Who wrote Han Shiqi's letter of recommendation? That person must have been deeply involved in the extermination of the Gu Family.
But Gu Shenwei had not the slightest clue. Back then, he had still been an ignorant young master who knew nothing of the world and cared even less about such matters. If he had not happened to be in the study when Han Shiqi met with Gu Lun, he would not even have remembered that there had been such a household servant.
Han Shiqi must have recognized the former "little master." One of his main purposes in infiltrating Gu Family Manor must have been to identify him.
The first head he had received had been the wrong one. The second had been wrong too. Who could know this better than he did?
Gu Shenwei's long-standing fear had become reality.
He was at a critical juncture between life and death, yet had no way out. He could not leave rashly, for that would only draw attention. Nor could he simply wait here. Sooner or later, Han Shiqi would open his eyes.
Gu Shenwei could only pray silently and place his fate in the hands of Divine Will.
A trace of emotion showed on his face. Yao Nu, who was skilled at reading people's expressions, glanced at him curiously, opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again.
Meanwhile, Han Shiqi turned over on the recliner and gestured for Han Jinu to knead his waist. At the same time, he said lazily,
"Enough nonsense. The fact that I managed to keep this hand is already lucky. Every time I see the Eighth Young Master, my heart starts pounding. How would I dare open my mouth? We'll talk about your matter later."
Han Jinu was extremely indignant, especially in front of all the new servants. So she shoved at Han Shiqi's waist like a spoiled little woman and said coquettishly,
"Third Brother, I don't understand. You weren't at fault for killing the wrong child without letting you inspect him. In the end, you were the one who found the child. You have merit and no fault, so what are you afraid of?"
Gu Shenwei wanted to know too, especially what had happened with the second child.
Han Shiqi chuckled twice and stretched lazily. Without answering, he turned around and opened his eyes to face the nine young servant boys.
Gu Shenwei's heart leaped into his throat. He almost turned and fled. He would rather leap off a cliff than fall into his enemy's hands again.
Han Shiqi closed his eyes again.
"I'll probably be gone for another month. Find me some amusement."
Han Jinu understood at once. He would have to come up with different tricks to hold on to his backer.
"Qi Nu and Xie Nu stay. The rest of you return to your rooms." Then she leaned close to Han Shiqi's ear and whispered, "A pair of little brothers..."
The brothers knew they were being mentioned and could not help freezing for a moment.
The elder brother, Qi Nu, had thick brows and large eyes, while the younger, Xie Nu, had delicate features and was timid to the extreme. He always hid half his body behind his brother. In Gu Shenwei's impression, he had never heard the boy say more than a few words.
Yao Nu's face looked awful, as if he had suffered some tremendous injustice. The moment he returned to the sleeping quarters, he flew into a rage.
"How are those two better than me? They're nothing but brothers, and they have no sense at all. I'll guarantee they haven't even washed their own asses clean. Hmph, he thinks I was the one who reported him to Xue Niang. He should think about it—who doesn't know that he beat Xiao Nu?"
Gu Shenwei roughly guessed what those two brothers were about to face.
Although he was only fourteen, he had vaguely heard about male prostitutes back in the Central Plains. He had never understood the exact meaning of the term, but he knew it referred to something filthy and vile.
He sympathized with the brothers, but there was nothing he could do. They had encountered a disaster, while he had escaped one. Han Shiqi would be leaving tomorrow and would not return for a month. Perhaps during that time, Divine Will would help him find his sister. Then they could escape together and seek an opportunity for revenge.
Enraged that he had missed this chance to curry favor, Yao Nu turned his spearhead toward someone else once Qi Nu and Xie Nu—the "lucky" ones—were out of sight.
"Huan Nu, you'll probably be next. Look at that smug, noble face of yours. You're sure to become Lord Han's favorite. Ah, I almost forgot to warn you. Those men especially love to be rough with little lambs like you. When the time comes, you might not be able to walk for several days. Hahaha, they..."
Gu Shenwei really wanted to punch that sharp face. He forced down his anger and repeatedly warned himself not to cause trouble. Han Shiqi was in the room opposite. He absolutely could not draw his attention.
But he could not hold himself back. In a rush of hot blood, he charged at Yao Nu.
Yao Nu had been prepared. He had been standing behind the other youths all along. The five boys from the Central Plains had not learned much of the language and understood only bits and pieces. They did not know why Huan Nu had suddenly flown into a rage, so they all grabbed hold of him.
Gu Shenwei's family martial arts were far from enough to deal with assassins and bandits, but defeating several children his own age was still possible. He looked at Yao Nu's smug, sharp face, and reason suddenly returned to him. Thus, he forcibly suppressed his anger and retreated to one side.
It was nearly midnight when the brothers Qi Nu and Xie Nu finally returned.
Qi Nu kept his lips tightly sealed and lowered his eyes, refusing to look at anyone. Xie Nu followed behind him, sobbing and sniffling.
The two climbed onto the brick bed and lay down. The others pretended not to hear anything, but one person's resentment had yet to be vented.
"Hey, did your butt feel good? Don't think that relying on an assassin will let you lord it over me. I'm Miss's trusted confidant now, and in the future I'll even become..."
Before Yao Nu could finish, Qi Nu had already crossed over several youths and punched him in the face. The two fell into a brawl. The youths nearby tried to break them up at first, then joined the fight themselves.
In the end, all nine boys in the room had either willingly or unwillingly thrown themselves into the fray. It was pitch-black, and no one knew whom he was hitting. Even Gu Shenwei's family martial arts were useless, and he took plenty of blows all the same.
