Book 5 Chapter 2 - Big Hiding Place in the City
Were it not for Susu had once come with Zhai Jiao to call on Shen Luoyan, even if they had her address in hand, perhaps they would have to waste considerable time before they could find this vicious and merciless beauty's fragrant residence.
Shen Luoyan's house was located in a residential area by the eastern city wall, where the buildings were situated next to each other. Including her residence, there were thousands of courtyards surrounded by walls with dark green bricks and dark green roof tiles, linked together by small alleys, taking shape of deep alley between high walls. The alleys were narrow and winding; several hundred streets and alleys winding and turning, criss-crossing each other, and they all paved with large dark green flagstone, which looked virtually the same.
After braving the snow, the three people arrived here and felt that that they were entering a maze; it was difficult to tell one street from another. Particularly during this time of the night, where the only light they could rely on was the dim lantern light coming out from the buildings; it felt even more like entering a ghost area.
But they felt unusually safe instead.
Because in this kind of place, it would be very convenient for them to either fight or stay.
Kou Zhong slipped into an alley and said with a laugh, "That Shen Poniang must have a lot of enemies that she lives in this kind of place that will make people faint with blurred vision.”
Xu Ziling also felt relaxed. While walking and stretching at the same time, he said, "When I first heard that Shen Poniang's lover [orig. male adulterer] Xu Shiji said that they were going to conduct house-to-house search, he gave me a real scare. Turns out he was just tooting his horn; if he came to this side, we would go to that side. How could he deal with Wulin martial art masters like us?”
Susu was still having a lingering fear, "Can you not be so carried away like that?” she said, "The people of Xingyang are all fervent supporters of Wagang Army. All it takes is just one person spotting us, and I guarantee that he will report it to them … oh!”
Before she finished speaking, Kou Zhong already had his arms around her waist and whisked her up to the roof of a building on the left. Xu Ziling also leaped at the same time.
The three of them lay low on the roof and looked down toward the mouth of the alley some distance ahead. Amidst the swirling snowflakes, all they saw was quiet, silent and lonely footprints.
Susu was baffled, "Is there anybody here?” she asked.
Kou Zhong replied in low voice, "My intuition can't be wrong. It's really strange, how come I can't even see anybody's shadow, I can't hear anybody's voice, but I can feel that there is danger approaching?”
Xu Ziling nodded and said, "I also feel a warning in my heart. Look!”
They saw a squad of about a dozen warriors in dark green clothes, coming from the alley on the other side, along the way they knocked on every door. Needless to say, obviously they were looking for the three people.
Watching these men, the three people felt their scalp went numb. This Xu Shiji apparently someone who did what he said he would. By the time the entire city knew about these three fugitives, they would not be able to move a single step.
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were not ordinary people, their look was particularly easy to recognize, to conceal it from others would be more difficult than ascending the heavens.
After the search party went far, the three of them cried out inwardly, ‘What a close shave!' If it were not for the heavy snow, Xu Shiji only needed to send his men to watch from vantage points, while the other team was conducting house-to-house search, and then even if the three people grew wings, it would still be difficult for them to fly away.
But right now the weather was bitterly cold, plus visibility was very low, naturally Xu Shiji's men only worked halfheartedly.
Gnashing his teeth, Kou Zhong said, "All along we only receive beatings without being able to hit back, greatly damaging our reputation as the Yangzhou's Two Dragons. Since we have Daiqing Lou's Peipei as our way out, we might as well strike back without restraint, making his mother's trouble that will turn the sky and the earth upside down, and thus venting the resentment in our hearts.”
Susu was extremely nervous [orig. a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow]; overwhelmed with horror, she said, "How can you do that? How can you fight them?”
Xu Ziling, however, was greatly excited; he said in a low voice, "If you want to be famous, naturally you must establish your prestige. However, we'd better find a dependable hiding place first before making a grand plan.”
"Jiejie, come!” Kou Zhong excitedly said.
As soon as Susu was perched on Kou Zhong's back, he brought her soaring into the air like a big bird.
She suddenly had a feeling that she did not have clear understanding of these two brothers of hers. If it were other people, they would either be so terrified that they pulled their heads like a turtle and refused to come out, or with a thousand ways, a hundred plans would try to escape without a trace. How could they be like these two boys, who were fully aware that the enemy's power was a thousand times, a hundred times bigger than theirs, yet they still had the courage to ‘strike back', just like striking a stone with an egg?
Looking at Shen Luoyan's fragrant residence from the outside, there was really no difference from the other houses in the neighborhood, only the door decoration was comparatively more exquisite, unlike the peeling off door and walls of the next door neighbor's.
