"My Yifu hates evil people as if they are his personal enemy," Zhang Wuji said, "How can he spare your life?"
Zhao Min heaved a deep sigh. "Then that is my cruel fate," she said, "What can I do?"
Zhang Wuji hesitated for a moment before saying, "You'd better avoid him for now, we'll talk when I come back."
Zhao Min shook her head, "I don't have any good hiding place."
"Very well!" Zhang Wuji said, "We'll go save Han Lin'er together, and come back here to face him together."
Zhao Min laughed and said, "This time it is you who wants me to accompany you; definitely it is not me who clings for dear life to you and insists on going out with you."
"You are my black star," Zhang Wuji said, "Just consider it my bad luck to come across you."
Zhao Min gave him one of her captivating smiles, "Wait here for a moment," she said, as she slipped out the door.
Quite some time later, Zhao Min opened the door, now wearing woman's clothing, with mink fur coat and scarlet embroidered garment inside; she looked extremely stunning. Zhang Wuji did not expect she would bring such exquisite and expensive clothing inside her bundle; he thought, "This woman is very shrewd, her actions are beyond anybody's expectations."
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Zhao Min asked, "Do these clothes look nice?"
"Face like a peach blossom, heart like a viper," Zhang Wuji said.
Zhao Min burst out in laughter and said, "Many thanks for Zhang Da Jiaozhu's [great cult leader] highest compliment. Zhang Jiaozhu, why don't you change into some nice clothing?"
Zhang Wuji sounded hurt, "I have always been wearing tattered clothes since I was little. If you don't like my ragged attire, you are free not to travel with me."
"Don't be overly sensitive," Zhao Min said, "I only want to see how you look wearing some nice clothes. Wait here, I am going out to buy some clothes. Those beggars must have entered the great wall anyway, with our speed, I am not afraid we cannot overtake them." Without waiting for his answer, she slipped out the door again.
Zhang Wuji sat on the 'kang', while secretly scolding himself for not able to stand firm and letting this girl play with him on her palms. "Obviously, she was my Biaomei's murderer, yet I talked and laughed with her. Zhang Wuji, oh, Zhang Wuji, what kind of man are you? How can you have a face to be the Ming Cult Jiaozhu, in command over all those warriors?"
He waited for a long time and Zhao Min had not returned, the sky gradually turned dark. "Why do I have to wait for her?" he thought, "I'd better go alone to rescue Han Lin'er." But as soon as he had that thought, he remembered something else. What if she returned, bringing all those clothing, and bump into Xie Xun? What if with one slap Xie Xun strikes the top of her head, bursting her skull open and scattering her brains, and she died a violent death? He saw it in his mind clothes and shoes scattered around the room. Thinking about this possibility, he broke into a cold sweat.
He sat down, and stood up, sat down, and stood back up, while letting his imagination run wild, until at last he heard dainty footsteps and delicate fragrance assaulting his nostrils as Zhao Min entered the room with two large packages on her hands.
"What took you so long?" Zhang Wuji said, "No need to change, let us go pursue the enemy!"
Zhao Min smiled and said, "You have waited this long, what harm does it have to wait a little bit longer just to change you clothes? I have also bought a pair of horses, so we can pursue all night long." While saying that she untied the packages and produced clothes, shoes and socks. "This is such a small town," she said, "There is nothing nice to buy. You'll have to make do with it. Wait till we get back to Dadou [grand capital, modern day Beijing], we'll buy mink fur coat and some nice clothing."
Zhang Wuji's heart turned cold, "Miss Zhao," he grimly said, "If you think I am after riches and honor by submitting to the royal government, you'd better give up that idea now. I, Zhang Wuji, am a descendant of Han people, even if conferred the title of prince, there is no way that I would surrender to the Mongols."
Zhao Min sighed and said, "Zhang Da Jiaozhu, look closely, is this Mongolian clothing, or Han clothing?" While saying that she lifted up a set of gray leather-lined garment. As he saw that she had bought Han people's attire, Zhang Wuji nodded his head. Zhao Min turned around and said, "Look carefully, am I wearing a Mongolian Princess' attire, or a common Han woman clothing?"
Zhang Wuji's heart was thumping madly, previously he only noticed that her clothes was exquisite and expensive, he did not pay attention whether it was Mongolian or Han clothing. Now that she mentioned it, he realized that she was dressed up as a Han girl. He saw her cheeks were blushing, while her eyes were moist. Suddenly he understood her heart clearly. "You … you …" he stammered.
Zhang Wuji was touched listening to her expressing her infinitely tender feeling, he was dizzy with confusing thoughts and was dumbfounded for a long time before he finally able to speak, "Did you kill my Biaomei because you were afraid I was going to take her as my wife?"
Zhao Min said, nearly shouting, "I did not kill Miss Yin. You believe me, fine. You don't believe me, fine. I am telling you the truth."
Zhang Wuji sighed. "Miss Zhao," he said, "You love me this much; I am not a piece of wood nor am I a stone, how can I not appreciate it? But why is it that to this very day you are lying to me still?"
Zhao Min said, "I used to think that being intelligent and shrewd, I would gain an upper hand on everything; who would have thought that the things of the world are difficult to predict? Wuji Gege, let us not go out today, you wait for Xie Daxia here, I wait for Miss Zhou in her room."
"Why?" Zhang Wuji wondered.
"Don't ask me why," Zhao Min replied, "You don't have to worry over Han Lin'er, I assure you that we will rescue him alive." Finished speaking, she whisked out the door, walking toward Zhou Zhiruo's room, and closed the door.
Zhang Wuji did not immediately understand what she was saying. He sat on the 'kang', pondered deeply. Suddenly he a thought came into his mind "Is it possible that she found out that Zhou Zhiruo and I are engaged, and thus feeling that harming my Biaomei one person is not enough, is she thinking to harm Zhou Zhiruo as well? Could it be that after leaving the Mi Le Fo Temple, the Xuanming Elders came to this inn to deal with Yifu and Zhiruo?"