Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

It was May 12, 116, 2 a.m. in the middle of the night, in the countryside of X, a city of the empire.

Seven jet black vehicles were speeding along the country highway, two in front, two at the rear and two more flanking a sedan in the middle of the convoy. The vehicle was built to military specifications; its high powered engine emitted a smooth and steady hum. It was covered with high performance alloy. If one looked closely, one could see spiral patterns on the windshield that made it bulletproof. This vehicle was without a license plate, nor a military insignia. This convoy inevitably caused suspicion. How on earth did this convoy emerge from the highly secured city?

After an hour, the convoy pulled into an ordinary yellow building somewhere in the city’s countryside. Four soldiers in camouflage uniforms walked forward, indicating to the convoy that they were subject to security checks. When the doors of the front vehicle opened, a young man in a black suit stepped out and gave the soldier a dark red card. After the soldier inspected the card for a long while, he said softly, “I need to seek approval from my superiors.”

The man in black suit furrowed his brows and looked a little annoyed, as he muttered, “The signature of General Jin is on the card, whose approval do you still need?”

The soldier showed no signs of emotions, as he replied, “Major, the superiors issued their orders just now. Unless it is the head of state comes here in person, no one is to enter this military facility unless they have the permission of both General Jin and Mr. Zhang, the Chief of Staff.”

“You…”

“Li Yang.”

A deep voice suddenly emerged from the vehicle behind him. One of the black cars moved gently forward. The driver rolled down the windows and behind it was an old and seemingly wearied face. The soldier was stunned. He stood to attention immediately while offering a salute. “General Sir!”

General Jin nodded mindlessly and asked, “Can we go in now?”

The soldier paused and said, “Sir, Chief Zhang has ordered that there would be no vehicular movement within the camp, only walking is allowed.”

General Jin frowned, while patting his leg he asked, “Even I have to walk?”

Looking increasingly uncomfortable with the situation, the soldier gazed into the car to take a look at the General’s injured leg. Even so, he emotionally said, “Sorry Sir, these are the orders from the top. No one is to ride in vehicles, only walking is allowed!”

Li Yang was furious, with his face flushed red.

General Jin gently waved the soldier away and turned towards Li Yang. “Li Yang, go in yourself. Bring my documents, and you have to bring Agent 005 out safely and securely. We cannot afford to suffer a loss like we did with Agent 003. These agents are all treasures of the empire,” he instructed.

Li Yang froze, facing this exhausted and aging elder. He respectfully paid a salute. With a voice of determination, he said, “Rest assured General, I will definitely complete this task.”

However, at this moment, a massive blast was heard. Bright and blazing flames were seen, with a dark gigantic mushroom cloud hovering over it. Li Yang’s eyes widened in shock. With veins on his forehead visible, he sprinted straight into the military camp.

In this night, X’s citizens were still quietly fast asleep, but right outside the city’s limits, at the fourth military prison, there was a huge explosion that would shock the world. In the darkness, everyone’s eyes around the country were fixated on that same spot, waiting for dawn to break in a few hours.

Four hours ago.

In the courtroom of the country’s fourth military prison, seven high ranking military officials sat in their uniforms, with their rank insignias sparkling on their shoulder epaulets. They were all generals. On the judges’ stand, there were five military judges, all of whom came from different military divisions, which were not necessarily under a similar military system. Beneath them were over 20 men holding Kurt MOD733 5.56 caliber machine guns, all of which were from the country’s top special forces operatives. They looked prepared to take down anyone who stood in their way.

The atmosphere in the courtroom was solemn and serious, all eyes were concentrating on the defendant stand. At this moment, one of the judges in military uniform cleared his throat and said with a deep voice, “Name?”

“Chu Qiao,” a low voice responded calmly and mildly. Although it was a little hoarse, no one would have difficulty to identify the gender of its owner.

As expected, a lady sat on the defendant’s stand, dressed in light green military pants with a white shirt. She rolled up her sleeves revealing a pair of fair arms. She sat there calm and collected, without a tinge of nervousness.

The judge continued the dry judiciary process, “Gender?”

“Female.”

“Birth date?”

“October 8th, 90.”

“Hometown?”

“Luo City of Yun Tu Province.”

“Past military positions?”

“I enlisted in the empire’s military school in 109. In 111, I was picked out and transferred to the 5th intelligence unit within the military command center to learn. In the same year, I went into Hawk squad in the 7th army to start my training. On August 27, 112, I was officially inducted into the 5th intelligence unit, working in section 2, regarding data analysis and distribution. In December 113, I transferred to the intelligence department in City Y, carrying out Plan HL together with the 9th Military Intelligence division. In June of the next year, I was out of the country working as a spy. I returned in November 114 and was working in the 11th division command center as their assistant commander, until now.”

“During your tour of duty, what operations were you on?”

“The 11th division executed a total of 97 operations of all types, 29 of which were conducted by me. Among the missions, there are 11 one-starred missions, 9 two-starred, 5 three-starred, 4 four-starred and no five-starred missions.”

“Which operations did you participate in during your time in service? Please elaborate missions that are classified as four-starred and above.”

“In August 114, with the intelligence gathered from the 7th intelligence division, 9th intelligence division participated in ‘Operation Sea Salt’, planned by Colonel Li and me, successfully obtaining 3 tons of uranium ore. In November of the same year, 11th division and the 6th outpost division came together for ‘Bait and Capture’ operation, successfully capturing the rebel leader ‘Mica Half Rat’, destroying the nuclear reserves of country F. In April 115, I planned and instigated the super-powered beings from country E and successfully regained the passwords to the loophole within the Central Bank. In June of the same year, with the help of country X, planned by the 11th division, assisted by super-powered beings, Agent 003 of 9th division conducted operation Ximo, successfully obtaining the blueprint of HK-47.”

The judge nudged his glasses higher. As he read through the documents, he muttered, “Can you please elaborate on your relationship with Agent 003 of the 9th military intelligence division?”

The lady raised her brows, her unchanging expression turned cold and took a thorough look at the seven military officials on the stand. She finally said, “When I was training in the 7th Army, I was living in the same bunk as Agent 003, Agent 007 and Major Huang Minrui, the operations planning officer in the 11th division. In 115, I was part of operation Ximo with Agent 003.”

The judge asked with a deep voice, “How would you describe your relationship with Agent 003? A comrade, colleague, or an acquaintance?”

She remained calm and raised her brows once again. After a while, she answered, “We were friends.”

The jury started murmuring among themselves. She looked at two of the judges with an incisive stare, glimpsing at the smile that they were unable to hide.

“Can we also infer that Agent 003 and you were close friends who shared everything with each other?” a female judge asked. She was dressed in a dark green military outfit and was in her forties.

Chu Qiao turned and faced the judge, her gaze settled upon the judge and studied her for a while. She eventually said, “Your Honor, Agent 003 and I have been through the country’s professional training and are top quality soldiers. We are very clear as to what we are supposed to say, and what we are not. With that, when you said that we shared everything with each other, I feel that you are doubting our professionalism and that is utterly disrespectful to a hero that laid her life on the line for the sake of the country’s interest.”

The female judge paled and sealed her lips, with an awkward atmosphere surrounding her.

The main judge continued, “Chu Qiao, as of now, please elaborate and defend the Operation M1N1.”

At this point, the hearing was entering the moment of importance. After hearing that sentence, two judges in their forties sat forward and focused intensely.

Chu Qiao lowered her head, straightening her neck after a long while. She spoke slowly and clearly, “I wish to meet my superior, or I will be tried in the highest military court. Before any of that happens, I will not elaborate further on Operation M1N1.”

The judge frowned, and said with a tinge of anger, “Are you questioning the authority of a hearing conducted together by five different military districts that were set up by the leading law experts?”

“I am not.” Chu Qiao repeated, with her head held high, “I just want to see my superior, without a handwritten note to declassify this operation by General Jin, I am afraid I cannot elaborate on the details and data of Operation M1N1.”

With his brows tightly furrowed, the judge continued, “Then, please defend and elaborate on your orders to storm and raid the main operations building, causing the death of hostages from 23 different countries.”

“They are not hostages.” Chu Qiao raised her head and muttered, “All of my orders are in accordance with military law and I have not killed a single innocent person. As long as I see the document signed off on by my superiors as well as General Jin, I will explain the entire operation to the military court. Before that, I will not accept any questioning.”

The hearing slipped into a stalemate. After taking Chu Qiao away, the judges and generals retired from the courtroom, with the CCTV capturing their every move. However, under the chair which one of the generals sat on, there was a little device with a blinking red light, it’s screen glowed with numbers counting down.

There was not much time left.

Chu Qiao sat silently on her metal bed, with her head hung low. The place she was imprisoned in was surrounded by steel reinforced glass, allowing full view of the cell from the outside, but those on the inside were clueless about the outside world. There was no form of privacy. These hardened glass walls were so tough, that one could only blast a tiny hole after shooting it with a rifle all day. In order to escape, only a nuclear bomb would be sufficient.

Although she could not hear nor see the outside world, as the senior commander of one of the most classified intelligence units in the country, she knew the entire layout of the complex. With one hand on her pulse, she felt her heartbeat to determine the time and she knew mealtime was coming.

As expected, with a loud click, the hatch at the bottom of the reinforced glass opened and a hand holding a tray slid into the cell.

Chu Qiao sat motionless on her bed, with her head down. She seemed motionless, but a small pebble flew out and hit the watch strap of the soldier who brought her meal silently and precisely. After only a faint swoosh, the watch fell to the floor of the cell.

The soldier was stunned, he reached his hand in and tried to feel for the watch, but he could not find it. Chu Qiao heard the clank and turned towards it innocently, furrowing her brows in confusion. She knew that other than the soldier, there was another guard watching her every move carefully. In normal circumstances, when meals were served, inmates were not supposed to go near the cell door, but this time, she pointed towards herself. The soldier outside saw it clearly, and tried to reach for the watch again, but to no avail, and hit the floor twice, accepting her help.

Chu Qiao jumped off her metal bed and picked up the watch, placing it into his palm and smiled towards the reinforced glass. After which, she picked up her tray and returned to her bed.

It soon became quiet outside the cell.

All these seemed natural, without any anomaly.

After finishing her meal, Chu Qiao walked towards the simple bathroom in her cell and opened the door.

The government being moral, designed the bathroom with some privacy. Below the shoulder, the bathroom was made of opaque plastic. Chu Qiao sat on the toilet and lowered her head. She knew there were people watching her, and she could not spend more than 20 minutes in the bathroom.

When no one could see what she was doing in the bathroom, Chu Qiao opened her fair palm. Earlier when she had come into contact with the fingertips of the soldier, she had a sheet of plastic on her hand, which she used to secretly obtain his fingerprints. She knew, that the clock was ticking, she had to move.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 2: Chapter 2
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

It was 1:20 a.m., and Chu Qiao closed the door to the bathroom. She walked over to the sink to wash her hands.

The prison was dead silent, not a single noise was heard. At this time of the night, usually a person would be most exhausted. Even if a person was a special forces operative who had gone through rigorous training, their alertness and strength would be less than optimum. Chu Qiao looked calm. After washing her hands, she lifted the towel off the rack and dried her hands thoroughly. The loud swooshing of the toilet flush filled the cell as she placed her finger on her pulse, calculating the time silently.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4…

Time’s up. Chu Qiao turned her body calmly and walked towards her bed.

All of a sudden, a muffled bang sounded and large splashes of water exploded from the pipes. A dim glow from the explosion could be seen from the burst water pipe. Chu Qiao was not far from the burst pipe and was hit by a jet of water that knocked her onto the floor.

Outside the cell door, the prison guards were stunned. They could only see the burst water pipe within the cell and that the prisoner had been hit by the explosion. She could be dead or alive. With so much happening, the guards panicked and keyed in the access code to the cell. With a walkie-talkie in one hand and a submachine gun in the other, they rushed into the cell. However, the momentary burst of the pipes disrupted the radio transmission. During those five seconds, the main station could only hear indistinct rustling from an unidentified channel.

Opportunities cannot be missed, as they may not return. When the two prison guards ran into the cell to check for the cause of the burst pipe, Chu Qiao, who was originally unconscious, opened her bright eyes. All of a sudden, her body was as nimble as a cat asshe bounded out of the cell door. The prison guards were taken aback, but before they could cry for help, the doors slammed tightly shut.

Chu Qiao ignored the furious prison guards and sped into the surveillance room. She copied the footage recorded from an hour ago and quickly transferred it into a small DVD where she cut, edited, and deleted the footage. After that, she dragged a chair under the camera that was pointing at the cell and turned the DVD around. She then played the edited video for the DVD to record. She then went back into the surveillance room to sever the transmission signals of the walkie-talkie.

The timing was just right. After five seconds, the mini explosive device that was used to burst the pipe started to self-repair after the blast. Portions of the pipe that had leaks were quickly mended by a liquefied adhesive, which hardened rapidly. All this while, she had this mini device hidden in her hair. In the sealed cell, the furious screams and howls of the guards trapped within seemed like the buzzing of irritating insects, the sound unable to penetrate through the walls. The surveillance devices were back to normal. The footage that the main station was seeing was the footage from an hour ago, a female prisoner sitting quietly on her bed, while the two prison guards were doing their rounds. All seemed quiet and normal.

Her gaze was sharp and she checked her surroundings. It was all clear.

She went back into the surveillance room and opened the prison guards’ reserve box. Taking off her wet clothes, she changed into the uniform of the prison guards of the 4th prison. After putting on her cap, she picked up an AK74U and fitted it with a silencer. Placing the gun at her waist, she walked out of the room.

When the two prison guards had decided to open the prison cell, it had not been an uncalculated and rash decision.

The 4th prison was right next to the capital. With its geographical location secretive and remote, all prisoners that were detained here were repeat felons that were awaiting trial from the nation’s senior military court, and its importance could be inferred. The defense mechanism of every prison cell was impeccable. Every cell was independent of each other, the weapons provided to the guards were top of the line, they were highly surveillanced, and guards were sufficiently dispatched. Three special forces operatives were used to guard each cell, split between the inner and outer cell doors. Similar to the cell Chu Qiao was in, if one had the codes for the inner door, one could open them. As for the outer doors, one had to obtain the fingerprints of the last person who locked the door. Only then could it be unlocked.

The three guards were rotated routinely. At that time, there were already two guards in the cell, Chu Qiao held the film containing the fingerprints of the guard which she had prepared earlier and scanned it on the fingerprint scanner. Soon enough, a crisp click sound was heard. In the standard military uniform, under the ferocious gaze of the two guards, she openly walked out of the prison’s main gates.

After passing the gates, there was a long corridor in front of her. She was now in level four of the underground prison. To achieve her objective, she still had a long way to go. The surveillance footage could only hold out for an hour, so she had to move quickly.

In level four of the prison, all detainees were top military commanders and secret agents waiting for the ruling of the nation’s military court. The detainees in level three were all mostly wanted criminals. Level one consisted of the working quarters of the 4th prison’s officials. As for level two, it was where receptions were held for guests that had come to the 4th prison, and that was where she had to go.

After walking for about two minutes, she was leaving the cell area. At the end of the outer corridor, there were four highly trained and fully armed prison guards holding submachine guns. In the 4th prison, there were no air conditioning ducts and no empty underwater pipes. Other than this corridor, the only way to get out was to hack her way through the concrete walls. To escape out of this prison unscathed was nearly impossible.

When the guards saw Chu Qiao’s unfamiliar face, they started to become nervous. The leader of the group raised his muzzle and yelled, “Stop there! Who are you? Password?”

Chu Qiao gazed right into the eyes of the guards as she walked forward, straightening her back. With a thick binder of documents in her arms, she said, “I am Colonel Liu Siwei from the military law department. I am holding document 12685 which investigates a case of military arms smuggling. Please call Lieutenant Colonel Tan Zhongming. I have important documents to convey to him.”

The guard remained dazed and frowned with a confused look. He said, “Ma’am, Lieutenant Colonel Tan Zhongming is not on duty tonight. His personal number is confidential. Can you please show your identification?”

“The military law department does not need to show their identification in the 4th prison. I was invited to help on this case by Warden Li of the 4th prison. Three days ago, Colonel Lu Fanghao personally escorted me into the prison’s trial hall, didn’t you know?” Chu Qiao frowned as she sized up the guard out of the corner of her eye. She continued, “Which unit are you from? Are you familiar with military regulations? Tell me your serial number, as well as your unit’s code.”

After hearing this, the soldier was shocked. Rankings in the military were clear. This lady had a way of speaking, and she seemed to be very familiar with Lieutenant Colonel Tan and Warden Li. He could not help but feel a tinge of reverence for her. He replied, “Ma’am, my serial number is 0475, belonging to the 8th Southern Army 309 Brigade Task Force 571. We are not under the authority of the regular army. We have just been transferred over for two days, that’s why we did not know that you had been personally escorted into the trial hall by Lieutenant Colonel Tan.”

As Chu Qiao heard this, her expression softened and her brows relaxed. She nodded and said, “You are from the 8th army? How is your assistant commander, Commander Liu? Was he the one that brought you all in? Coming into the capital to work, are you guys staying for a few more days?”

The soldier started to gain respect for her. He told himself that those in the military law department were indeed different. He replied, “Ma’am, Commander Liu is well. Our team was brought here by Advisor Yan and we will not be following him back to the South.”

“Oh,” Chu Qiao nodded and said, “I started my military career from the 8th army too and was working in the intelligence department of the 8th army. You can say we were comrades too. When you see your commander, please send him my regards. Okay, I still have matters to settle. Go to the transmitting center to fax these documents out, two documents in a single form. Also, notify Advisor Zhang and Commander Hua’s secretary, that tomorrow morning at six, Colonel Liu Siwei from the military law department will be paying a visit to discuss some issues.” Upon finishing her sentence, she turned and walked off.

The soldier stayed rooted at the same position, his arms wobbling from carrying the huge stack of documents with “CLASSIFIED” printed clearly on the top.

Advisor Zhang… Commander Hua…

Walking out of the cell area of the 4th prison, the back of Chu Qiao’s shirt was drenched with sweat. She leaned against the wall and was slightly breathless. She raised her wrist and looked at her watch. Ten minutes had passed. Taking a deep breath, she stood up straight and continued walking.

After searching and monitoring the other levels, she finally arrived outside the VIP room on level two. Looking at the plaque which read “Military Law Department” hanging on the door, the edge of Chu Qiao’s lips curled to reveal a tiny smile.

Very good. There is a lead for injustice and an owner for a debt. She finally found the real owner.

She spent no time figuring out the password for the door, after which she gently twisted the handle and slid into the room sideways. Although it was late in the night, the corridors were very well lit, and there were still many people moving around. Chu Qiao maintained her composure, held her head high and walked through the corridor of the Guest Department, nodding and waving to the officials of the 4th prison that passed by her.

Although they did not recognize her, her calm demeanor and military outfit allowed her to blend in with the other officials without raising any eyebrows.

Five minutes later, she left the office corridor, and the Military Law Department’s employees’ resting room came into view. She could smell the wafts of alcohol coming from that room, she knew that she was in the right place.

Chu Qiao’s slender hands were on the AK around her waist in no time.

A man wearing a black suit stuck his head out and was greeted with the black muzzle of the gun. With the help of the silencer, the bullet flew out of the muzzle and blasted a huge bloody hole in his chest. His pupils widened and Chu Qiao was quick to support his body while covering his mouth, right until his pulse stopped. Only then did she carry him into the room.

There were two rows in the room, with sixteen people living in it. Apart from the man that was just killed, the rest were still fast asleep. These were insiders, the ones who took care of the informants and creators of legal identities.They were top quality comrades with precise weapons.

Chu Qiao had always lacked compassion toward the enemy. Although she had been involved in behind the scenes planning for all these years, it did not mean she lacked the courage to pull the trigger. Chu Qiao held up the pistol and aimed the muzzle straight at a middle-aged man lying on one of the beds. With a dull thud, the man shuddered violently in his sleep and passed away without knowing what had happened.

Without any pauses, she quickly walked forward. After ten seconds, there was no one left alive.

Opening the door inside, there were only five men lying on the bed, sleeping soundly. Many times, killing was much easier than eating or having a bath. There was no hesitation. Five rounds were shot continuously, with dull thuds heard each time. Fresh blood oozed out of the wounds along with minute cracking sounds, the air soon filling with the nauseating smell of blood.

From the man lying furthest into the room, Chu Qiao found a small DVD while rummaging through his wallet. Standing over the bodies strewn all over the place, she turned on the device and started to watch the videos on it.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 3: Chapter 3
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Confirming that it was the right one, Chu Qiao placed the DVD into her pocket. She then found C4 explosives with extra firepower from the briefcase of the deceased and set it up in the room, turning on the trigger mechanism. The red light on top of the black box started to blink quickly.

Chu Qiao took one last look at the deceased in the room, confirming that they were dead. Then, she opened the door and walked out.

However, at that moment, a cold streak suddenly rushed closely across her neck!

Chu Qiao’s figure shortened abruptly, throwing her body onto the ground within seconds and rolling towards the back; barely evading the attack of a bullet. Bullets flashed by and the shooting did not stop. Chu Qiao kicked the door, closing it tightly with a loud bang. She was half kneeling on the floor. Hearing the deep breaths from outside, she knew very well that she was compromised.

Chu Qiao’s muscles were tensed and her breathing slow, both eyes staring straight at the door opposite her. She was not 003, a super agent from the active 9th division. In military school, she had learned about demolition, planning, exploiting a favorable environment, and how to achieve efficient, effective and large-scaled killings with highly accurate intelligence and limited manpower resources. However, at this moment, when the danger was just over three meters from her, she clearly knew that attacking head-on was not logical.

Her gaze slowly fell onto the sad man that died in his sleep.

With a loud bang, the main door was kicked open. A lady was standing right in front of it, looking at the two men hiding outside the guest room with a haughty expression.

Both of them were clearly not expecting her to walk out by herself, causing them to be momentarily dazed.

With a plop, Chu Qiao gently threw her dagger and AK onto the floor. She tilted her back foot and pushed out both her palms, showing a Taiji stance. Facing the men, she shouted a cold war cry and waved them forward. Obviously meaning: Together!

The two men holding high caliber submachine guns were furious. They dropped their guns and showed the stance of Japanese Taekwondo. With a deadly glare, they leaped with all their might and closed in on her in no time.

The small room felt like a gust of cold fishy stench had blown through it, rattling the curtains and dimming the lights. The murderous atmosphere seemed to rise from the ground, following the two men who bounded quickly towards Chu Qiao. Just by looking at their muscular bodies and ruthless moves, one could easily predict the outcome of this ignorant lady.

At this instant, the initial deep expression of the lady suddenly turned into a grin, her lips curling up coldly, showing a proud yet emotionless smile. As if it was a magic trick, a Japanese manufactured M609 small caliber shotgun appeared in her hands. The M609 was the best weapon of choice for close quarter battles. It would not pierce through, but would always blast heads off!

Only two muffled blasts were heard, the five seconds of killing did not even allow the men to cry out in pain. The close-range shot blasted their heads off, with their brains splattering all over Chu Qiao.

Chu Qiao kicked the men in the way hatefully, quickly opening the door to the bathroom. Although she had not included these two men in her predictions, the operation seemed to be going on without a hitch, allowing her to save twenty minutes of her originally planned time, giving her time to clean herself up a little.

After 15 minutes, a lady wearing a black suit of the military law department walked out of the restroom of the department. She walked along the corridors of the guest department on the second floor, smiling cheerfully at the 4th prison’s officials as they walked past her. In three minutes, she calmly opened the doors of the second level and walked out.

The gentle and cool evening breeze blew across her face, Chu Qiao was walking through the 4th prison’s main hall on the ground level. Everyone was busy at work, and all of them were the country’s elite soldiers. She raised her wrist. It was only ten seconds before the explosion.

Chu Qiao continued forward, her expression unchanging. As she walked, she grabbed a copy of yesterday’s newspapers from the newspaper stand at the side.

10, 9, 8…

“May 11th, another case of type A M1N1 disease has been diagnosed in Shang Jingl. At the moment, this is the 47th patient that has been diagnosed with such a disease. The port and some of the flights to and from our country have been stopped, our tourism industry has taken a huge toll, stock markets are plummeting with no signs of recovery…”

7, 6, 5…

“Xinhua News Agency reported: According to current numbers, country M has a total of 689 confirmed diagnostics of the type A M1N1 disease, the numbers of those suspected to have been infected by the disease have reached 1272, and the death count is 68 and is rising uncontrollably. Country Y has a total of 352 confirmed cases, 561 suspected infections, 97 deaths. Country A…”

4, 3…

“Choulian News Agency of country M reported: After the investigation of the researchers of country M, they suspect that this current type A M1N1 virus has been spread by country Z. Due to the massive earthquake in country Z, the stability of the atmosphere was disrupted, causing the virus to manifest. The actions taken to alleviate the effects of this earthquake by country Z’s government have not been quick nor effective, causing the disease to spread quickly. The government of country M has agreed to a short-term solution, which is to cease all trade with country Z, at the same time deporting country M’s citizens out of country Z, and declining entry to all country Z’s citizens. The parliament is now intensely debating this issue, it is believed that a solution will be implemented shortly.”

2, 1, 0!

Suddenly, the ground shook violently and eardrums were hit by a deafening explosion as red alarms blared piercingly. Thick smoke and fiery flames came into view. The 4th prison was shuddering terribly from the explosion.

The thick smoke stung their eyes shut. All the trained soldiers of the 4th prison picked up their weapons and rushed over to the scene of the explosion. Chu Qiao was caked in dust. With a look of shock on her face, she pulled back a man wearing a military uniform by his arm and asked loudly, “Comrade! What is going on?”

The man saw the tattered military law department’s suit and knew at once she did not belong to the 4th prison. Holding her up, he said, “Are you from the military law department? Come with me, let me bring you out.”

The soldier that was busily helping out a colleague from another department was totally unaware that the person that he was supporting was the real culprit behind the explosion. On top of that, she was responsible for the deaths of more than ten of his comrades from the military law department.

Following the chaotic crowd rushing out of the ground level main hall, as they rushed forward, both of them crashed into a man that was frantically running into the hall.

“Ah! Sorry for that! Ah, it’s Colonel Li!” the man apologized while supporting his colleague.

“What happened inside?” Li Yang furrowed his brows and asked. As he glanced sideways, his eyes widened at the sight of Chu Qiao. He pointed at her and his jaw dropped with shock, “Chu…”

“You are here to look for me, right? There is an explosion inside, we should talk outside.”

Chu Qiao frantically cut Li Yang short. After hearing that, the soldier hurriedly said, “Then I won’t send you guys out. I don’t even know what’s going on inside. I have to go back and take a look.”

Li Yang nodded. As the soldier walked further, he pulled Chu Qiao close and asked with a deep voice, “What happened? Why did the military court want to put you on trial? How did you get out?”

“The M1N1 virus is not a disaster, it is a man-made catastrophe. M, R, Y, F and 10 other senior officials from western countries are a part of this, even some officials in our country who are reckless with greed are also involved. When we captured team X, the ‘hostages’ captured were not even real hostages, they were disease specialists who were hiding within each country’s military research centers. They wanted to spread this disease throughout the world and cripple the country’s economy. At the last moment, they would then introduce the antibiotics to prevent and treat the M1N1 virus through a listed company, reaping enormous profits. My guys obtained the evidence of their criminal activities. Here it is,” Chu Qiao explained while pulling out the DVD from her pocket and passing it to him. She continued, When Xiao Shi went to Tokyo last time to kill the senior commander of team X, the thing she brought back in the end was the evidence that was obtained by trading it with the life of one of my contacts. It is a pity Xiao Shi died on the streets of Tokyo, causing this matter to remain unresolved. One of the culprits behind this type A M1N1 virus is team X, an organ reseller on the surface, but people who have been secretly researching this deadly contagious virus. They sent spies into our country, working undercover, with the protection of the country’s treasonous senior leadership. They faked themselves as colleagues from the military law department, entering the 4th prison and stealing my evidence, but I have eliminated them all.”

Li Yang gasped in shock and said unbelievably, “You are saying, the one that killed Xiao Shi, was…”

“Yes!” Chu Qiao nodded and said without a doubt, “The man who gave the order to give up 003 is the enemy spy hiding undercover in the senior leadership, and it was also him who ordered me to be detained in the 4th prison, stealing my evidence and trying to cover up their heinous deeds.”

Li Yang was still in a deep shock, his brows locked together and fury radiating from his dark gaze. He said in a low voice, “Country M’s artillery experts are still heading over to Shang Jing today to visit and learn. Jing Hua Army’s Advisor Qian and I did so much preparation work, I can’t believe they…”

“What did you say?” Chu Qiao raised her voice suddenly.

Li Yang paused and asked, “What?”

“Are you saying that country M’s artillery experts are coming to Shang Jing?”

Li Yang nodded and replied, “Yes, they arrived last night.”

Chu Qiao’s face went white and she started patting him down, searching for something, “Did you bring the GPS to locate the military’s arsenal?”

“Why are you looking for that?”

Chu Qiao raged and snapped, “Did you bring it?”

“How would I bring such a thing with me?” Li Yang hurriedly said as he saw Chu Qiao’s nervous expression, “Come with me, I know where to get it.”

Both of them hopped into an electric car, tearing away from the bustling yard in no time.

After two minutes, when she saw the red blinking dot continuously on the GPS, her mind blanked out.

“What is going on? Why would the courtroom have a bomb?”

Chu Qiao stood up quickly looking for a suitable weapon within the warehouse. As she hurried her steps, she said, “Country M has no trust in Team X from country R, they were afraid that they would not succeed, causing everything to be spilled to the public. That’s why they set a GPS triggered bomb within the courtroom. Once time is up, the bomb will detonate. When that happens, the whole of 4th prison will be leveled and destroyed, along with me and the evidence.”

“Then what should we do? I will inform the bomb disposal unit immediately. At the same time, I’ll request backup from the special forces, to control the ambassadors from country M.”

“There is no time,” Chu Qiao said with a grieved expression, “Prepare a helicopter for me now to disperse the crowd. What you have to do is hand this evidence over to Commander Hua. The lives of Xiao Shi, the 14 supernatural beings from the 11th division, and the people who are about to die from this virus are in your hands. You cannot afford to make a mistake.”

After realizing the huge responsibility that fell on his shoulders, he was dumbstruck. Afar, smoke billowed and the crowd moved along restlessly. He saw the determined look in her eyes on her worn face. His heart aching, he was shocked. After a while, he mustered his determination and replied, “I will definitely succeed, Chu Qiao, be safe.”

“You too.”

Finishing, she sprinted out of the warehouse without looking back at the prison cell from which she escaped through countless hardships.

After ten minutes, a chopper took off from the parade square of 4th prison.

It pulled up above the prison, sped away from it, and flew into the desolate countryside.

Sitting in the car heading towards the commander, Li Yang held the GPS bomb locator, watching as the little dot, which represented the 4th level courtroom, moved slowly towards the parade square, through the buildings, and flew into Shang Jing’s countryside in no time.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion was heard from the sky. The red dot on the GPS vanished, turning it into a dark empty screen.

Sitting in the car, Li Yang did not look back. In the dark tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

The night in Shang Jing turned completely silent.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 4: Chapter 4
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The Xia Empire was located on the northern shore of the Hong River. It was customary for their people to know martial arts and their army was valiant. Since their ancestors, they were a nomadic race which roamed in search of water and green pastures.

The first long ring from the city’s clock sounded at the crack of dawn, sounding majestic as if it were miles away. The city’s gates opened slowly as the clock rang with sunlight shining upon the city, signifying the start of a new day in Zhen Huang City under the iron-fisted rule of the empire.

“Go!” a clear voice shouted strictly.

A handsome black horse raised its white hooves, galloping on the snow outside Zhen Huang city, kicking up snowflakes in its wake. Its hooves clanged as it hit the ground, leaving ten or so men far behind.

“Yan Shizi, you’re late!” Zhuge Huai said towards them after a hearty laugh, while steering his horse forward.

Standing by him were four teenagers, the youngest eleven to twelve years old, and the eldest being merely thirteen to fourteen years old. All of them were dressed in brocade clothes, surrounding him from the back, appearing handsome and smart. Hearing his voice, they turned in unison, looking at the man coming towards them.

Yan Xun halted his horse with a shout. His horse reared and neighed loudly, landing steadily on the snowy plain. Yan Xun was dressed in azure colored clothes, with a few carps stitched at the end of his robes with gold and silver thread. He had a white, long fur coat on his shoulders. He laughed, “I heard the news of you, Brother Zhuge. The eighth princess was at my home and I couldn’t leave her there alone. Sorry to keep everyone waiting.” He had a hearty voice and smiled youthfully. Only through his half-closed eyes, one could tell that he was a little introverted. With a mink scarf around his neck, he looked regal, casual and elegant. Yan Xun was no older than thirteen to fourteen years old, but he definitely radiated the elegance and stature of one that was older.

“I did not know you had a date with a beautiful woman. It seems like we have spoiled the mood for you, your Royal Highness,” the prince said while walking forward. He was wearing turquoise clothes and his voice seemed prepubescent. He looked no more than twelve to thirteen years old and his eyes curved like that of a fox and he spoke with glee.

Yan Xun laughed slightly and said with a moderate tone, “Second prince of Wei, you must be joking. If not for you causing me to break the princess’ glass cup during the state banquet a few days ago, I would not have the privilege of having her at my place today. Speaking of which, I must thank you for giving me that opportunity.”

The young prince smiled and was not offended by it. He turned and said to another teenager by his side, dressed in green robes, “You see, Mu Yun, I told you his Royal Highness would not let this go and would definitely talk to me about this.”

Mu Yun raised his brows and said, “How many in this imperial city have suffered because of you? Royal Highness Yan has a good temper. If it was me, I would have rushed to your place and confronted you the night before.”

“Are we still competing? If you two would like to keep talking, we might as well head back!” A teenager in black clothes walked forward with a huge bright yellow bow at his waist, obviously his weapon of choice.

Yan Xun looked as if he just saw this teenager. He jumped off his horse and bowed respectfully, “Oh, the Seventh Highness is here, please pardon my poor eyesight.”

Zhao Che gave Yan Xun a slanted gaze and smirked to acknowledge their presence. “My eighth brother and I have got to head to the bookstore during dinner time, we don’t have much time to waste,” he said straight to Zhuge Huai.

Zhuge Huai laughed and said, “Since Royal Highness Yan is here, let us begin.”

The prince of Wei clapped his hands and chirped, “What did you find us this time? Quick, let us have a look.”

Zhao Jue said, “I see a bunch of animal cages over there. You’re not asking us to hunt, are you? That’s not very interesting, maybe that’s why your fourth brother did not want to come.”

Zhuge Huai shook his head and with a mysterious tone, he said, “He has an awkward character. When has he ever joined us at our gatherings? But I have put in quite a bit of effort today, you’ll see.” After finishing, he clapped his hands twice. It was clear and crisp, as the clap echoed throughout the snowy plain.

In the distance, the arena that was fenced up opened its gates. Pushing large carts, Zhuge Huai’s followers walked into the arena. Six cages were placed in a straight line in the arena. They were covered by pieces of black cloth, totally hiding anything that was in it.

Prince Wei was very interested in the cages. He chirped, “What is in the cages? Stop keeping us in suspense, Zhuge.”

Zhuge Huai laughed and waved to his men in the distance. In a swoosh, the black clothes were being pulled off the cages. Prince Wei was startled and dazed for a moment but started smiling gleefully in no time.

In those huge cages were a bunch of young girls no older than seven to eight years old. There were twenty of them in each cage and each girl only had a piece of rough short gown on them. On their chests were large words that made them look like prisoners, and the words differed with each cage. There were ‘Mu’, ‘Wei’, ‘Yan’, ‘Zhuge’. But for Zhao Jue and Zhao Che, they were set apart by ‘Jue’ and ‘Che’ respectively. These children had been closed in a dark cage for too long. When a light suddenly shone in the cage, they could not open their eyes and huddled together in shock like a bunch of cowardly rabbits.

Zhuge Huai smiled. “A while ago, a troop of merchants from the west came to my house, and they taught me this game. Later, I will ask my men to remove the cages and let out the wolves. Those beasts have been hungry for three days and are only seeing red. We can shoot the beasts or we can shoot the slaves in the other cages. After a stick of joss, we will then see who has the most slaves left, and they will be the winner.”

Prince Wei clapped and laughed heartily, “This is interesting, it could be fun.”

Getting their orders, his men went to remove the cages and left the arena. The children shuddered and stood rooted to the ground as if there was a cage surrounding them. They did not dare to move an inch.

Suddenly, a deafening howl was heard and the gates to the arena opened at both sides. More than twenty fierce and evil wolves rushed into the arena, opened their bloodthirsty mouths, and thundered towards the children.

Piercing screams were heard in that instant. The children screamed in unison, frantically running towards where others were standing, huddling together. At the same time, sharp arrows rushed into the arena from the outside, but not towards those fierce wolves, but rather towards the children.

The stench of blood filled the arena, pitiful screams and pleas shooting into the sky. Sharp arrows pierced through the thin shoulders and chests of the children. With fresh blood flowing out, their frail bodies looked as if red flowers were blooming on them. Agitated by the stench of blood, the pack of wolves became more ferocious. A navy blue wolf jumped into the air and bit one of the children right in the neck, snapping it with a bite. Before she could scream, another wolf tore off one of her legs and another bit through her skull. Her white brains and fresh red blood mixed into a mess, spraying all over the snow-covered ground.

