When An Jiubian learned of the tragedy at the small courtyard, he was in the middle of a cordial conversation with Crown Prince Zhou Yin at the county governnt office.
At first, when he heard about the death of the princess and his disciple, he thought it was a joke. But when he arrived at the courtyard and saw the corpses inside the hall, he was stricken as if by lightning, plunging into a numbness of disbelief.
Zhou Yin carefully stepped over the mottled bloodstains on the floor, his hands clasped behind his back, his face expressionless as he scrutinized every detail of the hall.
He walked up to the decapitated Zhou Xiyue, stared intently at the head that still bore an expression of desperation and fear before death and couldn’t help but twist his mouth, "This girl knew fear?"
Then he sighed softly.
If Zhou Xiyue had been willing to set aside her pride and accept the invitation to the county governnt office that evening, she would have avoided this disaster.
One could only say that fate had its own plans.
But perhaps this was for the best; big brother must be very lonely in the underworld, having a sister to keep him company would at least an he wasn’t alone.
"An deserves to die! An deserves to die!"
Kneeling on the ground, An Jiubian pounded his chest, his crying voice filled with endless rage and self-reproach, "An failed to protect Her Highness the Princess, deserving of death! Deserving of countless deaths!"
Zhou Yin spoke to console him, "An, you need not worry about my father the Emperor getting angry; I am partially responsible for this incident as well. I will explain to my father, and he won’t pursue your responsibility."
Hearing the Crown Prince’s words, An Jiubian felt sowhat relieved.
What he feared the most was being held accountable for the princess’s death, resulting in him losing his place in the Yin Yang Sect.
Now that the Crown Prince was willing to protect him, his heart felt sowhat lighter of its heavy burden.
Grateful to the Crown Prince in his heart, An Jiubian’s hatred for the killer of his disciple and the princess reached its peak. He swore with his fingers extended, "Your Highness the Princess, rest assured, I will find the murderer and avenge you! If not, An Jiubian swears not to consider himself a man!"
Zhou Yin picked up Zhou Xiyue’s head and looked at it, asking, "Have you encountered any enemies on the road lately?"
An Jiubian imdiately shook his head, "Your Highness, absolutely not. Along the way, I have been properly dutiful, strictly disciplining my disciple and focusing solely on escorting the princess to the Yin Yang Sect, without——"
As he spoke, An Jiubian suddenly paused, frowning deeply.
"Thought of sothing?"
Zhou Yin placed the little princess’s head back onto her neck, looking up at An Jiubian.
"Previously, Her Highness encountered a young girl and ntioned having a conflict with that girl’s master. The princess wanted revenge and asked my disciple Weng Zhenzhen to help. What exactly they did, I do not know," An Jiubian said.
Zhou Yin asked, "What’s the na of that young girl’s master, did Xi Yue ever ntion it?"
After recalling carefully, An Jiubian said, "She never ntioned a specific na, only that the other party is a Liushan Division Inforr."
A Liushan Division Inforr?
Zhou Yin pondered for a mont, then smiled, "So it’s Jiang Mo."
Although he often paid little heed to this troubleso little sister, he had heard about her conflict with Jiang Shouzhong, especially since Jiang Yi was involved then.
With caution, An Jiubian asked, "Your Highness knows this person?"
"Quite an interesting character. I didn’t expect to find her in Muling County," Zhou Yin replied.
Zhou Yin walked to the body of Weng Zhenzhen, which was embedded in the wall, and said indifferently, "However, by all accounts, Jiang Mo’s cultivation isn’t that high. It would be rather hasty to place her as the murderer."
An Jiubian, unsure of the Crown Prince’s relationship with Jiang Mo, chose his words carefully, "My disciple’s cultivation was that of a Great Profound Sect Master. Judging by her injuries, she clearly suffered from the impact of a fist, implying that the attacker’s realm is at least above that of a Great Profound Sect Master. Whether it is Jiang Mo or not, I will personally investigate and find out."
"All right, try probing tomorrow," said Zhou Yin.
Zhou Yin waved his hand, signaling An Jiubian to leave first.
An Jiubian responded softly, and after respectfully bowing to Zhou Yin, he slowly turned to leave. Before exiting, he couldn’t help but glance again at the corpses in the hall, overwheld with sorrow.
His most carefully trained first disciple, Qing, was dead.
His most promising second disciple, Weng Zhenzhen, was dead.
His newly accepted third disciple, the little princess, was dead.
At this mont, An Jiubian felt an extraordinary weariness. He thought to himself, "Could it be that I, as a master, am cursed as a Star of Calamity?"
After An Jiubian’s figure disappeared outside the door, Zhou Yin was left alone to pace leisurely in the hall, before finally sitting atop Zhou Xiyue’s body, his hands clasped together propping up his chin, lost in thought.
After a long while, Zhou Yin gently raised his hand.
The teacup on the table flew over by itself.
Zhou Yin slowly poured out the teacup, spilling half of the tea on the floor, and said quietly, "Big brother, little sister, let this cup of tea serve as a tribute to you both. In the next life... don’t be born into the imperial family."
——
Upon returning to the inn, Jiang Shouzhong entered his room, only to be surprised to find that Zhang Que’er, who should have been asleep long ago, was sitting in a chair.
In the dim light of the night, the girl swayed her slender legs like a ghostly spirit that walks the night.
"Can’t sleep?"
Upon seeing the girl, Jiang Shouzhong was montarily stunned but didn’t think much of it as he lit the candle on the table.
On the table, the girl’s long sword lay across it.
Zhang Que’er, slling the blood on him, smiled and asked, "So everything’s settled, right?"
"Don’t ask what you shouldn’t," Jiang Shouzhong replied.
Jiang Shouzhong went behind the screen to change out of his bloodstained clothes.
Zhang Que’er crinkled her little button nose in dissatisfaction, "Why do you always treat like a child? You know, so of the young mistresses those rich masters take are not much older than ."
Seeing that he was ignoring her, Zhang Que’er’s delicate fingers lightly played with the sword scabbard on the table and said casually, "Jiang Mo, let’s strike a deal. Let’s not go to Yucheng anymore. From now on, I’ll follow you, be your little sidekick. Whoever you want to kill, I’ll do it for you, how about that?"
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