Morning sunlight filtered through the alleys as Lin Xi walked along the cobbled streets, weaving through rows of wooden stalls. The noise of haggling traders mixed with the laughter of children chasing one another. Though not the capital’s main market, this place was a vital source for one thing: information.
Dressed in a pale grey cloak with a light scarf draped to conceal most of her face, Lin Xi moved slowly through the crowd. Beside her, A Qiao followed closely, eyes scanning their surroundings with caution.
“This market’s livelier than usual,” A Qiao murmured under her breath.
Lin Xi didn’t respond. Her eyes combed the crowd—every face, every snippet of conversation between merchants. She was searching—for a thread, a hint—anything about the Pei family. Especially Pei Heng, whose death remained a tangled knot at the heart of Lianhua’s mysterious past.
They stopped at a butcher’s stall. The owner, a burly middle-aged man wearing a stained apron, was chopping meat with a heavy cleaver. Lin Xi asked softly, as if merely interested in a cut of pork—about the Pei family. The butcher’s eyes sharpened, and his hands stilled for just a moment.
“Did you say… Pei Heng?” he asked in a barely audible voice.
Lin Xi answered calmly, “I heard… his family used to trade in this district. But now, there’s no trace of them.”
The man went silent, glancing left and right. Then he lowered his voice.
“You’re not ordinary. That much is clear from how you walk and talk. If you’re really looking for them… be warned—those who speak of the Pei family rarely show up the next day.”
A Qiao’s grip on Lin Xi’s sleeve tightened, but Lin Xi remained composed.
“And?”
The butcher resumed chopping, then slipped a small note into the wrapped meat parcel and handed it to her.
“This evening. Back alley of Huaishi Lane, just behind the red wall. Knock three times, pause, then knock twice. But be careful… that place isn’t meant for faces as clean as yours.”
Lin Xi’s eyes stilled. She gave a slight nod and took the package like any other customer. With A Qiao in tow, she slipped away from the crowd, their footsteps melting into the growing haze of dusk.
“Black market?” A Qiao asked in disbelief, met with her mistress’ silent nod.
“If the Pei family truly was erased by Su Wanrong… then the truth won’t be found where the law still holds sway,” Lin Xi replied.
“Let’s return first. We’ll need to prepare thoroughly for tonight.”
---
Night fell by the time Lin Xi arrived at the end of Huaishi Lane. The red brick wall stood quiet, moss-covered and cloaked in shadow. The scent of cheap tobacco and burning charcoal wafted through the air. She had disguised herself completely—dressed in black, hood pulled low over her face—hiding every detail, even the glint in her eyes.
She knocked three times. Paused. Then knocked twice more.
A moment of silence, then the wooden door creaked open slightly, revealing a pair of suspicious eyes.
“Who are you?” a raspy voice asked.
“A buyer with the code,” Lin Xi replied coolly.
The door opened wider. A slender man in black robes motioned her in. The air inside reeked of dust, mold, and strong spices. Dim oil lamps lit narrow corridors lined with shady stalls—selling contraband: stolen documents, illegal elixirs, deadly weapons.
Lin Xi was taken to a curtained booth in the corner, where an old man sat draped in tattered velvet robes. His hair was white, his slitted eyes sharp. He squinted when he saw Lin Xi.
“You’re no ordinary merchant,” he muttered.
“I came to buy information.” Lin Xi sat without hesitation, placing a small silver pouch on the table.
The man weighed it, then asked, “About what?”
“The Pei family. Especially Pei Heng. He supposedly died falling from a cliff with a young noblewoman three years ago. Not long after, his entire family vanished. I want to know who ordered it.”
The old man leaned in, voice low. “You’re treading poisonous ground, girl. Many have died just whispering that name.”
“I’m not afraid of death,” Lin Xi replied, her tone cold. “What I fear is letting the truth rot with the silenced.”
He paused. Then opened a drawer and pulled out a faded scroll, partially unrolling it to show records tied to the Pei family.
“There’s a shipping letter sent anonymously. According to it, the Pei family is alive—hiding in Xihua, a remote hamlet near Baihe Village in the western frontier. Someone powerful tried to wipe them out.”
Lin Xi’s gaze sharpened. “Who carried out the order?”
“No name. But the messenger was described as a richly dressed noblewoman. Her name was never mentioned.”
Lin Xi closed her eyes briefly. Her hands clenched slightly on her lap.
“Can you copy the letter for me?”
“For the right price,” he replied. “But be warned—if you carry this out and it’s exposed, heads will roll—including yours.”
She placed a second pouch on the table—twice the weight of the first.
“Then let those who deserve to fall, fall in the right place.”
Xihua...
Her eyes gleamed faintly. She knew that name.
Xihua was a trade route hub regularly passed by Wei merchant caravans. A land rich in spices and rare timber, making it a magnet for traders across the empire. If lucky, she could use that route to slip in informants quickly—and quietly.
Before leaving, Lin Xi made another purchase—one few would dare: a team of elite mercenaries known as Shadowblood Guards. Silent, loyal, and ruthless—they completed deadly missions without a trace.
Her footsteps were light as she left the dark alleys of the black market, alert but swift. Oil lanterns swung overhead, casting long shadows on the damp stone walls.
Just as she turned a corner, her body collided with someone.
A soft gasp escaped both.
Lin Xi quickly reached for her fallen hood, biting back a curse—only to freeze when she looked up and saw him.
A tall man, draped in black, his face partially hidden by a silver half-mask that revealed only his eyes.
A perfect build—battle-hardened. Soldier material, she noted instinctively.
The man paused. His eyes slowly scanned her frame. Masculine appearance—at least that’s what she aimed for. Hair tied high, clothes dusty from the alley’s grime.
But then, suspicion flared in his eyes. A soldier’s reflex. Trained, alert, unblinking.
Lin Xi lowered her gaze quickly, muttering an apology, trying to walk past—but the man grabbed her arm.
She turned, expression composed, though her pupils narrowed slightly.
“Let go,” she growled, her voice roughened to sound deeper.
Their eyes met. His gaze was penetrating—almost peeling her disguise apart.
But he said nothing. Only released her slowly, watching her retreating figure vanish into the shadows.
Not ordinary… who is she really?
As her silhouette disappeared at the far end, the man remained frozen. His fingers clenched slowly.
That wasn’t coincidence. Her reflexes, her movements, her mere presence in the black market tonight—too suspicious.
He looked at his own hand.
Of course he remembered. When their arms collided… he’d felt something that didn’t belong on a man’s frame.
Soft. Too soft.
He turned to the wall, where another slim figure with a short sword at his waist stepped forward and dropped to one knee.
“Follow her. Don’t get too close. Find out who she is, where she came from, and why she’s here.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
Like a shadow, the subordinate darted off into the dark.
The masked man stared up at the cloudy sky.
He didn’t know who she was—if she really was a she—but his instincts screamed that she’d return. And if she was involved in this mess… things were about to get far more complicated than anticipated.
“Interesting…” he murmured, before vanishing once more into the night.