Борясь на небесах и в бесчисленных мирах

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A terrifying night in a dilapidated temple during a snowstorm

The north wind howled, and heavy snowflakes danced in the air, creating a white world that looked somewhat monotonous and desolate. In such harsh weather, everyone preferred to stay indoors, by the stove, with a bowl of hot soup in their hands. So at this moment, everything was quiet except for the whistling sound of the wind.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats broke the silence in the distance. The hoofbeats grew louder as they approached, and soon a carriage and four fine horses stopped in front of a dilapidated temple. Two burly men in black cloaks jumped off the horses, kicked open the rickety door of the temple, looked around, and then turned to the carriage, saying respectfully, "Young master, we've checked, there's no one inside. The weather is too bad; we can't travel tonight. Let's rest in the temple for the night and continue our journey tomorrow."

The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing the handsome face of a boy of thirteen or fourteen. The burly man reached out and lifted the boy from the carriage, carrying him into the dilapidated temple. The boy wore a magnificent ginger-yellow brocade felt cloak. Once inside, he removed the hood of his cloak and sat on a blue brick brought by his subordinates, curiously observing his surroundings. Soon after, three other burly men filed in, carrying branches. They lit tinder and started a fire in the temple, gradually warming the dilapidated space.

"Young master, have something to eat." Someone handed over a paper package. The boy took it, opened it, and found it was full of powder.

"Alas, the fine Poria cocos cake I bought a couple of days ago has hardened a bit over time. When I pressed it in my pocket, it turned into powder. This is all I have now. I'll have a proper meal tomorrow when we reach the next village."

The boy didn't mind, ate a little, and then, out of boredom, rubbed the cake powder into finer and more crumbly pieces.

"Third brother, I have some bamboo leaf green tea here, want a sip?" A burly man with a bushy beard took out a smooth gourd, tilted his head back and gulped down a few mouthfuls, a blush spreading across his dark face.

"You can't live without your drink." The man called Third Brother laughed and scolded, taking the drink and about to take a sip when he suddenly saw the young man next to him looking at him. He laughed and said, "Young Master, would you like a sip? It will warm you up from head to toe."

"Alright!" the boy answered crisply. The third brother handed him the gourd, and the boy wiped the spout with his sleeve, drank it down heartily, and then wiped his mouth. The wine was strong, and a spicy warmth surged up from his chest, warding off the bitter cold.

The snow fell heavier and heavier. Someone went out and brought the horses in, then stood in front of the broken window and said, "This snow is good. It covers up all the tracks on the ground. Even if those people have great abilities, they won't be able to catch up!" Just as he said this, a dark figure suddenly broke through the window and flew in. Everyone was startled and immediately raised their weapons to protect the boy.

"How dare you! Do you think you can escape?" The dark figure stopped. It was a man who looked to be in his forties. He had a fair complexion and a handsome and masculine appearance, but his demeanor and mannerisms carried a feminine and unnatural coquettishness. He spoke in a high-pitched, sarcastic voice. The clothing of an inner palace servant was visible under his cloak. This man was actually a eunuch.

The men paled in shock. The eunuch sneered and attacked, and the five of them immediately clashed. Swords flashed and blades clashed, and after a few rounds, the four burly men were gradually losing ground. The eunuch, however, fought with incredible skill, smashing the burly man's jaw with a single punch, followed by a palm strike that sent him crashing against the wall. The man sprawled to the ground, stretched his legs, and then died instantly. The remaining three let out a mournful cry, their attacks becoming even more ferocious. The eunuch snorted, his palm strikes growing increasingly powerful.

"Young master, run! Run!" the third brother shouted wildly behind him. The boy, who had been stunned by the scene in front of him, finally came to his senses and ran out the door.

"Where do you think you're going!" The eunuch quickly dealt with the people around him, grabbed the boy's cloak hood, and pulled him over.

"Tsk tsk, what a handsome and clever boy. Come back with us obediently." The eunuch touched the boy's face, gave a sinister smile, and walked out.

The boy remained silent, then suddenly flicked out the finely ground Poria cocos cake powder from his hand. The eunuch, unable to dodge in time, was caught off guard and his eyes were stung by the dry cake crumbs. In his haste, the boy pulled a dagger from his sleeve and plunged it into the eunuch's heart. "Ouch—!" the eunuch screamed in agony, then slapped the boy's chest with all his might.

