The Master's Tower

She never imagined she would die by this person's hand, or die so inexplicably. She had clearly taken a liking to this fatty, hadn't harmed him, and had even kindly shared information that went against the rules. She had even been looking forward to that ridiculously expensive candied hawthorn skewer, but now death was suddenly upon her.

Yet, surprisingly, her heart held no resentment, only sadness, though she didn't know what she was sad about.

Sad about the unfairness of fate? Sad about an unfortunate life?

She was only fifteen years old, an age of bright sunshine, just a budding flower yet to fully embrace the sun, to embrace butterflies...

A mist welled up in her eyes, and everything before her blurred, as if seen through water-stained glass, impossible to see clearly anymore. All that should have been beautiful began to blur, receding further and further. She felt pain, a pain near her throat, then a burning sensation on her face. Everything in her vision was tinged with blood, followed by the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground.

Is this how I die?!

Linglong wanted to ask herself, but found she couldn't utter a sound. She struggled to lift her hand, only to find she could still move. She fiercely wiped her eyes, and the blurry world began to clear. The bloodstains gradually faded. She saw blood all over her hands, still hot and steaming. She instinctively lowered her head and found a person lying before her – Ning Chang'an.

The blood on her face was from Ning Chang'an spitting it out.

Linglong was at a loss. She crouched down and felt Ning Chang'an's pulse; it was still beating, and remarkably strong. However, his body was incredibly hot, burning hot. Linglong instinctively shook Ning Chang'an's shoulder, but he didn't respond. She wanted to say something, but found that no matter what she thought, not a single sound would come from her throat.

She had lost her voice.

In the past, people always praised her sweet voice, her delightful laughter, and her singing that sounded like celestial music. But now, she found herself voiceless. Linglong's face turned deathly pale, and large tears streamed down her cheeks.

Moments before, facing death, her heart had held no trace of hatred. Perhaps it was because everything happened too suddenly, too shockingly. But now, she suddenly hated the fatty on the ground intensely, wishing she could kill him immediately.

To live after losing all that is beautiful is worse than death.

A small, gleaming knife appeared in Linglong's hand. She held the knife and stared coldly at Ning Chang'an, her hand trembling. She wondered where to start cutting, and if she could actually go through with it.

Blood trickled down her neck, staining half her body. Although Ning Chang'an had greatly restrained his strength at the last moment, his sword had still left a shocking wound on her shoulder and neck.

After a long while, a look of dejection appeared in Linglong's eyes. She quietly put away the small knife, put on a fierce expression, then grabbed the Gloomy Cold Soul Severing Sword with one hand and Ning Chang'an's hand with the other. Dragging him, she walked step by step until she knocked on the back door of the Master's Tower.

In the end, she didn't strike Ning Chang'an, though she did leave him with a few wounds. She was a strong-willed girl who didn't like to be at a disadvantage. She wasn't cruel, but she wasn't entirely merciful either. For those who could survive in Blood Stained Alley, mercy was an unnecessary luxury.

Three days later, Ning Chang'an woke up leisurely, his face extremely pale.

The moment he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a soft bed in a dimly lit room. The window was open, but it was small, with a few rays of light entering the room.

A figure stood by the window. Ning Chang'an recognized it as Linglong's back at a glance.

Linglong held a skewer of candied hawthorn in one hand and a black wooden box in the other.

Ning Chang'an sat up slightly, and an unbearable pain shot through his body. He grimaced, but finally managed to sit up, leaning against the headboard.

"I'm not dead?!"

Ning Chang'an exclaimed.

Linglong, by the window, slowly turned around, taking small, deliberate bites of the candied hawthorn. Her face was a little pale, and the usual cute smile was absent.

Seeing the bandages around Linglong's shoulder and neck and her haggard appearance, Ning Chang'an was stunned. Fragmented memories surfaced in his mind, and his expression gradually darkened.

"Linglong..."

Ning Chang'an found himself unable to speak.

Linglong glanced at him indifferently, put away the black wooden box, took out a letter, and tossed it casually to Ning Chang'an before continuing to enjoy her candied hawthorn.

Inside the envelope was a contract and a stack of silver notes. The contract was for a Guest Official position at the Master's Tower, all written and signed with "Soul Severing," but without a handprint.

"This is for me?"

Ning Chang'an asked.

Linglong nodded.

Ning Chang'an got up and sat at the table. After examining the Guest Official contract for a moment, he opened the ink pad box on the table and pressed his handprint. The contract was in duplicate; Ning Chang'an kept one copy, and Linglong took the other to the Master's Tower's overseer.

Ning Chang'an felt that Linglong was acting strangely, unable to understand why she wouldn't say a word. Although he hadn't known Linglong for long, he remembered her as not being a person of few words, and far more enthusiastic than she was now.

