Chapter 75: A Startling Revelation

The courtyard was deathly quiet, devoid of even the slightest sound. In the four corners stood several wooden crates, rusted and clearly undisturbed for a long time. In the center was a courtyard cistern used for fire prevention, half-filled with water and scattered with a few withered leaves.

The air was bitingly cold. With the withered trees and black crows, it was as desolate as life itself.

"It rained a few days ago. I didn't expect there to be any water left..."

In a courtyard that had been deserted for years, water in the cistern would naturally invite suspicion, but Baihua’s explanation was reasonable enough that it did not arouse the man's alarm.

"There is bedding in the side chamber, though it might smell a bit musty. If you find it unacceptable, I shall go fetch you something fresh later..."

"No need!"

The man glanced around the surroundings and said, "Go now. Do not come here unless necessary, lest you be discovered. When night falls, come quietly to lead me to the waterfall for an inspection."

Baihua acknowledged the command and slowly retreated. She shut the courtyard door gently, and only when she was certain she was out of his sight did her legs suddenly give way. Had she not steadied herself against a weeping willow by the cliffside, she would have tumbled down the mountain.

Her palms were as damp as a lingering autumn drizzle.

Staggering away from the courtyard and turning the mountain path, she found several people standing ahead. Leading them was Xu You, his face wearing a smile as gentle and soft as the morning sun filtering through the branches. "Baihua, look who has returned?"

Beside him stood Wanqi. Meeting Baihua’s expectant gaze, he smiled slightly. "Everything is safe."

Baihua covered her mouth abruptly, tears streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks. Wanqi pulled her into his arms, stroked her hair, and whispered, "Don't be afraid. It’s all over."

Is it all over?

The man in the courtyard paced around, pushing open every room to inspect them. In the end, he did not choose the main bedroom, opting instead for a side chamber on the left.

That room was close to the courtyard wall, which was lined by a large tree—a perfect escape route in a crisis.

However, the moment he stepped inside, his hair stood on end!

Without him noticing, someone was already sitting in the room!

It was a hunched, trembling old man.

The intruder had relied on the fact that he held hostages, feeling secure that Baihua would never dare set a trap for him. Even so, driven by years of habit, he had carefully scouted the terrain on his way up the mountain and chosen this advantageous room. With his level of cultivation, he was confident that even if he encountered trouble, he could escape without the slightest effort.

Yet, within his sensory range, a person was sitting there, completely silent and invisible.

More terrifyingly, while he could see the person, he could not lock onto their presence. It was as if he were looking at a phantom reflection—visible to the eyes, but impossible to grasp.

He retreated sharply!

Decisive in his actions, he realized in an instant that this was no place to linger. But just as his body moved, a finger struck the center of his back.

It was skeletal and pale.

Sharp as a sword!

The old man who had been sitting in the room had appeared behind him like a ghost. With just one finger, he dismantled all of the intruder's confidence and resistance.

An immense, immeasurable force surged into his body, leaving him numb and causing him to collapse to the floor, withered and defeated.

"Thank you, Uncle Qi."

Uncle Qi shook his head, and as he turned to leave, he remarked, "Let this be the last time."

Zhan Wenjun bowed respectfully toward Uncle Qi’s retreating back. Once he was gone, she instructed Wanqi, "Bring him up."

The man, his wrists bound with thick hemp rope and iron chains on his ankles, stood proudly in the room, showing no signs of panic or tension. That single finger had immobilized him, but the energy had been gentle and auspicious, causing no damage to his internal organs.

Ten Scripts was usually responsible for interrogations, but this time it was strange; she stared at the man, saying nothing for a long while.

Zhan Wenjun was puzzled but did not press her. She scrutinized the man's bearing and said, "What is your name and origin? Why are you secretly probing the movements of my Guo clan?"

"You are not worthy of asking my name. If you truly wish to know, send for Guo Mian!"

Zhan Wenjun arched her eyebrows. "Your accent does not sound like a native of Qiantang. If you are a traveling merchant who has developed a grudge against my uncle over business, you could have stated it openly. We could have reasoned things out, or appealed to human sentiment if logic failed. There is no dispute under heaven that cannot be settled; why resort to such sinister schemes, kidnapping kin and forcing defiance, turning a solvable matter into an irreconcilable disaster?"

Xu You, who was sitting in on the proceedings, praised her silently. He had not intended to involve himself further, but the matter was truly peculiar, so at Zhan Wenjun’s invitation, he had come to observe.

"Ha, a merchant?" The man sneered. "Short-sighted, grubbing for profit. You engage in such base trades and assume everyone else is the same? How laughable!"

Zhan Wenjun frowned. "Judging by your demeanor, you are no commoner, yet I cannot guess what kind of noble family could raise someone with your temperament. That matters little, however. Since you were spying on the Guo clan, you must know that the Guo manor houses a Spring Well; its torture devices are enough to make the dead speak. I ask you now out of pity—once you are at the Spring Well, the questioning will not be this simple."

"You dare!"

Upon hearing the words "Spring Well," the man’s expression shifted. He shouted angrily, "Zhan Wenjun, you are an ignorant girl—what do you know? Stop this nonsense before you bring disaster upon Guo Mian!"

"Oh? There are certainly things I do not understand, but one thing I do know: people like you are the most afraid of death!"

"You... do you know who I am? If you dare use torture on me, I will make you—no, I will make your entire Guo clan suffer a miserable death!"

"Such arrogance!"

Zhan Wenjun said coldly, "Someone, take him to the Cold Spring!"

The Cold Spring handled matters of the underworld; individuals of unknown origin were always sent there for disposal.

The man finally panicked. With a blustering, hollow voice, he shouted, "Wait! Zhan Wenjun, dismiss your men, and I will tell you my identity!"

"There is nothing that cannot be spoken in public. There is no need for concealment."

"Fine! Do not regret this!" The man snarled, "I am..."

"Plug his mouth!"

Ten Scripts, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly spoke. Two workers from the Spring Well immediately stepped forward and stuffed an iron gag into the man’s mouth. His face turned frantic as he struggled and let out muffled wails, but it was too late.

"Take him down and hold him, but do not use torture!"

After the man was led away, Zhan Wenjun looked at Ten Scripts, waiting for a reasonable explanation.

Ten Scripts glanced at Xu You. Xu You smiled and said, "I shall take my leave..."

"No matter!" Ten Scripts furrowed her brows. "Just listen and forget, Master Xu. Let this not spread."

Xu You nodded. "Rest assured, I don't have many virtues, but keeping my mouth shut is one of them."

"I recognize this man!"

Xu You and Zhan Wenjun had already guessed as much. If she hadn't recognized him, Ten Scripts wouldn't have gagged him just as he was about to reveal his identity.

The crux of the matter was what made this man's identity so special that it caused Ten Scripts to be this cautious, as if facing a formidable enemy.

"The reason I recognize him is that I once saw him standing behind the Prince of Hengyang within the Eastern Palace in Jinling!"

Zhan Wenjun and Xu You’s expressions changed simultaneously!