On Tongguan Road No. 50

Little Yun’er saw a luxurious carriage pulled by three horses stopped outside, with a coachman who looked to be in his forties. Xiao Jing pulled back the canvas cover, and Yun’er climbed inside, finding thick blankets spread across the seats. Miss Nine was already seated within, smiling gently at him.

Yun’er rubbed his hands together and greeted, “Good morning, Sister Long.” Miss Nine smiled and asked, “Are you feeling very cold?” Yun’er replied, “It’s a bit chilly in the morning, but I can manage.” At that moment, Xiao Jing entered, still holding her treasured sword. She dropped the canvas, sealing out the biting wind from outside.

Yun’er continued to rub his hands, and as the coachman shouted, the carriage began to roll forward. Still warming his hands, Yun’er was caught off guard by the sudden movement; he stumbled and fell awkwardly. Xiao Jing covered her mouth and laughed softly, crawling over to help him up.

Yun’er cursed himself in silent frustration: “Damn, I really wasn’t careful. My first time riding a carriage like this, and I’ve already made a fool of myself.”

Miss Nine noticed and asked, “Are you hungry now? Would you like something to eat?” Yun’er nodded, “I am a little hungry. If there’s something to eat, that would be wonderful.” Xiao Jing opened a chest and took out plenty of delicious food, evidently prepared in advance.

After eating, Miss Nine handed him a handkerchief. Yun’er took the clean, fragrant cloth, feeling reluctant to use it on his greasy mouth and dirty hands. He thought to himself that Miss Nine’s handkerchief would be ruined in his hands.

The carriage rolled on. Driven by curiosity, Yun’er lifted a corner of the canvas to glance outside. There were few pedestrians on the street. Suddenly, he saw a woman in white with her face veiled, riding swiftly past on horseback. Though it was only a fleeting glimpse, that upright figure and flowing black hair were all too familiar to him. He nearly cried out, “Sister Xue!” But the silhouette in white had already disappeared into the distance.

Yun’er was swept by a wave of melancholy. When would he see her beautiful, proud figure again? Ah! He sighed softly in his heart.

The carriage moved quickly, and in less than an hour, it had passed through the gates of Xianyang, traveling along the official road toward Tongguan.

Outside the city, there were only fields and trees, a landscape desolate and barren. Seeing nothing of interest and feeling chilled by the wind, Yun’er withdrew his head. Inside, Miss Nine and Xiao Jing sat close together, resting their eyes. Feeling bored, Yun’er imitated them, closing his eyes to rest. The gentle rocking of the carriage made sleep come easily, and before long, Yun’er drifted off.

When he awoke, he found a blanket covering him and his head resting in Miss Nine’s lap. Apparently, she had noticed him sleeping and covered him up. Thus, Yun’er spent the journey sitting or lying comfortably within the carriage.

By evening, the carriage arrived at the largest inn in Weinan County—the Peaceful Inn.

Yun’er saw that although this inn wasn’t as grand as the Lucky Tavern in Xianyang, it was still sizable. At that hour, it was bustling, with about seventy percent of the rooms filled.

A pretty girl of eighteen or nineteen approached them. When she saw Miss Nine, she exclaimed with delight, “Miss, you’re here! I’ve already made all the arrangements.” Miss Nine smiled and replied, “Thank you for your trouble.”

As they conversed, Yun’er quietly asked Xiao Jing, “Do you know her?” Xiao Jing nodded, “She’s Xiao Wen, and I’m Xiao Jing—we’re sisters.” Yun’er thought to himself that she must also be one of Miss Nine’s maids, but judging from Miss Nine’s respectful tone, this Xiao Wen must be quite formidable.

Xiao Wen led them upstairs to a quiet table. After speaking briefly with Xiao Jing, she left. Soon after, a servant brought up a sumptuous meal.

As Yun’er ate, he couldn’t help but ask, “Sister Wen, how did you know we were coming?” Xiao Wen smiled, “It’s simple. After Miss Nine left Xianyang, Xiao Hong sent a message via carrier pigeon saying Miss Nine was heading to Luoyang and would stay here tonight, so I was able to prepare for your arrival ahead of time.”

It turned out that Miss Nine had four trusted maids. Xiao Jing was her personal attendant, responsible for her daily needs; Xiao Hong managed the tavern; Xiao Cui oversaw the gambling house; and Xiao Wen headed Miss Nine’s secret armed force and intelligence network. Whenever Miss Nine’s interests were threatened, Xiao Wen would lead elite assassins to quietly resolve the situation. Of the four, she was the most mysterious and formidable. This Peaceful Inn was merely one of her intelligence outposts.

Located over a hundred li from Xianyang, the Peaceful Inn marked the easternmost boundary of Miss Nine’s influence in the region. Of course, Miss Nine wouldn’t reveal any of this to Yun’er. Besides, as someone outside the world of martial arts, even if she did, he wouldn’t understand.

Thanks to Xiao Wen’s careful arrangements, not only did they enjoy delicious food, but they were also provided with comfortable, quiet, top-grade rooms.

Early the next morning, Miss Nine, accompanied by Xiao Jing and Yun’er, left the inn after saying farewell to Xiao Wen. Xiao Wen loaded the carriage with plenty of tasty provisions, and they departed Weinan, traveling along the southern bank of the Wei River straight toward Tongguan.

Tongguan faces the Yellow River and is backed by Mount Hua, a strategic stronghold cutting off communication between Guanzhong and the Central Plains. Its geographical position is extremely important. Tongguan is the eastern gate of Guanzhong; as the old saying goes, Guanzhong is the land of two hundred.

The land of two hundred refers to Guanzhong’s treacherous terrain, easy to defend and hard to attack—two men could hold off a hundred attackers. In ancient times, Liu Bang, the founder of the Han dynasty, seized Guanzhong and thereby won the empire.

Similarly, Tongguan is known as the western gate of the Central Plains. If Tongguan were to fall, the ancient capital Luoyang would be lost, and so would the Central Plains. Therefore, Tongguan has always been heavily guarded, with the gates closed tightly at dusk every day.

To reach Tongguan before nightfall, their carriage sped along, passing Huayin County at noon without stopping. Huayin, named for its location north of Mount Hua, had been mentioned to Yun’er by Lingzhi before. He wished to visit Mount Hua, but unfortunately, there was no time.

The carriage raced past the foot of Mount Hua, finally entering Tongguan as the sun set.

Upon arrival, Miss Nine and her companions found a clean inn—the Money Inn. Its size was comparable to the Peaceful Inn in Weinan. Though there were many guests, the inn was well-arranged and clean.

Before Miss Nine alighted, Xiao Jing helped her put on a veil.

Yun’er thought this was a good idea; it spared Miss Nine’s beauty from being ogled by others. He felt a vague reluctance at the thought of her beauty being seen by others, especially those uncouth men. It seemed a waste for such men to feast their eyes on Miss Nine’s lovely face.