Ziyue

The tragedy at the Red Leaf Wine Shop two nights ago.

Though the Magistrate's Manor had sealed off the scene as soon as it received word, the news had somehow spread like wildfire and become the talk of every street and alley.

"...Have you heard? That Red Leaf Wine Shop on West Street—good heavens, the scene was too horrible to look at!"

"What a sin! What a terrible sin! They were all honest folk just trying to make a living. Who did they provoke? How could they be so ruthless even toward people with no weapons?"

Whether they were vendors in the market or old men chatting at alley entrances, all spoke in hushed voices about the shocking massacre.

Lin'an County, this quiet county town tucked away in one corner.

It had not been stained by such heavy bloodshed in a very long time.

Normally, gangs fighting openly and secretly over territory and business was commonplace.

Yet they always followed an unspoken rule: calamity did not extend to ordinary people.

After all, the gang leaders understood perfectly well that once they had fought over territory, they still had to rely on common folk to pay protection money to make a living.

But now, someone had broken the rules and carried out an indiscriminate slaughter at a civilian wine shop.

Fear spread through the streets and alleys like an invisible plague.

For a time, everyone was on edge. Those walking the streets felt a chill down the backs of their necks, terrified that they might become the next unlucky soul.

Jiang Qinghe walked toward Anren Ward in the center of Lin'an County, snippets of passersby whispering reaching his ears from time to time.

Though he already knew how that night had ended, hearing it again still left him shaken, and worry rose within him.

That night, he had taken advantage of the chaos to climb over the rear courtyard wall and escape with his life, becoming the sole fish that slipped through the net, saving his life by chance.

But would Li Mu, the traitor from the Iron Saber Gang, notice that fish which had slipped through the net? Had he been on Li Mu's mind all this time?

His muscles tensed instinctively.

His home was clearly no longer safe.

His younger sister, Ziyue, was within the deep courtyards of the Magistrate's Manor, protected by high walls and guards. She should be safe for the time being.

But if she learned what had happened at the wine shop, then with her sensitive nature, she would likely spend every day trembling with fear and letting her imagination run wild.

First, I'll go to the Magistrate's Manor to calm my sister down, then stop by the pharmacy to ask around about Blood Activating Powder.

Jiang Qinghe quickened his pace as he made his plans.

At noon, the blazing sun hung high overhead, so harsh it was hard to keep one's eyes open.

Jiang Qinghe followed the main road of West Street eastward.

Once he entered Anren Ward, the level of security immediately rose by several notches.

Constables, rarely seen on ordinary days, were far more numerous now.

They wore dark blue uniforms and carried standard-issue iron rulers at their waists.

They patrolled the streets in groups of two or three, their sharp gazes sweeping over the pedestrians.

As he reached the center of the county town, an imposing manor with vermilion gates came into view in the distance. It was the Magistrate's Manor.

The manor faced south from the north, with towering walls and upturned eaves supported by elaborate brackets.

On either side of the gates crouched a massive stone lion carved from a single block of bluestone, each weighing a thousand jin. Their eyes were wide with fury, lifelike in every detail.

The vermilion-lacquered gates were tightly shut. Below the steps, several guards clad in leather armor stood like door gods, their expressions cold as their keen eyes swept the empty street before the manor.

Their murderous aura practically had the words "strangers keep away" carved across their foreheads.

"What a grand display."

Jiang Qinghe muttered to himself, then went around the tall manor walls and turned into a relatively secluded alley behind the estate.

This was the rear entrance of the Magistrate's Manor, normally used by servants, purchasing hands, laborers, and carts transporting rice, grain, charcoal, and firewood.

He raised a hand and lightly knocked on the door knocker.

"Tap, tap, tap."

The sound was not loud, but it rang especially clearly through the quiet alley.

"Who is it?"

A somewhat shrill female voice, tinged with impatience, soon came from within.

Then, with a creak, the door opened a crack.

A thin face with slightly prominent cheekbones and long, narrow eyes that revealed shrewdness and meanness peered out. It was Granny He, who managed the ordinary maidservants and female attendants of the Magistrate's Manor.

Her gaze swept across Jiang Qinghe's face, and she said with a trace of astonishment, "Aren't you Jiang Ziyue's brother, the one who worked odd jobs at the wine shop? Why didn't you..."

Granny He stopped speaking, but her eyes still held confusion and surprise.

"Granny He."

Jiang Qinghe bowed slightly. A suitably shaken expression appeared on his face, and his voice lowered a little. "I fell ill a few days ago and asked the shopkeeper for leave."

He gave a bitter smile.

"When I felt a little better and went back to work, I found the wine shop had already been sealed by the authorities. Only after asking around did I learn what had happened."

As he spoke, Jiang Qinghe took two hundred copper coins from his robe and handed them over, saying earnestly, "Granny He, I barely got my life back, and I can't stop worrying about Ziyue. Could you make an exception and let me see her? So I can give her a few words of advice."

