The old city of Yu’an was established during the era of the ancient Niexuan Kingdom. It was formerly known as Huimu, named after the *xi* wood harvested there for use in *fuxi* ceremonies.
*Fuxi* is the art of *fuji*—spirit writing.
*Fu* means to support or carry; *ji* refers to divination used to resolve doubts.
In ancient spirit writing, the diviner would offer their own body to serve as the *luansheng*, the "Phoenix Kin," inviting the sought-after deity to descend into their form. By using the body as a vessel for the ritual, one could achieve clarity and communicate with the mechanics of Heaven. By the time of the Tiancheng era, few understood its subtle mysteries; only sparse records remained in ancient texts and folk plays, generally referring to the practice as "The Descent of the Gods."
The wood used for these rituals was primarily peach and mulberry.
Peach wood served to expel evil and exorcise calamities; mulberry wood served to guide ghosts and gods. One to repel, one to attract; one Yang, one Yin. Neither could be dispensed with.
The ancient kingdoms of the past all held the arts of sorcery and divination in high esteem. Thus, the ancient city of Huimu was once a place of vast peach groves and interconnected mulberry forests. At its peak, the Niexuan imperial family designated it as an independent prefecture. A household registration within the city was worth a thousand gold pieces, and it was said that "Huimu hides gold." It was a place of unparalleled glory.
However, approximately a century ago, the celestial patterns shifted. Temperatures on the northern Geleite Plateau plummeted. The warm, moist air that traveled annually from the South Sea could no longer cross the mountain ranges north of Yu’an, becoming trapped instead within the plains surrounded by these peaks. The once warm and dry Huimu began to suffer under incessant rains. Water accumulated in the soil, and the peach trees—which feared waterlogging most of all—began to suffer root rot and die.
In a mere three years, the peach forests that covered the mountains perished, turning into withered branches that looked like silent tombstones from afar. While the peach trees died, the mulberry trees survived. Over time, occultists advised the authorities, claiming that Huimu’s Yin was flourishing while its Yang was depleted, and that the city’s *feng shui* was fundamentally unbalanced. They argued that only by felling every mulberry tree could stability be restored.
At the command of those in power, every mulberry tree in the city was uprooted and burned to ash in a single night.
The Yin and Yang of the ancient city of Huimu were balanced once more, but the glory of "Huimu hiding gold" became a thing of the past, never to be mentioned again.
Those dead peach groves and the mulberry trees turned to ash eventually transformed into thick, black silt—the fertilizer for the modern city of Yu’an, nourishing generation after generation of flora that thrived upon it.
"Achoo!"
Xiao Nanhui let out a heavy sneeze.
Yu’an in the spring was truly unfriendly to her.
The air was thick with the scent of countless unknown flowers, a fragrance that could neither be dispersed nor avoided.
Bolao didn't like the smell either. She only liked the scent of the roasted goose from Xinhengji on Dingyu Street.
Jixiang’s hooves crunched over the ground where withered branches and moss intertwined, a sound like the entire old city of Yu’an groaning beneath them.
This had once been the most prosperous central thoroughfare of the city. Now, however, the whole of Yu’an had been swallowed by lush vegetation; the traces of civilization had been submerged by nature.
In the night, abandoned and uninhabited houses were pierced through by trees growing from within. Vines as thick as a man’s arm snaked out from behind window frames and door panels. Flowers competed to bloom in every crevice, waiting for the coming year to occupy this desolate land with their seeds once more.
Xiao Nanhui withdrew her gaze and looked at Bolao, who was sharing her mount, sitting on the horse's rump.
"Since when have you been following me?"
Bolao huffed and shifted her position on the horse.
"From the moment you left Que City."
Thinking of how she had been wandering in circles in that labyrinthine villa last night, Xiao Nanhui frowned.
"It’s easy to leave Yulin Villa but hard to enter. How did you sneak in?"
Bolao huffed again, a few proud strands of hair escaping her smooth, polished bun.
