Advancing to Chen Cang by a Secret Path

Under Sheng Lin's whip and within Xie Xihuai's cries, the two hurried and finally arrived at Quling before sunset.

 Sheng Lin grabbed Xie Xihuai and dismounted. He took off his luggage and led Xie Xihuai to enter a small door, inside of which were several wine tables. They walked to the counter and Sheng Lin knocked on the table while saying, "Waiter, we want to stay in the inn."

 The waiter who was dozing off while sitting inside, raised his head and threw a look. He saw a tall man with a sword on his back standing in the backlight. He immediately come to his senses and said, "How many rooms will it be honorable quests?"

 At this moment Xie Xihuai realized that this was the place they were going to stay at tonight. He almost jumped up and said, "We are staying here tonight?

 Sheng Lin glanced at Xie Xihuai and said to the waiter, "One room." 

 Quling is a big city that can also be considered as as the territory of Prince Ning. Xie Xihuai has been to Quling for several times and always lived inside the most luxurious room of the grandest inn. When has he ever set foot in a tiny streetside inn like this? 

 "How can we stay in one room?" Xie Xihuai asked angrily, "This Shizi wants the best quest room."

 "Honorable guests, the rooms are all the same," The waiter saw that Xie Xihuai was shouting and wrangling at Sheng Lin and didn't dare to gave him a cold shoulder, "Would you like two rooms then?"

 Sheng Lin lowered his head and looked at Xie Xihuai; they stared at each other. Xie Xihuai was silent, he withdrawed his gaze and didn't dare to say a word.

 "Fine, two rooms." Sheng Lin stuffed Xie Xihuai's bag into his arms. He could tell at once; Xie Xihuai just by touching it could feel that in the bag there was a set of old clothes that he disliked the most. It was also unknown know which maid gave it to him.

 When Sheng Lin saw Xie Xihuai's eyes looking left and right, he knew that his mind was wandering once again. Annoyed, he yanked at his luggage and pulled him along. Xie Xihuai was dragged ahead, stumbling and staggering up the stairs. In his heart he planned that later he will have to go to the streets to buy few sets of new robes. 

 After entering the room, Xie Xihuai was shocked by this simple and crude environment.

 When Sheng Lin and waiter were just about to go out, Xie Xihuai pulled Sheng Lin's clothes, refusing to let him leave. "I want to change the room."

 Without waiting for Xie Xihuai to move, Sheng Lin pinched Xie Xihuai's wrist and pressed it. Xie Xihuai's hand was soon sour and loosened powerlesly. Sheng Lin walked out of the door without looking back and the waiter closed the door for him.

 Xie Xihuai sat on the small chair in the room and opened the package. The prepared change of the clothes inside was the suit that he disliked the most. 

 He also counted the amount of money that Prince Ning gave him for the yourney . It was not much, and it was very stingy.

 Xie Xihuai hacked Sheng Lin to pieces in his heart, while thinking that he had to go out tonight. He would rather eat in the wind and sleep in the dew [1] or go for the shelter to his uncle.

 But where is his uncle?

 Xie Xihuai's uncle was in charge of the Shang Family. His family's business was big, and their stores were opened everywhere. However, Xie Xihuai couldn't go to ask others. If he were to ask others, they would find out who he is. They would know that he is that Xie Xihuai who escaped while on the road for a meeting with the Emperor, and that Xie Xihuai wants to find his uncle Shang Jian. Shang Jian would in bad luck.

 He couldn't risk putting his uncle in danger.

 Xie Xihuai sighed and tightly hugged his old clothes with worry. For now he could only wait and see.

 The door was suddenly knocked on, and the waiter called him from outside: "Honorable guest, come down for the dinner."

 Xie Xihuai threw the package on the table and walked slowly downstairs. Sheng Lin was sitting downstairs at peace, eating a meal. There were also a few guests at the table below but is was unknown why they didn't say anything. 

 Xie xihuai leaned over to have a look at the food and asked, "Only three dishes."

 Sheng Lin continued to eat. When Xie Xihuai saw that he paid no heed to him, without any better option he sat down and looked for a way out: "I love Dongpo pork."

 After speaking, he buried his head in the bowl and focused on eating. Half full, Xie Xihuai put down his chopsticks and said, "I'm done eating. I want to take a stroll in the streets."

 "It's too late." Sheng Lin said while leaning against the table and holding his big sword. Because the lights in the lobby were dark it made the place look eerie. 

 Xie Xihuai couldn't figure out Sheng Lin's temper, and was afraid of his sword, that no living person has seen before. Left with no better option he had to pretend to be generous and said: "This Shizi is going upstairs."

 After that he dragged his limp and painful legs and slowly walked upstairs.

 It wasn't yet Xie Xihuai's sleeping place, and it already was not the environment he was used to. Xie Xihuai was lying on a hard wooden bed, covered with somewhat stale quilt. He was tossing and turning restlessly and couldn’t fall sleep.

 After riding a horse all day, his delicate body looked like it was going to fall apart, but he still had to go to find his uncle.

