Xu Hexue could not taste the flavor of blood. He only knew that between his lips and teeth was moist warmth. He trembled as he tightened his bite, deeply mired in a nightmare of thundering war drums, bloody blades and tears.

“If you had known it would come to this, General, why bother lying on the battlefield? Better to have stayed in elegant Yun Jing as your refined scholar!”

The yellow sand and dust never ceased, blood-stained armor never dried. So many men several feet tall drew bows and rode horses, their broken halberds sinking into the sand. That tall and sturdy figure, struck by several arrows, stood firm atop a mound of corpses, crying out in desolate grief.

That person fell heavily, like a mountain collapsing, sinking into filthy mire.

Countless people fell. Their blood ran dry.

From that parched yellow sand, a river of blood flowed forth.

Xu Hexue was submerged in such intense red. There was not a patch of good flesh on his entire body—just a blood-red, hateful shell.

With no clothing to cover his broken state, he could only dwell in the river of blood, to be submerged, to be dissolved.

“Xu Hexue.”

At the end of the illusion, it was again a scorching summer day. By the lakeside, green willows hung like silk. In the Thankful Spring Pavilion stood his teacher, but with graying hair and the frailty of a dying candle flame.

He discovered his body was still without clothing for cover—just a mass of blood-red mist. Yet he knelt before his teacher just as he had when he was human.

“Do you have regrets?”

His teacher asked him.

Did he regret that year when he passed the imperial examination, when his future was bright and prospects unlimited, yet he willingly exiled himself to the border garrison, fighting a hundred battles on the battlefield amid white blades and bloodshed?

He was a mass of blood mist, not human-shaped at all, yet looking at his teacher, he still unconsciously observed all proper etiquette and respect, bowing his head, kowtowing, and answering:

“This student has no regrets.”

He knew this was destined to be a disappointing answer for his teacher. Yet when he raised his head, he saw all illusions shatter, pavilion and lake destroyed.

Only this mass of mist remained, neither thick nor thin, drifting in pitch darkness, not knowing where it could go.

“Xu Ziling.”

Until such a voice called to him again and again.

Xu Hexue’s eyelids moved. He was about to open his eyes when he heard her say: “Don’t open your eyes yet. Let me wipe you clean first.”

He didn’t know that with this movement, crimson blood seeped from his eyelids again. But hearing her voice, he still obediently kept his eyes closed, letting her wipe his eyes and cheeks with a cloth dipped in hot water.

Ni Su carefully wiped the dried bloodstains from his thick lashes before placing the cloth back in the water basin. “Now it’s all right.”

She stood and went out to empty the water.

Xu Hexue heard her footsteps gradually fade. Only then did he belatedly open his eyes. Everything was blood-red—he could barely see.

She came back again.

Xu Hexue looked up but could only vaguely make out her shadow.

“I’ll help you sit up to wash your face.” Ni Su placed the fresh warm water she’d fetched beside the bed.

By now Xu Hexue no longer hurt so much, but his entire body was in a state of numbness with insufficient sensation. Only by leaning on her support could he barely sit up.

“No need…” Sensing her reaching out to help him scoop water to wash his face, Xu Hexue instinctively drew back slightly.

He didn’t even have enough strength to speak.

“But in your current state, how can you wash yourself?”

Ni Su said gently: “Let me help you this once.”

Moonlight could help him dispel the dirt and dust that clung to him, but now it was early morning with rain and mist woven thick outside. Ni Su had been busy all night—no matter how she wiped, she could never completely clean the dried bloodstains. Those were all congealed luminous dust that water alone could not remove.

Fortunately, the beast pearl released a thread of floating light that guided her to the shores of Eternal Peace Lake to break off many willow branches. Water boiled with willow leaves indeed proved useful.

