Black Pine Ridge lay northwest of the northern outpost.
The mountain was not particularly high, but it was extremely deep.
In winter, the pine forest was pressed low beneath the snow, its branches and leaves intertwined. From a distance, it looked like a silent black shadow. When the wind passed through the forest, it did not howl like it did across the open snowfield. Instead, it was shredded by layer upon layer of pine branches, producing a fine rustling sound, as if countless people were whispering in the darkness.
Xiao Yuan did not rush into the mountain.
The traces left by the messenger were chaotic.
There was an injury on his shoulder, and he had deliberately avoided the open snow paths, fleeing toward Black Pine Ridge in a stumbling, staggering manner. But the closer he got to the foot of the mountain, the fewer traces there were, as if someone had met him halfway and cleared away his footprints afterward.
A personal guard crouched in the snow and brushed aside a thin layer.
“Your Highness, someone has cleared the tracks here.”
Xiao Yuan lowered his eyes and looked.
The cleared snow appeared smooth at first glance, but along the edge was an extremely fine drag mark, with a bit of brown grass clinging beside it.
The messenger could not have done this himself.
Someone had already been waiting for him when he escaped here.
A personal guard asked quietly, “Should we pursue?”
Xiao Yuan did not answer immediately.
He raised his eyes toward Black Pine Ridge.
The forest was too quiet, so quiet that it did not resemble a mountain bandit den.
If mountain bandits had just received someone, they would inevitably leave behind traces of horses’ hooves, whistles, smoke, fire, or patrols. Yet the forest before them was so quiet that it seemed to be deliberately holding its breath, waiting for him to walk inside.
This was not the habit of mountain bandits.
This was the habit of a military ambush.
Xiao Yuan said, “Don’t enter from the front.”
The personal guard was startled.
Xiao Yuan pointed toward the eastern side of the mountain.
“Go around to the northern slope. Since the messenger entered the ridge from the south, there must be people waiting at the front. The snow on the northern slope is deep and the path difficult. There may actually be fewer guards there.”
“Yes.”
The ten personal guards quickly divided into three groups.
One group remained at the foot of the mountain, watching the place where the messenger had disappeared.
Another circled around the eastern side to search for sentries.
Xiao Yuan personally led four men toward the northern slope.
The wind and snow were not heavy, but the cold was piercing. The farther into the mountain they went, the deeper the snow became. The horses had difficulty moving, so everyone could only dismount and lead them by hand. Pine branches occasionally scraped against their clothing, while chunks of snow fell onto their shoulders. The sounds were especially distinct within the silent forest.
Every so often, Xiao Yuan stopped to examine the ground.
Black Pine Ridge appeared peaceful on the surface, but it was not that no one had passed through.
Although the northern slope was remote, there were still old tracks beneath the snow that had been packed hard. Someone had repeatedly transported things in and out through this place. It was merely concealed beneath the fresh snow, making it difficult to notice without careful observation.
A personal guard lowered his voice.
“Your Highness, these look like tracks left by grain carts.”
Xiao Yuan crouched down and ran his fingertips across the frozen soil beneath the snow.
The wheel tracks were deep.
They could not have been made by one or two carts.
Nor were they the kind of tracks left by mountain bandits carrying away a few sacks of grain after a robbery.
The northern border military grain was indeed here.
His gaze turned cold.
“Continue.”
Another half-li ahead, voices finally came from the forest.
Very low.
Mixed with the sound of the wind, they were almost impossible to distinguish without listening carefully.
Xiao Yuan raised his hand, and everyone immediately stopped.
Ahead was a natural mountain hollow, concealed on all sides by pine forest. Someone had cleared an open area in the center. More than a dozen grain carts covered with snow cloths were parked in the clearing, with sacks piled beside them.
Several people dressed like mountain bandits were gathered around a brazier drinking wine.
On the other side stood two men wearing gray cotton robes.
The two men were dressed plainly and carried no blades at their waists, yet their postures were extremely straight.
They were not mountain bandits.
One of them was currently berating the messenger.
The messenger knelt in the snow. The blood on his shoulder had already congealed, and his face was deathly pale, yet he hurriedly said, “Prince Su truly didn’t bring many people! There was no large force of reinforcements at Qingshi Village either, only… only they seemed to have known in advance that the fire oil would be transported along the southwestern path.”
The gray-robed man said coldly, “You exposed yourself.”