"Ah—" The boy flew up and crashed hard into the wall, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and then lay motionless. The eunuch struggled a few times, pulled off the already rickety door, slid down the wall, and fell to the ground at the base of the wall.

A cold wind, carrying snowflakes, blew into the dilapidated temple. Six corpses lay on the ground. The wind extinguished the fire in the temple, and all was quiet again. Suddenly, a faint sound came from the Buddha statue, sounding particularly eerie in the silent and gloomy temple. After a while, a thin little girl emerged from a hole behind a Buddha statue in the corner. Seeing the scene before her, she gasped and kept muttering, "Amitabha, what a terrible thing to do. Bodhisattva, please bless them all to be reborn in a better realm, Amitabha, Amitabha..." The girl looked no more than ten years old. Her face was so dirty that her features were indistinguishable, but her large, round eyes shone with intelligence and cunning, like cold stars in the dark night. She was wrapped in a tattered blanket, jumped off the altar, and shivered in the cold wind.

The girl surveyed the room, her gaze finally settling on the boy's corpse. She walked straight over, muttering to herself, "Of all these people, this kid is the best dressed; he must be the richest." She squatted down beside him, touching his body repeatedly, muttering, "As the saying goes, death is the end. You're dead, so you might as well give me your money. When we get back, I'll hire some monks to perform a ritual for you, find a place to bury you, and you can reincarnate in peace. Don't come looking for me again as a ghost... Huh? What's this?" The girl pulled a finely crafted small cloth bag from the boy's pocket. Without even looking at its contents, she assumed it must be valuable. She tied the bag to her belt and continued searching the boy. Suddenly, she noticed a piece of translucent jade carved into the shape of a plum blossom around his neck, its surface smooth and delicate. The girl's face lit up immediately. "This is a good thing! It can fetch several taels of silver at a pawnshop!" she exclaimed, reaching to pull the jade plum blossom off. Just then, the boy groaned, grabbed the girl's small hand, looked at her intently, his lips moved slightly, and his eyes seemed to hold a thousand words he wanted to say.

"Ah—it's haunted! It's a zombie! Aaaaah!" The little girl's hair stood on end, and she collapsed to the ground, desperately backing away. The boy, with strength he didn't know he possessed, grabbed her hand tightly and said with all his might, "Jin..." Then his head lolled to the side, and he truly breathed his last.

The little girl was nearly breathless with fright. She covered her face with her hands, tears streaming down her face. It took her a long time to recover. Mustering her courage, she pulled her hands away and scrambled to another corner, even dropping her tattered blanket. Leaning against the wall, she gasped for breath. The cold north wind calmed her down. She wiped the snot and tears from her face with the sleeve of her tattered cotton-padded jacket and found the jade pendant from the boy's neck clutched in her hand. She hung it around her own neck. Looking around, she saw the burly man's corpse beside her. She took off his black cloak and draped it over herself, then pulled a small bag of loose silver and several strings of copper coins from his waist.

"This is it, we're rich!" the girl murmured to herself, her eyes shining. Just then, she heard the neighing of a horse being pulled on its reins outside the door. She quickly wrapped her cloak around herself and slipped into the small hut next to the main hall of the dilapidated temple.

The little girl, named Yao Danxing, was a homeless beggar. The weather had been cold these past few days, especially with heavy snowfall at dusk. She happened to find this dilapidated temple and went inside to escape the cold. The temple was drafty and not warm at all. She wandered around and found a hole behind a Buddha statue. She crawled inside and found it quite spacious, easily large enough for her small body. She decided to take a nap inside the statue and fell into a deep sleep. Later, the sounds of fighting outside woke her. She stayed inside, too afraid to move, until the noise outside subsided. Then, she mustered her courage and crawled out of the Buddha statue.

