The Xiao Nu

The Great Head God's daughter remembered the ten young slaves who belonged to her. It was not a spur-of-the-moment whim. Ever since they had sworn allegiance, the boys had to follow a maid to the Eighth Young Master's residence every morning to pay their respects to their mistress.

After several days, Gu Shenwei discovered that opening a breach through the young madam was not easy.

Imitating Yao Nu's manner had not won the young madam's favor.

When he had been the Gu Family's young master, everyone from top to bottom had liked him. He had never thought it was difficult. But now he was the lowest of slaves, carrying the unpleasant stench of corpses on his body. Outsiders avoided him at all costs—who would ever like him?

Even when paying their respects, the boys had to kneel at the very edge of the courtyard, unable to move their bodies or raise their heads. They had to wait until the young madam returned from outside and had completely entered the rear courtyard before they could stand and follow the same route back to Kindling Courtyard, where they would face Yard Manager Han's cold expression.

The young madam was, after all, surnamed Luo, not a daughter of the Shangguan Family. She had to fulfill her duties as a daughter-in-law and pay respects to her mother-in-law every morning with her sisters-in-law. This was also when she was in the worst mood. Her chosen means of venting was to torment her dowry slaves, which made her somewhat similar to her husband, Shangguan Nu.

Yao Nu had half warned and half frightened them before. "Let's see which of you is the first to offend the young madam. Don't expect me to plead for you. Even though we're brothers, I have to protect myself first."

Yao Nu often frightened people, and most of the time he was bluffing. This time, however, he had unfortunately spoken the truth. The first to suffer was a young man named Xiao Nu.

Xiao Nu was very sturdy, the tallest and oldest of them all. He had a kind, round face that always wore a smile, making him seem even more childish than the youngest, Xie Nu. He was also the one Yao Nu had frightened into tears the most often. Yet it was he who made an extraordinarily bold and inconceivable move during their second visit to pay respects.

He raised his head and glanced over.

The young madam was just entering the courtyard, walking hurriedly and sounding even angrier than usual. "Why did they make Xiaoru change her name? Does the Shangguan Family own every character under Heaven? Outrageous, outrageous!"

Besides Xue Niang, the young madam had four personal maids. Following the meaning of "satisfactory and as desired," they were respectively named Xiaocheng, Xiaoxin, Xiaoru, and Xiaoyi. The boys privately thought not one of these names sounded good, but that did not affect the young madam's affection for them.

Perhaps the young madam cared neither about the four maids nor their names. She simply refused to let anyone force her attendants to change their names. But she could not resist, because the request had come from her mother-in-law, the matriarch of the Shangguan Family.

Yao Nu explained all this afterward. At the time, nobody had thought that far. They had all been frightened by another voice.

"You raised your head? Why did you raise your head?"

The shriek rang through the entire courtyard. Xiaoru, the maid who had not yet received a new name, glared furiously at the boy kneeling by the edge of the courtyard. Then a figure rushed over. Before Xiao Nu could explain, Xue Niang kicked him down. His face slammed hard into the bluestone in the courtyard, and he did not dare move again.

The boys had been kneeling with their foreheads touching the ground. Now they did not even dare move their eyes.

The young madam's continuing complaints abruptly stopped. Then she hurried into the main hall. Only after the screen had been set up did she ask, "This man saw me?"

With that single raised glance, Xiao Nu had changed from a foolish boy into a "man."

"No. He probably didn't."

Though Xue Niang's kick had been vicious, she still offered Xiao Nu an excuse. Yao Nu seemed about to speak, but she glared him into silence.

"I didn't see anything." Xiao Nu's voice was muffled against the ground, but his words were tantamount to admitting that he had raised his head.

"Kill him," the young madam ordered from behind the screen.

"Young madam... I'm afraid that wouldn't be appropriate." Xue Niang sounded troubled.

This was Golden Peng Fortress, not the Iron Mountain Gang. The young madam no longer possessed absolute power over life and death. Although she resented that bitterly, she could no longer act solely on her whims.

"Dig out his eyes and cut out his tongue."

