Chapter Two: The Debauched Thief

On the grassy bank of the West River outside the small town, he bit on a blade of grass, gazing at the crystal-clear water, paying no mind to the Wang brothers who were bickering nearby.

Failure—what a miserable failure! He, a local boy, had been rendered speechless and fled in confusion after just a few words from that outsider girl. The cool river breeze brushed by, carrying dampness, and he slapped himself as if to clear his mind.

All it took was one glance at that beautiful girl, and it was as though he’d been bewitched—his mind went blank, and he could say nothing, standing there dumbly while she pointed at his nose and scolded him. It was utterly humiliating. Yet, for reasons he couldn’t explain, he found himself longing to see her again, even if just for another moment.

The setting sun painted the clouds a seductive crimson, and tendrils of cooking smoke curled skyward from the town. Still dazed, he returned to the clinic; his mother long gone, there were no servants, and as a scholar, he had no qualms about cooking for himself.

He prepared a meal, and after a short wait, his father emerged from the alchemy room, beaming with pride. He placed two porcelain bottles on the table. “Success! This time I’m certain the formula has no errors—hahaha!”

“You could be a fine physician, but you spend your days tinkering with all sorts of strange elixirs. Grandfather’s scoldings aren’t wrong,” the young man muttered, eyeing the bottles.

“There are three great unfilial acts, and the worst is to leave no heirs. You don’t understand, but these pills can also cure illness,” his father replied.

“What kind of illness do these cure?” he asked, puzzled.

“Men’s problems, women’s problems. Had I not succeeded in refining a batch last time, I wouldn’t have dared propose to your Aunt Zhao,” his father answered with a mysterious smile.

“So you want to marry Aunt Zhao and send me back to the capital? I’m just a foundling, after all.” The boy glared at his father in protest.

His father raised his cup and took a contented sip. “What do you know? You’re clever—studying in the capital is for your own good. This backwater will only hold you back.”

“Why don’t we all go back to the capital after you marry Aunt Zhao? Grandfather would be pleased,” the boy said with anticipation.

Draining his cup in one gulp, his father sighed, heavy with worry. “There are things you don’t know. I cannot go back. Still, Goldenwater Town suits me—I like it here.”

“You just fancy Aunt Zhao’s beauty—shameless!” the boy sneered.

His father laughed heartily, unfazed.

But before his laughter had faded, a figure appeared at the doorway—ghostly, swift, and bold. It was the beautiful girl from earlier. Instinctively, the boy swept the porcelain bottles into his arms, feeling he shouldn’t let her see them.

The clinic was closed, and neither he nor his father had noticed how she’d entered. Before they could react, her voice rang out.

“Lu Xiuyuan, former official alchemist of the Imperial Medical House in Chang’an, so this is where you’ve been hiding.”

His father’s face turned pale. “I am Lu Xiuyuan, now a doctor here in Goldenwater Town. May I ask what brings you, miss?”

Her eyes seemed to blaze. “Do you know how many virtuous women have lost their honor because of the aphrodisiac Red Candle you concocted? You villain—prepare to die!”

In a flash, she drew a gleaming dagger and darted at Lu Xiuyuan. He clutched his abdomen and collapsed. The boy caught his father as he fell, glaring at the girl. “Are you mad, woman? How dare you murder my father!”

She sheathed her weapon without a flicker of emotion. “I am delivering justice. Eliminating a wicked lecher, nothing more.”

“My father has saved countless lives—what evil has he done? Even if he made that Red Candle, it was by order of the Imperial Medical House. Why not kill those who used it to harm others, instead of my father?” the boy retorted, trembling at the sight of blood, his fourteen-year-old body shivering.

“If your father hadn’t created that vile potion, countless women wouldn’t have lost their virtue and lives! If he doesn’t deserve death, who does?” Her voice shook, betraying her agitation, perhaps from her first act of killing.

“If blades are evil, why not kill all the blacksmiths? Yet you, who kill with a sword, are the real villain. Why not slay yourself?” the boy shot back, his sharp tongue in full force.

She was at a loss, unable to respond, and, flustered, pointed at him. “You’re no better! If I ever catch you, I won’t let you off so lightly.” With that, she fled like the wind.

Struggling, the boy laid his father on the bed, hastily wrapping the wound. Blood kept seeping from the gash, and, helpless, he gazed at his father, tears streaming down his face.

