Chapter 57

"Trapped and Targeted: Sudden Cold Arrows"

After considering Fu Si as a source of information, Bai She thought it might be a good idea to investigate his place, potentially learning more than they currently knew.

Thus, the group set out on their mission.

Opting for stealth, they chose to wear dark clothes suitable for night movements. Bai She, not used to wearing such attire, stuck with his usual clothes, while Shi Mei changed into a light, black dress, looking slender. Hong Ye also changed, but her outfit was a bit tight due to her larger frame, prompting Qin Dai to mutter, "Chubby..."

"What did you say?" Hong Ye pinched his ear in response.

"Nothing, I said you look beautiful! A real beauty!" Qin Dai quickly backpedaled.

To avoid drawing attention, they didn’t ride horses but took a roundabout path, arriving near Fu Si's manor.

The area was quite remote, said to be one of the Fu family's properties.

"Clearly a family of means," Qin Dai clicked his tongue, "The Fu family's main house is far from here, yet they own such a property in a prime location. Who would believe they have no ambitions?"

The group split into two teams, each taking a side to infiltrate the estate. They noticed the front garden's flowers and plants withered, seemingly long neglected.

As soon as they entered the yard, Bai She frowned, pulling Shi Mei onto the rooftop.

"What's wrong?" Shi Mei asked.

"Shh," Baishuo gestured for her to be quiet and listen carefully.

Shi Mei listened and sensed something amiss; was there a fight in the backyard?

On a nearby rooftop, Qin Dai signaled to Bai She, pointing towards the backyard — there was a fight going on!

Bai She nodded, acknowledging he had noticed too, and after instructing Shi Mei to be cautious, they hurried across the rooftops toward the backyard to investigate.

Shi Mei, held by Bai She, didn't even need to touch the ground. Though not scared, she was still nervous. What a coincidence to stumble upon a fight in the backyard upon their arrival! Knowing Fu Si's cunning and scheming nature, could this be a trap waiting for them?

As they reached the backyard wall, they saw flames leaping into the sky.

"Is it on fire?" Shi Mei exclaimed in surprise. In the midst of the fiery battlefield below, several people were fighting, with a black-clad person, unmistakably Fu Si, facing off against a masked person in white.

The person in white, masked and wielding a silver knife, was a stark contrast to Fu Si in black.

Initially startled, Shi Mei felt a bit unsettled seeing Fu Si dressed in black, as he, like Bai She, usually wore white. His black attire seemed out of character.

Baishuo, however, was observing the man in white. Despite the masked face, it was apparent that his features were quite unattractive.

"Baishuo, his face is a fake!" Shimei whispered, pulling on Baishuo's sleeve, "It's not his real face."

"A fake..." Baishuo frowned.

"Could this person be the one who's been impersonating you all along?" Shimei wondered, watching as Fu Ying, with his men, confronted several figures in black. The scene was chaotic, with both black and white, making it hard to discern who was who.

Even without martial arts skills, Shimei could tell that Fu Si was no match for the man in white... His hand was injured, evidenced by the blood on his sleeve, hanging limply at his side, forcing him to fight single-handedly.

"The man in white was striking with lethal intent, seemingly determined to take Fu Si's life."

Shimei saw Baishuo frowning, seemingly hesitant about whether to go down and save Fu Si's life. Normally, Baishuo might not bother with such matters, but as mentioned before, there were ties between the elder generations of the Fu and Bai families. Baishuo might not be able to kill a member of the Fu family, let alone stand by and watch one die.

From a distance, Qin Dai was utterly baffled, "Where did these fighters come from? Fu Si is actually losing to him!"

"Sigh," Hongye tugged at Qin Dai, "Should we go help? That man in white might be the one impersonating Baishuo."

Qin Dai watched intently for a moment, then frowned and said to Hongye, "It's not that I don't want to help, but I'm wary of Fu Si's tricks. He's known for his cunning, so we must be cautious!"

Hongye, hearing this, felt there was some logic in it. Although Fu Si was adept at scheming, he couldn't have predicted their return... Perhaps they had just stumbled upon their ambush.

As she thought this, she saw the man in white strike again at Fu Si, who couldn't dodge in time and took another blow on his shoulder. Then they heard Fu Ying's anxious shout, "Fourth brother!"

Fu Si retreated to one side, watching the man in white approach to deliver a final, chilling blow... Fu Si's life hung by a thread.

"Unable to stand idly by, Bai She kicked up a tile... The tile flew, striking the wrist of the masked man wielding the knife."

With a "snap," a strike landed perfectly, startling the man in white. His sword almost dropped as he stepped back and looked up, only to see Baishuo on the rooftop.

"Brother Bai!" Seeing Baishuo, Fu Si sighed in relief, knowing he would not die.

