When the neighbor’s dog outside the courtyard wall suddenly began to bark incessantly, Lu Zican was in the side courtyard having midday a meal with several young officers.
The dog was an old one that rarely barked. The manor served as an office for official business, and strangers frequently came and went, yet the dog usually remained quiet. He wondered what had gotten into it today.
Lu Zican muttered to himself, his chopsticks pausing just as he was about to reach for the last slice of cucumber on the plate.
Animals were sometimes more perceptive than humans. Back when he was stationed with the army, his little white horse would always be the first to grow restless whenever a pack of wolves approached in the night.
Perhaps the old dog hadn't just detected a stranger’s scent, but had sensed something colorless, odorless, formless, and soundless—like killing intent.
It seemed there would be no peace today.
Lu Zican set down his chopsticks and rushed out, still clutching a half-gnawed pork bone in his hand. He saw a figure holding a tattered oil-paper umbrella slowly stepping into the courtyard, moving as if entering an uninhabited land.
The umbrella-bearer stopped and looked around as if searching for something, his gaze eventually landing on a half-closed door not far away.
Lu Zican stood to the side with an aggressive air, but the youth seemed not to see him at all, walking straight toward the room where Qiu Ling was located.
Lu Zican let out a cold laugh. He flicked his wrist, and the bone in his hand flew out, hurtling toward the back of the intruder’s neck.
"Where did this brat come from? How dare you trespass into the Protectorate!"
The pork bone sliced through the thin curtain of rain with fierce momentum, yet just as it was about to strike, it snapped into two clean pieces and fell to the ground.
The umbrella-bearer had turned around at some unknown moment, his right hand—fingers pressed together into a palm—slowly retracting.
Lu Zican rubbed the congealed grease on his fingers, a corner of his beard curling up with interest.
To be able to split a bone in mid-air with a palm strike required a level of internal power that no amateur with a few days of training could possess.
"Who goes there? State your name."
The other party remained silent. A moment later, the rim of the umbrella was slowly raised, revealing a young face.
The youth’s pale irises now appeared exceptionally arrogant and cold amidst the rain. When they shifted slightly, they resembled the eyes of a wolf surveying its territory.
The rain grew heavy again. Following a series of heavy boot thuds, three young officers, having finished their meal and looking for some exercise, stepped forward. They rubbed their hands together, slowly surrounding the youth, but Lu Zican signaled for them not to act rashly.
His gaze fell upon the tattered umbrella in the boy's hand.
He had heard that at the gates of the Commandery Governor’s office that day, this boy had held an umbrella just like this, walking in as if no one else existed, with the second miss of the Su family following behind him.
Lu Zican had visited Tingfeng Hall several times recently, but he had almost never taken notice of Boss Qin’s distant cousin. It wasn't because he had completely lowered his guard, but because the youth intentionally kept his presence at an absolute minimum, and Lu Zican was often distracted by the ravings of Old Dog Du.
Because of this, he could hardly connect the obedient youth in his memory with the person currently standing in the courtyard.
*This brat really does have two faces.*
Lu Zican narrowed his eyes.
"Do you know what place this is? It’s one thing to ignore the restriction and sneak out, but what do you intend by trespassing into the Protectorate?"
The youth finally spoke, his words carrying an undeniable arrogance.
"Where is your Protector-General? Tell him to come out and see me."
Lu Zican was so angry he laughed.
"That day, Lord Fan only spared you for the sake of the Su family and the Protector-General. And here you are, prancing right in front of the Protector-General himself. Fine then, today your Grandpa Lu will personally teach you the meaning of 'the world is a dangerous place'!"
Before Lu Zican’s voice even faded, he had already lunged forward.
Though his physique was burly and tall, his movements were surprisingly agile and swift. In the blink of an eye, he had closed in on the youth’s left side. Two streaks of white light unfolded from his waist like the wings of a swan, instantly condensing into a gale that swept toward his opponent.
This move seemed simple, but it was actually quite sophisticated.
Although he used twin sabers, his greatest pride was his footwork; anyone facing him for the first time would invariably suffer for it. Though the youth had not drawn a weapon, Lu Zican had made a deduction after testing him with the pork bone and observing his palm technique. He struck at the youth’s left side, intending to catch him off guard and strike his backhand. In a single move, his boldness, meticulousness, and seasoned experience were all on display.
However, he had forgotten one thing. If one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, that didn't just apply to him.
