Poor Liu Zhao

Wang Family Valley.

On the winding mountain road, two village households had come to blows over a water source, blocking the way.

One family had even dug a channel across the middle of the road. Muddy water gurgled out, cutting off the entire mountain path.

Liu Zhao's carriage was forced to stop.

"Move aside! You unruly peasants, block the road again and you'll lose your heads!"

The Liu Family steward shouted at them, and several guards stepped forward to shove the crowd aside.

No one knew who struck first. The two families' insults suddenly escalated into a brawl, clubs clashing and stones flying.

The guards who had just rushed in were beaten straight back out.

"Fools with a death wish!"

The steward's face turned livid. He was about to order his men to force their way through when Liu Zhao's icy voice came from inside the carriage. "Scatter some copper coins and bits of silver along the roadside. Lure them away, quickly. If anyone still dares block us, kill them on the spot."

"Yes."

The guards obeyed, flinging handfuls of copper coins and silver pieces to either side of the road.

The villagers' eyes turned red at the sight. They swarmed after the money, leaving only a few still fighting.

Liu Family men advanced with blades and axes. The remaining villagers shuddered and scrambled away.

But though the road was clear, the ditch the villagers had dug still lay across it.

The irrigation ditch was neither wide nor narrow, just wide enough to swallow a carriage wheel.

If the carriage tried to cross, it would certainly get stuck.

The Liu Family steward gritted his teeth. He ordered the harness ropes untied and summoned the accompanying martial masters. With a shout, they lifted the entire carriage and carried it across the ditch.

The ordeal cost them even more time.

Only then did a trace of anxiety appear on Liu Zhao's usually composed face.

One mishap after another made him feel as though some unseen hand were secretly pulling his strings.

Liu Zhao lifted the curtain and called the steward over. "You have the Cui Family's coachman under control?"

"Rest assured, young master. His whole family is in our hands. He'll trigger the mechanism as instructed and lock Third Miss Cui inside the carriage."

Liu Zhao relaxed a little.

As long as Cui Xijun was still in the carriage, a short delay should not matter.

Yet his eyelid kept twitching, and his heart pounded like a drum.

It felt as though something terrible had happened.

The convoy continued on.

A while later, they heard hoofbeats on the mountain.

They came closer, sweeping down the road like a sudden rainstorm.

Liu Zhao instinctively looked outside. Two riders galloped toward them, sitting tall in their saddles, their robes streaming in the wind.

Then he made out the face of the woman in front, and his expression changed drastically.

The rider was none other than the woman at the center of his plans today—Cui Xijun.

Cui Xijun spotted the Liu Family convoy too. A flicker of suspicion crossed her eyes, but she did not stop or ask any questions.

She merely squeezed her horse's flanks. Dirt flew beneath its hooves as she rode past Liu Zhao's convoy.

Liu Zhao yanked the curtain shut. His face was deathly pale, sweat beading on his forehead. He dared not show himself.

Once the hoofbeats faded, he could no longer sit still. He fidgeted inside the carriage like an ant on a hot pan.

"Stop the carriage! Ready a horse!"

He barked the order and hurried down.

Then he mounted with two or three trusted men and raced toward Xiangguo Temple.

The foreboding in his heart grew stronger. He desperately needed to know what had happened up ahead.

The time it took an incense stick to burn later.

Liu Zhao and his men reached the bend in the narrow road along the rocky slope.

Before they drew close, the wind carried the smell of blood to them.

He passed through the wooded stretch and rounded the bend. Bodies lay scattered everywhere, and he stared in horror.

Among the dead were not only Cui Family people, but also familiar faces he recognized.

He stumbled off his horse and into the heap of corpses, where he saw Cai He's enormous head.

Cai He's eyes were wide open. He had died with them unclosed.

Liu Zhao walked on until he stood before the carriage they had prepared so carefully.

The mechanism on the carriage had been triggered. Its door stood wide open, and there was no one inside.

Liu Zhao shuddered so hard he nearly lost his footing. The last of his composure shattered.

He kicked Cai He's head away and screamed, "Useless fool! You've ruined everything!"

Behind him, the steward's face was ashen. He stepped forward, his voice trembling. "Young master... what do we do now?"

Liu Zhao caught his breath and forced down his surging emotions. Through gritted teeth, he ordered, "Turn the convoy around. We're not going back to Capital City. Head straight for Cloud Center. Send someone on a fast horse to warn my father so he can prepare."

The steward's heart sank.

Cloud Center was the Liu Family's ancestral home.

Unless the situation had spiraled out of control, the young master would never retreat there so readily.

Once he left Capital City, he would be far from the center of power and lose his chance to be groomed with the family's full support.

This time, the young master had truly panicked.

Chen Ye could not ride a horse.

He could only lead the horse Cui Xijun had given him by the reins.

After leaving the narrow road along the rocky slope, he did not descend the mountain and return to Capital City. Instead, he turned into the Hidden Dragon Mountain Range on the city's outskirts.

The mountains were not high, but their forests were deep and their ridges spread wide, making them easy to hide in.

A short way up a secluded trail stood a crude thatched hut.

Villagers from below used it for brief rests while hunting in the mountains. Most days, hardly anyone came near.

The three of them had agreed beforehand to meet here after the operation.

Chen Ye looked around. Once he was sure no one was there, he stepped up and knocked: one long rap, then two short ones.

The wooden door opened.

Zuo Dongxi and Su Guang stood inside. Both froze when they saw the horse in his hand.

Su Guang hastily warned him, "The horses owned by Capital City's Aristocratic Clans all bear brands. We can't take it with us, and the horse market won't buy it."

Chen Ye stroked the horse's mane and smiled. "Third Miss Cui gave me this one. It should be fine."

Su Guang's eyes lit up. "Did you get into the Cui Family?"

"Nothing's settled yet." Chen Ye shook his head. "But it's a good start. Let's talk inside."

Chen Ye tied the horse to a tree beside the hut, stepped in, and locked the door.

The hut was cramped. Dry firewood and straw lay piled in one corner, with a wooden chest two feet three inches long set beside them.

Chen Ye walked over and flipped it open with the tip of his foot. Inside were stacked silver ingots and gold cakes, along with scattered jewels.

For a moment, a faint gleam filled the room.

Zuo Dongxi stepped forward and said quietly, "Su Guang and I made a rough count. It's about fourteen hundred taels. The Cui Family's incense offering accounts for eleven hundred; the other three hundred came from the men we searched."

Chen Ye gave a derisive laugh. "These Aristocratic Clans really are rich."

"The State Preceptor presides over Xiangguo Temple, so all the Aristocratic Clans in Capital City want to cultivate ties there. Of course their incense offerings are generous. Still, I didn't expect the Liu Family to spend so much this time."

Chen Ye said, "They probably never intended to let those men return alive. If we hadn't upset their plans, the money would have made a circuit and ended up back in their hands."

As he spoke, he moved closer to the window and scanned outside. Only after confirming no one had followed him did he turn back. "The operation went smoothly thanks to the two of you working together, and we came away with this unexpected windfall."

"Whether I can join the Cui Family can wait. For now, let's divide the silver."

Su Guang and Zuo Dongxi sat up straight and listened intently.

Neither was particularly short of silver or greedy, but such a large windfall was hard not to covet.

Chen Ye did not wait for either man to speak. "I'll tell you what I think. We should divide the silver according to how much each person contributed. Otherwise, resentment will grow and inevitably harm our friendship later."

"With clear rules, we brothers can keep working together."