Chapter 7

Under the cover of night, every place, though shrouded in the same darkness, had its own unique loneliness. The Chen family's house was located in a deep alley of Longjin Lane, where the narrow space and high walls made it poorly lit; her home was small and low, and had been around for many years. The soot-covered beams and broken wooden windows made the entire space very gloomy, evoking images of a haunted house from a story.

It was then that Yulian realized one of the few benefits of her husband's presence; she hadn't been as afraid when he was around. She huddled against the wall, the more afraid she was, the less she could sleep.

Do people have spirits after they die? Yulian seemed to see the corpse with a blood-stained face and lifeless eyes, just after it had died. She shivered and whispered into the dark, "Don't blame me, don't blame me... I was wrong, I shouldn't have wished for your death, but I didn't kill you, nor did I help! It was all out of desperation; I, a woman, really couldn't bear such a life. If I could have endured, my heart wouldn't have been so cruel..."

She kept comforting herself and finally dozed off. After all, this wasn't the most terrifying place; it was still in the capital city of Tokyo. The reason it felt scary might be because a body had just been found in the nearby sewage ditch.

The most terrifying place for Yulian was where she grew up, in her dreams.

She left her hometown when she was young, but people remember the environment they first saw very clearly. The mud walls and thatched roofs in her hometown were even darker and more dilapidated than the Chen family's house in Tokyo. The countryside was pitch black at night, with no lights at all; behind the house was a desolate mountain with many wild graves. Yulian vividly remembered how she dared not go out to relieve herself at night when she was a child.

She vaguely remembered that her hometown belonged to Gaoping in Hedong. Listening to the old men chat, she learned that Gaoping was once called Changping, the site of the ancient battlefield where the Qin and Zhao states fought the Battle of Changping. It was said that the Qin general Bai Qi had buried 400,000 Zhao soldiers alive on that land! No wonder the villagers often dug up bones. Yulian loved listening to the adults' idle chatter, but she was also very afraid after hearing it.

Later, she was finally sold to Li Shouzhen's family in Hezhong. She still remembered the densely populated city, the deep and spacious mansions, the bright and clean houses, and the abundance of lamp oil and candles. Lanterns hung outside at night, and she immediately fell in love with that place. At least at first, she thought it was a place where every corner was filled with sunshine.

She didn't know how long she had slept. When she opened her eyes, the bright and clean house was gone, replaced by a dark reality, with a faint smell of ash in the air.

Yulian stared wide-eyed in the darkness, afraid to light a lamp. The drafty window made the oil lamp flicker, which was even more terrifying. Besides, if she lit a lamp in the middle of the night, others might see and start gossiping. At that moment, she felt something lightly poking her soft chest. She reached out and found it was the lucky charm she had prayed for at the temple a few days ago, still tied to a thin rope around her neck.

The charm was for Shaoguo, and it had been a few days since she had prayed for it, before the murder happened.

It was said to be very powerful, having been consecrated before the Buddha and blessed by a high-ranking Taoist. The charm was drawn on a red silk cloth, folded into a triangle, and tied with a rope to wear. Shaoguo said he would be going to war soon, and Yulian hoped he would return alive from the battlefield. What else could she do besides praying and getting the charm?

The Yuzhen Temple was run by a female Taoist, and because it was in the city, it was very popular among women. Yulian had been interested in the background of the temple's head, who was said to have been named Jingniang and had once known the military commander Zhao Kuangyin. After being hurt by love, she had renounced the world and built a temple in Tokyo. Women loved such romantic stories, which was why the Yuzhen Temple was so popular.

Yulian caressed the charm in her hand, hesitating whether to give it to Shaoguo. Tomorrow morning was the last chance, and he would be returning to camp at dawn.

In her heart, Yulian didn't blame Shaoguo for killing her husband; she even felt a bit grateful... She also respected young men like Shaoguo, who were not only brave but also intelligent, with a broad perspective. If he had good luck, he might really achieve wealth and status. But at his young age, would he really be interested in a woman who had been married three times and couldn't bear children?

If she showed too much eagerness, she might devalue herself: if she became intimate with someone else while her husband's body was still warm, wouldn't she be seen as a frivolous woman? Yulian knew that if she didn't respect herself, others would look down on her and treat her as disposable.

If only it had been a few years earlier, when she was still in Li Shouzhen's household... But at that time, Shaoguo seemed to be infatuated with Fushi, even willing to die for her. Had he really moved on now?

Life was never fair. Some people were born to be adored by all, and even if they did nothing, someone would be willing to sacrifice for them. Like Fushi, who was noble and beautiful, she was always seen as a fairy, no matter how many times she had been married.

...

Shao got up early in the morning, opened the back door, and found a red object that had fallen out of the door crack. He picked it up and examined it for a while, then put it away and glanced down the alley.

... According to the military order from the Office of Military Affairs, the imperial guards were to gather at their respective camps in advance, and they would set out two days later. Shao arrived at the camp the day before the deadline.