The youth’s right side remained almost motionless, but his left hand, which held the oil-paper umbrella, suddenly erupted into motion. He first parried upward at an angle, accurately knocking away the right-hand saber, before thrusting straight for Lu Zican’s face. This forced Lu Zican to switch from offense to defense, his left-hand follow-up failing before it could even be launched.
Lu Zican retreated three steps and stood with his sabers raised. His face was splattered with muddy water flicked from the umbrella. In an instant, he had lost his momentum and looked rather disheveled.
A brief silence fell over the Protectorate courtyard. Seeing this, the three young officers no longer looked as careless as before. Their weapons cleared their scabbards as they all grew tense.
Lu Zican’s gaze slowly fell on the youth’s left hand.
That hand held no blade, only that tattered oil-paper umbrella.
Because of the parry just now, the holes in the umbrella’s surface had torn further. The youth expressionlessly ripped the paper away, leaving only the tung-oil-coated bamboo ribs bundled together in his grip.
That was the grip of a swordsman.
Alarm bells rang in Lu Zican’s mind. At this moment, he was no longer certain which hand the youth favored; he only felt he had underestimated his opponent too much, failing to recognize that the boy was a master of the blade. He also realized that the youth had dared to break into the manor alone without even bringing a weapon—he didn't know if the boy was exceptionally skilled or simply unafraid of death.
Or perhaps both.
How could he let such a person into the Protector-General’s room?
Lu Zican’s wrists shook, the twin sabers shedding countless raindrops as they transformed into two even faster streaks of white light, attacking the youth. Simultaneously, the three officers waiting for an opening also raised their weapons and closed in.
Lu Zican’s saber style was just like the man himself: seemingly boisterous but actually delicate. Back in the army, he would spend his free time refining his moves, striving for perfect control over the strength in both hands. He sought flawlessness in every advance, retreat, attack, and defense, priding himself on a flow that bordered on perfection. This was no easy feat for a dual-saber wielder.
Yet, it seemed Heaven was determined to grant him a natural enemy specifically to torment him by sending this commoner youth before him.
Lu Zican had imagined countless ways the opponent might respond, but the youth didn't waste even a glance on deciphering his saber style. Instead, he met the attack head-on.
The slightly worn tip of the umbrella bundle became a black dot, accurately meeting the tip of Lu Zican's saber. The youth's domineering and profound strength was transmitted through the resilient bamboo ribs, causing the steel saber to hum with vibration.
Legend had it that in ancient times, top martial artists could use a strand of hair as an arrow or a silk ribbon as a sword, exchanging soft for hard and overcoming strength with weakness.
He had always thought those were merely legends. But at this moment, he suddenly had a flash of insight into that other realm of martial arts hidden within the tales.
His mind stalled for only a brief moment, but the youth’s killing intent was already upon him. Startled, Lu Zican dropped his wrists heavily. Under the clash of two fierce energies, the old bamboo umbrella handle was instantly split from top to bottom, bursting into six or seven strands like a flower blooming before his eyes.
The flying bamboo splinters were like a rain of arrows, catching the surrounding officers off guard just as they were about to attack. Their formations crumbled as they dodged in disarray.
Seeing that his goal was achieved, the youth did not linger. He threw the bare umbrella handle at Lu Zican, then turned and stepped toward the room with the half-closed door.
Lu Zican was both humiliated and enraged. He spun around dizzily for a few moments before grabbing his sabers and chasing after him.
The bamboo curtain rustled, and the youth’s figure was already standing inside the room.
The room was cluttered with scrolls and miscellaneous items. His gaze slowly lowered, stopping on a damp, wrinkled oil-paper package on the floor by the entrance.
Li Qiao took a step forward. Just as his hand was about to touch the package, the inner room, which had been silent, finally stirred.
On the other side of a floor-length hanging veil, the young Protector-General didn't even lift his head. He grabbed a candlestick from beside him and, the moment a slight breeze ruffled the veil, threw it with a backhand flick.
The candlestick flipped through the air, spilling hot melted wax. Half a candle slid off, revealing a sharp metal pin that hurtled toward the figure outside the veil. But in the next heartbeat, that shadow seemed to vanish into thin air, no longer where it had been.
The candlestick missed, hitting the floor with a loud *clatter* that startled the arriving Lu Zican.
The veil ruffled again. The youth in commoner clothes had somehow already stepped behind it, his presence fierce and unstoppable.
The young Protector-General behind the desk suddenly looked up. His right hand tightened, fingers slightly curved, as he struck toward the intruder’s ribs with the force of a tiger or leopard descending a mountain.
This move was part fist, part finger technique—swift, accurate, and ruthless, leaving no room for error.