Granny He accepted the coins without changing her expression and nodded, pleased by Jiang Qinghe's tact.

"Mm... Deep affection between siblings is only natural."

She stepped aside to clear the way.

"Come in. Keep your steps light, keep your head down, and don't make any noise. Don't disturb the masters during their midday rest!"

She then led Jiang Qinghe through a somewhat narrow flagstone passage piled with odds and ends.

They arrived at a corner of a side courtyard, where she pushed open an inconspicuous wooden door.

Inside was a small side room, where maidservants and servants usually rested briefly while waiting to be summoned.

"Stay here obediently. Don't wander around! I'll go check the front. If the masters have no instructions, I'll find an excuse to call Ziyue over."

After giving her instructions, Granny He glanced at Jiang Qinghe, turned, and sashayed away.

"Thank you, Granny He!"

Jiang Qinghe thanked her sincerely, then sat down on a cold wooden bench and waited patiently.

Time passed little by little.

After roughly the time it took to drink two cups of tea, hurried, light footsteps—clearly frantic from running—approached from afar and broke the silence outside the side room.

"Brother!"

A slender girl of around fourteen or fifteen rushed into the room.

Her black hair was arranged into two simple buns tied with red cords, which swayed lightly as she ran.

Her face was round and her skin fair. Her almond-shaped eyes should have been large and bright, but they were now red and swollen, clearly from recent tears.

Like a startled little rabbit, she plunged headlong into Jiang Qinghe's embrace.

"Brother... Brother! It really is you! Yesterday, everyone in the manor was secretly saying... that something terrible had happened at the wine shop on West Street... that so many people had died..."

Jiang Ziyue choked out, "I thought I would never see you again... sob..."

Jiang Qinghe's heart ached. Just as he had done countless times when they were young, he spread his arms and held his sister's small, thin body.

One hand gently patted her back, while the other stroked her hair to comfort her.

"Silly girl, aren't I perfectly fine? Look, my arms are still arms, my legs are still legs—not even a single strand of hair is missing! Don't believe the rumors. Your brother's life is tough. Heaven won't take me yet!"

"Pfft—"

Jiang Ziyue's tearful voice was briefly drawn into laughter by his words.

For a moment, she looked like a pear blossom drenched in rain.

After quite a while, her emotions finally settled, and her tears gradually stopped.

Jiang Ziyue wiped haphazardly at her cheeks and the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand. Then her eyes suddenly lit up.

Her small hand quickly reached for her waist, untied a little pouch carefully sewn from faded old cloth, and pulled out a plump little money bag.

Holding it in both hands, she offered it to Jiang Qinghe as though presenting a treasure.

Her eyes were still red, yet her smile had already curved into crescents. "Brother, look! Look! I've saved up more money! Here, it's all in here! Take it. It should almost be enough to cover the cost of the martial academy, right?"

Seeing the expectation in his sister's eyes, Jiang Qinghe's heart warmed.

He extended his palm, closed her little hands around the money bag, and gently pushed them back toward her.

"Ziyue, your brother is already a Martial Disciple at the martial academy. Keep this money for yourself."

"What? Really, Brother?"

Jiang Ziyue's eyes widened, her face full of disbelief.

"When did that happen?"

"Silly girl, when have I ever lied to you?"

The corners of Jiang Qinghe's lips curled upward.

"I entered the martial academy just a few days ago, and it happened to help me avoid that mess at the wine shop. See? Your brother has good luck!"

As he spoke, he raised a hand and lightly scraped the tip of his sister's delicate nose.

"Remember, don't wrong yourself anymore!"

Jiang Qinghe's tone turned solemn.

"Once your brother has learned something at the martial academy, becomes a true Martial Practitioner, and gains the means to stand on his own feet, I'll definitely take you out of this manor!"

"Mm!" Jiang Ziyue nodded heavily, light shining in her eyes as her nose stung again.

She tilted up her little face and stared unblinkingly at her brother.

For some reason, she felt that the brother before her seemed different somehow.

The brother who, when he had waited tables at the wine shop, had always walked with his back slightly bent, his gaze evasive, quiet and reserved.

Even somewhat timid and submissive.

It was as though he had been reborn, transformed into someone calm and confident, composed and unhurried, and it gave her an inexplicable sense of peace.

"Brother..."

Jiang Ziyue suddenly spoke, her voice very soft and tinged with hesitation.

"You seem to have changed."

Jiang Qinghe froze slightly, then laughed.

He curled his fingers and lightly tapped her smooth forehead.

"Little fool, what nonsense are you thinking? No matter how I change, I'll always be your brother."

"Alright, it's getting late. Your brother should go back now. Take good care of yourself in the manor!"

"I know." Ziyue nodded obediently. "Brother, you need to be careful too."