After exiting the main gate of the Prefect’s Yamen and walking a hundred paces to the right, one could see a long, narrow alleyway snaking between two residential blocks. This path connected Lotus Pier to a bustling market, but because it was so cramped and crooked, few people used it even during the day.
The gutters of the alley emitted the pungent stench of overnight chamber pots that had been dumped out. Coarse cloth bedsheets hung out to dry by the residents blocked half the path, mixing in the scent of soapberries and creating a dizzying, stifling atmosphere.
Qin Jiuye ducked into the alley without a word. After walking dozens of paces and turning several corners, she came to a sudden halt.
She glanced back and forth to ensure they were alone. Ignoring everything else, she reached out and yanked open the youth’s collar, frantically inspecting his shoulders from every angle.
"Do you think our situation isn't dire enough? Why did you have to talk back to him like that! The Inspector likely sensed something, which is why he tested you in front of everyone. How is it now? Is the wound..."
Qin Jiuye’s voice cut off abruptly.
Li Qiao’s exposed shoulder was smooth and pale. Not only was there no torn flesh, but there wasn't even a trace of a scar where a wound might have healed.
Qin Jiuye rubbed her eyes.
Had she not personally confirmed it this morning, she might have thought she had been hallucinating last night or misremembering things. But she had clearly seen those injuries just hours ago. Even though she had encountered many physically robust martial artists, she had never seen a wound that could heal completely within a few hours.
"Your... your injuries?"
The youth held the umbrella in one hand while quietly pulling his collar back together with the other. He spoke briefly.
"The light was too dim this morning. You saw wrong."
"Saw wrong?!" Qin Jiuye looked at him in disbelief, as if hearing the most absurd thing in the world. "Shall we go back to Guoran Residence right now and dig through the stove to look at the clothes you changed out of?"
Li Qiao thought for a moment, then continued shamelessly, "That wasn't my blood."
Qin Jiuye stepped back, leaving the small patch of shade provided by his umbrella, and hissed, "If you don't tell the truth, what I said this morning is void. From now on, I’ll walk my broad road and you can cross your single-log bridge. Don't bother with all this effort anymore."
He finally wavered, though his words still lacked any real intent to confess.
"Is Sister angry? But it might be too late to draw a line between us now. Both the Inspector and Prefect Fan already know of our relationship. Even if I leave, it would only invite more suspicion." He paused intentionally, lowering his voice to a soft murmur. "But rest assured, I certainly won't leave you behind. After all, aren't you and your grandfather now entangled in this as well?"
*He’s my grandfather, not yours.*
Besides, regarding last night's events, if he hadn't been involved, her concerns wouldn't be nearly this complicated.
Qin Jiuye was so angry she laughed. "So the reason you came back today was because you planned to show your face in front of the Inspector, wasn't it?"
The youth shook his head, acting as if he couldn't hear the sarcasm in her tone. "I saw that you hadn't returned, so I came to check on you out of concern."
Qin Jiuye had always considered herself peerless when it came to having a thick skin, but now she had met her match.
She stood with her arms crossed, her tone shifting. "This place is full of prying eyes. If you were smart, you shouldn't have come."
"Didn't Sister say it herself? We are grasshoppers on the same string."
Qin Jiuye froze, completely at a loss for words.
She had said that. But she meant they were "partners in crime," not "comrades in the same boat."
Covering for each other in times of danger was because they both held leverage over the other, not for the sake of some grand sentiment, and certainly not to plot a future together.
She didn't want to have to drag him along everywhere in her future.
She took a deep breath, intending to make this clear, but he struck first, turning her words back on her.
"Since Sister has already decided to be on the same string as me, you shouldn't go provoking that inflexible Inspector who bites everyone he meets."
It took Qin Jiuye a moment to realize what he meant. Recalling her urgent "cooperation with the investigation" speech from earlier, she instinctively explained, "That was just a temporary tactic. You saw the situation; if I hadn't said something, how could he have let you go so easily? I couldn't just flatly refuse everything he said. That would have given him a handle to use against us later."
Li Qiao frowned. "But if you agreed to help him, won't you have to meet him in the future?"
