When Qin Jiuye first visited the Protectorate Office, she had been in a dire situation. She had left in a state of trepidation, feeling that the entire stone compound was cold, hard, and intimidating.
Returning today with a completely different mindset, she realized that this residence, situated in the bustling eastern market of the city, actually possessed a great deal of life. The streets and alleys were filled with small-time vendors, all shouting at the top of their lungs and jostling for space. They clearly had no reservations about being there, a stark contrast to the chilling atmosphere in front of Lord Fan’s manor, where not even a sparrow dared to land. From this, it was easy to see that the new Protector only appeared cold and unfeeling when handling cases; in truth, he was not naturally harsh. In his daily life, he was perhaps even less imposing than the two stone lions guarding his gate.
Standing at the entrance was the short man who had delivered the message to Listening Wind Hall for Lu Zican that day. Seeing Qin Jiuye and her companion, he merely nodded in greeting. Lu Zican, seeing this, coughed several times and gave a frantic hint.
"Gao Quan, this is Assistant Adjutant Qin Jiuye. She will be assisting the Protector with his work from now on."
The short adjutant named Gao Quan raised an eyebrow. He glanced at Lu Zican’s expressive face before stiffly cupping his hands toward Qin Jiuye.
"Greetings, Assistant Adjutant Qin. I am Gao Quan. I did not recognize you just now; thanks to Adjutant Lu’s reminder, I hope you won't take offense."
The title "Assistant Adjutant Qin" made Qin Jiuye’s head ache. She returned the gesture.
"I have only just arrived and did not recognize Adjutant Gao either. Since we will all be drawing silver from the same source in the future, just call me Miss Qin."
Gao Quan paused. His gaze lingered on her face for a moment before shifting to the youth behind her. He then nudged Lu Zican with his elbow and "whispered" in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Is this the one who beat you senseless with nothing but an oil-paper umbrella that day?"
Lu Zican’s face, hidden behind his thick beard, turned visibly red, making him look like a steamed crab.
Qin Jiuye noticed immediately. Though she didn't know exactly what had happened before, she sensed something was off and quickly cut in.
"It’s getting late. Didn't Adjutant Lu say there was urgent business? Let’s get to it."
"Right, right, business first."
Lu Zican nodded to the empty air and then plunged through the main gate with his head down.
Seeing this, Qin Jiuye lowered her head and followed quickly. Even after they had walked quite a distance, she could still feel Gao Quan’s inquisitive gaze fixed on Li Qiao.
Up ahead, Lu Zican was walking at a brisk pace. She grabbed Li Qiao and asked in a low, rapid whisper.
"You beat up Lu Zican? When did this happen?"
Li Qiao glanced at her and said softly, "No such thing. You misheard."
Misheard? How could she mishear something like that?
Lu Zican had already reached the moon gate leading to the inner courtyard. He stopped and looked back, so Qin Jiuye couldn't press the matter further and had to catch up.
Passing through the moon gate, Qin Jiuye observed Lu Zican’s expression and deliberately changed the subject.
"Have you found any trace of Su Lin?"
As expected, Lu Zican stopped dwelling on the previous awkwardness. He gave a cold snort, clearly disliking Su Lin’s character.
"That old fox wasn't even in the city. His information is quite sharp, though; the moment he heard something happened to the cargo ship, he fled overnight to his country villa. However, the Protector expected as much and has already made arrangements. We’re just waiting to catch a turtle in a jar. If Miss Qin is interested, you can come along to watch when the time comes."
Recalling her previous experience of being cornered in an alley and forced to jump into a foul sewer to escape, Qin Jiuye gave a weak smile.
"As for arrests and captures, I’m a newcomer and shouldn't meddle, lest I hold the Protector back."
Lu Zican seemed to recall something and clearly disagreed.
"Why be so modest, Miss Qin? Although the Protector hasn't said it aloud, he greatly admired your powers of observation and reaction time back on the ship. He considered it for a long time before asking me to invite you today. You should know that in the past, he would never entrust important tasks to someone who hasn't served in the military."