Ni Su gave Xu Hexue no chance to react. She scooped water and touched his face. The lashes of Xu Hexue’s left eye became wet, the blood-red fading somewhat. He involuntarily blinked, water droplets falling. Yet through his left eye, which had regained clarity, he saw on her fair and delicate neck a deep and vivid bite mark of bloody red.

Scattered and blurred memories returned.

A night of rain and snow interwoven, a dim room, a rolling candlestick…

So the warmth between lips and teeth had been her blood.

Thunder roared through Xu Hexue’s mind. Suddenly his body became even more rigid, yet he also lost much of his resistance, becoming docile. But perhaps that wasn’t docility—rather, having so directly realized he had done wrong, he was displaying a rare sense of being at a loss.

Ni Su noticed he suddenly became like a well-behaved cat. Whether she touched his cheeks or his lashes, he let her do as she pleased.

The blood-red was gone. Xu Hexue’s eyes were like transparent crystal.

His thick, long lashes were still moist, originally drooping half-closed. Hearing her rise to carry out the water, his eyelids suddenly lifted: “Ni Su.”

Ni Su turned back, her pearl earrings swaying faintly.

She saw the young man leaning against the bed display a trace of anxious unease on his jade-pale face. He seemed not to know how to face her, yet had no choice but to face her.

“I’m sorry.”

He said.

Ni Su looked at him, then put the water basin back down, sat down again, and asked: “Last night, why were you like that?”

Like a cornered beast at the end of its strength, struggling desperately.

Ni Su had been in great pain—both from having her neck bitten through by his teeth, and from his ice-cold lips and tongue pressing against the damaged wound. She had trembled with fear.

Until without warning he relaxed his bite and leaned against her shoulder, completely motionless.

“I forgot about the Release from Darkness period.”

Beneath Xu Hexue’s wide sleeves, the wound he had displayed last night had now disappeared.

“Release from Darkness period?”

“In Youdu there is a pagoda. Within the tower, soul fires boil and churn, imprisoning countless resentful spirits. Each year, wronged souls emerge from the tower to cross the Long River of Hatred. Only those without resentment can move freely through Youdu, awaiting reincarnation.”

“During their period of emergence, resentment fills everything.”

Xu Hexue paused. “I, too, am affected to some degree.”

“If in the future you encounter me like this again,” Xu Hexue looked at her, “I hope you’ll stay far away from me. Don’t approach. Don’t concern yourself with me.”

Why was he affected by the Release from Darkness period?

Was it because during his life he also harbored difficult-to-dispel resentment and rage?

Ni Su looked at him but couldn’t ask for a long time. Then hearing him say such words, she said: “If you had never helped me from the start, naturally I wouldn’t concern myself with you either. ‘Give me peaches, I return jade and gems’—I have always conducted myself this way.”

The Thankful Spring Pavilion at Eternal Peace Lake would have to wait for now.

Ni Su lit the room full of lamps and candles to help nourish Xu Hexue’s soul. Rain threads drifted through the corridor, so she had to move the medicinal herbs she’d placed under the eaves last night to another location.

The rain threads were continuous, yet among them was no sign of last night’s snow.

Ni Su leaned against the door frame, watching the misty rain outside the corridor. She realized that whenever his soul-body weakened and became as faint as mist, snow would fall.

Throughout Yun Jing, many people were talking about last night’s intermingling of rain and snow.

Even though the snow had only fallen for a little over an hour before being diluted by rain, today the wine shops, teahouses, and even the inner palace courtyards still buzzed with discussion.

“Grand Councilor Meng, how is that old cold leg ailment of yours?”

Pei Zhiyuan peeled peanuts as he walked into the Hall of Government Affairs. “I also saw that snow last night. The momentum wasn’t great and it didn’t last long, but it was so cold at night.”

“Only your southern part of the city had it. I couldn’t see any from my home.”

Meng Yunxian had only heard before morning court about that brief strange snow that had fallen only in that southern district of the city before disappearing shortly after.

“Hey, Grand Councilor Zhang.”

