It had been six or seven years since it last snowed in Yuzhou.
Snow could not linger here; the moment it touched the ground, it merged with the mountains and the earth, returning to wherever it had come from.
Chuanliu Courtyard had never been so quiet. All news, along with the sound of the wind, had come to a standstill.
The young master in the bamboo building had departed in silence. Outside, those who had followed him for half their lives bid him farewell with their own silence, letting his name fade into the waters of the martial world, as quiet as his arrival.
His story, along with everything here, would remain a secret forever. From this day forward, Young Master Yan was no more.
As the crowd lingered at the ferry, preparing to board the boats, Qin Jiuye thought of Old Tang. She wondered how he would have dramatized the life of this hidden, legendary man if he were still alive.
As if sensing her thoughts, Tang Yue appeared before her, holding an umbrella.
Amidst the mingling rain and snow, the two seemed to have returned to the gates of the Hall of Listening Winds. After standing opposite each other for a moment, they nodded in unison. Tang Yue then reached into his robes and produced a booklet.
"Back at the Hall of Listening Winds, Miss Qin mentioned wanting a manuscript written by Mr. Tang in his earlier years. This half-volume may not be much, but the Great Manor of Heaven has confiscated and burned many over the years. What remains is rare. Please accept this as a memento."
The booklet’s corners were damp, its cover made of indigo paper, the contents hand-copied on thin leather-paper. On the replacement cover, three of the four characters for *The Strategist’s Legacy* were blurred. It looked utterly ordinary. Qin Jiuye tucked the booklet close to her person, returned the gesture with a solemn bow, and whispered, "Mr. Tang is most thoughtful. However, I still have unfinished business and cannot attend to the Courtyard’s many affairs for the time being..."
Despite her best efforts to arrange matters, the largest place she had ever managed was the two dilapidated rooms of Guoran Residence. She truly did not know how to take over a secret Jianghu organization in the midst of a transition.
Before her hesitation and worry could be voiced, the man before her already understood. He spoke immediately.
"The Young Master chose to place Chuanliu Courtyard in your hands not so you could guard this place like a resident physician. As long as you remember what you promised him, it does not matter where we are or if we meet again. The rivers of the world are connected and never cease to flow; our hearts will always be joined."
Qin Jiuye’s hand tightened over the booklet through her clothes. She looked up, only to realize that at some point, the people of Chuanliu Courtyard had all gathered at the edge of the bamboo forest, watching her silently.
Tang Wu stood at the front, arms crossed. His eyes were still red and swollen. When their gazes met, he quickly looked away.
"They wanted to see you off. I couldn't stop them."
Qin Jiuye didn't mind his avoidance. She could now distinguish between the twin brothers without effort.
"Teng Hu’s prescription should hold for a while. I will find a solution as soon as possible so as not to make things difficult for you. The Courtyard needs hands to function, but remember that they are patients, not firewood to be used and discarded. I hear Mr. Tang deals with them the most, so please, take care."
As she finished her instructions, before Tang Wu could respond, someone in the crowd cleared their throat to remind her.
"Miss Qin, he is Ah Wu."
Mr. Tang was Mr. Tang, and Ah Wu was Ah Wu. The people in this courtyard had a habit of naming that was never explicitly stated, which Qin Jiuye had noticed early on. She did not rush to explain herself, but simply turned to Tang Wu.
"Is your surname not also Tang? There is nothing wrong with calling you 'Mister' as well."
Tang Wu froze. After a long moment, he slowly lowered his arms, pursed his lips, and muttered, "I’m the one responsible for catching people. Naturally, I’m the one running around the back courtyard the most. If you’re worried, come back and see for yourself."
Qin Jiuye nodded, pretending not to see his awkward expression, and turned to Auntie Xiong.
The moment Auntie Xiong saw her look over, her eyes reddened. She stepped forward, choking back a sob. "It’s a promise, then. Miss Qin must come back when she’s free. We still have so much to talk about. Everyone is hoping you’ll teach us more skills so that even without Mr. Teng Hu, we can do the work ourselves. Oh, and about you and Xiao Sa..."