The man in white, undeterred by Baishuo's arrival, raised his sword to deal Fu Si a deadly blow... Baishuo, witnessing this, made no sound, simply touched his nose ambiguously and leaped down to confront the man in white.

Shimei stood on the rooftop, watching anxiously.

"Bai She cautiously engaged in combat, not for any other reason but to test whether this person's skills were on par with Fu Si's. If they were, then perhaps this encounter was merely a coincidence. If not, caution was warranted, for Fu Si might have laid an ambush."

"After a few exchanges, Bai She understood that this person's martial arts were not as proficient as Fu Si's, at best they were evenly matched. Thus, the situation became somewhat delicate."

"Shi Mei, stranded on the rooftop and unable to descend, grew anxious. She was engrossed in the scene when suddenly she heard Qin Dai shout, 'Be careful!'"

"Shi Mei was startled, thinking someone was ambushing Bai She. She looked down, but Bai She and the masked man had exchanged only a few moves, and the latter was already faltering. Who was the warning for?"

"Still confused, she suddenly felt a whoosh of air and caught a glimpse of a dark figure beside her."

"Ah!"

"Realizing the person was reaching out to grab her, Shi Mei understood Qin Dai’s warning was for her. She quickly raised her hand, having prepared a packet of powder in case of a surprise attack."

"The black-clad assailant collided head-on with her prepared defense."

"Shi Mei flung the powder... A cloud of white smoke engulfed the attacker's face, causing him to groan and roll off the roof. In a desperate move, he grabbed Shi Mei’s ankle as he fell."

"Shi Mei, already precariously balanced on the slanted roof, stumbled and began to fall. Qin Dai and the Gui Dao sect disciples reached the rooftop, but failed to catch her in time."

"As Shi Mei fell from the roof, Bai She, having parried the masked man's attack, turned to save her without a second thought."

"The masked assailant, seeing Bai She's back turned, sensed an opportunity and quickly pursued."

"Qin Dai, frowning upon landing on the roof... it's a cardinal sin to turn one's back to an enemy. Was Bai She willing to risk his life for Shi Mei? Realizing this, Qin Dai shot three sleeve arrows at the masked man, abandoning any concern for martial ethics to protect Bai She."

"Simultaneously, Fu Si shouted 'Careful!' and launched a dart."

"Having caught Shi Mei, Bai She dodged aside... The masked man's blade missed, and he was hit in the shoulder by Qin Dai’s arrows. He quickly leaped onto an angled roof and disappeared without looking back."

"Everything happened so swiftly. Shi Mei, dizzy from the whirlwind rescue, found herself safe in Bai She’s arms, still bewildered by the sudden turn of events."

"Noticing something amiss, Shi Mei quickly asked Bai She, 'What’s wrong?'"

"Qin Dai, jumping down, exclaimed 'Oh no!' and saw a dart embedded in Bai She’s arm – the one Fu Si had just fired."

"Cursing, Fu Si clutched his wounded arm, 'I was aiming for that guy, not you! It was all too chaotic.'"

"Shi Mei and Qin Dai exchanged a glance, both skeptical of Fu Si's claim – a classic case of betrayal and ingratitude."

"Relieved to see only a minor wound on Bai She, Shi Mei’s relief turned to concern as she noticed the blood oozing from the injury was black…"

"Your dart is poisoned?!" Shi Mei exclaimed in shock, convinced that Fu Si had done it intentionally. "Where's the antidote?"

"Oh, the poison isn't strong. I didn't bring an antidote; it's just a common poison," Fu Si said awkwardly, "Any local doctor should be able to treat it."

Qin Dai, without wasting words, thought to himself that even if Fu Si provided an antidote, he wouldn’t dare let Bai She take anything from him.

Bai She whispered to Qin Dai, "Let's go."

Qin Dai nodded, handing Shi Mei some pills to give to Bai She, then helped him up and quickly departed.

Shi Mei, anxious, followed with Hong Ye, leaving the Fu family members standing in the courtyard.

Fu Ying, worried, exclaimed, "Brother! Why did you attack so recklessly?"

Fu Si replied helplessly, "I said it was unintentional."

"Don't give me that, you never miss with your darts. Do you think I'm stupid?" Fu Ying glared at him fiercely.

Fu Si shook his head in resignation, "Alright, you’re overreacting. Thankfully, it's not a deadly poison. Bai She just needs to use some internal energy to expel it."

"What were you thinking?" Fu Ying asked apprehensively, "Brother... was that man part of your plan?"

Fu Si frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"This wasn't deliberate?" Fu Ying was skeptical.

Fu Si, annoyed, retorted, "What do you take me for? Of course not!"

While they spoke, fellow sect members came to bandage Fu Si's wounds.

Seeing the extent of Fu Si's injuries, Fu Ying began to doubt her suspicions. It seemed unlikely Fu Si knew Bai She would arrive at that moment.

