Chapter 11: Playing the Part

"Poor child," the old grandmother gripped her small hand and patted it soothingly, pitying her: "Your father isn't home; no matter how much injustice you suffer, no one will stand up for you."

"Your stepmother is so cruel—she sent you all the way from Kaifeng to De Da Ming alone, and now you're returning empty-handed; how could you possibly fare well?"

The old grandmother's gaze grew even gentler, her face filled with sorrow: "I'm just an old woman with little knowledge, but I've walked many roads and seen many people. Such cruel stepmothers always find excuses to sell off young girls in the household…"

Pan Yun trembled in her grip, her face filled with terror; the old grandmother tightened her hold and tenderly said: "Good child, why don't you wait a while before going back? Wait until your father returns, then go home. Even if your stepmother is furious, she won't dare harm you."

Pan Yun's eyes lit up with longing, but after a moment she shook her head reluctantly, "But my uncle's family is furious about the debt—they won't take me in. I… I don't know where else to go…"

The old grandmother knew perfectly well the uncle's family wouldn't take her in; any relative with even a shred of conscience wouldn't dare send this child out alone.

Wasn't this deliberately handing her over?

Now that the child was right before her, if she didn't take her in, wouldn't she be betraying Heaven?

So the old grandmother gently patted Pan Yun's hand and said: "Good child, if you don't mind, come with me to my home for a few days. Once I hear your father has returned, you can go back."

Pan Yun's eyes brightened slightly, about to nod—then she remembered something and shook her head again, "No, my stepmother has a clan brother who's a minor supervisor at the Kaifeng docks—he's the one who put me on the boat. If I return to Kaifeng but don't go home, I'll never be able to show my face again."

"My family moved from Jingcheng to Kaifeng. My stepmother knows many people here—I don't know a single soul…"

The old grandmother's last trace of doubt vanished. She'd been about to ask—this child said her family was from Kaifeng, yet she spoke with a Jingcheng accent.

In her mind, she instantly filled in Pan Yun's family background.

Her biological mother died; her father moved the whole family to Kaifeng for business, remarried locally, entrusted his daughter and household to his new wife, then left to trade—only for the stepmother to despise the daughter from his first marriage…

The old grandmother's smile grew even warmer as she gently patted Pan Yun's hand: "Good child, don't worry—we won't go to Zhu Xian Town. We'll get off at Jiao Zhang Kou below."

Pan Yun looked confused, "What's that place?"

The old grandmother: "It's a ferry crossing in Zhangde Prefecture, not far from Anyang. My home is in Anyang. Come stay with me for a while. When your father returns, I'll have my son take you back—very convenient."

Pan Yun: "Can the boat stop midway at Jiao Zhang Kou?"

"Of course it can. You can get off midway, or even board midway. I'll speak to the boatmen soon—you just follow me."

Pan Yun nodded trustfully, her eyes shining brightly at her: Good person~~

The old grandmother beamed at her in return: Good girl~~

After sitting for a long while, the boat began to edge toward the shore. Ahead lay a tiny wooden ferry dock, where five or six people stood, waving urgently at the boat.

As the boat drew near, the boatmen threw ropes ashore; the vessel was quickly secured. A gangway was lowered, and those waiting on shore immediately loaded goods aboard—some boarded with the boat, others didn't; they dropped off their goods and left.

Seeing Pan Yun watch with fascination, the old grandmother explained: "Everyone must make a living. Boatmen earn little, so they make up for it here—it's convenient for us poor folk."

Pan Yun smiled but said nothing. Others might be poor, but the old woman sitting beside her was not.

Her gaze swept over the tall man across from her; her lips curled slightly as her fingers stroked the black cat with even greater tenderness.

The black cat shivered slightly in her grasp, then settled calmly in her lap, its glassy eyes filled with pity as they swept over the old grandmother.

The old grandmother glanced at the cat, but paid it no mind.

Though it was odd to bring a cat on a journey, the girl was young, and the cat clearly knew her well—this made her background seem less strange.

Probably she feared her pet would be abused at home by the stepmother, so she brought it wherever she went.

Along the way, whenever someone signaled, the boatmen would pause slightly. Most were official ferry points; some weren't even proper docks—people simply rowed over in small skiffs to transfer goods and passengers to the main vessel.

Pan Yun watched the whole journey and figured it out: these passengers who didn't buy official tickets or pay at the starting point paid their fares directly to the boatmen, who likely also had to bribe higher-ups.

This boat was an official vessel of the De Da Ming government, meant for merchants and travelers; it only stopped at four official ferry points, and fares were collected only at those four.

Jiao Zhang Kou was not among them.

Only at noon the next day did the boat reach Jiao Zhang Kou.

The old grandmother had spoken to the boatmen in advance; as they arrived, the boat veered into the ferry dock. As soon as it docked, she gripped Pan Yun's hand tightly and rushed ashore. Behind them followed a tall, muscular middle-aged man, around thirty.

