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Wei Lan wrapped herself tightly in her cloak as she sat in the carriage. The letter had already been sent, and escape was impossible. Huan Ying had no trust in her now and barely left her side.
She touched the jade pendant on her chest, deep in thought: Since I have to be Gong Yunrong, I might as well complete her mission! Besides, she could continue researching penicillin. Once back at the Prince Consort’s residence, she’d have all the beef she needed and access to better equipment. The thought brought a smile to her lips.
The carriage slowly came to a stop. Huan Ying pulled the reins and said, “I’ll catch a couple of fish for lunch.” It was already mealtime, but they were moving further from towns. Huan Ying deliberately took remote paths, and they hadn’t seen an inn for miles, so they had to make do in the wilderness.
Wei Lan jumped off the carriage, stretching her stiff legs, and saw Huan Ying standing in the stream. He held a sharpened wooden stick, steady as a steel spear. Suddenly, his wrist flicked, and with barely a splash, the stick skewered a fat mandarin fish. The fish flapped its tail twice before going still, and its blood was quickly washed away by the stream.
“Amazing!” Wei Lan couldn’t help but praise.
Hong Hua also stepped down from the carriage and pulled Wei Lan into the forest. Springtime had brought plenty of wild fruits. Hong Hua pointed at some low bushes, saying, “These are wild strawberries—sweet and tart.” Then, she gestured at a small tree nearby. “That’s cornelian cherry. A bit astringent, but useful in medicine.”
Wei Lan’s eyes sparkled as she eagerly looked around. Suddenly, she pointed excitedly into the distance. “Hong Hua, look! A wild fruit tree!”
Following Wei Lan’s direction, Hong Hua saw a lush tree covered in glowing red fruit under the sunlight. She jogged over and, upon closer inspection, recognized it as a wild cherry tree.
Running her fingers along the bark, Hong Hua grinned. “It’s a wild cherry tree. The green ones can be used for making liquor, and the red ones can be dried into delicious snacks.”
Wei Lan’s mouth watered, and she rushed under the tree. The glossy red cherries hung just out of reach. She stretched on tiptoe, jumped, and reached for the lowest branch—but her fingertips still fell half a foot short.
She grabbed a branch, ready to climb, but Hong Hua panicked and grabbed her sleeve. “This tree is so tall! What if you fall?”
“Hero! Ying-ge!” Wei Lan turned and called toward the stream. “Help!”
A shadow flashed. Before Wei Lan could see clearly, Huan Ying had already stepped onto the tree trunk and leaped six meters high. “How many do you want?”
“All of them! All of them!” Wei Lan excitedly spread out a cloth bundle. The ripe cherries rained down, mixing with a few tender leaves and landing in her hair.
“Is that enough?” Huan Ying asked.
“Enough, enough!” Wei Lan beamed. “You’re the best, Hero Ying!”
When Huan Ying jumped down, Wei Lan suddenly had a bright idea. “Just now, when you went whoosh up the tree—was that lightness skill? Can you teach me?” She blinked up at him, full of hope.
“You want to learn? Eat your fish first.”
By the stream, the fire crackled. Wei Lan and Hong Hua squatted nearby, watching as Huan Ying skillfully cleaned the fish. He scraped the scales off in one smooth motion, slit the belly with a flick of his wrist, and pulled out the gills and innards in one clean stroke. His knife work was quick and precise.
Huan Ying pulled out a small porcelain bottle from his robes and sprinkled a dark brown powder mixed with coarse salt onto the fish. As the fire roasted it, the skin turned golden, and beads of oil dripped onto the flames with a sizzling sound.
Hong Hua sniffed the air. “Huan Daxia, your roasted fish smells amazing!”
Soon, the fish was ready. Huan Ying divided it into three portions and handed them out. “Watch out for bones.”