At this moment, Yao Danxing peeked into the main hall from the doorway of the small house. She heard someone exclaim, "Eunuch! Eunuch!" She touched her nose and muttered to herself, "Oh no, I don't know which of these six people is their eunuch. I stole their money and clothes, and they're definitely going to come after me later. I'll definitely get a beating. I'd better find a chance to slip away." She looked around the small house and found a small dog hole in the corner. Yao Danxing immediately grinned, crouched down, and crawled out of the dog hole. Then she wrapped her cloak tighter around herself and ran towards the small village behind the house.

It was the dead of winter, pitch black outside. Yao Danxing couldn't tell which way to go and stumbled forward, relying solely on her senses. Eventually, she couldn't run anymore and vaguely saw a glimmer of starlight ahead. Dragging her heavy steps, she went towards it. When she reached it, she found it was a small farmhouse courtyard. Gathering her strength, Yao Danxing scaled the wall, and the moment her feet touched the ground, she heard a dog barking. Having been chased and bitten by a vicious dog before, Yao Danxing was terrified. In her panic, she saw a small woodshed, quickly opened the door, ran inside, and then used her back to brace the door shut.

The weather was so bad that the owners of the house, hearing the dog barking, were too lazy to get out of their warm beds, and just shouted a few words at it. Yao Danxing, frightened and cold, was shivering all over. She sat down against the small wooden door and began to doze off.

Yao Danxing had quite a background; she was the daughter of Yao Qinglian, the most famous of the four most beautiful courtesans in Nanhuai. Yao Qinglian, whose real name was Yao Xianglian, was a young lady from an official family in the capital. She was elegant, beautiful, and well-read, especially skilled in playing the zither and composing poetry, making her a renowned talented woman. When she was fourteen, her father was impeached for corruption, the Yao family was raided, and she was forced into prostitution. Fortunately, a kind-hearted man rescued her, redeemed her, and bought her as a concubine. The following year, she gave birth to her daughter, Danxing. However, her good fortune didn't last. Later, Yao Xianglian's husband married a new wife, who, jealous of Xianglian's beauty, drove her and her daughter away while her husband was away, sending them far away to Nanhuai to be sold into a brothel. Xianglian initially wanted to end her life, but seeing her crying, hungry child, she swallowed her tears, changed her name to Qinglian, and became a courtesan, quickly rising to fame. Yao Qinglian still desperately hoped her husband would return to save her. Years later, while playing music and singing for money at a local official's house, she happened to run into her husband. Overjoyed, she was shocked to find that her unfaithful lover refused to acknowledge her, deliberately avoiding her and even leaving in a hurry. Devastated, Yao Qinglian soon fell ill. The madam, disliking her for not earning money, treated her and her daughter poorly. Later, seeing that Danxing, nearly twelve years old, was a beauty in the making, she set her sights on Danxing. Danxing feigned concern, coaxing the madam to give her mother money for medical treatment, but Qinglian was determined to die, refusing food and water, and passed away after only three months. After the funeral, with the help of her maid Qiaoyu and a young male prostitute, Danxing escaped from the brothel, boarded a ship bound for the north, and wandered the country. Yao Danxing preferred to be a beggar rather than return to prostitution. Young and shrewd, she was not afraid of hardship, so although she lived a precarious life, she was content.

As dawn broke, the sounds of the master of the house getting up, opening the door, and scolding the barking dogs woke Yao Danxing. She quietly opened the door to the woodshed, her bright eyes carefully observing her surroundings. Then, taking a deep breath, she dashed to the wall with lightning speed and leaped over it in one go. Just as she was about to run away, she noticed a donkey cart parked at the gate, loaded with cabbages and potatoes. A farmer in his forties was loading a basket of potatoes onto the cart. Seeing this, Yao Danxing immediately made up her mind. She took out a dozen or so copper coins from her pocket and slowly walked over.

"Uncle, Uncle," Yao Danxing called out in a clear voice.

The farmer turned around and saw a small child, her face and head filthy, wearing a black cloak that didn't fit her figure well, but her large eyes were bright and piercing. He was taken aback: "You..."

"Uncle, are you going into the city?" Yao Danxing asked in a clear voice.

"Yes, yes." The farmer nodded.

"I have thirteen copper coins here. If you take me to the city, I'll give them all to you." Yao Danxing held out her small hand, holding the copper coins, and told a lie with a calm demeanor. "My father is a scholar in the city. A few days ago, my mother and I went back to my parents' home, but on the way, bandits kidnapped my mother, and I escaped on my own. If you take me to the city, I will reward you handsomely if I find my father!"

