Chapter 1 Mysterious Escape

Chapter1: Mysterious Escape

Counting from the day before yesterday, the rain in Nanzhou City had been falling for three whole days, without day or night, dripping and drizzling.

The continuous autumn rain battered the row of chrysanthemums in front of Suzaku Street, leaving them drooping and listless. Not only the chrysanthemums were crestfallen, but the common folk of Nanzhou City also kept their doors shut, avoiding strangers.

The night was thick, bats screeched sharply, tearing through the eerie silence of the rainy forest.

A flash of white light streaked across the gloomy sky, followed by a thunderous roar that shattered the already restless night. Suddenly, a flock of bats swooped over Qin Jiao's head!

His horse spooked, Qin Jiao's body lurched, and he crashed heavily to the ground.

The years-old decayed leaves on the ground, soaked by rain, gave off a strong sour, musty smell. The once elegant young master now had his ink-black hair disheveled, looking utterly wretched.

Not far away, a bat perched on a treetop, coldly watching him. Staggering to his feet, Qin Jiao squinted against the rain, and in an instant, tiny droplets clung to his long, dark eyelashes.

Startled by the earlier commotion, the horse had already vanished out of sight. Pushing aside the withered branches blocking his path, Qin Jiao pressed on.

He could not stop.

The ordinarily inconspicuous branches turned into the sharpest weapons of the night, cutting deep scratches across Qin Jiao's face. After walking in the forest for nearly half an hour, Qin Jiao suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves ahead.

"Clop, clop, clop"—

The hoofbeats grew from distant to near, like a death warrant in the dark night, making Qin Jiao's heart clench instantly.

"Search!"

The man's voice carried a heavy menace. Qin Jiao quickly dodged into a nearby thicket.

"Thump, thump, thump"—Qin Jiao could clearly hear his own heartbeat. As he tensed, he felt a hard object by his foot—a maple-leaf-shaped jade pendant.

Picking up the pendant, Qin Jiao's eyes softened for a moment, but then turned wary and resolute.

Not far away, the black-clad men split into three teams and began searching the forest. Qin Jiao noticed their keen eyes and organized movements; they must have undergone rigorous, organized training.

A bleak, cold night with bone-chilling rain.

The black-clad men's long blades slashed through the obstructing bushes. "Found him?" The same menacing voice sounded again.

"Reporting, Lord Luo Bei, not here!"

"Not here either!"

"Still searching this area!" As the words fell, a black-clad man thrust his sword toward the thicket where Qin Jiao was hiding. The blade grazed by Qin Jiao, and he gripped the jade pendant tightly, enduring in silence.

Just as the black-clad man was about to investigate further—"Great thief He Zhao, don't try to escape!" The sounds of a scuffle broke out not far away.

"All units, assemble! Capture the great thief He Zhao alive!"

"Yes!" Receiving the order, the black-clad men turned and withdrew.

"Phew..."

As the black-clad men departed, Qin Jiao barely let out a sigh of relief.

Qin Jiao carefully observed the fight in the distance. The thief named He Zhao was skilled, but the black-clad men's martial arts were superior. After a few exchanges, He Zhao was subdued.

"You bastards, don't touch me! Hey, hey, hey—why are you groping my chest? Let go!"

Luo Bei had intended to retrieve the stolen items from He Zhao's bosom, but the man was so noisy. Fearing he might displease the distant master, Luo Bei simply knocked He Zhao out with a chop to the neck.

Qin Jiao's eyes followed Luo Bei as he knocked out He Zhao and then turned, carrying something and walking back.

Not far away, the black-clad men surrounded a slender figure. That must be the master of these black-clad men.

The oilcloth umbrella couldn't block the pouring rain. In the dark night, the torchlight flickered with the wind, casting dappled tree shadows that fell faintly on the slender figure surrounded by the crowd.

Seeing the searchers gathering toward the distant slender figure, Qin Jiao moved stealthily, planning to slip away. But just as he took one step, he felt a cold stare lock onto him.

