By the time Yuan An emerged from the Han Xiu Jewelry Shop, the night had fallen. She carefully stored Ruyue's belongings in her small bag, feeling a bit muddled. As she rode her horse, she gradually found herself in a deserted alley. Suddenly, she sensed the presence of two horses behind her, as if they had been following her for quite some time.
Yuan An turned her head and saw two figures dressed in black riding tall horses, blocking her way back. Annoyed by her own lack of awareness, she realized she was in danger. With no escape route, she urged her horse to move faster and faster.
But the pursuers were relentless, closing in on her. The shadows cast by those two riders seemed to envelop her, making it impossible to shake them off. Fear gripped Yuan An's heart, and she lashed her horse's reins, attempting to flee. However, just as the horse was about to leap forward, it tripped over a hidden trap, causing both Yuan An and the horse to fall to the ground. Yuan An was startled to discover that it was a horse-tripping device set by her attackers. She had been ambushed!
Simultaneously, an assassin wielding a large knife charged towards her. In desperation, Yuan An swung her skeletal hand, grabbing onto a nearby tree branch, and using it to dodge the assassin's attack. The knife hit the ground, sparking off flames. Yuan An realized that she was facing a formidable foe, and she tried to stand up, but her body refused to cooperate. Her ankle was throbbing with pain - she had twisted it when she fell from the horse.
Feeling the excruciating pain, she noticed that the bag containing the evidence had dropped to the ground. Yuan An knew she could still escape, but she couldn't afford to lose the hard-earned evidence. So she turned to retrieve the bag, but the assassin lunged at her once more.
Desperation washed over her, and Yuan An closed her eyes, thinking, 'Mother, Yuan An has met her end. I'm coming to join you.'
After what seemed like an eternity, she opened her eyes, only to see a dark figure grappling with the two assassins.
Yuan An focused and realized it was the little dark child!
Although lacking in technique, he was strong and incredibly agile. He effortlessly evaded every move the assassins threw at him, and their deadly swords couldn't touch him. One of the assassins decided not to tangle with him any longer and retreated, attempting to snatch the evidence from Yuan An's hand. Despite her injured ankle, Yuan An's hand was still nimble, and when it came to fighting, it was all about one's momentum. Having the little dark child by her side boosted her confidence, knowing she was not alone in this fight. The assassin closed in, trying to steal her bag. In a swift motion, Yuan An drew a sharp dagger from her waist and made two deadly slashes, causing the assassin to scream in pain as two fingers were severed. Yuan An sneered, "Come on, are you still coming for me?"
The injured assassin fled, followed by his partner, who no longer wanted to engage with the little dark child. They leaped off the wall and ran away.
The little dark child turned to look at Yuan An, seemingly asking her what to do next. Yuan An stood up, leaning against a tree with one hand on her waist, and commanded, "Don't let them escape! Hey, hey, come back! Carry me!"
The little dark child approached, and facing Yuan An, they fumbled back and forth, trying to figure out how he could carry her. Yuan An urgently wanted to catch the fleeing assassins. The little dark child crouched down, carrying her on his back, and leaped onto the wall, chasing after the assassins.
Although the assassins had already run quite far, the little dark child effortlessly leaped on the rooftops, seemingly weightless as he closed the distance with them. Yuan An couldn't help but be astonished, thinking that the slave trader had been right about the little dark child - he was indeed extraordinary, and he could really jump like this!
Yuan An was about to catch up with the two assassins ahead. She had her skeletal hand ready, fully prepared to capture them and bring them back home. She intended to interrogate them thoroughly until the case was solved! Lost in her own thoughts, suddenly the two figures flipped off the wall and disappeared into a mansion up ahead.
Yuan An's skeletal hand missed its target and hit a piece of tile, making a loud noise. Coincidentally, a group of guards passed by on the street and noticed Yuan An and the little dark child.
The guards questioned, "Who are you people?!"
Yuan An and the little dark child quickly hid in a corner, holding their breaths.
After a brief inspection, the guards found nothing suspicious and left. The two assassins were nowhere to be found either.
Yuan An clenched her teeth in frustration, "Hmph, someone tried to harm me! They almost killed me! Most likely, they are the ones who killed Ruyue! They must be hiding here! Alright then, I have found their lair! Wait a minute, what place is this? A grand mansion with guards patrolling nearby?"
She took a closer look, and above the main gate was a plaque that read: "Pei Mansion."
Yuan An was taken aback, her eyes and mouth forming round shapes. "Ah! This is the residence of Official Pei!"
The little dark child still stared at Yuan An, he couldn't understand what she was saying about Minister Pei or the person who killed Ruyue. These words meant nothing to him compared to the piece of rice cake Yuan An had given him or the two times she saved him. He waited for her to say something clear and familiar, just like earlier when she said, "Come back, carry me."
Yuan An also looked at the little dark child. No matter how rash and impulsive she was, she couldn't possibly run in to capture a culprit in the residence of the Imperial tutor at night. Thankfully, she still had the evidence from the jewelry shop. With the evidence, she could apprehend the real culprit! Moreover, the little child had just saved her life during the danger she faced earlier. Now, after the scare, she felt grateful and, in that moment, grew close to the little dark child. Smiling, she grabbed his wrist, not minding the mud and dirt on it. "I owe you big time! Otherwise, I would have really met my mother tonight! Let's go! Follow me to my home! I'll give you a bath, change your clothes, and prepare a lot of delicious food for you! Let's go! Come back home with me!"
The little dark child also studied Yuan An. In his innocent heart, he compared her to the girl from the ghost market. She wasn't as arrogant and proud as she was then. She also wasn't demanding to be a master in exchange for a rice cake. When she smiled, it was warm and adorable, as if she genuinely wanted to give you all the good things in the world.
The little dark child no longer hesitated and nodded seriously. Then, he crouched down, allowing Yuan An to climb onto his back, following her orders, they headed home together.
He didn't know he was carrying a girl on his back.
He didn't know what she would say next and what they would do together.
Neither of them knew that their extraordinary fate was just beginning. Together with Zhao Lan Zhi and several others, they would go through the bustling times of the glorious Tang Dynasty, nearly exhausting themselves in the process.
MiraiSaeasang's notes: Awwwwe, the ships have begun building~...that darn Minghui, thinking about it, I'm already annoyed and she didn't even show up here 😤
~Thank You for Reading, Please Comment Below~
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