gnovel Chapter 73 Dark under the lamp
Chapter 73 Dark under the lamp
Chapter 73 Dark under the lamp
In a side courtyard of Lord Pingyuan's residence, Zi Nu led a group of people quickly through the corridor. Leading the way was the dancer Hong Yu, about fifteen or sixteen years old, with tear stains still on her face. She walked briskly while turning back to speak to Zi Nu.
"I saw Young Master Heng come this way with my own eyes. He knocked down the assassins who were chasing him, and then told me to run away. I hadn't run far when I met the guards, and that's when I led them here."
Zi Nu followed behind her, her brows slightly furrowed, without responding. Behind her were one of Lord Pingyuan's retainers with a sword at his waist, followed by four armored guards, their steps hurried.
The group quickly passed through the moon gate and entered the side courtyard.
Hongyu suddenly froze on the spot, her face turned pale, and she covered her mouth with one hand.
Zi Nu walked past her and swept her gaze across the courtyard, taking in the entire scene.
Not far from the well in the courtyard, a body was curled up. It was tall and thin, with its neck tilted to one side, a patch of foul blood in its throat, and the ground behind its head had been stained dark brown.
On the other side of the moon gate, a burly man lay face up on the threshold, half of his body dangling outside. It looked as if he had only crawled halfway before he died. There was a bloody mark on his throat, as if he had been killed with a light slash of a sword, leaving no trace of struggle.
In the center of the courtyard lay a lean man, face down, limbs outstretched, with a long knife lying beside him. A cursory glance revealed no fatal wound.
Zi Nu quickly moved between the three corpses, her brows furrowing instantly.
Without being ordered, the guards behind him dispersed to search, while the retainer stepped forward to examine the corpses.
Zi Nu stood in the courtyard, her hand in her sleeve clenching slightly. She stepped forward and looked at the well curb.
There were more than one bloodstain on the well curb. There were a few drops on the stone surface, already dried, and a patch of bloodstains smeared on the side of the curb, as if someone had sat or lay there.
A moment later, the guards returned one after another, reporting that they had searched the entire side courtyard, including the corridors, side rooms, woodshed, and the corner of the backyard, but had not found any trace of Young Master Heng, nor any other thieves' corpses.
Lord Pingyuan's retainer's expression turned solemn. He didn't bother to examine the wounds on the corpses any further—in fact, he knew without looking that there was nothing useful to be found on these assassins.
He said in a serious and deep voice, "The Crown Prince of Yan and other nobles of the country, including Lord Jianxin, have been kidnapped, and Prince Hengruo has also been abducted by the thieves. This is a serious matter. I must report to His Majesty immediately for further action. Please do as you see fit, young lady."
After saying this, he cupped his hands in greeting to Zi Nu and then hurriedly left with the two of them.
Hongyu looked in the direction the retainers had left, then at the silent Zinu, her face pale and her voice trembling, "Sister, was Young Master Heng really kidnapped by assassins?"
Zi Nu remained silent, but quickly reviewed Zhao Heng's route.
Zhao Heng intended to meet his two retainers at the side courtyard by going from here. Meng Ben and Luan Ding had been confiscated of their weapons and were waiting in the side courtyard. If Zhao Heng wanted to meet them, he would have to cross this area.
He encountered assassins on the way and killed three of them. He must have been wounded. The bloodstains on the well curb are most likely his.
Zi Nu could even picture him sitting there calmly—a young man clutching his wound, leaning against the well railing, taking a breath, coldly glancing at the corpses on the ground, and then getting up.
But he did not continue to the side courtyard.
Why?
Were they surrounded by assassins who arrived later? Or were they taken away from another direction?
She walked slowly to the body of the lean man.
The way this person fell was unusual, clearly indicating that he had been fatally struck while fleeing. However, there was no sign of his hands bracing against the ground, suggesting that death came extremely quickly, and he had already stopped breathing before his consciousness could even reach his limbs.
Zi Nu squatted down beside him, looking at the wound on the back of his neck. It was a very small wound with neat edges, flat and round. There was a ring of bluish-black marks around the wound, as if it had been instantly burned by something extremely hot or cold. There was faint trace of blood clots inside the wound, but there were no signs of a large amount of blood splattering.
