Hua Wuduo smiled and said, "I call you the number one flower thief in the world."
Chen Dongyao was taken aback.
Silver needles rained down from the sky.
In terms of martial arts, Hua Wuduo is no match for Chen Dongyao; in terms of physical strength, she is also no match for him. However, in terms of weaponry, Hua Wuduo's weapon is far more powerful. Apart from Song Zixing's Phoenix Soft Sword, which can counter her Ten-Finger Golden Rings, Chen Dongyao's Soul Moon Blade is completely ineffective against her.
In the battle of Suzhou, Chen Dongyao would have been injured by the Ten-Finger Golden Ring, but not this time. Chen Dongyao already had a strategy to deal with Hua Wuduo's Ten-Finger Golden Ring, so Hua Wuduo couldn't get close to Chen Dongyao for a while. Meanwhile, Chen Dongyao was looking for Hua Wuduo's weakness and patiently waiting for an opportunity. The situation was not favorable for Hua Wuduo.
This was the first time Xu Qing had witnessed Hua Wuduo in combat, and her martial arts skills and strength were truly astonishing. Even more astonishing was her facing off against the invincible Chen Dongyao on a battlefield dominated by men. Xu Qing was once again deeply shocked by this second young lady of the Fang family, who was too beautiful, acted too strangely, had an extremely bizarre personality, and was incredibly audacious.
Besides Xu Qing, there was another person who looked utterly shocked: Wu Zheng, who knew the truth. Wu Zheng recalled how he had been blind to have offended this young lady, and the thought now made him break out in a cold sweat. He resolved to stay as far away from her as possible in the future.
After only a dozen or so moves, Chen Dongyao had already switched from defense to offense when Hua Wuduo suddenly shouted, "I can't beat you, I'm not fighting anymore."
Chen Dongyao, with his sharp eyes, turned to flee, but Chen Dongyao was not about to let him go easily. He drew his sword and gave chase. One flew ahead, the other chased behind, the distance between them sometimes closing and sometimes widening. The soldiers watched in disbelief as the two ran and chased each other in front of the two armies, a sight so comical that they were all dumbfounded.
At this moment, Song Zixing had already drawn his bow and nocked an arrow, the bowstring taut. Hua Wuduo ran towards Song Zixing's direction, with Chen Dongyao in hot pursuit; the two were moving at great speed. Hua Wuduo suddenly ducked, and Chen Dongyao felt an arrow rushing towards him. He instinctively ducked to dodge, and his helmet flew off.
Chen Dongyao stopped in his tracks, his disheveled hair flying wildly in the wind. An arrow was sticking out of the helmet that had rolled on the ground. He narrowed his eyes and suddenly looked at Song Zixing.
Song Zixing's second arrow had already been fired. As Chen Dongyao dodged, he suddenly felt a chill on his cheek and neck. It turned out that Hua Wuduo's silver needles and threads had cut his cheek and neck. Chen Dongyao leaped back several steps, already out of the range of Hua Wuduo's silver needles. Blood seeped from his face and neck, forming beads of blood that dripped down.
Song Zixing sounded the retreat.
Before returning to his camp, Hua Wuduo turned back to Chen Dongyao and said, "We'll fight again next time!"
As Chen Dongyao watched her departing figure, a fierce flame ignited in his eyes.
Hua Wuduo walked up to Song Zixing and said, "What a pity, we were just a little short of killing him."
Song Zixing said, "If he were to die like this, I would actually feel it would be a pity."
"Why?" Hua Wuduo asked.
Looking at Chen Dongyao, who was still standing between the two armies and had not left, Song Zixing said, "I want to cut off his head with my own hands."
Hua Wuduo was startled.
Wu Duo, a fierce general under Song Zixing, became famous throughout the land after his battle with Chen Dongyao, and was promoted to the rank of adjutant by Song Zixing.
Aside from diligently practicing martial arts, Hua Wuduo had nothing else to do in the army. Occasionally she would talk to Song Zixing, but Song Zixing was usually busy, so she didn't want to bother him.
Since the last battle at the front, the soldiers in the camp treated her with great respect whenever they saw her again. Xu Qing was also quite different from before; he stayed by her side every day, as if he had become her personal bodyguard.