"If we meet, we meet. There's no other way. After all, they’re still holding Grandfather. If I avoid him, he’ll suspect we’re up to some conspiracy. Besides, Grandfather is still locked up in the Yamen; I can't just sit and wait for death. If I can get involved in the case, I might be able to exert some influence."
The youth’s brow relaxed, but a mocking smile touched the corners of his mouth.
"He’s only just taken office, yet he’s already established rules like the curfew. I heard he arrested many people at the Qingyang Market—something that has never happened before. Are the methods of such a man something that can be easily manipulated? I fear he is even worse in private. Sister, do not think things are so simple."
Qin Jiuye looked at him with some bewilderment, feeling as though the person before her had some nerve crossed, insisting on arguing with her over this matter.
"If I had any other choice, I wouldn't want to wade into this muddy water. But I have no money to ransom him, no power to protect him, and no martial skill to break him out. Do you expect me to save him with just my mouth? Furthermore, he carries the title of 'Lord Duan Yu' and hails from the Qingzhong Mountain Academy. Even if it's just for show, isn't he much better than that Prefect Fan?"
Whether it was her imagination or not, the moment she mentioned the "Academy," the expression on his face instantly turned cold.
"What of the Academy? Does Sister not know? Those who come from there eventually become the imperial court's running dogs. No matter how polite or kind a dog appears, as long as the master gives the order, it will still pounce and tear you to pieces. Such people should be avoided at all costs, even if they hold no sword in their hands."
As he said all this, his eyes remained fixed on the distance, making it impossible for her to read the emotions within them.
Qin Jiuye paused before slowly speaking, "You seem to have a very poor impression of the Qingzhong Mountain Academy."
*Was this how people of the Jianghu felt? Both hating and fearing the high-ranking figures who manipulated the winds and played with power?*
The youth holding the umbrella shook the rainwater off the canopy. The falling droplets soaked half his shoulder, and his expression returned to normal.
"It’s not exactly a poor impression. It’s just that this world has always been cruel to the poor. We must be careful at all times. Sister surely understands this better than I do."
These words felt like an intentional blurring of boundaries, but clearly, he didn't want to discuss the matter further.
A chill touched her face—the sensation of splashing rain. Qin Jiuye suddenly realized something and looked up at the umbrella over her head.
"Why did you only bring one umbrella?"
Li Qiao paused, then answered truthfully, "I brought two, but I lent one to someone else while I was waiting for you."
The image of the familiar-looking old umbrella in Su Muhe’s hand back at the Yamen flashed through her mind. Qin Jiuye instantly confirmed her suspicion.
"You lent an umbrella to Su Muhe?"
This time, the youth holding the umbrella didn't speak. He simply tilted the umbrella toward her, silently signaling that one umbrella was enough.
Qin Jiuye felt inexplicably dissatisfied, though she couldn't distinguish the exact nature of that feeling.
"That umbrella belongs to Guoran Residence. You just gave it away like that? Do you think I, the owner, don't exist?"
"Sister can just deduct it from my wages."
He answered so matter-of-factly that she found it hard to press the issue.
After a moment's thought, she threw out the question that had been weighing on her heart for a long time.
"I didn't finish what I was saying this morning. You need to tell me everything now. What exactly happened last night? What is going on with your body? And does Kang Renshou's matter have anything to do with you?"
*Does Kang Renshou's disappearance involve you? And the previous bloodbath in the city—is that related to you too? Did you flee back to Guoran Residence because you were discovered while committing a crime? Are you truly seeking revenge, or are you a murderous demon playing the victim?*
Qin Jiuye stared at him intently. She was worried he would deceive her again, yet she was also afraid he would nod and reveal something terrifying.
The youth was silent for a moment, seemingly weighing his words before speaking.
"Last night was indeed dangerous. I didn't mean to brush you off; it's just that I don't know what happened to my body either. But Kang Renshou's matter has nothing to do with me. Will Sister believe me?"
Looking at his expressionless face, Qin Jiuye inexplicably felt that this look was much more agreeable than his usual obedient and sweet act.
