The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 105

Chapter 105

Xiao Qiao waited for news from Jia Si. As a few days slipped past, anxiety gradually crept over her, leaving her worried that his pursuit was not going smoothly.

The weather had been growing increasingly warm lately. On this particular evening, she woke in the middle of the night after a period of sleep, finding herself lightly coated in sweat. Feeling rather uncomfortable, she rose and lit a lamp. Without summoning Chun Niang, who slept in the adjacent ear-room, she stepped into the bath chamber alone. There, she took some prepared fresh water, wrung out a sweat-cloth, and wiped her neck.

The cool, crisp sensation brought considerable relief to her skin. She lowered her head and unfastened her robe, intending to wipe down her body further. Suddenly, she caught what sounded like an unnatural breathing pattern coming from behind her, causing her hands to freeze.

She slowly turned her head. By the glow of the candlelight, a man was shockingly revealed to be standing right at the entrance of the bath chamber.

The man was dripping wet from head to toe, looking as though he had just crawled out of a water vat. His face was deathly pale, his features delicate and effeminate, and a pair of eyes stared unblinkingly at her. His breathing was thick and ragged, and his expression was exceptionally bizarre.

Chen Rui!

Xiao Qiao recognized him at a single glance, struck with absolute horror.

She had consistently believed that because Chen Rui had thoroughly offended Wei Shao, he had already been executed when Wei Shao conquered Bing Province last year. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined that this scoundrel was not only alive, but had actually materialized here at this moment—and in such a fashion!

Right now, she had no time to ponder how on earth he had bypassed the numerous guard posts of the administrative offices to appear before her like this. Her heart hammered wildly against her ribs. Just as she was about to scream for help, Chen Rui lunged forward in a single stride, clamping his hand tightly over Xiao Qiao's mouth. His other hand held a dagger, its sharp tip pressing against her skin as he leaned in close to her ear and hissed, "Do not make a sound! Or else I will kill you!"

As his soaking-wet body pressed closer, a pervasive chill rapidly swept across Xiao Qiao's entire frame.

A violent shiver ran through her, and tiny goosebumps instantly erupted across her skin.

Her eyes widened as she stared at Chen Rui's dark, menacing face looming over her. She ceased her struggles and slowly nodded her head.

Chen Rui stared at her for a long moment. His gaze gradually drifted down to her loosened collar, which exposed a hint of her slender, shapely chest. After leering for a few heartbeats, he suddenly closed his eyes.

Following this, Xiao Qiao heard him let out a heavy, swallowing gulp, a peculiar expression flashing across his face that she could not entirely decipher.

Suddenly snapping his eyes open, he scooped Xiao Qiao up in his arms, strode out with rapid steps, and tossed her onto the bed. Afterward, he stood before the bed with his dagger drawn, continuing to glare down at her.

Initially, Xiao Qiao was so petrified that her limbs felt entirely leaden and her heart pounded erratically, fully expecting this brute to violate her by force.

Chun Niang was sleeping in the room right next door. Outside this inner courtyard where her bedchamber was located—scarcely a hundred meters away—there ought to be night guards conducting their patrols at this very moment.

If she shrieked at the top of her lungs, she could undoubtedly draw the guards over very quickly.

Yet if she did so, the blade in this scoundrel's hand would pose the absolute greatest threat to her.

Even without that gleaming dagger, Xiao Qiao knew that despite his delicate, feminine appearance, this scoundrel was a ruthless killer who butchered people without snapping an eye.

If he wished to snap her neck, it would be an effortlessly simple task.

Not to mention, the most likely scenario she could foresee unfolding next: cornered like a desperate dog, he would use her as a hostage to force everyone to yield a path, ultimately dragging her away.

She rapidly came to a decision.

If she could pacify him, it would be best to pacify him first, and then act as the situation dictated when an opportunity arose; that would not be too late either.

