Volume One: A Carefree Journey Through Leaves of Doubt Chapter Ninety-Six: The Snake Catcher

Yan Ning crawled out through the opening, his body outside while his upper body remained turned back into the shed. Reaching in, he seized Gu Qinghan by both shoulders and dragged her toward him. He knew full well that these men had laid this trap for far more than a mere scandal; behind it must lurk a greater plot. Yet for the moment, the only urgent matter was to escape.

He was afraid to pull too hard and injure Gu Qinghan, so he moved with great care. From outside, Zhao Yuan’s voice came again: “Young Lord, rest assured. So long as you do as we say, not only will tonight’s disgrace never be made public, but in the days ahead you will still enjoy wealth and honor.” He gave a cold laugh. “But if you insist on being clever, and if word gets out that Gu Qinghan is your aunt by marriage, that the noble heir of the embroidered guards has been secretly involved with his aunt, who knows what the consequences will be?”

Yan Ning paid him no mind. Gently but swiftly, he hauled Gu Qinghan out of the shed. The night was dim and silent. Looking westward, he could see that beyond the Red Sand River, not far off, lay the range of Xia Mountain. At present, that was the only direction in which they could flee. He did not know how deep the river was, thought for a moment, and was about to carry Gu Qinghan on his back. Whatever the depth, they would cross first and think later.

Then he suddenly felt a shadow flicker at his side. Yan Ning’s heart tightened; he raised his fist to strike, but before the blow was half delivered, he withdrew it when he saw that the shadow was the hideous man in the black cloak.

The ugly fellow was now dressed in the coarse cloth garments the old mansion had found for him. Though they were somewhat worn, they fit him well enough, yet he still wore the black cloak over them. His sudden, ghostlike appearance startled Yan Ning.

Seeing Yan Ning, the ugly man no longer looked frightened. Instead, he grinned and stretched out a hand. Before he could speak, Yan Ning lowered his voice and said, “Don’t talk. Follow me across the river. I’ll find you something to eat later.” With no more words, he hoisted Gu Qinghan onto his back and headed for the riverbank. The ugly man proved remarkably obedient, wrapping himself in his cloak and following close behind.

In the autumn and winter season, the river water was bitterly cold. Gu Qinghan’s body was burning hot at the moment, and Yan Ning only feared that a dip in such frigid water might be too much for her to bear. But there was no other choice. He could only enter the water and swim toward the opposite bank. The Red Sand River was neither especially wide nor especially narrow, but it was the largest river in the vicinity.

Suddenly, fierce barking erupted from the other side. Yan Ning knew that since he had not spoken, they would surely grow suspicious, and he quickened his pace across the river.

His body had been searing with heat, but once the cold water soaked him, that restless fire began to subside. He thought to himself that perhaps immersion in water could dispel the seductive poison of the begonia flower.

With one arm he held Gu Qinghan firmly around the back; with the other he cleaved through the water. Her body was soft, her full breasts pressed against his back. As they rose and fell with the motion of the swim, they tightened and loosened in turn, supple and yielding.

Then he felt Gu Qinghan stir, and her faint voice reached his ear: “Ning’er... Ning’er...”

While swimming, Yan Ning said, “Third Aunt, I’m here. Are you all right? Those people are still by the storehouse. We need to get away at once.”

Gu Qinghan slowly came to. Though her mind was still somewhat hazy, the river water had restored much of her awareness. Looking around, she realized that she was being carried across the river on Yan Ning’s back. After a moment’s recollection, she understood that Yan Ning had somehow slipped out of the shed without a sound.

Earlier, after being struck by the alluring incense of the begonia, she had been swept by wild desire. Though she had quickly lost consciousness, she still vaguely remembered behaving in a wanton manner. Shame and anger flooded her now. And yet, clinging to Yan Ning’s back as she was, their bodies pressed together, her tender chest tightly crushing against his back while one of his arms circled around her hips, she could not help but tremble, helpless and mortified.

When they reached the far bank, Yan Ning carefully set Gu Qinghan down. But he saw that the ugly man had also caught up, and was already stepping forward with outstretched hands. “Food... hungry...!”

Yan Ning thought that if the man ate like this, not even two pigs a day would be enough. He ignored him for the moment. Then he saw several figures appear on the opposite shore, and someone shouted, “There he is! That slippery bastard got away!”

Another voice cried, “Don’t let him escape! After him!” Five or six silhouettes appeared in pursuit from the other bank; all were skilled in water and were crossing as fast as they could.

Seeing Gu Qinghan sway slightly, Yan Ning said nothing more. He took her hand and ran toward the mountains. They had only gone a few steps when she cried out and fell to the ground. Yan Ning knew the pursuers would arrive at any moment. Without another word, he swept her up in his arms. Gu Qinghan knew how dire things were and could only let him carry her.

After they had run some distance, Yan Ning saw that the ugly man had already vanished ahead of them, disappearing far into the darkness and leaving them well behind. An idea flashed through his mind, and he shouted, “Food!”

The trick worked at once. The ugly man turned and ran back. Yan Ning stopped and said to Gu Qinghan, “Third Aunt, they came prepared. They’re determined to catch us. You go with him first. I’ll draw them away. Their target is me.”

“What nonsense are you saying?” Gu Qinghan’s brows shot up as she snapped, “You want me to abandon you?”

