The first light of dawn had just begun to break, yet Jiugao City was already teeming with people.
With little more than a month remaining until the New Year, the streets were packed with hurried crowds purchasing holiday goods. It had been a difficult winter, but no one wanted to wear their hardships on their faces; after all, even if the year had been bitter from start to finish, everyone hoped for a little sweetness at its end.
Bobo Street was more boisterous than ever. This level of excitement came but once a year, and every shop was straining to lure in customers. The cries of the street hawkers rose in a rhythmic cacophony, drifting from one end of the thoroughfare to the other in a relentless tide of sound.
Amidst the jostling throng, two figures—one tall, one short—threaded their way through the crowd. The petite woman led the way while the tall youth followed closely behind. Their paces were uncannily synchronized; though they maintained a steady distance of a single step, they remained inseparable despite the chaos.
Qin Jiuye remembered the first time she had brought Li Qiao into the city. He had followed her just like this, listening quietly as she chattered incessantly about the happenings inside and outside the walls. Whenever she called out "Little Li," he would unfailingly respond, "I am here."
It was no different now.
In truth, the Proprietress Qin of Guoran Pavilion was not usually a talkative person. However, whenever the conversation turned to business or the practice of medicine, she would unconsciously begin to ramble. She recounted everything from her long night’s talk with Su Muhe to the person behind her, only pausing when a sudden thought struck her. She sighed with a touch of emotion.
"When you showed up, I was worried she might mind, but she didn't mention you, and you didn't ask about her. It makes me think the two of you are actually quite alike."
As she spoke, she couldn't help but recall the scene before she left the Su Manor.
Su Muhe had stood beneath the eaves of a corridor lit by lanterns, watching her leave without taking a single step further. The young mistress no longer needed someone to hold an umbrella for her; the roof tiles of the Su family were now her protection. Su Muhe relied upon them, yet she would also personally labor to reinforce them. That was the life she had chosen.
But what about herself? For Qin Jiuye, what was the ideal life?
"I did not ask, so why did Sister feel the need to tell me?"
The youth’s sudden question interrupted her thoughts. Qin Jiuye turned her head in surprise, catching the fleeting glint of a successful ruse deep within his eyes.
"You don't actually think I brought up Su Muhe just to test you, do you?"
"Is it not so?" He tilted his head to look at her, the corners of his mouth curving into a perfect arc. "I know Sister intended to send me away because she didn't want me hovering in front of her. You needn't deny it out of guilt. I like it this way—I like that you spend your thoughts on me."
Qin Jiuye didn't know whether to laugh or cry as she continued walking, her voice tinged with helplessness.
"In such a frantic time, how could you think I have the energy to scheme over such trivialities?"
"Because that is how I am." He pursed his lips and lowered his head, his voice carrying a stubborn persistence that remained even after being slighted. "And I do not think it is a triviality. Nothing related to Sister can be considered small. Even if Sister does not care, I will still care..."
A sudden growl from a stomach broke the last of the serious atmosphere.
Qin Jiuye’s gaze slowly drifted downward, and the youth buried his head even lower. She shook her head and, with her hands behind her back, quickened her pace.
"When you can't win an argument, you play the victim—as if someone is starving you. If word gets out, people will surely gossip about what a cruel proprietress I am."
The sugar cake shop was at its busiest in the morning. In the winter, steaming hot sugar cakes were exceptionally popular. The shopkeeper was frantic with work; though the profit on each was meager, the sound of loose copper coins dropping into the till was sweet music.
Qin Jiuye pulled Li Qiao into the shop, rubbing her hands together as she waited a moment before finding a spot in the corner to sit. Before the shopkeeper could finish shouting the prices, she expertly rattled off her order. The shopkeeper couldn't help but glance at her twice. She had been longing for this shop and its food for ages, but the man didn't recognize her face, assuming she was a first-time customer. She wasn't a regular here; most of the time, she had simply stood across the street, salivating from afar.
The steaming sugar cakes were served alongside hot soup. The large bowls were filled to the brim, requiring a quick sip from the edge to begin the wonderful enjoyment of a full stomach.
In the past, she had watched other diners do exactly this. Now, she finally had the chance to try it herself.
Beaming, she portioned out the food and handed him chopsticks, only to find the youth sitting motionless. She asked in confusion, "Are you not hungry?"
He was, of course, both exhausted and starving, but his entire attention was fixed on the woman and the peculiar expression on her face.
