Su Jing Fei ran through the dark corridors as footsteps and shouts chased after her. Turning quick corners, she finally hid in a small crawl space between stairs, holding her breath as footsteps trampled the ground above her.
“This way!” shouted one of the men as the crowd seemed to move further down the hallway.
Quickly, Su Jing Fei got up and ran back the way she came. The corridors were a collection of dungeon-like rooms, obviously built for holding people or things that had to be hidden away. If Da Chun was anywhere, it had to be down here with her. Moving cautiously, Su Jing Fei gripped a hair pin dagger in her hand as she checked the rooms along the halls. Each one was empty and bore a similar layout to the room she had been held in. But once she turned a corner, the rooms began to give off a stench reeking of human urine and feces. She sincerely hoped she did not find Da Chun here, but there was only one way to find out.
Every so often there would be footsteps nearby, and she’d have to hide quickly in the shadows. But when she had the opportunity, she searched the rooms. There were obvious signs of previous life in them, but the people who had been held in the rooms were no longer there. Finally reaching the last door, Su Jing Fei pushed open the door.
“Who’s there?” cried the hoarse voice of a woman.
The room was pitch black, and a rotting stench filled the air. Su Jing Fei moved to grab a candle from the hallway before entering, illuminating the space with the single flickering light. A woman yelped at the sudden light, and Su Jing Fei spotted a figure curled up in the corner, hiding away from the light. The candlelight revealed a long glittering chain wrapped around the woman’s ankle, tying her to the bed at the corner. However, as Su Jing Fei’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, she noticed another figure on the bed but it was not moving.
“I won’t hurt you,” Su Jing Fei spoke in a gentle and calm manner, halting a fair distance away from the woman as to not frighten her. Whatever the woman had gone through… Su Jing Fei could only imagine. If Feng Ruo Zhang had not come in with such frantic news and Feng Eu Heng had her way… Su Jing Fei might have found herself in a similar position. “How can I help you?” She furrowed her brows, unsure of what to do. She still had to find Da Chun, but she could not just leave the woman tied up here.
“Y-You’re not the usual men…” the woman stuttered, turning slightly into the light as she became more accustomed to it. The dark clumped hair was brushed aside to reveal bright round eyes and pale thin lips. Su Jing Fei stared at the woman in shock, just as surely as the woman did in return. “S-Su xiaojie?”
It couldn’t be… “Han shi?” Su Jing Fei felt her chest tighten at the realization of her discovery. The woman before her looked nothing like the woman she had first met. The woman in front of her was a changed woman, broken from all the suffering. “How do I help? What do I do?” Su Jing Fei whispered quietly, feeling a swell of anger and despair at her discovery. An overwhelming feeling of helplessness washed over her.
Hearing Su Jing Fei’s words, Han shi let out a strangled cry before wiping away the tears with her hands, streaking dirt across her cheeks. “M-My husband… He needs help…” She crawled over to the bed, pulling herself weakly up on top of it.
Su Jing Fei moved carefully not to scare Han shi as she neared the bedside. Observing the bed, she noticed the emaciated figure of a man on the bed. He looked frighteningly close to death, and Su Jing Fei almost thought he was before she noticed the small rise and fall of his chest. “Guo Li Wei…” Su Jing Fei had never met the man before, but she knew without a doubt that it was him. “What happened?” She asked hesitantly.
Han shi turned to look at Su Jing Fei, and there was noticeable change in her appearance. Her eyes were dark and sunken in, and her face was thin and sharp. Su Jing Fei pulled out a handkerchief at her side and offered it to Han shi. The older woman managed a small smile, thanking Su Jing Fei as she reached out a shaky hand to grab ahold of it. After a few moments of wiping her face, the dirt was removed to reveal a pale face filled with red spots probably from improper hygiene care and bugs bites. Su Jing Fei waited patiently until Han shi was ready to speak.
“A stray arrow tore through the carriage. At first, we thought they were bandits, but it wasn’t anything like that. The men wore clothes of hidden guards… They took out our guards so quickly that I barely had any time to think, and then I…” Han shi’s eyes widened as she reached out and grabbed ahold of Su Jing Fei. “Ming’er! I hid my Ming’er away! Is he safe?”