The screams did not end. The pain on her shoulder was unbearable, and her eyelids seemed as though they weighed a ton. Jing Yue Er’s body was filled with arrows that had pierced through her and she was nailed roughly to the ground. Her breathing was shallow as if she was dead. But her brows were furrowed together, tighter and tighter. A hungry wolf inched closer and closer to her, its menacing gaze falling right onto this child. Its smelly saliva hung onto the side of its mouth. Stretching longer and longer, it dripped onto the child’s face with a plop.

Out of the blue, as if God’s gaze had fallen upon this tragedy on earth, just as the wolf laid his teeth on the child, her eyes shot open fiercely, as bright and sharp as snow. It was not the courage and bravado a child should have. Instinctively, her hands shot out and closed the jaws of the wolf. Raising her head, she tore off the wolf’s tongue which had been out.

A sharp scream sounded in that instant. Everyone turned their heads towards that direction, staring at the child who bit off the wolf’s tongue. They were astonished and totally forgot about the shooting.

Zhao Jue was the first to react. Looking at the large ‘Jue’ on her chest, he laughed heartily, and pulled his bow, shooting an arrow straight into the throat of that wolf.

The wolf fell to the ground with a cry. The tragedy in the arena was still ongoing, all the other wolves were right on the heels of the children. Bodies were lying all over the arena and dismembered limbs of children were strewn everywhere. Heart-wrenching screams and cries filled their ears.

Jing Yue Er stood up shakily, widening her eyes with unbelievable shock as if she was petrified. Torn clothes hung on her body, her hair was messy, and her pale face was stained in blood. Cold winds blew over with a flurry, she seemed like she was a delicate blade of grass.

Shoot! A sharp arrow shot in her direction. Jing Yue Er jumped back with her nimble body, dodging a fatal arrow, but due to her weakened state, she was grazed on her calf by the same arrow. Fresh blood flowed down her leg.

Prince Wei smiled in glee and drew back another arrow, shooting once again.

Zhao Jue raised his eyebrows and groaned coldly, pulling the bow, he shot an arrow right into the arrow Prince Wei fired.

A wolf followed her like a shadow, but its stench gave it away. Smelling it, Jing Yue Er did not have the time to inspect her wounded calf and sprinted right in the direction of Zhao Jue.

It was this person, who saved her life twice in such a short period of time. Though her mind was in a trance, she chose the direction which was most advantageous to her.

However, in just a few steps, an arrow shot towards her, nailing the ground viciously right in front of her foot. The child was dazed and stopped in her tracks. She frowned as she raised her head, looking at the teenager dressed in black on the red horse with a look of confusion.

Zhao Jue groaned at her in despise, giving her a sweeping gaze and shooting an arrow through the back of another child.

That child was barely between five to six years old. She screamed and fell to the ground, her blood staining the ‘Yan’ on her back red, and was torn apart by the wolves in no time.

Time passed so quickly, yet so slowly. The children stood where they were, with a dazed expression. Suddenly, she bit her lips and turned quickly. Her speed was unbelievably quick as if her injured legs did not affect her agility at all. A wolf was chasing right behind her and pounced viciously. She escaped with a millimeter to spare, barely making it.

At a corner of the arena, there was a pile of wooden rods and hay for the horses. The child picked up a rod. Without turning her head, she pounded the rod onto the waist of one of the wolves that were sneaking up to another child.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 5: Chapter 5
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The wolf howled and darted to a corner, obviously heavily injured.

“Come here! All of you, come here!” she shouted while she bent down and picked up two stones, hitting them together. With a spark, the hay caught fire with a roar. The child lit her rod on fire and raised the torch. She ran all over the arena, chasing away the pack of wolves that was attacking the children. While doing that, she continued shouting, “All of you, come here! All of you, come here!”

Children of all ages ran towards Jing Yue Er as they wailed, all of them injured. Some were bitten by wolves, some were shot by arrows. After the onslaught, there were barely twenty children left alive.

The pack of wolves were afraid of fire. Looking at Jing Yue Er protecting them from the middle, they tarried and dared not to inch forward. They had been hungry for too long. Seeing that their prey was now protected, they ran back to the bodies that lay in the arena, devouring all that they could.

Zhuge Huai’s long and narrow eyes squinted at this sight and murmured, “Useless animals.” He pulled his bow and started shooting at the wolves.

Sharp arrows flew towards the pack, attacking them unknowingly. The wolves howled in pain, collapsing onto the floor and in no time, they were all dead.

The children that survived were overjoyed. Ignoring the wounds on their body, they cheered loudly.

However, even before their cheers could be heard, another wave of arrows rained down on them, piercing through their small bodies.

The empire’s aristocratic descendants shot ruthlessly with their sharp eyesight. Unsympathetically, they aimed right at the children in front of them with bloodthirsty arrows coming in for the kill.

An arrow swooshed through the air coming at a frightening speed, shooting through a child’s head with a thud, entering through her left eye and coming out from the back of her head, stopping right in front of Jing Yue Er’s nose. Warm blood splattered all over her face and she opened her mouth. With the burning rod being held tightly in her grip, she froze. The cries of children reverberated to the sides of her ears. It was all like a nightmare.

The arrows started to lessen as Prince Wei and Mu Yun laughed in unison. Both pulled back their bows, took aim right at the girl, and released an arrow, letting them speed through the air.

Zhao Jue frowned and steered his horse forward. Reaching for his quiver, he realized that he only had one arrow left. With a cold groan, he snapped the arrow in half and put them on his bow. With a skilled shot, he shot both arrows, shooting the arrows shot by Prince Wei and Mu Yun out of the sky.

Zhuge Huai laughed and commented, “Good shooting skills!”

Finishing his sentence, all cries stopped and the northern wind swept through the snowy arena, blowing the stench of blood along with it. The arena was covered in red and the only child surviving was Jing Yue Er. Her hair strewn all over her head, with hay stuck within it, her clothes dyed red and a pale expression. She held the wooden rod and did not move an inch. She looked over with a stunned gaze as if she was in shock.

Zhao Jue said, “The seventh brother is still the best. I have no more arrows left. I think you will be the winner today.”

Prince Wei raised his brows, looked at his quiver, then Mu Yun’s, and finally turned towards Zhuge Huai.

Zhuge Huai smiled smartly and said, “I was out of arrows long ago.”

“Yan Shizi still has some arrows, doesn’t he? The time is not up. Whose hand the deer will die under is still unknown,” Mu Yun said all of a sudden.

All gazes fell on Yan Xun.

Zhao Jue looked coldly at Yan Xun and said without emotion, “Yan Shizi is known for giving everyone surprises at unsuspecting times.”

The joss stick was only burnt halfway through, but everyone else had already used up their arrows. There was only one snowy white-feathered arrow lying in Yan Xun’s quiver.

Yan Xun sat stately on his horse. Although he was only thirteen, his back was strong and straight, with dashing eyebrows and sparkling eyes. His nose was sharp and had a piercing gaze. The neatly pressed clothes he wore, distinguishing him from the crowd, made him seem handsome but cold. With his cold expression, he nudged his horse forward and drew his bow, aiming at the child standing right in the middle of the arena.

Gusts of wind swooshed by, blowing up the child’s tattered clothes and messy hair. She was still very young, not older than six or seven years, looking malnourished and ghastly, like a hairless little wolf that had just been given birth. Her arms, neck, and calves were covered in wounds, and the wound on her shoulder was near her artery. She stood in the middle of the messy Xiu Luo Arena, with dismembered limbs strewn everywhere, fresh blood flowing from bodies, and the stench of blood filling the air. The strength of cruelty was like the spirit of hopelessness, tearing at the delicate eyes of the child.

A glistening bloodthirsty arrow slowly took aim at the child’s throat. The teenager sat stately on the back of his horse. With his sharp gaze and brows furrowed, the veins on his arms bulged while he pulled back his bow.

There was nowhere she could hide. Disorganized thoughts were rushing through her mind, so many queries and mysteries vanishing under the sudden onslaught. She slowly raised her head. Her gaze extremely cold, radiating an immense amount of hate and resentment, she glared at the teenagers in front of her without the slightest fear.

That day, it was year 770, the 4th day in the first month of the Bai Cang calendar. The people of Zhen Huang had just celebrated New Year’s Day. In the royal hunting arena on the outskirts of Zhen Huang City, it was the first time he and she met.

Time went through the path of history, tearing open the gates of time and space. Two souls that were never destined to meet had been placed on the same platform.

Yan Xun knitted his brows. Moving his fingers a little, he let go of the arrow.

The long arrow shot out, moving the cold air, as it soared through the air. All gazes concentrated and fell onto the child that was rooted to the spot.

With a swoosh, the line of blood lengthened as the sharp arrow grazed the neck of the child, cutting her. Her figure wobbled a little, but continued standing after staggering for a few steps.

“Ha ha! Congratulations seventh brother!” Zhao Jue laughed.

Zhao Che glanced scornfully at Yan Xun and smirked, “Yan Shizi has been spending all his time on song, dance, and poetry. Did he forget how the ancestors of the Zhao clan held a bow?”

Yan Xun put down his longbow and turned. With a bland tone, he said, “How the ancestors of the Zhao Clan held the bow, it would already be enough if their descendants remembered. I wouldn’t dare to meddle in your family’s affairs.”

Zhuge Huai let out a huge laugh and said, “Since everyone is here, I guess the winner of this competition is his Seventh Royal Highness. I have dinner prepared for all of you at my house. Let’s go and have drinks at my place.”

All of them agreed and climbed up onto their horses together, as if all that had happened was just a game that could not be more ordinary.

A huge gust of wind blew past, whipping up the robes of these men, the stench of the wind filling the vast snowy plains. From afar, Yan Xun turned back, looking at the child covered in blood and filth. She had been standing in the middle of the plains after all this while, her deep gaze looking in their direction, fixated for a long while.

The sky gradually darkened. With the northern winds howling past, the piercing cold chilled them to the marrow. The wind whipped up snow on the ground while moaning like a crazed beast.

The men from the Zhuge family were clearing up the arena, shoveling up those young, tiny bodies, throwing them into a cart behind them. Not far away, there was a medium sized ditch that was dug out, with wormwood crackling in flames within the ditch, thick smoke billowing from it. It was used to bury those children, along with those bloodthirsty beasts. These lives were worthless, as if they were balls. Their rich owners would play with them only once and grow tired of them, hence throwing them out.

Jing Yue Er had a torn sack draped over her, and her head hung low in silence, sitting quietly beside the cages. She was seriously injured, but even if had she been a grown man, it would have been hard to suffer the immense pain in total silence.

The men from the Zhuge family thought that she would die soon, but even after a long while, they noticed that her chest was still rising and falling, albeit very little. They knew that she was alive due to her breathing and that an unknown source of strength was still supporting this child even though she was so close to death. Hence, they did not throw her into the mass burial ditch. Instead, they put her back into the cage when they left.

The cage that was initially packed with children suddenly seemed spacious. All the children were dead, only one had survived. As the men were amazed at the child’s luck, they could not hold back the urge to turn back and survey her with caution.

Even though they could not find the words to describe it, they acutely sensed that the child, compared to when she had arrived, had changed.

The home of the Zhuges occupied a vast space. They entered through the back door and Zhu Shun placed Jing Yue Er under the care of two workers. After giving them a few instructions, they took one last cold look at her, turned their bodies and left.

With a click, a lock on one of the rooms was opened. Jing Yue Er was pushed into it. The door was locked shut before she could even pick herself up.

It was pitch black within the four walls, with a pile of firewood that was bunched together. One could still hear the rustle of rats scuttling through the room. The child did not yell in horror. She sat in the middle of the room, taking off the sack that was draped over her shoulders. Using her teeth to secure one end of the sack, she started tearing pieces of cloth off the sack, wrapping the wounds on her body with intense concentration, her techniques surprisingly well practiced.

Such a long time was enough for the qualified agent to calm her nerves, using careful thinking and a calm demeanor to tackle anything that came her way, even if the circumstances were unbelievable.

Indeed, Jing Yue Er of that time was Major Chu Qiao, assistant commander of the 11th division, who had sacrificed her life for her nation. Fate, at many times, could be as unbelievable as this. Under an abyss may not be hiding certain death, but perhaps the path to a new life.

Chu Qiao raised her arms. Using the light that was outside, she looked at her small palm. A tinge of sadness could be felt at the bottom of her heart, but she was unaware as to whether she was sad for herself or this pitiful child.

“There is no one here. I can allow myself to be sad and afraid, but I have to shorten this time as much as possible.”

The child murmured to herself as tears streamed down, flowing across her filthy, skinny face. Hugging her knees, she lowered her head, nestling it between her arms. Silently, her back started to shudder.

This was the first night Chu Qiao spent in the Xia Empire, in the cold, well circulated firewood hut of the Zhuge household. It was the first time she cried helplessly because she was weak and afraid. She gave herself an hour to curse her fate, reminisce her past, worry about her future, and to adapt to her new life. After an hour, she would no longer be Chu Qiao, the super commander of the 11th division, but instead, a young and helpless female child slave with nothing, struggling to survive in this inhumane, bloodthirsty, and chaotic empire.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 6: Chapter 6
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Fate had pushed her into the ditch, she told herself. She had to climb out.

This terrible predicament did not give her any chances to be full of remorse or to be anxious. If she did not pull herself together, she might not be able to survive the night.

She raised her blackened hands and picked up a wooden stick, slowly starting to write on the ground.

Zhuge, Wei, Mu, Jue, Che. At this word, her brows started to furrow. It started to darken outside, and the woodwind instruments playing within the palace grounds could be heard. Among the rustling, waves of laughter could also be heard. She silently recollected her thoughts for awhile and finally penned down the last word: Yan.

In the main hall of the Zhuge palace, everyone was toasting each other. Yan Xun’s right eye twitched all of a sudden. He scrunched up his beautiful brows and turned slowly, gazing deep into the complete darkness.

The night was pitch black. With jackdaws soaring high in the sky, this turbid and ugly empire was rotten from the core.

The old was destined to be destroyed, with the new order coming in its place, rising from the ashes.

Even with the wounds on her body hurting terribly, Chu Qiao still forced herself to stand up and run rounds around the small firewood room, occasionally stopping to use her hands to massage her skin in case she froze to death in this dilapidated hut.

The drum signifying that it was 3 a.m. rung, and a window that was around the height of a person was being pushed open. Then, a small head popped into view. Chu Qiao was stunned. Raising her head, she saw a pair of bright eyes carefully check the surroundings of the room. After seeing Chu Qiao, a look of happiness flashed through his gaze. He held his index finger to his lips, asking her to not make a sound. He then nimbly jumped into the hut.

The boy quickly ran towards her, opening his arms, and pulled Chu Qiao into his arms. He choked a little, but comforted her with determination, “Yue Er, don’t be scared, the fifth brother is here.”

The boy was skinny and was not very old either. He looked like he was between eight and nine years old. He was wearing gray field clothes that did not fit him very well, making him seem skinnier than he already was. His stature was not fully grown and was merely half a head taller than Chu Qiao. However, his facial features and outlines seemed to have endured many hardships. He held the child tightly in his arms and patted her back, continuously repeating, “Don’t be scared, the fifth brother is here.”

Unknowingly, Chu Qiao’s eyes filled with tears. Beads of tears rolled uncontrollably down her face, soaking his rough clothes. She did not know whether it was her body’s natural reaction or her own true emotions, but in this strange, foreign, and cold night, this frail but warm hug was too precious.

The bright, clear moonlight shown through the slightly opened window, shining on the small bodies of the children. Within the cold four walls, the only little warmth came from the heart. The boy’s small body was like a tough mountain. In this frigid night, even though he might have been shuddering in fear, he still hugged his sister firmly, holding her tightly in his arms.

“Yue Er, are you hungry?” The boy released her from his hug and carefully wiped off the tears on Chu Qiao’s face with his blackened fingers. He smiled and said with glee, “Guess what brother brought you?”

The boy took out a little cloth bag from the back and sat down on the floor, neatly opening the bag. The aroma of the food drifted into the air instantly. He lifted his head to see that Chu Qiao was still standing and was puzzled. Raising his brows, he said, “Sit down.”

It was a coarse porcelain bowl with the blue and white decorations on the side already discolored from rubbing, and there were a few tiny holes at the mouth of the bowl. It was filled to the brim with rice, along with vegetables piled on top of it. There was not much oil, but its aroma was just as good. The boy took a pair of chopsticks and wedged them into Chu Qiao’s hands, rushing, “Quick, eat.”

Chu Qiao lowered her head and shoved her mouth full of rice. All she tasted was saltiness, due to the taste of her tears. Her throat was choked but she continued munching like a robot, occasionally sobbing in tears.

The boy looked straight at Chu Qiao. Every time she opened her mouth, he would open his too, as if he was teaching her how to eat. When she swallowed her food, he would grin from ear to ear, causing his eyes to turn into slits.

As her chopsticks were fiddling in the bowl, they poked into something. Picking it up, it was actually a piece of braised pork that was still warm.

That piece of meat was the size of a thumb and was a little burnt on the side. It was half fatty and half lean, but in a dark cold night like this, it was so tempting.

A noise suddenly rumbled. Chu Qiao raised her head from the bowl, looked towards the boy, and saw that he was awkwardly rubbing his tummy. Purposely putting on a nonchalant front, he said, “I just finished dinner, I’m not hungry.”

Chu Qiao passed the chopsticks over and said,”You have it.”

The boy shook his head instantly. “Our dinner today was especially good. The fourth young master allowed us to add dishes. Braised fish, sweet and sour ribs, vinegar fried pork, steamed duck, there were so many dishes. I ate so much I may throw up, I don’t think I can have any more food.”

Chu Qiao stubbornly raised her chopsticks and said, “I don’t like to eat fatty pork.”

The boy remained dazed for a while, looked at Chu Qiao, then diverted his gaze onto the piece of braised pork. He unknowingly swallowed his saliva. After a while, he finally reached for the chopsticks she offered, and carefully bit off the fatty portion of the meat. He then passed the lean pork back to Chu Qiao. Laughing in glee, revealing his row of white teeth, he said, “Yue Er, now you can eat.”

A pang of emotions hit her and she hurriedly lowered her head. Tears swirled in her eyes, but she managed to hold them in.

After a while, she raised her head slowly and smiled at the boy. She opened her mouth and devoured that piece of meat, munching and grinning at the same time.

“Yue Er, is it delicious?” His eyes shone as if they were stars in the galaxy.

Chu Qiao nodded furiously. She was all choked up, but she managed to say, “It’s delicious. The most delicious thing I’ve tasted in my life is this piece of meat.”

“Silly girl.” The boy reached out and patted her head. With a tinge of sadness in his expression, he said,”How old are you to say things like ‘in my life’? We don’t need to talk about the future, just when we were young. We have savored many expensive foods, but you were still too young to remember a thing. But don’t you worry. One day, the fifth brother will let you eat and dress well, and bring you delicacies from all around the world. Not only braised pork, but also ginseng, abalone, bird’s nest, shark’s fin, and clams. Whatever you want, you will have it. Until then, no one will think of bullying us. Yue Er, do you believe me?”

Chu Qiao nodded and continued shoving rice into her mouth. Although it was not very delicious, the warmth it gave was tremendous.

“Yue Er, don’t be scared.” While saying this, the boy took off his jacket and draped it onto Chu Qiao’s shoulders. With a warm tone, he annotated his words very clearly and said, “Fifth brother will protect you and will be here accompanying you. Don’t be afraid.”

As the moonlight shone clear and bright, the light shone through the gaps into the firewood hut as dazzling white light. Like frost under the moonlight, the children’s small bodies laid closely together, seemingly small, but so very warm.

The flames of light flooded the area from afar, woodwind instruments playing to their heart’s content and the aroma of meat and drinks filling the air. The nightless city of Zhen Huang had finally ushered in the climax of tonight’s banquet. Under the brilliant lights, no one remembered the little girl that had survived the onslaught in the arena. The cold air billowed, causing the flag with the flame insignia of the Xia Empire to whistle in the wind.

When she woke up the next day, the boy was no longer here. On the floor, he had left a message in his neat handwriting: The fifth brother will be back tonight. There are buns beneath the firewood.

Chu Qiao pulled away the dried twigs and saw two slightly yellowish buns wrapped in a piece of oil paper. She held them tightly and looked calm, but her gaze started to warm.

Like this, three days passed with no one questioning her condition. The boy continued to visit her daily, bringing along food and accompanying her, then leaving silently the next day. On the third day, the door to the hut banged open. Zhu Shun looked down at Zhu Qiao, who had remained alive after three days in the firewood hut, furrowing his brows tighter and tighter. At last, he ordered his men to release her.

When she stepped out of the hut, Chu Qiao stopped at the door. Taking one last look at this dilapidated hut, pressing her lips together, she turned with a look of determination.

As she walked forward, the hut seemed increasingly worn-out. A huge bunch of kids could be seen hiding behind the trees, sneakily watching her. When she reached the yard, with the men taking their leave, the crowd of kids rushed towards her, pulling her into their arms.

“Little sixth, you are back!”

“The sixth sister, I thought you were never coming back.”

“Sister Yue Er, wuuuuuuu…”

The children started chattering all at once. Some wailed outloud, scaring Chu Qiao a little, who stood there in a daze with the children surrounding her as she tolerated the snot and tears from these little kids.

“Okay, stop crying.”

A male voice was heard, turning the heads of all the children, causing them to cry out, “The fifth brother!”

A boy ran in from outside, hugging a cloth bag. In two steps, he dropped its contents onto the floor. It was a bag full of melon seeds. Upon seeing it, the children cheered and let go of Chu Qiao in unison, running to the seeds.

“Don’t snatch them. This is enough for everyone,” the boy said maturely. He continued, “Yue Er just escaped death and was severely wounded. Don’t disturb her. Everyone has to help her complete her job for the next few days.”

The children nodded. A girl with two ponytails and pale, soft features raised her head. She smiled and said, “Don’t worry the fifth brother, we will definitely help the sixth sister.”

The boy continued, “Xiao Qi, has your injury recovered? Why are you out of bed?”

“Fifth brother, it has recovered already.” The child smiled as he rolled up his sleeves, revealing black and blue scars from a whipping. Some areas still revealed his flesh and were nowhere near recovered. Xiao Qi said gleefully, “The medicine you gave me was very useful. It was painless once I applied it. Xiao Ba was kicked in the waist by the horse while she was feeding them, I’ve got to help her.”

“Lin Xi, come in, I have things to say to you.” A young girl scuttled forward suddenly, holding the boy’s hand.

He turned and looked at Chu Qiao. He said, “Yue Er, the wind is quite strong outside. Come inside too.”

In the small and dilapidated house, there was a large bed-stove, with more than ten blankets folded neatly on top of it. A boy named Lin Xi chirped, “Sister Zhi Xiang, you were looking for me?”

Zhi Xiang was not much older, looking around ten years old. She crouched down and opened the bed-stove from below, revealing its pitch black interior and pulling out a small box. She said, “In five days, it will be the anniversary of our parents and relatives’ deaths. The incense and joss paper you wanted us to secretly prepare are all here.”

Lin Xi nodded and said with a cautious tone, “Be careful, don’t let the manager know about this.”

“Yes, don’t worry. No one will come over to us. But for you, when you are taking care of the fourth young master, you have to be careful. The day before yesterday, I heard from Si Tao from the laundry room that the third young master has already killed two reading partners in his room. Even though the fourth young master is not like him, his weird character is unpredictable. When the master is not around, Young Master Huai does not bother with the happenings within the household. They are getting more and more ill-disciplined. The old master has already killed more than twenty young female slaves. The ones that were sold to the Du family together with us have all perished. I’m really worried that this fate would befall us as well.”

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 7: Chapter 7
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

In the middle of their conversation, a piercing scream was heard outside, followed by a high-pitched voice that roared, “Good job you pathetic slaves. How dare you steal? Don’t you want to live?”

Lin Xi frowned and took a step towards the door. Zhi Xiang pulled her back and whispered, “Leave from the back door, quick! No one can see you here. The fourth young master will kill you.”

“I…”

“Leave, quick!”

No one could believe that such a dilapidated hut would have a back door to it. When Lin Xi pushed open the door, Zhi Xiang held her arm and said very seriously, “No matter what happens, don’t come back.” After which she rushed out of the door.

Cries of pain and the cracks of the whip sounded simultaneously. A woman with a fat belly swung her arms and roared viciously, “Weren’t these the daughters of the wealthy Jing family back in the day? Who could have imagined they would stoop down to this state today. Your sisters are whores on Shi Hua Lane, and here you are being thieves. What a family of despicable scum.”

“Lady Song, we know that we were wrong. We won’t dare do it again.” Zhi Xiang put herself between the woman and children, suffering lashes to her face and covering it with wounds and blood. She kneeled and pulled at the edge of the woman’s skirt, crying for forgiveness. “We won’t dare do it again.”

“Finally realized your mistake? You guys seem to have a better memory after being whipped.”

The lashes of the whip landed mercilessly on the bodies of the children. Xiao Qi, whose hair was tied into two ponytails, had already been injured and could no longer stand the pain. After a few lashes, her eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out. The other children instantly started to wail, but the woman was enjoying herself, striking harder with each hit. With a cry, she raised her whip once again.

There was a swoosh, but no cries were heard. Lady Song looked down to see a little girl with tattered clothes in front of her. Though she was skinny, her gaze was cold and stern. Her blackened hands were tightly grabbing onto the other end of the whip. She said with a deadly tone, “Enough.”

Lady Song raged and howled, “Hey girl, are you looking for trouble?”

“Yue Er, Yue Er, release your hand!” Zhi Xiang crawled over and tugged at Chu Qiao’s clothes. She cried and said, “Quickly, beg Lady Song for forgiveness!”

Chu Qiao did not waver and continued glowering at the woman. With a chilly tone, she said, “Try hitting them one more time.”

Lady Song raised her eyebrows and roared, “I won’t hit them, I’ll hit you!” After finishing her sentence, she raised her whip and swung it with all her might. Chu Qiao laughed mockingly, grabbed the woman’s belt, and tripped her, causing her fat body to land heavily on the ground.

Cries of cheer erupted from the children as Chu Qiao sauntered over to the woman. She bent down and smirked, “Not coming back to complain?”

Lady Song sprung to her feet and shouted, “Just you wait!” Then, she sprinted out of the yard.

Zhi Xiang ran forward worriedly, her anxiousness causing tears to pool in her eyes. She said, “Yue Er, you’ve caused a big problem. What do we do now?”

“Look after them,” she instructed and ran out after the woman.

She had already memorized the route when she was being brought to the hut. After turning two corners, she saw the woman hurriedly running across the stone bridge. Due to her immense size, she started to pant after just a short distance.

Chu Qiao crouched down in the bushes. She surveyed her surroundings carefully, checking that the coast was clear. She picked up a stone and squinted, aiming the stone right at the woman before throwing it with all her might.

With a thud, the stone landed forcefully onto Lady Song’s ankle. With a surprised cry, she slipped and fell off the bridge.

It was already the middle of winter, and the surface of the lake was covered with a thick layer of ice. Her fall did not shatter it, causing her to lay spread eagle on top of it, where she moaned in agony.

Chu Qiao emerged from the bushes and walked leisurely towards the bridge, looking down to where the woman was lying. She yelled, “Hey, do you need me to get help?”

The woman turned and her tone instantly changed. In a friendly tone, she said, “Good girl. Would you quickly get help for me? This hurts so badly.”

Chu Qiao laughed. With a bright smile, she bent down and picked up a massive rock, lifting it over her head with all her might.

Seeing that, the woman’s face paled. She stuttered, “You… what are you doing?”

Not allowing the woman to cry for help, she released her hands and the massive rock smashed the layer of ice, cracking it instantly. With a cry of shock, the woman was engulfed in the icy water, sinking to the bottom of the lake and leaving merely a few bubbles on the surface.

Chu Qiao stood on the bridge, looking calm and composed with an unchanging expression.

This was a savage world. To survive, a person had to eliminate their predators in one fell swoop.

Without a tinge of regret, she turned and retraced her steps. As she stepped into the yard, the children rushed towards her, all wounded and teary-eyed. Chu Qiao reached out to embrace Xiao Qi, who had just regained consciousness and was right in front of her. With a deep breath, she whispered, “Don’t be afraid, everything is fine now.”

In this slave yard, which housed the lowest class of slaves of the Zhuge household, the young female slaves lived the lives of animals. They could no longer hold back their tears, crying their sorrows away.

When dinnertime came, the granny that was in charge of the Jing family’s children ordered them to work. Even the wounded children like Xiao Qi and Zhi Xiang had to. Only Chu Qiao and Xiao Ba, who had injured his waist and was fast asleep, remained in the hut. It was not until midnight that the other children returned exhausted from work. After finishing their dinner, the children obediently climbed into bed. Zhi Xiang crouched at the side of the bed-stove, adding firewood to keep the fire burning. The scars on her face were red and swollen, as though they were tiny snakes.

There was pin drop silence within the hut, and soon the slow breaths of children in deep sleep filled the room. Dressed in the clothes that Zhi Xiang had just given her, she sat up and whispered, “If you do not treat the wounds on your face, there will be scars.”

The flames within the bed-stove glowed, brightening her face. She was so skinny, making her eyes seem bigger and darker. She raised her head and said, “Yue Er, slaves aren’t supposed to use medicine. The last time Xiao Qi secretly used the medicine Lin Xi brought, we did not know the risk that we were taking. If it had been discovered, everyone could have lost their lives. We can’t mess around with the wounds on my face.”

While saying that, a sound was heard from above the stove. Both of them turned their heads, and realized that it was Xiao Qi who had kicked away her blanket in her sleep. Zhi Xiang rushed forward and covered Xiao Qi with her blanket. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she returned to man the fire.

Chu Qiao looked at Zhi Xiang and her lips trembled, but she did not say a word. This child was barely ten years old but had to shoulder such huge responsibilities. All the children in this hut were between five to ten years old. Why would the wealthy Zhuge family need so many children of this age?

“Sister Zhi Xiang,” Chu Qiao whispered while getting off the bed-stove. Sitting beside Zhi Xiang, she continued, “Have you been to Jiang Nan?”

“Jiang Nan?” Zhi Xiang’s brows furrowed. “Where is Jiang Nan?”

“Do you know where the Yellow Mountain is? Or the Yangtze River?”

Zhi Xiang shook her head and answered, “I know that on the west bank of the Hong River lies the Hong Mountain, and beneath the Hong Mountain there is the Cang Li River. Yue Er, why do you ask?”

Chu Qiao seemed to be in a daze and was deep in thought for a while. She shook her head and said, “It’s nothing, I just wanted to ask. Oh, by the way, Sister Zhi Xiang, do you know who the current emperor is?”

“The emperor is the emperor. How could we call the emperor by his name? But I do know that the Royal Highness that is always dressed in black and frequents the Zhuge household is the emperor’s seventh son, Zhao Che. He is the youngest prince in the Xia Empire to be named king.”

That cold emotionless appearance with a scornful expression flashed through her mind. Her eyes narrowed and she repeated, “Zhao Che?”

“Yue Er, what happened to you? You seemed weird when you returned. What did you say to Lady Song? How could she let us off just like that?”

Chu Qiao turned and grinned. She said, “I’m fine, don’t worry. Lady Song did not let us off, but she fell into the icy lake and drowned. I saw her drowning with my own eyes. Regarding the matter of Lady Song coming here, do not mention it to anyone.”

“She died?” Zhi Xiang gasped as her face paled.

Chu Qiao covered her mouth quickly, looking around. Seeing that none of the children had woken up, she said seriously, “No one knows about this except for you and me. Don’t tell anyone else. She has an evil heart, so there are plenty of reasons for her to die. But she is already dead, and you need not worry anymore.”

“Yue… Yue Er,” Zhi Xiang stuttered. “You… you did not kill her, right? She fell into the lake by herself, right? Her… her son is the consular guard of the court. We cannot afford to offend him.”

Chu Qiao laughed and pointed to herself. “Do you think I would be capable of killing her? Okay, you have to stop thinking so much. She committed so many bad deeds that even if no one killed her, God would have taken it into his own hands. You’ve had a tiring day. You should rest.”

Zhi Xiang shook her head furiously. “No, I have to keep the fire going.”

“I can do it. I’m injured and can laze around tomorrow. Go and rest.”

Chu Qiao sat quietly on a small stool, adding firewood once into a while into the fire. The flames crackled while they burned, illuminating her face with a bright red glow. She raised her head to look at the children in the hut, and her heart ached. Such a pity, but what could she do? She had mysteriously been brought to this era and was trapped in the tiny body of Jing Yue Er, losing all her martial arts skills and being of such a lowly class. She could barely take care of herself, how could she take care of others? The things she had done today were to return the favor of Lin Xi delivering food to her for the past three days. After this, she had to leave immediately.

Chu Qiao gradually closed her eyes. She knew that whatever she did, there would always be a limit to her capabilities. But in her current state, she did not have the ability to shoulder such a huge burden.

The rooster cried as dawn broke. The Jing family children woke up on time and put on their servant’s clothes, preparing for the rest of the day.

Although she had lost her well-trained skills, she was still clear minded. Chu Qiao was no longer the super agent from the 9th operational division, but she had still gone through professional military training. The Zhuge household was vast with many people living in it, but for a tiny eight-year-old child with exceptional logical reasoning and a concept of space, it still seemed like a defenseless playground.

Within half an hour, she crept out of the slave yard and walked towards the front garden. Its defenses began to grow more stringent, and guards armed with knives could be seen patrolling the grounds.The Zhuge family was not an ordinary household, as Zhuge Huai could call Zhao Jue, Zhao Che, and the other members of the royal family his brothers.

Standing tall, her small body looked like a tiny tree. Chu Qiao straightened her clothes and stepped out with confidence.

“Stop! Are you looking for trouble? Do you think this a place where you can roam around wherever you like?”

A tall soldier with a large figure walked up to her, his face chubby and overweight. Chu Qiao froze in her steps and looked up, her fair, cute features coupled with dark, watery eyes. She said in a sugary tone, “Oh, elder brother, I have orders from the old master to go to his outer quarters. From what I heard, if I’m not there within the hour, they’ll kill me.”

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 8: Chapter 8
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The guard’s brows furrowed and sized up little Chu Qiao. Since when does the old master prefer girls that are not fully grown? he thought. Confused, he asked, “Who asked you to go there? Do you know the location of the old master’s outer quarters?”

“I have the address.” The child rummaged through her bag and took out a small piece of paper and started to point out the directions. She mumbled, “Once you exit the house, turn left at the third junction. Fu Xiang Restaurant would be right in front…”

“Okay,” the guard snapped in annoyance. “Who told you about it and why isn’t anyone bringing you there?”

The child replied honestly, “Lady Song told me all this. She was supposed to bring me there, but when we were crossing the stone bridge, she slipped and fell over, smashing the ice on the lake. I saw her drown. So I guess she can no longer bring me there.”

“What?” The guard gasped and grabbed Chu Qiao by her shoulders. He shouted, “Who did you say fell off the stone bridge?”

“Lady Song, the one in charge of the slaves in the backyard.”

With a tight slap, the guard’s palms landed forcefully on the child’s face. He raged, “You brat, why didn’t you tell me earlier? Come on guys, we have to rescue her!”

Chu Qiao fell to the ground with the blow, her ears ringing. Looking at everyone rushing out frantically, her lips waned and a heartless smirk emerged.

She would remember this slap.

Chu Qiao stood up in no time. Holding her bag in her hand, she walked towards the main gate without looking back. The gates were plated in gold and were enormous. A pair of ferocious stone lions stood at either side of the gate, with their eyes painted red, both radiating a vicious aura. The name of the Zhuge household was engraved on top of the door and was painted in sparkling gold, dazzling under the sun.

Chu Qiao walked with short strides and needed quite a bit of effort to climb over the sill. When she was halfway through the door, the sun shone brightly onto her and even the air seemed a whole lot fresher. From then on, her life would have a new start. The humiliation and pain she suffered, she would always remember it.

The child pressed her lips together and took a deep breath. Raising her leg, she began to step out of this rotten prison.

At this moment, a familiar piercing cry could be heard by the well to the right side of the front garden, followed by the horrendous wail of a child. The gates on the right side of the garden opened wide, and the dull thuds of planks landing on a child’s bared bodies filled the household.

The servants that walked by snuck gazes at the scene, wondering who was the person who had the “honor” of deserving that. Chu Qiao stood at the main gate and was extremely close to leaving this savage courtyard, but the continuous screams kept ringing in her ears.

Her brows tightly knit, she finally stopped shuffling forward. She turned and ran to her right.

Fate would always give people the opportunity to choose. A single step could make a worldly difference.

Zhuge Yue was dressed in light green clothes that were of the finest quality. There were several green lotuses stitched onto them and his black hair laid loosely on his back. His complexion was as white as jade and he had jet black eyes, his lips a shade darker than the rest. Although he was just thirteen to fourteen years old, he looked wicked and cold. With both his eyes half closed, it seemed that nothing was worthy of his gaze. He was as cold as the snow atop the peak of Long Dong Mountain during mid-winter. He lay on his side on a reddish gold cushioned seat, with both his arms behind his head. He had two female servants kneeling by his side, with incense in their hands, occasionally peeling fresh lychees for him that had been rushed over from the Tang Dynasty by their quickest horses.