The punishment was the same as that suffered by the unfortunate child-maid. The blind, tongueless girl still remained at the young madam's side, and the boys saw her every time they came to pay their respects.

"I didn't see anything. I didn't see anything."

Xiao Nu grew even more terrified. He lay flat on the ground, his body trembling like a sieve.

The young madam's four personal maids came over together. Digging out eyes and cutting out tongues was their duty. Xiaoru was especially eager; her mood was as furious as her mistress's, and she needed an outlet.

The Great Head God's daughter could no longer do whatever she pleased in Golden Peng Fortress, but some things had not changed. No one could restrict her from punishing the slaves who had come as part of her dowry.

No one pleaded for Xiao Nu.

Gu Shenwei did not want to admit it, but he was truly terrified. He even wished he could temporarily go deaf, so he would not have to hear Xiao Nu's screams.

The maids moved quickly and professionally. They even used medicine to staunch Xiao Nu's bleeding.

The boys carried Xiao Nu back to Kindling Courtyard. They did not say a word along the way. Though their sworn brotherhood had been insincere, they all felt guilty toward their half-dead companion now.

Han Jinu was startled when he saw Xiao Nu's face covered in blood. He jumped backward and waved the rosewood cane as if driving away unseen evil spirits. "What happened?"

Yao Nu briefly explained what had happened. Han Jinu was clearly frightened out of his wits, his expression shifting between storm and sunshine. "That idiot! Why did he raise his head?"

Xiao Nu had lost his eyes and tongue, but his hearing remained. He suddenly tore free from the others' grasp and made hoarse, huffing sounds as he charged toward the place where he thought Han Jinu was.

It happened too suddenly for anyone to stop him. Xiao Nu nearly ran right past his target. Han Jinu stood frozen for a moment, then flew into a rage. He raised the rosewood cane and rained blows down on Xiao Nu.

"Heartless idiot! Have you gone mad? Peeping at the Eighth Young Madam—are you looking to die?"

Han Jinu's anger seemed to come from nowhere.

Recalling Xiao Nu's expression just before, Gu Shenwei suddenly understood the truth: Han Jinu had instructed Xiao Nu to raise his head and secretly look at the young madam's face.

That was right. When Han Jinu chatted with slaves from the other courtyards, he had more than once revealed his curiosity about the Eighth Young Madam. The daughter of this bandit from the Western Regions was said to be peerlessly beautiful, yet she never allowed men to see her face. The men of Golden Peng Fortress had never experienced the Great Head God's might, so naturally they desperately wanted to know whether the rumors were true.

The ten boys, on the other hand, had long since been indoctrinated with the idea that "one must not raise one's head to look at the young madam." Even the most ordinary curiosity had been strangled. Only Xiao Nu, the most honest and eager to please others, had been persuaded by Han Jinu.

Everyone guessed the truth, but no one spoke. Led by Yao Nu, the boys held Xiao Nu down with many hands and carried him back to the sleeping quarters. In truth, Xiao Nu had already lost consciousness from the blows of the rosewood cane and was completely incapable of resisting.

Xiao Nu lay on the kang, but the blood would not stop. It flowed everywhere. Han Jinu refused to find a doctor, so the boys had no choice but to wipe him again and again. Their work was caring for the dying, after all, so this was no different from usual.

Xiao Nu moaned and panted heavily throughout the night. Occasionally, he shouted in his native language. No one translated for him, and Gu Shenwei could not guess what he was saying.

In such circumstances, no one in the room could sleep. Finally, Yao Nu jumped down from the kang, patted Xiao Nu on the head, and spoke a few words in a commanding tone. The dying boy fell silent.

Gu Shenwei barely slept that night.

The next morning, he opened his eyes and knew, before his consciousness had fully awakened, that Xiao Nu was dead.

The sworn brothers, who had never possessed much true affection for one another, were completely divided by this incident. Everyone understood that little slaves had neither the qualifications nor the ability to become protectors. If they wanted to survive, they had to find other backers.

Three of them went over to Han Jinu. Of course, having learned Xiao Nu's lesson, they would never again spy on the young madam for him.