"I thought that given the circumstances, Sister would not be in the mood for this."
The relaxed expression on Qin Jiuye’s face dimmed slightly, but she quickly rubbed her hands together again and handed him the largest piece of sugar cake.
"Even if the sky is falling, one must eat and sleep, right? Besides, these are Bobo Street’s white sugar cakes. They aren't like those unauthentic stalls outside the city. If you don't believe me, taste it carefully."
He couldn't taste the difference in the cakes, nor did he like this cramped little shop. He didn't care for these things; he only showed a preference for them because she liked them, because she cared. Just as the only reason he had sneaked into the Prefect’s Manor in the middle of the night was because it was her plan.
He took the cake and began stuffing small bites into his mouth. This was a habit formed during his years living under someone else's roof as a disciple of the Manor. Those high officials and nobles were particular about table manners; even if he was starving to the point of his chest touching his back, he had to remain decorous.
She was the exact opposite. Years of struggling alone on the road had taught her to eat with a ravenous intensity, finishing her meal in the blink of an eye. Once she was done, she rested her chin on her hand and watched him eat, making him feel somewhat self-conscious.
"Why is Sister staring at me like that?"
It was because Qin Jiuye was remembering her past with Qin Sanyou.
When she was little, her favorite thing was following Qin Sanyou to town. They would leave before dawn, walking several miles of mountain paths in the dark before the sun rose. Qin Sanyou would put her in a back-basket, where she would doze off. After selling their goods, he would take her to the sugar cake stall, use a newly earned copper coin to buy a piece, and sit beside her, watching her eat.
At first, she would break off a piece to share with him, but he always shook his head, saying he didn't like sweets. She believed him and happily kept the whole cake for herself. Qin Sanyou was happy watching her eat; only Jinbao, who hadn't been able to come along, was unhappy.
It wasn't until much, much later—until today—that she understood: her grandfather didn't truly enjoy bitterness; he simply chose to leave the only bit of sweetness in their lives to her.
It turned out there was something even more joyful than filling one's own stomach, and that was watching a loved one fill theirs.
Qin Jiuye withdrew her gaze, hiding the deep longing and melancholy in her eyes as she spoke with a grin.
"It’s nothing. I just realized I’ve never really sat by the street like this, doing nothing but eating and watching people pass by."
In the past, she had almost never sat down at a stall to finish a pancake or a bowl of noodles. She always chose portable buns that she could tuck into her basket and eat on the road, taking hurried bites only when her hunger became unbearable. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy sitting down to appreciate the rain or the scenery while savoring a meal; she simply felt that such leisure was too extravagant. She had no time or energy to be curious about others; her own life already consumed all her strength.
He noticed the faint sentimentality on her face and followed her gaze to their surroundings.
"It is only human nature to focus on oneself. Right now, few people around us are looking about as Sister is."
"But my Master used to love doing this—doing nothing, just sitting in the middle of a bustling market to watch the excitement." Her eyes lingered on the immediate surroundings, yet she seemed to be looking somewhere very far away. "My Master was an eccentric. She clearly hated noise and clamor, spending more than half the year in the mountains, yet when she lectured me, she always insisted I go to the nearby towns every so often. Sometimes it was to check the price of rice, sometimes to hunt for old books, and sometimes she’d have me running in all directions just to get a taste of some pickled vegetables. There were no rare herbs in those towns, nor any sacred medical texts. I thought she was intentionally tormenting me, so I asked her why she did it. Can you guess what she said?"
The youth lowered his head and remained silent, but his hand hidden beneath the table tightened involuntarily. For some reason, he felt as though he had heard the answer before.
Unaware, the woman continued her story.
"She said, 'But there are people there.' A healer treats people; it is only because of the existence of people that the act of healing has meaning. While the mountains are peaceful, if one cannot feel the warmth and cold of human relationships or experience the joys and sorrows of the world, a healer will lose the most important thing of all: a benevolent heart."
Li Qiao looked up. He finally understood the source of the unease that had been churning in his heart: she had reminded him of his own master once again.
Li Qingdao seemed to have no lingering attachments to this mortal world; she came and went with a carefree grace. Even obsessive men like Di Mo and Li Kuquan were helpless against her. Yet, Li Qingdao also seemed to infinitely love everything in this world, whether it was the mundane smoke of the marketplace or the vast mountains and seas. She never tired of looking at them, always finding them full of interest, even willing to waste the final moments of her life on a pot of cloudy wine and a roast chicken.