Pei Zhiyuan had sharp eyes. Seeing Zhang Jing in purple official robes entering with his walking stick, he moved closer and bowed. “Your home is also in the southern city. Did you see that rain and snow last night?”

“Went to bed early. Didn’t see it.”

Zhang Jing replied casually and stepped forward.

“But how is it I heard that you, Zhang Chongzhi, last night warmed wine over a brazier and drank heartily with your student He Tong?” Meng Yunxian let out a light snort through his nose.

Hanlin Scholar He Tong at the back was just about to step through the door. Hearing this suddenly, he looked up sharply, meeting his teacher’s displeased gaze. He felt awkward for a moment, regretting that he’d said a few extra words to Grand Councilor Meng before court this morning.

Zhang Jing said nothing and sat down in his chair.

Meng Yunxian being rebuffed again, Pei Zhiyuan couldn’t quite hold back his laughter. Little did he know that the few peanuts he’d just finished shelling were all intercepted by Meng Yunxian in one bite.

Well then, didn’t dare laugh anymore.

Pei Zhiyuan, clutching his peanut shells, found his own seat and sat down.

Officials from the Eastern Hall gradually all assembled. Everyone discussed the provisions of the new policies together. Only regarding governmental affairs would Zhang Jing set aside private grievances to properly deliberate with Meng Yunxian.

The officials below were also most relaxed during these times. These days, having eaten Grand Councilor Zhang’s green dates and Grand Councilor Meng’s walnuts, listening to the two old councilors verbally spar, they truly broke out in a cold sweat.

But fortunately, when it concerned the new policies, these two councilors were absolutely unambiguous.

Business finished early today. The officials bowed to the two councilors, and before long they’d all left clean.

Meng Yunxian was eating walnuts. Zhang Jing, supported by He Tong, was about to leave, but before reaching the door, he stopped and turned back.

“This student will wait outside for Teacher.” He Tong said in a low voice, then immediately lifted his robe hem and went out.

“Inviting me for drinks? I have time.”

Meng Yunxian straightened his robes and walked over.

“When did I ever say such a thing?” Zhang Jing’s face was stern.

“If not for drinks, then what is Grand Councilor Zhang waiting here for me to do?”

“You’re asking when you already know.”

Zhang Jing braced both hands on his walking stick, using the leverage to stand steady. “During today’s court session, regarding the winter examination case that Jiang Xianming memorialized about—did you know about it in advance?”

“What kind of talk is this?”

Meng Yunxian learned from Pei Zhiyuan’s example.

“If not, why were you completely silent?”

Zhang Jing sneered coldly. “What kind of person is Meng Zhuo? Encountering this first case related to your new policies, if you hadn’t known in advance and already had your own calculations, would you have gone silent in court like a cicada in winter?”

“His Majesty handles ten thousand affairs daily and can’t be bothered with ordinary cases. The Yinye Bureau has insufficient evidence inside and is constrained at every turn, fearing they might implicate someone with great backing. But Censor Jiang is currently His Majesty’s favored person. In three or two sentences he linked this matter to His Majesty’s intention to push forward the new policies again. When it concerns imperial authority, wouldn’t His Majesty take it to heart?”

Meng Yunxian was quite frank. “If I stay quiet at this time and don’t cause trouble for Censor Jiang, isn’t that a happy outcome for all? Even the old codgers from the Remonstrance Court today rarely exerted their energy in the same direction. This shows that the ‘salary increase’ provision I returned to memorialize and implement suits their wishes well.”

“But I heard that the sister of that winter examination candidate Ni Qinglan behaves absurdly.” During today’s court session, Zhang Jing had heard the Prefect of Guangning Residence mention that woman’s so-called “wronged ghost appearing in dreams” behavior.

Even stranger, even after entering the Records Office of Guangning Residence to receive punishment, she still refused to change her statement.

“Behaves absurdly?”

