Chapter Six: The Heartless Assassin

After a long while, Shen Hua finished stitching the corpse, let out a soft sigh, and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Finally, she removed her gloves, washed her hands, and said slowly, "Before they died, these people all consumed the same food, and they were simultaneously afflicted with two types of poison."

"Two types of poison?" Lu Chenzhou and Wei Shiqi asked in unison.

"One is lethal, and one is not. The non-lethal one is called 'Half-Moon Border,' which is why the skin of these corpses is so pale. Those poisoned by it cannot be exposed to light, or they will suffer excruciating pain; they can only move in the darkness. The second one is lethal, known as the 'Soul-Severing Gu.' Once poisoned, one's mind becomes clouded, and they fall under the control of others, unable to act of their own volition."

"Under someone's control, unable to act of their own volition—what does that have to do with being lethal?"

Shen Hua pointed to the neck of one of the corpses. "The knife wounds on the necks of these corpses were not made by a single person."

"Mutual killing?" Lu Chenzhou guessed.

Shen Hua packed away her autopsy tools and replied, "That is likely the case," before adding, "They must have all used the same weapon."

"A goose-quill saber."

Shen Hua replied coldly, "What kind of sharp weapon it is, is your concern."

Lu Chenzhou nodded in acknowledgment.

"I have a qu...es...tion..." Before Wei Shiqi could finish his sentence, the tent was suddenly plunged into darkness, the silhouettes of those inside only just visible through the moonlight filtering from outside.

"Why did the lamp go out?" Lu Chenzhou shouted toward the outside of the tent.

An official guard outside pulled back the tent flap and reported, "My lord, it must be the wind. I will relight it immediately."

At this moment, Shen Hua interjected, "Do not light it yet. Pull the flap shut and leave."

Lu Chenzhou and Wei Shiqi seemed unaccustomed to Shen Hua's manner of speaking. "What is it?" Lu Chenzhou’s voice was hurried.

*Ding.*

The sound of a copper bell rang out again.

"You have lost your heads, and you cannot speak; this is difficult to deal with."

Shen Hua's voice was not loud, but everyone in the tent could hear her clearly. Lu Chenzhou, a senior official of the Ministry of Justice, and Wei Shiqi, a centurion of the Imperial Guard, were standing so close that they could hear each other's breathing and heartbeats.

*Thump.*

Wei Shiqi was pushed to the ground by an invisible force.

"Let go!"

Wei Shiqi struggled, appearing as if his throat were being gripped by someone. Lu Chenzhou stepped forward to help, but it was to no avail. His heart tightened. "Shen Hua, this is not over yet. You must handle it."

Seeing Wei Shiqi’s face flush deep red and his lips turn purple, with bloodstains appearing on his neck, Shen Hua finally spoke. "Your heads can only be recovered through him."

As soon as Shen Hua spoke, Wei Shiqi felt a sense of relief, and the redness on his face faded significantly. Seeing this, Lu Chenzhou quickly helped him up and asked, "Are you alright?"

Wei Shiqi rubbed his neck and managed to voice, "I am alive for now. Just a moment ago, it felt like several pairs of hands were choking me; I almost went to report to the King of Hell."

The lamp in the tent was relit. Shen Hua approached Wei Shiqi to examine the choke marks on his neck and said, "It is fine; it will fade in two or three days."

"Who were you talking to just now?"

Shen Hua did not answer Lu Chenzhou's question, instead asking Wei Shiqi why he was the only one choked.

"How would I know? I want to know myself!" Wei Shiqi looked at Lu Chenzhou, then at Shen Hua, in shock.

Shen Hua did not press the matter, only saying, "People lie, but those things do not."

Cold sweat dripped from Wei Shiqi's forehead.

***

"Lu Chenzhou."

Lu Chenzhou said, "Most Imperial Guards are hereditary. If it weren't for his father’s past merits, he would never have become a centurion. Besides, the blade used to decapitate them was not a *xiuchun* saber, but a goose-quill saber—the kind used by the border defense troops."

Shen Hua continued to stare at Wei Shiqi expressionlessly. "Perhaps those things recognize his uniform."

Lu Chenzhou patted Wei Shiqi on the shoulder. "Not every Imperial Guard gets the chance to wear a flying-fish robe."

Wei Shiqi nodded.

"Since that is the case, my work here is done for today. If there is anything else, find me at the Ghost Market. Of course, after the hour of the Dog, I may not be at the clinic."

After dropping those words, Shen Hua was about to leave when Zhou Zheng walked in from outside the tent. The two nearly collided, but Shen Hua moved quickly, sidestepping to avoid the awkwardness.

"Is she not your person? She just left like that?" Zhou Zheng asked Lu Chenzhou. Lu Chenzhou did not reply; his gaze was fixed on Shen Hua, lost in thought.

"Lu Chenzhou, she has already left."

Zhou Zheng suppressed the irritation in his heart, though he shook his head involuntarily. In his eyes, Lu Chenzhou was an incorrigible playboy.

Lu Chenzhou shook off his distraction and replied, "Commander Zhou, she has finished her work; surely she needs to go back and sleep. Unlike us, who have to work day and night." He changed the subject. "How is the grave-robbers' tunnel?"

Zhou Zheng stroked his beard without answering, his eyes filled with disbelief as he looked at the stitched-up corpses.

"To think such a suturing technique truly exists in this world."

Though Zhou Zheng's voice was low, Wei Shiqi heard it. Curious, he leaned in to look, then tilted his head and asked, "I have indeed never seen this technique before. Is there something special about it?"