Just as she started, Qin Jiuye hurriedly pulled out a list she had written earlier and pressed it into the woman's hand, gripping it firmly as she gave her instructions.
"The formula for Orange Cinnabar is extremely complex. Many of the ingredients are not hard to find, but gathering them all in a short time is no easy feat. Especially the herbs unique to this Yuzhou region; they must be harvested from the mountains during the right season. Had I not come here, I wouldn't have dared to even think of it."
Auntie Xiong wiped her eyes and scanned the list of herbs. She spoke with renewed vigor. "Don't you worry, Miss. I’ve worked in the infirmary for four or five years. I know exactly how many ginseng roots are on these hills and how many whiskers are on each root. Just give me enough hands, and I guarantee I’ll fill your boat within days. When do you need them? The men and women of our infirmary are just waiting for your command."
The sorrow of parting was largely dispelled by the woman’s words. Thinking of the courtyard full of people waiting for her in Yuzhou, a sense of "family burden" spontaneously arose. Qin Jiuye didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She turned to Tang Yue for her final instructions.
"I have reached an agreement with the Protector-General, and Lord Tan will also assist. Meng Ke’s situation is special, so I will take him with me first. The women and the patients in poor condition should be evacuated to the nearby town as soon as possible. The rest will leave in three batches. Mr. Tang, you will bring up the rear. If there are any difficulties, send word to me at any time. I shouldn't be leaving Yuzhou for a while..."
"Does Miss Qin take us for weak, old, and disabled people with no courage?" Tang Yue interrupted her nagging gently, bowing respectfully. "The Young Master placed Chuanliu Courtyard in your hands not for you to take care of us, but for us to become the blades in your hand."
Qin Jiuye looked at his slightly bowed back and reached out to help him up. Then, she looked at the crowd before the bamboo forest.
"I understand his intent, and I do not underestimate your skills. I only hope that after this is over, everyone can have a life of their own."
She was not Young Master Yan, nor would she become the next Young Master Yan.
Whether the people standing before the sea of bamboo understood her thoughts or not, they spoke in unison the next moment. "The road ahead is treacherous. Please take care of yourself, Miss."
They did not bow formally again, but simply nodded to her like friends saying goodbye. Qin Jiuye gave one last wave, and Qiu Ling’s voice rose behind her at the right moment.
"Let’s go. It’s time."
Qiu Ling would surely have dealings with Chuanliu Courtyard in the future. Qin Jiuye had wanted to take this chance to let the two sides communicate face-to-face, but then she remembered the inexplicable generational grudges. She decided it was better to say less and followed him toward the boats.
She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but the moment she turned to leave, that strange sensation of being watched—like thorns against her back—suddenly returned. But when she turned to look, the feeling vanished.
Amidst the swaying bamboo shadows, whispers were drowned out by the wind in the leaves, discernible only to those within.
"Is that the Jade-Breaker? I didn't get a good look at him when he came to the courtyard before. Seeing him today, he does indeed have some style."
"The Qiu family is of military lineage, and this Jade-Breaker has trained in the army for years. Why does he lack the vulgar arrogance of those from the ranks?"
"You fickle creature! You’ve only seen him once, and already your heart has strayed?"
The bamboo forest fell silent for a moment.
The various legends regarding the son of the Black Moon Army’s leader—the Jade-Breaker of Kunxu—had quietly stepped out of the realm of distant imagination and into reality. Something was silently changing.
"Who is that at the bow? It couldn't be..."
It was indeed the second young master of the Qiu family.
In just a few days, he had grown noticeably thinner. His belt was loose, his clothes hung wide, and his once somewhat handsome face was now sallow. He swayed as he walked. The moment he stood at the bow and caught sight of Jiang Xin'er, he shrank back, looking like he couldn't bear the light.
"I take back what I said. These Qiu family members are still not quite up to par. We should be more cautious when dealing with them in the future."
The bamboo forest rustled again. The wind blew the leaves into a strange shape before they returned to normal.
Perhaps in a few days, new rumors about the Jade-Breaker and his useless younger brother would begin to circulate in the martial world.
Qin Jiuye rubbed her ears. Without the constant sound of the wind in the bamboo forest, she felt a bit out of place. She stood at the bow, listening to the waves.
