Chapter 4: Gu Will Teach You

Su Wei had a dream. She dreamt she was back at the Shadow Guard training field, suspended in the center, while all her comrades stood around, watching her.

The Leader asked her, “You betrayed the Master.”

She shook her head violently. “I didn’t!”

The other party continued, “You still dare to argue! Sharing a bedchamber with the Master is a capital crime! You will be executed immediately!”

Su Wei’s eyes widened. She looked frantically at the people around her, but their expressions were utterly indifferent, even in full agreement with the Leader’s words.

She clearly saw the blade slashing towards her. Su Wei screamed, “I didn’t! My loyalty to the Master is absolute!”

“No… don’t!”

Su Wei jolted upright. Her chest heaved violently from the shock, her back soaked with sweat. She gasped for air, instinctively surveying her surroundings.

“Awake?”

Su He’s voice instantly brought Su Wei back to her senses. She immediately rolled off the bed and knelt on the floor, guilt-ridden. “Did I disturb the Master?”

“Not at all.” Su He smiled, a light and airy remark. “Gu has been waiting for you to wake up.”

Su Wei’s eyes trembled. She knew she had passed out from her wounds, and before losing consciousness, she seemed to have been sprawled on her master’s lap.

She clenched her fists, resolving never to do anything disrespectful to her master again.

Su He, seeing her prolonged silence, tapped the edge of the bed with a finger. “Come here.”

Su Wei shuffled over on her knees, keeping her body low. Su He had to look down to see her.

She called out, “Master.”

Su He reached out and pinched Su Wei’s earlobe, making the white jade eardrop sway. She asked softly, “What kind of nightmare did you have? Why were you crying so miserably?”

Her fingertip wiped away the tears still clinging to the corner of Su Wei’s eye, then smeared the moisture onto the shadow guard’s lips.

Su Wei answered truthfully. A strange sense of shame surged within her, but the thought that her master was her everything made it vanish without a trace. “I dreamt the Leader hung me up at the training field and said that sharing a bedchamber with the Master was a capital crime, and I was to be executed.”

Su He let out an “Ah,” then chuckled softly. Her brows curved downwards as she reached out to stroke Su Wei’s face, gently caressing it. “Do you think you’re guilty?”

The shadow guard’s face, long subjected to wind and sun, was far from delicate. It was dry and rough, unpleasant to the touch.

Su Wei blinked, tilting her head slightly. After thinking for a moment, she still responded to her master, nuzzling her master’s hand. She murmured, “I just felt it wasn’t right. The Master shouldn’t share a sleeping chamber with me.”

Su He’s smile deepened. She didn’t answer Su Wei’s concern but instead asked another question. “Does the eardrop Gu gave you look good?”

Su Wei had felt something on her earlobe earlier but hadn’t known what it was. Now granted permission, she dared to raise her hand and touch it.

“It looks good. Anything the Master bestows is naturally the best.”

Su He withdrew her hand and suddenly said, “You’re permitted to go back for a visit tomorrow. Why are you so homesick? Isn’t Gu’s home yours?”

Su Wei immediately refuted, “The Master’s home belongs to the Master. We are blades the Master can wield, objects you can use.”

“So that’s how it is!”

Su He seemed surprised. She softened her voice, prompting Su Wei to repeat after her: “Say you are Gu’s little dog.”

Su Wei didn’t hesitate for a moment. “I am the Master’s dog.”

The Master’s smile grew wider. Su He patted Su Wei’s face. “Go to sleep.”

Su Wei nodded. Just as she lay down, the candlelight was extinguished. She was about to raise her hand to touch the eardrop when she heard Su He’s voice: “Don’t touch it.”

She obediently lowered her hand and closed her eyes.

As soon as the sky began to lighten, Su Wei opened her eyes. Just as she was about to roll out of bed, she heard Su He’s voice, already awake: “Help Gu tell the palace attendant that Gu is unwell and will not attend the morning court session today.”

Su Wei immediately got off the bed. Barefoot, she knelt beside Su He, her face pale with fright. “Master, if you are unwell, should I summon the Imperial Physician?”

Su He propped up her chin, her tone indifferent. “Silly, it’s obviously because Gu is lazy and doesn’t want to go to court.”

Su Wei was taken aback. It seemed her master had never been absent before, but on second thought, the master also needed rest, so she accepted it naturally.

She quickly dressed, pushed open the door, and exchanged a few low words with the palace attendant. The attendant didn’t say much, her expression troubled, but she left.

“Su Wei.” Su He’s voice drawled slightly. “Come inside.”

Su Wei turned and trotted back to Su He. “Master!”

Su He’s feet hadn’t touched the floor. She curled a finger. “Help Gu put on her shoes.”

“Yes.” Su Wei crouched down. Just as she was about to grasp Su He’s ankle, Su He dodged away.

Su He pressed her foot against Su Wei’s body, laughing softly. “Aren’t you going to put on the trousers first?”

Only then did Su Wei react. She carefully supported Su He’s leg to prevent her master from touching the ground. She found the trousers and was about to dress Su He when she heard her master’s unrestrained laughter.

“Give the trousers to Gu.” Su He extended her hand, her eyes narrowing slightly. “You wait for a moment.”

Su Wei was very obedient, doing whatever her master said. She turned around and waited for Su He to call her. As soon as her master made a sound, she immediately turned back.

She crouched down, letting Su He step on her freely. Su Wei’s eyes were filled with utmost seriousness as she carefully put the shoes on her master.

Su He seemed moderately satisfied. “Aren’t you going to dress me?”

But Su Wei was troubled. “Master, I don’t know how.”

