Qin Jiuye stood with both feet on the wooden floorboards carved with magnolia blossoms. Her ears caught the whirring of a rotating glass lantern that spun even without a breeze, while her eyes peered through the gaps in the floor at the slow-moving waters of Lixin Lake beneath. She couldn't help but fall into a daze.
She was currently in the "powder room" at the stern of the pleasure boat. This was a place for the distinguished guests on the third floor to relieve themselves, wash their faces, or empty their stomachs. Though it was on a boat, it was far superior to the latrine at Tingfeng Hall, which was so dilapidated it practically resembled a pigsty. Not only were there lamps lit and incense burning, but several riddles had even been thoughtfully inscribed upon the glass lanterns, as if the hosts feared the guests might find their time spent squatting there tedious.
Naturally, Qin Jiuye had no interest in the riddles, but she didn't want to leave just yet.
Perhaps because she was a guest of the third floor, the servant who had attended to her earlier had been exceptionally eager. In the blink of an eye, he had presented her with a silver ladle used for brewing tea so she could scoop up lake water to clean her clothes. She had draped her cross-collared jacket—half its sleeve soaked—over a bamboo pole meant for towels. She hoped the garment, with its richly embroidered edges and expensive appearance, would quickly return to its original state, yet she also secretly wished it would dry slowly. That way, she wouldn't have to return so soon to that suffocating table to stare awkwardly at those two men.
Shifting her aching legs, Qin Jiuye idly surveyed the four walls of the small room.
Though the compartment extended out from the hull, its four sides and ceiling were enclosed, making it feel like a proper room. Upon closer inspection, however, the walls were woven from fine bamboo silk. This provided privacy while allowing air to circulate—a design full of clever ingenuity. How long must such a sophisticated pleasure boat have languished in the shipyard, and how much silver must have been squandered to build it? How much manpower and resources were poured into maintaining the absurd nightlife of everyone on board? Qin Jiuye felt that no matter how shrewd she was, she couldn't calculate the cost, for she was entirely ignorant of such a world.
She only knew that the feast Xu Qiuchi had laid out was certainly not cheap. If she followed her own logic, she could never believe he had invited her aboard to eat and drink for free just to say a few foolish words. Yet, the fact that he had simply walked away and had yet to return suggested there were no truly important matters left to discuss.
It was strange; if someone were to explain that the profligate young master simply acted on whim, with such reckless and absurd lack of discipline, she wouldn't find it entirely unbelievable. That was simply the kind of person Xu Qiuchi was. Sometimes she found him ridiculously laughable, sometimes she felt he was full of malice and should be kept at a distance, and sometimes she felt an indescribable ease and casualness when with him.
Regardless, perhaps he had simply forgotten the time while "reminiscing" with his brother, or perhaps he had some other "sinister plot" to execute that had delayed him. In any case, it had little to do with her anymore.
Since she was here, she might as well make the best of it. Thinking this, Qin Jiuye straightened her back and leaned toward a hole in the bamboo silk to look outside.
Lixin Lake was even more bustling now than when she had first boarded. The sect vessels that had been racing and chasing waves during the day had all vanished into the darkness, replaced by massive pleasure boats. These boats crowded the areas where the lake view was widest, not far from the shore. Interspersed among them were dozens of gaily-painted boats and hundreds of small sampans. Red candles and wax lamps reflected off the water, shimmering in a sea of gold and crimson. The sound of bells and drums grew increasingly clamorous, drifting across the lake on the wind along with falling petals and fragrant powders.
The term *fang*—a painted boat—carried the meaning of "two boats joined together." Often, groups of these boats were linked across the river like a bridge, rising and falling with the waves in the mist like overlapping distant mountains, a truly magnificent sight. However, Qin Jiuye, who had grown up by the water and followed Qin Sanyou in making a living from the mountains and rivers, had never seen such a peculiar spectacle.
