T/N: This is Book 3 of the series 'The Four Great Female Constables'. The rest of the translation can be viewed on Foxaholic via the following link.
Chapter 1 – Encounter
On the Qian River, hundreds of torches illuminated the river as bright as day. Several naval ships with hoisted official flags were besieging a boat. The government officers and soldiers were entangled in a clump with the water bandits and the sounds of killings and clanging of swords shook the sky.
(Water bandits mentioned here are not pirates but bandits who carry out illegal trading or activities on the rivers and lakes for example illegal logging.)
The water bandits fought fearlessly with their lives. Whether they chose to surrender or not, their punishment would be the death penalty. Thus, it was a better choice for them to fight this life and death battle with their worthless life. Some of the water bandits who were no match for the soldiers had to jump into the river to make their escape but what they did not know was that the archers stationed on the naval ships were ready for them. Hundreds of arrows were shot at those water bandits who jumped into the river.
The water bandits in the water were shot and their pitiful screams rang out. Even if they could escape the arrows, the soldiers were waiting for them in small boats carrying long spears. In the chaos, they were stabbed and died in the water.
It was a massacre that wiped out everyone. The government officers had received orders from the superior that no one is to be left alive. For a while, bloody water flowed in the river, and under the firelights, bodies could be seen floating all over in the Qian River like hell on earth.
The Prefecture Magistrate, Lord Liu Yongjing stood on the bow and looked at the river water that was dyed red with blood. He could not help but feel shocked. He frowned and his palms were sweating. Although their annihilation target were the water bandits, in fact, the water bandits should not be guilty of death........they were only salt smugglers.
He looked silently towards the top of the cabin. The man standing on top looked down at everything without any expression. Originally, Liu Yongjing had thought of letting the water bandits go but the envoy from the imperial capital had given him a death order. If anyone of the water bandits was to escape, Liu Yongjing’s head would be used as a replacement.
Liu Yongjing was so frightened that he gulped. This envoy was well-known and there was also a favored Niangniang sitting high up in the palace. If the water bandits did not die, then his head would fall. For the sake of hundreds of lives in the Liu clan, he could not help but be cruel.
“Kill! Don’t let anyone of them escape! Search carefully! Whoever lets a bandit escape, the office will have to use his head to make up for the numbers!”
When the soldiers heard the orders of Lord Liu, they became even more ruthless. Their long spears were stabbed forcefully into the water and as long as the bodies still move, they would stab desperately killing the water bandits in a frenzy.
Gradually, the number of water bandits on the boat became less and less and those who were still fighting had good martial arts. However, they were outnumbered and faced with the inescapable net of extermination, the faces of these fierce water bandits revealed the fear of death.
“Boss, these imperial dogs intend to kill all of us without leaving anyone alive!” Hu’er said nervously. The sword in his hand had chipped off a piece. His face and body were covered with blood and he leaned against the other brothers. Everyone showed expressions of panic.
“Boss, what should we do?! I don’t want to die!”
“Does this kind of scene frighten you? These soldiers are just relying on their numbers! All of you better not show any weakness!”
Their Boss was also facing imminent death but he was just stubbornly spouting those words. A group of brothers who had put down their swords and surrendered earlier was still mercilessly killed by these soldiers. It was clear that no one was allowed to stay alive!
He glared fiercely at the naval ship in the distance.
Does this damn Liu Yongjing want to kill us? Not so easy! Even if all of them were to die, they would never let Liu Yongjing find the name list!
“My Brothers, we’ve traveled from north to south, what situation have we not encountered before? A hero’s doomsday is nothing more than a slash on the head. Worst comes to the worst, we can have a few more people to accompany us when we walk down the path to the netherworld!”
When all the water bandits heard their leader’s words, the originally fearful water bandits cheered up again.
Yes, even if they die, they want more lives to accompany them on their journey!
All the water bandits shouted together but among them, a man was surprisingly calm. With a tall and sturdy figure, the man’s sword skills were very vicious and his cold and shrewd eyes were sharper than a scabbard. In the darkness of the night, his black eyes reflected the lights of the flames like the eyes of the leopard that walks in the dark nights as he watched the bloody massacre with cold eyes.
He sneered in his heart. He always had an astute mind and had long noticed something amiss. Three days ago, he had advised this gang of water bandits against taking the risk of sailing. The government officers were making arrests frequently and it was better to take things slowly but the gang of water bandits refused to listen.
Fortunately, he had made preparations earlier with his brothers of the Cao Gang to quietly send away the last batch of goods last night. Otherwise, encountering this kind of scene today, let alone retreat, even his private stash of salt would surely be swallowed up by these imperial dogs.
It is obvious that this massacre is carried out to silence them and it is not a pity for this gang of water bandits to die. Since they dare to conspire with the corrupt officials to smuggle salt, it is tantamount to seeking their deaths. He had already recovered the cargo of salt he lost and did not want to lose his life in vain.
Gong Changxiao glanced around and noticed the soldiers and the archers were waiting eagerly.
Even though he is a good swimmer and can hold his breath for a long time, but at this time, he cannot rashly just jump into the water to make his escape.
His Cao Gang brothers were on the shore waiting to meet up with him but to break through those soldiers holding long spears posed a difficult problem for him.