From the perspective of survival and self-interest, if Kang Renshou's matter really involved him, he could have taken the opportunity to leave when Prefect Fan's officers came looking for people this morning. There was no need for him to seek out the Yamen and deliver himself to their doorstep.
After thinking it over, she gritted her teeth and nodded. "A man with many lice doesn't fear the itch. I’ll believe you one more time. You said it was dangerous but you don't understand it—surely you remember where it happened and who the other party was?"
"Does Sister remember the Baoshen Building?"
Qin Jiuye was stunned, then something clicked, and she found it hard to believe.
"You went to the Baoshen Building yesterday? But the Qingyang Market is over, and the Baoshen Building has long been closed. It won't open again until next year..."
"Just because it isn't open doesn't mean it has disappeared." Li Qiao’s voice was low, as if it were emanating from the shadows beneath his feet. "Is Sister not curious? Who are the people operating everything behind that building, and what exactly was going on that day?"
Qin Jiuye fell silent.
She had frequented the Baoshen Building for years, but she had never thought to investigate the masterminds behind it. The reason was simple: she was a person of low status. Her life's greatest achievement was earning a bit of money to support her family and having a place to call her own. She never thought about anything beyond that, knowing she lacked the ability to provoke such forces.
After a long silence, the youth spoke again. "If Sister doesn't believe me, I can take you to see it right now."
She finally looked up, staring fixedly at him. "You’ve said all this, but you still haven't answered my question. What exactly happened last night..."
Li Qiao spun the handle of the umbrella, sending droplets flying.
"If Sister wants to hear it, I can tell you everything. But regarding the Baoshen Building, if we go too late, we might not see anything at all."
Qin Jiuye pondered for a moment before finally stepping under the oil-paper umbrella.
"Lead the way. We’ll talk as we walk."
****** ****** ******
The back alley of Four-Bar Street after the rain was a mess of filth and mud. Several porters, huddled in corners with their shoulder poles to avoid the rain, were wolfing down flatbreads, oblivious to the two people lurking nearby.
"Is it really here?"
Li Qiao nodded. Qin Jiuye fell silent.
She was all too familiar with this street. This was the back street of the rice shop she frequently visited, and not far from the coal shop Li Qiao was pointing at was Old Chen’s unscrupulous rice firm.
They say the Jianghu is everywhere, but those within it often fail to notice.
She used to think Jiugao City was too leisurely, the place furthest from the Jianghu. She never would have imagined that within the city's most bustling marketplace lay a hidden current of the Jianghu that she couldn't see through.
Was Old Chen really just Old Chen? Was the sister-in-law she had seen before really just a sister-in-law?
Thinking about how she had entered and exited this place several times, even hoping to build a rapport with them to get a better deal, Qin Jiuye’s throat tightened. She managed to swallow with difficulty and was about to say something when she saw the familiar, tattered cotton curtain being lifted. Several laborers wearing cloth masks and straw sandals emerged from the gloom, carrying several large gunny sacks to a bullock cart parked at the alley entrance. They were all silent.
Qin Jiuye observed from a distance for a while. Finally finding an opportunity, she quietly stepped forward and pulled one of them aside, asking in a low voice, "Excuse me, brother, is Old Chen from this shop no longer doing business here? I came to buy rice..."
The man was in a hurry to finish his work. Before she could finish, he dismissed her in a raspy voice, "Don't know. I'm just here to haul goods."
Qin Jiuye was very familiar with this tone. After a thought, she fished out a few copper coins and handed them over.
"It’s hard work, brother. We just want to know where the people from this shop went."
Only then did the man stop. He leaned the three sacks stacked on his back against the wall, reached out a hand with dirt under the nails to tuck the coins into his waistband, and then whispered, "The people in this shop? They're all dead."
Even though she was somewhat prepared, Qin Jiuye was still shocked. "D-dead?"
"Yeah. The officials sent people to check this morning. They said rats got into the warehouse and started a plague. The owner got nervous and came in the middle of the night to move things, but he knocked over a candle stand and set the neighboring coal pile on fire. He was trapped by the smoke and burned alive. If it hadn't rained last night, the whole storefront would've been gone. Many shops in this alley were affected, but they were dilapidated anyway, so the officials didn't care much. Before leaving, they asked people from a nearby apothecary to help handle it. Who’d want to deal with this? They just called us over to throw out what’s left of the burned stuff and find a place to bury it."
