The splendor of the Red Chamber, the power that reigns supreme.

Chapter 115 Another Wave Rises, the Beginning of Daiyu's Story
Upon hearing this, Wu Song felt as if a massive weight had been hanging over his heart for so long, crashing down with a thunderous sound. A wave of lightness, as if he had just collapsed, surged through him, leaving his limbs and bones feeling weak. He responded with a muffled, thunderous voice, "Yes!"

His tone revealed a sense of relief he himself couldn't recall the exact year, as if the confusion about the future, the anxiety about the lawsuit, and the guilt he had felt towards Wu Da had been swept away by Ximen Da Guanren's casual remark.

He hurriedly stood up, obediently retreated behind Ximen Qing, and stood with his hands at his sides, looking exactly like a tiger that had sheathed its claws.

In a daze, he saw himself receiving a heavy monthly allowance, buying a big bag of fragrant and sweet cakes and fruits wrapped in oil paper, and Wu Dalang's group of half-grown children surrounding him, excitedly calling him "Uncle," "Uncle" over and over again. His lips unconsciously stretched into a silly grin, and the murderous aura he had just exuded was long gone.

Ximen Qing glanced at Wu Song out of the corner of his eye, his fingers silently twirling and caressing the ribs of the gold-flecked fan. He turned to the couple on the street corner, their bodies taut like a full moon bowstring, a friendly smile spreading across his face, and called out:
"My two heroes! Why suffer in the wind and sun all that way? Look at Brother Wu, how sensible they are! The Ximen mansion is in dire need of such skilled men. Why not come and be our head guard? Plenty of wine and meat, generous monthly pay—it's a hundred or a thousand times better than your life of wandering the streets, eating and sleeping in the open!"

Upon hearing the words "generous monthly allowance," Sun Erniang's slanted eyes lit up like a cunning cat that hadn't eaten all winter and had caught a whiff of fish! The loose silver she had found was still warm to the touch.

She was instantly overjoyed, her face beaming with a fawning smile. Her body involuntarily leaned forward, and she blurted out, "Oh my! My lord is truly a savior of suffering... Don't worry... My husband and I will protect you." Before she finished speaking, her feet were already impatiently moving forward.

Just as she took her second step, Zhang Qing, who had been standing taut like a stone statue, suddenly reached out with his large, iron-like hand, grabbed her arm tightly, and pulled her back with such force that Sun Erniang almost cried out in pain!

"You stupid woman! Wake up!" Zhang Qing's voice was like sandpaper grinding against pig iron, extremely low, yet carrying a thunderous rage, his spittle almost hitting her face.
Sun Erniang was pulled so hard she stumbled, her arm throbbing with pain. Her fiery temper was about to erupt when she was stopped in her tracks by the unprecedented wariness in Zhang Qing's eyes! A chill ran through her.
late!

A sharp, piercing whistle rang out from the Ximen residence.

Behind them, in the sloping street, those seemingly ordinary shops suddenly had their tightly closed doors smashed open with a loud crash! Several servants of the Ximen family, who had been lying in wait for a long time, rushed out like jackals smelling blood, their faces contorted with rage and their eyes gleaming with malice!

Two strong, muscular men led the way, raising their arms with all their might!
call--!
A vast expanse of white, pungent quicklime powder descended like a thick fog! Instantly, it blurred vision, and the acrid smell assaulted the mouth and nose, causing tears and a burning pain in the eyes!
At the same time, three or four other people worked together seamlessly, suddenly unfurling several large nets! The net ropes were as thick as a thumb, black and greasy, clearly made of cow tendons soaked in tung oil, extremely tough, and carrying a strong, fishy stench. They covered Zhang Qing and Sun Erniang from head to toe, wrapping around them like giant pythons and binding them!