“No!” The messenger hurriedly raised his head. “I saw the medicine from the Guichen Medical Sect! That medicine really saved the child. The words ‘Guichen’ were written on the oil paper outside. There really is a connection to the Guichen Medical Sect beside Prince Su. It’s not an ordinary merchant route.”
The other gray-robed man was silent for a moment.
“The Guichen Medical Sect?”
The messenger hurriedly said, “Yes. Everyone in Qingshi Village is saying that Hanchuan, Linzhou, and Qingshi Village all have methods from that Doctor Su. Doctor Su knows the techniques of the Guichen Medical Sect, but he isn’t in the army. He may be hiding in Hanchuan, or perhaps somewhere secretly established by Prince Su.”
The gray-robed man frowned.
“Doctor Su…”
It was as if he was truly taking those three words to heart for the first time.
Xiao Yuan lay low behind the snowy slope, his gaze icy.
The fish had bitten the bait.
But it had bitten much deeper than he had expected.
They not only believed in the Guichen Medical Sect; they had also begun treating Su Muchen as a lead worth investigating.
That was exactly what he wanted.
It was also what he feared most.
The gray-robed man pondered for a moment before saying quietly, “The information must be sent back. His Highness needs to know that behind Prince Su is not an ordinary merchant route, but a medical sect. If the Guichen Medical Sect truly exists, we must find Doctor Su first.”
The other man said, “But the grain carts haven’t all been moved yet. The northern outpost commandant escaped, and Qingshi Village wasn’t burned down. Prince Su will discover this place soon.”
The gray-robed man sneered.
“Then Zhao Ping cannot be allowed to live.”
Xiao Yuan’s gaze darkened.
The messenger also abruptly raised his head.
“Zhao Ping is still alive?”
The gray-robed man glanced at him, seemingly disgusted by his loss of composure.
“He’s locked in the stone shed at the back. We originally intended to force him to reveal where he hid the northern outpost’s military seal. But now that I think about it, keeping him alive is only trouble.”
Killing intent flashed through the eyes of the personal guard beside Xiao Yuan.
Zhao Ping really was here.
But they still could not act.
Xiao Yuan raised his hand and restrained the guard.
The gray-robed man continued, “Kill him before nightfall and throw the body onto the northern slope. Make it look as though he escaped the northern outpost and froze to death in the mountains.”
The other man nodded.
“What about the grain?”
“The final batch will be moved tonight, along the western route. Black Pine Ridge can’t be kept anymore.” The gray-robed man said coldly, “If Prince Su comes, leave him nothing but an empty mountain.”
Xiao Yuan looked at the grain carts.
The dozen or so carts were merely what he could see before him.
If they intended to move the final batch tonight, there had to be even more grain deeper inside the mountain hollow.
Grain belonging to the northern border military camps.
The Crown Prince actually dared to cut off the northern border army’s grain during a snow disaster, merely to weaken his military authority and sever his foundation.
Xiao Yuan slowly tightened his fingers, his knuckles turning white beneath his gloves.
But he did not move.
Su Muchen’s words still weighed on his heart.
—Stay alive. Do not gamble with your life.
He closed his eyes briefly.
When he opened them again, his gaze had already returned to its calmness.
He could not charge in now.
There was grain here, Zhao Ping, people from the Transport Office, and possibly private soldiers hidden in the darkness.
He had only ten men.
If they forced their way in, they could kill some of the enemy, but they might not be able to secure the grain, nor necessarily rescue Zhao Ping.
More likely, they would force the enemy to set fire to the grain.
Xiao Yuan said quietly, “Withdraw.”
The personal guard was startled, but immediately obeyed.
They silently retreated into the depths of the pine forest.
Only after they were far enough from the mountain hollow did the personal guard ask quietly, “Return to Qingshi Village and bring reinforcements?”
Xiao Yuan said, “No.”
The guard froze.
Xiao Yuan looked toward the western side of Black Pine Ridge.
“They’re moving the grain tonight. They must take the western route. Qingshi Village is too far away. By the time reinforcements arrive, the grain will already be gone.”
“Then…”
“Send one man back to Qingshi Village. Have Xia Lanshi use the orders I left behind to mobilize the light cavalry from Hanchuan and seal the southern route of Black Pine Ridge.” Xiao Yuan said, “The rest will follow me to the western route.”
The personal guard’s heart tightened.
“Your Highness intends to intercept the grain?”
The coldness in Xiao Yuan’s eyes deepened.
