Acquaintance

Who wrote Han Shiqi's letter of recommendation? That person must be deeply involved in the Gu family's massacre.

However, Gu Shenwei had no clue. Back then, he was just an innocent young master, completely uninterested in such matters. If Han Shiqi hadn't happened to be in the study when he met Gu Lun, Gu Shenwei wouldn't even remember that a farmhand existed.

Han Shiqi must have recognized his former "young master." One of his main objectives for infiltrating the Gu family estate was undoubtedly to identify people.

The first head he delivered was wrong, and the second was also wrong. Who knew this better than him?

Gu Shenwei's long-standing worry had become a reality.

He was on the brink of life and death, yet utterly helpless. He couldn't leave rashly, as that would only attract attention, nor could he wait like this, as Han Shiqi would eventually wake up.

Gu Shenwei could only pray silently, entrusting his fate to divine will.

His expression betrayed a hint of his inner turmoil. Yao Nu, skilled at reading people, glanced at him curiously, opening his mouth to speak before closing it again.

Over there, Han Shiqi, lying on the lounge chair, turned over and gestured for Han Jinu to massage his waist. He said lazily, "Stop with the nonsense. I'm lucky enough to still have this hand. Every time I see the Eighth Young Master, my heart pounds. How could I dare to speak? We'll talk about your business later."

Han Jinu was indignant, especially in front of the new servants. He nudged Han Shiqi's waist like a young woman, speaking in a coaxing tone, "Third Brother, I don't understand. You didn't see the child you killed by mistake, so it's not your fault. In the end, you found the child, so you deserve credit, not blame. What are you afraid of?"

Gu Shenwei also wanted to know, especially about the second child.

Han Shiqi chuckled twice, stretched, and opened his eyes to face the nine young servants without answering, turning his body.

Gu Shenwei's heart leaped into his throat. He almost turned and fled. He would rather jump off a cliff than fall into the hands of his enemies again.

Han Shiqi closed his eyes again.

"I'll be gone for about a month. Find me some entertainment."

Han Jinu understood. He needed to find creative ways to keep his patron happy.

"Qi Nu, Xie Nu, stay. The rest of you, go back to your rooms." He then whispered into Han Shiqi's ear, "A pair of young brothers..."

The brothers knew they were being talked about and froze for a moment.

The elder brother, Qi Nu, had thick eyebrows and large eyes. The younger brother, Xie Nu, was delicate and pretty, extremely timid, always hiding half his body behind his brother. In Gu Shenwei's memory, he had never heard Xie Nu speak more than a few words.

Yao Nu's expression was grim, as if he had suffered a great injustice. As soon as he returned to the dormitory, he threw a tantrum.

"What makes them better than me? They're just brothers, and they have no sense. I guarantee they haven't even washed their butts clean. Hmph, he thinks I reported him to Xue Niang? He should think about who saw him beat up Xiao Nu."

Gu Shenwei could roughly guess what fate awaited the two brothers.

Although he was only fourteen, he had vaguely heard of male prostitutes in the Central Plains. He had never understood the exact meaning of the term, but he knew it was something extremely dirty and evil.

He sympathized with the brothers but could do nothing. They had encountered a calamity, and he had escaped one. Han Shiqi would leave tomorrow and wouldn't return for a month. Perhaps during this time, divine will would help him find his sister, and they could escape together, then find an opportunity for revenge.

Yao Nu was furious about not getting this chance to curry favor. With the "lucky" Qi Nu and Xie Nu out of sight, he turned his attention to others.

"Huan Nu, it'll probably be your turn next. Look at your self-important demeanor. You must be favored by Lord Han. Ah, I forgot to remind you, those men really like to be rough with tender young lambs like you. You might not be able to walk for days then, haha, they..."

Gu Shenwei really wanted to punch that sharp face. He suppressed his anger, repeatedly warning himself not to cause trouble. Han Shiqi was in the room opposite; he absolutely couldn't attract his attention.

But he couldn't hold back. Finally, in a fit of pique, he lunged at Yao Nu.

Yao Nu was prepared. He had been standing behind the other youths. Those five, who hadn't learned much Chinese, only understood bits and pieces. They didn't know why Huan Nu suddenly lost his temper and grabbed him together.

Gu Shenwei's family martial arts were far from enough to deal with assassins and bandits, but they could defeat a few children of the same age. He looked at Yao Nu's smug, sharp face, and his reason suddenly returned. He suppressed his anger and retreated to the side.

It was nearly midnight when the brothers Qi Nu and Xie Nu returned.

The elder brother, Qi Nu, kept his lips tightly shut and his eyes lowered, not looking at anyone. The younger brother, Xie Nu, followed behind him, sobbing.

They got into bed, and the others pretended not to hear anything. However, one person's resentment had not yet been vented.

"Hey, does your butt feel good? Don't think you can overpower me just because you've pleased an assassin. I'm the young lady's confidant now, and in the future, I'll be..."

Before Yao Nu could finish, Qi Nu strode past several youths and landed a punch on his face. The two began to fight, and the youths beside them first tried to break them up, then joined the fray.

In the end, all nine youths in the room fought, either willingly or by force. However, in the dark, no one knew who they were hitting. Gu Shenwei's family martial arts were useless; he still took quite a few blows.

The group was so engrossed in their fight that they didn't even notice someone coming in with a lantern.

