on her mind. When she saw that Jiang Ruan was even in the mood to drink tea and nibble on snacks, her face under the veil tensed, and she said quietly, “Go and die!”
Jiang Dan simply leaned against the carriage window in a light doze, seemingly unaffected by everything.
The road to Xue Yi cliff stretching ahead of them could be said to be manageable. Then, they eventually reached the most dangerous stretch of road.
The road here was narrow, with valleys on both sides. Sandwiched in the middle was the narrow trail, like the mouth of a calabash. Hence, this stretch of road had been named, ‘Calabash Mouth’, and the valleys on either side were dense jungle. When the lead carriage reached the start of Calabash Mouth, a slight rustling was suddenly heard among the trees.
The carriages stopped abruptly.
Lian Qiao and Bai Zhi paused in their movements, displaying some agitation, while Lu Zhu’s forehead was beaded with perspiration. Meanwhile, Jiang Ruan was slowly sipping her tea.
Her posture was extremely elegant.
The horses sensed danger, and no matter how fervently the coachmen cracked their whips, the horses refused to move even one step forward. The Jiang fu guards had all drawn their swords, but the two bodyguards that Jiang Xin Zhi had ordered to follow them stood in front of Jiang Ruan’s horse carriage, not moving an inch, their faces already tinged with bloodthirst.
Jiang Li was the first to cry out sharply, “What’s going on?”
As if her cry had opened a vent, there was a huge rumbling sound, making it seem as if the earth itself was shaking. From the valleys on both sides of Calabash Mouth, a large mass of black-clad, sinister people suddenly appeared, and the coachmen jumped in shock. These people were wearing plain cotton clothing, like mountain bandits, and they all charged together towards the horse carriages.
“Retreat! Quick, retreat!” The Jiang fu guards shielded the carriages, intending to evacuate the occupants. However, that swarm of mountain bandits moved unexpectedly swiftly, and they reached the carriages in the twinkling of an eye.
Apart from Jiang Xin Zhi’s two bodyguards, the Jiang fu guards numbered twenty. These twenty guards had no choice but to engage the mountain bandits in combat, and for some time the only sound that could be heard was the ‘peng, peng, peng’ clash of swords. The swish of the blades was chilling, and from time to time a spray of fresh blood would blossom on the curtains of the exquisite carriages.
“How could there be mountain bandits? How could there be mountain bandits?” Jiang Li screamed. However, once she lifted the window curtain and saw the frightful scene outside, she immediately fainted.
Jiang Dan squeezed herself tightly into a corner of the carriage with her two maidservants resolutely protecting her. The three of them bit their lips and did not dare make a sound.
There were only three carriages where all was calm.
Jiang Chao’s carriage was right in front, but the murderous mountain bandits bypassed his carriage. At one glance, it was obvious that the area around Jiang Chao’s carriage was clear, save for the Jiang fu’s guards who had gone to his rescue.
It was very peculiar.
Jiang Su Su sat in her carriage, a frosty little smile on her lips. The fiercer the close combat fighting outside, the more elated her smile. She could barely hold herself back from going over to Jiang Ruan’s carriage and tearing open the curtain to see Jiang Ruan losing her head out of fear.
Jiang Ruan was still sipping tea. The two bodyguards outside her carriage were more useful than ten of the Jiang fu guards. Indeed, there had not been even a splash of blood on the carriage curtains.
The Jiang fu guards were heavily outnumbered, for there were at least a hundred men attacking them. The more they fought in close combat, the more fearful they became. Mountain bandits? No, even though they tried to conceal it, it was abundantly clear that these ‘bandits’ were highly skilled in martial arts. What’s more, which mountain bandit would just charge and kill people without first asking for the victims’ money and valuables?
However, even though they had their doubts, these Jiang fu guards were still at a disadvantage. It seemed that their opponents did not intend to kill the occupants of the carriages, but aimed to eliminate all the bodyguards. Just as the number of Jiang fu guards was dwindling, Jiang Ruan put down her teacup and said, “Lu Zhu.”
Lu Zhu paused momentarily before flinging open the window curtains and yelling, “Help!”
