Chapter 104: Fear-Driven Suicide

Outside the city, Songhe Bay.

Songhe Bay borders the Luo River, a summer retreat for the city’s elite, housing a thousand villas; autumn deepens, and the number of residents is sparse.

Zhou Ming’an, as a Vice Minister of the Dalisi , held a modest rank and owned only a modest two-court courtyard in a secluded corner of Songhe Bay, surrounded by bamboo groves, its ambiance refined and elegant.

As the sun dipped low, in the study of the villa, Zhou Ming’an paced back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression tinged with tension:

“Master Gongsun, do not be careless. Xie Jinhuan may be young, but his strength is not to be underestimated—he may yet possess a secret weapon or divine treasure.”

The small study held five men, all dispatched by Li Gongpu.

Since their mission was to “apprehend the assassin of an imperial official,” these five were no mere Jianghucaomang .

Leading them was Gongsun Duan, a military instructor of the Imperial Guard, already at the Second Rank, accompanied by four elite guards armed with Shatter-Qi Bows and Immortal-Binding Ropes.

To prepare for imperial scrutiny, Gongsun Duan had already fabricated an excuse—he was recuperating at a Songhe Bay villa, heard unusual activity from the Zhou household, came to inspect, and by chance captured the traitor Xie Jinhuan, the assassin of a court official.

With this setup, Xie Jinhuan had no chance of surviving if he dared show his face—he would never leave Songhe Bay alive, and they would face no repercussions, for their justification was flawless.

But this plan hinged on one condition: Zhou Ming’an must first be successfully assassinated, so they could emerge to make their arrest.

Otherwise, if Xie Jinhuan claimed he was merely investigating the case, they could do nothing against the backing of the Dan King.

Seeing the “bait” trembling with anxiety, Gongsun Duan set down his teacup and spoke with solemn reassurance:

“With Xie Jinhuan’s skill, he could never enter the bamboo grove, let alone this study. Master Zhou, don’t let paranoia take hold. We only fear this boy won’t come at all—leaving us waiting in vain.”

Zhou Ming’an sighed softly: “Xie Jinhuan has already obtained the case files. I’ve given him every opportunity to strike. If he intends revenge, he will come within the next two days…”

“Then that’s settled.”

Gongsun Duan said no more, rose with his blade and shield:

“Master Zhou, carry on as usual. Walk openly in the courtyard—make it easier for Xie Jinhuan to scout. We’ll lie hidden nearby; the moment there’s any disturbance, we’ll appear to rescue you.”

Zhou Ming’an watched the five prepare to leave, and honestly, he felt uneasy.

But Xie Jinhuan was no fool—if he sensed five men lurking inside, he’d never enter. So Zhou said nothing, feigned illness, and wandered aimlessly through the estate…

—

Night fell.

Lanterns glimmered like scattered stars along both banks of the Luo River, villas hidden among gardens.

Xie Jinhuan, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and disguised as an ordinary martial traveler, moved silently through the dim woods, observing the riverside mansions concealed within the bamboo thickets.

The two-court estate was modest, but the surrounding bamboo grove offered exceptional privacy; above the canopy, two servants could barely be seen brushing horses beside the house, faint lights glowed within, and on the riverside terrace, a shadow seemed to gaze beyond the railing.

To guard against hidden guards, Xie Jinhuan first meticulously scouted the estate’s perimeter. After long observation, he raised a finger toward a slightly raised patch of withered bamboo leaves:

“Is that someone lying there?”

Ye Hongshang hovered before him, nodding slightly:

“Sharp eyes. But it’s not one person—it’s five. All warriors. One of them has likely reached the Second Rank.”

“Really?”

Xie Jinhuan’s brow furrowed as he realized enemies surrounded the estate.

He had only just obtained the case files from the county office this morning, suspecting Zhou Ming’an’s involvement—and by night, Zhou had already set a “trap for the unsuspecting”!