The shadow guard uniforms were very simple. She had never learned such things.

A flicker of disappointment crossed Su He’s eyes. “Fine then, since you’re unwilling.”

Su Wei immediately protested, “Master, I’m not unwilling! I truly don’t know how!”

“In that case,” Su He’s gaze slowly swept over Su Wei. Su Wei’s face was much less swollen, though her voice was still hoarse. “How about Gu teaches you?”

Su Wei nodded, her eyes full of eagerness.

“But not now. When you return this evening, Gu will teach you.”

Su He licked her lip, a playful glint in her eyes. “Go call someone in. Gu wants to wash up.”

Su Wei nodded and went out to summon the servants.

Su He soon emerged. The palace attendant and Su Wei were already waiting to the side.

“Your Majesty,” the attendant followed behind Su He. “Where do you wish to go today?”

Su He glanced back at Su Wei and suddenly said, “To the Shadow Guard training field.”

Su Wei instantly became sensitive. Her eyes trembled with reverence. The Master truly was the best master in the whole world.

The training field was somewhat remote, placed to prevent anyone from accidentally stumbling upon it. Su He went without notifying anyone beforehand. She had Su Wei enter first, with a warning: “You absolutely must not tell them I’ve come.”

Su Wei signaled her understanding. The Master must want to inspect them.

She walked in quickly. The training shadow guards immediately spotted her.

“Little Nine, you’re back?”

Several people quickly surrounded Su Wei. Shadow Seven, warm-hearted by nature and one of the few female shadow guards, immediately stepped forward and hooked an arm around Su Wei’s shoulder. She was very happy. “Finally remembered to come back? We thought you didn’t want us anymore.”

Su Wei was also in a good mood. She shook her head. “How could you think that? I missed you all very much.”

“Where’s the Leader? She’s not here?”

Shadow Seven gave a knowing look. “She’s out assigning tasks. Her mood’s been especially bad these past two days, ready to flare up at any moment.”

Su Wei pursed her lips in a small smile and walked further inside with the group.

Su He had deliberately concealed her presence. She curved her lips into a smile and asked, “Do you think Su Wei belongs to Gu?”

“Everything under heaven belongs to Your Majesty.”

Su He asked faintly in return, “Is that so?”

“This little shadow guard is rather interesting. Bouncing around so energetically after such severe injuries.” Su He tilted her head, a hint of grievance in her voice. “You know Gu. Gu doesn’t really like others messing with her things. How dirty.”

The palace attendant didn’t dare make a sound. She sighed inwardly. Someone was about to suffer.

Su He’s personality couldn’t be remotely described as kind. What she set her sights on had to be hers. If she couldn’t have it, she’d find a way to snatch it. What was hers, no one else could touch.

“You wait here. Don’t move. Otherwise, you’ll be exposed immediately.”

After saying this, Su He walked in. Her steps were very light. She picked up a sword from the ground, disdainfully wiped it with a handkerchief, weighed it in her hand, and in the next moment, threw it directly.

The few shadow guards reacted swiftly, immediately dodging sideways. Su Wei recognized a corner of Su He’s robe and reacted immediately. She instantly dropped to her knees, whispering a warning: “It’s the Master.”

The others also quickly knelt, shouting “Master” in unison.

Su He shrugged and walked over, feigning slight concern. “Why so careless? If it were an enemy, what then? You could get hurt.”

The group understood Su He’s sarcasm. Shadow Four, the most senior, raised her head. “Master, we are too weak. Please punish us.”

Su He shook her head. “Mm… no punishment.”

She drew the sword, using it to tilt up Shadow Four’s face, examining it carefully without saying anything. Then she changed direction, using the tip of the sword to flick the white jade eardrop beside Su Wei’s ear.

The eardrop swayed and swayed, and Su Wei’s heart trembled along with it. She cautiously raised her head and said softly, “Please punish me, Master.”

Su Wei’s face was patted with the flat of the sword. She didn’t move a muscle until she heard her master say, “All of you, get up. What’s there to panic about?”

Just as the others were about to rise, Su Wei’s shoulder was pressed down by Su He’s sword. She knelt there, bewildered, yet showed not a trace of resistance.

Su He’s lips curved slightly. She asked, “How about Gu makes you stay kneeling?”

Su Wei thought she must have done something wrong. Without any further thought, she agreed: “Yes, whatever the Master says.”

“So obedient.”

Su He casually tossed the sword in front of Su Wei, her voice gentle. “You cannot move.”

Su Wei responded with a heavy “Mm.” “Shadow Nine will obey the Master’s orders.”

“That’s good.” Su He addressed the others. “Take Gu for a tour.”

Su Wei listened to their footsteps fade into the distance. Her back remained straight, not daring to move an inch, even as pain constantly radiated from her wounds.

But the master’s words were paramount. She had to obey.

The next day, the sun wasn’t terribly harsh, but after standing in it for a long time, it still felt like fire burning.

Su Wei pressed her lips tightly, letting sweat drip onto her body, not moving a single muscle.

“Tired?” Su He walked up behind her, her steps only slightly concealed. “Want to get up?”

She remembered the Imperial Physician saying that Su Wei’s injuries had affected her five senses, but with slow care, they would recover. The test of her reactions earlier had been acceptable.

“Not tired!” Su Wei still told the truth. “I do want to.”

Su He walked around to stand in front of Su Wei, crouching down to look at Su Wei’s damp eyes. She gazed back innocently, picking up the sword. She stood and looked down at the shadow guard. Seeing Su Wei’s reactions were still quite good, she decided to bestow a reward.

“Get up. But you can’t make mistakes next time.”