Recently, there have been some changes in the military camp, with many people coming and going, including many unfamiliar faces. Hua Wuduo was not interested in these things and did not inquire about them, but he happened to learn that Kuaiji County, which is not far from Dongyang County, was going to hold a grand dragon boat race.
Kuaiji Commandery is about a three-day journey from Dongyang Commandery. Every year at this time, Kuaiji Commandery holds a grand dragon boat race. This year, although there have been frequent wars throughout the country, they have not yet reached Kuaiji Commandery, nor have they dampened the enthusiasm of the people of Kuaiji Commandery for holding the dragon boat race.
Dragon boat racing was originally just a water sport, but over the years it has developed into a certain system and tradition in Kuaiji County. The competition is very particular, and the participating teams are well-known local groups. Many wealthy young men will also take the opportunity to compete or gamble.
Because of its long and undefeated history, Kuaiji County designated this day as the Dragon Boat Festival. Every year on this day, Kuaiji County is very lively, just like a festival market, with vendors selling all kinds of goods and food everywhere, as well as some special performances and entertainment. Some people from nearby areas also come to Kuaiji County to watch the dragon boat races and join in the fun.
Hua Wuduo overheard this matter by chance. She told Song Zixing she wanted to go see for herself, and Song Zixing didn't stop her, only asking Xu Qing to bring a few people with her. However, Hua Wuduo thought too many people would make her too conspicuous and didn't want to bring Xu Qing and the others, but before leaving, Xu Qing still followed behind. Hua Wuduo glared at Xu Qing and said, "Why did you come along?"
Xu Qing pulled out a heavy money bag and said, "I have silver."
Hua Wuduo blinked at the money pouch, then glanced sideways at Xu Qing and said, "Song Zixing taught you to say that, didn't he?"
Xu Qing's eyes flashed, and he stammered, "The general said you were bored on the road, so he asked me... asked me to keep you entertained, and while you're out shopping, to pay for your things, carry your things, swat away flies, and shoo away mosquitoes..."
"Alright, come with me." Hua Wuduo reined in his horse and rode away.
Xu Qing and Hua Wuduo kept a low profile throughout their journey. Hua Wuduo changed his mask, and Xu Qing also wore a mask to disguise himself.
Because the dragon boat race was in three days, the two rode horses at a rapid pace, and the journey that would normally take three days was completed in less than two days. They found an inn to stay in, and Xu Qing and Hua Wuduo stayed next to each other. In the evening, the two drank, ate meat, and played a drinking game before returning to their respective rooms to rest.
The two were quite tired from traveling these past two days, so they rested early. Because of the heat, Hua Wuduo asked the innkeeper to prepare hot water for a bath in her room. Due to the dragon boat race, the inn was full, and the innkeeper was overwhelmed with work, so Hua Wuduo waited quite a while before the hot water and bath tub were finally brought into the room. After a quick bath, Hua Wuduo prepared to go to bed. Thinking the innkeeper had probably forgotten to collect the bath tub, Hua Wuduo didn't mind much, so she removed her mask and applied some medicinal mud. Because of the heat, before going to sleep, she only opened the upper half of the window with the wooden beam for ventilation, then lay down and fell asleep.
Unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, a masked man in black suddenly appeared silently in the inn. Seeing that Hua Wuduo's window was half open, he climbed in without thinking.
With a splash, he plunged headfirst into the bathtub that was placed not far from the window, water immediately splashing everywhere. The man in black was startled but reacted quickly, choking on water before tumbling out of the tub. Soaked and disheveled, the man in black stood face to face with Hua Wuduo, who had jumped out of bed upon hearing the noise.
They stared at each other, wide-eyed.
Speechless for a moment.
Moonlight streamed in through the window, and under its glow, the two of them stared at each other.
