**Hoofbeats like Thunder, Heart Hanging by a Thread**
The sound of approaching hoofbeats, like dense drumbeats, struck heavily on the hearts of Lín Xiāoxiāo and Xuán Mò. The clanging of armor added a chilling aura to the hurried hoofbeats.
Was it the imperial army? Or the shadow guards?
Whichever it was, their appearance in Huáishù Village at this sensitive time could only mean trouble!
Lín Xiāoxiāo’s face turned pale, and she instinctively looked at Xuán Mò. She saw that although Xuán Mò’s brow was furrowed, his eyes were unusually calm. He listened intently for a moment and said in a low voice, "It's not heavy cavalry. The hoofbeats are a bit disorganized. It should be local garrison troops or people from the patrol command."
Garrison troops? Patrol command? Lín Xiāoxiāo didn't understand these organizational structures well, but they didn't sound as terrifying as the emperor's direct "shadow guards."
"What are they here for? Is it also about the corvée labor?" Lín Xiāoxiāo asked in a hushed voice.
"Not necessarily," Xuán Mò's gaze deepened. "It could be a routine patrol, or perhaps... they heard some wind and came to investigate."
The two held their breath, listening as the cavalry seemed to stop at the village entrance. Then, a commotion and voices could be heard, and vaguely, the fearful responses of the village head, Liu Daniu, could be made out.
**A False Alarm? A New Problem**
The tense wait felt like an eternity.
Finally, the cavalry did not enter the village for a thorough search. The sound of hoofbeats rose again, seemingly heading in another direction, and gradually disappeared into the distance.
Lín Xiāoxiāo and Xuán Mò breathed a sigh of relief simultaneously, but their minds were not much relaxed.
"It seems they were just passing through," Lín Xiāoxiāo said, placing a hand on her chest, still shaken.
"Not necessarily," Xuán Mò shook his head. "They stopped at the village entrance to ask questions, which means they are aware of this place. Tomorrow's corvée labor still requires extreme caution."
Pressure returned. Tomorrow's corvée labor would not only be a test of physical strength and injuries but also potentially a life-and-death contest of investigation and counter-investigation.
Lín Xiāoxiāo took a deep breath, her eyes regaining their firmness. "No matter what, the preparations must be thorough!"
She began the final inventory: Xuán Mò's medicinal supplies, spare clean bandages, a small amount of emergency herbal powder hidden in a secret compartment, and enough dry rations for two people for a day—several hard-baked wild vegetable and cornmeal cakes.
**Disguise Training, Final Performance Review**
"Come on, one last push!" Lín Xiāoxiāo handed Xuán Mò a more convenient wooden stick to use as a crutch. "Let's simulate the corvée labor scene! Take a few steps so I can see!"
Using the crutch, Xuán Mò gritted his teeth and tried to move. His left leg still couldn't bear weight, and most of his weight was on his right leg and the crutch. His movements were slow and difficult, and his forehead soon became covered in cold sweat. However, his posture, under Lín Xiāoxiāo's continuous "correction," had been deliberately made to resemble the stoop and sway of someone suffering from long-term malnutrition and weakness, effectively concealing his naturally upright posture and military bearing.
"Expression! Emotional control!" Lín Xiāoxiāo whispered instructions from the side. "Don't look like 'I can take it'! You need to look pained, numb, desperate! Yes, just like that! Make your eyes a little more vacant!"
Xuán Mò: "..."
He adjusted his facial expression as instructed, striving to appear more like a pathetic wretch on the verge of collapse rather than a lurking beast.
"Excellent! Your 'sickly disguise' performance is barely passing!" Lín Xiāoxiāo clapped her hands and took out a small cloth bag. "This is the last bit of pot residue mixed with some herbal juice. I'll smear it on your face and neck to make your complexion look more sallow and sickly."
Xuán Mò looked at the dark, sticky substance, his lips twitching slightly, but he resigned himself to letting Lín Xiāoxiāo smear it on his face and exposed neck. The effect was immediate. He instantly transformed from a pale, handsome, sickly young master into a man with a sickly complexion, poverty-stricken and dishevelled, like a common villager.
**Deep Night, Each with Their Own Thoughts**
As the last rays of sunset vanished from the horizon, silence fell upon the dilapidated hut.
All preparations were complete. Medicine, food, disguise... everything they could think of had been done.
Lín Xiāoxiāo sat by the kang, looking at Xuán Mò, who seemed to be asleep with steady breathing, her heart filled with complex emotions. Tomorrow, he would step into real danger, and she could only wait here, praying for everything to go smoothly.
"Don't worry," the voice came from the darkness, low and steady. "I'll be fine."
Lín Xiāoxiāo paused, then softly acknowledged with an "Mm."
"As for Tiě Zhù, I've made arrangements. He'll act according to the situation," Xuán Mò added.
"I know," Lín Xiāoxiāo lowered her head, unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes. "You... be careful yourself. If it's too much, just run... staying alive is the most important thing."
Xuán Mò didn't reply, but in the darkness, a faint warmth flashed in his open eyes, a warmth he himself hadn't even noticed.
**Before Dawn, Another Disturbance**
The night was deep and quiet.
Continuous mental strain had left Lín Xiāoxiāo exhausted, and she finally fell into a deep sleep leaning against the edge of the kang.
After an unknown period, she was awakened by a very slight rustling sound, different from the usual night noises.
The sound seemed to come from the roof!
She suddenly opened her eyes, her heart constricting. She subconsciously looked at Xuán Mò. She saw that Xuán Mò had also woken up at some point. In the darkness, he made a gesture of absolute silence to her, his eyes sharp as knives, fixed on a spot on the roof.
Was it an animal moving at night?
Or... had the phantom-like "shadow guards" finally lost their patience and chosen to come down personally to confirm, the night before the corvée labor?!
**Chapter Fourteen (End)**