It was currently the early spring. While the chill was still lingering, crimson buds of new leaves had already covered the brown branches along the rugged mountain path.
This time of year was when the prefectural seats were busy performing rituals to worship the land deities, and along the way, one could see officials hiring laborers to repair the mountain roads and plant various kinds of flowers. A few stray dogs played joyfully among the overgrown wild grasses, their fur matted with mud and dried grass.
With a dried branch as a makeshift staff in one hand, Qingge blended in with the crowd, mimicking the people she saw as she climbed up the mountain.
Her purpose in coming to Suiyun Mountain was not religious, but because she had heard about a unique hot spring there, said to be distinct from other hot springs because of the presence of a mineral called black sulfur.
When applied externally, black sulfur could detoxify and promote wound healing; upon ingestion, it could replenish the yang element and assist in dispelling cold1, which made it beneficial to counter the cold poison affecting her. With this hope, she sought permission from the Pavilion Master and came to try the hot spring in Suiyun Mountain.
Last time, a rebellion broke out in the Qianying Pavilion. Their master, Ning Wang2, was beyond furious, and she was somehow implicated and got whipped as a result. What started as a mere flesh injury turned worse because the residual poison from the past had penetrated her body, which weakened her foundation. Since then, she could not muster any qi3 and was unable to display her martial arts.
Ye Min, the head of Qianying Pavilion, had checked her pulse, only to fall into a pensive silence afterward. After a long while, he finally said, “The poison has seeped deep inside; it’s likely impossible to fully expel. There is no danger to your life, but it’s a pity for your martial arts.”
For the secret guards of the Qianying Pavilion, losing their martial abilities was a serious matter.
Most secret guards of the Pavilion were orphans from sla∨e backgrounds, selected at a young age and subjected to brutal training. At fourteen or fifteen, they would leave the Pavilion to serve their lord and master Ning Wang, typically for ten years. After that, they would be presented with an opportunity to leave the Pavilion.
The Ning Wang Manor would annul their the sla∨ery status, provide household registration, and from then on, these secret guards could step out of the shadows, living like ordinary people in the bustling city.
The manor would even arrange some light duties for them, allowing the former secret guards to live out their days in peace without the need to worry about their livelihood.
For an orphan born into sla∨ery, becoming a secret guard and being used as a tool in the shadows with the hope of becoming a commoner and eventually living an upright life was already the best option.
But Qingge had only served Ning Wang for four years before being forced to give up halfway. Naturally, she felt unwilling. She could have continued for another ten years, during which she could have accomplished many achievements, earned rewards, and accumulated more wealth to secure her future when finally quitting the Qianying Pavilion.
She longed for the day she could live like an ordinary citizen, strolling through the market, enjoying the simple pleasures of life. If she had enough silver, she might even find a handsome husband and savor another side of life’s great joys.
But now she found herself falling into this situation, and over a decade of hard training had gone to waste.
If she was dismissed now, what money could she possibly receive? Most likely, she would be left empty-handed.
These were the worries and frustrations in Qingge’s heart as she climbed the mountain.
However, a person’s thoughts can change unexpectedly. For instance, at this moment, as she climbed the mountain with the other travelers, she realized that climbing didn’t necessarily require some sort of lightness arts4. It turned out that one could rely on a dried branch, and although it was slower, it wasn’t all that bad.
Treading step by step on the damp plank road, feeling the crisp mountain breeze of early spring and the mud below her feet, she found a certain charm in the experience.
She even began to think that perhaps quitting wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Yes, the money might be a bit less, and she might not receive the pension from the Ning Wang Manor, but she was still young and possessed some martial skills. Even though these skills might not be remarkable in the Qianying Pavilion, objectively speaking, she would still be considered a top talent outside.
That’s the plan then. When she returned, she would beg Ye Min to annul her sla∨e status and grant her household registration, then she would leave the Pavilion for good.
She could join an escort agency5 or work as a guard; at least she could find a job that provides her a livelihood.
In truth, a lifetime is all emptiness, isn’t it? Serving Ning Wang loyally, risking her life for years, would ultimately only earn her more silvers. Now, while still young, she might as well leave early. Even if her purse was a bit lighter, wouldn’t that be a perfect chance to start enjoying the good days she longed for?
Everything was predetermined by fate, so it’s best to follow the flow. Even those stray dogs rolling in the wild grass, though homeless and covered in dirt, wagged their tails happily, clearly enjoying their freedoms.
At that moment, a group of young woman, clearly unmarried by their hairstyles and attires, passed by Qingge. Each carried bamboo baskets filled with offerings like fruits, tea, and wine.
They were all still young—lively and full of spirit, laughing and chatting as they went.
Qingge had never experienced such carefree times in her life and couldn’t help but glance at the girls a few more times.
Unexpectedly, one of them also looked back at her.
Their eyes met briefly before quickly shifting away. As a habit formed through years of training, Qingge’s gaze instinctively swept downward and upward. In a mere second, she assessed the woman’s steps, legs, waist, build, arms, fingers, eyes, and temples, instantly knowing that she was just an ordinary farm girl with no martial skills.
The young woman even blushed with shyness from the brief eye contact.
Qingge ignored her and continued walking with her makeshift staff, but her mind inadvertently replayed the gaze—it had been a pair of pure eyes; simply curious, without any guard, disdain, or ill intent.
There was even a hint of admiration in that clear gaze.
‘But… admiration?’ It took Qingge a moment to realize that the girl was likely admiring her appearance.
From as far back as Qingge could remember, she had trained relentlessly in the shadows, never seeing the light of day. Even after leaving the pavilion to serve Ning Wang, she always wore a mask in her daily life.