They were clearly two very different people who had never met in this life, yet they both possessed a power that made him yearn and submit. For a fleeting moment just now, he had almost clearly seen his Master’s silhouette overlap with the woman’s posture as she rested her chin on her hand. Even the outline of that stray lock of hair matched perfectly. This feeling had appeared in certain moments in the past, but it was exceptionally strong now—so strong he could hardly ignore it. He felt a throb of excitement at the sensation, yet that excitement birthed an unspeakable anxiety.
Back then, whenever his Master showed such an expression, he felt she was someone he could not grasp or see through—like a wisp of clear breeze about to travel far, never staying for anyone.
And in fact, his Master truly had left him forever.
His hands twisted together under the table. Li Qiao looked up, about to find an excuse to lead her away from this unlucky stall, when several people suddenly squeezed through the entrance, blocking their path.
The newcomers seemed to only want to use the shop to escape the rain and rest their feet, yet they looked upon the greasy, crowded stools with disdain. Their manner of sitting appeared even more awkward than hers.
Qin Jiuye couldn't help but steal a few curious glances, and she soon noticed something amiss. Their clothing was exceptionally fine. Though the leader wore a drab grey cloak as a disguise, when he paid the bill, two bright jade rings were visible on his hands. He didn't have a single copper coin on him, pulling out only broken silver.
Who would have thought? It seemed her favorite sugar cake shop was about to prosper. Even the wealthy from the North were coming through the rain to eat here. Success was surely imminent; they might even open several branches. She only hoped they wouldn't raise the prices when that happened.
Qin Jiuye sighed inwardly. But as her gaze swept across one of the men, it stopped.
He was a shifty-looking middle-aged man of short stature who looked somewhat familiar. Beside him were several bulging burlap sacks. The openings weren't tied tightly, revealing some of the contents—vaguely familiar paper-wrapped bundles. She recognized them because she had instructed Du Shaoheng to collect medicine from that very apothecary just yesterday.
A string in her heart was plucked. Before she could fully process it, Qin Jiuye spoke up to test him.
"Brother, your things are placed too far out. Be careful they don't get soaked by the rain."
As she spoke, she made a move as if to help move the sacks inward. But the man jumped as if pricked by a needle, glared at her with great displeasure, and quickly snatched the items back.
"Mind your own business!"
Having said that, he didn't even wait for the hot tea he had just paid for. He signaled the others to shoulder the sacks and trudged out into the rain, vanishing in moments.
Qin Jiuye raised her hand and sniffed her fingertips, catching a faint, almost indistinguishable scent of medicinal herbs. It was just as she suspected: those people were hoarding medicine.
Beside her, Li Qiao noticed the grave expression on her face and immediately stood up.
"Should I pursue them?"
Qin Jiuye shook her head gently. She had remembered who that familiar face belonged to. When she had gone to the Bai family in the North to offer a consultation, she had visited several times to demand her fee. The gatekeeper who had brushed her off back then was the man she had just seen.
There were many apothecaries in the North; why would the habitually arrogant Bai family come to the South to buy medicinal materials? And judging by the weight of those sacks, it wasn't just enough for the old patriarch to drink if he were to be resurrected—it was enough to feed the entire Bai household as if it were porridge.
Qin Jiuye sighed. The thing she feared most had happened: word had leaked out in the city, and people were beginning to act out of panic. Judging by the identity of the hoarders, these were likely the wealthy and powerful families of the city. They had either heard news of her previous medicine collection from the large apothecaries in the North or had sensed something wrong from Prefect Fan. Regardless, they were now striking first. There was no telling what else they would do to protect themselves in the future.
The sugar cake in her mouth lost its flavor, and even what she had already eaten felt heavy and uncomfortable in her stomach.
Without realizing it, the crowd around them seemed to thin, becoming less congested than before. At first, it wasn't obvious, but then a flow formed, everyone heading in one direction as if to see some spectacle.
Low murmurs of discussion rose around them. For some reason, Qin Jiuye’s heart suddenly began to race. she dropped some copper coins, grabbed Li Qiao, and hurried out into the street.
The commotion was coming from the Shicao crossroads. She struggled through the crowd to get to the front, following the gazes and pointing fingers of those around her. Only then did she see that the source of it all was merely a few official notices.
The notices, written on red paper flecked with gold, were exceptionally eye-catching, pasted atop a cluster of mottled old announcements. Before she could read them clearly, someone nearby provided the answer.
