Under the Bed

Gu Shenwei struggled to hold back a sneeze. The sound wasn't loud, but it nearly ruined everything. Fortunately, just as he made the noise, someone outside shouted:

"Steward, is Third Brother coming tonight?"

It was Han Jinu. If the person in bed had been Han Shiqi, he would have been alerted to someone under the bed even with the talking. Fortunately, it wasn't that assassin.

Han Jinu sat up, replying impatiently, "Didn't I say I don't know? I'll call you when he comes. Go back to your rooms!"

The person asking outside was Qi Nu. He deliberately spoke loudly to remind Huan Nu inside: that person most likely wasn't coming.

Qi Nu obeyed and left. Han Jinu lay back down, muttering, "That brat has quite the ambition. Just a few days ago he was crying, and today he's jumping around like a monkey. I need to watch out for him. You're all too green to compete with me."

Han Jinu muttered to himself for a while, then hummed an out-of-tune song. He tossed and turned for a full half-hour before getting out of bed to blow out the lamp and prepare for sleep.

Gu Shenwei remained motionless, not daring to breathe deeply. He held his hand above his nose, preventing himself from inhaling more dust. He waited like this for another half-hour. Once the snoring above grew heavy, he quietly crawled out from under the bed and tiptoed out of the room, returning to his own sleeping quarters.

Qi Nu and his brother were waiting for him inside. The other five youths slept in different rooms. It was safe for them here.

That person hadn't come. Qi Nu heard rumors that Eighth Young Master Shangguan Nu's operation hadn't gone smoothly this time. Although he had successfully killed the target, one assassin had been lost.

By Golden Peng Fortress standards, killing should be done when the target is defenseless. Any resistance indicated a flaw in the operation.

Shangguan Nu was having a streak of bad luck. Two consecutive missions hadn't been completed perfectly, lowering his standing in his father's eyes. Thus, his anger grew, and he vented his frustration on the assassins and swordsmen under him. It was said that another person had been injured by Eighth Young Master's blade.

Under these circumstances, Han Shiqi didn't dare to fool around as soon as he returned, fearing he might anger the Young Master and receive a random knife wound.

For the three youths eager for revenge, this was a form of torture.

On this particular night, Gu Shenwei hid under Han Jinu's bed for the third time. His only achievements in the previous two attempts were clearing the dust under the bed and arranging a relatively comfortable position for himself.

Han Shiqi arrived a little late, but Han Jinu was not yet asleep. The knock on the door had barely sounded when he leaped out of bed like a dog smelling a bone, grabbed the key from behind the door, and gleefully went to open it.

Han Shiqi either disregarded the curfew or evaded the night watchmen, allowing him to roam freely in Kindling Courtyard late at night.

"Third Brother, I've missed you so much. Look, I've lost weight."

Han Jinu's seductive voice made Gu Shenwei's scalp tingle under the bed, raising goosebumps. But that wasn't enough. Next, Jinu laughed and acted coy, completely unlike the stern Steward Han with his red wooden staff.

Gu Shenwei felt so disgusted he wanted to vomit.

He felt profound sympathy for Qi Nu and Xie Nu, and understood why they were so determined to kill an assassin from Golden Peng Fortress.

The two outside lit a lamp and sat on the bed together. Gu Shenwei held his breath, hoping they wouldn't linger too long. If only he knew Han Shiqi's exact location, he would have liked to strike now.

Han Shiqi didn't talk much; he was here for pleasure, not sentiment. After a while, he said, "Where's that kid who likes to fight? Call him over."

Gu Shenwei's heart skipped a beat. "The kid who likes to fight" was him?

"Huan Nu? He's been tainted by evil spirits. Don't call him today. Those two little brothers..."

"What evil spirits?"

"Ah, he's another kid from this courtyard. He went mad in front of Eighth Young Madam. Hmph, the people brought by that bandit's daughter are truly unruly. Huan Nu performed his funeral rites and got tainted too. I told him to stay put and not leave his room."

"Stop talking about the Eighth Courtyard's affairs. Eighth Young Master is truly unlucky, with so many internal and external troubles. I'm also on edge every day, fearing he might lash out and stab me for no reason."

"Yes, yes. The Eighth Young Madam's issue is her own problem. It's a shame for our Eighth Young Master, so handsome and talented, and his martial arts were so good..."

"Hey, also talk less about the evil spirits. I heard about that kid's situation. It's clearly a case of qi deviation from practicing martial arts, not possession. That woman named Xue Niang has already taken the blame, saying she taught him internal energy too hastily, which harmed him."

"Yes, yes." Han Jinu agreed verbally, but he wasn't entirely convinced. He personally still leaned towards possession.

Gu Shenwei under the bed was greatly surprised by this. Yao Nu's internal energy was clearly learned from him, and the qi deviation was also something he had intentionally pushed. Why would Xue Niang take the blame? Was it to protect the young lady from being affected by the evil spirit incident?

Gu Shenwei couldn't fathom the reason.

"Go call that kid over. I'll help him expel the evil spirits."