The cargo docks near Jiugao were busy year-round, but those docks were usually a mass of pitch black after dark. Aside from a few guiding lights, ordinary boatmen could not afford to light their vessels so brightly.
Perhaps her life was simply fated to lack certain things. She found these enjoyments and pastimes from another world strangely difficult to stomach. Looking from afar, they held a certain novelty, but once she was in the midst of them, she felt an unspeakable unease and discomfort.
The faces swaying in the light of the oars looked like those of ordinary people, but the expressions they wore were foreign to her. These people seemed never to have been ground down by the weight and hardship of life; they never lost sleep worrying about whether they would have rice or flour to eat tomorrow. They could squander, jeer, and clamor through the night, satisfying their various desires within the rocking hulls. These simple, crude, and primal desires emerged from the shadows like gullies eroded by flowing water; once formed, they were difficult to fill and would only erode deeper and deeper. Those caught within would immerse themselves in this sinking pleasure, gradually losing their judgment of boundaries and bottom lines. They would release the monsters hidden deep in their hearts, twisting their souls into all manner of terrifying shapes. For in the deepest gloom, no light could penetrate, and naturally, no one could spy upon the secrets within that darkness.
If people of the martial world hid such corners unknown to ordinary folk, how many dark nests had been built beneath the embroidered doors, carved beams, red pillars, and engraved rafters she had never seen?
The small incense burner hanging nearby to scent the clothes gradually dimmed. The fragrant powder had burned away, leaving half a pot of ash.
Qin Jiuye snapped out of her reverie briefly, stepped forward to light another pot, and when she turned back to the lake, she froze.
At some point, a painted boat had sailed into her line of sight, no more than a few dozen feet from the pleasure boat she was on. It was close enough that she could see figures moving inside through the candlelight of a window on the opposite gunwale.
It was a window of peculiar design, meticulously carved into the shape of a folding fan. It lacked the rigid lattice shutters of a typical painted boat; instead, a piece of gauze as thin as a cicada's wing was stretched across the opening.
Under the glow of the lamps, the gauze looked like a smooth canvas, and this canvas was framed by the window into the shape of a fan. The shadows of guests and entertainers inside were projected upon it, resembling a living fan painting. The drunken scholars and travelers within used the window as their scenery, looking out at the lake, the mountains, and the vast misty waves, becoming a stroke of the brush in the painting themselves—a clever idea where both sides enhanced each other's beauty.
The sound of string and woodwind instruments ceased, and the beat of a drum rose. Soon, a clear silhouette appeared on the fan-shaped window. It seemed to be a youth standing with a sword, his steps light and his form agile. He moved to the beat of the drum, weaving the rhythm into the dense movements of the longsword he brandished. The sound of the sharp blade cutting through the air matched the drum's tempo perfectly, then gradually grew faster and louder, taking over the lead. The ringing of the sword guided the drums; though it was merely a sword dance, it faintly exuded the momentum of an eagle striking from the sky or a fish leaping through the dragon gate.
For some reason, when she had watched those martial arts newcomers competing for the Jade Sword from afar at Xuanyu Shoal earlier, Qin Jiuye had found it tedious. Now, watching an anonymous youth dance with a sword through the gauze, she found herself somewhat entranced. Unknowingly, the silhouette on the window grew chaotic, and the noisy voices of the guests inside gradually fell silent.
Finally, the youth finished the piece and stopped his movements, standing with his head bowed like a shadow puppet whose strings had suddenly been cut, waiting for the puppeteer's judgment.
The sword dancer was still, but there was movement among the guests. A shadow slowly stood up, appearing heavily intoxicated as he staggered toward the youth.
He approached the boy and said something in a dissatisfied tone. In the next instant, he suddenly erupted. A drawn longsword, like the venomous fangs in a serpent's mouth, instantly transfixed the youth's body. The latter, despite holding a sword in his own hand, merely stood there blankly, allowing the crazed figure to hack him to the ground.
