Chapter Fifty-Two: On the Brink

“You—” For a moment, Happy couldn’t think of a harsher insult and could only repeat, “You’re just a tagalong! A tagalong!”

“Say it one more time!” Late Autumn grew more and more furious, his hand moving to his darts, ready to teach her a lesson.

“Don’t be rash!” Ming Hero pressed his hand down, shaking his head and restraining him from acting out.

“Brother!” Late Autumn stomped his foot in frustration, the dart never leaving his hand.

“Oh, na-na-na-na…” Happy stuck out her tongue gleefully, teasing him.

“Brother, look at her!” Late Autumn complained, pointing at Happy, who was beaming with delight.

“How rare to see such girlish innocence!” The young woman next to the child spoke gently, trying to mediate.

“It’s precious indeed, which is why I cherish you so,” the young man, seeing her envy of Happy’s innocence, drew her into an affectionate embrace and whispered in her ear.

“People are watching!” The woman shyly pushed him away, her cheeks flushed.

“What does it matter? You’re my wife!” He glanced around at the others, boldly declaring, “Married by proper rites—I’d like to see who would dare say anything!”

“They’re truly in love!” Chang Laugh watched the woman feed the man pastries, her tone tinged with envy.

“Two hearts beating as one—nothing unusual about that.” Zhang Gentle gazed at Jade Ice with tender affection, his words hinting at something deeper.

Jade Ice could feel the intensity of his gaze, but she dared not respond. All she could do was pretend not to notice.

It was Ming Hero who first sensed something amiss. “Not even minding their own child! Isn’t that a bit too much affection?”

Hmm? Only then did Jade Ice and the others find it odd, just as Happy was about to ask—

A sudden shower of arrows rained down!

Late Autumn pulled Happy tightly into his arms, holding her close for fear she’d be struck by the chaos of arrows flying everywhere.

The unexpected warmth startled Happy. She had no time to think about where the arrows came from; she simply looked up at Late Autumn’s tense, serious face, her smile slowly spreading wider.

Their moment of tenderness went unnoticed. Everyone else was fully concentrated, blocking the arrows with their weapons.

Jade Ice’s expression sharpened. Had those relentless assassins caught up with them again?

Zhang Gentle, Happy, and Chang Laugh remained at Jade Ice’s side, moving back and forth to protect her. They likely forgot that Jade Ice’s martial skills surpassed all of theirs.

Perhaps that was for the best. With no distractions, Jade Ice could observe everyone intently:

The elderly man who’d spoken first was clearly no ordinary person. If he wasn’t a martial arts master, then he must once have been a military commander.

His broadsword swept the air with the force of a tiger, not only knocking the arrows away from himself but also protecting the overlooked child near the young couple.

At this, Jade Ice understood: that child was likely not theirs, for the couple themselves didn’t spare a single worried glance in his direction.

Instead, it was the infant the woman clutched protectively in her arms. Even the man, wounded by arrows, guarded the baby without care for his own injuries.

The arrow storm continued, and Jade Ice knew this couldn’t go on. Even if her side could fend for themselves, the two defenseless children were innocent!

She had to act.

Glancing around, she saw a table at her lower right. Stretching out her leg, she kicked it—swift and decisive!

As expected, the table landed squarely at the entrance, blocking the arrows aimed at the children.

The young man’s burden lessened visibly. He smiled gratefully at Jade Ice and nodded in thanks.

Seeing this, others quickly followed suit. One table after another was stacked at the entrance, forming a solid barricade that sealed the teahouse’s doorway tight.

With relief came a rising anger—was it too much to simply rest and have some tea without being showered by arrows?

Evidently, arrows failing, footsteps began to approach from the distance, growing closer.

Everyone exchanged nods, gripping their weapons tightly, eyes fixed on the door, barely daring to breathe.

Jade Ice narrowed her eyes. With a flick of her hand, several flashes of silver darted through the cracks between the tables—

A few unlucky souls near the barricade fell to their deaths, never knowing what hit them.

The sudden attack startled those outside, halting their advance for a moment.

Everyone inside knew it wouldn’t last. The barricade wouldn’t hold forever. Once the enemy regrouped, a fierce battle would erupt.

Jade Ice glanced at the trembling boy in the corner, then at the infant in the woman’s arms, making a decision:

“Happy, take the boy and leave!” She handed her bundle to Happy and gave her instructions. Then she turned to Chang Laugh. “Chang Laugh, you go with Ming Hero and Late Autumn—escort them out the back.” With a glance, she also indicated the young couple.

“You—!” Just as she turned to Zhang Gentle, he cut her off, “You can’t order me around! Don’t even try to get rid of me!”

“I’m not leaving either! Two escorts are enough!” Ming Hero also refused.

