257 - Destroyer of Ice and Fire

The official post station was fraught with danger, and she had no strategy to ensure everyone's safety. Ran Fan Yin seemed oblivious to the threat, and she feared that if anything happened, she wouldn't be able to answer to Ran Zhong Shu. A wave of sadness overwhelmed her. Yet, she held onto a sliver of hope, perhaps she was just worrying unnecessarily. Even in a post station, villains would show some restraint and not act recklessly. "Whether you're hungry or not, you need to eat. Performing on an empty stomach tonight would spell disaster for us. Losing the scroll is one thing, but dying in a foreign land, unburied, it's not worth it." Seeing Ning Song Wu still refusing to eat, she reluctantly invoked Zhou Hua Xiu to pressure her, "Mother endured all the hardships to raise you, and hasn't lived to enjoy the blessings yet, what will happen then?" "Maybe you're overthinking it. We're staying at a government post station. Criminals would give some face here," Ning Song Wu tried to persuade Ran Fan Yin. Ran Fan Yin swallowed the food in her mouth, took a sip of tea, straightened up and said seriously, "You mentioned criminals, but they don't care about the law. It's not that I'm being alarmist, but this morning, as soon as we arrived, those four followed right after." Ning Song Wu immediately became alert, "Madam, you also think those people have ill intentions?" She had been hopeful, but Ran Fan Yin's words brought her anxiety back. Ran Fan Yin leaned forward and whispered, "Most likely, they're after us. I noticed something this morning." Ning Song Wu asked quietly, "You noticed it too?" Ran Fan Yin wiped her mouth and glanced at the door before continuing, "Their pant cuffs were stained with blood, and their shoes were covered in mud. But it's no ordinary mud." Ning Song Wu leaned forward again, her eyes locking onto Ran Fan Yin's, urging her to continue. "Be good, eat your meal first," Ran Fan Yin stopped, withdrew, and put a piece of cured meat into her mouth, implying that Ning Song Wu wouldn't hear more if she didn't eat. Ning Song Wu, after hearing this, picked up her bowl and chopsticks, quickly shoveling food into her mouth, barely chewing before swallowing. In a moment, the bowl was empty. She placed it on the table, rested her chopsticks on top, the clinking sound reminding Ran Fan Yin of her promise. "Eat slowly, you can't rush hot tofu, be careful of your stomach," Ran Fan Yin gently chided with a smile seeing her impatience, then continued, "The red mud on their shoes is the same as that on Liangshan, and while there is red mud around here, it's not as red as Liangshan's. Ever since they entered the post station, their eyes haven't left us." "Those four from this morning are definitely not harmless. If I'm not mistaken, they're after us, more accurately, they're after the scroll." "The bandits of Liangshan are blunt and only want money. However, these four had a murderous look, clearly not the same type. I dare speculate that they discovered our escape on the mountain, fought with the bandits, and then followed us here. But here, it's a government post station, crowded and watched. They wouldn't dare act during the day, but who knows about the night." After hearing Ran Fan Yin's logical analysis, Ning Song Wu nodded subconsciously, her heart sinking. "Then what should we do?" Ning Song Wu asked, assuming a detailed plan must already be in place. Ran Fan Yin raised an eyebrow and tapped the edge of the bowl with her chopsticks, "Fill your stomach and wait until night to put on a good show for them." Ning Song Wu couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by a show?" "Eat more, or you'll have no strength to escape. Tonight, cooperate with me in performing a double act. If it works, we can escape." Ning Song Wu asked again, "Are we escaping tonight?" Ran Fan Yin closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I've said so much, and you only remembered 'escape'? Stay calm! Stay calm! Stay calm! Ran Fan Yin gestured, "Come here, I'll explain." Ning Song Wu quickly got up and sat next to Ran Fan Yin, eagerly waiting. Ran Fan Yin whispered in her ear, "We will escape, but it has to be strategic..." "What are you doing?" Ran Fan Yin stopped seeing Ning Song Wu fidgeting, suddenly a bit angry. Ning Song Wu rubbed her ear, embarrassed, "It tickles. Continue, I'll endure it this time." She then moved closer to Ran Fan Yin. Ran Fan Yin realized they were too close and wanted to maintain some mysteriousness, pulled back, and continued, "They will act in the dead of night. We can't sit and wait for death, so first..." As for how to act, she didn't tell Ning Song Wu but instructed her to improvise based on the situation. I really need to find an opportunity to end this marriage. I'm not getting any benefits, and my life is nearly on the line! After hearing Ran Fan Yin's strategy, Ning Song Wu was stunned. She was so resourceful, marrying someone like her was truly a waste. "Go lie down for a bit; we might not sleep well tonight," Ran Fan Yin poured herself another cup of tea, leaning on her left hand as she sipped leisurely. Seeing Ning Song Wu's hesitation, she added, "Rest assured, I'll wake you up later." *** Near the end of Xu hour, loud quarrels came from Room No. 6 in the Di section, getting increasingly intense. "Bang!" A stool was thrown, creating a hole in the door. Ran Fan Yin, wearing a light green plain dress, stormed out, clutching a delicate sachet in her right hand while cursing inside. "Ning Song Wu, if you're a man, come out now. Trying to act all humble now, but didn't think about this when you went looking for that lover!" Ning Song Wu suppressed her voice, "Madam, it's late. Let's go back inside, don't disturb everyone's rest." Ran Fan Yin raised her voice, "I've done nothing shameful, why should I go back? Come out and let everyone judge." She continued relentlessly, "Tonight, you repeatedly claimed to be tired. I sensed something was wrong. Turns out, you were outwardly flattering but secretly seeking pleasure elsewhere, and even carrying your lover's keepsake."