One blow kills.
Zi Nu held up her fingers to indicate the size of the wound, then looked in the direction where the lean man had fallen. She stood up, turned left and right, and her gaze finally settled on the courtyard wall opposite the moon gate.
The courtyard wall is very high. To leap over from outside the wall, approach a rapidly moving target in a very short time, and strike through the back of the neck with a single blow—how fast would that require?
He's a very skilled expert, at least much more skilled than her.
She made no sound, but calmly addressed the remaining guards: "Young Master Heng's retainers are also attending the banquet today. Their weapons have been confiscated at the gatehouse, and they have been arranged to wait in the side courtyard. I heard that there are also assassins disguised as wandering knights causing trouble over there. Go and search to see if Young Master Heng has joined them. If you find them, tell them to come to see me immediately."
The guards obeyed and left.
Once the footsteps faded into the distance, only Zi Nu and Hong Yu remained in the courtyard. Hong Yu was helpless, and thinking of the missing Gongzi Heng who had just saved her, she was at a loss. She twisted the hem of her clothes with both hands, bit her lip, and her eyes reddened.
After the guards left, Zi Nu squatted down again and took a closer look at the wound on the back of the lean man's neck.
The inner wall of the wound was very smooth; it wasn't a laceration, but a penetrating wound. The penetration was so rapid that the surrounding skin and flesh didn't have time to tear; they were simply forced apart and then quickly closed up again.
She took a silver hairpin from the back of her head and compared the tip to the wound. The size was indeed a perfect match.
If someone can casually use a hairpin as a weapon, unless it's intentional, it's generally a woman.
Zi Nu raised an eyebrow slightly, recalling the sword-dancing woman that Zhao Heng had inexplicably mentioned earlier in the small garden.
At the time, she thought Zhao Heng was merely wary of Zhao Yan's actions; after all, anyone who approached Lord Xinling deserved a second glance. Now, looking at the corpse on the ground with its neck pierced, she suddenly realized that Zhao Heng's comment, "This woman is problematic," might not have referred to Zhao Yan at all.
And now, thinking back, I realize that given Zhao Heng's character, he wouldn't have left things unsaid if he were being fooled. Could it be that—
She stared at the wound for a moment, then stood up, took a handkerchief from her sleeve, and wiped her fingers. Then she said to Hongyu, "You and Caidie go find Aunt Xin. Tell her to find out where that woman who danced with a sword at today's banquet is now, and whether she's still in the manor after being taken in by Lord Xinling. Be careful, and don't let anyone know we're investigating her."
Hongyu nodded vigorously and asked, "And what about you, sister?"
Zi Nu put the handkerchief back into her sleeve and said, "Now that Lord Pingyuan has been assassinated, the mansion is under lockdown, and no one is allowed to leave. But I need to go out, and I'm afraid I need to go see Lord Pingyuan first."
Outside the side wall of Lord Pingyuan's residence.
When Jingni carried Zhao Heng over the wall, it was already well past dusk. The last rays of sunlight in the west were blocked by the rooftops, and the streets and alleys quickly sank into a gray-blue twilight.
She lightly touched the roof tile, and her figure disappeared into the shadow of the opposite house. The tile didn't even shake, so there was naturally no sound.
Zhao was pulled to her side, almost hanging in her arms, his cheek occasionally brushing against a soft spot.
However, the aroma of milk wafted over, but Zhao Heng didn't have time to savor it. His wound had been torn open during the tumbling, and he felt a dull pain in his ribs and shoulder at the same time. He gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound, but he could feel the edges of the bandages starting to bleed again.
Jingni didn't look down at him, her feet never stopping.
She deliberately chose to walk through narrow alleys and on rooftops, each step taken in the shadows. The streets and alleys near Lord Pingyuan's residence had gradually quieted down, with only the faint sounds of horses' hooves and shouts coming from all directions, but beneath her feet, these sounds were quickly left behind, growing farther and farther away, becoming increasingly indistinct.
The streets and alleys were sparsely populated. Whether it was a vendor pushing a cart or a passerby, everyone was hurrying along, no one had time to look up. Even if someone did look up, in this light, they could only see a blurry gray-blue sky and a fleeting shadow, as if their eyes were playing tricks on them.