At the mention of "rats" and "plague," Qin Jiuye instinctively took two steps back.
A rat plague was no small matter. There had been ancient cities in the Northern Borders that became ghost towns overnight because of diseases brought by rats. This underground rice shop was drafty and certainly wouldn't be managed as strictly as a legitimate one. This area was near a bustling market with countless people passing through daily; if a plague had truly broken out, it would have likely spread already.
But something still felt wrong.
Qin Jiuye pulled Li Qiao into the shadows of the alley, watching as the men loaded the bullock cart and hurried away. Finally, her gaze fell on the rice sacks—charred black by the fire, yet still sturdy.
"Did you notice it too?"
Qin Jiuye turned to look at the person beside her. Though they said nothing more, the look they exchanged revealed the same suspicion.
She was someone who frequented these underground rice shops. She had seen warehouses infested with rats; the image of owners clutching sacks full of holes while wailing was still fresh in her mind. But the rice sacks those laborers were moving, even after a fire, were all intact without a single hole, and their mouths were tied tight.
Sacks like those didn't look like they had been touched by rats.
Furthermore, rat plagues mostly occurred in the north during autumn and winter. They had never seen a large-scale outbreak in the Longshu area. It was currently early summer, not the time when house rats were most active. The possibility of a rat plague was even lower.
Perhaps there was another possibility: someone had lied about a plague, using the officials' hands to clean the place up and cut off any path for others to investigate. What they truly wanted to burn wasn't these few bags of moldy rice and chaff, but something else. And the fire hadn't started in the rice shop where the grain was stored, but had spread from somewhere deeper, which was why the sacks were only blackened and the storefronts looked relatively intact from the outside.
The officials weren't stupid; perhaps they weren't entirely unaware. It was just that what needed to be burned had already turned to ash, and what remained were insignificant things. Even if someone wanted to investigate later, they would have nowhere to start.
The Baoshen Building, along with that chest on the Qingping Road and the secret recipe inside that no one had ever seen, had vanished into the bright afternoon market of Jiugao City. Like a shadow in a crowd, like a mirage between the mountains and the sea, it was gone in an instant...
And evaporating along with it was the night he had experienced.
Li Qiao withdrew his gaze and looked at the woman beside him. "The secret room should have turned to ash. The people I mentioned to you probably won't show their faces for a while."
Now there was no witness or physical evidence to support his story, but the usually suspicious and cautious woman surprisingly didn't question him again.
Lack of sleep made her head groggy. Qin Jiuye rubbed her temples and finally sighed. "Do you remember if he said anything else besides mentioning the contents of the chest? For example, telling you to be careful of something or to watch out for something?"
"He said my time is short, perhaps only a few months. As for the rest..." He paused, then cut himself off. "There was nothing else."
*A few months? Was it because the other party needed to accomplish something within a certain timeframe? Or was it that for someone tainted by that thing, they truly only had a few months to act freely before...*
*Before what?*
Qin Jiuye’s thoughts churned, countless exotic poisons, secret medicines, and mysterious arts flashing through her mind.
Perhaps Li Qiao’s rapid healing wasn't a good thing.
She had heard many rumors of miraculous elixirs and celestial pills in the Jianghu, but she had never taken them to heart. In this world, everything followed the principle of "gain requires loss" and the balance of Yin and Yang. She didn't believe in so-called miracles or sorcery. Missing flesh and blood surely required time to regenerate. To heal so quickly in a short period likely meant mobilizing all of a person's energy and essence, accelerating their metabolism to achieve such a result.
Such consumption would either shorten one's life or cause a backlash.
Was Li Qiao’s act of attacking her and obtaining blood a compensation for this self-healing ability? As time passed, would the price required for this ability grow larger and larger? Until one day, the energy obtained from the outside would no longer be enough to offset the backlash brought by this thing, reaching the "limit" the mysterious gentleman had spoken of...
Qin Jiuye looked at the youth’s young face, several times wanting to speak but stopping herself. Finally, she just shook her head.
