Fleeing to Master's Wife

The courtyard wall wasn't high. Lu Chen vaulted onto it in one smooth motion, then landed and staggered a few steps.

Behind him, the constables shouted angrily.

Without looking back, he plunged into a narrow alley, shouting as he ran:

"Thief! Catch the thief!"

It was the signal he and his brothers had agreed on earlier.

If officers came to the door, they would shout "Catch the thief!"

If someone came seeking revenge, they would shout "The officers are here!"

Lu Chen knew all too well that when the authorities arrested someone, they usually caught the whole nest if even one person got away.

If the constables couldn't catch their true target, they would turn around and make the culprit's relatives and sworn brothers take the blame.

With him on the run, Blind Man and the others were bound to suffer.

Lu Chen shouted as he ran. He had to make sure his brothers heard him and escaped too, before the constables caught them.

The constables pursued him relentlessly.

Lu Chen sprinted on without looking back.

Thanks to the light-footed skill he had drawn from the Martial Arts Card Pool, his steps grew noticeably lighter as he put it to use. And because he knew Sheep Dung Alley so well, he made several sharp turns and detours, ducking into narrow passages and dark lanes until he left the constables far behind.

He didn't choose to flee outside the city. Instead, he turned east and headed straight for the Plum Blossom Martial Hall.

Liu Qi usually stayed in one of the hall's side rooms.

Lu Chen vaulted over the wall and landed silently in the courtyard. He went straight to the east wing and pushed the door open. It wasn't bolted, and it creaked open.

The room was pitch-black.

There was no lamplight, and no one stirred.

Liu Qi wasn't there. At this hour, he must have gone with Master Deng to enjoy himself at the theater.

Lu Chen's eyes lit up. That meant Master's Wife was home alone.

He immediately left and hurried toward the inner residence.

He climbed over the wall again and deliberately made a little noise when he landed.

Master Deng wasn't there. Aside from two young maids and a hard-of-hearing serving woman, Master's Wife was the only one in the inner residence.

Lu Chen walked up to the main room and was about to knock when the door suddenly swung open from within.

Master's Wife stood in the doorway in a plain white nightgown, its sash loosely tied and outlining her full figure.

A pair of jade-white legs emerged from beneath the hem, her bare feet slender, her ankles delicate.

When she saw someone break in in the dead of night, a flash of icy light flickered in her eyes. Her toes shot out in a kick.

Lu Chen hurriedly raised his arm to block. A soft yet vicious surge of Hidden Force struck through him. His organs seemed to twist all at once, and a metallic sweetness welled in his throat. He nearly spat out blood on the spot.

He had just fought several constables, taking blows from both blades and cudgels, without feeling seriously hurt.

Who could have guessed that Master's Wife's seemingly casual kick would churn his blood and nearly kill him?

"Who dares barge in here in the dead of night?"

Master's Wife demanded coldly. When she made out who it was in the moonlight, she paused in surprise.

"Lu Chen?"

"Master's Wife..." Lu Chen managed, his breath unsteady.

She gathered the loose edges of her robe with her fingertips and frowned.

"You'd better have a good explanation for barging into my bedroom in the middle of the night."

Lu Chen dropped to his knees with a thud, looking pitiful.

"Master's Wife, please save me! I've been framed. The constables came to my door tonight and insisted I'd killed a scoundrel who lent money at usurious rates. I had no choice but to climb the wall and escape. I have no relatives in Wen'an County—Master's Wife, you've always treated me best. Please give me a way out."

The full moon hung high.

The cold wind howled.

When Lu Chen finished, he lowered his head and knelt motionless on the icy ground.

Master's Wife stood before him in silence.

Lu Chen kept his gaze lowered, and it happened to fall upon Master's Wife's bare feet. They were slender and shapely, her toes round and neat as pearls. The cold floor had turned them faintly red, lending them an indescribable softness.

His heart sank.

That kick had nearly left him with internal injuries. No ordinary woman could have wielded such force. Master's Wife was at least an External Force expert!

