The sky had just shaken off the snow. The setting sun on the horizon was a fiery red like a ball of fire, and the thin layer of snow along the riverbank was also gilded with a faint red, a truly beautiful sight.
Hu Man stumbled across the snow-covered ground, leaving a long trail of fresh blood in his wake. He was a notorious bandit, but had fallen into a trap while scouting for prey, leading to his current miserable defeat. He let out a long sigh, tore a strip from the hem of his robe, and squatted down to bind his feet. Hunted for three days and three nights, his silk shoes had long been torn to shreds by mountain thorns and rocks, his feet were both numb with cold and throbbing with pain, likely suffering from frostbite.
Hungry and thirsty, he slowly made his way towards the riverbank. Catching a fresh fish in this season would not be an easy task. However, for a bandit of his considerable skill, it shouldn't be too difficult. He patted his pockets; all he had on him was a handkerchief and a few silver fragments, with no flint.
Without flint, even if he caught a fish, he would have to eat it raw. Normally, he would never endure such hardship, but now, starving and freezing like a homeless stray dog, a glimmer of survival rose in his eyes, and he could no longer care about such things.
Hu Man limped to the riverbank, just as he was about to take off his outer robe and wade into the river, he suddenly heard a faint splash. From the reeds about twenty paces away, half a boat emerged, a woman in a pale green tunic was half-kneeling, half-sitting on the stern, dipping a handkerchief into the river water to wash it, then pulling it out and wringing it dry. Her sleeves fluttered lightly, revealing a pair of flawless, snow-white wrists.
Hu Man's eyes sharpened, and he cautiously looked around. His pursuers had been shaken off and left behind; in this wild, desolate land along the Lanxi River, there should be no trace of human habitation. He hunched his back and slowly approached the small boat. The woman kneeling on the stern seemed completely unaware of anyone approaching; she took another outer robe from the wooden basin behind her and put it into the water, beginning to wash it.
This outer robe was clearly a man's. Hu Man stopped, staring intently at the small boat, as if wanting to pry apart its wooden planks to see who else might be inside. The longer one lived a life of blood and blades, the more cautious one became, fearing even the slightest oversight. He recalled a rumor circulating in the *jianghu*: a certain young master was often seen in desolate, secluded places, accompanied by maids as beautiful as flowers, adorned with gold and jade, and when they drank wine, they used silver pitchers and jade cups, as if afraid others wouldn't realize their wealthy origins. Soon after, the most infamous bandit in the *jianghu* tried to emulate them. This bandit was known for his ruthless killings, cunning, and cruelty; countless *jianghu* heroes had died by his hand. His body was eventually found in a mountain gully, eyes wide open and staring, face twisted and contorted, with no other wounds on his body except for a scar between his eyebrows.
Thinking of this, a chill immediately ran down his spine, and he dared not approach the small boat any closer.
Suddenly, a few coughs echoed from inside the boat cabin, followed by the weak voice of a man: “Yan Dan, *cough cough*, Yan Dan, come in…”
The woman dressed in green robes obediently stood up, pulled back the curtain, and stepped into the boat cabin. In the brief moment the curtain was lifted, Hu Man caught a scent that made one's mouth water. This aroma, for someone whose stomach was rumbling loudly, was truly, one must say, incredibly enticing.
He suddenly had an impulse, gathered his courage, and walked over. Just as the woman named Yan Dan stepped out of the boat cabin, she saw a grimy, fierce-looking stranger approaching. She fearfully took a step back, her voice trembling: “Who are you? What are you doing here?”
Hu Man immediately grinned widely: “Young lady, please don't be alarmed. I am a merchant. It's just that on the road I encountered those damned bandits; all my goods were plundered, and my companions were also harmed by them. Only I managed to escape over several mountains to get here.” This statement wasn't entirely a fabrication; he truly had lost all his valuables and had desperately run over three mountain ranges to shake off his pursuers.
Yan Dan's eyes were clear, revealing a touch of sympathy for this stranger. She smiled and said, “I thought you were a bad person.” She spoke in a soft, delicate Wu dialect, her voice clear and melodious, her appearance elegant and beautiful, and when she smiled, she became even more charming.
Hu Man felt a secret satisfaction. He took another step forward, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply to the ground: “I fled to the riverbank, and my stomach is so hungry I can't walk anymore. A young lady of such beautiful appearance must surely have a very kind heart; I wonder if you could bestow upon me some food?”
Yan Dan shook her head, her face full of apology: “This matter is not for me to decide; I must first ask for my young master's opinion.” She turned around and carefully lifted a corner of the curtain, as if afraid the cold wind outside would blow into the boat cabin: “Young Master, there's an old merchant outside. He says he encountered bandits on the road and hasn't eaten for several days. May he come in and rest for a while?”
Only a voice was heard coming from inside the boat cabin, it was the weak voice of the man from earlier: “It's cold outside, please come in.”
