Chapter Twenty-Nine: Lady Cui

A bitter wind howled, carrying with it a sharp chill and the heavy stench of blood that drifted on the air. Though it was only a band of mountain bandits who had met their end, the sight of corpses strewn across the ground was nonetheless unsettling. Cui Shen quickly ordered the able-bodied men to gather and lay out the bodies for proper burial.

“Magistrate Cui, a few of the heads don’t seem to match with the bodies we found.”

“Don’t bother with the details—just make sure the corpses are all accounted for. These bandits were all cut from the same cloth, after all.”

“Magistrate, there’s something odd about that bench over there. One of the bandits clung to it and refused to let go, calling it his ‘sister-in-law’ and insisting on being affectionate with it. What are we to do about that?”

“If you can’t separate them, just tie him to the bench and bring both back to the yamen!”

With these strange matters to oversee, Cui Shen found himself unable to attend to everything at once. He turned to Xie Qiao and said, “Ziping, I’ll stay here and continue with the burials, but I’m concerned there may still be bandits hiding in the back of the fortress. I’ll assign you two hundred men—lead them in a search of the rear compound. If you encounter any bandits, capture them if you can; if not, kill them on the spot. If you find any villagers who were kidnapped, bring them back to the yamen first. We’ll verify their identities before making further arrangements.”

Xie Qiao bowed and accepted the order. “Yes, sir.”

Qingfeng Fortress had been built into the mountainside, and its rear compound was an open, desolate space where houses stood haphazardly, layer upon layer, casting a sense of eerie loneliness under the night sky.

Suddenly, a young man cried out, his voice echoing starkly in the emptiness. Xie Qiao hurried over. “What happened?”

The man shivered. “Master Xie, I just saw a figure flash past me. It scared me half to death!”

Xie Qiao frowned. “Are you sure you weren’t seeing things?”

“No, I saw it clearly!”

“Master Xie, he’s not the only one—I saw it too. I think there’s a ghost here!”

At this, the assembled men looked at one another in terror, their minds flashing back to the gruesome sight of the bandits slaughtering one another earlier. A chill crept through them.

Xie Qiao felt a shiver as well, but as a rational scholar, he knew he must not let panic take hold. He raised his voice: “Ghosts and spirits are but superstition. Everyone, do not—” But before he finished, he caught sight of a hazy figure in the distance, moving away with its back to them.

Eyes wide, Xie Qiao lifted his torch for a better look. The light revealed a woman in elaborate ceremonial dress, her silhouette cast long and wavering on the ground. Just as he wondered at the sight, the woman, sensing the flare of torchlight behind her, glanced back. Her face was a vision of beauty that left Xie Qiao momentarily stunned. But upon seeing she’d been discovered, the woman’s expression turned to alarm, and in a blink, she slipped into the shadows.

Xie Qiao snapped back to himself and called out, “Madam, please wait! We are not bandits!”

“Master Xie, what lady? Have you seen a ghost too?” someone asked.

“It wasn’t a ghost—I saw her shadow. She must be one of the women kidnapped by the bandits! Hurry, let’s follow her—there may be more people we can save!”

In a wooden hut deep within the rear of Qingfeng Fortress, Deng Xiu’er and the other women abducted by the bandits were hiding. Just as they cowered together in fear, a knock sounded at the door, making them cling to each other in terror.

“Could it be the bandits have found us?”

“Hush, quiet!”

“Deng Xiu’er, is that you inside?” came a gentle woman’s voice from outside. At the sound, Deng Xiu’er’s face lit up with joy. “Madam, I’m here!” She quickly lit an oil lamp and opened the door to reveal Zhou Hongxian’s exquisitely adorned face.

“Madam, you’re finally here!”

But Zhou Hongxian’s expression was tinged with urgency. “Deng Xiu’er, I don’t have much time. I came to tell you something important.”

Deng Xiu’er blinked in surprise. “What is it, madam? Please tell me.”

“I’ve avenged you, Deng Xiu’er! But I saw many strangers entering the fortress. I believe they’re from the Husun county yamen, and they’ll be here soon to rescue you all.”

Deng Xiu’er’s face brightened at this news, but she quickly sensed something amiss. “Madam, aren’t you going to leave with us?”

Zhou Hongxian shook her head. “No. You know my background; if the officials arrive, there will be questions I can’t answer. I came to say farewell.”

Deng Xiu’er hesitated, her eyes suddenly wet. “Madam, I haven’t yet repaid your kindness.”

“That’s not necessary, Deng Xiu’er. You set me free; you are my benefactor too. I’m only returning the favor.” Zhou Hongxian glanced nervously behind her, then smiled faintly. “Besides, those bandits had it coming. In a way, I’ve fulfilled my childhood dream of being a hero.”

Lights were approaching. Zhou Hongxian said quickly, “I’m sorry, Deng Xiu’er, I can’t stay. I must go now!” With that, she slipped away into the thick darkness.

At the fortress’s front, Cui Shen saw Xie Qiao returning with his men and asked, “Ziping, what have you found?”

Xie Qiao replied, “Sir, we searched the entire rear compound and found no bandits. I believe they’re all dead by now.”

