Prefect Zhou’s face went green. He shot to his feet. “Hua Yitang — you — how dare you — how dare you cause an uproar in court?! Attendants — take him — take him —”

“Do with me what?” Hua Yitang fixed Prefect Zhou with a cold stare, his voice dropping a few registers. “What do you dare to do to me?”

The night wind stirred Hua Yitang’s white robes as the dense darkness took on an undertone of frost — and his beautiful features suddenly took on a quality that made one’s heart tremble: the kind of fearless insolence that came from deep in the bone.

Lin Sui’an: Heaven help us — this fellow really is still in his rebellious phase.

Prefect Zhou’s face cycled from green to white to gray. The finger he pointed at Hua Yitang shook like a palsy. Feng Song lazily lifted his gaze. “It appears Hua Family Fourth Young Master is displeased.”

Hua Yitang shot a sideways glance at Feng Song. “The evidence is ludicrous — pure hot air — of course I’m displeased!”

Feng Song: “According to the Tang legal code, causing an uproar in court is punishable by twenty lashes of the cane.”

Prefect Zhou snapped a look at Feng Song, every muscle in his face spasming.

Feng Song said nothing more, but the more silent he was, the harder Prefect Zhou shook — until at last he raised the gavel and crashed it down. “Attendants, beat him!”

The yamen attendants and law enforcement officers exchanged glances, then hesitantly began to close in. Hua Yitang opened his folding fan with a snap, struck a pose of supreme disdain, and all the attendants startled back simultaneously.

Lin Sui’an: Does this fellow have some devastating hidden move?

But in the very next instant, Hua Yitang dove behind Lin Sui’an’s back, yanking frantically at her sleeve and whispering, “Benefactress, it’s all up to you!”

Lin Sui’an: “……”

What kind of creature was this?!

The attendants looked pained — that young woman’s combat ability was, frankly, terrifying; one careless move could cost half a life — yet they couldn’t disobey orders, and could only circle the two of them, closing in step by step, searching for an opening.

Lin Sui’an: “They intend to have you dead.”

Hua Yitang: “If I die, benefactress, you won’t fare much better.”

“What is your contingency plan?”

“I came in a hurry — I haven’t made one.”

“Then how do you intend to get out of this?!”

“My luck has always been good.”

An unreliable idler through and through.

Lin Sui’an mentally showered him in contempt.

Just then, one officer suddenly charged — blade driving straight at Lin Sui’an’s face. Lin Sui’an’s reflexes kicked in: she sank her shoulder, dropped her stance, and tilted her head to dodge — when a sudden yelp from Hua Yitang behind her snapped her back to reality that she had left him unguarded. She kicked the officer flying, but not before the blade-edge shaved off half of Hua Yitang’s hairpin.

Hua Yitang: “Watch out!”

Lin Sui’an had already heard. Behind her, blade wind swept fierce and killing intent arrived. With lives at stake, she had no room for hesitation — she turned loose and went full-force, moving through the crowd like a whirlwind. Flying fists, sweeping legs, driving elbows, stomping kicks, bone-striking jabs at the throat — the simplest moves at maximum speed produced maximum destructive power. Every strike landed, one blow per target, clean and decisive, leaving no lingering threats.

Hua Yitang stood at the center of the hall, spine so straight he might have been a chopstick, hands clenching his fan with white knuckles, doing his utmost to make himself as small as possible. Lin Sui’an swept past like a gale — expressionless, her eyes black and bottomless as an abyss — and occasionally when her gaze swept over him, every hair on his body stood on end. Then a fist grazed past his ear and an officer spun away into the air, and Lin Sui’an swept on cold-faced. The thuds of attendants and officers hitting the ground and the clatter of falling blades were unceasing; beyond that, there was no sound at all — because everyone had been struck down before they could utter a cry, losing consciousness on the spot.

Only a few heartbeats passed, or perhaps less. Lin Sui’an concluded the fight. Officers and attendants were strewn across the floor. The night wind blew through the hall, giving off a wailing, ghostly moan. Prefect Zhou, Master Feng, and Yan He’s father sat rigid in their chairs, staring with gaping eyes.