Su Jing Fei nodded her hand, placing a gentle hand against Han shi’s grip. “Yes, Ming’er is safe. He’s with your family in Fuo Lan, waiting for your return.”
Han shi broke into a sob, sucking in air as though a weight had finally been lifted off her shoulders and she could breathe again. “I’m so thankful! So thankful!”
Su Jing Fei hesitantly reached out a hand and gently placed it onto the woman’s shoulder as sobs wracked her thin body. “Don’t worry, Han shi. The city justice official and the imperial prince are here to save us. They’ll find you and take you home.”
“Y-You’re not here to save us?” asked Han shi in a terrified voice, clutching onto Su Jing Fei’s arm sleeve.
“I don’t have the power to just yet…” Su Jing Fei furrowed her brows. “But they’ll find you and save you, alright?” Su Jing Fei took ahold of Han shi’s hand, uncurling the trembling fingers to place the hairpin dagger in the older woman’s hands. “This’ll keep you safe for now.” She folded the woman’s fingers over the handle to grip it tightly. “If I’m able to, I’ll come back for you. If I see them, I’ll bring them to you. But for now, I must go.”
Han shi stared at Su Jing Fei with sad eyes, yet there seemed to still be a light in them. The older woman had not given up completely, and it seemed that Su Jing Fei’s appearance had stirred the embers of Han shi’s hope once more. “Who did they take from you?” The woman asked in a quiet voice.
“My sister,” Su Jing Fei replied in a low voice. “They took my sister from me.”
Han shi was silent for a few moments before nodding her head. “Then go quickly away from here. In case… they come back…”
Su Jing Fei gripped the older woman’s hands, giving her a small smile before handing over the candle. As Su Jing Fei moved out of the room, the light behind her was extinguished, leaving the room in darkness once more. She was tempted to stay and help them, but she knew she had to move forward and find Da Chun. Although Su Jing Fei was not a religious person, she prayed harder than she had ever done before. She prayed to the gods, the ancestors, and anyone who was listening. Please, please let Da Chun be safe!
A heightened sense of danger caused Su Jing Fei to be quicker in her movements. Just where could Da Chun be kept? The corridors seemed neverending! She finally found a small staircase leading to a slightly higher floor. Cautiously, she made her way upstairs while dodging the sounds of voices and watching as shadows passed by her. Su Jing Fei ducked into a room to carefully avoid the capture of guards. However, she was too late to notice the figure at the other side of the room.
The young yatou stared at Su Jing Fei with a look of horror, but just as she was about to give a shout, Su Jing Fei moved quickly and tackled the young woman to the ground, clamping a hand over her mouth. “Don’t scream and I won’t be forced to hurt you,” Su Jing Fei threatened, pulling another hairpin dagger out and holding it up for the young girl to see. “Do you understand?”
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The young girl nodded with tears streaming down her face. Su Jing Fei felt bad, but she knew that she had no other choice but to threaten the young girl to keep quiet. “I’ll uncover your mouth, but you must promise to not make a sound.” When the young girl nodded her understanding, Su Jing Fei carefully removed her hand and waited a bit to let the young yatou catch her breath.
The young girl swept away the tears with the sleeves of her dress, coughing slightly as she regained her breath. “Please don’t kill me.” The young girl begged quietly, moving into a kowtow position.
“I won’t kill you,” Su Jing Fei said in a calm voice. “But I need your help. Do you remember seeing a young girl brought somewhere here?”
The young yatou nodded her head. “Y-Yes, but the master brings many young girls down here…” She bit her lips, looking worriedly at Su Jing Fei as though the answer would anger her.
Su Jing Fei gave a long sigh. “It would be someone recent. She’d be young and wearing well-tailored clothing like a noblewomen.” Su Jing Fei began describing a bit of Da Chun’s appearance as the young yatou listened earnestly. “Have you seen anyone like that?”
