Chapter 067: Substitution

About half an hour later, the three of them descended the stairs. Fang Xian’s cheeks were slightly flushed as he cupped his hands to Feng Ling and said, “Sister Feng, today was rushed, and we couldn’t drink to our hearts’ content. Once we return to the stronghold, let’s make up for it and drink as much as we please.”

“Look at you—after all that wine, still not satisfied! Sister Feng, don’t blame him; he can’t resist a beautiful woman,” Ye Hongxiu said in mock reproach, supporting him as she spoke to Feng Ling.

Feng Ling covered her mouth with a laugh, “Until we meet again.” With that, she mounted her horse and swiftly departed with her followers. Ye Hongxiu helped Fang Xian back to the carriage to rest, and Huang Yuantao overheard Fang Xian mumbling, “Sister Feng really is beautiful.”

“What a lecher,” Huang Yuantao cursed inwardly. Still, thinking of Feng Ling’s charms, she was indeed an alluring woman—what man would not be moved?

Since Fang Xian had drunk a bit too much, he fell asleep in the carriage. Ye Hongxiu told Er Niu, their driver, to slow down, so their group traveled at a leisurely pace, covering only about ten miles by dusk.

That night, Huang Yuantao heard a hawker outside the inn calling, “Knives and scissors to be sharpened!” He knew this was the signal from the men Jin Tukung had arranged. He found an excuse to go out and met Wei Qi’an, who wore a bamboo hat, in a narrow alley.

“How’s the target? Any signs of suspicion?” Wei Qi’an asked.

“Not yet. They asked if we should hurry or take our time. I was afraid our side wasn’t ready, so I told them to go slow. They took it as a chance to enjoy the sights,” Huang Yuantao replied.

“Any unusual incidents on the road?” Wei Qi’an pressed.

“None.” Huang Yuantao thought of the chance encounter with Feng Ling, but it seemed innocent enough and not worth mentioning.

“The towns and villages ahead are too densely populated to make a move. A hundred miles on is the ferry crossing at the Huai River. Arrive there after dark tomorrow; we’ll strike while you’re resting,” Wei Qi’an instructed.

The next afternoon, when they were still thirty or forty miles from the Huai River crossing, a wild badger suddenly darted from the roadside. Fang Xian immediately ordered a halt and dashed into the forest in pursuit, telling the others not to follow. His speed was astonishing, leaving everyone else behind.

Nearly an hour passed before Fang Xian returned, dragging back the badger he’d hunted, delighted and insisting everyone bring it along. Because of this delay, dusk found them still twenty miles from the ferry, so they sought lodging at a large household in a nearby village.

Huang Yuantao grew anxious but could do nothing. Fang Xian had the badger prepared into a fine dish and invited their hosts to drink with them. Huang Yuantao had no choice but to keep up the pretense, drinking until midnight.

Though Huang Yuantao couldn’t send word outside, Jin Tukung had already arranged for informants along the route. When Fang Xian’s party failed to arrive on time at the Huai River crossing, the network began to backtrack and investigate. Yet those waiting at the ferry received no word. Not until the next day, when Fang Xian’s party boarded a boat under many watchful eyes, did word come from behind: all the informants along the route had been assassinated the previous night.

“Something’s wrong—Fang Xian may already have uncovered our intentions! Catch up and act immediately; forget everything else—seize Fang Xian first!” Jin Tukung hurried to the scene himself and gave the order decisively upon hearing this news.

After boarding the boat, Ye Hongxiu found the boatman, handed him a banknote for a thousand taels of silver, and arranged for his men and her own to take turns rowing. The passenger boat doubled its speed, heading upstream along the Huai River.

Two hours later, Jin Tukung came in pursuit with a group of elite fighters, also rowing in shifts, but even after half a day, they saw no sign of the passenger boat ahead.

“They must be suspicious—that’s the only reason they’d accelerate like us. Pass the order: take turns resting, keep the boat at maximum speed, and don’t stop,” Jin Tukung commanded coldly, a sense of dread rising within him.

