Chapter Twenty: Qintianxiang’s Daughterhood

At this moment, Qin Tianbao was already exhausted, but for the sake of avenging Chen Xiangyi—and even more so, to prevent Xiao Fei from looking down on her—she was determined to complete this mission brilliantly.

Yet, Qin Tianbao was, after all, a woman, and the distance from Jiangning City to Qinglong Mountain was thirty li. She had been riding since last night for five hours, and still, Jiangning City was nowhere in sight.

Qin Tianbao was not acting recklessly; she believed that insisting on saving Chen Xiangyi’s family had been her own idea. It was precisely this decision that had provoked the Japanese and forced Hu Baiwan to mobilize a large force to besiege Qinglong Mountain. She felt responsible for bringing calamity upon Qinglong Mountain, so this time she was resolved to fulfill her task, even if it meant sacrificing her own life.

Qin Tianbao, whose real name was Qin Tianxiang, was twenty-two years old, the younger sister of Zhen Sanjiang. Zhen Sanjiang’s real name was Qin Tianzhu, and Qin Zhong was their uncle. Zhen Sanjiang had long wanted to reveal this relationship to Xiao Fei, but Qin Tianbao repeatedly threatened him, forbidding him from disclosing her true identity as a woman. With Qinglong Mountain in crisis, Zhen Sanjiang did not wish to trouble Xiao Fei with trivial matters, and besides, it was hardly a significant issue.

Qin Tianbao—Qin Tianxiang—had, since childhood, followed her father, uncle, and elder brother on countless journeys and campaigns, honing her skills and adopting the mannerisms of a bandit. Dressing as a man was simply for convenience and to avoid being underestimated.

It was during last year's Lantern Festival that Qin Tianxiang, disguised as a man, descended the mountain to visit Jiangning City. There, she happened upon Chen Yongjie’s daughter, Chen Xiangyi, whose purse was snatched by a street thug. Without hesitation, Qin Tianxiang pursued the scoundrel, beat him soundly, and reclaimed the purse.

Qin Tianxiang’s handsome appearance, spirited demeanor, and exceptional skills made a powerful impression on the young and impressionable Chen Xiangyi.

Qin Tianxiang found Chen Xiangyi lively, romantic, pure, and beautiful, and naturally took a liking to her, visiting her often and accompanying her on outings.

But what Qin Tianbao never expected was that the lovestruck Chen Xiangyi would fall for her, mistaking her for a man, declaring that she would marry no one but him.

This left Qin Tianbao both mortified and amused. Not wanting to break Chen Xiangyi’s heart, she kept up the pretense, thinking that after some time, the girl would abandon such notions. Yet, contrary to her expectations, Chen Xiangyi’s feelings only deepened, and Qin Tianbao was wracked with guilt.

More than a year passed in the blink of an eye. When disaster struck the Chen family, Qin Tianxiang rushed down the mountain to save Chen Xiangyi, regardless of the fact that the culprits behind it were the Japanese.

Yet, with her character, even if she had no connection to Chen Xiangyi, Qin Tianxiang would have intervened. She loathed the Japanese most of all; her own father had fallen at their hands. National and personal vengeance demanded retribution!

Last night, after briefing Xiao Fei on the latest enemy developments, Qin Tianxiang meant to request permission for action, but Xiao Fei flatly refused her. Though she deeply admired Xiao Fei, her stubborn nature prevented her from admitting it—especially since Xiao Fei always called her a “sissy.”

“Hmph, damn Xiao Fei! I’ll make sure to complete this mission perfectly—just wait and see what you have to say then!”

Thinking of Xiao Fei, Qin Tianxiang gritted her teeth in fury, recalling the incident where he believed she hid buns in her chest.

At this, Qin Tianbao couldn’t help but laugh. “Fool, do the buns in your house look this good?”

She blushed at her own words. “Ugh, what am I saying?”

Her thoughts racing and her horse galloping, she soon caught sight of the distant outline of Jiangning City. Qin Tianxiang immediately steeled her nerves.

Earlier, spies who had slipped into Jiangning City reported martial law throughout the city, with all suspicious persons barred from entry. Thus, Qin Tianxiang had to be cautious.

She dismounted and walked slowly, seeing from afar that many new checkpoints had been set up by the city gate. Soldiers in Beiyang uniforms searched every passerby, including women. Some soldiers, taking advantage of the situation, brazenly molested women out in the open.

“Animals! Outrageous!” Qin Tianxiang was indignant, wanting to act, but remembered her mission was to assassinate the Japanese colonel—she could not afford to be reckless.

But she was a woman; how could she allow herself to be groped and grabbed by those beasts? Not only would her innocence be sullied, but she might also be detained as a suspect, ruining the mission and alerting the enemy.

“No, I must devise a foolproof plan,” Qin Tianxiang thought.

But what plan could be truly foolproof? She couldn’t just grow wings and fly over the gates.

Yet, as soon as she imagined sprouting wings and flying into the city, she felt as though she really had grown wings and was soaring through the air, with a pair of hands gripping her chest tightly.