"You look down on me? I am a blade-user of some renown in the martial world. If I couldn't even manage that, I’d have no business wandering the rivers and lakes."
Xiao Nanhui glanced at her sideways and said unhurriedly, "Since you intended to come all along, why didn't we set out together? Why go through all this trouble?"
This question hit the mark.
Bolao scratched her head, her expression becoming somewhat unnatural.
"There was someone in your convoy I didn't want to see."
Xiao Nanhui thought for a moment, feeling seventy to eighty percent certain.
"You mean Mister Zong?"
Bolao’s face stiffened, but she immediately feigned composure.
"He is from the Andao Academy. You know I hate that place. I’ve even been dodging Old Man Xie for several years now."
On the surface, the answer seemed fine.
But even someone as dull as Xiao Nanhui could remember the look on Bolao's face in the backyard of the Prince of Xuanyuan’s manor that day. She felt things weren't that simple.
"When you were dodging Xie Li, you never left me behind to run for your life."
Having her past cowardice brought up made Bolao flush with anger.
"Who ran for their life?! That was a tactical maneuver!" Realizing she was in the wrong, she quickly tried to make amends. "It won't happen again! It won't happen again, alright?!"
Xiao Nanhui chuckled inwardly, not wanting to push her too hard. She shifted the topic to something else.
"Who gave you the keys in your hand?"
She asked because she assumed the keys had been obtained by someone in the martial world through extraordinary means. After all, she had turned the Marquis’s manor upside down and found nothing she had missed.
At this, a look of irrepressible smugness instantly appeared on Bolao’s face.
"After you all left, I went back to Yukun Street."
Xiao Nanhui was stunned, her face full of disbelief. "I went to Yukun Street no less than ten times. I even turned over the grindstone in the kitchen. Where did you find the keys?"
"In a side room of the old manor. Perhaps you were acting with a guilty conscience, unlike me, who is steady and earnest. Did you truly try every key and search every room one by one?"
Xiao Nanhui felt a bit dazed.
Had she really missed it? She remembered immersing herself in a sea of letters and dust, filtering information page by page. Perhaps she had been too focused on that letter from Heimu Prefecture and had truly overlooked something.
However, she still had doubts.
"How were you so sure back then that these were the keys to the Xiao Family Villa in Yu’an?"
Bolao gave her a strange look.
"Naturally, it's because it was written on the box they were in."
Xiao Nanhui wanted to press further, but Bolao had already vaulted off the horse.
"We’re here."
Xiao Nanhui pulled the reins and looked ahead. A black manor gate, weathered by wind and rain, stood directly facing the street entrance.
A manor gate facing a main street—that was poor *feng shui*.
After tethering Jixiang, she followed Bolao toward the great gates. The cast lock, already covered in green verdigris, had almost fused with the door studs. If more years passed, the lock cylinder would likely rust shut. The massive official seals were somewhat tattered, yet they still clung firmly to the black wood.
Whether Bolao’s words were reliable depended on whether that ring of keys could open this lock.
But...
She turned to look at the courtyard walls of the Xiao Family Villa.
"The wall isn't that high. Why not just climb over?"
Bolao didn't look back, leaning down to blow the dust out of the copper lock’s keyhole.
"See that layer of tiles on top of the wall?"
Xiao Nanhui looked where Bolao pointed. There was indeed a layer of gable-shaped glazed tiles atop the perimeter wall. Neglected for years, they were covered in a layer of grey. These tiles had a smooth surface, and if they were built with a certain slope, an ordinary thief would find it difficult to get a foothold.
But for a martial artist with decent lightness skills, it shouldn't be an insurmountable obstacle.
"I see them. So?"
Bolao finished blowing the lock clean, reached down to pick up a pebble the size of a fingernail, and weighed it in her hand.
"Watch closely."
She gave a light toss. The pebble flew out and landed squarely on the tiles atop the wall.
In the next instant, a burst of fire erupted from where the pebble landed. Accompanied by a crisp crack, the glazed tile struck by the pebble instantly shattered into fragments that scattered in all directions.
