Chapter 19: The Arrows Arrive (Part I)

Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai shared a spacious cabin, accompanied by their personal maids, Tongxi and Ying'er. Tongxi served Aunt Xue, while Ying'er attended to Baochai. As the large Xue family vessel glided over a calm stretch of the river, the cabin remained steady, allowing Baochai to lean against the window, deeply engrossed in her book. Aunt Xue sat opposite her, sipping fragrant tea while gazing at the passing scenery through the window. The two maids were busy working on decorative silk knots.

Suddenly, Xie Jixing’s frantic shouts erupted from outside: "Trouble! Water bandits! Quickly, all men, grab your weapons and prepare to defend the ship!"

The sudden alarm caught the four women off guard, and their expressions shifted instantly. The page in Baochai’s hand trembled, and the teacup in Aunt Xue’s grip wobbled, spilling its contents. The maids dropped their work, exchanging glances filled with terror and unease. The comfortable atmosphere of the cabin vanished, replaced by a suffocating tension.

"Water bandits?" Aunt Xue asked, unable to believe her ears. "Could Xie Jixing be mistaken? How could water bandits suddenly appear to rob us?" Before she could finish, she peered out the window and grew pale. Her voice trembled as she said to Baochai, "There are pirate ships heading straight for us! They are real! What shall we do? Oh, what are we to do?"

Hearing this, Tongxi and Ying'er turned ashen, frozen in place and at a complete loss. Baochai clasped her hands tightly, her knuckles turning white, yet she forced herself to remain calm. "Mother, do not panic," she whispered, attempting to comfort her. "Perhaps... perhaps the men on our ship can hold them off..." Even as she spoke, she felt the weakness of her own words; her voice was so frail it seemed as though a breeze could scatter it.

For this journey to the capital, the Xue family had brought only four or five households of servants, along with two or three elderly nannies and young maids—no more than a dozen people in total. Among them, there were only seven men, including Xie Jixing, four manservants, and the two young attendants, Ji'er and Li'er. Even counting Xue Pan, the only male master, there were only eight men in total, and Xue Pan, Ji'er, and Li'er were of little use in a fight.

Fortunately, Xie Jixing was loyal and brave, and the four manservants were sturdy and strong. Despite her inner turmoil, Baochai clung to a sliver of hope that the number of bandits was small and their strength limited, and that the men on the Xue ship could repel them. If not, the consequences were unthinkable; not only would their wealth be plundered, but she would likely be violated. At the thought of such a fate, Baochai bit her lip hard, her fingernails digging into her palms as her heart hammered like a drum. The atmosphere in the cabin became suffocating.

...

The cabin where Xue Pan resided was also quite large. When Xie Jixing’s shouts arrived, Xue Pan was gambling with his attendant Ji'er and two manservants, the table littered with dice and scattered silver. The mood had been lively.

"What? Water bandits are here to rob us? I’ll go take a look."

Xue Pan’s first reaction was not fear, but curiosity. Having been on the boat for over ten days, the initial novelty had worn off, replaced by the stifling boredom of the long voyage. He subconsciously viewed the appearance of bandits as something exciting.

However, when he strutted onto the deck and saw two pirate ships charging aggressively toward them, filled with over a dozen fierce-looking bandits brandishing weapons, his curiosity vanished instantly. Replaced by profound terror, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He stood rooted to the spot, his breathing becoming ragged.

"This... what can be done?" Xue Pan muttered, his voice trembling. He realized this was no adventurous game, but a life-or-death crisis. Like a frightened bird, he was completely at a loss.

The two pirate ships closed in on the Xue vessel. Given the narrowness of the river, there was no way to escape. Over a dozen bandits, previously hidden in the hulls, now spilled out onto the decks. They brandished various weapons: swords flashing with cold light, sharp sabers, heavy axes, and flying hooks. The flying hooks, resembling anchors with four sharp, curved claws attached to iron chains and hemp ropes, were the bandits' signature weapons for grappling and boarding ships.

Li Liu, the bandit leader, carried a bow and was a skilled archer. His eyes sharp as torches, he spotted Xue Pan on the deck. Relying on his experience and quick wit, he deduced that this man was someone of status. He drew his bow, aimed at Xue Pan, and released an arrow that whistled through the air, heading straight for him.

The arrow flew! Xue Pan, paralyzed by soul-crushing fear, had no idea what Li Liu was doing.

"Master, look out!"

Just as the arrow was about to strike, Xie Jixing, who stood beside him, acted with lightning speed and shoved Xue Pan aside. Xue Pan stumbled and nearly fell, but in doing so, he narrowly escaped the lethal shot.

However, while Xue Pan escaped, his attendant Ji'er, who had been standing behind him, was not so fortunate. The arrow buried itself deep into Ji'er's chest. Before he could even scream, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed onto the deck with a heavy thud. An eye-catching arrow protruded from his chest, and blood quickly stained his clothes.

Ji'er had followed Xue Pan out of the cabin, but upon seeing the aggressive pirate ships and the murderous bandits, he had instinctively hidden behind his master. It was a cruel twist of fate that this act of self-preservation led him to become a human shield for Xue Pan, becoming the first casualty of the day.

Watching Ji'er die, Xue Pan turned deathly pale, his body shivering uncontrollably. Unable to even spare a thought for his savior, Xie Jixing, he could only scream in terror, "The bandits are vicious! Quickly, everyone, fight them off!"

Li'er, who had always envied and disliked Ji'er, felt no joy at the sight of his corpse, only deep, paralyzing fear that he, too, would soon die at the hands of the bandits.

"Stop staring! Take this and fight with me!" Xie Jixing thrust a red-tasseled spear into Li'er’s hands, his gaze as sharp as a blade, his tone leaving no room for hesitation.

Li'er’s legs trembled. Though usually a coward, the shadow of death seemed to force a desperate courage out of him. He gripped the cold spear, its tip quivering in the air as if trembling in anticipation of the coming battle.