Although he was only at the camp for two days, it was a bit idle for Shao, as he had just been promoted to the position of captain but was now back to being a squad leader. His squad, the fourth team, had only about twenty people, all of whom he knew well, so there was nothing to worry about.

He sat on the threshold, basking in the warm spring sun. The pear blossoms in the courtyard were about to bloom, and the weather was pleasant, making him not want to move at all. He usually seemed lazy, with little energy, speaking little and preferring to sit rather than stand.

At that moment, a white rabbit appeared, immediately catching his attention. However, he didn't move, just watching intently.

A white rabbit in spring is cute but easily frightened; if you approach too quickly, it will run away. Shao, holding the charm around his neck, stared at the rabbit, a smile on his face.

Suddenly, a burly man in heavy armor appeared and, without a word, ran over and pounced on the rabbit. The heavy body crashed to the ground, and the rabbit escaped, leaving the man with a mouth full of mud.

"Damn it, Luo Er! Look at you, you idiot!" Shao cursed.

The man was named Luomeng, a soldier in the fourth team. He seemed to be in pain, got up with a grimace, and limped over, handing Shao a bow and an arrow. "Captain Shao, shoot the rabbit."

Shao took the bow and arrow, but couldn't see the rabbit. He plucked the bowstring and exclaimed, "Good grief, this must be a two-stone bow, where did it come from?"

Luomeng said, "Aren't you the one who got promoted a few days ago? Commander Wang gave it to you, but you weren't at the camp."

At that moment, a voice with a hostile tone said, "A captain's equipment, I wonder if a squad leader has the strength to draw it."

Shao and Luomeng turned around to see Yang Biao and a dozen soldiers carrying a skinned sheep. Yang Biao was a large, fierce-looking man with a horse-like face. He was now the deputy squad leader of the fourth team, one rank below Shao, but he had previously been a centurion and seemed to be不服 (unwilling to submit) to a young man like Shao. Moreover, Shao's demotion from captain to squad leader had also caused him to be demoted, so he probably didn't look at Shao favorably.

Recently, the Palace Guard Command had been treating the soldiers well, as they were about to go to war. They had been given money, pigs, sheep, and wine, and the soldiers were in high spirits. Seeing the situation, they cheered and urged Shao to show his skills.

"I can draw it," Shao said calmly, noticing the white rabbit had reappeared under the eaves of the house across the courtyard. The soldiers followed his gaze and easily spotted the rabbit, which was about twenty to thirty steps away but a small target. The crowd grew more excited, murmuring in anticipation.

Shao couldn't back down. He slowly picked up a handful of sand, rubbed it in his hands, and put on a finger tab.

His slow, lazy movements were typical of him. But suddenly, he took a deep breath, and his body became full of strength. He drew the bow, which was usually used for arm training and rarely in combat, to a full moon. It was clear that he could draw it even tighter!

The tendons on his long, steady fingers bulged, and the bowstring made a "snap" sound, like a catapult's tension, creating a tense atmosphere.

Bows and arrows are not as reliable as firearms; accuracy depends on instinct. From the moment he stood to draw the bow, every movement was aimed at the target, a feeling formed through countless hits and misses. This feeling made Shao excited, as if he were facing a beloved girl, already successful but still a bit anxious, fearing she might leave. In that moment, Shao forgot whether he was in a modern college or in the chaotic Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. All he saw was the arrow!

"Bang!" The strong sound of the bowstring echoed, followed by a sharp whistling as the arrow pierced the air, startling the onlookers. In that brief moment, many were captivated by Shao's intense focus. The sound of the bowstring brought them back to reality.

"Great!" Luomeng immediately cheered, regardless of whether the shot hit, the power was impressive.

As the sound echoed, the white rabbit was pinned to the wall, unable to struggle.

Yang Biao looked surprised and a bit embarrassed, "Not bad."

Shao's expression relaxed, and he ignored Yang Biao's attempt to provoke him. This was the attitude a subordinate should have toward a superior, even though Yang Biao had been a centurion not long ago, he was now just a deputy squad leader! The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms were full of arrogant and fierce soldiers, and this was not a place for humility. Yielding would only make people think you were weak and easy to bully. Shao handed the bow to Yang Biao, "You try."

The atmosphere, which had just relaxed, became tense again as everyone focused on the square-faced man.

Yang Biao, though young, had a weathered, dark, and yellow complexion, clearly a seasoned warrior. But not everyone who had been in battle was a master of archery, and very few were. His expression showed he lacked confidence.

Unexpectedly, he was a stubborn man and said, "It's just about shooting accurately."

Shao sneered, "Afraid to try? Better understand the rules of hierarchy."

Yang Biao's face turned red and then white, unable to find words to respond, and with the soldiers' laughter, he angrily said, "Shao's arrow has eyes, but arrows in battle don't have eyes!"

What did he mean? A naked threat to trip him up in battle?

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