Chapter 47 of 90
A Walk with Xiaocui in the Garden
For a man like Li Yuguo, with almost no cultivation to speak of, walking into Ling Snake Mountain was very nearly a death sentence.
Everyone in that field knew it.
"No!" Nalan Meng's voice cracked across the field like a whip. "For a mere maid—you shouldn't take such a risk!"
Li Yuguo had already turned his back on the crowd. He stood looking out toward the north, toward the long blue line of hills on the horizon where the forests began.
"Yeah," he said. "Maybe to you, she's a maid." He did not turn around. "She is a maid. But when I was in the most danger—when even she could barely protect herself—she was still willing to stand up and speak for me. In front of a man with a sword." He was thinking of an alley, and a thin bare arm held up in the sun. "I, Li Yuguo, believe in one principle. If someone treats me well by one part, I'll repay them by nine."
"You won't even listen to me?" Nalan Meng said angrily.
He looked back at her over his shoulder, and smiled.
"At home, a woman follows her father. Once she's married, she follows her husband." He shrugged. "Logically speaking, you should be listening to me. I don't have a choice in this. You don't need to say any more."
Nalan Meng was struck dumb.
In her memory, Li Yuguo was a weak man. A soft, sulking, useless man who drank and gambled and borrowed and rubbed his face against her bedpost at night, and who would have run from a barking dog. That was who she had married. That was who she had despised for three years.
But in the past few days, she had begun to feel that he had changed. Become a different person. He had used to go his own way, alone, careless of everyone. And now he was going to throw himself into Ling Snake Mountain for a servant girl.
She did not know what to do with that.
"Wait a moment."
The King of Thieves had been crouching at the edge of the field while they argued, turning something over in his fingers. Now he stood, and held it up. A flower. A little wild aster, the kind that grew in every ditch around Nalan City.
It was withered. Not dry—withered. Gone gray and black and crumbling in his hand, as if something had sucked the life out of it from the inside.
"This isn't what horse thieves do," he said.
"What?" Every head turned toward him.
Zhang Wei stepped forward. "And who are you? On what authority do you decide anything here?"
The King of Thieves ignored him. "This grass was touched by poison mist. That's why it withered." He looked at the bleeding farmer. "Friend—let me ask you. The horses those men were riding. Did you see what kind they were?"
The farmer had his arm cradled against his chest. He thought, painfully. "Big. Black. Very tall… and—yes, there was a star on the bridge of the nose. A white star, with a cross through it."
"A black star horse."
Nalan Meng stepped forward.
"The black star horse is a very noble breed," she said. "Far more expensive than our yellow horses. It's said they can run eight hundred li in a single day." Then she turned, and looked hard at the King of Thieves. "And who are you? I noticed you before, on the cantilever beam in the mansion. Hiding. But because you were my husband's friend, I didn't expose you." Her eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"
Li Yuguo was quiet.
So she noticed. When the King of Thieves had been lying on the beam over the guest room, Nalan Meng had sensed him the whole time, and said nothing. He should have expected it. She was a martial expert. A real one.
The King of Thieves reached up and pushed back his hood.
The moment it came off, everyone saw it: the scar on his forehead. A deep, pale cross, cut into the skin above his single eye, old and puckered and unmistakable.
Li Yutang's pupils shrank to points.
"A cross scar… You—you're one of the Ten Emperors. One of the ten most famous men under heaven. The King of Thieves!"
The King of Thieves snorted. "It's just an empty name."
But Li Yutang was dripping with sweat now. It ran down from his hairline into his collar. And at that very moment, a soldier came running up from the far side of the field, red-faced and out of breath.
"Captain—to the east—there are horse thieves, twenty of them, to the east—"
"Horse thieves?" Li Yuguo spun around. "Really horse thieves?"
What's going on? He did not understand. Did they bring Jun Xue back?
"But—but they're only corpses, sir…"
The soldier waved, and a group of men came stumbling across the field, carrying bodies between them on spears and coats. They laid them down in a row on the dry earth.
Every one of them was steaming.
A thin, sickly green smoke was rising from the dead men's skin, curling up from their mouths and noses and the corners of their eyes. Their faces had gone dark and swollen. Their fingernails were black.
"All poisoned to death," said the King of Thieves, very quietly. "It's not what I expected."
"Old Guan." Li Yuguo had gone cold. "Did you find something?"