Meng Yunxian laughed once, but asked: “How absurd? Compared to that rain and snow you saw last night, Chongzhi, how does it compare?”

Throughout all of Yun Jing city, the same rain fell. Yet that snow had only appeared in the southern part of the city.

However long the snow fell, Zhang Jing had sat with He Tong in the corridor for just as long.

The cold qi accumulated in his knees had yet to dissipate.

“Do you dare tell me what you were thinking when you watched the snow last night?”

Meng Yunxian suddenly spoke in a low voice.

“Meng Zhuo!”

Zhang Jing suddenly looked up, glaring fiercely.

“Actually, I really want to know about him…”

“Don’t you know clearly enough already!” Zhang Jing interrupted him. Though furious to the point of losing control, he still tried his utmost to lower his voice. “If you still don’t understand, why don’t you go ask Jiang Xianming! Go ask him how, fifteen years ago on this very day, he cut up that traitorous minister one slice at a time!”

Thunder roared.

Only belatedly did Meng Yunxian realize that today was actually the day that the former Commander of the Jing’an Army, General Yujie Xu Hexue, had received his punishment.

The hall was cold and empty, with only Meng Yunxian and Zhang Jing remaining.

“Meng Zhuo, don’t forget you came back to oversee the new policies.”

Zhang Jing walked falteringly to the door. Without turning back, he only said coldly.

Between them, they should never again mention that person who must not be mentioned.

Meng Yunxian stood dazed in the hall for a long while, rubbed his sore eyelids, brushed his robes a few times, and walked out with his hands behind his back.

As soon as Vice Censor-in-Chief Jiang Xianming submitted his memorial, His Majesty immediately granted the Yinye Bureau corresponding authority this morning in court, issuing an edict ordering Supervising Secretary of the Palace Attendants Service and Yinye Bureau Commissioner Han Qing to thoroughly investigate the winter examination case.

The rain and mist in the city hadn’t dispersed. The personal guards of the Yinye Bureau poured out almost in full force, turning the tribute academy upside down. At the same time, they escorted all officials involved in the winter examination to the Yinye Bureau for questioning.

Yinye Bureau Commissioner Han Qing had conducted several rounds of interrogation in the prison. An iron-spiked whip had broken from so much use. His entire body reeked of blood, the smell making his temples ache. He came out, took the tea Zhou Ting handed him, and sat in a chair examining the trembling examination candidate from Yanzhou, He Zhongping.

“Did you see clearly? Among these names, are there any you’re familiar with, or that Ni Qinglan was familiar with?”

Han Qing took a sip of tea. His parched throat felt much better.

“I, I have already marked them.”

He Zhongping held up the name list with both hands. “I remember there were just those two people that Ni Brother and I knew, and we weren’t even well acquainted. I’ve marked them all with ink.”

He stammered, then added: “But it’s also possible that Ni Brother knew other people that I don’t know about.”

Zhou Ting took it and handed it to Commissioner Han Qing.

Han Qing placed it on the desk and scanned through it, then said to Zhou Ting: “Mark out the names of those with good family backgrounds who already had hereditary privilege.”

Zhou Ting had memorized the family backgrounds and names of all the winter examination candidates from every region these past days. Without thinking, he took up his brush and marked out some names.

This name list recorded all the examination candidates whose test papers had been lost along with Ni Qinglan’s.

More than twenty people in total.

Han Qing counted briefly. Among those Zhou Ting had marked, there were actually nine people.

“It seems they deliberately picked the papers of some aristocratic family sons who weren’t good at scholarship to discard together, using this to muddy the waters.” Han Qing sneered coldly.

This winter examination was different from previous civil service examinations.

To demonstrate His Majesty’s determination to welcome the two councilors back to the capital to implement new policies, he had first issued an edict restoring a new law that had been abolished for fourteen years—reducing the number of positions obtained through hereditary privilege. If anyone entered officialdom through hereditary favor, they must first be an examination candidate, then be assigned by lottery to various ministries to seek a position to test their abilities.