The quicklime powder was poured over their heads and faces, pungent as a branding iron! Zhang Qing and Sun Erniang's vision went completely white, excruciating pain shot through them, tears and snot streamed down their faces, their mouths and noses felt like they were stuffed with burning coals, they coughed incessantly, their lungs felt like they were about to burst! Relying on their years of ruthless experience, the two disregarded their blindness and instinctively rolled on the ground like scalded wild dogs, narrowly avoiding the greasy, foul-smelling nets that were poured over their heads!
When the ambush behind Ximen Qing failed, the servants behind him let out a shout and rushed over like a pack of wolves, brandishing their cudgels and broadswords, looking fierce and menacing!

Zhang Qing and Sun Erniang, enduring the burning pain, barely opened their bloodshot, tear-filled eyes, making out blurry figures. Sensing danger, they turned to flee deeper into the alley! Just as Sun Erniang took a step—

Whoosh-!
A piercing golden screech ripped through the air! A heavy, round golden pellet, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind, seemed to have eyes, shooting straight at the back of Sun Erniang's head! The technique was cunning and vicious, clearly intended to kill her instantly!
"Woman!" Zhang Qing roared, his eyes bloodshot! In that critical moment, he didn't have time to think, and suddenly raised his right arm to block the golden ball head-on!
"Crack!"

A sickeningly sharp crack of bone breaking rang out! The golden pellet possessed incredible force, actually causing Zhang Qing's forearm bone to cave in and twist into a bizarre arc! His flesh instantly tore open, and blood mixed with white bone fragments splattered out! Zhang Qing shuddered in pain, let out a muffled groan, and large beads of sweat mixed with lime powder rolled down his face, which was contorted like a demon!
"Damn it!" Sun Erniang saw it clearly, her heart pounding with fear, and her fierce temper exploded completely! The couple simultaneously drew their chilling double boning knives from their waists with a clang! The blades flashed like snowflakes, carrying a desperate ferocity, forcing the several servants who rushed forward to retreat several steps!

Taking advantage of that brief opening, the two turned and fled again! However—

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!
The sound of something cutting through the air rang out again! Several golden pellets, like poisonous bees, swarmed from behind them, blocking their escape route! Their target was still Sun Erniang, who was moving a little slower!

"Get out of the way!" Zhang Qing's roar was filled with despair! He suddenly spun around and, like a human shield, resolutely covered Sun Erniang's back!
"Pfft!" "Snap!" "Pfft—!"

A series of chilling sounds rang out!
A golden pellet slammed into Zhang Qing's lower back, causing him to stagger!
The other bullet struck him squarely on the side of his left knee! His kneecap shattered instantly! Zhang Qing let out a bloodcurdling scream, and his left leg immediately dragged on the ground like mud, completely powerless!

The most lethal bullet grazed his forehead but struck him squarely in the left eye!

"Ah—my eyes!!"

Blood splattered! Zhang Qing's left eyeball had actually burst open from the golden pellet! Thick blood mixed with bluish-white fluid, like disgusting juice, instantly covered half of his face! His remaining right eye stared wide-eyed, blood and tears streaming down his face, and he looked like a demon crawling out of a blood-soaked hell, emitting intermittent, extremely shrill screams!
"Master—!!!" Sun Erniang turned around and saw this scene. She felt as if her heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys were being gripped and torn apart by an invisible hand! The excruciating pain even overwhelmed the agony of the lime burning her eyes. Scalding tears mixed with blood and lime, carving two deep furrows on her face!

She wasn't unfamiliar with killing or seeing blood, but the man who had shielded her from a fatal blow and was beaten beyond recognition was none other than her sharp-tongued but kind-hearted man, who had scolded her the most but also loved her the most!

"Go! Go quickly!" Zhang Qing shouted, enduring the pain.

Sun Erniang let out a mournful howl like a mother wolf, grabbed Zhang Qing who was almost paralyzed, dragging his left leg on the ground, and with only a bloody hole in his left eye, and used all her strength to crash him into a narrower, dark alley filled with clutter!

Zhang Qing's heavy body almost made her fall over. She gritted her teeth, and with a backhand, she flipped over a greasy wooden chopping board used for butchering at the alley entrance. The debris tumbled down, temporarily blocking the pursuers for a moment. She then shrunk away and turned into another alley.