“Not intercept.”
He looked toward the distant mountain hollow, his voice low and clear.
“We are taking back the northern border army’s grain.”
◆◇◆◇◆
In the evening, Xia Lanshi received Xiao Yuan’s message.
The letter was very short.
Zhao Ping is alive.
Northern border military grain is at Black Pine Ridge.
People from the Transport Office are there.
The grain will be moved west tonight.
Seal the southern route. Guard Qingshi. Wait for Hanchuan.
After reading it, Xia Lanshi coughed, his complexion even paler than before.
Chi Banyue immediately frowned.
“Drink some water first.”
Xia Lanshi did not object. He took the warm water and drank a mouthful before handing the letter to her.
After reading it, her expression also changed.
“His Highness only brought ten people.”
“That’s why he isn’t planning to attack the mountain head-on.” Xia Lanshi said quietly. “He’s going to intercept the western route.”
“That’s too dangerous.”
“Yes.” Xia Lanshi lowered his eyes. “But if we don’t intercept it, once the grain leaves, the northern border military camps won’t make it to the end of the month. This isn’t merely one shipment of grain. It’s the morale of the northern border army.”
Chi Banyue fell silent.
Xia Lanshi raised his hand and rubbed his brow before spreading out the map.
“Send the order. Qingshi Village is not to move. Only strengthen the defenses at the village entrance, the granary, and the ancestral hall. Have the fast riders from Hanchuan immediately return to find Qin Feng and mobilize the light cavalry and sled teams. Seal the southern route of Black Pine Ridge. Don’t make a big show of it.”
Chi Banyue looked at him.
“What about me?”
Xia Lanshi raised his eyes.
“You stay.”
Chi Banyue smiled.
“Xia Lanshi, do you really think I’ll listen?”
Xia Lanshi said calmly, “His Highness ordered you to stay and protect Qingshi Village, and protect me as well.”
“His Highness isn’t here.”
“If Doctor Su finds out that you also went to Black Pine Ridge without permission, he’ll scold you too.”
Chi Banyue: “…”
That sentence was unexpectedly more effective than a military order.
After a moment of silence, Chi Banyue gritted her teeth.
“All of you have learned to use Doctor Su against me now.”
Xia Lanshi said softly, “As long as it works.”
Chi Banyue laughed in exasperation.
“You really have learned bad habits.”
Xia Lanshi did not deny it.
He lowered his head and continued writing the order.
His handwriting remained steady, though his pace was slower than usual. Chi Banyue could tell that he was actually already exhausted. From last night until now, although he had been forcibly kept inside the carriage, he had continuously reviewed the accounts, listened to reports, arranged defenses, and received military reports from Hanchuan.
This person was best at silently wearing himself down.
Chi Banyue suddenly reached out and pressed down on his pen.
Xia Lanshi raised his eyes.
“Miss Banyue?”
Chi Banyue looked at him.
“Once you finish this final order, you sleep for half an hour.”
Xia Lanshi was just about to speak.
Chi Banyue smiled faintly.
“If you don’t sleep, I’ll really tie you up.”
Xia Lanshi: “…”
He looked at her for a moment before finally letting out a soft sigh.
“All right.”
Chi Banyue withdrew her hand in satisfaction.
Only, she did not see that when Xia Lanshi lowered his eyes, his fingertips gently touched the white jade peace token around his wrist again.
For some reason, he had been somewhat restless all day.
As though something was approaching through the wind and snow.
It had nothing to do with Xiao Yuan.
Nothing to do with Qingshi Village.
It felt more like… it had something to do with someone who always appeared at critical moments.
He vaguely sensed a strange, ominous atmosphere.
◆◇◆◇◆
After nightfall, the door of Guichen Studio still did not open.
Su Muchen had already drawn up three sets of procurement plans.
The first was for short-term emergency relief.
Compressed dry rations, oral rehydration salts, fever reducers, trauma supplies, thermal blankets, gloves, masks, and soap.
The second was for medium-term stabilization.
Rice and flour, beans, salt, sugar, oil, dehydrated vegetables, nutritional powder, water filtration equipment, cotton-padded clothes and socks, and simple tents.
The third was for long-term support.
Seed potatoes, cold-resistant grain seeds, farming tools, small hand-operated equipment, lighting tools, basic hygiene manuals, and tools and materials in packages that could be dismantled and transported.
He looked at the amount on the table and remained silent for a long time.