Sure enough, two days later, when they finally caught up to the boat Fang Xian’s group had taken, their quarry had disembarked an hour earlier and gone not toward Wudu, but in an entirely different direction.

“Go after them!” Jin Tukung barked, gritting his teeth. His men set off at full speed, and after half a day’s pursuit through treacherous mountains, they caught up—only to find Fang Xian’s party hunting in the forest.

“Seize Fang Xian—no concern for the rest!” Jin Tukung shouted, giving the order as he charged at Fang Xian himself, his hands protected by a pair of legendary armored gloves, impervious to blades or bullets.

“We’ve been expecting you for a long time,” Fang Xian suddenly laughed, his voice turning piercingly sharp. In a flash, he appeared before Jin Tukung, and a strange flower spun through the air and struck Jin Tukung in the chest.

“Ah—!” Jin Tukung screamed as he was hurled several meters back, blood spraying from his mouth in midair. Several elite fighters who had leapt at Fang Xian were also struck by the bizarre flower. Yan Kaizhi let out a wail as a bloody hole appeared in his chest, front to back, and collapsed without another sound.

Huang Yuantao was stunned by this sudden turn. Just as he tried to attack Fang Xian, Ye Hongxiu appeared beside him, her long whip lashing mercilessly at his throat.

“Who are you, really?” Jin Tukung demanded hoarsely, struggling to sit up and pointing at Fang Xian.

“After all this time chasing me, do you still not know who I am?” Fang Xian giggled. Then, removing his disguise, he revealed himself to be Feng Ling—it turned out they had swapped identities back at the inn.

“Chief Feng! It was you all along? So you were prepared from the start. Where is Fang Xian now?” Huang Yuantao’s face turned ashen, realizing the mission had failed and he himself was exposed.

Worse still, Jin Tukung was gravely wounded, three elite fighters lay dead, and four or five more were seriously injured. If Feng Ling chose, not a single one of them might leave the mountain alive.

“Uncle, we never wanted to believe it, but you’d betray the stronghold just to climb the ranks? Did my father treat you poorly? Did the stronghold treat you poorly? How could you be so heartless?” Ye Hongxiu fixed Huang Yuantao with a furious, tearful gaze.

“Hahaha! Every man for himself or heaven and earth will destroy him! I’ve toiled at Qingyun Stronghold my whole life—what have I and my son gained? If you’d married Shuhua, you would’ve inherited the stronghold, and I’d have no regrets. But you married an outsider. Ye Qingyun always called me brother, but in his eyes, we were worth less than a stranger. Did he treat me as a brother? No, just as a hired thug—a dog!” Huang Yuantao laughed wildly, pointing accusingly at Ye Hongxiu.

“So all these years, this is what you thought? My father truly misjudged you, treating you as a brother when you were never worthy. Good thing I didn’t marry Huang Shuhua—you two are cut from the same cloth. Maybe my father saw it too,” Ye Hongxiu said with a bitter smile.

After twenty years together, it was impossible not to have feelings—unless you were as selfish as the Huang father and son. Ye Hongxiu’s heart ached with grief.

“Sister, with people like this, there’s nothing to discuss. Kill them,” Feng Ling said coldly.

“Wait! We serve under Marshal Hong—this is a misunderstanding!” Jin Tukung cried, tearing off his black mask.

“So it is a misunderstanding after all? You’re generals of Wu? I thought you were petty thieves,” Feng Ling laughed lightly, seeing the wounded men remove their disguises.

“Nonsense! Our Qingyun Stronghold has already surrendered to the Wu court—why attack us? And if I’m not mistaken, your real target was my husband, wasn’t it? Sister Feng, I doubt they’re from Wu at all—perhaps they’re spies from Xia. Why not kill them and bring their heads to Marshal Hong for a reward? After all, there have been several attacks by Xia’s warriors lately,” Ye Hongxiu said with a cold, sly glint in her eye.

“No, no! I am Jin Tukung, one of Marshal Hong’s three deputy commanders—this is my official token. Please, Chief Feng, see for yourself.” Jin Tukung hurriedly produced his token to prove his identity.