A cold wind brushed past her from behind, accompanied by familiar cynicism.
"Young Master Yan must have been blind to leave Chuanliu Courtyard in your hands."
Qin Jiuye didn't turn around. She just coughed and said truthfully, "He was indeed blind, but that wasn't a recent development."
The cold wind blew, and Teng Hu’s round face shrank further into his raccoon fur collar, making his neck disappear entirely.
The two stood side by side at the bow. They didn't look like harmonious partners who had faced life and death together; instead, they had the wretched, sinister air of black-market buyers meeting for a deal.
"Can you say it now? The secret in your insect cage." Qin Jiuye spoke suddenly, having clearly brooded over the question for a long time. "Even if you don't want to admit it, Chuanliu Courtyard is nominally in my hands now. What Young Master Yan knew, I must know as well."
The person beside her let out a raspy cackle, as if he had been waiting for her to ask.
" I’m afraid you won't be able to sleep once you know."
Qin Jiuye yawned, never once looking at him. "If you won't say it, I’m going back to wash up and sleep..."
"Did Young Master Yan ever mention why he built Chuanliu Courtyard here?"
Qin Jiuye paused, her gaze drifting into the distance.
The twilight was heavy, and the light on the horizon was about to vanish. The edge of the bamboo sea became blurred in the dim yellow light, looking like a fuzzy blanket rolling in waves under the wind.
"The Jichao Forbidden Zone provides cover. People of the martial world wouldn't think to investigate here, and Lord Tan provides much care for him and the people of the courtyard. Furthermore, the descendants of Jichao can ease their homesickness here."
"Those are merely the obvious reasons. The fundamental reason he stayed here is because of this sea of bamboo." Teng Hu finally turned his head, his somber voice ringing in her ear word by word. "What I carry in my insect cage is the pollen left behind after the Sea Cloud Bamboo flowers."
Qin Jiuye froze, failing to react for a moment. "Sea Cloud Bamboo? Isn't that..."
Sea Cloud Bamboo was once Jichao’s "Honey-colored Cloud," but now it was nothing but scorched earth across the mountains.
When she had crossed the deep mountains of Jichao, Qin Jiuye had wondered: bamboo has deep, connected roots and tenacious vitality, so why had the Sea Cloud Bamboo on that mountain failed to regain its life after so many years, remaining a dead expanse? Now she finally understood. It was because those stalks had suddenly spiked and flowered in a single night, and bamboo dies in massive swathes shortly after flowering.
"So... is this the true reason the Black Moon Army burned the mountain back then?"
She murmured the question. Seeing the expression on her face, Teng Hu knew she had guessed part of it. He gave voice to the truth she dared not speak.
"Even with the most terrifying plague, there is a period between infection and the onset of symptoms. When a disease spreads, everyone is infected at different times and has different physical conditions, leading to different onset times and varying degrees of severity. But the ancient city of Jichao turned into a city of hell in just seven days. My master was certain there was a hidden reason, and he finally discovered this secret."
This was the necessity behind the Black Moon Army’s decision to burn the mountain at all costs. This was the hidden hardship behind Qiu Yan, a great general of his generation, ultimately falling into ruin and infamy. This was the true reason the tragedy of Jichao was irreversible.
She had previously thought the culprit that triggered Li Qiao’s illness was some medicinal powder Teng Hu had concocted. She never imagined it would be something that naturally existed in the world.
The secret formula had been lost for years, and bamboo flowering only once every few decades was rare. But once it happened, it occurred in vast patches. If there were a large number of potential patients nearby, the tragedy of Jichao would inevitably repeat itself.
The last trace of joy from deciphering the secret formula vanished at that moment. Qin Jiuye’s palms, resting on the railing, broke into a cold sweat.
"Since Young Master Yan knew this, why didn't he tell me? Is he mad? Did he think he could control the situation just because he had the antidote? Even an ordinary plague can be overwhelming. If we aren't fully prepared, then..."