Everyone was fighting with such enthusiasm that they did not even notice someone entering with a lantern.
Han Jinu gave a cold laugh and said,
"Third Brother, they're fighting for your favor."
Han Shiqi had been resting in Jinu's room. Seeing that the children were fighting in complete disarray, he knew that at this hour it would easily attract the night watchmen's attention. He was both exasperated and amused. After shouting, "Stop!" he stepped forward and grabbed and flung them apart.
The reason Gu Shenwei had finally managed to regain his composure had long since vanished. The anger he had suppressed for days burst forth like a flood. He put all his strength into every punch. Suddenly, someone seized his right arm. Without thinking, he used the force to turn, slipped his head beneath the arm, and at the same time drove his left fist toward the other person's face.
Han Shiqi was startled. He had not expected one of the children to conceal such a young expert. He did not bother to block the attack. Instead, he increased the force in his grip and shoved outward, sending the reckless boy flying into a corner.
A red ring had appeared around the place on Gu Shenwei's arm where his name had been branded. His bones felt as if they had snapped. The difference between his strength and that of a Golden Peng Assassin was like the distance between heaven and earth.
The two stared at each other.
One had once been a spy who infiltrated Gu Family Manor and was now a loyal assassin under the command of the Eighth Young Master, Shangguan Nu. The other had once been the young master of the Gu Family and was now a slave for sale, with another humiliating brand on his arm.
When the moment finally came, Gu Shenwei instead grew extremely calm. There was nowhere left to run. He would rather die gloriously in battle than beg for his life and disgrace the Gu Family of the Central Plains.
The nine youths were scattered throughout the room. Knowing they had caused trouble, they kept silent. Yao Nu turned his head aside, looking as if the matter had nothing whatsoever to do with him.
Han Shiqi shook his hand, a delighted smile appearing on his face.
Gu Shenwei knew he had been recognized. With the intention of fighting to the death, he glared back furiously.
"Jinu, so you've been hiding a treasure here."
"Enough nonsense. Make your move."
Gu Shenwei slowly rose to his feet. The first level of Hehe Jin, Yang Jin, flowed through him like a stream swollen to the brim and ready to burst. Facing the famous Golden Peng Assassin, his will to die supported his body. He did not tremble or retreat.
The usually honest-looking Huan Nu suddenly seemed determined to throw his life away. The boys were all astonished, and Han Jinu was especially surprised. These were the servants he had trained. If one behaved like this even in front of his master, would that not be his failure?
"You stinking brat! You're looking to die, speaking to an honored assassin like that? How have I taught you all to behave?"
As he spoke, he picked up the Rosewood Cane from his waist, preparing to enforce the "family law."
Han Shiqi unexpectedly raised his arm to block Jinu. The smile on his face did not diminish in the slightest.
"No. Let him keep that bit of wildness. Don't let anyone touch him. Wait until I return."
Han Shiqi and Jinu left with the lantern, leaving the nine youths sunk in darkness. Everyone breathed heavily, then climbed onto the brick bed one after another. The fight had ended without a winner or loser, and no one had gained anything.
Gu Shenwei climbed onto the brick bed as well. His bones felt as if they had been drained of strength, too soft to support his body.
What had Han Shiqi meant? Could it be that he had not recognized him?
But how was that possible? One of Han Shiqi's main purposes in infiltrating Gu Family Manor had been to identify him. Or perhaps that had not been Han Shiqi, but merely someone who looked very much like him?
Indeed, Jinu had kept calling him "Third Brother," but she had never mentioned his real name.
"Another butt about to bloom..." Yao Nu muttered very softly before turning over to sleep, full of resentment and unable to understand why such a good thing had not fallen to him.
The next morning, Gu Shenwei found out what had happened while washing his face. His face was bruised blue in one place and red in another, swollen beyond recognition. It no longer looked anything like his original face.
He had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he had not even noticed the pain. Only when the cold water struck him did he feel the unbearable itch and ache.
The others were badly injured as well. Several of them limped when they walked.
As usual, when they went to pay their respects to Miss, Xue Niang saw the battered youths and gave a snort without saying anything.
When they returned to Kindling Courtyard, Han Jinu used the Rosewood Cane in her hand to make it clear to the youths that she was the master of this courtyard, and only she had the right to beat people.
The instigator, Yao Nu, escaped the courtyard manager's torment. After paying his respects each day, he remained with Xue Niang for private training. To become an assassin in Golden Peng Fortress, being favored by one's master was not enough; one also needed some foundation in martial arts.
But Yao Nu suffered terribly under Xue Niang's hands. The other youths' injuries and swelling had already vanished, while his old wounds had yet to heal before new ones were added. His face was constantly marked with fresh bruises. He still fantasized every night before falling asleep about what he would do after becoming an assassin, but his confidence was no longer so absolute.
Gu Shenwei felt that Yao Nu would die at Xue Niang's hands before several months had passed.
On the eleventh day after entering Golden Peng Fortress, Gu Shenwei was still troubled by his failure to learn any news of his sister and anxious about how to deal with Han Shiqi after his return to the fortress. It was then that Yao Nu, whose martial arts training had never gone smoothly, came looking for him.
The two had not spoken a single word for several days, so Gu Shenwei was surprised. He had been alone in Jinu's room, wiping the floor, when Yao Nu entered earlier than usual.
"You know martial arts?"
Gu Shenwei said nothing and continued wiping the floor.
"Teach me."
In your dreams, Gu Shenwei said silently, still ignoring him.
"Teach me Hehe Jin, and I'll return that piece of cloth to you."
Gu Shenwei shot to his feet.
Before you continue