Jingni stopped at the entrance of an alley and pressed herself against the wall.
The sound of horses' hooves approached from afar on the street.
A troop of cavalry galloped past the street corner, heading towards the residence of Lord Pingyuan.
Once the sound of hooves had faded into the distance, the startled salamander darted out of the alleyway, crossed the street, and disappeared into another narrow alleyway opposite.
The alley was even narrower, with overhanging eaves that blocked out the last rays of sunlight. The alley was dark, the ground was damp, and there was a musty smell mixed with the stench of swill.
As she held him, the color drained from Zhao Heng's face. Each slight tremor as Jing Ni landed felt like someone had slashed his ribs with a blunt knife.
He turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the beautiful mountains, and could only see a small section of her fair neck. Her breathing was steady and normal; her leap was clearly nothing more than a leisurely stroll.
He asked, "Where are you taking me, young lady?"
Jing Ni didn't answer. Her gaze remained fixed ahead, her feet never stopping, each light step landing in the next shadow that could conceal her figure. The night was her best ally, and she knew its temperament perfectly well.
Zhao Heng's face was as white as paper, and his lips had lost all color, but he still said, "I understand. You dare not let me go, but you also do not want to kill me—"
Jing Ni still didn't look at him. She stepped off a low wall, leaped up, crossed a narrow alley, and landed in the shadow of the opposite rooftop. Her knees bent slightly as she landed, dissipating the impact almost silently.
"You must be thinking," Zhao Heng continued, "that if you easily trust this boy, what if he turns around and sells me to Lord Xinling after he's safe? Wouldn't the mission have failed before it even began? But you don't want to give up on what I said. After all, if I were you, I wouldn't want to waste my time on a stranger."
His eyelids began to droop, but he forced them open again, took a breath, and said, "However, young lady, you've made a foolish move this time. Although with me as a potential threat, there's no longer any point in you remaining by Lord Xinling's side, your departure today might lead others to believe you were kidnapped or even killed in your panicked escape. But you've lost a chance for further action. Moreover, Guo Kai knows your identity and won't believe you were killed by assassins. Plus, I haven't returned in a while, so who knows—"
Before she could finish speaking, Jingni's arm suddenly loosened.
Zhao Heng felt the iron band around his waist suddenly disappear, and then he was thrown out.
His back slammed heavily against an earthen wall with a dull thud, the impact sending his internal organs tumbling inside out. The wound on his shoulder reopened completely, and he could feel a warm current gushing out and flowing down his arm. The wound under his ribs was also aggravated, the pain causing his vision to go black for a moment, as if countless stars were exploding and then fading in his field of vision.
He slid down the wall and collapsed to the ground. His back was against the wall, his head was tilted to one side, his chin was against his chest, and he could no longer keep his eyelids open.
The last thing we saw was Jingni turning around, her eyes filled with icy coldness, like two swords just drawn from their sheaths.
The veil was lifted by a corner by the wind, revealing half of her face and thin lips slightly parted, as if she was about to say something.
Then he knew nothing more.
Jing Ni strode up to Zhao Heng, watching the boy beneath the wall suddenly collapse. A sliver of moonlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating his face, which appeared almost translucent white, his forehead beaded with cold sweat. Her brow furrowed briefly, then vanished in an instant.
She thought for a moment, then squatted down, reached out and felt the side of his neck, then lifted his eyelids to look. His pupils were still responding, but they were starting to sluggish.
Excessive blood loss.
Jingni frowned, stood up, and paced back and forth. Only the sound of her footsteps echoed in the narrow alley, light and hurried, like a beast trapped in a cage.
She realized things were indeed getting out of control. As one of the organization's sharpest weapons, in her deeply ingrained belief, everything could be sacrificed for the mission. This included her so-called youth, her joys and sorrows, and even herself.
She caught Zhao Heng's gaze in the hall; indeed, she was the first to recognize him as the carriage boy she had met briefly that day. At that time, the boy was dressed in simple clothes, looking obedient and innocent, sitting in the carriage like a harmless, ordinary street boy, which hadn't made her think much of it.