Yan Dan turned her head and smiled: “Please come in.” Saying this, she lifted the curtain for him to enter. Hu Man was very sharp-eyed; with just a glance, he clearly saw her fair, delicate hands, her soft fingertips—definitely not hands that had practiced martial arts, or even done any heavy labor. Inside the boat cabin, a young, handsome man wrapped in a blanket was leaning against a soft cushion, his face pale, his cheeks slightly flushed as if ill, his hands clasped together as if gathering his last bit of strength: “Please be seated. I am gravely ill and cannot stand to perform the proper courtesies; if there is any disrespect, I beg my brother not to take offense.”
Hu Man was secretly overjoyed in his heart, but on the surface, he showed no sign of it: “Young Master, you are too polite.” He was already exhausted; he feared it would take two or three days of rest to recover. Now, on the boat, besides a frail young woman, there was also a pampered young master gravely ill. Once he had eaten his fill, it would only take a few moves to easily subdue them.
Nhan Đàm brought over a soft cushion, invited the guest to sit down, and then went to tend to the clay pot steaming profusely in a corner of the boat. Hồ Mãn sat on the soft cushion, smelling the fragrant aroma wafting from the clay pot. His stomach rumbled with even greater hunger, and he could only grit his teeth and try to endure it: "Why have you two stopped in such a wild, desolate place? This area isn't safe; there are quite a few bandit strongholds around here. This is truly too risky, sigh..."
The young master sat up straight, his tone refined: "This humble one found the snowy scenery here quite beautiful, so I rented a small boat intending to stay on the river for a few days. I haven't encountered any bandits, but I wouldn't want to waste your kind warning, good sir. My companion and I will depart after tonight."
Hồ Mãn glanced at the other man's white jade hairpin; its body was translucent, without a single blemish, and its luster was gentle and warm. Having handled no small amount of gold, silver, and jewels, he knew at a glance that this jade hairpin was of considerable value. For a pampered young master from a noble house to come to such a desolate, secluded place to admire the snow, he must be some antiquated scholar, traveling to write a few trivial poems and recite some sentimental verses. He thought this to himself, but on the surface, he feigned admiration: "Such snowy scenery, perhaps only refined gentlemen like yourself, young master, truly know how to appreciate it. May I ask your esteemed name, young master? Having escaped this danger, upon my return, I will certainly erect a longevity tablet to express my gratitude to you both."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Nhan Đàm let out a snicker, but seeing her young master cast a glance her way, she quickly stuck out her tongue and raised her index finger to her lips, three parts lively, seven parts mischievous. The young master turned back to Hồ Mãn and spoke calmly: "This humble one is Yu Mo. For such a small matter, good sir, there's no need to take it to heart."
Hồ Mãn mumbled the name Yu Mo a few times, certain that no prominent figure in the *jianghu* bore that name.
Outside, the setting sun had diffused into a diluted patch of color, the twilight deepening with each passing moment, and the biting wind howled. Inside the boat cabin, the charcoal brazier flickered with flames, the atmosphere as warm as mid-spring, peaceful and serene, completely oblivious to the cold outside.
Nhan Đàm picked up two pieces of coarse cloth, folded them into hand-sized pads, and carried the profusely steaming clay pot over to place it on the low table. The aroma was intoxicating, and the pot was still bubbling furiously, covered in white foam.
It was a richly simmered fish soup, its broth cloudy white, the fish meat pristine white and glossy, looking like congealed fat.
Hồ Mãn couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. Nhan Đàm brought over bowls and chopsticks, first ladling a bowl of soup with a piece of fish meat inside, and placed it before him: "Please, help yourself." Then, using the ladle, she scooped half a bowl of soup, half-kneeling, half-sitting beside Yu Mo, and slowly blew away the steam from the surface.
In just two or three gulps, Hồ Mãn had devoured the entire bowl of soup, not even bothering with the fish bones, consuming the fish meat as if a dragon devouring its prey. With food finally in his stomach, no longer having to clutch his empty belly, he let out a satisfied sigh.
Yu Mo, on the other hand, couldn't swallow a single bite. Yan Dan scooped a spoonful of fish soup, patiently blew on it to cool it, and then brought it to his mouth. Before he could even swallow the soup, a violent, heart-wrenching fit of coughing seized him, splattering all the soup out. Yan Dan's face showed clear alarm. She gently stroked her young master's back, her voice soft: "Young Master, if you're still not up to eating, you shouldn't force yourself. Wait a little while, and when you feel like it, just call me, and I'll warm it up again."
Yu Mo nodded, not uttering a word, and leaned back against the soft cushion.
Scooping more soup for Hu Man, she said in a low voice, "My young master isn't in very good health."
Hu Man took the bowl of soup. "His body will recover with slow recuperation. As for this good fortune, others couldn't wish for it." His eyes darted around, and he made up his mind. This frail young master certainly wouldn't last, but this young woman—clever, charming, attentive, gentle, and so skillful—taking her as a concubine wouldn't be bad at all.
After dinner, Hu Man suddenly said, "I've eaten and drunk my fill here with you two, but have nothing to offer in return. How about I tell a story? You two can listen and see what you think."
Yan Dan smiled. "That sounds good, I love listening to stories." Yu Mo, wrapped in a blanket, leaned against the soft cushion, not a single word passing his lips.
The story Hu Man was about to tell was a widely circulated rumor in the jianghu recently, and it was also his final move to probe his hosts. For this story, anyone in the jianghu would certainly have heard it before.