Splattered blood hit the fan-shaped window, like red plum blossoms silently blooming across the fan's surface.
Qin Jiuye was stunned, hardly able to believe what she had just witnessed. It felt as though something was blocking the depths of her throat, making even breathing difficult.
She forced her eyes to move, turning her gaze to the lake surface surrounding the painted boat.
Yet everything remained as it was before. The shadows of the red candles were not disturbed in the slightest; the bells and drums did not cease for a moment.
The night was still long, and the pleasure was not yet exhausted. No one noticed the scene that had occurred on that boat—or perhaps some had noticed but were already accustomed to it, regarding it with indifference. In the blink of an eye, they could put the scene entirely out of their minds, just as they did when brushing past the disabled entertainers, musicians, and boat girls.
Qin Jiuye blinked, as if to confirm whether she was the only one in the world who saw those spots of bright red on the window.
She didn't know how many times she blinked, but the red remained. However, before long, a group of servants and maids flashed past the window. In the next moment, the gauze beside the fan-shaped window was removed, and the hazy shadows behind the window revealed their true forms.
Those seated at the table were dressed so elegantly and properly, their expressions so calm and relaxed—at a glance, they could even be called kind and pleasant. If one met them on a street market during the day, one might even smile and nod in greeting. No one would imagine that among them hid a murderer who killed for no great reason, treating human life like grass.
Or perhaps, every one of them was a murderer.
The moment the half-concealed barrier fell, their identities were briefly exposed to the murky night. Yet, they only needed to drag away the corpse and put up new gauze; they wouldn't even have to wait for the sun to rise before no one remembered their true faces.
In the blink of an eye, a dozen maids and servants filed in carrying wooden buckets and brushes. Several buckets of lake water were washed down, and the bloodstains splattered on the floor faded instantly. Yet, across the distance of several yards, Qin Jiuye felt as if she could clearly smell the cold, fishy scent of blood permeating that exquisite painted boat.
*Whatever the master wants them to do, they must do—becoming playthings at a banquet, targets for venting anger, puppets to take the blame for others...*
Ding Miao's words suddenly echoed in her mind, and Qin Jiuye abruptly took half a step back.
*So, had he also been on such a boat? Was he a follower attending a banquet with his master, or a link in a feast set by an employer?*
If a person had experienced such a sordid past, into what shape would their soul be twisted, and could they ever return to their original form in this lifetime?
As a physician, she could not even cure every illness. As a speck of dust drifting through the mortal world, unable even to grasp her own fate, could she truly save the soul of another sufferer?
Qin Jiuye withdrew her prying gaze. Before her eyes flashed again the images of those blind, deaf, or mute entertainers and maids. The fine delicacies churning in her stomach began to surge uncontrollably, giving her a sense of nausea and dizziness.
She hastily pulled out the freshly replenished mint salve from her waist, scooped out a glob, and smeared it under her nose. Only then did the discomfort gradually dissipate.
Raising her hand to touch the clothes on the wooden rack, Qin Jiuye took one last glance toward the painted boat. Everything there had returned to normal. The servants and maids who had finished the cleaning were withdrawing with bowed heads, exiting through the small doors on either side of the gunwale and heading along the deck toward the stern.
But just then, something flashed by, causing her gaze to freeze.
It was a tall maid with a light veil over her face. Her pace as she left was half a beat slower than the others. At first glance, her attire was no different from the other maids, but upon closer inspection, one could see that her hands were always hidden within her sleeves. As she moved, she was like a silent shadow.
A strangely familiar feeling welled up in her heart, and Qin Jiuye's eyes involuntarily followed the maid's footsteps. Almost in the next instant, the maid at the very back suddenly stopped. Then, as if sensing something, she abruptly turned her head to look in Qin Jiuye's direction.