"Put me down... you stupid woman... put me down..." Zhang Qing gasped weakly, his broken throat spitting out fragmented words, each syllable laced with blood and foam. "We... have so many lives on our shoulders... been... captured by that scoundrel Ximen and handed over to the authorities... even if we were... torn to pieces... boiled in oil... neither of us would survive. It's better for one of us to escape... every one of us is a lifesaver..."

"Bullshit! Shut your mouth!" Sun Erniang, supporting him, stumbled and ran wildly through the dark alley, her face smeared with snot, tears, blood, and lime, cursing and wailing as she cried out:

"We'll die together! I followed you into that dilapidated shack when I was sixteen, and I never got to enjoy the good life of wearing gold and silver. I was constantly being chased by the officials like a dog, and you dare to abandon me? I'll chase you down to the Yellow Springs! You better live, live well, do you hear me!"

The shouts of killing and footsteps behind me grew closer and closer, like maggots clinging to my bones! There were shouts, chasing sounds, and even the shouts of the yamen runners.

There's no escape!!!

Zhang Qing's remaining right eye was fixed on the approaching light and shadow behind him, then suddenly turned to the woman beside him, supporting him, crying her heart out, covered in blood and utterly disheveled. A resolute ferocity and... indescribable sorrow surged into his broken heart!
"roll--!!!"

Zhang Qing used the last of his strength to let out a thunderous roar! At the same time, he pushed hard with his intact right arm, shoving Sun Erniang forward and causing her to fall backward!

Caught off guard, Sun Erniang stumbled and fell to the ground. She turned around in astonishment—

Zhang Qing, dragging his crippled leg, leaned against the cold alley wall, his only remaining right eye staring intently at her. On his face, covered in blood and lime, a bitter smile, more hideous than crying, yet filled with immense pain and... a hint of relief, appeared!

"Sun Erniang! You stupid, greedy, lazy, and troublesome jinx! The biggest regret of my life, Zhang Qing, is that I was blind to marry you, this jinx, in Shizipo! Get out! You spendthrift woman! You're a jinx to your husbands! You've ruined me and brought me to this state! Get out! Get far away from me! In my next life, I'd rather marry a sow than be a jinx like you! Get out—!!! Get out of here!!!"

The curses were vicious, vulgar, and utterly cutting. Every word was like a poisoned knife, echoing in the quiet alley, piercing Sun Erniang's eardrums and making her heart feel as if it were being pierced by a thousand arrows!
Just as the vicious curses had barely faded—

Zhang Qing's right hand, which was holding the boning knife, suddenly snapped back! That sharp blade, which had chopped countless pieces of flesh and bone in the past, flashed with a resolute cold light and precisely sliced ​​across his neck!

"laugh--!"

Blood gushed out from his neck like a fountain suddenly released! It splattered all over the mottled wall and a few drops landed on Sun Erniang's dazed face!

His bitter smile froze, and his body slumped against the wall. His remaining right eye glanced at Sun Erniang one last time, as if trying to remember her. All the ferocity, pity, worry, and pain within it vanished, leaving only a deathly emptiness and a trace of... indescribable, complex emotions mixed with relief.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment.

"Ah—!!! Zhang Qing—! You heartless, despicable bastard—!!" A suppressed, desperate wail, like a lone wolf crying to the moon, finally broke free from its restraints. The cry was heart-wrenching, piercing the darkness of the alley. She lunged at Zhang Qing's body, holding him tightly, trying to cover his bloody wound, but the scalding blood gushed from between her fingers, seeping out from both sides, flowing uncontrollably.

The footsteps and shouts of the pursuers had reached the alley entrance.

Sun Erniang sprang up from the ground, like a wild beast whose soul had been ripped out and infused with its last bit of ferocity! She took one last deep look at Zhang Qing's motionless corpse. That one look contained so much—from the greasy roast goose he offered when they first met at Shizipo, to his silly grin when he lifted her red veil, to the countless times she had scolded him but he still smiled and cared for her.