Barely twenty steps before him, a child in the servant’s uniform was battered until her flesh was showing, her cries started to weaken. A little female servant who was only six to seven years old knelt at the side, repeatedly kowtowing and begging for forgiveness. Her forehead was already grazed and there was blood flowing down past her teary eyes.

The sun started to rise. The city of Zhen Huang was located in the Hong Chuan Highlands, and even though it was well into winter, the sun was still merciless. Zhuge Yue raised his head and frowned, squinting at the bright light. Seeing this, the two female servants frantically opened their umbrellas to cover his head. Zhuge Yue sat up straight and waved off the servants beside him, resting his back on his chair.

Two strong and burly men shuffled forward respectfully, taking up their positions in front and behind Zhuge Yue’s chair and lifting it, walking towards the door to the right.

The girl that was kowtowing for forgiveness gasped in shock. She frantically crawled forward and cried, tugging at Zhuge Yue’s clothes. “The fourth young master, please let Lin Xi go. He will not survive if you continue hitting him.”

Zhuge Yue raised his brows and lowered his gaze, looking at the girl’s blackened hands which were dripping with fresh blood.

The child felt an uncontrollable rush of coldness sweep through her body, freezing her mind. She saw five bloodstained fingerprints on Zhuge Yue’s white boots, strikingly obvious.

With a kick, one of the guards carrying the palanquin knocked the child to the floor. The two female servants rushed forward instantly, removing his dirtied boots. Zhuge Yue glanced at the child and turned back, looking emotionless throughout.

One of the female servants said coldly, “Cut off one of her hands.”

The child sat shell shocked on the ground, her cries stopping in an instant. Rushing over with rigor, a guard drew the sword by his waist, and a stream of blood spewed out. A tiny white hand had been chopped off!

Piercing screams shot out, startling the ferocious vultures circling the sky. The teenager sat comfortably in his chair, being silent, and closed his eyes as if he saw and heard nothing.

Chu Qiao stood in a daze at the door. As if she was carved from stone, her hurried footsteps stopped instantly. Her eyes widened and covered her mouth tightly. She froze in fear.

“Fourth young master, this child has stopped breathing.”

Zhuge Yue looked over at Lin Xi’s tiny body with a sweeping gaze. Rubbing his temples, he said cooly, “Throw him into the pond in the back and feed the fish.”

“Yes.”

The strong men raised the palanquin that Zhuge Yue was on, moving forward slowly. Everyone got on their knees when they passed, not even raising their heads.

“Wait,” Zhuge Yue suddenly whispered while passing the right gate. Turning his head, he gazed at Chu Qiao, who was glaring at him. He frowned and said, “Which house are you serving, slave? Why didn’t you kneel when you saw me?”

The morning breeze blew, blowing up specks of dust at the corners of the wall. Sunlight pierced their eyes like thousands of sharp needles. There were white birds soaring through the sky, flapping their wings which were as white as snow. Chu Qiao took a deep breath and bit her lip, suppressing her anger and pushing it down her throat inch by inch. She plopped onto the ground and looked straight towards the brick floor with her eyes open wide. With the voice of a child, she frantically said, “Yue Er is a slave in the backyard. May the fourth young master forgive my lack of knowledge. This is my first time seeing you, Young Master, and I thought I saw a fairy.”

Zhuge Yue’s expression calmed. He saw that the child was adorable and young, but not very good with her words. This aroused his interest and he continued asking, “How old are you? And what is your name?”

“Fourth young master, Yue Er is seven this year, and my surname is Jing.”

“Jing Yue Er?” Zhuge Yue said, “Change your name and follow me in the future. Let your name be… Xing Er.”

Chu Qiao instantly knelt on the ground and said loudly, “Xing Er thanks the fourth young master.”

Zhuge Yue retracted his gaze. His men lifted up his palanquin and turned around the corridor. They disappeared from view.

It was quite a lively finish, but there had been the death of a lowly slave. The men in the Zhuge household had already grown accustomed to this sight, parting ways without a word. A few cleaners lifted the child’s body and threw it into a sack, tying it up. They dragged it towards the lake in the backyard.

The child was still young. His bones had been completely broken, and fresh blood flowed out of the sack. Sticky drops of blood stained the brick floor, leaving a long trail behind.

Chu Qiao was still kneeling on the ground, with her back heaving up and down, her teeth clenched tightly onto her lower lip, as though they were weaved shellfish. She looked straight ahead, with her tiny fists clenched tight. Looking at the sack being dragged away before her, with glaring blood spreading all over the floor and covered in dust and dirt, a huge tear welled in her eyes and fell onto the back of her hand with a splash.

Sorrow and hatred surged through her, but she knew that she could not cry. She could not show even a tiny bit of resentment at this time. She wiped her face with the back of her hand and stood up quickly. At the spacious area beside the well, Xiao Qi had already lost consciousness, with blood spewing from her wrist, but no one cared.

Chu Qiao quickly tore her clothes and pressed Xiao Qi’s acupuncture points, wrapping up the wound to stop the bleeding with her superior techniques. After everything was done, she clenched her teeth and placed Xiao Qi on her back, walking towards the backyard.

When she set foot outside of the gate, a cold voice suddenly muttered, “Stop! Who gave you permission to carry her away?”

Chu Qiao looked up and saw Zhu Shun, the one that had locked her up for three days. She frowned and said with a calm tone, “The fourth young master didn’t say he wanted her killed.”

“Master also did not say where to place her.” Zhu Qiao glared at Chu Qiao and said coldly, “Speculating what is on the master’s mind on your own, you are looking for death. Men, take her down!”

Two servants came forward at once, reaching out to grab Chu Qiao’s arms. She scurried backward as she avoided their hands. When they struggled to grab her, Xiao Qi let out a grunt. The wound that was wrapped up started to bleed again.

“How dare you come near me! I am working at the fourth young master’s side. Do you want to be killed?”

Zhu Shun sneered and said, “You barely received any recognition, and yet you use it to command us. I don’t think the fourth young master will even remember your existence by tomorrow morning. How dare you use that to scare me?”

Chu Qiao picked at her brow. Carrying Xiao Qi, she retreated as though she was a leopard, sharpening her gaze while frowning. “Butler Zhu, I thought you were sending a message from my Royal Highness to Young Master Huai. Why are you badgering me with such affairs? You seem to be very free to me.”

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 9: Chapter 9
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

A voice suddenly sounded. Chu Qiao turned towards the crowd and saw a boy that served in a scholar’s study speaking loudly with an arrogant tone. Not far away, a teenager with a long and slender figure wearing a dark green robe stood before the court hall with his back facing the crowd. At his side, there were four followers.

Zhu Shun was stunned. Turning his head hurriedly, he pathetically bent down, well below his crotch. He nodded while he bowed and scraped, “Royal Highness Yan, my men were not well disciplined, causing them to make fools of themselves in front of your Royal Highness.”

“Is your servant’s discipline more important, or is my family’s royal highness more important? Zhu Shun, I think you must be crazy.”

Zhu Shun was taken aback. He got on his knees and started to kowtow, hurriedly saying, “I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare, I know I am wrong.”

The young attendant snorted, “If you know your mistake, what are you still doing here?”

After hearing that, Zhu Shun stood up at once, rushing towards Zhuge Huai’s study room. The servants in the household retreated to a corner. One of them said cautiously, “Can I invite Royal Highness Yan to wait in the hall?”

The teenager dressed in robes nodded and turned slowly, his jet black eyes sweeping through his surroundings. When he saw Chu Qiao, his eyes narrowed, as though he remembered a thing or two. He walked straight up to her.

Chu Qiao remained calm and cautiously took two steps back. When Yan Xun saw her retreat, he stopped and thought to himself for awhile. He took out a white porcelain bottle from the pocket in his sleeves. Pictures of delicate orchids were engraved onto it. The teenager reached out with the bottle in his hand and nodded, signalling for her to take the bottle.

Chu Qiao looked up and down at Yan Xun, and the scene at the hunting arena flashed by her eyes. She stood her ground with caution.

Yan Xun was puzzled. Immediately, his lips waned and let out a grin, bending down to place the bottle gently on the floor. After which, he turned and led his followers into the hall.

“Urgh.” A slight groan could be heard behind her. Xiao Qi barely made out Chu Qiao’s features. Her voice as soft as mosquitoes, with paramount fear, she cried, “Sister Yue Er, Xiao Qi… is Xiao Qi dying?”

Chu Qiao crouched down and placed the porcelain bottle in her hand. The muscles tightened throughout her body, and she looked gloomily towards the main house of the Zhuge household. She said slow and firmly, “Xiao Qi, I assure you, you will be okay.”

Carrying Xiao Qi, she ran back to the slave’s yard, rushing into the room and cleaning the wound before bandaging it. The medicine Yan Xun had given her was very effective. It could not only stop the bleeding, but also had a mild anaesthetic effect. Xiao Qi let out several hums before falling into a deep sleep.

Xiao Ba, who had been sick all this while, woke up and could barely get out of bed. These children were traumatised by all the recent incidents. No one spoke a word after they woke up, looking at Chu Qiao busily taking care of Xiao Qi with dazed looks like a bunch of fools.

It was getting late. Chu Qiao wiped the sweat off her forehead, the wound on her shoulder blazing in pain. She leaned against the wall, listening to Xiao Qi’s soft cries of pain in her sleep. It felt as if someone had tightly gripped her heart and yanked it out resolutely, throwing it onto the freezing snowy ground. Closing her eyes, Lin Xi appeared in her mind. The boy that was good looking and pure, the one that promised that he would protect her, the one that was beaten so viciously that he was unrecognizable.

A stream of tears flowed from her tightly shut eyes. They flowed down her chin, dripping onto her cloth shoes.

Suddenly, a frantic voice could be heard outside the door. In a moment of shock, Chu Qiao opened the door and walked out. A girl that was twelve to thirteen years old stood in the yard. When she saw Chu Qiao, it seemed as though she had seen her savior. She cried and rushed forward, “Yue Er, Zhi Xiang and the children from the Jing family were taken away by the men Butler Zhu sent.”

Chu Qiao frowned, and her voice sank. “Taken away? When did this happen?”

“They left early in the morning. I only managed to find Lin Xi, asking him to plead forgiveness from the fourth young master. A day has passed but there is still no news from him. What do we do?”

“Did they say what the children were doing?”

Wiping her tears, the girl cried and said, “They said… They said the children were being sent to the old master’s house outside the city.”

“What?” Chu Qiao exclaimed. Alarm bells started ringing in her mind. The rumors Lin Xi had told them these past few days about the beastly hobbies of the old master ran rampant in her mind. Her face paled.

Xiao Ba stood at the door. Hearing their conversation, she walked up, as if in a trance. She tugged at Chu Qiao’s sleeves. Her voice was soft, like a small injured animal. She asked repeatedly, “Sister Yue Er, where are Sister Zhi Xiang and the rest of the children? Where did they go?”

Chu Qiao reacted, turned around, and sprinted out the door.

“Yue Er!” the girl cried from behind. Chu Qiao did not look back, a bad feeling entrenched in her mind. She did not know whether she would be able to make it, and did not know whether she had a chance of rescuing those children. She could only do her best, sprinting ahead, not daring to stop.

She passed the Qing Shan court, the stables, the back gardens. Sprinting forward, she would reach the five curve corridors of the front court. All of a sudden, the sound of hurried footsteps were heard. Chu Qiao stopped with caution.

“Sister Yue Er?” A tiny voice was heard from behind her. Chu Qiao was stunned. She turned, only to see Xiao Ba dressed in a loose blouse, standing pitifully behind her. She had not even put on her shoes. In a daze, she asked, “Where did Sister Zhi Xiang and the others go?”

Holding Xiao Ba, Chu Qiao turned and crouched beside a bush. It was already winter and all its flowers had wilted. Luckily, it was in the middle of the night, where lights were sparse. It would be difficult to spot them.

The sound of footsteps came closer and closer. There were four people pushing a cart towards them. One of them was pushing, with the other three supporting the sides of the cart. The road Chu Qiao had used was already very remote, and only the cleaners would use this road. She pulled Xiao Ba close and crouched within the bush, quietly waiting for the people to pass.

These people walked up to where the two of them were hiding and stopped. Xiao Ba appeared very afraid, her body shuddering, tightly grabbing Chu Qiao’s clothes in her hands and not daring to move an inch.

One of the men said gruffly, “Guys, let’s take a rest. We walked quite a distance without rest. At least let me have a smoke.”

The others laughed, “Old Liu’s smoking addiction is here.” After which, they lit their cigarettes in glee, starting to smoke.

Chu Qiao started to get anxious and her brows were tightly knit together. As the cold wind blew by, Xiao Ba, who was dressed thinly, started to shiver vigorously due to the cold. With the northern winds picking up speed, the straw mat on top of the cart was blown up with a swoosh, circling in the air for awhile before landing on the ground with a crunch. The yellow straw mat was red in color, drenched in dark red blood.

Chu Qiao and Xiao Ba gazed into the cart. With lightning speed, Chu Qiao threw her hand onto Xiao Ba’s mouth, shutting it tightly.

The moon shone through the clouds, allowing dim white moonlight to illuminate the surroundings. All they saw were small bodies of children being piled onto the medium pushcart, like a pile of lifeless radishes. Zhi Xiang’s skinny body lay naked, with bruises all over it. Her eyes were still wide in shock, with blood clots at the corner of her eyes. Her lower torso was a mess and limbs were still being tied together. Her posture was strange and she had been placed in the most humiliating manner at the top of the pile of bodies. Chu Qiao covered Xiao Ba’s mouth tightly, with her other hand hugging her in a tight grip. The child seemed like she had gone mad, desperately wanting to break free from her grip. Enormous drops of warm tears rolled down Chu Qiao’s arms, her teeth sinking mercilessly into Chu Qiao’s palm. Fresh blood seeped out, flowing down her fair wrist, and eventually dripping onto the blackened soil. Moonlight shone through the sparse tree onto them, covering them in mottled shadows as dismal as frost.

No one knew how much time had passed. The cart started to get further and further away, and they were surrounded by dead silence. Chu Qiao let go of her hand slowly. The flesh in her palm could be seen and was covered in blood. Xiao Ba seemed as though she had become dumb, simply standing there quietly, in a daze. Chu Qiao reached out and patted her on her cheek, calling out her name cautiously with a hoarse voice.

The wind was frigid. Withered branches whirled in the air. In this night of dead silence, music sounded from the main hall of the front court as if it had come from another world.

“Kill them…” the six year old child murmured. Her eyes widening all of a sudden, she continued, “I want to go and kill… Kill them!”

The child had bloodshot eyes, rummaging around as if she was looking for something. Suddenly, she picked up a stone from the bush, stood up, and wanted to run towards the cart. Luckily, Chu Qiao had a fast reaction. She held the child back, holding her tightly in her arms.

“Kill them!” Kill them!” The child could not hold it back anymore as she roared in fury, her face twisted with hatred and despair, tears streaking down her face. She could collapse any moment.

Chu Qiao felt as if a knife had been driven through her heart. She held this crazed child in her arms and finally succumbed to her torrential tears.

These animals, these beasts, a thousand deaths would not be enough to wash away the sins of these scum. She had never felt such intense hate, and she definitely never had felt such a desire to kill someone. She was consumed by an overwhelming amount of hatred. She hated them, hated the cruelty of those people, hated this cruel world. But she hated her weakness and her helplessness the most. She hated that she could only watch these events unfold, but could not do anything about them.

The child in her arms was nearing collapse. Her cries seemed like knives, slicing away at Chu Qiao’s heart. If she could get her hands on a shotgun, she would not hesitate to rush into the Zhuge household, killing every one of those scum living inside.

It was a pity that she did not have one. She had nothing. She had no money, no power, no background, no skills, and no arms. She was just a spirit from another world being trapped in the small body of Jing Yue Er. Even though she had the brains and knowledge that were thousands of years more advanced than the time she was in, at that moment, she could only hide carefully in the bush. She had not even been able to muster the courage to see them one last time.

Chu Qiao raised her head slowly, allowing the cold moonlight to shine on her face. She secretly swore to herself that this could only happen once. She would never want this to happen again. She never wanted to live with nothing, and never wanted to live without the ability to protect herself. Never again!

The cold moon seemed like it was liquid. In such a huge household, two weak and lowly slaves crouched in the bushes within the back garden like two shy puppies, laying close to each other. However, in their hearts, they had enough hate to destroy the world.

By the time they reached the slave’s yard, it was already midnight. Before entering the gate, she saw that the door was wide open. Chu Qiao’s heart sank. She let go of Xiao Ba’s hand before running into the house.

The room was a mess. The top of the bed-stove was filled with blood stains, with adult footprints covering the floor. There was no sign of Xiao Qi.

“Yue Er, you are back!” The girl whom she had met before crawled out from the pile of firewood at the corner of the room.

Chu Qiao hurried forward and pulled her back. She asked in a deep voice, “Where is Xiao Qi? Where did Xiao Qi go?”

The girl cried and replied, “Butler Zhu brought his men over and took Xiao Qi with him. He said that she could no longer work without one hand. They carried her out and wanted to throw her into the Ting Lake to feed the crocodiles.”

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 10: Chapter 10
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Chu Qiao blacked out as she lost consciousness. Her heart could not take it any longer. Clutching at the girl’s robes, she said slowly with a hoarse tone, “How long were they gone for? How long were they gone for?”

“It was almost an hour ago. Yue Er, it’s already too late to save her.”

Chu Qiao turned at looked at Xiao Ba, who was standing at the door. Her eyes were red from crying as she raised her head, looking at Chu Qiao as well. When their eyes met, tears started to roll down their cheeks, but none of them made a sound.

“Yue Er, I have to go back. You two have to be careful. From what I heard from the people in the laundry room, Butler Zhu is deliberately targeting you. Did you do anything to offend him?”

There was pin-drop silence in the hut. The courtyard was a huge white space. Both children stood there silently for a long while.

When the clock struck 3 a.m., the drum sounded. The last two children of the Jing family silently snuck through the Qingshi forest, reaching Ting Lake which was behind the Zhuge house. The cold wind rustled the bamboo trees and there was resounding silence from the lake. Its tranquil surface looked no different from any other day.

Chu Qiao kneeled on top of a hill as she said to Xiao Ba who was right beside her, “Xiao Ba, get on your knees. Give our brothers and sisters a kowtow.”

Xiao Ba was barely seven years old but she had experienced a traumatic change tonight. Her tiny face had lost the childish innocence that was supposed to be visible upon it. She knelt silently at Chu Qiao’s side, bowed deeply in the direction of the lake, and knocked her head heavily thrice on the ground.

“Xiao Ba, do you hate this place?”

The child nodded without uttering a word.

Sounding calm, Chu Qiao said lightly, “Do you want to leave?”

The child said in a deep tone, “Yes.”

Chu Qiao looked ahead, her voice calm and composed. She squinted her eyes and frowned, gently saying, “I promise you, I will bring you away as soon as possible. But before we leave, we still have some unfinished business. After all that is over, we will leave this place.”

The child nodded quietly as she kowtowed once again, muttering each word clearly, “Sister Zhi Xiang, you have always prayed for God’s blessings, but I don’t think you knew that they were blind. Take our brothers and sisters with you and move on. Wait and see, as Sister Yue Er and I will avenge you all.”

The cold wind billowed through the pitch-black night. Atop the hill in Qing Shi Forest, two tiny bodies laid towards each other, tightly holding hands.

It was December. At the northwestern border; the Quan Rong people had invaded, burning everything in their way as their large army advanced.

Within twenty days, the war intensified, tens of thousands of common people living outside the gates being dragged into the conflict. The northwestern gates were at a special geographical location. They were between the western fief that was controlled by the Ba Tu Ha clan and the Northern Yan territory that was controlled by the Yan King. The northwestern Old Ba Tu had fought against the Northern Yan’s Lion King for years. Today, as the Mu He clan, who backed Old Ba Tu, stabilized its power within the empire, the Ba Tu Ha family started to gain the upper hand. In the last year, they had finally seized military control of the northwestern gates with blood, cleansing all the officers that were stationed there. Within the empire, other clans were also sending their children to the northwest, hoping to penetrate the empire’s largest military system. When this happened, the old generals who possessed a wealth of experience and had guarded the border had been overthrown. Those that rose to power were the empire’s elites that had never seen blood spilt.

This was precisely why the Quan Rong people had invaded the border. They had seized this opportunity and paid a small price to open up the first entrance towards the gates, allowing their cavalry to rush into miles of fertile land outside the gates.

Even though the Ba Tu Ha family had promptly resisted the attack, sending their elite soldiers into battle, due to their lack of knowledge of the enemy and the numerous factions within the gates, all their attacks lacked cooperation. The confusion within the troops only intensified. Letters of emergency assistance flurried towards the capital, begging the Zhen Huang elders to send troops to resist the invaders.

It was the 27th day of the lunar month. The broken star emerged and Zhao Ming went into hiding. The priest within the Qin Temple summoned a prophecy: the Taihe star is indifferent and the waters of chi contain ice. A calamity is befalling us.

The seven families of power discussed long into the night, finally deciding to send the Huang Tian Brigade to the gates, stabilizing the northwestern region.

When the call to arms was released, it was then sent towards the Sheng Jin Palace. After the emperor read it, he replied: permitted.

Within moments, the capital of Zhen Huang was engulfed in strong winds, and the families of power were scared. In the pitch-black night, rapid currents surged beneath the thick ice on the surface of the river.

At this moment, Chu Qiao was at the northern pavilion, busily working within the dried bushes, carefully finding the winter cat snakes. Suddenly, a resounding horn was heard from a distance, as if a crane was cawing, majestic and forceful. She stood up slowly, squinting towards the south of Zhen Huang City. There stood the Cheng Jin Palace.

In the dark night, roads were not easy to navigate.

In the next afternoon, the heavy snow fell under the sun. Under the glass of the Qing Shan Pavilion, there were two white jade snow-dogs sparkling brightly under the sun, their intricate carvings shining. There had been a huge snowfall the night before, causing almost a foot of snow to be piled up. The cleaners passed by the dogs, not even daring to lay a gaze on them as they were afraid that they might get into trouble.

Jin Cai was wearing a traditional Han vest made from sable skin and a beautiful red dress, with a pink belt tied around her waist. She stood in the middle of the snow-covered ground, looking as gorgeous as ever. This female servant who was always by the fourth young master’s side was barely thirteen years old, but looked slim and graceful, allowing eyes to feast on her gorgeous looks. When she was beside her master, she would be warm and gentle, but now, she had become arrogant and domineering. Her tone was cold as she looked at the children with disgust. They merely wore thin clothes while they carried the jade dogs. She said, “Hold it tightly. The young master has said that jade has life. It will become smooth and clear when it comes into contact with human energy. You pathetic slaves should feel honored to be serving the fourth young master. Don’t be lazy. If anyone is disobedient when I return, you will be dragged to Ting Lake to feed the fish.”

The children nodded timidly, as Jin Cai let out a sneer before heading back into the warm flower room.

After the snow, it became colder and colder. Not even wearing a ferret coat while hugging the heaters would have been of much use, but these children were only wearing a thin layer of clothes out in the cold. The children’s lips were frozen solid within moments.

Chu Qiao was carrying a tray of fresh peaches just as she came from the Lan Shan Yard. When Jin Cai saw her, she ran out of the flower room, calling out to her.

Chu Qiao stopped in her tracks and turned, her face blushing red, appearing ignorant as she said with a tilt of her head, “Sister Jin Cai, is something wrong?”

“The fourth young master is having his afternoon nap. Just hand me the peaches.”

Chu Qiao smiled as she nodded, handing over the peaches. Jin Cai turned and walked back into the flower room. Before she could get comfortable in the room, a loud roar was heard from Xuan Hall. Jin Cai frantically put down the peaches and sprinted towards it.

Before she could reach the door, a colorful shadow flew out of the door, hitting her face with a swoosh. When she felt it, it was soft and cold, with a greasy texture. However, it smelled disgustingly fishy.

Jin Cai looked down and saw a small snake with its head raised. She was scared out of her wits, crying as she fell to the ground.

Chu Qiao ran into the room and saw Zhuge Yue with his brows tightly furrowed together, dressed in light green clothes as he laid on his couch. Dark blood was flowing from his wrist, obviously having been bitten by a snake. She rushed forward and grabbed his wrist while picking up a fruit knife on the table, slashing the wound.

The servants outside the room saw this scene, and some rushed in to grab this treasonous little slave.

Zhuge Yue raised his brows and gently waved his hands, stopping his servants from rushing forward. They saw Chu Qiao cut a cross-shaped wound on his wrist, squeezing it hard for a moment as she sucked the poison out with her mouth. After which, she spit it out and said hurriedly, “Young Master, please do not exert any strength or the poison will spread quicker. I will go get you the doctor.”

At this moment, many slaves gathered at the door. Jin Cai frantically rushed forward, pushing Chu Qiao away as she knelt on the ground while holding Zhuge Yue’s hand. She cried, “Young Master, how are you?”

Zhuge Yue frowned when she grabbed his hand, seemingly annoyed. His feet landed on her chest as he kicked her away, growling, “Scram!”

When Jin Cai touched the ground, she screamed in terror. Snakes were crawling all over the ground, almost twenty of them. It looked strange and terrible.

Chu Qiao took out a candle and lit it immediately, chasing the snakes away using the fire as they were afraid of it. They backed off immediately.

The Zhuge family doctor rushed into the room as the crowd dispersed. The servants of the Qing Shan Court kneeled at the door in fear with ashen looks on their faces.

After a while, the doctor walked out alone as he addressed the servants, “Who is Xing Er?”

Chu Qiao stood up from within the crowd with her short stature and tender face. She whispered as she raised her hand, “I am, sir.”

The doctor did not expect her to be such a young child. Somewhat in a daze, he said with a faltering tone, “Come in, the fourth young master said that you sucked the blood out for him. He asked me to check on you as well.”

There were about one hundred servants kneeling there. Everyone looked up in shock, their gazes falling upon Chu Qiao.

Chu Qiao’s expression turned into fear, as she kowtowed a couple of times, thanking the master’s compassion. After which, she followed the doctor into Xuan Hall.

In the chilly wind, the servants who welcomed the powerful but despised the weak changed their minds about Chu Qiao instantly.

Within a few moments, Chu Qiao walked out with a calm expression, without any signs of arrogance.

When the doctor left, Jin Cai and Jin Chu, the two servants, led a few higher-ranking servants into the room. Zhuge Yue leaned back in his chair. With his eyes half closed, he asked softly, “Who is on duty in this house today?”

Jin Chu looked at Jin Cai. Her face ashen with fear, she stuttered, “Young Master, I, I am, I just…”

“Say no more.” Zhuge Yue’s voice rang cold and deep. “You know the rules here. I don’t keep lazy servants. Go down and receive thirty flogs of the cane. After which, take my letter to the An Jun Court to get a job.”

Once she heard his words, Jin Chu’s tears flowed from her eyes. She cried as she knelt on the ground, “Young Master, can you forgive me this time, I would not dare do it again.”

Zhuge Yue raised his brows. Two burly guards walked forward instantly, dragging Jin Chu out of the room.

“Who are the gatekeepers?”

Two servants knelt onto the floor, their bodies trembling as they kowtowed continuously. They were so afraid that they did not speak a word.

Zhuge Yue opened his eyes and glanced at the two servants. He said, “It’s you two?” With a little sneer, he continued, “All the while, you two were always hitting others. This time, get the canes and go to the well to hit each other. When one dies, the other will not need to suffer punishment.”

The house was filled with dead silence, and Zhuge Yue was upset due to his injured wrist. He frowned and ordered, “Get out, all of you! Just looking at you makes me frustrated.”

Everyone looked as if they had been pardoned. They shuffled back in unison. This time, a small voice suddenly squeaked, “Young Master, can I shift the pots containing burnt rattan outside Xuan Hall?”

Zhuge Yue picked up his brows, looking in the direction of the voice.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 11: Chapter 11
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

As everyone turned their heads they saw the little maid, who had just entered Qing Shan Courtyard. Standing in the crowd with her small figure, she gently spoke, “Even though it’s winter, we are situated near the hot spring that provides much warmth but also mosquitoes and moths. Rattan itself attracts these bugs but burning it emits more warmth and further attracts the birds and mice. They feed on the bugs which then, attracts the snakes which feed on the mice. This is common knowledge and the maids should have thought long and hard about it.”

Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows with alarm, turned his head and asked with a stern tone, “Who brought these pots of rattan here?”

Jin Cai was frightened and murmured hesitantly, “Sir, these few pots were sent by the Zhu household caretaker yesterday, explaining that they are a speciality of South Xinjiang. He thought that you would like it and specifically requested the maids to place them here.”

“Zhu Shun?” Zhuge Yue pondered for a while, his eyes turned slightly cold and he slowly spoke, “This caretaker has become more brazen. If he buys a dagger and requests to put it on my bed, I bet you will do as instructed.”

Utterly shocked, Jin Cai hurriedly exclaimed, “I would not dare!”

Zhuge Yue did not utter a word and as his servants were about to leave, he suddenly said, “You will serve in the interior from now on.”

The crowd stood still and wondered who he was referring to.

Zhuge Yue frowned impatiently, pointed to Chu Qiao and said, “You.”

Everyone suddenly stared in unison.

Chu Qiao respectfully responded, “I will obey your command.”

After exiting the main Xuan Hall, the servants just threw Jin Zhu, who was covered with blood, into the cart. This weak girl was just handed thirty strokes of the cane and was about to be thrown in An Jun Hall, an insufferable place. How is she going to survive?

Jin Cai felt ominous and shuddered at the sight. Just then, a sweet voice was heard behind her. She turned her head and saw Chu Qiao smiling eye to eye while looking at her, she then sweetly said, “Sister Jin Cai, let’s work together from here on. I am still young and immature, please take good care of me!”

Jin Cai suddenly panicked without understanding why but still tried to maintain a calm expression and replied, “We are all servants and working together… together is a must.”

“Yes.” Chu Qiao smiled and replied, “Then Sister Jin Cai, don’t you think you should forgive Nuan Yu and those children?”

Albeit feeling slightly angry, Jin Cai still nodded her head and said, “Their time here is almost up too, they can leave.”

“I shall thank you for them,” Chu Qiao grinned and walked towards the shivering cold children. She spun around like she suddenly thought of something and said, “If Sister Jin Zhu was as kind as you, Shu Tong and Lin Xi wouldn’t have been beaten alive by the Master. That’s why it pays to be kind. Lin Xi has only been dead for 3 days and it looks like Jin Zhu is going to be dead too. This thought sends a shudder down my spine.”

Jin Cai couldn’t put up a fake front anymore. She turned white with fear and glared intensely at Chu Qiao. Thinking that this small child gives off such an evil aura was frightening.

Chu Qiao edged her way forward and whispered into Jin Cai’s ear, “After committing evil deeds, there is bound to be retribution. If one has yet to be served what they deserve, it’s just that it has yet to come. Don’t you think so?”

Jin Cai was shocked, took a step back and left hurriedly.

Chu Qiao reacted immediately and grabbed onto her shoulder. Jin Cai was appalled and jumped aside, exclaiming, “What do you want?”

Chu Qiao sighed coldly and said without a hint of a smile, “Why are you nervous? I merely wanted to direct you back to that dish of peaches.”

“Peaches?”

“We are both interior servants now and are equal in status. I’ve retrieved the peaches from Nanyuan with much hard work, don’t you think I should be the one to present it?”

Jin Cai was speechless upon hearing that.

Chu Qiao turned and walked towards the flower room. She thought out loud while speaking, “We should all know our place and should not do what we aren’t supposed to do, then can we become great people of our time. Some things can only be said once and some warnings can only be warranted once. Slowly reflect on how you are going to treat people and handle matters correctly the next time.”

After noon, the bright sun’s rays pierced down on the snowy ground.

This was not any ordinary day, because the court of elders decreed the military to be activated. Huang Army immediately set out to commence counter-insurgency. The warlords of the seven divisions were fighting aggressively with each other to take over the helm of the Huang Army. The head of Zhuge Prefecture, Zhuge Mu Qing, was not around, The decision making was assigned to Zhuge Huai.

Also on this day, the fourth prince of Zhuge Prefecture, Zhuge Yue, was hurt by the bite of a poisonous snake. Although he was given immediate medical attention, he still needed time to recuperate. Despite his young age, he was the Huang Army’s Major General, birthed in the hall. He had led men to counter insurgents three times and was highly skilled. In the Zhuge Family, he was the leader apart from Zhuge Huai. The other divisions received information about him promptly from their informants. After Zhuge Huai placed his brother in the leadership position, the rest quickly voiced their opposition.

That afternoon, the imperial doctor entered the Zhuge Prefecture. Zhuge Clan wanted to take over the Huang Army, he had no choice but to abandon his plan of taking over.

This action brought about an overwhelming response. Upon hearing this, the elders of Zhuge Clan all came , taking over the Zhuge Main Residence.

On the same day, because of Zhuge Yue’s injury, the Zhuge Prefecture staged the usual drama and competition. Jin Zhu, the main servant of the Fourth Master who always bullied others, was caned while the two servants of the Qing Shan Courtyard fought each other, resulting in one dead and one injured. Due to the severity of his injuries, he passed away the next day. Zhu household’s main caretaker was given twenty strokes because of a few pots which induced trouble for him. He was still lamenting while recuperating.

At the rear of the mountain, crocodiles were kept in a pavilion on a lake beside the hot spring. Once again, three corpses surfaced silently and were food for the crocodiles, but no one seemed to care.

As the dark, starry night loomed, Chu Qiao received the last bunch of notes and gradually placed it in the rattan pot.

These past few days, Jin Cai was unable to concentrate. Every time she saw the child from the Jing Family, she would feel a chill rising from the bottom of her feet, resulting in a loss of appetite and a feeling like there was a fishbone stuck in her throat.

From early in the morning when the weather was good, the servants cleaned up the snow in the courtyard and carried on with the rest of the day’s work in an orderly manner. While preparing a meal, news came from the Red Hill Court, Master Mu of the South of the Five Ridges, Master Wei, Seventh Royal Highness Zhao, Eighth Royal Highness Zhao Jue, Thirteenth Royal Highness Zhao Song and Emperor Yan were gathered in the glass hall of Red Hill Court. The Eldest Master was already there accompanying them while the Third and Fifth Masters are still making their way there. The Fourth Master was asked to make his way there to join in the crowd if his body had recovered.

Zhuge Yue was more introverted. He did not go on walks frequently with his siblings, but prefered to stay in Qing Shan Courtyard to read or eat on his own. He lacked exuberance and if not for his cruelty, he was known to keep to himself. He received the news while lying on his bed and informed the messenger that he wasn’t feeling too well; hence he wouldn’t be making his way there.

Chu Qiao gently fanned the incense and upon receiving the information, she raised her eyebrows but remained silent. After some time, while the food was going to be delivered, she followed quietly behind the servant delivering the food and retreated.

Jin Cai took a slight glance but kept her thoughts to herself, and after some effort, she made her way out.

Despite being termed a hall, it was actually just a pavilion. It was located on the octagonal mountain in Red Hill Court, below lied a green lake. Since it was the middle of the winter, the lake was frozen with layers of snow. It was surrounded by red and white plum trees on each side which disrupted the bright white landscape, painting vibrant colors.

Behind the plum trees lay Zhuge Family’s horse racing hill. The huge plains were fully grown with pastures brought in by members of the Zhuge Family, specially used to rear the superior breed of horses. This huge plot of land had few visitors as servants were not allowed to enter, hence the serenity.

Chu Qiao was small in stature and she cleverly evaded the watchful eyes of the guards, entering and hastily climbing onto the plains of the horse racing hill and yet no one found out.

The small stature of Chu Qiao had both its pros and cons. Take for example, now that she has to shift the pots, she has to put in additional effort.

As Chu Qiao was about to leave, she saw a suspicious looking shadow creeping about. She bent down and waited until the person left before gradually approaching. She saw a dark horse being tied to a pine tree on her way down. The horse looked strong and well-groomed but did not respond despite noticing her presence. She was puzzled, as this seemingly well-trained horse should be resistant towards the approach of a stranger. Upon lowering her head, she noticed a bundle of buckwheat which had yet to be finished. She tiptoed forward and held the horse’s head and took a closer look for a long time, but the horse did not react.

As she was just about to leave, she turned her head and saw a few dozen white feathered arrows in the bag attached to the horse. She took one out to observe the pure white arrowhead and noticed a carving of “Swallow” forcefully edged on the surface.

The leaders of the various divisions were feasting in the hall while admiring the plum trees. Chu Qiao ran along the deserted trail on the precipice of the octagon mountain. She placed the burning rattan on the trail and poured out a few snakes from the bag she carried.

“Ha! I knew you were the one causing trouble!”A shrill voice suddenly sounded.

Chu Qiao turned around and saw Jin Cai smugly standing there.

Jin Cai chided, “I will definitely tell the Fourth Master this time and that’s it for you!”

“Is that so?” Chu Qiao tilted her head and slyly smiled. Upon hearing trailing footsteps in the distance, she shook her head and said, “I don’t think so.” She instantly leaned back and fell along the precipice.