Lu Zican spoke with supreme reverence for his Protector, as if this entire job was a grand affirmation and reward for her.
But thinking of how she had walked on thin ice under the suspicion of being a criminal, winning only by a hair’s breadth, Qin Jiuye really couldn't bring herself to smile. She took a deep breath and managed to offer a calm, perfunctory reply.
"Those are just the survival tactics of a small person. Adjutant Lu shouldn't tease me."
Lu Zican seemed ready to say more, but the youth beside her, noticing the woman’s expression, suddenly interjected.
"Is there any word on the maid named Xinyu?"
Lu Zican blinked, looking somewhat displeased.
Though he had a poor impression of this youth, he had to admit the question hit the mark. He also felt a sense of accomplishment regarding what he had uncovered, so after a brief pause, he spoke with an air of mystery.
"She is no maid. She is an assassin from the World’s Number One Villa, and she once held a rank in the B-Camp."
Even though she had expected the woman’s true identity to involve the martial world, Qin Jiuye was still shocked by this answer.
"You’re saying Su Lin, a mere medicine merchant, kept an assassin in his manor?"
Lu Zican nodded.
"Indeed. Has Miss Qin heard of the World’s Number One Villa?"
Qin Jiuye fell into deep thought, as if trying to recall something. She didn't notice the youth behind her quickly shifting his gaze.
"In all the years Guoran Residence has been open, I’ve treated many small fry from various sects, but I truly haven't seen anyone from the World’s Number One Villa with my own eyes..."
Because most people who escaped that villa were already dead.
And how could a dead person go to see a physician?
The youth retracted his gaze and returned to his quiet state.
Up ahead, Lu Zican turned a corner, his voice dropping lower.
"They say the World’s Number One Villa blurs the line between orthodox and evil, dealing with both sides of the law. Those who come from there are all ruthless and exceptionally skilled at hiding their identities and lying low. Whether Su Lin knew of her identity is something we’ll only know once he’s caught. However, Su Lin certainly listened to her advice often. This bounty for a medical consultation was Xinyu’s idea. I suspect she is deeply involved in this entire case."
On the ship that day, she had snatched her life back from the hands of such a person. And that night at Listening Wind Hall, what exactly had Xinyu been doing there?
The sun was shining brightly, yet Qin Jiuye felt a sudden chill.
"Could this case truly be related to martial world powers? If the World’s Number One Villa is so formidable, why would they interfere in the family affairs of a medicine merchant in Jiugao?"
Lu Zican gave a contemptuous snort.
"Formidable? They’re just a bunch of mercenaries driven by profit. It’s just that we can't track her down for the moment, so we don't know if the World’s Number One Villa is the mastermind or what her purpose was for lurking in the Su family. I’ve heard the Master of the World’s Number One Villa loves playing the mystic; hardly anyone has seen his true form in recent years. Otherwise, I’d really like to take my blade to his door and ask him myself..."
As Lu Zican rambled on, Li Qiao’s footsteps came to an involuntary halt.
"What exactly did you call us here for today?"
Lu Zican paused and slowly turned around.
He truly detested this brat who didn't look very old. Every time he was about to do something, the boy would disrupt his rhythm.
Qin Jiuye didn't notice Lu Zican’s expression. she tilted her head, looking past Lu Zican’s burly frame toward the room at the end of the corridor. She seemed to hear a faint sound coming from inside.
"Aren't we here today to discuss the case with the Protector?"
Lu Zican rubbed his nose, his voice suddenly becoming thin.
"Of course we are here to discuss the case. But before that... I must ask Miss Qin to perform a consultation."
"A consultation?" Qin Jiuye was stunned. Her first instinct was to touch her empty back. "Why didn't you say so earlier? My medicine chest is still at Listening Wind Hall..."
She stopped mid-sentence as realization dawned. She took three steps back until she was pressed tightly against the youth behind her. When she spoke again, her voice was strained.
"You don't mean for me to go..."