But the inside was a different story altogether. Not only it was spacious, elegant and pure, the garden and courtyard were integrated into one continuous entity, the layout gave a beautiful and secluded impression, the building displayed original architecture, and was quite distinctive.
The house was called Luoyan Zhuang [lit. falling wild goose manor], where the manor's courtyard was dominated by the main residence hall; water and rock in contrast with one another, pathways and winding corridor were running through rock garden, which also function as separator. The winding path went up and down, what is true and what is false engendered one another.
North of the pond was a small two-story building styled as if it was resting on a hilltop, with five continuous pillars over two levels, and overhanging eaves, like butterfly flapping its wings ready to fly; very unique. Shen Luoyan's boudoir was precisely in that building.
Behind the small two-story building was an artificial stream, with two small bridges connecting the rear court with the maids and servants' apartments, as well as the storehouse.
Luoyan Zhuang did not cover too large of a land, but it was just like a remote, secluded area; simple and unadorned, yet exquisite, and highly poetic.
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling jumped over the sidewall into the courtyard, momentarily they were staring in awe. It never occurred to them that Shen Luoyan was the type of person who knew how to enjoy life, her dwelling was rather like a ‘Big Hiding Place in the Alley'.
Not too long afterwards, Kou Zhong already gathered the information that the manor only had four young maids, and a pair of husband and wife servants, none of which knew martial art.
The three people finally settled on hiding in a guest room, which seemed like no one has slept in it for a very long time. The most wonderful thing was that this room was already well stocked with everything they needed. The three were not bashful; after drinking enough stolen tea, they fell asleep immediately.
By the time Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were awakened because they heard unusual noise, the day has already brightened.
Kou Zhong moved away Susu's arm, which was resting on his chest, walked over to the window, and peeked outside. Turned out it was the only male servant, sweeping the snow on the yard.
Xu Ziling also got out of bed came over to him; he whispered, "The snow has stopped!”
Without averting his gaze, Kou Zhong asked, "Are you hungry?”
"Hungry as hell!” Xu Ziling replied.
Kou Zhong whispered, "We can't steal food in here, otherwise they will discover us. Let me go out to take care of the food and then I'll come back!”
Xu Ziling said, "Going to the street could be very dangerous.”
Kou Zhong laughed, "Don't worry!” he said, "As long as the three of us don't walk together, it won't be that conspicuous. I'll even scout around for the news.”
Xu Ziling knew that Kou Zhong was full of craft and cunning, plus he has been hungry since last night, so after warning him repeatedly, he said, "The sooner you go, the sooner you'll come back.”
Kou Zhong consented; he then sneaked out of the rear window.
Having nothing to do, Xu Ziling was about to sit cross-legged silently, when from the bed Susu called out, "Li Dage! Li Dage!”
Xu Ziling was startled; he jumped onto the bed to cover Susu's fragrant lips.
Susu woke up. As soon as she regained her consciousness, her pretty eyes immediately shot a panic-stricken look. When Xu Ziling lifted up his hand, she cried out in low voice, "The enemy's coming?”
"No!” Xu Ziling shook his head, "But Jiejie was talking in your sleep. I was just afraid you might alert the man sweeping the snow outside.”
Susu was relieved, but then her charming face turned red as she said, "What did I say in my dream?”
Xu Ziling sighed inwardly. "Nothing!” he said indifferently, "It was practically some unintelligible words.”
Susu sat up. Knitting her brows, she asked, "Where is Xiao Zhong?”
After Xu Ziling told her, she began to worry again.
Suddenly there was a sound of footsteps approaching. The two people were scared and busily folded the blankets back to their previous condition, and then they went into hiding under the bed.
They were barely hidden when two young maids came in and started sweeping and dusting, as well as replacing the bedding with a fresh one.
One of the maid said, "Miss has not returned home for eight full days, and last night Longtou Mansion was burned to the ground. And now rumors are flying all around town, making me really worried for Miss.”
Under the bed, Xu Ziling mused that it was other people who should be worried; definitely not that Shen b1tch.
The other maid laughed and said, "Xiao Ju [li'l chrysanthemum], you are worried over nothing. Last night Duke Mi has just deployed the troops to take over Liyang Storehouse. What happened to Longtou Mansion can't be helped; who told old ghost Zhai to be so stubborn that he adamantly refused to abdicate? Speaking about competence, how could he be Duke Mi's match?”
Xiao Ju was astounded, "How could Lan Jie [elder sister orchid] know so clearly?” she asked.
Xiao Lan proudly replied, "Naturally somebody told me!”
Xiao Ju laughed and said, "Must be that guy Li Jie, hee … hee … Have you slept with him yet?”
And then chasing and hitting each other the two maids left the room.