Volume One: The Cold Luo River

Chapter One: Galloping Down the Long Street

As the saying goes, the first month marks the New Year, but even so, the swirling snow in the sky still signaled the persistence of deep winter. Every household in Luoyang was busy preparing for the Lantern Festival, and the children were all beaming with joy. Yet, the truly powerful and wealthy families were all filled with worry—even the servants sent out to shop were on edge. If one paid close attention, they might notice that in the days since the New Year's Day, those pampered young lords who used to ride their horses wildly through the streets were nowhere to be seen.

During the New Year, business in the taverns was naturally booming, and a small tavern in the southern market was especially packed. At a table near the counter, several middle-aged and elderly men who knew each other well were conversing in low voices.

"Judging by this, something big is about to happen!"

"What big thing? Are they going to depose the Crown Prince again?"

"Who can say for sure? The Crown Prince was only reinstated not long ago, and didn't both the legitimate imperial grandson and Princess Yongtai die under mysterious circumstances?"

"Sigh, in recent years, people in Luoyang have been dying in waves, and some have even been exiled to the Western Regions or Lingnan. If this keeps up, how will we survive?"

The old shopkeeper behind the counter heard every word clearly, but pretended not to notice, closing his eyes and resting. Though the voices around him, full of concern for the country and the people, went on and on, he remained calm and unbothered—not even his elbow moved. To outsiders, he seemed to be fast asleep.

The tavern bustled the entire afternoon, but as dusk fell, people gradually dispersed. Now that night came early, by the time the lamps were lit, only one small figure remained seated at a table by the wall. At this moment, the old shopkeeper finally stood up, stretched comfortably, and spat in annoyance.

"Chattering on for so long, made this old man afraid to even move! Damn it, I thought things would be peaceful with those young lords not coming, but instead, a bunch of self-important fellows showed up! They may look dignified, but who knows, maybe they'll be crawling through the dog holes of Pingkang Lane soon!"

"Mr. Carter, after New Year's Day, every house in Pingkang Lane is locked up, and not a single courtesan can come out. How could they go to Pingkang Lane—climb over the walls?"

The speaker was the only remaining customer. She patted her clothes, stood up, and walked familiarly to the counter with a slight smile, two charming dimples appearing on her face. "The usual—two more gourds of wine and four roast chickens to go!"

As she spoke, she took out sixty coins and two wine gourds, placing them gently on the counter.

David Carter glanced sideways at the brown robe and headscarf, his gaze lingering a bit longer on that handsome face, then suddenly laughed. "Little girl, you sure know a lot! There are plenty of girls dressing as boys these days, but few as bold as you, coming to my tavern alone every few days! Are your elders really so at ease, not afraid some local ruffian will bully you here?"

Local ruffians? Eric Blake's smile suddenly took on a teasing edge, and she shrugged. "If I were really that unlucky, my skills may be nothing special, but dealing with a few thugs would be more than enough."

She'd been a regular for years, visiting at least twenty or thirty times a year, yet this was the first time David Carter realized that the girl who often dressed as a boy actually had some skills. His gaze shifted to the sword at her waist. He'd always thought it was just for show, but it seemed he'd misjudged. Chuckling, he stopped asking why such a young girl liked sweet osmanthus wine so much, and quickly told the staff to fill the wine gourds and wrap up four freshly roasted chickens in oiled paper.

Once she left, he muttered under his breath, "Could this little girl be the daughter of some military family?"

"Achoo!"

Carrying the wine gourds and an oiled paper package, Eric Blake stepped out of the The Carter Family tavern just as a cold wind hit her face. She couldn't help but sneeze several times in a row and quickly tightened her cloak. Stuffing the wine gourds and the package into her saddlebag, she nimbly mounted her horse, gave the reins a gentle shake, squeezed the horse's belly, and the steed beneath her suddenly accelerated, dashing off like the wind.

As for the steed beneath her, it was famous in its own right—said to have come from Shule in the Western Regions, snow-white with two red patches. She'd fallen in love with it at first sight and found a way to acquire it. Thinking the white coat with red spots matched the phrase "light snow, clear skies," she named the horse Chuqing. Chuqing truly was remarkable—tamed quickly, and after three years of riding, she and the horse were as one, never once stumbling.

Compared to her modest martial skills, her horsemanship was truly impressive. If it weren't for this damned cold weather, she might have even managed to nap on horseback along the way.