While he was worrying over this, he suddenly caught sight of a figure from the corner of his eye. The person slit a bandit’s neck with a sharp sword. The move was light and agile and although it was a killing move, it had a sense of beauty. Unlike the other soldiers who relied on their strength and speed, it was neither a big slash nor a horizontal cut. The soldier’s killing moves and postures were like a beautiful performance of martial arts.
This soldier was different from the rest and he could not help but take a few more glances. However, when he saw the face clearly, he was stunned.
A woman?
Gong Changxiao’s dark bottomless ink-black eyes locked directly onto her and stared at her intently. Her eyebrows, her nose, her lips, and her cold expression stirred up strange emotions within him. Once he laid eyes on her, he could not look away.
It was not that he had never seen a beautiful woman before but this time, once he fixed his eyes on her, he was reluctant to look away. However, this did not reduce his natural sensitivity and it was as if he had eyes on his body. Without looking, he cut off the arm of the soldier on his right and threw him aside. Then he lifted his foot to kick the soldier on the left who was rushing towards him and cast him aside. Following that, he squatted to lift the unstable soldier who was rushing at him from behind and threw him directly off the boat.
His hands and feet were not idle. The fresh blood staining his sword slipped off drop by drop while his tiger-like eyes were trained on the woman firmly as if watching his prey.
Weird.......is the government recruiting beauties these days? Looking at her ruthless moves and killing without blinking..........this woman is truly vicious!
Gong Changxiao kept on attacking without stopping as he moved towards her. Suddenly an intense thought arose in his mind........he wanted to get close to her, wanted to know her identity and he did just that. It was until he had removed all the obstacles between them and kicked away the last eyesore of a soldier that the woman finally turned around her head. Her beautiful cold eyes locked with his eyes.
How should he describe those eyes of hers?
Gong Changxiao felt those eyes were the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen in his life. Her eyes were as bright as the night pearls and they seemed livelier under the lights of the fires. The lights made her melon-seed face look three-dimensional and as a result, her facial features became extra mysterious and aloof.
Her eyes were like ice and her figure that was fully dressed in black seemed to blend with the night as one but she was as white as snow. Although she was covered with blood, she was like a peony in the dark night, so breathtakingly beautiful.
Heat rose in his heart. She looked at him coldly and he returned her look with scorching eyes. He even pushed out his strong chest hoping to leave a good impression on her.
What kind of situation is this?
If the gang of brothers and sisters who were waiting to meet up with him knew that at this critical moment, he was acting like a male dog in heat with the desire to attract this woman’s attention, they would definitely think there was something wrong with his brains.
Although it is said that death under the peony flower, even being a ghost is very romantic*, but when actually faced with death, most people would still choose to save their lives.
(Death under the peony flower, even being a ghost is very romantic means the hero is willing to die for the beauty and finds it worthwhile. The original version of this should be ‘Death under the peony flower, even death is a graceful thing’ but later this was twisted to tease women.)
But Gong Changxiao did not try to escape even when the woman leaped at him with the sword and he did not dodge as well.
The sharp sword emitted a sound when it pierced the flesh.
The woman pierced his heart with the sword. It was a single fatal move and her skill was still very beautiful.......as beautiful as a picture........as beautiful as a peony........
Gong Wuhuan’s sword plunged into his chest but noticed that this person did not dodge nor fend off her move. Her cold expression showed a slight surprise and she stared at him strangely.
Gong Changxiao allowed her to stare at him and even had the narcissistic thoughts that he looked majestic and handsome. When he walks on the streets, women would usually give him a few more glances and in addition, his figure was vigorous and spirited. He was not being boastful but there was none who does not love him.
What about her?
In Gong Wuhuan’s eyes, he was just a sturdy bandit that was as strong as a bear. The man was a head taller than her with a tough and stocky figure and a face full of shaggy beard. Under the flickering lights of the fires around him, his face looked hideous and scary. Based on her intuition of a martial artist, she thought this man would be difficult to handle but who knew he was so easily settled with just a thrust of the sword?
She was about to draw out her sword when her right hand holding the sword was caught in his terrifyingly powerful grasp. She knew that when a person is about to die he would put up a struggle and would harbor the idea of dying together with his opponent. Without any hesitation, she immediately stretched out her left hand to shatter his breastbone.
She was fast but the other party was even faster than her. When her palm was only three chun* from his chest, his big hand grabbed on her wrist firmly. Astonishment shone in Gong Wuhuan’s eyes. She had used half of her internal force but he had intercepted her move so easily. Since he had such good skills, why was he unable to dodge her sword just now?
(Chun is the Chinese measurement of length and it is the width of a thumb’s knuckle which is roughly about 3.7cm or 1.4 inches.)
Before she could think deeper into this, the man’s deep voice sounded.
“What’s your name?”
Surrounded by the sounds of killings, every word of his still drifted into her ears.
She frowned. Both her hands were gripped by him and for a while, she was unable to struggle free and could only raise her leg to kick away two water bandits who tried to sneak up behind. She turned her head back and tried to pull away but she was suddenly pulled closer to him. The sword stuck in his chest went in deeper and it made her look up in surprise again.
To pull her closer to him, the man did not hesitate to let the sword pierce deeper into his chest. The stone-carved face came extremely close to her and two flames were burning in his bottomless eyes like the persistent fires in hell.
“Your name?” His breath sprayed on her face. It was as though if he did not get an answer from her, he was unwilling to die.