"Am I seeing this right? Prefect Fan is actually going to distribute grain?"
"Which eye did you use to see grain? They only said they’re holding a ceremony to worship Heaven and pray for blessings, and they’ll be giving out 'blessed rice' along with it. If you ask me, it’s just a trick for the officials to make themselves look good."
"So what if it’s a trick? As long as we get rice, it’s fine! It’s no different from a soup kitchen in a famine year. Anyone who doesn't go is a fool!"
"But there are less than three days until the Winter Solstice. Why hasn't the Prefect’s Manor made any move until now?"
"Who says they haven't? I heard Prefect Fan took men on a patrol through the South City last night. It’s good to drive away the ill luck. Jiugao hasn't been peaceful lately—too much rain, and I heard the Commandant isn't doing well either. He hasn't stepped out of his doors in days..."
The chatter grew louder, and more people crowded in to see the spectacle. Qin Jiuye was swept up in the surging throng, feeling the air around her grow thin and her breathing become difficult.
The Emperor’s Heaven-worshipping ceremony was originally set for the Winter Solstice, but the sacrificial wine had been found to be tainted, and Prince Xiaoning’s Manor had met with trouble right after. She had thought they had escaped this ordeal, but it seemed that when one door closed, another opened. Far away in Jiugao, Fan Tong was actually going to worship Heaven and distribute "grace" on the day of the Winter Solstice.
Her foot slipped, and in her distraction, she was nearly knocked to the ground. The light before her dimmed as someone quickly stepped in front of her, taking her cold hand in theirs.
"Stay close to me."
The familiar voice sounded in her ear. Qin Jiuye gripped his hand back, warmth spreading from where they joined, silently conveying strength.
"There are too many people here. Let’s get to the alley before we talk."
She leaned in to "issue her order" into his ear. He took her hand and executed it, using one hand to clear a path as he squeezed through the crowd toward a nearby alley entrance.
"Who dropped their purse?"
Someone shouted at the top of their lungs, and the crowd behind them instantly surged. A wave rippled through the already restless throng. Qin Jiuye didn't have time to look back before a massive force surged from behind.
The youth clearing the path ahead sensed something was wrong. Just as he moved to turn and protect her, he felt his palm go empty. His heart stopped.
He turned back in terror, but she was no longer behind him.
The chaotic crowd surged like a tide in one direction. He fought his way upstream like a madman, crashing through the throng and searching everywhere, but he could no longer find that petite figure.
In the span of a single turn, she had vanished into the crowd.
Back in the Baoshen Pavilion, she had held his hand and told him not to be afraid. He had watched with cold eyes as she scrambled to hide, feeling only disgust at her clumsy interference, which slowed his blade. He had simply shaken off her hand and escaped alone, leaving her behind in the chaos of the pavilion.
Now, the same scene was playing out again, only the one left behind was him.
This was Heaven’s punishment.
"Sister!"
The youth’s roar was instantly drowned out by the surrounding noise, swallowed along with his panic and helplessness. No one could hear him, and no one cared.
Someone bumped his left shoulder. His body, which could withstand ten thousand catties of force or the strike of a grandmaster, nearly buckled. He steadied himself and instinctively looked toward a nearby two-story tavern, about to leap up, when he sensed something. He looked down.
The outline of a piece of yellow hemp paper peeked out from his belt. She had personally tied that belt for him this morning; the width and tightness were just right against his waist. Now, something had been shoved into it. The jarring sensation grew stronger with every passing second, forcing him to reach out with trembling fingers and pull it out.
It was a paper lotus, slightly crushed. Amidst its eight petals, traces of ink were visible.
Back when he was drifting by the shores of Lixin Lake, Lord Yan had once sent someone to secretly deliver a paper lotus to him. However, Lord Yan was dead, and even Di Mo and the World’s Greatest Manor had been consumed by fire. This time, the person who sent the paper lotus was someone else.
The unfolded paper flower lay crumpled in his palm. He stared fixedly at the handwriting, feeling as if something had instantly blocked his throat, making it impossible to breathe.
The blood throughout his body turned icy, yet a fire seemed to erupt from the depths of his eyes. In a daze, he stepped forward and grabbed the shoulder of a man in front of him. The man turned around, revealing a strange and impatient face.
"What do you want?"
He kept his head down, his hand tightly clutching the paper flower.
"Where is she?"