This was clearly a calculated scheme against him…

Such a swift and ruthless man must be eliminated without delay…

Ye Hongshang crouched beside him, seeing Xie Jinhuan’s furrowed brow, whispered:

“Scared of five men?”

“Impossible. If this is an assassination, there can be no confrontation—if we fight, it’ll be harder to clear our name.”

As Xie Jinhuan spoke, he carefully scanned the surroundings, then pulled out the Huang Lin Seal, using its light patches to pinpoint the exact positions of the hidden men.

But Ye Hongshang, seeing this, felt it was an insult to her status as his beloved bride—and immediately began her mischief.

Then, before Xie Jinhuan’s eyes, a “hallucination” appeared.

This illusion differed: the scene remained unchanged, but deep within the dark bamboo grove, five tiny red figures emerged.

All five lay motionless on the ground; though their faces and clothing were indistinct, their bodily outlines were clear…

The Ghost Bride’s Thermal Vision!

Xie Jinhuan blinked, tucked away the ancient, useless Huang Lin Seal, confirmed the five ambushers’ positions and sightlines, blocked all their fields of view, slipped silently to the side of the estate, and scaled the wall to enter…

—

A silver moon hung high.

Zhou Ming’an, dressed in scholarly robes, gazed out briefly from the riverside terrace—no sign of disturbance—then returned to the study, standing before a hanging scroll, feigning admiration.

This was meant to appear normal, to avoid arousing suspicion from any hidden observer like Xie Jinhuan.

But he did not know that Xie Jinhuan, though a formidable martialist, was equally versed in all arts—including painting.

Zhou Ming’an had barely glanced at the painting when a voice spoke beside him:

“‘Moon Over the Luo River’ from the Shuangsheng Ye Shrine—unfortunately, a forgery. Judging by brush and ink, it’s a copy by Master Fan Li of the Imperial Academy. The painting lacks the soaring sword aura of the original.”

The voice sounded like an old friend appraising a masterpiece.

As a civil official who loved calligraphy and painting, Zhou Ming’an would normally have delighted in such commentary.

But hearing it now, in his own study, was like hearing “Xie Bi’an” whisper in his ear.

“… ”

Zhou Ming’an froze rigid, lips still closed—when a cold blade pressed against his neck.

The room fell utterly silent.

Xie Jinhuan stood behind him, Zhenglun Sword in hand. After confirming the hidden guards outside sensed nothing amiss, he asked calmly:

“Master Zhou, do you know who I am?”

Zhou Ming’an’s entire body stiffened, his eyelashes trembling. After a long silence, he gave a barely perceptible nod:

“I… know.”

“Then do you know why I’m here?”

“That affair years ago—I had no choice. It was Li Gongpu who forced me to act. Outside, his men are lying in wait. Young Master Xie, don’t act rashly, or you’ll fall right into Li Gongpu’s trap…”

Li Gongpu…

Xie Jinhuan knew Li Gongpu was no good, but he had never suspected his involvement in the case from three years ago.

This man was the Emperor’s lapdog—kill the dog, but the master must be respected. He couldn’t be swiftly eliminated. He paused, then asked:

“Who else took bribes from Han Jingchuan to slander my father?”

“Two constables from the county office, each paid thirty taels of silver, falsely testifying your father was drunk. They were demoted to distant counties after being ostracized by the government office .”

“Was my father’s attack by a demon at Weizhou’s San Cha Gang connected to you?”

Zhou Ming’an shook his head urgently: “Han Jingchuan only wanted to avoid blame. Once the case was closed, he wouldn’t have added unnecessary risks.”

Xie Jinhuan frowned inwardly at this answer.

Whether from the Jinlou ambush or Zhou Ming’an’s testimony, Li Gongpu and the Mingshenjiao seemed to be two separate factions.

The demon attack three years ago had used the Mingshenjiao ’s “Mysterious Black Crow” technique—likely the work of the sect’s followers or demons.