Zhou Zheng explained, "Years ago, there was a place in the underworld called the 'Nether Pavilion.' The people there were mostly eccentric and possessed strange skills; they were different from the so-called martial arts world. Most of those in the Nether Pavilion were trained from childhood, and no one knows their origins."

"What does this Nether Pavilion you speak of do?" Lu Chenzhou asked.

"Kill people. Practice sorcery."

Lu Chenzhou asked again, "Is Commander Zhou suspicious of Shen Hua?"

"I have heard of the Ghost Market, but there are few truly capable people there. She is one of them, and you should have already witnessed it."

Wei Shiqi held a different view. "There are many strange people in this world, especially in the southwest."

Lu Chenzhou's expression froze for a moment before returning to normal. As if realizing something, he called over a gate guard and ordered him to retrieve the information on all shop owners in the Ghost Market from the household registration office for him to review.

"Do not bother. If you want to investigate, you might as well go to one place." Zhou Zheng interrupted Lu Chenzhou with an impatient tone.

Lu Chenzhou and Wei Shiqi looked at Zhou Zheng in confusion.

"There is a place in Nanjing called the 'Ethereal Pavilion.' It is said to be a gathering place for the martial arts world. If you want to inquire about news, you can try there. Perhaps you might even find out about the Nether Pavilion."

"I have been to the Ethereal Pavilion before; it is just an inn," Wei Shiqi replied.

Zhou Zheng seemed to see right through Wei Shiqi and said significantly, "I suppose you have never even stepped foot on the upper floors of that building, have you?"

Wei Shiqi rubbed his nose and remained silent.

Shen Hua walked away from the Imperial Mausoleum, traveling alone through the darkness. For her, such a night was both enjoyable and repulsive. Her eyes were not like this from birth; it was the catastrophe over a decade ago that had cost her all her kin and her sight. Just as Shen Hua was lost in thought, the sound of hoofbeats approached from behind.

"Shen Hua?"

Seeing that the people on horseback were Lu Chenzhou and Wei Shiqi, Shen Hua did not reply and continued walking straight ahead.

Wei Shiqi and Lu Chenzhou exchanged a look. "You have been away from the Imperial Mausoleum for an hour, haven't you?" Seeing that Shen Hua still did not respond, he turned and questioned his subordinates following behind, "Why didn't you find a horse for Lady Shen?"

The small banner officer replied weakly, "We did not even notice when she left."

Perhaps finding them noisy, or perhaps not wanting to owe a favor, Shen Hua finally spoke: "I am used to it. I do not like dealing with government officials."

***

Wei Shiqi signaled the officer to offer his horse, but Shen Hua saw it. She quickly said, "I told you, it is not necessary."

With that, she continued forward.

Wei Shiqi had no choice but to give up. As he left, Lu Chenzhou’s gaze swept over her, meeting Shen Hua’s eyes. Shen Hua saw a darkness in Lu Chenzhou that was rarely seen, and then Lu Chenzhou rode away.

Watching the group disappear, Shen Hua quickly left the main road and slipped into the nearby woods.

"Hua'er, how long has it been since we, master and student, last met?"

Shen Hua knelt with her hands crossed and bowed. "Your disciple greets you, Master."

The man was dressed in dark robes with a cloak, wearing a half-mask over the left side of his face. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, his dark pupils unfathomable.

"Three years. You have grown thin."

As he spoke, he helped Shen Hua up from the ground. The sharp glint vanished, replaced by a smile. He stroked her head and placed a jade hairpin into her hair.

Shen Hua touched the pin, her face still devoid of any expression.

"Three years, and this is the gift I have brought you. Do you like it?"

The Master admired her with satisfaction.

Shen Hua nodded, then asked, "Master, about the matter at the Imperial Mausoleum this time..."

The Master raised his hand to cut her off.

"The less you know about some things, the better. Whatever they ask you to do, cooperate, but do not follow them entirely. Do you understand what I mean?"

Shen Hua nodded. "That man surnamed Lu is not as simple as he appears."

"Let some things reveal themselves. That is the only way it becomes interesting."

"Yes."

The Master stared at Shen Hua and smiled without a word.

Shen Hua managed to squeeze out a faint smile and probed, "Master, do you have any tasks today?"

The Master put his hands behind his back and said, "Hua'er, for over ten years, you have been my most cherished disciple. Do not ever become like your seniors."

"I am different from them. My life and these skills were all given by you, Master. Besides, the most untrustworthy things in this world are emotions. As for money, if I want it, I can have plenty."

Having said this, a faint smile appeared on Shen Hua's face, though her eyes held a trace of desolation.

The Master nodded with satisfaction. "Kill a man."

Shen Hua whispered, "Who?"

"You know him, and he has spoken ill of you, so I want him removed."

Shen Hua guessed immediately that her master was talking about Ji Liu, but she did not understand why he wanted to kill someone irrelevant. She wanted to ask for the reason, but was pushed back by a single look from her master.

"When should I act?" Shen Hua asked.

"Tomorrow, when he comes to the Ghost Market to find you. If he delivers himself to your doorstep, doesn't that save you a trip?"

The Master's words reminded Shen Hua that all her movements were under someone else's control.

Shen Hua bowed. "Thank you for the reminder, Master."

The Master continued to smile. "Very well, it is getting late!"

Shen Hua bowed in farewell. Just as she turned to leave, she heard her master coldly say from behind: "Hua'er, a killer must hide their heart."