 Xie Xihuai pinched the corners of the quilt and closed his eyes to plan the escape route. The best would have been running away before dawn; taking money and going to rent a carriage. Xie Xihuai could vaguely remember that his uncle was in a big city somewhere in the North. Since it was like this, he would head North first.

 Thinking about it, Xie Xihuai yawned and his consciousness gradually became blurred.

 Xie Xihuai kept thinking that he was going to run away. He slept early and at the time the dawn was just breaking, he woke up at once. His limbs were all sore and Xie Xihuai lay stiff for a long time before he sat up on the bed board to stand up. He got dressed, packed his luggage, and carried it on his shoulder, prepared to sneak away.

 At that moment, there was a sudden movement at the door. Xie Xihuai walked over to take a look only to see that a small hole was poked in the paper door. A straw was inserted and a wisp of smoke was blown inside. 

 When Xie Xihuai was just about to grab the straw, a big hand covered his mouth and nose. Xie Xihuai struggled violently to turn his head to have a look; it was Sheng Lin who then dragged him back and using extremely low and cold voice whispered in his ear: "Stay still if you don't want to die."

 Only after Xie Xihuai nodded profusely Sheng Lin let him go and said, "Don't breathe."

 Xie Xihuai, startled, looked at Sheng Lin and asked in a low voice, "How can I do without breathing?"

 Sheng Lin didn't want to get entangled with him, so he threw a piece of gauze to him: "Cover it."

 When Xie Xihuai caught it, he immediately pressed it to his nose and carefully took in a breath. There was a fragrance of medicine on the gauze, which was pleasant to smell.

 Sheng Lin was standing in the middle of the dull gray room, leaning on his sword .

 After a tranquil moment outside, the tiles on the roof seemed to move. After one tile was lifted up, someone threw in a smoke bomb. Immediately, the room was filled with fog and one couldn't see a thing [clearly] .

 A faint sound of the knive being pulled out of the sheath was transmitted from the corner of the room. 

 Xie Xihuai, who could still his equanimity, covered his nose, shouted and ran over to Sheng Lin. He trembled and asked: "Who is it?"

 Sheng Lin couldn't push Xie Xihuai away at this time. Xie Xihuai used all his strength and pulled him very tightly. Sheng Lin was caught by Xie Xihuai and could not help it. He held Xie Xihuai's waist and let him cling to himself: "Hold me."

 Needless to say, Xie Xihuai held tightly. When Sheng Lin moved to the side. Xie Xihuai also hung on him and moved an inch.

 In the smoke, there was a flash of trembling light and an assassin finally made his move. Sheng Lin didn't even draw his sword. He dodged sideways and easily grasped the assassin's wrist. He grabbed the sword using energy and waved it at the assassin.

 Xie Xihuai quickly closed his eyes, only to hear the sound of the blade piercing into the body.

 This sword should be a good one. It could cut through the human flesh as easy as effortlessly as slicing soft mud. It made one's hair stand on end .

 The smell of blood passed through the gauze and it got into Xie Xihuai's nose.

 Although Xie Xihuai had peeked at the beheading in the street market, it was actually the first time he had been so close to the dead. As soon as Xie Xihuai's hand loosened, he drooped down from Sheng Lin's body and squatted on the ground holding his head.

 There were altogether three assassins in the evening. Sheng Lin kept only one. Afraid that he would commit suicide, he dislocated his jaw, stepped on his neck and lowered his head to ask, "Who sent you?"

 The assassin opened his mouth, but only a hollow sound come out. The smoke was almost dispersed, so when Sheng Lin took out a flame stick, he immediately saw that there was no tongue in the assassin's mouth since the beginning.

 When Xie Xihuai heard the strange sound, he raised his head in fright and wanted to take a look, but Sheng Lin pushed him away.

 "Can you write?" Sheng Lin asks the assassin.

 The assassin shook his head in fear, and an unpleasant to hear and hoarse voice came out of his throat. Sheng Lin pulled the sword with his backhand and pressed it to the struggling assassin's neck, who collapsed a moment later. After Sheng Lin walked to the table and lighted the candle on the desk, Xie Xihuai could clearly see the situation on the ground.

 Three dead people, the ground covered in blood.

 When Sheng Lin pushed open the door of Xie Xihuai's room, it made a creaking sound. Xie X Xihuai trembled and asked, "Where are you going?"

 "To get something ." Sheng Lin didn't turn his head back.

 After a while, he came back with a large bag, threw the three dead into the bag, and sprinkled some medicinal powder on the ground. The red blood gradually became clear and transparent, and it seemed as if Xie Xihuai carelessly knocked over a bucket of water in the room.

 Xie Xihuai shuddered again. Sheng Lin's movements were too skillful and it was obvious at the first glance that he often does this kind of thing. He must remember at all cost not to provoke Sheng Lin's anger, or he will die without leaving any trace behind.

 "I am going to dump the bodies," Sheng Lin turned his head to Xie Xihuai. "What about you? Are you going to stay here or are you coming with me?"

 "I am going with you!" Xie Xihuai spoke quickly and urgently; he didn't want to stay alone. 

