Chapter Thirteen: Confrontation

Chapter Thirteen: Confrontation

Lu Tong was supported by Yin Zheng as they walked to a cosmetics shop not far from the Treasure Fragrance Pavilion.

The shopkeeper, a plump woman, had been terrified when Lu Dashan rushed out earlier and had hidden behind the door, witnessing everything. Seeing Lu Tong covered in blood, the female shopkeeper felt sympathy and called someone to bring a basin of warm water for them to clean up in the back room.

Yin Zheng soaked a handkerchief in the water and gently wiped away the blood on Lu Tong’s face, her tone full of concern. "I wonder if this knife mark will leave a scar..."

"It's fine," Lu Tong reassured her. "The wound isn't deep. We can apply some medicine powder when we get back to the inn."

As she continued wiping, Yin Zheng spoke angrily. "That fugitive clearly aimed for the young lady from the Prime Minister's Mansion at first. If it weren't for her guard's intervention, you wouldn't have been hurt like this. How vicious!"

She was referring to the young lady from the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Lu Tong lowered her eyes.

It seemed that Lu Dashan chose this spot because he saw the Prime Minister's carriage. If he had taken the Prime Minister's daughter hostage, he might have escaped.

Unfortunately, he ended up taking her, an insignificant person, hostage instead.

Yin Zheng, while wringing out the handkerchief, asked Lu Tong, "But why did you suddenly attack him? It scared me." Recalling the scene, Yin Zheng still felt uneasy. "You're usually so calm, but today you were reckless. Although the fugitive was vicious, there were plenty of officers around. Even if you hadn't acted, they would have saved you."

Lu Tong gave a bitter smile inwardly.

Would Lei Yuan save her?

She clearly saw the archers behind Lei Yuan tighten their bows, showing no concern for her safety.

Moreover, from what Pei Dianshuai said, Lei Yuan seemed intent on silencing Lu Dashan.

She was the least significant part of this incident; her death would be inconsequential.

Lu Tong said, "Because I don't trust them."

Yin Zheng was startled. "Miss?"

"They were determined to catch the fugitive, and I feared they might use me as bait." Lu Tong's voice was calm. "I'm not a noble lady; I'm just an ordinary person. To these officials and nobles, I'm less than a speck of dust."

"I don't want to entrust my life to them; I only trust myself."

Yin Zheng was silent for a moment.

In the silence, a voice suddenly broke through.

"From what I hear, Doctor Lu seems to harbor resentment towards Shengjing's nobility. Have you had any past conflicts?"

Lu Tong suddenly lifted her eyes.

The cosmetics shop was filled with the sweet scent of perfumes. The inner room had no windows, lit only by dim oil lamps. A large screen depicted newly bloomed hibiscus flowers, their petals fragrant and their scent faintly spreading. In the flickering light, a figure emerged from behind the screen.

The young man wore a bright red arrow robe, his leather belt black and gleaming coldly, making him appear tall and heroic. His face was handsome, with excellent features, and his presence illuminated the dim room, like a dreamy flower in bloom.

Lu Tong's eyes flickered.

This was the "Pei Dianshuai" Lei Yuan mentioned.

In the chaos earlier, she hadn't seen his face clearly. Now, seeing him, he exuded charm and elegance. Recalling his sharp exchanges with the officers, and the way they addressed him as "Dianshuai," this young man appeared to be in his early twenties, already holding a high position, suggesting a distinguished background.

A smart and ruthless noble, she should keep her distance.

Lu Tong thought this, then saw him smilingly place something on the small table before her. "Doctor Lu, you dropped this."

Lu Tong's brow twitched.

The emerald bird feather lay on the table, its bloodstains glinting coldly under the lamp, looking somewhat eerie.

She steadied herself and calmly said, "Thank you, sir," reaching to pick up the feather.

A hand pressed down on the feather.

Lu Tong looked up.

The young man's fingers were long and slender, pressing against the dark blue feather, making his hands appear like white jade.

He lightly tapped the feather, seemingly in thought, smiling but with deep, penetrating eyes.

Pei Yunying said, "Pei has one more question for Doctor Lu."

Lu Tong looked at him coldly.

He smiled. "Why does Doctor Lu's feather have three silver needles?"

Typically, a feather would have only one needle, but Lu Tong's had three.

Yin Zheng stood aside, looking tense.

Lu Tong replied coolly, "My hair is thick and dense, so a single needle would easily slip out. That's why I used three."

Pei Yunying raised an eyebrow slightly, and Lu Tong remained composed.

His gaze lingered on Lu Tong's flowing hair for a moment before moving away. "I see."

Without waiting for Lu Tong to respond, he spoke again, nonchalantly. "Then why did Doctor Lu sharpen the needles so finely?" He reminded her with a half-smile, "The scars on Lu Dashan's face couldn't have been made by an ordinary needle."

Lu Tong felt a slight unease. This man was indeed troublesome.

Women typically wore flowers with rounded needles to avoid injury. But the blue bird feather Lu Tong wore had sharp needles. Even a light touch could leave a scratch on the skin.

These needles were sharpened by her.

The shop was filled with the sweet fragrance of rouge, casting a rosy hue around them. Lu Tong's gaze followed his hand upward, noticing the intricate silver patterns on his wrist guard. After a moment, she looked up and spoke calmly, "Sir, as far as I know, there is no law in Shengjing that prohibits women from using sharp hairpins."

Her tone was even, but her eyes betrayed a resolute defiance.

A hint of surprise flashed across Pei Yunying's eyes before he smiled mysteriously and nodded. "True."

His demeanor relaxed once more as he released the velvet flower and pulled out a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve, placing it on the table. "Doctor Lu, your wound needs proper treatment. Scars wouldn't be ideal. The scar removal ointment from the Right Army of Tianwu works well; you might want to try it."

Lu Tong didn't move, only looking at him. "Thank you."

Someone called out from outside: "Sir, someone from the Prime Minister's Mansion requests an audience."

He acknowledged the call, gave Lu Tong another smile, and then turned to leave.

Only when his figure disappeared behind the screen did Lu Tong breathe a sigh of relief.

For some reason, despite his smile and amiable tone, she couldn't help but feel a sense of danger.

Fortunately, this was just a chance encounter amidst a storm. They would likely never meet again.

With this thought, Yin Zheng, standing nearby, cautiously asked, "Miss, shall we go back now?"

"Pack our things," Lu Tong said, turning her gaze away. "We'll leave Laiyi Inn tonight."