“It’s there!” Voices in the distance sounded in unison.

Jin Cai wasn’t able to yell out her surprise before getting ferociously pinned down by a group of burly men.

Zhu Shun glared at her and muttered, “Jin Cai, now that you’ve been caught with the loot, what have you got to say?”

Jin Cai was taken aback and hurriedly defended herself, “It’s not me, it’s Jing Xing Er! I just followed her here!”

“Nonsense, I saw you loitering around suspiciously and going to steal that pot of rattan from Zhu housekeeper, yet you still dare to accuse others!” A crisp voice sounded.

Jin Cai turned and saw a familiar little girl standing beside Zhu Shun. Suddenly it clicked and she realized the situation, shouting “She’s in cahoots with Jing Xing Er, Zhu housekeeper, don’t believe her!”

Zhu Shun was sitting in a padded chair lifted by four burly men. After suffering from beatings a few days ago, his bottom was still swelling. After being told, he frowned and spoke in his low voice, “You said you were here with Jing Xing Er, so where exactly is she?”

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 12: Chapter 12
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“She jumped off the cliff.”

“What?” Zhu Shun was angry and instantaneously snapped, “You think I’m an idiot? You mean the lass from Jing household set you up and jumped to her death thereafter?”

“I…”

“A bunch of nonsense,” Zhu Shun shouted, “You were in here for four to five years and I have always treated you well. Your fight with Jin Zhu in Qing Shan Court is your own affairs, why did you drag me into it? What are you trying to do now? Are you trying to get me into trouble in front of the various masters?”

“Zhu caretaker, please believe me.”

“Guys! Teach her a good lesson!”

A shrilling scream sounded.

Chu Qiao held on tightly onto a rope she had prepared previously and swung herself into a small cave. This octagonal mountain was made up of piles of charcoal rocks. Every spring, there will be purple moss appearing on the charcoal rocks. After roasting it, it has a unique smell which calms the soul. Every spring, people from Zhuge family will collect the mosses from the cliff and as time passed, they dug up a man-sized hole. Chu Qiao spent a lot of time in the backyard and was made well-aware of the existence of this hole. She carefully placed the withered grass she plucked apart and kept her rope, waiting for the crowd to disperse.

At this moment, warm breath could be felt in her ear, a male voice whispered with a chuckle, “This girl, how are you so wicked?”

Chu Qiao was shocked. She immediately turned around and hastily struck the person with the hook attached to her rope.

“It’s hard to imagine you are a child who is not even ten years old yet.” The person was agile and grabbed ahold of Chu Qiao’s small hands with ease, his voice tranquil.

Because of Chu Qiao’s small stature, this person pinned her down to the floor with just one hand. But she still unyieldingly raised her head and was surprised as she raised her eyebrows, “It’s you?”

The man seemed to be stunned for a moment too and carefully scrutinized the child. He had an epiphany and smiled, “Who am I? So it’s you, is the medicine still effective?”

The man had dashing eyebrows with a sharp nose, jet-black eyes with an incisiveness hidden below his gentleness. Impressively, he is a distinguished guest of today’s gala, Royal Highness of Yan, Yan Xun.

Chu Qiao determinedly raised her head and said coldly, “Why are you here? What are you trying to do?”

Yan Xun grinned, “I should be the one asking you this.”

Many thoughts ran across Chu Qiao’s mind and she repeatedly considered the chances of pushing this man down the cliff. While she was considering, she tried to reach for the dagger hidden at her waist.

Yan Xun pointed at her and said calmly, “If you don’t want to be discovered, you better be obedient and not have any other ideas. Such a small child, how can you be so wicked?”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrow, “Compared to you people, I am far from wicked. With you hiding here, you are probably up to no good too. Pot calling the kettle black, don’t be a hypocrite and act like you’re a big help to me.”

Yan Xun instantly stood up upon hearing this, plied open the worm and shouted, “Who’s above?”

Chu Qiao gasped and did not manage to stop him in time. If she was exposed, Xiao Ba will get into trouble too. She immediately pulled out her dagger and thrust it towards Yan Xun.

Yan Xun did a hook with his natural reflex and lounged onto Chu Qiao’s mouth, bringing her into his embrace. Just then, an alarmed voice came from above and Yan Xun stuck his head out and shouted, “His Royal Highness is here appreciating the plum trees, why are you guys causing a ruckus? Quickly disperse.”

Zhu Shun was brought to the cliff by his men and upon seeing Yan Xun, he lost his dominance and bowed down for a long while before hastily bringing his men away.

Yan Xun grinned as he released her arm, spun around and said, “This counts as me giving you a big helping hand right?”

Chu Qiao is short and is below Yan Xun’s shoulders. She stuck her ear out and listened for a while,realizing that there wasn’t any movement above. She threw her hook above and ensured that it was ledged on properly before turning over and maneuvering her way up.

Yan Xun squinted and observed her. Although she is definitely more agile, she doesn’t seem to be from a martial arts background. While she is brave, she is not reckless with nimble movements. The cave was merely a meter below, Yan Xun firmly held onto the cliff and with a surge of force, he jumped up.

Chu Qiao kept her hook and surveyed her surroundings to ensure her safety before leaving. She suddenly turned around and said coldly, “I don’t like to owe people favors. Later on before making your way back, look carefully at your horse.”

Yan Xun was slightly taken aback. By the time he recovered his sense, the child was long gone. In the distance, she seemed like a dog crawling on the rugged trail and was gone after a moment.

The young Royal Highness of Yan squinted and gave a slight grin, “Interesting.”

Descending the octagonal mountain, she passed by a strip of exquisite rockwork before entering the plum forest.

Today the various vagrants of Huang City’s great families were gathered at Zhuge Court, the plum forest area was under extra watchful eyes, hence extremely quiet. While treading through, Chu Qiao occasionally leisurely tiptoed to pluck some plum flowers.

“Hey you! Come over!” A rude voice shouted out, seemingly of a child’s but was of an overbearing tone.

Chu Qiao glanced and saw a young prince dressed in an emerald robe with an intricate depiction of a fluffy snow white sable tail embroidered in golden stitches. He had a bright face and slightly crinkled sharp nose. His et black eyes stared at her and shouted, “Yes, you! I’m calling for you!”

Chu Qiao frowned but thought it best not to cause any trouble. She bowed down respectfully and said, “I still have things to do, please excuse me.” Once she completed her sentence, she turned and left.

The young prince was taken aback as he did not expect this servant to leave as she wished. He wrinkled his nose and suddenly yielded the whip in his hand and shouted, “You mongrel! So daring!”

Once she heard the sound, she turned back immediately and grabbed the tip of the whip with her bare hands while staring coldly at him.

Little did he know that Zhuge household’s servant was so ferocious, he used all his might and tugged but to no avail. He pouted and raged, “Do you want to die? I will tell my men to chop you up!”

Chu Qiao smiled coldly and nimbly spun the whip. The whip immediately slipped out of the young prince’s hand and into her own. Despite being less than eight years old, having a small stature and with a tender face, her glare was definitely not of a child. She calmly edged forward and said without a tinge of emotion, “The whip is used for chasing horses and not for you to attack others.” Once she finished speaking, she handed the whip back to him and turned to leave.

Seeing that this girl was smaller in stature but was full of confidence and was so nimble, he felt attracted to her. Seeing her leave, he felt anxious but he was not able to speak to her positively with his huge ego. He presumptuously ran up and blocked her path, “You are a servant from which Zhuge Court? What’s your name? Do you know who I am? Do you believe I will ask my men to chop you up?”

Chu Qiao lifted up her head, glanced at him slightly and pushed his arm away. She raised her eyebrows in disdain, “You can’t beat me so you will have to call your men, what a weakling. No matter your status, I’m not interested to find out.”

The plum trees swayed as the young prince stood amidst the trees; he stared blankly at Chu Qiao disappearing into the horizon.

After reaching Qing Shan Court, she said her greetings to those around and headed straight to Xuan Hall. Zhuge Yue was lying on his bed with a lazy demeanour and just vaguely looked at Chu Qiao without lifting his head.

She walked towards a jade vase and removed the flowers from the day before, placing the plum flowers she plucked into the vase. After which, she went beside Zhuge Yue and kneeled down at the incense burner. She mixed the slush from the plum flowers with basil before carefully pouring it into the incense burner and gently fanned it. Immediately there was a refreshing smell, Zhuge Yue took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes.

A long time passed and Zhuge Yue seemed to have fallen asleep. At this moment, there were sudden movements outside and he wearily opened his eyes.

“Fourth Master, Zhu caretaker deployed his man to inform us that at the octagonal mountain he had caught Jin Cai red-handed, laying out a pot of rattan and many poisonous snakes. She’s being trailed now.”

Zhuge Yue half-opened his eyes and leisurely said, “Even though Jin Cai is bossy, she is timid, she wouldn’t dare to bring poisonous snakes with her. Did anyone hear what she said?”

“She said…”The servant’s voice trailed off while darting a look at Chu Qiao quietly sitting in the corner. He whispered, “She said she was following behind Chu Qiao and even said that she had set up both Jin Cai and Jin Zhu. Her purpose is to take revenge for the deaths of the children of the Jing household.”

“Xing Er,” Zhuge Yue reclined on his bed, lifted up his teacup and said calmly, “Explain yourself.”

Chu Qiao kneeled down and replied calmly, “I didn’t do it.”

“So where did you go?”

“Xing Er went to the plum garden.”

“Did anyone else see you?”

The child shook her head but thought for a moment and said, “Xing Er saw a young prince at the garden. He isn’t from our court, he’s slightly over ten years old and was wearing a jade robe with a snow white sable tail. I don’t know his name.”

“Hm,” Zhuge Yue nodded his head and told the messenger, “You go.”

The messenger was slightly taken aback and said with uncertainty, “So for Miss Jin Cai…”

Zhuge Yue raised his head, closed his eyes and leaned on the bed. He gently said, “She has to pay the price for her mistakes, see how the court wants to handle her.”

The messenger nodded and left. The house was quiet with the slight scent of the smoky incense.

“Xing Er, do you hate the court for killing your relatives?”

Chu Qiao looked down and replied obediently, “Master, Xing Er has been the court’s servant from a young age. And only because of you, I have a warm bed to sleep on, warm food to eat and clothes to keep me warm. I’m still young and my heart can’t contain so many thoughts. I only wish to serve my master well and live properly.”

“Yes,” Zhuge Yue nodded his head, “What you’re thinking is right. Even though you are young, you are still reliable. Next time, the matters of Xuan Hall will be handed to you to manage.”
TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 13: Chapter 13
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“Yes, young master. Thank you!” The child respectfully lowered her head. After quite some time, she suddenly asked, “Does young master believe that sister Jin Zhu was set up by sister Jin Cai?”

Zhuge Yue let out a short groan. “Jin Cai is not a daring person, and even if she had the guts, she was not intelligent enough to come up with this plan. Zhu Shun is an elder here, but made a mistake and was punished for it. His ego was too big, and he wanted to find an excuse for his mistake, which is okay. However, he shouldn’t push the blame to people from my courtyard, setting up a false image of a tussle between the servants in Qing Shan court in order to prove himself innocent. He hasn’t learned properly from his past experiences.”

“Then why doesn’t young master help sister Jin Cai? She will get beaten to death by the court.”

“If she really did it, I actually would save her. But she fell so easily into somebody else’s trap, and that was enough to prove her stupidity. There’s no point of letting someone like that stay with me.”

The sun rays were piercing into the room from the window cracks and the refreshing scent of the plum flowers gradually emanated.

Ultimately Zhu Shun had already served in the Zhuge residence for over ten years and hadn’t wasted his years being useless. Although he truly believed that it was due to the tussle between Jin Cai and Jin Zhu that he was incriminated, he was afraid that Zhuge Yue wouldn’t believe him and might think that he was trying to wash away his fault by setting Jin Cai up. Hence, Zhu Shun didn’t let the court beat Jin Cai to death, but instead wanted to wait until the next day to report to his First Young Master, who would be free then.

At night, the court was dead silent. In the pitch black woodshed, Jin Cai’s flesh seemed to have been torn apart, with marks from whipping all over. She appeared to have received a heavy sentence. Chu Qiao stood in front of Jin Cai, scooped up a ladle of water and dumped it all over Jin Cai’s face. Jin Cai groaned a little and slowly woke up. Upon seeing Chu Qiao, she raged and fiercely shouted, “You b*tch! You still dare to come see me?!”

Chu Qiao calmly stood in front of her and quietly listened to her cursing and swearing. After a while, she gently smiled and said, “If you really want to die, feel free to continue shouting.”

Jin Cai’s clothes were tainted red, her face ghostly white as she heaved heavily with hate filled eyes.

Chu Qiao shook her head and said slowly, “Even if I didn’t have an intent to harm a snake, the snake still wants to bite me. I have warned you before, you shouldn’t have repeatedly gone against me. If you didn’t stalk me, you wouldn’t have suffered this consequence. It ultimately was your own fault. How could you blame others?”

“You wicked b*tch, even if I was dead, I would haunt you as a ghost!”

Chu Qiao let out a sigh. “So you really want to die?”

Jin Cai was taken aback as Chu Qiao continued speaking, “I didn’t intend to harm you, and whatever happened today was only to teach you a lesson. Too bad the fourth master refused to save you. Seems like you will be accompanying Jin Zhu in the Ting Lake soon.”

Jin Cai’s face became paler after she heard this. She looked at Chu Qiao and her eyes revealed a glimpse of her pleading for her life. She hurriedly said, “Xing Er, neither we were implacable foes in the past, nor did we had much hatred toward each other recently. Lin Xi’s death was all Jin Zhu’s idea, I just acquiesced. If you could come here without being noticed, I’m sure you can save me. Please save me, I don’t want to die!” After which, she trembled and started bawling.

Chu Qiao sighed, placed her bag down and said, “Don’t cry already. You think I’m here tonight to just chat with you? You do not deserve to die, and since I caused you to be in this situation, I definitely won’t leave you to be. Put on this clothes and I will bring you out immediately.” She came forward and undid the ropes tied to Jin Cai’s body.

Jin Cai was delighted and asked, “Can we escape? The security here is very tight.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve bribed the guards at the back door. The master is returning home. You’re just an insignificant maid; no one will bother to investigate. As long as you can escape, you won’t die.”

Jin Cai followed closely behind Chu Qiao, and they both slipped out from the window and passed the rockery of Red Hill court. Suddenly they heard footsteps in the distance. It was the guards who were patrolling. Both girls immediately squatted down and dared not take a step forward.

Chu Qiao turned back and handed her bag to Jin Cai. She whispered, “I will go distract those people, you make your way to the western gate. I’ve already made an arrangement with the gatekeeper. Once you are there, just mention my name and you will be free to go. Here is some money and clothing. It belonged to sister Zhi Xiang. They’re a little small and I don’t know if you can fit into them. I don’t have much money and that’s all I can give you. You take care of yourself after you leave and make good choices please.” She turned and went to the other side, making some noise as she left so that the guards on duty would notice and chase toward her direction.

Jin Cai opened the bag to find that there was such a meager amount of money that she couldn’t even afford to buy a roasted goose. She raised her eyebrows. The clothes were either torn or dirty, and they were ugly and gave off a weird smell. She was even more upset. She thought that instead of being a proper servant, she had ended up as a fugitive. If she was caught, she would definitely die. This was all due to Jing Xing Er, who acted like she was a good person. So shameless of her.

Jin Cai took the money and threw the bag on the floor. She didn’t care about the consequences Chu Qiao had to face if people found this bag and its contents after she successful escape.

The cold wind blew and tugged on the corners of her clothes, the moon shone down brightly on the earth.

At that moment, in Zhu Shun’s room, a man’s heavy breathing and a woman’s tender moaning with dirty talk could be heard. The winter night was freezing, and the guards had long found warm places to take a nap. The small child tiptoed her way to Zhu Shun’s door. She didn’t make a single visible action or audible sound.

Chu Qiao knelt outside Zhu Shun’s door. Her eyes shone like diamonds in the pitch black environment, showing her wise and calm demeanor. The man inside let out a groan, followed by the rustling sound of him putting on his clothes. Chu Qiao picked up a stone and threw it at the door. The rock hit with a soft thud, but enough to be heard by the people inside. Zhu Shun raised his voice, “Who’s out there?”

Chu Qiao did not reply but picked up another stone and again threw it at his door.

“I’m coming!” the man said frustrated. “In the middle of the night, who’s that?”

The door was pulled open but no one was to be seen, Zhu Shun raised his eyebrows astonished, stuck out his head, and started walking out. Once he lifted his leg, he was tripped by a rope that he didn’t notice before crashing to the ground.

“Ouch!” he screamed in pain and was about to curse. A black sack was placed over his head, obscuring his vision. He was shocked and realized that something was amiss. He started shouting and throwing his hands around.

The night was dark and freezing. Chu Qiao held her sharp dagger, her eyes and lips revealed a cold-hearted expression. She directed her dagger at his chubby hand and slashed it. A loud shriek that sounded like a pig going through a slaughterhouse erupted. Zhu Shun held his wrist painfully and rolled around on the ground. Chu Qiao immediately escaped westwards, towards the direction of the flowerbeds.

Behind her, a clutter of footsteps from the guards followed and a sharp scream from a woman could be heard. “What happened? Ah! Who did this to you, Steward Zhu?”

The woman’s clothing was not on properly. She was shocked and said, “I did not clearly see who it was. I could only tell the person was short, seems like…seems like a child.”

“Where did the person head towards?”

“West!”

“Chase!”

Over ten people’s footsteps made their way in front of her and swept past her. She tried her best to crouch and hide among the bushes. The voices slowly drifted away and the surroundings quieted down. The child patted the soil and dirt off her body before standing up and leisurely started to leave. Her pace was unusual casual and confident.

As she passed by the rockwork of Red Hill court, she saw her bag with its contents messily sprawled about, as she had expected. She sneered, picked up her bag and walked towards Qing Shan court. She carefully climbed through the back window and changed into white pajamas. Voices outside became louder and the torch was glaring, lighting up the sky.

Chu Qiao ran her hand through her hair and rubbed her eyes before opening the door with a sleepy expression. She coincidentally met a few of the other young maids who just opened their doors.

“What happened?”

These few servants were already thirteen to fourteen years old but their status was not as high as Chu Qiao’s. They blankly shook their heads. Then, the opening of a door could be heard from Xuan hall, and they hurriedly ran over there.

Zhuge Yue was gloomy and saw the unkempt Chu Qiao and the other servants. He asked his bodyguard, “What happened? Why is there so much noise?”

“Young Master, there seemed to be an assassin. Steward Zhu’s hand was cut off. Guards at the western door captured Jin Cai trying to escape. She was brought back to the court.”

Zhuge Yue was shocked but a chuckle followed. “Who would’ve thought Jin Cai had such a temperament.”

The guard carefully looked at Chu Qiao. “When Jin Cai was caught, she screamed that she was set up by Chu Qiao and that she had done nothing.”

Once this was said, all attention turned to Chu Qiao. She wrinkled her small face and her big innocent eyes blinked as they watered, and she felt she was wronged. She turned and looked pitifully at Zhuge Yue and sadly claimed, “The fourth master, I’ve…I’ve been in my room sleeping this whole time. I-I didn’t…”

“Fourth Master, Xing Er was in her room the whole time, we all saw,” a third-class maid stepped forward and said.

Other servants started standing up for Chu Qiao.

Zhuge Yue nodded his head and told his messenger, “Tell the court, if that woman continues spouting nonsense, don’t even bother to give her a trial, just throw her into the lake. How old is Xing Er? How could Jin Cai’s talk get more and more ridiculous?”

The servant immediately nodded his head and left.

Zhuge Yue looked at his young maids and said, “Go back to sleep,” and went back into Xuan hall.

Chu Qiao stood in her spot, her face revealing her displeasure from being wronged. A few of the other servants tugged at her and said, “Xing Er, don’t be afraid, we are your witnesses. She can’t accuse you.”

Chu Qiao nodded her head and with a weeping voice, said, “Thank you, sisters.”

It was already late in the night and the cold wind continued blowing. Today was the seventh day after the children from the Jing family had left this world. The people who caused their death had finally paid their dues with their blood.

However, this little amount of pay back, was far from enough.

The “assassin” incident was a hot topic and causing chaos until the next day. Zhu Shun was left with one hand and took his rage out by ordering his men to beat Jin Cai to death. She was already injured previously, and was killed within two hours. She was thrown into the lake with a straw mat to feed the crocodiles.

Zhuge Yue had been a loner and was unsociable. Xuan hall initially only had Jin Zhu and Jin Cai, but within a few days they died one after another. Now, only Chu Qiao was left. She was still young and was not even eight years old. She had a baby-like face and spoke with childish voice. No matter how capable she was, outsiders still more or less felt weird that she would be in charge. In less than half a day, rumors had spread throughout the residence, claiming that the fourth young master was following in the old grand master’s footsteps, and had developed an abnormal liking for the ungrown young girls.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 14: Chapter 14
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

As a result, Chu Qiao was treated with even more respect by the others.

In the afternoon, Chu Qiao wore a brand new white cherry apple dress, white camel fur boots and two emerald jade flowers on her head. She looked adorable as she bounced along the lakeside in the backyard. She had just retrieved some agilawood incense from the outer courtyard and as she walked past the bamboo grove, a shadow suddenly appeared in front of her. The person let out a big laugh as he said, “Haha! Finally, I found you!”

The young prince wore a sapphire robe stitched with multi-colored birds and it was an assemblage of colors. He elated waved his whip in front of Chu Qiao, looked at her from head to toe, and said with a smile, “What’s up? Today’s weather is so good, let’s go fowling.”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows when she saw the young prince beaming with excitement. She shook her head and said, “I’m not free, I still have things to do, please excuse me.” With that, she turned and left.

“Hey, don’t leave.” The young prince hurriedly ran to block her path by extending his arms and said, “It was not easy for me to find you, and I was waiting here in this garden for the whole afternoon. How about you tell me your name and which court you belong to? I will request Zhuge Huai to let you accompany me, what you do think?”

She raised her eyebrow, turned around and faced him. “You really want me to go with you?”

The young prince solemnly nodded his head and said, “Yes, among all the servants, you are the most pleasing to my eye. Let me designate you as my chief bodyguard. What do you think?”

Chu Qiao smiled and nodded. “Okay then, I will tell you my name. But whether you are able to request me from my master, we’ll see.”

“Rest assured!” He tapped his chest and proclaimed, “Even if I requested ten, Zhuge Huai still has to listen to me, let alone I am only asking for just you.”

“Okay, listen carefully, I’m name is ‘None’ and I belong to the ‘Exist’ court. I’m under lady ‘Tricks’, and what I do is knead clay figurines for the masters and ladies to play with so that they would have fun. You must remember.”

The young master’s eyes shone brightly and he said, “You know how to knead clay figurines?”

“Yes.” Chu Qiao held in her laughter and seeing that this kid was adorable, she tiptoed and extended her arm to gently pinch him on his cheek. She smiled and said, “I have many abilities and will let you see them first-hand in the future. I still have thores to run and I need to leave now. Remember to talk to my First Young Master.”

“Don’t worry, I will.” The young prince nodded and grinned. “You better go back and pack first. I will pick you up in a short while.”

Chu Qiao walked forward for quite a while and when she turned her head, the young prince was still standing on a boulder, enthusiastically waving his hand. Chu Qiao held back her smile and walked through the bamboo grove, holding her agilawood incense as she headed towards Qing Shan court.

“Named ‘None’, court ‘Exist’, servant of lady ‘Tricks’ and skilled in kneading clay figurines and have fun. How on earth did you come up with these?” A distinctly male voice suddenly rang out. Chu Qiao was taken by surprise and raised her head to see Yan Xun in a teal-colored light robe, sitting on the branch of a pine tree, smiling as he gazed at her.

Chu Qiao had already revealed her true self in front of him a few times and didn’t find the need to hide anymore. She coldly glanced at him and angrily chided, “You climbed so high, aren’t you afraid of falling to your death?”

“That should not be your concern. You are a wicked little kid, you should be more worried about yourself. The dark clouds are gathering, you can’t be sure that there will not be thunderstorms during winter and that those who are guilty of wrongdoings will be struck.”

With her small stature, she stood below the tree, looked up and said coldly, “No matter how many wrongdoings I commit, I couldn’t compare with you brats that don’t even blink when taking someone’s life. All of you are swine and none of you are any good.”

“How daring!” Even though his words sound serious, he still spoke with a casual tone and smile. Yan Xun sat on the branch, looked down at the child and said, “I purposely misfired my arrow to spare your life. To save you, I lost the winning prize of eight beautiful western dancers from your First Young Master. You aren’t even grateful but insult me instead. What is your reasoning?”

“Reasoning is spoken to people, what’s the point of speaking to swine? I have warned you not to harass me again, and don’t even think of turning me in as a threat. If you dare to do that, you are bound to regret your actions.”

Once she finished her words, she turned and quickened her pace. After taking two steps, she was struck by some object on the back of her head. She looked down and saw a pinecone still covered in snow. She was furious. She turned her head and glared at Yan Xun with anger. “Are you trying to provoke me?”

“Nope.” Yan Xun smiled proudly and said, “I’m not provoking you, just bullying you.”

Chu Qiao tilted her head and suddenly turned and left without uttering a word. Yan Xun purposely acted like he was deep in thought by half shutting his eyes, thinking that the child would argue with him. But to see her just leave like that, he was a little disappointed.

At this moment, a fist-sized stone unexpectedly soared through the air towards Yan Xun’s face. Luckily, he had learned martial arts and had good reflexes. He managed to tilt his head and dodge the hit. He was secretly pleased but suddenly felt a burst of coldness on his back and a crashing sound ensued. From the impact on the tree, the accumulated snow scattered all over him.

The teenage Royal Highness in finery jumped off the tree, covered in snow, and was a mess. He raised his head and saw the little girl standing on the snow-covered ground, clapping her hand to dust off. She saw he looked towards her, raised her right arm and pointed her middle finger at him. She smiled proudly and turned to leave.

Yan Xun frowned slightly and pointed his middle finger too. The thirteen year old Royal Highness Yan was quite confused, What does this gesture signify?

Eleven year old page boy Feng Mian ran out from the woods and aggressively called out, “Your Royal Highness, I will go and capture her for you to punish this disrespectful servant.”

“You? Catch her?” Yan Xun snorted and raised his middle finger. “Feng Mian, what does this gesture mean?”

“This?” Feng Mian was slightly taken aback but decisively said, “It should signify an apology. She knows that what she did was overboard but she is still a child and is embarrassed to apologize upfront, so she used that gesture to replace her words.”

“Apology?” Yan Xun frowned. “Doesn’t seem like it.”

“It must be, your Royal Highness.”

“Is that so?”

In the main hall of Red Hill court, Zhuge Huai, Zhao Che and the rest burst out into laughter as they overheard the conversation.

Wei Jing smiled and said, “Zhuge, I didn’t know you have such a bright girl here. Now even I wish to meet her.”

Zhuge Huai shook his head and said, “My servant isn’t sensible and put herself in a position to be ridiculed.”

“What happened? Why are all of you laughing?” The young prince was red with embarrassment as he seemed to know that he might have been the butt of the joke, but was unaware of what he did wrong.

Zhao Che chuckled. “Named ‘None’, from the ‘Exist’ court, servant of lady ‘Trick’, can knead clay figurines to play and have fun. Put it together, it was ‘none exists, play tricks and have fun’. It was all a lie. Thirteenth brother, she was just making fun of you!”

Zhao Song’s small face was bright red with embarrassment. He stomped his foot in anger and ran out.

A rumble sounded out. A wave of happy firecracker explosions unexpectedly appeared, the sparkles mixed in with the large snowflakes on the ground. Along the streets, many children were laughing and playing as they covered their ears and ignited the cheaper ‘thunder-cracker’ which let out a thunderous sound but without sparks. They were having so much fun.

The twenty-fifth lantern festival after the ascension of the throne for Emperor Bai Zong of the Xia Dynasty arrived amidst the festivities. Everyone was overwhelmed with joy as they filled the streets. The authorities provided free firecrackers for the people, which successfully created a livelier and joyful atmosphere. Sheng Jin palace’s master appreciated the actions of the capital magistrate and praised and rewarded him.

Amidst the thunderous sounds, Zhuge residence had also tightened their preparations for this important day. On this day, large amounts of snow fell, which looked like goose feathers floating everywhere. The elders in the city claimed that this year’s snowfall was a little bit odd, as normally by this time normally there was only frost.

Chu Qiao wore her newly knitted pink dress with a fox fur coat, and her white jade-like face was covered by the fox wool. She looked adorable with her two bright eyes, and she gently removed snowflakes that landed on her sharp nose.

“Xing Er, Young Master is calling for you.” The new servant, Huan Er, ran over with a thud, arms akimbo as she heaved while calling for Chu Qiao.

Chu Qiao nodded and said, “Let’s go.” She headed towards Xuan hall steadily and without a single tinge of anxiousness.

Frowning, Huan Er watched Chu Qiao walked away. After a while, she shook her head, hurriedly trying to catch up. Compared to Chu Qiao, Zhuge Yue was more slow-paced. When Chu Qiao pushed open the doors, she saw the fourth master of the Zhuge family sitting on his heated couch, reading a game of go. His eyebrows frowned as he pondered.

Chu Qiao had prepared and double-checked all the items required for later, and handed them over to the other servants. Once she was done, she poured a cup of tea and placed it on the desk beside Zhuge Yue. She then sat straight beside the incense burner as she held her chin and waited quietly for him.

A book sat on the table and the pages were flipped open. The pages were already yellowed which showed that it was a pretty old book. Chu Qiao was fixated on the book and saw that it was actually a Buddhist scripture, and became very curious.

Zhuge Yue could not considered to be too cruel, nor was he too sly. At a minimum, he was not as bad as rest of his aristocrat peers who participated in the game in the royal hunting ground that day. However, he was aloof and was extremely self-confident. Other himself, he did not think highly of anyone else, let alone believing in faith or religion. Why would he change his mindset and read Buddhist scriptures?

“What is written on that is not all rubbish,” seemingly reading Chu Qiao’s mind, Zhuge Yue muttered. He picked up a black go piece and placed it on the game board, while flipping over a few pages of the book. “Read it out loud.”

“Living a life is like living in thorns. If your heart remains still, then your body remain calm and still. Your body remain still, then you would not get hurt. If your heart is perturbed, your body would follow and take rash actions, thus you would be hurt by the thorns. It would scratch your body, pierce through your bones, and thus you would suffer for all kinds of pain in the world…”

Zhuge Yue raised his head slowly, his eyes revealed a whirlpool of thoughts as he stared at her with a profound look. He finally smiled and said, “Not bad, you know so many words at such a young age. Who taught you?”

Chu Qiao had already felt something was amiss when she read the first line, hence she did not panic, but smiled. “Thank you, Young Master, for your compliment. I have loved reading books since I was young and learned from my brothers and sisters.”

“Is that so? Do you understand what you have read?”

“I briefly understood.” Chu Qiao replied, “Could master explain it to me?”

Zhuge Yue grinned slightly and did not speak before lowering his head and continuing to study his go game.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 15: Chapter 15
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

As time slowly passed, the attendants outside curiously entered the room multiple times. Finally, Zhuge Yue pushed the go game board aside and stood up. The servant at his side immediately came forward and help him put on his deer leather boots. He wore a pale blue and dark flowered robe with a bright red overcoat made of fox fur. A child, who was not even thirteen years old, gave off an unexplainable maturity.

“Let’s go,” Zhuge Yue mumbled as he brought his entourage of servants out.

At the front of his compound, a herd of fine horses was waiting. Because of Zhuge Yue’s delay, the other masters of Zhuge residence had already left. One servant kneeled on the floor, and Zhuge Yue calmly walked forward and stepped on his back to climb onto the horse.

As he completed his preparation to move out, Zhuge Yue suddenly turned his head towards the servant standing at the front door and asked, “Xing Er, have you seen the lights during the lantern festival?”

Chu Qiao was taken aback and hurriedly shook her head.

Zhuge Yue nodded his head and said, “Come up here, I will bring you to see them.”

Chu Qiao was stunned for a while before she realized what Zhuge Yue was implying and hurriedly replied, “Young Master, I am not allowed to do that.”

Zhuge Yue frowned and was about to speak, but Chu Qiao instantly stood forward and said, “Xing Er can ride her own horse.”

Zhuge Yue was not convinced as he eyed Chu Qiao’s small stature. His suspicion was very obvious.

“Master, give a horse to Xing Er. Xing Er can ride the horse.”

Zhuge Yue gently smiled and nodded to his escort Zhu Cheng. In a while, a small claret horse was led out. Even though it was small, it was still much larger than Chu Qiao. Everyone’s gaze was on Chu Qiao. When they saw that she wasn’t taller than the horse’s leg, they chuckled.

The child circled the horse for two rounds and raised her hands straight up but could only touch the horse’s back. Zhuge Yue thought it was funny and was about to call someone to help her up, but the child just grabbed onto the horse and with a surge of strength, climbed onto it. Her action was very swift and precise.

The people standing around let out a gasp in surprise. Zhuge Yue turned and saw the child covered in snow, looking like a snowball, but still sitting straight and proudly on the horse. He couldn’t help but smile to himself before tapping the horse to leave.

Of course, Chu Qiao knew how to ride a horse. Even though this body was a little inconvenient, the good thing was that this horse was very tame. Once it saw the other horses leaving, it followed suit.

There was no curfew in the city, and as that day was the lantern festival, the streets were still crowded and lively. It was almost evening already as the skies had darkened. The streets were illuminated and the skies were filled with fireworks. A cool wind blew. Passing by the river bend, the beautiful lanterns illuminated the streets. The sides of the walkway were filled with dragon-shaped red lights and many tenements were converted to stages for performances. Dances, variety shows, dramas and music were everywhere. The lights and fireworks brightened up the night sky as hawkers lined the street soliciting customers, selling alcohol, tobacco, food, clothes, vegetables, fruits, furniture, flowers, and fireworks. Whatever the people wanted was available. The night sky seemed to be like a vibrant brocade with the world’s magnificence scrambled all over as everyone gathered together.

Chu Qiao sat on her horse as she looked around, soaking in the rare sight of the night scene in olden times.

Zhuge family was renowned and respected. Wherever they went, people would give way. They passed by an elegant building decorated with many unique and vibrant lanterns, such as adorable animals, celestial plants and flowers. The stall owner saw Zhuge Yue stopping, and immediately brought a big golden dragon lantern forward and started singing his praises.

Zhuge Yue seemed to ignore what he was saying and merely pointed at another hanging lantern. “Bring that one here.”

The stall owner turned back and saw the fourth master pointing at a snow-white rabbit lantern. He was stunned momentarily at this young master’s choice.

As Zhuge Yue held on to the lantern, his face revealed a rare smile. He handed the lantern over to Chu Qiao and said, “For you.”

Chu Qiao was shocked and subconsciously extended her hand to take it, even forgot to express her gratitude.

Zhuge Yue was expressionless and turned around before tapping the horse to continue moving on like nothing had happened. The people around carefully eyed Chu Qiao as they moved around her, pondering about what had happened.

Chu Qiao felt a bit ironic. She was really treated as a child.

The rabbit lantern was very exquisite. It was spotlessly white with its pair of red eyes, and as Chu Qiao extended her finger to gently tap on the mouth, a strip of pink ribbon for a tongue stuck out, surprising her.

At that instant, a gentle chuckle could be heard. Chu Qiao turned around, a bright and colorful parade passed by and blocked her view. There were all kinds of varieties of carts such as golden dragon, colorful phoenix, jade butterflies, snow foxes, fairy and goddess and all kinds of flowers. There were so many that she felt giddy looking at all of them at once. Streams of people and carriages travelling up and down the streets, and they brightened the night.

Finally, the parade had moved on. The other end of the long street could be seen. Snow piled on the frozen lake and the willow branch hung low with snow and icicles on it. The black steed leisurely stood there as a green robed young man stood with his arms crossed. He was apathetically leaning on the tree while he gazed forward with his bright black eyes and gently smiled.

All of sudden, a loud bang could be heard and everyone immediately looked up. They saw an extravagant fireworks display which resembled fairies dancing in the sky. A mischievous kid threw a firecracker under Chu Qiao’s horse, and since it was the first time the horse had been out, it was frightened and raised its hooves to sprint to escape.

The young man at the tree witnessed this and immediately climbed onto his mount, whipped it and headed towards Chu Qiao’s horse.

Zhuge residence’s personnel were shocked but they were separated by the crowd and were unable to react in time.

Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrow, whipped his horse and wanted to go over but was held back by his escort. He was angered and whipped the escort’s face. He raised his head and was about to chase her but the street was already a mess. With the crowd and the bright lights, Chu Qiao was already gone.

The horse raced forward as the cold wind howled. The chatter and noises gradually faded away in the distance and only the footsteps of the horse could be heard. The little red horse might have been small, but it was of a superior breed and was fast. Chu Qiao’s small hands grabbed tightly onto the horse and she crouched on the horse’s back as she calmly observed her surroundings. Her mind raced. Jing Yue Er’s small frame wouldn’t be able to survive the fall from the horse’s back at such a high speed so she would need to find an escape.

