After their father left, the girls trudged back to their room without lifting their heads. The door panels closed behind them with a sorrowful creak. Once alone, they did not cry and sat quietly on their beds for a while, then silently exchanged glances. Xue’s gaze turned firm and resolute, while Mingzhu, her eyes still red from tears, nodded softly. A moment later, they slipped out through the window like cats and set off after their father. Small and unnoticed, the sisters quickly dissolved into the passing crowd.

  Meanwhile, silence also filled the main hall of the estate. What had just unfolded had taken everyone by surprise. None of them had ever seen the two sisters like that before. Always composed and serious, they had seemed to fall apart in an instant, as though all their defenses had collapsed at once.

  “Ahem,” the old man finally broke the silence. “In the end, they’re still just children.”

  “Their father looks exactly like a bandit, and smells like one too,” Hei Xun burst out at last. “Why do such sweet girls have a wandering vagrant for a father? They’re good children. They deserve someone better!”

  She grew more agitated as she spoke. “I’m sure he used to hit them. Did you see how scared they were? Poor things…”

  “I can see you’ve grown quite attached to them,” the old man said with a faint smile, setting down his cup. “Don’t worry. From what I could tell, he cares about them too, in his own way. We don’t know anything about him yet. Don’t judge so quickly… though he does smell of blood.”

  “At first, he seemed like a bandit to me as well,” Yong Hao said thoughtfully. “But the way he speaks is different. Not like a common soldier or a farmer.”

  “You noticed correctly,” Ji Shen agreed. “He lacks refinement, but his thinking is that of an educated man. Quite surprising.”

  “And he isn’t as strong as I expected,” the young disciple added.

  “Hmph,” the maid snorted. “I still don’t like that so-called father of theirs.”

  “You’re just afraid he’ll take the girls away,” the old man said, stroking his beard. “Don’t worry about that either…” suddenly, he paused mid-sentence and listened closely. “It seems our little ones have run off. I believe they’ve already slipped beyond the wall.”

  “What?!” in a blink, Hei Xun was at the sisters’ room, throwing the doors open wide. “Where are they going? Master, may I…”

  “Go,” the old man waved calmly. “Just don’t let Zhang Ming see you. That’s their father’s name.”

  In an instant, the woman changed into gray men’s clothing, threw on a shapeless cloak that concealed her figure, strapped two daggers to her belt, and crossed the courtyard at a swift pace. With a single leap, she vaulted over the wall surrounding the estate. Out on the street, Hei Xun put on a woven hat that hid half her face, and with a slight tilt of her head, concealed it entirely. With an experienced eye, she picked out their direction and followed without drawing attention.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Meanwhile, Zhang Ming returned to the inn where he had rented a room upon arriving in the city. Knowing in advance where he would be heading, he had retrieved the items taken from the bandits’ storehouse and packed them into his usual hunter’s crate. He loaded another similar crate onto the obedient Lu Piao and brought him along.

  Along with trinkets, cloth, carved boxes, and other odds and ends, Zhang Ming had also brought animal pelts from his daily hunts into Puyang. Fortunately, they quickly found a buyer, leaving him with a bit of money on hand.

  Since three girls were waiting for him in the hideout beneath the old shed, he hadn’t wasted any time. On his very first day in the city, Zhang Ming began searching for traces of Xue and Mingzhu. He started at the docks, where all the fish sellers gathered, it seemed like the best place to begin. Not yet knowing for certain whether his daughters had reached Puyang or gone elsewhere, he refused to give up and carefully planned his search. Yet already on the second day, it bore unexpected fruit.

  “How lucky that they’re safe,” he thought as he checked the items taken from the stronghold. “It’s like a huge weight has been lifted from my chest. Now I can finally breathe and deal with the rest.”

  Leaving the inn, he glanced around. Seeing nothing suspicious, he headed toward his meeting with Lu Piao, who knew where to find the black market.

  For some unknown reason, the bandit obeyed him almost unquestioningly, having grown attached from the very first day like a lost puppy. Though Zhang Ming still harbored doubts deep down, he had no other subordinate with such knowledge of Puyang’s criminal world.

  “Good. You’re already here,” Zhang Ming greeted him. “Did you lose anything?”

  “Everything’s with me, big brother,” Lu Piao nodded, his shaggy head bobbing.

  “You checked the market? Everything confirmed?”

  “Yes. It’s just about getting dark. We can head out now. But, brother… I have a question about our business, um…”

  “Speak,” Zhang Ming said warily.

  “Who are those little runts?” Lu Piao asked, pointing behind him. “They’ve been staring at you this whole time…”

  “What? Where?” Zhang Ming turned and saw two small heads quickly duck behind a corner. “Huh? What the hell… Wait here! I’ll be right back!”

  Setting the crate down, Zhang Ming crossed the distance in just a few breaths and entered the alley, where he spotted two small figures running away. Of course, he had already guessed who had been hiding there, but now all doubt vanished. Caught red-handed, Xue and Mingzhu were fleeing as fast as their little legs could carry them.

  “Stop!” their father roared.

  Out of habit, the children froze in place. Hearing his heavy footsteps closing in, they shrank their shoulders and even squeezed their eyes shut in fear. His shout had sounded furious, and they were bracing themselves for punishment, but nothing happened for quite some time. Slowly, they opened their eyes.

  Right in front of them loomed their father’s frowning face. He was bent over, hands on his knees, staring them down. Startled, Xue and Mingzhu stumbled back a step.

  “Why didn’t you listen?” he demanded.

  They didn’t answer, only lowered their heads guiltily.

  “If I chase them away, they’ll just follow me again. Should I tie them up or something?” Zhang Ming sighed heavily and straightened up. “Why isn’t there some kind of manual for dealing with children? I have no idea what I’m doing. Every time, it feels like I’m groping my way through a dark forest.”

  “Come with me. But later, you’ll be seriously punished,” he warned.

  “Mhm,” they replied meekly, but as they followed him, they exchanged glances and quietly smiled.

  Together, they entered a small clothing shop that sold worn garments for travelers, lone merchants, and street criers. After browsing the wide assortment of old clothes, Zhang Ming selected two cloaks that completely concealed the body and asked the shopkeeper to shorten them to fit the girls. Then he took down two smaller, dirtier woven hats from the top shelf, the straw had faded almost to gray.

  “I can’t believe I’m actually saying this out loud. This is ridiculous,” Zhang Ming thought, rubbing his forehead. “But at least this way I can keep them in sight.”

  “We’re going to the black market,” he said. “Don’t leave my side for even a step. Understood?”