Volume 1, Chapter 6: The Young Master in Black

In the dark chamber of the Music Pavilion, a man of about fifty, dressed in purple brocade, hung suspended from a cross. His legs were bound tightly, and his head slumped low, as if he had already lost consciousness.

Chu Yue walked toward him, carrying a basin of water.

*Splash!*

A basin of cold water poured over his head, jolting him awake. He opened his eyes, water streaming from his hair down his face. In one eye, the faint flickering of a candle was reflected; the other was filled with deathly stillness.

*Drip, drip...*

Only the sound of water falling to the floor remained in the room.

Xu Fu suddenly realized that his hands and feet were immobilized, and he began to struggle violently.

Chu Yue glanced at him sideways and said coldly, "Our master has questions for you!"

"Xu Fu."

From beneath a mask, the man’s cold voice drifted into Xu Fu’s ears. His body shuddered, and he stopped struggling. Chu Yue stepped aside, allowing Xu Fu to see the man standing behind him. The man wore a mask with black fangs and was clad in black and gold brocade patterned with snakes.

"Young Master Xuanyi?"

Xu Fu stared intently, his face turning pale with terror. He had changed his name many years ago; how could he know...

"Is someone trying to buy my life? Whatever they are paying you, I can give you double! No, triple, or even more!" Xu Fu began to tremble.

The man behind the mask spoke again, his voice eerie. "What a pity. The one who wants your life is me. Steward Xu, your life is truly priceless now; I fear you cannot save yourself."

The man scoffed, raised his hand, and removed his mask. His sharp-featured face gradually became clear in the dim candlelight.

Xu Fu, bound to the cross, was stunned. The face before him slowly merged with the image of the child he remembered running around the mansion all those years ago.

"You... young master—"

"So many years have passed, and yet Steward Xu still remembers me. You have truly gone to great lengths." The man placed his mask on a table crowded with torture implements, a faint smile lingering on his lips.

"Young master, I—I know nothing..." Xu Fu’s eyes darted with panic, and as the man approached, his body shook even more violently.

"I haven't even asked yet, so how does Steward Xu know what I wish to ask?"

"Young master, the Marquis and the Madam's carriage falling off the cliff was indeed an accident. I—I only escaped by luck. I was just too afraid of being punished, so I hid. It really had nothing to do with me."

"An accident—" Shen Qingli suddenly raised his voice, his eyes flashing with fury. His lips were pressed shut, and his breathing became ragged.

"Back then, I accompanied my grandfather to search for them at the cliff. The shattered carriage was scattered everywhere, but the wheel hubs had clearly been tampered with. Did you think that because I was young, I wouldn't understand anything?"

"Young master, the local authorities thoroughly investigated the Marquis's carriage accident. It really was an accident. The case has been closed for so many years; why do you still refuse to believe it?" Xu Fu was terrified, his voice trembling.

"My grandfather may accept that verdict, but I do not. I have searched for you for so many years; if this is all you have to say, then today you are on a path to certain death."

Shen Qingli drew a dagger from his waist, held it toward Xu Fu's eyes, and pulled his lips into a sinister smile. "Steward Xu, if you were to lose this eye as well, how long do you think you would remember your grandson's face before you forgot it?"

The man's words carried a double meaning. A chill surged from the soles of Xu Fu's feet to the top of his head, breaking him into a cold sweat.

"Young master, Yuyu is the only heir to the Xu family. I beg you, do not touch him. I will speak, I will tell you everything I know..." Xu Fu swallowed hard, his voice trembling.

"Ten years ago, when the Marquis and Madam were returning to the old estate to visit family, the carriage was startled near the cliff and went out of control. The horses separated from the carriage, the wheel hubs suddenly detached, and the carriage plummeted to the bottom. I—I only realized the wheel hubs had been tampered with after I narrowly escaped death."

"You lie!" the man roared. In an instant, the dagger slashed across Xu Fu’s face.

"Agh!"

A long, bloody gash remained on Xu Fu’s face. Fresh blood began to trickle slowly along the wound, stretching down to his chin before gathering and dripping onto the floor.

"The Marquis of Ding'an's carriage is meticulously inspected before every departure. How could you only realize there was a problem afterward? I see that Steward Xu has grown accustomed to living in the shadows—perhaps you don't want this eye either."

The blood-stained dagger pressed beneath Xu Fu’s eye, leaving a vivid red mark. Shen Qingli’s eyes turned bloodshot, filled with the aura of slaughter. Xu Fu’s eyelids fluttered in fear, and he dared not even breathe.

