Chu Mingyun, with a slight squint, gazed at the softly dancing candle flame in the guest room and mused, "What's this supposed to be? Haunted, or perhaps someone's up to tricks?"
Shaking his head, Su Shiyu replied, "Tonight, I've not caught the sound of anyone stirring. These rooms seem to have been left vacant. Had it not been for the eerie silence a moment ago, it would've escaped my notice."
"You mean to say, not one of the patrons filling the downstairs earlier is staying the night?" Chu Mingyun probed further.
With a slight furrow in his brow, Su Shiyu turned to him, "From the innkeeper's words today, it seemed he was eager for us not to extend our stay."
"He doesn't get to decide that," Chu Mingyun retorted with a cold laugh, then slightly turned, clasping Su Shiyu's hand with a bend in his brows, "Shiyu, scared at all?"
"You could simply say if you're scared," Su Shiyu said, letting out a light laugh.
Chu Mingyun, eyebrows raised and lips curved, suggested, "If you get scared later, how about calling me 'husband'?"
After exchanging a glance and a chuckle with him, Su Shiyu led the way to the innermost guest room, "Perhaps you should take care, Brother Chu."
Entering the room, they were greeted by an odd, musty smell. Su Shiyu's fingers lightly traced over a desk, picking up a layer of fine dust. He frowned slightly, "Even if rarely used, one would expect regular upkeep in an inn. How could there be such a thick layer of dust?"
"It is indeed curious," Chu Mingyun remarked casually, "Claiming reluctance to leave Shouchun, yet evidently lacking any intention of running a proper business."
Suddenly, the lamp flickered with a soft pop, dimming for a moment. The unmistakable sound of the night wind sweeping through the empty downstairs reached their ears, reinforcing the sense of abandonment.
Chu Mingyun still leaned against the wall, surveying his surroundings. In the dim light and shadows, he noticed Su Shiyu staring intently at something and chuckled, "Feeling scared now?"
"Over there," Su Shiyu walked towards a wardrobe in the corner. As the candlelight stabilized, the room brightened again, revealing a dark stain behind the intricately carved wooden wardrobe in a narrow crack in the wall.
Chu Mingyun frowned slightly, pulling Su Shiyu closer with one hand while forcefully moving the large wardrobe a few feet away with the other. The bottom of the wardrobe grinding against the floor produced a dull sound, exposing the wall in its entirety without any cover. A large dark stain, like splashed ink, spread across the wall, and the pungent smell of decay mixed with dust was so strong it was nauseating.
After the smell had somewhat dissipated, Su Shiyu touched the stain with his fingertip, took a closer sniff, and then slightly changed his expression, looking up at Chu Mingyun, "It's human blood."
"You really can endure a lot," Chu Mingyun said as he took his hand to wipe it clean before turning to examine the wall, "The blood reached this height, and so much of it sprayed out, it could only be from someone being slashed in half."
Su Shiyu frowned deeply and after a moment of contemplation, said, "Let's check the other rooms."
In the neighboring guest room, they found no covered blood stains. After inspecting the area, Chu Mingyun suddenly stopped by the door, leaned in for a closer look, and touched it, "This door has been newly painted."
Su Shiyu had just taken out a sword from his sleeve when Chu Mingyun took it from him, casually scraping off a few strokes on the door. The vermilion paint peeled off, revealing the dark color underneath with a strong, pungent smell. Even after scraping off several layers of wood chips, the scent persisted, indicating that the door was almost soaked in blood.
The rest of the rooms were much the same, with mottled bloodstains hidden under embroidered carpets, splattered at the head of the beds, and the stale smell of blood gradually intensifying, enveloping the inn like a thin, tragic green fog.
Finally, when they returned to the room they were staying in, they noticed the wall paint appeared newer than the surrounding areas.
Chu Mingyun wrapped his arms around Su Shiyu from behind, "That's enough, no need to keep checking." His words were tinged with laughter, "Facing a wall full of blood, do you still want to sleep?"
Su Shiyu slowly sheathed his sword back into his sleeve, "Can you actually sleep?"
"As long as I'm holding you, I can sleep," Chu Mingyun tightened his embrace, inhaling the soothing scent that lingered on him.
Su Shiyu let out a soft sigh, "This can't just be explained away as a bad inn..."
"It's a massacre," said Chu Mingyun.
The night breeze caused some distant window lattice to creak mournfully, echoing in the desolation, faint and sorrowful like the weeping of lonely spirits. It was as if one could visualize the scene, bodies strewn everywhere, blood spilling over, such deathly silence was more than just shocking.
"But the streets outside are still intact, it doesn't look like it was caused by war," Su Shiyu paused, "I'm afraid the problem lies with the entire city of Shouchun."
Chu Mingyun pondered for a moment, then said, "Shiyu, follow me to a place."
The stars were sparse, and the city of Shouchun was enveloped in profound silence. There wasn't a soul in sight on the streets, only the distant sound of the night watchman's call.
They approached a mansion situated near some burnt-down houses, its red doors locked and rusted, the signboard covered in dust, a picture of neglect.
