Chapter 24: The Peculiar Old Man

During these ten days, Li Yanhe had not been idle for a single moment. Now, the memorials he had submitted to the emperor’s desk were likely to stir up quite a storm. Yet without such turbulence, everything felt too calm—so calm that Li Yanhe suspected they were preparing for something.

He frowned, unsettled by the strangeness of it all. After An Qi returned, he reported to Li Yanhe, “Master, I’ve found out—it’s just a wealthy local, nothing more.” Li Yanhe nodded. These days were fraught with troubles; certain people and matters needed thorough investigation, lest unexpected dangers arise and someone stab them in the back.

Today, the old man’s gaze upon him was peculiar, and Li Yanhe wondered if he was not an ordinary person after all. However, after investigating, he realized his suspicion had been unfounded.

Li Yanhe looked out the window. Lin Miaomiao was bustling about, her little face smudged with black soot, making her look like a charming little cat. He tossed the letter in his hand into the candle flame; it caught fire slowly, and Li Yanhe’s lips curled as he watched the busy Lin Miaomiao.

Lin Miaomiao seemed to sense his gaze. Hands on her hips, she shouted, “Li Second, you’re just sitting there staring, not helping at all—are you planning to eat tonight or not?”

Seeing Li Yanhe sitting by the window watching her made Lin Miaomiao a little angry—it was as if at a picnic, she was the only one working while her friends lounged nearby, playing games.

Then Li Yanhe heard Lin Miaomiao mutter angrily under her breath, “So good-looking, but so lazy.”

“Sure, looks can be an advantage, but they don’t put food on the table! Get over here and help me, quick!”

“Must I shout for him? This clueless man... Hmph, when I have money someday, I’ll throw him out!”

Her grumbling continued as Li Yanhe smiled, shook his head, and stepped out of the room. Lin Miaomiao’s complaints ceased when she saw him come out.

That evening, Lin Miaomiao made spicy chicken. The group ate, chatting and laughing, when suddenly the leaves outside began to rustle.

Li Yanhe glanced at An Qi, then swiftly grabbed Lin Miaomiao, while An Qi took hold of the wolf children, Lin Langze and Lin Langluan. The five split into two groups and hurried away. The wolf children seemed to sense danger, growling lowly toward the distance.

Li Yanhe thought to himself, as expected; he’d sensed something strange in the village during the day.

They could wait no longer. Li Yanhe and An Qi moved quickly, with Lin Miaomiao quietly carried on Li Yanhe’s back. Curious, Lin Miaomiao looked back—and was startled. Their pursuers wore sinister masks, wielded knives, and were dressed head to toe in black, slaughtering everyone inside.

The elderly couple who had rented rooms to Lin Miaomiao’s group were already dead. Lin Miaomiao’s mind flashed back to her moment of crossing over: flames everywhere, people setting fires and killing. She remembered that shadow, now perfectly overlapping with the present.

Only then did Lin Miaomiao fully realize, “So the original parents died because of Li Yanhe, and the village was burned to cover something up.”

The Hu soldiers were only what was visible on the surface; the true culprit lurked in the shadows.

Lin Miaomiao trembled as the black-clad men quickly caught up. Li Yanhe drew his sword and fought fiercely.

For the first time, Lin Miaomiao faced death directly, and for the first time, saw someone like Li Yanhe killing. It made her understand anew that this dynasty was nothing like the peaceful era she’d known.

After dispatching the attackers, Li Yanhe immediately fled, carrying Lin Miaomiao toward the town.

By the time they arrived, Lin Miaomiao was utterly terrified, shivering uncontrollably, her whole body cold. Li Yanhe touched her hand—she was frozen, stunned with fear. An Qi soon joined them, bringing the two wolf children.

The five hurried across rooftops, but suddenly, as they stepped onto one, the tiles shifted and they lost their footing.

Li Yanhe and An Qi exchanged glances; it was a trap. They had stumbled because of a mechanism on the roof, causing Li Yanhe to frown again. He and An Qi gripped their swords, the wolf children on alert.

At that moment, the strange old man from earlier emerged. Seeing the blood on them, he was startled.

When he noticed Li Yanhe and An Qi’s swords, he quickly raised his hands and said, “I live here alone. Afraid of thieves, I installed anti-theft devices in the roof.”

Li Yanhe and An Qi exchanged looks. The old man seemed to sense their skepticism and said to An Qi, “You investigated me, didn’t you?”

Li Yanhe narrowed his eyes, staring at the old man. “Who are you, really?”

With a cry, the old man knelt and bowed to Li Yanhe, saying, “I was once a famous merchant in these parts. But age caught up with me, my children are unfilial—they all went to the capital, leaving me here alone.”

“In my days as a traveling trader, I met many important people. The moment I saw you, I knew you weren’t ordinary.”

The old man rambled on. Li Yanhe glanced at him; his story matched what An Qi had found earlier. Yet, how had he known An Qi was investigating him?

The old man, practical as ever, seemed to guess Li Yanhe’s thoughts and said, “Someone like you, naturally I’d look into. People like me, whose true nature isn’t obvious at first glance, you’d certainly send someone to find out.”

Li Yanhe squinted, thinking, “This old man is not simple—he must have been remarkable in his youth.”

“Sadly, with age, such brilliance fades. The elderly are seen as weak and slowly disappear among the young. It’s the unchanging law of all things.”

Li Yanhe stopped probing further. He said to the old man, “We’re here, you—”

Before he could finish, the old man waved him off. “Those chasing you will arrive soon. You can’t stay in the main house, or even the side rooms. You must stay in my cellar.”

He sighed. “I’m old, and want to protect myself. I don’t want trouble with those chasing you, nor with you.”

Li Yanhe nodded, carrying Lin Miaomiao into the cellar. But Lin Miaomiao was burning with fever, her face flushed.

Li Yanhe hadn’t expected her illness to come on so fiercely; it was alarming.

The old man, seeing Lin Miaomiao’s condition, grew anxious and said, “Curfew’s begun—we’re not supposed to leave. But I have some herbs stored away; perhaps they might help.”

Li Yanhe looked at An Qi. An Qi went to the old man’s stash, sorting quickly and preparing a remedy for wind-cold.

Lin Miaomiao didn’t know what was wrong—she was suddenly scared, a fear rooted deep within, as if she felt the moment the original owner was strangled.

Her whole body trembled. She felt dizzy, desperately wanting to sleep, her head aching. She kept telling herself, fall asleep and nothing will matter.

Her face was bright red from the fever. Li Yanhe grew tense, constantly using well water to cool her.

The wolf children circled Lin Miaomiao, calling her sister, trying to rouse her.

They sensed something was very wrong and could only try to wake her this way.

Lin Miaomiao’s fever was severe. When Li Yanhe managed to wake her, she whispered, “Brother Li, my head is spinning.”

After she drank the medicine, Lin Miaomiao drifted into a muddled sleep. She felt she’d returned to the modern world.

She found herself in a hospital and felt a surge of relief—she was finally home. But suddenly, the scene shifted. Black-clad men stormed the hospital with swords, intent on killing her.

Panic overtook her, and then she was back in the ancient era, at the moment she had crossed over, watching black-clad men burst in with knives.

The leader questioned a man; Lin Miaomiao couldn’t make out the words, but the kneeling man’s answer clearly displeased him.

The men began slaughtering people. Lin Miaomiao instinctively tried to flee, but one black-clad man grabbed her.

He squeezed her slender neck mercilessly—she felt suffocated, gasping desperately for air.

She jolted awake, tears streaming down her cheeks, her body feverish.

She sobbed softly as Li Yanhe wiped her face with a towel and comforted her.