Chapter 10: The Hunt

Su He did not speak with the Leader for long. As she prepared to leave, her eyes held a faint trace of amusement. The Leader, in contrast, cast a complex look at Su Wei, ultimately letting out a helpless sigh.

“Let’s go.” Su He extended her hand toward Su Wei. The gesture was subtle, a mere whim on her part.

Su Wei, naturally, could not perceive the movement. Only when someone else nudged her did she cautiously reach out. Her wrist was immediately seized in an iron grip, and she was steadily guided away from the training ground.

Su He was indeed in a good mood. The other Shadow Guards could even hear her speaking: “Why is your voice still so hoarse? Let’s have it looked at again once we’re back.”

“Alright, whatever you say, Master.”

Whatever you say, Master—

The Leader’s face hardened. She said sternly, “Resume training! Without the Master’s permission, you are not to… seek out Shadow Nine without authorization.”

.

After returning, Su He simply left her to her own devices and spent the entire day in the Imperial Study, reportedly preparing for the next day’s hunt.

Even when she returned at night, Su He was a woman of few words. She merely tossed off a light command: “Sleep. Tomorrow, you will come with Gu.”

Su Wei had no objections, though she wondered if she would only be a burden to her master.

At this thought, she tightened her grip on the jade hairpin in her hand. She lay awake all night fretting over this very question. The moment Su He stirred, she scrambled up from the bed immediately.

Today, her master had prepared another set of clothes for her. Su Wei’s heart was full of mixed feelings as she ran her fingers over the fabric. She had never worn such luxurious clothes in her life. But she had no other choice, and obediently fumbled her way into getting dressed. Fortunately, this outfit was identical to the Shadow Guard uniform, allowing her to conceal all her weapons within it.

“Why so happy?” Su He glanced back, instantly sensing Su Wei’s excitement. She narrowed her eyes slightly, guessing the reason. “Because of the clothes?”

Su Wei nodded, her eyes bright as she accurately zeroed in on Su He’s position. A dimple appeared on her cheek, her brows and eyes tinged with emotion as she smiled: “I can better protect my Master now.”

Su He didn’t pay her much mind. With a noncommittal “Hmm,” she set off for the hunting grounds. Today, she wore a black ensemble, gold threads cleverly hidden within. In contrast, the outfit she had prepared for Su Wei was a strikingly bright red.

The hunting grounds were always set up in the same traditional location. By the time Su He arrived, many ministers had already gathered. Su He was in a pleasant mood and had released both Su Bai and Su Yuan.

Elder Ji was the first to speak: “Your Majesty, everything is prepared. We await only your command.”

Su He was currently testing her bow. She closed one eye and aimed it directly at him. “Weren’t you supposed to be the prey?”

“You jest, Your Majesty,” Elder Ji’s expression turned stiff. “We are but a bunch of old bones, hardly enough for Your Majesty to enjoy herself thoroughly.”

None of them were fools; they could clearly perceive the veiled threat in Su He’s words yesterday.

Su He nodded, pointing her finger twice in Elder Ji’s direction. “You make a very valid point. Let us begin, then.”

She owned a horse with an extremely fierce temperament, one she had personally tamed at the age of fourteen. She vaulted into the saddle and looked down condescendingly at Su Wei, who was following on foot beside her. A smirk curled her lips. “Don’t you want to follow Gu?”

Sensing the question was directed at her, Su Wei panicked for a moment, her expression twisting with conflict. “Master, your subordinate cannot see and is unable to ride.”

“Then just ride with Gu.”

The words came out with the utmost naturalness. Su Wei’s expression shifted instantly, and so did the faces of everyone else present. They all harbored their own hidden thoughts and secrets.

Su Wei’s eyes widened slightly. Her condition had improved somewhat, but she could still only make out vague, blurry shapes. Her gaze always trailed after Su He; it seemed her master was the only thing she could perceive clearly. But at those words, she immediately bowed her head. After a moment, she looked up: “This is against protocol, Master. This subordinate’s status is too lowly. How could I possibly—”

Su He, however, lacked such patience. She reached out and scooped Su Wei directly onto the horse, holding the Shadow Guard loosely in her arms. She cast a provocative glance at the few Former Dynasty elders and raised an eyebrow. “Let’s go.”

“Your Majesty—” Su Bai suddenly rose, calling out, “Have you not developed feelings for a lowly Shadow Guard of base birth?!”

His only reply was a Cruel Arrow flying straight toward his face.

Su Wei heard those words clearly. She frowned deeply. How could King Hecheng slander her master so brazenly? It was nothing short of a violation of all decorum. She knew exactly what her own status was, and how could she be allowed to be mentioned in the same breath as her master, let alone linked to her in such a way?

“What are you thinking about?”

Su He extended her arm, drawing her bowstring taut as she took aim at a rabbit grazing in the grass. The line of her muscles was clean and fluid, and her release was utterly decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

Su Wei spoke the plain truth: “Master, what King Hecheng said just now was excessive. There can be no such relationship between your subordinate and yourself. Perhaps I should dismount after all. I might bring you trouble.”

“Gu knows,” Su He said, utterly indifferent. She chuckled softly. “Their mouths belong to them. Gu can’t just rip out their tongues. That would be far too brutal.”

She was merely using Su Wei to toy with those people, nothing more.

Hearing this, Su Wei dropped the issue and relaxed. She began silently counting the prey her master had brought down.

But half an hour later, Su He suddenly spurred the horse into a gallop. Her robes billowed in the wind, making her voice seem somewhat unreal as it fell near Su Wei’s ear: “Do you know what Gu’s relationship with your Leader is?”

Su Wei answered, “I do not.”

