Chapter 39 Ambushed

The Xie clan of Yangxia?

Zheng Yanqing quickly waved his hand to stop the others.

"I am Zheng Yanqing of the Xingyang Zheng clan. We are merely taking shelter from the rain here, with no malicious intent."

As he spoke, he put away his cross-blade. Over there, Shen Guang also ordered his men to lower their bows and arrows, though a subtle vigilance still lingered.

During the Eastern Jin dynasty, the Xie clan of Yangxia was a profoundly renowned and illustrious noble family, producing such legendary figures as Xie An, Xie Xuan, and Xie Lingyun. However, since the standoff of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Xie clan had gradually declined. Following the Kaihuang era, the family had not produced any exceptionally brilliant talents, leaving their current state somewhat more desolate even than that of the Xingyang Zheng clan.

Yet, one should never underestimate any aristocratic family.

Such time-honored noble houses often possessed extraordinary vitality and deep foundations. Who knew whether they might rise to prominence once again in a few generations?

Therefore, Yanqing did not dare to treat them with the slightest negligence.

Xie Hong and his nephew leaped down from their horses, kicking up splatters of muddy water...

"You are Zheng Yanqing? Could you be the renowned Immortal of Wine, Ban Yuanjun Zheng Yanqing?"

Xie Hong looked over at Zheng Yanqing in astonishment, shaking off his oiled-cloth raincoat to reveal a mighty and heroic countenance.

Xie Xie, standing beside him, also took off his raincoat.

He appeared to be around thirteen or fourteen years of age, with broad palms and slender fingers, particularly adorned with two gleaming bronze rings on his thumb and forefinger, which indicated that his archery skills were far from ordinary. His facial features were refined—clear eyebrows, bright eyes, red lips, and white teeth—exuding an extraordinary bearing. He wore a white robe, suggesting he had attained some scholarly honor by noon. Around his waist was a lion-carved jade belt, from which hung a purple sachet.

Most scions of noble families were fond of wearing sachets, a custom passed down since the Eastern Jin dynasty.

It was said that Xie Xuan, an ancestor of the Yangxia Xie clan, also loved wearing sachets in his youth, mingling with a group of reckless companions. Later, Xie An burned his sachet and gave him a severe lecture, after which Xie Xuan mended his ways, ultimately becoming a famous general of the Eastern Jin and participating in the Battle of Feishui. Regrettably, Xie Xuan died young, still toying with his sachet endlessly on his deathbed.

Among the common folk, the phrase "the lingering charm of the Xie style" referred precisely to the romantic and scholarly elegance of the Xie family members.

Zheng Yanqing cupped his hands and said, "You flatter me, sir. Yanqing is merely a youth; the titles of 'Immortal of Wine' and 'Ban Yuanjun' are simply exaggerations by others."

As he spoke, Zheng family retainers stepped forward to lead Xie Hong's and Xie Xie's horses to the side.

Xie Xie drew a quiver from his horse's back and placed it on the porch of the grand hall. Inside were four quivers filled with wolf-tooth feathered arrows, alongside a four-foot-long horizontal saber and a bow case. With a clanging sound, one could tell at a glance that they were not light.

Zheng Yanqing hastily ushered Xie Hong into the grand hall.

"What wretched weather. We were traveling quite well, only to encounter such a torrential downpour. Apologies for this uninvited intrusion."

Xie Hong was cultured and refined, radiating a distinctly scholarly aura.

Zheng Yanqing poked the bonfire to make it burn brighter, while Mao Xiaonian over there had already prepared the food and distributed it to everyone.

"If Sir Xie does not disdain our humble provisions, perhaps you would care to dine with us."

"Haha, when traveling away from home, being able to have a hot meal is already a great satisfaction. How could there be any disdain?"

Xie Hong accepted a steamed cake and a bowl of meat soup, eating with great mouthfuls.

Xie Xie, by contrast, appeared very refined, eating bite by bite, chewing slowly and carefully as if trying to savor the very essence within the steamed cake.

"Where is Sir Xie headed?"