“I-I think I have…” mumbled the young girl as she furrowed her brows in thought. “Master brought back a young noblewoman one night… I remember because she had a beautiful jade pendant and clothes that was unlike the usual young courtesan girls…”
That was no doubt Da Chun! “Do you know where she was taken?” Su Jing Fei said frantically, feeling a bit relieved at finally hearing a bit of news of her whereabouts.
“Y-Yes, I believe so…” The young girl looked a bit frightened, but seemed sure in her words.
“Where is it?” Su Jing Fei asked quietly, glancing at the door as she heard a few voices outside. “Is it close by?”
“Down the hall and to the left. It’s the room at the very end of the hall.” The young yatou also glanced at the door, but remained quiet. “It’s close…”
“Good,” Su Jing Fei spoke in a determined tone. “Then let’s go.”
The young yatou seemed to be aware of her situation and nodded as Su Jing Fei followed closely behind. They waited for the voices in the hall to pass before exiting the room, slipping through the shadows of the corridor before making a left. The hallways were eerily quiet as they approached the room at the end of the hall.
“H-Here,” stuttered the young yatou as she paused before a door. Su Jing Fei pushed open the door and stepped inside, immediately smelling the stench of something strong and pungent in the air. It had a slightly medicinal aromatic scent, and Su Jing Fei turned to the young girl who remained frozen in the doorway.
“What is this?” asked Su Jing Fei as she covered the bottom half of her face with the sleeve of her dress.
“I-I’m sorry!” cried the young yatou as she suddenly moved to run away.
Su Jing Fei cursed under her breath but knew that she couldn’t catch up to the girl. She had to get Da Chun quickly out of here so that they could escape! But the longer that Su Jing Fei breathed in the air, she felt her body began to burn slightly. It was a similar feeling to the drugs that the Feng siblings had put in her drink, and Su Jing Fei felt a sinking feeling at her stomach at the implications of her assumptions. Running further into the room, Su Jing Fei saw a figure hanging over the edge of a bed. Her heart sank into the pit of stomach at the sight before her. A small pale back was exposed to reveal dark purple bruises and long slashing whip marks. On the left shoulder was a small pink flower-shaped birthmark.
“Da Chun!” Su Jing Fei cried as she rushed to the bedside, pulling the young girl up and into her arms. She pushed the hair away from the young girl’s face, revealing more bruises and cuts on the familiar face. The young girl’s eyes were shut, and her body was unmoving. “No...” A cold despair overwhelmed Su Jing Fei as she cried over Da Chun’s small broken body. “Please…”
“Jie jie?” came a quiet whisper. Da Chun’s voice was weak and hoarse, but she was speaking nonetheless. Su Jing Fei sucked in a huge gulp of air to catch her breath, glancing down at the young girl whose eyelashes fluttered slightly.
“D-Da Chun?” Su Jing Fei’s broke slightly as she spoke her sister’s name, desperate for a reply, hoping that her ears had not deceived her.
The young girl’s eyes fluttered open slightly, looking red and swollen as though she had been crying. She looked up at Su Jing Fei with an indescribable expression, a mix of awe and happiness. “Y-You…found me again…”
Su Jing Fei choked back a sob, her trembling hand reaching down to gently rest on the young girl’s cheek. “I came here to save you…”
Da Chun’s pale lips lifted into a small smile, tears pooling at those big brown eyes. “Y-You did… You’ve saved me…”
Su Jing Fei shook her head, knowing that she had been too late to save Da Chun from Feng Ruo Qian’s cruelty. Her younger sister had suffered at that monster’s hands, and she had been unable to do anything. She had rushed in to save her sister, getting herself caught in her thoughtless attempt to save Da Chun at any cost. She’d been too desperate, too stupid, too ignorant at her own powerlessness. Su Jing Fei felt her sleeves grow wet with the blood from Da Chun’s wounds. She didn’t even know where to start to stop the bleeding. “They’ll be here. We’ll be saved, okay? And then I’ll take you to on that trip I promised you. We’ll go far away from here, from everyone, and it’ll be just us two…” Su Jing Fei’s voice trembled as she held back sobs.
“Okay…” Da Chun replied in a soft sigh as her eyes fluttered close.