"What do you think he’s been busy with in secret all these years? Chuanliu Courtyard is spread across the world. He spent a lot of time secretly visiting inhabited places where bamboo grows, sending people to observe the state of the forests and burying oil nearby. If the day comes when the winds of fate turn foul, he would turn everything into a sea of fire, leaving no future troubles. The only person who could make that decision without hesitation at the critical moment is me, not you. And though I have told you this, I will not tell you where that oil is buried."
Until the very end, Young Master Yan still could not fully trust her. Even as he claimed to place Chuanliu Courtyard in her hands and entrusted his long-time followers to her, he remained extraordinarily cold and cautious regarding the secret formula.
Never fully trusting a single person—this was his lesson and experience, and the foolproof method of a leader.
Perhaps because she had no deep friendship with Young Master Yan, Qin Jiuye did not feel much of an emotional stir upon hearing this.
"And you? Why did you tell him this in the first place?"
"Naturally, it was an exchange for our cooperation. What else did you think?"
He answered quickly, and Qin Jiuye immediately countered. "But you’ve told me now as well. What do you hope to gain in exchange?"
"The symptoms of the secret formula have been solved. What use is knowing this? You claim to be a merchant; how can you not see the pros and cons?" Teng Hu looked at her askance, his gaze cold and heartless. "My master once believed there was some profound connection between the Sea Cloud Bamboo and the secret formula. He spent much time and energy researching it, only to find nothing. Other than being able to trigger the illness in those already infected, this thing is useless."
Having said his piece, he seemed bored with the conversation. He hunched his neck and walked away with a flick of his sleeves.
Qin Jiuye watched his back for a long time. When she turned back to the distance, the last silhouette of the bamboo sea had vanished into the twilight.
To Young Master Yan, Teng Hu’s talent and his status as Zuo Ci’s disciple were enough; he would never have needed to propose a so-called exchange. And as Teng Hu said himself, the Sea Cloud Bamboo was a dead end Zuo Ci had taken. Why would he bother mentioning these past events to Young Master Yan for the sake of people he didn't care about?
Or perhaps, some things were not as the parties involved claimed.
****** ****** ******
The autumn rains had not ceased, and half of Longshu was submerged.
Compared to the misery of the surrounding small towns, Jiugao could be considered the only peaceful haven and shelter within a hundred miles.
Thanks to the water management efforts of the local Flood Control Commandant years ago, the nearby river embankments were quite sturdy. Several important waterways were cleared regularly every year. The newly renovated urban drainage system had withstood months of rain and rising rivers. While chaos reigned outside the city, the people inside still went about their lives at a leisurely pace.
Yet, within this calm, there was an indescribable restlessness. For instance, the rice prices that had finally dropped were being secretly hiked again. The wine shops in the city were joining the fray, claiming the wine used for the Emperor’s Great Sacrifice was produced in Jiugao. Furthermore, the night watchman job had passed through several hands before finally falling to a newcomer named Tao San.
The situation had been poor lately. Many refugees fleeing disaster had flooded into the city, and various jobs were in short supply, affecting even minor officials like Tao San. He had previously managed to get transferred to a job planting bamboo outside the city. In addition to his monthly salary, he could earn daily wages. Who would have thought that the embankment official surnamed Song was a stubborn old man? Despite his age, he supervised the work personally, exhausting Tao San every day. In the end, after only a few days, he was sent back, told that the rain was too heavy this year and the bamboo likely wouldn't survive, so they would hire again next spring.
The Golden Rain Bamboo along the Huan River grew in vast thickets. Lord Fan had been secretly harvesting it for years without thinning it out. What difference did a few missing stalks make compared to a few lost hairs? He didn't know who that official was putting on a show for with such pettiness.
Cursing aside, life had to go on.
Winter was coming. He didn't know if the bamboo would live, but he knew that if things continued like this, his family would starve.
Gritting his teeth, he finally took the night watchman job.
It wasn't surprising that no one wanted it. After all, the bloody case on Sangma Street in the south of the city had happened only a few months ago. If the supervisor hadn't personally promised him an extra two taels of silver a month, he wouldn't have taken the job for anything.
Tao San tightened his collar and shook himself awake. He passed the Lotus Wharf and finally stepped onto the last street.