Lu Zican forced a smile and reminded her again.
"Didn't Miss Qin just agree to be an Assistant Adjutant? Right now, it’s just a consultation. It’s not like you haven't done it before."
She knew it. The silver from the government wasn't that easy to earn.
Qin Jiuye swallowed hard and said bluntly, "Last time, there was a wall between us. May I ask, Adjutant Lu, can I also examine the person in this room through a wall?"
After she spoke, she looked at him with a questioning gaze, while the youth behind her stared with open hostility. Lu Zican felt himself transform instantly from a tall, upright Adjutant into a complete scoundrel.
He could only blame his Protector for handing this offensive task to him. But now, even if they turned the entire city of Jiugao upside down, they likely wouldn't find a second physician willing to enter this room.
No wonder Su Lin had used such a convoluted method to invite someone into his manor for a consultation.
He had to convince this one. She was his only hope.
Lu Zican gritted his teeth and finally spoke with a hint of heartache.
"In addition to your monthly salary, the fee for this consultation will be paid separately according to the market rate. What do you think?"
After speaking, his heart was still pounding. His gaze flickered between the woman and the youth.
After a long silence, Qin Jiuye finally whispered to the youth beside her.
"Wait outside. I’ll go in and take a look."
With that, she put her hands behind her back, looking like an old physician who had been practicing for decades, and strolled leisurely toward the tightly closed door.
"I am willing to share Adjutant Lu’s burdens. As for how much the fee for this trip should be... I’ll have to think about it carefully."
Qin Jiuye could feel Lu Zican’s inquisitive gaze on the back of her head.
He must think she was a miser who had fallen into a pit of money, someone who would disregard her dignity and even her life for a bit of silver.
But she didn't care what he thought. Getting the money was what mattered.
In all her years at Guoran Residence, she had seen plenty of strange martial world characters. If she had turned people away every time she felt timid, or if she had refused difficult patients because she was thin-skinned, the reputation of Guoran Residence wouldn't have lasted until today.
Three locks were opened, and the reinforced door was pushed wide. Under the watchful eyes of several hulking guards, Qin Jiuye slowly stepped into the room.
The surroundings dimmed significantly. She looked around and was not surprised to find that all the doors and windows were covered with thick, light-blocking cloth.
Candles were lit in the room, but due to the lack of air, the flames were weak, casting a ghostly atmosphere over the space.
Noticing her gaze, Lu Zican explained, "It is indeed a bit dark. Can you make do for now? If we take down these curtains, it will take a long time to set them back up."
It seemed the condition Su Muhe had described was basically true. Old Madam Su’s illness indeed made her unable to bear light, and the strange room in the Su manor had been built for that reason.
Qin Jiuye waved her hand to show she didn't mind, then walked toward the inner chamber on the left, which was partitioned by heavy curtains. It was quiet behind the curtains, revealing nothing, but Qin Jiuye knew that this silence was an illusion.
She glanced at Lu Zican, signaling she was ready. Lu Zican nodded to the soldiers on either side of the curtains. They pulled the ropes simultaneously, and the curtains rolled back to reveal a massive iron cage.
The cage nearly reached the ceiling and was about ten feet wide. The iron bars were as thick as a thumb, with gaps no wider than a palm—it was incredibly sturdy.
A figure was curled up in the corner of the cage. Four chains were fastened to the four corners of the iron cage, with additional brass locks at the connection points.
"This is a large beast cage temporarily brought in from the suburban courier station. It serves the purpose well enough for now."
As Lu Zican spoke, he turned a winch at the top of the cage. The chains at the four corners began to tighten. The person inside the cage felt the pull and began to go wild, but her limbs were forced open and pinned to the ground, quickly rendering her immobile. She was held in a position as if she were about to be "torn asunder by five horses."
Despite having dealt with many patients in special circumstances, this was truly the first time Qin Jiuye had performed a consultation through an iron cage. The person inside no longer seemed human, but rather a man-eating beast; even the most extreme measures did not seem excessive.