Xiao Qiao exerted every ounce of her will to steady her mind. Lowering her head, she noticed her collar was still loose, so she tidied her clothing, raised her eyes to meet Chen Rui's, and softy asked, "How did you manage to get in?"

She cast a fleeting glance toward the half-open southern window.

Chen Rui continued to glare at her fixedly. The candlelight illuminated him from the side, casting a glow that made his face appear slightly distorted, his expression terrifying.

Xiao Qiao shifted her posture slightly.

"Do not move!"

Xiao Qiao slowly shifted into a posture that appeared thoroughly relaxed, saying softly, "I will not move. You need not worry either. Although there are guards just outside the courtyard and they would rush in the moment I scream, as long as you do not touch me, I absolutely will not scream! We have not seen each other for quite some time. For you to suddenly come find me like this, you must have some purpose. If you have something on your mind, why not speak of it to me? I am very willing to listen."

Her posture was casual, her tone gentle, and a trace of a smile even graced her face. Chen Rui stared blankly at her for a long while before his originally taut expression finally began to soften. He muttered resentfully, "What is there left for you and me to say!"

Xiao Qiao glanced at the dagger in his hand, gesturing toward it with a gentle nudge of her chin. "You may say whatever you like. I am willing to listen. But could you put that blade away? It frightens me to look at it."

Chen Rui let out a cold grunt, but he did indeed slowly sheathe the dagger.

"Is that thieving scoundrel Wei Shao still in Xihe Commandery?" he asked with a dark countenance.

Xiao Qiao nodded her head.

Chen Rui turned his head, scanning the room before suddenly stating, "My younger sister used to reside in this very chamber!" It was as if he recalled something else, causing him to gnash his teeth in fury. "My poor, fragile sister—even on her journey to be married, she suffered the cruel depredations of that Wei scoundrel..."

Xiao Qiao hurriedly intervened, "You need not worry. Your sister was subsequently sent to your paternal uncle's place, and she should be living very well now."

The previous year, in order to forge an alliance with Xue Tai, Chen Xiang had joined their families through marriage, marrying his daughter to Xue Tai's son. He had never expected that she would be intercepted on the road by Wei Liang, and the Chen daughter was carried off as well.

Xiao Qiao's words were by no means a falsehood; it was an absolute fact. Back when the siege of Yanzhou was lifted, Wei Liang had inquired on how to handle the Chen daughter, and Gongsun Yang had suggested sending her to Chen Pang, who had already surrendered and been appeased. Wei Shao granted permission, so the Chen daughter was currently in Shiyi.

Chen Rui was taken aback for a moment, but then he spat out resentfully once more, "That thieving scoundrel Wei Shao is a master of hypocrisy! Does he believe that by doing this, I will feel grateful to him? I wish I could hack that scoundrel into ten thousand pieces to quench the hatred in my heart!"

In truth, if the Chen daughter had not been intercepted back then and had successfully married Xue Tai's son, her ultimate fate today would likely have been far more wretched.

However, Xiao Qiao did not say more, simply allowing Chen Rui to pace back and forth before the bed, a ceaseless stream of foul profanities pelting from his mouth like falling jujubes as he bitterly cursed Wei Shao.

She did not utter a single word, her mind focused on whether the sound of conversation arising within the room could awaken Chun Niang.

Bitterly cursing his enemy in front of that enemy's wife, Chen Rui finally felt a bit more comforted after a short while. He huffed, "I am cursing that thieving scoundrel Wei Shao, so why do you remain silent?"

Xiao Qiao replied, "You may curse if you wish. As you know, my family shares a deep ancestral feud with him. He has always detested me. For this trip to Bing Province, he originally had no intention of bringing me along. It was only because his grandmother issued a strict command at home that he had no choice but to bring me by his side."

Chen Rui's heart felt instantly lighter upon hearing this. He nodded and remarked, "You are a pitiable soul as well. To think that you were blessed with such flawless, exquisite flesh, only for a beautiful flower to be planted in cow dung, married to a thieving scoundrel like Wei Shao who has absolutely no sense of romantic refinement!"