Pan Yun, bewildered, was pulled ashore. After walking a while, she noticed someone was following them. Turning back, she saw the man's eyes, his malice barely concealed. She shrank back fearfully behind the old grandmother: "Who is this…?"

The old grandmother smiled reassuringly: "This is my son. Don't be fooled by his looks—he's a good man."

The middle-aged man forced a smile, making his face look even more menacing.

Pan Yun, seemingly unaware, visibly relaxed, and sweetly called out: "Uncle, hello." "Good, good, let's go quickly," said the old grandmother. "It's still a long way to Anyang. We must hurry, or we won't make it to the inn before nightfall."

Outside Jiao Zhang Kou lay a small town. The two led Pan Yun straight out of it. Once past the houses, people grew sparse; the main road soon became narrow footpaths. After walking a while, the fields vanished, leaving only trees and weeds on either side of the narrow trail.

Seeing Pan Yun constantly glancing around, the old grandmother estimated the distance and decided to soothe her into walking alone. "Taking the path is shorter—we'll reach the inn outside Anyang before sunset."

Pan Yun softly agreed. Seeing the dense trees and thick weeds, with no one in sight, she crept closer to the old grandmother and whispered even quieter: "Grandma, I… I need to go to the toilet."

The old grandmother smiled kindly: "Good child, no need to be shy. I'll go with you."

She tossed her bag to the middle-aged man and told him to wait by the path, then pulled Pan Yun into the woods.

Pan Yun placed the cat on her shoulder, her face flushed as she looked at the old grandmother.

The old grandmother understood—girls were shy. She tactfully turned her back.

Pan Yun had been too obedient, too well-behaved. She'd agreed to everything, and her young appearance made the old grandmother let her guard down completely.

If it had been anyone else, she'd never have turned her back.

!. Read

The moment the old grandmother turned, Pan Yun's smile vanished. A Xiuchun Dao appeared in her hand, still sheathed. Both hands gripped it tightly as she swung it down hard onto the old grandmother's occiput…

The old grandmother had barely turned and stood still—she had no time to react. Her head went numb, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed sideways.

Pan Yun caught her, gently lowered her to the ground. Still not satisfied, she turned the woman over as she fell, then struck her neck several times with her palm—the black cat winced at the sight.

Seeing her so ruthless, the black cat grew even more obedient, perching perfectly still on her shoulder.

Pan Yun held the blade gently and walked quietly behind the middle-aged man, who faced away. She raised the sheath and brought it down hard.

This time, she had no restraint—"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Three blows in rapid succession. The man didn't even roll his eyes—he collapsed face-first with a thud.

Pan Yun kicked him. Seeing no reaction, she raised the sheath again and smashed it repeatedly against his neck and head. When she was certain he was unconscious beyond recovery, she sheathed the blade and began searching his body.

The two of them—one looked kind and gentle, yet her eyes were sly as a fox, her nasal bridge marked with transverse lines, her mind cunning, her calculating gaze glued to Pan Yun—did she really expect Pan Yun to trust her?

The other had triangular eyes and a dark forehead. Even though Pan Yun wasn't skilled in physiognomy, she could tell he was no good—his body radiated bloodshed, his hands surely soaked in innocent blood.

Pan Yun took the money pouches from both of them. Unfortunately, they had little—just a few strings of copper coins and some silver scraps.

After taking everything, she glanced at their clothes and sneered in disgust, but still dragged them to one spot and stripped them bare, leaving only their undergarments.

She slashed his arm with the dagger she'd taken from the man, waited for blood to well up, then dipped his finger in it and wrote five large characters on the old woman's undergarment: "I am a human trafficker."

When the blood flow slowed after the writing, she cut his arm again without a second thought, this time dipping the old woman's finger in blood and writing four large characters on the man's undergarment: "I killed someone."

Pan Yun admired her handiwork and nodded in satisfaction.

Fortunately, there were two of them—if there'd been only one, she'd have had to use her own finger to dip in blood, and that would've been far too contaminating.

She tied the two men to a tree with a dead knot, then picked up whatever remained on them and walked away.

When she reached the main road, Pan Yun carefully aligned herself with the sun and the time, determined the cardinal directions, and chose a path heading north.

As night fell, Pan Yun gathered some firewood, gathered Qi at her fingertip, and drew a fire talisman in midair, only then igniting the wood.

With fire, she could not only keep warm but also feel safe.

Pan Yun exhaled, broke off several branches with large leaves, laid them on the ground, sat cross-legged atop them, and began meditating to cultivate.

The black cat shifted its body, obediently curling beside her legs, tilting its head half-upward toward the moon, absorbing lunar essence while brushing against the Qi drawn to her.

Wuuu, ever since it abandoned its true form and fled from her dantian, those days of freely seizing Qi were gone forever—now it could only sneakily steal a little Qi.

How it missed its true form, how it missed her head.

(End of Chapter)