C19 Captured!

In Su Xiaoxiao's heart, Lin Han was her confidant. To the world, she was seen as nothing more than a courtesan. Though she never sold herself, the stigma of her birth remained a deep wound.

She had an epiphany: if anyone dared to scorn her again, she could retort with the wisdom that one can emerge from the mud untainted, and be washed clean without becoming seductive. Lin Han never did write her a poem, but he gave her something more powerful—a talisman that shielded her from harm. With it, neither the matron of the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion nor Young Master Bai of the Governor could lay a finger on her without her consent.

It felt as though years of pent-up injustice burst forth, and the man before her was the one she could pour her heart out to. When Lin Han came to, he was met with the embrace of a stunning woman. He was bewildered, yet upon seeing Su Xiaoxiao's tear-streaked face, he couldn't help but hold her gently.

Su Xiaoxiao's hope for a reciprocal gaze from Lin Han went unfulfilled. He was like a wooden figure, oblivious to her subtle cues, embodying the role of a true listener.

As the night unfolded, Su Xiaoxiao spoke and Lin Han listened. She talked until dawn, her words filling the night. Lin Han observed the unremarkable paper on the polished sandalwood table, inscribed with his nocturnal musings, "On Loving the Lotus," and saw Su Xiaoxiao, exhausted from her vigil, asleep at the table.

Her skin was as delicate as porcelain, her tear-stained face begging for tenderness and care. Her trembling eyelashes framed a visage where sorrow and relief mingled. Before Lin Han was a beauty unlike any other. Was he to become a beast, or was that beneath even a beast?

Ultimately, Lin Han chose not to succumb to his baser instincts. If being less than a beast was his fate, so be it. "On Loving the Lotus" would serve as Su Xiaoxiao's safeguard. Had he turned into a beast, the poem's purpose would have been nullified. Lin Han looked at Su Xiaoxiao with a wry smile, his sense of loss too profound for words.

Lin Han had been in the Great Ning Dynasty for over a month and had only encountered three women. Lau Mingzhu was his wife in name, yet he was forbidden from touching her. The main reason was his inability to overpower Lau Mingzhu... truly a tragic situation. Then there was Xiaoqin, a girl of about eleven or twelve years old. Lin Han, no matter how depraved, couldn't bring himself to harm Xiaoqin.

At last, he met a woman who was ready to offer herself to him. With a simple nod, Su Xiaoxiao would become his. But when the moment came, Lin Han restrained himself.

"I really am not a beast after all..."

Lin Han draped his coat over Su Xiaoxiao and quietly left the room. He realized that if nothing unforeseen occurred, he might never return to the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion. There might not be another opportunity to see her, but Lin Han was acutely aware that he was struggling to protect himself, let alone rescue Su Xiaoxiao.

In the end, this outcome was probably for the best for both of them.

Su Xiaoxiao gazed at the gently closed door, feeling as though Lin Han's presence lingered in the air. A flush of color tinged her lovely face. She softly brushed her hair, as if to dispel the remnants of the night's intoxication. Her posture was relaxed, yet carried an air of allure.

"What kind of man are you?"

She whispered to herself, pondering the enigma that was Lin Han. In his eyes, she had seen desire, pretense, but also resolve. Despite everything, he had not laid a hand on her and had instead bestowed upon her a gift as significant as a second chance at life. It was as if she could hear Lin Han's voiceless farewell:

After this parting, the roads are long, and our next meeting is uncertain.

The Drunken Fragrance Pavilion showed a touch of humanity by escorting Lin Han to the banks of West Lake. The Mid-Autumn Festival had come and gone, and after a night's events, the lakeside was particularly chilly the following morning. A cool breeze swept across the water, making Lin Han shudder. Before his departure, the Pavilion staff handed him a note for a hundred taels of silver.

They informed Lin Han that it was from a young master who had left it for him. It seemed that Moo Lingfei's character was indeed reliable.

