With only half a time-unit remaining until the Zi Hour, Zhan Yang dared not relax for a moment.
Qin Yi said, “Chief Constable Zhan, please rest assured. With so many people guarding, the killer wouldn’t dare to come.”
Zhan Yang shook his head, “Though we have more people this time than before, the killer is more familiar with these areas than we are. They might know some small paths we haven’t guarded. We posted guards in the previous days too, but it proved completely useless, so I can’t help but worry.”
Qin Yi, having heard about these serial cases, asked, “How can this killer be so formidable?”
Zhan Yang shook his head with a wry smile, “This person knows martial arts, and their skills aren’t weak. They’re aware of official movements and take precautions. While we operate in the open, they move in the shadows, making it easy for them to act.”
Qin Yi frowned and was about to speak when suddenly a commotion erupted in the distance.
This area marked the boundary between the Southern and Western Districts. Daoist Zhang had calculated that this location and the adjacent alley were likely places where the killer might strike tonight. However, this particular street was lined with brothels and pleasure houses. Despite the approaching Zi Hour, the long street remained bustling. The other two locations were in the Southern District – one in the residential quarter and another in the southern marketplace. Comparing the locations, Zhan Yang felt this area was the most chaotic, making it easiest for the killer to strike amid confusion. That’s why he and Qin Yi were stationed here tonight.
The presence of the City Guard caused much curiosity among civilians and brothel patrons. Initially, people gathered to watch, but since the City Guard routinely patrolled and protected the capital, their presence wasn’t entirely unusual. People assumed there was either trouble or an important official expected. As night fell, revelers returned to their drinking and entertainment, no longer gathering to watch. What was this sudden commotion about?
Zhan Yang and Qin Yi raised their sabers and walked toward the source of the noise.
As they approached, they saw a familiar face-
“Young Lord Feng, tonight no one entering this street may carry weapons. Please have your guards surrender their sabers.”
Hearing the Deputy Captain’s words, Feng Zhang, mounted on his horse, brought his whip down, “Watch who you’re talking to! Whose guards are you ordering to disarm?!”
The whip struck the Deputy Captain mercilessly, but even in his anger, he dared not speak further. At this moment of tension, Qin Yi and Zhan Yang arrived.
Seeing Qin Yi, Feng Zhang recalled the previous incident at the Ran Mo Painting Gallery.
That affair had earned him a reprimand from Noble Consort Feng and made Prince Cheng distance himself from Prince Cheng Manor. His sister Feng Chen Bi, soon to marry into Prince Cheng’s household, had also reproached him. What started as a minor incident had led to universal condemnation. The Duke of Zhong Guo had confined him at home for half a month without any entertainment. Only in recent days had restrictions loosened, and naturally, he wanted to seek pleasure in wine and women.
Feng Zhang narrowed his eyes as Zhan Yang and Qin Yi approached and bowed. “Why are you blocking this area?”
Qin Yi replied, “Young Lord, there might be danger in this area tonight. No one entering these two streets may carry weapons. We hope Young Lord will cooperate.”
Feng Zhang frowned and sneered, “If there’s danger, that’s all the more reason for my guards to carry weapons. How else would we handle danger?!”
Though he spoke thus, the killer’s identity remained unknown, and tonight they were supposed to execute the “Blade and Saw Hell.” These long and short sabers were particularly dangerous and might be used by the killer.
Zhan Yang and Qin Yi exchanged glances. Zhan Yang said, “Young Lord if danger occurs, those carrying weapons will be the first suspects. Would you and your guards be willing to face official suspicion?”
Feng Zhang smiled, “If I wanted to do something, I’d do it openly. Would I need to worry about your suspicions? Let me tell you this – even your Master Zheng might not be able to make me surrender my blade, let alone you?”
Zhan Yang frowned and was about to speak when Qin Yi pulled him back. Qin Yi said, “In that case, Young Lord, please proceed…”
Seeing Qin Yi’s decision not to stop Feng Zhang, Zhan Yang immediately disagreed, but Qin Yi pulled him again, “The Zi Hour approaches, don’t let him delay us.”
At this, Zhan Yang relented. Feng Zhang snorted and rode inside haughtily.
His guards laughed, and one whispered, “These people have no sense. You’ve been looking forward to tonight, and they almost ruined your pleasure!”
Feng Zhang snorted, “When I see Yun Xiu later, I’ll need her to help me wash away this bad luck.”