"Oh, I am originally the military adjudicator of Wannian County, and this is my nephew, who is studying in Chang'an. Not long ago, my elder brother sent a letter stating that my nephew had been recommended as a distinguished talent by the local magistrate. Therefore, I requested leave to escort my nephew back to Yangxia."

"This is truly a wonderful occasion. Congratulations, honored brother."

Zheng Yanqing smiled and cupped his hands. Xie Xie hurriedly returned the courtesy, speaking softly, "Though I am a distinguished talent, I cannot compare to the majestic bearing of Brother Zheng."

Zheng Yanqing held the title of a Cloud-Riding Commandant, which was not uncommon in Chang'an or Luoyang.

In Xie Xie's tone, there was also a hint of admiration. He asked, "Just now, I saw Brother Zheng with swords drawn and crossbows notched, appearing quite vigilant. Is there perhaps something amiss?"

His question was direct, yet his tone was gentle, making one feel exceptionally comfortable.

Zheng Yanqing replied, "Nothing is particularly amiss. It is just that along the road, I noticed several groups of people raising banners, so I could not help but be a bit more cautious. Coupled with the sudden arrival of you and your uncle... haha, please forgive any offense given just now, and I hope you will not take it amiss."

"Not at all, not at all. When traveling away from home, one should naturally be cautious."

Xie Hong waved his hand repeatedly, then sighed softly, "However, over the past two years, the Heluo region has indeed been far from peaceful."

Zheng Yanqing found it inconvenient to dwell on this topic; saying too much might easily land him the charge of frivolously discussing state affairs.

Xie Hong, too, knew when to stop. The group shifted the conversation to other matters. Serving as an official in Chang'an, Xie Hong understood the court's situation much better than Zheng Yanqing. Moreover, being well-traveled and knowledgeable, he spoke endlessly and fluently.

Yet Yanqing felt that this Xie Hong did not resemble an ordinary member of an aristocratic clan.

In his speech and demeanor, there was a faint sense of detachment from the world, making him seem more like a Daoist master who had seen through the illusions of the mortal realm. The situations of the Xie and Zheng families were quite similar, both cultivating both Daoism and Confucianism. However, ever since the decline of the Xie family, Daoist metaphysics seemed to have gained greater favor among them.

Yanqing asked, "Since honored brother has attained the status of a distinguished talent, you should have a courtesy name by now, shouldn't you?"

"Ah, he was frail in his youth, and once received a talisman from the elderly Daoist immortal Wang Yuanzhi of Langya to restore his health, hence his Daoist name is Yingdeng. My elder brother also thought this name was quite good, so he bestowed it upon him as his courtesy name. Achieving this scholarly honor this time is entirely due to the spirits of our ancestors and the protection of the Three Pure Ones."

The Xie family had been in decline for nearly a hundred years, and now that they had finally produced a talent, they were naturally overjoyed.

A sudden thought stirred in Zheng Yanqing's heart.

Xie Yingdeng? Could this person be Xie Yingdeng?

He looked at Xie Xie in astonishment. He had first learned of the name Xie Yingdeng from storytelling pingshu about the *Romance of Sui and Tang* during his youth in his past life—one of the forty-six sworn brothers of Wagang stronghold... Yet he had never expected that the renowned bandit actually originated from the scholarly Yangxia Xie family? He vaguely remembered that Xie Yingdeng seemed to have become a monk in the end, though he could not recall the rest clearly.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Xie Xie noticed Zheng Yanqing's gaze and could not help asking.

Yanqing quickly composed his expression and said, "Nothing. I was just thinking that with Brother Xie's academic success, you are bound to soar to great heights and achieve brilliant success before long."

Hearing this, Xie Hong burst into laughter, "Ban Yuanjun, I will accept your auspicious words."

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The torrential rain stopped for a moment, then resumed.

The intermittent downpour lasted for two or three hours before finally gradually subsiding.

By this time, the sky had grown completely dark. Seeing this, Yanqing decided outright that they would spend the night in the ancient temple.

