Chapter 25: I Didn't Gossip

"How did you come to know of this?"

Brother Dan first looked toward Chen Yan, who remained unconscious in the distant prisoner carriage, then glanced at the square-faced Imperial Lord. He spread his hands. "I never mentioned it."

Only four people had known of this matter back then: the so-called fake hero, the true beauty, and the square-faced and round-faced men—the two actors Chen Yan had hired. That was all.

The third sister, sensitive and curious, wondered how her second sister—who had not been in her right mind—had learned of something she herself had been kept in the dark about, and how she had understood the entire process. Her phoenix eyes, inherited from their father, were deep and cold as she stared fixedly at the second sister, who seemed reborn and extraordinary.

"You must be very pleased to see me kept in the dark."

As she applied herbal medicine to bandage her wounds, Song Ruozhao suddenly pressed down hard. "If I were truly pleased, I would have buried this secret in my heart forever, taking it with me to the grave. I would have encouraged you to accept that marriage and let you step into a pit of fire."

"..."

Sparks flew, and as the fish roasted, the aroma of the wood from the red willow branches in the fire made everyone’s mouth water. The fish were fragrant, but there were many monks and little gruel to go around.

After distributing the fish to the soldiers, Liu Wenxu brought the last two over, smiling as he offered them to Song Ruozhao.

"I only want the fish eyes!" The person with a face rounder than a pancake was the first to order, skillfully plucking out the four snow-white, bead-like eyes.

"I want the fish heads!" The square-faced man had only intended to break off one head, but seeing the other scoop up the four eyes, he felt that those who are bold enough to enjoy the world first should be rewarded. He boldly claimed the other fish head as well, sighing, "Delicacies are best enjoyed in pairs!"

The third sister loved the fish tails, but since they were quite small, and she recalled that her second sister detested the muddy, fishy smell so much that she never touched the meat, she felt it was not unreasonable for her to take both tails as the patient.

Liu Wenxu, watching this silently, frowned slightly, but it did not matter; the golden belly meat was still there! With no other parts left, he found this perfectly fine. Using a silver needle as chopsticks, he carefully picked out the fine bones and handed the fish to Song Ruozhao. "Is it enough?"

"It’s enough—"

Just as she reached for it, a large hand shot out from behind without warning. The paw, feeling unsatisfied, used both hands to snatch the fragrant, fatty fish bellies as easily as if taking his own belongings. The two plump fish, much like the current landscape of the Tang Dynasty, were carved up and divided by the warlords.

The food was so delicious that Gou Ya licked the fish oil from his fingers, moved to tears. "Many thanks, many thanks! It’s truly kind of you to wake me specifically for such good food!"

Song Ruozhao’s gaze flickered, a look of near-tears in her eyes; she really wanted to retract the word "enough."

Having dealt with such a brazen servant for more than a day, Liu Wenxu’s eyes held his usual, indifferent detachment. "Gou Ya, go receive twenty lashes upon returning to the manor."

"?"

The last piece of fish, just stuffed into his mouth, was lost as his thoughts stalled; the meat escaped his grasp and fell into the grass at his feet. Liu Wenxu glanced at the wasted fish, his expression complex. "Add ten more lashes."

"??"

Gou Ya reflected on his behavior—the fish had been enough to stuff his mouth, so he’d never even had the chance to be talkative! It was only when Xu Chi'an caught another fish, grilled it to perfection, and bypassed everyone to give it solely to Song Ruozhao that Gou Ya realized the truth.

The third sister watched as her second sister ate the entire fish with relish, never once frowning. Meanwhile, the third sister herself frowned slightly, looking up at the vast, boundless blue sky, lost in thought.

Suddenly, a volley of crossbow bolts pierced the blue sky with overwhelming force. Like a dense rain, the group retreated, huddling together for defense. Mindful of the safety of the third and fourth Song sisters, Liu Wenxu assigned several trusted, skilled leaders to guard them, while he and Xu Chi'an stood watch beside Song Ruozhao.