Wei Lan eagerly bit into the crispy fish skin. A burst of savory, salty flavor spread on her tongue, followed by a lingering sweetness. “What’s in that bottle?” She licked her fingers. “This is even better than the grilled fish at Old Tang’s tavern!”
Huan Ying shook the bottle, making the contents rattle. “Want to know?” Seeing Wei Lan nod eagerly, he suddenly tucked the bottle back into his robes. “Figure it out yourself.”
Wei Lan pouted and examined the fish meat closely, but the browned spice bits were too indistinct to identify. She turned to Hong Hua. “Can you tell what it is?”
Hong Hua chewed thoughtfully and shook her head. “No idea.”
Wei Lan sighed. “If only Mingyi was here—”
Before she could finish, Huan Ying snapped a branch and tossed it into the fire, his usual smirk suddenly vanishing.
After finishing the meal, Wei Lan patted her full belly and suddenly remembered something. “What about the others? They haven’t eaten yet!”
Huan Ying put out the fire. “The shadow guards are hiding in the forest. Don’t worry about them.”
Wei Lan shivered as she glanced nervously at the dense woods. “You mean… even when I go to the latrine, they’re watching?”
Huan Ying chuckled, poking her puffed-up cheek. “Relax, they’ll hold their breath. But the way you smacked your lips while eating? Yeah, they all heard that.”
“You—!” Wei Lan grabbed a cherry pit, pretending to throw it at him. Then her eyes lit up. “Wait! You still haven’t taught me lightness skill!”
“Hold tight.”
Huan Ying grabbed her collar like a kitten and soared into the air. Wei Lan screamed, flailing wildly. With two light taps against the tree trunk, Huan Ying landed them five meters up.
Slipping on the damp moss, Wei Lan nearly fell but clung to Huan Ying’s arm. Once steady, she beamed. “Again! That kicking motion was so cool!”
Huan Ying smiled, pulled her close, and leapt higher—this time landing ten meters up. Looking down at the fire pit, now tiny like a matchbox, Wei Lan was so thrilled she stomped her foot. “This is amazing! Can I learn this?”
“That was Ti Yun Zong,” Huan Ying said with a teasing tone. “You want to learn?”
Wei Lan gulped as she looked down. “Yes! Yes! Teach me!”
Huan Ying calmly started counting on his fingers. “Start with horse stance at five years old, breathing exercises at seven, footwork at ten—”
Wei Lan’s face fell. “Just say I’m too old already!”
“So—” Huan Ying suddenly let go.
Wei Lan shrieked, clinging to him for dear life.
Below, Hong Hua called out in alarm, “Xiao Lan, are you okay?”
“I’m fine! I’m fine!” Wei Lan patted her chest, muttering, “Why couldn’t I have been born here instead…”
She tried to pester Huan Ying for more lessons, but he simply carried her back to the ground. “Save your energy for traveling.”
Two weeks after leaving Changsha, they finally crossed the Huguang border and entered Henan Province.
As soon as they did, the atmosphere turned strange. The forests became unnervingly silent—no birds, no rustling leaves. Huan Ying gripped his sword tightly, his expression guarded.
The carriage jerked to a sudden stop. Just as Wei Lan reached for the curtain, Huan Ying held her back. “Stay inside.”
“This road is mine! If you want to pass, leave your money and women behind!” A bandit with a scarred face stood in the road, wielding a large blade. His greedy gaze swept over the gold-trimmed carriage.
Wei Lan sighed. “It’s already the Chongzhen era, and bandits are still using these cliché lines?”
Huan Ying lowered his sword tip. “Move aside.”
The bandit sneered. “The world is in chaos, and every man takes what he can. We’ve set up an ambush. Be smart, brother.”
Hong Hua clutched Wei Lan’s hand in fear. Wei Lan reassured her, “Don’t worry, Huan Ying can take them!” Then she reminded Huan Ying, “Don’t kill anyone.”
Huan Ying’s eyes turned cold. “Move.”
The bandit smirked. “Fire!”
Arrows rained down.