Chapter 107: Peace

Qi Shi found herself increasingly unable to comprehend the Sixth Miss of the Lin family. Logically, an eight-year-old girl born into a wealthy household should be terrified—or at least flustered—upon hearing that bandits were coming to attack. Yet this Sixth Miss still had the leisure to paint her own portrait, even though Qi Shi had been assigned to protect the Lin family’s womenfolk.

Finally, Qi Shi couldn’t help but ask, “Sixth Miss, aren’t you afraid?”

“Afraid? Of course I am,” Lin Fang replied, glancing up at Qi Shi before lowering her head to continue painting.

“But this servant doesn’t see any fear in you.”

Lin Fang chuckled. “Would you rather see me crying and screaming? Even if I did, would that stop what’s about to happen?”

Qi Shi fell silent. No wonder her usually cold-hearted Seventh Young Master had taken such an interest in this young lady. She was clearly no ordinary child, much like the Eighth Miss of years past—calm and resilient in the face of adversity.

Lin Fang looked up again and asked, “Qi Shi, when you were my age, would you have panicked in a situation like this?”

Qi Shi remained motionless. “This servant was sold to the Qi family at six. By your age, I was training in the mountains and had never encountered such a situation.”

“Oh?” Lin Fang paused her brush, curious. “Training in the mountains—was it hard?”

She had only heard of shadow guards in legends. Though she hadn’t witnessed Qi Shi’s true capabilities, she could imagine they were formidable.

After a brief hesitation, Qi Shi answered, “Hard. There were forty children bought with me. Only three survived.”

“What? Where did the other thirty-seven go?” It was just like the books and plays said—only one in ten made it.

“I don’t know,” Qi Shi replied flatly.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked about such confidential matters.” Lin Fang realized she might have touched a nerve. From the names Qi Shi and Tan Liu, they seemed more like code numbers than real names. Sold as children, their lives were never their own, and likely never would be.

Qi Shi, however, remained indifferent. “Sixth Miss need not be so polite to this servant. Once today’s matter is settled, Tan Liu and I will be servants of the Lin family. If you have questions, this servant will answer what I can.”

Lin Fang was surprised. Weren’t they just temporarily assigned to her father? To think the Qi family would give them away—raising a shadow guard must cost a fortune in money and effort. That “Black Skin” (Qi family head) was truly generous.

Her father had once told her that if he hadn’t accepted Tan Liu and Qi Shi that day, the two would have been executed. Worried Qi Shi might dwell on dark thoughts, Lin Fang didn’t voice her musings and instead asked, “As a shadow guard, did you have to work every day?”

“No. We worked six months, then rested six. The young master paid well—enough to support a family.”

“A family? Are you married? You look over twenty.”

“No. Shadow guards aren’t allowed to marry. But I have parents and siblings. My wages keep them comfortable.”

Lin Fang nodded. How cruel—denied even basic human bonds. But it made sense. Shadow guards knew too many secrets. If they married and accidentally let something slip, it would be disastrous.

With a smile, Lin Fang said, “If you follow me, you won’t get the generous wages your young master gave you, and you’ll have to work every day. Any complaints?”

“Sixth Miss, forgive this servant’s forwardness, but even without wages, I’d be willing. To live like a normal person is every shadow guard’s dream. Since the young master has given me this chance, I would die for the Lin family.” For the first time, emotion colored Qi Shi’s voice.

Lin Fang laughed. “It’s not that serious. As long as you don’t mind a mundane life.” Such fervent loyalty made her slightly uncomfortable—it felt eerie.

As they chatted and painted, Lin Fang marveled at Qi Shi’s discipline. True to her shadow guard training, Qi Shi hadn’t moved a muscle for hours except to speak, her expression unchanging. An ordinary person would have demanded breaks long ago.

“Madam! Madam! Come quick—see who’s here!”

Lin Fang set down her brush and ran outside, puzzled by her father’s excitement. Behind her, Qi Shi closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. At last, she could leave the shadow guard life behind and become an ordinary servant.

Beside her father stood a man nearly two meters tall, clad in military attire, his skin dark as iron. At the sight of his face, Lin Fang gasped. “Eldest Cousin?”

Zhang Xiangfa looked down at the small girl who bore a striking resemblance to his third uncle but couldn’t place her.

Seeing his confusion, Lin Fang’s father explained, “This is Fang’er. She wasn’t even two when you left, and her face was covered in blood tumors. Now she’s over eight, and they’ve all healed—no wonder you don’t recognize her.”

Zhang Xiangfa didn’t know how to react to this little cousin. He chuckled awkwardly, rubbing his hands. “You… you’re Fang’er? How do you recognize me?”

A child under two, remembering someone after six years? And he’d changed considerably during his military service.