When the two bodyguards guarding Jiang Ruan’s carriage heard this, they both sprang into action simultaneously. With rapid movements, before the bandits in the vicinity could react, they had already jumped to the front of the carriages at the rear of Jiang Ruan’s. Using their swords, they jabbed firmly at the horses’ hindquarters while turning the horses’ heads.
The second the horses felt the painful jabs, they reared, then shot forward like arrows, heading into the distance!
Thus, the two bodyguards set Jiang Ruan’s carriage in motion. As a result,the four identical horse carriages began barrelling headlong in different directions!
Someone concealed deep within the jungle immediately stood up and raised his bow and arrow, but he was stopped by another person. “Hold it!”
The grey-clad figure slowly stood up, his gaze sharp with a coldness that cut into one’s bones. “Thinking of escaping? Huh, no better than a trapped animal struggling!”
The four carriages hurtled along. The coachmen had all been thrown off, but the young ladies were still within the carriages. Jiang Su Su had no idea what had happened outside, she only knew that the carriage had suddenly started to move crazily. She was tossed in all directions within the carriage and hollered in panic, “Help! Someone, quick, help!”
Only the wind answered her.
Four identical carriages, scattered in opposite directions. The mountain bandits behind them faced an unexpected difficulty – which carriage should they pursue? Not knowing what to do, they could not help but look towards the grey-clad figure in the depths of the jungle.
The grey-clad figure looked into the distance and abruptly gestured with his hand. It was as if the mountain bandits had received a command, for they rapidly divided into four groups, their movements fast and orderly. No ordinary mountain bandits possessed this kind of vigour and adaptability. The two bodyguards sent by Jiang Xin Zhi who had remained behind to deal with the mountain bandits looked at each other; they could see the amazement in each other’s eyes. They had virtually been born in the barracks, so they were familiar with such manoeuvres – they were clearly military formations!
They had long guessed that these were not ordinary mountain bandits, but they had never imagined that they would actually be a military troop! What’s more, their military skills were exceptional!
Realising this, they also came to a sudden understanding of the kind of danger Jiang Ruan might face. Although they had complied with Jiang Ruan’s orders, they wanted to protect her thoroughly. Jiang Ruan had intended that the four identical horse carriages to confuse these people, but she probably did not realise how dangerous the terrain of Calabash Mouth was; in the end, there was only the one road. Furthermore, such highly skilled soldiers were lying in ambush all along this road. No matter how or in which direction Jiang Ruan fled, she would be setting herself up as an easy target!
They must catch up with Jiang Ruan, and protect her to the best of their ability.
The two bodyguards leaped into the air simultaneously, shaking off the surrounding soldiers masquerading as mountain bandits and fleeing towards the west of Calabash Mouth.
The grey-clad man’s mouth lifted at the corners into an intriguing smile. “Since this is how it ends, why waste time thinking about it?” Having said this, his tone changed, and he addressed the people beside him coldly, “Go, catch up with those two bodyguards.”
Jiang Ruan’s carriage was moving at a high speed through the jungle. The carriage scraped against countless thick branches and vines all the way. Lian Qiao attempted to seize the reins in order to stop the horse’s crazed flight, but it was of no use. Lu Zhu moved all the soft cushions to the back seat and tightly held on to Jiang Ruan’s hand, in the hopes of preventing Jiang Ruan from injuring her head.
Jiang Ruan pursed her lips, but her expression remained tranquil. In her clear, shining eyes, of unfathomable depth, there was a hint of cold austerity.
The mountain bandits pursued them relentlessly. Jiang Ruan’s expression did not change. Abruptly, Lian Qiao yelled, “Oh no! There’s no road ahead!”
They had reached the end of Calabash Mouth; in front of them was the edge of the steep precipice of Xue Yi cliff. If the horse continued in its unheeding rush forward, the only outcome would be death and destruction.
