027 Rotten Radish

Chapter Title: 027 Rotten Radish

The horrifying black corpse in the trench earlier—though she only glanced at it, the image was deeply etched into her heart. She couldn’t help but wonder: this time, she narrowly escaped; but what about next time? What if she made a mistake? Would the one lying there someday be someone she cared about?

She had no lofty ambitions—merely wished to drift through life—but that didn’t mean she could retreat from the world when someone threatened the lives of those she cherished. One moment’s hesitation had cost her the old woman’s tragic death, then she lost Zhu Xishi. She could endure her own brushes with death, but she could not imagine such misfortune befalling those she cared for.

Must she wait for someone to be wounded or die horribly before she acted? No! She wouldn’t be the one who responds too late. One lesson was enough. If attack truly was the best defense, she would spare no effort to charge ahead.

Fang Rulai rose, walked to the Buddha statue, and pressed her palms together devoutly: "Merciful Buddha, to kill in order to prevent killing is not what Rulai desires. But for Fahua Temple, if I do not descend into hell, who will?"

The afternoon sunlight slanted through the white paper windows, illuminating Fang Rulai’s monk’s robe before the Buddha. The earth-colored robes seemed to be gilded in gold, becoming dazzling in a fleeting moment.

Guan Shiyin inexplicably felt a prickling in his eyes, yet instead of blinking, he widened them further: "Yes, when I return home, I must enshrine the embroidered ball that brought Fang Rulai to me in the Guan family ancestral hall."

"Are you sure you only want one team of shadow guards?" Guan Shiyin asked, wondering if that was too few.

"If you find it inconvenient, just leave me the one with the best lightness skill."

Guan Shiyin was momentarily stumped by Fang Rulai’s overt arrogance. After witnessing her wit and shamelessness, he now saw another side: arrogance… It was the first time anyone dared to be so bold before him, and the feeling was… truly unique, and oddly exhilarating!

After a while, Fang Rulai asked, “Why aren’t you leaving?”

Guan Shiyin squinted unhappily. “I haven’t seen enough yet!”

“Oh, then keep watching—I’m leaving.” Fang Rulai turned to go. With the official battle beginning tomorrow, she had much to prepare and no time to idle with him.

Guan Shiyin remained seated, unmoving, only waiting for Fang Rulai to approach. As she was about to pass by, he leaned forward, encircled her legs with his arms, and hugged her thigh.

He looked up and smiled. “When all is done, will you marry me?”

Fang Rulai calmly lifted her foot and, without looking, kicked at him: "Still up to your old tricks, seeking a kick again, aren’t you? She could always oblige."

Unfortunately, this time she missed.

Having developed immunity from previous kicks, Guan Shiyin had already floated away as soon as Fang Rulai’s foot left the ground, yet he didn’t forget to leave his last words in the air.

“Abbot, just bathed, right? Used plum blossom soap, didn’t you? Hmm, this scent… wonderful! Absolutely! It has some of the same flair as when I bathe! Abbot, next time, shall we…”

Bang! Fang Rulai grabbed a wooden fish and hurled it—it struck the door frame.

“…bathe!” Guan Shiyin didn’t forget to poke his head in after the wooden fish landed to finish his sentence.

“Get out!” Fang Rulai stomped in frustration, while Guan Shiyin tossed her a flirtatious wink and darted away. He’d just decided on his beloved; he couldn’t let her slip away before he’d won her heart.

“Ah!” Fang Rulai angrily scratched her scalp, then turned and knelt before the Buddha: "Amitabha, rotten radish, rotten radish, rot away, rotten radish! Best if he rots away before I see him again, that damned rotten radish always wanting to act like a rogue! Then let’s see if he dares talk about bathing together!"

…

At midnight, when all had succumbed to sleep at the hour of deepest fatigue, Fang Rulai quietly slipped out the back door.

It was a moonless, windy night—perfect for shady business, like climbing walls to “pick flowers.”

Fang Rulai glanced around, left and right, all pitch black, and tentatively called out, “Where are you?” Not sure if the shadow guards assigned to her were present.

No sooner had she spoken than a chill wind surged behind her.

Swish. As she turned in alarm, someone stood there, cloaked in black, face and body entirely concealed.

Fang Rulai bent down, squinting to peer closely, but couldn’t discern anything, so she asked, “Sent by that idiot Guan?”

The figure seemed puzzled by her question, standing silent for a while before answering in a muffled voice, “Yes.”

Fang Rulai straightened up. It seemed he really had sent just one, as requested. She was sure the one before her had the best lightness skill, as required. Good; no time to waste!

“Carry me!” Fang Rulai stretched her arms out, assuming the haughty posture of a queen awaiting service.

The black cloak visibly trembled, then stood still for a while, unmoving.

Fang Rulai flicked her eyes and understood what he was thinking, but didn’t bother exposing it. She commanded directly, “Hurry up! If we don’t ‘fly’ to the Daoist temple soon, dawn will break. Or do you think your brilliant lightness skills will let you infiltrate the enemy camp in broad daylight and escape unscathed?”

Yes, she wanted to search the Daoist temple for useful information tonight, not take advantage of him.

The black cloak finally caught her drift, ignored Fang Rulai’s mischievous expression, and reached out with a big hand to grab her belt.

Fang Rulai cried out, “Hey, what are you doing? Shouldn’t you carry me princess-style or with one arm?” Before she could finish, her body was turned sideways and the black cloak hoisted her like a chick, dangling her in midair.

The late spring chill wind whipped across Fang Rulai’s face, slipped into her loosened collar, and cooled her all the way to her feet.

She shivered, teeth chattering, hands clawing upward to try and grab his arm for some effective retaliation. Yet, gripped by the waist at just the right spot, she was like a turtle with its shell pinned—no matter how she wriggled, she couldn’t turn over.

Fortunately, after all her writhing, her body wasn’t cold anymore—a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.

The distance from the back of the mountain to the front was considerable for someone without martial arts. But for someone skilled, especially in lightness, it was only as long as sipping a cup of hot tea.

At the temple gate, the black cloak raised his wrist to set Fang Rulai down, but she quickly objected, “Not here! What can we find here? If we’re discovered before entering, all this carrying would be wasted!”

He agreed, so the black cloak moved forward again.

Passing the abbot’s quarters, there were shadows inside—something was happening! The black cloak held his breath and tried to approach, but Fang Rulai frantically gestured: Go, go! She had bigger fish to fry tomorrow; why bother now with these small fry?

Reluctantly, the black cloak pressed on.

Passing the monks’ sleeping hall, snoring, sleep-talking, and whispered conversations rose and fell. The black cloak paused. Was she planning to stop here? That was simple—he could just order the others to deliver dream records of everyone who’d slept there since the temple was built.

Hoisted by the waist, Fang Rulai couldn’t guess his thoughts. She only wanted to say if he was tired and needed a breather, then three seconds were enough. Enough, so go! She gestured again to move forward.

The black cloak obeyed, but ahead lay only the temple’s rear courtyard. Missing the two best spots for gathering information, what could this courtyard offer to meet her standards for big news?

亲亲&！漫漫！^_$and c Banxia/Like Smoke), Qingye thanks you all sincerely for your support!

Also: I’m puzzled by your ID symbols—how did you enter them when registering? Isn’t it only supposed to allow Chinese and English letters?

Further: Banxia’s character, please don’t worry—she’ll appear at just the right moment!

This book is first published here.