Adopting a relaxed attitude, the three strolled over the village's entrance.
To their left and right, rows of houses extended into the distance, but everything was as quiet as a ghost domain.
Suddenly the sound of hoof beats was heard from the other side of the village, and was coming very fast.
Cocking his ear, Ba Fenghan frowned and said, "If we continued walking like this, we will meet with the incoming riders just outside the village. Do you want to find a building to hide and see what is going on?”
Out of curiosity, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling nodded in agreement. Thereupon the trio quickened their pace into the village, and after peeking into a house and made sure there was no one inside, they twisted and broke the door lock, pushed the door and went in.
Kou Zhong and Ba Fenghan separately picked two windows facing the street, and pushed the windows a crack to peek outside.
This moment the sound of hoof beats was getting louder and clearer; it sounded like in the time required to drink a cup of hot tea, the riders would arrive here.
Frowning, Ba Fenghan said, "It sounds like there are forty to fifty riders, all are expert equestrians, the hoof beats are orderly and even. Only those who are well-trained through long-time cooperation will have this kind of momentum.”
Kou Zhong said, "The strangest thing is that the hooves started suddenly, like they had waited some place and then suddenly moved together, straight toward this direction. I wonder, are they coming for us?”
Meanwhile Xu Ziling was walking toward the back door. Pushing the door open, he saw a big courtyard, and beyond that were the bedrooms. Hearing Kou Zhong's remark, his heart was moved; he said, "Could it be that ahead is the place where the Great River flows through, and these men had just disembarked from a boat?”
Both Ba Fenghan and Kou Zhong felt that that was a reasonable explanation. The former spoke in heavy voice, "If that is so, then in case we get separated during escape later, let's make a secret mark on the south back of the River to indicate where to meet, and then we'll go to Yanshi together to see the Old Wang.”
The two boys nodded their agreement.
Right this moment, Xu Ziling heard a barely detectable sound of breathing from the last room on the back. His curiosity was piqued, he said, "I am going to the back to take a look!”
Ba Fenghan and Kou Zhong's attention was fixed on the situation at the front of the house; they simply nodded slightly. Xu Ziling crossed over the threshold and stepped into the courtyard.
Relying on what he heard just now, Xu Ziling tried pushing the door to the side room on the left. The wooden door opened easily. Xu Ziling looked inside and was startled.
He saw a healthy and beautiful young woman clad in black warrior outfit, sprawling on the bed under gauzed bed screen; her eyes were closed, and she lay still.
Through the gauze curtain, he could see that the woman's jade skin was unusually white like snow. Black outfit, white skin, the contrast was eye-catching. Her black eyebrows curved up into her temples, her jet-black hair was tied on the top into a beautiful bun, with a tuft of bangs gently cascaded on her forehead. The corners of her eyes curved upward. The one feature giving the deepest impression on others was her straight nose, which matched impeccably with her slightly high cheekbones, giving her the haughty air without compromising her charm and elegance.
Her rosy lips curled into a touching expression of like a smile, but not quite a smile, as if she was in the middle of a sweet dream.
Xu Ziling's first thought was Wanwan; but then he decided that this pretty girl before his eyes did not appear to be a female demon from Yin Gui Pai, because this woman carried some kind of cheerful personality, which was vastly different from Wanwan, Dan Mei, or Bai Qing'er, with their seducing but chilling beauty.
After staring blankly for half a day, Xu Ziling finally stepped into the room, walked over to the bed, and opened the gauzed curtain.
Even with his strong mental power against women's charms, he could not help sighing in admiration in his heart.
In tight outfit, her slim figure with all the exquisite curves were in full display, so that he was lost in reverie.
With no curtain separating them, her facial lines looked even more distinct that he was shaken to the core. Her beautiful eyes were deep under her handsome eyebrows. Her two fragrant lips, brimming with an air of aristocracy were tightly closed, her breathing was as light and gentle as the brushing wind after sunrise during an early spring day.
Even though she was fast asleep, Xu Ziling's gut feeling was telling him that she was a playful, lively and charming girl.
