As night fell, a late breeze swept through the corridors of Listening Wind Hall. Though summer had arrived, the air was not yet stifling.
Inside the only lighted study, the members of Guoran Residence and Listening Wind Hall sat at opposite ends of a single table. At the head of the table, Tang Shenyan was unhurriedly peeling garlic, performing his duties as "host" by handing a clove to everyone.
Qin Jiuye stared at the green fish on the table—its mouth agape, eyes bulging at her—with a complicated expression.
"Tang Shenyan, you’re doing this on purpose, aren't you?"
Tang Shenyan feigned ignorance, his voice dripping with feigned surprise. "Manager Qin, whatever do you mean? I treat you as my guests, even bringing out this green fish I’ve been pickling all winter to stew for you. Why must you find fault with me?"
Qin Jiuye ground her teeth. "If you want to stew fish, then stew fish. Why did you have to throw every other dish into the pot with it? You didn't even spare the steamed buns—did they have to be soaked in the fish soup too?"
Tang Shenyan slowly raised his chopsticks, pushing the few remaining pieces of bun from the edge of the plate into the broth. Then, with a sharp poke, he burst one of the fish's eyes and brought his chopsticks to his mouth to savor the taste.
"Naturally, it is because this fish is so delicious that I cannot bear to waste a single drop of the broth. Take this fish eye, for instance—it is the very essence of the dish. I shall have the left; I’ll leave the right one for Manager Qin to enjoy..."
Her stomach churned with nausea. Unable to sit there a moment longer, Qin Jiuye stood up and hurried outside.
Watching her indignant departure, Tang Shenyan finally felt he had vented his frustrations. Humming a little tune, he poked out a chunk of fish meat, stuffed a large piece of soaked bun into his mouth, and announced with grand bravado:
"The feast is served! Everyone, eat your fill!"
Jinbao sat with his chopsticks in his mouth, watching his manager leave in a huff like a dog waiting for its bowl to be filled. He remained "loyal" for a brief moment, but ultimately could not withstand the hunger gnawing at his gut. After a single round of internal conflict, he shuffled his bowl over to Tang Shenyan’s side. Having subtly signaled his change in allegiance, he picked up his chopsticks and began to wolf down the food.
Tang Shenyan smiled, looking like a man at the height of his success. He uncharacteristically picked up a piece of soup-soaked bun for the boy, intending to tease the youth who had been silent since entering. However, he looked up to find the boy watching him.
The youth named Li Qiao still did not speak, but the smile slowly faded from Tang Shenyan’s face.
After a long silence, just as Tang Shenyan was about to say something, the youth finally picked up his chopsticks and began to eat without a word.
Tang Shenyan reverted to his usual stiff, pedantic expression. He snatched a piece of fish from right under Jinbao’s nose and joined the silent battle for the food.
***
An unknown amount of time passed. The stars in the sky began to brighten. The study grew quiet, the clatter of chopsticks against porcelain fading away.
With her stomach growling, Qin Jiuye sat on the stone steps in the courtyard, resting her chin in her hands as she gazed at the sky.
She didn't blame Old Tang. He was just angry that she had taken advantage of him. The "advantage" she had gained wouldn't even amount to a chicken feather in a wealthy household, yet it was enough to make them draw swords and cross paths.
In the end, it was all the fault of poverty.
Rubbing her belly, she recalled the bowl of plain noodles she had eaten by the gate when she was starving at the Su Residence that night. A person wouldn't die from missing one meal. But if her grandfather were here, would he ever let her sit out here alone, drinking the wind?
As she dazed, a voice suddenly sounded behind her.
"Why didn't Sister eat the fish?"
Qin Jiuye jumped and turned around. Li Qiao had appeared behind her at some unknown point, watching her with unblinking eyes.
She turned back to face the empty night, answering his question with one of her own. "You're finished? What are you doing here?"
He sat down on the stone step beside her, deflecting her question by repeating it back to her. "I'm finished, so I came to find you."
Qin Jiuye fell silent. She felt the day had been truly unlucky—fearing for her life and taking a trip to the magistrate's office was one thing, but not even getting a bite to eat in the evening was quite another.
A rustling sound followed as the youth pulled a paper parcel from his robes.
"I went to the small kitchen before the food was served and saved something for you."
Qin Jiuye’s nose twitched. She glanced sideways at the parcel, though her tone remained stern. "What is this for? If Old Tang finds out, he'll torment me again."
The youth pressed the contents of the parcel into her hand, a faint hint of a smile in his voice. "Just say I stole it. Consider it... repayment for that egg pancake."
Qin Jiuye stared blankly for a moment before realizing which egg pancake he meant. She paused, then spoke slowly. "I told you. That was a reward from the manager. What Jinbao has, you will have too."
That said, she didn't stand on ceremony. She took the still-warm bun and began to gnaw on it. Then she heard the youth speak, his tone slightly cool.
"Since we are staying here, won't the matter of the Su family and Kang Renshou be impossible to hide? If 'others' notice..."