He was found out!

Realizing the danger, Qin Jiao tried to flee, but Luo Bei grabbed him and in the next second, he felt the world spin! When his vision steadied, he had been thrown to the ground before the slender figure surrounded by the black-clad men.

Having fled all day, Qin Jiao was already exhausted. Now, with the harsh fall, he felt like his insides were shattered. Hanging his head, he coughed quietly, forcing down the blood that had surged to his throat, and propped himself up and raised his head.

Up close, he could finally see the man in brocade clothing: in the late autumn nearing winter, the man wore a dark brocade robe, finely embroidered with subtle dark cloud patterns, a fine celadon jade pendant carved with twin cranes at his waist, and a fox-fur cloak over it. The ring of snow-white fox fur at his neck set off his jade-like features, radiating rare nobility.

The man looked down at Qin Jiao. A small red mole at the outer corner of his left eye flashed stunning charm in the flickering torchlight. Though it was only a cold, indifferent glance, Qin Jiao felt deeply uncomfortable.

The man's eyes were clear, a single look like the pure snow of Changbai Mountain, the ink painting of distant peaks—a peerless, unmatched elegance. But beneath that clarity lay an icy, sharp gaze like an eagle, stirring unaccountable fear.

"The accomplice of He Zhao has been captured. Forgive me, my lord, this subordinate was negligent."

Luo Bei's voice snapped Qin Jiao out of his daze. "I'm not his accomplice. I was just passing by." Stumbling to his feet, Qin Jiao defended himself hoarsely.

"Not an accomplice? Then why would a young gentleman like you be in this remote forest on the outskirts of the city in the dead of night?"

The youth was slender, with delicate features and a refined appearance. Though his ink-black silk straight robe was torn and ragged from branches, it couldn't hide the elegance of its wearer.

Luo Bei observed Qin Jiao's clothing and bearing; he should be a favored young master from some wealthy family. Yet, he appeared inexplicably in this remote forest on a stormy night.

Truly suspicious indeed.

"I..."

Faced with Luo Bei's interrogation, Qin Jiao paused.

A night wind suddenly sprang up, and the relentless rain kept falling. Under the oilcloth umbrella, the man's ink-black hair, lifted by the wind, lazily settled on the fox fur at his neck.

"If you cannot give a reason, execute him on the spot." Qin Jiao heard the man say so.

"Yes!"

Receiving the order, Luo Bei thrust his sword at Qin Jiao.

Between life and death, driven by his survival instinct, Qin Jiao twisted his body sharply, dodging Luo Bei's blade. His footing stumbled, and he rolled onto the ground again.

The wound on Qin Jiao's inner wrist, previously scratched by branches, worsened. Blood mixed with rain seeped into the mud. Cornered, Qin Jiao glared venomously at the man who had given the kill order:

"Our Tianyuan Dynasty governs by law. Execution requires reason, killing requires evidence. Now, what law have I broken that you would put me to death without cause?"

The man did not respond.

Luo Bei's gaze was icy, and he advanced again with his sword.

"Stay away from me!"

Qin Jiao scrambled backward. "I—I—I see that you all wear military boots. You must be from the army. I've heard that the current Prince of Lingnan strictly disciplines his troops. He is now passing through Nanzhou on his way back to the capital. If you commit such a reckless murder at a time like this, aren't you afraid of being severely punished once the Prince of Lingnan finds out?"

He spoke with anger and urgency, Qin Jiao burst into another fit of coughing after finishing his speech.

When Luo Bei first threw him to the ground, Qin Jiao noticed that they were all wearing thick leather boots. Located north of the capital, Nanzhou was a romantic border city, sunny and rain-scarce, where every home had flowers.

Although the locals weren’t as particular about silk and satin as people in Jiangnan, they rarely wore such sturdy boots. These boots were warm and durable, suitable for long journeys, and were commonly worn in the army.