“Don’t worry, we’ve already arranged everything with Miss Yun Xiu!”
Hearing these words, Zhan Yang’s brow furrowed and his expression turned cold. Qin Yi shook his head and pulled Zhan Yang back to their previous position. “Don’t you know what kind of person Feng Zhang is? We can’t stop him. If we caused a fight or disturbance over this, it would only interfere with our real task.”
Zhan Yang nodded, “Fourth Young Master thinks ahead.”
Qin Yi smiled without speaking, then looked in the direction Feng Zhang had gone. This notorious playboy of the capital had committed countless misdeeds yet remained unscathed, thanks to Noble Consort Feng and Prince Cheng! With such people, confrontation was unwise, especially given his and Zhan Yang’s insufficient status and position…
The Zi Hour approached, yet the long street remained brilliantly lit. Brothels and pleasure houses conducted their business at night, and amid this bustle, Qin Yi’s heart remained calm.
Feng Zhang’s destination was the most renowned establishment on the street – the Zui Yun Lou.
The courtesan Yun Xiu here, along with the four leading courtesans of Feng Qi Lou, was famous throughout the capital. Feng Qi Lou was in the Western District, better located than Zui Yun Lou. Feng Zhang had chosen Zui Yun Lou over Feng Qi Lou to avoid drawing attention.
As soon as he arrived at Zui Yun Lou, the manager came out to greet him. Seeing Feng Zhang, the manager respectfully ushered him inside. Reaching this familiar place, Feng Zhang felt refreshed. When they arrived at Yun Xiu’s chambers, he felt even more at ease. As the door opened, Yun Xiu’s warm, fragrant embrace welcomed him, and without a word, Feng Zhang carried her straight to the bed.
Yun Xiu playfully patted Feng Zhang’s chest, “Young Lord hasn’t visited for many days, yet heads straight for bed upon arrival – how improper! We’re celebrating the festival now, and all the ladies are going to the rooftop to release lanterns. Won’t Young Lord release lanterns with Yun Xiu?”
The lantern release was simply another way to seek rewards – each lantern required at least ten taels of silver, as Feng Zhang knew well. Though eager, Feng Zhang wasn’t so impatient that he couldn’t wait. Since she wanted both romance and his attention, why shouldn’t he oblige?
Feng Zhang planted several fierce kisses on Yun Xiu’s face and carried her toward Zui Yun Lou’s rooftop.
Yun Xiu’s chambers were already on the third floor. Exiting her room and following the corridor to its end led to the stairs to the rooftop terrace. As Feng Zhang carried her, Yun Xiu laughed, “Young Lord, the rooftop is empty now. I’ve already had wine prepared up there, and the flower pavilion’s cushions have been replaced with new ones.”
Feng Zhang’s eyes brightened at this news. The rooftop flower pavilion at Zui Yun Lou typically opened only in summer, costing one hundred taels of silver per night. Connected to the terrace, one could move the lounging beds outside – embracing beauty under the moonlight, enjoying supreme pleasure!
Yun Xiu’s words indicated she planned to spend the night with him in the flower pavilion.
Feeling that Yun Xiu was exceptionally understanding, Feng Zhang quickened his pace toward the rooftop.
Upon reaching the rooftop, they found servants already present. The rooftop was a vast terrace with only a flower pavilion in the center, featuring windows on all four sides. The terrace displayed two rows of lantern racks, each holding brilliantly glowing lanterns decorated with romantic scenes of scholars and beauties. Yun Xiu coyly pointed to her two favorite lanterns. Feng Zhang carried her to the lantern rack to retrieve them. Since the lanterns Yun Xiu chose were quite high, Feng Zhang set her down before reaching for them. While Yun Xiu praised his tall stature with a flirtatious smile, suddenly an eerie wind began to blow…
Even with his height, Feng Zhang struggled with the tall rack. As he stood on tiptoes, the ghostly wind made the lanterns sway chaotically, blurring his vision. At that moment, a cold glint caught his eye – he noticed a sharp dagger tied to the lantern rack alongside the lanterns. Just as this chilling discovery sent shivers down his spine, the lantern rack suddenly toppled toward him. Yun Xiu screamed. Feng Zhang’s hair stood on end as he pushed Yun Xiu away, getting knocked down by the falling rack while the dagger grazed his arm.
A sharp pain shot through Feng Zhang’s arm, and before he could react, sparks from the lanterns ignited his clothes. Chaos erupted on the terrace instantly.