She understood who he meant by "others" and waved a hand dismissively. "That doesn't matter. Old Tang is one of our own. He’s a bit of a miser, but he wouldn't go so far as to betray a friend."
The youth raised an eyebrow. "Sister trusts him that much?"
With her mouth full of bun, Qin Jiuye mumbled, "We've known each other for years. I have at least that much trust in him."
*That makes sense,* Li Qiao thought. Since Tang Shenyan and she had known each other for years, such a relationship was understandable. Meanwhile, he had known her for less than three months and had already become "one of her own." In the end, he was simply more capable.
Thinking of this, Li Qiao’s expression softened considerably. "Then, regarding Brother Situ..."
Qin Jiuye shook her head repeatedly. "Don't tell him too much. He can't handle things. If he knew Guoran Residence was involved in something this big, he'd probably play dead right in front of you."
Li Qiao nodded, looking even more satisfied. As he lowered his eyes, he couldn't help but steal another glance at her.
She ate quickly, a habit likely formed over a long time. In that, they were quite similar. Now that he thought about it, they actually shared many similarities.
After a while, he suddenly asked, "Does Sister have any diseases she cannot cure?"
"Of course," she said, stuffing the last bit of bun into her mouth and clapping her hands clean. "Haven't you heard? In ancient times, shamanism and medicine were one path, because no one understood better than the healers of that era that matters of life, death, and aging are often beyond the control of mortals. Nowadays in Xiangliang, not many people believe in ghosts and gods anymore, yet the temples are never short of people praying for health, recovery, and longevity. It's clear this truth hasn't changed."
Qin Jiuye waited for a response, but none came. She turned to see the youth leaning slightly to the side, his left hand braced against the ground, his head bowed in silence.
She watched him for a moment, and as a thought occurred to her, her expression grew tense. "What's wrong? Is your condition flaring up again?"
Li Qiao remained silent for a moment before slowly shaking his head. "I was just thinking about the future. I feel a bit troubled, that's all."
Qin Jiuye let out a long sigh of relief. Touching the wound on her neck that hadn't quite healed, she told herself she needed to be prepared for danger even in times of peace. She spoke with a dignified air:
"I am someone who doesn't like owing favors. For the sake of this bun, I'll give you a consultation today. Let's see if that 'Young Master' from the tower just fed you some sugar water to trick you into throwing your life away."
Without waiting for his consent, she grabbed his left hand with her own—the one still covered in crumbs from the bun. She skillfully rolled up his sleeve and placed her fingers on his pulse point.
"Your pulse is steady and strong right now. Someone with less experience might not even detect the signs of the previous poisoning. However, a pulse can fluctuate with the symptoms. Everything looks fine when the illness isn't active; the truth only shows during an episode. If you looked like you did last night, I’d have to call Jinbao in to help me just to get a reading. If you don't want to turn into a total wreck when the poison triggers in a few months, you must learn to restrain yourself at all times. If you scare Jinbao away again, I won't be able to help you. You'll just have to fend for yourself..."
The woman prattled on with her eyes half-closed, her two soft fingers pressing with varying pressure on his pulse.
The skin on her hands was somewhat rough—marks left by years of handling medicinal herbs and washing decoctions—but the two fingers she used for the pulse were delicate and soft. She had put effort into maintaining them, saying that she relied on these two fingers for diagnosis. If they developed calluses or peeled, she wouldn't be able to accurately feel the subtle fluctuations deep within a pulse.
Perhaps from the time she rescued him from Qingping Road until he woke up, she had felt his pulse countless times with those two fingers.
But only he knew that since he began practicing the blade, he had never let anyone touch his left hand, let alone take his pulse.
*No one can get close to the hand that holds the sword.*
This was a principle his master had taught him. If anyone else had told him this, he would have likely laughed it off. But his master had only one hand, so he felt his master's words must be profoundly true, and he had held them as a rule ever since.
Yet over the past two months, he had broken this rule countless times.
The woman before him was still recklessly squeezing and pressing his hand. The youth remained silent, staring intently at her face. He wanted to find some flaw in that sallow, thin face—something that would give him a reason to pull his hand back and draw his sword.
But he looked for a long time, and aside from a few crumbs left over from the bun, there was nothing else on that face.
Finally, having felt enough, Qin Jiuye opened her eyes. She immediately found the youth staring fixedly at her. His gaze was so direct that she felt an immediate sense of unease and guilt.
She had heard that wanderers of the martial world were often arrogant and untamed, showing great respect to those stronger than them while putting on airs before those weaker. In terms of fighting, she was certainly no match for him. Although she had been using her status as an elder and manager to keep him in line lately, after what happened last night, their superior-subordinate relationship had become precarious.
A wolf, no matter how long it is leashed, will never become a dog.
The day the chain breaks is the day the wolf eats its master.
Qin Jiuye shuddered, only to see him slowly raise his right hand and reach toward her. She forced herself not to dodge, maintaining a calm front as she frowned and asked, "What are you doing?"
The youth’s calloused fingers stopped at the corner of her mouth. His voice held a hint of hesitation. "There's..."