But then, thinking of the tragically murdered night watchman and Kang Renshou, this method of handling her was likely a necessary evil.
The cage door was opened. Qin Jiuye sighed and walked up to it. The person with disheveled hair had been hanging her head, but sensing Qin Jiuye’s approach, she sniffed the air, unexpectedly quieted down, and then slowly raised her head.
On the ship that day, the situation had been chaotic and the light dim; Qin Jiuye hadn't even been able to get a good look at Old Madam Su’s face. Now, facing her at such close range, she realized that aside from the messy hair and the somewhat savage expression, Old Madam Su’s original appearance was not hideous. On the contrary, she should have been a kind-looking, well-maintained elderly woman.
Seeing an old woman who looked like one’s own grandmother locked so harshly in an iron cage would make anyone else feel a surge of pity. But Qin Jiuye knew that, just like this curtained room, the face before her was an illusion, and behind the illusion lay a man-eating truth.
Qin Jiuye took an oil lamp from the side and carefully approached.
Something seemed wrong with Old Madam Su’s eyes. They were covered in a layer of dark, cloudy flocculent matter. At a quick glance before, she had assumed it was an eye disease common in old age, but looking closely now, she realized it wasn't. It looked more like the turbidity that begins to form half a day after a person dies. Furthermore, her pupils were much blacker than a normal person’s, looking like two holes at first glance; upon closer inspection, they were two pupils dilated to their limit. Yet, no matter how the lamplight moved closer or further away, the pupils showed no reaction, like the pupils of a corpse.
Qin Jiuye frowned. The next moment, as the oil lamp swept past, the old woman suddenly lunged. A terrifying sound of grinding teeth came from her mouth, and the four iron chains snapped taut instantly, clattering incessantly.
The soldiers on either side instinctively gripped their weapons. They glanced at the small woman, only to find that she remained unmoved from start to finish.
Truly bizarre. Just how much did this new village-girl adjutant love money? You should know that the three imperial physicians who came before were all carried out after fainting from fright.
Qin Jiuye was indeed as calm as still water. This wasn't her first time dealing with Old Madam Su. Once is strange, twice is familiar, and by the third or fourth time, one becomes unperturbed.
She raised her hand to signal the guards not to be nervous, then pulled Lu Zican aside, gesturing for him to lean in.
Lu Zican, not knowing what to expect, bent down toward the small woman, only to hear her voice whisper craftily.
"For this consultation... I need more money."
After a few interactions, Lu Zican had begun to see that this little woman had extraordinary courage but was also incorrigibly greedy. He no longer worried she would quit halfway and reminded her bluntly.
"Diagnose exactly what is wrong with her, and the fee will naturally be yours."
Qin Jiuye raised her voice.
"If it were that easy to diagnose, why would I ask you for more money?"
Lu Zican couldn't win the argument and could only repeat himself.
"Diagnose it first, then we’ll talk."
Qin Jiuye took a deep breath, turned back to the iron cage, and asked the guards on either side.
"What is her name?"
The guards were stunned, clearly not knowing the answer.
They only knew she was Su Lin’s mother, the Old Madam of the Su Manor, and the grandmother of the Su juniors. But no one knew what her name had been before she married into the Su family.
"He Yuanzhou," Lu Zican’s voice rang out with certainty, and then he repeated the name. "Her name is He Yuanzhou. 'Yuan' as in the Yuan River, 'Zhou' as in a boat."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 督护府 | Protectorate Office | The office/residence of the Protector (Duhu). |
| 参佐 | Assistant Adjutant | A minor official/assistant title. |
| 高全 | Gao Quan | An adjutant at the Protectorate Office. |
| 天下第一庄 | World’s Number One Villa | A powerful and mysterious martial arts organization. |
| 乙字营 | B-Camp | A ranking or division within the World’s Number One Villa. |
| 和沅舟 | He Yuanzhou | The original name of Old Madam Su. |
| 瓮中捉鳖 | Catch a turtle in a jar | A Chinese idiom meaning to trap someone easily. |