But when he suddenly saw her in her brocade robes and fine clothes, sitting among the nobles in a rather high seat, he couldn't help but take a second look. Unexpectedly, this one glance caught his eye, and he recognized her as well.
Even at this point, his threat to her was merely a formality. Just as she recognized him as a commoner who had transformed into a prince, he recognized her as a woman who had suddenly transformed from an ordinary-looking woman into a stunning beauty admired by Lord Xinling.
It is still just a potential threat, or a possible one.
Unexpectedly, just as she was discovering Zhao Heng's identity and secretly observing him, pondering whether to eliminate this threat, he was able to pinpoint her true identity in one fell swoop.
This was a blatant threat, like a knife pressed against her lower back. So much so that Jing Ni couldn't even tell if anyone around Zhao Heng knew of her existence.
This made her feel like she had thorns in her back, making it impossible for her to stay by Lord Xinling's side and carry out any plan to gain his trust. Every moment she stayed was like dancing on the edge of a knife, with the knife under her feet possibly flipping at any moment.
Furthermore, Zhao's point also has some merit. Regardless of whether his account of Guo Kai's matter is true or false, if Zhao Heng were assassinated, even by the three assassins of today, Zhao Yan would be the first suspect, and she would be implicated as well. Lord Xinling might be magnanimous, but he would never confide in a woman of dubious character.
Although she still had ways to stay by Lord Xinling's side, according to the information she had, Lord Xinling seemed to admire Zhao Heng quite a bit. Even if he had the magnanimity to keep her, would he maintain a distance from her, or simply keep her as an ordinary dancer? In that case, the purpose of her infiltrating this place would be completely lost.
And what if, taking a step back, things don't go as planned?
What if what this young man said about Guo Kai is true? What if Zhao Yan is abandoned by the King of Zhao because of Zhao Heng's death? Would Guo Kai, in desperation, simply expose her? The failure of the mission is already the first concern. Will the organization be forced into a passive position because of her and be dragged into a vortex that could have been avoided?
Finding out what happened to Guo Kai is an urgent matter. But before that, it seems this kid is definitely not someone who can die.
Jingni lifted Zhao Heng from the ground, flipped him over her shoulder, and carried him on her back.
Zhao Heng's body was limp and powerless. Her head was tilted to one side, resting on her shoulder. Blood seeped from the wound, soaking the dance costume on her shoulder.
Dusk had fallen completely. The last ray of light on the horizon was swallowed by the sky, and the entire city of Handan sank into the gray-blue night. In the distance, there were still lights and voices from the direction of Lord Pingyuan's residence, but that was no longer relevant to her.
Jingni pondered for a moment, then lightly touched the ground with her toes and disappeared into the twilight of the alleyway, carrying the person on her back.
Zhao Heng had no idea how long he had been unconscious.
When he regained consciousness, the first thing he noticed was a scent. It wasn't the smell of blood, but a very faint, delicate fragrance that wafted from all directions, hovering near his nose. The scent seemed familiar; he felt as if he had smelled it on someone before, but he couldn't quite place it.
However, he did not open his eyes immediately.
His eyelids were heavy. He controlled his breathing, maintaining the frequency he had when he was unconscious. The internal energy of the Guigu breathing technique flowed slowly through his meridians. It was very weak, like a stream that was about to dry up, but it was still stubbornly flowing forward.
The senses unfold in the darkness.
The room wasn't big. He could sense there were two people inside.
One sat a little further away, near the door and window. His breathing was extremely light and steady, almost inaudible, but Zhao Heng could sense that there was someone there, like a cold, lifeless shadow. The other was very close, occasionally sniffling softly, as if he hadn't fully recovered after crying.
He opened his eyes.
His vision was still a little blurry. The lamplight was warm, spreading out in patches of light across his field of vision. He blinked, watching the patches of light gradually shrink, casting flickering light on the curtains above the tent.
The plain-colored curtains, with simple cloud patterns embroidered on the edges, are from a very familiar place.
He turned his head.