“Commissioner, is it possible the culprit is someone serving in a ministry who didn’t gain the examining official’s approval?” Zhou Ting said from the side.

Children of aristocratic families with hereditary privileges who went to serve in various ministries were all evaluated and tested by the highest-ranking official in their ministry, then sent to the Censorate for verification. The lottery system to some degree avoided the possibility of examining officials showing favoritism due to private connections with the person’s family.

“Mark them out.” Han Qing raised his chin slightly.

Zhou Ting didn’t put brush to paper, only saying: “Commissioner, it’s still these same nine people.”

“These aristocratic family sons truly aren’t worth a single one of them.” Han Qing held his tea bowl, his gaze sweeping back and forth among those nine people several times. Not a single one of them overlapped with the names He Zhongping had marked.

Han Qing picked up the name list and looked up at He Zhongping: “Look carefully again at these nine names. Are you certain none of them are acquainted with you or Ni Qinglan? They need not be close—even if just nodding acquaintances, or you met once?”

He Zhongping’s ears were filled with the screams coming from that pitch-black corridor, from within the prison. He trembled with fear, not daring to be anything but meticulous as he looked through the nine names once more before answering: “In reply to Commissioner Han, my family is poor—not even as well-off as Ni Brother’s circumstances. How could I have opportunities to know the powerful of the capital? These nine people—I truly don’t know a single one.”

“You know Ni Qinglan’s family circumstances were well-off?”

Out of nowhere, He Zhongping heard Han Qing say this. He looked up to meet Han Qing’s eyes, immediately scared out of his wits. “Commissioner Han! I absolutely could not have harmed Ni Brother!”

“Why so nervous? You’re different from those inside. This official doesn’t want to torture you for now, on the condition that you think—rack your brains and think—about every single thing you and Ni Qinglan did socializing in Yun Jing. This official wants you to write down everything, no matter how trivial.”

Han Qing naturally didn’t believe this person had the means to so quickly learn of the news from inside Guangning Residence and immediately hire someone to kill Ni Qinglan’s sister Ni Su.

“Yes, yes!” He Zhongping responded repeatedly.

Zhou Ting watched He Zhongping pick up the paper and prepare to write, kneeling at the low desk. He bent down and said in a low voice to Han Qing: “Commissioner, if this person leaves the Yinye Bureau too soon after entering today, I fear his life will be difficult to preserve.”

Learning that Ni Qinglan’s corpse had been discovered by his own sister Ni Su, the culprit immediately attempted murder—probably worried that Ni Su would go to the Court of Judicial Review to strike the appeal drum and make this matter big.

The current emperor wasn’t as fond of managing affairs as in his younger days. Otherwise the Yinye Bureau wouldn’t have had so few matters these past years. Affairs the subordinates could investigate clearly, the emperor didn’t care to manage. Affairs the subordinates couldn’t investigate clearly—unless they were of utmost importance in the emperor’s heart—were also difficult to reach imperial ears.

This Yanzhou examination candidate He Zhongping had remained in Yun Jing and hadn’t been silenced before—probably because the culprit thought he didn’t know much of the inside story. But if today He Zhongping stepped out the Yinye Bureau’s main gate, as long as someone knew what kind of thorough interrogation methods the Yinye Bureau employed, the culprit would inevitably wonder if he had revealed anything to He Zhongping. Even just for this suspicion, the culprit wouldn’t spare He Zhongping’s life.

“Mm.”

Han Qing nodded. “Until the matter is investigated clearly, keep this person in the Yinye Bureau.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Han Qing suddenly seemed to think of something. He raised his head. “He Zhongping, this official asks you—among the people you and Ni Qinglan knew, is there anyone not on this list who is acquainted with some young master on the list?”