Lin Han found it odd that the fat boy hadn't mentioned Moo Lingfei's Jade Plate, which he held in his hand. It was as if the boy had truly forgotten about it. The staff at the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion had thoughtfully presented Lin Han with a rather opulent coat.

"Sigh, I'll return it to the kid next time I get the chance. That thing could be traded for quite a lot, right?" Lin Han shivered, glanced at his attire, and mumbled to himself, quickening his pace. Earning 30,000 for a poem, Lin Han was undoubtedly the grand winner of the poetry contest, reaping both fame and fortune. Yet for him, this was still not enough. Gazing at the desolate forest path, he let out a sigh.

This was not the modern era with populations in the billions. The Great Ning Dynasty, despite its age, had a population comparable to that of historical feudal dynasties.

Shuixiu County, a small town in the south of the Yangtze River, had fewer than a thousand inhabitants. Spread across the expansive county, the number seemed even smaller. The sense of triumph in Lin Han's heart faded somewhat. The revolution was far from over; his comrades still had much to do.

The trek from West Lake back to the Liu Mansion was neither particularly far nor near. By carriage, it would take half an hour, but on foot, it could take up to two. Where could he possibly find a carriage to steal at this hour?

Resigned, Lin Han ambled back on his own. When tired, he would rest; once rested, he'd continue on his way. He found solitary joy in the journey. The Jiangnan region, post-Mid-Autumn Festival, carried a hint of coolness. As Lin Han admired the tranquil path, a sudden thought struck him: with his newfound wealth, what if bandits were to appear now?

At this thought, Lin Han shook his head vigorously, trying to dispel the masochistic idea from his mind, but fate had other plans...

Whoosh!

An unexpected sound sliced through the air. Lin Han barely had time to curl up before feeling a cold sensation at his chest. A palm-sized dagger was embedded in a nearby tree. Had it struck him, he might very well have been a goner.

Cold sweat poured from Lin Han's body as his heart rate skyrocketed to 180 beats per minute. It felt as though a vice-like hand was squeezing his heart, and for a moment, Lin Han thought it had been drained of all blood. A sense of suffocation quickly followed.

Time seemed to stand still before Lin Han finally gathered the courage to look toward the source of the incoming dagger.

Out of nowhere, several masked figures had materialized in the previously empty woods. Their clothing bore brown stains. Even without prior experience, Lin Han could guess that these were the remnants of dried blood.

The figures offered no clues to their identities, save for their eyes, which gleamed with a fierce, cold light. They were armed with an assortment of weapons—knives, spears, clubs, axes, and hammers. Lin Han sweated profusely under their intense gaze, his hair standing on end. He had always thought the concept of a 'killing intent' was a fanciful invention, but now, having felt it firsthand, he knew it was very much real.

"Hahaha, is this little chicken our big brother's prey for today? Seems too weak, doesn't it?" The mocking voice boomed like a beast's roar, a thunderous sound that left Lin Han's ears ringing. He couldn't help but think this man might be a modern-day Zhang Fei.

The burly, masked man hoisted Lin Han up effortlessly, as if he were no heavier than a chick. The man's arms, thicker than Lin Han's thighs, clamped around him like iron tongs, rendering him immobile. Lin Han's face flushed red as he struggled for air.

"Hehe, Bear, don't underestimate these scholars. Their sharpest weapon is their tongue. We shouldn't spare any of them dressed as scholars..." The voice was sinister, like a venomous snake emerging from its lair, hissing its warning. As soon as Lin Han heard it, he felt like prey under the gaze of a serpent, ready to be devoured at any moment.

"Hahaha, what's the challenge in that? Old Bear here will snap this kid's neck, and we can collect our reward sooner. I'm tired of acting like a grandson here; I can't wait any longer." Bear glanced at Lin Han impatiently, then turned to the man who had spoken, seeking approval with his gaze. His grip tightened around Lin Han like an iron vice.

If things kept going this way, Lin Han would be strangled to death before the leader even had a chance to speak up!