Chapter 14: Chapter 13 Confrontation_1
Lu Tong, supported by Yin Zheng, made her way to the Rouge Shop not far from Baoxiang Tower.
The plump proprietress of the Rouge Shop had been terrified when Lu Dashan rushed out earlier, hiding behind the shop door and witnessing the whole process. Seeing Lu Tong covered in blood now, the female proprietor felt sympathy and called someone to bring a basin of hot water, allowing the two of them to clean up in the inner room.
Yin Zheng moistened the cloth in the water and gently wiped the blood from Lu Tong’s face, her voice filled with concern, "I wonder if these knife marks will leave scars..."
"It doesn’t matter," Lu Tong comforted her, "the wound is not deep, a bit of medicinal powder back at the inn will do."
Yin Zheng, looking on, spoke out indignantly, "That escapee was clearly targeting the lady next to us at first. If it wasn’t for her guard taking action, you wouldn’t have ended up like this. Truly malicious!"
She was referring to the young lady from the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion.
Lu Tong lowered her eyes.
It seemed that when Lu Dashan fled to this place, he had attempted the abduction after seeing the carriage from the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion. If he had taken the Grand Preceptor’s daughter hostage today, he might have actually had a chance to escape.
Unfortunately, due to a twist of fate, he took her—a commoner of no value—hostage instead.
While wringing out the cloth, Yin Zheng asked Lu Tong, "But why did you suddenly take action earlier? You gave me quite a fright." Speaking of the incident, Yin Zheng still felt apprehensive, "You’re usually so calm, but today you were somewhat reckless. Although that escapee was dangerous, there were plenty of government officers present. Even if you didn’t do anything, they would have rescued you."
Lu Tong laughed mockingly in her heart.
Would Lei Yuan have saved her?
She had clearly seen the archers behind Lei Yuan already drawing their bows tight, showing not the slightest intention of caring about her life or death.
Moreover, from what Marshal Pei implied between the lines, it seemed Lei Yuan might have wanted to silence Lu Dashan by killing him.
In this legal dispute, she was the most insignificant link—her death would be inconsequential.
Lu Tong said, "Because I don’t trust them."
Yin Zheng was taken aback, "My lady?"
"They were determined to capture the escapee; I was afraid they would use me as a target in their pursuit," Lu Tong said calmly, "I’m not a noble lady, just a commoner. In the eyes of those officials and nobles, I am less than an ant."
"I don’t want to put my life in their hands. I only trust myself."
Yin Zheng was stunned and didn’t speak for a moment.
In the midst of the silence, a voice suddenly rang out.
"It sounds like Doctor Lu harbors quite a bit of resentment towards the nobles of Shengjing. Could it be you’ve had a falling out with them before?"
Lu Tong suddenly looked up.
The scent of sweet powder filled the Rouge Shop, and the inner room was windowless, lit only by a dim oil lamp. A large screen painted with newly blooming hibiscuses, their petals and leaves in delicate splendor, exuded a faint fragrance upon blossoming. Amidst the flickering lamplight, a person emerged from behind the screen.
The young man, clad in a stunning red archery robe, was striking in appearance, with a black quiver glittering coldly at his waist, bringing out his tall and upright posture. He had a face as handsome as fine jade, both his skin and bones of the highest beauty. Standing there, he brought a semblance of brightness to the dimly lit room like a dream amidst the flowers.
Lu Tong’s gaze shifted subtly.
This was the "Marshal Pei" Lei Yuan had spoken about.
In the chaos earlier, she hadn’t taken a good look at the other party’s face. Now seeing him, he was radiant and opulent. Considering his sharp exchange with the government officers before and them addressing him continually as "Marshal," this young man appeared to be barely into his twenties and yet already held a high position, presumably from a notable family.
A clever and ruthless scion of the nobility, she should keep her distance as much as possible.
Thinking this, Lu Tong saw him casually place an object on the small table in front of her, speaking at a leisurely pace, "Doctor Lu, you dropped this."
Lu Tong’s brow twitched.
The blue velvet flower lay on the table, and under the illumination of the lamplight, it exuded a chilling tint of blood, inexplicably looking somewhat creepy.
She steadied her mind and then spoke in a calm voice, "Thank you, sir," as she was about to reach out and pick up the velvet flower.
A hand pressed down on the flower.
Lu Tong lifted her gaze.
The young man’s knuckles were slender, resting on the deep blue velvet flower, making his hand appear as white as jade.
His fingers tapped lightly on the flower as if pondering. Although he was smiling, his eyes were pitch-dark and profound, as though he could see right through someone.
Pei Yunmeng said, "There’s one thing that still puzzles Pei, I hope Doctor Lu could clarify it for me."
Lu Tong looked at him coldly.
He smiled and said, "Why does Doctor Lu’s velvet flower have three Silver Needles?"
Ordinary velvet flowers have only one pin, but Lu Tong’s had three.
Yin Zheng stood on the side, her face showing signs of nervousness.
Lu Tong said indifferently, "My hair is thick, a regular hairpin tends to slip out easily, so I use three."
Pei Yunmeng raised his eyebrows slightly, while Lu Tong remained composed.
His gaze lingered on Lu Tong’s waterfall-like hair for a moment before swiftly moving away, "Is that so."
Before Lu Tong could speak, he heard Pei Yunmeng speak again in a casual tone, "Then Doctor Lu, why have you sharpened the velvet flower’s pins to such a sharp point?" he reminded her with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, "The scars on Lu Dashan’s face, an ordinary hairpin couldn’t have made them."
Lu Tong felt a sinking feeling in her heart; this man was truly difficult to deal with.
Nowadays, women’s hair ornaments, whether they be beaded or velvet flowers, had pins that were usually blunted to prevent injury. However, the pins on the blue velvet flower that Lu Tong wore were sharp and dangerous, not to mention slashing deeply; a mere brush against it could likely leave a fine mark on the skin.
She had sharpened these pins herself.
The sweet fragrance of rouge filled the shop, tinting the surroundings with a layer of powdery color. Lu Tong’s eyes followed his hand upward, pausing momentarily at the exquisite silver pattern on his wrist guard before she lifted her head and spoke calmly, "Sir, as far as I know, there is no law in Shengjing that says the pins of a woman’s hair ornaments cannot be sharp, right?"
Her tone was even, but her gaze harbored an edge that matched his own.
A flicker of surprise crossed Pei Yunmeng’s eyes, followed by an enigmatic smile as he nodded, "Indeed."
His expression became relaxed again, and he let go of the velvet flower. He took out a palm-sized porcelain bottle from his chest and placed it on the table, "Doctor Lu’s wounds still need proper care; it would be bad to leave scars. The Tianwu Right Army’s Scar-Removing Medicine is effective; Doctor Lu might want to give it a try."
Lu Tong did not move but said to him, "Thank you very much."
Someone outside called for him, "Sir, a person from the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion requests to see you."
He responded, then smiled again at Lu Tong before turning to leave.
It was only after his figure had completely disappeared behind the screen that Lu Tong allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief in her heart.
For some reason, even though the man was clearly smiling and his tone could be considered cordial, she couldn’t help but feel an involuntary sense of danger.
Fortunate it was just a fleeting encounter amid troubled times; they would likely have no chance to meet again in the future.
Thinking this to herself, Yin Zheng stood cautiously to the side and spoke softly, "Miss, shall we go back first?"
"Pack our belongings," Lu Tong withdrew her gaze, "We’re leaving Laiyi Inn tonight."