The starlight had faded, the moon's shadow was nowhere to be seen—it was the moment just before dawn.
The Chu Family's rear gate was exceptionally lively at this hour.
When Chu Qing arrived carrying a shoulder pole alongside the others, the hands from several other inns and restaurants had arrived as well.
The crowd bustled and jostled together. The rear gate was small, and even though it had long since been opened to admit people one by one, it still took time.
The Chu Family's chief steward, Zhou Miao, stood guard there with several servants and martial guards. They gave the items being carried a cursory inspection before allowing people inside.
After quite a while, it was finally Chu Qing's turn.
He glanced at Chief Steward Zhou Miao and lowered his head slightly.
As the Chu Family's Third Young Master, he had practically been raised by this chief steward since childhood. He knew him far too well.
Although Chu Qing had disguised himself last night, there was no telling whether Zhou Miao might notice some faint trace of familiarity.
And as Zhou Miao looked at this young porter, he truly felt an oddly familiar sensation.
But today was simply too busy, with far too many matters demanding attention. He had no time to inspect him closely.
After taking two looks and seeing that he did not recognize him, Zhou Miao paid it no mind.
Once the servant beside him had checked everything and confirmed there was no problem, he let Chu Qing through the gate.
Only after leaving Chief Steward Zhou's line of sight did Chu Qing finally let out a breath... This was the first hurdle to getting inside.
But once past this hurdle, the rest would not be difficult.
Everything he saw around him was all too familiar.
The Chu Family estate was enormous, but every corner of it was etched in Chu Qing's memories. After all, this was his home.
If he wished, he could have announced his identity and entered openly and honorably. No one would have stopped him.
But doing so would bring no small amount of trouble.
It was not that he minded suddenly having a father and two elder brothers... Having inherited this body, it might feel somewhat awkward, but not to the point where he would refuse to acknowledge them.
The problem was that Mirror of Sin was still hunting him down.
So long as no one knew his identity, it was one thing. But if they did, it would be hard to say that he would not drag them into it.
Besides, given the current circumstances, remaining hidden in the shadows was more advantageous to him.
Guided by a servant, Chu Qing carried the wine to a storeroom in the rear courtyard.
The servant told Chu Qing to leave the wine there. Once it had been inspected and found acceptable, he could leave.
Chu Qing nodded to show he understood. The servant did not linger, instead returning to the rear gate.
Several servants were guarding the storeroom as well.
A few of them yawned incessantly, clearly not having slept enough... That was only normal. These servants were all young; some were fourteen or fifteen, others sixteen or seventeen.
Half-grown boys could eat and sleep like nobody's business. Having to crawl out of bed before daylight, how could they not be sleepy?
Chu Qing set down the wine for inspection. One man yawned as he took out a silver needle half a foot long and carefully inserted it through a gap. When he withdrew it and found that it had not changed color, he nodded and placed it aside.
After everything had been counted and inspected, they told Chu Qing he could leave.
Chu Qing answered, then picked up his shoulder pole and headed out.
A servant had guided him all the way here, but no one accompanied him when he left. They were simply too busy. Both the front and rear courtyards needed hands—who had time to waste on porters like these? Having martial guards keep watch was enough.
But how could those martial guards possibly keep watch over Chu Qing?
Using a blind spot in their vision, he turned his steps while carrying the shoulder pole and slipped behind an artificial rockery.
After concealing the shoulder pole in a hidden spot, he followed the winding path through the rockery. In mere moments, a wall blocked his way.
Without the slightest hesitation, he vaulted over it.
At this hour, there should be no one in this courtyard. If there was, that person definitely would not be from the Chu Family.
Because this was Chu Qing's courtyard.
His feet landed without a sound. As expected, the courtyard was empty, yet it was not disorderly. Someone clearly cleaned it often.
The doors and windows were shut tight. Chu Qing approached the door and gave it a gentle push. With a creak, it opened.
The furnishings inside entered his sight one by one.
To the left was the living area, where a new set of bedding lay spread over the bed.
The wooden sword hanging at the head of the bed had been personally carved by Chu Yunfei as a birthday gift for Chu Qing when he was three years old.
To the right was the study. There were many books, though he had not read many of them.
As a youth, he had loved ease and hated labor. He enjoyed martial arts, yet was limited by his natural aptitude; as for reading, he loathed it with every fiber of his being.
Chu Qing casually took out a book. It had been preserved well; someone clearly took it out from time to time to air it, keeping it from rotting or being gnawed by insects.
Nothing had changed. It was exactly as it had been when he left home.
Pulling out a chair and sitting down, Chu Qing let out a soft breath, feeling an indescribable sense of ease.
"Just because I had a knot in my heart, I threw away a perfectly good life and insisted on running away from home. What suffering was that all for?
"These past seven years, life has not gone well either. I held that breath in my chest, wanting to make something of myself, only to be tricked into becoming an assassin in the end..."
Thinking of this, Chu Qing could not help but shake his head gently.
At the moment of death... what had been in his mind?
For nearly a month now, he had never recalled the memories of that instant.
But sitting here now, he suddenly felt that perhaps... he had missed home.
The morning light was faint; the long night was about to break.
As dawn streamed in, Chu Qing suddenly came back to himself. Why had revisiting this old haunt made him sentimental?
He shook his head and was about to rise.
Then he suddenly heard footsteps drawing near. His expression remained unchanged, but his gaze shifted slightly.
"So... he still came."
He rose unhurriedly. Before that figure appeared, he had already leaped onto the crossbeam.
The next instant, a figure appeared before the room.
Dressed in black, with a painted mask covering his face.
Mirror of Sin.
A trace of coldness curled across Chu Qing's lips.
Of course, he had not come here merely to revisit an old haunt.
He understood that person far too well.
Since that person had come to Heavenly Dance City, he would naturally have gathered every piece of information that needed gathering.
He therefore certainly knew that Chu Yunfei had a son who had run away from home seven years ago.
And he knew that the head of the Chu Family missed this son dearly, often coming to his younger son's room to indulge in sorrowful memories.
No matter what kind of person one was, everyone had moments of weakness. Even though Chu Yunfei's martial arts were unrivaled, at such times, he was merely an ordinary father.
Thus, during the morning, while the Chu Family was bustling with activity, the assassin had slipped in ahead of time and hidden in Chu Qing's room.
Once Chu Yunfei arrived and sank into grief, it would be time to strike without warning and take his life!
Unfortunately, Chu Qing had arrived first.
The assassin entered the room, swept his gaze around, then leaped up, intending to hide atop the crossbeam.
But in that very instant, the corner of his eye caught a flash of cold steel.
His pupils contracted. He reached for his sword... but it was already too late.
The long sword, only half drawn, was shoved back into its sheath. A severed arm hung from its hilt.
Blood filled the air, each drop falling like rain, like plum blossoms.
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