Where Immortals Once Walked

Before long, He Lingchuan had escorted Fatty Wang into He Chunhua’s temporary quarters, where two of his father’s guards were already stationed.

The lady of this house was present as well, trembling as she watched them come in.

He Lingchuan asked her, “The man who was here earlier, was he a brigand too?”

“My child’s father was killed. That scoundrel took his place to watch over you,” she said through tears. “And what he did to me... that wasn’t the only thing. Please, Lord Official, spare our lives!”

He Lingchuan sighed. “Head inside and lock the door. What happens here has nothing to do with you.”

She nodded silently and slipped into the master bedroom. Moments later, the metallic clink of a lock came from within.

He settled Fatty Wang and Mrs. Zhu in the kitchen, then the five of them spread out to guard the doors and windows, every hand gripping a weapon tightly.

Not long after, footsteps sounded outside.

He Lingchuan listened carefully. The group was sizable, their pace steady, neither hurried nor panicked.

More tellingly, he picked out the light patter of small steps.

Those smaller steps were quite clearly Madame Ying’s footsteps.

He flung the door wide and stepped out.

Sure enough, He Chunhua was returning with his wife and son, followed by their bodyguard Zhao Qinghe. Another man was with them, Mozhe Jingxuan[1], one of the staff He Chunhua had brought back from Heishui City.

Seeing He Lingchuan at the door, everyone stopped short. He Chunhua let out a long breath of relief. “You’re back. Good, good!”

During the chaos at the lake, his thoughts had been on his missing eldest son the entire time.

The party came inside. The guards quickly stationed themselves around the house to secure the premises.

Madame Ying asked her eldest son, “Where were you just now?”

“I was preparing a gift for Father.” He Lingchuan led his father inside and pointed to Fatty Wang, who was lying on the floor. “This fatty is close to Boss Lu. He seems to be a figure of some rank among the brigands. He was left at Mrs. Zhu’s place, and I was worried I’d never be able to get him back. But when fighting broke out at the lake, I took the chance...”

At the words “close to Boss Lu,” He Chunhua’s long-furrowed brow eased. He patted his eldest son on the shoulder. “Well done.”

“He’s already admitted that the brigands seized Qianteng Town two days ago, and that more than two hundred of their men are still there.”

“Still there?” He Chunhua’s expression tightened.

“The interrogation was cut short. I can continue—”

“No need.” He Chunhua cut him off. “Leave the rest to me.”

He gave orders for Fatty Wang to be interrogated further. At that, Mrs. Zhu hurried out of the kitchen.

The small dining room now held six or seven people. She walked straight to He Chunhua, then suddenly dropped to her knees with a thud and said, “Lord He, save me!”

The abruptness left even He Chunhua momentarily stunned.

Madame Ying quickly stepped forward to lift the woman gently. “Rise, and speak.”

“My name is Zhu Xiu’er, granddaughter of Zhu Xiyan, Minister Coachman of the Court of the Imperial Stud[2] Seven years ago, at the Flower Festival Fair[3] in Xin’an, I was drugged and abducted, then sold to a wealthy merchant on the coast. His wife was jealous, so she secretly sold me off again, and I eventually ended up here.”

She pulled up her sleeve. The thin arm beneath was marked with old scars, mottled welts left by lash and rope. “I tried to escape many times, but each time I was caught and punished. These are the marks left behind. As for the other scars, they’re in places too shameful to show.”

Everyone exchanged bewildered looks, falling momentarily speechless at the revelation.

At length, He Chunhua finally said in a low voice, “Lord Zhu’s granddaughter went missing seven or eight years ago. He searched tirelessly to no avail, and the matter became widely known throughout the capital. The Commandery Administrator of Xin’an Commandery even lost his post over it. I can confirm that there is some truth to your words, but tell me, how are you going to prove that you are indeed Zhu Xiu’er?”

The vexing dilemma of proving that you were who you said you were was always the hardest to solve.

Yet Zhu Xiu’er had clearly come prepared. She loosened her hair, revealing the back of her neck. “This lotus-petal-shaped birthmark, I’ve had it since birth. When my grandfather first saw it, he said I would grow up as graceful as orchids and lotuses. My grandfather loved his drink. He was always warming wine under the pergola in the back garden.”