The eldest son of the Qiu family, who had become the Protector-General, had used thunderous methods to solve the case shortly after arriving. Besides, this was the north of the city, not the same as that den of iniquity in the south. He was just on a routine patrol; what could happen? Once he finished this street next to the Prefectural Office, his duty for the night would be over. He could collect his silver and go home to rest for a whole day.
Speaking of Lord Fan, he was truly a man who knew how to make a fuss. Perhaps to celebrate the meddling Protector-General finally leaving the city, he had been making a racket in his manor every night lately. The man looked to be over fifty, yet he could still host singing and dancing every night, full of energy. Tao San, on the other hand, just wanted to finish early and go home to sleep.
The Prefectural Office was quieter tonight than he expected. No sounds of music came from within the high walls. The surroundings were so silent he could only hear his own footsteps.
A cold wind blew past, and the hair on the back of the watchman’s neck stood up for no reason. The idle stories he had heard in the teahouse recently began to echo in his head.
Ever since Su Lin was thrown into the dungeon, rumors about the Su family had never ceased. Old stories were unearthed, claiming the Su family had built their fortune on lives and lacked virtue, which was why they were now suffering retribution. They said the Old Matriarch of the Su family had been possessed when she went on her killing spree. Not only that, but the eldest daughter of the Su family had gone mad, and the only son was said to be gravely ill. The entire clan was stained with the misfortune of a plague-ridden fate.
But that wasn't the most terrifying part. It was heard that the Old Matriarch’s funeral had been held at midnight, at a most ominous hour, personally arranged by the second Miss Su, Su Muhe. The whole process was shrouded in mystery; the burial site was a secret, and even the coffin lid was nailed shut for fear that the Old Matriarch would return as a vengeful spirit. And the Old Matriarch had breathed her last in a dungeon—which one? There was only one famous dungeon in the city: the one in Lord Fan’s Prefectural Office. They said if a person died a violent death, their soul would turn into a fierce ghost and linger in that spot, seeking the lives of any unlucky passersby...
Something flashed across the pitch-black street corner ahead. The watchman let out a cry, clutching his chest as he stumbled back several steps, his back slamming hard against the wall.
Are people scared to death by ghosts? No, people are scared to death by themselves.
The watchman wailed inwardly. It was all the fault of the Hall of Listening Winds closing down. To save money on tea, he had gone to the new teahouse across the street, only to hear all those filthy stories. Now, he couldn't pour them out of his head if he tried.
Those old-timers who had been watchmen for decades had seen and heard much; talk of gods and monsters was like wind past their ears. Half the ghost stories in the streets probably originated from them. But he was a newcomer with less than ten days on the job; his training in this regard was clearly insufficient.
Silently chanting about his two taels of silver, the watchman took several deep breaths. He leaned against the base of the Prefectural Office wall and shuffled forward bit by bit. As he walked, he suddenly felt something was wrong.
A faint, strange odor drifted past his nose, somewhat like the smell in front of the fish stalls and butcher shops in the market.
As if possessed, he looked up at the wall behind him. There, on the eight-foot-high wall of the Prefectural Office, sat a head with disheveled hair.
Fear completely blocked his throat. The watchman’s legs gave way, and he slumped at the corner of the wall. The next moment, something fell with a *clatter*, glinting by his feet. He looked closely; it was a pearl hairpin.
He picked up the hairpin and looked up, finally seeing that the disheveled figure was a woman dressed as a dancer. It was only because of her messy hair and pale face that she looked so frightening.
She was a person, not a ghost—that was the best news of the day.
Hope seemed to ignite in the woman’s hollow eyes for an instant. But her mouth, smeared with rouge, had just opened, and before she could utter a single word, she was suddenly yanked away by something. In the blink of an eye, she vanished from the wall.
The watchman froze, failing to react for a moment. He heard a muffled but hair-raising sound from behind the wall, which inexplicably reminded him of the sound of the yellow dog in his village gnawing on bones when he was a child. His gaze slowly lowered, and he saw a pool of dark red liquid seeping out from the dog-hole at the corner of the wall, just barely staining the sole of his shoe.