 Sheng Lin carried the bag, threw it on the horse's back, turned his head and looked at Xie Xihuai: "What are you doing?"

 Only then did Xie Xihuai react and come over; he wanted to ride with Sheng Lin, so he climbed onto the horse in a great haste. His buttocks were still painful but he didn't dare to speak. He could feel that Sheng Lin had also mounted the horse.

 After Sheng Lin's leg pressed on the horse's belly, it started to ran. Sheng Lin's chest was so hard that Xie Xihuai felt uncomfortable. His short boots kicked the bag hanging on both sides of the horse. Thinking that the soft and elastic thing touched by the tips of his toes was the flesh of the dead, goosebumps rose all over Xie Xihuai's body. 

 Upon arriving outside the city, they threw the bodies to the mass grave.

 Sheng Lin cut open the bag wrapping the bodies, used the sword hilt to open the lapel of the assasin to identify him. He found a tattoo on the other person's chest, which was the symbol of the North Yan Kingdom rebel army.

 Xie Xihuai also made his way and come to see it. He studied it in the morning light and said, "How can there be a flower on his chest?

 "Your Highness," Sheng Lin called him. It was the first time in these more than ten shichen that Xie Xihuai heard Sheng Lin adress him so respectfully; he stared at him with his round eyes. Sheng Lin also looked at him face to face and continued, "You were carrying your bag just now. Were you trying to escape?"

 Xie Xihuai pretended to be embarrassed for a while and then said, "I wanted to go find my uncle. He can give you a lot of money. Please let me go."

 "No need." After Sheng Lin said that, he stood up, and his shadow covered Xie Xihuai.

 Xie Xihuai said in his heart that if he wasn't in a fit for money why did he still brought him to stay in a pathetic little inn. But he also could not offend Sheng Lin, so without any better option he had to explain with painstaking care: "If I go to the Capital I will die."

 "So what?" Sheng Lin lowered his head to look at him and asked.

 Xie Xihuai was stunned by his cold and unconcerned look and stammering, said: "I, what if I die? Won't you feel any remorse?"

 "I have taken many lifes with my own hands. Yours won't make a difference." Sheng Lin grabbed the bag from Xie Xihuai's shoulder, held him and and threw him toward the horse. Xie Xihuai grabbed the saddle and stumbled onto the horse.

 Sheng Lin also turned over and jumped up, with his chest tightly pressed against Xie Xihuai's back.

 This action does not represent closeness, but only imprisonment. Sheng Lin agreed to protect Xie Xihuai on the road to the Capital and to escort him. He would kept Xie Xihuai from dying on the road but there was nothing else. 

 They didn't spoke any more, and in silence, hurried and rode on horses to the city.

 The eastern sky was becoming white, but Xie Xihuai was about to die.

 It was known to everyone in the Han City that the Prince Ning had intention to rebel since a long time ago. When the news spread to the Capital City, the Emperor wanted him to send a son to the Capital. It was called 'going the Capital for an audience with the Emperor' but in fact, it was taking as a hostage. When Prince Ning made his choice, Xie Xihuai was already an abandoned son.

 Xie Xihuai did not know how much chances he had. If he had to say a number, he guessed that it was zero.

 Since Xie Xilin was a child, Prince Ning loved him more dearly. However Xie Xihuai's mother was the principal wife of Prince Ning and had a very high status in the Mansion; Prince Ning was somewhat afraid of her. Shang Ling spoiled Xie Xihuai too much, and didn't let him feel the least bit wronged, so Xie Xihuai also would not care how much Prince Ning had favored Xie Xilin .

 Only now, that he was chosen by his father to go out, did he realize how different he was from Xie Xilin in the first place.

 The horse ran into the city and passed through the alleys. Xie Xihuai caught sight of the small door of the inn in front of him. After all was said and done, he was unreconciled. He turned his head to ask Sheng Lin: "Is Xie Xilin really so good? That you would even kill for him?"

 "I am only sending you to the Capital." Sheng Lin didn't answer the question. Of course, he wasn't escorting Xie Xihuai to the Capital in order to play chess with Xie Xilin, but it's wasn't necessary to let Xie Xihuai know it.

 Xie Xihuai was 18 years old. But his appearance still didn't resemble that of a steady young man. He had a very tender face and a pointed chin. There was some audacious determination in his eyes.

 Sheng Lin remained unmoved and after tying the horse walked forward.

 Xie Xihuai followed Sheng Lin and entered his quest room.

 When Sheng Lin saw Xie Xihuai, he asked him, "Have you entered the wrong room?"

 "I dare not stay alone." Xie Xihuai said sadly.

 He was a willful, pampered and spoiled since childhood young master. Even if he was about to die, he would alwats want to find a support when he was afraid. There was no principle to speak of.

 Sheng Lin looked at him for a while and then let him go: "If you want to share a room with me, please be quiet."

***

[1] 风餐露宿 (also : brave the wind and dew) is the idiom describing the hardships on the journey/going through the rigors [hardships] of living in the wilderness [open].