Qin Tianxiang had no idea that Xiao Fei had arrived just in time, swooping down and plucking her from the ground as if pulling up a willow tree.

“Ah…” Qin Tianxiang couldn’t help but scream, and as she turned, she saw a familiar face. Looking down, she realized Xiao Fei’s hands were firmly grasping her chest.

“Ah…” she shrieked again, shoving Xiao Fei away.

Xiao Fei hadn’t expected such a violent reaction from this “sissy.” Caught off guard, his hands fell away from Qin Tianxiang.

Thus, Qin Tianxiang plummeted downward, and below seemed to be the Qinhuai River, which circled Jiangning City.

Damn it, this idiot is courting death! Xiao Fei was annoyed, but after all, Qin Tianxiang was his subordinate, and the young man possessed a certain loyalty and righteousness—his daring action was meant to save Qinglong Mountain. He decided to forgive him.

With that, Xiao Fei dove after her, reaching to grab Qin Tianxiang—but she, far from accepting his help, pushed him away once more.

Xiao Fei was not yet skilled at maneuvering the Thunderwing, nor had he had time to upgrade it, so the two plunged with a splash into the Qinhuai River.

Xiao Fei was not a strong swimmer, and Qin Tianxiang was even worse. Both gulped mouthfuls of water, and Qin Tianxiang flailed like a land-bound duck, nearly drowning.

Xiao Fei couldn’t let her die, so he hauled her ashore, and this time Qin Tianxiang did not resist.

“Are you out of your mind? It’s one thing not to respect me as your commander, but can’t you tell good from bad? I was saving you, you know. Now look—we’re both soaked to the bone!” Xiao Fei was furious.

Qin Tianxiang realized her mistake, but her chastity could not be compromised by a man. Reminded of this, she felt she was not wrong.

Seeing Qin Tianbao crouched miserably on the bank, both aggrieved and guilty, Xiao Fei’s anger faded. Now, with their clothes drenched, they urgently needed to dry them.

But their fire starters had been soaked by the river. How could they make a fire?

At that moment, Xiao Fei recalled the ancient story of the “Fire-Maker,” who created fire by drilling wood. He quickly gathered dry grass and sticks, retreating behind a nearby rock, and began to grind the sticks together.

Despite his efforts, his hands were soon blistered, but not a spark appeared.

“Damn it, whoever wrote those history books was making it all up—who says you can start a fire by drilling wood!” Xiao Fei threw the sticks aside in frustration.

“Let me try.” Qin Tianxiang, knowing she had erred but unwilling to admit it, stepped forward when she saw Xiao Fei unable to light a fire.

She drew a dagger and struck it against the rock wall several times. Sparks flew, landing on the dry grass and igniting it instantly.

“What, that actually works?!” Xiao Fei was astonished.

“At least you’re useful for something, sissy!” he said, beginning to strip off his wet clothes.

Qin Tianxiang shrieked and turned away. “What are you doing?”

“Damn it, why are you yelling? I’m making a fire to dry my clothes, so of course I have to take them off,” Xiao Fei replied, undressing without concern.

Here, on the outskirts of Jiangning City, with a mountain in the distance, a river at their feet, and the mossy city walls beyond, there shouldn’t be anyone around. Xiao Fei, taking advantage of the privacy, quickly stripped naked.

Qin Tianbao, however, not only kept her clothes on but also hid behind a rock.

“Sissy, you don’t have to follow my orders, but don’t jeopardize the brothers of Qinglong Mountain. We don’t have much time; we need to get into the city and do our job. We can’t go in with wet clothes,” Xiao Fei said.

“I—I won’t take them off…achoo!” Qin Tianbao sneezed.

“Look at you—how can you carry out an assassination in this state? Listen carefully: either follow my orders from now on, or get lost!” Xiao Fei was truly angry, given the gravity of the situation.

Qin Tianbao knew Xiao Fei was right. To complete the mission, she had to dry her clothes quickly and slip into the city.

Qin Tianbao seemed to be making a difficult decision. Her voice trembled. “Could you…could you turn around?”

“You!” Xiao Fei was utterly exasperated. “We’re both men—what are you afraid of? Unbelievable.”

But for the sake of the mission, Xiao Fei turned away.

Gritting her teeth, Qin Tianxiang stripped off her clothes, tears in her eyes, and shuffled to the fire to dry them. Worried Xiao Fei might break his promise, she placed her clothes on a makeshift rack of branches and retreated behind the rock again.

Time ticked by. Xiao Fei, sensing the clothes were nearly dry, started to rise—only to be startled by someone rushing at him from behind, arms thrown about him.

As this person pressed against his bare back, Xiao Fei, with his vast experience with women, immediately recognized the sensation as a woman’s bare chest—a soft, full feeling that recalled the sweetest memories from his past life.

“What’s going on?” Xiao Fei asked, turning to see a woman, hair disheveled, wearing nothing but a red cloth around her hips, eyes closed, embracing him. Looking closely, her face was somewhat familiar.

Upon further inspection, who else could it be but Qin Tianbao!