Threat

Lu Yan and Luizhu remained frozen, staring at each other in shock.

Then Lu Yan clutched Luizhu's hand tightly, and whispered urgently, "Let's pretend we know nothing for now. Don't let them know anything!"

Luizhu nodded quickly.

They walked steadily back to the thatched hut.

Inside, they found their blankets and belongings had been moved to the inner room.

In the outer room, the doctor's bag and the bags of supplies Gu Sheng had brought were placed against one wall.

Gu Sheng was nowhere to be seen.

The doctor, who was sitting at the table, looking at his go board, glanced up at Lu Yan. "As a young lady, it's better for you to take the inner room."

Lu Yan frowned slightly, then walked into the room and took a seat at the table.

"Do you know how to play?" the doctor asked, his eyes full of interest.

Lu Yan shook her head wordlessly.

"Oh." He couldn't hide his disappointment.

"If you like you can teach me?" Lu Yan began cautiously.

The doctor raised his head again and looked her over.

"I'm very clever!" Lu Yan defended herself, even though he hadn't said anything.

He huffed, "We'll see."

The next second, he started a lecture. "Now, look here. The first and most important rule of go is-"

Lu Yan, her mind full of misgivings about his motives, struggled to listen.

Suddenly, he flicked her forehead, and with his tone full of displeasure said, "If you don't want to listen-"

Lu Yan rubbed her stinging skin, and said hurriedly, "No, no, I'm listening."

Then she had no choice but to listen to his long-winded words.

Slowly, her attention shifted to his demonstrations. She watched carefully as he started a game while explaining his choice of moves, and her options for countering.

When the game was over, Lu Yan's head was buzzing with all the information she'd been fed. She stared at the board.

"How long do you want me to stay here?" the doctor asked suddenly.

Caught off guard, Lu Yan could only look up, and stammer, "What-?"

The doctor raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

"I- No-"

He continued staring at her impassively.

Lu Yan took a deep breath to calm down, "How long are you planning to hide?"

He frowned slightly.

Lu Yan felt a rush of pleasure. She'd guessed right!

He didn't speak.

So Lu Yan continued, "You're not very good at disguise. You often forget you're supposed to be an old man who is reliant on his walking stick."

He narrowed his eyes, "Go on."

Lu Yan sat back in her chair, "You must have realized I was trying to keep a doctor here. That's why I sent Luizhu to invite someone before the snow came. You took advantage of that, and had Gu Sheng bring in supplies from town before we were snowed in."

He crossed his arms.

"You're probably very rich. Being able to eat meat at this time of year. And high-quality coal that burns all night. The tea your servant brought is better than anything I've tasted before."

Lu Yan paused, looked down at the go board, "And these go pieces are all made of jade."

She picked one, and held it up towards the light, "Very high-quality jade too."

For a moment everything was silent.

Lu Yan put the jade piece back in its place on the board.

"What else have you discovered?" the doctor asked.

Lu Yan looked up at his cold expression.

Suddenly, all her pleasure at being right evaporated. Instead, she felt uneasy.

Cautiously she said, "Gu Sheng doesn't seem like a normal servant. He brought many heavy supplies in this bad weather. He cleared the snow away so quickly."

She paused, her voice growing quiet, "He must know martial arts."

The doctor uncrossed his arms, and leaned forward on the table, "What else?"

Her voice was even quieter, "Few people in the city can afford a servant who knows martial arts."

He tapped the table, and said sharply, "Speak up!"

She flinched slightly, lowering her eyes, "You must have offended someone even more powerful. That's why you're here."

In the wake of her conclusion, everything was silent.

Slowly, Lu Yan looked up. The doctor was looking at something behind her.

Sensing something, she too turned to slowly look over her shoulder.

Behind her, Luizhu was trapped by Gu Sheng.

His big hand was covering Luizhu's mouth. Both her arms were painfully restrained behind her back by his other hand. She was crying silent tears.

Lu Yan startled. She had no idea how long the two of them had been standing behing her.

She stood quickly, knocking her chair to the ground, not really knowing what she wanted to do.

Gu Sheng threw Luizhu at her.

Luizhu was bigger and heavier than her. Both girls fell to the floor in a tangle of limbs. Lu Yan's tailbone and elbows hit the ground painfully.

When she looked up again, Gu Sheng was holding an unsheathed sword, the blade gleaming even in the dull winter light.

Luizhu grabbed Lu Yan's arm tightly and continued crying.

Even though she was trembling inside, Lu Yan ignored Gu Sheng and raised her chin to look at his master.

"If you kill us here, you'll be found soon," her voice came out weaker and hoarser than she'd expected.

The doctor, looking down at them, said, "I don't think so. Your family doesn't check on you very often. Everyone is snowed in. I estimate it will be at least a week before the neighbors come to take a look."

Lu Yan's lower lip trembled. She gritted her teeth, and pressed her lips tightly together.

The doctor glanced at Gu Sheng.

Gu Sheng immediately sheathed his sword again, then turned around and walked out of the hut.

"Get up. Let's play another game."

Lu Yan hesitated, then slowly pried Luizhu's fingers from her arm.

"Go make tea," she commanded.

Luizhu opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing. Instead, she stood on shaking legs, and extended a hand to help Lu Yan up.

Lu Yan stood slowly, feeling weaker than usual.

She sat in slowly in the chair Luizhu righted.