Night lay deep over Tanlong Alley.
In the main hall of the Zhu Family Old Residence, the smell of burnt incense, candles, and paper offerings had yet to fade.
Madam Cui trembled as she came in carrying the black-and-white memorial portrait.
This time, the photograph faced inward.
Her eyes, usually sharp with calculation, were lowered. She did not dare glance at Qin Geng, seated in the Grandmaster Chair.
She was truly frightened.
The scene on the river had branded itself into her mind like a hot iron.
Those had been three water corpses straight out of a storybook, yet the young man before her had beaten them into pulp.
She had been close by on the boat, holding the portrait behind Qin Geng. The sound of that foul-smelling brain matter splattering across the deck still rang in her ears.
Whenever she closed her eyes, Madam Cui felt a chill rising from the crown of her skull.
The Cui Family had ties to Tomb Raiders and knew a few ruthless men, but compared with this "Fifth Master Qin," they were nothing but dirt dogs that knew how to dig.
"F-Fifth Master."
Madam Cui's voice was thin as a mosquito's hum. Her usual fierce temper had flown beyond the ninth heaven.
She approached the altar with care and set Master Zhu Xin's portrait squarely in its center with both hands.
After straightening the portrait, Madam Cui respectfully offered three sticks of incense and knocked her head against the floor three times.
Those bows were earnest. Her forehead struck the floor with heavy thuds, without a trace of pretense. Fear had wrung that sincerity out of her.
When she rose, she turned to Qin Geng and dipped into a curtsy, her head lowered. "Fifth Master, you gave Master Xin a proper send-off. I'm