Those were eyes adorned with slanted red makeup and floral ornaments, making it almost impossible to discern their original appearance. But the look in them was chilling; though they were only looking at each other across the water, it caused Qin Jiuye to break into a cold sweat.
It all happened in a flash. Before she could react, the maid had withdrawn her gaze and continued forward, as if she had never paused at all.
Qin Jiuye's heart pounded wildly.
She recognized the owner of those eyes. That person was the fugitive currently wanted by the government, the assassin from the World's Number One Villa—Ciyizhen, the Mercy Needle.
In truth, she had only seen Ciyizhen three times in total. The first was during the consultation at the Su Manor; she had been dealing with the woman for the first time, her mind entirely on the "ill" Su Muhe, and she hadn't even looked at her closely. The second was in the backyard of Tingfeng Hall, when the other had broken in as an assassin, and she had only seen a silhouette from afar. The third was that life-and-death encounter on the Su family's cargo boat.
But sometimes, people naturally pay more attention to dangerous things, especially if that thing had nearly killed them. Even a glance from afar or a few muffled sounds could instantly produce an indescribable sense of familiarity.
This familiarity was not warm; it carried a chill, like a needle hidden within a piece of soft, fine silk. At first glance, nothing seemed amiss, but a closer look would make one's skin crawl.
Seeing that figure about to disappear from view along with the other maids, and with Xu Qiuchi's whereabouts unknown and Qiu Ling nowhere to be found... as for Li Qiao... Qin Jiuye felt a surge of uncontrollable fear and hesitation. Her hand instinctively reached for the medicine pouch at her waist, but it brushed against something cold and hard.
She slowly lowered her head and looked at the half-piece of jade pendant peeking out from her waist. Her ragged breathing gradually steadied.
What had she been thinking when she sat on the old camphor tree until dawn? How had she honestly invited the young Supervisor afterward? And what had she said to Lu Zican today?
Steadying her trembling hands, Qin Jiuye haphazardly snatched her half-dried outer garment from the rack, threw it over her shoulders, and bolted out of the small room.
The third floor of the pleasure boat was lined with private rooms on both sides. Unless one walked to the bow or stern, one couldn't see outside. Ciyizhen had likely already turned in another direction. She could only try going down to the second or first floor, hoping to confirm the woman's identity before she lost her trail completely. However, given that fleeting eye contact, it was hard to say if Ciyizhen had noticed her spying. Qin Jiuye was anxious, her steps quickening, when a private room along the corridor suddenly opened. Several martial artists, arms around each other's shoulders, stepped out and came toward her.
The men wore long robes and carried swords, their faces flushed with wine. They seemed no different from the martial world drunks who often frequented the back alleys of Tingfeng Hall.
But after witnessing that scene on the painted boat with her own eyes, Qin Jiuye felt she couldn't tell if those approaching her were humans or demons wearing human skin.
A gust of wind brought the scent of alcohol. Before she could react, they were right in front of her.
In all things, it wasn't the expected that was dangerous, but the one-in-ten-thousand chance. Her encounter with Zhu Fuxue by the lake was still fresh in her mind, and the sights of tonight were deeply etched into her brain. If these repeated brushes with danger couldn't make her alert, her so-called "martial world career" would be over in a matter of days.
Compared to these martial artists, Qin Jiuye's footwork was by no means agile. But her mind was quick, and her reactions were fast. Catching sight of several maids coming out of another room to pour wine, she immediately slowed her pace. She used the opportunity to follow behind the maids, keeping her head down and hugging the wall, passing the laughing martial artists just like that.
Turning a corner and passing through a fan-shaped doorway, the wine-pouring maids had already moved far ahead. Qin Jiuye quickly looked back, confirming those men hadn't noticed her. Only then did she heave a long sigh of relief. She scanned the area for the stairs, and just as she was about to dash toward them, a figure suddenly lunged from the side, grabbing her and pushing her into the darkness.
