Chapter 331: Rascal (4000+)

Chapter 331: Rascal (4000+)

After various arrangements, it was already late at night.

Xianjin had always enjoyed good sleep, but tonight, either because of her worries or the strong sea breeze, she couldn’t settle into a deep sleep. Just as she was about to drift off, she was startled awake by the sound of tiles sliding off the roof and hitting the ground.

Xianjin quickly grabbed the red and blue gem dagger from under her pillow, got up swiftly, and positioned herself behind the window frame, holding her breath and staying alert.

Instead of intruders, she saw a shadow leap down from the roof when she looked in the copper mirror across the room.

It was Axiang.

Xianjin poked her head out of the window and saw the shadow land awkwardly, almost twisting his ankle, before adjusting his stance and dashing southward.

"Brother Axiang!" Xianjin called out in a muffled voice.

Even in the quiet night, any sound stood out.

Axiang stopped in his tracks, turned around anxiously, and looked back.

Xianjin leaned halfway out of the window and waved at him.

Axiang clenched his jaw, gesturing frantically. He first made a gold ingot symbol, then used both thumbs to indicate "run," and finally drew his dagger across his neck, rolling his eyes and sticking out his tongue, his hand trembling as if imitating death.

Xianjin: "Nice act, but let’s skip the theatrics next time."

Despite the abstract gestures, Xianjin somehow understood.

"Baoyuan has gone out to sea? To kill someone?" Xianjin asked.

Axiang nodded frantically and gesticulated wildly, looking very anxious.

Xianjin frowned. "There's also a chance he might get killed?"

Axiang nodded frantically again.

Xianjin steadied her nerves and pieced it together, guessing along the way, "He went to kill Junjiro? But there's a big risk? You're going to rescue him?"

Axiang, moved to tears, nodded vigorously, as if pounding garlic: Damn! It’s worth it! Sister-in-law is as smart as a humpback whale!

Xianjin frowned, thinking—considering what happened in the negotiation venue today, it wasn’t hard to guess the truth. Venturing alone into enemy territory also matched Qiao Hui's usual temperament. Although she didn’t know the details, putting the pieces together gave her a pretty good idea of the current situation.

Sea, late night, alone, chasing enemies… combined with Axiang’s urgent and tense demeanor, it wasn’t difficult to infer the danger Qiao Hui was in.

Xianjin nodded. "Go quickly, bring a couple more people. More people mean more strength. If Qiao Hui blames you, just say it was my order."

Axiang turned and ran off.

Xianjin closed the window and sat back on the bed.

After a while, she lay down on the buckwheat pillow.

The buckwheat pillow was supposed to calm and steady the mind, but Xianjin, within three breaths, angrily pulled it out, "What the hell! It's so scratchy and uncomfortable!"

Hengxi, in the next room, rolled over.

Xianjin switched to a cotton pillow, but after just a few breaths, she yanked it out again. "It’s way too soft! I can’t sleep on something that doesn’t give me any support!"

Hengxi turned over once more.

Unable to sleep, Xianjin sat on the edge of the bed with her feet dangling and her eyes landing on the celadon curtain in the adjacent room. She dashed over, pushing Hengxi aside with a “Move, move!”

Hengxi: ... If a lady can’t swear, what’s left to say?

Xianjin lay on Hengxi's pillow, tossing and turning, unable to sleep at all.

Hengxi kept her eyes closed and her mouth shut, determined not to engage.

Xianjin sighed, “Your pillow isn’t much better…”

Unable to bear it any longer, Hengxi sat up swiftly, sincerely advising, "I beg you, please go! You’ll have to go eventually, better to get it over with."

The poor pillow had never been through such abuse before—it almost felt sorry for itself.

Xianjin gently pressed her lips together. *If I go, it’ll be useless.*

And there was a chance she’d just be a liability.

Her rational mind told her not to go.

What could she do if she went along?

Kill the enemy with her gaze? Or condemn them with words?

She’d be pointless in going; she was a merchant, skilled at calculating returns. Why waste time on something that wouldn’t pay off?

Xianjin fell silent.

Yet, she really wanted to go.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the jagged scar below Qiao Hui’s throat, a dark reminder of the blood that must have gushed from his neck as he lay helpless on the sand.

Hengxi tilted her head and looked at Xianjin. "You’re usually so decisive when it comes to business, never second-guessing yourself."