The case files also noted my father was unaccounted for one full hour, yet the witnesses were false—meaning he hadn’t been drinking, yet his explanation was vague…

In his mind, the case likely unfolded like this:

On the night of the fifth day of the third month, the Mingshenjiao caused chaos at the imperial palace.

Han Jingchuan, negligent, convinced Li Gongpu to make my father take the blame.

My father hadn’t been drinking, yet couldn’t explain his whereabouts during that hour.

The Mingshenjiao , alarmed, feared he had discovered something that night, and secretly wiped out his family…

But in his memory, his father had never mentioned anything about the haunted palace incident…

Still, given his father’s nature, if he’d encountered something terrifying, he might have kept silent to protect himself…

Xie Jinhuan couldn’t yet untangle the threads. He asked Zhou Ming’an a few more questions, found no further information, then tilted his head slightly:

“Write down the list of bribes you’ve accepted in recent years—names, ranks, purposes—all detailed.”

“Er…”

As Zhou Ming’an hesitated, the blade tightened against his neck—he dared not speak, slowly walked to the desk, picked up the brush, and wrote, his eyes flicking toward the window.

Xie Jinhuan warned: “They’re dressed as Imperial Guards. Even if they storm in now, I’m merely using extreme methods to investigate an old case. If you live, they dare not kill me outright—they’d face the Dan King’s wrath. But if you die, they’ll have legal grounds to cover their crimes.”

“… ”

Zhou Ming’an was no fool. The moment Xie Jinhuan appeared, he understood Li Gongpu’s intent. He listed everything honestly—over twenty officials and nobles, more than thirty cases:

“Young Master Xie, since you know this is a trap, don’t act rashly. Investigate these officials yourself—I can testify.”

Xie Jinhuan wasn’t stupid. If he walked out with this list, Zhou Ming’an would immediately be “assassinated.” If he revealed it, he’d be walking into a net. He simply said:

“You hold judicial authority, yet abused it to wrongfully convict so many cases—don’t you feel shame before the people and the Emperor’s grace?”

“Er… I do shame the court’s nurturing and my masters’ teachings…”

“Write it on paper.”

Zhou Ming’an understood Xie Jinhuan wanted the confession to feel genuine—he didn’t hesitate, wrote at length with remorseful phrases: “I have no face to meet my teachers,” “Death itself is too light a punishment,” and so on.

“Li Gongpu has cast you aside, pushed you to the edge—don’t you feel any rage?”

“I do…”

“Write it down.”

Xie Jinhuan waited until Zhou Ming’an finished his lengthy confession—this was enough. He sheathed his blade:

“Alright.”

“… ”

Zhou Ming’an’s heart tightened, and he dared not turn his head to speak; after waiting a moment, before he could tell whether Xie Jinhuan had left, he felt his head grow dizzy, his thoughts slipping away.

Soon after, he sank into a dazed stupor, his eyes vacant, his mind ceasing to think.

Tap tap~

Xie Jinhuan stood behind, sword in hand, watching as Zhou Ming’an’s eyes grew hollow, slowly turning to walk toward the center of the study, lifting his gaze to the ceiling beam.

Then he walked into the inner room, fetched a length of cloth, carried a stool to the study, placed it beneath the beam, and draped the cloth over it, tying it fast.

As he stepped onto the stool and slipped the noose around his neck, Zhou Ming’an kicked the stool away without hesitation—the cloth snapped taut.

Xie Jinhuan steadied the stool with his toe to muffle any sound.

Under the threat of death, Zhou Ming’an snapped awake; his eyes had no time to register confusion before filling with terror and bewilderment, his legs kicking helplessly in the air as he stared at the hooded figure below.

Whoosh whoosh~

Xie Jinhuan lifted his hood to meet Zhou Ming’an’s gaze, watching until the man went still, then swept his eyes across the room.

Since there was no landlady to vouch for him this time, he checked the room himself, then had his ghost bride check it again; only after confirming not a single flaw remained did he slip quietly out of the study…

…

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The reading context is out now—feel free to switch and take a look~

(End of Chapter)