Volume One — Leaves of Paper and the Carefree Journey Chapter Twenty-Nine — Pursuit

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Yang Ning and Xiao Guang crouched behind the altar, listening as footsteps echoed inside the ancestral hall. Their first thought was that their pursuers had caught up, though they couldn’t be certain if it was the Cicada Shadow agents.

Yang Ning drew a slender, icy blade from his robe and gripped it tightly. Xiao Guang glanced over, immediately recognizing the weapon as an exceptionally rare and precious blade; he was surprised that, despite Yang Ning’s beggarly appearance, he possessed such a fine armament. Hearing people entering, Xiao Guang also picked up a stone to defend himself.

Amidst the jumble of footsteps—clearly a sizable group—a respectful voice spoke: “Sir, this place seems abandoned for many years. There’s no sign of anyone. It’s unlikely we’ve been followed.”

An older, gruff voice replied, “We’re still in Southern Chu territory. Until we cross the Huai River, we must remain vigilant. They won’t give up easily. We must be careful.” He ordered, “Send two men out to keep watch. We can’t risk being caught unprepared.”

Orders were given, and soon two men left the building.

“Sir, have some water.” From behind the altar, Yang Ning and Xiao Guang heard someone say, “We’ve circled around so much to shake them off, but our food is running low.”

“Hold on a little longer,” the old voice said. “We’ll keep heading north. In another three to five days, we should reach the Huai River. Our decoys must have drawn away many of their men.” He added, “Yes, let him out for a bit and give him some water. Don’t let him die here.”

Yang Ning and Xiao Guang exchanged puzzled glances, but dared not peek out for fear of being discovered.

Soon, a rustling sounded, and someone said, “Sir, the boy’s fainted.”

“Check if he’s still breathing!” the old man demanded anxiously. “He mustn’t die, or all we’ve done will be for nothing.”

“Don’t worry, sir, he’s still breathing,” another replied. “He’s just been stuffed in a sack and probably passed out from lack of air. He’ll live.”

The old man grunted, then said, “If we bring him back alive, he’s worth a fortune. But if he dies, he’s worthless.”

“Sir, is that boy really worth so much?” someone asked, skeptical. “He looks like an imbecile. Is it really worth all this trouble?”

“An imbecile?” the old man gave a cold snort. “Even an imbecile’s value depends on his birth. If he were ordinary, no matter how clever, he’d be useless to us. But this particular fool is worth more than gold. If you knew his background, you wouldn’t speak so carelessly.”

Yang Ning was even more astonished. From their conversation, it seemed they had kidnapped someone and were planning to exchange him for a huge reward. The victim, it appeared, was mentally deficient.

Yet these people seemed to be more than mere bandits. They addressed the old man as “Sir” and mentioned crossing the Huai River into Northern Han, suggesting their identities were far from simple.

He glanced at Xiao Guang, whose brows were knitted tight, his expression grim and cold.

“Sir, who exactly is this boy?” someone couldn’t help but ask.

The old man replied darkly, “What, have you forgotten your place? Is this something you’re allowed to ask?”

“My apologies, sir. Please punish me!” the questioner immediately replied.

The old man sighed. “All these years, we’ve endured hardship as exiles. I know how you long for home, and worry for your families. If we don’t risk this, we might never see our homeland again, even in three or five more years.”

A heavy silence followed.

“I told you before we set out: if this succeeds, not only will we return home and reunite with our families, but the Marquis will see we are well rewarded,” the old man continued quietly. “I can’t promise you all official titles or ranks, but a life of wealth and prosperity is assured.”

Yang Ning, always quick-witted, immediately realized that these people must be agents of Northern Han, living undercover in Southern Chu.

If so, it was not unusual. He knew that Chu and Han stood opposed across the river, their wars only recently ended. In such a climate, sending spies into enemy territory was only to be expected.

These were likely spies living in Southern Chu, but now, weary of exile, they were seeking a way home.

Their method: the abduction of a fool.

