The three walked out of the shop doors—nothing happened. They took a carriage out of the county town—still, nothing happened.
“She won’t kill us,” Chu Yunqing said, her gaze cool. “At least not until the treasure is found.”
Xiang Cheng nodded and said, “I checked their backgrounds. Forty-nine years ago, a man named Lin Feng bought that medicine shop. He disappeared thirty-nine years ago, and a month later, a woman claiming to be his younger sister arrived. Twenty-seven years ago, that woman vanished, and the current shopkeeper arrived immediately after. The shopkeeper is in disguise; all three of them forged their identities.”
“Lin Feng’s appearance was seventy percent similar to Lin Ze of the Guiwu Sect, and based on the location and direction where Lin Ze disappeared back then, it’s highly likely it was him.”
“The Brocade Guards cannot find the origins of the shopkeeper or that previous woman. However, Lin Ze was involved with Ren Siyan of the Huajian Sect, the wanderer Hong Ying, and the siblings Fang Heng and Fang Yu. Most importantly, he was connected to Wu Yang, the former Prefect of Ningrong Prefecture. Wu Yang had a former fiancée named Lin Xiaya; Lin Yue is likely her child. According to the timeline, the father could be Xiaya’s master, a resident physician.”
Pausing, Xiang Cheng frowned and added, “This Lin Xiaya experienced a drastic change in personality after falling into water at age thirteen. Her behavior and style didn't seem like the same person. Through unknown means, she established adoptive kinship with the Chen family in town and learned medicine, but in the end, she suddenly left.”
“Tsk.” Wang Jingche took a sip of tea and said with dissatisfaction, “You checked their backgrounds, so why didn’t you say so before we came?”
“The higher-ups had my father collect information on these jianghu martial artists. I only looked it up on a whim when I came here. The three of them have been law-abiding all these years and haven’t been involved in any trouble, so I didn't pay much attention. I also didn’t expect Yunqing to actually solve the secret of the treasure map.”
Chu Yunqing arched an eyebrow. “Underestimating me?”
“Setting aside Lin Xiaya, Lin Yue was once ranked sixty-sixth in the Twelfth Martial Arts Convention. Her cultivation at the time should have been in the Second-Rate realm, though she wasn't seen taking action at the Martial Arts Convention forty-nine years ago.”
“But if a disciple of the Guiwu Sect reached the Second-Rate realm, their sect leader’s cultivation must have reached the peak of the First-Rate, only a step away from the Master Realm. Lin Yue’s talent isn’t bad; she should be at least at the First-Rate realm, perhaps not much different from a sect leader.”
At this, Chu Yunqing’s expression turned serious. “It’s said that Li Le has already reached the Master Realm and has a lifespan of two hundred years.”
The three fell silent.
Xiang Cheng smiled calmly. “The shopkeeper is wearing a disguise. I suspect she and Lin Yue are the same person. Now that we’ve seen that treasure map and the shopkeeper has told us to go find the treasure, it would be inappropriate to refuse.”
Chu Yunqing looked puzzled. “Those in the Master Realm are national treasures. Even the peak of the First-Rate cannot withstand a single sword strike from a Master. They don't lack wealth or status. If this were just an ordinary treasure, the shopkeeper wouldn't care if she gave it away, but she said this is wealth that can sustain a family for a thousand years.”
“But why does the shopkeeper want us to go find it? Is it a trap...”
“Sigh! Could we be overthinking? What does a Master not have? Perhaps the shopkeeper really just doesn't want it anymore and gave it to us. People who have seen it all at their age just like giving things away. My grandfather is like that; he almost gave me away back then. Fortunately, I was smart enough to run back.” Wang Jingche began waving his folding fan.
Seeing Chu Yunqing glare at him, he immediately laughed. “Just a joke. What sustains a family for a thousand years is never some treasure; it's just a gimmick to attract attention.”
Xiang Cheng smiled. “Lin Yue has a cold personality and keeps a low profile. She doesn’t hold grudges or go around killing people. That sheepskin map was indeed obtained by chance. The claim that the map holds a treasure to sustain a family for a thousand years came from the Zhou family. The Zhou family never had any contact with Lin Ze; they held it for two hundred and fifty years without knowing what was hidden inside, so how could Lin Yue know?”