People often whispered that the secret guards of the Qianying Pavilion had mastered a divine skill that allowed them to freely change their appearance into thirty-six different faces. Qingge didn’t know about others, but she herself could disguise her face into four different faces, which she used often.
As a result, it was the real appearance she was born with that she was least accustomed to, as she had very rarely used it. On the few occasions when she glimpsed her bare face in a bronze mirror, it felt almost unfamiliar.
But just now, someone had been mesmerized by her looks.
Her curiosity intrigued, Qingge purposely walked among the crowd, letting more people see her face to see their reactions.
She noticed many gazing at her with astonishment. They would glance at her several times, with expressions of admiration and envy. Some even whispered to their companion, “This girl is so beautiful.”
‘Beautiful?’ This amused Qingge—it was all a new experience for her. The real face she had never cared about was also the face she would use when she eventually quit the Qianying Pavilion, and now it was being praised for its beauty.
Qingge began to reconsider her plan. If she was denied the standard pension plan when quitting the Pavilion, could she use this face to catch herself some guy instead?
‘Men are easily attracted by beauty, aren’t they?’
Just as Qingge was lost in thought, a man dressed in fine clothes suddenly appeared a little ahead of her, smiling as he said, “Miss, may I have a word?”
Qingge remained silent, acting as if she hadn’t seen him, and continued walking forward. Since he neither seemed captivated by her appearance nor was he a handsome young gentleman, she had no interest in exchanging random pleasantries with him.
The man seemed a bit baffled and quickly stepped forward to block her path, still smiling. “Excuse me, but I mean no harm.”
The mountain path was rugged and narrow, with slippery wild grass all around. Unless Qingge used lightness skills to leap over the man, she had no way to bypass him.
And so, her gaze slowly settled on the man, completely cold.
The man smiled again, “Miss, if I’ve caused any inconvenience, I apologize. It’s just that I have a favor to ask, and if you can assist me, I will repay you generously.”
‘Repay generously?’ Qingge tilted her head, slowly sizing up the man. His hair was meticulously groomed, tied up with a gold-threaded flat hairpin. It was clear he had money and was accustomed to being attended to by servants. He wore a plain indigo silk robe, likely made from expensive Shu brocade from the Sichuan region—a material far beyond the reach of ordinary families.
Her gaze then swept over his hands next. They were well-maintained, though with slight calluses. These calluses were on the inside of his right index finger, the side of his middle finger, and the second knuckle of his ring finger. Judging by the location and depth of the calluses, he must be someone who wrote often but wasn’t a scholar who spent everyday writing.
Not wanting to waste too much thought on some random people, Qingge retracted her gaze and asked slowly, “Generous repayment? Does that mean you’ll give me a lot of silvers?”
The man’s smile turned even more friendly at this, “If you’re interested, how about we have some words in private?”
“Can’t you get straight to the point?” Qingge didn’t buy it. “Just tell me directly, what do you want me to do?”
A stream of thoughts flashed quickly through her mind. She had left the Qianying Pavilion in complete secrecy, informing no one but the Pavilion Master. Furthermore, her movements were discreet, and her whereabouts shouldn’t easily be detected—of course, if it were that easy to tail a secret guard, the Qianying Pavilion would have lost its reputation long ago.
Besides, this face was new, one that she had never worn before.
And this man clearly didn’t know martial arts; he seemed like an ordinary wealthy merchant. So, based on logic, his approach had nothing to do with the Pavilion.
There was no such thing as a free meal—orphaned at a young age, Qingge knew this concept better than anyone, but she could at least listen to his proposal and decide what to do later.
“I only ask for a little help from you. Once it’s done—” Hearing Qingge’s response, the man smiled again. His gaze scanned her figure. She was wearing dark blue clothes woven from the cheapest ramie fibers, and her black hair was casually tied up with a dried vine. Her appearance clearly screamed of poverty.
His smile deepened as he slowly spoke tempting words, “You will receive more silvers than you could ever imagine.”
‘More silvers than I could ever imagine…’ Qingge’s heart fluttered.
Her ultimate goal had always been to amass as much wealth as possible until the time when she could finally get rid of her sla∨e status. Just as she resolved to use her poisoned condition as a reason to quit Qianying Pavilion ahead of time and embrace a life of comfort and prosperity, an unexpected opportunity to make a fortune came knocking on her door.
The choice was easy—Qingge raised her eyes slightly and said coolly, “What kind of business do you have in mind? Tell me the details.”
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- Yin and Yang concept, as well as the idea of Qi, form the basis of the Chinese Traditional Medicine, which is all about balancing the Yin and Yang. When afflicted with something of the Yang nature, seek treatment that promotes the Yin element, and vice versa. Yang generally means fire, sun, hot, man while Yin means ice, moon, cold, woman.
- Wang (王) or Qinwang (亲王) is a Prince of The First Rank. A title given to the adult sons of an emperor. It’s a bit different from Huangzi (皇子, imperial son). All sons born to an emperor are called Huangzi, but they have to be titled to become Wang. A Wang is politely addressed as Wangye (王爷), which roughly translates as ‘His Highness.’
- Qi (气) or aura was the basis of martial arts in semi-fantasy settings, which allow the practitioners to do maneuvers beyond human limits.
- Lightness arts (轻功, qinggong) is a movement technique from Chinese martial arts. In semi-fantasy settings, the practitioners of lightness arts can perform such feats as leaping a few meters high, running tirelessly at high speed, etc.
- Escort agency (镖局): A group of professional escorts who provide protection to traveling merchants.
Another interesting one. You all really pick great novels.
Thank you so much for taking up this project!! I’m obsessed with this novel plot and the google translated version isn’t cutting it. Your transation is beautiful and so enjoyable to read! ❤️❤️❤️
Hope you like it~