Cui Shen nodded. “Though it’s all very strange, at least it worked out in our favor. We’ll question the lone surviving bandit for answers. Did you find anything else?”

“I did. In a woodshed, I found a merchant from Luoyang and his servant—a Kunlun slave. I questioned them about Luoyang and their answers seemed genuine, so I don’t think they’re disguised bandits. I also found twenty women, all kidnapped after their homes were raided. Their situation is pitiable. Finally, I discovered ten chests of gold, silver, and jewels—the spoils of the bandits’ crimes.”

“Well done. I’ve had the men dig graves for the bandits’ corpses. Let’s head back.”

“Sir, did you happen to see a woman in a bridal gown?”

“No, I haven’t. But now that you mention it, tonight’s scene looked like a wedding was about to take place. There must have been a bride among the bandits. You should ask those twenty women—one of them must be the bride.”

“I did. A woman named Deng Xiu’er claimed to be the bride, but I caught a glimpse of her earlier and can’t reconcile her face with the one I saw. It’s been puzzling me.”

Cui Shen laughed. “Perhaps you were mistaken in the darkness. Let it go—let’s descend the mountain.”

“Yes.” Xie Qiao nodded, though doubt lingered in his heart. “Could it be that I was truly mistaken because it was too dark?”

Near closing time at a pawnshop in Husun County, the shopkeeper was dozing behind the counter.

“Shopkeeper, I’d like to pawn something.”

A gentle woman’s voice roused him. He opened his eyes to see a young woman standing at the window.

“Oh? What would madam like to pawn?”

“My clothes.” She pushed a bundle through the small window.

He opened it to find a ceremonial bridal dress. “A wedding gown? You want to pawn this?”

“Is that a problem? Don’t you take such things?”

“Well, no…”

“Then name your price.”

“Let’s see… A silk bridal dress, decent workmanship. Madam, if you want to redeem it later, it’s five taels of silver. If not, eight taels. Which do you choose?”

“I’ll take eight taels.”

“Very well! Here’s your silver—safe travels, madam!”

With the sly smile of a seasoned merchant, the shopkeeper watched Zhou Hongxian leave the pawnshop with an air of satisfaction. She knew she had been shortchanged, but didn’t care; eight taels would be enough for her immediate needs, and any more was just a number. She hadn’t expected, however, that only a few steps down the street, she would attract the attention of a group of ruffians lurking in the shadows.

“Where are you headed, madam?” As she reached a crossroads, several men stepped out to block her way.

Zhou Hongxian took a step back. “What do you want?”

“Heh, we saw you come out of the pawnshop. You must have some silver on you. How about lending us a bit for some fun?”

“You mean to rob me?”

“No need to say it so harshly!” The ruffians closed in, and one’s eyes brightened. “Well, well, I didn’t realize from a distance, but up close, madam, you’re a real beauty! Such a lovely face and figure—much more tempting than those courtesans at the brothel! Heh heh, looks like we’re in for a good time.”

“Watch your mouth!” One of them reached out to touch her face, but Zhou Hongxian spun away, her voice growing colder. “You’ll regret crossing me.”

“Hah! We’d regret it more if you got away!”

A red light flickered in Zhou Hongxian’s eyes, but just then, a clear voice rang out: “Stop!”

Both the ruffians and Zhou Hongxian looked up in surprise as a youth darted over like the wind, landing a punch squarely on one ruffian’s eye. With a cry of pain, the man dropped to the ground, writhing.

“Who’s this brat, daring to hurt my brother?” the leader snarled, raising a fist to retaliate. But another ruffian quickly pulled him aside, whispering in his ear. In a flash, the whole gang vanished without a trace.

The youth was taken aback. “Why are you running? I haven’t even shown my real strength yet! Hmph, cowards—scared off by my presence alone. How dull!”

With a pout, the youth turned to Zhou Hongxian. “Sister, are you all right?”

Zhou Hongxian offered a faint smile. “I’m fine. Thank you, young lady, for coming to my rescue.”

The youth froze. “You knew I’m a girl?”

Zhou Hongxian couldn’t help glancing at her chest, then smiled and nodded. “Yes, it was a little obvious.”

Catching her meaning, the youth looked down at her own chest and laughed. “Next time I’ll bind it tighter!”

Zhou Hongxian was left speechless.

“By the way, where do you live, sister? You’re so beautiful—how about I escort you home so you don’t run into more trouble?”

Zhou Hongxian hesitated, then said after a pause, “That’s not necessary. I live far away.”

The youth grinned. “How far can it be? It must still be within Husun County, right?”

“Uh, actually, it isn’t.”

The youth looked surprised. “But the city gates are closed now—how will you get back?”

Zhou Hongxian’s mind raced. “I actually came here to find relatives, but they’ve long since moved away. So I have nowhere to go at the moment. I was just about to look for an inn.”

“That won’t do, sister. It’s not safe for a woman alone at an inn. Now that you’ve met me, I’ll see this good deed through. Why don’t you come home with me? We have plenty of space.”

Zhou Hongxian hastily refused. “That’s not necessary. We’ve only just met—I can’t trouble you.”

But the youth, with a generous spirit, grabbed her hand and would not let go. “What trouble? When I, Cui Yu, say something, I mean it—no exceptions. Sister, you must come with me tonight!”