Xiao Qiao let out a sigh, her brow furrowing slightly. "As a mere woman, I am like duckweed without roots, unable to control my own destiny, merely drifting along with the waves."

She was already endowed with peerless beauty; at this moment, with her hair slightly disheveled and her brow knitted in sorrow, Chen Rui found himself utterly unable to tear his eyes away. The bellyful of malicious hostility he had started with dissolved into nothingness. He thought blankly to himself that since the beauty also held no affection for that man surnamed Wei, after abducting her, he would not even need to use her to threaten Wei Shao anymore. He could simply use the Qiang youth to coerce the Beihe clansmen, borrowing their troops to return and strike Wei Shao.

Just as his imagination was weaving this beautiful dream, he suddenly recalled that his great bird was currently mangled and incomplete; even if he obtained the beauty, he could only gaze at the vast ocean and sigh in futility. A piercing pang of agonizing sorrow struck him, and his expression gradually grew bizarre once more.

Xiao Qiao had been closely monitoring his expression the entire time, noting that he suddenly seemed highly agitated again.

She had absolutely no knowledge of the hand Wei Shao had dealt to Chen Rui. No matter how brilliantly intelligent she was, how could she possibly discern what was transpiring in Chen Rui's mind at this moment? Sensing that the situation was taking an unfavorable turn, she hastily attempted to stabilize him, asking, "There are guards stationed here, so how exactly did you get in?"

Chen Rui drew a long, deep breath and snorted, "What does it matter how many guards there are? This Jinyang was once the domain of my Chen family! No matter how shrewd that Wei Shao is, he would never imagine that the pond at the back connects to an underground waterway leading outside, would he? Say no more! Just come along with me!"

At the thought of Wei Shao's reaction upon learning that he was not only alive, but had actually carried the Qiao daughter away right from under the noses of heavily armed guards, he could not restrain a surge of absolute triumph.

Only now did Xiao Qiao understand the truth of the matter. No wonder he was dripping wet from head to toe like someone hauled out of a body of water when he entered. He had actually sneaked in by submerging through an underground secret channel, thereby bypassing the dense lines of guards.

In truth, when Chen Rui initially sneaked back, his plan had been to use the Qiang youth in his hands to lure Xiao Qiao out. Once he arrived in Jinyang and witnessed the tight security, realizing he was entirely a lone force, he feared that acting openly would make success impossible.

Yet since he had already arrived and the Qiao daughter was right within arm's reach, abandoning the venture just like this left him thoroughly unwilling to accept it. After turning the matter over in his mind, he suddenly remembered that secret waterway dug beneath the pond in the rear courtyard of the administrative offices in the early years. Consequently, he altered his plan, deciding to utilize the dead of night to quietly submerge inside and carry the Qiao daughter off.

As long as he held the Qiao daughter in his hands as a hostage, he had no fear of being unable to escape this city.

He was also worried that any further delay would be disadvantageous to himself. Stepping forward, he grabbed Xiao Qiao by the arm to drag her down from the bed, declaring, "I will speak the plain truth to you: that youth from the Beihe Qiang is currently in my hands as well! Follow me. Once I borrow troops from the Beihe Qiang, you shall witness how I strike Wei Shao to exact my vengeance!"

Xiao Qiao was profoundly shocked. Seeing the manner in which he spoke, it did not appear as though he was spouting random fabrications. In the space of a shifting thought, she wrenched her hand free from his grasp, shook her head, and countered, "General Chen, do not speak such grand boasts before me anymore! General Jia is a man of extraordinary valor. I commanded him to lead a hundred men forward to pursue that Diao Mo; how could the Qiang youth possibly fall into your hands?"

