Blood Autumn Rain

Emperor Hehui paid no heed, letting the gale fill his sleeves.

"Clang!" With a sharp sound, he drew his long sword, stood against the wind, and shouted, "No retreating! This is Gourd Pass, known for its freak winds. Continue forward; we shall rest once we reach the belly of the valley."

The group obeyed, struggling forward against the tempest.

Buffeted by the unnatural wind, Xia Yunhe could barely stand, clinging tightly to a poplar tree. In her past life, Emperor Hehui had not insisted on capturing the Bai Ze, choosing instead to retreat to camp. She did not know what had gone wrong after her rebirth, but events were unfolding in the exact opposite direction of her previous life.

Suddenly, someone gripped her arm and whispered into her ear through the wind, "Master Xia, let me help you across."

She lowered her head, struggling to open her eyes to look at the person. She could not make out his features, only the iron armor on his arms, assuming him to be an Imperial Guard. After a word of thanks, she allowed him to lead her forward.

The wind gradually subsided, but the sky grew darker. As the man led her on without pause, Xia Yunhe suddenly felt something was amiss. She dragged her feet, pulling back, but she was no match for a trained guard. Instead, he gripped her shoulder and dragged her away from the crowd.

"Crack—!"

A bolt of lightning tore through the pitch-black sky, illuminating the white copper scale armor on the guard's forearms.

He was indeed an Imperial Guard. Xia Yunhe asked with a trembling voice, "Who sent you? The Crown Prince?"

The guard chuckled sinisterly. "You don't need to know. Ask the King of Hell when you get down there."

Just as she was about to scream for help, he clamped his hand over her jaw. With a deft flick, he dislocated it. She was instantly rendered mute, her mouth hanging open, unable to utter a single word.

Everything was pitch black. She opened her eyes wide, seeing nothing, as boundless terror spread from the depths of her heart. Suddenly, Zheng Mian’s warning echoed in her ears: "The Crown Prince... you, be careful."

She had thought Zheng Mian was warning her that the Crown Prince intended to harm the Seventh Prince, never imagining the warning was for her—that the Crown Prince wanted her dead. Was it just because she had not chosen him? What kind of deep-seated hatred was this? Was it worth such a lethal strike?

Another flash of lightning illuminated the guard's eyes, filled with thick, fierce murderous intent. Through his eyes, Xia Yunhe saw her own terrified expression.

The man’s hands were like eagle claws, gripping her shoulders until they ached. Her limbs felt weak, and unable to call for help, she could only let him lead her on. Her intuition told her they were climbing a slope.

The hunting party had just crested the slope and reached the belly of Gourd Valley. Exhausted, they were resting, and no one would notice the two figures hidden in the darkness on the leeward slope.

Xia Yunhe felt dizzy. When they came to a stop, she saw a few faint flickers of light in the distance. As her eyes adjusted, she realized she was standing on the edge of a steep cliff. Below was a black void that made her heart race with dread.

Loose stones crumbled beneath her feet. If she stepped into the void, there would be no hope of survival.

The guard lowered his voice, stiff and icy. As the cold air brushed against her ear, every word felt like a thunderclap.

"Master Xia, someone paid for your life. Don't blame me; I'm just doing a job for money."

Cold sweat soaked her back, and she closed her eyes in despair.

Rolling thunder rumbled in the air, and a raindrop struck her forehead. It was cold. A chilly wind brushed her cheeks, blowing the hair at her temples. Below the steep slope lay a bottomless, dense forest. As death approached, she grew strangely calm. She remembered that Gourd Valley connected to Deer Mountain; the narrow entrance and wide belly gave it the shape of a gourd, hence the name. The terrain was steep, and there was a high cliff in the valley known as Guide Cliff.

Xia Yunhe opened her eyes. This was exactly where she stood.

She looked toward the two faint sparks in the distance—one representing the Crown Prince, the other the Fifth Prince. From Guide Cliff, one could see the mountain pass of Deer Mountain, surrounded by high peaks on all sides, with only the Deer Mountain gorge as an entrance and exit. The Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince were both encircling this area and confronting each other.

"The Bai Ze only appears when it tastes blood."

The guard behind her gave a strange laugh, his low voice like a demon's whisper. "Go to your death."

A massive shove sent her falling toward the bottom of the cliff. She squeezed her eyes shut. She had accomplished nothing since her rebirth, and now her life was to end...

The pain did not come. Instead, she fell into a pair of arms.

The world spun. A flash of lightning revealed a long sword plunged into the guard’s throat. He stared at Xia Yunhe in disbelief, unable to speak, only hissing.

A torrential downpour began. Another flash of lightning showed the guard's blood mixing with the rain, cascading down the blade in a crimson flow. The man pulled his sword back and kicked the guard off the cliff, decisive and ruthless.

She had always been sensitive to blood, and that patch of red forced her to close her eyes again. A familiar voice sounded in her ear.

"Master Xia, this settles the debt for those five life-saving rice dumplings."

She opened her eyes, surprised. It was the dumpling thief.

Noisy footsteps sounded below the slope as people began to search. Just as she felt a spark of joy, she heard Chen Haizhou’s voice.

"The thief is nearby. Search carefully! He came for me as if he had no regard for his own life. He had no chance at the camp, so I gave him a chance to kill me once we left. He fell right into the trap. With so many Imperial Guards in the Forbidden Garden, he wouldn't be able to escape my grasp even if he were an immortal. Search!"

"Master Chen, if His Majesty finds out..."

Chen Haizhou was silent for a moment, then said, "Just say there were assassins targeting His Majesty."

"Yes, Master Chen."

Xia Yunhe clutched her heart, gasping for air, when the young man suddenly said, "Master Xia, my apologies, but I need a hostage."

As he spoke, he held her and leapt down...