“I’m naturally clever and have a good memory. Don’t you remember?”

“Pfft—” A soldier outside couldn’t hold back a snort, earning a glare from his general before hastily stifling his laughter, though his shoulders still shook with suppressed mirth.

In the army, thick skin was a given. Even the once simple and honest Zhang Xiangfa had developed an iron hide over six years. Yet faced with his little cousin, he floundered, unsure how to respond.

“Xiangfa, come inside. Fang’er’s always teasing—don’t mind her.”

“Heheh, Third Aunt, how have you been? Xiangfa’s come to see you.”

With an inward sigh of relief, Zhang Xiangfa strode inside. Without his aunt’s intervention, he’d have been at a loss.

Sticking her tongue out at her grinning father, Lin Fang let him lead her inside by the hand.

This Zhang Xiangfa was no longer the same as before. With military merits to his name, his subordinates genuinely revered him as “General.”

The tripping of the Shangguan family’s horses? Zhang Xiangfa’s men had laid the trap. The arrows from the mountain forest blocking the Shangguan family’s secret workshop guards? Also his men. Zhang Xiangfa had overseen the entire covert operation, now concluded.

Military rules forbade fraternizing with locals during missions unless absolutely necessary.

When he received the orders, Zhang Xiangfa knew the operation would be on his third aunt’s land. Of all his aunts, he was closest to her. After six years apart, he risked punishment to request permission to see her. The general deliberated and allowed it—after the mission.

Hearing Zhang Xiangfa’s brief account, the family relaxed. Though none had shown outward anxiety, their hearts had been uneasy.

“Xiangfa, you’re here on duty—where’s Xiaohua? Your mother’s letters always say you two are inseparable. Why are you alone today?” This was the question every elder cared about most.

“Heheh, Third Aunt, Xiaohua’s pregnant. This time it’s been rough—the army doctor ordered bed rest.” Before his aunt, Zhang Xiangfa reverted to his pre-army simplicity.

“Good, good!” Li Cuimei was delighted. Her nephew had been married for years without children. Now, soon after joining the army, came this happy news. “Have you told your parents?”

Zhang Xiangfa shook his head. “Not yet. Army letters have regulations.”

“I’ll write for you,” Lin Fang’s father offered. “I need to discuss something with your mother anyway. I’ll include the good news. Just focus on your duties—don’t worry about home.”

“Yes, heheh.”

After a short visit, Zhang Xiangfa departed.

Two days later, Steward Qi approached Lin Fang’s father. The Shangguan family’s estate and shops were to be auctioned at below-market prices. Did he want to buy?

After consulting his wife, the father declined the mansion—too large for their rural lifestyle—but expressed interest in the shops if sold separately.

Curious, Lin Fang asked Qi Shi what crime the Shangguan family had committed to warrant arrest and confiscation. Qi Shi only knew their secret workshop had yielded a banned drug called “Immortal’s Bliss.”

Immortal’s Bliss? Sounded suspiciously like opium. Probably nothing good.

Lin Fang suddenly understood why “Black Skin” had so readily gifted the Lin family two trained shadow guards who answered questions freely. Qi Shi’s missions likely hadn’t involved top secrets—otherwise, this would be disastrous.

The Shangguan incident left Lin Fang’s parents shaken. They proposed clustering the villagers together for mutual protection. Their narrow escape had relied on the Shangguan family breaking imperial law and military intervention—specifically, their nephew’s involvement. A stranger wouldn’t have protected them so thoroughly.

When relocation was proposed, some villagers agreed while others balked at the expense of rebuilding. Lin Fang’s father proceeded regardless, selecting a new site and offering to buy existing homes upfront, demolishing them after new construction.

Their original riverside location risked flooding. The new site was farther from both river and mountain, on higher ground. The purchase offer swayed many holdouts.

As construction neared, Lin Fang grew anxious. Building required lumber—from their mountain. She begged her father to take her up there, promising to show him something valuable.

Having discovered treasures on her sole previous mountain trip, her father was curious. Carrying her up with Xian’er and Tan Liu (now Lin family servants who trained villagers by day and attended her father otherwise), they reached the site of the earlier skirmish.

The rotten logs still bore black fungus. Lin Fang plucked some to show her father.

Having traveled widely, he recognized the rare, valuable delicacy. Recalling Lin Cuili’s parting advice, he promised to survey the mountain thoroughly—identifying which trees could be harvested and which couldn’t. This was their property, and he wouldn’t act recklessly.

Lin Fang longed to cultivate the fungus artificially. She knew the methods but lacked practical experience. Most modern cultivators started with purchased spores. Relying on natural propagation would be slow and uncertain. It would have to be a gradual process.