Xianjin raised her eyebrows without saying a word.

Hengxi continued, "Go, if you don’t, you’ll regret it. You’ve taught me that life is short, and if there’s something you want to do, you should just do it."

"In the worst case, even if you’re not useful, the guards will be there, so you won’t be in the way—who knows? With you there, Lord Zhongwu might feel like a superhero and pull off something amazing."

Looking out the window solemnly, Hengxi added, "Don’t delay any longer, the ship will leave soon."

After saying that, Hengxi hugged her pillow and sat cross-legged, watching Xianjin for a while before turning away with a long, dramatic yawn—countless romance novels had taught her one thing: when your best friend’s in love, it’s the sidekick who gets exhausted.

When she’s in love, you have to praise their perfect match; when she’s tired, you have to comfort her; when she’s hurt, you have to drink with her; when her partner is about to be chopped, you have to stay up late with her figuring out a rescue plan...

At this hour, every dog in Fujian was asleep—except for her, the lone insomniac.

Hengxi sighed, hugging her pillow and turning away. After about half a quarter of an hour, she heard the faint rustling of clothes, and shortly after, the soft click of the door closing.

...

Clutching the red and blue dagger tightly, Xianjin sprinted toward the port, her grip tightening on the weapon.

Not far away, a ship had just set sail.

"Come back! Come back!" Xianjin was jumping up and down on the dock.

Hu Haixiang, who had excellent night vision like all pirates, immediately turned the boat back when he saw Xianjin.

Before the ship even reached the shore, Xianjin hiked up her pants and climbed aboard in a few quick steps, panting as she asked, "Do you know where Baoyuan is now?"

Hu Haixiang shook his head continuously, gesturing wildly. Suddenly, he remembered something and dashed into the cabin to retrieve a reed pen he had just found. He hurriedly wrote, using the simplest words he knew to explain the situation, "...challenge, island, boss, opponent..." He shook his head anxiously, gesturing that he didn’t know where Baoyuan was.

Xianjin quickly scanned the note and understood immediately. She said, "The fight is on an island? If it were too far, it would give the Japanese pirates an advantage. How many small islands are there on the nearby sea routes?"

Hu Haixiang immediately held up five fingers, "Five!"

"Five notable islands, searching slowly would take too much time..." Xianjin suddenly remembered something and looked up sharply, "Of these five islands, is there one with a mangrove forest?! At this time of year, are there fireflies!?"

Hu Haixiang's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously, quickly writing, "Yes! At the Minjiang estuary!"

That was the place Qiao Hui mentioned, which had left the deepest impression on him during two years of drifting at sea!

If someone was challenging another to a duel, it must be in a place of significance!

And Qiao Hui had said that this mangrove forest was only thirty li, or fifteen kilometers, from the recently departed Changle Port!

It was night now, the wind wasn't strong, not the best conditions, but it shouldn't be a problem to cover the distance in an hour.

Xianjin asked, "Could it be there?"

Hu Haixiang thought for a moment, then wrote the longest explanation he could, "That’s where Sea Star’s brother, the raft maker, Old Fish, and Earthworm... were ambushed by the Japanese pirates and died. We lost more than half of our men."

That was the place.

Xianjin said with certainty, "Head to the Minjiang estuary with all speed."

Whether it was divine intervention or the favor of the sea gods, a favorable wind greeted them as soon as they set sail. Xianjin wrapped herself in a cloak—she had rushed out and randomly grabbed a dark-colored outer garment. Standing at the bow, her cloak flapped in the sea breeze, her thoughts unknown.

In less than an hour, a curved fluorescent light appeared on the dark horizon, undulating with the waves.

Xianjin was about to jump off the ship but was stopped by Hu Haixiang.

Hu Haixiang sniffed the air, hurriedly blew out the lantern, and picked up a wooden stick from the beach, handing it to Xianjin. He gestured for her to hold it and led the way in the southeast direction.

Behind them were three mute guards, all with excellent night vision.

Yes.

Somewhat like seabirds.

Xianjin had night blindness, and after blowing out the lantern, she was plunged into total darkness. The only thing that felt real was the rough wooden stick in her palm.

Hu Haixiang led them carefully over jagged reefs and the desiccated remains of pufferfish, though it was unclear how he made his directional judgments. He walked ahead, eventually reaching a high shore.

There were human voices.

Xianjin’s senses snapped to attention.

It's Japanese pirate talk!