Though he had been sitting in the room, he had heard everything happening in the courtyard clearly. He had already formed a judgment regarding the youth’s martial style, knowing the boy focused on offense over defense and that every move was domineering and rigid. Thus, he used the opponent's momentum against him, first using the candlestick as a feint to draw him in, then striking when the youth could no longer restrain himself. A moment too early would have failed; a moment too late would have been useless. The timing was perfect.
Qiu Ling knew that given the opponent's strength, this move might not severely wound him, but if he didn't dodge, he would certainly suffer.
Under such a powerful attack, any martial artist with even a bit of sense would know to avoid the brunt of the force to minimize damage. But the youth did not retreat in the slightest, taking the blow head-on.
With a muffled *thud*, both men retreated two steps. After steadying themselves, their eyes met in a bloodless clash of wills.
After a long silence, Qiu Ling finally lowered his guard and spoke coldly.
"Coming uninvited, taking without asking. Is this how she taught you?"
Li Qiao remained silent, his lips pressed thin, his fair face appearing as if coated in a layer of frost.
At that moment, Lu Zican rushed behind the veil, still holding the bare candlestick. Realizing he was too late, he immediately bowed to apologize.
"This subordinate failed in his duty. I ask the Protector-General for punishment..."
Qiu Ling slightly raised his wrist, signaling his adjutant that there was no need to say more.
Lu Zican could not defeat the unremarkable youth before them.
In fact, in the entire Protectorate manor right now, there was likely no one who could subdue him.
The youth clearly knew his own skill was superior. From beginning to end, he didn't spare a glance for the pursuing Lu Zican, only staring at Qiu Ling as he spoke word by word.
"My sister came to find you this morning and left something behind. I have come to retrieve it for her. Your subordinate couldn't understand human speech and insisted on blocking the way, so I had no choice but to offend him."
As he spoke, the youth’s entire aura changed. He was a completely different person from the submissive boy of before.
Qiu Ling snorted coldly, his gaze shooting out like an arrow to meet Li Qiao’s eyes.
"Is this your true face?"
Li Qiao ignored him, his gaze sweeping insolently across the room before landing back on the floor by the door.
Qiu Ling noticed the movement and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
It turned out that from the moment he entered the door, the only thing the boy cared about was that package of sugar cakes.
The oil-paper-wrapped sugar cakes lay crookedly on the floor, seemingly abandoned and ignored after being dropped.
Li Qiao’s blood, which hadn't stirred even during the fight, now surged uncontrollably. Staring at the sugar cakes, he spoke slowly.
"The sugar cakes from the old shop on Bobo Street are thirty-eight wen per jin. This package is at least half a jin, which makes it twenty or thirty wen."
Qiu Ling slowly walked out from behind the desk.
"You made such a grand entrance and didn't hesitate to reveal your skills just to talk to me about ten ounces of sugar cakes?"
"What? Are ten ounces of sugar cakes so insignificant they aren't worth mentioning? It seems you truly don't know how hard it is for her to earn money," the youth’s voice lost its feigned innocence, replaced by an undeniable sharpness and mockery. "You think you only received ten ounces of sugar cakes, but to her, that is several days' worth of food, a month's worth of lamp oil, or half a year's worth of sewing thread. It’s one thing that you are ungrateful and threw them on the floor, but you actually let her be chased until she had to limp back home."
The youth’s voice was cold, but the young Protector-General’s expression was even colder, clearly not taking the accusation to heart.
"I am under orders to investigate this case. As long as it remains unsolved, more people may die in vain. To me, there is nothing more important than that. I did not ask anything of her; she insisted on leaving it here. I placed the sugar cakes on the floor because only things related to the case belong on this desk. I have no obligation to waste time explaining this to you. I only allowed you to stand here this long because she assisted in the investigation. Now that you have said your piece, get out before I change my mind. Otherwise, I will have to act according to the law and have you stay a few more days for ignoring the restrictions."
A heavy atmosphere began to swell within the crowded room. Standing at the door, Lu Zican felt strangely short of breath, caught in a dilemma of silence.
He was filled with shock and confusion today.
He was shocked that a distant cousin of a rural pharmacy boss could beat him so soundly. Was he truly growing old and useless? Had his old friends in the army been flattering him all this time?
As for the confusion... why did ten ounces of sugar cakes cause such fury and tension? Was his understanding of sugar cakes not deep enough?
Lu Zican lowered his head, pondering deeply while stealing glances at the two men at the center of the terrifying atmosphere.
After a long while, Li Qiao took three steps forward until he was against the desk, then slowly pressed his palm onto it.