“Sir, you’ve looked after us for years,” someone said gratefully. “Since we agreed to this, we’ll stand by you no matter what.”

“For me, rank means little,” someone else sighed. “If I can just see my family again, I’ll be content. I thought I’d never return, never see my parents, wife, or children.”

The old man chuckled, “No need to dwell on it. In a few days, as long as we get this boy across the Huai, we’ll have accomplished great deeds, and wealth will follow. For now, rest here. We’ll set out again after dark.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Sir, there’s some dry grass here—let’s lay it down for you to rest. Brothers, there’s plenty for us all, but let’s make Sir’s spot first.” As the voices spoke, people started moving straw closer.

Yang Ning gripped his blade tighter. Suddenly, he felt a hand clamp on his wrist. He turned—Xiao Guang had, without his noticing, seized his arm; his face was tense. Yang Ning gave him a reassuring smile, though he felt no comfort himself.

He had thought the pursuers were the Cicada Shadow agents; discovering otherwise had brought some relief, but after listening in, he realized these men were no better.

As Northern Han spies, they were certainly not average men. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been chosen for such a mission.

Now, with a hostage in tow, hiding out in this remote shrine, they were clearly doing their utmost to avoid detection.

If they discovered anyone else hiding in the shrine, they would surely kill to keep their presence secret.

Yang Ning thought his luck must truly be cursed; whoever he met, by fate or accident, seemed intent on killing him.

At that moment, a sudden exclamation—“Hey! Sir, there’s... something wrong here!”

The voice came from nearby. Yang Ning’s heart skipped a beat; it was likely they had disturbed the straw and exposed the ashes of his hidden campfire.

Sure enough, weapons rasped from their sheaths at the sound of alarm.

“This looks like a campfire from last night,” one man said. “It only went out two or three hours ago... Someone must have stayed here overnight.” He added, “Sir, they likely left at dawn, maybe just sheltering from last night’s storm.”

The old man’s tone turned frosty. “This place is too remote—who would pass the night here? You say they left at dawn, but I’m not so sure.”

“Sir, you mean...?”

“Search every inch of this shrine!” the old man barked. “Whoever is here—kill them on sight!”

Yang Ning tensed, Xiao Guang’s expression shifting as well. As footsteps approached, suddenly a terrified voice cried out from outside: “Sir! Sir! Something’s wrong—someone’s caught up with us!”

Those who had been about to search the shrine turned and rushed to the door. The old man called out, “Don’t panic. Da Meng, secure the boy!”

Yang Ning realized the situation had changed. The pursuers had arrived at just the right moment—any later, and he and Xiao Guang would have been discovered.

The footsteps grew chaotic. The old man shouted, “Don’t be afraid, the hostage is with us—they won’t dare act rashly. Wait for my orders before doing anything.”

Unable to resist, Yang Ning peeked out. At the doorway, a group of seven or eight men had gathered, all armed. At the rear stood a giant of a man, half a head taller than the rest, towering like an iron pillar. He held a large sack, bulging with its cargo—surely the captive they had mentioned.

Suddenly, a scream rang out. The group at the door broke apart in panic, ducking behind the walls.

“These dogs, they attack without warning!” someone shouted. “Sir, what do we do?”

Yang Ning saw a man collapse at the threshold, struggling as a companion dragged him away. An arrow jutted from his chest—he had been the first struck.

The old man’s voice was furious. “We set so many decoys—how did they catch up so fast?”

The speaker, clad in a gray robe and cloth cap, was plump and portly—at first glance, he looked like a wealthy merchant.

No sooner had the fat man spoken than a volley of arrows whistled in, dense as locusts. Another man cried out, struck as well.

Yang Ning realized the attackers were numerous. These men had indeed brought disaster upon themselves, and now he too was ensnared in their fate. He wondered if he would ever leave this shrine alive.

“Listen, all of you outside!” the fat man bellowed. “The person you want is in our hands. Stop shooting at once, or we’ll kill him and take you all with us!”

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