At the end of the corridor, the martial artists had already laughed their way into the distance. Qin Jiuye's breathing was shallow as she stiffly turned her head, seeing the face of the youth hidden in the shadows of the carved lattice door.
He had changed back into those familiar old clothes from Guoran Residence, but the expression on his face was foreign.
He held her very tightly, making her almost unable to move. She had to exert a great deal of effort just to lift her head, which was adorned with a bun and golden hairpins. Before she could open her mouth to question him, he spoke first in a frantic voice.
"What is Sister doing? Where are you going? Why did you leave without a word? Did that man named Ding bully you earlier? Or are you angry that I came uninvited, so you're intentionally avoiding me..."
Facing Li Qiao's string of questions, Qin Jiuye felt a breath stuck in her chest, neither rising nor falling, making her feel quite miserable.
She was the one who should be asking questions, yet he was the one playing the victim.
Did he think she was such a timid and useless person that she would flee from this boat? Just because she had suffered some grievances during the day, and had just heard some stories about the World's Number One Villa and witnessed the way those martial world scumbags treated human life like grass?
This damn martial world was, in the end, no different from the Su Manor—a place where the strong bullied the weak. Any sense of chivalry or benevolence had been fed to the dogs; beneath the skin of golden silk and heavenly robes were nothing but monsters and demons.
What kind of "little cabbage" was that academy teacher she'd only met twice? And what kind of "green onion" was he, Li Qiao! Every one of them came to frighten her, a hapless physician who didn't understand "martial world rules." If they were so capable, they should go find Di Mo! They should go find Zhu Fuxue!
Her heart seethed and surged. Qin Jiuye stared fixedly at the youth's face hidden in the darkness. From somewhere, a burst of brute strength welled up, and she violently broke free from his arms.
Not far away, a performance on the stage ended, and the surroundings suddenly fell silent.
Li Qiao stood there with his arms half-open, his face filled with unconcealed shock and hesitation.
He looked down at his empty arms, seemingly unable to understand why they were held in such a posture. This wasn't any palm technique he had practiced, nor any move he had seen. He had simply seen her in a hurry to leave, to go away, and his hands had uncontrollably grabbed her.
These hands of his, meant for killing, seemed to be growing more and more familiar with this movement. And when she pushed him away without mercy, he couldn't even manage a gesture to make her stay.
The two faced each other, speechless for a time.
After a moment, the youth moved first. He seemed to want to step forward, but he saw the woman involuntarily take half a step back.
Her movement was quick and sharp, as if an invisible needle lay between them, making her instinctively want to hide.
Then, she looked up at him.
It was a fleeting glance, seemingly devoid of much emotion, yet filled with a subconscious resistance and alienation. It was just like the expression she wore when she inconspicuously slapped away the hand of a greedy medical apprentice trying to steal hawthorn pills, or the expression she wore when she smilingly rejected a medicine peddler's exorbitant price at the Qingyang Market.
She only looked at him once and said nothing. He didn't dare do anything more, and his half-extended hand finally dropped slowly.
He knew she was angry. But why she was angry, he couldn't understand.
Was it because he hadn't given that Mr. Ding a good look earlier? Or was it because he had followed her regardless of the consequences?
A thousand possibilities were turned over in his mind in an instant, but the woman before him wasn't thinking about him at all.
"I have business. Don't block the way."
She didn't answer his string of questions, but looking at her expression, she perhaps didn't care about the things discussed at the table earlier.
He was being paranoid, getting ahead of himself.
The youth breathed a secret sigh of relief and slowly moved forward, carefully maintaining the small distance between them.
"The martial world is a place of mixed company. I saw that Sister had not returned for a long time and felt uneasy, so I came out to look."
Qin Jiuye didn't speak. She just walked hurriedly toward the stairs, looking around as she went, pointedly not looking at the person in front of her.
The always-alert bladesman finally noticed her searching gaze and asked belatedly, "Why does Sister look so restless? Has something happened?"