A moment later, a bloody hand reached out from the hole, groped around, and snatched the pearl hairpin from beside his foot.
Willpower could no longer make him hold his breath. He covered his mouth with his hand, his terrified eyes staring fixedly into the void of the night.
Finally, the sound of breathing across the wall faded away, and his mind went blank.
The feng shui of Jiugao was truly not suited for a watchman’s survival.
Tao San scrambled to his feet and fled for his life, his shaking, trembling shadow bobbing on the bluestone pavement, leaving behind the sound of a shattered spirit.
In the darkness, Qin Jiuye snapped her eyes open.
Outside the window, the sky was still pitch black. The sound of water from the moving boat drifted in, pulling her back to reality.
She didn't know if it was because the secret of the bamboo flowers she had heard during the day was too terrifying, or if Teng Hu’s mouth was truly cursed, but Qin Jiuye had a nightmare that night.
In her dream, she had returned to Jiugao, but the entire city had changed. The indestructible walls were riddled with holes, and the clear river water had turned black and turbid. The Golden Rain Bamboo on both banks had flowered, and glittering pollen drifted into the city. Everyone had turned into bloodthirsty, mindless monsters. Blood flowed like a river on Bobo Street, black smoke billowed from Sizhi Alley, and the old mulberry tree on Liaowu Bridge plunged into the water with a twisted neck. Everywhere were screaming, fleeing figures. She followed the crowded, noisy throng toward the city gates in a daze, only to find a vast ocean outside. There was no sign of Dingweng Village. A giant, hideous Shebishi leaped from the water, swallowing those who attempted to flee by boat in a single bite.
She was alone in this hellish landscape, anxiously searching for Jinbao and everyone from Dingweng Village. Everything in the dream was silent yet noisy. She had shouted herself hoarse, but received no response.
There were still a few hours until dawn, but Qin Jiuye could no longer sleep. While watching the ever-changing river scenery outside the window, she cursed Teng Hu in her heart. She decided to work by lamplight, and just after the hour of the Rabbit began, she went to find Qiu Ling with a heart full of worries.
However, to her surprise, Qiu Ling did not seem to be on this boat.
She stood at the stern, looking into the distance, only to discover that several giant black shadows had appeared in the morning mist behind the boat. Looking closely, they were several large ships, at least three or four stories high. No lights were visible on the ships; perhaps some special means were used to prevent even a glimmer of light from escaping. The sound of the water as they broke the waves was different from ordinary vessels, like giant beasts following behind. Even a hurried glance was enough to inspire awe.
When had those ships started traveling with them? Lord Tan hadn't mentioned them. Did he know something all along but chose not to say? No private entity could possess ships of such scale, let alone appear here in a fleet during a flood...
"What is Sister looking at?"
Li Qiao’s voice rose behind her. Qin Jiuye turned around, composed her thoughts, and spoke.
"Nothing, I just realized Lord Tan’s traveling entourage is larger than I imagined." She instinctively didn't want him to investigate too much and quickly changed the subject. "Have you seen Adjutant Lu and the others? I thought of some things last night I wanted to discuss with the Protector-General, but I don't know where he went..."
Li Qiao’s expression looked somewhat somber in the blue light of dawn. He didn't like her looking so preoccupied. He paused before speaking evasively.
"We’ll reach Xingshou Town ahead. Adjutant Lu said we’ll rest for a night and then change boats to head back to Jiugao."
"Back to Jiugao?"
Qin Jiuye was momentarily dazed. Perhaps because so much had happened in the past few days, she was immersed in it and couldn't pull herself out. But on second thought, the secrets of Jichao seemed beyond further investigation, and the affairs of Chuanliu Courtyard had reached a conclusion. Wasn't the ominous nightmare last night born of her longing for home? Perhaps it truly was time to start the journey back.
Xingshou Town was the largest town near Yazui Marsh and was also Lord Tan’s territory.
Due to the floods, there were far fewer passing boats at the wharf than usual. The wharf was deserted in the morning, and almost no travelers could be seen in the town. But the market street directly facing the wharf still had smoke rising from chimneys, and every household was doing business as usual, seemingly no different from before.