At this moment, the quickened sound of hooves could be heard from the back. A horse was catching up to Chu Qiao and had equalled the horse Chu Qiao was on.

“You plead with me and I will save you!” The teenage boy’s voice was scattered by the cold wind blowing, but Chu Qiao could still hear bits and pieces of it. She turned her head and glared sternly at the young men who was laughing at her misfortune. Her gaze was fixated and reflected no sign of panic.

“Or you tell me what that gesture means and I will save you!”

The cold wind was brittle as the little horse raced along in knee-deep snow. It’s speed gradually reduced, but there was no sign of stopping.

There was no time to lose. Chu Qiao suddenly released both her hands and with one hand pushing against the horse’s back, she leapt in the direction of the young boy.

With a thud, Chu Qiao’s body was thrown onto the teenage. He let out a gasp and tried to stop the horse but was a little late. Both of them were thrown off the horse and landed on the soft snow before rolling to the ground. The black horse was unaware and was still chasing after the little red horse. They gradually faded into the night sky and couldn’t be seen anymore.

“Flurry!” The teenage called out as he raised both his eyebrows. He staggered two steps before he shrugged off the snow on his body, but it was a wasted effort.

“This horse should be dragged back and slaughtered. If it doesn’t even know its owner fell off it, what’s the point of keeping it?” Chu Qiao crawled up and patted off the snow on her body, glad that she wasn’t injured.

Yan Xun turned and glared at Chu Qiao as he raged, “Flurry is a precious horse that my father brought back for me when he was hunting in Yan Bei. It hasn’t been with me for more than half a month and we are not familiar with each other. What’s weird about that? You are the one who was daring enough to let go of my horse. Who do you think deserves punishment?”

Chu Qiao said with disdain, “I didn’t even ask you to follow me. You can’t watch over your own horse, it has nothing to do with me.”

“You are so daring, how dare you speak like that to me?”

Chu Qiao furrowed her brow as she looked with disdain at the young but high-status Royal Highness Yan. She coldly scoffed and turned around to head back to the city.

Yan Xun was taken aback as he didn’t know that she would just leave like that. He hurriedly chased her and asked, “Where are you going?”

Chu Qiao glanced at him. “Of course I am going home. You expect me to spend the night here?”

The snow has piled up considerably. The shallow portions were below Chu Qiao’s knee, but the deep portions buried her thighs. Yan Xun was walking beside Chu Qiao, and seeing that her footsteps were heavy, the moodiness as a result of losing his horse disappeared. He grinned as he trotted along. After a few steps, his joy turned to sorrow as his leg gave way and he plopped on the floor.

Upon hearing a crack, Chu Qiao realized things weren’t well. She initially held onto his arm but Yan Xun’s weight was too much for Jing Yue Er’s body to bear. With a bang, the two of them fell into a big snow cave.

“Hey…how are you feeling?” Yan Xun emerged from the snow as he desperately pulled himself up. He saw a little hand and went to pull her out. He started shaking her head. “You’re not dead, right?”

“Let go.” The child gloomily frowned. She shook her leg. It was painful, and her frown deepened.

Yan Xun was a little anxious. “Are you injured?”

“I won’t die.” Chu Qiao raised her head and looked. The snow cave wasn’t deep down. She asked Yan Xun, “Can you climb up?”

Yan Xun tried to gauge the distance and shook his head. “The snow here is soft. If we were on flat ground I could jump up. But here, we will just sink deeper.”

“We will freeze to death in one night.” Chu Qiao mumbled and stood up, “You stand on my shoulders and climb up, and go look for people to come rescue me.”

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 16: Chapter 16
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Yan Xun shook his head and said, “Let me send you up first instead, you can find people to come rescue me.”

Chu Qiao was shocked and scanned Yan Xun up and then. She then accepted his suggestion and said, “Okay.”

With great effort, when Chu Qiao finally was able to see the bright round moon, she felt like it seemed to be a life and death situation. She laid down on the snow and looked down at Yan Xun who was still trapped in the hole and shouted, “You wait for me and I will go get help.”

Yan Xun smiled and waved. “Hurry up!”

Her ankle was hurting and it was likely she sprained it when she fell into the hole. She limped for a few steps before an idea struck her. She stopped moving and squinted her eyes and felt chills go down her spine. If she turned and left, in this cold and deserted wilderness, Yan Xun would freeze to death. In this case, would she then get her revenge? She thought of the first day she was here—the non-stop flow of fresh blood on the hunting field, the sharp arrows—and Chu Qiao’s heart raced.

Even though the arrows that were meant to kill her were fired by the two brothers of the Zhao family. Even though the Royal Highness’ arrow struck the wild wolf. Even though after what happened, he was mocked by the Zhuge brothers for being a weakling. Even though he trusted her so much and smiled as he asked her to go and to come back quick…

Chu Qiao stood in the vast white field, her eyes pitch black, twinkling.

With a thud, a branch that was longer than one the height of a human was thrown into the hole, narrowly missing Yan Xun’s head. Chu Qiao hadn’t even revealed her head when she heard Yan Xun’s roar, “Are you trying to kill me?!”

Chu Qiao rolled her eyes in irritation. “If I was trying to kill you, I wouldn’t need such effort. Hurry and come up.”

Yan Xun was agile and climbed up. He scanned her face and then smiled wryly. “I thought you would have just left me here and wouldn’t return.”

Chu Qiao looked at him coldly. “I can only blame myself for not being cruel enough.”

Yan Xun let out a laugh as he went in front of her. He bent down slightly and said, “Since you didn’t just leave me here, I want to thank you. Let me give you a piggyback ride back.”

Chu Qiao looked at him in disbelief. “You would do something like that? Isn’t that below your status?”

“I’m feeling good today.”

Chu Qiao stopped speaking, and just as Yan Xun thought she was unwilling, he felt a small and soft body sink onto his back.

The snow on the vast plains glistened. Yan Xun was carrying someone for the first time and his actions were slightly awkward as he tried to maneuver through the snow. Chu Qiao extended her soft white hand and tapped his neck. “Don’t wiggle! I am about to fall off.”

Yan Xun paused slightly but steadied himself and gradually started moving again.

“Hey, do you know how long we have to walk?”

The child calmly replied, “Shorter than the burning of an incense, so walking back will take about two hours.”

Yan Xun nodded his head. “You’re named Xing Er?”

“How do you know that?”

“The last time at the precipice, that’s what the servant that set you up called you.” Royal Highness Yan seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood today. Seeing that Chu Qiao wasn’t replying, he continued asking, “What’s your actual name and surname?”

Chu Qiao quietly said, “Why must I tell you?”

“Don’t tell me if you don’t want to.” Yan Xun replied, “But one day, you will be begging for me to listen.”

“If you have the patience, slowly wait for that day to come.”

Yan Xun frowned. “You are a child, why do you speak like an old person?”

The child on his back condescendingly replied with a twitch of her lip, “You people are not that old either. Why are your actions so devious?”

Yan Xun was astounded but smiled. “My gosh, you really do hold grudges.”

The child sounded more dreary as her tone turned cold. She replied apathetically, “You don’t hold grudges because you weren’t pointed at with an arrow before.”

The strong gusts of wind continued blowing and Yan Xun suddenly felt cold. He tried to open his mouth to refute but no words could come out. The concept of difference in status which he believed in for many years became inappropriate after what the child mentioned. For many things, as long as the majority of the people say something is right, you will naturally believe in it even though you don’t think that way inside.

The chilly moonlight shone on the snowy ground as the shadows of the two children became tiny. At this moment, the hurried steps of a horse could be heard from the distance. Yan Xun focused and said, “My men are here.”

The child on his back slightly frowned as she tried to focus on listening. All she could hear was a clutter of noise from the horses, and it seemed like an army was coming, followed by the rapid footsteps of people. It was foggy and a group of people could vaguely be seen trudging in. The child squinted and slowly spoke, “Seems like they are not your men.”

The northern winds resulted in a snowstorm as the snow drifted feverishly and densely, blocking the bright moon resulting in them being unable to open their eyes fully.

The sky was pitch black with the occasional shrill of the night owls. The birds circled the sky and the Zhen Huan city seemed like a small pearl in an ocean of white from the view of a bird. It was dazzling. Now, on the outskirts of the pearl, there was a group of shabbily dressed, sallow people who were the opposite of what the flourishing city was, and were of a different race. They were trudging along.

The piercing wind penetrated the ragged clothes of the people, resembling a knife cutting their skin which was already turning blue. The strong winds howled and the people arduously huddled together to brace themselves against the storm. Without the walls of the city to protect them from the wind, the plateau’s winter was all the more unbearable. Suddenly, a baby’s cry could be heard and the lone voice gradually spread throughout the entire group.

With a crack, there was the sound of a whip. The leader who was riding on the horse came forward with a gloomy face and snapped, “All, shut up!” However, those infants did not understand his command and the crying persisted. The leader frowned and brought his horse into the crowd. He bent down and grabbed the baby from a young woman. He raised the baby and viciously slammed it on the ground.

“Ah!” A shrilling scream followed, and the mother of the child was shocked. She immediately knelt down and hugged the baby which had already lost any form of life, crying uncontrollably.

The leader glared, and as he passed by all the refugees of a different race, they all fell silent. In the wilderness, only the crying of the young woman could be heard. The leader drew his knife and slashed the woman’s vertebrae. Blood spurted everywhere, tainting the white ground.

Chu Qiao suddenly stopped breathing for a moment and bit her lips hard. With a surge of force in her hands, she wanted to run out and help.

“Do you not care about your life?” Yan Xun hugged her tightly and whispered into her ear, “They are Wei Fa’s army, don’t act rashly.”

“It’s here,” the leader with black nails and a black fur coat told his subordinates in a deep voice. The soldiers wearing iron helmets immediately came down from their horses and drew the knives from their waists. With a tug of the rope, those refugees whose legs were tied together fell to the ground simultaneously. The eyes of the leader were gloomy and his thin lips straightened into a line before mouthing the word, “Kill!”

The slicing motion of the knives was decisive and the young soldiers had maintained their composure. They didn’t blink before tens of heads rolled on the floor and blood flowed out to form a red stream, which froze in an instant.

The child bit her lip tightly as she hid behind the slope, watching the massacre in close proximity, her heart clenched tightly. Her eyes shone brightly like a star but they felt heavy. Yan Xun’s hands were cold but still held on tight to her, but he could feel emotions running through his blood and he wasn’t able to turn his head to look her in the eyes. The small body in his embrace emanated some sort of warmth which seemed to scorch his hands.

He witnessed these repeated acts of decapitating the refugees. He felt that they weren’t just cutting off the civilian’s heads, but also his own principles. The stubbornness that had existed within him for a long time was sliced off until there was nothing left and there was nowhere to hide.

The knives slashed and the blood splattered everywhere. The refugee’s expressions were seemingly calm and there wasn’t any fear of death. Chu Qiao clearly saw that it wasn’t numbness from extreme fear, it wasn’t despair from losing all hope, and all the more it wasn’t the feeling of giving up on oneself—It was a stubborn determination and hatred to the bone. Everyone was quiet and there wasn’t any crying or cursing, even the babies were quiet. They opened their eyes and watched their people die in the arms of these other people. Their gaze was bright, but surges of hatred were tumbling inside them. This hatred would even be felt by the heavens, and even the Asura from the inferno had to give way to this hatred.

The rage and hatred that was hidden deep in her heart slowly overflowed and she clenched her fist tight like a bloodthirsty wolf. At this moment, the hurried gallops of a horse could be heard, accompanied by a man’s angry shout, “Stop! All of you stop!”

The white horse sprinted to the scene, the young master leapt off the horse and he crazily whipped the soldiers’ wrists. He stood in front of the refugees and shouted angrily at the leader, “Jiang He, what are you doing?”

“Major General Shuye, I’m just following orders and executing the rebels,” he said as he wrinkled his eyebrows, but still hopped off his horse and bowed in respect.

“Rebels?” Wei Shuye furrowed his brow and, with an intense gaze, he pointed at the elderly, the women and the children, and sternly said, “Who are the rebels? Them? Who gave you the authority to do this?”

Jiang He’s face remained the same, as stubborn as a rock. “Major General, it was ordered by Sheng Jin palace. They were direct orders by your uncle and were agreed on by the elders. Your own brother gave the orders and elders from the Wei Family discussed to come up with this order. I’m just conducting the execution.”

Wei Shuye was stunned. He turned around and and scanned the refugees. The refugees that only had solemn faces revealed much anger when they saw him. One old lady suddenly stood up without any care and scolded, “You are a liar! A shameless betrayer! The gods will punish you!”

A knife sliced the old lady’s waist and blood dripped from the knife. Her waist seemed to split in half and she collapsed to the ground. However, she still used her remaining strength to viciously spit bloody phlegm onto Shuye’s clothes. She cursed, “Even if I become a ghost…I will forever haunt… haunt… ”

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 17: Chapter 17
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Wei Shuye was livid, and the phlegm disgustingly stuck to his robe. However, he did not wipe it off but just sucked his teeth as he gazed upon the mess of corpses, and his eyes filled with hatred.

“Major General,” Jiang He sighed and walked forward and said in a deep voice, “our country does not have money to provide for these people. The elders will not sponsor the building of their quarters. You are the grandson of Wei, you need to respect your family’s wishes and protect your interests.”

Wei Shuye felt something hot pounding on his chest. His eyes were bloodshot and he was speechless. Jiang He frowned and signalled to his soldiers with a wave and a slight nod. The soldiers understood his command and instantly raised their knives to resume the killing.

“Bad guys!” a crisp voice rang. At the back of the crowd, a small face appeared from a mother’s embrace. There was no sign of tears but both eyes were red as he shouted, “Liar, you promised that you would bring us to the country to live in protected houses. You said that everyone wouldn’t have to worry about food or clothes, you said…”

An arrow instantly shot out. General Jiang He was very accurate and stopped the child’s speech as the arrow pierced through his mouth and blood spurted out from his head.

“Take action!” Jiang He withdrew his sabre as he commanded with rage.

“Stop!” The young Major General rushed towards the child and pushed away two soldiers in his path.

Jiang He raged, “Hold onto Major General!” The soldiers immediately rushed forward skilfully and held onto Wei Shuye tightly. The inhumane killing resumed and blood flowed everywhere, mixing in with the soil. The shrill of an eagle could be heard overhead, making this massacre even more frightening with the symbol of death circling above. A big hole was dug, and the few hundred corpses were thrown inside, with soil quickly added to fill it up. The soldiers rode their horses and repeatedly trampled over the ground. With the snow falling rapidly, the blood-stained ground was covered up, along with the heinous and ugly act of murder.

The handsome child of the illustrious family had lost his composure in front of his subordinates over a bunch of lowly peasants.

“Major General,” Jiang He walked forward and said after seeing him staring at the snowy ground, “you shouldn’t be like that. They are from a lowly race, with lowly blood flowing inside them. But you shouldn’t oppose orders because of that. Your uncle has high expectations of you. Without you, your brothers won’t have a leader. They are waiting for your return.”

Seeing no response from Wei Shuye, Jiang He sighed and retreated, galloping back with his team. They disappeared within a short moment.

The young man stood there for a long time as the snowstorm brewed. This lantern festival felt especially cold. The two children hiding behind the slope were shocked when the noble Major General of Wei Fa fell on his knees and kowtowed to the dead before climbing back onto his horse and galloping away.

After a while, the snowfall didn’t seem to be stopping. The child shifted her stiff, frozen feet and swayed forward.

“What are you doing?” Yan Xun was puzzled and stood up, stunned.

The child turned around with a calm expression, but her gaze was flickering. “I’m from a lowly race with lowly blood flowing inside me. You shouldn’t be standing next to me. Since we are treading a different path, let’s part early.”

Yan Xun stood at the back and stared longingly, thinking that she could tear open the degenerate world. The snow was fluffy and their footprints slowly became further apart as they headed into the heart of the Yan Empire.

Behind the vermilion gates of the rich, meat and wine went to waste; but along the road, the bones of the poor froze to death. Just as the Xia Dynasty claimed that there wasn’t money to provide for those of the other race and massacred them instead, the city sang and danced to extol the good times with a vibrant collage of colors. The beauty’s waist was slim like a willow, her skin glistening like jade, with a sweet smile and toned arms. Those “hardworking” statesmen of the Xia dynasty removed their robes and were provided sensual experiences.

Outside, icicles formed and snow accumulated. The silk strips fluttered on the various lit lanterns. The lantern festival was a time for national jubilation, even for those women. At this moment, the hurried steps of horses disrupted the lead master of the Wei family Wei Guang’s sweet dream. The white-bearded but still good-looking elder, squinted his eyes and waved off the dozens of women covered in makeup surrounding him. The women straightened their clothes and half-kneeled on the floor before retreating, without daring to lift their heads.

Wei Guang lifted his teacup, took a deep breath and gradually leaned on his soft bed. The burner released a cloud of incense slowly. The smoke drifted like a graceful dragon gradually floating up. Watching it seemed a little dreamy.

A respectful voice came from outside, “Master, Master Shuye is here.”

He should be here. The elder raised his eyebrow slightly. He was here slightly earlier than expected and wasted the lady Jade’s efforts to please. With a low voice, the elder said, “Let him in.”

The doors slid open and a young man entered the most luxurious room in the prostitute den. His moon-white colored robe was so simple and plain that it almost should not have been seen on such a noble person. Wei Shuye was gloomy and without any pretext, he asked the elder, “Why?”

Wei Guang obviously knew what he was implying. He squinted his eyes and without even looking at him, he slowly said, “When you see an elder, you don’t pay your respects? Are these the manners I taught you?”

Wei Shuye frowned as the candle in the corner of the room crackled. Time slowly passed and the young man finally lowered his head and said, “Uncle.”

“Not all matters in the world can be divided into right and wrong. Jing Er is younger than you but you need to go learn from him at this point.”

Wei Shuye crumpled his face and deeply said, “Then why did you send me there? I promised them…”

“You are Wei’s successor in line for the head of the Xia Dynasty, with royal blood flowing in your veins. You are part of the most well-respected family in the country, you need not makes promises to a bunch of lowly peasants. Their meaning in life is to lose it when the time comes, to sacrifice for their country. You did not make a mistake, and do not need to feel guilty, and shouldn’t even be here to question your uncle,” The elder cut off Shu Ye’s words and said sternly.

Wei Shuye shook his head and frowned. “Uncle, this is not what you taught me in the past.”

“Because I was naïve like you in the past and it resulted in your father’s death in the internal strife of our family.” Wei Guang opened his eyes and his gaze glistened with emotion. He slowly turned around and stared at Wei Shuye and spoke slowly, “The winner is the predator while the weak stay as prey. The world is like that. Ye Er, after all these years, you still don’t understand?”

“Uncle,” Wei Shuye’s expression was stern, “the country needs people to go westwards to open up the lands. The youths of their race believed in me and headed there. Why don’t the elders take care of their families? They travelled thousands of miles to follow me to the capital because you already promised that I would construct residences for them. They left their own houses, gave up their nomadic lifestyle, just because I promised them!” Wei Shuye emotionally lifted the incense on Wei Guang’s table and shouted angrily, “You said the country didn’t have the money to provide for them, then what’s this? This is incense from the Song Empire. Just one bundle of this costs two hundred gold coins. Two hundred gold coins can feed their entire tribe for ten years!”

Wei Guang’s expression remained unchanged as he calmly listened to Wei Shuye’s rant. The atmosphere was all set for a showdown and was filled with the youth’s rage. After a long while, the elder gently smiled and calmly said, “Ye Er, you went with Major General Zhi Lu to settle the civil discord, which ended disappointingly. It is unknown if he’s dead or alive, but you can still argue here with me. Why is that so?”

Wei Shuye was taken aback, the indignation frozen on his face, and he had no words to reply.

“You can still be standing here intact because your surname is Wei. I know you empathize with those peasants and repel the ideology of discrimination. But even though you hate this status, you are still Wei’s descendant, my nephew. What you enjoyed from the time you were born was all provided by the family. All that you ate and used, status and power, were all from the family. It will never change. A person who has enjoyed the privileges this whole time do not have the right to curse it.” Wei Guang took a deep breath and leaned on the bed, his chest rising briefly, his voice deep and with a hint of despair. “Everything in this world happens for a reason. Today, the reason that it was the Weis who massacred the Biantas, not the Biantas massacred the Weis, was because the Weis have been fighting for the growth and prosperity of our family since three hundred years ago. Three hundred years down the road, Wei family protected the frontier and guarded land of our empire, and won many distinctive battles. While the Biantas were roaming around, the children of the our Wei family were already learning skills for war, learning the ways of business, starting to dodge away from schemes secretly planned against them. The Wei family is part of the seven big clans but these nomads are diminishing. Child, the heavens are fair, they are never in favor of anyone. The reason they lost is because they never gave enough. No weakling should blame the strong for bullying them. To not be preyed on, they can only get stronger themselves. Today, you are here pitying them. If all descendants thought like you, those that were killed today would have been your siblings.”

Wei Shuye stood still and his face still tensed. He could not speak what he wanted to say.

Wei Guang gradually stood up as he extended his arm to pat his shoulder. “Ye Er, your uncle is old already and can’t protect all of you for long. When I am not around, who will protect the family? Who will protect my children against others’ attacks? Who can protect my daughters from getting played? Who can protect all of you? Will it be you?”

The doors opened and a wave of music floated in with a mesmerising essence. The elders’ footsteps gradually distanced. Wei Shuye stood up straight and felt his shoulders burning. What was pressing down on him was an invisible burden. It was a huge responsibility which he wanted to shake off but couldn’t.

The sky was pitch black, but it wasn’t as dark as his heart. The demons remained in his thoughts as they swallowed his morals. The struggle was pointless. Ultimately, he sighed and remained speechless.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 18: Chapter 18
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Some things were decided since one’s birth, such as blood ties and their destiny.

He slumped in his seat, raised his wine glass and gulped it down in one shot, along with all his suppressed thoughts and indignation.

Chu Qiao had just walked over to the city gates and saw the servants of the Zhuge family holding lanterns and looking around. Upon spotting her, they ran towards her direction in elation.

“Xing Er, the fourth young master asked us to wait here for you. Let’s go back to the house.”



Chu Qiao paused. Given Zhuge Yue’s character, she did not expect him to send people to locate her. She nodded and got into the carriage prepared by the servants.

The horse carriage creaked forward along the bustling city streets. The volume of the noises outside gradually decreased, eventually reaching complete silence. The child leaned on the inner walls of the horse carriage. Scenes of the recent massacre started to appear before her eyes—the cold-blooded stares of the soldiers, the deeply rooted resentment of the refugees, and the limp resistance of Wei Shuye.



It was still futile despite his identity. What could she, a small fry, do then? To resist an entire empire with her abilities would be akin to a mantis trying to stop a car—an utter failure. What she could do now, was to tread carefully on her toes and continue living on, in search of an opportunity to exact revenge and leave with Xiao Ba. As for other matters, she could not hope to change anything, due to her limited capabilities.

The horse carriage slowly wandered into the distance. Chu Qiao suddenly felt a chill. She opened the curtains and scanned her surroundings, and remarked, “This isn’t the way back to the house. Where are you taking me?”

The servant froze, not expecting a child of such a small age to be able to recognize directions. He smiled obsequiously and replied, “The young master is in the other courtyard, not in the main residence.”

The child’s eyebrows twitched. She carefully asked, “Courtyard? Which courtyard?”

“The courtyard in the western part of the lake.”

Chu Qiao frowned. The precarious nature of her work over the years had naturally made her develop a sense of cautiousness, allowing her to sense when something was amiss. She tested the waters and probed, “I did not manage to retrieve the things from the house that the young master instructed me to. Let’s go back to the house, then make our way to the courtyard.”

The servant replied with a smile, “Don’t worry. the young master just said that the things no longer need to be retrieved. He’s waiting in the courtyard. Let us go there quickly, lest he gets worried.”

Chu Qiao nodded slowly with a quiet expression and let the curtains down. The servant heaved a small sigh of relief. A sly look flashed across his eyes and the edges of his lips became sharp. However, the instant where his smile expanded, a dagger suddenly made contact with his neck, coldly. The child, taking advantage of an opportunity, swiftly pounced. She solemnly exclaimed in a cold tone, “You’re not serving the fourth young master. Who are you?”

“Hehe,” a low pitched laugh, as hoarse as a night owl, suddenly erupted from the side. A gorgeously decorated carriage slowly made its way out from the dense forest. Inside was a flamboyantly dressed old man. He laughed and remarked with words carrying a tinge of evil to the servant who was at the side, nodding and bowing to him, “Impressive indeed, such a stubborn temper at this tender age. Her looks are not bad either. I’ll reward you handsomely later.”

Zhu Shun, flattered, replied with a laugh, “Sharing the burden of the second Grand Master is my duty. If the second Grand Master rewarded me, it would mean my loyalty was not accepted by you.”

The old man laughed and gave orders to the two servants on his left and right, “Take this lass back to the house.” Everyone obliged resoundingly and swiftly advanced forward.

In that instant, hundreds and thousands of thoughts flashed past Chu Qiao’s mind. She was aware that she could capitalize on the other party’s contempt and carelessness to make her escape by swiftly wounding them. However, in this case, it would arouse the suspicions of others, especially the one-limbed Zhu Shun. Even if she escaped by luck, it would no doubt implicate Xiao Ba, who was still trapped in the house. If she decided not to escape, she would end up in the clutches of this old lecher. At that time, given the capabilities of an eight year old girl, how would she manage to resist an entire army of guards from the Zhuge residence?

To escape, or not to escape?



Chu Qiao tightened up, her mind still rapidly weighing her options. How about she beat this old lecher at his own game and eliminate him, given this opportunity?

In a flash, some well-built men surged towards Chu Qiao, intent on snatching the dagger she held in her hands.

“Hang on!” a low-pitched, distinct voice suddenly reverberated. Everyone turned their head towards the source of the voice, only to see the snow on the ground being scattered by a herd of over twenty rapidly approaching pitch-black war horses. The youngster mounted on one of the horses was handsome and was dressed in green robes, adorned with white fur. He gave a loud whistle and galloped forward.

The horses gave a long neigh and stood up, their warm breaths blending with the crisp, cold air, forming a cloud of mist. The youngster, under the guard of his servants, stared coldly at the crowd. His voice was calm, he gave off an aura of wisdom and calmness that was way beyond his years. He remarked, in a low voice, “Long time no see, Mister Zhuge.”

Grand Master Zhuge, with eyes half-open, sized up the youngster. He gave a chuckle, revealing his yellow teeth. “Oh, it’s Prince Yan Xun of Yan Bei. At this ungodly hour, instead of resting in your house, what are you doing out here braving the strong, snowy winds?”

Yan Xun remarked unscrupulously, “Thanks for your concern, Mister Zhuge. How could I be sleeping soundly in my house, if you, at this age, are still admiring the lights at this late hour? It’s lantern festival, the entire nation is celebrating. I just came out to admire the festivities.”

“Oh?” Grand Master Zhuge’s long eyebrows smoothed out and he replied, “In this case, Young Prince Yan, do continue admiring the sight. I will not stay with you then.” He promptly turned to his subordinates and said, “Back to the house.”

“Hold on!” Yan Xun swiftly ordered his horse to move forward, blocking Master Zhuge’s path. He laughed lightly, pointed at Chu Qiao, and declared, “Mister, you can leave, but only if you leave this child behind.”

The old man’s eyebrows moved ever so slightly. He quizzed, “What do you mean by this, your Royal Highness?”

“This child just startled my horse, Flurry, and scared it away. I want to bring her back to answer for her deeds.”

Grand Master Zhuge, hearing these words, gave a slight smile and retorted, “In this case, I will compensate you with a fine horse.”

“This horse was just brought back from the Western desert by the King of Yan Bei! It is a fine, well-travelled horse, can you afford to pay for it?”



“Feng Mian, shut your mouth!” Yan Xun frowned, berating the page boy behind him. “The Zhuge family is a patriarch of the empire. The head of the Zhuge family is also one of the seven elders of the Grand Elder’s Council, and possess wealth and power that even our royal family cannot hold a candle to. There is nothing that they cannot afford to pay for. However, fatherly ties run deep. Flurry was personally tamed by my father and was delivered to Zhen Huang from afar. It is not a typical war horse, so I cannot let things slide just like that. I have to take this child with me.”

“Prince Yan…”

“You need not say no more, Mister Zhuge,” Yan Xun interrupted the old master. He raised his head and declared, “Mister Zhuge, given your high status, you should not need to lower yourself to plead for a slave. Regarding this matter, I will answer personally to the fourth young master of the Zhuge family. Men, take this child away.”

The personal attendants of the Yans’ residence stepped forward; one of the well-built men pushed Master Zhuge’s subordinates away, causing him to stagger. He carried Chu Qiao out with a single hand and prepared to mount the horse.

Zhu Shun, seeing that old Master Zhuge was teetering with rage, stepped forward with a pretentious smile. He tugged on the saddle of Yan Xun’s horse and pleaded, “Your Royal Highness, things can be discussed…”



With the cracking sound of a whip, followed up by a ferocious kick from Yan Xun to Zhu Shun’s chin, Zhu Shun’s fat body was knocked back. He fell on the floor and exclaimed in agony, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood, along with two of his yellowed front teeth.

“Who are you to gesture in front of me? You have no idea of your limitations!” Yan Xun stared sharply at Zhu Shun and remarked coldly.

Zhu Shun was caught by surprise. He quickly kneeled down and frantically kowtowed. In the Xia Empire, a member of the royal family did not need a reason to slaughter a civilian.

Yan Xun raised his whip and pointed at Zhu Shun, declaring coldly, “I will spare you temporarily on account of Mister Zhuge today. If you still exhibit this unruly behavior another day, I will kill you in person, even in the presence of the head of the Zhuge family.”

Finishing his sentence, Yan Xun did not even look at old Master Zhuge and echoed to his subordinates, “Let’s go!”

Yan Xun’s people then mounted on their horses. With the sight of snow being scattered around, they faded away into the end of the long street.

Old Master Zhuge turned red, his left hand trembling in anger. Zhu Shun crawled forward, maintaining a kneeling posture. He tugged at the leg of Master Zhuge. He pleaded, “Grand Master, please don’t be angry! I…”

“Scram!” the old man bellowed. He delivered a kick to Zhu Shun’s chest and shouted, “Useless piece of trash!” Following that, he boarded the carriage and promptly departed.

The heavy snow continued to fall. Silence now enveloped the long street, further highlighting the bustling main street.

The war horse stopped by the lake. The youngster, having maintained a serious look previously, now turned back with a smile and laughed, “Lass, you owe me a favor…again.”

The child raised an eyebrow slowly. Although she remained silent, her body language obviously conveyed the message, I did not beg for you to come.

Yan Xun grunted indignantly and whispered, “Would it hurt to say something nice?”

Chu Qiao took one look at him and prepared to walk away.

Yan Xun froze and hurriedly blocked her path. “What are you going to do?”

The child raised an eyebrow, “Of course I’m going back to the Zhuge residence.”

“You still want to go back?” The youngster frowned and questioned, “That lowly servant will not spare you! And as for that old fellow from the Zhuge family, he is known for his deeds in the city of Zhen Huang! Do you want to court your own death?”

Chu Qiao pushed him aside and said, “None of your business.”

Yan Xun did not let go and maintained his grip on her, saying, “What do you mean? I rescued you out of the goodness of my heart and you give such cold treatment. What good do you see in Zhuge Yue, that enigmatic fellow, he is worth you disregarding your safety to go back to him?”



Chu Qiao raised her head, frustrated that she prepared to risk all or nothing, but failed to eliminate the old lecher Zhuge. She impatiently brushed Yan Xun’s hand off, looked up and stated coldly, “Did I cry for you to come and save me? Keep your kindness to yourself, I cannot stand it.”

Yan Xun’s eyes seethed with anger. Seeing Chu Qiao’s small shadow disappearing into the distance, he shouted childishly, “Ridiculous! Serves you right that you got bullied. If I cared about you again, my surname would not be Yan!”

Chu Qiao did not even look back and disappeared among the vast sea of people after a long while. Feng Mian carefully approached and surveyed Prince Yan. He saw that his eyes were bloodshot as if he was about to cry from anger. Feng Mian froze slightly. The empire deployed various feudal lords to helm the neighboring territories and defend Zhen Huang, its capital. However, to suppress them, their sons were held hostage back in the capital. These children lived in the whirlpool of power from a young age and matured incredibly early as a result. It was the first time that Feng Mian had seen his master express his joy and anger towards another person in such a manner, just like…just like a normal child.

“Your Royal Highness, let’s make our way back to the house?”

“Hmm!” Yan Xun grunted coldly, his voice hinting at a tinge of anger. He mounted his horse and led his assistants back to the Yans’ residence.

“Feng Mian,” Yan Xun, having barely taken two steps, turned back and instructed his apprentice, “You take a trip to the Zhuges’ residence and tell them that I found Flurry. Also, tell them not to make things difficult for that girl.”

“Ah?” Feng Mian froze and opened his eyes wide. “Your Highness, didn’t you say that your surname would no longer be Yan if you helped her again?”

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 19: Chapter 19
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Yan Xun flew into a rage, gave Feng Mian a kick while on his horse, and shouted, “Idiot! I dare you to say that again!”



Feng Mian yelped twice in pain. He immediately turned around and ran towards the Zhuge residence. He did not dare to repeat those words again.

Yan Xun huffed in anger. He saw all his subordinates staring at him and hollered, “I do what I want!”

Everyone hurriedly looked away in their own direction and did not dare to look Yan Xun in the eye again. Each of them thought the same thing and sighed to themselves. After all, the prince was only thirteen years old. It was no big deal if he occasionally threw a childish tantrum.

By the time Chu Qiao reached the Zhuge residence, it was already late at night. Upon seeing Chu Qiao, the gatekeeper was slightly taken aback, as he recognized that this was the favored maid of Qing Shan court’s young master. Hence, he did not make things difficult and even gave her a lantern to light the way.

The Zhuge residence gave off an icy cold aura at night, and without the noise and liveliness of the daytime, the silence made the place feel like a pitch-black prison cage. Occasionally there were a few cries of some jackdaws, which were then promptly shot down by archers who had great precision. Any forms of noise was not tolerated while the masters were sound asleep; even animals could not be excused.



As Chu Qiao passed by the high walls of Lan Shan court, she heard a burst of suppressed cries. It was as if a female servant was hiding on the opposite side of the wall and crying, having erred and taken a beating.

Chu Qiao’s footsteps gradually came to a halt. The gigantic moon in the sky, pale and round, reflected her small shadow onto the red wall. Her shadow seemed thinner and longer, which reminded her of past times when she had a taller figure. She suddenly felt a tinge of sadness. Perhaps, she would snap out of her trance and realize that it was just a dream. If it was a dream, all of these things would not have happened. Those lifeless corpses, the fresh blood that flowed, and those tears of despair…

The cries of the child on the opposite side of the wall persisted. As she was too short, she could not scale the wall. How could she give warmth to others if she herself was cold? Just like those corpses that were buried underneath the snowy plains. Her despair did not help the situation.

Unexpectedly, she opened the front door of Qing Shan court. Chu Qiao was surprised. She had originally planned to spend the night in the firewood room; the fact that the courtyard’s gate was not locked stunned her. Zhuge Yue knew how to take care of his own health. When he was not attending lessons in the General Academy Hall, he would stay in the garden either busy with his flowers or enjoy some tea and burn some incense. He also highly valued sleep, unlike the other young masters, who were only preoccupied with lust, often throughout the night.

As she carefully stepped into the courtyard, the glow of a lantern started advancing towards her. Huan Er hurriedly grabbed Chu Qiao’s hand and whispered, “Finally! Where did you run off to just now? I’ve been waiting for you the entire night.”

Chu Qiao apologetically stuck out her tongue and replied, “My horse was scared away. I just came back. Where’s the young master? How come the gate isn’t locked?”

“You’re lucky.” Huan Er curled his lips and remarked with a smile, “Young master is in his study reading. He has been there all night and he has not told me to lock up. He hasn’t slept either, so I’ve been able to wait for you here.”

Chu Qiao nodded, walking towards Zhuge Yue’s room. Huan Er hurriedly stopped her and said, “The young master was not in a good mood when he came back. I do not know who ruffled his feathers. It’s late, let’s discuss things tomorrow. Anyway, the young masters did not ask you to go to Xuan hall. You go and take a rest, I’ll inform the young yaster on your behalf.”

Chu Qiao nodded and replied, “That works too.” She turned and walked back towards her own room. Huan Er dashed into the Xuan hall, spoke a few sentences and exited.

Chu Qiao was one of the maidservants in Xuan hall with a higher status. Her room was located close to the main yard. As she walked to the door, the light in the room behind her went out before she could manage to open it. She was enveloped by the darkness.

Chu Qiao was a little dazed. She turned back slightly, looking in the direction of Zhuge Yue’s room. As the last light was extinguished, the entire Zhuge residence fell into a deep sleep. Chu Qiao stood in the corridor for a long time. As the wind blew, she twitched her nose lightly. It was as if she could smell the scent of blood beneath the ground.

Zhuge Yue seemingly had a nightmare just after closing his eyes. When he woke up, the third sound of the drum had just been struck. The sounds of the watchman dragged on, carrying a soft tail sound, and drifting far away in the silent night.