The farmer was about to take the cart to the city to deliver vegetables. He was honest and kind, and when he heard Yao Danxing's words, he felt a little sorry for her. When he saw the copper coin in her hand, he immediately nodded in agreement: "Okay, you get on the cart, I'll take you into the city." Yao Danxing put the copper coin in the farmer's hand and then jumped onto the cart.

All the way, Yao Danxing lay on the cabbage, lost in thought. The farmer, pitying her "plight," gave her a piece of steamed bun. Yao Danxing hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, and the fright she'd experienced the previous night had drained her energy; she was indeed hungry. She quickly took the bun and ate it with gusto. As the sun rose, they entered the city. The farmer parked the car in front of a tavern, and while he wasn't looking, Yao Danxing quietly slipped away. She wandered around the city, ate a bowl of plain noodles at a small noodle stall, washed her face with snow from the roadside, bought a clean set of clothes and shoes at a secondhand clothing store, and then strolled into a small inn. As soon as she entered, Yao Danxing took out a small piece of silver, tiptoed, placed it on the counter, and said with an air of sophistication, "Innkeeper, a private room, and a basin of bathwater, please."

The shopkeeper, initially lukewarm at first because she was just a child, smiled upon seeing the silver. He immediately instructed his assistant to lead her to a room upstairs, where he prepared bathwater and treated her with great hospitality. Yao Danxing locked the door, took a refreshing bath, changed into clean clothes, and then sat on the edge of the bed to count the spoils she had stolen the previous night. The money bag she had taken from the burly, bearded man contained a considerable amount of silver, including a hundred-tael silver note, and two strings of copper coins. Yao Danxing offered a prayer to the money before carefully putting it away. Finally, she opened the small cloth bag she had taken from the boy and shook its contents onto the kang (heated brick bed). "What are all these things?" Yao Danxing muttered to herself. A Shoushan stone seal with an auspicious beast head fell out of the bag. Picking it up, she noticed that the seal wasn't engraved with Chinese characters, but rather resembled tadpole script.

Yao Danxing was stunned for a while, then asked the shop assistant for a needle, thread and scissors, and sewed all the money and seals into the old cotton-padded jacket she had just bought. Then she covered herself with a cloak and a quilt and went to sleep.

Yao Danxing slept soundly until evening, then sat up with a yawn. It was the most comfortable sleep she had had in a long time. She touched her cotton coat and found that all her money was still inside. Satisfied, she got out of bed and went downstairs for dinner. Yao Danxing pushed open the door and found that all the tables downstairs were full. Just then, the door of the inn was pushed open again, and three people walked in, accompanied by a cold wind and snowflakes.

Upon recognizing the newcomers, Yao Danxing couldn't help but shout her approval. The leader of the three was a boy of about fourteen, exceptionally handsome and strikingly beautiful. His long eyebrows slanted upwards, his deep, captivating phoenix eyes shone with a refined brilliance, his nose was high and straight, and his lips were slightly pursed. He wore a light autumn-colored cloak and a purple-gold crown, its beads full, round, and sparkling. Underneath, he wore a long robe of pure white brocade with subtle jacquard patterns. The robe was embroidered with three large, golden willow-leaf floral patterns in a deep blue-green hue, and featured lake-blue, bound-up sleeves inlaid with golden intertwined floral designs. A vermilion belt with three white jade inlays cinched his waist, and a sword hung at his waist. He wore small, light blue satin boots with a white background. He exuded an aloof and dazzling aura, like a bright moon over the desert, exceptionally noble.

To the boy's left stood a girl in a green cloak, appearing to be no more than fifteen years old, with a slender figure. Her hair was styled in two buns, tied with emerald green ribbons. She had a delicate face, arched eyebrows, a small mouth, narrow eyes, fair skin, and a gentle expression. To the boy's right stood a tall, thin man in a black cloak, with plain features, but his eyes were sharp like a hawk's, gleaming with a hidden light.