…
By the Zi Hour, none of the City Guard soldiers at their posts had spotted any suspicious individuals. Just as Zhan Yang thought the killer might have been deterred by the official presence, a commotion at Zui Yun Lou alerted nearby soldiers, who quickly reported to him.
“Chief Constable Zhan, there’s trouble at Zui Yun Lou.”
Zhan Yang frowned, “What happened?” He was already walking toward Zui Yun Lou as he asked.
The soldier hurriedly replied, “Don’t worry, Chief Constable, no one died, but someone’s injured.”
Zhan Yang nodded and rushed to Zui Yun Lou with Qin Yi. Upon arrival, they found the establishment in chaos. Zhan Yang ordered men to guard the entrance while he and Qin Yi went upstairs. The manager didn’t dare stop them, especially since Feng Zhang was the injured party – he hoped for official intervention to protect Zui Yun Lou from blame.
“Chief Constable, it happened on the rooftop!”
Following these directions, Qin Yi and Zhan Yang hurried up. They found the rooftop in disarray and Feng Zhang groaning in pain on a couch near the flower pavilion’s entrance.
Qin Yi and Zhan Yang exchanged glances – so Feng Zhang was the victim?!
Seeing it was Feng Zhang and hearing the manager call it an accident, Zhan Yang momentarily wished to avoid the case. However, Feng Zhang spotted them and immediately called out, “Perfect timing! Weren’t you guarding this area? How could someone try to harm me?! Get your supervisor up here – I’m dying of pain! How could the lantern rack just fall over?! All of you! Each one of you must explain clearly. And you, you’re the official constable – you must investigate this thoroughly. Someone must have tried to harm me!”
While Yun Xiu wept continuously beside Feng Zhang, Zhan Yang frowned at his imperious tone. However, his attention was caught by something unusual on the lantern rack.
Walking over, Zhan Yang pushed aside the lanterns and discovered the daggers tied to the rack.
Upon closer inspection, he found multiple daggers. The rack had been so full of lanterns that these much smaller daggers went unnoticed, but once the rack fell and the lanterns were crushed, the daggers would have pierced anyone beneath.
“Fourth Young Master! Look at this!”
At Zhan Yang’s call, Qin Yi immediately went to examine the fallen rack. His brow furrowed – Zhan Yang had told him about this case, and tonight’s victim was supposed to die by blade and saw.
With this in mind, Qin Yi turned to Feng Zhang, “Young Lord Feng, how exactly did this happen?”
Still dazed, Feng Zhang couldn’t understand how simply reaching for a lantern led to the rack falling, let alone the presence of gleaming daggers – this couldn’t possibly be an accident!
After Feng Zhang briefly recounted the events, Qin Yi and Zhan Yang exchanged another glance.
Zhan Yang said, “To set this up, the killer must have infiltrated Zui Yun Lou.” He then ordered his constables, “Guard the entrance – don’t let anyone leave-“
Just then, the manager arrived on the terrace, saying, “Young Lord, the doctor will be here shortly. Please wait a moment!”
Feng Zhang immediately berated the manager, accusing Zui Yun Lou of attempted murder. As the manager protested his innocence and looked pleadingly at Zhan Yang and Qin Yi, a constable rushed up to report, “Chief, someone jumped from a window!”
Zhan Yang’s eyebrows shot up, “Who jumped?!”
The constable hurriedly replied, “A servant boy – couldn’t see his face. When he saw us guarding the entrance and preparing to check everyone, he jumped from a second-floor window and ran toward the back street.”
At this, Feng Zhang suddenly looked around the terrace and exclaimed, “There was a servant boy here earlier! He’s gone now!”
Yun Xiu said in surprise, “I didn’t arrange for any servant to come up…”
Realizing this person was likely the killer, Zhan Yang immediately rushed downstairs toward the back street, with Qin Yi following. Seeing them leave without concern for him, Feng Zhang launched into another angry tirade!
Zhan Yang pursued quickly, and upon reaching the back street, caught a glimpse of a figure swiftly disappearing around the corner.
Zhan Yang and Qin Yi pursued relentlessly. After rounding the corner, they spotted the figure disappearing into another alley. Both men possessed martial arts skills and moved considerably faster than others, but when they reached the alley, they found it was a dead end with six household back doors. All doors were tightly shut, and not a single light showed from within any courtyard. Zhan Yang and Qin Yi exchanged grave looks.
