Chapter 26: with translation of title

Here Wu You wandered among a group of unarmed female worshippers, intending to seize the one of highest status as a hostage, so that he could have a chance to negotiate with the Guard Office's frenzied enforcers.

Named entities: Wu You, Guard Office. Also maybe "female worshippers" is not a name.

Wu You recalled the noble lady he had just encountered on the Wonton Corridor, and a hint of regret flickered in his eyes.

Named entities: Wu You, Snack Corridor (a place name meaning "Snack Corridor"; it should be translated according to the rules, though it's ambiguous whether to keep it as a proper noun).

If it weren't for the fear of alarming those people, abducting her would be a good idea.

No new named entities.

Just then, Su Ran came out feeling full, her hands still on her stomach, feeling satisfied. Meanwhile, her maid Cui'er was inside laying out the bed; if she turned around now, she would see a tall shadow appear on the window.

Named entities: Su Ran, Cui'er. Also maybe "maid" is not a name.

And that shadow was slowly moving toward the young lady.

No new.

Wu You took in Su Ran's outfit, seeing that her clothes were made of the finest Shu brocade, a sign of her distinguished status. Time waits for no one—it's you!

Named entities: Wu You, Su Ran, Shu brocade (a type of fabric).

Who would have thought that at this very moment, the bell rang like thunder in their ears.

No.

Dong!

No.

Dong! Dong!

No.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

No.

At the third chime, the worshippers inside the house all came out, and Su Ran also noticed Wu You's presence, becoming wary.

Named entities: Su Ran, Wu You.

Seeing that everyone around him were people, Wu You lowered his head reluctantly and walked off as if nothing had happened, merely stopping under the eaves, his gaze fixed on the direction he had just come from, his eyes darker than the sky above.

Named entities: Wu You.

Shen Shuangning had been striking the bell for a while, her hands sore, while A Heng held an umbrella for her beside her.

Named entities: Shen Shuangning, A Heng.

The temple bell rang, already drawing the attention of many people, making it difficult for that person to commit evil under everyone's noses.

No new named entities (temple is generic).

The situation was urgent; Shen Shuangning, whose legs were not quick, ordered A Heng to hurry and inform Shen Er and the others.

Named entities: Shen Shuangning, A Heng, Shen Er.

Shen Shuangning lagged behind, glanced at the overcast sky, and grew increasingly uneasy.

Named entities: Shen Shuangning.

A Heng's shadow had disappeared; Shen Shuangning leaned against a pillar to rest and caught her breath.

Named entities: A Heng, Shen Shuangning.

No one remains fortunate forever.

No.

Shen Shuangning noticed someone approaching.

Named entities: Shen Shuangning.

Only a modest courtyard separated them; that person stood not far away, staring at her with eyes like a venomous snake—dark and terrifying.

No.

Shen Shuangning forced herself to stay calm, pretending to be indifferent as she walked in another direction, only to horrifyingly discover that the person had actually braved the rain, crossed the courtyard, and was walking straight toward her!

No.

Her head buzzed with a "boom"—she was doomed.

No.

Her heart raced faster and faster, her steps quickened, yet in her peripheral vision she noticed the distance between them rapidly shrinking!

No.

Shen Shuangning finally broke into a run, inwardly praying that Shen Er and the others would appear soon.

Named entities: Shen Shuangning, Shen Er.

Just as she turned a corner, Shen Shuangning finally saw a familiar figure, and hope rose in her heart...

No.

However, when she saw clearly who it was, Shen Shuangning was stunned.

Named entities: Shen Shuangning.

At the end of the You Corridor, Xiao Jingyuan wore a dark robe and jade cap, holding a bow and arrow aimed at her.

Named entities: You Corridor, Xiao Jingyuan. Also "dark robe and jade cap" is descriptive.

In the instant their eyes met, she understood his intention.

No.

Shen Shuangning threw herself to the ground as the piercing arrow whizzed past her head with tremendous force.

No.

Immediately afterward, the arrow pierced Wu You's left shoulder with force, causing him to stagger backward several steps.

Named entities: Wu You.

Wu You's face changed dramatically; he forcibly broke the arrow, then covered the wound and ran back without looking back, only to have his right leg struck by another arrow after just two steps.

Named entities: Wu You.

Bang!

No.

"Ah——!!"

No.

Wu You fell forward onto his knees, still crawling ahead, his mind filled with one thought: he must never fall into the hands of the Guard Office...

Named entities: Wu You, Guard Office.

Wu You's face turned deathly pale; on the verge of despair, a sudden surge of resentment welled up inside him. He glared back at the approaching new Commander of the Guard Office and sneered.

Named entities: Wu You, New Commander of the Guard Office.

"You're just a wet‑behind‑the‑ears brat; do you really think you can judge me? You're nowhere near as capable as Yuan Zhenfeng!"

Named entities: Yuan Zhenfeng.

Yuan Zhenfeng, the previous Commander of the Guard Office, was brutally murdered by Wu You; he died naked and without dignity.

Named entities: Yuan Zhenfeng, Guard Office, Wu You.

The Yan Princess Consort also bore the surname Yuan.

