Chapter 57 The Caged Canary and the Beggar’s Deadly Blade

Wiping his greasy hands clean with a silk scarf, Emil looked at Lu Liao with curiosity.

“Ninth Young Master calls you Lu Liao, so what kind of bird are you?”

Lu Liao nearly choked on her own saliva. Picking up a dry twig, she wrote “Lu Liao” on the ground.

Emil watched, utterly confused. “What does that mean? I don’t understand. Heroes on the prairie all have names like Mighty Eagle or Grey Wolf. But you, Liao, you’re not a good bird at all.”

“This ‘Liao’ isn’t the bird’s bird,” Lu Liao replied, exasperated.

“What’s wrong with birds? They get to fly freely in the sky. How happy they must be!” Emil gazed at the night sky, full of longing.

“What’s so great about birds? In the sky, they’re torn apart by eagles; on the ground, devoured by beasts. If they fall into human hands and are caged, all they can do is cry mournfully.” Lu Liao stared at Emil with deliberate malice.

Emil placed her hands against her chest, looking at Lu Liao in disbelief. “You… you’re not a good person at all. I won’t talk to you anymore.”

As Emil walked away, Lu Liao muttered under her breath, “I beg you not to talk to me, all right? You’re a golden canary flying out of the Imperial Censor’s residence—I’d rather run than stay.”

When a woman says she won’t talk to you anymore, it’s still she who persists in conversation. When she says you’re not a good person, she’s the one who draws closest. Lu Liao only understood this truth much later.

Lu Liao had once defeated Wang Qi of the Four Seas Trade Guild, making him so angry he fainted and coughed blood. The guards who respected Wang Qi naturally had little fondness for her. The noticeably different treatment she received made everyone keep their distance, treating her as a stranger.

When the caravan set up camp, Lu Liao found a wagon filled with silk and climbed atop it, half-reclining on the soft fabrics, comfortably gazing into the distance, lost in thought.

As dusk fell, she heard the sounds of snacking and humming. Emil struggled to climb up, settling herself against a bundle of goods.

She took out a large parcel of meat and two small flasks of fine wine, tossing them between them. She grabbed one flask, raised it, and took a swig, gazing dreamily into the distance.

Lu Liao stared for a long moment, then quietly took the other flask, uncorked it, and sipped slowly.

“A villain is always a villain—look at this caravan, over a hundred people, and no one really talks to you.” Emil’s voice carried a hint of schadenfreude.

“And you? Only dare to come out of your carriage when night falls. Are you a good person or a bad one?” Lu Liao spoke with meaning.

Emil froze, stiff as a clay statue. She drank another mouthful of wine, never again looking at Lu Liao.

The last rays of the sun vanished beyond the horizon. A few birds slowly flew toward the dark forest. Suddenly, Emil began to hum a song, her voice low and melodic, filled with desolation and yearning, a sorrow laced with defiance. Lu Liao’s mind conjured images of desolate, barren lands and people struggling for survival.

Boss Hu and two others watched the young man and woman on the distant wagon, seeing the sunlight fade from their bodies, rendering them hazy and indistinct.

“What do you suppose is so special about the Young Master? Looks-wise, he’s only a bit more refined than me, Boss Hu. Poetic talent? I’ve never heard him recite anything earth-shattering. Why do these goddess-like beauties keep flocking to him?” Boss Hu asked, baffled.

“You know nothing. The Young Master has real skills and grand ambitions,” Zhou Six glared at Boss Hu.

“You’re both wrong,” Ning Jiao said solemnly. “My big sister says your Young Master is simply too good to women—he attracts them without meaning to. That’s why she sent me to keep an eye on him.”

Standing up and straightening her clothes, Emil climbed down from the wagon, leaving a remark: “I ate yours last night, so I’m returning it today.” She walked into her tent as night deepened.

When Emil appeared before Lu Liao again, Lu Liao spread out a cloth covered in pastries and delicacies. Emil smiled and quietly shared the food, then left just as silently.

Watching that lonely silhouette fade in the night, Lu Liao knew this sorrowful girl was simply yearning for a trace of warmth.

As the caravan traveled, Lu Liao felt a pair of eyes peering desperately from behind the beaded curtain. So she began describing the scenery outside, sometimes weaving in tales and local customs. After a few days, she sensed those eyes growing brighter, but could not see how Lu Jiu’s expression darkened.

The caravan entered the Inner Pass safely, and the scenery changed dramatically. Soon they would reach Anhua County, famed as the granary of the east, bustling with westbound and eastbound trading caravans. For reasons unknown, Lu Jiu lowered the curtain and all sounds from within ceased.

The Four Seas Trade Guild had its own depot in Anhua County. The caravan entered the warehouse early, expecting to rest and reorganize. Lu Liao and Wang Eleven’s rooms flanked Lu Jiu’s, guarding his quarters. After washing up and seeing that it was still early, Lu Liao decided to confront Lu Jiu and settle things once and for all.