Hua Yitang was so startled by the sound of his own swallowing that he flinched.

Lin Sui’an wiped the blood spattered on her face with her thumb. The crimson on her fingertip burned faintly against her skin. She seemed to hear Qian Jing keening — Qian Jing was calling to her heart, her blood, her very soul. She remembered the words inscribed in the ancient text:

[What ten thousand evils and demons cannot cleanse — this blade cleanses. Thus it is called Qian Jing.]

A red mist seemed to seep into her vision, suffusing the faces of the three men at the bench with a demonic, rat-eyed ferocity.

Evil spirits and demons, specters and monsters — just what Qian Jing hungered for.

Lin Sui’an curved her lips, stepped forward one pace at a time to the bench, seized Qian Jing’s hilt, and with a flick of her wrist sent the scabbard flying — the dark green blade threw a ghostly light across three pallid faces.

The three men recoiled in terror:

“I am Feng Song of the literary Feng clan — you dare touch a single hair on my head, try it!”

“J-just who are you?!”

“Help! Someone help!”

The shrill cries floated through Lin Sui’an’s mind like drifting fog, circling once, and then dispersing.

Lin Sui’an smiled, and the blade cleaved downward through the air —

“Slap!” A pair of soft, long, pale hands seized her wrist with a death grip, trembling violently — nearly spent in the effort of matching Lin Sui’an’s force — yet the voice of their owner was steady and calm.

“You must not!”

Lin Sui’an slowly turned her eyes and met a pair of deep, bright pupils — their light like an open, sunny sky, dispersing Qian Jing’s cold killing intent.

Lin Sui’an snapped back to her senses, and her face flooded with shock.

She had nearly killed someone again!

And this time, the murderous intent had been so overwhelming it had all but swallowed her consciousness.

Why?!

Hua Yitang saw Lin Sui’an’s eyes clear, and quickly released her wrist, stepping back half a pace, frantically fanning away the cold sweat soaking his body.

This young woman when in full fury was quite genuinely terrifying!

“Help! Someone help!” Prefect Zhou was so frightened he nearly wet himself, screeching at the top of his lungs. “Someone come quickly!”

Chaotic footsteps sounded outside the door — by the sound of it, at least several dozen people. Lin Sui’an broke into a cold sweat: if the fighting continued and she lost control again and truly killed someone, she would become a genuine murderer. There would be nothing to argue.

Yet just at that tensest of moments, Hua Yitang suddenly smiled. “They’ve finally made it.”

Lin Sui’an: What?

In the next instant, more than twenty yamen attendants were pushed and herded into the hall by a crowd of fair-skinned young masters, who called out in succession:

“Fourth Young Master! We’re here!”

“Not too late, are we?”

“Fourth Young Master, you’re too mean — you should’ve called us along!”

“My goodness, why are all these yamen attendants lying on the floor?!”

“Fourth Young Master — please don’t tell me you did all of this?”

Hua Yitang gave a gentle wave of his fan and the noisy young idlers fell instantly silent.

Hua Yitang: “Did you bring the people?”

The young men smiled at each other knowingly, parted to either side, and produced two individuals — one a brightly dressed courtesan, one a simply clothed young man.

Both were terrified as well, and the moment they laid eyes on Hua Yitang, their legs buckled and they went to their knees.

Hua Yitang: “One at a time.”

The courtesan: “Last night, Yan Family Second Young Master reserved exclusive use of Meiwu’s establishment in the Red Blossom Quarter. Hua Family Fourth Young Master was never there!”

The expressions of Prefect Zhou and Feng Song turned deeply unpleasant immediately.

Yan He’s father flew into a rage. “Nonsense! My son was always a man of clean habits — how could he go to the Red Blossom Quarter, let alone reserve exclusive use?!”

The courtesan: “Every word is true. All the women at Meiwu’s establishment can attest to it!”

Prefect Zhou: “That is preposterous — one of the women at Meiwu’s establishment already came forward and stated that she was with Hua Family Fourth Young Master last night, and witnessed him buying the assassination.”

The courtesan: “I am a woman from Master Kong the Sixth’s establishment next door. I was also invited by Yan Family Second Young Master to attend last night. There are more than ten other women from my establishment who can all testify to the same.”

