Fu Juemin was taken aback. He hadn’t expected to run into Su Hui here.

"Miss... Su."

Fu Juemin hesitated. In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to use the title "Little Grandma Su." "Are you here for the banquet, too?"

Su Hui nodded. "I arrived a little late. I saw Young Master Fu standing here before I even went inside."

Her voice was gentle, sounding exceptionally crisp in the night air.

"It was too stuffy inside. I couldn’t bear it, so I came out for some air."

"It must not be very fun in there, then. In that case, I’ll go in later, too."

With a faint smile, Su Hui naturally stepped forward to walk beside Fu Juemin.

Fu Juemin couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

He glanced behind her and realized she hadn’t come alone. A middle-aged woman, looking to be in her forties, followed her.

She had a plain appearance and was dressed like a handmaiden from the previous dynasty. It was as if her feet didn’t touch the ground; she moved without making the slightest sound.

When her gaze fell on Fu Juemin, he felt a sharp prick in his eyes, as if from a needle.

’The Martial Family!’

A chill went through him, but his apprehension quickly passed.

Given Su Hui’s status, and after what had happened last time, it would be stranger if she *didn’t* have a few capable bodyguards with her.

’As expected of a daughter from the Su Family of the former dynasty... To think she can casually summon a Martial Artist who has at least broken through the Blood Barrier to serve as a guard...’

Fu Juemin couldn’t help but marvel. He didn’t know the true extent of the middle-aged woman’s power, but if a single glance from her could affect him like that, he could only assume her abilities were profound.

No wonder Su Hui had the courage to approach and walk with two grown men this late at night. She had powerful protection and thus nothing to fear.

"The box I sent to your home last time, Young Master Fu, have you had a chance to open it?"

As he was lost in thought, Su Hui suddenly spoke.

Fu Juemin quickly nodded. "I have. I like it very much. Thank you for your thoughtful gift, Miss Su."

He wasn’t sure if she was referring to the Magic Lantern or the Pharmacist Buddha Sutra.

Su Hui smiled faintly. "When I was younger," she said softly, "I was also fascinated by these novelties from the Western World."

"My family used to send me piles of them to relieve my boredom, but I’ve rather lost interest now."

"If you like them, Young Master Fu, I can pick out a few more to send your way..."

"There’s no need..."

Fu Juemin shook his head. "I... have little time for such things now."

Silence fell between them as they continued to walk slowly, side by side.

The welcoming lanterns hung outside the Hu Mansion cast their light upon the pair, throwing their shadows onto the flagstone street.

One shadow long, the other short, yet they looked surprisingly harmonious together.

"You know," she began, "I’ve actually known of you for a long time, Young Master Fu."

Su Hui spoke softly, breaking the silence again.

"Oh?"

Fu Juemin glanced at her, slightly surprised. "Have we met somewhere before, Miss Su?"

"Just before the new year, the Mingfeng Troupe came to Luan River. They set up a stage and performed for seven days."

"During one of the performances, some obnoxious fellow dragged a tall stool right up to the front of the stage, blocking the view for many people behind him."

Su Hui said, her eyes smiling, "And you, Young Master Fu, personally led your men and threw him out..."

"Ah, that’s right."

Fu Juemin’s eyes lit up, and he chuckled. "I’d completely forgotten about that..."

’How rare. To think my predecessor actually did something so satisfyingly just. And what’s more, he even unintentionally left a good impression on Su Hui.’

But just as he was about to offer a few humble words, Su Hui continued in a placid tone:

"...After throwing the man out, you took his seat and spent the rest of the show tossing silver coins onto the stage."

"Ah..."

The smile on Fu Juemin’s face froze. For a moment, he was too embarrassed to speak. Finally, he managed a dry laugh and said sheepishly, "I was young and foolish back then. I’m afraid I made a poor impression, Miss Su."

But Su Hui shook her head. "On the contrary, I found it rather familiar."

Seeing Fu Juemin’s perplexed expression, she explained softly, "I have a younger brother I was very close with growing up. He’s not much older than you, Young Master Fu, and he was always doing the sort of maddeningly amusing things that leave you at a loss for whether to laugh or get angry."

’So she sees me as a younger brother.’

For a moment, Fu Juemin wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed.

Just then, Su Hui stopped and looked at Fu Juemin. "I’ll be leaving Luan River in a few days. Before I go, I’d like to invite you to meet again, Young Master Fu."