Due to the heavy rain and muddy roads, Xie Hong and his nephew did not leave either. Zheng Yanqing yielded a side room for their rest. Under Pei Zi's arrangement, the rest of the men took turns standing watch while others rested. The previously bustling ancient temple quickly quieted down.

Xiaonian was a girl, so she was assigned to rest in the rear hall.

Zheng Yanqing, Shen Guang, Pei Zi, and the three Dang brothers settled down in the main hall.

The rain finally ceased entirely. By the latter half of the night, the dark clouds dispersed, revealing a bright, full moon. The dome of heaven was washed clean and blue, studded with twinkling stars.

The surroundings were very quiet, broken only by the occasional sound of snoring and the snorting breaths of warhorses.

Zheng Yanqing could not sleep, so he sat on the threshold, quietly wiping his horizontal saber. Two small mastiffs crouched right beside his feet, appearing sound asleep. Shen Guang walked over, lifted his eyelids slightly, then let them droop again without making any other reaction.

"Young master, can't you sleep?"

Zheng Yanqing nodded, "I don't know why, but I'm just not very sleepy."

"Me neither!"

Shen Guang sat down on the threshold as well, raising his head to gaze at the stars in the firmament, "Young master, are you perhaps suspicious of Xie Hong and his nephew?"

"Not at all!" Zheng Yanqing looked up and asked in puzzlement, "Why would you have such a thought?"

Shen Guang said, "Just now, when I heard Xie Hong mention Xie Xie's courtesy name, you seemed very startled and looked at Xie Xie several times. I thought you had discovered some flaw in the uncle and nephew... Haha, Young master, is that Xie Xie someone special?"

"Oh, if I told you that this Xie Xie will definitely become very famous in the future, would you believe me?"

Shen Guang was slightly startled, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I believe you!"

Zheng Yanqing let out a chuckle. "As if you'd believe that... I'm no immortal, nor do I possess the ability to foresee five hundred years into the past and five hundred years into the future. What on earth are you believing?"

"No, I'm being serious, I believe you!"

Shen Guang said earnestly, "Young master, you are unlike ordinary people. Upon your return to Xingyang, that desperate situation was brought back from the brink entirely by your own hands. Others all say it was the First Young Master and the Old Master who planned and strategized, but I know it was your merit. Therefore, I believe you..."

"Then what if I told you that I am actually not a person of this era, but came from the future—would you believe that?"

"Oh, I believe it!" Shen Guang seemed a bit hesitant.

"And what if I said the Great Sui might perish—would you believe that?"

Shen Guang's expression changed. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I believe it..."

"Then what if I said everything I just uttered was complete nonsense—would you believe that?"

Shen Guang was taken aback, then suddenly burst out laughing, "That, I firmly believe."

"Actually, you don't really have to believe that part."

Shen Guang maintained a deadpan, serious face. "That part I must definitely believe..."

The two exchanged a glance and laughed. Zheng Yanqing had mixed truth with falsehood, while Shen Guang treated it all as a joke. Through this shared laughter, the previous master-servant boundary seemed to fade away significantly, replaced by a deep and genuine friendship.

Suddenly, Siyuan and Xiyao sharply pricked up their ears, sprang up, and bolted out of the main hall, barking in a wild, non-stop frenzy.

Zheng Yanqing and Shen Guang exchanged glances, rose simultaneously, and stepped out of the main hall as well. Standing on the porch, Yanqing shaded his eyes with his hand and gazed into the distance. In the darkness, faint lights flickered, accompanied by the vague sounds of human shouting and horse neighing.

"Reporting to Young master, a group of people is approaching from the direction of Mount Shouyang, carrying weapons and seeming to head directly this way."

"Wake everyone up."

At Zheng Yanqing's command, he coiled his waist, leaped down from the porch, and rushed towards the gates of the ancient temple in three swift strides.

The ancient temple stood on slightly elevated terrain, offering a remarkably broad field of vision from the mountain gate.

"Nephew, what has happened?"