Named entities: Yan Princess Consort. Also maybe "Yuan" as a surname but not a full name.

Shen Shuangning's brow twitched.

Named entities: Shen Shuangning.

In her impression, the Yuan clan of central Fujian rarely participated in court affairs; only one member, a general responsible for defending the East Sea, was the uncle of Xiao Jingyuan.

Named entities: central Fujian, Yuan Clan, General, East Sea, Xiao Jingyuan.

However, this general unfortunately died over a decade ago while fighting sea bandits; his head was cut off by the pirates, and his entire family was slaughtered. This battle is a disgrace to the state of Great Liang.

Named entities: General, sea bandits, Great Liang.

When Shen Shuangning married into the Yan Prince's mansion, only two members of the Yuan clan appeared, yet they left early for unknown reasons, denying her even a chance to greet them.

Named entities: Yan Prince's Mansion, Yuan Clan, Shen Shuangning.

She didn't know the past events; now she only wondered what relationship Yuan Zhenfeng had with Xiao Jingyuan.

Named entities: Yuan Zhenfeng, Xiao Jingyuan.

The rain poured down, wind blowing slanting strands inside, turning the whole courtyard into a vast white expanse of water, while the black‑clad figure standing on the eaves remained unmoving, the courtyard filled with a killing aura.

No new named entities.

Shen Shuangning's back pressed against the wall, her face pale, she stared helplessly at the scene before her, faintly sensing that she had inadvertently been drawn into something momentous.

Named entities: Shen Shuangning.

Xiao Jingyuan looked straight ahead, his long legs striding past her as if he paid no heed to why she was there.

Named entities: Xiao Jingyuan.

A foot encased in a black boot pressed hard on Wu You's abdominal wound, causing him to cry out in agonizing pain.

Named entities: Wu You.

"Kill me! If you have the guts, kill me!!" Wu You shouted hoarsely, his vision filled with blood red.

Named entities: Wu You.

"Kill me! You have the guts to kill me!!" Wu You shouted hoarsely, his vision filled with blood red.

"Wu You."

Named entities: Wu You.

Wu You instinctively swallowed, afraid to meet his eyes.

Named entities: Wu You.

"Hand over the member list of the Holy Heaven Sect, and I'll let you keep your whole corpse."

Named entities: Holy Heaven Sect.

Wu You feigned ignorance: "What Holy Heaven Sect? I don't know!"

Named entities: Holy Heaven Sect, Wu You.

Wu You? Shen Shuangning recalled that this person was a fugitive, bearing a massacre case; years ago he slaughtered the Mo family and fled, remaining at large.

Named entities: Wu You, Shen Shuangning, Mo clan.

As for the Holy Heaven Sect, Shen Shuangning had heard from her father that it was a cult falsely claiming divine authority, threatening the court, having long incited rebellion, and was a major concern of Emperor Xuwen.

Named entities: Holy Heaven Sect, Shen Shuangning, Emperor Xuwen.

Initially, the establishment of the Northern Guard Office was also aimed at eradicating this thorn of the Holy Heaven Sect.

Named entities: Northern Guard Office, Holy Heaven Sect.

Wu You actually had ties to the Holy Heaven Sect?

Named entities: Wu You, Holy Heaven Sect.

In that case, Xiao Jingyuan's return from Zhengding was to investigate the Holy Heaven Sect...

Named entities: Xiao Jingyuan, Zhengding, Holy Heaven Sect.

So saying, Xiao Jingyuan returned from Zhen Ding to investigate the Holy Heaven Sect......

"Yuan Zhenfeng deserved to die, who asked him to meddle? I was still lenient with him back then—I should have ripped open his belly after his death!!"

Anyone with clear eyes could see that Wu You was deliberately provoking Xiao Jingyuan, and even Shen Shuangning was a little worried he would kill Wu You right then, but he didn't.

Xiao Jingyuan stared at Wu You for a moment, making Wu You break out in gooseflesh, after which Wu You was gagged by the Investigation Bureau's people and dragged into a room.

The Black Armored Guards stationed on the eaves all jumped down, awaiting orders.

Only then did Xiao Jingyuan divert his attention to Shen Shuangning.

He seemed to see that Shen Shuangning was unsteady on her feet, so he reached out to help her kindly, but Shen Shuangning reacted as if scalded, pulling her arm away and averting her eyes from him.

Turns out his courage wasn't that great either.

Xiao Jingyuan slightly raised his brow, then placed his hands behind his back and said, "Fourth Miss, we meet again."

The two had just had a dispute not long ago, and now meeting again, the atmosphere was inevitably a little awkward.

Shen Shuangning also didn't look at him, merely bowed slightly, and said thank you in a distant yet polite manner.

Noticing her coldness, Xiao Jingyuan pressed his lips together briefly, then asked after a moment, "Was it you who rang that bell?"

Shen Shuangning slowly nodded, her face still pallid.

"You saved yourself."

Xiao Jingyuan is very tall, and simply standing before people gives an oppressive feeling.

The two stood very close again, making Shen Shuangning feel uneasy; she blinked and put on an act of fearful deference: "I won't disturb the Young Master's investigation—I'll leave now."

