Chapter 23:
Moonlit Frost
IN THE EVENING, Shen Jue returned from a trip outside. It was the tail end of early spring, and a lingering chill clung to him as he stepped in, his expression sharp and cold. He glanced over and saw Xiahou Lian lounging on the bed, flipping through a saber manual. Hearing him enter, Xiahou Lian looked up. His face nearly stopped Shen Jue in his tracks.
Xiahou Lian had already disguised himself as Sixi; at first glance, Shen Jue almost thought that Sixi had come back to life. Sixi’s face was cruel, with eyes as narrow as slits and pale cheeks stretched over high cheekbones. Just looking at him filled one with antipathy. Xiahou Lian’s disguise was incredibly true to life, though it lacked the original Sixi’s lecherous air. Shen Jue reached out and touched his cheekbone. It was soft and oily, as if made of some kind of wax. He pressed harder, his fingertip leaving an imprint on Xiahou Lian’s cheek.
Xiahou Lian tilted his head to avoid Shen Jue’s touch. “Stop poking at it,” he said, exasperated. “If you ruin it, I’ll have to make a new one.”
Shen Jue pulled up a stool to sit beside Xiahou Lian and check his wounds. They were healing well—no signs of infection or fresh bleeding. It seemed the King of Hell wasn’t ready to claim the troublemaker yet.
After straightening his sleeves, Shen Jue asked casually, “Are you working for Wei De, Xiahou Lian? Is Wei De the boss you once mentioned?”
“What? I’ve never met Wei De. But the abbot—our boss—well, I know exactly what kind of guy he is. He definitely doesn’t look like a eunuch.”
“Oh? And what should a eunuch look like?” Shen Jue raised his eyes. “Do I look like a eunuch?”
There was gloom deep in Shen Jue’s gaze. He’d always been sensitive, and Xiahou Lian realized immediately that he’d said the wrong thing. He wasn’t sure what answer Shen Jue wanted. Saying that he looked like a eunuch would be akin to stabbing him in the heart, but saying he didn’t... Well, he really was one.
As Xiahou Lian hesitated, Shen Jue suddenly decided further discussion would be pointless and changed the subject. “Maybe your boss and Wei De have formed some alliance.”
Xiahou Lian shook his head. “That’s not likely. Qiye Garden has been around for centuries. How old is Wei De? How long can he last? Grievances and blood debts abound in the jianghu, and just a few jobs from there will support the whole mountain. Qiye Garden doesn’t need to endure fire and water for him. As for an alliance, that isn’t likely either. The Garden’s concern has always been money. Besides, the most important thing in my line of work is to stay hidden. We assassins are strictly forbidden from forming connections with people outside the mountain. Someone could follow an assassin’s trail otherwise, or set a trap. It’d just bring unnecessary trouble.”
Hearing that, Shen Jue was a bit displeased. After all, according to that logic, wasn’t he Xiahou Lian’s weakness? “I’m not that stupid. As long as you behave, I won’t let anyone find a trace of you, let alone follow your trail.”
As he spoke, he noticed Xiahou Lian’s lips were dry, so he poured a cup of tea and handed it to the other boy. Only after doing so did he realize that he was becoming more and more adept at serving Xiahou Lian. Taking the cup back quickly, he pretended to take a sip himself.
Xiahou Lian assumed that Shen Jue had simply wanted him to hold the tea, so he waited obediently for Shen Jue to finish drinking before taking the cup again. From Shen Jue’s tone, it seemed as though he still didn’t intend to let Xiahou Lian go. Well, that was fine. He needed to stay long enough to recover from his injuries anyway. He could bring it up again later.
“By the way, why did you suddenly ask whether the Garden was serving Wei De? Did you hear something about us?”
Shen Jue glanced at him. “Last night, Imperial Noble Consort Ma was assassinated. Her child was not yet born, and both she and the baby died in Chenqian Palace. You didn’t know?”
Xiahou Lian shook his head like a rattle drum.
“Imperial Noble Consort Ma often criticized Wei De,” Shen Jue continued. “She tried to sway the emperor in private, urging him to distance himself from the eunuch. Wei De tried everything to win back the emperor’s favor, but Imperial Noble Consort Ma was pregnant—and in the palace, those with child by the emperor have all the power. Especially since he has so few heirs. Even Wei De found himself powerless.”
“So the target was Imperial Noble Consort Ma. Two lives lost—what a damn tragedy,” Xiahou Lian sighed. “We’re told not to ask questions, just to kill without compunctions. My mission was only to find an old palace map in the library. I didn’t know they were going to assassinate Imperial Noble Consort Ma.”
Shen Jue’s expression was complicated. “When I went to steal medicine for you, I overheard some assassins talking outside the imperial physicians’ office. They didn’t sound like they cared whether you lived or died.” Shen Jue’s brow creased. Xiahou Lian’s mission hadn’t been as difficult as assassinating Imperial Noble Consort Ma; still, it had required him to infiltrate the palace. Why hadn’t the other assassins provided him any support?
Did the so-called Garden really care about Xiahou Lian’s survival?
Xiahou Lian smiled bitterly. “That’s just how it is. I’m used to it. I’m not that skilled with a saber, and I mess up a lot on missions. I’m used to people looking down on me. In Qiye Garden, the only thing that matters is the sharpness of your blade. If you can’t win against the others, you keep your head down like a quail. If my mother weren’t the sharpest blade of all, I’d already have been bullied to death.” Partway through his explanation, Xiahou Lian suddenly realized something. His expression shifted. “Wait—you said ‘some assassins.’ Was more than one involved in Imperial Noble Consort Ma’s death?”
“Yes. Four died in Chenqian Palace, and others escaped.” Shen Jue pictured the Garuda but still kept her presence to himself. He knew exactly what kind of person he was: He was selfish to the core. If it took lying or manipulation to keep Xiahou Lian at his side, Shen Jue wouldn’t bat an eye.