Water droplets dripped from the black-clad man's hair, falling to the ground with a clear, audible sound. He stared wide-eyed at the person standing before him—or rather, at this person who appeared human. He had been expecting to slowly see a stunningly beautiful woman, but instead, in the dead of night, he was confronted with a strange figure with a face completely blackened. Aside from the eyes, which were still somewhat recognizable by the whites, the nose and mouth were completely absent. Forget a beauty; it was questionable whether this person was even human. The black-clad man was stunned. In the pitch-black night, under the pale moonlight, such a sight would startle anyone. But after a brief moment of shock, he reacted, albeit too slowly. He felt a silver needle pierce him, hastily dodging it, but still experiencing a sharp pain.
The fight between the two inside the house naturally alerted Xu Qing in the next room.
Xu Qing rushed in, immediately spotting the man in black and Hua Wuduo, whose face was covered in medicinal mud. He recognized her from her weapon, though he didn't know what she had smeared on her face, he understood what was happening. He was about to help when the man in black, seeing him enter, suddenly approached. Xu Qing only managed a few moves before being subdued. The man in black, his finger pressed against Xu Qing's throat, said to Hua Wuduo, "I'll be waiting for you." With that, he grabbed Xu Qing and left.
Upon hearing the voice, Hua Wuduo was startled, then shocked. Chen Dongyao! It was actually Chen Dongyao!
When Hua Wuduo chased after him out of the house, he had already vanished. She hesitated for a moment, then decided not to pursue him further. After all, this was Chen Dongyao's territory, and something seemed amiss; she shouldn't relentlessly pursue him. How did Chen Dongyao know she had come to Kuaiji County? And how did he know she lived here? Although Chen Dongyao had been injured by her, who was he? There must be people nearby to meet him. If she rashly chased after him, she wouldn't be able to save Xu Qing and would put herself in danger. Since Chen Dongyao said he would wait for her to come to him, he meant he wanted to use Xu Qing as bait to lure her there. He probably wouldn't do anything to Xu Qing for the time being. Her immediate priority was to contact Song Zixing. But she was clearly already under Chen Dongyao's surveillance. Although she could escape with her martial arts skills, Xu Qing… and Song Zixing was attacking Dongyang County. She was currently stretched thin; what should she do?
Hua Wuduo pondered deeply but couldn't come up with a complete solution. At his wit's end, he could only decide to play it by ear.
Chen Dongyao's strategist, Wei Qian, described Fang Ruoxi's temperament and hobbies to Chen Dongyao as follows: she enjoys lively gatherings, fine food and wine, and is loyal and righteous. A few days later, there will be a dragon boat race in Kuaiji County, which she will likely attend. It is only necessary to ambush spies along the route between Dongyang County and Kuaiji County to find out if she has gone to Kuaiji. In case she has changed her appearance, they can identify her by her physique, features, the people around her, and the horse she rides.
Hua Wuduo's horse was personally chosen and given to her by Song Zixing. It was a rare and fine steed, with a deep brown coat, glossy all over, and exceptionally spirited. Its mane was black with white streaks, which was quite unique. Chen Dongyao naturally remembered the battle with her on the battlefield and told his spies about it. When Hua Wuduo and Xu Qing came to Kuaiji, it was this horse that revealed her identity.
Kuaiji was under Chen Dongyao's jurisdiction, and Hua Wuduo and Xu Qing had been under his surveillance ever since they entered the city. When he learned that Hua Wuduo had indeed entered Kuaiji, Chen Dongyao felt a surge of excitement and an irresistible urge to catch them, as if the fish he had been waiting for had finally swum into his net and were waiting for him to capture them.
Chen Dongyao discussed with Wei Qian, and Wei Qian suggested several methods to catch Hua Wuduo, but Chen Dongyao was not satisfied. He was afraid that pushing her too hard would hurt her, and he was also afraid that if the plan failed, it would alert her and scare her away.
Wei Qian thought for a moment and then suggested, "I've heard that she is a very loyal person. If Your Majesty is afraid of hurting her by force, why not capture Xu Qing, who is by her side, and let her come to Your Majesty on her own initiative? Your Majesty can then wait patiently for the fish to take the bait."
Upon hearing this, Chen Dongyao immediately agreed and ordered Wei Qian to make all the necessary arrangements.
These past few days, he's been constantly thinking about her provocation on the battlefield that day, when she said, "We'll fight again next time!"