Qin Jiuye glanced at him. Though she was still fuming, she forced herself to calm down. After careful thought, she spoke truthfully.
"I think I just saw Ciyizhen."
Hearing this, Li Qiao's expression indeed stiffened. He immediately looked warily at the long corridor behind them, but he didn't see that figure.
He was somewhat uneasy, but more than that, he felt an indescribable anxiety.
"What did she do? Did she approach you? Or did she say anything to you..."
Qin Jiuye quietly watched the nervous look on the person before her. After a long while, she slowly shook her head.
"She was on another boat nearby, still disguised as a maid. Perhaps she sensed something, as she went toward the stern of that boat alone. It was a bit far, so I'm not certain it was her. I hadn't had a chance to confirm it before you came over."
Li Qiao nodded, the turbulence in his eyes seeming to ease slightly.
However, in the next moment, the woman stopped looking at him and headed straight down the stairs.
In a panic, he quickly blocked her. "What are you doing?"
Qin Jiuye gave him a strange look. "Finding a way to confirm it. Don't you want to know? If it really is her, why would she appear here? Wanted posters for her have been put up in all the towns near Jiugao. She didn't hide her tracks and flee, but chose to show herself tonight. If she isn't acting out of sheer arrogance because she has someone backing her, then she must have some other plan."
"I'll go." Li Qiao took a deep breath, his tone becoming anxious again. "I'll go. You just wait for me here. She is dangerous; you shouldn't chase after her alone."
*Is that so? How dangerous? Is it because she tried to kill me on the Su family boat before? Or because Ciyizhen is actually from the World's Number One Villa?*
*And what about you? Aren't you dangerous? You're so anxious to chase after her now, not because you're truly worried about me, but because Ciyizhen knows your secret, right?*
Countless questions rang out in her heart one by one, only to return to a suppressed calm.
Perhaps seeing her silence, the youth's face showed an undeniable urgency. "I beg you, Sister. Let me go for you, alright?"
Qin Jiuye looked at the youth's clean, fair face. After a long time, she said in a calm voice, "I cannot wait for you too long. Let the fireworks be our deadline. If the fireworks on the lake have finished and you have not returned, I will have to go find the Supervisor. Remember to leave her alive."
*It's just dealing with Ciyizhen. It shouldn't take too long. He wouldn't give her the chance to go find that man named Qiu.*
Li Qiao finally breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, stepping aside. After walking a few steps, he seemed to remember something and turned back.
"Sister, don't get too close to that Mr. Ding."
Qin Jiuye's eyes flickered. "Why? Do you know him?"
Li Qiao paused, then shook his head. "I don't."
"Sometimes a person can't even judge someone they know well, let alone a stranger. Don't meddle in things that don't concern you."
Qin Jiuye finished speaking expressionlessly, turned, and left without another word, never sparing the youth another glance.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
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净房 | Powder room / Washroom | A place for guests to relieve themselves or wash up.
扇形边窗 | Fan-shaped window | A decorative window shaped like a folding fan.
纱縠 | Gauze / Fine silk | A thin, translucent fabric used as a window screen.
斜红 | Slanted red makeup | A style of ancient Chinese makeup involving red marks on the temples.
花钿 | Floral ornaments | Decorative forehead ornaments, often floral-shaped.
慈衣针 | Ciyizhen / Mercy Needle | The name of the female assassin from the World's Number One Villa.
天下第一庄 | World's Number One Villa | Also known as Peerless Manor; a powerful martial arts organization.
果然居 | Guoran Residence | The name of the inn/residence where Li Qiao and Qin Jiuye stayed.
丁渺 / 丁先生 | Ding Miao / Mr. Ding | The mysterious scholar/teacher Qin Jiuye met.
狄墨 | Di Mo | A character mentioned as a formidable figure in the martial world.
朱覆雪 | Zhu Fuxue | A character previously encountered by Qin Jiuye.