Prefect Zhou’s face twitched. Feng Song’s expression darkened. Yan He’s father’s face quivered uncontrollably.

Hua Yitang pointed to the young man. “And you?”

“I am a server at the Yun Lai Inn. I can verify that Lin Sui’an, from the hour of the fifth watch this morning until the moment the officers came to search the room, never stepped foot outside her door once.”

Prefect Zhou: “Your innkeeper said he saw her leave!”

The server: “The innkeeper’s son fell ill and he went to the physician’s. He was not at the inn at all from midday onward — the physician’s neighbors can all testify to that.”

Yan He’s father: “There was an eyewitness who saw Lin Sui’an at the scene!”

“Is that so?” Hua Yitang asked. “Tian Hegui — are you truly certain of what you saw?”

Tian Hegui, long since frightened enough to have wet himself, prostrated himself weeping. “My eyes are old and dim — I saw nothing clearly! Nothing at all!”

Hua Yitang smiled and looked at Prefect Zhou, Feng Song, and Yan He’s father in turn. “Oh my — how did things come to this?”

“These wretched commoners!” Prefect Zhou slammed the table in fury. “How dare they spread false accusations against Hua Family Fourth Young Master — take them all down and give them a thorough interrogation! I want to know who is behind this!”

Hua Yitang’s smile faded slightly. “Prefect Zhou, the Tang legal code strictly forbids torture.”

“Yes, yes, Hua Family Fourth Young Master is absolutely right!” Prefect Zhou bowed and scraped. “Attendants, please escort Hua Family Fourth Young Master out……” He glanced at the attendants lying all over the floor and changed his words. “Or perhaps I should personally accompany you?”

“There is no need. Prefect Zhou should tend to Master Feng and Master Yan.” Hua Yitang gave a folded-fan salute, then turned to Lin Sui’an. “Allow Hua to escort benefactress home.”

Lin Sui’an put away Qian Jing, slung the two leather sacks of six strings of copper coins over her shoulder, and rose. “Is there a carriage?”

Hua Yitang: “Of course.”

Lin Sui’an walked toward the main hall doors surrounded by the cluster of young idlers, then felt a sudden intuition and looked back.

Prefect Zhou was mopping his sweat and bowing in apology to Master Feng. Yan He’s father was seething with indignation. Feng Song sat as steady as a mountain, a smile that was not quite a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

The splendor of Hua Yitang’s carriage exceeded Lin Sui’an’s imagination. The four horses pulling it were white as snow, strong and beautiful, their manes braided into clusters of elaborate little plaits, the braid ends strung with gold bells, and up close one could even catch a faint trace of fragrance. Mu Xia showed no surprise upon seeing Lin Sui’an, first helping Hua Yitang board before inviting Lin Sui’an inside.

The carriage interior was spacious — enough room for seven or eight people with ease. In the middle sat a small wooden table laid with a teapot, pastries, and fresh dried fruit, and there was a small incense burner making the entire carriage smell sweetly fragrant — very similar to the scent on Hua Yitang himself.

A fragrant carriage with fine horses in the truest sense — a grand household indeed.

Lin Sui’an waited for Hua Yitang to take his leave of his group of young idler friends. When the carriage set off, she spoke. “So there were informants inside the prefectural yamen who owe you loyalty.”

Hua Yitang’s hand paused in the act of closing the carriage window. “Pardon?”

“Your informant inside the yamen urgently notified you that Prefect Zhou and the Feng clan were to hear a case tonight — a case that, if it proceeded to conviction, would be greatly disadvantageous to you and the Hua Family. The details of the case, however, were not yet known.”

Hua Yitang raised an eyebrow. “How did benefactress know?”

“First, your arrival was too swift, too perfectly timed — as though you had calculated the moment to appear. Second, the witnesses you brought happened to give testimony directly contradicting Prefect Zhou’s witnesses — which means someone fed you the details of the case in advance.” Lin Sui’an said. “You came alone for two reasons: first, to put them off their guard so you could probe the specifics of the case; second, to buy time for your people to locate the counterwitnesses. Quite brave and resourceful.”