Su He was in very high spirits; a closer listen revealed an excitement in her tone that shouldn’t have been there. “Because Gu trained together with her since childhood, right here in this place.”

“Su Wei, if Gu tells you to do something, will you do it?”

Su Wei didn’t understand the sudden question, but her answer would always remain: “Yes.”

“Then—” Su He’s gaze landed on a bend in the path ahead. Her eyes settled on a spot with a certain weight. A tiny smile curled on her lips, before it rapidly spread into unrestrained arrogance. She raised her voice: “Bring Gu’s horse back!”

Su Wei’s eyes flew open in shock. She felt the person behind her dismount, felt the horse’s reins being thrust into her hands. The sounds of Cruel Arrows whizzing through the air and swords clashing erupted near her ear.

She twisted her body, trying to turn the horse around. But the animal would not obey her commands. Su Wei knew she had to tame this horse if she wanted to go back and save Su He. She cried out at the top of her lungs: “Master!”

Su Wei hauled desperately on the reins. The wind howled past her ears, stinging her face painfully. The horse was moving at a breakneck speed; she had to hold on tight, or she would be thrown off in an instant.

“Stop!” Su Wei gritted her teeth. By the time she sensed something was wrong, she had already reached the bend in the path. She lay flat against the horse’s back, preventing herself from being thrown off. Her arms were tangled fiercely in the reins, blood seeping from her hands onto the bright red fabric of her clothes, staining the color even darker.

She bit her lip. When the horse’s hooves hit the ground on either side, she scrambled back up into the saddle at lightning speed. The beast was vicious and had recognized its master for years. Taming it seemed an almost impossible task.

But her master had ordered her to bring the horse back—

Thinking of the mission, Su Wei forcibly swallowed the blood that had surged into her throat. Her mouth was filled with the nauseating, metallic taste of rust.

Just as she was about to suppress the horse by force, she sensed something wrong. Her pupils trembled slightly. Her hands had been rubbed raw to the point of breaking skin, and blood was already drying on the leather reins. Veins bulging on her hands, she wrenched the horse around, simultaneously throwing herself to the side to dodge an incoming arrow.

“Don’t move. We’re surrounded.”

Su Wei murmured under her breath. The white horse also seemed to realize something was amiss and, surprisingly, cooperated with Su Wei, coming to a stop. Its nostrils flared, snorting heavily.

She drew her dagger, carefully listening to the movements of those hidden in the shadows. There were at least five of them. Alone, injured, and effectively blind, her odds of victory were slim.

She dismounted, tilted her head, and let out a mocking smile. Patting the horse’s flank, she said gravely, “Go find your Master. And don’t you dare get hurt.”

The horse owed her nothing. It turned and left without a shred of reluctance, its hooves kicking up dust. Su Wei let out a mirthless chuckle for a few seconds before her smile vanished completely. Her stomach muscles tensed taut as she patiently waited for her enemies to make the first move.

It didn’t matter if she died, as long as she had completed her master’s task.

.

“Master, what about Shadow Nine?” The Leader finally dared to ask the question only after they had subdued all the assassins and the situation had settled.

She had seen the white horse gallop away with Su Wei, but where it would take her, she had no idea. An uneasy feeling gnawed at her heart. The girl’s blindness aside, the horse itself was monstrously difficult to handle.

Su He was currently grinding her foot into a man’s face. At the question, she looked up with an innocent expression and shrugged. “How would Gu know? She took Gu’s horse and left.”

“Pass on Gu’s decree—”

Su He summoned a Palace Attendant, her mood exceptionally good. “King Hecheng, Su Bai, has attempted to assassinate his sovereign. Confine him to the great prison. His final sentence will be determined at a later date.”

Of course, she knew exactly what scheme Su Bai had hatched. She was merely playing along with the fool’s little act. Su He needed to eliminate him, but couldn’t just fabricate a crime out of thin air. She required a legitimate reason.

Su He viciously kicked the captured assassin again, an arrogant look on her face. “Not relying on Gu was your biggest mistake. Tsk tsk. Well, now you’re done for. Time to die.”

She had just curled her lip into a smile when she saw the white horse galloping back. Su He raised an eyebrow, tilting her head slightly as she observed the animal. She saw no one accompanying it.

The Leader could no longer hold back. She suppressed the tremor in her voice. “Master, Shadow Nine has not yet returned. It is likely she has encountered trouble. I implore Your Majesty to allow your subordinate to go find her and bring her back.”

Su He’s smile slowly faded. She fixed her gaze on the Leader and asked, “What is Su Wei’s strength like?”

“Her strength is top-tier. But that’s only if she isn’t injured.”

Su He fell into thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, “One against five wouldn’t be a problem, right?”

The Leader’s eyes widened in shock. She stared in the direction Su Wei had disappeared, a sudden clarity dawning in her heart. She moved her lips but, in the end, said nothing at all.

By the time they found Su Wei, nearly half an hour had passed.

The ground was scattered with bloodstains and five corpses. Su Wei was leaning against a tree, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. Old wounds and new injuries alike wept blood onto her clothes. She blinked feebly, desperately trying to make out who was approaching.

The Leader instinctually stepped forward, but immediately forced herself to freeze mid-stride. She held up a hand, blocking the other Shadow Guards behind her, and cast her gaze toward Su He, whose expression was unreadable.

“Master…” Su Wei recognized her. But she could do nothing more. Her eyes began to lose focus, yet she could still feel Su He drawing near.

Su He crouched down in front of Su Wei and said softly, “You were brilliant. You killed all the assassins.”

With a tremendous effort, Su Wei managed to pull her lips into a smile. Her eyes slowly closed, and just before consciousness faded completely, she murmured:

“I brought the horse back, Master.”