He lowered his voice, intending for only the man before him to hear.
"Young Master Qiu, even if these ten ounces of sugar cakes weren't on this desk, it would eventually be covered in dust. Just as you, living in this mortal world, cannot remain untainted and detached forever. If you still don't understand, let me give you a kind reminder. You are a member of the Qiu family, not just the 'Jade-Severing Lord' who holds the title of Protector-General and a reputation for integrity. From the Qingping Path to the Baoshen Pavilion and then to the Su family, you have never been absent, yet you are always one step behind. Have you ever wondered why?"
None of the youth’s previous arrogant behavior had moved him, but this low whisper caused Qiu Ling’s expression to shift slightly.
However, before he could demand an explanation, the youth seemed to know what he was going to say and spoke first without ceremony.
"If you want to ask, go ask that 'good' brother of yours. Tend to your own family's affairs. Stay away from my sister, or else..."
Li Qiao leaned in and whispered something else in a low voice. Then, he quickly pulled away, not sparing Qiu Ling another look. He turned and stormed out the door, not forgetting to snatch up the package of sugar cakes from the floor as he left.
Lu Zican didn't know whether to block him or chase him. After a moment, his face flushed as he continued to plead for punishment.
"This subordinate is incompetent! Please punish me, Protector-General! I will immediately change the guards at Tingfeng Hall to ensure this never happens again..."
"Don't bother. You can't stop him."
After Qiu Ling spoke, he stood still for a moment before walking out into the courtyard.
The rain had lessened but hadn't stopped. In the spot where Lu Zican and the youth had clashed, the shattered umbrella ribs were dark and shiny from the rain. He casually picked up half a rib, examining it closely in his hand.
In the martial world, some used iron umbrellas as weapons, but no one used a paper oil-umbrella—unless they were trying to hide their true martial style.
The young officers waiting in the courtyard all looked dejected. To Lu Zican, it felt even more stifling. He stepped forward and cupped his fists.
"This subordinate underestimated the enemy just now. If we fought again, I certainly wouldn't lose to him."
"If you face him again, do not meet him head-on. Find a way to keep your composure and stall him for a moment; that is your only chance of winning."
As Qiu Ling spoke, he flicked his wrist, and the shattered umbrella rib flew out, embedding itself straight into a crack in the wall.
Lu Zican came from the military; his skills were forged on the battlefield. Even if he couldn't compare to the top masters of the martial world, he shouldn't have been so easily defeated.
Qiu Ling had listened to the brief exchange. Lu Zican hadn't lost entirely because of technique or footwork, but because of his aura during the fight. Although the opponent was unarmed and alone, he showed no trace of fear; instead, he was as calm as if he had everything under control.
That kind of disdainful, cold, and murderous aura could perhaps only be forged through more bloody battles than even a soldier experienced.
Moreover, to be able to repel twin sabers with an umbrella handle meant his martial attainment was not lacking. It would have been strange if Lu Zican had won.
And yet, such a person chose to hide in a desolate village, acting as a pharmacy assistant who brewed medicine and watched the shop. No one in the martial world would choose seclusion at that age unless they had some unavoidable hardship. Since he came from the martial world, it wasn't surprising he knew about the Qingping Path, but the strange part was that he had already linked it to the Baoshen Pavilion and the Su family. If he wasn't secretly investigating it like Qiu Ling, then he was a player within the game itself.
The people kept in Tingfeng Hall... were truly becoming more interesting by the day.
Lu Zican was clearly dissatisfied with the judgment he had received. He stood there with his neck stiff for a while before stubbornly asking his commander for orders.
"This subordinate requests the Protector-General's permission to go and investigate him thoroughly..."
"No need. As I ordered before, investigate the Su family first. As for him... when the time comes, I will investigate him personally."
Lu Zican blinked, subconsciously saying, "But if there really is a problem with him, then wouldn't Miss Qin also be..."
Qiu Ling pressed his thin lips together, his gaze piercing through the rain to land on the weeds growing thick on the eaves.
"If she is guilty, I will pursue it to the end. But if she is innocent, I will clear away everything around her and let her return to the life she ought to have."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
断玉君 | Jade-Severing Lord | Qiu Ling's moniker/title.
十两 | Ten ounces | A unit of weight (liang).
斤 | Jin | A unit of weight (approx. 0.5kg or 1.1 lbs).
文 | Wen | Copper coins/cash.
清平道 | Qingping Path | A mysterious organization or incident mentioned in the plot.
宝蜃楼 | Baoshen Pavilion | A location or organization mentioned in the plot.
