Chapter 31

Dustless Snow

In the grand hall of Huazhao Pavilion, the clinking of cups and the sounds of music and dancing filled the air.

A young, wealthy merchant from another city was spending lavishly, hosting a banquet for the influential figures of the Lidu Prefecture merchant circle, hoping to expand his business there. No one knew his full name, only that his surname was Zhang, and everyone called him “Boss Zhang.”

The young merchant was handsome and charming, with a refined air about him. His gestures and demeanor suggested he was a carefree playboy, spending the wealth of his ancestors, and naturally, people were eager to associate with him, hoping to take advantage of his naivety and swindle him.

As the banquet drew to a close, Zhang Yuehui casually raised his eyes while exchanging drinks and saw a hand extending from behind the bamboo curtain in the back hall. The hand flicked lightly, hitting the knee of the serving boy holding a wine jar. The boy unexpectedly lurched forward, and the jar shattered on the floor, causing a commotion.

Clap, clap—Instead of getting angry, the young master clapped and laughed, saying, “It’s as if the entire room has been cheered up, reward him!”

The serving boy scrambled to his feet, profusely thanking him.

The singer sitting next to Zhang Yuehui was unmistakably Chang Yan. Seeing the situation, she gracefully stood up.

“Master, allow this servant to fetch another pot of wine for you.”

Zhang Yuehui extended his hand but instead pulled Chang Yan into his embrace.

“Since the wine has been spilled, the night has already been enjoyable. The spring night is short, and I shall take my leave now.”

With that, he wrapped his arms around her and headed toward the back rooms.

Chang Yan’s expression changed slightly, but in front of everyone, she couldn’t say much, so she reluctantly followed him.

Once the beaded curtain fell, the sounds of revelry faded away. In the empty corridor, Zhang Yuehui’s expression immediately became clear.

With a flick of his sleeve, a hidden killing intent surfaced.

Chang Yan was no ordinary person; she quickly twisted her body and avoided Zhang Yuehui’s hidden sword in his sleeve.

Zhang Yuehui chuckled. “Oh, such a supple wife, I really can’t bear to strike you.”

Seeing the situation was turning dangerous, Chang Yan immediately reached for the whistle around her neck, intending to signal for help. But before she could even raise her hand, a shadow passed behind her.

A flash of cold light, and a sharp blade sliced across her fair neck.

The next moment, Chang Yan’s eyes widened, and she crumpled to the ground, her words still unspoken, her throat already shattered.

Blood from her carotid artery splattered across Zhang Yuehui’s face.

Zhang Yuehui wiped the blood from his face, frowning. “Next time, try not to make it so bloody when you do your work.”

The shadow swiftly circled around Chang Yan’s body, dragging her corpse behind a flower bed.

“Here you go, Master.”

When the figure emerged again, standing in the lantern light in the corridor, it was revealed to be a face identical to Chang Yan’s.

Staring at this face, Zhang Yuehui smiled. “This human skin mask is indeed seamless. As expected, there’s always value in spending money.”

The imposter Chang Yan said expressionlessly, “If it weren’t for Chang Yan revealing a flaw while helping Xie Zhu at the banquet, we wouldn’t have had such a good opportunity.”

“Go and take care of Xie Liu. Don’t let her notice any flaws. Afterward, stay by Xie Zhu’s side in Chang Yan’s guise to gather information from the Candleholder Division.”

“Understood.”

The imposter turned and left.

Suddenly remembering something, Zhang Yuehui called her back. “The person who rescued Xie Zhu at the city gate today doesn’t seem to be Xie Liu.”

“If it’s not her, then who could it be? Xie Liu should have no other help,” he paused, then added, “I’ll investigate.”

“And, the pawn in Wang Xuewu seems to have gone missing. Find out what happened.”

The imposter Chang Yan appeared confused. “Master, isn’t Young Master Zui Shan already in Wang Xuewu? Why bother investigating further?”

Zhang Yuehui curled his lips into a smile, a low chuckle escaping. “Him—”

But his words abruptly trailed off, and he didn’t continue.

“Go.”

...

After waiting for a while in the room, Xie Sui’an finally saw Chang Yan arrive.

The two of them worked together to move Xie Zhu to the secret chamber. Once everything was in order, Xie Sui’an finally let out a sigh of relief.

She didn’t notice anything unusual about Chang Yan standing before her.

“Chang Yan, have you figured out the background of that merchant, Boss Zhang?”

Any force entering or exiting Lidu Prefecture was under the watch of the Candleholder Division. Boss Zhang’s high-profile arrival had naturally attracted some attention.

It was said that he was a businessman who profited from war, making money from anything and selling anything.

He had influence with both the Qi and Han people, dealing with both the underworld and the law-abiding, though publicly, he didn’t take sides.

“He’s just a businessman, and his stance is still unclear.” Chang Yan relayed the prepared information.

Xie Sui’an nodded thoughtfully. “We must remain cautious. He’s staying at Huazhao Pavilion, and since you’re nearby, Chang Yan, keep an eye on him.”

Chang Yan nodded, casually asking, “Sixth Miss, the person who saved Xie Zhu at the city gate today... it seems it wasn’t you?”

Xie Sui’an hesitated, remembering that Nan Yi had asked her to keep her identity a secret. After a moment of hesitation, she replied, “How could it not be me? You must have seen it wrong, it was too far away.”