For those whose families had lived here for generations, home was something that could not be left behind. Rather than dying on the road as a refugee, it was better to stay home and live out one's final days. She wondered if Young Master Yan had similar considerations when choosing this as one of the settling places for the people of Chuanliu Courtyard.
The boat back to Jiugao wouldn't be ready until tomorrow. Until then, Qin Jiuye and the others followed Tan Duce to rest in Xingshou Town. The town wasn't large; on a clear day, one could see to the end of it in a single glance. The moment she stepped past the stone archway of the wharf, Qin Jiuye instinctively looked back.
"Are the Protector-General and the others not coming ashore?"
Not only Qiu Ling, but Xu Qiuchi was also nowhere to be seen.
Lu Zican, who had stopped before the stone archway, rubbed his hands somewhat awkwardly and said briefly, "The Protector-General has matters to discuss with the people from the Jinshi Division."
The Jinshi Division? Wasn't that...
Qin Jiuye was stunned for a moment before turning to look back at the river where the mist had not yet dissipated.
The large ships she had seen in the morning had already gathered outside the small town’s wharf at some point. These behemoths hid in the shadows of the rugged mountains, making them hard to detect at a glance, but once seen, they were impossible to ignore.
The next instant, a white figure leaped from one of the large ships, silently crossing the river mist and landing on another nearby vessel. The person seemed to notice something and turned to look the moment they stood still at the bow.
The moment she saw the person’s face, Qin Jiuye finally came to her senses. The leader of the Jinshi Division who had been ordered to rendezvous with Qiu Ling was none other than Cheng Yu of Kunxu, whom she had met once on Qionghu Island.
The other party clearly recognized her as well. He gave her a playful wink, and the moment he leaped down from the bow, he turned back into a Remonstrance Envoy, as swift and fierce as a ghost. At the same time, a figure stepped out from the other side of the gunwale, wearing an official’s cap and moon-colored armor. His expression was inscrutable, hidden in the shadows. He seemed to have returned to the young Protector-General she had first met. The moment she looked over, she only felt his gaze shift away.
The people of the Jinshi Division surged onto the deck like a black tide, silently swallowing his silhouette.
Qin Jiuye finally understood where Qiu Ling and Lu Zican had gone this morning.
Lu Zican looked over apologetically. Qin Jiuye spoke before he could.
"Lord Tan has invited us to meet in town. I will go ahead with him."
Having said that, she didn't wait for Lu Zican’s response. She nodded and walked toward Tan Duce, who was not far away. Seeing this, Li Qiao and Jiang Xin'er silently followed.
The morning light divided the entire wharf into two halves, light and shadow, drawing an insurmountable boundary between the Jianghu and the Imperial Court. The two parties within seemed destined to be two lines moving further apart, fated to return to their respective worlds after a brief intersection.
***
**Glossary**
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 官子遗书 (Guānzǐ Yíshū) | The Strategist’s Legacy | A manuscript by Old Tang. "Guanzi" can refer to an official or the endgame in Go. |
| 枳丹 (Zhǐdān) | Orange Cinnabar | A complex medicinal formula mentioned by Qin Jiuye. |
| 海云竹 (Hǎiyúnzhú) | Sea Cloud Bamboo | A type of bamboo whose flowering triggers the "Secret Formula" illness. |
| 蜜色云 (Mìsèyún) | Honey-colored Cloud | The local name for Sea Cloud Bamboo in Jichao. |
| 陶三 (Táo Sān) | Tao San | A new night watchman in Jiugao. |
| 呈羽 (Chéng Yǔ) | Cheng Yu | A member of the Jinshi Division from Kunxu. |
| 安谏使 (Ānjiàn-shǐ) | Remonstrance Envoy | A specific rank or title within the Jinshi Division. |
| 金石司 (Jīnshísī) | Jinshi Division | Literally "Gold and Stone Division," a high-level government/intelligence agency. |
| 兴寿镇 (Xìngshòu Zhèn) | Xingshou Town | A town near Yazui Marsh under Tan Duce's jurisdiction. |
| 慑比尸 (Shèbǐshī) | Shebishi | A mythological creature/monster appearing in Qin Jiuye's nightmare. |
