The image showed a tall, graceful woman dressed in bright red—beautiful yet eerie—standing in the courtyard with a blank gaze.
The vision was blurry, with no sound, and the four of them frowned as they stared at Fang Wuyan in the image.
They watched her take out a white silk ribbon from her bedroom, then slowly bring out a short stool. She tied the silk tightly, stood on the stool, and gazed forward. Her red lips moved as she softly recited a few words, then resolutely kicked the stool away.
After a few moments of violent struggling, her painted face turned crimson, then purple; her eyes bulged, filled with blood, and two lines of tears slid rapidly from the corners of her eyes—falling to the dusty ground like her fading life, unnoticed by anyone.
The image cracked, shattering into fragments of golden light that drifted down into Bai Yuhen’s palm.
A heavy silence followed. It was Cui Mingcan who broke it first.
“It seems Fang Wuyan really did hang herself.”
Cen Ying rested her chin on her hand, thinking. “Then why did our mission say there’s a demon? Aren’t demons and ghosts different things?”
“This is really troublesome…” Cui Mingcan sighed, puzzled. “But did any of you notice—she said something before she died.”
“You can read lips?” Bai Yuhen asked in surprise.
“Of course not,” Cui Mingcan said righteously.
Cen Ying rolled her eyes. “Then why even bring it up?”
Anyone with eyes could tell she had spoken.
“She said ‘Peony.’”
The silent Li Tiankuo suddenly spoke up.
Cui Mingcan’s eyes lit up. “You can read lips!?”
Li Tiankuo ignored him, looking instead at Bai Yuhen. She met his gaze and asked, “Did she say anything else?”
He nodded. “She said, ‘Sister Peony, I’m sorry. I have to break my promise.’”
“Peony?”
“That name again,” Cen Ying murmured. “That old man earlier said Fang Wuyan had only one close friend—this Peony—and people only learned about her after she tried to smash her head on the coffin that day.”
“It seems Peony must know the real cause of Fang Wuyan’s death,” Bai Yuhen said. “Where did that old man say Peony worked again?”
“I remember!” Cui Mingcan snapped his fingers. “Yichun House.”
Yichun House.
The four of them stood hesitantly in a corner across from the famous brothel.
“Heh, didn’t someone say he didn’t want to work with us? Why’s he here now?” Cui Mingcan said sarcastically, still nursing his grudge against Li Tiankuo’s earlier words.
But Li Tiankuo didn’t even look at him, let alone reply.
“…”
Cui Mingcan felt like he’d punched a pillow and decided to ignore him altogether.
“Are we really going in dressed like this?” Cen Ying looked down at her neatly pressed men’s attire, doubtful.
“You don’t get it,” Bai Yuhen explained. “When we go out on missions, we have to adapt to the place and time. Yichun House is a place for men seeking pleasure—no decent woman would walk in openly. So, disguising ourselves as men is the best choice.”
“Well said!” Cui Mingcan slung an arm over Bai Yuhen’s shoulder, nodding approvingly. “Cen Xiaoying, you’re way too stiff!”
Cen Ying shot him a glare, touching her fake mustache awkwardly. “Then why do I have to wear this ugly thing?”
Bai Yuhen found her adorable like that. She pressed the mustache more firmly onto Cen Ying’s face and smiled. “Because you’re too pretty. Anyone would recognize you as a woman right away. How about this—I’ll use a little illusion spell to alter your looks.”
“Really? Yay!” Cen Ying’s eyes sparkled.
“I want one too!” Cui Mingcan piped up immediately. “Can you make me look even more handsome?”
Bai Yuhen snorted. “I can—but I won’t.”
“Why not!?”
“Because even magic can’t fix that face,” Cen Ying teased.
“Impossible! I’m the very picture of charm and elegance!” Cui Mingcan puffed up his chest.
Bai Yuhen stifled a laugh. “Maybe I’ll teach you if you perform well later.”
“Hehe, I knew you were the best, Yuhen. Cen Xiaoying, you’re just venomous!”
“Alright, enough bickering,” Bai Yuhen interrupted before another fight broke out. “Let’s focus.”
Li Tiankuo, silent as ever, held his sword and strode straight in.
The moment they entered, a group of soft, fragrant, giggling women surrounded them.
“Oh~ first time here, my lords?”
“Shall we share a drink?”
“My lord, would you like me to keep you company?”
“You’re so handsome, my lord~”
“Wow, what a fine sword you carry!”
“So gallant—may I touch it?”
The four of them were instantly overwhelmed by the noise and attention.
When one of the women reached toward his sword, Li Tiankuo’s sharp eyes flashed coldly. Swish! His blade left its sheath, glinting under the light.
“Ahhhh!!”
“He’s going to kill someone!”
The women screamed, terrified by his deadly aura.
“Ladies, please don’t be frightened…” Bai Yuhen quickly soothed them, signaling Li Tiankuo to sheath his sword. “Our brother here looks fierce, but he means no harm.”