“What should we do? Search them?!”
If the killer had indeed infiltrated one of these households, a forceful search might cause additional casualties. Considering this, Zhan Yang immediately said, “Seal off these two streets. Even if the killer entered one of these houses, they won’t stay inside forever. We’ll wait for them to emerge.”
Qin Yi immediately went to organize the men while Zhan Yang studied the back doors with furrowed brows.
Despite their substantial guard presence, the killer still dared to strike – and at Feng Zhang, no less!
Feng Zhang’s notorious reputation for causing trouble in brothels was well-known. There were even rumors of him causing deaths in pleasure houses. Given his infamous conduct, it wasn’t surprising he’d become a target. But when had the killer disguised himself as a Zui Yun Lou servant? When had he tied those daggers to the rack?
While Zhan Yang pondered these questions, it was clear the killer had risked everything for this opportunity.
The Zi Hour had long passed, and it was now deep into the night. All these households were pitch black, their occupants surely asleep. Zhan Yang knew the killer would attempt to escape before dawn.
When Qin Yi returned after half a time unit, he asked, “Could the killer have already escaped?”
Zhan Yang shook his head, “Impossible, unless they went across the rooftops – but they couldn’t have done so that quickly. Our men are everywhere; they’d likely be spotted. Their only option was to hide inside, but our numbers will only increase.”
Qin Yi nodded, agreeing with Zhan Yang’s assessment. They maintained their watch before and behind these households. The dark alley was extremely narrow, with the six households’ front doors facing two main streets on either side. It would be nearly impossible for the killer to escape unnoticed.
Yet as the night deepened into its darkest hour before dawn, there was no unusual activity. As the sky began to lighten, the households remained quiet. Soon, servants emerged from five houses to begin their day, but one courtyard remained silent. Even as daylight filled the streets and pedestrians appeared, no suspicious person emerged. Zhan Yang sent men to question each household, and all claimed their nights had been peaceful.
At a loss, Zhan Yang ordered his men to knock at the remaining courtyard’s door. After several unanswered knocks, just as Zhan Yang was considering forcing entry, the door opened from within. Standing there was a familiar figure.
Zhan Yang never expected to see Wu Yu here.
Wu Yu appeared equally surprised, asking, “Why is Chief Constable Zhan here?”
Zhan Yang gave him an ambiguous smile, “I was about to ask Third Young Master why he’s here…”
Wu Yu replied somewhat helplessly, “This… is my residence. Why shouldn’t I be here?”
Noting Wu Yu’s slightly unnatural tone, Zhan Yang lifted his chin, “Third Young Master usually stays at Viscount Wei Yuan’s manor, so why spend last night here? Did you meet someone, or was there another reason?”
Wu Yu smiled, “I met no one and had no other business. I was simply tired of staying at home and wanted to spend time in my small courtyard. Chief Constable, what’s wrong? Is it now a crime to stay in one’s residence?”
Zhan Yang gave a cold smile, “Last night, we chased a killer to the alley behind your house, then lost him. We’ve questioned all other households, who reported a peaceful night. Only your place remains unchecked.”
Wu Yu seemed unsurprised – after all, this was Zhan Yang’s job. “I see. I slept deeply last night and heard nothing. Chief Constable, the person must have fled.”
“Our men from both the magistrate’s office and City Guard surrounded the area. No one can escape unnoticed. Third Young Master, might we search your courtyard? It would be unfortunate if the killer were hiding here.”
Wu Yu appeared somewhat troubled but quickly nodded, “Very well.”
Zhan Yang waved his men into the courtyard. It was a modest two-section compound, simply furnished with many rooms that appeared uninhabited. Why would Wu Yu randomly stay in such a plain residence?
After searching everywhere, Zhan Yang found no one. The only habitable space consisted of three main rooms; the other rooms were dust-covered, clearly not intended for regular use.
Wu Yu followed Zhan Yang, saying, “It seems the killer isn’t hiding here-“
Zhan Yang looked toward Wu Yu’s three main rooms, “We haven’t searched Third Young Master’s quarters yet.”
Wu Yu smiled wryly, “I just came from there – I’d know if anyone else was present. Chief Constable, it’s getting late. You should search elsewhere before losing more time. I need to get to my duties at the magistrate’s office.”
Zhan Yang studied Wu Yu, “I think Third Young Master should come with me first.”