With a fixed expression, Jiang Ruan suddenly reached into her sleeve and withdrew the dagger that Bai Zhi had given her that morning. The dagger’s edge was still slightly blunt. Single-handedly, she grabbed the horse’s reins and slashed downwards. With a ‘beng’, the ropes joining the horse to the carriage snapped in two. The carriage was carried forward by the momentum of the forward-moving horse for a few metres before finally coming to a stop only a few feet away from the edge of Xue Yi cliff
The horse continued on without looking back and plunged directly into the clouds and mist off the edge of Xue Yi cliff, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
The carriage was toppled over and lay on its side. Holding her head, Bai Zhi got up and hurried to help Jiang Ruan up. “Is Miss all right?”
“I’m fine.” Jiang Ruan stowed the dagger into her sleeve once again and helped Lu Zhu to get to her feet. The four of them were dishevelled and unkempt, having rolled on the ground, and they looked battered and exhausted.
Meanwhile, the two bodyguards sent by Jiang Xin Zhi hurried up to them. On seeing the snapped rope of the carriage, and how close to Xue Yi cliff the young ladies were, they both heaved a deep sigh of relief, and looked at Jiang Ruan with no small measure of admiration.
It was rare indeed that someone could keep as calm as she had done in such an alarming situation, possess such clear judgement, and move so decisively in severing the rope, thus saving her own life. What’s more, to look as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred even after narrowly escaping with her life. Never before had they met a young lady from any family with such guts, but on giving it a second thought, with an awe-inspiring older brother who fought with no care for life or death, the younger sister could not be that different.
On hearing the sound of footsteps closing in on them, the expression on the two men’s faces darkened, and they turned to shield Jiang Ruan.
The soldiers dressed as mountain bandits had split into four groups, and the group pursuing Jiang Ruan consisted of more than a hundred soldiers. All these devils stared fiercely at Jiang Ruan. Before her were these hungry wolves, behind her was Xue Yi cliff. They were simply waiting to slaughter the lamb, for there was no way to retreat.
Jiang Ruan quietly surveyed the situation. Out of the blue, from in front of her came the ‘pa, pa, pa’ sound of someone clapping, and a familiar voice reached her ears. “Eldest Jiang Miss, you are truly elegant. Even in this dangerous situation, you can still remain unperturbed.”
The soldiers automatically parted to make way for a grey-clad figure to walk to the front. He advanced one slow step at a time, as if deliberately making something clear.
Jiang Ruan smiled faintly. “Second Young Master Li is indeed highly magnanimous; having become a stray dog, you still dare to grace us with your presence in broad daylight.”
These words jabbed painfully at Li An. His expression changed for a moment as he glared at Jiang Ruan with shadowed and ruthless eyes. Suddenly, as if he had recalled something, he smiled and said, “If I were Eldest Jiang Miss, I would certainly not run my mouth at the present time, so as to avoid more pain in future.”
“Pah!” Before Jiang Ruan could say anything, Lian Qiao was already cursing him with her arms akimbo. “A criminal at large who still dares to parade everywhere and show off. My young miss is proper and upright, but you are uncaring of the law and morality. You watch out, your head will be cut off tomorrow, and you’ll be hanging at the city gate for everyone to see for the next three days!”
As she stood in front of Jiang Ruan, the soldier nearest her immediately hit her in the chest. Lian Qiao flew into the air before dropping heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.
“Lian Qiao!” Bai Zhi cried out in fear. Lu Zhu held on to Jiang Ruan even more tightly. Jiang Ruan looked at Lian Qiao, who seemed close to dying, and fury flashed in her eyes. She turned to face Li An once again and asked, very serenely, “What noble errand brings you here, Second Young Master Li? Surely you didn’t come here just to bully a maidservant.”
Li An laughed. “Say what you like, but, in the end, she was injured in your place. Eldest Jiang Miss is so concerned about a mere maidservant, but can’t understand how pained I am by the injury you inflicted upon my elder brother.”
Jiang Ruan snorted disdainfully to herself as Li An continued, “Previously, I was no match for Eldest Jiang Miss’ superlative methods, but I never imagined that Eldest Jiang Miss would take action in such a ruthless manner, leaving me no choice but to deal with you as my enemy at present. Eldest Jiang Miss, don’t blame me for it.” As he spoke, his tone became more amiable, but the interest in his eyes deepened, like a wild beast who had found a prey of great interest. His eyes burned with a brilliant light.
