Chapter 17 – Midnight Intruders (Part One)
That noble girl’s face flushed bright red as she stammered, “Out there… how dangerous can it be…”
Don’t let that sweet talk fool you; Shangguan Wan could be sharp when she wanted to be.
“Hmph, if it’s not dangerous, why don’t you step outside and give it a try? Just bring back a few logs from right by the door.”
Struck silent by Shangguan Wan’s retort, the little girl dared not speak another word, much less venture outside for firewood.
Seeing their unpleasant spat, Wan Xiuer stepped in as a peacemaker, “Why don’t you two just settle down? Let’s take a step back and give each other some leeway. We’ve all been frightened today. Who isn’t starving? I’ll fetch the logs at the door.”
Jiang Pengji had been gone for almost half an hour, just a little over fifteen minutes.
In such a short time, the wood they had brought in earlier had been carelessly burned down to nearly nothing.
If they didn’t go out and fetch more, the bonfire might go out soon.
The wooden bolt was a bit heavy, but with the help of another noble girl, Wan Xiuer managed to move it aside.
She opened the door carefully and gently left it ajar.
As she stepped out from the warmth of the room into the chill of the night breeze, her thin spring robe offered little protection, and she couldn’t help but shiver.
Trying to suppress the prickly fear creeping up, she squinted into the darkness, frowning as she lifted a few sturdy logs.
Just as she straightened up, holding the logs close, she spotted vague, shadowy figures swaying by the village entrance.
In an instant, a wave of cold swept through her from her feet to her head; had it been any other day, she might have fainted from fright.
Her legs froze in place, and battling her overwhelming terror, she bit her tongue hard to refocus. She couldn’t just drop the wood; what if the noise attracted those ghostly figures?
Then, the noble girls watched as Wan Xiuer’s face turned ashen, her teeth chattering as she stepped inside.
Once inside, she hurriedly shoved the logs into the nearest girl’s arms, not waiting for a reaction, before quickly sealing the door.
“Quick, quick… bring the door bolt over… outside… outside there are ghostly figures…”
She practically sobbed the words out.
At this announcement, those noble girls still half-awake were instantly jolted to full alert, scrambling to move the door bolt into place.
“Ghostly figures? Could it be… what Liu Lanting predicted actually came true?”
Thinking back to the unsettling words uttered before they left, the group of noble girls felt their hearts racing madly, ready to leap into their throats.
“Her mouth has always been good at predicting things! What if she really was right… otherwise, how did those bandits… die?”
“But… should we extinguish the fire? Wouldn’t the light draw too much attention…?”
“Aren’t ghosts supposed to fear the light? If we blow out the fire, and they come in through the door, what do we do?”
At that moment, even the noble girls who held grudges against Jiang Pengji wished for her speedy return.
But, the worries they feared had begun to unfold.
The shadow on the paper window grew closer, and even the most timid one knew to bite their hand hard, making sure not to make a sound despite their fear.
Outside, the party mistaken for ghostly figures was in a dire state, even more disheveled than the noble girls inside.
“This deep in the mountains, there’s a village… Let’s support Si Langjun to a place to rest, and see if there’s a Barefoot Doctor…”
Their clothes were tattered, hairpins askew, weapons stained with blood, and many bore wounds.
Though the likelihood of finding a doctor in such a small village was slim, and finding a competent Barefoot Doctor even slimmer, they were at their wit’s end, having stumbled into the mountains for two days to escape pursuers. Si Langjun was injured and had caught a cold, burning with fever, leaving them with only hope.
However, as they neared the bandit stronghold’s entrance, their faces changed.
“Someone go investigate first…”
In this village, only one building was lit, and unsettlingly, it was far too bright while everything else lay still, not even a crow cawing.
In such villages, there should at least be hunters, who must keep dogs.
How could they ever be so quiet upon sensing strangers approaching?
The young boy’s mind raced as the two guards dispatched quickly returned, looking pale with shock.
“Feng Langjun, I’m afraid this isn’t a normal village but a bandit stronghold. All the bandits here have been silenced; their deaths estimated to have occurred no longer than an hour ago. The one who did it is remarkably strong, the killing swift and terrifyingly efficient…”
The boy known as Feng Langjun pursed his lips and glanced at Si Langjun, who was being carried, hastily asking, “Is there anyone in that main building?”
“Yes, quite a few… Could they be those vile scoundrels?”
Licking his dry, cracked lips, the boy made his decision, “Go knock on the door, but remember, don’t startle those inside.”
The guard didn’t hesitate, promptly obeying.
Then, a series of knocks echoed in the dead of night.
A group of noble girls huddled by the door, pushing against it, fists clenched, their hearts repeating Jiang Pengji’s name.
No response?
The guard turned back, and Feng Langjun nodded, signaling him to keep knocking.
This time, finally, someone responded, but the voice was surprisingly rough, a girl’s voice laced with rasp.
Of course, Wei Jingxian was tightening her throat, but the outsiders were perceptive; they could instantly tell something felt off.
“Is there… someone outside… a person or a ghost?”
Wei Jingxian struggled to recall how Jiang Pengji had tricked the bandits, trying hard to calm herself.
It seemed no immediate danger was at hand.
Feng Langjun’s furrowed brow slowly relaxed, “Of course, we are very much alive. Miss, we are a merchant party that accidentally lost our way in the mountains. Our young master got hurt while being mischievous and caught a chill, running a high fever. We were wondering if you could lend us a hand?”
A man?
The noble girls exchanged glances, shaking their heads at Wei Jingxian, determined not to let him inside!
“My… husband went hunting, leaving only me, a little woman, with a few friends who visited recently… It’s quite late and chilly, and we are just two of us, which is rather inconvenient. My husband will return soon; I wouldn’t want to cause misunderstandings. Please allow us to thank you from afar.”
Feng Langjun raised an eyebrow, lips pursed into a thin line, his gaze flickering with intent.
Inside, Shangguan Wan looked nervously at Wei Jingxian, quietly asking, “Will this scare them away?”
“Outside are the corpses of bandits slain by Lanting; they say they’re a merchant party. They should have seen enough of the world to recognize those bodies aren’t normal… I mentioned Lanting will return soon; if those people aren’t foolish, even if they don’t leave, they won’t dare barging in…”
Before she finished speaking, Shangguan Wan stared at her in surprise, while the other noble girls mirrored her expression of realization.
Wei Jingxian: “…What’s wrong?”