...

The slopes were steep, the ravines deep, and the forest dense, yet the young man moved as if on flat ground. With the wind howling in her ears and rain brushing her cheeks, she landed on the fallen leaves. The scent of damp earth filled her nose, gradually bringing her peace.

The young man stopped before a rock wall and set her down. The moss was slippery, and she nearly stumbled into the mud. He caught her, muttered "Careful," and then moved the heavy stone blocking the wall.

Xia Yunhe looked around. High tree crowns shrouded the surroundings. Occasionally, "chirping" or "cooing" sounds came from the forest, and the rain pattered loudly against the leaves.

Once the young man moved the stone, a narrow entrance appeared.

"Master Xia, I have no intention of hurting you, but the situation forced my hand." With that, he invited her in.

Xia Yunhe did not hesitate. She bowed her head, held the cave wall, and stepped inside.

After a few dozen paces, the space suddenly opened up into a natural rock cavern.

She held onto a stone ledge and descended to the wider area. The cave was dry, blocking out the sound of the rain. She touched her clothes; they were only slightly damp, which was manageable.

Three night-luminescent pearls were embedded in the stone walls, lighting the space. To her left was a large bed of thick grass with a bundle on it—clearly where the young man rested. Beside it sat a pottery jar with a porcelain bowl inverted on top, and five steamed buns neatly arranged nearby. Though simple, everything was in order.

The cave was as bright as if lit by candles. Xia Yunhe stared at the pearls on the wall and fell into deep thought. The late Emperor Wudi had once bestowed three such pearls upon the Wei family of Jiangdong in recognition of their service in eradicating bandits. The family was ennobled as the Marquis of Anhe.

"Master Xia, why aren't you saying anything?"

Xia Yunhe turned at the sound. She was still shaken by the night's horrors. She saw the young man standing his sword beside him, opening his bundle to take out dry clothes. She turned her back, pondering as she looked at the pearls: what was this young man's connection to the Marquis of Anhe?

The young man had changed and said to her, "Master Xia, I only have one set of clothes. I have nothing else for you, so please bear with it."

Seeing she remained silent, he asked again, "Why have you been so quiet?"

Xia Yunhe pointed to her jaw, dislocated by the guard, and gestured for the young man to see.

"Small problem," he said, resetting her joint.

Rubbing her face to soothe the ache, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him. "Thank you, Young Marquis Wei."

The young man froze. He looked at the three pearls on the wall, his expression softening, his brow furrowed with loneliness. "These are the only things left of the Wei family."

The cave was silent. As a chill set in, Xia Yunhe shivered and pulled her clothes tighter. The Young Marquis was seeking revenge, hunting Chen Haizhou into the Forbidden Garden. If not for him, she would have lost her life tonight.

The young man sighed, took a bun, and sat cross-legged on the grass. He took the porcelain bowl from the jar, poured some water, and soaked the hardened bun. Once it softened, he began to eat slowly. They sat in silence.

Once, there were grand banquets for nobles, with jade delicacies and flowing wine filling the halls. Now, after the family was destroyed, there was only cold water and hard buns.

Halfway through his meal, the young man spoke softly: "Wei Sizhao."

Xia Yunhe looked up at him. He repeated, "I am Wei Sizhao. I am the last of the Wei family. Three generations of loyalty, only to end up like this. I intend to use the trap the Crown Prince set for the Bai Ze to lure Chen Haizhou to his death and cleanse the court of this pestilence. The entire court fears Chen Haizhou too much. Master Xia, I have heard you are a virtuous official; surely you know the threat he poses. I wish to lend you a hand to purge this great evil. Will you help me?"

"That trap is lined with thorns. Anyone who falls in will be killed, not merely injured."

The dim light illuminated the young man’s resolute face and the determination to die in his eyes.

...

The downpour continued, and thunder rolled across the sky. The harsh light traced the claw-like shadows of the trees, only to vanish into pitch darkness again.

Emperor Hehui and the Fourth Prince hid in a small cave carved into the hillside. Many others were soaked in the rain. Heaven was merciless; after this storm, one could only imagine how many would fall ill.

Xie Yi hid beneath a massive boulder with Li Fushun. The tall weeds in front provided a screen from the rain.

Li Fushun gasped for breath, wiping sweat from his forehead. He looked at Xie Yi. "In such a heavy rain, thank goodness the Seventh Prince was quick-witted to find a place to hide. Otherwise, this old servant would be soaked through. It’s just a bit far from the crowd; if His Majesty calls for us, we won't hear him."

Xie Yi grunted dismissively. He had wanted to hide under the rock with his teacher, but he hadn't seen Xia Yunhe, so he had brought Li Fushun instead. It was quite crowded now; if his teacher were here, it certainly wouldn't be this cramped.

He sighed, feeling irritable, and chewed on a blade of grass. His wound itched, as if ants were biting it. A clap of thunder made his heart tremble.

...

The rain began to taper off, though it still drizzled. The clouds thinned, and figures became visible again.

The Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince arrived through the rain from the Deer Mountain gorge to protect the Emperor. After checking on the Emperor, the Fifth Prince and Wan Jing bypassed the crowd and quietly circled back to the site of the Bai Ze ambush; they would never let the Crown Prince seize the advantage.

The Crown Prince met with Liu Rongshan. The two stepped away from the others toward the giant boulder. The Crown Prince stepped into a puddle, but his leather hunting boots were waterproof, so he didn't worry about his feet getting wet.

However, muddy water splashed onto Xie Yi’s face. Xie Yi wiped it off angrily, wanting to climb out and confront the Crown Prince.

Suddenly, he heard Duke Liu Rongshan say, "Your Highness, something has gone wrong. The guard sent to kill Xia Yunhe is dead, and Xia Yunhe is nowhere to be found."