She paused, then she continued, “I can recall every detail from my childhood. Each memory can be verified.”

Her fluent, confident replies made her sincerity plain. He Chunhua’s aide turned to him. “My lord, this will be very easy to confirm.”

He Chunhua nodded. “Very well. You’ll come with us.”

Zhu Xiu’er’s eyes brimmed with tears of relief. She bowed deeply. “My deepest thanks, my lord!”

“You’ve helped us greatly. It’s we who should be thanking you.” He Chunhua waved her off. “Otherwise, these brigands would still be plotting against us in the shadows.”

He glanced at Madame Ying, who understood at once. She stepped forward, took Zhu Xiu’er by the hand, and gently drew her aside to speak.

Upon learning that her husband and mother-in-law had been killed, and that her two children had been taken hostage by the brigands, Madame Ying sighed. “All of these villains deserve to be brought to justice.”

He Lingchuan, meanwhile, pulled out a green apple and bit into it with a loud crunch. “Justice? Bah. Justice won’t touch men like these. Only villains grind down villains.”

Ugh. Why are mountain apples this sour? He clutched his jaw, feeling as though his teeth might drop out.

Madame Ying shot him a glare.

I’m trying to comfort her, yet you just go and ruin everything.

* * *

Once both leaders had agreed, the state troops and the routed militia quickly withdrew to their own sides. The state troops occupied the eastern half of the village, and the brigands held the west.

He Chunhua had hoped to negotiate for the release of the villagers in the western part of the village as well, but Lu Yao was clearly no fool. The other party knew the worth of good hostages and flatly refused.

When the news reached the western villagers, their wailing shook the sky.

Lu Yao ignored it at first, but the sheer volume grated on his nerves. At last, he waved a hand irritably. “Tell them to shut their mouths, or I’ll be cutting out tongues to go with my wine.”

This was no idle threat. In fact, this was something he had already done before. But with the state troops camped just across the way, he held back from anything too provocative.

Glancing around, he suddenly asked, “Where’s that fat bastard?” Usually, small annoyances like this never required him to lift a finger. Fatty Wang was always the first to deal with them.

Of course, Fatty Wang was nowhere to be seen.

Nearby, some of his men were roasting fish over a fire. Lu Yao took a swig of wine. Though they had just fought, he was in high spirits.

He had worried constantly that his unreliable underlings would give themselves away and let the soldiers see through their act. But now the pretense was dropped, the truth laid bare. With a truce declared in the middle of the village, both sides were oddly at peace.

One of his close men urged him, “General, you should drink less. What if they suddenly launch a night raid?”

Lu Yao snorted with laughter. “Them? A night raid? Don’t give that dog of an official too much credit!”

He wiped his mouth. “That dog official is headed to Xia Province to take up his post. These three hundred men are his only real strength, just as you are mine. Without his trusted followers, in a place where he knows no one, how will he manage anything? Even if he lost half, or even just a third of them, he’d have a hell of a lot more trouble being able to do anything in Xia Province. So, tell me, is he more likely to want a fight tonight, or to wait for dawn so he can get on the road?”

“Of course, he’ll want to flee as soon as possible,” another sycophant agreed. “That dog official’s courage and foresight are nothing compared to our general’s. Besides, he’s just a passing official, so why would he bother meddling in local affairs? As long as he’s promised a safe departure at dawn, he definitely won’t make a move tonight.”

Lu Yao’s eyes narrowed as he set down his wine cup. “Strengthen the watch after the fourth watch of the night. We can’t let them slip away. Oh, and where did you say Wu Shaoyi and Pei Xinyong’s teams were at already?”

1. Fun Fact: The surname Mozhe (莫折) is a historical surname recorded to have been used in the Northern Wei dynasty. It’s no longer used today. ☜

2. Minister Coachman is basically the head minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud, which was also known as the Court of the Imperial Stables. This court was in charge of managing state horse pasturage, stables, and corrals, as well as maintaining the vehicles for use by the imperial household and members of the central government. ☜

3. This is referring to a traditional Chinese temple fair held during the Flower Festival, which is generally celebrated in spring on the second day of the second month, or the twelfth day of the second month (depends on region ☜