22 Support

The garden housing the rockery was named Wu Garden, built specifically for it. By the time the four of them arrived, they saw the rockery standing silently in the center of the garden, emitting a faint green glow. On the ground, centered around it, were streaks of white light resembling harp strings, coiling and intertwining in shimmering, ghostly loops.

"How could this be?" Nie Cheng’s expression shifted.

This rockery sat atop the dragon vein of Beijing, governing the intersection of time and space. To travel from their timeline to another era, one had to pass through here, and the method was to activate the String Array. When the array was active, fierce winds would howl, and the strings of time would fully manifest—a moment of extreme danger. Once a traveler safely crossed, however, everything would return to calm.

A few hours ago, Lu Zhiyao and Su Geng had used the String Array to travel to the Ming Dynasty, and the area had returned to normal after their departure. Yet now, the rockery was glowing again, and even the strings of time were visible.

He frowned deeply. The girl beside him took a half-step forward, and startled, he immediately grabbed her. The array was not fully active, but its state was clearly unstable. If they rushed into its radius now, they might be unable to leave, just like last time, and be forced to cross over.

Shi Nian’s movement was blocked, and she looked up, dazed. Only then did Nie Cheng notice her strange state; she was pale, one hand pressed against her chest. Recalling that she had been the one to sense the problem with the dragon vein earlier, he realized something. "What do you feel?"

"A pulse... or a heartbeat," Shi Nian murmured, staring at the rockery. "It’s moving. I can feel it—the dragon vein is beating."

*Thump. Thump. Thump.*

The sound was so distinct that it made her own heart race in sympathy.

A sharp glint flashed in Nie Cheng’s eyes. Beside him, Bliss asked, "Nie, what should we do now?"

Shi Nian suddenly thought of a possibility and said nervously, "Only Su Geng and Lu Zhiyao are currently on a mission. Could this reaction from the dragon vein mean they’re in trouble?"

The group exchanged glances. Zhang Ke, the quiet man who had accompanied Meng Xia to the Northern Song Dynasty—a man whose voice Shi Nian had barely heard all day—suddenly spoke. His expression was flat, but his resolve was clear. "I will go call Meng Xia. We will leave immediately to check."

Once they traveled through, they could not return until the strings in that era calmed down, but in the meantime, others could follow. In past missions, there had been instances where members failed to return and teammates had to go to their aid.

As Zhang Ke turned to leave, Nie Cheng stopped him. "You don't need to go."

Zhang Ke stood expressionless, waiting for an explanation.

Nie Cheng said, "I will go."

He was going to investigate in person? Shi Nian felt a flicker of admiration; it seemed he was a responsible leader after all.

The thought had barely crossed her mind when she saw Nie Cheng’s gaze land on her. "You are coming with me."

Shi Nian: "..."

She had not expected to be sent on a second mission so soon.

While changing, she tried one last desperate plea. "I’ve only been training for half a month, which is basically zero training. Is it really okay for me to join an operation this quickly? I’m afraid of dragging you down, Captain!"

Outside the room, the Captain replied calmly, "You are too modest, Miss Shi. You are an excellent employee. I’m the one worried about dragging you down."

Shi Nian had shot herself in the foot and had to accept her fate with tears in her eyes. Deep down, she knew Nie Cheng likely insisted on her presence because she was the first to sense the anomaly.

Two hours later, she and Nie Cheng stood before the rockery. Both were fully dressed for the era. Shi Nian wore a light pink embroidered short jacket over a lake-blue, gold-threaded horse-face skirt, her long hair pinned up with a silver hairpin—a typical Ming Dynasty look, elegant and refined. Nie Cheng wore a stone-blue *yesa* robe, his tall, upright frame standing out in the night like a jade tree.

He stared at the rockery for several seconds, then couldn't help but look at the massive, bulging backpack in Shi Nian’s arms. "Are you sure you need to bring all that?"

Shi Nian clutched the bag like a mother hen protecting her chicks. "Yes, these are all essential! I’ve already trimmed it down as much as possible. If you don't let me bring these, I’m not going!"

She threatened him with a fierce look, hoping to scare him, but the man reached out and grabbed the bag straps. He snatched the bag away. Feeling the space in her arms empty, Shi Nian pursed her lips, frantically deciding which items she could possibly sacrifice.

Her snacks? Her carefully prepared secret weapons? Oh, heaven help her! She loved them all and wanted to take everything!

As she agonized, she realized Nie Cheng had slung her bag over his own shoulder and turned to tell Bliss, "Alright, we’re leaving."

Huh? He wasn't throwing her things away?

Shi Nian snuck a peek at him, her eyes bright with secret joy. Seeing this, the corners of Nie Cheng’s mouth twitched, though his voice immediately returned to its cold, detached tone. "What are you staring at? Give me your hand."

Hand in hand, Shi Nian held her breath, knowing what was coming. Although she had experienced this twice before, the first time she had been unprepared, and the second time her mind had been too occupied with her farewell to Liu Che. This was her first time preparing for a jump with full focus...

Oh, she was so nervous!

The next second, the rockery’s faint glow erupted into a blinding light. A fierce wind surged through Wu Garden, nearly lifting them off their feet. The strings of time vibrated and crossed, making her heart tremble with fear.

"Are—are we going?" Shi Nian shouted.

"I’ll count to three, and we’ll run forward together. The strings will pull us through! One—two—"

"What, what! Say that again!"

Bliss, Zhang Ke, and Meng Xia—who had been dragged out of bed in the middle of the night—stood by the garden gate, keeping their distance to avoid being swept up. Meng Xia, still in her pajamas and clutching a giant mug, laughed. "Captain, Xiao Nian, good luck! I hope you're back by the time I wake up tomorrow!"

