Post by kyc on Jan 23, 2024 5:28:16 GMT
Chapter One: Chang An Inn
Thud, thud, thud…
It was the fifteenth day of the twelfth month, with half a month to go until the new year. Fluffy goose feather-like snowflakes began to fall from the sky, covering the ground with thick white snow. In a corner of Hebei, a carriage was trundling over the snowy ground.
The harsh weather made Fan Ting cough involuntarily. "It's so cold," he thought, pulling on the reins to urge the horse forward. Behind the horse, there was also a donkey carriage closely trailing the main carriage, accompanied by four martial artists clad in tight-fitting black martial outfits, two on either side.
Fan Ting squinted his eyes on horseback, looking at the dim road ahead. The weather was very cold, the snow moderate, but Fan Ting still felt the chill, as his hands covered his freezing red cheeks and the sword on his side clanged.
In front, a servant rode a horse with a brown mane, carrying a lantern to light the way.
Fan Ting urged his horse and rode alongside the servant, asking, "How much further do we have to go?"
The servant awkwardly smiled and replied, "Apologies, Master Fan. I mistakenly thought we would reach the inn shortly. It seems there are still three or four miles to go. Please rest assured, we won't make a mistake this time."
Fan Ting could only furrow his brow and said in a low voice, "Xiao Si, you'd better not take another wrong path this time, or you'll delay Miss's journey back home."
The servant named Xiao Si replied sheepishly, "I won't, I won't!"
At that moment, a soft laugh came from inside the carriage, followed by a gentle reprimand from the young lady. "Hongxiao, don't be rude!"
The maid named Hongxiao stifled her laughter, lifted the curtain of the carriage and said, "After all this trouble, I hope we won't take another wrong path this time. Master Fan, you've been very helpful."
Fan Ting smiled faintly, saying, "The horses are tired too. If we find the inn in three or four miles, I can rest and feed the horses and donkey some fodder. We still have to continue our journey tomorrow!"
Xiao Si said, "I guarantee Miss will reach the inn within an hour!"
Hongxiao said, "It'd better be true, so I don't have to tear your mouth apart."
Xiao Si stuck out his tongue and said, "With Miss here, do you still want to be unruly?" Hongxiao scolded, "So now you dare to argue with me?"
At this moment, a soft and cultured voice came from the carriage, saying, "Xiao Si, Hongxiao, stop arguing. Let's hurry up with our journey on the road."
Hongxiao tucked her head back into the carriage, muttering continuously as if she were complaining about something to her mistress.
After a while, Fan Ting slackened the horse's pace and the horse fell behind the donkey carriage.
Looking around, Fan Ting saw only a pitch-black road. In reality, he could not see too far ahead and he yawned again. The inn that was supposed to be reached by eight in the evening was now invisible at two in the morning.
Although Fan Ting had a calm temperament and showed considerable patience towards the misguided Xiao Si, the company still needed to take a break. Xiao Si, aware of his mistake, had no choice but to cautiously lead the way ahead. Xiao Si was around forty, while Fan Ting was in his early thirties. The snow continued to fall and the howling of the north wind became more pronounced.
After half an hour, Xiao Si shouted from the front, "The inn is just ahead!" Fan Ting became alert and looked ahead. Indeed, not far away was an inn. Fan Ting guided the horse to the side of the carriage, saying, "Miss, we have arrived at the inn. Please come out and rest."
Hongxiao immediately lifted the curtain, stepped down into the snowy ground, brushed off the snow, and complained, "Ah, the snow is still falling heavily. Miss, be careful not to catch a cold." After a while, she reached out and took the hand of her mistress.
The young lady also lifted the curtain and walked down from the carriage. She was about the same age as Hongxiao, in her early twenties, with clear black irises, a graceful demeanour and snow-like skin. However, the most outstanding feature was her elegant and noble demeanour in every move. At the moment, she was wearing a fur coat, holding hands with Hongxiao, and stepping onto the inn's steps.
A large red lantern hung in front of the inn and the sign on the door read "Chang An Inn".
Except for Fan Ting, the other four were stunned when they saw this scene.
Fan Ting was the martial arts instructor of the Ye family, so he naturally had seen the young lady. Her name was Ye Zhenyun and Hongxiao had been her personal maid since childhood.
