Chapter 26: The Arrival of the Alpha Male

A burly figure sat atop the horse, his skin dark as charcoal, his brows standing upright like the hair of a fire-scorched guardian deity or a soot-stained star god. He was a youth of perhaps eighteen or nineteen.

The fast horse pulled to a sharp halt outside the Misty Wave Pavilion, and the youth leaped down in haste. In the capital, those without official rank were forbidden from carrying weapons. However, the youth was a squad leader in the Imperial Guard of the Eastern Depot, a seventh-rank military official; he wore the flying fish robe and carried an embroidered spring blade at his waist.

"Halt! Who are you—eh, eh, eh, Officer, it hurts, it hurts..."

Chunxi had originally intended to block his path, but being as thin as a monkey, he was plucked up by the youth’s arm and tossed toward the nearby Mirror Lake. Chunxi struggled and sputtered, barely managing to grab a willow root to keep from drowning.

Jian Aozhu’s maid, Haitang, who knew a smattering of martial arts, drew a short dagger from her waist—a common item for self-defense in the capital, and thus not illegal. "Young Master Zhang, don't do anything reckless!"

The man who had arrived was Zhang Yan, the man betrothed to Jian Aozhu. According to the original narrative, once the scandal involving the previous owner of this body had spread through the capital, Mei Xianghan would have come the very next day to break the engagement, demanding the return of the gold hairpin to gift it to Jian Aozhu. The two were currently having a secret tryst at the Misty Wave Pavilion beside Mirror Lake.

Gu Xingwan had specifically instructed Nanny Tang to notify Zhang Yan of this. Zhang Yan, having just finished his shift at the Imperial Guard, had been fuming with rage upon reading the letter. Jian Aozhu, shameless creature that she was, was already promised in marriage, yet she dared to meet in secret with another man to whom she was also betrothed. It was entirely possible they had already compromised themselves.

Haitang, seeing that Zhang Yan’s intentions were malicious, braced herself for defense. "Get lost, you cannot withstand my blade."

Zhang Yan breathed heavily through his nose, his eyes fixed on Haitang. She felt a surge of terror; her amateur skills were no match for an Imperial Guard. "Young Mistress, Young Master Zhang is here... ah..."

Haitang tried to use a ruse to shout a warning to Jian Aozhu, but the hot-tempered Zhang Yan struck her across the face with the hilt of his blade, causing half her face to swell instantly. "I never strike a woman, unless I cannot help myself."

Zhang Yan charged inside. Upon hearing that Zhang Yan had arrived, Jian Aozhu and Mei Xianghan were struck with panic. It was not that Zhang Yan held a high position, but simply that they were no match for him in a fight. The Misty Wave Pavilion had only one narrow, goat-path entrance and was surrounded by the lake on three sides. Mei Xianghan was a frail scholar, whose greatest feat of heroism in his life would be, one day, to plunge a sword into Gu Xingwan’s heart. Moreover, he could not swim, and Mirror Lake was notorious for its deep, treacherous waters, claiming the lives of several pretentious, short-lived scholars every year.

"What are we to do?" Mei Xianghan lifted his hem, looking left and right. "Aozhu..."

Just as he turned back to look at her, he saw her staring, face cold as frost, toward the darkness. A figure slowly emerged from the shadows. The stiff, majestic flying fish robe and the embroidered spring blade gleaming in the moonlight made Zhang Yan appear sharp and unstoppable.

Mei Xianghan wished he could dive into the water; drowning would be preferable to facing Zhang Yan.

"You wretched pair, to think you dare commit such filth here!" Zhang Yan’s face was twisted with fury. His eyes bloodshot, he glared at Jian Aozhu, his long blade trembling. Yet, unable to bring himself to strike her, he vented all his rage upon Mei Xianghan. "I’ll hack you to pieces, you bastard!"

Zhang Yan swung his blade down with full force toward Mei Xianghan.

"Ah!"

Terrified, Mei Xianghan curled into a ball, shrinking beneath the stone table. This strike broke Jian Aozhu into a cold sweat. The embroidered spring blade was forged of fine steel, capable of slicing iron as if it were mud; Zhang Yan’s blow struck the stone table, carving a chunk the size of a fist out of it. Had Mei Xianghan crouched even a half-second later, it would have been a bloody tragedy.

"Zhang Yan, have you lost your mind? He is the son of the Minister of Works!"

Jian Aozhu ran forward in a rage, pulling Mei Xianghan up and shielding him behind her. She had not brought her sword today, fearing Mei Xianghan might find her unladylike, and had even worn the ordinary women’s clothing she usually detested instead of her usual warrior attire.

"I don't care who he is! Anyone who tries to steal my woman must die today. Jian Aozhu, get out of my way! Or I’ll cut you down right along with him!"