Chapter 520: Darkness

On the first day of the fourth month of the twelfth year of the Chongzhen reign, the docks of Zongyang Town were a chaos of shouting. Word had come before noon that the Roving Bandits had begun attacking Shijingpu and were advancing all the way toward Tongcheng. Although Zongyang was still far from them, it had no city wall to rely on. The Marine Corps troops once stationed here had long since been transferred, and a new so-called Preparatory Division Commander had been garrisoning the area, but they had mustered at noon and marched for Tongcheng. Zongyang was utterly defenseless. Everyone who could get on a boat did so. This was not the first time the Roving Bandits had come; over the years, people had gained experience, so basic order still held.

In the streets and alleys, common folk carried their household goods and luggage along Riverbank Street, hurrying toward the docks. Some boarded boats, while others rushed toward the northern countryside. Boats of every kind left the shore one after another, though most did not sail directly out onto the river. Instead, they anchored in various backwater areas along the river channel, using the water as a barrier.

Xiao Wazi, carrying a sack of grain, blended into the crowd. He followed Second Locust ahead of him, walking from the docks along Riverbank Street to the Hongshazhou intersection, then cut west through Hongshazhou. They only stopped and crouched by the roadside when they reached Dongfengkou.

Behind him was Wang Dashan. Wang Dashan was the shopkeeper of the Rice Bean Shop and was familiar with the Prefectural City. He had originally been assigned to stay in the Prefectural City to coordinate. But Liu Wenxiu himself was coming to Zongyang, and Wang Dashan was the only person from Anqing in the team, making him the most useful for maintaining a cover identity. Moreover, the team had two newly recruited grain transport ships, and Liu Wenxiu needed someone who could swim to keep an eye on the boatmen. So in the end, Wang Dashan was brought along to Zongyang, while Yu Baodao was left in the Prefectural City as an Inner Responder.

In their group, Wang Dashan posed as a grain merchant, while the others were dressed as porters. Resting by the roadside, they drew no attention.

Second Locust walked back a stretch and crouched beside Liu Wenxiu. The two conferred in low voices for a moment, then Second Locust moved forward to Xiao Wazi's ear. "This is Xiazongyang Warehouse. Next to it is the Anqing Barracks. The Battalion Commander took the troops to Tongcheng before noon; only a few remain in camp. If the attack on that compound goes poorly, start a fire here to draw the government troops this way."

"Am I handling this assignment?"

"I'll be here too. First, we walk the perimeter and memorize every path."

The group rose again and followed the outer wall of Xiazongyang Warehouse west. They soon spotted the military camp. Because space in Zongyang was limited, this camp was not large. It looked newly built, with many sections using wooden planks for walls, giving it a shabby, rundown appearance.

Two soldiers stood sentry at the camp gate. Anqing was a place that held not only the Anqing Battalion but also many Camp Heads from Jiangnan. Xiao Wazi had fought the Anqing Army many times; with a single glance, he knew this camp belonged to the Anqing Cavalry Camp. If all the troops were still inside, raiding that compound would be unlikely.

As they passed the camp gate, a column of over fifty horses was about to enter. Six or seven grooms were scattered throughout the formation, and the one at the front was checking his identity badge with the sentry.

Xiao Wazi casually glanced that way and suddenly spotted a familiar figure among the horses: a white-haired old man feeling for his own identity badge. Xiao Wazi froze for a moment. The old man seemed to sense someone watching him and looked up, about to turn this way.

Xiao Wazi immediately lowered his head, using the edge of the grain sack to shield his face, and followed the group north.

The team moved at a slow pace. After passing the camp gate, Xiao Wazi looked back. He saw the horses enter the camp and turn left. From the gate, the stables were visible, and the old man's graying hair bobbed among the herd.

……

"Our scouts at the docks spotted two boats. They arrived yesterday afternoon and anchored on the opposite bank without loading people or cargo. Occasionally, someone was seen pacing on deck. We've confirmed one of them is the grain transport ship purchased from Wang Wenyao's family in Zongyang last month. The buyer spoke with a northern accent and also bought a shopfront in Hongshazhou. Around a quarter past noon, seven people disembarked from the boats. They first went through Hongshazhou to Dongfengkou, then scouted outside Xiazongyang Warehouse and the Preparatory Division camp gate. Afterward, two remained at the Hongshazhou shopfront while the rest went to scout the Dark Sentinel Division Academy. They then returned to their boats, making no other stops along the way. By our estimates, they would need at least five boats to take their target away. There must be other boats we haven't detected. Our eyes and ears passed a signal when they went by the Shipping Company. The bandits will strike tonight. Therefore, we will stick to our original plan: wait until all their personnel are assembled, then wipe them out."

