Chapter 92: Fate: Ineffably Mysterious

The moon rose above the branches, and Luojing once more became an endless sea of lanterns.

Above the staggered rooftops, Han Jingchuan, clad in night attire, gripped his saber and moved swiftly and silently along the shadowed eaves.

Company Commander Lu Qian and two attendants, dressed identically, followed beside him, whispering:

“Hurry. Xie Jinhuan’s old wounds haven’t healed; I just saw him go to the Peony Chamber to rest. He gave his weapon to his mistress—he’s completely unguarded, and no one’s near his room…”

Han Jingchuan wanted to follow Master Li’s instructions, but the opportunity before him was too perfect. He gazed toward the five-story golden pavilion ahead and gave a solemn warning:

“Kill quietly if possible. No loud noises. If you can’t kill him in three strikes, retreat immediately. Don’t linger. Don’t reveal your identity…”

“Understood.”

“Lu Qian, clean up the traces…”

“Master Han, rest assured. Once it’s done, I’ll scatter Blood Demon Qi. Wang Chuan and the others are patrolling nearby—they’ll arrive at once to take over the case, and you can show up just in time…”

As they spoke, Han Jingchuan, at the head of the group, caught a flicker in his peripheral vision—a shadow darting across the distant rooftops…

?

Han Jingchuan immediately raised a hand to lower his posture, peering into the distance—but saw nothing unusual. After a moment’s thought, he pressed forward anyway…

Meanwhile, half a li away.

Xie Jinhuan picked up a straw cloak in the eastern alley and a bamboo hat in the western alley. Before he’d walked half a street, he was a wandering hat-wearing swordsman—only lacking a weapon.

Chi Lin Guards don’t wear armor, but Battalion Commanders surely have internal protection. A firewood axe or kitchen knife won’t do—best to find a heavy breaker of armor!

Xie Jinhuan searched everywhere, finally spotting an octagonal hammer in the corner of a civilian home.

The hammer must’ve been used to drive steel stakes—its handle was four feet long, made of white wax wood!

The head weighed sixteen catties. Crude, yes—but it didn’t need refinement. As long as it landed, it was more brutal than a Heavenly Gang Mace!

Xie Jinhuan leapt into the courtyard—yet mid-air, his peripheral vision caught something odd on a rooftop a li away…

Huh~

To avoid being seen by bystanders, Xie Jinhuan landed and hid in the shadows. Only after picking up the hammer did he cautiously peer over the eaves—but saw no suspicious figures.

?

Xie Jinhuan frowned inwardly. Though he no longer had the Ghost Bride as his radar, he’d just acquired a magic artifact yesterday. Now he pulled out the Huang Lin Seal and infused it with qi to scan his surroundings.

But as his pupils glowed with flowing light, faint patches appeared on the dim ground—no particularly valuable materials within a hundred zhang.

Xie Jinhuan waited a moment longer, confirmed no one entered his alert range, hefted the hammer, and silently crept toward Changle Street…

——

The golden pavilion’s music and revelry continued, the crowd oblivious to the deadly currents lurking beneath the calm surface!

Han Jingchuan and his three men slipped soundlessly to the rear of the pavilion. Though a few guards patrolled, they stood no chance against Chi Lin Guards.

After confirming no risk, the four crouched low and advanced to the second floor. Under Lu Qian’s lead, they reached a window’s exterior.

Han Jingchuan, the most skilled in martial arts, had already suppressed all his qi. He pressed against the wall, listening—no trace of life inside. He frowned silently and signaled.

Lu Qian also sensed nothing. After brief hesitation, he risked ambush by quietly opening the window and glancing inside.

The room held no lamps. On the bed lay the Heavenly Gang Mace—Xie Jinhuan’s weapon—but the man himself was gone.

Han Jingchuan, fearing exposure, slipped into the room first, leaning against the wall to scan it carefully:

“No one inside. Are you certain Xie Jinhuan sleeps here?”

Lu Qian was equally puzzled:

“He was resting here. His weapon’s still in the room. Could he have gone to the privy?”

A masked subordinate frowned and shook his head:

“The door’s bolted. He left through the window. He didn’t take his weapon—he’s trying to leave no trace.”