The thought of "the next battle" always stirred a turbulent emotion within him, making him restless. He wanted to subdue her with his own hands, to make her... to make her... Chen Dongyao was stunned by this thought.
After much deliberation, Chen Dongyao could no longer wait for Wei Qian's arrangements. Restless and unable to contain his urges, he decided to sneak into the inn at night and capture her himself. But he never expected to be so unlucky; as soon as he entered the room, he plunged headfirst into the bathtub.
This sudden encounter was completely unexpected, but he then realized that the accident was nothing compared to what he had just experienced. When he struggled to get out of the bathtub and saw a strange, inhuman figure staring at him, he was stunned.
Back then, Hua Wuduo's face covered in black medicinal mud had frightened the young masters into screaming. When Chen Dongyao suddenly saw her in the middle of the night, he couldn't help but be momentarily stunned. But it was this momentary stunt that caused him to be injured by the silver needles again. Although he avoided vital points, the needles had entered his acupoints, causing his internal energy to stagnate. He knew that he would be unable to subdue her now. Just then, Xu Qing barged in, so he resorted to Wei Qian's suggestion and captured Xu Qing to take her back.
With Xu Qing arrested, Hua Wuduo lost all interest in watching the dragon boat race. She tossed and turned all night, unable to come up with a good plan.
The next morning, she received an invitation. Chen Dongyao invited her to his residence for a gathering. What was Chen Dongyao up to? Hua Wuduo had only a vague idea, but it certainly wasn't good. She struggled for a moment between going and not going, then sighed. Damn it, Xu Qing—if he died like this, she would feel guilty. Although Hua Wuduo was sometimes impulsive, she was by no means stupid. She would never be foolish enough to openly demand Xu Qing from Chen Dongyao. It seemed Xu Qing was going to suffer some more.
Hua Wuduo packed her belongings and left the inn. Having shaken off Chen Dongyao's watchful eyes, she changed her clothes, removed the gold ring she always wore on her finger, and reappeared in Kuaiji County as a small-time rouge vendor. Today was the day of the dragon boat races, a lively affair. Hua Wuduo, carrying her goods, loitered near the side gate of Chen Dongyao's residence, hawking her rouge, *****keeping an eye out for anyone coming out.
Emerging from the side door were mostly intimidating and alluring women. One woman, remarkably similar in build and height to Hua Wuduo, was followed by Hua Wuduo. Finding a secluded spot, Hua Wuduo approached her and tried to sell her rouge. Having recently become close to Song Ziyin and others, Hua Wuduo naturally knew the brands these refined ladies routinely used, and now possessed only the finest rouge. Normally, such rouge would be quite expensive in a rouge shop, beyond the reach of ordinary maids, but she was offering it at half price. The woman's eyes lit up at the sight, but lacking sufficient silver, she could only afford one box. After assuring Hua Wuduo she would return the next day, she smiled and left.
The next day, Hua Wuduo didn't continue selling rouge. Instead, she waited in the shadows, observing the side gate of Chen Dongyao's residence from afar. As soon as she saw the woman emerge, she followed her. She had walked the same route the woman had taken the previous night, and knew the situation inside and out. After knocking her unconscious at the right spot, she dragged her to a secluded place she had already chosen, quickly changed her clothes, applied a sleeping acupoint, hid her in a haystack outside a house, put on the mask she had made the night before, and headed towards Chen's residence.
Entering through a side door, she was relieved to find no one paying attention when a sweating old woman rushed over, grabbed her, and exclaimed, "Oh dear! My lady, why did it take you so long to buy rouge? Hurry up and change your clothes. The king is already waiting in the main hall. He's in a bad mood today, so you must be careful. Go and change your clothes quickly."
The old woman walked along, giving instructions and forcefully pushing her to change clothes while scolding her for being careless. Hua Wuduo dared not reply. After a long while, Hua Wuduo finally realized that the person she was impersonating wasn't a maid, but a dancer. A dancer kept by Chen Dongyao! It's said that kept dancers are all bed warmers—who said that again? Right, Young Master Yi.
Hua Wuduo's face turned pale beneath the mask.