His father forced a pained smile. “A descendant of imperial physicians who can’t even dress a wound—if your grandfather saw this, he’d scold me to death.”

“I wish I’d studied medicine at home instead of wasting time on poetry and books,” the boy sobbed.

“Silly child, you’re clever—study will lead to success. Being a doctor is nothing compared to being an official. Only as an official will you have status and bring honor to the family,” his father said, his eyes shining with longing.

Clutching his wound with one hand, he pointed to his son’s chest with the other. “There is no absolute good or evil in this world—it depends on how things are used. There’s no right or wrong in principle, only where you stand. Just know that I am not a villain, not a lecher.”

“I know you’re not evil—not a lecher. You’re the best father, and everyone in Goldenwater Town respects you. Even Uncle Dou from Heaven’s Gate Village says you’re a good man,” the boy declared, grasping his father’s hand.

Lu Xiuyuan laughed, but the movement pulled at his wound, making him grimace in pain. He sighed, bitterly resigned. “Ah, in just a month, on an auspicious day, I was to marry Aunt Zhao. Even here, in this remote town, I couldn’t escape fate.”

“You’ll get better, Father. I’m going to fetch Aunt Zhao—she’ll look after you.” With that, the boy let go and ran toward Zhao Widow’s tavern.

Racing headlong, he stumbled over something and fell face-first, blood trickling from his nose. He looked up to see the girl standing over him, coldly watching.

Fury surged within him; paying no heed to whether she was armed, he charged at her, shouting, “Witch! I’ll fight you!”

A few dull thuds later—three punches, two kicks—he was sent flying, landing like a dead pig, unmoving.

He didn’t know how long he lay there before he finally opened his eyes, blinking tears from the bright sunlight. He rubbed his eyes and realized he was no longer in Goldenwater Town but in a forest of rocks and trees.

By a nearby stream, the girl was holding up a shining silver coin, admiring it in the sunlight. Satisfied, she slipped it into her pouch, her eyes crescent-shaped with delight—a sight of rare beauty.

Ignoring his aches, the boy pointed at her in anger. “So you’re the thief who stole the Wang family’s silver!”

She raised her brows triumphantly. “I’m no thief—I’m a hero who robs the rich to help the poor.”

He snorted. “Is tossing a silver coin to a piglet your idea of helping the poor? Sounds like you’re just helping yourself.”

She nodded indifferently, “Well, I am poor. I don’t even have money to get home.”

“Shameless,” he muttered under his breath.

Her expression darkened. “Who’s shameless? Bragging about your feeble skills, only to end up beaten silly. Three punches, two kicks—that’s all it took to turn you into a dead pig.”

Remembering his sorry state, he fell silent, worry for his father gnawing at him. He glared at her. “What did you bring me to Heaven’s Gate Mountain for? I’m just a poor scholar—I have no silver for you. If you mean to silence me, then kill me. Otherwise, let me go!”

She curled her lip disdainfully. “Kill you? I’d sooner dirty my sword.”

“Then why kidnap me? Or do you, the flying bandit, crave a man’s company? I am a county scholar of Goldenwater, and I’d never look twice at a murdering, thieving woman like you.”

A slap landed across his face, stars bursting before his eyes.

“The son of a lecher is just as base! Keep spouting nonsense and I’ll cut out your tongue,” she threatened.

Swallowing his pride, he turned away and refused to meet her gaze.

Unbothered, she declared, “Do you know why I brought you here?”

He raised his head arrogantly, unwilling to humor her.

She brandished her fist before him in warning, but seeing his sullen face, lost interest.

“I was passing through Yangzhou when I saw a notice—Heaven’s Gate Mountain is infested with bandits. The reward for their leader’s capture is a hundred taels of silver. As a righteous wanderer, I can’t ignore such evil.”

He shot her a sidelong glance. “Just you alone?”

“Hmph. When I was in town, Zhao the grocer told me you and your father had been to the bandit den, Golden Gate Village, and were in league with them,” she said, her eyes sharp.

“Ridiculous! If healing the sick is a crime, then where would the world’s doctors be?”

“But they’re bandits!”

“They’re people—living, breathing people. The compassion of a healer isn’t something a murdering thief would understand.”

Stung by his words, she bit back her anger. “Take me to Heaven’s Gate Village. If you do, I might spare your father. His head is worth more than the bandit chief’s.”

He weighed his options, then looked up at her. “Fine. If you dare go, I’ll take you.”