In the Director's Office of the Dark Sentinel Division Academy, Yuan Zheng's Deputy Officer had just finished reading the intelligence report sent from the Zongyang station. This was the Zongyang command post. Besides personnel from the Dark Sentinel Division, several naval and army officers were present. De Ten Prefectures from the Academy was also seated.

Yuan Zheng looked at the various officers. "This is the latest intelligence. Do any of you have questions?"

The officers all shook their heads. Yuan Zheng spoke politely, "Then I must trouble you all. That Liu Wenxiu is the adopted son of the Eighth Bandit, extremely suspicious and cunning. During preparations, please be sure not to be too conspicuous. Once they are alerted, capturing them will not be easy."

The officers each rose and exchanged a few more words with Yuan Zheng at the door before departing one by one.

Yuan Zheng kept a smile on his face the entire time. Only when he returned to the Main Hall did his expression turn cold.

His Deputy Officer leaned in and said, "Yesterday, the Academy notified everyone of the Roving Bandits' arrival and the response plan. That bandit spy inside the Academy went to buy supplies for the kitchen this morning and passed through Hongshazhou. She asked about vegetable prices in front of that shopfront. She has likely already sent the message out."

De Ye sat quietly to the side and also heard the Deputy Officer's report.

Yuan Zheng waved his hand, dismissing the Deputy Officer. Only when he and De Ten Prefectures were alone in the room did he speak. "De Ten Prefectures previously said this person was accustomed to killing and had definitely killed before. When we checked her background, it said she came from a butcher's family. I thought De Ten Prefectures was overthinking it. It was our negligence."

De Ten Prefectures shook his head slightly. "To be fair, I wasn't certain either. Otherwise, I wouldn't have allowed her to live this long."

Yuan Zheng waited a moment, then said, "A bandit spy infiltrated the Academy. This will surely enrage Lord Jiang. Although the initial guarantees and background checks had nothing to do with us, failing to discover her for so long within the Academy, and allowing her to come and go daily under the guise of a kitchen helper to pass messages, is ultimately the Academy's fault... My opinion is that she dies today."

De Ye bowed slightly. "That would be best. Since there is no need to interrogate her, this old man would like to make use of her."

Yuan Zheng seemed to understand his meaning. He frowned in thought for a moment. "This batch of female agents is about to be sent on external assignment. The Nanzhili Provincial Examination is in two months. Lord Jiang has already made meticulous arrangements and is waiting for the female agents to be delivered. If, by any chance, something goes wrong and we have no one to use at the critical moment, ruining a major operation would be disastrous."

"This woman's training in skill is sufficient, but her heart has not been trained enough." De Ye paused, then said, "She does not yet have the heart to handle missions. Once she leaves this Academy, she will be on her own. Without a resolute and steadfast mind, she ultimately cannot accomplish great things."

Yuan Zheng thought for a long time and finally nodded. "This time, Yuan will listen to De Ye. But I ask De Ye to handle it personally. I am uneasy leaving it to anyone else."

De Ye nodded slowly. Yuan Zheng pulled open the door and said to the Deputy Officer outside, "Seal the camp gate."

……

From the corridor between the dormitories came the sound of orders being relayed. Pacification Commissioner soldiers were making announcements at each dormitory door.

Mo Qiyun pressed herself against the door panel and listened for a moment. The footsteps of the Pacification Commissioner soldiers reached her door. She thought they were going to notify the two of them, but the footsteps did not stop. They walked straight past to the next dormitory.

After listening a moment longer, Mo Qiyun turned back toward Qiu Mingcui, who was sitting on the bed, and stuck out her tongue.

Qiu Mingcui smiled at her. "Yesterday's notice said the Roving Bandits were coming. Today's must be about the same thing. The notices were clear: the Preparatory Division is defending Tongcheng and will cut off the roads to Zongyang. The Academy will not evacuate; they'll just add a few more Open Sentries and hidden sentries, that's all."

Mo Qiyun sat down beside Qiu Mingcui and hugged her arm tightly. "De Ten Prefectures told me the day before yesterday that I'll be sent on external assignment at the end of the fourth month. But we're forbidden to ask where. I don't know when I'll see you again."

Qiu Mingcui pressed her cheek against Mo Qiyun's hair, her gaze drifting toward the window. The sky was gradually darkening. "In times like these, once people part, seeing each other again is terribly difficult. Some people just turn around, and you never see them again."

"Jiang Jiejie has been gone so long without a single word. I'm so fortunate that Qiu Jiejie came to keep me company, taking care of me in everything." Two lines of tears slid down Mo Qiyun's face. She stared blankly at the floor. "If I really never see you again, I will miss Qiu Jiejie too. I'll miss you my whole life."