In that instant, he thought that he was still dreaming. In the dream, there was a warm spring breeze and beautiful peach blossoms. The touch of his mother’s hand felt as gentle as the warm spring water, elegantly brushing across his hair, combing a neat bun for him. However, instantly, the cold air permeated his senses, rudely awakening him. He sat up, his white pajamas drenched with sweat. The windows were not fully closed and the icy, cold wind blew onto him through the window slit. The teapot by his bedside was already cold. A few pieces of osmanthus cake sat in a small blue and white porcelain dish. It’s refreshing aroma was still delectable, despite the distance. He did not feel like sleeping anymore. He put on his coat, took his long flute, opened the door and walked out.

The maidservants outside were sound asleep, not awakened at all by his movement. He continued to walk and pushed the room door open, seeing the snowy white moonlight in the courtyard. It passed through the trees and shone on the ground, forming streaky, barbed reflections. It was as if it snowed out of nowhere. The warm radiance spread around the courtyard. The midnight wind was slightly chilly and brushed against his sleeves. The fluttering sounds mimicked that of a butterfly’s wings. Heading east of the courtyard, he was welcomed by a big plum plantation. Its red and white colors intertwined and gave off a fragrant aroma, spread about by the wind.

This mansion was probably only silent at this hour. Without the other noises, it was as if he was the only person left in this world. He spotted a pavilion located higher up and wandered along the mottled stone path leading up to it. Frost had just descended upon the night, causing the path to be slightly slippery. He bent down and walked slowly, seemingly minding his way, but not paying attention at the same time.

“Fourth young master?” a crisp sound echoed in the distance. He raised his head and saw a little girl sitting on a tree next to the pavilion. She was wearing jade-green clothes, her neck adorned by a ring of snow-white camel fur. Her black eyes were big and round and were staring at him. A pair of small green boots were swinging around in mid-air, just like two dancing grass crickets.

He slowly raised his eyebrows and asked, “Why are you here?”

“I couldn’t sleep.” Chu Qiao was astonished to see him here at this hour as well. She remarked honestly, “Fourth young master, you couldn’t sleep either?”



Zhuge Yue remained silent and slowly walked up towards the pavilion.

The Zhuge residence was originally constructed on a hillside. The sights here were marvellous and offered a view of almost the entire city of Zhen Huang. The hazy moonlight was just like a thin white veil, shrouding every corner of the city, and suppressing the hostility of the harsh northern winds which had chipped away at the city for a few hundred years. The moonlight made even the thick city walls, which had been stained with the blood of numerous people, appear gentler.

Chu Qiao looked at his back view, suddenly feeling a sense of disorientation. The peace after the bloodshed made her feel tired. She leaned on a branch, staring at that quiet youngster. She watched the wind tug at his bright-colored sleeves, just like two big butterflies flying about with the flow of the wind.

“Fourth young master, I lost the little red horse.”

Zhuge Yue did not respond, as if he did not hear her words in the first place. The long flute was still in his hands, but he did not play it. He stood still silently for a while, before turning and walking down the hill.

Chu Qiao, seeing that he was leaving, climbed down the tree to follow him. However, she lost her footing and slipped. In desperation and confusion, she grabbed hold of the tree branch, only for it to slice a big hole in her clothes. The back of her arm was also cut and fresh blood oozed out of the wound.

Zhuge Yue stopped in his tracks and raised his head, only to see what seemed like a monkey—no, a child—hanging from a tree branch. He paused to think and reached out his arms.

Chu Qiao was caught off guard and questioned suspiciously, “Fourth young master, what are you trying to do?”

Zhuge Yue replied, “Jump down.”

“Ah?” She thought for a long while, before realizing his intention. Chu Qiao quickly said, “It’s okay, Xing Er can make her way down by herself.”

Zhuge Yue frowned slightly, appearing rather impatient, and declared stubbornly, “Jump down.”

Chu Qiao could not insist further and she could only release her grip. In an instant, she dropped into Zhuge Yue’s arms. She was still short, only reaching his shoulders in height. In his arms, she felt like a small cat.

“Let’s go.” Zhuge Yue placed her on the floor and walked in front of her, Chu Qiao promptly followed. They were surrounded by plum trees and the floor was strewn with petals. They trod on the soft white snow, leaving behind two rows of shallow footprints.

By the time they got back to Qing Shan court, all the servants there were awake and frantically searching for the pair. Zhuge Yue did not elaborate and went straight back to his room. Huan Er dashed over to Chu Qiao’s room and started to question her.

As they spoke, a maidservant reported that Young Master had caught a cold and that someone was on their way to get a doctor. All of Qing Shan court started to become busy. Huan Er brought a few maids and servants in and out to prepare warm water and change towels, until the doctor arrived to take the Young Master’s pulse and prescribe some herbal medicine. Only then was everyone able to catch their breath.

Chu Qiao, having had some supper, was preparing to sleep, when she suddenly heard a knock on her door. She opened the door to see Huan Er standing outside, along with an elder who looked over fifty. Huan Er uttered, “Xing Er, the young master said that you were cut. Since the doctor is here already, let him take a look at your injury.”

Chu Qiao paused for a second, and then made her way for the doctor to attend her wound. After the doctor was finished, Huan Er stated, “Also, the young master said that he would sleep in tomorrow, so we need not wake up too early to work.”



Chu Qiao nodded in agreement, and Huan Er left the room joyfully.

The hazy moonlight shone on this silent courtyard, it was as if a layer of white frost had been glazed over it.

The next day, first thing in the morning, Chu Qiao went to see Zhuge Yue. However, the young but mature young master was not in his room. Chu Qiao, aware that she lost the red horse, knew that she had to provide explanation to him. As she was about to go outside to ask for his whereabouts, she saw Zhuge Yue stroll into the courtyard, wearing a set of dark golden armor and holding a long sword. He was flanked by a group of servants and adopted a decisive and agile posture. Chu Qiao had not seen him like this before. Zhu Cheng, back bent, had a cloak draped over his arms. He followed closely behind.

Huan Er along with other maidservants hurriedly ran up. They served tea and water to Zhuge Yue, started burning the incense, wiped his hands clean, and started preparing for his bath.

Chu Qiao stood by the side of the main entrance and waited for Zhuge Yue to take his seat. And then she stepped up and confessed, “Fourth young master, I lost the little red horse.”

“Um.” Zhuge Yue acknowledged her lightly, drinking a mouthful of the tea that he received from Huan Er. Then, he ordered his other servants, “Go and fetch two pots of the cymbidium that was delivered yesterday and take away this incense burner. It irks my sense of smell.”

The servants quickly obliged and set about to run their errands. Chu Qiao stood in her original spot. Seeing that Zhuge Yue had no intention of punishing her or continuing with this topic, she smartly stopped talking. Just as she prepared to sneak out, Zhuge Yue put down his teacup, pointed at her and said, “Xing Er, hold on.”

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 20: Chapter 20
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Chu Qiao’s heart skipped a beat. She would be getting her just deserts after all. Unexpectedly, Zhuge Yue remarked, “Follow Zhu Cheng later on and find an able guard to teach you how to ride a horse.”

“Ah?” Chu Qiao and Zhu Cheng froze, then exclaimed in unison.

Zhuge Yue raised his sword-like eyebrows, frowned slightly, and declared deeply with an impatient look, “What’s the matter? Is there a problem?”

“No problem, no problem.” Zhu Cheng was seventeen this year and he had followed Zhuge Yue since he was young. Hence, he naturally knew that Zhuge Yue practiced what he preached. He replied in an appeasing tone, “I’ll bring Miss Xing Er there right away.”

Zhuge Yue raised his head in suspicion, frowned again, and stared at Zhu Cheng. “Xing Er just turned eight… Why are you calling her ‘Miss’?”

“That’s right, that’s right. I’ll bring Xing Er… Xing Er…” Zhu Cheng, who was usually witty, struggled to find a title to befit this child. He stuttered for a long while, but to no avail.

Zhuge Yue waved his hand impatiently and said firmly, “Okay. Scram. Straighten your back when you walk, lest outsiders think that the servants of Qing Shan court are all hunchbacks.”

“Yes, yes.”

Chu Qiao stood at her original position. Her petite frame was adorned in a pale yellow dress, with a vest made of fox skin on top. She looked adorable. She bowed to Zhuge Yue and softly said, “Xing Er thanks the fourth young master.”

Zhuge Yue waved his hand lightly, not even looking up.

Chu Qiao and Zhu Cheng exited the Xuan hall. Zhu Cheng looked suspiciously at the child and saw Chu Qiao staring back towards him. He remarked with a laugh, “Miss Xing Er, let’s go?”

Chu Qiao smiled and ignored him, walking out of the court.

“Miss Xing Er, these are the people that I chose for you. They are all adept at horse riding, please take your pick.” Everyone, including Chu Qiao and Zhu Cheng, stood at the foot of the horse riding hill. The eight year old child raised her head slightly and scanned the group of well-built, able-bodied men standing in front of her. These men, who were usually cross towards the servants, now stood in front of her respectfully, smiles on their faces. Anyone who did not know this would have thought that they were usually that kind natured.

Chu Qiao took small strides, passing the men one by one. Suddenly, her eyes brightened up. She paused, taking a long look, a plain smile slowly appearing on her face. She pointed at a flustered-looking man, smiled lightly and said, “I want him.”

“Miss Xing Er.” Song Lian laughed in a flattering manner, his smile obviously unable to hide his worry.



The eight year old girl, wearing a snow-white vest made of fox skin, stood on the hill. Her eyes sparkled, making her appear very adorable.

“Please choose your horse.”

Chu Qiao surveyed the herd of over ten horses in front of her, only to see that their horseshoes had not been attached. Their fur appeared clean; it was obvious that they were domesticated since they were young and had not ventured outside. The child trudged on the snow unevenly, waved her whip, and remarked playfully, “I don’t want any of these. I want to ride a big horse.”

As the servants at the side prepared to intervene, Song Lian quickly stopped them. He nodded and bowed, saying, “If Miss Xing Er wants a big horse, it is no issue. The few of you, go and fetch a few fine horses. Remember, they must be big.”

Song Lian purposely emphasised the word “big”. The two servants, understanding his intent, proceeded to fetch the horses. In just a while, five big-sized horses were brought over.

Chu Qiao took a quick look and deciphered that these horses were already old. She wondered if the horses’ mobility posed a problem, but she did not raise her concerns. She turned and said to Song Lian, “These horses look strong. I’m young and have not ridden such a big horse. Guardian Song, how about you demonstrate for me and teach me something?”



In that instant, Song Lian frowned rigidly, a defeated look appearing on his face.

Zhu Cheng chided suspiciously, “Go, quickly! Don’t tell me you don’t know how to ride a horse? Why were you so eager to go along with her just now?”

Song Lian, not being able to voice his frustrations, thought to himself, if only I knew who I was serving, I would not have agreed even if they beat me to death. He walked in front of the white horse hesitantly, reached out his hand, and patted the tired-looking horse’s head twice. He carefully stepped on the stirrup, treating the horse as if it was paper paste. He feared that the horse would buckle if he used just a little strength.

The horse was stronger than expected. Although its four legs were upright, they did not buckle. Song Lian heaved a sigh of relief and said with a laugh, “The snow is heavy today. As Miss Xing Er is still young, we shall learn to mount the horse first, and commence riding tomorrow.”

As Zhu Cheng was about to nod in agreement, Chu Qiao suddenly rushed forward and forcefully smacked the horse’s buttocks. She replied jovially, “Don’t say so much! Go for a round first!”

As the sound of the smack reverberated, not only did the horse remain stationary, but its hooves buckled and it fell on the floor. Song Lian was thrown off forcefully, flipping through the air before landing head first into the snow.

All the servants rushed forward in a flustered manner. Zhu Cheng, looking at the horse, which was inhaling more than it was exhaling, frowned and commented disdainfully, “Is this the best horse? I think all of you are not taking Fourth Young Master’s instructions seriously.”

“I do not dare,” Song Lian said, crawling to his feet. “This thought has never crossed my mind. It is only that given Miss Xing Er’s tender age, we do not dare to fetch a well-developed war horse!”

Zhu Cheng nodded and remarked, “You do make a point. Xing Er, you’re still young, let’s start with a small horse, okay?”

“As long as Brother Zhu Cheng wants me to ride a smaller horse, Xing Er will follow suit.” Chu Qiao raised her head, revealing her pink cheeks and a pair of crescent eyes. She was simply adorable.



Zhu Cheng’s spirits lifted. However, the moment he turned towards Song Lian, his mood changed to that of anger. He ordered angrily, “Go and fetch the horse!”

Song Lian led the horse back, limping. Amidst Zhu Cheng’s cries for him to be careful, he helped Chu Qiao mount the horse. She looked down, broke into a grin, and requested, “Brother, I still do not know how to ride a horse. Help me to lead the horse by the reins and let’s go for a round slowly.”

Song Lian earnestly wished to do this and he promptly nodded his head in total compliance. This horse was relatively well-behaved and it slowly walked behind Song Lian. In a while, both of them had managed to cover a hundred steps. Song Lian looked up and smiled pleasingly, “Miss Xing Er, I hope this horse is good? It is a newborn. When the seventh Missy requested it from me a while back, I did not gift it to her. If it is to your liking, I can gift it to you.”

“How could Xing Er take what the seventh Missy likes? This would be unruly.”

Song Lian gritted his teeth and replied with a laugh, “Miss, what are you saying? Although the seventh Missy is the old master’s biological daughter, she is way below the fourth young master in terms of status. You are popular with the fourth young master, making your status higher than them.”

“Is that so?” The child smiled lightly and said, “I did not know that my status was so high. Until recently, I was at your mercy.”

Song Lian instantly blanched.

Chu Qiao gave him a cold look, took the crossbow attached to Song Lian’s arm, and stabbed it into the horse’s buttocks with one swift and ruthless motion. The horse, shocked, gave a loud and long neigh. It kicked Song Lian aside and rapidly galloped forward! The child, flustered, loudly exclaimed, “Guardian Song! What are you doing?”

Zhu Cheng and the rest saw what was happening from afar and panicked. They yelled and followed in pursuit of them, but none of them could outrun the beast. Chu Qiao pretended to be panicked, while her eyes darted in all directions, looking for a safe landing point.

At this instant, a yellow horse suddenly appeared in the distance. Zhuge Yue, with his fair complexion, a thunderous look, unusually red lips, dressed in a dark purple embroidery gown, came sprinting after them on his horse. He swiftly brandished his sword and planted it between the eyes of the horse. The horse, having been attacked, bellowed in agony and started to kick, standing on two legs, shaking its head rapidly! At the same time, a soft whip flew in front. Wrapping itself around Chu Qiao’s small waist and taking her down from the horse!

“Haha, that was a close save.” Yan Xun, handsomely dressed in a pristine green robe, smiled and took Chu Qiao into his arms. His voice sounded sly, hinting that he knew everything.

Zhuge Yue took the arrow out from the horse’s buttocks and turned to look at Song Lian coldly. He ordered his servants, “Take him away and hand him over to Zhu Qi at the magistrate.”

Two guards dashed forward and tied Song Lian up.

The man pleaded, “Fourth young master, no…”

In the blink of an eye, there was a loud sound. Yan Xun dashed forward and with a kick to Song Lian’s face, dislodged most of his teeth making him unable to speak. Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows slightly, turned his head and looked at Yan Xun, his eyes slanted.

“This kind of slave would have been executed long ago in the Yan residence. How could he have any chance to defend himself?” Yan Xun laughed and remarked, “Fourth Childe Zhuge, you are overly benevolent. I didn’t mean to interfere your business Please pardon my rudeness.”

Zhuge Yue replied plainly, “It’s nothing. Prince Yan is so well-skilled. How did I not realize it back when we were both studying in the General Academy Hall.”

Yan Xun casually waved and laughed, “It was just some fluffy skills. How could that compare to the art of war in your minds?”

Zhuge Yue did not respond. With a wave of his hand, his servants took Song Lian, who was bleeding heavily from his mouth, away.

“Prince Yan, many thanks for returning our lost horse today. However, you could have asked the servants to run this errand, instead of troubling yourself. I would love to invite you to stay for a meal but I know that you are busy. I will not impose on you further. Zhu Cheng, see Prince Yan out.”



Yan Xun laughed indifferently, exchanged a few courteous words with Zhuge Yue, and prepared to leave. As he departed, he passed by Chu Qiao and whispered in her ear, “Ruthless lass, you set up another person again.”

Chu Qiao froze. She looked up, only to see Yan Xun acting as per normal, walking away with a slight smile. He adopted a straight posture and had a calm look on his face. He looked just like an adult. How was it anything like that dissolute prince with a smile on his face?

“Xing Er,” a deep voice suddenly echoed from behind her. She turned back, seeing the troubled look on Zhuge Yue’s face. “Come back with me,” he said.

Chu Qiao sighed. She was down on her luck, actually having been exposed. She needed to think of a way to handle this small, wily fox. She followed behind Zhuge Yue, depressed. She started to formulate excuses in her mind about how she was tragically bullied in the past, but she did not see the look in Zhuge Yue’s eyes. Amidst the gloom, his eyes reflected a sense of pride, but no one knew what exactly he was proud of.

The room remained silent for a long time. The breeze outside the window continued to blow gently. A faint aroma emanated from the cymbidium perched on top of the jardinière. The child continued to stand silently at the bottom. However, a long time passed, long enough for her to assume that the people above had fallen asleep. She could not resist anymore and took a peek above, meeting a pitch-black gaze as she looked up.

Chu Qiao couldn’t pretend that she didn’t see anything anymore. She licked her lips and called out softly, “Fourth young master.”

“Have you formulated your lies already?” The youngster held up a teacup, took a slow sip out of it, and stated in a plain, soothing manner.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 21
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Cunning fox Zhuge Yue! Chu Qiao thought to herself. She nervously kneeled down and hastily said, “Xing’er doesn’t dare to tell lies.”

“Really?” Zhuge Yue tilted his head down and chuckled softly to himself. “Well, explain it to me then.”

“On the fourth of the previous month, Xing’er and a group of girl slaves were brought to the hunting grounds by young master Huai. In the end, only Xing’er survived. When Xing’er came back, Xing’er was very scared. While waiting for my wounds to heal, I took the chance to pack my belongings and plan to run away.”

“Run away?” Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows and asked, “Where were you planning to run away to?”

Chu Qiao softly replied, “I don’t know. I just didn’t want to wait there and die. Young master might think that Xing’er is being rebellious for thinking that way, however, we only get to live once. Xing’er’s life might be deemed worthless in others’ eyes, but to Xing’er, her own life is very precious. However, when I was about to run away, I was caught by the Guard Song. He then beat me up harshly. Today Guard Song saw me, he must be afraid that I would take avenge on him. Hence, he was trying to harm me to silence me.”

“Oh really? I understand now. He is still very daring.” Zhuge Yue drank a mouthful of tea and said with a calm voice, “Do you remember if he ever hit you?”

Chu Qiao stunned as Zhuge Yue’s stare was sharp like a snake. Chu Qiao immediately bowed her head and said, “It happened not long ago. That’s why Xing’er still remembers.”

“Your memory is not too bad.” Zhuge Yue nodded his head and said, “Well then, do you remember how Jin Si and Jin Zhu finessed me to kill Lin Xi? Remember when Zhu Shun sold your family members away? Remember when someone killed your sisters?”

Chu Qiao’s heart stopped for a moment and knocked her head on the floor. She said as tears rolled down her face, “Young master, Xing’er remembers everything. She is also clear about her own identity and knows her duty as well as her powers.”

“What you are trying to say is that the day when you have the same abilities as her, you will also get your revenge, right?”

Chu Qiao looked up in horror and exclaimed, “Fourth young master!”

“There is no need to deny it. When I first saw you, I already knew you were not a normal child. I saw that your eyes were hiding a lot of things.”

With tears welling up in her eyes, Chu Qiao pursed her lips and said, “What did the Young Master think Xing’er would do? Did he think Xing’er would kill people? Or did he think Xing’er was the one who harmed Jin Zhu and Jin Cai? Xing’er is still young. Even though she is filled with hatred, she still knows what to do and what not to do. Xing’er’s family and thousands of clansmen were killed. Xing’er was a highly respected person and became a slave overnight. If there really is hate, wouldn’t Xing’er hate the Sheng Jin Palace’s emperor, the Presbyterian church who gave the order, and Huang Tian Army who copied her family? Young master, Xing’er does not have that great of an ability. I only want to live happily. Those things are too serious, Xing’er cannot assume the responsibility.”

Chu Qiao knelt on the ground with her spine straight and head firmly upright, her shoulders trembled continuously as if she was extremely scared, and even tears would not come out.

Zhuge Yue looked back and forth at the child with intense stares which started to soften whilst listening to the child’s pitiful sobbing. Zhuge Yue put down his teacup, leaned on the couch and said slowly, “Get up.”

Chu Qiao tightened her lips, her reddened and watery eyes widened.

Zhuge Yue looked at the child in front of him. Looking at her small frame, flushed face with her small fists bunched nervously as if she was trying very hard not to cry, Zhuge Yue let out a sigh. Zhuge Yue had experienced many betrayals, hence he started to become very suspicious of everything that happened around him so much so that he even suspected a small child.

“Okay. I have wronged you. Just cry out loud.” To Zhuge Yue’s men, this was already considered an apology as he had never been so polite to others, except to the child who was standing stubbornly in front of him, with her big, round, and watery eyes.

Zhuge Yue suddenly felt irritated for no particular reason. He waved his hands and said, “Go away. Don’t stand here and stare at me.”

Without saying a word, Chu Qiao turned around angrily and started to leave.

“Stop right there!” Zhuge Yue suddenly shouted. Chu Qiao obediently stood there, with her back facing him.

Zhuge Yue took a small bottle made out of porcelain out of the side drawer and slowly walked down towards Chu Qiao. He grabbed Chu Qiao’s shoulders and wanted to turn her around. However, his fingers felt the tension in her shoulders. Zhuge Yue raised his brow while Chu Qiao struggled to remain facing forward and refused to turn around. Since Zhuge Yue was older than her, with some force, he managed to turn her body around. A teary-faced child stood in front of him. At the sight of Zhuge Yue, more tears ran down her face.

“It’s okay. Stop crying. I only scolded you a bit.” The young master said while frowning, “You yourself made a mistake and was not expecting others to blame you?”

“I didn’t do anything wrong. It was the young master who told me to ride the horse. I was learning well and no one said anything.” The eight year old finally released her temper and talked back to her master. While talking, she was continuously sobbing and mucus was running into her mouth.

Zhuge Yue frowned slightly and took out his handkerchief to wipe the tears off the child’s face. While wiping her tears, he said, “You still have the guts to cry? You lost my horse the other day, and today a precious pony from the west also died because of you. You still don’t admit you are at fault?”

“It’s not…it’s not like I was the one who wanted to ride the horse. In addition, Prince… Prince Yan had also returned the lost horse. I heard the news.” The child was very stubborn and argued her point to death, as tears fell down her cheek, wetting Zhuge Yue’s handkerchief.

Zhuge Yue was about to take another handkerchief, but the child took it and rubbed her nose to wipe her snot. Surprised, Zhuge Yue stared blankly at the dirty and sticky handkerchief. The child continued and said, “Even that precious pony was killed by the young master yourself.”

“So, you meant you didn’t do anything wrong?”

The child lowered her head and murmured, “What I said was the truth.”

The sunlight shone in from the corner of the window onto their shoulders. Since the child was small, even when she was standing upright, she was only at the Young Master’s shoulders. Her face was red like an apple.

“This is for you.” Zhuge Yue placed the porcelain bottle in her hands and said, “Go back and rub it on yourself.”

After all, the attention span of the child was short and she was easily distracted. Zhuge Yue smiled coyly while looking at the child, who held up the porcelain bottle and asked doubtfully, “What is that?”

“Medicine to heal the wound.”

Earlier, when the horses were galloping too fast, Chu Qiao’s palms were scratched. The child bit her lip, nodded and said, “The fourth young master, may Xing’er be excused now?”

The young master went back to his seat with his head down and with a expression as if he did not want to see her any more. He waved his hand while saying, “You can go now.”

Chu Qiao was just about to open the door when Zhuge Yue suddenly shouted, “Xing’er, the next time you see Prince Yan, don’t go near him.”

Chu Qiao tilted her head and stared back at him with a puzzled look.

Zhuge Yue frowned frustratedly and shouted, “Do you understand?”

“Understood!” The child replied loudly and turned to leave. Her small body crossed over the high door sill, causing her to almost fall over.

This child was starting to get more and more daring. The young master’s face was had a gloomy face while breathing deeply.

Right after she opened the door, she saw Zhu Cheng’s worried face. He hurriedly ran over, saw Xing’er’s teary face and asked worriedly, “What did the young master say? Is he angry?”

Chu Qiao looked at him, nodded her head and went back to her room.

Zhu Cheng entered the room frightened and saw Zhuge Yue with his head bowed down. He didn’t dare to make a sound and just stood there quietly. After a while, something flew towards his head suddenly. Zhu Cheng was terrified. He didn’t even dare to hide and thought to himself, I am dead. However, the object that hit him as soft, and hence Zhu Cheng’s head did not even hurt. He looked down and saw that it was actually a dirty handkerchief with a word “Yue” sewn on it.

“Throw it away.”

Zhu Cheng suddenly remembered Chu Qiao’s teary face, and he remembered something. After a short pause, Zhu Cheng nodded and replied, “Yes, master.”

However, as he was about to leave, he heard Zhuge Yue say, “Wait a moment.” Zhu Cheng turned his head and waited for his instructions like a slave.

The Young Master’s face turned red without any warning. Zhuge Yue thought for a long time but did not say anything.

Zhu Cheng carefully raised his head and saw Zhuge Yue’s frowning expression, as if he was going to make a huge decision. Zhu Cheng recognized that this was the expression that the Young Master usually had when he was resolving a difficult problem, so Zhu Cheng became very alert, waiting for the command. Finally, an authoritative voice said to Zhu Cheng, “Go and wash it now. Bring it back to me after it is cleaned.”

“What?” Zhu Cheng shouted, surprised.

Zhuge Yue’s anger started to rise. “What? Don’t you understand me?”

“I understand. I will do it now.”

Chu Qiao walked along the corridor with her head down and ignored everybody she walked past. Right after she shut the door, her face no longer looked wronged. Her face was very calm and eyes were very bright. With her hand on her chest, she sat on a stool and poured a cup of tea but did not drink it.

At last, today’s challenge was over. No matter how much Zhuge Yue trust her, it should be safe for now.

When the strong winds blew against her wet clothes, she felt a cold chill down her back. After drinking some tea, she started to calm down. She closed her eyes and gave out a huge sigh of relief.

Whatever it was, her plans had to go on as there was not enough time.

This year’s winter had been extremely cold, as the winds cut the skin.

In the midst of the dark sky, the bright stars shone on the earth. Winter was here and there was snow everywhere. The Yuan festival had just passed and Zhen Huang City celebrated the start of misfortune.

Zhen Huang City was covered in ice. The roads in between the palace and the Presbyterian homes were lit up with lights and was busy with horse carriages. The army that went to the west to fight in the war was defeated and their blood could be smelt from the river flowing down from the hill. Everyone knew about the defeat.

The Quan Rong army came to provoke the country, causing the noblemen to be very angry. They felt like their power was challenged and they felt threatened, causing a new war to be started. Before that, someone needed to be responsible for the previous defeat to maintain the dignity of the empire.

The gold-plated decree was sent out from the Sheng Jin palace, past the Presbyterian homes’ ruling and through Zi Wei square, Jiu Wai main street, Cheng Tian altar, Qian Kun main door towards the borderland.

The night before the chaos, the people were oblivious to the start of a war and were sleeping soundly in their homes.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 22
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“Sister Yue’er.” Xiaoba was just about to call out but Chu Qiao hurriedly covered her mouth.

The little girl had bright eyes and was looking around. She took out the embroidered bag she was holding and put it in Xiaoba’s hands while saying quietly, “Xiaoba, there is not much time left. Let’s cut to the chase. If I have not come to find you by dinner time tomorrow, you must run away from the back door of the horse shed where all the horse food is kept. I will find a way to distract the guard to leave his post tomorrow. The door will be unguarded for two hours before dinner. Here is some money and a fake identity certificate. Hold it with you and leave the city. Don’t wait for me.”

“Sister Yue’er?” Xiaoba immediately held onto Chu Qiao’s hand and said, “What are you planning to do? Are you going to get revenge? Xiaoba also wants to help you. I can’t leave alone.”

“Listen and be a good girl.” Chu Qiao patted her head and said, “There are only two of us left in the Jing family. I’m the older sister so you need to listen to me. As long as there is someone left, the Jing family will survive. If something happens to me, you can still help me get revenge.”

“But Sister Yue’er…”

“Xiaoba, listen to me. When you leave the city, head north. When you reach the San Yi city located at the border of Xia and Tang empire, wait for me for three days. If I still do not arrive after three day, you should leave by yourself. You don’t have to worry, this is just the back up plan. Once I get out, I will definitely catch up with you.”

With reddened eyes, Xiaoba pursed her lips tightly and suddenly held out her hands to wrap them around Chu Qiao’s waist. She said while choking on her tears, “I know Sister Yue’er always can resolve any problem. Nothing bad will happen to you.”

Chu Qiao hugged her shoulders, smiled and said, “Don’t worry. We will soon leave this place. In the future, there won’t be people trying to hurt us.”

The moon was shaped like a crescent in the cold, winter weather. The wind blew against the snow, creating a very dull atmosphere.

On the second day, Chu Qiao woke up early as usual and went to Zhuge Yue’s room to serve. However, she was told that the fourth young master went out early in the morning and was no longer in the residence.

Chu Qiao thought to herself, Even the gods are helping me. She turned around and walked in the direction of the main courtyard. Just as she walked to the Green pavilion, she was stopped by Zhuge Yue’s personal guard Yue Qi. The guard, who was less than fifteen years old, stared at her with a cold expression and said word by word, “The young master commanded that Xing’er is not allowed to pass through the gate.”

Chu Qiao was stunned and was not sure what Zhuge Yue was up to. She lifted her head and said with a cute smile on her face, “Big brother, I’m not leaving the courtyard. I just wanted to go to the kitchen to check if the new tea leaves that were delivered yesterday are fresh.” Right after, she turned and started walking towards the kitchen.

A little while later, Huan’er came out from the kitchen. Yue Qi frowned and asked with a confused look on his face, “Where is Xing’er?”

“Picking tea inside the kitchen with the group.”

Yue Qi frowned again, “With her status now, why does she need to do this kind of work?”

“Huh? Do you think Xing’er is as snobbish as Jin Zhu and Jin Cai?” The maidservant raised her eyebrows and looked at Yue Qi with disdain. She directly expressed her displeasure, “You are snobby!”

The white clouds were floating in the sky, what a beautiful day!

Chu Qiao found a random excuse to leave Qing Shan court. She was scared to be seen by others and chose to leave using the most hidden path. Just as she walked to the plum woods, a shadow suddenly appeared. She was shocked and saw that it was actually a teenage, with bright eyes and good features. He looked very familiar.

“Don’t be scared. I am Prince Yan’s page boy, Feng Mian. I was sent by Prince Yan to pass a message to you.”

“A message?” Chu Qiao furrowed her eyebrows and eyed Feng Mian’s body. She said, “How did you know to find me here?”

Feng Mian chuckled and said, “My master said that if I could not get into Qing Shan court, I should go hide in the most secluded pathway and I would be sure to find you.”

Chu Qiao scoffed and said, “Well, your master seems to know everything.”

“Yes, he is very smart,” Feng Mian replied cheekily while revealing his white teeth.

“What message did he want to tell me? Say it quick, I’m busy.”

Feng Mian was quite surprised and thought to himself, This little slave indeed has quite an unique temperament. No wonder both his Royal Highness and the fourth master Zhuge Yue paid so much attention to her. Feng Mian answered quickly, “He wanted to tell you that he must go back to Yan Bei in the morning tomorrow and wanted to say goodbye to you tonight. Hence, he wants to meet you at the same place as last night.”

“Back to Yan Bei?” Chu Qiao said while confused. “The Prince is a hostage in the capital. Why would he suddenly go back to Yan Bei?”

Feng Mian replied, “I’m not sure about the exact reason, but our King of Yan Bei sent messenger to the capital and asked for the Prince to return to Yan Bei. There must be something urgent that happened. The Grand Elerly’s council already approved for the Prince to go back to Yan Bei tomorrow morning.”

Chu Qiao nodded her head and said, “Tell your Prince, my identity of a servant does not allow me to leave Qing Shan court as I wish. In addition, whether the Prince goes back to Yan Bei or not, it has nothing got to do with me. I have no right to even say goodbye to him.”

Feng Mian smiled and said, “My master said if you want to go, there’s no one can stop you. Whether this has anything to do with you, is not something I could offer opinion for. Since you are busy, I will leave now.” Feng Mian smiled and disappeared into the forest. Chu Qiao could not help thinking that the Zhuge residence was so loose in security that a child like Feng Mian could wander about so freely.

After an hour of cautious prowling, Chu Qiao finally reached the side yard of the front courtyard. The yard of Zhu Shun, the steward of the Zhuge family, was presented right in front of her eyes, unguarded. At this very moment, Zhu Shun was holding a box with a sad expression on his face. The box contained a rotting hand. It looked disgusting.

Just then, a banging sound was heard. Zhu Shun was horrified. He held a dagger and ran out. His eyes were wide opened, and he shouted, “Who is it?”

It was silent. There was no one.

Zhu Shun turned around and saw a white letter sitting quietly on the ground. The top of the letter was attached to a thread, which was tied with a stone. The envelope had a peach painted on it and had a faint fragrance. After opening the letter, the man’s eyes suddenly lit up with disgusting and dirty desire in his mind. However, after some thought, he sighed, went back to his chair and did not go out.

A moment later, another bag was thrown in from the window. Zhu Shun opened it and saw that it was a women’s red binder. On top of it, there was a picture of a naked man and a women hugging each other. He felt his blood racing and burning.

He let out a laugh. He bowed his head down and smelled it. He held it and muttered, “She would not even wait for it to be nighttime! B*tch!” He then left after putting on his coat.

The Zhuge Residence was located in the east of the Zhen Huang city. Its back facing Mount Chi Song and Chi Shui lake was to its right. The residence was facing the south and covered a wide space. The building had three gates. The inner court was deep, with many layers of security. It had twenty four hours of non-stop parol. another four buildings surrounding it and a small trench fire. If there were to be a war, it would be considered a small city on its own.

Even Zhuge ladies’ rooms were located in the safest part under the mountain. For those who wanted to enter the prefecture, besides going in head-on from the front gates, there was no other possible way of getting in. The side door burst open and the guard greeted loudly, “It is Zhu Shun! Why did you come here?”

“Yesterday, there was a water leak in the Tao Ran court due to the snow that melted from the second floor, which leaked into the downstairs hall. I have come to check on it.”

The guard smiled and said, “How can I trouble you to do such trivial things? Leave it to me.”

Zhu Shun smiled and shook his head while saying, “I have nothing to do anyway. Is the First Young Master in the residence today?”

“The First Young master and the Fourth Young master have been in the study room discussing things for the whole morning already. I don’t think they will stop anytime soon.”

“Oh, okay then, I’ll go in now. There is no need to inform the masters that I was here. It is noon, the masters must be taking naps. Don’t disturb their rest.” Zhu Shun replied while nodding his head.

“I understand.”

The time was just right. A small figure was hidden in the trees. Her eyes was bright eyes and her lips lifted gently, revealed a gentle smile.

Chun Hua Court’s seventh lady Duanmu Huaning was preparing to take a nap. Her shawl slid off her shoulders. Her breast was plump and her waist was slim; her bottocks were round and her legs were long. Her skin was clear and tender, and her nails were colored red. She radiated beauty. Her maid flipped open the silk comforter and help her lady lay down to sleep naked as usual.

Just at this moment, the tile on the roof shifted quietly, but no one noticed, as a small bag of things was slowly lowered down. The bag was wriggling. It seemed like there was something alive in it.

The maidservant left and the room became very silent so that only the lady’s breathing could be heard.

The bag then landed on the seventh lady’s pillow. It was pink and there was a beautiful peach drawn on it.

While the seventh lady was sleeping soundly, she suddenly felt something was licking her good-smelling ears and neck. She lightly touched it and felt something furry. She thought it was a dream and did not bother opening her eyes. Just then, she suddenly felt pain on her face. She rubbed her eyes and saw what it was. Shocked, she screamed and it echoed throughout Chun Hua garden.

“Lady! Lady!” A maidservant hurriedly ran into the room. Just as she stepped into the room, she was shocked to see what was happening. The seventh lady’s room was filled with huge rats. They were dark, big and fat, and were not scared of humans. There were also a few on her bed, biting on her robe.

“Ah!” Where did these rats come from? Get rid of them!”

That afternoon, the entire court turned into chaos as everyone was trying to get rid of the rats.

The seventh lady drank more than ten cups of tea to help calm her nerves, but she still felt anxious and her whole body was shaking.

“Lady, I found this on your bed.” A bodyguard walked towards her, holding the pink bag.

The seventh lady took the bag and looked at it. Her eyes immediately enlarged as she stood up and said, “Little sl*t! I knew it was you! Come with me to the Tao Ran court. Let’s see what I will do to her.”

