Chapter 1 The Hostage That Did Not Look Like A Hostage
” Big Sister, you come and see quickly, Su Tong is right or not?!”
The towering trees of the forest have luxuriant branches and leaves, almost blocking the sky. At high noon sun, sun rays were like halos passing through the dense leaves. The weeds and bush were no more than two feet high and the surroundings were covered by the fragrance of vegetation. From time to time there were sound beasts roaring or a sound of howling. This was a piece of inaccessible mountain forest, the crisps sound of child’s voice resounds in such environment, it was very towering.
At closer look, behind the green and luxuriant forests was a 6 or 7-year-old little girl, in the hand was holding nameless grass over her forehead, the smile on her face was more brilliant than sunshine.
What the little girl was holding was actually a dark blue plant, the leaf’s blade has tiny stripe, on the leaf stem it has also several purple-red florets.It looked common, but was actually used to detoxify and to stop the bleeding. Not only that, it also to alleviates fever and remove dampness.
The little girl handed in front of the woman the medical herb The woman took one look and welcomed the little girl’s fearful look. The little girl was anticipating anxiously and cold voice with several points of gentleness, returned to saying, “Right, this is Huang Qin.”
The girl’s eye light up, holding that small herbal medicine like a treasure and the happy expression on face was deeper, also bringing several points of pride, “Su Tong has not deceived the elder sister, you are very intelligent, that side also many grass, but Su Tong picks the right one!”
The woman rubbed girl’s head, looked at several Huang Qin grasses 4-5 ten feet away (Chinese 10 feet=3.3 meters) and said, ” You be careful don’t not run.”
“Ok.” The little girl was cautiously holding a bamboo basket with medicinal herbs, sweetly smiled, then runs ahead, but not far away.
When she determined that the little girl was away from danger, the woman lowered her head and continued searching for raw herbal material for analgesia and sleep aid.
The woman that was “running away from home” was no other than Miss Lou Chen. She to the route by Liao Yue and just passing by the Capital City to have a look and had not actually thought that just right after leaving Qiong Yue , when she entered the small border town of Luo Shui along the Lou Shen River Mountain*,  she met a little girl. This girl was dirty all over, sitting at the foot of the hill crying.
Lou Shen River Mountain or Goddess of Loushui River Mountain
Little girl’s name was Su Tong,  her household made livelihood by hunting, they lived below Lou Shen River Mountain and she has a  mother that was physically very weak. The father climbed the mountain to hunt and traded the hunts with money, these was how he maintained his family alive. Unfortunately, six months ago, the girl’s father climbed the mountains to go hunting and encountered a black bear and was seriously injured. Though he was able to escape with great difficulty and reached home,  but his injuries were so severe and he passed away.
The family had no savings, now completely broke and no livelihood. Life was indeed difficult for them. The girl also had an elder brother, named Su Meng and he was about 12 or 13-year-old youth. Thinking now that he should carry the family burden, he ran towards the mountain secretly, hoping that he can hunt for small animals to exchange for money to buy the medicine for mother. However in one of his outing he had a bad luck of encountering a rainstorm and he fell halfway up the mountainside and broke his leg.
The sudden blow that runs in this family had made them go hungry; it was one misfortune after another. They couldn’t afford a doctor and if Su Meng will not see a doctor for his leg to be treated, surely the leg will become disabled. The little girl heard that in the mountain has many raw herbs for medicine and went to walk into the mountain to gather some medicinal herbs but what a pity, who would be willing to lead little daughter to walk into the mountain, therefore she can only sit at the foot of the hill to cry and was lucky to met Lou Chen.
Lou Chen originally intends to give them 20 taels of silver money (1 tael=50g), for them to find a doctor to  treat the illness and the remaining money was suffice per them to live for several months. On the contrary, this little girl refused to take the money for her family.
Such strength of the character Lou Chen felt very helpless at the same time some admiration. She does not have a heart not to look at the youth because this small girl has a wound and small disability from the fall. Lou Chen found an excuse and pretended that she does not have a place to live temporarily, needed a temporary lodging  and would  stay in the hunter’s family household and as a repayment she will help the youth cure his foot and wound.
These past few days, together with the little girl, they have been frequenting the Lou Shen River Mountain, searching for some herbal medicines and then to go back to give it to Su Meng. The young fellow’s body was good and healthy because after 7 to 8 days later, the wound on foot was almost healed, only that was needed to do was carefully raised up and practice walking. This time she feared that this will be their last visit on Goddess of Loushui River Mountain.
The herbal medicine that Lou Chen will pick were about to be placed inside the bamboo basket, suddenly she heard an abnormal noise from the distance, that sound could be anything from, most likely a fly fleeing the thick patches of grass, she marched towards the direction of the little Su Tong.
The girl was sitting in the thick patches of grass and did not feel the danger that approaches.
Lou Chen’s heart was startled, she was worried not to scare the beast of prey in the wooded mountain, hurried to raise and used her qinggong to leap lightly, runs towards the girl’s direction and did not forget to observe not to make such big noise, it could be anything. Carefully went closer, only to discover that coming towards their direction was likely not a beast of prey, it seems ……Several people?!
Even so, Lou Chen did not relaxed but remained vigilant, her foot speed was faster than that several people, shortly, Lou Chen rushed to front of the little girl, hugs her into her bosom. Meanwhile, those people also rushed in front of them, particularly the person runs in the front leaving the rest by three ten feet far. His whole body muscle was pumping, the hand was also holding a broadsword and he looked rattled.
Behind him were three men that were in hot pursuit. They were wearing a dark blue vigor attire, Lou Chen eyes then recognized that it was Laio Yue’s official government uniform. Her hand slightly touch her waist for soft sword, she unexpectedly entered Laio Yue,  it is not convenient to bring the  government authorities’ attention.