As she turned, a pitch-black bow suddenly thrust forward, blocking her path, and the person leaned in toward her.

"Fourth Miss, you forgot something."

Shen Shuangning looked at him, puzzled, and then saw him extend a hand.

Xiao Jingyuan's fingers were extremely handsome, smooth and warm like jade, yet Shen Shuangning clearly knew the sensation of the thin calluses on them brushing over her skin.

All he did was open his palm, and a familiar sachet hovered in midair.

Shen Shuangning's expression shifted slightly—how did the sachet she had dropped down the mountain end up in this person's hand?

Could it be that he was there too, and together with Xie Lin?

The rain lessened, dusk spread across the horizon, and even if one tried to scrutinize, it was hard to make out the Young Master's expression.

All one heard was him murmuring softly, "A sachet is a woman's personal item; for the Fourth Miss to toss it around indiscriminately is hardly a good habit, and moreover..."

His gaze slowly moved from the top of her head to her face, asking, "Who are you hoping will pick it up?"

Even if Shen Shuangning were slow-witted, she could detect the teasing in his tone, and she couldn't help but startle.

At that time, down the mountain only the Xie family's convoy was resting, while the Shen family's convoy passed through; they would surely not be unaware, and she had happened to drop the sachet on that obligatory route—dropping a sachet, no less—making it hard not to suspect she was trying to draw someone's attention.

Heavens can attest, she truly had no such intention!

Shen Shuangning didn't reach for the sachet, and with a cold face said, "I don't want this sachet; if the Young Master likes it, he may keep it."

Not far away, Qingfeng watched this scene, utterly speechless.

That day he told the Young Master that the Fourth Miss had wept, and the Young Master even asked him whether he himself had been too excessive.

It was clear the Young Master felt a bit regretful.

But now, what is the Young Master saying? Will he even know how to speak?

Qingfeng shook his head; it seemed the Young Master truly despised the Fourth Miss.

Shen Shuangning knew Xiao Jingyuan would never keep that sachet; she said those words just to disgust him.

Because even in her previous life, as his wife, she had embroidered sachets for him while staying up late, yet he never carried a wife's gift close to his person like other men do; the things she gave him, like that Same-boat Sword, were tossed into a corner...

Shen Shuangning pushed him away and walked straight off, and just then Shen Er and his companions happened to arrive.

Feeling the gaze behind her like a prickle on her back, Shen Shuangning unconsciously quickened her pace to join her family.

"Ningning, are you all right?!"

"Older brother, second brother."

Su Ran also came, and everyone was concerned about her.

Shen Shuangning was merely a bit wet from the rain, nothing serious: "I'm fine."

Shen Er gave her a quick once-over, and seeing she was indeed unharmed, he then lifted his gaze to the Young Master not far away.

Recalling how he had just seen Ningning flee as if escaping a demon, he wondered if the Young Master had bullied her, and so he rolled up his sleeves, ready to step forward and give someone a talking-to.

Seeing this, Shen Shuangning startled and hurriedly grabbed him: "Second brother, what are you doing? The Young Master just saved me."

Shen Xiuci was the first to notice those grim-looking black-clad figures, his brow jumping sharply: "Don't go over there."

At that moment, a Black Armored Guard strode forward, holding an Investigation Bureau token, and with a solemn face said, "Investigation Bureau inquiry—idle personnel, retreat!"

Recalling that scene, Su Ran's heart trembled incessantly, and she tugged at the corner of Shen Shuangning's garment.

"Why is the Investigation Bureau investigating us by locking us up?"

Shen Shuangning sat in a chair, cradling a warm teacup in both hands, and said, "Naturally, it's because they fear there might still be accomplices hidden in the temple."

"Do we look like villains? Just because he's the Young Master doesn't make him great—on what grounds does he treat us like criminals?" Su Ran flushed with indignation, exclaiming, "I'll go tell my father, and have him file a complaint against him at the imperial court!"

Su Ran's father, Su Shiliang, served in the Imperial Censorate; he was upright and unyielding, hated evil as an enemy, his very voice frightened anyone who heard it, yet he was a doting, indulgent fool when it came to his daughter.

Precisely because of such a father, Su Ran developed her willful, unrestrained personality.

But reporting this matter to the emperor would be of no use.

"Forget it—it's already dark, the mountain path is hard to navigate; let's just rest for the night, perhaps we can leave at dawn." Shen Shuangning said, heavy-hearted.

But that night, Shen Shuangning fell ill.

She had been drenched by rain during the day, then suffered a succession of frights, overthinking to excess, and at night she ran a high fever.

"Ningning, Ningning!" Su Ran tried every way to wake her, but feeling her scorching forehead frightened her.

"What are we to do? We must hurry and fetch a doctor."

Aheng also saw the situation and, without attending to anything else, rushed toward the door, only to have his path blocked by a blade brandished by a suddenly appearing Black Armored Guard.

"Go back!" the man barked lowly.

Aheng urgently said, "My young lady is ill; we need to find a doctor!"

The Guard Bureau is notorious for showing no mercy.

Qingfeng coldly said, "Whether you're sick or dead, the chief has ordered: no one may leave the house a single step! Go back!"