“Stop arguing. I’m alone, with no burdens, so I’m the one who can get away. Otherwise neither of us will escape.” Yan Ning’s voice turned sharp. “That ugly man is incredibly fast. If he takes you, they won’t catch you. We can’t go back to the old mansion now—we don’t know what’s happened there. Return first to the Gu residence. Once I shake them off, I’ll come find you there.”

“Ning’er...!” Gu Qinghan’s eyes reddened. “You go with him. Don’t worry about me.”

Without allowing further protest, Yan Ning placed Gu Qinghan onto the ugly man’s back. The ugly man looked bewildered. Yan Ning said, “Ugly man, listen carefully. She’s going to take you to find food. Obey her. Wherever she tells you to go, you go. She’ll find you lots and lots of good things to eat. But if someone else takes her away from you, then you won’t have anything to eat at all.”

The ugly man blinked, then nodded. Tears rolled down Gu Qinghan’s cheeks as she gritted her teeth. “So you’re just going to leave Third Aunt behind?”

“Third Aunt, there’s no time for this. Go now. Don’t worry about me. Once I get away, I’ll come to you at once.” Yan Ning pointed toward the south and snapped to the ugly man, “What are you waiting for? Run!”

The ugly man secured Gu Qinghan on his back and shot off like the wind. In the blink of an eye, he vanished into the darkness, leaving no trace behind.

Yan Ning had originally intended to run straight up the mountain. But then he thought that if those men came ashore and could not see him, he would fail to draw them away. He tightened his grip on the cold blade, his eyes chilling. Once he was in the mountains, he would deal with them one by one.

By then, one man had already come ashore. Spotting Yan Ning from a distance, he raised his hand and shouted, “Stop! Don’t run! He’s there!” Then he charged after him.

Yan Ning did not linger any longer. He turned and ran toward Xia Mountain. Soon he heard hunting dogs barking behind him. Looking back, he saw six or seven figures in pursuit, some of them leading two hounds.

He ran as fast as he could, heading straight up the mountain. Xia Mountain was thick with trees, with dead vines and weeds everywhere. The barking behind him did not let up, and the group remained close on his heels.

The deeper he went, the harder the path became. Yan Ning knew the old saying that one must live off the mountain by taking from it. Xia Mountain stretched for some twenty or thirty li and was no small place. He did not know whether hunters often came here, but he knew that some hunters set traps in the mountains to catch their prey, so he could not afford the slightest carelessness.

As he pressed farther in, the surroundings grew dark and heavy, and the path became impossible to find. He could only force his way through the undergrowth. At first he could still hear the barking of the hounds behind him, but before long even that sound faded away. He thought to himself that this did not necessarily mean he had shaken them off; perhaps the pursuers had reached the mountain and, fearing the barking of the dogs would reveal their position, had silenced them.

These men were of unknown origin, but they were certainly no ordinary lot.

The night air was cold and still. Yan Ning himself no longer knew exactly where in the mountains he was when he suddenly heard a rustle ahead. He thought the pursuers might somehow have circled around in front of him. Slipping behind a large tree, he peered out and saw a dark shape not far away. The figure was tall and powerfully built, facing away from him, holding something in its hand and jabbing it into a patch of weeds.

Yan Ning frowned, unsure what the man was doing, when suddenly the figure lifted the object. It was a steel trident. A long, writhing shape could be seen upon it. Looking closely, Yan Ning realized it was a large snake as thick as a man’s arm. Impaled by the trident, the snake still twisted and coiled furiously, but the man had already reached out with one hand and seized its head with practiced ease.

Yan Ning had assumed the snake could not possibly be subdued so quickly. Yet as soon as the man gripped its head, the great serpent went limp in an instant and ceased struggling.

The man pinned the snake to the ground with the trident, then turned to fetch a leather bag. From his waist he drew a curved blade, crouched down, and with one swift stroke severed the snake’s head. After that, he cut the snake into section after section, tossing each piece into the leather bag as he went.

Yan Ning thought to himself: Could this be a professional snake catcher who came into the mountains for a living?

At that moment, from the left side behind him, not far away, came a rustling sound. Yan Ning did not know whether the pursuers had caught up or whether someone else was here. He pressed himself into the tree’s shadow and held his breath. Then the snake catcher suddenly lifted his head toward the source of the sound, took down his trident, and crouched low as he slipped silently behind the weeds.

A man in tight clothing and carrying a steel saber emerged from behind. He was bent slightly at the waist, looking very cautious. Yan Ning only needed one glance to know that this was one of the men pursuing him. The fellow’s dress was identical to that of the burly men Yan Ning had seen in Duke Lu’s village before.

Last time, Steward Luo had brought several burly men to Duke Lu’s village to demand grain, and they had dressed in exactly the same way.

The man looked around, then walked a few steps forward. Suddenly he lifted his nose and sniffed. Soon he lowered his head and discovered the large snake, now cut into more than half by the snake catcher, as well as the leather bag beside it. He moved closer and prodded the bag open with his blade. At that instant, a low growl sounded. The snake catcher had already lunged out from behind the weeds, and before he even reached him, the steel trident in his hands shot straight toward the burly man.

Yan Ning watched in shock, thinking that this snake catcher was truly ruthless. The two of them might never have crossed paths, yet the moment he struck, it was to kill.

The burly man clearly had not expected anyone to be hiding in the weeds. Like an ape, the snake catcher attacked out of nowhere, and before the man could even cry out, the trident had pierced his neck. It was a three-pronged spear, and the center prong went clean through the man’s throat. Seeing the snake catcher’s face twisted with savagery, Yan Ning could not help but feel his heart sink.