Volume One: Carefree Journeys Amidst Unfathomable Leaves Chapter Seven: Imprisonment

Right now, Yang Ning cared little about who stood behind Xiao Yishui; his only concern was the whereabouts of Xiaodie. Night had fallen deeply, and the mansion was cloaked in silence.

Stepping out from the rear courtyard, Yang Ning realized he had no idea where Xiaodie might be. The estate was expansive, courtyards linked one to another, so even if Xiao Yishui was carrying Madam Hua somewhere, Yang Ning would be none the wiser.

He crept along a narrow path, moving quietly, when suddenly the sound of movement came from ahead. Swiftly, he slipped behind a tree and peered out. In the pale moonlight, he saw a tall man dressed in black humming a tune as he walked out from a side path.

A saber hung at the man’s waist. Hands clasped behind his back, he strolled past Yang Ning, turned into another path, and disappeared from view. Yang Ning crouched low and followed, silently tailing him through several turns until a gate appeared not far ahead. The gate stood open. The man in black, unaware that he was being followed, had just approached the entrance when another black-clad figure came out to meet him, cursing, “Damn it, what took you so long?”

The man Yang Ning trailed grinned. “What’s the rush? Surrounded by all those pretty girls, how can you still be so irritable, you bastard?”

“So what?” the other snapped. “We can look but not touch. It’s worse than nothing. Listen, Old Xing, you’d better watch yourself. I can tell you’re up to no good. They brought four more girls today—got ideas, do you? If even a hair is missing from any of them, you’re dead.”

Old Xing laughed. “Cut the crap. I just hope you can keep your hands to yourself and don’t lose your life to what’s between your legs. Now get lost, I’m in charge here tonight. Come early in the morning, and don’t make me wait.”

The man stretched, yawned, and said, “I’m off then. Be careful tonight—if one of them goes missing, we’ll all pay.” He wandered away, passing close to where Yang Ning hid. Yang Ning, prepared, slipped aside as the man walked past. Glancing back at the gate, he saw Old Xing had already entered the courtyard.

The area fell silent once more. Yang Ning frowned, recalling the words about “a group of pretty girls” in this courtyard—could Xiaodie be among them?

Everything he’d observed so far hinted that the Hua residence concealed some profound secret. Seeing the man armed with a saber only deepened his suspicion that something was seriously amiss.

After making sure no one else was around, Yang Ning crept up to the courtyard gate and peered inside. The courtyard was fairly spacious, with a row of small rooms in the left corner—three or four in all. On the right stood a stable, within which two fine horses could be seen.

In front of the row of rooms sat a chair and a small table. Old Xing was sprawled on the chair, legs resting on the table, and in the moonlight, Yang Ning saw a gleaming, unsheathed saber lying atop it.

Yang Ning immediately understood—inside those rooms, a group of young women was being held prisoner, guarded by Old Xing and his companions in shifts, much like jailers overseeing inmates.

Clearly, the secrets of the Hua residence ran deep.

He didn’t know if Xiaodie was among them, but if she was, how had she escaped the stable that night?

The only weak spot in the estate’s defenses seemed to be the hole behind the flower garden in the rear courtyard. But to reach that hole, one would first have to slip out of this stable courtyard, which was under constant watch. Escaping from there would be no easy feat.

Yang Ning pondered how to approach the row of rooms. To get close enough to find Xiaodie, he would have to get past Old Xing. But Old Xing sat in the middle of the courtyard, saber at hand: if Yang Ning entered, he’d be spotted at once. With a single shout, the rest of the household would come running—and Yang Ning had no idea how many people were in the house. If he raised the alarm, he might not be able to escape at all.

As he considered his options, Old Xing suddenly stood up from his chair and began walking toward his direction. Yang Ning immediately pressed himself behind the wall, wondering if he’d been discovered. But after a moment, Old Xing, still humming, turned back, fastening his trousers as he walked—the man had only come to relieve himself.

As Old Xing returned toward the chair, a voice called out behind him. He turned, frowning. “Who’s there?”