“Then tell him to put that thing away!” a girl in purple snapped, still trembling. “Who brings a sword to a brothel!?”
Bai Yuhen shot Li Tiankuo a look, then took out some silver. “A small token—for your troubles and a drink on us. Please don’t take offense.”
“Well now, you’re quite the gentleman,” the purple-clad girl said, eyes gleaming. She leaned closer, her voice coy. “Would you like me to drink with you, my lord?”
Her sultry eyes glimmered as she pressed against Bai Yuhen’s arm.
“…” Bai Yuhen, usually composed, looked momentarily flustered. But only for a second—then she slipped an arm around the woman’s waist and teased, “How could I refuse such a beautiful lady?”
“My lord, you’ve such a sweet tongue~”
With a laugh, Bai Yuhen led her away, motioning subtly for the others to act.
“It’s noisy out here. Let’s find a quieter place, shall we?”
“Mhm~”
Cen Ying left with a girl in green, while Cui Mingcan followed with one in pink. Li Tiankuo’s cold stare sent the rest scattering—they didn’t dare even meet his eyes.
He sighed silently and followed after the others.
Each of them entered a private room.
As the door shut, the girl in purple giggled. “Do both lords want me to serve you?”
Seeing Li Tiankuo follow her in, Bai Yuhen said, “Just pretend he isn’t here.”
The girl smirked knowingly, thinking they simply had unusual tastes.
“Come now, my lord~” she cooed, pouring wine for Bai Yuhen.
“Sister, I want to ask you about someone.”
She smiled sweetly. “Ask anything, my lord. I’ll tell you whatever I know.”
“We came from the capital on a sightseeing trip and heard in Furong Town that Yichun House has four famous beauties, each lovelier than the last. But they say Peony surpasses them all—even the most beautiful lady in the capital can’t compare.”
The purple girl secretly rolled her eyes. “Ah, so you came here for Peony.”
“Now, that’s not fair,” Bai Yuhen said with a grin. “In my eyes, you’re far more beautiful—especially those eyes, full of tender affection. I noticed you the moment I came in.”
“Oh, stop~ You flatter me, my lord.” She giggled, clearly pleased—her eyes were her pride, famous for their ability to enchant men with a single glance.
“If you already have me, why bother with Peony?” she teased. “You’ve come at the wrong time anyway. She hasn’t taken guests for over half a month. You won’t get to see her.”
“Oh, I’m just curious,” Bai Yuhen replied, coaxing her gently. “Tell me, please.”
“Hehe, since you’re so curious, I’ll tell you. Peony hit her head, ruined her face, and offended Master He. So now our madam’s keeping her locked up!”
Bai Yuhen was silent for a moment before asking, “Do you know where she’s being kept?”
The girl’s eyes darted slyly. “My lord, I could get punished if the madam finds out I told you. I’d be in big trouble.”
Bai Yuhen smiled knowingly, pulling a silver ingot from her purse and setting it on the table. “What about now?”
“…Of course,” the girl said cheerfully, her smile genuine this time as she took the silver.
Half an hour later, the four regrouped in a quiet private room.
After comparing notes, Bai Yuhen finally summarized, “So far, all these deaths in Furong Town seem connected to Fang Wuyan. Our mission is to capture the demon causing the chaos. This demon may be linked to Fang Wuyan’s death, though we don’t yet know its origin.”
Cen Ying continued, “Fang Wuyan’s last words were about her close friend Peony. Peony, in turn, tried to kill herself at Fang Wuyan’s funeral. Their bond was deep. And now Peony’s been locked up since Fang Wuyan’s death. So, she might be the one killing those men—to avenge Fang Wuyan.”
“In that case,” Cui Mingcan said, “the demon could very well be Peony!”
Bai Yuhen frowned. “But we examined the corpses. None of them carried demonic energy.”
“Maybe she’s concealing it,” Cui Mingcan suggested, stroking his chin.
“Let’s go see Peony and find out.”
They slipped past the guards to the room where Peony was supposedly confined.
Bai Yuhen tapped her fingers on the windowsill. A golden serpent slithered out, slipped through the window, and disappeared inside.
A moment later, it returned.
“Peony isn’t in the room.”
“What?”
“Either the girls lied, or they were fed false information by the madam. Or—Peony really is the demon. She could have created an illusion and escaped.” Cen Ying speculated.
“Do any of you remember what that old man said after scaring that young man today? What did the middle-aged man say afterward?” Bai Yuhen suddenly asked.
“…”
The three of them thought hard.
“Friends!” Cui Mingcan’s eyes widened. “That’s right! The old man said all the ones who died were friends who used to hang out together!”
“Drowned, hanged, fell to their deaths…” Bai Yuhen repeated the details.
“If Peony isn’t here, then she must be—”
Their eyes met in realization.
“Oh no!”
Author’s Note: