Chapter 35

Lin Qing felt lightheaded, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Li Mingxiao.

There is strength in numbers; in no time at all, the rooms in the main courtyard were cleared out. By squeezing in together, there was enough space for all of them.

Meng Jie approached Lin Qing silently and whispered, "We managed to extort some kerosene from the barracks. Most of our men's weapons are ready."

Lin Qing nodded. "Stash the kerosene in my room. Prepare extra bows and arrows and tell everyone to stay alert. The White Lotus Sect is bound to make a move within the next two days."

"Understood," Meng Jie replied.

It was already past nine in the evening. After giving a few more instructions, Lin Qing returned to the suite the Tianlu Guard had prepared for her. It was a large main room with a bed inside and another in the outer room.

Li Mingxiao was already in the room, tidying up the bed in the outer section.

Seeing her "big boss" there, Lin Qing felt a bit silly for a moment, before realizing that in his current identity as her servant, it was only natural for him to stay with her.

Although they weren't sharing a bed, by some stretch of the imagination, she could say she had "slept with her boss."

The thought made her blush. Despite her penchant for edgy jokes, she was still a pure, innocent youth—the kind who was "properly raised and naturally upright."

She glanced at Li Mingxiao’s hands as he smoothed the bedding and paused, an urge to push up her non-existent glasses rising within her. She wasn't an educated person, but she simply thought those hands were fair, delicate, and beautiful—unlike her own, which, despite being a girl, were covered in calluses; she was sure she would snag any fine fabric she touched.

Lin Qing had wondered more than once what it would have been like if she hadn't joined the Tianlu Bureau and had instead returned to the Yongning Marquis's estate as a daughter according to the original plot.

But every time she started down that train of thought, she found it utterly boring.

Although the Great Yuan Dynasty wasn't overly strict with women, it was still a feudal society, and the framework was set. The intrigues of the inner courtyard were bloodless but vicious, filled with sweet words and bitter hearts; they were no better than the open conflicts of the court.

As the "true daughter" who arrived late, even if she had eight hundred schemes and managed to defeat Lin Junrou, the best outcome would be marrying some decent man among the capital's nobility, managing a few shops, and raising children. Her only glory would be that which her husband attained.

Lin Qing shuddered, filled with disdain.

She was someone who weighed a hundred pounds but had a hundred and one pounds of rebellious spirit. Just imagining that life made her feel like she would go insane. Glory? Who needs that? Who needs a man? Isn't it far more satisfying to earn your own way?

Seeing her staring at his hands in a daze, Li Mingxiao couldn't help but ask, "What are you daydreaming about?"

Lin Qing whipped her hands behind her back. "Nothing. I was just thinking, we don't know if there are any more White Lotus Sect members around here. You should sleep inside; I'll take the outer room."

Li Mingxiao refused. "My identity is your servant. If I sleep inside, there's no guarantee others won't find it suspicious." He paused, then added, "You must treat me as you would any other servant. We cannot let anyone grow suspicious."

Lin Qing thought for a moment and agreed. Only by making others believe Li Mingxiao was truly her servant could he survive safely. "It's just that Young Master Jiang seems to have some impression of the Emperor."

"It doesn't matter. Jiang Ruoyi hasn't returned to the capital in a long time; he doesn't remember my face that clearly." Li Mingxiao pointed to the bed inside. "Rest quickly. There is much to handle tomorrow."

Lin Qing looked over and saw that the bedding on the inner bed had already been laid out. This was a bed made for her by the Emperor of the Great Yuan Dynasty himself.

Feeling a surge of excitement, she lay down and was fast asleep within seconds.

Watching her, Li Mingxiao couldn't help but chuckle, though he also felt a pang of heartache. He knew how dangerous the Tianlu Guard’s missions were; she had to fall asleep as soon as possible whenever there was a chance to rest, so she would have the energy to handle emergencies in the coming tasks.

The petite youth looked like a tiny bundle in the quilt—fragile and quiet.