The Snow Woman sat on the edge of the tatami mat, her head bowed as she wrung out a handkerchief from a basin of hot water. Her white hair was tied back with a light blue ribbon, revealing her fair nape and a pair of small ears. Her earlobes were thin, and illuminated from behind by the lamplight, they glowed with a faint pink hue, like two pink seashells pierced by light.
She sniffed, wrung out her handkerchief, and looked up.
Zhao Heng noticed that her eyes were red-rimmed and her lower eyelids were slightly swollen, like two peach blossoms soaked in rainwater.
The tip of her nose was also red, as if she had been crying recently, and for a long time. There were still some bloodshot streaks in her eyes.
The pretty young woman looked up and saw Zhao Heng staring at her with his eyes open, and was taken aback at first.
Then a look of joy flashed across her face. This joy came quickly, starting in her eyes, which brightened for a moment, then spread to her eyebrows, which relaxed, and finally to the corners of her mouth. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, or perhaps she wanted to laugh, but the corners of her mouth just curved up slightly before she froze.
She glanced behind her, quickly, as if stealing a look at something she shouldn't have, then quickly looked back at Zhao Heng. Her eyes held a hint of nervousness and fear, as if she wanted to tell him something but dared not speak.
She ultimately remained silent, only looking at him with her red eyes.
Zhao Heng followed her gaze and looked behind her.
On the other side of the room, near the half-open window, Jing Ni was kneeling on the mat.
She had changed into an ordinary cloth dress, light blue in color and plain in style, as if she had temporarily taken it from one of the maids in the mansion. The sash was tied simply, with a knot at the waist and the rest hanging down at her side.
The veil had been removed, and her face was now fully revealed.
Although Zhao had vaguely seen a glimpse of the face beneath the veil before, it was only a fleeting glimpse. Now that the face was fully revealed under the light, he was at a loss for words.
Her eyebrows and eyes were like a painting. These words were common, but he couldn't think of anything more suitable for the moment. Her eyebrows resembled distant mountains, with a soft and smooth curve from the inner corner to the outer corner. Her eyes were slightly upturned at the outer corner, not intentionally, but naturally, giving her eyes an indescribable meaning beyond their coldness.
It's like keeping people at arm's length, yet also like a deep pool that could easily lure someone in if they're not careful.
His features were so exquisitely detailed they seemed unreal, as if someone had meticulously painted them with a fine brush. It was just a pity that his entire face was cold and expressionless, like a jade sculpture.
At this moment, she was holding the "Guangling San" musical score that Zhao Heng had given to Xue Nu, and she was slowly and deliberately flipping through it.
It was completely dark outside the window. Through the half-open window, a sliver of night sky could be seen; there was no moon, no stars, only low-hanging, hazy clouds. A few distant barks occasionally drifted in, quickly swallowed by the night wind.
This is the Snow Maiden's bedroom. The small courtyard outside is the music room, and Zhao Heng is lying in the Snow Maiden's bed. No wonder it smells so wonderful.
What a clever tactic of hiding the truth from the light.
The entire city was searching for the assassin, but she took him directly back to Lord Chunping's residence. Who would have thought that the person who was kidnapped was actually lying in his own home? Who would have thought that the assassin would hide in the victim's own residence?
He felt a headache coming on, his temples throbbing, and he was about to speak.
Jingni, sitting by the window, didn't even look up. She turned a page of sheet music, the bamboo slips rustling softly, and then her voice came through steadily, as if she were talking about something very ordinary.
"If you dare to play any more tricks, I'll kill her first."
The Snow Maiden lowered her head, looking at the handkerchief in her hand, without saying a word or turning to look at Jingni.
Zhao Heng opened his mouth, then closed it again.
He didn't want to look at Jing Ni anymore, so he just patted Xue Nu's hand.
"Don't be afraid."
The Snow Maiden's eyelashes trembled slightly, but she didn't look up. She simply unfolded the handkerchief, soaked it again in warm water, wrung it out, folded it into a long strip, and gently placed it on Zhao Heng's forehead.
The handkerchief was warm and felt comfortable on his forehead. Zhao Heng closed his eyes, then opened them again after a moment, looking at Jing Ni by the window.
"Miss, are you planning to stay at my residence for an extended period after looking at my sheet music?"
Jingni did not respond, and the sheet music was turned over halfway.