Two others fawned on Yao Nu even more eagerly than before. Yao Nu had won Xue Niang's favor, and he would soon become a killer apprentice. His future looked bright.

Qi Nu and Xie Nu, the two brothers, remained independent. They rarely associated with the others and were always muttering something quietly in their native language.

Gu Shenwei had no interest in the alliances and intrigues within their little circle. His mind was filled entirely with thoughts of revenge.

The day after Xiao Nu's death, Xue Niang came again. She barged straight into Han Jinu's room, her expression hostile.

"You were the one who beat my young madam's slave to death."

Han Jinu was intimidated by Xue Niang's presence. His arrogance immediately shrank by half. He retreated two steps, mumbling, then suddenly steeled himself and said, "Don't falsely accuse me. You were the ones who dug out Xiao Nu's eyes and cut out his tongue, killing him. What does that have to do with me?"

Xue Niang was not good with words. What she excelled at was Iron Finger. Without another word, she jabbed Han Jinu twice in the chest. The boys all had experience: this wiry woman's fingers were harder than the rosewood cane in Yard Manager Han's hand.

Han Jinu's face suddenly flushed red, as though he had done something wrong. Then he cried out and collapsed, curling into a ball on the floor. This was the second time he had been struck; Xue Niang's force was far heavier than before.

Xue Niang punished Han Jinu, and the matter of Xiao Nu's death ended there.

But to prevent the boys under him from looking down on him, Han Jinu summoned his own backer the next day. It was entirely because of this man's help that he had become the manager of Kindling Courtyard.

At dusk, the nine boys had just prepared to sleep when Han Jinu shouted from his room, ordering them all inside. He sounded full of confidence, clearly intending to display his "strength."

Han Jinu's confidence had a reason. There was an extra person in his room. That man lay in a reclining chair with his face turned toward the ceiling, while Han Jinu sat on a small stool and carefully massaged his legs.

A black robe, a golden-yellow bird embroidered on the shoulder, a dark-red belt, and a narrow saber marked him as a killer of Golden Peng Fortress.

The other boys could identify the man as a killer only from his clothing. Gu Shenwei alone recognized him.

Though he saw only the man's profile, Gu Shenwei found him familiar at a glance. He was certain he had seen him somewhere before.

"You little brats, didn't your young madam cut out anyone's tongue today?"

Han Jinu's tone was hostile, and no one dared answer.

"Hey, mind your words. That's the Eighth Young Madam. Show some respect." The black-clad killer spoke, but not very seriously. He kept his eyes closed and continued resting.

"Third Brother, I'm not making this up, but someone died—a lowly slave. That's always how we discipline people in the Fortress, and I've never seen any master get upset. Yet this new young madam had that scrawny woman jab me twice. Besides, they were the ones who dug out his eyes and cut out his tongue, killing him in the first place. You don't know, Third Brother, that woman's fingers are frighteningly strong. These two bruises on my chest are still there."

Han Jinu took the killer Third Brother's right hand and rubbed it over his own chest.

Both his tone and his behavior were utterly different from the vicious yard manager he usually was.

"That woman has some background. The fact that she didn't jab you to death means she showed restraint. What do you expect me to do? I belong to the Eighth Young Master. Could I really argue with the Eighth Young Madam?"

"Hmph, I think this young madam is either too ugly or simply bad at winning people over. Otherwise, why wouldn't she let anyone see her? And they've only been married a few days, yet the Eighth Young Master is already leaving on a journey. Sigh, Third Brother, you were gone for several months, and you've only been back a few days before you have to leave again. Third Brother, you really ought to talk to the Eighth Young Master about this Xue Niang. She's been so overbearing since entering the Fortress. What will happen in the future?"

Gu Shenwei suddenly remembered who this man was.

About three months earlier, a man from the Western Regions calling himself Han Shiqi had arrived at Gu Family Manor carrying a letter. Master Gu Lun had taken him in as a manor guard.

Gu Shenwei realized that he was once again standing at the edge of a precipice. The moment Han Shiqi turned his head and opened his eyes, he would recognize the young master of the Gu Family.