His heart felt heavy. Once this turbulent time passed, he would make sure Lin Qing got a proper break. By the way, he heard that academy was about to recruit students; Lin Qing was at the perfect age for schooling.

Li Mingxiao lay on his bed, pondering this, as drowsiness began to take hold.

***

The night sky was dim, thick with clouds, and the wind was harsh. Outside the house, a large willow tree whistled as it swayed.

Inside, only a single oil lamp remained on the table, its flame flickering like a bean.

A faint, ethereal sound of a flute drifted in—at first as light as smoke, then gradually growing more intense.

Lin Qing’s ears twitched. She opened her eyes, instantly alert, with no trace of sleepiness left.

She had thought that since they had suffered a setback, the White Lotus Sect would wait at least two days to react. She hadn't expected them to strike so soon, but fortunately, she had been prepared.

Amidst the sound of the wind blowing through the branches came a cacophony of strange noises, like dry bark rubbing together, accompanied by a faint, fishy stench.

A green snake with a triangular head had already slithered to her bedside.

Her long sword left its scabbard with a soft hum, cutting the snake in two in the blink of an eye.

Lin Qing stepped off the bed, sword in hand, and nudged Li Mingxiao.

Li Mingxiao, still groggy, saw Lin Qing’s expression and immediately sobered up. He didn't speak, but quickly dressed and stood quietly behind her.

Outside, the fierce wind was laced with the eerie flute melody, and hissing sounds echoed from all around the house.

Looking closer, countless snakes—white, black, green—were crawling in through the gaps in the windows and doors, raising their heads and flicking their tongues.

Lin Qing’s sword danced like a silver serpent, creating a wall of steel so dense that not a single snake could break through.

As the first wave of snakes became corpses, the flute music suddenly rose in pitch, and the second wave arrived.

Lin Qing covered her nose and stepped back, glancing at the pile of snake carcasses with disdain. "Talk about endless."

Li Mingxiao watched the constant influx of snakes, fearing that every venomous creature within dozens of miles was right here. "What now?"

Lin Qing thought for a moment and offered four words: "Build a fire, roast meat. Though I don't care much for snake meat, does the boss like it?"

Li Mingxiao’s mouth twitched at her attitude; he was truly afraid she might try to stuff snake meat into his mouth. "I do not."

"A pity, then. What a waste," Lin Qing said, dragging several barrels of kerosene from under Li Mingxiao’s bed.

Li Mingxiao stared at the oil barrels pulled from beneath his own bed, a vein throbbing in his forehead. He never imagined he had been sleeping with kerosene for half the night.

"Boss, don't just stand there," Lin Qing said, spraying kerosene across the floor while still slaying snakes.

Li Mingxiao was stunned. "When did you get those?"

Lin Qing didn't have the heart to tell him Meng Jie had extorted them from Liu Rong. "I had Meng Jie and the others find them during the day. It's a shame we were short on time and only got this much." She had anticipated a counterattack, so she had to be prepared. Kerosene made burning anything convenient.

Li Mingxiao took a barrel to help. "Aren't you worried we won't be able to escape in time?"

Lin Qing waved a hand dismissively. "Not at all. If I can't roast the enemy, I can always roast myself."

Li Mingxiao: "..."

Once the oil was spread, she nimbly threw a quilt over Li Mingxiao, dashed to the doorway, and tossed a fire starter into the room.

With a deafening roar, the kerosene ignited, and the two were blown out of the room by the blast.

The entire house erupted into flames, fire surging into the sky. A thin mist that had been surrounding the area suddenly dissipated upon contact with the heat.

The scene outside was revealed: the Tianlu Guards were already waiting, half holding torches, the other half with bows drawn.

Lin Qing rolled a few times and wiped her face. She looked at Li Mingxiao, who was also climbing up, his face covered in soot—it was truly a sight.

Seeing the disdain in Lin Qing’s eyes, Li Mingxiao felt a vein throb in his temple. The Lin Qing he knew was always obedient and pleasant to be around. But now? Was this creature really his Lin Qing?

"Could it be an imposter..." he wondered.

