Chapter 78

The boat sailed straight toward the camellia trees, anchoring at the shore, where green willows concealed a sea of pink and white blossoms.

As the group prepared to leap ashore, a faint song drifted from the flower grove ahead, and a young maid in blue stepped out.

The girl held a bunch of orchids; seeing the boat, her face paled, and she hurried over: “Who are you? Leave at once—this is Mantuo Mountain Villa, property of the Wang family of this prefecture.”

The Water Camp Commandant’s face darkened: “Miss Youcao, don’t you recognize me?”

The maid squinted, stuck out her tongue: “Oh! It’s the Commander! What brings you here today? Please don’t set foot ashore—the Lady forbids any man to land.”

Sun Tong glared at the girl: “How dare you! What rank are you to speak so boldly?”

The martial artists began shouting, leaping ashore; soldiers followed, surrounding the maid. She dropped her flowers in terror, eyes reddening: “W-what are you going to do…?”

Zhao Ti frowned; the Water Camp Commandant immediately ordered the soldiers to step aside, then said: “Miss Youcao, I’m here on official business—I must go ashore to inspect.”

The maid trembled: “Commander, you know the rules of Mantuo Mountain Villa—the Lady forbids men from setting foot here. Anyone caught is punished.”

Sun Tong stepped forward: “Your Lady is merely a commoner. What authority does she have to punish others? How does she punish them?”

The maid dared not speak. Others began shouting again. She stammered: “If any man enters without permission, they cut off his legs and bury him in the soil as fertilizer.”

“How audacious! There’s still such a den in Taihu!” Sun Tong returned to Zhao Ti’s side: “My Lord, I beg permission to lead troops and eradicate this place!”

The maid frantically waved her hands: “It’s just talk—I’ve never seen it happen. It’s probably just a warning to keep intruders away.”

Zhao Ti walked slowly forward: “Is your Lady inside the villa?”

The maid replied: “She went out earlier. She should return soon.”

Zhao Ti paused thoughtfully: “Are Zhu and Bi here?”

“Zhu and Bi?” The maid, noticing Zhao Ti wore civilian clothes, not armor, blinked: “Do you know the two sisters?”

Zhao Ti nodded: “I came specifically to find them. By the way, did they bring anyone with them?”

The Water Camp Commandant snapped: “Answer the Young Master’s question truthfully—or you’ll regret it.”

The maid whispered cautiously: “Yes, they brought one man—a young man…”

Zhao Ti pondered, guessing it must be Duan Yu: “Lead the way. Take us to Zhu, Bi, and that young man.”

The maid gasped: “Young Master, I dare not! If the Lady finds out, she’ll kill me!”

Zhao Ti said coolly: “With Song soldiers here, who dares kill anyone?”

“B-but…” The maid shrank back.

Sun Tong growled: “Obey our Young Master—or we’ll sweep your villa flat!”

The maid looked at the growing crowd on shore—each soldier armed with blades and spears, belts holding strange boxes she couldn’t identify—and stammered: “But if so many go together, the Lady will surely know—and then, then…”

Zhao Ti said: “No matter. Since your Lady is away, I’ll take only a few men to find Zhu and Bi.”

He turned to Sun Tong: “You, Sun Qianxia, stay here. Watch for the villa’s owner. If she returns, send word immediately.”

Sun Tong said: “My Lord, if they act insolently…”

Zhao Ti’s gaze swept the soldiers’ waists: “Treat them as bandits. Shoot them all.”

“Yes!” Sun Tong bowed sharply.

All these soldiers carried short crossbows—deadly weapons whose speed and close-range power far surpassed arrows. Hundreds firing together would be devastating.

Zhao Ti called Tong Guan, Bai Zhan, and Su Da to follow him. He split the martial artists in two: he took a few dozen himself; the rest he assigned to Zhou Dong to guard the shore with the soldiers.

The maid had no choice but to walk ahead. On both sides, the groves were planted entirely with camellias—nothing else. Zhao Ti’s lips curled slightly.

Ahead, the path turned, and the fragrance grew stronger—clearly, a flower garden lay nearby.

“Y-Young Master, Zhu and Bi are in that building over there. The Lady won’t let them leave. She says, she says…”

“Says what?”

“Says they’re to be taken away by their family—if no one comes for them long enough, they’re cut up and used as fertilizer.”

Zhao Ti nodded: “And the man they brought?”

The maid replied: “He didn’t know what happened. The Lady meant to punish him, but when she saw he knew camellias better than many flower masters, she invited him to dinner. Somehow, he offended her again at table—so now he’s forced to be a gardener. He’s probably working in the garden now.”

Zhao Ti, hearing her clearly, asked: “Do you know this man’s name?”

The maid said: “I know—he’s from Dali. His name is Duan Yu.”

Zhao Ti smiled. The garden was now close—vast, filled entirely with camellia trees of every variety.

At the gate, Zhu Chu Yi and Wang Chengzong of the Golden Knife School pulled open the wooden fence. Inside, winding paths led to small circular beds, each planted with camellia trees.

Zhu Chu Yi and Wang Chengzong led the way, searching downward. Within moments, they spotted a young man crouching, tending fertilizer beneath the trees.

He had once worn brocade robes, now filthy and torn. He sighed constantly, then sat heavily on the ground, muttering to himself.

As the group approached, the young man turned his head. Zhao Ti recognized him at once and smiled: “Duan Brother.”

Duan Yu froze, then his face lit with astonishment: “Zhao… Zhao Brother? Am I dreaming?”

Zhao Ti shook his head: “Not a dream.”

Duan Yu slapped his own face, beaming: “It’s real! Zhao Brother, you’ve tricked me so badly!”

Zhao Ti: “…”

Duan Yu got up from the ground: "Brother Zhao, that Tibetan monk Qiumo Zhi kidnapped me and took me to Jiangnan. I tried to escape, but somehow ended up here. When I saw the lady’s daughter, I thought she resembled your mistress in Jiangnan—but, but…"

Zhao Ti blinked, laughed awkwardly.

Duan Yu whispered: “By the way, Zhao Brother—why does this girl look exactly like the jade statue? I remember you told me in the Wuliang Cave that you were from Suzhou—and this is Suzhou territory…”

“What are you doing, talking to whom?” A dry, ancient woman’s voice rang from deep within the garden.

Duan Yu turned, hands on hips: “Old Yan, I’m talking to a friend. What’s it to you?”

From another side of the garden emerged a wrinkled, white-haired hag, face lined with fat, one hand holding a gleaming long knife, the other clutching something fleshy and bony that emitted a foul stench.

“Talking to a friend?” The hag stared at Zhao Ti and the others, then shrieked: “Who are you people?!”