Chu Yunqing lowered her gaze. “If her ancestors had a connection to this treasure, she could have killed us the moment we solved the map instead of letting us leave without fear of us spreading the word. Either she has little connection to this treasure and no strong desire for it, or it’s filled with traps, and she wants us to lead men in to be buried with it.”
Xiang Cheng retracted his smile, his face showing a trace of worry. “The turmoil at the Youzhou border is severe; war might be coming. Once war starts, the national treasury won't be enough to support it.”
The other two fell silent upon hearing this.
“I’ve taken on the mission. You two shouldn't go; I’ll lead the men there myself.”
Chu Yunqing immediately looked up at him. “I was the one who solved the map, how can I not go!”
“Everyone gets a share. I’m going too!”
“This isn’t child's play. People will die.”
“I’ll help you break the mechanisms! My brain is sharp!”
“Then I’ll just go and provide an extra body!”
“The Brocade Guards have specialists for this. I will be bringing an army.”
Chu Yunqing glared at him. “How many Brocade Guards can you actually deploy?”
Wang Jingche huffed. “The army you’re planning to bring belongs to my father’s camp anyway.”
“Your father only gave you ten greenhorns. My mother is a divine constable. I’ve been following her to solve cases since I was a child. In eleven years, I’ve seen hundreds, if not thousands, of mechanisms. I’ve even been inside tombs. When it comes to breaking mechanisms, I dare say no one can beat me.”
“The soldiers all know me.”
“Without me, what will you do if you encounter something you can't handle? Will you use the soldiers' heads to fill the traps?”
“Take me along, and I’ll convince my father to give you fifty personal guards.”
“I can offer them some guidance.”
“I can let you bring more people.”
Xiang Cheng looked at the two persistent friends before him and sighed. “I’ll have my father send more people.”
“You’re looking down on us?”
“You should be secretly happy to have us, yet you’re still acting picky!”
“Jingche, you bring some people. I’ll bring my uncle and aunt who are constables. Together, we’ll be much stronger than him.”
“Reasonable...”
...
As soon as Lin Yue saw them leave the county town, she immediately began packing her things to flee.
Those three were clearly children of wealthy and powerful families. She had given them the map and clearly stated that she didn't know if it contained treasure or a trap. If it was treasure, fine; but if it was a trap and people died, their families would come knocking. Human hearts tend toward malice, and she would have nowhere to argue her case.
Moreover, for the past half-month, several unfamiliar sets of eyes had appeared nearby. Some merely passed by, glancing curiously like ordinary pedestrians, while others came in to have her treat their illnesses.
It was the same when she went out. The moment she deviated from her usual routine, many gazes would sweep over—elderly, weak, sick, and disabled people were all there, acting very convincingly. But the feeling their gazes gave her had changed; it felt like being watched.
Theme atmosphere was growing tense.
She had thought it was targeted at her, but after careful observation, she realized they weren't just watching her. Any martial artist in the area was being monitored to some degree. Something must have happened here, or was about to happen.
Some martial artists were very alert; one or two had already left silently. Their shops didn't open, and they weren't seen returning.
They had no connection to her, so why monitor them? Martial artists only had their strength. Was it possible someone had caused too much trouble, making the imperial court feel threatened and plan to purge the martial world? It was far more peaceful here than elsewhere; it shouldn't be that.
The jianghu and the imperial court were two separate powers. To the court, martial artists were a threat if they gathered and a tumor if they scattered—always a source of trouble.
The capital was prosperous and complex, with various political forces and jianghu figures. Holding the Martial Arts Convention under the Emperor's nose was safe and avoided many disputes, but it was also a form of surveillance and control. Although the Longmen Escort Agency was said to belong to the jianghu, it was practically an arm of the court.
Dressed in black, Lin Yue leaped onto a roof, moving silently across the blue tiles. She tilted her head to look down. A window was cracked open—it had never been closed. Avoiding that window’s line of sight, she landed on the dark side of another roof and crouched forward. Just as she was about to leave the shadow, Lin Yue stopped and did not leap forward.
To her front-left, a second-floor window was also opened to a small sliver, the angle perfectly encompassing the roof ahead. She dropped to the ground and moved quickly along the corner of the wall to the left, flashing into the shadows. There was another window ahead, and someone even poked their head out to pretend they were looking at the scenery. She continued to creep forward.
