Ye Jun was a master of reading the human heart. He rarely guessed wrong, but on the day he first met his master, he failed.
It was the seventeenth year of the Taoguang era. The annual title evaluation for the Night Walkers was held in the dead of winter.
Ye Jun was certain he would secure the title of "Night Lord, Imperial Sovereign." After receiving his plaque and descending from the Qiankun Platform, he was immediately led away, just as he had expected. In the current martial world, there were few sects with both the wealth and the ambition to hire him; it always came down to the same few. He guessed he would likely be incorporated into the Hall of Rebirth. Having studied the temperaments of the Ten Kings of Hell, he figured his employer would be either Lord Chujiang or Lord Biancheng.
Privately, he hoped for Lord Chujiang. That man played a decent game of chess and was accustomed to sitting in quiet meditation, which meant Ye Jun wouldn't have to constantly move from place to place.
Ye Jun followed the steward into the eastern pavilion, climbing the stairs. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw six Black Iron Cavalrymen waiting silently in the biting north wind and the raging blizzard.
But the moment he stepped inside, he knew he had guessed wrong. His master did not belong to the Hall of Rebirth at all.
There were seven people in the room. Six armed guards stood in two rows, the hems of their robes embroidered with the Blood-Bone pattern unique to the Hall of Rebirth. In the center sat a person whose age was impossible to discern. He was trying his best to sit upright, yet his body leaned uncontrollably to one side.
The man was as gaunt as a withered corpse, looking as though he might collapse at any moment. His hair was white and brittle like that of a decrepit old man, and his eyes were a cloudy yellowish-white; it was unclear if he could see anything at all. His complexion was a sickly shade of blue and white, with a row of long, narrow scars tracing his jawline, as if his face had once been sliced off. The veins on his exposed neck and arms bulged prominently, with something faintly writhing beneath the skin.
Neither man nor ghost, his appearance was hideous—the kind of visage loathed by gods and shunned by demons.
The steward completed the handover, gave a few instructions, and turned to leave the pavilion.
"The one who bought you is the Tenth King of our Hall of Rebirth, the Reincarnation King. From now on, you shall follow the orders of Lord Zhuanlun," the man said, his voice hoarse and dry, as if he were in constant pain.
Ye Jun knelt formally before him and prostrated himself, his forehead touching the cold hardwood floor. "Master," he said earnestly.
The man's throat moved as he prepared to speak, but Ye Jun abruptly spoke again. "Would you like to see my sword?"
Ye Jun did not wait for an answer. His blade, *Qingfeng*, suddenly cleared its scabbard. A cold light shattered the gloom of the room, and in an instant, the six armed guards were cut down.
He did not stop there. He vaulted through the window into the swirling snow. Moments later, he returned, carrying his blood-dripping longsword. He tossed two more corpses to the side and knelt back on the floor.
"What are you doing?!" the man asked in horror.
Ye Jun looked up at him with an innocent expression. "It was your command."
The man frowned. "I said nothing."
Ye Jun replied, "You had a clear killing intent toward them. You intended to act within the day, yet it was inconvenient for you to say so directly. I assumed you were troubled by how to convey the order to me while avoiding the eyes and ears of your monitors."
The master looked at him with deep suspicion, his gaze cold. "Was it that obvious?"
Ye Jun smiled, his eyes curving. "No, you hid it very well. No one but me would have noticed."
"Can you read minds?" The man's gaze turned icy as his guard went up.
Ye Jun smiled and shook his head. "Not quite. At most, I am a few degrees more sensitive than the average person. I can scent the difference between truth and falsehood, love and hate."
The man said nothing, sitting rigidly in his place.
Ye Jun saw his expression and gave an understanding smile. He unfastened his sword and placed it by the man's hand, then retreated a few steps to his original position. He raised his hand and struck several major acupoints on his own chest.
"I have sealed my internal power," Ye Jun said. "I will be unable to move for an hour. Since Master suspects me, you may end my life here and now."
Ye Jun's expression was calm, without a trace of fear or desire to retreat.
The man remained in a stalemate for a moment before saying dejectedly, "Forget it. There has never been a precedent of a Night Lord betraying their master. I will trust you."
Ye Jun gave a radiant smile. "Then, can you tell me your real name?"
The master's expression had just begun to soften when it stiffened again. "I told you just now."
Ye Jun: "That was a lie, wasn't it? I heard your breathing shift slightly when you said it."
The man hesitated. "...That is true. When I bought you, I did not use the name of Lord Zhuanlun."
Ye Jun added, "It matters not to me what name is recorded in the Night Walker archives. You have accepted the rites of master and servant; you are my only master."
The man was dazed for a moment, a thousand thoughts swirling in his mind. Coming back to himself, he answered:
"...Zhongli Zixi."
Hearing that this was the truth, Ye Jun's smile deepened. He tilted his head in thought. The surname was rare, yet he had never heard of it; it likely belonged to some small clan from a tiny, insignificant place. He wondered how such a person had ended up in this sensitive and perilous situation, and in such a physical state.