Han Jinu let out a cold laugh and said, "Third Brother, they're fighting for your favor."

Han Shiqi was resting in Han Jinu's room. Seeing the children fighting chaotically and likely to attract the attention of the night watchmen in the middle of the night, he was both annoyed and amused. He shouted, "Stop!" and stepped forward, grabbing and shaking them apart.

Gu Shenwei, who had finally regained his senses, had long since lost them. The anger he had suppressed for days erupted. He poured all his strength into every punch. Suddenly, his right arm was grabbed. Without thinking, he used the momentum to turn, his head passing under the arm, while his left fist struck the opponent's face.

Han Shiqi was startled. He hadn't expected a little master to be hidden among these children. Without blocking, he increased the force in his hand and pushed the presumptuous youth into a corner.

The place on Gu Shenwei's arm where his name had been branded now had a red ring around it. His bones felt as if they were broken. The difference in strength between him and the Golden Peng assassin was like heaven and earth.

The two looked at each other.

One was a spy who had infiltrated the Gu family estate and was now a loyal assassin under Shangguan Nu, the Eighth Young Master. The other was originally the young master of the Gu family, now sold into servitude, with a brand of shame on his arm.

Facing the situation, Gu Shenwei became unusually calm. With no escape, he would rather die gloriously than beg for mercy, to avoid disgracing the Gu family of the Central Plains.

The nine youths lay scattered around the room, knowing they had caused trouble and remaining silent. Yao Nu even turned his head away, as if he had nothing to do with it.

Han Shiqi shook his hand, a surprised smile appearing on his face.

Gu Shenwei knew he'd been recognized, and with a death wish in his heart, he glared back defiantly.

"Jinu, so you've been hiding a treasure here."

"Less nonsense, just attack."

Gu Shenwei slowly stood up. The first layer of Hehe Jin, Yang Jin, surged within him like a small stream at full tide. Facing an assassin from the renowned Golden Peng Fortress, his resolve to die propped up his body; it didn't tremble, nor did it retreat.

Huan Nu, who appeared quite honest, suddenly seemed to have no regard for his own life. The youths were all astonished, and Han Jinu was particularly surprised. These were servants he had trained. If they acted like this in front of their master, wouldn't it be his fault?

"Brat, you want to die, talking to an assassin lord like that? How do we usually teach you?"

With that, he picked up the red sandalwood stick from his waist, preparing to administer "family discipline."

However, Han Shiqi unexpectedly raised his arm to block Jinu. The smile on his face didn't diminish at all.

"No, let him keep that bit of wildness. Don't let anyone else touch him. Wait until I get back."

Han Shiqi and Jinu left with their lanterns, leaving nine youths trapped in darkness. They were all breathing heavily, then one after another climbed onto their beds. This fight had no winner or loser; neither side gained any advantage.

Gu Shenwei also climbed onto the bed, his bones feeling as if they had been drained, too weak to support his body.

What did Han Shiqi's words mean? Did he not recognize him?

But how was that possible? One of Han Shiqi's main objectives for infiltrating the Gu Family Estate was to identify people. Or perhaps it wasn't Han Shiqi, but someone who just looked very much like him?

Indeed, Jinu always called him "Third Brother," but he had never mentioned his real name.

"Another one whose butt is about to bloom..." Yao Nu muttered very quietly, then turned over to sleep. He was indignant, unable to understand why such good fortune never fell upon him.

The next morning, when Gu Shenwei washed his face, he understood what had happened. His face was bruised and swollen, a mess that made it impossible to recognize his original features.

He had been lost in thought and hadn't felt any pain. Now, splashed with cold water, he felt an unbearable itch and pain.

The others were also badly injured; some walked with a limp.

When they went to pay their respects to the young lady as usual, Xue Niang saw the disheveled youths and snorted, saying nothing.

Back at the Kindling Courtyard, Han Jinu used the red sandalwood stick in his hand to explain to the youths that he was the master of the courtyard and the only one qualified to hit them.

The instigator, Yao Nu, however, escaped the punishment from the courtyard manager. Every day after paying respects, he would stay with Xue Niang for private training. To become an assassin in the Golden Peng Fortress, it wasn't enough to be "favored by the master"; one also needed some foundation in martial arts.

However, Yao Nu suffered greatly under Xue Niang. The bruises and swellings on the other youths had already disappeared, but his old injuries had not healed before new ones were added. His face was always bruised, yet he still dreamt every night before falling asleep about how he would be once he became an assassin. But he was no longer as confident.

Gu Shenwei felt that within a few months, Yao Nu would die at Xue Niang's hands.

On the eleventh day since entering the Golden Peng Fortress, Gu Shenwei was still troubled by his inability to find any news of his sister and anxious about how to deal with Han Shiqi upon his return to the fortress. Yao Nu, whose martial arts training had not been going smoothly, found him.

They hadn't spoken a word to each other for several days, so Gu Shenwei was very surprised. He was alone in Jinu's room, mopping the floor, when Yao Nu walked in, earlier than usual.

"You know martial arts?"

Gu Shenwei remained silent, continuing to mop the floor.

"Teach me."

"Dream on," Gu Shenwei thought to himself, still ignoring him.

"Teach me Hehe Jin, and I'll return that cloth to you."

Gu Shenwei suddenly stood up.