The King of Thieves did not look at him. He was looking at the dead men.
"Brother," he said, "do you remember when I told you about my wife's injury?"
"Brother?" Nalan Meng's head snapped round. "Wait a moment. Yuguo—since when has he been your brother?"
"It's laughable," said the King of Thieves, without heat. "You're the prefect of Nalan City, and you don't even know what your husband is capable of." He nodded at Li Yuguo. "He is a benevolent and righteous man. He saved me and my wife when I was at my lowest. To repay that kindness, Yuguo is Guan Yunfan's elder brother. For life."
He said it simply. But he was one of the Ten Emperors, and when one of the Ten Emperors said a thing, it carried weight.
Li Yuguo knew the Ten Emperors, of course. He had invented them.
They were the ten most formidable people in the world. Not the strongest in a straight fight—some of them were not even close—but each of them was the best there had ever been at one thing. The King of Thieves' own cultivation was nothing remarkable: Martial Soul, about the same as Nalan Meng. But his skill at stealing was acknowledged across the whole continent as number one under heaven.
And besides the Emperor of Thieves, there were nine others. The Emperor of Poison. The Emperor of Illusion. The Emperor of Medicine. The Emperor of Evil. The Emperor of Spirits. The Black Emperor. The Ice Emperor. The Emperor of Killing. The Emperor of Men.
None of them sat at the very peak of cultivation. But in his own field, each was the absolute master. The Medicine Emperor was the greatest healer who had ever lived. The Killing Emperor was the greatest assassin. The Illusion Emperor could make a whole army see the sun rise at midnight.
"Could it be…" Li Yuguo had seen it now. "What you mean is—"
"Yes. The Poison Emperor is here." The King of Thieves' voice was flat. "When my wife was hurt before, it was by his subordinates. And you can see from these men. They were poisoned. The Poison Emperor knows more than ten million poisons. Some of them can melt a corpse to water in an hour. He left these bodies here on purpose. To warn me. To let me know he's come."
"Why is he hunting you?"
The King of Thieves let out a long sigh.
"Because my wife," he said, "is the Poison Emperor's sister."
Everyone went still.
The King of Thieves stepped close to Li Yuguo and dropped his voice to a whisper.
"It must have been Li Yutang who sent those horse thieves to kill us. And then set up this whole scene, the bandits and the fields. But he didn't expect them to run into the Poison King on the road."
"So the Poison King isn't his," Li Yuguo murmured.
"Hmph. The Poison Emperor is arrogant beyond words. How could a little man like Li Yutang ever give him orders?" The King of Thieves snorted coldly.
Li Yuguo was screaming inside.
The plot's out of control. It had slipped its leash and was running loose like a wild dog. Maybe the story was still going the same way over in the True Yuan Sect, far to the north—maybe Ye Qiong was still climbing the same ladder rung by rung. But here, in Nalan City, the plot had been completely scrambled. He had never written any grudge between the Poison Emperor and the King of Thieves. Never. Not a line. This feud was new. It had grown up on its own, out of the cracks in his story, and it had caught him completely off guard.
He tried hard to remember everything he had ever written about the Poison Emperor. Every clue. Every throwaway line. Anything that might pave the way for what was coming.
A little way off, Zhang Wei had gone the color of old rice.
"Big brother," he said faintly, to Li Yutang. "What do we do? We've—we've provoked the Poison Emperor…"
"Shut up," said Li Yutang, through his teeth.
He drew himself up. He raised his voice for everyone.
"This matter has nothing to do with me. Thief Emperor—since this Poison Emperor is hunting you, it's your business. Not ours. But I hope you won't drag Nalan City down with you because of some grudge between the Ten Emperors!"
He paused. And then he turned, and gave Li Yuguo a long, fierce look.
"Brother. The Thief King is your friend. Since that's the case—you'll have to deal with the Poison King."
"The Poison King is one of the Ten Emperors!" said Nalan Meng.
She had gone pale.
"He can poison a whole city by himself. In Wanghai City, all of the people turned to blood in one night. One night. After that, the name of the Poison Emperor spread across the whole world." She turned on Li Yuguo. "How could you be his opponent?"
"No. I have to find him myself," said Li Yuguo.
Something in Nalan Meng's chest lurched. She bit down on her red lower lip.
