QingYu: A Wuxia Tale (Going Through Reediting)

Confirmation

They will be waiting for a report about a body found near the entrance of the forest.

I was announced by the soldiers guarding the office of the Master General's door. I strode inside when the permission to enter was given.

"Master General, Father, General Liuwie..." I greeted the people inside the room.

"Captain Wang, good of you to be here. Give us your report. Is it really General Chein?" The Master General spoke.

I nodded, watch as horror came into their faces. "He was beaten to death. Like General Zhi he was stripped and..."

"That's enough Wang Qing," my father stopped my words. I obeyed.

The three generals all look forlorn and anxious. I am not blaming them for feeling like that. Two of their comrade had died in a very gruesome way.

But what I want to know is why they died. Why them? It's like they are being picked one by one by this insane assasin with a reason "The Shadow" only knew.

A reason that those victims must know too.

And I am looking at three more potential victim of that assasin. So I am thinking of asking them.

I took a deep breath before speaking again, "Is General Zhi and General Chein part of the raid that happened at the border in SiChuan almost sixteen summers ago?"

I saw how my father's face turn pale in shock. Same as the two other persons in the room. "How...why..." General Wang doesn't know what to say.

The Master General recovered first, "Why are you asking about that Captain Wang?"

"I am investigating a killer famous for his name. "The Shadow" he was called. Are you familiar with him?"

General Zong nodded, "Yes. Who is not familiar or have not heard about that mercenary?"

"Why? Is that mercenary connected to the killings happening in this camp?" My father asked.

I nodded, "I think he is the one doing all these brutal killings of officials in the last three summers. The only common thing about them is that they are all part of a raid that happened at a border in SiChuan. Five villages got raided and burned by soldiers from the Shaanxi Province and..."

"How long have you been investigating this thing Captain Wang?" Asked the Master General.

"Two summers now," I answered truthfully. "I was fascinated about it at first but now I think I have a valid reason to believe that the killer is connected to that raid at the border."

"And you are asking if Generals Zhi and Chein are part of that raid?" My father is gravely staring at me.

I nodded. "And I also want to ask if you three are also part of that raid."

My father's face turn more pale if possible while the Master General and General Luiwei turn angrier.

"Are you questioning us Captain?" General Liuwie exclaimed angrily.

I shook my head, "No Sir, I just want to know if you are indeed part of that raid because it will serve as a warning for us. "The Shadow" is picking those officials involved on that raid like they are ripe apples from a tree. If you are also part of that raid, your lives are in danger." I am staring at my father as I speak.

My father averted his gaze. The Master General answered me. "We are part of no raid Captain Wang. And I want you to stop all this speculations about a raid and this mercenary."

I look at General Zong who gave me a commanding stare. "I want you to focus instead on catching whoever did this to General Zhi and Chein. Put your mind and energy on that,"

I stared at the Master General. He looked commanding but I can feel he is also uncomfortable with me.

Or more accurately, he was uncomfortable with the questions I am asking.

They are lying to me. They are clearly part of that raid that happened almost sixteen years ago.

I turn to my father who already composed himself and can stare back at me now. "Do as the Master General said. Don't waste your time on trivial and unimportant things Qing. Do your job better as a Captain in this base,"

I bit my lip to stop myself from blurting out the first thing that came into my mind.

Like ask them why they are lying and what really happened at that raid.

But instead I nodded. By lying to me they confirmed my hunches.

"The Shadow" is killing for revenge against those who raided those villages. One village in particular. And he is killing them in the most brutal way.

It is also confirmed that he has more victims. "The Shadow" won't stop until he killed the three generals in front of me.

And that includes my father.