“...”

The other three fell silent.

After all, they’d come to strike first. They carried no official blades, wore no uniforms—only weapons bought on the spot.

Han Jingchuan hesitated a moment, then his brow darkened with fury:

“That cunning brat—he’s come to kill me…”

Lu Qian hadn’t expected Xie Jinhuan to be so ruthless—seizing any chance without hesitation. He asked:

“What now? If we retreat, Xie Jinhuan will realize Master Han is gone…”

Han Jingchuan gripped his saber, weighed his options, perfectly restored the window, confirmed no trace remained, then whispered:

“He’ll come and go quickly. When he finds I’m not in the room, he’ll return at once. He’ll enter this room unarmed and unguarded—we’ll catch him off guard then…”

Lu Qian agreed this was viable and warned: “This brat has uncanny perception. Use the Turtle Breathing Technique to mask your qi. Don’t let him sense you early.”

The Turtle Breathing Technique was a martial art used by Chi Lin Guards and the Imperial Astronomical Bureau for ambushes—halting all qi flow, reducing pulse to near nothing. As long as you didn’t move, you were indistinguishable from a corpse.

The three obeyed, immediately entering Turtle Breathing, silently monitoring all movement inside and out…

——

Meanwhile, Changle Street.

On the second floor of a large inn.

Xie Jinhuan stood alone in the room, holding the octagonal hammer, staring at the four red Chi Lin Guard robes on the bed and the official blade on the table, his eyes blank.

Where’s my huge Han Jingchuan?

Chi Lin Guards were patrolling entertainment venues. Finding the commander’s resting place was easy.

Seeing Han Jingchuan alone returning to his room, with lax guards, Xie Jinhuan thought heaven itself had aided him.

But he hadn’t expected that, after slipping past the guards and entering the room, he’d find only four robes.

Changing into uniforms meant they’d gone out in civilian dress…

At the third watch, four Chi Lin Guards sneaking out—no way they were doing good deeds…

Could they be coming for me…

The golden pavilion is just two streets away. My movements were loud. Han Jingchuan must know my whereabouts. There’s a real chance…

At this thought, Xie Jinhuan’s heart turned cold.

He’d only arrived in the capital last night. Han Jingchuan moved to kill him today—what a ruthless heart!

A man this decisive must be eliminated immediately…

Xie Jinhuan, fearing exposure, had to retreat immediately. Han Jingchuan didn’t. Waiting here for him was useless—and too risky.

Xie Jinhuan held the octagonal hammer, thought for a moment, then searched the guard robes for valuables, carefully storing them to avoid loss.

Unfortunately, these four Chi Lin Guards carried little silver on duty.

After gathering the loot, Xie Jinhuan slipped out of the inn, avoided the Chi Lin Guards’ patrols, and crept again toward the golden pavilion.

To avoid running face-to-face with Han Jingchuan’s group returning, Xie Jinhuan moved with extreme caution, even pulling out the Huang Lin Seal as a mini-map to detect traces of nearby experts.

And surprisingly, when he was half a li from the pavilion, he suddenly spotted a dark glow—moving steadily a hundred zhang to his left.

The glow was deep. Comparing it to the Ice Scale Armor’s glow, the bearer likely held a second- or third-grade magic treasure.

A treasure below one’s own grade was useless; too high was nearly impossible to seize. Usually, one sought a treasure one or two grades above one’s cultivation. So this man’s strength was likely around third or fourth grade—matching Han Jingchuan’s.

But where were the other three…

Could they be carrying nothing valuable, just like him—barely holding a crude hammer…

Xie Jinhuan frowned inwardly. With no idea where the others lurked, he kept sufficient distance and relied on his eyes to search.

As he advanced to an open area, he indeed spotted a faint shadow moving through the rooftops toward the golden pavilion.

The figure first observed the main hall’s window, then climbed to the second floor, sliding along the windowsill…

Seeing this, Xie Jinhuan knew the man was here to kill him. With no idea where the other three were hidden, he dared not rush in for a backstab. He moved step by step, relying on his senses…

(End of Chapter)