"Are you trying to die?" Her voice shook. "I should handle this. I'm the prefect here—and I'm the ninth County Lord of the Third Prince's house. Surely this Poison Emperor will give my father a little face."
"No. Jun Xue is still in his hands!"
"Shut up!" Her forehead was beaded with sweat. "A Poison Emperor is a hundred times more terrifying than the thieves on Ling Snake Mountain. They aren't even in the same grade. You're seeking death!"
She turned to the King of Thieves.
"Since you call Yuguo your brother," she said, "then you shouldn't drag him into this."
"I know," said the King of Thieves quietly. "Since it's me the Poison Emperor is after, I'll handle the rest myself. Brother—I've written your kindness on my heart. But the fault here is mine. When I eloped with his sister, I was in the wrong."
Li Yutang looked around at all of them once more. Then he swung up onto his horse and left, at once, with his men behind him.
On the road back to the city, Zhang Wei rode close at his side.
"Boss," he said, and he was grinning now, his long jaw split wide. "Your strategy is truly brilliant!"
Li Yutang kept his eyes on the sky ahead. His hands were folded behind his back on the reins.
"I'd meant those horse thieves to deal with Li Yuguo all at once," he said. "Simply. But this is fine too. If the brat goes chasing after the Poison Emperor, we won't even have to get our hands dirty. The Poison Emperor is far crueler than any horse thief. He may not even leave a bone of him behind."
"And when that happens, the County Lord Nalan Meng will belong to Big Brother. Hehe…" Zhang Wei rubbed his hands together. "But—why are you still so gloomy, Big Brother?"
"I underestimated Li Yuguo." Li Yutang's face was dark. "He was able to climb up and get the King of Thieves behind him. But so what? The King of Thieves is the last of the Ten Emperors. He only got in on his stealing."
"Never mind," said Zhang Wei. "When it's done, Big Brother can finally relax. And after you've got the County Lord Nalan Meng—don't forget your little brother, hehe." His smile was very disgusting. "I'm looking forward to seeing Li Yuguo's corpse. Oh—no. Maybe there won't even be a corpse…"
At the gate of the city, Nalan Meng stopped her horse in front of Li Yuguo and stared at him.
"You really mean it," she said. "You're really going to wade into this muddy water with the Thief Emperor."
They were not truly married. Not in the way that mattered. But by her marriage contract, she was Li Yuguo's wife. Everyone knew it. She knew it.
And now, for the first time, Nalan Meng had begun to hope a little in Li Yuguo. Only a glimmer. And if he went with the King of Thieves after the Poison Emperor, it would be nine deaths and one life.
In the past, maybe she would not have cared whether he died.
But this time—
This time he was walking into death for a servant.
A girl who had been his maid for a handful of days. A thin white-haired child who barely came up to his shoulder, and who had stood in an alley and held up her arm for a stranger to see. For her, he would go to the Poison Emperor.
And Nalan Meng found herself thinking: Would he do it for me?
Not out of jealousy. She did not think of the girl that way; the girl was a child. It was something colder, and closer to the bone. What have I ever done for him, that he should? Three years of contempt. Three years of the whip and the locked door. He had walked into a water village alone for strangers, and he would walk into Ling Snake Mountain for a maid, because they had been kind to him. By his own measure—one part kindness for nine—what did he owe her?
Nothing. She had never given him one part of anything.
That was what made her frustrated and angry. With him, for being right. With herself.
"Brother," said the King of Thieves. "Sister-in-law is right. This is my grudge. Let me settle it myself."
"First, Jun Xue is in his hands," said Li Yuguo. "Second—we're brothers."
He looked at the two of them.
"Don't try to talk me out of it any more. I've already lost my mind. It's done."
"Fine! Fine!" Nalan Meng's hands clenched on her reins until the leather creaked. "Since you're so set on begging for death, I won't care about you anymore. Go to hell! And after you're dead, go and tell your parents how worthless your death was. My master's spirit is in heaven—I'm afraid you'll make him so angry he dies all over again!"
She wrenched her horse around and rode away through the gate without looking back.
Back at the City Lord's Mansion, Nalan Meng sat alone in front of her dressing table.
She looked at herself in the bronze mirror. A beautiful face. A cold one. The face of the Luo Sha Nv, that made grown men step back in the street. She did not much like it tonight.
What's wrong with me?
She put a hand over her heart. She could feel it beating.
He cares so much about that little white-haired girl. And it makes me feel… uncomfortable. She gritted her teeth. Something had settled between her brows and would not lift. Not because of her. Because of me. Because he's never once looked at me the way he looks at a debt he owes.
She did not know where that thought had come from.
"Miss! Please have some tea!"
Xiaocui came in with a tray, bright and bouncing. She was smiling from ear to ear.
"What's happened?" said Nalan Meng. "You're so happy."
Xiaocui set the tray down and stuck out her tongue, playful.
"I'm happy for you, miss! This time Uncle's gone off after the Poison Emperor—and with his cultivation, he's never going to come back. So what if the Thief Emperor's with him? The King of Thieves might be famous for stealing, but the Poison King holds whole cities in his hands. They say he kills without blinking. How could a thief be his match?" She poured. "If you ask me, Uncle thinks he's invincible now just because he's got a strong friend standing behind him. But that's fine. That's good. Because then, miss, you can finally set down that heavy burden…"
"What burden?" said Nalan Meng.
Her face had darkened.
Xiaocui did not see it.
She set the cup on the table and leaned closer, lowering her voice, the way girls do when they are sharing a secret they are proud of.
"Actually, all the servants have always felt the same thing. That Li Yuguo—what is he, to have married a noble lady? You're a good person, miss. I know you only agreed to marry him because General Li and the Third Prince made the arrangement. But if Uncle dies… then you could choose another hero! With your looks, and your skill, your husband ought to be some peerless hero. Not a useless thing like Li Yuguo!"
The words fell. And Nalan Meng's face went completely dark.
She stood up. She looked down at Xiaocui, and her eyes were very cold.
"Who told you to say these things?"
"The whole house is talking about it." Xiaocui smiled like a flower. "Congratulations, miss—"
Nalan Meng raised her hand high, and slapped her.
Smack.
A crisp, sharp sound of flesh on flesh. Xiaocui's head snapped sideways. A red handprint bloomed on her cheek, the shape of each finger standing out white and then flushing scarlet.
Xiaocui was stunned. She stood there with her hand halfway to her face. It was a long moment before she could even speak.
"Miss… why… why did you hit me…"
"Even if Li Yuguo is a worthless husband who can't be helped," said Nalan Meng, "he is still the man of Nalan Meng. My man doesn't need a slave like you to run him down! If I ever hear you say something like this again, you can pack your things and go home."
Her face was cold as iron. In that moment, the name of the Luo Sha Nv—the Rakshasa woman of Nalan City—was written on it plain for anyone to see.
Xiaocui covered her face. Tears welled up and spilled over and ran down over the red mark. She choked.
"Yes… this servant knows she was wrong."
Xiaocui slipped out of Nalan Meng's bedroom quietly.
Behind her, Nalan Meng turned and looked out of the window, at the dark garden, at the moon coming up over the wall. "Yuguo," she murmured. "Who are you?"
Xiaocui ran.
She ran out along the covered walk and around the corner, out of sight of the window, and stopped, and leaned against a pillar with her face in her hands. Her cheek was burning. Her eyes were burning. For a little while she only cried.
Then the crying stopped.
Her face changed. The hurt drained out of it, and something else came in to fill the space—something tight and bitter and hard. She lowered her hands. She ground her teeth together.
"Jun Xue," she whispered. "Li Yuguo. Even if you come back alive… I… I won't let you off lightly. Never!"
"Oh?"
A voice beside her.
Xiaocui whirled around, and her face went white.
Li Yutang was standing in the shadow of the walk, three paces away. She had not heard him come. She did not know how long he had been there. He was in his evening robe, with his hands folded in his sleeves, and he was smiling.
"L-Lord Commander!"
"Xiaocui," he said pleasantly. "I heard what you said."
"This slave—this maid—deserves to die!" She dropped to her knees on the stones of the walk. "The young lady said—please, Lord Commander, please—"
"Get up. Get up." He did not move to touch her. He only looked down at the red print on her cheek, and his face was all sympathy. "Look at that. She doesn't spare her hand, does she? And over what? For speaking up for her. For wanting the best for her." He shook his head. "I've noticed you for a long time, Xiaocui. You're clever. Cleverer than anyone in this house gives you credit for. A girl like that is wasted carrying tea." He nodded toward the garden. "Walk with me a little. There are some things I'd like to say to you in private."
"…Yes," said Xiaocui obediently.
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