"Is this the mansion of the county magistrate of Shouchun?" Su Shiyu followed Chu Mingyun inside with ease, noticing the moss growing on the stone steps under the dim moonlight, "When I left Huainan, I saw him off. In just a few months, he died in the rebellion, and now his residence is in such a state."
"Unfortunately," Chu Mingyun smiled, glancing back at him, "I heard about an official who fled with his family towards Chang'an to report something but was chased and killed along the way. His youngest daughter managed to reach the outskirts of Chang'an and encountered Qin Zhao and Du Yue, but still, she didn't survive."
Su Shiyu slightly narrowed his gaze and directed it toward him, questioning, "Based on what you've said, is the report Han Zhongwen submitted to the court flawed or completely fabricated?"
"I really couldn't tell you," Chu Mingyun replied with a smile that wasn't quite a smile. "What I do know is that, one way or another, the county magistrate of Shouchun has been thoroughly dealt with."
"Have they not found out who was after them?" Su Shiyu inquired.
Shaking his head, Chu Mingyun explained, "We didn't anticipate it would get to these matters. Du Yue was solely focused on rescuing people, and Qin Zhao didn't catch up, allowing the attacker to escape." He nonchalantly opened a door, and as fine dust fluttered down, he lit the leftover candle on the desk. This action illuminated a bronze mirror, a box full of hairpins, and a woman's garment hanging on the inner wall.
Turning to Su Shiyu, Chu Mingyun smiled, unchanging in his demeanor, "I've never been here before; I don't know the way."
"Then you should have just said so earlier," Su Shiyu responded, slightly embarrassed as he averted his gaze, a sense of resignation in his voice. "I roughly remember where the study is." He then turned and started walking away.
Chu Mingyun was about to follow when something caught his eye. Beneath the cosmetic case, a few thin papers were pressed. He walked over and realized they were fragments of a document, torn apart for some reason and then collected by the lady of the room. They were pieced together haphazardly, with only phrases like "numerous malpractices" and "generous favors" vaguely visible.
Lifting the remaining pieces, Chu Mingyun's gaze settled on a corner of a red seal that had been torn off, his eyes suddenly sharpening, his expression becoming dark and unreadable. The seal depicted a beast, with the head of a python, four legs, and a single horn on its forehead, fierce and formidable.
Even though it was incomplete, Chu Mingyun recognized it instantly as the same pattern of the bronze amulet beast he had taken from Boss Mu at the Ji Le Tower.
From Chang'an to Huainan, after traversing thousands of miles, it seemed the restless spirit had not dispersed, still stirring up storms, refusing to rest.
In the flickering candlelight, deep in thought, Chu Mingyun suddenly heard Su Shiyu's voice from the courtyard, warning, "Be careful!"
He lifted his gaze, just in time to catch the fleeting shadows outside the window reflected in the bronze mirror. In the next moment, countless figures clad in black burst through the window, seemingly emerging from everywhere, their blades drawn and closing in.
In the blink of an eye, Chu Mingyun's sword was unsheathed, its piercing whistle still ringing as he spun around to deliver a sweeping slash. A crimson arc of blood was carved through the air around him. Those in front, clutching their wounded torsos, fell to their knees in agony, while others quickly pressed forward. Despite the apparent chaos, it was clear upon engagement that their sword techniques and formations were well-trained. Two attackers, their swords crossing, aimed a strike at his head. Chu Mingyun leapt, his toes tapping the blade's edge for leverage, spinning and retreating mid-air to kick them towards another's blade. Before he even touched the ground, another attacker swung at him from below, the strike fast and powerful. Chu Mingyun's sword had just pierced the shoulder of an assailant behind him. Without time to withdraw it, he skillfully dodged, the enemy's blade barely missing his sleeve.
But as he brushed past, a chilling chime sounded from his sleeve, the sound of a jade pendant. Chu Mingyun's expression darkened instantly. He retreated hastily, seizing the moment to glance at the object in his sleeve. The fine mutton fat jade shone brilliantly, now marred with several cracks, though fortunately, no new ones were added.
Chu Mingyun then breathed a sigh of relief.
The jade pendant, a gift from Su Shiyu since it had cracked from a fall, was now fragile to the touch. He had always kept it close, hidden from Su Shiyu's view. Even though the ever-gentle Su Shiyu would never blame him, he couldn't bear to upset him.
Suddenly, his concern for the attackers faded as he turned to look outside. The courtyard, now overrun by figures in black, had Su Shiyu standing amidst them, his expression obscured by the dim light. Su Shiyu's arms hung by his side, showing no intention of fighting back.
Chu Mingyun's heart skipped a beat.
As if sensing his vulnerability, the attackers, almost in unison, charged at him with raised blades. In an instant, Su Shiyu was engulfed by the blending shadows and glints of steel.
Dark clouds covered the sky, the gloom deepened by a sudden gust of wind that slammed the door shut, separating the splattering blood from the room, a vivid red that pierced Chu Mingyun's gaze.
"Su Shiyu-!"