Xiao Nanhui quickly dodged. When she turned back, she found the "culprit" who threw the stone had already hidden to the side to watch the show.
She was somewhat annoyed as she brushed the tile shards from her head.
"If there’s a trap, why didn't you just say so? Making such a huge commotion—be careful not to alert the garrison."
"Before I met you, I’d already circled the perimeter of the hunting grounds several times. From the moment the Spring Hunt began, all the guards' attention has been on the vicinity of the villa. No one cares if the old city district is missing a few tiles," Bolao said lightheartedly. The cleverness from her years wandering the martial world suddenly surfaced, and she became more talkative. "These are Ringing Glazed Tiles used in the Yu’an area to prevent snakes and theft. Lighter things like birds won't trigger them, but if something heavier lands on them, it ignites the hidden fire oil. It drives away intruders while alerting the master..."
*Click.*
Halfway through Bolao’s explanation, the copper lock snapped open.
She turned to look at Xiao Nanhui, who was staring at the gate as it revealed a sliver of a gap.
Deep within the pitch-black wooden doors lay an even darker unknown. After a long silence, Xiao Nanhui took a deep breath.
"Let's go in."
****** ****** ******
Before the Spring Hunt began, the Villa Prefect in charge of supplies had prepared necessary materials for every participant, including two torches for overnight use.
The torches, soaked in high-quality pine oil, burned quietly—intense and bright, tearing a large hole in the boundless night.
The firelight swept over the surrounding weeds, which looked like ghostly shadows. On the plaque that had fallen and been buried by wild grass, four large characters were faintly discernible: "Four Seasons of Peace and Joy."
The four seasons were not peaceful; the joy was no more.
The former residence and villa of the Xiao family—the name this manor once bore was now suffering the same fate as the houses swallowed by plants: unvisited and unknown.
Xiao Nanhui reached out and gently touched the manor wall shrouded in vines. Under the flickering light, short but deep blade marks were still visible on the grey bricks. Within the crevices of some marks, tiny fragments of white residue were embedded.
That was human bone.
Blades had pierced human bodies, traveled through flesh and blood, severed bone, and finally pinned themselves firmly into the wall.
Upon these walls, the lingering traces of the Xiao family still remained.
As the night wind blew past, Xiao Nanhui suddenly felt that the wind carried not the scent of flowers, but a faint smell of blood.
That bloody wind, which had blown for over a decade, had not dispersed at all. It crouched upon this land, recounting the crimson past that had occurred here to any living soul that passed by.
Subconsciously holding her breath, Xiao Nanhui withdrew her hand and looked toward the depths of the courtyard.
"I wonder if that well... is still there."
That well—the one where Aunt Dai had been found.
Judging by the marks on the walls, there must have been more than one killer, and each was a master at taking lives.
The Emperor had told her that Zong Hao was once the master of the Dongyao Sword.
And she happened to have seen the appearance of the Dongyao Sword before.
In this world, any divine weapon must have a master of extraordinary caliber. Because the marks left by their weapons often followed a specific pattern, a seeker of vengeance could determine the killer's identity based on that pattern. Only someone who could settle the scores with successive waves of vengeful seekers could possess a so-called divine weapon.
She had a premonition that by that well, there might be evidence of whether Zong Hao was the killer.
Amidst her deep thoughts, the two had reached the side courtyard.
Unlike the main courtyard, which was paved with large green stone slabs, this area was overgrown with particularly lush wild grass. It took Xiao Nanhui some effort to locate the well.
It could hardly be called a well anymore. A banyan tree had grown out from the mouth of the well, its sprawling roots nearly shattering the opening.
The two exchanged a look, and Xiao Nanhui spoke first.
"Did you bring tools?"
Bolao shook her head.
Xiao Nanhui’s gaze shifted downward, stopping at the stout girl’s waist.
"Where are your short blades?"
Anger flared on Bolao’s face, her cheeks trembling.
"These are my weapons! You want to use my precious blades to hack at this gods-forsaken wood?! Xiao Nanhui, do you have a conscience?!"