Xie Hong and his nephew had also been startled awake. Rushing out of the side room, they asked Zheng Yanqing.

"It seems a troop of horsemen is heading this way with ill intentions... Sir Xie, I suspect their target is us. They scouted with banners during the day and have already locked onto us. Before they arrive, you two should leave this place as quickly as possible."

"How can we do that?"

Xie Yingdeng widened his eyes. "To flee in the face of battle—if word gets out, how could I ever have the face to meet anyone again?"

"Precisely!"

Xie Hong nodded repeatedly, expressing his agreement with Xie Yingdeng's words.

Zheng Yanqing had no time to argue with the uncle and nephew. Narrowing his eyes, he continuously scanned the distance. In the dark night, those flickering torchlights were drawing closer, and the sounds of shouting and neighing grew increasingly clear. There appeared to be quite a number of them...

"Young master, what shall we do?"

Zheng Yanqing bit his lip, calculating the speed at which the torchlights were moving. They seemed fast; the enemy apparently possessed numerous horses.

The Central Plains had suffered from a shortage of horses since ancient times, especially after a succession of wars, making equines even scarcer. Therefore, during the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui, horse markets had been established to purchase and stockpile horses. After Emperor Yang of Sui ascended the throne, he defeated Tuyuhun, strengthened exchanges between the Western Regions and the Central Plains, and set up military horse ranches in the Zhangye area to replenish losses. At present, the military ranches were newly established, and their effects had not yet materialized. However, the opening of the horse markets had increased the number of horses among the populace. While ordinary families could certainly not afford to buy horses, acquiring them was not difficult for mountain bandits.

As Zheng Yanqing was pondering, Dang Shijie said, "Young master, the approaching party seems to be numerous. Let's run."

"We cannot run!"

Xie Xie quickly intervened. "The enemy is moving very quickly, clearly equipped with a cavalry detachment. Although we have horses, most of them are draft animals used for pulling carts and cannot outpace them. We certainly cannot abandon those without horses here, leaving them behind. Furthermore, once we flee, we are bound to be pursued, which would only make us more dangerous. I do not support retreating."

Pei Zi also chimed in, "Running is not a solution. I'm afraid we cannot outrun them."

"Then what?"

Zheng Yanqing suddenly declared, "Hold our ground. Rely on the courtyard walls of the ancient temple and hold our ground... If the visitors mean us harm, we can use the walls to buy some time. If we leave the ancient temple, so many of us without horses would only be slaughtered in the open wilderness."

With that, he immediately issued orders: "Pile all the carts and carriages against the breach in the courtyard wall. Dang Shijie and Dang Shiying, take five men each, ready ample bows and arrows, and hold the breach. The rest of you who cannot help out, retreat into the rear hall and remain absolutely silent... Dang Shiying, take five men and hold the south wall. Everyone else follow me to desperately defend the mountain gate."

Hearing this, the group sprang into action.

Zheng Yanqing shouted loudly, "Gather all the horses securely. Once the courtyard wall is breached, everyone is to fall back and defend the Guanyin Main Hall."

In the distance, torches dotted the landscape, and voices grew increasingly clear.

Judging by the posture, there were likely several hundred people.

Xie Hong wielded a gold-threaded carved bow, with two quivers full of arrows slung across his back.

Taking in the situation, he couldn't help drawing a sharp breath, "Zheng Nephew, there are a great many incoming foes. I'm afraid we won't be able to hold out."

"Yeah!"

Zheng Yanqing's expression was equally grave.

At this moment, pair after pair of eyes fixed upon him. Almost everyone pinned their hopes on this ten-year-old, yet monstrously capable young master. Especially Shen Guang and Pei Zi, who practically believed him to be omnipotent.

"We must charge out!"

"Ah?"

"If one person charges out, they can head to Yanshi for reinforcements."

Zheng Yanqing calculated the strength of all sides: fifteen bodyguards, the three Dang brothers, and Xie Hong and his nephew, making a total of twenty people. Shen Guang currently possessed zero combat capability and was equivalent to nothing, so he could be excluded from the count.