Chang Yan smiled without a hint of suspicion. “Maybe. I thought there might have been a problem with the plan.”

“How could there be—” Xie Sui’an quickly covered up her unease. “Chang Yan, I’ll head back to Wang Xuewu now.”

“Sixth Miss, be careful of the spies within the residence.”

Xie Sui’an nodded solemnly. “I’ll find a way to root them out, or else our actions will be restricted.”

From these words, the imposter Chang Yan was certain that the spy in Wang Xuewu had not yet been exposed. However, as for whether the person who rescued Xie Zhu was really Xie Liu, she couldn’t fully trust Xie Liu’s words.

Xie Sui’an and Nan Yi climbed over the wall from the backyard and looked back at the Snowy Valley. Nan Yi had taken this route many times before, but tonight felt different...

As soon as they climbed the high wall, it seemed to trigger some kind of mechanism, and a faint sound of wind chimes echoed.

Soon, the garden was ablaze with flames, and guards from the Qi people were heading their way.

The defenses in Gusha weren’t just on the city walls. He had guessed that someone from the Xie family would be involved in the operation, so they had set up mechanisms around the Xie family’s backyard walls.

By the time Xie Sui’an and Nan Yi landed on the ground, they realized they had triggered the enemy’s defense. Xie Sui’an immediately drew her sword, preparing to face the enemy.

At that moment, a small figure emerged from behind a bush.

“Follow me.” The voice was soft and timid, yet filled with determination.

Xie Sui’an and Nan Yi stared in surprise—it was Qiu Jie’er.

“Qiu Jie’er?” Xie Sui’an was astonished.

“I saw it, at the city wall,” Qiu Jie’er spoke nervously, casting a quick glance at Nan Yi before lowering her head and continuing, “Thank you for saving my father. I’ve been waiting here for you. I know how to avoid the Qi soldiers’ patrols.”

“Qiu Jie’er, take Xiao Liu back. My courtyard is in the opposite direction from yours. I’ll go on my own.”

“No way!”

“We’re already at Snowy Valley, I can manage,” Nan Yi gently pushed Xie Sui’an, “The three of us together will be a bigger target, we need to move quickly!”

After a brief hesitation, Xie Sui’an agreed to Nan Yi’s plan. She was right—splitting up would make it easier to hide.

“Sister-in-law, take the path through the garden, there are more cover there,” Qiu Jie’er said succinctly.

Nan Yi nodded, said her goodbyes, and after they left, she touched her left shoulder, feeling the sticky blood. 

She had been hit by a dart when jumping down from the wall, but she had endured it silently. It wasn’t out of some noble intention, but because she anticipated that if she slowed them down, Xie Sui’an would likely end up in direct confrontation with the Qi soldiers to protect her.

It was too dangerous to fight inside the Snowy Valley—she was willing to bet on her ability to evade them. As long as she could make it back to Zheyue Pavilion, she would be fine.

Covering her wounded shoulder, Nan Yi moved through the garden, using the rock formations, trees, and bushes as cover to avoid several patrols of Qi soldiers.

Just as she was about to peek out from behind a rock, she was suddenly yanked back with great force. Before she could scream, a hand clamped over her mouth.

Nan Yi looked up in shock to see it was Xie Que Shan.

In the dim light from a lantern nearby, Xie Que Shan glanced at the dart in Nan Yi’s shoulder. The wound was still bleeding, and her clothes were soaked in red. Without hesitation, he tore off a piece of her skirt, the sound of fabric tearing loud in the quiet night.

The patrol soldiers were coming closer.

“Hold on,” Xie Que Shan ordered firmly, his hand gripping the dart’s tail.

Nan Yi understood now—he was going to remove the dart right there. She didn’t fully understand his intentions but didn’t dare resist. Biting her lip, she endured the pain. His movements were swift and efficient. After pulling out the dart, he immediately pressed the torn fabric onto her wound to stop the bleeding, but the intense pain still made Nan Yi groan.

Outside the rock formation, the firelight was flickering, and the sound of hurried footsteps was approaching.

“Who’s there?!” The leader of the Qi soldiers held up a torch, poking it into the rocks.

Suddenly, a gust of wind howled, and the torch was extinguished.

The Qi soldier leader was startled, then saw a stone drop to the ground. It must have been the stone that snuffed out the torch. The person who did that had profound inner strength. He looked up toward the rocks, but suddenly a man’s angry voice rang out from the darkness.

“Do you want to watch, too, while I am indulging under the moon?”

The leader froze, then quickly realized who the voice belonged to. Of course, the tearing of fabric and the woman’s groan earlier made sense now. He stepped back, blocking his men, and bowed his head.

“Young Master Que Shan, I... I apologize.”

“Get lost!”

The leader turned and waved his soldiers away, instructing them to leave quickly.

“Go, go, go! You didn’t see or hear anything.”

Xie Que Shan took off his cloak and draped it over Nan Yi, lifting her in his arms and walking out of the rock formation in full view.

The warmth of his body enveloped Nan Yi. The snowflakes of the night fell around them, blowing straight into their eyes. This was the first time Nan Yi saw him from such an angle. He was like the pure snow of December, freezing the proud contours of a young man’s face, his gaze sharp as glaciers. Yet in certain moments, he was like a flame in the heavy snow, warm and bright like fire dancing in a hearth. Though it couldn’t melt the cold of a thousand mountains, it could still warm a person’s hands.