……

Qin Dai swiftly brought Bai She to Hong Ye's sister-in-law's house, where a doctor from the Gui Dao sect was promptly called to examine him.

Bai She remained conscious but was clearly in pain, grimacing without speaking.

Shi Mei, panicked and furious, clutched Bai She's hand. Regardless of whether Fu Si's actions were intentional or coincidental, she regretted that Bai She had intervened to save him.

"Mischievous troublemaker! Bai She was injured for nothing, and it's uncertain if he'll be okay."

"'It's nothing serious, just a common poison,' the doctor sighed in relief. 'Leader, after taking the antidote and resting for a while, you can use your internal energy to expel the poison. It's not a major concern, although it does consume a lot of internal energy.'"

"Bai She nodded in response, while Qin Dai raised an eyebrow, 'I see.'"

"'What do you mean by that?' Hong Ye pressed, 'Don't tell me that Fu Xiao Ren orchestrated this deliberately!'"

"'Whether it was intentional or not, I can't say, but his dart was most likely aimed at Bai She,' Qin Dai sneered, 'Draining half of Bai She's internal energy gives them a better chance of winning. The title 'Fu Xiao Ren' suits him well.'"

"Shi Mei watched from the side as the doctor removed the dart and applied medicine to Bai She, her heart aching with worry. With Fu Si likely having more tricks up his sleeve and Bai She now at half his internal strength, was he not at a disadvantage? She hadn't expected to fall into a trap this time."

"The doctor left to gather and prepare the medicine."

"Qin Dai said to Bai She, 'You rest, I'll step out for a bit.'"

"'Wait,' Bai She suddenly called out to him."

"Qin Dai, looking displeased, stopped but did not turn around."

"After a moment of silence, Bai She spoke softly, 'Don't go looking for trouble with Fu Si.'"

"'You...' Qin Dai was frustrated, 'Your ties may be with Fu Si's father, but why indulge that despicable man?'"

"Bai She smiled faintly, 'Instead of seeking out Fu Si, it would be better to look for the man in white. We should focus on what truly matters.'"

"Tsk," Qin Dai was still discontented.

Shi Mei tried to persuade him, "Big Brother Qin, just do as Bai She says, don't upset him."

Qin Dai was momentarily stunned, his mouth twitched twice in frustration. "Fine! So quickly taking his side," he said resignedly, shaking his head as he left the room.

Hong Ye followed him outside and blocked his path, "No, we must take down that scoundrel Fu Si! I can't swallow this indignity."

"Then we'll end up being killed by Bai She!" Qin Dai, despite his displeasure, had no intention of acting recklessly. "Let it be. In the martial world, we value righteousness. I wouldn't respect Bai She if he weren't so principled. Forget it!" he said, storming off in a huff.

Hong Ye stamped her foot in frustration, "This is infuriating!"

……

Inside the room, Shi Mei tried to help Bai She lie down, but he insisted on getting out of bed.

"Hey!" Shi Mei protested anxiously, "You're not allowed to move."

"I'm fine," Bai She reassured her, waving off her concerns with a calm demeanor and a relaxed brow.

"Weren't you supposed to rest and recover?" Shi Mei, halfway through her sentence, looked at him in surprise, "You didn’t do this on purpose, did you?!"

Bai She nodded, producing a bottle of medicine from his pocket, "This is what Aunt Huo gave me before we left, to protect against common poisons."

"But the doctor just said you were poisoned..."

"I intentionally disrupted my pulse," Bai She explained, pulling Shi Mei to sit beside him on the bed, "I had already taken the medicine beforehand."

Shi Mei suddenly remembered Bai She touching his nose before jumping from the roof, probably when he took the medicine.

"Once I clashed with that man, I knew something was off. He was only as skilled as Fu Si, so Fu Si’s retreat was a feint. He wanted me to rescue him, signaling an ambush, which is why I was prepared."

"Phew..." Shi Mei sighed in relief, "You scared me. I thought it was my fault you got hurt."

"It's not so easy to harm me," Bai She reassured her, tapping her lips softly, "Don’t tell anyone about this. Let’s keep it a secret for now. Shall we counteract his scheme with our own?"

"Hmm... but shouldn’t we tell Qin Dai and the others?"

"Fu Si will likely take further action. If we tell them, it won’t seem genuine and he might notice a flaw," Bai She explained, stroking Shi Mei’s hair, "It’s okay, I’ve fooled Qin Dai many times; he's used to it."

Amused, Shi Mei pinched his sleeve, asking, "Why did you tell me, then?"

"I was going to keep it from you too," Bai She said, gently pinching her chin, "But you looked like you were about to cry. I couldn’t bear it."

Shi Mei’s cheeks flushed, and she leaned into his embrace, "At least you have some sense."