He always says, "Wife, you rest, I'll handle this tough nut!"

He always said, "My wife, everyone says you're ugly, but they don't know that in my heart you're as beautiful as Xi Shi!"

He always says, "Why are your hands so cold? Like ice cubes! Come here! Let me warm them up for you!"

He always says, "Next life? I'll still find you in the next life! So you won't go and cause trouble for others!"

...Scenes of everyday life, bloody and brutal yet undeniably real, flashed before her tear-blurred eyes like a revolving lantern. His dying words were so vile, so heartless... But how could she, Sun Erniang, not understand? This stubborn mule, even in death, used the most vicious words to try and sever her ties, to lessen her sorrow, to lessen her hesitation, to force her to live alone! Even in death, he used this heart-wrenching method, calculating how best to treat her!
But I don't want you to die!!!

I'd rather be the one who dies!
"Zhang Qing! You heartless bastard—!! I curse your ancestors for ten generations, wait for me at the King of Hell, do you hear me!!! I'll come after you after I've taken my revenge!!" Sun Erniang let out a blood-curdling roar and wailed, then turned around abruptly, turning all her grief, despair, and anger into the instinct to survive!

She cast a resentful glance in the direction of the Ximen residence, then, without looking back, she fled like a blood-stained arrow, running desperately towards the deeper, darker end of the alley, tears streaming down her face! Behind her, the shouts of the Ximen family's servants echoed.

As she ran, her wailing could no longer be stopped; like the mournful cry of a wounded mother beast, it echoed through the narrow alleyways, mingling with the stench of blood and the pungent smell of lime powder, lingering for a long time…

Ximen Da Guanren lightly waved his folding fan, watching the Zhang Qing couple flee into the distance. Dai An, who had been standing behind him, had already led the yamen runners patrolling the streets near Ximen's mansion to chase after them.

The young Yue Fei, standing nearby, felt his blood boil with excitement and a strong sense of chivalry. Almost without thinking, he wanted to run after them to help. Although he didn't know the couple's background, he instinctively wanted to do his part when he saw the officials chasing after them.

But as soon as he moved, a hand as steady as a rock, carrying immense power yet exceptionally restrained, gently pressed down on his shoulder.

Yue Fei froze, then turned abruptly, meeting his master Zhou Tong's deep, ancient eyes, which now held complex emotions. Zhou Tong shook his head slightly at him.

The young Yue Fei then stopped and stood still.

Zhou Tong withdrew his gaze from Yue Fei, gently patted the thin shoulder of the young Yue Fei beside him, and said in a low voice, "Pengju, it's time. Let's go. If we miss this boat, we'll be stuck here for several more days." After he finished speaking, his gaze turned to Ximen Qing, who was standing with his hands behind his back, seemingly unintentionally yet deliberately.

The official cupped his hands and said, "Master is on a long journey and I don't know when we will meet again. How could I not see you off? Let me personally escort you to the dock as a token of my appreciation."

Zhou Tong slowly shook his head, his face calm and composed. He patted Ximen Qing on the shoulder and said, "I've seen you off for a while now, but no matter how far you go, there will always be a ferry crossing where you part ways. Even if you go to the ends of the earth, there will always be a moment to turn back. For people of the martial world: to swear an oath while the wine is still warm and to leave a clean break when you part is enough!"

Just then, a muffled thud was heard!
Wu Song slammed his knees hard onto the cold, muddy ground, as if trying to break through it! His tall frame was taut like a bow stretched to its limit, his forehead pounding down repeatedly, once, twice, three times… with resounding thuds! After more than a dozen kowtows, his entire robust body collapsed to the ground, his forehead pressed firmly against the cold mud, without uttering a sound.

Zhou Tong looked at the stubborn figure on the ground, sighed, and spoke clearly, yet each word was like a knife, to the head buried deep in the soil: "If you still acknowledge me as your master in your heart... then follow Qing Guan well from now on and don't have any other thoughts."

He paused, emphasizing each word, "Listen to his discipline, rein in your fiery temper... Think of your brother before you act, that's better than anything else."

