Chapter 840 – What of Killing You? (Part Seven)
Yuan Chong received the order, but he still felt a twinge of doubt in his heart.
Why did the Master think that the woman was peculiar?
In confusion, his sharp tiger eyes brimmed with curiosity as he cast a somewhat pitiful glance at Cheng Jing.
Cheng Jing offered no explanation and instead looked thoughtfully toward the back of the convoy—
That woman was still stubbornly following, unaware of her intentions.
Cheng Jing lowered the carriage curtain and picked up the bamboo slip he had been reading, quickly becoming engrossed in it.
Having received the order, Yuan Chong naturally didn’t dare to underestimate the little tail trailing behind their convoy.
No matter how hard he racked his brain, he still couldn’t find any flaws. He wondered why Cheng Jing suspected her with just a single glance.
Yuan Chong discreetly kept an eye on her for a while, thinking, “No matter how you look at it, she seems like a harmless woman. She walks unsteadily, breathes quickly, and there’s no sign of martial arts in her exposed hands… Could it be that the Master is mistaken?”
Of course, he didn’t have the courage to voice this suspicion.
After all, Cheng Jing made a living with his intellect; if his IQ were even lower than Yuan Chong’s, what kind of strategist would he be?
Could it be that this woman was too well-hidden?
Yuan Chong rode atop his horse, his right hand pressed against the hilt, seemingly nodding along with the horse’s steps while keeping a vigilant watch.
He positioned himself nearby Cheng Jing, diverting part of his attention to keep an eye on the woman at the back of the convoy.
The woman remained completely unaware that she had been suspected; she didn’t even hear the conversation between Cheng Jing and Yuan Chong ten zhang away.
Ten zhang, roughly thirty-four meters.
At that distance, even if people spoke loudly, their words would be indistinct to an ordinary person. However, for someone with keen senses—especially a “peerless master” like her—it was a piece of cake. It was just a pity that while she possessed extraordinary martial skills, they were all learned from a skill book.
The skill book could indeed make her into a battle-hardened martial arts expert, no doubt about it.
However, she still lacked the basic qualities and habits of a true martial artist.
A genuine martial artist would always remain alert, which isn’t a conscious action but a habit—like Jiang Pengji.
As for the woman in front of them, despite her extraordinary abilities, she would still be easily overpowered by someone of the same level.
Suddenly, she stepped on a loose stone, her foot slipped, and she nearly fell.
With a pained cry, her voice was soft and gentle, sounding as if she was weeping, tugging at one’s heartstrings.
Hearing this sound, Yuan Chong’s body stiffened, and he instinctively kicked the horse’s belly harder.
If he reacted this way, the other ordinary guards would surely be embarrassed.
“This lady… could you please stop following us? We’re at the Wanzhou border, and those desperate men have just been dealt with; they shouldn’t bother you anymore,” Yuan Chong said, advancing on horseback, lightly swinging the reins against a few guards’ shoulders. They winced and quickly took a couple of steps forward, as if being chased by ferocious beasts… Oh dear, that last cry was too alluring!
The woman slumped to the ground, her hair cascading down the side of her face, making her small, palm-sized face appear even more pitiful, with her large, watery eyes seeming capable of drowning a person.
“I-I… General, this small woman…”
The woman stumbled over her words, nervously twisting her fingers and sleeves, her eyes rimmed with red and glistening with tears.
She must have been scared witless; after struggling to find a sense of security, she was now driven away by a fierce-looking martial man, which made her look exceptionally pitiable.
Yuan Chong said, “Lady, we need to enter the gates to visit relatives, it’s not convenient for you to follow.”
He had said what needed to be said, yet the woman still refused to leave.
Of course, she couldn’t just leave; paying a few pieces of silver to a desperate man for a performance was a risk, and if she failed to achieve her objective, she would be at a great loss!
At first, Yuan Chong hadn’t noticed anything odd about the woman, but after repeatedly urging her to leave and she still wouldn’t budge, suspicions began to creep in.
This woman was none other than the transmigrated girl who Jiang Pengji had set her sights on earlier!
And the transmigrated girl was so full of confidence, and rightly so.
If it hadn’t been for encountering Jiang Pengji or someone as keenly observant as Cheng Jing, the transmigrated girl would likely have blended in perfectly.
With Jiang Pengji’s stringent criteria, she might have given the woman’s disguise a fifty out of a hundred; for an ordinary person, it would be extremely difficult to see through.
For instance, Yuan Chong had not immediately detected anything wrong.
However, perfect disguises not only required an unflawed appearance but also exceptional acting skills and meticulous attention to detail. Any slight flaw in any aspect makes it easy for others to uncover one’s identity. Having learned from past lessons, the transmigrated girl had put considerable effort into her disguise, which was not bad, but the flaw lay in her choice of place and timing, leading to her being seen through by Cheng Jing.
Now, as they were nearing the Wanzhou checkpoint, with soldiers outside maintaining order, what sort of vagrant would be so daring as to chase after a relatively attractive woman with plans to assault her? Let’s not forget that the Wanzhou Governor was a woman; would she allow such things to happen on the borders of Wanzhou?
Was it more important to covet fleeting beauty, or to value one’s life?
When Yuan Chong spoke of killing the desperate men, their reactions were quite amusing; how could Cheng Jing not notice?
Besides all that, the look in the woman’s eyes and her overall demeanor were also flaws, lacking the confusion and numbness expected of an ordinary refugee.
A woman capable of fleeing from Wolong County to Wanzhou would undoubtedly be highly vigilant against the outside world and wouldn’t easily reveal her true self.
But what did the woman do after escaping danger?
She wiped her face with her sleeve, revealing her distressed but not unappealing features… Was this action reasonable?
Flaws like this were everywhere, and one might overlook them if they were somewhat careless, but Cheng Jing was not the type to be careless.
“Mr. Cheng, we can’t shake her off; it’s like she’s latched onto us. This humble one will send someone to keep an eye on her; her reactions are quite interesting… just like someone who emerged from a certain place…” Yuan Chong lowered his voice as he spoke to the window, pausing mid-sentence to swallow back the rest of his words.
Their esteemed master was a person with a moon-like grace; how could anything crude taint his ears?
Cheng Jing placed the bamboo slip aside, smoothed out the slightly wrinkled sleeve, and after some contemplation said, “Forget it… once we enter the gates, we’ll send her off.”
Though suspicious, they were in Liu Xi’s territory, and Cheng Jing couldn’t discern the woman’s intentions. He feared she might be from Wanzhou, which would make it difficult to kill her.
To avoid complications, caution was the way to go.
The queue of refugees outside the gate was too long; they didn’t get permission to enter until sunset.
Following Cheng Jing’s instructions, Yuan Chong sent the woman away. She walked off sobbing, limping on one foot.
As the moon rose high in the sky.
The convoy was forced to camp outside, and Cheng Jing’s routine was always orderly; despite the poor conditions, he could still fall asleep on time.
He drew the curtain of the carriage and removed his outer cloak, just as he was about to settle in when an unfamiliar scent of powder wafted into the cabin.
Cheng Jing abruptly opened his eyes and drew the scholar’s sword he always carried, thrusting it toward the source of the fragrance.
“ Heng Shu!”
As soon as he exclaimed, his wrist suddenly throbbed with pain, as if something chilly had burrowed into his skin, and he heard a sharp, piercing scream nearby.
