“We went outside,” the eldest, Hai Ling, suddenly confessed. “Not for long. Just a little,” she hurried to add.

  “We didn’t leave any traces. We walked very quietly…” Cao Siwen added.

  “You left a full barrel of water behind the shed. We washed ourselves,” Xiao Mei nodded.

  “Weren’t you scared?” Zhang Ming asked in surprise.

  “Hm…” the girls exchanged glances. “A little. We just wanted to breathe some fresh air…”

  “And how many times did you go out?” he asked calmly, though a nervous chill ran down his spine.

  “Every evening… sorry…” the girls lowered their heads guiltily.

  Why did they suddenly become so bold? Before, they trembled and cried. Have they really gotten used to this life? the shocked Zhang Ming didn’t know what to think. The scroll! It must be because of it. What is it really? What is it doing to us? What if it’s dangerous…

  “Oh! I almost forgot. I brought the sweets I promised,” he remembered and pulled out a box from the hunting crate beside him, about the size of two open palms and four fingers high.

  “Oh!” Xiao Mei’s eyes sparkled. “Are they tasty?”

  “I don’t know. Try them and tell me later. Just share with the girls.”

  “Okay.”

  With a solemn expression, Xiao Mei accepted the box of sweets from his hands as if it were a treasure chest. The sleeves of the oversized shirt she wore hung down, completely hiding her hands. Though the man’s shirt looked more like a floor-length dress on her, the girl refused to change it, since she had received it from her “father” in the darkness and bustle, when he had been handing out clothes.

  “Damn it! I still didn’t give it back to him… tsk,” Zhang Ming clicked his tongue.

  From the bottom of the crate, he took out a bluish object that emitted a faint glow, visible only in the darkness of night. Thin lines like fine hairs shimmered across its surface, something he hadn’t noticed in the light of open flame.

  “What is that?” the girls asked with interest.

  “Seems like an egg, though I’m not sure,” he held it out on his palm so they could all see. “A lot of people tried to ‘hatch’ it, but it never worked.”

  “It’s so pretty!” Xiao Mei poked it with a finger in admiration. “If you don’t really need it, I could take it…” she offered carefully.

  As far as I know, it’s as safe as an ordinary stone. People did all sorts of things to it, and it never reacted, Zhang Ming thought. Someone even swallowed it once. I think it’s fine.

  “Heh, take it,” he said without any regret, handing the mysterious object to the girl.

  “Yay! Thank you, Papa!” she cheered, pressing the bluish oval to her cheek. “Hello, little beast…”

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  “Um… have you eaten? Then let’s get down to business,” Zhang Ming said seriously, looking at the girls. “Before, I didn’t know how to get you out of here or where to go after that. The forest around is very dangerous.” He paused. “Now I’m strong enough to carry you over the wall one by one, and from the last trip, I finally learned the route.”

  For a long time, Zhang Ming hadn’t dared to escape. Enormous forest-covered mountains stretched beyond the horizon in every direction, some of them shrouded in mist and invisible even from the stronghold’s watchtowers. Once under those dense canopies, he never knew where to go, even while hunting. Moreover, he never forgot his encounter with the ferocious bear the size of a loaded cart, and he didn’t dare wander blindly through the forest, especially with three girls. Now, however, he had learned a safe path with proven resting spots and water sources.

  “So… we’ll leave here?” Cao Siwen asked with hope and disbelief.

  “Really?” Hai Ling covered her mouth, on the verge of happy tears.

  “Don’t rush and don’t celebrate too early. If nothing happens, tomorrow or within the next few days we’ll all leave this place. But be ready for the possibility that we may have to hide a little longer.”

  “Mm,” the two girls nodded, while Xiao Mei was distracted by the egg.

  “Now I’ll explain everything in detail, how to find the way.”

  From the bottom of the crate, he took out a small roll of leather and spread it out by the fire so everyone could see. On the smooth, carefully prepared surface were markings and drawings made with charcoal and, in places, outlined with ink. It looked as though they had been drawn with a thin needle to save space.

  “I made a map while I was in the city and checked it on the way back. Everything here is accurate…”

  “You’re coming with us, right?” Hai Ling looked at him.

  “I am. It’s just that we don’t know how things will go in the forest. I want to prepare for everything in advance.”

  “If we’re chased, we’ll have to split up. I’ll draw them away while the children escape. It’s better if they know the road,” Zhang Ming thought.

  “Listen carefully,” he continued. “Here are the places with the most noticeable landmarks. I left marks there…”

  They discussed the details of the escape until dawn, until the first rays of the sun touched the treetops. The dim light of early morning brought chill and frost. The girls rubbed their shoulders to warm themselves. After finishing the generously prepared meat and vegetables, they headed back toward the hiding place beneath the shed on their own, as if afraid of daylight.

  This time, Zhang Ming didn’t help them. He watched from the side as the children climbed down, put the floorboards back in place, and then the hatch cover, like a cork sealing a bottle. From the outside, there truly were no traces left, the girls had gotten quite good at it. Though they were always upset when he left the fort for a long time, such breaks helped avoid unnecessary attention.

  Stepping a little farther from the old shed, he looked it over. The rotting structure seemed abandoned, overgrown with weeds and of no interest to anyone. Dry grass mixed with bushes gave the backyard a neglected look. Fortunately, the former peasants hadn’t yet cut down all the camouflage, though they were already eyeing the grass as future feed for livestock.

  “It’s getting chilly,” Zhang Ming rubbed his hands and stirred the embers of the fire, sending a shower of sparks into the sky. “Maybe I should bring them more blankets…”

  There was very little time left before the stronghold awoke, so he decided to quickly clean the pot where he had cooked the stew and wash the bowls. After drawing water from the well, Zhang Ming was heading back toward the pig pens when from the yard in front of the barn came a faint rustle of grass, unusual for a simple breeze, followed by a barely audible creak of wood.

  Setting down the bucket, Zhang Ming burst forward and covered several meters in a single instant. His sword rang as it left its scabbard. Like a night phantom, he appeared in the middle of the yard just a few steps from a figure hidden in the darkness. The very air grew heavy, as if turning viscous, and even the animals in their pens fell silent.

  “Hey, pretty quick,” an unfamiliar voice said. Then a sharp blow to the stomach sent Zhang Ming flying back several steps, rolling across the ground. “Want to test your strength? Come on then!”

  In the predawn haze, a man in black clothes with red inlays approached him. A pouch and sword hung at his waist, the guard adorned with intricate forging. The stranger’s eyes glowed crimson, though not yet fully colored. Seeing the night visitor clearly, Zhang Ming immediately tossed his sword aside.

  “Ooo, that’s no fun,” the man sneered. “What were you doing here, huh? A fire, food and… isn’t that a bit too much food for one person?”