It was very expensive.
Even with the gold Xiao Yuan had brought, it was not an amount he could spend without restraint.
Moreover, the flow of money could not be too fast, could not be too concentrated, and could not all pass under Guichen Studio’s name.
Xiao leaned against the side, tapping on his tablet.
“The gold can still be processed a little more, but not too frequently. The Sheng family has already noticed that your recent cash flow has become cleaner. That will only make them more interested in finding out where it comes from.”
Su Muchen frowned.
“There’s a problem with my cash flow becoming cleaner too?”
“Of course.” Xiao said. “Someone who is nearly crushed to death by debt suddenly starts making repayments on time, purchasing normally, organizing public-welfare plans, and hiring a lawyer. That itself is abnormal.”
Su Muchen fell silent.
Indeed.
Whatever he did now was abnormal.
Having no money was abnormal.
Having money was even more abnormal.
Xiao looked at him and suddenly said, “So you need a more reasonable source of external income.”
“Such as?”
“Restoration of old objects, consignment sales, online exhibitions and sales, licensing folk-culture materials, public-welfare cooperation subsidies.” Xiao listed several directions in one breath. “Also, don’t you know how to draw a little? You could make cultural and creative merchandise for Guichen Studio.”
Su Muchen stared at him expressionlessly.
“You’re asking me to launch merchandise at a time like this?”
Xiao smiled innocently.
“Young Master, saving the northern border still requires money to eat.”
Su Muchen: “…”
He actually could not refute that.
Xiao continued, “For the modern side to operate long-term, it can’t rely solely on gold. Gold is startup capital, not a perpetual-motion machine. You have to make Guichen Studio look like it has truly come back to life.”
Su Muchen lowered his eyes to the laptop.
Guichen Studio reopening.
Antiques.
Secondhand goods.
Handcrafted incense products.
Tea.
Rare foreign goods.
Public-welfare exhibitions.
Cultural and creative merchandise.
He suddenly felt that his fate was absurd beyond words.
Not long ago, he had merely been an unemployed medical student suffocating under the weight of debt.
Now, not only did he have to save an ancient prince, he also had to moonlight as supply-chain manager, financial officer, legal adviser, warehouse manager, brand operator, and public-welfare planner.
He might even have to sell merchandise.
Su Muchen said expressionlessly, “I think the medical fees Xiao Yuan paid aren’t enough.”
Xiao burst out laughing.
“You can charge His Highness more next time.”
Su Muchen said coldly, “I’ll also charge a consulting fee.”
Despite saying that, he still added another column to the document.
Guichen Studio Operating Revenue.
When he wrote those words, he suddenly paused.
Operations.
Not barely hanging on, but starting to operate again.
The run-down shop called Guichen Studio, which he had once only wanted to sell but could not sell, was actually coming back to life bit by bit.
Just like Hanchuan.
Just like Qingshi Village.
Covered in cracks and teetering on the verge of collapse.
But not dead yet.
◆◇◆◇◆
After night fell, the western route of Black Pine Ridge became windy.
The western route was not an official road, but a hidden path frequently used by mountain bandits and private merchants. The road was narrow, with steep slopes and dense pine forests on both sides. It was extremely suitable for hiding people, but extremely unsuitable for large groups of grain carts to travel quickly.
That was also why Xiao Yuan had chosen to act here.
Once the grain carts entered the western route, they could not protect both the front and rear.
As long as the front carts and rear carts were separated, the entire convoy would be trapped on the snowy road.
He led his men around in advance to a bend in the western route and lay in the snow, waiting for nearly an hour.
The night grew deeper and deeper.
Finally, the sound of wheels crushing snow came from the distance.
One cart.
Two carts.
Three carts.
Then more.
There were even more grain carts than Xiao Yuan had expected.
At least twenty.
Each cart was covered with thick cloth. Mountain bandits carrying knives escorted them, while several men in gray clothing rode alongside on horseback.
In the middle of the convoy, Xiao Yuan saw Zhao Ping, tied to the back of a horse.
He was still alive.
But his head hung down, his body covered in patches of blood. It was impossible to tell whether he was conscious.
Xiao Yuan’s gaze turned cold.
A personal guard whispered, “Your Highness, shall we act now?”
“Wait until the front carts pass the bend.”
Once the front carts passed the bend, the rear carts would be blocked from view by the slope.
That was the best opportunity.
The convoy approached little by little.