Shi Nian: "Don't sound so casual about it!"

"—Three!"

"Ahhhhhhh!"

As she was pulled by Nie Cheng and collided with the rockery, Shi Nian thought: *At least this time I’m dressed properly and not wearing pajamas!*

The green light flared and then vanished instantly. After a brief sensation of weightlessness, they slammed into the ground.

The familiar feeling triggered her memories. Without opening her eyes, she reached out to touch her surroundings. The ground was flat. *Thank goodness, at least I didn't land on a roof this time.*

Her body ached, but she forced herself to stand up. As she opened her eyes, she saw a desolate sky filled with heavy, swirling snow. The frozen flakes drifted down, landing on her face and covering the courtyard she now stood in.

The yard was small, planted with pines on either side. The walls and buildings were made of wood and looked somewhat crude. It appeared to be situated in the mountains, as she could see lush green peaks in the distance.

Where was this? Where was Nie Cheng? She clearly remembered them coming together—why was she alone again?

Shi Nian felt lost, then suddenly shuddered, realizing with a jolt: *Wait, it’s snowing?!*

Frost covered the plants in the yard, and the roofs were blanketed in white. It was mid-winter!

*...Oh, for heaven's sake!*

Shi Nian hugged her arms, unable to believe her luck. She’d finally managed to dress for the occasion, only to land in a blizzard. In this thin spring clothing, she’d freeze to death within half an hour!

Her body was already stiffening. She decided to head into the buildings for shelter, but the courtyard gate was suddenly kicked open. A group of men stormed in, looking aggressive.

Shi Nian turned, startled.

The northern wind howled, rattling the gate. Through the swirling snow, her eyes locked onto the man leading them.

He looked to be in his twenties, tall and sturdy, wearing a coat trimmed with black fox fur, exuding an aura of the *jianghu*. Unlike his rough demeanor, he was strikingly handsome, with dark eyes and pale skin. He held a horse whip, folded in two, tapping it rhythmically against his hand. Though he smiled, he looked like a resting wolf, his rebellious nature etched into his very bones.

He noticed her, his expression shifting. He scanned her up and down before speaking in a slow, languid voice. "You’re not being honest. You told me earlier that all the treasures in the stronghold had been handed over. So, what is this?"

He was speaking to a man beside him—a man in his forties with a long, terrifying scar across his face. The man stared at Shi Nian, looking stunned. "I... I don't know. She isn't from our stronghold. I've never seen her..."

Before he could finish, another subordinate punched him in the stomach, forcing him to double over in pain, unable to speak.

What was happening? A stronghold? These people looked like bandits or mountain robbers—had she landed in a bandit den?!

Her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground.

The young man walked over slowly, using his whip to lift her chin. He clicked his tongue in wonder. "I didn't expect that brute Zhang Hu to have such refined taste. To think he’d snatched such a delicate, fragile 'bandit’s wife'."

Shi Nian’s clothing and her obviously well-bred air led him to conclude that she didn't belong to this stronghold, but he had arrived at a different, more dangerous conclusion.

Shi Nian shuddered. This man was handsome, but clearly no saint. Was this a turf war between bandit gangs? She was in grave danger!

"I am not his wife," she said before she could even think.

The man’s expression remained unchanged. "Oh?"

"Really, I’m just lost. I stumbled in here by mistake... Sir, are you here to suppress the bandits?"

The man paused.

Shi Nian was terrified. She had read in books that when dealing with villains who weren't entirely irredeemable, it was sometimes better to flatter them with labels of moral superiority before they revealed their true malice. Especially with young men like this—they were particularly susceptible to the admiration of ignorant young girls. Look at Liu彻, for example!

She put on an innocent face. "Thank you so much, Sir! I don't know what I would have done without you! Please, go ahead and finish your mission. I won't get in your way. I’ll just head home now..."

She tried to slip away, but failed. The whip blocked her path. The man pushed her back slightly, laughing. "Hey, hey, don't rush off."

He stared at Shi Nian, as if truly considering her words. "So, the young lady is lost? How could I let you go back alone? What if you get lost again? Why don't you wait here? Once I’m done with my business, I’ll send someone to escort you home."

*W-was that effect a bit too good?!*

Shi Nian forced a smile. "No need, no need! I just remembered the way, I won't get lost—"

"Alright then. I won't send someone else. In a couple of days, I’ll escort you home myself."

Shi Nian panicked. "If I have to wait for you, I’ll never make it back!"

She realized her mistake as soon as the words left her lips. The man raised an eyebrow, a look of "I knew it" crossing his face. He’d seen through her act all along!

Shi Nian felt a wave of regret, but the man just burst into laughter. "Interesting, very interesting. Fighting over this Wohu Mountain was boring, but I never expected to find such a clever little thing as a bandit’s wife. This trip was worth it!"

The subordinate who had hit Zhang Hu flattered him, "It’s all thanks to your brilliant strategy, boss, that you captured them so easily!"

The young man pinched Shi Nian’s chin and tapped her cheek with the whip. "Whether you’re Zhang Hu’s wife or not doesn't matter. I happen to be lacking one, and I’ve taken a fancy to you. Be a good girl and come back with me..."

He finished, watching her reaction. Usually, women would be wailing and trying to commit suicide at this point. He wondered what that pretty little face would look like when it was crying...

He felt a faint sense of anticipation, almost excited, but then he noticed the girl, after a brief moment of panic, suddenly close her eyes as if forcing herself to stay calm. The next moment, she opened them and looked at him, saying coolly: "Fine. Then give it here."

He was finally stunned. "What?"

Shi Nian took a deep breath, looking as if she had reached her limit. "Clothes! I’m freezing to death! If you don't want your new 'wife' to die on the road, hurry up and find me something to wear!"