Chun Hua court’s people followed the seventh lady and left for the Tao Ran court. No one noticed the child hiding inside the cabinet in the corner. Not long later, the entire residence was in chaos and especially Tao Ran court. Chu Qiao returned back to Qing Shan court using the same path she came, and left the the chaos behind.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 23
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

In the study room, Zhuge Huai looked serious and told Zhuge Yue, “Fourth brother, what do you think of this incident?”

It was silent, not a single sound was to be heard. Zhuge Huai furrowed his brow and nudged Zhuge Yue who seemed to be deep in his own thoughts. “Fourth brother?”

“Yes?” Zhuge Yue raised his head and said absently, “King Yan’s family is doomed. Yan Xun is in danger.”

“Yes, I agree.” Zhuge Huai nodded his head and said, “King Yan has very high status and hence easily become the target to be attacked. The Bahuta family eyed the land of Yan Bei a long time ago. This time, the trouble will no doubt be beared by King Yan. In addition, the master of Sheng Jin palace’s would rather trust strangers than his own brothers.”

Just then, voices were heard outside and it started becoming very noisy. Zhuge Huai asked loudly, “Zhu Yong, what is going on outside? It is very noisy.”

“Master, the noise is coming from Tao Ran court. It seems like the seventh lady and Tao Xiang are fighting. The fourth and third ladies have gone to stop them.”

Zhuge Huai’s face hardened and he said hastily, “There is not a day when they will stop. It is ridiculous.”

Zhuge Yue heard and did not respond. Instead, he sipped his tea and bowed his head, without saying a word.

“Master, the third lady wants you and the fourth young master to go to Tao Ran court. She says that there is an emergency and you need to help solve it.”

Zhuge Huai suddenly got very angry and said, “What happened that requires us to go down? Are they not embarrassed? Tell them that I have no time.”

“Master, the third lady is going to use the family law and wants…wants to kill Tao Ran court’s Tao Xiang.”

Zhuge Yue put down his teacup and stood up while saying, “Big brother, let’s just go. They might really need your help.”

Zhuge Huai let out a long sigh and followed him out of the study room.

Tao Ran court was a mess. Every lady was shouting at each other and would not back down. However, in the midst of the hatred and anger, there was a hint of perverse delight – finally, that degrading fox who dared to seduce the master got what she deserved!

The seventh lady arrogantly stood in the middle of the yard and sneered at Tao Xiang, whose clothes were unkempt. She smirked and said, “Who would ever imagine that such a scandal would ever occur in the Zhuge household. The old master has always been treated you well, but this is how you return his kindness? How shameful of you!”

The third lady was only thirty years old. She was covered in fox fur, had very good composure and gave off a very elegant aura. Her face was full of regret and she said, “Tao Xiang, the old master originally said that when he come back, he would make you his concubine. Unfortunately, look at what you have done today? This is not something that would be tolerated.”

“Ma’am, why waste your effort talking to her! My opinion, just beat her to death and be done with it. Her existence dirties Our Zhuge household’s name.”

Tao Xiang’s face was pale, her arms were covering her chest while she knelt on the ground. Her clothes were torn and tattered, her eyes had no expression and she was trembling. From time to time, she stole a glance at the man beside her. He was also shaking uncontrollably. His face was even paler than hers.

When Zhuge Yue stepped into Tao Ran court, the situation greeted him. After listening to the seventh lady’s explanation, Zhuge’s fourth master’s eyes had a glint and he started to think intensely.

“First Young Master!” Once Zhu Shun spotted Zhuge Huai, he immediately rushed forward while crying and said, “It was her who seduced me first. She sent me a letter to ask for me. Once I arrived, she started removing her clothes to seduce me. But I clearly remember master and young master’s kindness towards me and all I want to do is to serve the Zhuge family. How could I even think of doing such a shameful thing to you? Just now, I was trying hard to reject her. I was, I was wronged. I had no idea what she was up to. This is a misunderstanding.”

“You! Do you have any heart? It was clearly you…”

“You still dare to make excuses!” The seventh lady slapped Tao Xiang across her face and said coldly, “You are such a sl*t! You dare to use such despicable tactics to assassinate my character? In the end, you only ruined yourself. Serves you right!”

“Fourth brother! Where are you going?” Zhuge Huai was confused when he saw Zhuge Yue turn around and walk away, so he asked his question aloud.

“Big brother, I have something urgent to attend to. I’ll come back to you later.” After that one sentence, the young Zhuge Yue hastily left Tao Ran court and headed towards Qing Shan court in a hurry.

Bang! Zhuge Yue flung the gate of Qing Shan court open and saw Huan’er and a few maidservants watering the plants in the garden. As soon as they noticed Zhuge Yue, they immediately made way for him and respectfully bowed to him. Zhuge Yue did not even spare them a glance and headed towards the servants’ quarters. As he was walking, he asked, “Where did Xing’er go? Did anyone see her?”

“Xing’er said that she didn’t feel well, so she went back to her room to rest,” one of the maidservants replied.

Huan’er, who was standing there, was scared that Xing’er would get punished and hurriedly said, “She was picking tea with us for the whole day and had just left.”

Zhuge Yue looked gloomy and walked towards Chu Qiao’s room. Yue Qi followed quietly along and said, “Xing’er really did help out in the kitchen for a full day and she did not leave the Qing Shan court.”

Bang! Zhuge Yue again flung Chu Qiao’s door open and walked right in,his face gloomy. He saw the pale looking child lying in bed as if she was really sick. Zhuge Yue was slightly surprised and hadn’t expected her to really be in her room. Seeing her lying in bed, he was relieved and let out a sigh as if a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. For some reason, he even felt a bit peaceful in his mind.

“Fourth young master?” The child sat up alarmed. Her voice was weary as if she had just woke up. “Did Xing’er do anything wrong?”

Zhuge Yue started, shook his head and said awkwardly, “No, I heard Huan’er said that you were sick, so I came to check on you.”

“Oh.” The child nodded her head and replied, “The young master came to check on me with so many other people. Xing’er is very thankful.”

Zhuge Yue’s face started to turn red and he didn’t know how to respond. He stood there awkwardly. To break the silence, he pretended to clear his throat and coughed.

Zhu Cheng saw Zhuge Yue’s awkwardness and quickly came to help him out. He said, “Xing’er, young master came to see you, shouldn’t you get up?”

The child stumbled and nervously bit her lip but didn’t move at all.

Zhuge Yue started to become suspicious. After what happened today, if she wanted to escape, she had to be very careful. With that being said, her clothes would surely leave trails of her. Right after hearing the news, Zhuge Yue himself immediately rushed back so he would not be much later than the person who planned this. Now that she was so nervous, could it be that she was hiding something under the blanket?

“Xing’er,” Zhuge Yue stepped forward, with his eyes fixed on the child’s face and said, “Pour me a cup of tea.”

The child panicked and said while biting her lips. “Young master, could you step out for a moment? Xing’er will serve you in a bit…”

“No.” Zhuge Yue walked to the side of the bed, used his slim long fingers and firmly pulled her silk blanket off. His jet black eyes stared into the child’s big eyes. “No. I want to drink it now,” Zhuge Yue sternly replied.

“Ah!” Everyone was shocked by the sudden cry that came one after another. The small, thin child was clutching her chest desperately, with her face buried in her arms. Her shoulders were shaking with her long, black hair draped over them. She was naked!

Zhuge Yue grabbed onto the blankets, shocked. Zhuge Yue’s face immediately turned bright red with embarrassment. He hastily turned around and shouted at everyone, whose eyes were enlarged due to shock, “What are you all doing? Get out!”

All the servants snapped out of it and started to leave the room.

Zhuge Yue grabbed the blanket and threw it over Chu Qiao’s body. His voice quivered as he said, “Quickly put on your clothes!”

Soft sobbing could be heard from behind him. Zhuge Yue frowned and said, impatiently, “Forget it. Just continue lying in bed.” Instantly, he strode out of the room and shut the door tightly. The child in the room lifted her head to check if he had left the room. Her eyes were solemn and her face was calm. There was no longer a trace of sadness. Chu Qiao lifted the mattress under her and threw the dirty clothes which were covered with dirt and soil onto the floor.

Sure enough, Zhuge Yue was very vigilant. He came so quickly that she did not even have enough time to put on her clothes. But this was good as well, because there wouldn’t be people dare to come to her room in the afternoon any more. This gave her ample time to execute next steps of her plan.

The child lowered her head and smiled lightly. It was surprising to see such a gloomy expression on her young face.

It was time for them to pay.

Right after changing into new clothes, there was a knock on her door. Huan’er ran over excitedly and said while smiling, “Xing’er, there is good news. Do you want to know?”

Chu Qiao’s legs could not reach the floor while sitting on the tall chair due to her small frame. She poured a cup of tea and said after drinking a sip gracefully, “You can tell me.”

“Xing’er!” the maidservant said grumpily. “Do you really want to hear it? Why do you not look excited at all?”

Chu Qiao smiled without her teeth seen and said, “Just say it if you want to. No matter if I want to listen or not, you will say it anyway.”

“Fine, I won’t argue with you over this. But this time, it is really good news.” Huan’er smiled and continued, “Zhu Shun was accused adultery with a girl whom the master favored and was caught by the seventh lady. Even the third lady and the first young master were notified. That girl has been cast into the well and steward Zhu also got fifty cane strokes as punishment. Isn’t this great news?”

Her hand, which was holding the teacup, suddenly froze. Chu Qiao sat on the chair with narrowed eyes, as her suppressed all of her emotions slowly and covered up her wit. She nodded her head and said, “It surely is good news.”

Huan’er said angrily, “Right? Zhu Shun always abuses his power and bullies others. Us, slaves, have all endured his rage. He must have done something and caused the children from your Jing family to be sent to the second grand master. Today he was beaten up, because even the gods could not tolerate him any more.”

Chu Qiao’s expression remained depressed and she said soothingly, “He had a scandal with the master’s favored mistress. The punishment for such disgraceful behavior was only fifty can strokes. It sounds quite merciful.”

“Who said it wasn’t? The seventh lady just complained to the fourth young master as she felt it was unjust. But too bad our fourth young master normally does not get bothered by this kind of issues. The master and the first lady were not here, hence the first young master had the last say. Zhu Shun has been serving the first young master, so it is what it is.”

Chu Qiao nodded and replied, “Okay, I understand. Huan’er, thank you for reporting it to me.”

Huan’er noticed that Xing’er didn’t look quite right and asked out of concern, “Xing’er, do you feel alright? Do you need me to get a doctor for you?”

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 24
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“It’s okay.” Chu Qiao said with a mild smile, “I’ll be fine after some rest.”

“Oh.” Huan’er nodded and left the room. As soon as the door closed, the face of the child instantly changed. She thought to herself, even such a scandal is not enough to get rid of Zhu Shun? Alright, I will end him with my own hands then.

Chu Qiao bit her lips slowly, while sitting on her chair. It seemed like she would have to come up with brand new plans now.

The doors of steward Zhu Shun’s courtyard were closed shut, but the sounds of a man screaming like a pig-slaughter could still be heard in the distance. Peasants passing by walked with their heads down. No one dared to take a look at what was happening, but their gloating expressions still beamed on their faces—seeing Zhu Shun suffer made them even happier than getting their salary at year end.

As he lied on the bed butt-naked, Zhu Shun wailed and howled, constantly yelling at the servants who were applying the medicines on him, as if they were the ones who caused the pain. “Screw you! You want to hurt me to death?”

Face covered in sweat, one of the servants said carefully, “Steward Zhu, you have to endure this. Your skin is sticking to the pants, we have to tear them apart!”

The east side of the room was along the water with a few sparse shrubs around. A sharp dagger sliced along the edges of the window. Nudging open the window latch quietly as Zhu Shun screamed, Chu Qiao stood up slowly while holding a self-made foldable crossbow, aiming the arrow at the Zhu shun’s head. The crossbow originated from a local forest tribe in South Africa, with intricate designs. It was able to be dismantled, folded and capable of stealthily firing at close range with great accuracy.

Using this crossbow, Chu Qiao once sneaked into a highly-secured private party, taking out the target during an undercover mission overseas. This crossbow was easy to carry but at the same time very lethal, such that a skilled hunter could kill a fully-grown tiger using it. In the cold weapon era, this weapon was very suited for assassins, almost as if they were custom-designed for them. Zhu Shun was very lucky to be the first to die under this cross-spacetime superweapon.

At this moment, a man ran into the room frantically, yelling, “Steward Zhu, steward Zhu!”

“What are you crying about?” Zhu Shun screamed, “You think this is a funeral? I am not dead yet!”

The servant frantically said, “Steward Zhu, sir, people from the other courtyard are here. The Second Grand Master sent someone asking why the female slave hasn’t been delivered yet as promised?”

Stumbling, Zhu Shun shot up, forgetting about his wounded butt. He laid back on the bed again, howling and wailing in pain. Amidst the screams, he said, “I’m afraid that the girl slave I promised will not make do. The fourth young master will not release her. I have prepared ten newly bought slaves in the Xi Le hall. Get someone to bring them out.”

“Yes sir, I understand,” the man answered, turning around and running.

Zhu Shun yelled, “Remember to let the Second Grand Master know that I am very sick. I will visit him when I’ve recovered.”

The crossbow outside the window was lowered slowly. Chu Qiao looked around, coming up with another idea.

Maybe there was another way to kill this man without staining her hands with blood.

As Xi Lei hall’s dungeon doors opened, an unbearable fouled smell escaped. The man sent by secondary household frowned and said with his nose covered, “What is this? You think that girls of such standard can be offered to the grand master?”

The servant from before immediately responded respectfully, “Slaves have not been so easy to buy recently. Once the dealers hear that it’s for the Zhuge household, the prices are raised significantly. These few were brought after much effort from my boss. There’s nothing for you to worry about. When they are all cleaned up, I’m sure they are all young beauties. The Grand Master will sure to be elated once he sees them!”

“Okay, no more nonsense, just release them.”

The girls inside the dungeon had not seen the sun in a long time as they were locked up. Once they were brought back, looking unkempt, distraught, and their eyes shut, they appeared like a group of pups tightly squeezed together.

The man from the other courtyard looked and said with a frown, “Shouldn’t it only be ten slaves? Why are there eleven here?”

“Really?” The peasant counted the numbers again hurriedly and said, “Maybe steward Zhu remembered wrong. I’ll go back and ask.”

“Save the trouble, I don’t have the time, just take them away!”

As ordered, a few well trained brawny guys stepped forward, pushing one of the girls and yelled, “Follow up!”

The kids were intimated. One of them even started whimpering.

“Whoever dares to cry again will be dead! Outrageous!” one of the men yelled as he reached to grab onto one of the cleaner girls.

At this moment, the girl he grabbed turned and bit the man’s wrist without hesitation, forcing him to release his hands with a yell. The girl took the chance and sprinted away.

“Ah! One got away! Get her!”

Servants from the Zhuge Residence turned frantic as they looked in the direction of the girl running away. Pulling back the servant from the other courtyard, they yelled, “Butler Zhu, the area there belongs to the fourth young master’s Qing Shan court, we can’t go there!”

“It’s just an escaped slave, what’s there to worry about?” Butler Zhu exclaimed, pushing away the servant’s hands and running to chase after the girl who got away.

The doors of Qing Shan court were kicked open. The men of the second Grand Master of Zhuge ran into the court like scavengers, shocking the maidservants such as Huan’er who was cleaning vases in the corridor.

Zhuge Yue was just summoned to Hong Shan court by Zhuge Huai, and guards like Zhu Cheng were also not around. Zhuge Yue adored the tranquillity, hence the court was rather sparse with not many people around. Now only the maidservants were left behind.

Huan’er, being the older one among the maidservants, went forward and asked while trembling, “Who are you people? How dare you step in here. Don’t you know that this is the fourth young master’s courtyard?”

“We are here in pursuit of an escaped slave. We are sorry if there’s any inconvenience caused, we hope you understand.”

“Why would you be looking for a slave here in our court?” Since the person who was talking to her was somewhat polite, Huan’er’s courage grew stronger and she asked confidently, “Which court are you from? Do you not know the rules?”

“We are with the Second Grand Master. If you want to complain, you can go tell your fourth young master. We’ll inform the Second Grand Master later as well.”

Upon hearing the Second Grand Master’s name, Huan’er shushed up and said without much confidence, “We didn’t see any slave. You guys…you guys better not mess around.”

One of the servants came up and said, “She’s in the house over there! I saw her climb in through the window.”

Shocked, Huan’er said, “You can’t go in there. That’s the room for the young master’s maid in charge.”

Butler Zhu looked at Huan’er suspiciously and in a deep voice said, “Go in and get the girl.”

“No!” Just as Huan’er was about to step forward, she was held back by one of the brawny men, and could only watch the men stomp into the room.

“Butler Zhu! That’s her!”

“Xing’er!” Huan’er exclaimed. She turned around and yelled, “You have the wrong person! That’s the maidservant from our court, not the slave you are looking for!”

Butler Zhu looked at her with a cold stare and said, “I’ve seen many slaves like you trying to cover up for each other, I’d rather you keep quiet. It won’t do you any good if anything was to happen.” With such a threat a bunch of servants hollered, bringing Chu Qiao out of Qing Shan court.

“Xing’er!” Huan’er exclaimed. Spotting the last servant from Zhuge residence in her hindsight, she went up and said, “Aren’t you Steward Zhu Shun’s men? Are you the one that brought them here? Get Xing’er back!”

The man was confused, he also saw the slave girl jump in the room with his own eyes. He did not expect the maidservant from the Qing Shan court to be so close with her. He frowned. “Don’t mess things up here, they are all female slaves offered to the second grand master by steward Zhu. if you continue to interfere, I’ll send you with them as well.”

In a moment’s effort, the men left and the room was empty. Huan’er stood in shock, the younger maidservants hid behind her, with no one daring to come forward.

“Oh right, go and find the fourth young master!” Huan’er wiped away her tears and ran towards the Hong Shan court.

Zhuge Yue was in a meeting with Zhuge Huai in the study room. Suddenly Zhu Cheng said from the outside, “Fourth young master, Huan’er just came to report that there is an urgent matter to be discussed with you.”

Zhuge Yue frowned and said, “What matter is it that cannot be discussed when I get back? This is getting outrageous, ask her to go back and wait.”

It grew dead silent outside the door, but after awhile, Zhu Cheng knocked and said again, “Fourth young master, it’s…it’s Xing’er. She’s being taken away by Zhu Shun’s men.”

The door to the study room was immediately opened. Zhuge Yue said coldly, “What did you say?”

Zhu Shun started perspiring, while looking inside the room at the confused face of Zhuge Huai. He licked his lips and said slowly, “Steward Zhu’s men said that one of their slaves escaped and said Xing’er was the escaped one. They took her away from Qing Shan court by force.”

“Took her away? To where?”

“Erm, they said it’s to the other courtyard of the Second Grand Master.”

At that moment, the face of Zhuge Yue cannot be more gloomy.

“Maybe they got the wrong person. Ever since Zhu Shun was injured, he started handling things inappropriately.” Zhuge Huai went forward, patting Zhuge Yue on the shoulder. He smirked and said, “The fourth brother, since it’s to the Second Grand Master’s court, let’s forget about this matter. It’s just a maidservant. I’ll pick a few quick-witted ones and send them over to your court later. I’ll be sure to not let you down.”

“How long since they left?” Zhuge Yue’s eyes were still locked onto Zhu Cheng and he asked him in a deep voice as if he hadn’t heard Zhuge Huai.

“They’ve…they’ve been gone for almost an hour.”

Zhuge Yue pushed open the study room doors without a word and straddled out. Zhu Cheng and other servants from Qing Shan court knew that this would happen and followed behind.

Just as Zhuge Yue received the news that Chu Qiao had been taken away by the grand master in Wei’s ancestral hall, Wei Guang passed a single golden arrow into the hands of Wei Shuye. With a serious look, the old men said slowly, “Shuye, do not let uncle down and do not disappoint the Wei family’s ancestors.”

Wei Shuye laid both hands flat, looking at the golden arrow. His eyes glistened. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but just like a fish out of water, no words came out.

“Shuye, Wei family’s ancestors are watching you, your father is also watching you. You know what to do.”

With his brows locked, he slowly said, “Who?” after a long while.

Wei Guang smiled mildly and slowly wrote a word on the altar after he dipped his finger in the teacup.

Wei Shuye’s eyes widened and brow locked. He looked at the old man as if he was looking for an answer.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 25
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“This is what Sheng Jin palace’s master wants. Child, you can go now. You do not need to know the reason. As long as you know that whatever you are doing is for the Wei family, for Wei family’s three hundred years of honor, that’s enough.”

The child slowly retreated and disappeared. The sunlight shone into his room through the door, giving the room a red hue.

Wei Jing came out from behind the back hall and walked to Wei Guang’s side. Wei Jing wore a dark green robe and had a cold, icy stare and saluted indifferently, “Uncle.”

“Have you prepared everything?”

“You don’t have to worry, uncle. Everything is prepared to perfection.”

“Okay.” Wei Guang turned around and faced the ancestral tablet to burn incense. With his expensive robe dragging on the floor, it rolled up the incense ashes.

Seeing that Wei Guang was about to get up, Wei Jing quickly approached him and held his arm to support him. With a light voice, as if he was gossiping, he said, “Uncle, in your opinion, what are the chances of success for King Yan Shicheng?”

“Ah…” The elderly man chuckled and replied, “No chance at all.”

Wei Jing frowned and said doubtfully, “The fief of Yan Bei is very wide and vast. Even though it is cold, their trading connections with western regions is still prosperous. Since the election, there have been more talented people on their side. Even though the King of Yan Bei does not seem to have any great talent, he is very kind to his people. Since he managed to win the love of the people, he should be able to have some chance of success.”

Wei Guang’s face was filled with wrinkles as he let out a sigh and said, “He himself was not at fault, but what he possessed is bringing him his dooming fate. What do you think made Sheng Jin palace’s master so determined to get rid of the King of Yan Bei? If someone does not make a single mistake, that itself is a mistake. The method to gain power is to balance their successes and failures to maintain a cycle.The only reason they have the intention to kill him is because Yan Shicheng was so blessed with the great location and natural resources. Moreover,” Wei Guang let out a smile and continued, “how can one tree produce two different types of fruits? Yan Bei rose in Da Tong but will also perish due to Da Tong.”

Wei Guang turned his head around and looked at the child who pleased him the most and said, “Jing, people say the Presbyterian will gain power. The seven families are called subordinates and are in fact royals. However, uncle told you that only the owner of the Sheng Jin palace is the real ruler of the Great Xia Dynasty. You must always remember this.”

Wei Jing rarely saw Wei Guang talk about something so seriously, so he quickly bowed his head and agreed.

Wei Guang breathed in deeply and said, “The reason why King Yan will not have a chance of surviving is that he never even thought of rebelling. Hence, even if they have not done a single thing wrong, as long as the master of Sheng Jin palace wants them killed…they will be.”

The sunset was as red as blood and brightened the streets of Zhen Huang city. Some people suddenly exclaimed at the night sky and alerted other passers-by. Everyone looked up and saw a bloody red star strangely flashing in the darkening sky. It kept flashing, giving people chills.

Outside the Zhuge Residence’s main door, Zhu Shun, who realized that he was in trouble, was carried out. Seeing Zhuge Yue ride the horse with a murderous glint in his eye, Zhu Shun immediately forgot about his pain. He desperately ran towards him and cried, “Fourth young master, listen to my explanation. This is all a misunderstanding!”

“Swoosh!” A string of blood shot into the sky. All that could be heard was a man’s pitiful cry as a plump ear, covered in blood, fell to the ground.

“Just wait here. I’ll come back for your life.” The young master had a gloomy expression. Even though his tone was calm, he sounded glum to others. Zhuge Yue’s stare was icy as he turned around. The guards looked at Zhu Shun sympathetically as they obediently followed behind Zhuge Yue.

Zhu Shun had just lost one of his hands a few days ago. He laid on the ground and sobbed while rolling around. However, none of his past so-called confidants dared to go forward and help him.

During dinner, it started snowing, covering the Chi Shui in snow. Yan Xun was wearing a full body white marten fur coat with the hood on, standing by the lake while holding a horse. The young teenager was wearing luxurious clothes and had a very handsome face. His eyes had a lot of energy, and his reflection in the frozen lake was chic yet graceful.

As the sun gradually set down the hill, there was a whale oil lamp that had not been put out for thousands of years, flashing brightly in Sheng Jin palace’s direction. Yan Xun turned his head and slowly gazed in the direction of the palace gate.

“Prince!” Feng Mian ran towards Yan Xun and said breathlessly, “Something big has happened!”

Yan Xun raised his eyebrows and asked, “What happened?”

“There is a rumour that Xing’er was caught by Zhuge family’s second grand master and was brought to the Ba Xing alley’s homes.”

“What?” Yan Xun’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and he said seriously, “When did this happen and where did you hear it from? Are you sure it is true?”

“Yes, I heard it from Zhuge Residence’s cleaner. Whether or not it’s true, I am also not sure. All I know is that it is about Qing Shan court’s Xing’er.”

Yan Xun furrowed his brow, and after contemplating for a long time, he suddenly stood up and jumped on the back of his horse while saying, “Feng Mian, I’m going to Ba Xing alley.”

“What? Are you really going? What if the rumor is false? How about you wait for a while,” Feng Mian worriedly shouted out.

Yan Xun shook his head and said, “If it’s false, I can just come back. There is nothing wrong with that.”

“What reason are we going to use to get in? We can’t just barge in so boldly to find someone, right?”

Yan Xun shift his eyes and said, “We can just say that we are going to say goodbye before we leave the city. Let’s go.”

The wind howled loudly as a large snow fog formed. Not far from the west of the city, there was a three hundred man army waiting quietly as the horse hurriedly galloped back. He said to the young commander, “Major general, I saw with my own eyes that Prince Yan was heading towards Ba Xing alley’s Zhuge courtyard.”

“Zhuge courtyard?”

Wei Shuye frowned and said seriously, “What did Yan Xun go to Zhuge house for? Is Zhuge family trying to intervene? Zhuge Muqing did not attend the the Grand Elder’s Council this time. Maybe he is trying to deliberately avoid this matter?”

Jiang He rode a horse towards him and said, “Major general, I thought he would not. Zhuge Muqing and old Batu have always had a good relationship. This time, he was busy with the flood on his land, Zhuge Muqing had no time. I thought that it was only a coincidence.”

Wei Shuye nodded his head and said, “If this is the case, things would be much smoother.”

A bright moon shone in the sky. Wei Shuye raised his head up towards the sky and said, “It’s time.”

Once the army heard that it was time, they immediately started charging towards Zhuge family’s second old master Zhuge Xi’s residence.

Just as Zhuge Yue, Yan Xun and Wei Shuye were going to strike Zhuge Xi’s residence, they noticed that the young girl’s room was unusually quiet. Fresh blood trickled down the sharp edge of the dagger, penetrating the white camel carpet, creating a red circle pattern. The cooling wind blew into the room from the corner of the window, dissipating an extravagant aroma. The room was brightly lit as Zhuge Xi’s old face was shocked. He grabbed his neck as he stared at the children who were not even up to his shoulders. The sand in the hourglass slowly flowed down and finally, Pong! Zhuge Xi knelt down and slammed on the ground.

“Are you begging me to forgive you?” Chu Qiao asked softly. She gently bowed her head and sideyed Zhuge Xi. The hatred boiling in her stomach was about to burst out through her mouth. Chu Qiao remembered the image of Zhixiang and others’ dead bodies together on the ground. This memory caused her much pain in her heart. She said with a low voice, “There used to be so many people who came to you for mercy. Why did you not spare them?”

Zhuge Xi lay on the floor as the blood rushed out of the wound on his neck. Afraid of death, he trembled as he extended his bloody hands in front of him to continue crawling forward. He wanted to stay as far away from Chu Qiao as possible. His blood left a trail on the ground. The bright red color was so striking and so terrifying.

“You have lived too long. It’s time for you to pay for your sins. If God does not want to collect your sins, I will do it.” The knife slid across his throat and neatly cut off his head. Blood spurted out immediately and became purple with a fishy smell.

Chu Qiao held Zhuge Xi’s head and threw it onto the ground with no expression on her face, then walked towards the ten slave girls hiding in the corner of the room. They looked at her in horror as they squeezed closer to each other. In their eyes, Chu Qiao looked insane for having the sudden courage to kill the old master. She was as scary as one of hell’s devils. But little did they know that if not for her, who knows how many of them would still be alive?

Chu Qiao dragged along a demure, ten year old girl. Her face was as pale as white sheets and her lips were trembling. Chu Qiao bowed her head and said with a very clear voice, “Are you scared?”

The child stared straight ahead and nodded continuously as she feared that she would be the second one to be beheaded. Tears and snot dripped down her face as she dared not make a single sound.

“Since you are scared, you should just scream.”

Even though the child was from a poor family and young, she was sensible and quickly shook her head, saying while crying, ” I won’t make a sound. I did not see anything. Please spare me.”

Chu Qiao impatiently frowned and said, “Was I not being clear enough? Scream out loud.”

“Please,” the child cried, “please spare me. I will do anything you want. AH!”

Chu Qiao suddenly raised her dagger towards one of the slave’s neck and tried to stab her. The child was originally crying softly, but due to the shock, she exclaimed loudly as the dagger slid next to her neck by a hair. Chu Qiao mercilessly inserted the dagger into the bedpost behind the child who was screaming, but not hurt.

“What happened? Master, what happened… Ah! There is a murderer!” The attendant at the door heard the cry for help, carefully stuck his head in the door, and saw Zhuge Xi covered in blood and lying on the floor. He screamed and sat down in shock. He then awkwardly climbed out of the room and stumbled out.

Chu Qiao tried to relieve her anger. Judging by the time, it was very likely that the whole prefecture heard. She threw a dagger towards the servant, impaling his head. It went through his head and stuck out on the other side!

Flustered footsteps started approaching. The child quickly sat with the rest of the slaves as more than twenty guards rushed into the room. Right when they saw Zhuge Xi’s body, the color drained from their faces.

“What happened?” the leader of the guards urgently asked the group of slaves.

“Assassin!” Chu Qiao shouted at the top of her lungs, with tears running down her cheeks, before anyone else could respond. She exclaimed, “Master Zhuge…Master Zhuge was killed… It was so scary…” Her nose started running as her tears continuously ran down her face. Her face was so pale and she could not speak properly as if her tongue was tied.

The leader of the guards asked angrily, “Where did the assassin run off to?”

“There!” Chu Qiao pointed towards the south window that was slightly open and replied, “He went that way!”

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 26
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“Leave some people here, the rest of you, follow me!”

The guards rushed out of the room in a flurry, leaving just three men to guard the body of old Grand Master Zhuge.

Other children all looked at Chu Qiao, terrified. She, who just coaxed away the guards of Zhuge courtyard, with a crossbow in hand, no longer showed any sign of fear on her face. She smiled at the servants checking on the corpse of the second Grand Master Zhuge, and whistled loudly in a light-hearted manner. “Hey! Stop what you are doing.”

The three guards turned their heads and the color drained from their faces immediately. But before they had time to yell out a single cry, three arrows were fired in rapid succession and struck the three astonished skulls at the same time, like shooting stars. Their bodies fell simultaneously, their blood flowed, loyally following their Master Zhuge to hell.

“Ahhhhhh!” a child slave suddenly screamed.

Chu Qiao covered the child’s mouth at once. “You should have yelled when I told you to, rather than choosing this moment to make my life difficult.”

The children’s faces were the color of clay as they sobbed quietly.

Chu Qiao breathed a long sigh, then slowly spoke, “What I’m about to say is very important, you have to listen carefully if you want to stay alive, understand?”

They stopped crying and stared at her with their eyes wide.

“Me? I am one of steward Zhu Shun’s people. That old goat has always harassed children and has lost all humanity. Steward Zhu Shun could put up with it no longer and I was sent here to kill him. We are getting rid of him for good of our society, and none of you are allowed to rat on steward Zhu Shun; no matter what kind of torture the Zhuge household imposes on you. You may not tell. Steward Zhu Shun will save you, do you remember that?”

The children nodded their head quickly, like a group of frightened bunnies.

Chu Qiao smiled faintly. The net had been cast, now they could only wait for the fish to flop in. Whether these kids would willingly take on the torture without telling or not, the people of Zhuge household would doubt their words. But all of Qing Shan court saw firsthand that it was Zhu Shun’s men who brought her to the court of Zhuge household, and this fact alone would ensure that he would never get out of it. Death is inevitable, it’s just a matter of how.

She glanced at the trickling hourglass. There was enough time to sneak back and help Xiaoba, who was escaping from the back door. Yet just as she was leaving through the front door, a hand suddenly clasped her ankle tightly. Chu Qiao looked down and saw it was a guard on his last breath.

“You deserve to die for playing jackal to the tiger!” Chu Qiao’s eyes were cold as she pulled out the arrow from the man’s forehand in a single motion. The body twitched a few times, then stopped moving altogether. Chu Qiao strained to pry open his hand, but couldn’t pull her leg out after multiple tries. She abruptly lost her mind in a fury, pulling out the sabre at the guard’s waist and then chopped off his hand with a thud.

“What are you doing?” a low voice rumbled, not particularly loud but filled with malice. Dressed in a fiery red fur coat covered in snow and followed by a large company of retinues from the Qing Shan court, Zhuge Yue looked somberly at the child whose hands were covered in blood, pausing after each word.

Chu Qiao looked up as her pretty eyebrows knitted together. Why was Zhuge Yue here? But that’s not important to me anymore. She gazed at him calmly, ther corners of her mouth raised in a faint smile. “As you can see, I’ve killed this filthy old man, who deserves to die ten thousand times over for his sins.”

Zhuge Yue’s face looked sullen and dark clouds flickered under his eyes. “The things that happened before, they were your doing too?”

“That’s right!” The child’s face beamed. The sweet, innocent smile on her face seemed so unfitting under the circumstances. Holding the severed hand in one hand, she grinned as she spoke, “Unfortunately for you, it’s too late to know now. It may be a better idea to think about how to face the questions from the other family branch leaders of Zhuge clan. After all, I’m a servant from your court, and with the death of Zhuge Xi, the biggest benefactor would be you and the first wife’s family branch.”

“Men!” Zhuge Yue growled. “Seize her!”

“In your dreams!” the child sneered. She bellowed as she made a throwing motion, “Take this!”

The servants of Qing Shan court agilely went to surround Zhuge Yue, shielding him in layers with their bodies. Though still young in age, Yue Qi’s martial skills are well beyond his years as he pulled out his sabre and rapidly spun forward. His blade was dancing like the wind and rain at extreme speeds. Waves of white lights flashed before him, forming a barrier that would even repel water if it was splashed at him.

Splat. An object abruptly struck the blade of Yue Qi, and a line of blood jetted up towards the sky. They looked down to find a mangled and disfigured hand.

Outside the window, the child uttered a shrill cry, “Zhuge Yue, Linxi won’t die for no reason!” The moonlight was dense with tension as the tiny body vanished into the boundless night.

The young boy’s face was darker than the night, his eyes red with anger as he stood there. Zhu Cheng glanced at him fearfully, his voice anxious as he shouted at the guards, “What are you waiting for? Get her!” They stumbled after the girl as if they had just woke from a dream.

In the flower thickets of the side residence, a girl’s delicate body quickly dashed along the winding trails like a civet cat. Just then, a group of men seemed to emerge in the distance, apparently running towards her. The child’s face showed nothing as she halted her footsteps.

“Oh! It’s you!” Once she identified the approaching crowd, the child hurried forward. “Did you get the bad guys?”

The man in charge barked when he saw it was a sobbing girl slave. “Move! This isn’t something you may ask, now out of my way!” As he spoke, his hands reached out and were about to push the child’s shoulders.

“There were more assassins in the house who killed all of your people. They claimed to be working for the fourth young master of Qing Shan court, and I’m only here to spread the word.”

“What?” The man spoke, his face full of shock. “Nonsense, there were around three hundred men lurking outside the gates as well, you could tell from one glance that they did not belong to the Zhuge household. Our brothers were struggling to hold them back, so we returned to get reinforcements.”

There were people outside? Could they be Zhuge Yue’s retinues? Chu Qiao’s eyebrows knitted together. She calmly said, “This way is impassible; they have more people than you. How about you hide here and I lure them out for you?”

The man was delighted. Perhaps this little girl does have some courage. “Good, if this works, I’ll truthfully report what happened to my superiors.”

“Yes.” The child beamed. “I only ask to be freed from my servitude.”

The men of Qing Shan court followed moments later. Before they could utter a sentence, they were engaged by the men of Zhuge’s side residence in the dark.

Yue Qi rode forward, his voice seething with anger. “Who are you people? I am the subordinate of the second old master and the personal bodyguard of the fourth young master! ”

“Go f*ck yourself!” The opposing brute spat, “I’m the imperial guard of Sheng Jing palace! Brothers, get them!”

As the clash and bangs of fighting raged on, Chu Qiao gradually retreated from the battlefield. Upon finally reaching the outer wall, Chu Qiao glanced at her surroundings and looked for wall-climbing equipment. Just then, she felt a wave of air on the back of her head. Chu Qiao immediately turned around, her reflexes fast and agile. She pulled out her crossbow and prepared to shoot, yet her opponent was even quicker. Her captor scooped her up with one arm and nimbly performed multiple leaps, landing on the high walls.