As for the dozen or so other servants, they were basically not worth considering either.

"How are we supposed to charge out?"

Xie Hong frowned. "It looks as though they have already surrounded the mountain gate. Breaking out won't be easy."

Outside the mountain gate, a dense crowd of hundreds of people—some mounted, some on foot—had arrived in front of the ancient temple. A rough estimate put their number at two to three hundred. Each held swords and spears, and those on horseback looked especially murderous.

Zheng Yanqing exchanged a glance with Xie Hong.

Xie Hong nodded, stepped forward, and shouted loudly, "What heroes are outside? We are merely passing through this place and have not yet had time to pay our respects. Please bear with us."

A cavalryman in black armor charged out and barked sternly, "Listen up, those inside! We are under the orders of our supreme chief of Mount Shouyang, the Two-Headed Snake, and have come to raid and kill you lot. If you know what's good for you, come out one by one, and we gentlemen will grant you a swift death with a single slash, leaving your corpses intact. If not, don't blame us for being merciless. Once we break into the ancient temple, we'll slice you into a thousand pieces, making your lives worse than death!"

"Young master, they really are here for us."

Shen Guang murmured, "I wonder whose faction they belong to?"

Zheng Yanqing thought for a moment, stepped forward, and said, "I am the Cloud-Riding Commandant Zheng Yanqing. You gather as bandits and murder imperial officials of the court—do you not fear the execution of your entire clan?"

Although the Cloud-Riding Commandant was a military title without an active command post, it was nonetheless a genuine imperial rank, without the slightest exaggeration.

The black-clad horseman laughed arrogantly, "To hell with your Cloud-Riding Commandant, we gentlemen don't buy that routine. Are you the brat Zheng Yanqing? Let us gentlemen make it clear: someone has put up a bounty of ten thousand strings of cash for your head. Today, we are here specifically to kill you."

Yanqing's expression shifted. "Good fellows, we seem never to have met before. We have no prior grievances and no recent enmity; why must you kill me? How about this—I will also offer ten thousand strings of cash to buy my own life. How does that sound?"

"Little dog, want to know who wants you dead? Once us gentlemen chop off your dog's head, we'll naturally tell you..."

As he spoke, he raised his weapon.

Just as he was about to give the order to attack, a sharp twang of a bowstring suddenly rang out from behind the mountain gate. An arrow flew forth, striking him squarely in the windpipe.

The bandits were instantly thrown into chaos, followed closely by a loud roar: "Impudent little bandits! Death is at hand, and you still dare to act tough? Brothers, charge!"

At the command, the crowd parted.

A horseman galloped toward the mountain gate, wielding a pair of heavy axes in a menacing, murderous charge.

A graceful curve appeared at the corner of Xie Xie's mouth. His hand moved like lightning as he plucked a sharp arrow from the quiver, pulled his bow like a full moon, and loosed an arrow. Simultaneously, Zheng Yanqing retreated behind the mountain gate, nocked an arrow, and aimed straight at the mount beneath the horseman.

The bandit whirled his heavy axes, knocking away Xie Xie's arrow.

Yet the horse beneath him let out a piercing, shrill whinny and crashed heavily to the ground, sending the bandit tumbling head over heels in dizziness, his heavy axes flying off God knows where.

Yet this fellow's martial arts were truly not bad.

He immediately scrambled to his feet. Just as he steadied himself, Zheng Yanqing merged his spirit and physical energy, drawing his bow to a full moon. With a sharp twang, the arrow left the string, swift as lightning. Seeing his first arrow strike true, he smoothly plucked another, drawing and releasing in one fluid motion.

Two arrows fired in rapid succession—*thud, thud*... The bandit let out a miserable scream and crashed backward into a pool of blood.

Zheng Yanqing had landed both hits, striking down the horseman.

"Shoot the rider, shoot the horse first!"

Zheng Yanqing's calm, cold voice echoed as he turned and vanished behind the mountain gate.

For a moment, the bandits fell silent. Outside the mountain gate, absolute stillness reigned!

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