Hua Wuduo was dressed in revealing clothes, unlike the other dancers. She wore bells on her wrists and her clothes were red, while the other dancers wore white. She glanced around as she entered the main hall with the other dancers, her heart pounding with anxiety.
If she really wanted to escape, she could, but all her efforts would be in vain. Believing that it didn't matter whether she ran early or late, she figured she might as well wait until she was recognized. So, she followed cautiously, glancing left and right. As she walked, she comforted herself, thinking that if this didn't work out, at least she could remember the other people in the Chen household and impersonate them to sneak in again.
Hua Wuduo was always sensitive to movements, able to memorize them after seeing them only once. However, having never seen these dancers perform before, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and follow the rhythm as the music started. She imitated how others danced, filling in any gaps in her movements. Her reactions were quick, and her movements were fast, so she managed to keep up. But since she had never seen these dancers perform beforehand, some of her movements were a beat behind. While the general movements were correct, sometimes her palms were facing down when others did, or her left foot went out first, followed by her left hand, making her look like a clumsy beginner. Her eye-catching costume also drew Chen Dongyao's attention.
Hua Wuduo couldn't help but feel uneasy. The thought of being reduced to dancing to please Chen Dongyao filled her with grief and indignation, but she was powerless to do anything about it and could only endure it. She secretly prepared herself for any unforeseen circumstances.
Chen Dongyao, seated at the head of the table, had a gloomy expression. He was about twenty-two or twenty-three years old, and while his appearance was sinister, he was still quite handsome. However, compared to Song Zixing, he lacked a certain captivating charm. His melancholy gaze always made him seem somewhat unfathomable. At this moment, he was subtly suppressing his restlessness and anger, and everyone in the hall served him with trepidation. Unfortunately, Hua Wuduo made a series of mistakes at this crucial moment.
Just then, the dancers stepped back and formed a circle around the perimeter. Hua Wuduo was about to check for any gaps in her position when she realized there was no place for her and she bumped into another dancer. The dancer's face paled, and she seemed anxious. She gently pushed Hua Wuduo and asked, "Xiaoyi, what's wrong?" With the dancer's push, Hua Wuduo jolted and realized that she should have been in the middle.
Chen Dongyao kept staring at her, which startled her. Hua Wuduo's mind raced, and she gritted her teeth, sweating profusely, and slowly continued... What should she dance to?
He closed his eyes, and for a moment he recalled the most memorable dance he had seen at Li She's banquets. It was at Wuziju, after drinking tea brewed with the water the beauty had used to wash her feet, that the beauty spontaneously performed a dance.
She was barefoot, her clothes flowing yet simple; she looked up, her gaze fixed on her fingertips, as gentle drops of water slid from her wrist to her neck; she lowered her head, her fingers twirling lightly in the hem of her skirt, the tinkling of bells like the sound of a flowing stream; she danced, as if the white clouds in the sky were beyond her reach; she stopped, glancing around, her charming smile captivating the world.
Chen Dongyao's gaze was deep and unfathomable.
The dancers changed formation and saw that she was hiding at the back. She followed their steps, and every gesture she made was a repetition of the previous movements. This time, she made no mistakes.
Finally, the dance was over, and Hua Wuduo unconsciously broke out in a sweat.
The dancers gradually withdrew.
"You stay." Hua Wuduo suddenly heard Chen Dongyao say this in the hall.
Who stays? Hua Wuduo lowered his head, pretending not to hear, and continued to back away.
Someone tugged at her sleeve. She turned her head and saw a man repeatedly giving her meaningful glances, signaling her to stay. Her scalp tingled, and she had no choice but to lower her head and step aside, tears streaming down her face. She wore a bitter expression, knowing that her fate was not good.
With a flick of his sleeve, Chen Dongyao sent the woman serving him quietly away.
The man had gestured for Hua Wuduo to serve him. Hua Wuduo lowered her gaze, her fingers already reaching for her waist. She was considering grabbing Chen Dongyao as a hostage to exchange for Xu Qing. Although this idea was bold, it could potentially succeed if she acted swiftly and unexpectedly. She moved step by step toward Chen Dongyao.