She barged into Lu Jiu’s room, only to find Emil alone, gazing wistfully out the window—Lu Jiu was nowhere in sight. Realizing her own rudeness, Lu Liao planned to brush it off and leave.

“Emil, you’ve been doing this for days. Why not go out and explore now that we’re here?”

“Ninth Young Master said I must stay in the room and not wander,” Emil replied softly.

“Don’t you feel stifled?” Lu Liao asked in surprise.

“It’s been years like this. What’s the point of feeling stifled?” Emil shook her head, still gazing at the sky.

“What about Chang’an? Did you never go out there either?” Lu Liao stared at her.

“I’ve been in Chang’an for four years since I turned fourteen, always confined to a small courtyard, never stepping outside,” Emil’s face showed a trace of sorrow.

Lu Liao got the answer she wanted, but felt a pang of sadness. She recalled her own time in the Five Venoms Sect’s Serpent Valley, nearly going mad after ten days trapped in a bamboo lodge. How had Emil endured four years?

“Anhua City may not be as grand as Chang’an, but it’s lively and unique. It’s early—would you like to go out and see it?” Lu Liao asked.

Emil’s eyes brightened, then dimmed as she shook her head gently.

“Didn’t you ask what kind of bird I am? Let me take you flying for a while—you’ll see for yourself.”

“For just a while?” Emil asked uncertainly.

“Just for a while. I’ll protect you like an eagle,” Lu Liao replied, extending her hand.

Boss Hu was persuading Zhou Six and others to visit Anhua’s brothels for fun and relaxation, when he saw Lu Liao leading a slender woman in a white silk scarf out. Zhou Six quickly followed, and Boss Hu sighed and trailed after. In the distance, little Ning Jiao also tagged along.

Anhua was a crucial trade hub between Chang’an and the Western Regions. On its bustling streets, many foreign merchants set up shop. At first, Emil was timid, but after chatting in her native tongue with a few roadside merchants and buying some trinkets from her homeland, she grew animated, a rare smile appearing on her face.

Whenever Emil lingered over something, Lu Liao would shoot Boss Hu a look, who hurried to pay for it, grumbling to Zhou Six, “Young Master wins the lady’s favor without spending his own money—or yours. He just orders me to pay. It’s unfair.”

“Don’t forget—you once reported Young Master’s hidden stash to the Young Mistress, costing him thousands in gold bars, but earning yourself plenty of rewards. If you think he’s forgotten, you’re wrong,” Zhou Six replied coolly.

Boss Hu immediately shut up, watching pitiably as Lu Liao was surrounded by foreign merchants hawking their goods.

A few street urchins began following Lu Liao and Emil, stretching out grimy hands and pleading, “Kind sir, please spare some coins!” hoping for alms.

Lu Liao, growing impatient, tossed a handful of copper coins on the ground. The urchins scrambled for them.

Not far away, a wiry man eyed Emil suspiciously before lowering his head.

“Thief! Someone stole my purse!” a portly merchant suddenly shouted.

The wiry man, startled, bolted straight toward Lu Liao and her group. The fat man cursed and chased after him.

Cornered, the pickpocket flung the purse at Lu Liao and lunged at Emil. Meanwhile, the portly merchant, now surprisingly agile, moved like a drifting leaf, a blade flashing cold as he slashed at Lu Liao’s neck.

Most people would instinctively dodge or grab the purse, but Lu Liao ignored it and instead wrapped Emil in her arms, narrowly avoiding the pickpocket’s deadly thrust.

Few saw Lu Liao draw her sword, and none saw the sword itself.

The pickpocket’s attack, seemingly certain, missed its mark. Feeling cold steel at his neck, he staggered forward, collapsing in a pool of blood.

The fat man drifted in like a falling leaf, then soared unexpectedly, landing heavily with a thud.

Blood trickled from his mouth as he clutched his belly, struggling to rise. Zhou Six rushed forward, thrusting his sword into the man’s chest, ending the threat instantly.

The two assassins had worked in perfect harmony, striking without warning—few seasoned martial artists could have defended against such an attack. Yet their attempt was not the most dangerous.

As the wiry thief threw the purse at Lu Liao, one of the street urchins, previously scrambling for coins, suddenly sprang up. A short sword gleamed blue, stabbing at Emil in Lu Liao’s arms. The murderous speed and intent sent chills down Lu Liao’s spine.

She twisted impossibly, evading the lethal strike with Emil, but felt a sting as her hip was grazed. Her sword flashed, slicing at the urchin’s neck.

The small, ragged figure toppled. In midair, the dirty, wild-haired head looked at Lu Liao with indifferent eyes—a cold disregard for life, others’ or their own.

Within moments, three bloodied corpses lay on the bustling street. The crowd froze in shock and silence, until someone screamed, “Murder! There’s been a killing!” Panic erupted, and the crowd scattered in terror.