Ye Zhenyun's father, Ye Daonan, was fond of martial arts and had hired a group of martial artists to practise swords and spears in the family compound.
Ye Zhenyun had grown up watching martial artists. Fan Ting was hired as a boxing instructor by Ye Daonan two years ago, and although he was not very old, he was the most skilled among Ye Daonan's martial artists, earning his admiration. Fan Ting's proudest boxing technique was the "Crouching Tiger, Twin Dragons Fist", a unique family martial art. But he also knew Tingyun Swordplay, which was also another martial art passed down by his ancestors.
Ye Daonan had tasked Fan Ting to accompany her daughter back to their old ancestral home in Hebei. Previous to that, Ye Zhenyun had been staying with her maternal grandmother, learning to play the guqin and weiqi, and to practise calligraphy and painting for a full year. Her grandmother, who was from a distinguished family in Yangzhou, doted on her and would not let her leave. Only now did she have no choice but to accede, letting her granddaughter depart for home to celebrate the coming New Year.
Also accompanying Ye Zhenyun were four armed escorts from Xianyuan Armed Escort Agency. They were hired by Ye Daonan to escort Ye Zhenyun with Fan Ting.
Knowing that the journey would be long and arduous, Ye Daonan did not want any unforeseen circumstances to befall his beloved daughter. He had heard rumours of bandits around this region and although he trusted in Fan Ting's martial arts, he preferred to play it safe. The donkey carriage did not carry any treasure but loads of books valued by the young lady.
The four armed escorts had only seen a glimpse of Ye Zhenyun's back earlier on before they left Yangzhou. Now in their full view, she left a deep impression on them.
Fan Ting, seeing them in a daze, cleared his throat and said to Xiao Si, "Light another lantern and accompany the young lady in." Xiao Si immediately grunted an assent, glared at the four armed escorts, and brandished a fist at them. They had seen him stumble into a pool of mud just now and roared in laughter, leaving him red-faced.
Since it was past midnight, Xiao Si slammed the ringed knockers of the inn door, yelling, "Open up, open up!" After three tries, the door opened to reveal a sleepy-eyed innkeeper. When he saw so many people standing outside in the falling snow, he was astounded, but instantly bowed down and saluted them, asking, "Sirs and the two ladies here, are you here to rent rooms?"
Fan Ting nodded. The innkeeper said, "Please come in, please come in. The snow is getting heavier. The ladies shouldn't stay in the snow."
Fan Ting asked, "Are there enough rooms for the eight of us?"
The innkeeper replied, "Yes, yes! I have enough rooms for all of you. Our inn is not often frequented as it is in a remote place. Most of the people lodging here are hurrying back to celebrate the New Year, since it is along the way to Hebei. Would you like some water for your horses and donkey?"
Fan Ting replied, "Yes."
The innkeeper woke his waiter to prepare some hot water for the guests and some drinking water for the horses and donkey.
Xiao Si led the animals to the stable, before coming back with a grin. Hongxiao was annoyed at his smile and glared back at him, but Ye Zhenyun grasped her hand and shook her head.
The innkeeper gave them some watery wine and a toothy grin. "We don't have the best wine, but if you don't mind, you can have some to warm your stomachs."
The four armed escorts grunted and said nothing, preferring to look at Fan Ting for instructions.
Fan Ting said to the innkeeper, "Let us have four rooms, one for the ladies and three for the men. Two of us shall lodge in one room. I shall sleep in the same room as Xiao Si. Is it alright with you four?"
The four armed escorts said, "It's a good arrangement." Ye Zhenyun nodded in agreement too.
After having a light supper of barley gruel and beef stew provided by the innkeeper, the guests all retired to their rooms.
Ye Zhenyun shared the same room with Hongxiao, as she always did on her travels. In the room, which was neat and not especially large, the lady and her maid retired after taking off their hairpins and earrings.
The shadows flickered on the wall as the tallow candles dripped wax, casting a pale light in the room.
Hongxiao whispered to Ye Zhenyun, "My lady, it seems that this time, Old Master is really intent on letting you stay in our ancestral home. We have gone for almost a year, and you are now twenty. That's not a nice age anymore for a young lady." She chuckled at Ye Zhenyun, who, hearing the mockery in her maidservant's voice, started to blush to her ears.