Zhongli Zixi was like an arrow on the string, with no time for other concerns. He stood up and urged, "Let's go. We have urgent business."
Ye Jun said innocently, "But I can't move, Young Master. I just sealed my own points. Are you going to carry me onto the horse?"
Zhongli Zixi looked at him coldly. "Say that again."
Ye Jun quickly said, "Ah, no, just help me unblock my points. I'll trouble you, Master."
Zhongli Zixi stood with difficulty, supporting himself on the table and chairs as he crouched before Ye Jun to unblock the points. The moment he was touched, Ye Jun felt a piercing chill emanate from the contact. By reflex, he grabbed his master's wrist. "You have cold poison in your body? And it's severe. How many years has it been? ...Seven? No, eight?"
"Let go," Zhongli Zixi barked, suppressing his rage. "What does it have to do with you?"
Ye Jun snapped back, "You are my master. How could it have nothing to do with me? If you think that way, you might as well stab me to death. Forget the journey; we're not going anywhere."
Zhongli Zixi was actually rendered speechless by those words.
He had endured ten years of agony in the Hall of Rebirth, suffering through cold eyes and humiliation, exhausted by the constant maneuvering between the various halls. He had climbed step by step from the lowest rank of a 'medicine man' to his current high position, only managing to leave on this mission by tricking the Tenth King, Lord Zhuanlun, into trusting him.
Having 'drunk ice' for ten years, he was now utterly unaccustomed to having someone truly care for him—regardless of their motive.
Ye Jun saw that he had stunned the man with his scolding and laughed inwardly. On the surface, however, he put on a look of panicked grief and apologized, "This subordinate overstepped. I beg for Master's punishment."
"...It's fine." Zhongli Zixi waved his hand helplessly. "Clean up these bodies first. we leave immediately."
Ye Jun buried the bodies as instructed. He dismissed all but one of the six iron-clad horses outside, removing the black armor and replacing it with an ordinary saddle to avoid drawing attention. He naturally gathered the weightless Zhongli Zixi into his arms, vaulted onto the horse, and galloped away.
Once he was settled, Zhongli Zixi realized something was amiss. "Aren't shadow guards supposed to stay hidden? What are you doing on my horse?"
Ye Jun held him close, one hand on the reins and the other pressed against his waist, circulating his internal energy into the man. "You have years of accumulated cold poison. Such a harsh winter must be unbearable. Naturally, I must help you resist some of it."
In recent years, Zhongli Zixi had been used by Lord Qinguang to refine medicines. He was infested with several types of *gu*, and the pain was nearly intolerable; this bit of cold was truly nothing in comparison. Ye Jun's internal power was like a drop of water in the ocean, providing little actual effect, yet for some reason, Zixi did not stop him again.
Ye Jun asked, "Once we reach the Hall of Rebirth, what do you need me to do, Master?"
Zhongli Zixi said, "I want you to go to your death."
Ye Jun looked down at him, his eyes questioning. Zhongli Zixi explained, "I have nothing to hide from you, so I will tell you straight. The Ten Kings of the Hall of Rebirth are united in name only; they are constantly at each other's throats. Over the years, I have laid many traps to incite their mutual suspicion. This time, I want you to assassinate the Tenth King, Lord Zhuanlun. Leave behind evidence that frames the Fifth King, Lord Yanluo. Then, in front of everyone, pretend to be defeated and flee back to Lord Yanluo's manor. While no one is looking, sink yourself to the bottom of Youming Lake, where no one can investigate. Lord Yanluo has always been fierce and ruthless, and having been wronged and demoted before, he disdains explaining himself. Lord Qinguang is his mortal enemy. When Qinguang goes to his manor to demand the assassin and finds nothing, a great war will surely break out. I will arrange the other details myself; you only need to do this one thing."
After hearing this, Ye Jun pondered for a moment and asked doubtfully, "Master, whose side are you actually on? Since you work for Lord Zhuanlun, if something happens to him, you—an outsider—will surely be suspected. Won't you be drawing fire to yourself?"
Zhongli Zixi shook his head. "I was originally controlled by the First King, Lord Qinguang. Now, I am a subordinate of the Third King, Lord Songdi. However, both Lord Zhuanlun and Lord Biancheng have approached me in private, and both believe I am a spy for their respective sides."
Ye Jun thought to himself: *Your circle is truly a mess.*
Ye Jun ran through the situation in his head a few times to grasp the general idea, then asked, "Master, must I die?"
Zhongli Zixi gave a cold smile. "Are you unwilling?"
"Perhaps I can complete the mission and escape back to you," Ye Jun said. "If you wish for me to remain silent forever to keep this secret, that is one thing. But if you will need me in the future, then I will never die at the hands of an enemy."
Zhongli Zixi was half-skeptical. "You must draw a crowd to witness you. You will be trapped. How could you possibly escape?"
"That is a small matter; you need not worry. In this world,