"Your sword is too delicate; move aside, let me protect the boss!" The round-faced man, sturdy and imposing like a collapsing mountain, pulled two broadswords from his robes and forced Xu Chi'an, who held the Longquan sword, to back away.

Liu Wenxu glanced over, caught off guard. In the next second, he was pushed back by the square-faced man with a force like a tidal wave. The man angrily tore off his outer garment, revealing a vest that perfectly displayed the tattoos on his arms. Liu Wenxu’s mouth fell open in astonishment; the person who had once been carved into his skin had been replaced:

*Born to enter the gates of Ruozhao, in death to be the soul of Ruozhao.*

Standing to the side, idle and ignored, it was the second time in his life Liu Wenxu had been so overlooked.

However, she would not yield to the situation. Light as a swallow, she leaped into the air, tracing a beautiful arc. Like a dragonfly skimming the water, she brushed past the heads of the round and square-faced men, firmly catching the arrow that was about to pierce Liu Wenxu’s pupil.

Liu Wenxu, distracted, was nearly frozen. "..."

"The arrow is coated in potent poison!" Song Ruozhao warned. "To kill so ruthlessly, they must intend to silence us."

The first arrow had flown with rainbow-like momentum directly at the Prefect Liu. Who wanted him silenced? The group, huddled together like a cluster of garlic, cast their eyes toward Chen Yan.

He shook his head like a rattle. "It’s not my people!"

Song Ruozhao reacted quickly. "Watch out for a feint! Protect Chen Yan!"

With that, she drew a snakeskin belt from her boot and, with a flick, sent a dozen crossbow bolts spiraling like headless flies, crashing down before Chen Yan. The masked person confronting Song Ruozhao appeared, by her silhouette, to be a woman. As their gazes locked, Song Ruozhao discerned that she hailed from the Beiqu pleasure quarters, accustomed to lingering among noble officials with her charms.

"I thought the women of the Pingkang Ward only knew how to warm beds; I didn't expect such skill in raiding a prisoner transport."

Upon being identified, the surprise in the opponent's eyes vanished instantly. She swung her ornate sword toward Chen Yan’s neck. Song Ruozhao snatched a wooden block from the ground and flung it; the timing was perfect, the wood acting as a shield for Chen Yan’s life, sealing the blade of the ornate sword firmly in place.

The sword-wielding woman: "..."

The shaken Chen Yan wiped cold sweat from his temples, feeling for the first time that he was highly sought after—a dream of two women fighting over him finally realized.

On a small hill in the distance, the enemy could be seen approaching through a cloud of dust. The sounds of slaughter were deafening, and the stream where they had once found food was now running red with blood. The enemy was well-prepared, and seeing that he was outnumbered, Liu Wenxu reached for the secret whistle to call for reinforcements. But the next second, he witnessed a scene he could not comprehend.

The enemy soldiers began to clutch their throats, screaming in pain. Though there was nothing on their thick, tree-stump-like necks, they fell dead across the wilderness for no apparent reason.

The masked woman checked on her comrades and saw that each had two small puncture wounds on their necks, like snake bites. Seeing all the wounds were in the same spot, she immediately wrapped her own slender neck tightly.

Hidden from sight, the *Moyu-er* (Fish-Seeking Child) coiled around the warm, mutton-fat jade neck, but ultimately retreated in vain.

Song Ruozhao spoke through ventriloquism: "Can't you try for the head, brain, or hands—some obvious part?"

A certain shrimp waved its pincers energetically: "Their skin is too thick; I can't get my mouth around it!"

"..."

Xu Chi'an’s Longquan sword flashed with cold light as he launched a surprise attack on the woman from the Pingkang Ward. Taking advantage of the struggle, Song Ruozhao quickly pulled Chen Yan into a small grove...

Hearing a splash in the woods, Gou Ya and the round and square-faced men took the hint and rushed to wade into the murky waters. By the time the enemy caught up, the four humans were covered in green sap and mud, looking like water ghosts escaped from a swamp. Judging by their only visible, pitch-black eyes—