Chapter 7: It smells so good.

Wen Tian didn’t believe a single word of Changxi’s nonsense.

But right now, he was being held down—unable to fight or escape—so he had no choice but to pretend to believe, gradually ceasing his struggles.

Seeing that Wen Tian had stopped resisting, Changxi loosened his grip and shouted down toward the officials below, telling them to retreat from West Mountain Path.

The official envoy sent to negotiate demanded they release Wen Tian first.

“We can talk about ransom, but only if you let Young Master Wen go. Do that, and we’ll withdraw from West Mountain Road immediately.”

The negotiator was a short, pudgy middle-aged man dressed in a bloated-looking robe, his neck pulled in as he stood at the front, trying to haggle with Changxi.

He was merely a low-ranking advisor. With the joint military operation from the two towns being such a big show of force, the magistrate had sent him to make an appearance and assert some authority.

But everyone knew how ferocious the West Mountain bandits were—if they went head-to-head, casualties were inevitable.

The magistrate wasn’t about to risk himself, so the poor advisor got stuck with the job.

They had agreed beforehand: if bloodshed could be avoided, then it should be. If spending money could resolve it, then all the better.

No one wanted to die for nothing. In truth, had it not been for the Wen family’s wealth and relentless pressure, they wouldn’t even have bothered coming.

The advisor tried everything—coaxing, threatening, reasoning—but Changxi, being a simple brute, didn’t respond to any of it.

Before leaving, Chu Xiangtian had clearly instructed: no smiling, no talking, not a word more than necessary.

With his silence and menacing presence, Changxi was enough to make someone faint from fright. He gave the advisor a sinister look and opened his mouth to recite his memorized lines:

“Tell your people to back off. Young Master Wen is just staying with us as a guest for a few days. No need to make such a fuss.”

Frightened by the fierce glint in his eyes, the advisor instinctively stepped back, wiping sweat from his forehead.

The forced smile on his face nearly collapsed. Stay as a guest?

At this rate, they might never even find his body again!

The two sides reached another tense standoff. Right on cue, Changxi led Wen Tian back down the mountain.

The moment they left, two massive catapults were wheeled into position at the mountain path’s entrance, loaded with heavy stones—ready for a full-on fight should anyone dare to advance.

On the way back to the bandit stronghold, they ran into Chu Xiangtian.

Changxi enthusiastically reported the situation, not-so-subtly praising himself in the process. Wen Tian, pretending not to see Chu Xiangtian at all, walked straight past him.

Chu Xiangtian: Ignoring the still-rambling Changxi, Chu Xiangtian strode after Wen Tian, once again blocking his path.

Wen Tian didn’t respond and tried to walk around to the left. Chu Xiangtian was quicker, sidestepping left to block him again. Wen Tian moved to the right—so did he.

Wen Tian: Face flushed with anger, Wen Tian glared fiercely at him.

“You finally see me,” Chu Xiangtian said with a soft chuckle.

“I was beginning to think I’d turned invisible.”

Wen Tian wanted nothing more than to kick him, but he didn’t dare pick a direct fight. Instead, he cursed him a hundred times over in his heart, puffed up with fury and refusing to say a word.

The two of them stood face to face in a deadlock. In the end, it was Chu Xiangtian who stepped closer and began untying the rope around Wen Tian’s wrists.

He was so close that when he lowered his head, he caught the faint scent clinging to Wen Tian—soft and sweet, like honey.

Unconsciously leaning in, Chu Xiangtian drew even closer, practically nuzzling into the side of Wen Tian’s neck.

His breath brushed against the delicate curve of Wen Tian’s ear as he murmured, “What did you put on? You smell really good.”

Wen Tian turned sharply away.

The moment the rope was loosened, he shoved Chu Xiangtian hard and gave his shin a swift kick, yelling, “You bastard!” before sprinting off at full speed.

“Did he just call me a bastard??”

Chu Xiangtian rubbed his leg, staring at Changxi in disbelief.

Changxi, not the brightest, but far from blind, said honestly, “You were practically kissing his neck.”

Chu Xiangtian: He shot a glare at Changxi and tapped him on the forehead.

“You talk too much.”

Wen Tian burst into Xiao Qiao’s house, slamming the door shut behind him, panting heavily as he leaned against it.

The moment Chu Xiangtian got close, his skin had broken out in goosebumps. That man’s presence was too overwhelming—Wen Tian had no idea how to handle it.

When they first met, he’d thought Chu Xiangtian was a ruthless, murderous bandit leader.

Later, when Chu Xiangtian tended to his wounds, that impression softened a little—maybe he wasn’t so bad after all.