"Forget it. Pursuing these things now probably won't yield answers. We can only take it one step at a time."
"What do we do now?"
Qin Jiuye turned to look west. The sun had unknowingly begun to sink; there was still time to leave the city.
But she couldn't return to Ding’s Village today.
Firstly, Old Qin was still locked in the Prefect’s Yamen with his situation unknown. She couldn't rest easy and needed to stay in the city to gather information. Secondly...
"We’ll go to Tingfeng Hall to meet up with Jin Bao and then decide."
"Is Sister not returning to Guoran Residence? What about the apothecary business? It’s been three days since it was last open..."
Qin Jiuye didn't want to say much, but since he had touched upon her sore spot, she felt a heavy weight in her chest that she had to vent.
"Do you think I don't want to go back? It’s all because of you!" she paused, her voice low as she tried to calm her emotions. "If I return to Guoran Residence today, won't it just be the two of us again? I haven't figured out your madness yet. What if it breaks out as soon as it gets dark? I won't have a single helper by my side. Won't I be at your mercy again? Even if I had ten lives, I couldn't survive your havoc!"
Li Qiao fell silent.
She was right. But for some reason, hearing it made him feel a bit uncomfortable.
Out of some unknown emotion, he argued, "I can endure it."
Qin Jiuye sneered. "You can endure it, but I’m afraid I can't. I’m afraid I won't be able to stop myself from drugging you first, tying you up, and then bleeding you and carving your flesh every day to test medicines, finally turning you into a 'medicine man' to hide under Jin Bao’s bed. Do you think you know me well? I am a Jianghu doctor who has seen much of life and death and only knows how to scheme. I happen to be short on silver lately; if pushed, I’m capable of anything..."
As Li Qiao watched Qin Jiuye gesticulating and making threats, he felt that her small frame, which he had previously looked down upon, suddenly seemed tall. Standing with her didn't feel so discordant anymore.
"I see. Sister is indeed shrewd and capable. Even more shrewd and capable than I imagined."
Qin Jiuye froze, momentarily speechless.
She felt the person before her must have gotten water in his brain from the rain; he didn't understand her words at all.
"I have nothing more to say to you. In short, behave yourself. Don't drag me down, and certainly don't drag down Guoran Residence." She gave up on the argument and started walking ahead. "And don't call me Sister anymore. Do it for show in front of outsiders, but when it's just the two of us, call me whatever you want."
Li Qiao watched the woman walk away, his footsteps hesitating for a moment.
Her back looked thin yet cold and hard, vaguely the same as before, yet something seemed off.
He thought that after what happened last night, their relationship should have progressed. After all, in his experience, nothing was a more solid foundation for a relationship than shared interests. But why was she no longer as unbridled and wholehearted toward him as she had been that day in the Baoshen Building?
Keeping her distance and separating public from private—her current behavior was more appropriate for him. But why did he feel uncomfortable and unwilling?
Reflection brought no meaningful conclusion, but he had confidence in himself.
Sooner or later, he would find the answer.
With that thought, the youth returned to his usual manner and followed her with light steps.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
蜃景消散 | The Mirage Fades | Chapter Title
莲花码头 | Lotus Pier | A location in the city.
皂角 | Soapberry / Soap pod | Used for washing clothes.
果然居 | Guoran Residence / Guoran Ju | Qin Jiuye's apothecary/home.
一条绳上的蚂蚱 | Grasshoppers on the same string | Idiom: In the same boat / Partners in crime.
断玉君 | Lord Duan Yu | Title of the Inspector, Qiu Ling.
青重山书院 | Qingzhong Mountain Academy | A prestigious institution.
宝蜃楼 | Baoshen Building / Treasure Mirage Tower | The mysterious building from the market.
四条子街 | Four-Bar Street | A street in the city.
老陈 | Old Chen | The owner of the underground rice shop.
药人 | Medicine Man | A human used for drug testing or as a living vessel for medicine.
听风堂 | Tingfeng Hall / Listening Wind Hall | A location where Jin Bao is.
金宝 | Jin Bao | A character associated with Qin Jiuye.