Hearing a tone that seemed to carry contempt for his capabilities, how could Chen Rui tolerate it? He snorted, "There is no harm in telling you. He is currently hidden by me at Mount Long to the west of the city! Jinyang was originally the territory of my Chen family; who could possibly block my comings and goings? Say no more, just hurry up and come with me!"

Xiao Qiao was forcibly dragged off the bed by him and pulled toward the door. Noting that he was unfastening the door bolt with one hand while turning his head to threaten her not to make a sound, she paused and said, "My shoes are not properly put on. General Chen, allow me to slip my feet into my shoes securely."

Chen Rui gently cracked the chamber door open, poking his head out to scan left and right with meticulous care. Seeing that it remained dead quiet with no sign of human presence, he finally set his mind at ease. Turning back, he was just about to haul Xiao Qiao out with him when, caught entirely off guard, his lower back was struck by a violent, heavy shove. Lacking any preparation, his upper body lurched forward, but his feet were tripped by the high threshold. He lost his balance and pitched forward, crashing heavily onto the ground outside. Immediately following this, the thunderous sound of a door slamming shut echoed behind him, and the door bolt was instantly thrown into place.

Chen Rui finally realized what had happened. Consumed with roaring fury, he vaulted to his feet and began to violently batter the door.

However, this door was crafted from solid, dense boxwood, and the door bolt was a solid wooden bar two feet long and ten inches thick; how could it be kicked open in a short instant? In his frantic desperation, he hastily dashed toward that southern window through which he had scrambled inside earlier.

Xiao Qiao's movements, however, were swifter than his. The moment she secured the door bolt, she flew across the room to that window, dropping the window latch with a sharp snap to lock it tight, and immediately began to scream for help at the top of her lungs.

Before Chen Rui even had the chance to batter the window, he perceived a sudden wave of commotion rising behind him. Wheeling around, he saw a dozen or so figures carrying fiery torches already flooding through the inner gate of the courtyard—all of them night guards. Striken with utter dismay, he knew that if he did not flee immediately it would be too late. He spun around to sprint frantically in the direction of the rear garden from whence he had come, yet after taking only a few strides, figures emerged at the far end of the side veranda as well. Within a mere breath of time, every single one of his escape routes was choked tight from all directions, leaving him completely without a path to flee.

Chen Rui was filled with immense regret. He cursed himself for being enticed by that Qiao daughter from the very beginning, engaging in so much idle chatter with her. If he had simply struck her unconscious, slung her over his shoulder, and departed, he would undoubtedly have cleared the administrative offices long ago; how could he have fallen into such a plight of being a trapped turtle in a jar? With bloodshot eyes, he let out an enraged roar and drew a soft whip coiled around his waist. Just as he was preparing to risk his life to carve out a bloody path, whistling sounds erupted all around him. Arrows fell like rain, and within the blinking of an eye, over a dozen arrowheads were driven deep into his chest and back.

Chen Rui was born with his internal organs situated differently from ordinary people, reversed from left to right. Consequently, on that day when Wei Shao ordered his genitalia mutilated and a blade plunged straight into his heart, the executioners believed he was undoubtedly dead, dragging him to be discarded among a heap of corpses without further concern. Yet he had struggled back to life against all odds, ultimately managing to flee.

He had believed that surviving a great disaster bound one to future blessings. Never could he have imagined that today, he would perish in such a manner at the hands of a mere woman.

Letting out a wild shriek, Chen Rui ripped a blood-stained arrowhead from his right chest and fell flat on his back.

Only then did Chun Niang sprint toward Xiao Qiao's chamber door, hammering violently upon it as she cried out loudly for the Lady.

It was only at this moment that Xiao Qiao felt her entire body lose all strength, as if she lacked even the power to stand. She slumped onto the floor against the wall, huddled into a tight ball and trembling slightly. Suddenly catching Chun Niang's familiar voice filled with frantic anxiety, she forced herself to stand up, yet her hands were so weak she could not even slide the door bolt open. After pulling at it several times, she finally managed to slide the wooden bar away.