Wu Song's body trembled violently, and he slammed his forehead against the cold ground again, making a dull thud, once, twice, three times...

"Disciple...understands!" His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping. "Disciple...will never dare to disobey Master's teachings...will never dare to fail in the kindness of the esteemed official!"

After Zhou Tong finished speaking, he took the young Yue Fei with him, and the two of them turned around without looking back and strode away. The setting sun cast long shadows of the two of them on the bluestone road, heading straight for the canal wharf. It looked as if the two figures were about to disappear into the sea of ​​people and noise in the city.

Unexpectedly, after walking about half an arrow's distance, Zhou Tong suddenly stopped. He froze, as if a thousand-pound burden were pressing down on his shoulders. After a moment of contemplation, he turned back! With steady steps, he walked back step by step.

Ximen Da Guanren was about to speak, puzzled.

Before the official could speak, Zhou Tong, being a straightforward man, was impatient with formalities. He waved his hand, stopping Ximen Qing from speaking, and took out a warm and simple jade pendant engraved with a cloud-stepping unicorn pattern from his bosom.

He looked at the jade pendant in his hand and handed it to Ximen Qing.

"Take this," Zhou Tong said in a deep voice. "You also have a senior brother, surnamed Lu, named Junyi, who is known in the martial arts world as 'Jade Kirin.' He is now a prominent figure in Daming Prefecture, Hebei Province, with immense wealth and a wide circle of friends. With this as proof, the two of you can exchange letters, look after each other, help each other, and share any news."

Ximen Qing glanced at the unicorn pendant, repeatedly saying "I dare not," and accepted it with both hands. It felt warm and smooth to the touch, clearly an extraordinary item.

Zhou Tong watched as the jade pendant fell into Ximen Qing's hand, his expression complex and unreadable. His Adam's apple bobbed, he paused slightly, and his voice deepened:
"Qingguan, I am old and have long since passed the age of fifty. This parting will be the last time we, master and disciple, will meet again... These past few days I have lingered at your residence, observing you with a cold eye. Your meticulousness in action and the thoroughness of your planning far surpass... far surpasses that of your senior brother Lu Junyi. He is a good man, but he lacks integrity and is not very tactful. However, he is also a master of charging into battle, which will inevitably attract the covetous eyes of others."

Zhou Tong's gaze was like lightning, piercing straight into Ximen Qing's eyes. "If... in the future, something unexpected happens, and your senior brother is trapped in a deadly predicament... Qing Guan, you... for the sake of this old man's meager favor, you must... lend a hand and help him! Save him! This is... my parting wish! I, Zhou Tong, will not regret taking you as my disciple!"

The words were still ringing in his ears when Zhou Tong, without waiting for Ximen Qing's reply or offering any polite farewells, suddenly clasped his hands together and bowed deeply to the ground before Ximen Qing! This bow was swift and decisive, carrying the boldness of a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of the martial arts world), and conveying an imperative that could not be refused.

The official hurriedly bowed in return, but at that moment, the afterglow of the setting sun gilded the bluestone road with an ambiguous golden-red hue. The two shiny black lacquered gates of the Ximen Mansion were not yet closed when suddenly a hurried sound of skirts rustling and jade pendants jingling came from inside. Immediately afterwards, a delicate and timid figure rushed out like a pink butterfly leaving a branch!
Everyone looked closely and saw that it was none other than Xiangling, who had just entered the manor and was still somewhat bewildered and distressed! Her hair was slightly loose, and a few strands of black hair were sticking to her snow-white cheeks with sweat. Her eyes, which were like autumn water, were now full of tears, about to fall.

She first bowed to her master, Ximen Qing, and when the master nodded in approval, she disregarded the dust on the ground, bent her slender waist, and knelt straight down in front of the young Yue Fei with a "thump"! The hard and cold blue stone hurt her delicate knees, but she seemed not to feel it at all.