Her beauty was not inferior to the sleeping Wanwan.
In that moment, Xu Ziling has completely forgotten about the thundering hooves about to enter the north entrance to the village.
The beauty's eyelashes fluttered for a moment, and then her eyes opened. Looking at him, she broke into a sweet smile, revealing a row of neat, white and beautiful teeth.
※ ※ ※
Outside, Ba Fenghan and Kou Zhong sensed that Xu Ziling must have had encountered something unusual, but since they did not hear any sound of fighting, plus the riders have already entered the village, their attention was still focused on the street outside the window.
Amid the thunderous hooves, more than 40 riders galloped into the village; each and every one of them wore tight warrior outfit, and each one carried some sort of weapon.
The leader was big fierce-looking man, with a double-saber hanging across his back, his pair of eyes was flickering with spirit; evidently he was a martial art master adept in inside and outside skills.
None of the others did not look tough. They all moved in a precise, almost uniform, way; apparently they were used to working together.
As the leader reined his horse to a stop, the others quickly scattered to the four winds to guard all paths within the village.
Ba Fenghan moved to Kou Zhong's side and while looking outside, he said in a low voice, "This man is called ‘Double Sabers' Du Ganmu. I've met him once in Luoyang. I think he is a great general under King Dong of Yue's chancellor Yuan Wendu, the most prominent martial art master of present day Luliang Pai. His mastery of the double sabers is indeed not bad.”
Kou Zhong thought that if even the proud and arrogant Ba Fenghan could say that this man was ‘not bad', then he must really knew a thing or two. He also felt that this name Luliang Pai sounded familiar. After thinking about it for a moment, he remembered the sweetheart Qin Shubao secretly in love with, which was the daughter of Luliang Pai's Master [see Book 3 Chapter 3], and thought what a coincidence.
King Dong of Yue was the self-proclaimed emperor of Luoyang, and Wang Shichong was merely his minister.
Du Ganmu made a signal, the riders dismounted and began to search the entire village.
※ ※ ※
As Xu Ziling's eyes met the pair of beautiful and bright eyes that was brimming with challenge, his heart was slightly shaken. The woman suddenly stretched out her spotless and delicate lily-white hand, and said with a smile, "How about helping me up?”
Xu Ziling hesitated for half a day before grabbing her dainty, slender jade palm; immediately a warm, soft and tender feeling penetrated the bottom of his heart; his mind was swept away.
Helped by him, the woman pulled her tender body up. Lowering her head, she giggled tenderly and said, "Thank you,” and then she scooted to the edge of the bed, patted the empty space next to her and said, "Can you sit down? Let's talk!”
Frowning, Xu Ziling said, "Aren't those people outside looking for you? And you still have time to chat?”
The beauty cocked her head to listen, her demeanor was enchanting; looking startled, she said, "Those wicked people are coming to capture nujia! You must help me; other than qinggong, my martial art skills are sloppy and very ordinary.”
Her eyes were like a pair of stars rippling in a vast and deep autumn pool; extremely appealing. Especially when she spoke, her eyes and facial expression were changing continuously, just like a series of ripples, so that those who look at her could not help having his heart shaken and his spirit moved.
Xu Ziling could not refrain from asking, "Miss, who are you? Who are those wicked people outside?”
The beauty rose up to her full height. Turned out she was only about two cun shorter than the tall, straight as a ramrod Xu Ziling; her figure was graceful, slender and tall.
Without any trace of politeness she sat at the chair at the corner of the room; leaning her small cicada head against the back of the air, she closed her eyes and blew out a mouthful of fragrant breath. "I am dead tired!” she said.
And then she opened her beautiful eyes again and cheerfully said, "I saw you when you entered the village; you appeared to be heroes with lofty quality, so I knew you must be chivalrous heroes and would never harm this weak and helpless woman, am I right? Oh! I almost forget to tell you, my name is Dong Shuni. Wang Shichong is my [older maternal] uncle.”
Hearing that, Xu Ziling was dumbfounded; turned out the woman before his eyes was the Luoyang beauty that Ba Fenghan mentioned earlier, Dong Shuni.