Hua Yitang: “You flatter me.”

I most certainly am not flattering you!

Lin Sui’an: “Did you not consider that if I had broken under the weight of severe punishment and confessed that you hired me to kill — the case would form a complete chain of evidence —”

Hua Yitang smiled. “You wouldn’t.”

He said it with such assurance that Lin Sui’an was briefly taken aback.

“I had asked Mu Zhong about you beforehand. Benefactress is quick-witted and righteous — there was never any chance you would confess to something you never did, let alone bow to the underhanded methods of those three old men.”

So this fellow had been probing her background all along.

Lin Sui’an narrowed her eyes. “You calculated that with your standing as Hua Family Fourth Young Master, Prefect Zhou wouldn’t dare lay hands on you — which is why you dared to behave the way you did in court —”

To swagger around looking for death?

Hua Yitang shook his head. “Because you were there, I dared.”

“What —”

“Mu Zhong said you were peerless in martial arts — a match for a hundred single-handed. With benefactress at my side, it was as good as having a thousand-strong army behind me.” Hua Yitang fanned himself with cheerful self-satisfaction. “An opportunity that comes once in a thousand years — of course I had to make the most of it and get a good round of cursing in.”

Lin Sui’an: “……”

This person was genuinely unwell!

“Stop the carriage — I want to get out!”

The carriage moved steadily forward, showing no sign whatsoever of stopping.

Lin Sui’an glared daggers at Hua Yitang.

Hua Yitang let his smile drop. “Doesn’t benefactress find tonight’s affair a little strange?”

Lin Sui’an: “……”

“If the intention was to frame me, why were the witness testimonies so sloppily done? So easily dismantled? The Feng clan and my Hua Family have been at odds for many years — this is not their style.” Hua Yitang tapped his fan. “So I can only conclude they must have a second move ready.”

Lin Sui’an closed her eyes to rest: Not her problem.

Hua Yitang rambled on. “But even if it was to suppress the Hua clan — killing off Yan He wasn’t worth it. My best guess is that Yan He’s death was an accident, and they were simply too eager to exploit it. The timeline was too tight, so they made a sloppy job of it. Benefactress, what do you think?”

Lin Sui’an opened her eyes. “Don’t call me benefactress.”

Hua Yitang: “Then what shall I call you?”

“Lin Niangzi is fine.”

“That won’t do at all — you and I have a friendship forged in life and death. Such an address is far too distant.” Hua Yitang’s eyes rolled around in thought. “How about I call you An Niangzi —”

“Call me Lin Sui’an!”

“But that would be terribly rude of me……”

“I call you Hua Yitang — returning the courtesy makes it not rude at all.”

Hua Yitang blinked. “When you put it that way……that’s……actually fine.”

Lin Sui’an closed her eyes again. This whole night had been draining, both in body and mind. Once she got back to the inn, she was going to lie flat and do nothing.

Wait — the innkeeper and the server had both been arrested. How was she going to get back?!

The carriage creaked to a stop. Mu Xia’s voice came through from outside.

“Fourth Young Master, Lin Niangzi — we’ve arrived.”

Arrived where?!

Lin Sui’an jumped out of the carriage and looked up — and froze.

Before her stood a magnificent, grand manor of enormous scale: crimson walls, vermillion gates, two enormous guardian beasts flanking the entrance that looked uncannily like the mythical pixiu. Most extravagant of all was the plaque above the doors — a black lacquer base of sandalwood, bearing four enormous gold characters that blazed before the eyes: Hua Clan Grand Estate.

Hua Yitang stood beneath the plaque and snapped his fan open with a flourish. The gates swung open. Handmaidens in wide-sleeved long skirts and attendants in neat attire filed out in succession, quietly and orderly arranging themselves in a circle in the shape of a flower’s petals, with Hua Yitang — this bloom’s stamen — ensconced at the center.

“The inn is not safe,” Hua Yitang smiled, radiant as spring sunlight. “Stay at my home instead.”

The handmaidens and attendants bowed in unison, their voices ringing out as one: “We welcome Lin Niangzi!”

Lin Sui’an: “……”

Why did she have the feeling she had just boarded a pirate ship?