"Please, Miss Su, just call me Fu Juemin or Fu Lingjun."

Fu Juemin asked with some surprise, "You’re leaving Luan River soon, Miss Su?"

"Mm."

Su Hui nodded. Perhaps the mention of her "younger brother" had stirred some memories, as her features softened even more.

"The maple leaves on Purple Cloud Mountain, just outside Shenghai, should be turning red. I go to see them every year. If I delay any longer, I’m afraid I’ll miss them..."

"Then I will see you off, Miss Su."

Fu Juemin said politely.

Su Hui smiled, and was just about to say something more.

Just then, a loud, peculiar sound suddenly echoed from the far end of the deserted street.

They stopped talking at once, their heads snapping toward the source of the sound.

The middle-aged handmaiden, who had maintained a distance of about five paces from Su Hui, drifted forward as silently as a ghost. Cao Tian also stepped forward.

Fu Juemin’s brow furrowed as he stared toward the source of the sound.

’It sounded... was that a gunshot?!’

The street fell deathly silent. The Hu Mansion was holding a grand banquet tonight, and nearly all the commotion in the area was contained within its walls.

The street was deserted. The only sound was the night wind, making the high-hung paper lanterns rustle softly.

"SLAP, SLAP—"

From the deep darkness, a string of chaotic footsteps shattered the silence, accompanied by ragged, hurried breaths.

A moment later, a figure stumbled into their line of sight.

—

It was a woman, utterly disheveled and with a look of pure terror on her face.

She was barefoot, her feet slapping against the street. Her every movement and expression exuded a sense of unhinged frenzy.

The woman saw the group, and her unfocused eyes suddenly lit up, as if spotting a life-saving piece of driftwood. She staggered toward them.

"I’m Wu Wanshu! My father is Wu Yongqian, the magistrate of Qingyuan County! I’m Wu Wanshu, my father is the magistrate of Qingyuan County, Wu Yongqian... I’m..."

The woman chanted the words over and over as she ran.

The middle-aged handmaiden moved to shield Su Hui. At a look from Fu Juemin, Cao Tian immediately stepped forward and intercepted the woman.

"I am Wu Wanshu! My father is Wu Yongqian, the magistrate of Qingyuan County!!"

The woman seized Cao Tian’s arm and shrieked hoarsely.

Then, she seemed to completely break down, collapsing into hysterical sobs. "Help me! I’m begging you! Please, help me!...

I’m Wu Wanshu... My father, my father is Wu Yongqian, the magistrate of Qingyuan County..."

Fu Juemin was startled by her words.

He now took a closer look at the woman. Her hair was a tangled, matted mess, looking like it hadn’t been washed in ages. Her fingernails were packed with blood and grime. She was covered in mud and reeked.

Yet, the dress she wore, so filthy its original color was almost indiscernible, was clearly a high-quality qipao. Her hair showed signs of having been permed and dyed, and there were traces of polish on her nails. Beneath all the filth, the few visible patches of clean skin looked exceptionally fair and delicate...

She really did look like the young lady of a wealthy family.

"Qingyuan County is right next to Luan River, and the magistrate... I believe his surname is Wu."

Cao Tian said.

Fu Juemin instinctively glanced at Su Hui, and they both saw a look of shocked disbelief in each other’s eyes.

"The daughter of the Qingyuan County magistrate... what is she doing here in Luan River, and in such a state? Could she have run into mountain bandits?"

Fu Juemin frowned and motioned for Cao Tian to question her further.

But just then, the woman held by Cao Tian flew into a frenzy once more.

"He’s coming! He’s coming!

Get out of the way! All of you, get out of the way!..."

The woman screamed curses, desperately trying to push past Cao Tian. She kept glancing over her shoulder in terror, as if something unspeakably horrible was right behind her.

As the woman continued to struggle violently—

"BANG!"

Another ear-splitting gunshot ripped through the night!

Cao Tian leaped back instantly, and Fu Juemin and the others quickly retreated as well.

Then, they watched in horror—

The woman, who had been struggling madly just a second ago, suddenly froze in place.

A rapid succession of gunshots, like a string of firecrackers, exploded behind her. Bullets tore through the air. In an instant, numerous small holes, the size of rice grains, blossomed across her body. Still standing, she was riddled with bullets, turned into a human sieve.

Viscous blood slowly spread across the flagstones in a widening pool of dark red. Two beams of intense, orange-yellow light cut through the darkness like blades, aimed directly at them from the distance...