Lin Qing had already turned her gaze away, listening intently to capture the faint, lingering flute melody. She pointed toward the east. "East, two hundred meters."

In an instant, a volley of fire arrows shot toward the direction she indicated, leaving behind a strange, acrid smell.

The flute music stopped abruptly.

Without the guidance of the flute, most of the snakes scattered. Only a small portion remained and were hacked to death by the Tianlu Guards.

Some of the guards began to clean up the aftermath, while the rest waited silently for Lin Qing’s instructions. Everything was well-trained; beyond the crackling of the burning house, there was no other sound in the courtyard.

Meng Jie walked over after making arrangements. "Chief, it was strange earlier. A mist suddenly rose, and everything seemed normal to us. It wasn't until the mist cleared that we saw the house on fire."

Lin Qing understood. It seemed that this person, like Mu Wantang, possessed some sort of formation or drug to create illusions. "It's fine. We'll see later if they were hit by an arrow."

Just then, Zhou Hu ran over to report. "Vice Envoy, we've recovered one hundred and thirty-two arrows. One is missing, and we found traces of blood on the ground."

Lin Qing breathed a sigh of relief. She had won the gamble.

The White Lotus Sect was slippery, and she had wasted too much time here already. Their retaliation was, in fact, her opportunity.

Those arrows were specially crafted by the Tianlu Bureau, each containing a hidden powder. Once an enemy was struck, the powder would enter their bloodstream and remain for a month. The Bureau kept a type of gu-insect that was extremely sensitive to that scent; within ten miles, there was no escaping the creature’s tracking.

At this moment, Zhou Fusheng was brought over. "I once heard someone mention that one of the five elders of the White Lotus Sect is a master of controlling poisonous insects."

Lin Qing was startled. These five elders were extremely mysterious; she had only ever seen Lian Renyu. "Who did you hear that from?"

Zhou Fusheng replied, "From the villagers. You were all busy during the day, and with my legs, I couldn't help much, so I wandered into the village and happened to run into that old man Zhou and his grandson."

It was Zhou Wuzheng and Zuoqiu Huang.

"How would that grandfather and grandson know..." Lin Qing suddenly remembered the look in Zuoqiu Huang's eyes when he had secretly watched Zhang Xiaoniu earlier that day.

This mansion was a stronghold for the White Lotus Sect within Yong'an Village, and the Zhang brothers were also from the village. Perhaps they really did know something.

The Tianlu Guards soon brought Zhou Wuzheng and Zuoqiu Huang over.

They were still wearing the same patched, old clothes from earlier, huddling together and shivering.

Zhou Wuzheng fell to his knees with a thud, his face pained. "My lords, my grandson and I are just ordinary folk. You are noble people, please don't hold it against us. I don't know anything, please stop asking. Look how you've frightened my little grandson."

Lin Qing initially wanted to help them up, but her movement stalled. She smelled the scent of blood on the pair.

She calmly looked them over. Zhou Wuzheng was at least sixty, trembling as he walked, looking every bit the frail old man.

Zuoqiu Huang was only a seven or eight-year-old child. Perhaps due to constant hunger, he was thin and small, his face no larger than a palm, save for his eyes, which were exceptionally large, gazing innocently at everyone present.

She said softly, "Old man, what kind of person do you take me, Lin Qing, to be? You can rest assured."

At this, she suddenly grinned. "I’m not the type to do good deeds, you see." She pointed her finger toward the burning house. "Even if it means death, I’ll throw you both in there as well. At least you're relatives—you'll have company on the way down."

Zhou Wuzheng: "..."

Zuoqiu Huang: "..."

Lin Qing: "Why aren't you speaking? Are you thinking I should be like other officials, putting on a show, saying something about being 'impartial and incorruptible' and 'not to be bothered'?

She blinked. "But I am a Tianlu Guard. A bloodthirsty Tianlu Guard."

Li Mingxiao had been listening from the sidelines, but at this, he couldn't help but look at Lin Qing. The youth was all smiles, as if speaking of something trivial, yet her eyes held a profound depth that others could not fathom.