"Benefactor! Benefactor!" Xiangling's voice was choked with sobs, yet every word was clear, like shattered jade thrown into the twilight-filled streets. "Xiangling's life was entirely saved by your kindness that day! I was entrusted with your care in the master's mansion and received your love! Now I am leaving for a long journey, and your future is bright. I have no way to repay you, so I have come to kowtow and see you off."

The more she spoke, the more sorrowful she became, and finally, her tears broke free, rolling down her cheeks and soaking into the dust, leaving tiny damp marks. She bent over, her shoulders heaving, sobbing uncontrollably.

Yue Fei stood there, stunned. He wanted to lift her up, but there was a difference between men and women. He looked down at the woman at his feet, who was crying her heart out and whose life was pitiful. His mind flashed back to what he had seen and heard at the Ximen residence in the past few days.

"Junior Brother!" Yue Fei's voice was clear and resonant, carrying the unique metallic quality of a young man, yet also revealing a resolute determination born of careful consideration. "I have a request! I hope you will grant it. Today, I ask you to be my witness!"

The official was taken aback by his sudden seriousness, forgetting to wave his fan, and a genuine surprise flashed in his eyes: "Oh? Senior brother, please speak freely."

Yue Fei straightened up, his eyes gleaming, and pointed at Xiangling, who was still kneeling and sobbing: "This girl, Xiangling, has a tragic past and is all alone. I am deeply grateful to my junior brother for rescuing her and fulfilling my wish! However, after I leave, I will definitely join the army to serve my country. My fate is unknown, and I will never be able to return to this place!"

"Today, I dare to declare Xiangling my sworn sister in front of my junior brother! From this day forward, she will be a family member of mine in the Ximen household! I earnestly hope that my junior brother... will bear witness to this!"

After a moment's thought, the official immediately understood the meaning behind Yue Fei's actions and was delighted with the outcome. He nodded and replied, "Good! Senior brother is a chivalrous man, and it is a good thing that he has accepted this sworn brotherhood! I will shamelessly be a witness today! From now on, the Ximen family will have your favor in mind."

Seeing that Ximen Qing had agreed, Yue Fei felt a great weight lifted from his heart and said no more. He turned to Xiangling again and bowed deeply: "Sister... take care! Your brother, Yue Fei... is leaving!" After saying that, he turned around abruptly and followed Zhou Tong's steps with the speed of the wind.

In an instant, the figures of the master and apprentice disappeared into the deepening twilight and the bustling city sounds, never to return.

Ximen Qing held the warm, smooth jade pendant tightly, gazing at the tall, straight backs of Zhou Tong and his disciples, standing there for a long time.

On the canal, the official boat cut through the muddy yellow waves and moved steadily forward, heading towards the Qinghe County Wharf.

Inside the cabin, fine agarwood incense burned, its smoke curling upwards, yet it couldn't mask the faint musty smell seeping up from the bottom of the cabin, mixed with the fishy odor of the river.

Lin Ruhai, the newly appointed Salt Commissioner, sat upright in a rosewood armchair, dressed in a brand-new fifth-rank official robe. His posture was still upright, but his brows were furrowed with weariness and melancholy.

On the mahogany desk in front of him lay several documents that had just been presented by his attendant. They were all old files and records from the salt administration, the ink neither new nor old, but between the lines they revealed years of accumulated malpractices and deficits, each stroke and each case sending chills down one's spine.

Lin Ruhai's slender fingers unconsciously tapped on the smooth tabletop. The soft "tap-tap" sound was particularly clear in the quiet cabin, as if it were hitting the heart. The candlelight on the table flickered restlessly, illuminating half of his face while the other half was buried in shadow.

Beside the stack of cold files lay another letter. The envelope was made of fine jade Xuan paper, printed with the Rongguo Mansion's unique peony scroll pattern, the sealing wax was intact, and the seal was clearly the personal seal of the Old Madam Shi of the Jia family.

This letter carried far more weight than the pile of salt administration documents, like an invisible boulder pressing on Lin Ruhai's heart.

In his hand, he held a letter written by Daiyu herself.
(End of this chapter)