After the three entered the shop, they looked around. The waiter hurriedly came up to greet them warmly. There were no extra seats, but the owner, seeing their distinguished air, dared not neglect them and personally brought out new tables and chairs for them. The three ordered a pot of liquor and some side dishes. The girl in green took out a handkerchief, carefully wiped the chopsticks clean, and handed them to the young man. Then she personally poured the liquor.

Yao Danxing went downstairs and ordered steamed buns and chicken legs, which she then had the waiter bring upstairs. She glanced at the boy a few more times before turning and walking back.

The inn fell silent after the young man entered. Everyone was captivated by his unparalleled elegance, like the bright moon, and unconsciously put down their chopsticks to stare at him. The young man seemed completely unaware of the dozen or so pairs of eyes watching him. He calmly took the chopsticks from the maid, casually picked up some boiled peanuts from the dish, and then took a sip of hot wine. His movements were elegant and slow, displaying the refined manners of a young master from a prominent family.

The maid in green asked the shopkeeper for three plates, then took out a paper package from her bosom containing several exquisite and high-quality pastries. She placed the pastries on the plates, pushed them towards the young man, and said with a smile, "There's not much to eat in this little shop. Luckily, I brought a few pastries with me when I came out at dawn. Let's have a little something to tide us over." Although the girl's appearance was only above average, her gentle and charming demeanor, and her melodious and soft voice, added to her charm, making her seem beautiful and lovely.

The boy smiled faintly: "It's no fun for me to eat alone, you two should eat too." After saying that, he took a piece and took a bite.

"Cough cough cough cough!" A sudden fit of violent coughing came from the southeast corner of the room, startling the crowd who had been staring blankly at the boy. They then looked away, began eating their bowls and chopsticks and talking quietly, but still occasionally glancing at the boy. "Cough cough!" The man in the corner coughed twice more forcefully. He was an old man, well past sixty, his face wrinkled like tree bark, a sparse beard on his chin, wearing a sheepskin coat, a pipe tucked into his waistband, his hands tucked into his sleeves, slumped in the corner, looking tired and wretched. He hadn't opened his eyes since the boy entered the room, just lazily curled up in the corner.

"With his looks and mannerisms, I bet he must be some kind of prince or nobleman. Tsk tsk, could he be the second young master of the Xie family in the capital?" The people at the table closest to the old man whispered among themselves, the man speaking glancing at the boy as he made his conjecture.

"Father, who is the second young master of the Xie family? Is he a very handsome person? As handsome as the fairy brother at that table." The man's youngest daughter blinked her curious big eyes and clung to her father's arm in a coquettish manner.

At this moment, the burly man sitting next to the man interjected, "The most famous official families in the capital are the Wang family and the Xie family. One family has served as officials in the court for generations, enjoying a life of luxury and wealth; the other is a royal merchant appointed by the emperor, possessing immense riches. Coincidentally, both families have produced a favored daughter. The current Empress Wang is the daughter of Wang Ding, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, while the emperor's most beloved Consort Lan is the eldest daughter of Xie Chunrong, the Deputy Director of the Imperial Household Department. Xie Chunrong was originally just a junior official in the Ministry of Personnel, but due to his daughter's favor in the palace, he has risen rapidly in recent years, making the Xie family a rising star in the capital."

The burly man picked up a piece of food, and seeing everyone at the table staring at him intently as he spoke, a smug look appeared on his face: "I've heard that Xie Chunrong's four children are all exceptionally talented. Her eldest daughter, Xie Xiujing, who is a royal concubine, goes without saying. Her eldest son, Xie Lingxuan, is a notorious playboy in the capital. Her second son, Xie Linghui, although born to a second wife, is handsome and exceptionally intelligent; at eight years old, he was already a child prodigy renowned throughout the capital. Now he's fourteen, and all the unmarried women from wealthy families in the capital have their eyes on him." He pondered for a moment. Xie Chunrong's youngest daughter, Xie Xiuyan, was Xie Linghui's twin sister. At twelve years old, she was proficient in all the arts, from music and chess to calligraphy and painting. "The burly man, getting excited, unconsciously raised his voice slightly, which he had been trying to keep low: 'Last year, I was transporting goods to the capital when the Xie family was building their garden. The manager bought silk fabrics that I had brought from the south, and I helped move them into the Xie residence. Although I entered through the back gate and didn't stay long, the garden's grandeur and luxury were still quite an eye-opener…'"

Just as the burly man finished speaking, Yao Danxing came out of the room and called out as she went downstairs, "Hey, shopkeeper, why haven't my steamed buns and chicken legs been brought up yet?" As she walked, Yao Danxing slipped, and because her shoes didn't fit very well, she actually fell down the stairs.