"I, I, I..."

The man’s voice suddenly turned gentle, yet his eyes remained as cold as frost. "Steward Xu, think of your grandson. His father died young, and he is only four now. With your ill-gotten wealth, if you die, he won't be able to inherit it, will he?"

Xu Fu’s heart sank, and his clouded eyes dimmed.

"It... it was a man. During the transaction, he wore a black cloth over his face, so I couldn't see his features. I only vaguely caught sight of a tiny wolf-head tattoo on his wrist. He was the one who made me tamper with the wheel hubs." Having said this, Xu Fu’s emotions suddenly flared.

"But he only said he wanted to teach the Marquis a lesson. I really didn't know they would set a trap at the cliff! Young master, please spare me! I truly didn't know things would turn out this way. If I had known it would kill the Marquis and the Madam, I certainly would not have done it."

Half of Shen Qingli’s face was illuminated by candlelight, while the other half remained hidden in darkness. His expression was indifferent, but the back of the hand gripping the dagger was covered in protruding veins.

"Xu Fu, you have been the steward of the Marquis's household since I was born. The household treated you well. You are truly a fool."

Shen Qingli threw the dagger to the ground. The hesitation in his eyes vanished in a flash. He turned his head away and said hollowly, "Kill him."

Chu Yue, standing to the side, understood. He took his blade and walked toward the man on the cross.

"Young master, spare me! Young master, you—"

The pleas behind him were abruptly silenced by the sound of the blade piercing a heart.

After leaving the Music Pavilion, Shen Qingli wandered aimlessly through the streets. The surrounding prosperity and noise seemed out of place with him; nothing could catch his attention.

He had been a mischievous child, often causing trouble and being punished. Every time, the man who had just died would sneak into the ancestral hall to bring him food. Someone who had been so loyal could, for the sake of money, commit such an act of betrayal.

Once, he had caused his family to be destroyed. Today, he had finally dealt with him. He should have felt happy, so why did his heart feel as heavy as if it were being pressed by a massive boulder?

"Young Master Shen."

A pink, youthful figure suddenly skipped in front of him.

Shen Qingli frowned and looked up slightly.

He saw a young woman dressed in a pink *ruqun*, her hands behind her back. She tilted her head, looking at him with a beaming smile, her long hair swaying gently in the air. He looked behind her; no one was following.

"Why are you walking on the street alone?" It was too dangerous.

"Someone was following me earlier, but I found them annoying, so I shook them off." Besides, she was the female lead; nothing would happen to her anyway.

The man stood before her, his mood seemingly low. He didn't speak with his usual gentle and humble demeanor; he just watched her silently.

Qin Xianxian suddenly noticed a smear of bright red on the side of his right hand. Instinctively, she reached out and pulled his hand up. Her warm, soft hand grasped his cold one, her tone full of concern.

"Your hand is bleeding. Are you hurt?"

Only then did Shen Qingli realize that, having just left the Music Pavilion, he had forgotten to clean the bloodstains from his hand. He gently pulled his hand away and said lightly, "It’s not mine. Someone was causing a scene earlier, and I got it on me by accident."

For some reason, Qin Xianxian felt his expression was very sorrowful, as if he had just experienced something unpleasant.

*Heartbroken?*

Out of humanitarian concern, Qin Xianxian patted his shoulder to console him. "Everything in this world is trivial, except for life and death. Why dwell on it?"

As she spoke, she lowered her head to fish a handkerchief out of her sleeve and handed it to him. As she looked up, she noticed the corners of his mouth were slightly higher than before, as if he had just smiled.

The woman handed over a small handkerchief, as pink and delicate as her dress.

"Wipe it off. It’s quite frightening to walk around like that."

"This dirty blood might stain the Second Miss Qin’s handkerchief." Shen Qingli smiled, then suddenly pointed to her waist and said lightly, "How about the Second Miss Qin gives me that one instead? I find it pleasing."

Qin Xianxian looked down at the direction he pointed, her gaze landing on the four plump, embroidered sachets hanging from her waist.

*Why would a grown man like such a girly trinket?*

Though she thought this, she pulled one off and handed it to him readily. The man took it; it was embroidered with a pair of mandarin ducks snuggling together.

The gloom in his heart seemed to clear away a little.

"As a token of thanks, let me escort the Second Miss Qin back to your mansion."