But the Plum Blossom Martial Hall had always made its name with boxing techniques.

Why had Master's Wife opened with such a fierce and strange kick when faced with an enemy?

Could it be that the Plum Blossom Martial Hall was hiding a profound leg technique that outsiders knew nothing about?

It seemed the Plum Blossom Martial Hall had deeper foundations than Lu Chen had realized.

After a long pause, Master's Wife finally spoke, her voice giving away nothing.

"Get up. It's cold outside. Come inside and talk."

Lu Chen kept his head lowered. "This disciple wouldn't dare..."

Great Liang had open customs, but a disciple entering his master's wife's room in the dead of night was still improper. If word got out, people would surely gossip.

"You're so young, yet you're already such a worrier."

Master's Wife gave a soft snort. "In this bitter winter cold, are you planning to freeze to death at my door? If you have something to report, come in. If you catch a chill, there won't be anyone free to brew you medicine."

"Th-thank you, Master's Wife!"

Lu Chen got up and stepped inside. A warm, fragrant scent washed over him.

On the table sat a pot of wine kept warm, with a solitary lotus-leaf cup beside it. A little wine remained at the bottom, gleaming amber.

Master's Wife was still awake so late, sipping alone.

Lu Chen's thoughts stirred, and he mused inwardly:

Could it be that she was lonely in her chambers and couldn't sleep?

Master's Wife casually pulled a silver-fox fur robe around herself. Half of one fair ankle showed beneath the hem as she stood barefoot on the cold floor and spoke softly.

"Your master has had a lot of social engagements lately and comes home late. I have nothing to do by myself, so I warm a little wine to pass the time."

Lu Chen lowered his head and said nothing, sneering inwardly.

What social engagements? Master Deng was probably enjoying himself right now with that lover from the troupe, the one who sings the female roles.

It was pitiful that someone as sharp as Master's Wife had been taken in by such a shoddy excuse.

Still, that gave Lu Chen an opening.

Master Deng was a man who valued advantage above all. If he were here, he definitely wouldn't help.

Master's Wife was different. She was cold on the outside but warm inside. On a lonely, lamplit night like this, it would be easiest to touch her soft heart.

Master's Wife sat down, crossed one leg, and gently swung her small foot.

"Tell me exactly what happened tonight."

Lu Chen recounted the whole affair.

He left out his grudge against Han Lao Wu, only saying that the constables had suddenly come to arrest him and painting himself as a poor victim who had been framed.

Master's Wife listened quietly. Her gaze lingered briefly on several knife wounds on Lu Chen, but she didn't ask about them.

When he finished, she said only, "For tonight, stay in the guest room in the west wing. We'll talk tomorrow."

"Yes." Lu Chen was about to leave.

"Wait."

Master's Wife suddenly called him back. She took a medicine chest from the elm cabinet against the wall and handed it to him. "Treat your wounds."

"Yes." Lu Chen took the chest and left the room.

He went to the guest room. It was simply furnished, with only a bed and a table.

Lu Chen took off his bloodstained cotton jacket, sprinkled wound medicine over his injuries, and bandaged them. Then he lay down fully clothed on the hard bed, going over the day's events.

The authorities never cared much about the truth when handling a case.

Whenever there was a murder, they simply arrested a few people who had old grudges against the victim and pinned the crime on them to close the case.

They would put the prisoner through every instrument of torture in the jail, then send clerks to the culprit's home to threaten and extort the family.

If enough silver changed hands, they would release the prisoner. If the prisoner had no money to grease the wheels and couldn't withstand the torture, he would sign his name and confess, and the case would be considered closed.

Master Feng was involved in this case, so they would only arrest more people.

Whether Lu Chen could escape this calamity depended on whether Master's Wife would help him tomorrow...

It wasn't until the sky began to lighten that he managed to close his eyes for a moment.

"Lu Chen!"

A maid called from outside. "Madam is summoning you to the main hall."

He got up at once and straightened his clothes.

When he opened the door, the morning light made him squint.

The maid led him to the main hall, where Master Deng and Master's Wife were waiting.