Just then, a man strode into the main hall. He was an elderly man of about sixty years old, and his gaze toward Chen Dongyao was stern and profound.
Upon seeing the old man, Chen Dongyao straightened up slightly, his previous dazed expression vanishing. He waved his sleeve, and Hua Wuduo, understanding the gesture, retreated with a delighted expression.
Hua Wuduo left the hall, thinking she had finally gained her freedom. Unexpectedly, the man from before followed her out of the hall and stopped her. She heard him say, "Prepare carefully, the king may ask you to serve him tonight."
The man's gaze was filled with disdain, as if Hua Wuduo were a pheasant desperately trying to climb the social ladder and become a phoenix. Serving… Hua Wuduo was stunned for a moment, too shocked to react. Seeing her lack of response, the man continued, “Deliberately jumping into the wrong place to attract the king's attention, you're quite clever!”
Hua Wuduo then realized that she had made a mistake in her dance, which had been misunderstood as intentional. People thought she was trying to use this opportunity to attract Chen Dongyao and transform herself into a phoenix. Hua Wuduo inwardly scorned him; did the number one womanizer in the world need to attract anyone? But on the surface, she remained calm, even feigning a look of secret delight, and said, "This servant did it unintentionally. I hope the steward will give me more guidance in the future." The man's expression softened slightly upon hearing this, and he said, "You may go."
"Yes." Hua Wuduo withdrew. She thought to herself, since she was already here, she might as well wait and see; at least her identity hadn't been exposed yet. If today didn't work, she'd disguise herself as someone else and come back tomorrow. Today she had memorized the identities and appearances of many people in the mansion, and she wondered if Chen Dongyao's residence would be thrown into chaos if she disguised herself and came over one by one.
It was still early before nightfall, and the matter of serving was irrelevant to her. She would leave before dark and send the real person back to the manor. Now that she had arrived at Chen Dongyao's manor, she would search around to find out about Xu Qing's whereabouts.
She changed back into her clothes, put on the ten gold rings on her fingers, and hid them in her sleeves as she wandered around Chen Dongyao's residence. Given her status, she couldn't go just anywhere, and fearing suspicion if she wanted to inquire, she used her lightness skill to conceal her tracks. After all, she was a martial artist, with sharp ears and eyes; she could hear most of what others said. Even so, several hours passed without any results. She only overheard some gossip: one maid whispered to another, "I heard that the dancer named Xiaoyi deliberately danced the wrong way today to attract the king, and the head steward has told her to prepare to serve him tonight."
Another maid said, "No way! His Majesty has always disliked women of low status and has never touched them. How could this be?"
"Who knows? Maybe the king only took a liking to this little girl because she looked seductive." The maid said as she walked away.
Hua Wuduo, seeing that it was getting dark and hadn't gained anything, was about to leave quietly when he overheard a servant hurrying by saying, "The person tied up in the west backyard has a really fierce temper. Ever since he was captured, he's been cursing the king, as if he's determined to die. Now he's been whipped and exposed to the sun for two days. It looks like he won't last until tomorrow."
The other person said, "That's none of our business, it's best not to say anything." The two then hurried away.
Hua Wuduo emerged from a corner. The west backyard? She found the west backyard after winding her way through the maze. There were four guards at the entrance, so she hid in the shadows. Just as she was pondering how to go in and investigate, she heard someone inside say, "You said she was loyal and righteous and wouldn't abandon her friends, but now it seems she doesn't care about this person at all. The scouts lost track of her, and she's probably already left the city." Judging from the voice, the speaker was Chen Dongyao.
“This was my fault. I was misled by Yaoyan and thought she was loyal and wouldn’t abandon the people around her, so I resorted to this desperate measure. I beg Your Majesty to punish me,” another person in the courtyard replied.
Chen Dongyao said, "Alright, let's leave that matter aside for now. Today, my uncle urged me to return to Dongyang immediately, saying that Song Zixing has been frequently mobilizing troops and generals, and yesterday he even launched a major attack on the city. I have decided that you should return to Dongyang with me immediately."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
All he heard behind him was Chen Dongyao say, "Kill her."