The sound of the wind concealed the faint noise of bowstrings being drawn.
Just as the two carts at the very front passed the bend, Xiao Yuan raised his hand.
Three arrows shot out simultaneously.
The first arrow severed the reins of the horse pulling the front cart.
The second struck the wooden peg beside the rear cart’s axle.
The third sank into the snow beside the bandit escorting the cart, startling the horse into suddenly rearing.
In the next instant, the ropes buried beneath the snow were violently pulled up by the personal guards.
The wheel of the third grain cart at the rear twisted and became heavily wedged into the snowy slope, blocking the entire narrow road.
The convoy instantly descended into chaos.
“An ambush!”
The mountain bandits had barely shouted before Xiao Yuan had already swept down from the slope.
His long sword left its sheath, its cold light resembling snow.
He did not charge toward the grain carts.
He went straight for Zhao Ping in the middle of the convoy.
The men in gray reacted extremely quickly. One drew his blade and blocked him. His swordsmanship was clean and precise, clearly not that of a mountain bandit.
Xiao Yuan brought his sword down. The blade scraped across the opponent’s weapon, throwing off sparks and shaking the man’s hand until his tiger’s mouth split open.
The man’s expression changed drastically.
“Prince Su!”
Xiao Yuan did not answer.
His second strike directly severed the tendons of the man’s wrist.
The personal guards attacked from both sides.
There were not many of them.
Yet they were like a thin, sharp blade, precisely cutting into the most chaotic point of the convoy.
Mountain bandits were accustomed to bullying the weak by relying on superior numbers, but they were not skilled at close combat against elite personal guards after their formation had been cut apart.
Moreover, they had assumed that Prince Su was still in Qingshi Village.
They had never expected him to bring ten men around and wait for them along the western route.
Amid the chaos, Zhao Ping finally raised his head.
His face was covered in blood and grime, and his eyes could barely open.
But when he saw Xiao Yuan, he actually smiled.
“Your Highness… you came so quickly.”
Xiao Yuan cut the rope binding him to the horse with one sword and reached out to support him.
Zhao Ping nearly collapsed completely.
Xiao Yuan caught him and said in a deep voice, “Hold on.”
Zhao Ping coughed up blood but still tried to speak.
“The grain… carts… don’t let them burn them…”
Before he could finish, someone suddenly shouted from the rear of the convoy:
“Set fire!”
Xiao Yuan’s gaze turned cold.
Just as expected.
Several men in gray pulled fire strikers from their robes. They were not trying to escape.
They intended to burn the grain.
Xiao Yuan said coldly, “Put it out.”
The personal guards had already prepared for this.
The wet cloth and chunks of snow buried beneath the snow beforehand were pulled out and thrown directly toward the fire strikers.
Another personal guard used a crossbow to shoot through the wrist of one of the gray-clothed men. The fire striker fell into the snow and instantly went out.
However, another person at the rear successfully set fire to the cart covering.
The instant the flames shot upward, Xiao Yuan’s heart sank.
If that cart of grain caught fire, the flames would quickly spread.
At that moment, a figure suddenly rushed out of the darkness and directly pressed a heavy, wet blanket over the flames.
The person’s movements were incredibly fast, practically using his own body to smother the fire.
When the flames went out, he rolled into the snow, white smoke rising from his shoulders and back.
Zhao Ping struggled to raise his head.
“Old Chen!”
He was another surviving soldier from the northern outpost.
No one knew when he had followed them out. Dragging his injured leg, he had hidden near the western route the entire time, waiting for this exact moment.
When the personal guards helped Old Chen up, his face was covered in soot, yet he grinned.
“Commandant, the grain didn’t burn.”
Zhao Ping’s eyes instantly reddened.
Xiao Yuan glanced at Old Chen.
“Record this as a merit.”
Old Chen froze, as if he had never expected Prince Su to say something like that to him.
In the next moment, seeing that burning the grain had failed, the men in gray immediately changed their strategy.
“Withdraw!”
They wanted to flee.
But both ends of the western route were blocked, and the mountain bandits were already in complete disorder. How could they retreat smoothly?
Xiao Yuan stood with his sword raised, his voice as cold as snow.
“Leave no mountain bandits alive. Capture the rest.”
The personal guards immediately understood.
The mountain bandits could be killed.
The men in gray had to be taken alive.
Behind them were the people who could truly lead them to the Northern Border Transport Office and the Crown Prince.