The "conscienceless" person had already rolled up her sleeves, standing with hands on hips as she looked down.
"Will you do it yourself, or do I have to step in?"
In the past, Bolao would never have stood for this. Even when Pingxian was still around, Xiao Nanhui couldn't beat her. But now... who didn't know how much blood and sweat the Xiao family’s foster daughter had poured in for this very moment? If she didn't comply, the other woman wouldn't let it go easily.
Bolao hung her head and walked to the well.
"I'll do it myself."
A pair of short blades were unsheathed, swinging left and right at the tangled vines and withered tree.
Xiao Nanhui watched that stout back, then looked at the surroundings, recalling every detail since she had stepped into the manor, analyzing and thinking through each one.
From the marks on the walls, the intruders should have been more than one person.
If the perpetrator was Zong Hao alone, then finding that lost Heavenly Ribbon might have been his goal. But if the perpetrators were a group, what would their goal be?
Suddenly, something flashed through her mind.
She paused and asked, "Do you think anyone came to repair this place before we entered?"
Bolao didn't look back, huffing as she swung her two blades by the well.
"Does it look like anyone has repaired this place?"
It certainly didn't. But...
Xiao Nanhui recalled the undamaged copper lock and door bolt she had glimpsed when entering.
The lacquered door bolt bore no marks from blades, nor were there cracks from external impact.
The Ringing Glazed Tiles on the wall were undamaged, and the door bolt was intact. This could only mean one thing.
That night, when the killers arrived at the Xiao residence to strike, they didn't force their way in. They had walked through the main gate with grand poise.
In other words, the Xiao family knew the killers—they had even taken the initiative to open the gates for those guests who visited late at night.
Xiao Zhun likely noticed these traces back then as well. The Bai and Xiao families were close; that year, they had come to the Spring Hunt together and spent much time in close company. All of this aligned with the historical records stating that the Bai family stole the military tallies, slaughtered the leaders of the garrisoned Northern Peace Army, and intended to rebel.
But something still felt wrong.
Xiao Nanhui was from a military background herself. From past experience, the sound of more than ten warhorses passing through a street was different from the sound of ordinary carriages. While others might not easily distinguish the subtle difference, those in the military would be alert; they wouldn't be completely without guard.
If the Bai family had already stolen the tallies and rebelled when they came to the Xiao manor, even if only a thousandth of the hundred thousand troops of Yueze had entered Yu’an, the Xiao family wouldn't have been completely unaware.
If the Bai family hadn't stolen the tallies yet but had chosen to approach the Xiao family first to incite rebellion, and then turned murderous when they failed—the Xiao family were descendants of generals. Bai Heliu was a civil official by origin; even if he kept some private guards, it wouldn't have been that easy to succeed. How could the Xiao family have been slaughtered without even the chance to fight back?
Thinking it through either way, neither scenario seemed to make sense.
But what if there was a third possibility?
That group of people were all shadow guard masters capable of facing a hundred foes, led by the person with the highest martial arts prowess in Tiancheng at the time. They also held something in their hands that forced the Xiao family to obey the command and open the gates.
Thinking of Zong Hao’s former identity and that ribbon stained with Aunt Dai’s blood, Xiao Nanhui’s heart grew cold bit by bit.
Who exactly was lying?
Bai Yun? Or...
The object in her waist pouch suddenly felt heavy.
She felt like a traitor—a traitor holding a slaughtering blade, standing upon the bones of her kin.
Yao Yi’s words surfaced in her mind.
*The Spring Hunt hasn't been held for over a decade. Why is it being restarted now?*
Was the Battle of Bijiang truly just a simple matter of reclaiming lost territory for the Imperial House?
Or was all of this merely a grand play staged to put a final period on that buried past?
Xiao Nanhui snapped back to her senses with a jolt. Her mind seemed to be in a state of chaos, yet also appeared crystal clear.
She took a few quick steps forward and grabbed Bolao’s shoulder.
The short swordsman let out a strange cry and slammed her blade into the half-cut tree trunk.