“Big Sister Ice…” Happy glanced nervously at the door, then back to Jade Ice, worry in her voice.

“Follow orders!” Jade Ice ordered her sister without mercy.

“Fine!” Happy tried to protest, but Chang Laugh had already pulled her along, escorting the little family out the back.

“Now, let the show begin!” Zhang Gentle’s eyes lit up as he stood beside her, ready for battle once more.

“We don’t even know if we’ll survive this—what’s there to be excited about?” Ming Hero shook his head, unable to fathom Zhang Gentle’s enthusiasm.

A sudden crash electrified them all.

Jade Ice gripped her amethyst flute tightly. Since the imperial edict had forced her into the open, there was no point in hiding any longer. She strode forward boldly.

Zhang Gentle spread his folding fan, poised for action.

Ming Hero planted his spear into the ground, its tip radiating deadly cold.

With the barricades toppled, a group of black-clad figures appeared before them—

The attire, the formation, even the insignia—everything was all too familiar!

Jade Ice sneered coldly. These men truly clung to her like ghosts.

‘Don’t they ever get tired from chasing us so relentlessly?’ Zhang Gentle thought.

‘Who are these people, all in black from head to toe? They look pretty intimidating!’ Ming Hero, seeing such getup for the first time, found it strangely cool.

Just as everyone tensed, ready for battle, the leader glanced around the teahouse, then waved a hand. Instantly, all the black-clad figures withdrew, vanishing without a trace.

The three were left staring at each other in bewilderment. Even the brilliant Jade Ice couldn’t fathom what game their enemies were playing.

“Let’s get out of here first!” Zhang Gentle was the first to react, urging the others to leave quickly.

As they emerged from the woods ahead, Happy and her group rushed to Jade Ice’s side. “Big Sister Ice, are you alright?” Happy blurted out, while Chang Laugh could only smile helplessly, thinking Happy’s rashness would never change.

“What about them?” Jade Ice asked Chang Laugh, not seeing the little family.

“They’re gone,” was all Chang Laugh replied, saying nothing more.

But Happy couldn’t help but complain, “Big Sister Ice, who were those people you had us protect? As soon as we got out, they ran off without a word! They didn’t care about our safety, not even a thank you. What ingrates!”

“That’s enough,” Chang Laugh soothed. “Why get so worked up?”

“But it’s true! I didn’t want anything from them, but at least they could have said thank you!” Happy still fumed, feeling she’d wasted her effort.

“We were protecting the children, not them. Doesn’t that make you feel a bit better?” Jade Ice smiled gently, offering another perspective.

“Next time, let someone else do this kind of bodyguard work!” Happy pouted, “I’m done!”

“Fine, fine, someone else then.” Jade Ice conceded, shaking her head with a soft laugh at Happy’s puffed-up cheeks.

“Young Lady Jade, the teahouse owner was killed!” Ming Hero reported as he caught up.

“Killed?” Jade Ice’s eyes narrowed sharply. She had thought the owner was in league with the assassins, but now it seemed that was not the case at all.

“Let’s head to the local yamen!” Zhang Gentle unfolded his fan, his tone brisk.

“Good idea. And maybe we’ll find out who these fiends really are!” Late Autumn was the first to agree. In Linhai, he and Ming Hero had always led uneventful lives. Now, finally, some excitement—how could he not be thrilled?

“Careful you don’t get too excited!” Happy pursed her lips, unable to understand what he found so thrilling.

“Big Sister Ice, look—this county may be smaller than Linhai, but it’s so well run.” As they entered a neighboring county, Chang Laugh admired the bustling streets, the haggling in the markets, the lively shops.

“It seems the magistrate here really knows how to govern,” Zhang Gentle nodded in appreciation at the scene before them.

“That should be the yamen up ahead!” Ming Hero had barely finished speaking when they saw a noisy crowd blocking the entrance.

“Grandfather,” Chang Laugh grabbed the sleeve of an elderly man passing by, “why are you all rushing to the yamen? Did something urgent happen?”

The old man studied them. “From your accents, you’re not locals, are you?” When they nodded, he continued, “No wonder you don’t know. There have been strange happenings in our county this month.” He fell in step with them, telling his story as they walked. “At first, only one child went missing—Mingming, the prefect’s son. No matter how hard they searched, he couldn’t be found. Then, other children around Mingming’s age began to disappear, one after another. Gone without a trace—alive or dead, no one knows. Isn’t that strange?”

“Did a child from your family go missing too?” Late Autumn blurted out.

“Your family’s child went missing, not mine!” Before the old man could get angry, Happy retorted irritably.

“My younger brother is just a bit thoughtless, please don’t take offense, elder,” Ming Hero quickly stepped in to smooth things over.