◆◇◆◇◆
The battle to intercept the grain did not last long.
Yet it was bitterly cold and extremely dangerous.
By the time the last mountain bandit had been pinned to the snowy ground, the western route was already covered in blood and overturned wheel tracks.
Seventeen grain carts had been secured.
Another three had overturned down the slope during the chaos. Fortunately, they had not caught fire, and there would still be a way to drag them back later.
Three men in gray had been captured alive.
One bit down on poison and killed himself.
The other two had their jaws dislocated by the personal guards and were tied beside the carts.
Zhao Ping leaned against a grain cart, his face deathly pale, yet his eyes remained fixed on the grain sacks.
“Your Highness… all of this is grain for the northern border army.”
Xiao Yuan crouched down and cut open one of the sacks.
Inside was millet that was still fairly clean.
On the inside of the sack’s opening was the imprint of an official granary.
Northern Border Transport Office.
Xiao Yuan ran his hand across the imprint, the coldness in his eyes deepening.
The Crown Prince and the Transport Office could claim that the snow disaster had blocked the roads.
They could claim that mountain bandits had robbed the grain.
They could claim that the local authorities had failed to supervise properly.
But as long as this shipment of grain remained, as long as Zhao Ping was alive, and as long as the men in gray opened their mouths, he could take this entire chain into his hands.
A personal guard asked, “Your Highness, what should we do with the grain carts?”
Xiao Yuan stood.
“Divide them into two groups.”
“Half will be sent back to Qingshi Village first, then transferred to the storage depots with Hanchuan’s assistance. The other half will be temporarily hidden in the forest hollow north of the western route. The personal guards will guard it until Qin Feng’s light cavalry arrives.”
The guard acknowledged the order.
Zhao Ping struggled to speak.
“Your Highness, we can’t send all of it to Qingshi Village. If Black Pine Ridge learns that the grain has been intercepted, they’ll certainly counterattack.”
Xiao Yuan looked at him.
“That is why we have to make them believe the grain is still on the road.”
Zhao Ping froze.
Xiao Yuan said, “Leave several empty carts and send them west along the original route.”
The personal guard’s eyes lit up.
“Lure them into pursuing?”
Xiao Yuan said calmly, “Not pursue. Let them come and take it themselves.”
If the people at Black Pine Ridge believed the grain carts were still there, they would only send people to receive them.
And whoever they sent would inevitably know more.
Zhao Ping looked at Xiao Yuan, a trace of shock gradually rising in his eyes.
This Prince Su was completely different from the exiled prince in the rumors, the one who had been sent to the northern border and could only be led around by the court.
He did not hurry.
He was not greedy.
He did not allow anger to push him forward.
He saved people, and he set traps.
He seized grain, and he preserved the trail.
Zhao Ping suddenly understood that perhaps the northern border truly still had a path to survival.
Not because of the imperial court.
But because the person before him had begun to truly grasp the lifeline of the northern border.
◆◇◆◇◆
Rain began falling again at Guichen Studio that night.
The rain in Yunjing City was unlike the snow of the northern border.
It struck the eaves with a steady patter. It was damp and cold, but not cold enough to kill.
Su Muchen stood at the shop entrance, looking at the stone road in the alley darkened by rainwater, and suddenly thought of Qingshi Village.
He had not seen it with his own eyes.
Yet for some reason, he always felt that it should be snowing there.
Xiao walked over from behind and draped a coat over his shoulders.
“What are you looking at?”
“The rain.”
“What is there to look at in rain?”
Su Muchen was silent for a moment.
“At least it won’t freeze anyone to death.”
Xiao glanced at him.
Su Muchen pulled the coat tighter around himself and suddenly asked, “Do you think the door won’t open because it’s too dangerous over there?”
Xiao leaned against the doorframe.
“It’s possible.”
“Then is it protecting me, or restricting me?”
Xiao did not answer immediately.
The sound of rain fell at the entrance of the alley, as though separating the world into two layers.
After a long time, Xiao finally said, “Perhaps both.”
Su Muchen frowned.
“Do all you gatekeepers talk like this?”
Xiao smiled.
“Probably an occupational hazard.”
Su Muchen looked at him.
“Were you restricted by the door before too?”
The smile on Xiao’s face faded slightly.
“Many times.”
Su Muchen keenly noticed his tone.
“Many times?”
Xiao lowered his eyes and avoided his gaze.
“A gatekeeper spends his entire life dealing with doors. Of course, many times.”