"Watch out!" The maid in green was closest to the stairs. She rushed over and caught Yao Danxing's shoulders firmly, immediately straightening her up. Her movements were fluid and extremely agile; anyone with expertise would know that the maid in green was a skilled martial artist.

Just then, a figure in green suddenly leaped up from the southeast corner of the house and ran quickly toward the door while everyone was focused on Yao Danxing, as if trying to escape.

The middle-aged man beside the boy slammed his hand on the table and drew a long whip from his waist. With a single lash, the whip wrapped around the body of the man in blue, pulling him backward with great force. The man cried out and was dragged to the ground, his hat falling off to reveal long, flowing hair and a face as beautiful as a flower. He was an exceptionally beautiful woman, who looked no more than twenty years old. Her eyes were filled with terror as she struggled to untie the rope around her waist, trying to get up and escape again.

The middle-aged man lashed out with his whip again, striking the girl's face without any mercy. A scream of agony rang out as her beautiful face was instantly torn open, revealing a gruesome bloody welt. At that moment, the old man suddenly sprang out from behind the wall, rushing towards the girl on the ground. He flicked several pebbles, extinguishing all the candles in the inn, while the middle-aged man moved simultaneously. Chaos erupted in the inn. Seeing the situation was dire, Yao Danxing didn't even have time to say "thank you" to the maid in green before scrambling up the stairs to her room. She locked the door, blew out the candles on the table, and then pressed her ear to the door, listening intently for any sounds outside.

The scene outside seemed chaotic; tables and chairs were overturned, dishes crashed to the floor with a clatter, women screamed incessantly, and children cried for their parents. Gradually, the noise subsided. Yao Danxing, her ears perked up, suddenly heard footsteps on the wooden stairs. She hurriedly retreated to the bedside, knocking off the latch on the door in her haste. Yao Danxing's room was at the far end; the footsteps grew closer, seemingly stopping at her door. Yao Danxing had a bad feeling and quickly ducked under the bed.

Someone pushed open the door and came in, dropping what they were carrying on the floor, lighting the candle on the table, and then finding a stool to sit down. Yao Danxing stared intently, and the person on the floor was none other than the girl in the green robe, though now her face was bleeding profusely, a stark contrast to before. Yao Danxing shifted her gaze and saw a pair of light blue satin boots with a white background; the person sitting on the stool was undoubtedly the handsome young man.

"Second Master, Second Master, please spare me! I, I'll tell you everything, I'll tell you everything. I just beg you to give me a quick death!" The girl in the green robe knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, her voice filled with heavy sobs.

"Alright, then tell me," the boy said unhurriedly.

"That medicine... that medicine was given to me by Empress Wang. I had an affair with a palace guard and the Empress caught me. She wanted to torture me. She said that if I wanted to save my life, I had to find a way to make the Imperial Concubine have an abortion..." Whether it was because of the cold weather or her fear, the girl in the green robe trembled all over, looking pitiful.

The boy sneered, "Hmph! Mo Yuan, you've really turned your heart black!"

Mo Yuan prostrated herself on the ground, crying, "Mo Yuan is a shameless villain, she deserves to die for betraying her master! I was out of my mind. The Empress said that if I didn't do as she said, she would find a way to take my beloved's life. She gave me a kind of incense, which, if burned in the room, would inevitably cause a miscarriage after three months. I only burned it for three days, and the Empress's stomach started hurting uncontrollably. I knew that after it was done, the Empress wouldn't spare my life, so I secretly escaped from the palace. When the Second Master came to the inn, I knew I couldn't escape..."

Who is that old man?

Mo Yuan shook her head and said, "I don't know. He wanted to kill me to silence me. He might be one of the Empress's men."