Watching Linglong push the door open and leave, Ning Chang'an reached into his clothes and felt for his jade pendant and key. Finding them still in his inner pocket, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He could finally relax. Successfully becoming a Guest Official at the Master's Tower meant he had a foothold in Yongan Prefecture. He could obtain many things he desired but couldn't get from the behemoth that was the Master's Tower. Next, he would have to investigate Ning Manor.

Although this endeavor was incredibly risky, his successful entry into the Master's Tower made all the effort worthwhile. Ning Chang'an was certain that those who wanted him dead would never have expected him to make such a move, and even if they had, they likely wouldn't have expected him to succeed in becoming a Guest Official at the Master's Tower.

What he needed was a springboard like the Master's Tower, a sufficiently weighty and neutral springboard.

The Master's Tower held a neutral position within Yongan Prefecture, and it was precisely because of this neutrality that it could exist. It handled under-the-table dealings for the influential figures in various manors. The Master's Tower's enduring presence was due to its not belonging to any single person or faction. Its existence was driven by the unique needs of a place like Yongan Prefecture. It appeared independent, but its internal structure was intricate, making it the enemy of almost every major family, yet also their friend. It was a double-edged sword that existed only in Yongan Prefecture.

Outsiders only knew of the sword's sharpness, but not its internal structure. Those who drank tea at the Master's Tower merely wished to borrow a sliver of its edge.

Whether they were Guest Officials, elders, or the so-called servants and lackeys in Blood Stained Alley, everyone at the Master's Tower essentially performed similar tasks – clandestine, under-the-table work akin to that of assassins. Of course, the Master's Tower could do far more than a mere assassin organization.

The reason for the Master's Tower's popularity lay in its reliability. Regardless of whether you were a "Calamity Star" or a member of Blood Stained Alley, or engaged in any transaction, the details of the dealings, whether successful or not, would never be revealed to anyone other than the Master's Tower and the employer. As long as you had money, enough money, there was no task the Master's Tower wouldn't accept.

Neutrality and reliability were the cornerstones of the Master's Tower's existence.

Ning Chang'an's codename was Soul Severing, and everyone at the Master's Tower would only refer to him by that name. His actual name was unimportant to the Master's Tower. For a capable Guest Official, handling difficult matters and undertaking dangerous missions brought considerable value to the Master's Tower. There was no need for them to pry into his background, as the Master's Tower itself was a gathering place for scoundrels and an organization born out of profit.

Ning Chang'an was still recuperating at the Master's Tower. Only Guest Officials and elders were afforded a small dwelling within the Master's Tower; all other dependents of the Master's Tower could at most find lodging in Blood Stained Alley, or even be homeless. Linglong began to appear withdrawn, no longer showing enthusiasm or curiosity towards Ning Chang'an, nor mentioning the candied hawthorn. She seemed to have forgotten about it and no longer spoke to Ning Chang'an. Although she lived next door to him, as time went on, they had grown to be like strangers. The lonely and boring time spent recuperating made Ning Chang'an feel a sense of inexplicable panic and irritation. He had a vague feeling that Linglong's change might be because of him, but since she didn't say anything, he couldn't figure it out. Fortunately, he had already received a mission. He was currently looking at a stack of documents, deciding to set off the following night.

His purpose in Yongan Prefecture was certainly not to idle away his days at the Master's Tower, but to find Erhu, retrieve the遗物 left by his parents, and find clues to their deaths to exact revenge.

In the letter Liu Ruyan had given him, she stated that the situation at Ning Manor was very complicated and repeatedly warned Ning Chang'an to be cautious. Ning Chang'an believed Liu Ruyan wouldn't lie to him. Therefore, from the moment he arrived in Yongan Prefecture, even without knowing how many eyes were watching him from the shadows, he had still been extremely cautious and decisively chosen to join the Master's Tower.

The Master's Tower was like a black box. Ning Chang'an entered from Blood Stained Alley, and when he emerged, he was Soul Severing, possessing a new identity that would greatly aid him in his future clandestine operations.

Lying quietly on the bed, Ning Chang'an slowly closed the Master's Tower secret scroll in his hand and then slowly closed his eyes. This confidential scroll, not to be passed on, contained a detailed account of almost all the manors in Yongan Prefecture, clearly describing the surface-level power distribution. Information after information surfaced in Ning Chang'an's mind, and his understanding of Yongan Prefecture gradually became fuller and clearer.

Next door, a melodious flute melody began to play at some point.

The flute's tune was clear and melodious, carrying a hint of a soft sob.

The flute was speaking!

Ning Chang'an slowly breathed, listening intently to the flute music, his body and mind gradually calming down.

Night gradually descended.

A starless, moonless dark night.

Clad in a deep black night-traveling outfit, Ning Chang'an silently leaped out of the Master's Tower into the heavy darkness. The Blood Stained Alley at night always felt dead, silent, and chilling, like an alley abandoned for many years, with only the pungent smell of blood still sharp.