Qin Jiao invoked the Prince of Lingnan’s name only as a temporary deterrent. He didn’t expect it to help—he just wanted to buy time to think of a way to escape...

Whether it was Qin Jiao’s blood‑curdling words and imposing presence that did it, or something else, Luo Bei actually stopped in his tracks and made no further move.

Casually toying with the green jade double‑crane pendant at his waist, Xie Nai lowered his head and let out a light laugh, his voice crisp and clear, like tinkling jade. "On such a stormy night, with no one around, the Prince of Lingnan? I'm afraid he won't be able to stand up for you."

In the dark night, wind and rain howled, and the dead branches in the forest were twisted by the dark into something menacing.

After Xie Nai's words, Qin Jiao let out a scoff. "Since things have come to this, I'll speak plainly. I am the eldest legitimate son of the Vice Minister of Rites in the capital, and I have been betrothed to Prime Minister Lin Wen since childhood. If I die here today, Prime Minister Lin will never let this go!"

When Qin Jiao finished, Luo Bei was startled and couldn't help sneaking a glance at Xie Nai, who also frowned slightly.

"Master, this..."

Looking at the disheveled youth sprawled on the ground, Luo Bei couldn't help but lament—Prime Minister Lin's betrothed had ended up in their master's hands. He wondered if this could be considered a twist of fate? After all, everyone in the capital knew that Prime Minister Lin and the Prince of Lingnan were at odds...

Qin Jiao could feel Xie Nai's gaze on him, and it made him extremely uncomfortable. But now Xie Nai was the one with the knife, and Qin Jiao was the fish under the knife, so he had no choice.

However, his shoulder hurt too much. Qin Jiao wanted to press his left shoulder to ease the pain. As he raised his hand, the maple leaf pendant that had been hidden in his sleeve fell out and landed on the muddy ground.

Xie Nai and Qin Jiao both saw the pendant fall. The next second, Luo Bei rushed forward and picked it up.

Luo Bei was about to present the pendant to Xie Nai when a roar exploded in his ears—"Give it back!"

The injured youth, like an enraged beast, charged at Luo Bei. Remembering his special identity, Luo Bei dared not strike lethally and could only retreat hastily a few steps. But Qin Jiao's momentum was too fierce, as if he had no regard for his own life. In that split second of carelessness, Luo Bei actually let Qin Jiao grab the pendant back.

"This is mine!"

Gripping the pendant, Qin Jiao's eyes were full of indignation. But the next second, a slim yet strong hand reached out from the side and firmly seized his wrist.

Qin Jiao turned his head—it was Xie Nai.

In the midst of wind and rain, Xie Nai still stood poised and elegant, as unruffled as a jade tree, but the strength of his grip on Qin Jiao's hand was astonishing.

"Let go of me!"

Unable to break free from Xie Nai's hold, Qin Jiao trembled with rage, his eyes reddening alarmingly.

Blood was still oozing from Qin Jiao's wrist, and a smear of crimson stained Xie Nai's sleeve where he held him, but Xie Nai's expression remained unchanged, his gaze as deep and cold as an ancient well.

Watching the pendant slowly slipping away from his hand, the blood that had been rising in his throat finally burst out—pfft!

Choking with anger, Qin Jiao spat out a mouthful of blood, splattering both Xie Nai and Luo Bei, who were closest to him. In particular, Xie Nai's white fox fur collar around his neck was now dotted with specks of blood, like red plum blossoms against snow, strikingly vivid.

After spitting out the blood, Qin Jiao no longer had the strength to support himself, and his body slowly went limp...

"Your Highness!"

"Quick, fetch a handkerchief!"

Luo Bei’s panicked voice faded away. Before losing consciousness, Qin Jiao vaguely saw Xie Nai's soiled fox fur cloak and his tightly furrowed brow.

Qin Jiao felt dizzy and miserable, but also somewhat satisfied. Serves you right for not letting go. You had it coming!

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