Han Shiqi's voice took on a more lewd tone. Han Jinu chuckled knowingly. Under the bed, Gu Shenwei's heart pounded with fear. Their assassination plan, which had seemed foolproof, had encountered an assassin who didn't believe in evil spirits.

As soon as Huan Nu was discovered missing from his room, the entire plan would fall apart.

Jinu got out of bed with a smile. Gu Shenwei slightly shifted the position of his small, sharp knife, intending to strike as soon as Jinu moved away. The problem was, he couldn't pinpoint Han Shiqi's exact location on the bed and could only guess.

The chance of hitting a vital spot with this stab was extremely low, but he had no other choice.

Han Shiqi on the bed suddenly spoke, "Who's there? Sneaking around."

Gu Shenwei was startled again. Just as he was about to act, a voice from outside said:

"Is that Third Brother?"

"I already said I'd call you two. Get back inside!" Han Jinu shouted angrily.

The person outside was Xie Nu. He was already wary and impatient with the "enthusiastic initiative" of these two brothers.

"Yes, Steward. Huh? Isn't that Third Brother inside? I'll go get my brother."

"Who said you two were supposed to serve tonight? Go back to sleep honestly."

"But the things Steward taught us these past few days..."

"You little bastards, you're getting bolder and bolder, talking back to me."

Jinu raised the red wooden staff in his hand, intending to teach the disobedient Xie Nu a lesson.

Xie Nu's appearance seemed to stir Han Shiqi's desire. "Wait, let the two brothers come together. I want to see what you've been teaching them."

"Hehe, Third Brother, you know my little tricks."

Han Jinu went to call Qi Nu. Gu Shenwei relaxed, then quietly moved the sharp knife back to its original position. He was now very familiar with this spot; he could find it even in the dark.

However, another problem arose. Han Shiqi and the slave had wasted too much time chatting on the bed. A quarter of an hour was about to pass, and Gu Shenwei had slowed his breathing for too long. He already felt a tightness in his chest and desperately needed a large gulp of fresh air.

Qi Nu arrived and closed the door. Han Jinu did not follow. This seemed to be the only part of the entire plan that went without any unexpected events.

Han Shiqi jumped off the bed. The moment his feet touched the ground, Gu Shenwei took a deep breath.

"Learned your lesson this time, huh? Come on, I'm a bit tired today. I want to see what you two can do. Don't disappoint me, or you'll have to experience my methods again."

"We will satisfy you, sir," Qi Nu's voice said. He still couldn't bring himself to call him Third Brother. Gu Shenwei could detect a hint of nervousness in his tone.

"Satisfy..." Han Shiqi repeated ambiguously.

"Third Brother, let's go to bed," Xie Nu's voice said. This child, who usually didn't talk much, seemed calmer than his older brother at this moment.

"No rush."

Gu Shenwei didn't quite understand what happened next. The sounds and moans were all strange and ugly to his ears, like something incredibly filthy trying to burrow into his eardrums. At first, he blushed, almost unable to control his breathing. Soon, hatred and anger surged in his heart. He calmed his restless mind and focused all his attention on the spot three feet above his head.

The brothers used all their skills. This time, Han Shiqi preferred to do it standing up and refused to get on the bed.

Another quarter of an hour passed. This was the longest quarter of an hour in the three youths' lives. Han Shiqi suddenly let out a soft cry, followed by the sound of someone being hit.

"You little brat, I knew you had ill intentions. Trying to cripple my balls, you really have the guts to think that."

"Kill me then. I came here for revenge," Qi Nu's voice said.

Gu Shenwei's heart leaped. Had Qi Nu been unable to bear the humiliation and made his move early? Should he go out to help, or continue waiting under the bed?

Slap, slap, slap, the sound of repeated hitting, accompanied by Han Shiqi's increasingly excited cries:

"Fuck, my methods are more interesting. Let's see if you can handle something new you haven't tried before."

"Let go of my brother!" Xie Nu shouted.

The brothers were like weak lambs in Han Shiqi's hands. Their screams and struggles only ignited his more perverse desires.

Then, someone jumped onto the bed. "You little bastard, come at me if you dare."

It was Xie Nu. He had only learned Central Plains dialect for less than a month, and his curses were the same as Han Jinu's.

Bang, another person jumped onto the bed. Judging by the sound of the landing, Gu Shenwei guessed it was Qi Nu, who Han Shiqi had thrown onto the bed.

"Heh heh, two virgins. Grandpa will play with you properly. Now that you can understand what I'm saying, it'll be much more interesting."

Gu Shenwei understood the brothers' intention. Han Shiqi liked to use force, and they were using this to lure Han Shiqi onto the bed.

Gu Shenwei cleared his mind of all thoughts and quietly waited for the signal to act.

The bed was tossed and turned upside down, with constant cries. Gu Shenwei heard none of it.

"Brother!"

The signal finally came. Gu Shenwei couldn't even tell who had made the sound. Blood rushed to his head. He wanted to use all his strength, but he couldn't muster it. He wanted to be quick and agile, but his movements were as slow as if he were frozen.

The sharp little knife pierced through the gap in the bed board, smoothly and unobstructed, as if entering empty space.

Then it met an obstruction, a hard obstruction. The blade could not advance another inch.