Chun Niang threw the door open. Seeing Xiao Qiao standing behind the door with her eyes opened wide and her small face deathly pale, and then hearing her call out "Chun Niang" in a voice laced with a crying sob, her heart ached terribly for her. She opened her arms wide to pull the girl's ice-cold body tightly into her embrace, continuously patting her back to comfort her.

Xiao Qiao was assisted by Chun Niang to sit down.

Leaning back with her eyes closed for a brief moment, the warmth of her nurse's embrace and the gentle words of comfort finally allowed her mind to steady somewhat. Suddenly remembering a matter, she snapped her eyes open and inquired, "Where is that Chen Rui?"

Chun Niang spat out venomously, "That scoundrel has already been shot to death! Lady, do not fear! In truth, this servant was awakened long ago by the sound of talking in your chamber. This servant even eavesdropped outside the door for a short moment. I originally wished to call men inside right then, but I feared that scoundrel would act like a cornered dog and do harm to the Lady. Therefore, I quietly summoned men inside to lie in ambush nearby and await an opportunity to act. Fortunately, the Lady managed to steady that scoundrel by yourself and shut him outside. Otherwise, the consequences would truly be too horrific to contemplate!"

Recalling the scene from just now, her heart was still hammering wildly against her chest, and her back was entirely coated in cold sweat.

Xiao Qiao recalled that she had only managed to extract half a sentence from Chen Rui earlier, stating that the Qiang youth Yuan was hidden by him at Mount Long to the west of the city.

Mount Long was vast; without a precise location, it would be extremely difficult to find someone within a short timeframe. If too much time were lost, she feared the youth's life would be in grave danger. Disregarding the weakness in her legs, she haphazardly threw on a robe and immediately stood up to walk outside the door. Seeing Jia Si's deputy, the Huben officer Lin, ordering men to carry Chen Rui out, she hastily called for a halt.

Officer Lin rushed over immediately, begging for her forgiveness.

Xiao Qiao shook her head, hurriedly stepping beside Chen Rui. Seeing several arrows protruding from his chest, blood bubbling from the corners of his mouth, and his eyes tightly closed, it was evident that he was down to his absolute last breath; it was impossible for him to answer any further questions.

Beholding his gruesome state of death, a strange sensation welled up within her heart. She could not bear to look any further.

Steadying her thoughts, she turned to Officer Lin and said, "That Qiang youth ought to be hidden somewhere within Mount Long at this moment. Take your men immediately to search the mountain. You may borrow troops from the four city gates; the more hands we have, the better! We must find him as quickly as possible!"

Officer Lin complied.

"As for this person..."

She hesitated for a brief moment. "Dig a pit for him, keep his corpse whole, and bury him."

Officer Lin was taken mechanical surprise for a moment, but then he complied as well.

Xiao Qiao's body remained weak and devoid of strength at this moment. Now that the orders had been issued, Chun Niang supported her arm. She turned around, preparing to return to her chamber, when Chen Rui on the ground—like a corpse suddenly reanimated—abruptly snapped his eyes open. With a muffled groan from his throat, he actually lunged forward, a pair of hands tightly clamping onto one of Xiao Qiao's feet with an extraordinary, unnatural strength.

This scene unfolded with such staggering suddenness that no one could have anticipated it; everyone's immediate reaction was to stand frozen in sheer shock.

Xiao Qiao was already soft and weak; how could she withstand such a sudden grasp? Letting out a sharp cry of alarm, she tumbled onto the ground. With absolute terror, she watched as Chen Rui opened his mouth to viciously bite down on one of her feet. His eyes glared fixedly at her, and his mouth mumbled indistinctly, "You... are... truly... beautiful. To... die... beneath... you... leaves... no... regrets..."

With these words finished, his breath ceased entirely.

Xiao Qiao let out a piercing shriek. "Ah—!"