The man looked bewildered. The next moment, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. The youth looked thin and tall, but his grip was terrifyingly strong, as if he intended to rip the man's arm off through his clothes. The man’s temper flared.
"Where did this brat come from, looking for trouble with your grandpa—"
His shouting stopped abruptly because the youth who had stopped him raised his head.
It was a beautiful face, but no one would notice its beauty now. Those eyes, which should have been clear and full of emotion, were now stained blood-red by a multitude of terrible thoughts. The madness within them made the man instinctively want to flee, but his body was not as fast as the other. In the next heartbeat, his throat was seized.
"Where is Ding Miao? Where did you take her?"
The man was terrified, his previous arrogance vanishing instantly. He stammered, "W-what are you saying? How should I know..."
The youth, having lost his light, was on the verge of falling into darkness, and the unsheathed long blade was about to spiral completely out of control.
His heart beat so fast it felt ready to explode, and his vision began to blur. The jostling crowd surrounded him; some were frightened, some were confused, and some watched the excitement with callous indifference. He panted, his gaze sweeping across those blurred faces.
Who was it? Who had taken her? What were they going to do to her? How much time had passed? Was she already... already...
The panic and fear filling his body expanded several times over in that moment, his compressed emotions twisting into killing intent and madness. Driven by that primal power, his soul began to take on a terrifying shape.
He was, by nature, a filthy and ugly tool for killing. His instinct was to find the enemy, seal their throat with a swift blade, and hack them into a thousand pieces. He would ensure that those shadows hiding in the dark could never approach her, never hurt her, and never take her away from him. For that, he could turn himself back into that monster—the monster with blood-stained footprints that made everyone recoil in fear.
"Li Qiao?"
A woman’s voice sounded behind him. The snow-bright tip of the Qingwu Blade trembled, reflecting the shattered, panicked eyes of the one holding it.
The fingers exerting force loosened. The unlucky man who had been caught for no reason slumped to the ground. Without even pausing to brush the dust from his clothes, he dragged his trembling legs and squeezed into the crowd to escape.
Li Qiao’s hands fell limp. Extreme terror had drained him of everything. He almost lacked the strength to turn around until she pushed through the crowd and stood before him.
The demon who had been ready to start a massacre vanished, leaving only a lost puppy, wandering and aggrieved after being separated from its master.
Qin Jiuye looked at Li Qiao in confusion. Unaware of what had just happened, she instinctively explained, "There were too many people. I couldn't hold onto you, and by the time I realized it, we had been separated. But I heard your voice and came looking for you immediately."
She panted as she spoke, a fine layer of sweat appearing on the tip of her nose from the exertion. A long moment passed without a response. Someone behind them jostled her, accidentally pushing her forward. She stumbled half a step and instinctively hugged him. Only then did he react.
His trembling hands crawled up her back from the hem of her robe, his five fingers repeatedly confirming the warmth radiating through the fabric. Then, he slowly tightened his grip, refusing to let go.
He didn't know what else he could do; he could only turn all the terror in his body into the strength of an embrace.
In the brief moment he had lost her, it felt as if he had cycled through several lifetimes in hell. He thought of the torture he had endured in Changui Valley, the agony he felt every time the Qingfeng Powder flared up over the years, and even the death he had always tried to avoid.
A death that could simply end all pain.
If Heaven insisted on snatching her from before his eyes, that might be the only path left for him to take.
"...I thought Sister was going to leave me..."
"Leave you? Leave you to go where?" She found it somewhat baffling. She hesitated several times before finally whispering, "If you act like this, I will be very worried."
"If Sister is worried about me, then never let today’s situation happen again, alright?" He looked at her almost pleadingly, confirming it word by word. "No matter what happens, you cannot leave me, alright?"
"How can anyone in this world be together every single moment, never to part forever and ever?" She was her usual self, refusing to offer even a comforting lie. "Must you follow me even when I go to the latrine?"
Her voice carried a hint of a smile as she reached up to ruffle his hair.
Dissatisfied with her joke and evasion, he grabbed her hand and held it in his palm, staring at her without blinking until she finally gave in.
"I promise you. I promise you, alright?"
Only then did he release her hand as if a heavy burden had been lifted. She shook her hand, which was slightly sore from his grip, and turned to look at the crossroads where the red paper notices were posted.
The crowd gathered before the notices grew larger and larger. Something invisible was spreading through the city along with the footsteps and discussions, about to gather like clouds into rain and fall upon them all.
***
