Chapter Six: Disappearance Along the Way

With a soft laugh, Yu Youwei said, "Cold-blooded? That’s hardly the case. At most, you’re just naive and childish."
Mu Qingxi lifted her head and gazed at her daughter with profound grievance. "You might as well just call your mother simple-minded."
"Well, not exactly simple-minded," Yu Youwei replied, "but a bit foolish, that’s true. Yu Siye has been gone for so many years; you should have forgotten him by now, yet you still remember every word he ever said." She gently wrapped her arms around her mother, who was holding back tears, and sighed, "When I leave, don’t stay at Mu Family Manor. If a suitable man comes along, you should marry him."

Without asking her mother to see her off, Yu Youwei left home alone, not even bringing a maid. Gray rain clouds gathered overhead, and a cool drizzle began to fall. After walking a short distance, she looked back at the house where she had lived for fourteen years, and at her mother standing by the door, and felt a touch of reluctance in her heart.

Outside the gate of Mu Family Manor, the Yu family guards clustered around a luxurious carriage bearing the Yu family crest. Seeing Yu Youwei approach, the ever-stern captain of the guard stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and ushered her onto the carriage.

Inside, Yu Youwei’s eyes immediately fell on Yu Shiyu. His smooth forehead was creased with furrowed brows, making no effort to conceal his inner disdain. Yet Yu Shiyu was in good spirits, flashing her a toothy smile that revealed sharp white teeth, giving her the impression of facing a wild beast.

"Wei Sister."

A delicate, soft voice reached her ears, and Yu Youwei noticed Mu Yuyan was also in the carriage.

The carriage was spacious; the facing double seats resembled reclining couches, with cabinets beneath them that opened in two directions. Yu Shiyu lounged against an embroidered pillow, occupying an entire row alone, while Mu Yuyan curled up in the opposite corner, hugging her knees. When Yu Youwei sat down, Mu Yuyan immediately snuggled closer like a kitten, occasionally stealing glances at Yu Shiyu.

The carriage left Mu Family Manor and traveled along the Fire Crow Mountains toward Dongling Prefecture. The ride was smooth and swift, covering a hundred li in no time. The peaks along the way ceased their competition for beauty, replaced by squat, bloated mining hills, and the occasional explosion of quarrying echoed through the air.

For Mu Yuyan, venturing out for the first time, excitement soon overtook her, and she quickly forgot the ever-meditative Yu Shiyu, chattering and laughing all the way. When Yu Youwei failed to respond, she pouted, "Wei Sister, are you even listening to me?"

"I am. Please, go on," Yu Youwei said, smiling as she leaned to peer out the carriage window. A streak of violet flashed across the sky, illuminating the narrow mountain path between two peaks in exquisite detail. What an ideal place for an ambush, she thought, just as a swarm of fireballs and tumbling logs flew from both sides, their sharp whistling filling the air.

The carriage was blocked by the rolling logs and could not move. The Yu family guards quickly formed a semi-circle to shield the carriage. Yu Shiyu leaped out in a flash.

"Find somewhere to hide!" Yu Youwei called, pulling Mu Yuyan from the carriage and tossing her toward the roadside thicket. She herself ran headlong into the storm of arrows and rolling logs, making for the bend between the peaks.

"Damn it!" Yu Shiyu roared in fury, though it was unclear whether his anger was directed at the ambushers or at Yu Youwei. The guards followed him, giving chase after Yu Youwei, leaving Mu Yuyan alone in the thicket.

Mu Yuyan landed in the low, tangled grove by the road, fireballs whizzing past her. Her heart pounding, she glanced back and saw Yu Youwei’s silhouette flickering amid the flames, with the Yu family members pursuing her. Not daring to linger, she raced deeper into the woods.

"Sister, over here!"

Mu Yuqi suddenly appeared with a group of Mu family youths, beckoning her over by a crooked willow.

"Brother, why are you here? Aren’t those people on the mountain yours?" Mu Yuyan abruptly stopped, shouting in panic. Before departure, she knew her brother, who had left the manor early under the pretense of an errand, would lead a group to stage a fake assassination along the route. She and Yu Youwei would escape amid the chaos. But if the ambushers on the mountain weren’t their own people, then Wei Sister running toward them was walking into a trap.

"We were delayed on the road. Let's go. Youwei said if we encountered this situation, we should leave; she has a way to escape," Mu Yuqi murmured.

"How could Wei Sister possibly escape?"

"She’s a Yu family lady; even if she can’t escape, what does it matter? The Yu family will protect her." Mu Yuqi glanced regretfully toward the blaze of battle, then pulled his sister away.

A band of men in black now stormed down from the mountain, engaging Yu Shiyu and his group in fierce combat. Yu Youwei’s skills were modest, but the black-clad men seemed not to trouble her, preventing Yu Shiyu’s group from blocking her path and allowing her to slip out of the encirclement, veering north along a rugged mountain trail.

North of the mountain, rain poured in torrents. Yu Youwei fled through the storm, and when she reached a small tavern at the foot of the mountain, she abruptly halted, surveying the cloth banner by the door that read "Spring Forest Tavern." Muttering, "So it’s here," she turned and entered.

The tavern’s walls were built from white stone quarried from the mountain. A counter of raw logs split the tavern in two; behind it was both kitchen and storage. Upon entering, one was greeted by the rich scent of wood.

When Yu Youwei entered, a horse-faced woman in a blue cloth shirt was dozing at the counter, her elbow propped under her cheek. The two tables before the counter were occupied: one by six men in blue robes, each with a sword slung across their backs, ages ranging from old to young; the other by a cold-faced youth in a black robe, sitting alone.

"No one’s here, so I’ll sit," Yu Youwei said, settling across from the black-robed youth and beaming. "Are you heading into the mountains? The rain’s heavy, and the roads aren’t easy."

The youth gave no response. The dim light accentuated the sharp angles of his face, his thin lips pressed together, his long, phoenix-like eyes utterly devoid of expression.

"Boss, a bowl of chilled tea," Yu Youwei called, adopting a chatty tone. "Just because I’m a bit plain-looking, must you ignore me entirely? At least I won’t hound you like some lovesick fool, right?"

A few soft chuckles came from the neighboring table. A girl about Yu Youwei’s age muttered, "Ugly people always cause trouble."

The horse-faced woman chuckled as well, her raspy voice grating. "No chilled tea. Only homemade rice wine and some snacks."

"Then I’ll have a bowl of rice wine," Yu Youwei said, leaning on the table and gazing plaintively at the black-robed youth. "It’s not my fault I’m plain; is it my fault for venturing out? But this rain came at the worst moment—I truly didn’t mean to disturb you."

Having dashed through the storm, Yu Youwei had no protective luck, leaving her soaked to the bone, her hair half undone and plastered to her cheeks, rainwater dripping from its ends. Though rather bedraggled, she could hardly be called unattractive; instead, she possessed a natural charm and allure.

From the youth’s perspective, he was staring straight at Yu Youwei, yet he remained unmoved, as stoic as a statue, not betraying the slightest emotion. This left Yu Youwei feeling somewhat defeated.