She didn't hear Qiao Hui's voice!

Xianjin suddenly tightened her grip on the wooden stick and took a deep breath, struggling to hold back the stinging in her nose.

Another sound! Again, it's Japanese pirate talk!

That means there are at least two pirates still out there!

Hu Haixiang found a huge rock and signaled for everyone to hide behind it. He peeked out and quickly exchanged signs with his companions.

Xianjin couldn't see but could feel the swift changes in hand signals, which stirred a gust of wind.

What did you see?

Xianjin didn't dare to speak, but the anxiety and burning in her heart were almost consuming her.

Is Qiao Hui still out there? Alive?

Xianjin clenched the wooden stick in one hand and made a fist with the other. Her nails dug into her palm from the force.

The pain helped her focus.

If Hu Haixiang had seen Qiao Hui's body, the mutes wouldn't be hiding so calmly behind the rocks. They'd have rushed out to cut down those two pirates without hesitation! — Xianjin could only judge from the mutes' actions.

The voices in the jungle sounded again, and though she couldn't understand the words, the tone was irritable, as if they were blaming each other.

Without sight, her other senses sharpened.

Xianjin didn't hear a third voice. At the same time, she caught a faint whiff of blood drifting from afar.

Someone tugged at the edge of her sleeve, and a flint was pressed into her hand. The right side was empty, and soon after, the left side was too, only to be filled by a presence almost instantly.

The left side tugged again, timidly, signaling that someone new was now guarding her.

Xianjin pressed her voice low, "Don't worry about me, I'll hide. You go too."

Why would they give up a four-to-two advantage?

The figure on the left hesitated for a moment, then pressed a small bottle into her hand and quickly, silently ran off.

Outside, the wind howled, waves crashed against the rocks, leaves rustled in the jungle, seagulls called overhead, and distant whale songs echoed. Xianjin steadied her heart and tried to distinguish Qiao Hui's movements from the myriad of worldly noises.

A blood-curdling scream tore through the jungle!

Then came the rhythmic slap of leaves against the trees.

Someone was in the trees!

Xianjin took several deep breaths.

Her ears had never been so sharp!

She closed her eyes, imagining the blade cutting through the air, slicing past the rustling leaves, and striking the neck of a living body.

"Ah—"

It's the voice of another pirate!

"Wuwuwu---" This was the sound Hu Haixiang forced himself to make, his voice filled with obvious excitement and joy!

Hearing this sound, Xianjin let out a sob of relief, overwhelmed with joy.

Xianjin quickly lit the fire starter, blew out a spark, and dashed out from behind the reef, her feet slipping on the gritty sand as she stumbled toward the jungle.

Qiao Hui was crouching with his head lowered, holding a knife in his left hand and concealing something in his chest. His broad back heaved deeply up and down.

In front of him lay two corpses, both with their throats slit by a single blow.

In the nearby jungle bushes, four more bodies were scattered, their deaths gruesome. The most gruesome one had a gash that split the skull from the crown down to the jawbone, with white brains and bright red blood flowing everywhere. The head hung precariously by a thin strip of flesh on the neck.

They were all dead.

All killed by the single blade in Qiao Hui's left hand.

"Qiao Hui!"

Qiao Hui looked up suddenly, his pupils involuntarily dilating then quickly shrinking, staring ahead in disbelief.

Was he seeing things?

The one stumbling and running toward him, was it... Xianjin?

Xianjin clutched the fire starter in one hand and a bottle in the other, her tears streaming down her face as she stumbled through the bushes, her cloak long undone, the hem of her clothes stained with fresh red blood and briny seawater.

Qiao Hui braced himself with his knife, then reached out and caught Xianjin as she hurled herself at him.

His beloved Xianjin.

Xianjin was crying.

He had almost never seen Xianjin cry.

In fact, he had never seen Xianjin cry.

And at that moment, the girl in his arms clung to him, wailing and cursing the heavens, her words lost in her sobs—probably scolding him, as usual.

Qiao Hui loosened his left hand, letting his large knife drop, and slowly raised his other hand, wrapping it around her waist.

"Don't cry anymore..."

Qiao Hui said softly, burying his face into Xianjin's cloak that had slipped off her shoulders, his eyes taking in the faint glimmers along the shore and the reflection of the mangroves on the water's surface, finally making everything feel real.

"Please, stop crying."

Qiao Hui said.