This young man was none other than Xie Linghui, the second young master of the Xie family. He was originally out on business for his father with bodyguards and beautiful maids when he suddenly received an urgent message from his family. Because the matter was of great importance, he personally went out to capture Mo Yuan and bring her back.

"Second Master, please have mercy! Considering how long I've served Her Majesty, and out of respect for our past relationship..."

Looking at the woman covered in blood before him, Xie Linghui sighed, recalling past events: "If only you had known this would happen, you wouldn't have done it in the first place. You've followed my sister for so many years, don't you know her character? You two are like sisters. If you had told her about this, wouldn't she have tried to protect you? You've always been a clever person..."

Mo Yuan shook her head, tears streaming down her face, her expression utterly miserable: "Your Highness is no longer the young lady she once was. In that treacherous palace, where people are devoured without a trace, Your Highness schemes and plots every day, exhausting all her efforts to win the Emperor's favor. All the Emperor's affection for your Xie family is tied to her; the Emperor's favor is the only weapon to maintain her and her family's status. She gets upset if the Emperor even glances at me; we've long since become estranged..."

Xie Linghui was stunned for a long time, then sighed softly, "Fine, you come back with me first and await my father and sister's judgment."

"No!" Mo Yuan cried out in alarm, her emotions running high. "I don't want to! I don't want to! Every crime I've committed is punishable by death! This child is Her Majesty's lifeblood! Her Majesty will not forgive me! I don't know how many cruel punishments I'll face when I get back..." She trembled all over, clearly thinking of some crueler torture than death itself. Suddenly, she saw the table in front of her and charged forward without hesitation. Xie Linghui couldn't stop her in time, and blood splattered from Mo Yuan's head. She died instantly.

Yao Danxing lay prone under the bed, her face only half a foot away from Mo Yuan's when the latter collapsed. The corpse was covered in blood, its eyes staring wide-eyed, as if filled with boundless resentment, grievance, and bitterness. Yao Danxing was terrified; if she hadn't quickly covered her mouth and closed her eyes, she probably would have screamed by now.

Xie Linghui sighed deeply, feeling a pang of melancholy. He thought of Mo Yuan, who had been beautiful and clever since childhood, and who, as Xie Xiujing's head maid, never abused her power. Everyone in the Xie family loved her. Although her current predicament was her own fault, it was still too tragic. He composed himself and called out, "Juan Cui, come in."

The door opened, and the maid in green walked in. Upon seeing the scene before her, she let out a soft "Ah!" and then tears streamed down her face. She and Mo Yuan had entered the manor at the same time, and their feelings for each other were different from those of others. However, because Xie Linghui was present, she dared not cry out loud. She simply stepped forward silently, took out a handkerchief, and covered Mo Yuan's face.

Xie Linghui asked, "Has Butler Hong returned yet?"

"We're back, but we couldn't catch that old man. He got away." Juancui forced back her tears and said, "Let's not stay here anymore. The snow outside has subsided a lot. Let's hurry back to the villa."

Xie Linghui nodded, called the butler Hong into the room, covered Mo Yuan's face, picked up the body, and the three of them walked out of the room and downstairs.

Yao Danxing then crawled out from under the bed, still shaken. Her heart was pounding. She had just heard a horrifying royal secret and witnessed a murder of a beautiful woman. No matter how knowledgeable and clever she was, she was still a child under twelve years old, so her limbs felt weak. She sat in the darkness to calm herself down, and suddenly remembered that someone had just died in the room. She shuddered and immediately ran out to the innkeeper to ask for a different room.

Yao Danxing ran downstairs and saw a mess. Broken dishes and bowls were scattered all over the floor, the crowd had dispersed, and two young waiters were cleaning up the mess. The manager was bowing and scraping as he saw Xie Linghui and Juan Cui off. Yao Danxing walked slowly forward, when suddenly she slipped and fell forward. In her panic, she grabbed Xie Linghui's light blue cloak. Caught off guard, Xie Linghui was pulled back by Yao Danxing. Just then, a crossbow bolt flew by, its fletching grazing Xie Linghui's cheek before embedding itself firmly in the wall, its tail still trembling slightly.