” Wang Si, stop, you cannot run away!”
The robust fellow’s breathing was messy and his footsteps were disorderly, his martial arts was not high. Lou Chen thought has flickered, even if she wants to run away now quietly, there was not enough time, she would rather watch for changes quietly. Lou Chen holds the girl vest, just awhile ago, she tossed her gently beside her and the girl rolled several in the thick patch of grass and she has been separated from the dangerous circle, besides being frightened, she did not get hurt.
The little girl was just out of the danger when a big hand has reached to Lou Chen, wanting to hold her shoulder. Lou Chen did not have to turn her head but the situation was quite familiar, inadvertently slightly inclined her body avoiding the hand of the robust man. Since he was not able to catch her, the robust man took out his knife to block Lou Chen’s way.
Secretly she was sizing up the man in secret, Lou Chen and she determined that this person was completely not her match, this time she did not hide, calmly stood in-place, allowing the long knife rest before her own neck.
He achieved his wish to catch a hostage, robust man immediately put Lou Chen in front of him to use as a shield. He shouted to the government constables that were pursuing, “Do not come! You ……if you come again, I will kill her!”
Several constables did not continue to pursue actually, not because he has the hostage in the hand, but  because this hostage was really not like a hostage.
Under the knife’s edge the woman looked indifferent, she wore a black clothing as before with  jade hairpin black as ink stick, the color blending with this wooded mountains. She was extremely beautiful, but seeing her in person, people did not actually exclaimed in surprise by her beautiful appearance. The woman gave the feeling of a person in Chinese ink and wash painting. She was pale and cold, the inking was clear and actually magnificent in artistic conception, the woman’s beauty was simply out of this world.
The several people chasing him was suddenly stunned, they stood there staring blankly in her direction. Wang Si was perplexed and his heart was worried even more, called out like crazy,  “Do not come. Let me go, let me go!”
After several shouts, it finally broke the spell of the three constables, the spokes person of the group finally recovered and said hurriedly, ” Wang Si, do not be impulsive, you have killed a person, but also wants to do another one?!”
Lou Chen was insightful, her eyebrows crumpled and wrinkled, why did he reminded the man that he just killed a person, can this constables really saving others or injuring someone? Killed one already,in any case killing two does not make any difference.
While two side troops were confronting each other, Lou Chen sizes up the opposite three people secretly, they we young, about twenty and moments ago, the first one to open his mouth was a young man.The other two, although they look ordinary but appeared to be calm.
Another was about 24 or 25-year-old, after he have gotten back his composure, he immediately  saw something lying on the grass, it was a scared little girl. The man went forward to hug the girl,  then withdrew several steps, the direction that he went was not towards the two constables but towards the robust man.
The power his observation was good and very intelligent, Lou Chen took one looked at that person unavoidably. He was tall but not burly and his sleeves were curled, it reveals two small arm, quite rigorous in his official constabulary uniform that was unexpectedly he wore was several points of free and easy, he was just the same with Lou Xi, has the same sexy look and that double eyelid, but  mildly different because Lou Xi’s was profound but in this person of eye was like suffering from stomach gas, the entire person naturally looked exactly uninhibited, not like a person of government authorities.
Seeing that Lou Chen was eyeing him, that person’s of corners of the mouth smirk and was inspired to tease with her unexpectedly, his vision tightened on her and he stared with self-indulgence.
He locked looks with Lou Chen for a moment and then turned away desolately.
Wang Si hid behind Lou Chen and called out, “No, I ……I have not killed people, you are unfair to me!”
The three constables seemed to calm, one man goes forward one step and said, “Again, you put down the knife first.”
The robust man was very the vigilant and also very anxious, the constables moved, he put up the knife  nearly point toward the Lou Chen’s neck the knife immediately, shouted to clear the way “You get, out of the way, go away!”
He then threatened  Lou Chen’s neck with the shining knife back and forth. She remained calm as before. It was the little girl that was actually frightened and her complexion turned very pale. The girl closely holds  the neck the man with her arms, crying and said in a whisper, “Brother, the elder sister is a good person, you save the elder sister quickly, ok?”
The constable look at Lou Chen, he lowered his head, then comforted the girl by patting her back, said with a smile in a soft voice, “OK, but, elder brother needs you to help.”
“Um?”The little girl somewhat ignorant, opened a bright and intelligent big eye to look at the man puzzled, can she help? The men lowered his head slightly, whispered something near little girl’s ear several words, the little girl was listening earnestly, looked at Lou Chen with one eye, finally made an effort to nod, replied, “Ok!”
The calm man gave a meaningful wink to nearby young man, seemed that they have some tacit understanding move back several steps, making the robust man relaxed, the speaker carefully said: “Wang Si, you said that you have not killed person, we believed you to be useful, however the county magistrate nanren does not believe us, we don’t not have the evidence, even though she said again you have not killed your wife and actually injured this woman, you will be equally guilty, might as well be kind and obedient without a fight, we will go back and talk clearly with the honorable magistrate and tell them you have not killed anyone and in any case you should not fear anything.”
As he was listening to the constable’s words, Wang Si was somewhat in trance, lowered his head slowly, and have not waited for the opposite two people to have the next movement, the robust man looked up thought of something fiercely, whatever he thought about, his eyes were full of alienation and frenzy, loudly exclaimed, “No! I do not go back with you, you are not good people, definitely will treat me unjustly, I have not killed people, have not killed people!”
Wang Si’s hand trembled so much, his hands move up bringing the edge of the knife abruptly on Lou Chen’s slender neck ….