PC Chapter 24

The sky had completely darkened. The evening drums from Zhuque Gate echoed loudly, signaling that curfew had begun, the palace gates were closed, and pedestrians were barred from the streets.

Outside the examination hall, however, the area was brightly lit. Everyone held lanterns and staves, vigilantly guarding a sweetwater shop in front of the examination hall.

Old Man Tian removed the weather-beaten banner, the calligraphy now blurred but still showing elegant, well-crafted script. He folded the banner neatly and stored it away, wiped down the tables and chairs one by one, and finally took a last look at the pitch-black entrance of the examination hall before shuffling away.

Su Cen watched silently as Old Man Tian completed these tasks, then approached him when he came out. “Can you tell me now? Who is that person?”

Old Man Tian pressed his cracked lips together, about to speak, when a gust of wind from the shadows rushed towards them.

In the blink of an eye, two crisp sounds were heard as flashes of fire appeared, and two concealed weapons were intercepted in mid-air.

Qi Lin stood in front of Su Cen with his sword, clearly having been waiting for this moment.

“Ling’er!” Su Cen called out towards the shadows.

A figure leaped gracefully into the air and landed steadily in front of the retreating black-clad figure. Two sharp-edged darts were immediately launched with angles so tricky they were almost impossible to dodge.

Qu Ling’er flashed a smile at the assailant. “When it comes to hidden weapons, I’m the master.”

Qi Lin quickly arrived and blocked the black-clad figurer’s escape routes.

Su Cen smiled slightly. When he had first investigated Wu Deshui, the assassin had appeared immediately. Now that they had captured Old Man Tian, it was only natural that he would not sit idly by.

He had sent Qi Lin to find not only Xiu Niang but also Qu Ling’er, who had been loafing around his house. Although Qu Ling’er was usually of little use, his exceptional lightness of step and skill with hidden weapons made him valuable for observing and tracking enemy positions.

The officers quickly surrounded the black-clad figure. Seeing no way to escape, the assailant attempted to use smoke bombs. Before he could throw them, he felt a sharp pain in his wrists, and the smoke bombs fell to the ground.

“Did you think I was letting you off easy just because I didn’t bring my weapons last time?” Qu Ling’er said, holding two pebbles between his fingers. “Daring to use hidden weapons in front of me?”

The black-clad figure did not waste time arguing with Qu Ling’er. He drew his sword, and with a flash of cold light, charged at him.

Unfortunately, before he reached him, his sword was intercepted. Qi Lin’s sword shone brightly as he blocked and countered, using the momentum of his sword with the force of the northern curved blade.

The black-clad figure staggered back several steps before regaining his balance. But in an instant, the sword light was upon him, Qi Lin moved with the speed of lightning, each strike deadly, driving the black-clad figure back.

Qu Ling’er couldn’t help but shake his head with a smile. Facing such a person with a sword was futile; it was better not to provoke him in the future if possible.

Su Cen looked ahead, where the encirclement was gradually forming, and couldn’t help but sigh in relief. Everyone had gone to attack the man in black, leaving only him and Old Man Tian standing in place. Just as he was about to turn around and bring his people over, he turned and was momentarily stunned.

Old Man Tian’s face was ashen, and he looked at him in terror. The next moment, his body went limp and he collapsed in front of Su Cen.

Only then did Su Cen realize that a short knife had been driven into his back, with blood gushing out and staining most of his back.

How could this happen?!

Su Cen’s pupils contracted sharply. The hidden weapons from before had all been blocked by Qi Lin, and they were all frontal attacks. Where did this knife in his back come from?

The culprit wasn’t alone!

They were hiding among them!

Su Cen quickly crouched down, panicking as he tried to apply pressure to the wound. Blood seeped through his fingers and dripped away, turning everything around him a dark red, like a pitch-black night that refused to dissolve.

Old Man Tian trembled and convulsed on the ground, his hands as withered as twisted branches, clutching at Su Cen’s clothing as if grasping at his last bit of hope.

Su Cen knew it was all in vain and solemnly nodded, “I will find that person and bring justice for Tian Ping.”

Old Man Tian’s hands slowly loosened, his gaze shifting towards the dark doorway of the examination hall, his murky eyes reflecting the distant flames as he smiled faintly.

More than ten years ago, his Ping’er drank sweetwater here, waved goodbye with a smile, and entered that door. Now, he would finally be able to let Ping’er drink the sweet water he had personally made again.

“My Ping’er… My Ping’er is coming out… He’s here to get me…”

Su Cen helplessly let his hand fall, watching as the eyes gradually lost focus, the hot blood on his fingertips slowly turned cold.

A life, right before his eyes, in his arms, was lost just like that. The roaring in his ears overwhelmed everything, twisting and distorting his surroundings.

Only when a cold breath approached did he realize it.

Before Su Cen could turn around, a hand came from behind, covering his mouth and nose, trapping his cry for help in its palm.