“Yikes, it’s so rude of you to wave weapons at me the moment we meet.” Yan Xun was dressed in a large, pure white fur coat, with pitch black hair and eyes that shone like the stars. He looked at her with a playful, almost flirtatious smirk on his lips.

Back at the Zhuge court, there were lit torches and disarrayed people everywhere. The people inside and outside of the court tangled together in combat. The sound of battle persisted on and on. Yan Xun looked around, shaking his head as he sighed. “Look at you, a little child causing such a big mess. The Zhuge family is so unlucky to have you as their servant.”

Chu Qiao snorted. She struggled and said, “Let go of me!”

The young boy laughed, unafraid to be seen by other people. He inched closer with a grin on his face, “Girl, I don’t mind you skipping our date. But now that you owe me another favor, how are you going repay me?”

“Who asked for your help? You conceited b*stard!”

“Hmph, you always say that. I feel like my kindness went to a backbiting wolf.” Yan Xun harrumphed, but his face immediately brightened up. “But that’s alright, I do as I please. Now that the show is over, we better go before the fire catches up to us. Hold on tight!” That said, the young boy took off and leaped down from the edge of the wall.

Surprised, Chu Qiao cursed under her breath for his stupidity and arrogance. But at the same time tightened her grip on Yan Xun’s body. She hoped that the brilliant art of Qinggong really existed in this world, otherwise the fall would surely kill both of them.

Thump. The war horse neighed as the weight of two people landed on its back. Feng Mian grinned cheerfully. “My prince, I’ve been waiting for ages.”

Seated on his horse, Yan Xun laughed heartily. “Then let’s go.”

Behind them the battlecries were so loud that they reached the sky. The light of flames dazzled for miles on end. The prince of the Yan Bei kingdom raised his whip and galloped onward. He quickly disappeared at the end of the long street.

Almost at the same instant, Wei Jing and Zhuge Huai received a secret letter. Under the candlelight, the elite members of their respective families’ younger generation expressed deep concerns on their face. Then, after giving short, brief instructions, they each stepped out of their family households.

Across the sky the clouds layered and snow filled the air. The moon faintly shone upon the land of the living. Beside the Bai Liu Temple of Zhen Huang City, Yan Shiqi, the shadow guard from the court of the Yan Bei Prince, had just intercepted Yan Xun’s war horse. His face was stricken with worry as he said, “Lieutenant Colonel Song from the city-front, General of the Dauntless Cavalry has surrounded your residence with troops. The eldest young master from the Zhuge household hurried towards Ba Xing Alley with his army of bodyguards as well. Now, they are all making their way here.”

Yan Xun frowned, his voice deep with concern, “What’s the Dauntless Cavalry Camp doing here? Did the Zhuge family notify the Grand Elder’s Council so quickly?”

“Prince!” Feng Mian cried. The sound of hoofbeats approached rapidly from the rear. “Men have caught up from behind!” The page hurriedly said, his face filled with worry.

“How many? Are they Zhuge Yue’s men?” Yan Xun asked.

“No.” Covered in snow, Feng Mian was so agitated that the white dust on his hat tumbled as he spoke. “They were men from the Wei’s house, I saw Wei Shuye lead at the front with my own eyes.”

“The Wei family?” Yan Xun frowned again, the tone of his voice even lower than before. “When did they start working with the men of Zhuge family? On top of that, how could they possibly notify and mobilize the Wei army in such a short time?” He looked down at Chu Qiao, who sat next to him. “Lass, did you provoke the men from the Wei family?”

Chu Qiao’s forehead scrunched together as her tiny face fell into deep thought, but she quickly shook her head affirmatively. “Nope.”

“Then I don’t know why that is,” Yan Xun muttered.

Chu Qiao turned her head around. “One must bear the consequences of their own actions. This matter concerns myself alone. There is no need for you to be dragged into this, Yan Xun.”

Yan Xun was stunned. Her face was obviously that of a child, but seeing the calmness and composure between her words and expression, he couldn’t help but stare in awe. “Lass, I am so inexplicably drawn to you, so before you tell me the truth about yourself, I would rather not see you fall captive like this.”

Chu Qiao, with arched eyebrows, coolly said, “As long as time stands, there will be a day when we meet again. Besides, it won’t be easy for them to catch me. Being a small target and being on my own, I could easily get away. On the other hand, considering your social status, I don’t want you involved for no reason.”

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 27
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Yan Xun fixed his gaze on her intently, his eyes lighting up like fire. Chu Qiao rolled off the horse swiftly, her slight frame showed no trouble in doing so. Once she was off the horse, she lifted her chin to gaze back at him. “I’ll be leaving now, Yan Xun. Though we may live in different worlds, in my heart I will remember all the times when you lent me your hand. If there ever comes a day when I can return the favor, I will.”

Yan Xun did not respond, but a faint smile reached his lips.

From the look on his face, Chu Qiao suspected that something was up but did not overthink the issue. Time was running short, and it wouldn’t do her any good to linger here. Although the entire affair got a little out of hand, not only did Zhuge Yue come out of nowhere, but the troops of the Wei family and the Dauntless Cavalry Camp were alerted as well. The extent of the commotion was ridiculous. However, in such a large city, she was confident she could hide safely.

The child knelt and tightened the coat she wore. She took one last glance at Yan Xun, then turned around and quickly ran off towards the empty street.

Horsesteps abruptly sounded behind her. Before she could turn back and see, Chu Qiao’s tiny body was picked up by someone. Yan Xun’s laughter sounded warmly from behind her. “Don’t believe I can’t protect a lass like you? Let’s go! We return to Yan Bei tonight. I shall see what the generals of the Wei Army and the Dauntless Cavalry Camp can do about that!” That said, he brought his whip down hard, then rapidly galloped towards the city gates.

“Your Highness!” Surprised, Feng Mian and Yan Shiqi cried aloud at the same time.

“Shiqi, gather our men, and follow me out of the city.”

The north wind whistled and the snow covered the sky. More than a hundred riders galloped frantically on the streets and startled a large portion of Zhen Huang City residents from their sleep. But none of them were keen to know what happened that night. They cautiously sealed their windows, afraid that trouble would come to them if they got involved.

Yan Xun reined on his war horse, then put up a hand to stop the movements of the Yan Guards behind him. The young prince raised his chin slightly, staring at the rows of soldiers on the opposite side with a cold gaze. Yan Shiqi spurred forward. “We are soldiers of His Highness, the Prince of Yan Bei, Yan Xun. Who goes there and why do you block our path?” he hailed loudly.

“I am the Army Major General of the North Barricade of the Dauntless Cavalry Camp with orders to lock down this road.” A resonant voice sounded across from him.

Yan Xun’s eyebrows tightened. “I hold imperial orders from Sheng Jin palace! Who dares stand in my way?” he proclaimed, showing his displeasure.

“That’s rather unfortunate.” A slightly feminine voice spoke slowly. The voice wasn’t loud, but in the silent night it sounded rather ear-piercing and dense with coldness.

A young boy dressed in ink-green silk robes circled to the front of the crowd. His lips formed a slight smile, then slowly said, “Prince of Yan, unlucky for you, I happen to have imperial orders from Sheng Jin palace as well. Tonight, no one leaves the city. Those who violate that order will be…” The boy paused intentionally, his eyes going up and down Yan Xun’s body. Then he faintly smiled, spitting out his next three words, “…killed without pardon.”

“Wei Jing?” Yan Xun arched his eyebrows. A full length of a horse behind him, Chu Qiao spurred forward as well. Using his hand, the one with the whip, Yan Xun silently put up his arm. He blocked her path and shielded her from sight. Dressed in the Yan guards’ clothing, Chu Qiao felt warmth in her heart. She lifted her head and looked at Yan Xun’s straight, poised spine. The warmth crept into her, and on a cold night like this, it felt especially precious.

“Besides, if I remember correctly, the imperial order given to Your Highness was to leave tomorrow morning.”

“I miss my mother, the Queen of Yan. I leave tonight.” Yan Xun scoffed, his eyebrows arched.

“Filial piety is a good thing, but I don’t think there is a reason to rush to show it, Your Highness.”

“Sorry to have you see me like this, Childe Wei, but I’m young and headstrong. If I decide on something, I must see to it immediately. I won’t be able to sleep otherwise.”

“Is that right?” Wei Jing smiled slightly, his voice soft but unsettling. “If that’s the case, then Your Highness may be in for a sleepless night.”

“You are too bold, Childe Wei!” The boy page, Feng Mian, stepped forward as he yelled angrily, “Even during normal times, my prince has the right to leave the city and hunt whenever he likes, and no one would dare say a word about it, much less now. On whose authority do you stand here to challenge that right?”

“On the authority of the Sheng Jin palace!” a low voice abruptly sounded behind them. Yan Xun and his company of men turned around, only to find two more legions of soldiers marching towards them. Wei Shuye, dressed in a dark fur coat, accompanied by Zhuge Huai at his side. His face showed no sign of his usual kindness. Instead, it was cold as ice and completely expressionless.

“On the imperial orders, King of Yan Bei, Yan Shicheng, was found treasonous for plotting a rebellion and betraying the empire. Major General Wei Shuye had special orders to capture the heir of the Yan Bei King, Yan Xun, and turn him over to the Court of Judgement for custody.” As soon as he said it, flashes of silver light cut through the night, as countless blades were freed from their sheaths. With startled expressions still on their faces, the Yan guards simultaneously dashed forward, shielding Yan Xun by standing in front of him.

“Hey!” Chu Qiao removed the crossbow from her waist, then moved forward to stand against Yan Xun’s right shoulder. “Looks like they are here for you.”

The look of shock and anger slowly abided from Yan Xun’s face. “Sorry to drag you in,” he growled, eyes sternly fixed on the other side.

“It’s alright.” Chu Qiao smiled. “A favor for a favor. Once this battle is over, we’ll be even.”

The night was darker than ever. Savage winds attacked from the direction of the Nine Realm Platform, sweeping across the entire main street. It turned over the edges of the young men’s robes, their clothing flapped in the wind like moths diving into the flames to die. Up in the cloud-covered sky, a large, black avian flew across the night, its wings beating as it maneuvered through heavy, cotton-like snow, uttering shrill cries. Upon Jiuwai Main Street, the breath of the war horses instantly turned to frost. Sabres emitted bright, chilling light that cut through the moon and stars. They glistened against the blood red colored gleams of torches, as if reflecting the eyes of primal beasts.

One by one, the iron-strong Yan guards began to fall under swarms of arrows. His shoulder soaked in blood, Yan Shiqi desperately cut down another flying arrow, then turned around to yell loudly, “Protect the prince! Get him out!”

A couple of Yan guards roared in reply. They waved their swords in a circular motion as if drawing a full moon. They surrounded and protected Yan Xun in the middle.

With a loud rumble, a miniature catapult was carried onto the battlefield and soon boulders began to fall. Before long, the protective circle formed by the bodies of the Yan guard was smashed open, the blood of the Yan warriors sprayed frantically, their bodies knocked up showers of snow as they struck the ground.

“Where are you going?” With one hand, Yan Xun grabbed Chu Qiao, who was about to charge into battle equipped with only a crossbow and a lean, frail body that showed no sign of threat. The young man anxiously shielded her. “Do you want to die?” he bellowed angrily.

“Let me go!” Chu Qiao struggled, her eyes scanned the opposing crowd. At the same time, she tried to break free of Yan Xun’s grasp.

With a single stroke, Yan Xun knocked down another arrow. His eyebrows perked up like his sword. Hr roared angrily, “You are running to your death! I won’t let you.”

“There may still be a chance to live if we go now,” Chu Qiao turned around, her voice uncompromising. “Do you expect me to stay here with you and wait for our deaths?”

Stunned, Yan Xun’s eyes seemed to dim under the light of the fire. He spoke deeply with a faint trace of child-like pique, “Take heart that even if I die here today, I will never let you down.”

Chu Qiao knew he had misunderstood her words, but decided against explaining. Instead, she turned around to make a light harrumph sound.

“Shiqi,” Yan Xun said, “later, when it gets chaotic, take some men and escort her to someplace safe, do you hear me?”

“Prince Yan!” Yan Shiqi’s forehead furrowed as he protested, “My duty is to protect you!”

“Your duty is to do as I say!”

Chu Qiao stared at them with a frown. Seeing that Yan Xun was distracted, she jerked her hand and broke free from his grasp. Being lean and small, she was surprisingly nimble as she hopped onto a horse and left the circle in an instant.

“You!” Caught by surprise, Yan Xun howled loudly, and suddenly eyes of both sides were focused on the tiny child.

Chu Qiao rode with impeccable skills. Like a tiger out of its cage, she snatched a pair of sharp blades from two of the Yan guards. Her maneuvers were dazzling. Holding her small crossbow, she moved her body left and right, then fired from multiple positions at the side and under the horse. Without enough light in the night, the sharp, flying arrows could not reach her at all.

“Quick! Cover her!” Yan Xun began shooting with a bow as well, penetrating the skull of an enemy archer with a thud. Being highly skilled in archery and possessing a perfect martial form, he approached the enemy within seconds.

Though weak in strength, Chu Qiao attacked from extremely cunning angles. With quick eyes and hands, she won her battles with bravery and stealth. This allowed her to charge into enemy ranks in a matter of minutes, even though anyone with a good eye could tell she had yet to learn much about martial arts. She waved her blades and struck two men, then threw a flying blade before her opponent could attack. The weapon pierced the throat of a Wei soldier.

Seeing such aggressiveness from such a small child, the morale of the Yan guards were considerably raised. Seeing the opportunity, Yan Shiqi bellowed, “Charge with me!”

“You’re just trapped, thrashing beasts, you don’t know any better!” Wei Jing sneered coldly. Holding up his crossbow, he quickly pulled back the bowstring and loaded an arrow. Immediately, a streak of silver light was fired as the arrow took off like a shooting star.

The sound of air rushed towards Chu Qiao, but when she realized it, it was too late. She moved her head to the side and found the arrow shivering within her pupils, and in an instant, her face was struck as her body slanted to the side, then fell off the horse!

“Lass!” Yan Xun cried. He turned his face to look at Wei Jing, his eyes flaring with an anger that threatened to burn another man.

Wei Jing sneered again, then spoke in a loud voice, “The Prince of Yan has disobeyed imperial orders! All men heed my command, capture him, alive or dead!”

The Army of Wei roared, then advanced forward with soldiers from the Dauntless Cavalry Camp. The battle suddenly turned from a shooting battle to close range combat. Yan Xun sent a bulky man flying with a single kick, his three-footed bronze sword dancing as he cleaned up two more enemies who tried to pounce on him.

“Yan Xun, are you trying to raise a rebellion?” Zhuge Huai cried when he saw what Yan Xun was doing. He did not join the battle, but instead commanded the soldiers of Zhuge household to stand and watch from outside the range of combat.

“If you really wanted to condemn me, wouldn’t you find something to charge me with? I never even thought about rebelling, but if the house of Wei uses the Grand Elder’s Council to prosecute us, then we will show that the men of the Yan Bei Kingdom are no pigs waiting for slaughter!”

“Arrogant b*stard!” Wei Jing snorted. Spurring forward, he waved his hand as he said, “If that’s the case, then don’t blame me for overlooking our days as studymates together.”

Just as he was going to issue an all-out attack, a sharp, piercing sound rang next to his ear. Bewildered, Wei Jing turned around to see the corpse of the Army Major General from Dauntless Cavalry Camp fall off his horse with a crash. The man’s eyes were wide open, his forehead punctured by a single arrow and his mouth gaped in disbelief. It was as if he was trying to say something, but could no longer utter a single word.

He and the general had stood outside of the shooting range, and the shot could not have come so far, so where did the arrow come from?

A severe sense of crisis washed over Wei Jing. He madly turned his horse around and was about to run away when his battle horse whined and knelt forward, its forelegs suffering critical wounds. Wei Jing fell off the horse. Before he could pick himself up, a cold, sharp dagger was tightly placed on his throat. Chu Qiao’s cold voice spoke directly in his ear, with a faint trace of jest and mockery, “How do you feel now, Childe Wei?”

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 28
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“Everyone drop your weapons!” The rapid winds changed direction and snow flew adrift. Chu Qiao abruptly raised her lean, small face and cried sharply, “Otherwise I will kill him!”

“Drop your weapons!” Wei Shuye hollered in response, frowning.

There was a shriek. An arrow accurately buried itself into the head of Wei Shuye’s war horse, entering from its left eye and coming out of its right. Blood and brain matter splattered as the horse uttered a painful, shrill cry. Wei Shuye stumbled off of the horse and tumbled onto the ground. It was a rather sorry sight.

Half-crouching on the floor, Chu Qiao held her knife to Wei Jing’s neck with her left hand. With her right hand, she held her crossbow, holding it up with her shoulder. She slanted her head and using her mouth she picked up an arrow from the quiver on her back. Her mouth and arm collaborated as she quickly reloaded the arrow. Arching her eyebrows, she gazed at Wei Shuye coldly, then slowly said, “My next arrow won’t be going for the horse, so I suggest you don’t move.”

For a moment, everyone’s eyes seemed to be dazed, all of them frozen by the unrelenting weather. Thousands of elite Zhen Huang soldiers, the princes and heirs of the biggest noble families, and top-tier generals serving at the Imperial Military Assignment Center gazed and frowned at the child who was barely three feet tall. She was dressed in clearly oversized leather armor, the teal leather collar shielding her sharp, lean face. It was a face even smaller than the palm of a full-grown man. She had a pair of clear eyes and her small, delicate nose perked upwards slightly. Her arms were so slim that they seemed like they would break if anyone placed force on them. Her entire person exerted an unmistakable sense of fragility and immaturity.

But it was this very child, who looked like the wind could blow her away, that had broken through the defenses of the elite soldiers of the Wei household. At this very moment, half-crouched at this very place, she fearlessly faced thousands of soldiers. She was against the decision made by the Grand Elder’s Council, against the holder of Sheng Jin Palace, against the entire Great Xia Empire. She threatened everyone by holding the head of the enemy hostage, her face cold and menacing.

This was the first time Chu Qiao would go up against the authoritarian rule of the Great Xia Empire publicly, looking down on imperial authority. Her thoughts were simple. She would run away from here and bring Yan Xun along as she escaped from this place.

“Put down your weapons and open the gates. Don’t make me say this twice.” Her voice was deep and her gaze slowly swept across the crowd. As her body slowly turned around, so did the crossbow resting on her shoulder. The arrow point glared like her other blood-thirsty eye, gliding across the people surrounding her as their fear increased.

“Do it!” Wei Jing suddenly cried out. Being of noble birth and having lived a luxurious life, the imperial prince could not tolerate the shame of being threatened by a lowly peasant. He stubbornly lifted his young face, unafraid of the knife that threatened to slice through the skin on his neck, and said furiously, “Take them down!”

Thwack. Before Wei Jing could finish his sentence, two of his fingers had been sliced off by Chu Qiao. Unprepared for the pain, he howled in misery, blood pouring from his wound and dripping to the ground.

“I suggest you shut your mouth, Childe Wei.” Chu Qiao looked up at the soldiers of the Wei household and smiled coldly. “Did you not understand what I said, or do you intend to disobey? Perhaps you are under the command of another master of yours?” Her gaze turned to Wei Shuye as she circled him slightly. “With your biggest competitor dead, someone may be able to step up and become head of their family. Major General Shuye, who else but you would be the next Elder Master of the Wei family?”

“Scum!” Wei Jing seethed, his voice full of hatred. “Don’t bother trying, the bond between me and my brother is strong.”

“Bonds must be tested to tell how strong they are.” Chu Qiao grinned. The smile was creepy and ghastly, completely unfitting of an eight-year-old child. Her eyes met Wei Shuye’s as she faked a cut with her knife across Wei Jing’s neck.

Her hands worked quickly as she tied up Wei Jing. Despite her slight figure and weak strength, her skills and the type of knot she used worked miraculously. She had prevented Wei Jing from escaping despite his strength.

“Get on the horse,” she said. “I wish to trouble Childe Wei to walk with us a bit further.”

The clouds had now grown so thick that not a trace of starlight could be seen and even the clear moonlight was starting to fade.

Chu Qiao did not ride the same horse as Wei Jing, but was alone on another war horse. She rode boldly and confidently, staying two horse-lengths behind him. She held her small crossbow, her eyes fixed lethally on the man strapped on the horse in front of her, and she remained prepared to deal the final blow should the need ever arise. “Yan Xun, let’s go.”

Yan Xun squinted. His lips slanted upwards on one side and he laughed joyfully. He lazily hopped back on his horse, leading his subordinates as he rode forward, completely unconcerned about the enemies at his side. Chu Qiao led the way and emitted a dark, cold feeling that was impossible to ignore despite her small body. Everywhere she went, rows of Zhen Huang soldiers cowered back like flood waters ebbing away.

The city gates opened with a creak. Torches burned brightly, lighting up the sky and coloring it red. The smoke signals from the north of the empire continued to fume. The battle affected tens of thousands of Xia people and blood soaked every inch of earth upon the Yan Bei Plateau. Yet at this moment, at the heart of the empire, the boy named by the empire to be the head of rebellion, son of the King of Yan, Yan Xun, strode out of the walls of Zhen Huang City unchallenged. The only thing the most elite of the Xia Imperial troops could do was watch on with blank expressions, no longer able to change anything about the outcome.

The corners of Zhuge Huai’s mouth twitched upwards, forming a barely noticeable smile.

For the family of Zhuge, it was not important whether Yan Xun made it back to the north. What was important was the fact that Sheng Jing Palace had assigned the task to the Wei family, and they had failed.

No other news would be more delightful than this, Zhuge Huai thought to himself. He said to the guard next to him, “Notify the fourth young master to return home at once. I have things to discuss with him.”

The guard bowed and stepped forward. “The fourth young master has left the city.”

“What?” Zhuge Huai was taken aback. “Left the city?”

“He has just left from the northern gate. He said he was going to catch a runaway slave from the household.”

“A runaway slave?” Zhuge Huai frowned. “What kind of runaway slave would he bother to chase himself?”

“I’m not sure. I will see to it immediately.”

“I hope that he doesn’t mess things up,” Zhuge Huai mumbled, as he lifted his head and squinted towards the pitch-black night sky.

An hour later, on an old, desolate path, Yan Xun instructed to have Wei Jing freed from his binds. “Since I have agreed to let you go, you can count on me not to go back on my word. You may leave now,” he said coldly.

Taking one last spiteful glance at Yan Xun and Chu Qiao, who stood behind him, he turned around and left. He headed back in the direction of Zhen Huang City.

“You shouldn’t have freed him,” Chu Qiao said behind him, her voice icy. “Did you not see the look in his eyes? Keeping him alive will only mean bigger trouble in the future.”

Looking at the gradually disappearing silhouette of Wei Jing, Yan Xun shook his head, then slowly explained, “Killing him would mean Yan Bei had really committed treason. I still don’t know what happened back home, so I can’t take the risk.” He turned around. “What are you going to do now? The house of Zhuge won’t let you off easy. Come to the north with me.”

Chu Qiao lifted her chin and chuckled, “Thanks for the offer, but I still have things to do.”

Yan Xun frowned. With a deep voice he said, “What sort of things could a child need to do?”

Chu Qiao arched her eyebrows at Yan Xun. “After knowing me for so long, which part of me looks like a child to you?”

Speechless, Yan Xun was tongue tied trying to justify his words. Thinking about it, the girl really did not seem like a child. The Prince of Yan locked his eyebrows together and thought for a long time, then pulled on her hands in exasperation. “You look just like a child to me. Look at your hands, your small arms, small legs, small head, and small figure. You are obviously a kid. No matter how cruel you are, you are still a child,” he said stubbornly.

Chu Qiao shook off Yan Xun’s hands, muttering to herself, “What a pest.”

“Hey!” Yan Xun spurred forward, blocking the way of Chu Qiao, “You’re really leaving?”

“I must go.”

“What do you need to do? Can’t I have someone do it for you?” the Prince of Yan asked loudly, humiliated by her rejection.

Chu Qiao turned around. She looked at the boy’s clear eyes and replied seriously, “Yan Xun, we were never the same kind of people. I think it’s enough for us to have walked together for so long.”

Sitting on his horse, Yan Xun remained silent.

“For the sake of having known you, I will say this: it’s hard to predict what will happen in the future. Take care of yourself,” she said with her tone low like an elder. Then, she turned her horse around, her horse whip waving in the air as she left.

Without the light of the moon and stars, the lone child and her horse gradually disappeared into the snowstorm. Yan Xun suddenly jerked out of his trance and spurred forward, but to no avail. Sitting on his horse, he yelled to the child who had disappeared into the snow, “Hey! Look for me in Yan Bei if you ever need me!” His voice pierced through the snowstorm and echoed into the night. The night was far from over, the scene pitch-black and chilling to the bone.

In the complete darkness outside of Zhen Huang City, a small shadow quickly dashed along the traveler’s road outside of the eastern gate. An oversized leather coat covered his face and body. A small sack made from the skin of a mink plopped against his back, its bulging shape an indicator of its heavy weight.

The snowstorm continued to worsen and the blowing winds barely allowed a man to open his eyes. The men struggled to walk forward but never stopped moving, as if some savage beast was in pursuit of them.

In the howling winds, the crisp sounds of hooves suddenly sounded. On the distant plain, a pure black war horse galloped rapidly. The child on its back was slight in figure, no more than seven or eight years old, and dressed in the clothing of a Yan guard. Her pair of black pupils scanned the scene beneath the night sky like a perceptive hawk. She saw the lonely strider in front of her and immediately increased her pace in delight.

“Xiaoba!” Chu Qiao cried. The winds raged and tore her voice apart within seconds. The individual on foot seemed completely oblivious and continued on his journey, his head kept low. Chu Qiao spurred onward and dashed, then stopped right in front of the man. Frowning, she spoke in a low voice, “Xiaoba?”

“Hehe,” a low, raspy voice answered her and the small figure lifted his head. His face was wrinkled and showed no traces of a young child. It was a middle-aged dwarf around forty years old!.

Suddenly, a bolt shot from the sleeves of the dwarf and straight towards the Chu Qiao’s face. Its edge was sharp and glistened with coldness. Caught off guard, Chu Qiao moaned, then her body fell off the back of the horse.

A raspy laugh sounded, extremely creepy in the chilly night. The dwarf tossed aside the sack on his back and slowly crept forward, one foot kicking the leg of the child. Only when he saw that the child was as limp as a corpse did he crouch down to check her breathing.

“Master must be mad to have sent me against such an easy child.” The dwarf sneered and turned the body of the child lying on the ground over. But in that instant, the limp body of the child jerked upwards. Her pair of eyes shined like stars and her motions were explosive and powerful. In the blink of an eye, the child who had been at the mercy of the dwarf had turned things around. She mercilessly sent the cold dagger into the artery in the dwarf’s neck and spat out the sleeve bolt onto the ground.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 29
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“Tell me! Where is Xiaoba?” Chu Qiao’s voice sounded out coldly. She pushed her dagger forward, inflicting a wound on the man. Crimson red blood oozed out of his neck.

“Who…who is Xiaoba?” The scheming man, no longer as arrogant as before, cowered in fear and stammered, “I don’t know any Xiaoba…I just work for people.”

“Xiaoba is the owner of this baggage. The child that you impersonated.”

“I…I don’t know,” the dwarf replied. “Someone under Fourth Young Master approached me. I am a guest of the Zhuge family. I don’t have any problem with you.”

“You don’t know?” Chu Qiao frowned and sized up the man. Seeing that the dwarf was nodding non-stop, she was overwhelmed with anger. With a few swift motions of her wrists, the man’s eyes widened, his pupils dilating. His limbs stiffened, unable to breathe. There was only one long, bloody wound on his neck.

“You are not suited to be a hitman. Since you will die sooner or later, you might as well do something good before you die.” Chu Qiao stared coldly at the man’s corpse. She squatted down and unfastened his clothes with a swift slice.

There was not to be a moment of peace in Zhen Huang City that night. Even though it was in the wee hours of the night, the eastern city gates were still brightly lit. The fourth young master of the Zhuge family was personally stationed there, requesting the mobilization of half of the troops in Zhen Huang to apprehend the servants who had escaped from the Zhuge Residence. A few waves of soldiers had departed, but there was still no news.

Zhuge Yue sat on his horse. The eastern gate behind him was like a giant lion in slumber. His servants followed behind him solemnly, not daring to make a sound for fear of agitating him.

“Fourth Young Master!” Zhu Cheng, wearing a grey robe, dashed swiftly to Zhuge Yue’s side, whispering in his ear, “Fourth Young Master, First Young Master wants you to go back to the house now.”

Zhuge Yue, pretending that he did not hear anything, continued to stare in front of him, his face devoid of any emotion.

Zhu Cheng hurriedly continued, “There is news that Yan Xun has escaped the city, along with people from the Zhi Zi Residence. The Wei family messed up big time. Wei Jing had two of his fingers chopped off and was taken hostage.

Zhuge Yue frowned upon hearing this. He thought for a long while before replying, “Yan Xun?”

“Yes,” Zhu Cheng rambled on, “It was at Jiuwai Main Street, between Bai Lan Temple and Zi Wei Square.”

The young Zhuge Yue replied deeply, “In what direction did they come from?”

“I think…I think it was from the direction of Chi Shui Lake.”

“How audacious!” Zhuge Yue sneered, his eyebrows raised up. It dawned on him why Wei Shuye had surrounded the Zhuge residence in Ba Xing alley and wounded the servants inside.

“In what direction did Yan Xun escape to?”

“Fourth Young Master, First Young Master specifically instructed you not to interfere in this matter. Please do not interfere!”

Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows. Just as he was about to talk, he suddenly heard the sound of horses’ hooves approaching in the distance. A small, skinny man wearing a large hat approached on his horse. He threw a small corpse on the ground before he had even reached Zhuge Yue’s side. He was dressed in green leather armor, indicating that he had been murdered by someone from Yan Xun’s party.

A servant standing at the side exclaimed loudly, “Fourth Young Master, Hu Sheng is back.”

Zhuge Yue stared at the corpse that was sprawled on the ground. His body was stiff, his hair was messy, and his clothes were stained with mud and blood. It could be seen that he had been dead for many hours. Zhuge Yue was overwhelmed with rage. He slowly raised his head, staring sharply at the dwarf who was no taller than three feet. He uttered slowly, “You killed her?”

Hu Sheng got off his horse in an elegant manner, and lowered his head and kneeled on the ground. His voice was deep and inaudible amidst the strong northern winds. “I’m glad I had not disappointed you!”

“When did I tell you to kill her?” Zhuge Yue used his whip to lash Hu Sheng’s back mercilessly. He bellowed, “You deserve to die!”

“Young Master!”

“Ah! Assassin!”

A series of gasps sounded out. As Zhuge Yue’s whip landed on the person’s back, the person suddenly looked up. This person had a childish appearance and a fair complexion. How could he be a hardened hitman? The child sneered and took a hit from his whip, then sprung up swiftly, brandishing a dagger and holding it to Zhuge Yue’s neck. With a small motion, he had stopped struggling.

“You’re not dead yet?”

“As you wished, I’m still alive and well.” Chu Qiao stared at Zhuge Yue coldly with viciousness in her eyes. She replied slowly, “However, I’m not sure how much longer you will live.

“Let my sister go!” Chu Qiao barked. “If not, you can meet your family’s Second Grand Master in hell!”

The vast plains were snowy, the mountains majestically prominent. The northern winds scattered the snow about, causing snowflakes to land on everyone’s eyelashes. Chu Qiao was dressed in a steely grey cloak. Her giant hat covered her clean eyelashes. Her little, fair hands carried a dagger. She stood amongst tens of thousands of troops, not an ounce of fear or weakness visible.

Zhuge Yue sneered coldly, turning around and calmly saying, “Would you really kill me?” The wind blew in the gap separating both of them. Night owls in the sky howled, resembling the cries of spirits who had died wrongful deaths.

The look in Chu Qiao’s eyes became cold. That dilapidated firewood hut, the child’s innocent smile, that piece of fragrant roasted meat…those thoughts erupted in her mind like a bomb. She lowered her head slowly, staring the young man squarely in the eye. “You can try me.”

“Really?” Zhuge Yue smiled and half-squinted. He replied, “Okay then.” Finishing his sentence, he thrust his head downwards toward the sharp dagger, as if he had lost control of his body.

“Young Master!”

“Master!”

All the panicked voices sounded out in unison. In this instant, it seemed like time had stopped. The noise in the background was concentrated at one spot, making it seem amplified. Chu Qiao was taken aback, not expecting that this young man was decisive and determined to the point that he would rather commit suicide than be threatened. In a flash, countless thoughts ran through her mind. Before she had time to comprehend any of them, she subconsciously withdrew her dagger with agility, but it still made contact with his neck, leaving a long, bloody scar all the way to his earlobe.

Just as Chu Qiao withdrew her dagger, Zhuge Yue took advantage while she was distracted. Like an agile loach, he stuck out his body, took a step forward and turned the tables around! Everything happened at lightning speed. Before the gasps had ceased, the young man, who had initially been held hostage, had broken free, albeit with his extreme methods. However, at this moment, he stood opposite the child, pointing his long sword at her and remarked coldly, “You are not able to kill me.” Fresh blood trickled down his neck. Although the wound was not deep, large amounts of blood gushed out, flowing down his fair skin and mixing into his clothes.

Zhu Cheng immediately rushed forward, exclaiming in fear, “Fourth Young Master, you’re injured! Quick! Back to the house, back to the house!”

Zhuge Yue stared coldly at Chu Qiao, as if he had not heard anything that Zhu Cheng had said. He reached into his pocket, taking out a snow-white handkerchief. Blood oozed out from his neck and onto his handkerchief. The crimson-red stains were akin to a plum blossom in full bloom.

“Quick! Pass the medicine! Fourth Young Master, take a seat and let me bandage your wound!”

The young man, who appeared pale, stood on the vast, snowy ground. An unpredictable sharpness flashed past his eyes. He raised his right hand and clenched it, revealing bulging veins. After a long while, he opened up his hand, letting the wrinkled handkerchief be carried away with the wind. It made two loops in the night sky before disappearing into thin air, blanketed by the thick snow.

The white handkerchief had been used to wipe off a certain someone’s tears before. The young man, despite his unpredictable personality, had wanted to protect that certain someone too. With the wind, all of those thoughts had dissipated, signalling the end of the show. The party that had invested more into the act was bound to lose.

“Capture her!” Zhuge Yue turned around coldly, devoid of any emotion.

The guards of the Zhuge Residence surrounded Chu Qiao. She stood in the center of the crowd, wielding her long sword which mirrored the steely look in her eyes. In it, one could see her calmness, her thirst for revenge, her cautiousness, her unrivalled determination, but not an ounce of weakness or remorse.

From the start, she knew how to survive. She knew what kind of hatred she carried upon her shoulders. She knew exactly what kind of favors she owed. Hence, Zhuge Yue, when you severed Xiaojiu’s arm, when you put Linxi to death, we were destined to become worst enemies. One of us must kill the other. There is no other way.

“Advance!” A low voice suddenly boomed out from the crowd. No servant from the Zhuge family dared to underestimate this frail-looking small child. A group of agile big men rushed forward to attack her. In the bright night, the clanking sounds of sword fighting could be heard distinctly. The child, demonstrating unparalleled agility, pivoted on her left leg and kicked out with her right leg. With a flying somersault, her long sword was stained with blood. Her right hand ruthlessly clasped the neck of one of the men. As her fingers moved, she snapped the tendons of the man’s neck with a resounding crack. The man’s eyeballs popped out of his sockets and he collapsed softly on the ground.

Everyone in the crowd was shocked, but none of them retreated. A big and thick sword sliced through the air, destined for Chu Qiao. She raised her arm to block the blow, but was still knocked back two steps due to her small frame. Her clothes were stained with blood, showing that she had been injured after just one round of sparring.

Upon seeing this, the guards of the Zhuge Residence rejoiced. No matter how smart or ruthless this child was, she was, ultimately, still barely eight years old. Her strength was incomparable to that of those well-built men.

Everyone sensed an opportunity and advanced forward. Zhuge Yue stood outside the battlefield, appearing serious, his lips pale, while Zhu Cheng held a bandage over his wound. The heavy snow made the entire place appear desolate.

“Giddyup!” At this instant, a crisp shout suddenly echoed from the distance. Messy, unsynchronised sounds of horses’ hooves drifted over from the north.

Everyone turned around to look in the northern direction. From afar, hundreds of well-built horses were making their way towards the battlefield. The young man at the front of the party was dressed in white. He had jet-black hair and he held a crossbow in his arm. With a few arrows, he shot down some of the guards belonging to the Zhuge family.

“Lass!” The warhorses dashed rapidly, blending themselves into the crowd. The young man on the horse picked Chu Qiao up and placed her onto the back of the horse. With a bright look in his eyes, he laughed, “I saved you again! How will you repay me?”

With a brush, Chu Qiao deflected a spear with her sword. She turned back and looked angrily at Yan Xun, exclaiming, “Are you crazy? Coming back at this time, do you want to die?”

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

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