But after today, Wen Tian had completely changed his mind again. That man was deep and unpredictable, his mood shifting like the wind. You never knew when he might turn on you.

He patted his chest to calm himself down. He had to find a way to escape—Chu Xiangtian’s promises weren’t worth trusting.

At this time, most of the strong men in the stronghold were stationed at the front mountain pass, and the elderly, women, and children stayed indoors.

Wen Tian thought carefully and decided his best chance lay in the back mountain.

He’d already explored most of the village over the past few days. Every route except the back mountain was heavily guarded.

Sneaking past the bandits under their noses would be near impossible.

The back mountain connected to farmland and a dense forest. If he could just make it through the trees, he might find a way to climb down.

With a plan in mind, Wen Tian started casually wandering near the farmland over the next two days.

When no one was around, he even tried talking to the weeds and wild grass nearby, hoping to glean some information. Most of the plants were too timid to respond, falling silent the moment he spoke.

Only one or two, bolder than the rest, kindly offered him some useful tidbits.

For instance, that beyond the farmland and through the forest, there was a river.

Wen Tian lit up with hope.

There was only one river that passed through Qitian Ridge—the Sihu River. It connected to both Sifang Town and Lehe Town. If he followed the river, he could escape.

That afternoon, he pretended to have something to discuss with Chu Xiangtian and went to ask Changxi.

Changxi, who didn’t suspect a thing, blurted it all out—Chu Xiangtian wouldn’t be in the village tonight.

As for where he went, Changxi didn’t know either.

With that threat removed, Wen Tian was overjoyed. He patiently waited until late into the night, and when everyone was fast asleep, he carefully opened the window and climbed out.

Xiao Qiao lived right across from him. Wen Tian moved with utmost caution, closing the window exactly as it had been, then tiptoed through the darkness toward the fields.

The stronghold was pitch-black, but the full moon bathed everything in a soft glow, just enough to light his way.

Once he cleared the residential area, he glanced back one last time. Seeing no one around, he took off at a run toward the farmland.

The soil had recently been tilled, and Wen Tian stumbled through the loose earth. Dirt clung to him, but he gritted his teeth and pushed on.

Only when he absolutely couldn’t go any farther did he stop to rest, always on alert, then continued again.

Panting heavily, he didn’t know how long he had run before finally reaching the edge of the forest. He was almost there—once he made it through and followed the river, he could go home.

Ignoring the pain, Wen Tian wiped the sweat from his face and tore two strips from his wide sleeves to wrap around his feet.

His soles were raw and burning from the rough ground.

Once bandaged, his eyes gleamed with determination. He continued onward, not even afraid of the looming darkness within the forest.

The woods were much darker than the open fields, so he relied on the faint moonlight to guide him.

When he lost his way, he asked the nearby trees and plants for help. A few brave ones would answer.

Step by step, Wen Tian finally made it through and reached the back mountain.

He let out a long breath, some of the tension leaving his body. That was when he noticed a stinging pain on his cheeks.

Touching his face, he realized he’d been scratched by branches—he’d been so anxious, he hadn’t even noticed.

Hissing softly, he sniffled and kept walking. But once he left the woods, the path became rougher. The mountain slope grew steeper, and jagged rocks jutted up from the ground.

Carefully feeling his way down the slope, he was nearly at the bottom when he stepped on a loose rock.

His body tilted—and before he could react, he was tumbling down the slope.

Instinctively shielding his head, he rolled along with the falling stones, the sharp rocks bruising and battering his body.

With a heavy thud, he finally hit the ground, stunned.

Dizzy and aching, Wen Tian lay there dazed for a long while before slowly pushing himself upright.

Limping forward, he could finally hear the soft gurgle of flowing water.

The river was near.

***

“What was that noise?” Chu Xiangtian suddenly raised his hand, halting the conversation, and strode toward the mouth of the cave.

Behind him, the cave flickered dimly with torchlight. Weapons lined the rocky walls. Zhou Chuanqing and two strong men followed him out.

This back mountain cave was where they hid their weapons—no one in the village knew it even existed. Who would be coming here in the middle of the night?

Chu Xiangtian’s brow furrowed into a sharp crease, his entire presence now exuding a deadly seriousness absent during the day.

Following the sound of tumbling rocks, he noticed faint traces of blood on the stones. His eyes narrowed.

“Someone came down.”

Tracking the faint footprints, he soon spotted a slender figure limping toward the river in the distance.

Squinting to confirm—and after a long moment—Chu Xiangtian finally recognized that disheveled silhouette.

It was Wen Tian.