“Old Xing, come here for a moment…” The voice called again, not far off, but muffled. Old Xing couldn’t tell who it was, but assumed it was a companion—no one would dare sneak into the house at this hour. He strode out, looked around, and saw no one. “Who is it?” he demanded.

As soon as he finished speaking, a heavy blow landed on the back of his head. Dizziness and darkness engulfed him, and he collapsed.

Yang Ning stood holding a brick, sighing, “Big and strong, yet you can’t take a single brick to the head.” He tossed the brick aside and dragged Old Xing by the legs into the courtyard. The man was heavy, and Yang Ning found it a struggle.

Though he remembered well the hand-to-hand combat skills from his former life as a soldier, and could use them skillfully in this new body, the youth’s frame was still immature and not especially strong—his soul might be here, but his strength had not magically increased.

He finally managed to drag Old Xing to the base of the courtyard wall. Fearing the man might wake, Yang Ning punched him several more times in the head, making certain he wouldn’t be regaining consciousness anytime soon.

Suddenly, he noticed a ring of keys at Old Xing’s waist—five or six keys on a small iron loop. His eyes brightened. He snatched the keys and hurried to the row of rooms in the left corner.

There were four rooms, all pitch dark inside. Yang Ning went to the outermost one—the door was locked. Peering through the crack, he saw only dim shapes and what looked like scattered musical instruments, but no people.

He slipped to the second room—also locked. Through the crack, he could just make out several figures pressed together inside, utterly silent.

Yang Ning was about to call out when he heard faint sobbing. Stepping lightly, he followed the sound to the next room. At the door, the crying was clearer—several people weeping. He peered through the crack and saw many figures huddled together.

“Sisters, don’t cry…” a young, gentle voice pleaded. “Even if you cry yourself dry, you won’t get out of here. If they hear you, they’ll whip you again…”

“Stop crying. Now that we’re here, there’s no escape,” another childish voice said sorrowfully. “I’ve been here three months and haven’t set foot outside. When they brought me, they promised my father I could see him twice a month, but now…I don’t even know how he is.”

This girl tried to comfort the others, but as she spoke, she, too, broke into sobs.

Yang Ning frowned and, without hesitation, used the keys to unlock the door. The locks were unfamiliar and with five keys, he had to try each one. The faint clinking quickly silenced the crying within.

When Yang Ning finally opened the lock and entered, the girls had already shrunk into the corner, clearly terrified.

He closed the door behind him and asked softly, “Is Miss Xiaodie here?”

At first, the girls thought he was one of the black-clad men, but seeing he was only a thin youth, their terror eased, though suspicion replaced it. One of the older girls mustered her courage and asked, “Who…who are you?”

“You don’t need to be afraid. I’m not one of the household,” Yang Ning said, stepping closer. The girls remained close together, wary.

“So…so you snuck in from outside?” a girl asked, wide-eyed. “This place is heavily guarded. How did you get in?”

“Never mind about me,” Yang Ning said softly. “Tell me, is Miss Xiaodie here? Do you know her?”

Seeing their plight, his worry for Xiaodie only deepened.

He now understood the true secret of the Hua residence: these young girls were being imprisoned here, though he still didn’t know the reason.

“Big Sister Xiaodie isn’t here…” a timid voice piped up from the back. Yang Ning looked over and saw a girl of about eleven or twelve. From her tone, she clearly knew Xiaodie. He moved closer. “You know Xiaodie?”

The girl’s face was still full of fear, but she nodded. “Big Sister Xiaodie…we used to live together. She…she was very kind to me…”

Yang Ning, relieved to hear news of Xiaodie, asked, “Do you know where she is now?”

“I…I don’t know…” The girl lowered her head. “I haven’t seen her in days.”

“What do you want with Xiaodie?” the older girl asked again. “Who are you really?”

Yang Ning hesitated, then replied, “I’m a friend of Xiaodie’s—well, perhaps…perhaps you could call me her elder brother.”

“Ah?” The younger girl suddenly looked up, face alight with joy. “You…you’re Big Brother?”