Xie Linghui was still shaken when he saw a dark figure swiftly flash past the opposite window. Juan Cui lifted her skirt to chase after it, but Xie Linghui quickly stopped her, saying, "Don't chase it, you can't catch it." He turned around and saw a thin little girl, who looked about eight or nine years old, with delicate features and a pair of large eyes that were like bright, clear stars in the sky, sparkling with life. He softened his voice and said, "You just saved me."

Yao Danxing had no idea what had just happened. She was only focused on maintaining her balance to avoid falling. In her haste, she grabbed the young master's clothes, but she immediately regretted it. Why had she provoked such a troublesome person? A fall wouldn't kill her, but what if she tore his clothes or displeased this pampered young master? She, a mere orphan, would be in deep trouble. Because it was too dark, Yao Danxing hadn't seen the crossbow bolt aimed at Xie Linghui. Confused and unable to grasp the situation, she could only force a silly smile.

Yao Danxing looked up and saw Xie Linghui gazing at her. His long, narrow, and captivating phoenix eyes shimmered with a gentle light, making him exceptionally handsome. Yao Danxing felt her heart flutter, her face flushed, and she lowered her head. Although she was still young, she was precocious and had already begun to experience romantic feelings. Faced with this situation, she was somewhat at a loss: "Actually, I was going to fall just now. I only managed to stay upright because I grabbed you. Even if I saved you, it was just a coincidence."

Xie Linghui had been wondering how a girl younger than him could see through the assassin's plot, and now that he knew the reason, he couldn't help but smile: "I have to thank you no matter what. Just tell me what you can do, or call your parents over and let them say it."

“I have no parents,” Yao Danxing shook her head. “I stay at the inn by myself.” She looked up and saw Xie Linghui’s questioning gaze, thinking to herself: If he knew my mother was a courtesan from Nanhuai, he would look down on me. So she said casually, “My father died early, and my mother died of illness not long after. My uncle and aunt wanted to sell me to a brothel, so I took some money and ran away from home. I hitched a ride on a ship bound for here and wandered all the way. Because it’s so cold, I had to pay for an inn…” Her words were a mix of truth and lies, but Danxing thought of her mother’s heartless abandonment of her and the hardships of wandering for the past year, and she couldn’t help but burst into tears and cry loudly.

Xie Linghui sighed deeply upon hearing her story, then reached out and patted her head: "If you have nowhere to go, how about coming home with me?"

Yao Danxing was sobbing when she heard Xie Linghui's words and was taken aback. Xie Chenxuan looked at Danxing and repeated his words: "How about coming home with me? My family has food and shelter, so you won't have to live a life of wandering and hardship anymore."

Yao Danxing raised her tear-streaked face and saw Xie Linghui's clear and bright face. A nameless emotion surged in her heart, and her mind went blank for a moment. She nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go with you."

Xie Linghui nodded and led her outside. "Wait, I have a cloak in the room." Seeing the snow and wind outside, Yao Danxing suddenly stopped.

Xie Linghui glanced at Yao Danxing's old cotton-padded coat and shook his head, saying, "You don't need your clothes. I have a felt cloak in my carriage; I'll give it to you."

A carriage was parked at the entrance, and Steward Hong was sitting in the driver's seat waiting for them. Xie Linghui and the others got into the carriage, and Juan Cui immediately took out a large red felt cloak from her bundle and draped it over Yao Danxing.

"What's your name? How old are you?" Xie Linghui asked as he took the hand warmer from Juancui.

"My name is Yao Danxing, and I am eleven years old."

After hearing this, Juan Cui whispered to Xie Linghui, "The eldest young lady's nickname is Dan Dan. Her name is the same as the eldest young lady's, which is taboo."

Xie Linghui nodded, remembering that today was the third day of the Lunar New Year, and the girl's name contained the character "Dan." Using the method of character splitting, "Dan" and "San" together formed the character "Tong." So he smiled and said, "From now on, you'll be called Chu Tong, Yao Chu Tong. I'm the second young master of the Xie family in the capital. From now on, you'll call me Second Master, just like them. Come work for me as a second-class maid, doing needlework every day. It won't be hard work."

"My name is Juan Cui. I'm someone who works for Second Master. From now on, we'll be good sisters. Let's take care of each other." Juan Cui smiled slightly, her attitude gentle and kind.