Qiu Mingcui reached out and patted the back of her hand, smiling. "I'll miss you too. If I ever see you again, I'll definitely give you a little cat. A yellow one."

Mo Qiyun burst out laughing with a "pfft," but her eyes immediately reddened again. She slowly shook her head. "I don't dare raise one anymore."

Qiu Mingcui sighed and was about to speak again when a knock came at the door. Mo Qiyun jumped up. "Finally, they called. I'll get it."

The door opened, and Spit Garrison Inspector appeared in the doorway. Seeing that the other Pacification Commissioner's line of sight was blocked, Mo Qiyun made a funny face at Spit Garrison Inspector.

In the past, Spit Garrison Inspector would always smile, but today he did not. He looked straight past her inside. "Qiu Mingcui, come out with me."

Mo Qiyun asked, somewhat surprised, "Are you only calling Mingcui for an assignment?"

"Do not ask about other people's business."

Mo Qiyun froze for a moment. Qiu Mingcui had already reached the door. She looked at Spit Garrison Inspector and asked, "Is it just adding hidden sentries?"

"You'll know when you get there." Spit Garrison Inspector finished speaking and stepped aside from the doorway. Qiu Mingcui looked back and nodded at Mo Qiyun, then left with the two Pacification Commissioner soldiers.

Mo Qiyun returned to the window and peered out, watching Qiu Mingcui leave the compound gate, heading she knew not where. She sat in the room for a while, then paced for a while. Mo Qiyun grew somewhat agitated, repeatedly going to the door to listen. The entire corridor was utterly silent, with hardly the slightest sound, as if everyone else had already been called away, leaving her alone.

This situation had never happened before. After what felt like a very long wait, footsteps finally sounded in the corridor. The moment the knock came, Mo Qiyun immediately pulled the door open.

This time, it was two different Pacification Commissioners.

"Mo Qiyun, come out."

When Mo Qiyun reached them, the Pacification Commissioner added, "Give me your hairpin."

Mo Qiyun hesitated for a second, then quickly pulled out her hairpin and handed it over. The Pacification Commissioner took it, turned, and left. Mo Qiyun immediately followed behind the two of them. After leaving the compound gate, they headed toward the large training compound. Only then did her heart ease a little; at least this was a familiar routine.

Just as she reached the gate, she saw Qiu Mingcui walking toward her, escorted by Pacification Commissioner soldiers. Mo Qiyun dared not speak. She shot Qiu Mingcui a look, asking what on earth was going on.

Qiu Mingcui looked at Mo Qiyun with an indifferent expression, a look Mo Qiyun had never seen before. Before Mo Qiyun could react, the two had already brushed past each other.

Filled with confusion, she walked into the compound. In front of De Ten Prefectures's door stood several black-clad men she had never seen before. They all sized her up as she approached.

Mo Qiyun was not afraid now. She walked to the door of the room. The Pacification Commissioner soldier pointed inside. Under the gaze of the black-clad men, Mo Qiyun walked straight into the Direct Office.

De Ten Prefectures sat behind the desk. He gestured for her to sit, then stared at Mo Qiyun for a moment.

Mo Qiyun carefully reached out and placed a piece of sugar pastry in front of De Ten Prefectures. "I made this for Teacher De. I've taught the kitchen how to do it. After I'm sent away, the kitchen will make it for Teacher De. No matter how busy you are, remember to eat."

De Ten Prefectures had been about to speak, but stopped when he saw the sugar pastry. He reached out, picked it up, forced an ugly sliver of a smile onto his face, and then put it into a drawer.

When he raised his head to look at Mo Qiyun again, his eyes had turned cold. "Qiu Mingcui, originally named Qiu Cuizhu, from Nanyang, a spy in the Women's Camp under the Eight Great Kings of the Western Camp."

Mo Qiyun stared straight at De Ten Prefectures as if frozen.

"She was born into a butcher's household and later sold to a master surnamed Zhang. In the sixth year of Chongzhen, Qiu Cuizhu entered the Western Camp. Before joining, she personally killed her master's family of three. She fought in battle the same as any man, skilled in riding and the line spear. She rose to become gang leader of the Western Camp's Women's Camp, and on many occasions served as a spy, infiltrating cities in advance as an inner responder to help break through. At the battle of Susong, she escaped on horseback with the old battalion. This time, dispatched by Liu Wenxiu, she entered Anqing to attempt to rescue the family dependents of several General Officers. She first went to Anqing Prefectural City and, together with a Susong native named Wang Dashan, opened a Rice Bean Shop. She then used three taels of silver to bribe the Village Elder Liu Guitong into issuing a Letter of Guarantee, certifying that she was a family dependent of someone from Susong and had already been running a Rice Bean Shop in Anqing for three years. Using that guarantee, she applied and was recruited into the Military Medic hospital. She then encountered the Dark Sentinel Division urgently recruiting female students from within the army, and thus entered the Dark Whistle Division Academy at Zongyang."