Hearing this, He Zhongping quickly set down his brush. After thinking for a moment, he actually did speak a name: “Ye Shanlin! Commissioner Han, Ni Brother actually didn’t like socializing much. Those he knew on the list were at most nodding acquaintances. Speaking of those outside the list, there were even fewer. But I did know more people. This Ye Shanlin is from Yun Jing. He also participated in this winter examination and passed, becoming a tribute student. However, his name wasn’t on the palace examination list…”

“Which young master was he acquainted with?”

“His family runs a bookshop business, but the shop is small and stocks mostly strange tales and supernatural books—few young masters would patronize it. But I remember he mentioned one to me.”

“Who?”

“It seems to be a young master surnamed Miao, he’s…” He Zhongping tried hard to recall, finally having a flash of inspiration. “Ah, it’s the Grand Marshal’s residence’s second young master!”

“He said that second young master had no other hobbies but loved collecting old supernatural tale books! The more ancient and worn, the better!”

Hearing this, Zhou Ting was almost stunned.

“Miao Yiyang.”

Han Qing pushed aside the list of lost examination papers and found the complete name list of those who participated in the winter examination. He located this name precisely within it.

But he was not on the list of those whose papers had been lost.

The Grand Marshal Miao’s second young master—failed the winter examination, later was assigned by lottery to seek a position at the Court of Judicial Review. Not long ago he gained the approval of the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and was promoted to the eighth rank upper grade as Director of the Court of Judicial Review. And His Majesty, mindful of Grand Marshal Miao’s military achievements, also granted him the sixth rank position of Court Gentleman for Rendering Service.

The fine rain like woven silk fell for most of the day, only subsiding toward dusk.

Yun Jing was different from other places. When the shop attendants in wine houses saw it was almost mealtime, they would run out to hawk their wares throughout the streets. Ni Su was sitting under the eaves and happened to hear them, so she went out to stop one and ordered some food.

Before long, the shop attendant brought a food box. Ni Su was still tidying books in the room. Hearing the call, she said: “The money is on the table. Please help yourself.”

The shop attendant was a young lad. Coming to the back corridor, he indeed saw the money on the table. He arranged the food from the food box, then took the money nimbly with the food box and ran off.

Ni Su finished tidying the books and came out, moving all the food to the table in Xu Hexue’s room.

“Will you eat with me?”

Ni Su held a bowl and asked him.

Xu Hexue long ago lost his physical body of flesh and blood. Actually he had no need to eat such things at all. He couldn’t taste the sweetness of sugar cake, so naturally he also couldn’t taste the flavor of this food.

His instinct was to refuse.

But his gaze touched upon her fair neck where the bite mark was conspicuous.

Each time he saw it, Xu Hexue always examined his conscience.

He couldn’t speak words of refusal. Obediently he sat before her, awkwardly picking up chopsticks to eat with her.

“What I ordered is all Yun Jing cuisine. You should be very familiar with it, right?”

Ni Su asked him.

“It’s been too long. I can’t remember clearly.”

“Then taste it, and you’ll remember.”

In the end, Xu Hexue did move his chopsticks. Like the sugar cake she had handed him that day they left the Yinye Bureau, he could taste nothing at all.

But being watched by her, Xu Hexue still said: “It’s delicious.”

Ni Su was about to say something when she heard knocking at the door. She immediately set down her bowl and chopsticks, standing to go to the front.

Before her hand could touch the shop’s main door, Xu Hexue sitting in the back corridor suddenly realized something. His form immediately transformed into pale mist, then in an instant condensed at her side.

“Ni Su.”

Xu Hexue’s pale lips pressed together slightly as he held out a square of luminous white brocade handkerchief toward her.

“What for?”

Ni Su was completely bewildered.

Xu Hexue heard someone outside calling “Miss Ni”—it was the Yinye Bureau Deputy Captain Zhou Ting. He could only reach out to gently wind that rectangular brocade handkerchief around her neck, concealing the bite wound.

“Though but a remnant soul, I dare not sully your reputation.”