Su Muchen did not believe him.
But he did not press further.
Xiao had too many secrets.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to ask.
He simply knew that he would not be able to get an answer right now.
And even if he did get one, it might not be an answer he could bear.
Su Muchen lowered his head and watched the rainwater flowing past the edge of the steps.
“Sometimes I feel like we’re all being pushed along by the door.”
Xiao looked at him.
“Do you regret it?”
Su Muchen fell silent.
Headlights flashed past the entrance of the alley, then quickly disappeared into the curtain of rain.
After a long time, he finally said, “It’s too late.”
This was no longer a question of whether he regretted it.
When the first child in Hanchuan survived.
When Qingshi Village was not burned to ashes.
When Xiao Yuan said “I’m here” from behind the door.
It had already become too late for him to turn back.
Xiao chuckled softly.
“That sounds like something His Highness would say.”
Su Muchen shot him a glance.
“Don’t lump me together with him.”
“It’s difficult.” Xiao said. “You two are becoming more and more alike.”
Su Muchen frowned.
“How?”
Xiao looked at him, his gaze deep.
“Neither of you is willing to retreat.”
Su Muchen did not speak for a moment.
Amid the sound of rain, the copper bell of Guichen Studio suddenly swayed gently.
No one had entered.
It was the door to the back room.
A very faint sound came from it.
Su Muchen abruptly turned his head.
Xiao also looked toward the back room.
The white light did not immediately appear.
The old door merely trembled slightly in the rainy night.
As though someone far away had knocked once on a door amid the wind and snow.
Su Muchen’s heartbeat suddenly quickened.
He turned and walked toward the back room.
Xiao remained where he was, watching his back, and whispered something so softly it was almost inaudible.
“This time, don’t close it again.”
He did not know whether he was speaking to the door, or to fate.
◆◇◆◇◆
On the western route of Black Pine Ridge, Xiao Yuan looked up at the night sky.
The snow had stopped.
Yet deeper clouds pressed down over the distant horizon.
He had ordered Zhao Ping and the seriously wounded soldiers to be sent back to Qingshi Village first, while he remained on the western route, waiting for the people from Black Pine Ridge to come and retrieve the empty carts.
Zhao Ping refused to leave.
“Your Highness, I can still hold on.”
Xiao Yuan glanced at him.
“Your holding on is useful, but not here.”
Zhao Ping froze.
Xiao Yuan said, “Return to Qingshi Village and write everything you saw at the northern outpost into a statement—the urgent order from the Transport Office, the deputy officer’s collusion, the fire oil, and the military grain. You being alive is more useful than killing two more mountain bandits here.”
Zhao Ping’s throat tightened.
After a moment, he lowered his head.
“This subordinate understands.”
As he was helped onto a horse by the personal guards, he suddenly turned back.
“Your Highness.”
Xiao Yuan looked at him.
Zhao Ping’s voice was hoarse, but steady.
“I don’t know how many people from the northern outpost can survive. But if Your Highness is willing to investigate this to the end, those of us who remain at the northern outpost are willing to testify for Your Highness.”
Xiao Yuan said, “I will investigate it to the end.”
Zhao Ping’s eyes reddened, and he nodded heavily.
The grain carts were divided into two groups.
One portion headed toward Qingshi Village.
One portion was hidden in the forest hollow.
And five empty carts, covered with grain cloths, slowly proceeded along the original route, heading deeper into the western route.
Xiao Yuan stood amid the snowy shadows, watching those carts slowly disappear.
A personal guard asked quietly, “Your Highness, will the people from Black Pine Ridge come?”
Xiao Yuan said, “They will.”
“What if they don’t?”
Xiao Yuan’s gaze remained calm.
“Then it means they’ve already learned that the grain was intercepted, and they’ll immediately abandon the mountain and flee.”
The personal guard understood.
Whether they came or not, they could determine Black Pine Ridge’s next move.
This was no longer simply a pursuit.
It was forcing the other side to make a choice.
After the wind and snow stopped, the forest became even quieter.
About two ke later, a very faint horse whistle finally sounded in the distance.
The personal guards immediately held their breaths.
The people from Black Pine Ridge had arrived.
Xiao Yuan slowly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
The night was not yet over.
But the grain supply line the Crown Prince had hidden in the northern border had already been caught by him at one corner.
Next, as long as the other side dared to reach out a hand, he would pull it out—bones, sinew, and all.