“No, no, stay awake, Da Chun,” Su Jing Fei said in a frantic voice as she gently patted her sister’s cheek. The young girl’s eyes fluttered open again, but she clearly struggled to keep them open. “You can’t fall asleep, Da Chun. You have to stay awake with me, okay?” Su Jing Fei shifted slightly to sit the girl up higher, supporting the young girl’s body with her shoulder. Da Chun groaned slightly at the movement, but Su Jing Fei needed to keep Da Chun awake. She couldn’t fall asleep or else there was the possibility that she’d never wake up again. “Where do you want to go? On our trip?” Su Jing Fei asked a trembling voice, gently patting Da Chun’s cheek as the young girl’s eyes struggled to stay open. Those brown eyes looked at Su Jing Fei, tears streaming down the sides of those pale cheeks. Su Jing Fei managed a shaky smile, hoping to coax Da Chun to stay awake with conversation. “I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
“I… want to… see the place where… the water touches the sunset…” Da Chun mumbled in a soft gasping voice.
“An ocean,” Su Jing Fei nodded her head as she gently wiped the tears away from Da Chun’s cheeks. “I’ll take you to the see the ocean. We’ll go on a boat and catch some fish.”
“I can’t… swim…” The young girl mumbled softly.
Su Jing Fei gave a small chuckle, sniffling as she smiled down at Da Chun. “It’s okay. I can teach you. It’ll be fun.”
“I can’t… see…” Da Chun’s voice was a whisper as those brown eyes seemed to stare distantly past Su Jing Fei.
“Please stay awake for me,” begged Su Jing Fei. She prayed to the gods, the ancestors, and to the ones who brought her back and threw her into this life. Somebody had to be listening or watching… Please! Please…Save her like you saved me once! Su Jing Fei begged, prayed, and cried. “Please…”
“I’m sorry…” Da Chun’s voice was small, filled with sadness as she began to cry with the last bit of her energy. “I’m sorry, jie jie!” Her small body shook with the sobs, and Su Jing Fei clutched the young girl in her arms, pressing her face against Da Chun’s hair as she let the despair overwhelm her.
“It’s all my fault,” Su Jing Fei sobbed, “I’m so sorry, Da Chun.” The two sisters held onto each other tightly and cried. They cried until Da Chun’s cries became small gasps, and then Su Jing Fei began to gently stroke the young girl’s hair and whispering in a small voice. “It’s okay. It’s okay, Da Chun. It’s okay.”
Su Jing Fei held her sister in her arms as the gasps quieted and the small hands fell lifelessly at the young girl’s sides. She continued to hold the young girl, rocking gently back and forth in silence. Her body burned intensely from the incense, and every movement was painful but the pain was a much needed distraction from the despair, the sadness, the anger; all the dark emotions stirring within Su Jing Fei was tightly coiled in the pain that burned her skin.
“You!” A voice shouted from the doorway. “What are you doing here!?”
Su Jing Fei froze at the sound of the familiar voice. Her eyes were fixed on her sister’s lifeless face. Her hand trembled as she gently placed a hand on those pale cheeks. Gone; she was gone.
“Stupid girl!” Feng Ruo Qian retorted angrily, moving into the room as he grabbed ahold of Su Jing Fei’s arm and pulled her. “I’ll take you back myself!”
Suddenly, Feng Ruo Qian found himself pushed to the ground. He tried to speak but a gurgling sound came out instead. He stared at Su Jing Fei with a shocked expression, reaching up with shaking hands to clutch at the dagger in his throat. He coughed out blood, his body began to spasm as he began to drown in blood that pooled at his neck.
One, two, three more stabs pierced Feng Ruo Qian’s body as he struggled underneath the weight of Su Jing Fei’s body. He looked at Su Jing Fei with a horrified expression, but the young woman’s eyes were cold and black. They were two pools of darkness that frightened Feng Ruo Qian, for he had never expected to see such a young woman showing such a terrifyingly cold expression. Four, five, six, seven, eight…Feng Ruo Qian’s throat gave a gurgling sound as he gasped for breath, unable to fight back as the strength left his body.
Nine, ten, eleven…