"I’ve lent you my blades to chop wood, and I’ve followed your orders. What more do you want?!"
Xiao Nanhui had no time to care about the other’s expression. She asked urgently, "You said you went to Yukun Street. Why did you suddenly think of going there?"
Bolao rubbed her shoulder, looking at her with some impatience.
"Wasn't it you who left that ring of copper keys and asked me to investigate there again?"
Xiao Nanhui’s heart sank. She quickly pressed, "When did I leave keys for you? Where is the letter? Was there a note left?"
Bolao grumbled as she searched her person, pulling a crumpled half-sheet of letter paper from her sleeve and handing it over.
Xiao Nanhui took one look and knew she had fallen into someone else’s trap.
The handwriting on the paper wasn't hers at all. She had never written such a note.
Her previous fears were almost turning into a bloody reality surfacing before her eyes. The hellish, tragic scenes of the past overlapped before her, making her almost unable to stand steady.
Does he want to kill Xiao Zhun?
Will he kill Xiao Zhun?
The night was quiet, the insects chirping.
What a scene of late spring warmth and vibrant life.
She finally regained her footing. Cold sweat poured down her back, but her eyes held an unprecedented resolve and calm.
"We have to go back immediately."
"Go back?!" Bolao’s voice rose several octaves. "I went through so much trouble to get the keys to this place, traveled a whole day to get here, and sacrificed my precious blades for you to chop trees. The tree is only half-cut, and you tell me you want to go back?!"
Xiao Nanhui slammed the half-sheet of paper onto that incessantly talking head.
"Think carefully. We’ve been master and servant for years. When have I ever sent a message to you like this?!"
Bolao froze. She propped her chin in one hand and thought for a moment, slowly coming to her senses.
"It seems... you really haven't."
"Someone used you to lure me away from the hunting grounds. Something big is about to happen at Yulin Villa." Xiao Nanhui licked her dry lips, her mind rapidly planning the next move. "How long will it take us to rush back at full speed now?"
"The official roads in the suburbs of Yu’an have been abandoned for years. You saw it when we came. The night path is even harder to travel. If we return the way we came, it will take even longer."
She had set out from Shanglin Villa at dusk today and reached the old city of Yu’an near midnight. According to Bolao, even if she exerted all her strength, it would be difficult to return to the hunting grounds before dawn.
"What if we don't take the original path?"
Bolao paused, then held up two fingers.
"If we don't take the original path, there are two possibilities. One, we follow the stars for orientation and head straight east, passing through the Little Pine Forest and taking a shortcut through Douchen Ridge west of Que City. We might reach the hunting grounds before daybreak. And the other possibility..."
She stopped halfway. Xiao Nanhui was burning with anxiety, nearly losing her patience.
"Speak."
Bolao shook her large head and pointed at the sky.
"The other possibility is that we’re unlucky tonight. In the latter half of the night, dark clouds will hide the moon and stars. It’s hard to find one's way in the Little Pine Forest, and we’ll just end up going in circles, and circles, and circles..."
"Enough, say no more." Xiao Nanhui interrupted her, her voice heavy. "We go through the Little Pine Forest and take the shortcut through Douchen Ridge."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
涅泫 | Niexuan | An ancient kingdom mentioned in the history of Yu'an.
晦木 | Huimu | "Dark Wood"; the old name for Yu'an city.
扶褉 / 扶乩 | Fuxi / Fuji | Spirit writing or planchette divination.
鸾生 | Luansheng | "Phoenix Kin"; the human medium used in spirit writing.
褉木 | Ximu | Ritual wood used in divination ceremonies.
格勒特高原 | Geleite Plateau | A northern plateau whose cooling affected Yu'an's climate.
琉璃响瓦 | Ringing Glazed Tiles | A defensive trap using tiles and fire oil to alert owners of intruders.
四宜康乐 | Four Seasons of Peace and Joy | The name of the Xiao family's villa in Yu'an.
斗辰岭 | Douchen Ridge | A mountain ridge used as a shortcut to the hunting grounds.