As she drew near the city wall, Lin Yue stopped. She adjusted her face mask and peeked over the ridge of a roof. Looking down, she saw one person being intercepted by two others on a nearby roof. Seeing the three of them made Lin Yue’s eyelids twitch—they were all familiar faces.
The one being intercepted was the calligraphy and painting seller from the left of her medicine shop. Usually a refined-looking scholar with a thin face, he was now dressed in black like her, carrying a bundle. Of the other two, one was the goat-bearded old man from the general store to her right, and the other was the thick-lipped uncle who sold wine.
“He Sheng! Where do you think you’re going?” the wine-seller uncle shouted.
“I have no grievances with you all. Why block my path?” the thin-faced scholar asked, his expression tense as he gripped a broken blade.
The goat-bearded old man stepped forward with his hands behind his back and said slowly, “He Sheng. Orphan. Entered Fengyu Tower at age five to learn the art of assassination. Expert in disguise. Codename: Thousand Faces. Thirty-seven assassinations without a single failure, yet you failed on the thirty-eighth—all because of the target’s past kindness of a single steamed bun.”
Disguise technique? Lin Yue raised an eyebrow. She hadn't realized he was in disguise after ten years, yet they knew everything. Her own disguise must have been seen through long ago; she had been careless.
“After the Tower Master of Fengyu Tower found out, in a fit of rage, he inflicted the Wind-Listening Rain-Fearing poison upon you. The poison has reached your vitals; you don't have long to live. Given your current state, you can survive two or three years at most, and you must endure pain like maggots gnawing at your bones every day. Whenever it rains, the poison flares up, burning your internal organs—a fate worse than death.”
He Sheng huffed and tightened his grip on the broken blade. “My life and death are no concern of yours!”
“He Sheng, I have the antidote for the Wind-Listening Rain-Fearing poison in my hand.” The goat-bearded old man took a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve.
Seeing the bottle, He Sheng’s eyes instantly burned with heat and his breathing turned ragged, only to return to normal in the next breath.
Catching this reaction, the goat-bearded old man smiled kindly. “I value your disguise technique. Work for the court, and in five years, I will give you back your freedom.”
“Well said!” He Sheng’s expression remained unchanged. “How is your imperial court any different from Fengyu Tower?”
“I work under Battalion Commander Xu Da of the Brocade Guards. I guarantee it with my life! If you accept, I can give you this antidote immediately. Furthermore, the court will protect you from Fengyu Tower’s pursuit; you won’t have to hide anymore and can live freely in the light.”
Lin Yue watched from the side. She had thought he would at least struggle a bit, spout some harsh words, or fight and only surrender if he lost, but he agreed directly. He caught the medicine the old man threw and swallowed it, circulating his internal energy to accelerate the effect. After a moment, perhaps as the medicine took hold, his expression relaxed significantly.
Enduring torture every day is worse than death. Even if one is in a cage and lacks freedom, how many would choose death if there was a path to live? There aren't that many men in this world with steely integrity.
“Come out!” the old man suddenly shouted.
Lin Yue’s body trembled at the shout. Had she been discovered? Impossible. Her Guiwu Technique had reached great perfection; she could reduce her aura to its lowest point, and the man wasn't even looking her way. It was a bluff; stay steady.
The goat-bearded old man looked straight toward her location, staring. “I’ll only give you one chance. I’ll count to three. If you don't come out, don't blame me for being impolite!”
“One!” The goat-bearded old man began walking toward her.
“Two!” He drew closer and even took out a throwing dart. Lin Yue was already prepared.
Just as the old man was about to shout three, and just as Lin Yue was about to move, an urgent shout came from the other side of the roof.
“Wait!”
A figure leaped over the blue tiles and landed before the old man. Lin Yue focused her gaze—it was the big brother from the carpenter shop across from the goat-bearded old man.
The goat-bearded old man repeated his speech, exposing the carpenter’s background. It turned out he was a notorious flower-plucking thief—no wonder she often caught him glancing her way.
The two had faced each other every day, so they were naturally familiar. It didn't take long for the carpenter to swallow a pill and submit to the imperial court.
As the four prepared to leave, someone suddenly said, “Who’s there!”
They turned to see a black figure scurrying away into the distance like a rat, vanishing in an instant.
“Eh? That looked like your neighbor!” the carpenter said, squinting into the distance.
Rate on N.U.