Only after a long moment did Mo Qiyun murmur, "How could Mingcui be a Roving Thief, how could she... has she been captured?"

"She will not be captured. Within half an hour, she will die right here." De Ten Prefectures slowly handed over a sheet of paper. "This is the Academy's Order Token. The mission is assigned to you. The place you will kill her is your own dormitory room. Right now, people are clearing the area in your room. Every sharp object will be searched and taken away. You will kill her with your bare hands."

Mo Qiyun stared blankly at De Ten Prefectures. "There are Pacification Commissioner soldiers everywhere, everywhere... why must I be the one to kill her, with my bare hands..."

"Because bare-handed killing is the slowest. Only then can you feel the process of killing, and overcome the hesitation and disgust within it." De Ten Prefectures spoke calmly. "I told Qiu Cuizhu that Jiang Shou has already betrayed the Dark Sentinel Division, and is colluding with you, inside and out, preparing to defect. The mission given to her is to kill you, only without the Academy's Order Token. Only one of you may walk out of that dormitory room. You must exert every last ounce of your strength, or you will die by her hand. This is your final Examination and Evaluation before leaving the school. If you die at her hand, someone else will take her life afterward, but no one can save yours. You can only rely on yourself."

Mo Qiyun kept her head down, sobbing uncontrollably, when suddenly a wail burst out of her.

De Ten Prefectures placed the Order Token on the table, but did not urge her. He only watched her cry with a cold expression. After a long while, Mo Qiyun finally raised her reddened eyes to look at De Ten Prefectures. "Is Mingcui really a spy for the Western Camp or not? Is Jiang Jiejie still alive or not? Did you want her to kill me, or did you want me to kill her? Which single word you've spoken is the truth? Not one word has ever been true!"

Old De's voice was a little hoarse. "Whether she is a spy is not important. If you return to the dormitory carrying doubts like these, you will not be the one who walks out."

Mo Qiyun's eyes were blurred with tears. "Why?"

"Because in training against her, you lost more than you won. More importantly..." De Ten Prefectures looked straight into Mo Qiyun's eyes. "Just now, she accepted the mission. She did not shed a single tear."

Mo Qiyun was stunned for a long moment, staring vacantly at the Order Token on the table. Old De did not urge her, only watched her calmly.

"Did she believe it?"

"Even if she didn't believe it, she knows she is doomed beyond a doubt. She would still use your life to cushion her fall."

After a long while, Mo Qiyun's gaze focused again. She reached out, took the Order Token from the table, and tore it apart bit by bit. Looking at De Ten Prefectures, she said, "I don't need an Order Token either."

Mo Qiyun wiped the tears from her face, stood up, and gave Old De a military salute. She turned and walked resolutely out of the room.

After passing the black-clad men outside the door, Mo Qiyun went straight into the training room and changed into her short gear behind her own curtain.

When she came out again, she did not look at anyone. Striding ahead of the Pacification Commissioner soldiers, she was back at the small courtyard where she lived moments later.

The corridor leading to the dormitory rooms was somewhat dim. The accompanying Pacification Commissioner soldiers stopped outside the hallway. Mo Qiyun paid them no attention and walked into the corridor alone. Her soft footsteps echoed in the dark passageway.

The short corridor was soon traversed. Mo Qiyun stopped before the door to her own dormitory room. The door panel still looked familiar. She had only been gone for a quarter of an hour, yet it felt like a very, very long time.

The door was not locked. Mo Qiyun stood for a moment, then reached out and pushed against the door panel. With a creak, the dormitory door opened, and a beam of light from the room's window shone into the corridor.

Qiu Mingcui sat before the window with her back to the door, already changed into short gear as well, her hair tied into a short bun.

Hearing the door, Qiu Mingcui slowly turned around to look at Mo Qiyun standing in the doorway. Separated by the open door, the two stared at each other. No one said a word. A chilling silence filled the gloomy corridor.

After a moment, Qiu Mingcui slowly stood up, facing Mo Qiyun with a cold expression.

Mo Qiyun lifted her left foot and crossed the threshold, then her right foot entered the room as well. The door gave a faint grating sound as it slowly closed behind her. The light spilling into the corridor gradually vanished, and the dark passageway fell into dead silence once more.

Click. The door bolt was gently slid home.