Then came a surge of intense fear and suffocation.

He was held by the throat, unable to breathe, his inner screams turned into muffled whimpers that faded away before they could even spread.

Shadows crowded just dozens of yards away, but no one noticed this place. His struggles and cries went unheard. The flickering flames in front of him gradually blurred into a sea of light and shadow.

As voices faded and consciousness blurred, at the moment of collapse, he felt an inexplicable familiarity in the retreating figure.

Su Cen felt as if he had a long dream, strangely without the case he was concerned about, without the culprit, without the corpse, only a lingering sandalwood fragrance and an inexplicable sense of peace and stability.

When Su Cen opened his eyes again, daylight had already filled the room. A person stood by the window, raising an eyebrow at him with a smile, and asked, “You finally decided to wake up, huh?”

“Zheng Yang?” Su Cen frowned. His whole body ached dully. He rubbed his temples, sat up, and looked around, feeling a surge of confusion. “Why am I here?”

This was no other place but where he had set out from the previous morning—the Xingqing Palace of Prince Ning.

“The examination hall is quite close to Xingqing Palace, so Qi Lin brought you over here,” Zheng Yang leaned in with interest. “Come on, tell me what happened with that case? How did the culprit change, and why did they suddenly die so inexplicably?”

“You already know?”

“The case is closed, and the announcement has been made to the world,” Zheng Yang said seriously, looking at him. “Brother Su, my friend, you’ve been asleep for three days.”

“Three days?!” Su Cen sprang up from the bed, his head spinning so much he almost collapsed again. He hurriedly grabbed a nearby pillar for support, his face filled with disbelief. “What day is it today?”

“April 17th,” Zheng Yang said as he stood up and opened the window wider. “But it’s not really your fault. My little uncle was too heavy-handed. With such a strong tranquilizing incense, if I hadn’t woken you up, you could’ve slept for another ten days or so.”

“Tranquilizing incense?” Su Cen was stunned. Indeed, there was still a faint lingering scent of sandalwood in the room, exactly like the one on Li Shi.

Su Cen gritted his teeth. On the first day he came here, he almost drowned in the bathtub because of this scent.

Thinking about it again, it wasn’t a dream after all. Was it really Li Shi who pulled him out of the water that day? Completely naked?

Su Cen’s face flushed. Although it wasn’t like he hadn’t seen him before in the study, at least then he was pressed against a table and not face-to-face. Being caught in such a helpless state like this—how was he supposed to face Li Shi in the future?

Just then, a maid knocked and entered the room, placing several small dishes on the table. Zheng Yang pointed at Su Cen and said, “You’ve been starving for days, right? Hurry and eat. I specially asked the kitchen to make this for you.”

Su Cen slowly moved over. The light porridge and small side dishes suited his appetite. Just as he picked up his chopsticks, Zheng Yang said, “Where are my Eight Treasures Duck, Five Delicacies, Crystal Pork Knuckle, and Embroidered Ball Shellfish?”

The maid froze, almost in tears, and timidly replied, “The prince asked us to send these over.”

“Brother Zheng…” Su Cen frowned helplessly. His stomach was so empty now that hearing Zheng Yang mention those dishes only made it hurt more, killing his appetite.

“Just teasing you,” Zheng Yang chuckled as he sat down. “My little uncle is more thoughtful. You just woke up, and you shouldn’t eat anything too greasy.”

Su Cen smiled at him, took a sip of the porridge, which was at the perfect temperature, fragrant and light. It even seemed to have a hint of sugar, leaving a subtle sweetness on the tongue. Overjoyed, he picked up the bowl and took a few more sips.

Seeing Su Cen enjoying his meal, Zheng Yang took the opportunity to glance around the room and couldn’t help but ask, “Why did my uncle have you stay in this room?”

Su Cen looked up from his bowl, “Hmm?”

“This is Sister Wen Shu’s room.”

Seeing Su Cen’s confused expression, Zheng Yang added, “Oh, it’s also my little aunt’s room.”

“Cough… cough, cough, cough…” Su Cen nearly choked to death on a mouthful of porridge.

“Hey? What’s wrong?” Zheng Yang quickly stepped forward to pat his back. “Don’t get excited. Sister Wen Shu was a very kind person, but she died young. This room just has some of her belongings. She never actually lived here.”

Su Cen coughed so hard it felt like his internal organs had flipped upside down. There were so many rooms in the back courtyard of Xingqing Palace, he couldn’t believe Li Shi had accidentally chosen the Ning Princess Consort’s room for him to stay in!

What was the meaning of this? Was he being treated like a woman? Or was he being taken for someone else?

Su Cen quickly finished the porridge in a few gulps, set the bowl on the table, and stood up to leave.

“Hey, where are you going?” Zheng Yang called out from behind.

Su Cen coldly threw out two words: “Going home.”

 

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