Before he could finish, Tang Shenyan’s voice rang out across the courtyard, filled with shock and fury.
"You... you two!"
Qin Jiuye spun around in a panic. Tang Shenyan was standing under the covered walkway, glaring at them with a dark expression. For some reason, she felt a ridiculous sense of being "caught in the act." Before she could speak, he approached, pointing two fingers at them.
"Where did you get that bun?! I was wondering why you left the table so readily. It turns out you had an inside agent all along, running a secret operation right here!"
The two on the stone steps were silent for a moment.
*What sharp eyes he has,* she thought. From dozens of paces away, he could spot a crumb on the corner of her mouth. Why was he the head of Listening Wind Hall? He was better suited for the lookout towers on the outskirts of Jiugao.
Qin Jiuye wiped her mouth, flashing a smile that was both polite and roguish. Without waiting for him to get closer, she stood up and bolted in the opposite direction.
Listening Wind Hall was open on all sides. As long as the person in front kept running in circles, the person behind would have to keep chasing.
The owner’s angry shouts mingled with the guest’s intermittent laughter, echoing around the courtyard. The youth remained seated where he was. He stared blankly at his exposed wrist for a long time. Finally, he plucked a blade of grass and silently wiped away the crumbs from his skin.
***
The ancient statue had no head, yet it seemed to watch the people drifting through the mortal world from the darkness. It was an invisible, hollow gaze. When one closed their eyes, it came from the void; when one opened them, it vanished back into the void.
Inside the dilapidated main hall, Jinbao’s snoring echoed off the walls—a continuous, rising and falling rhythm.
Tang Shenyan lay on his three-legged low couch, grinding his teeth. He didn't trust these uninvited guests, so he insisted on huddling under the same roof with them.
Behind a broken screen near the door, Qin Jiuye had wrapped herself in an old blanket, her entire head covered, with only the sound of her shallow, intermittent breathing coming through.
During such long nights, even the gods must find things tedious.
The snoring Jinbao rolled over, resting one of his legs on the youth beside him.
A cold glint of steel flashed in the darkness. A shadow swept across the half-exposed snake tail of the stone statue, carrying an indescribable sense of danger and lethality.
Perhaps sensing something in his sleep, Tang Shenyan’s teeth-grinding stopped abruptly. After a brief pause, a long, drawn-out sound of flatulence followed.
Feeling much more comfortable in body and mind, the man on the couch rolled up in his quilt and fell back into a deep sleep. A faint odor drifted through the hall. Qin Jiuye remained as steady as an old dog under her blanket, but Situ Jinbao’s nose twitched. He frowned and rolled over again, finally pulling his leg back.
Accompanied by the sound of a blade entering its scabbard, the long shadow on the stone statue vanished.
Night seemed to return to a true tranquility.
However, in the next moment, the sound of frogs croaking rose outside the window.
In Jiugao after a summer rain, the sound of frogs was perfectly normal. But now, against the backdrop of the dark night, the sound seemed to become sharp and distorted, audible even through the wooden doors and stone walls.
The monotonous croaking grew louder and more chaotic, as if one frog had become ten, then a hundred, then a thousand.
Beyond the croaking, it felt as though he could hear the sound of slimy skin pressing together and the yellow-green vocal sacs inflating and deflating with vivid clarity.
Bubbles expanded and burst, accumulating into white foam floating on a pool of stagnant water. Pairs of dull, horizontal pupils broke through the foam and emerged from the water, bodies vibrating as they croaked incessantly, on and on...
Li Qiao sat up abruptly in the darkness.
Heavy gasps came from deep within his chest, like the cries for help from a drowning man choking on water.
Was it because of what Young Master Yan had given him? Or was it because he had taken the Clear Wind Powder early, before the scheduled day?
He clutched his head tightly with both hands, rapidly recalling the changes that had occurred in his body recently.
Perhaps he shouldn't have taken that stolen bottle of Clear Wind Powder in his moment of desperation. But if he hadn't, he might not have been able to fight his way out while wounded, or maintain his sanity long enough to escape the city gates.
Situ Jinbao’s snoring was still thunderous, yet Li Qiao could still hear the frogs.
The sound didn't seem to come from outside the window, but from deep within his own head.
He couldn't find the source, and he couldn't drive the sounds away—unless he drew his blade and split his own head in two...
After a long time, he slowly lowered his fingers from where they were buried in his hair and stood up soundlessly. He wore no outer robe, wrapping himself in the darkness as if it were a garment. Hunching his shoulders, he walked out of the main hall, step by step.
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 听风堂 | Listening Wind Hall | The name of Tang Shenyan's establishment/sect. |
| 晴风散 | Clear Wind Powder | A medicine or poison mentioned in the text. |
| 公子琰 | Young Master Yan | A character mentioned by Li Qiao. |
| 馍 | Steamed bun | A type of flatbread or bun, often referred to as 'mo'. |
| 襄梁 | Xiangliang | The name of the region or country. |
| 九皋 | Jiugao | The name of the city/location. |
| 果然居 | Guoran Residence | Qin Jiuye's business/home. |
