"I'VE NEVER HEARD this name."
After rifling through his memory, Cui Buqu had come up completely empty.
He had reviewed all the martial arts rankings Fan Yun had brought back from Liuli Palace. Cui Buqu had an eidetic memory; if this person's name had appeared on the rankings, he would remember it. Assuming he was truly as exceptional a martial artist as Bing Xian claimed, only two options remained.
"It's possible he's never shown himself in the jianghu," Cui Buqu mused. "Liuli Palace can't record his name and achievements if they've never heard of him."
For instance, Feng Xiao, though a remarkable martial artist, had never participated in swordsmanship contests and rarely crossed paths with other martial experts of the jianghu. If Liuli Palace wished to rank his skill, they could only evaluate the testimony of others who'd faced him in combat. If Feng Xiao's opponents, too, were unknown in the jianghu, it would be impossible to accurately place him.
Regardless, he'd single-handedly defeated a dozen experts during the tavern altercation, including the young leader of the Jinhuan Guild. It was only a matter of time before he carved a space for himself in the martial arts world—not that he put much value on such rankings.
But this wasn't Cui Buqu's concern at the moment.
"There's a second possibility," he continued.
Just as Feng Xiao opened his mouth to speak, Bing Xian interjected: "He might have used an alias."
Feng Xiao was confounded. This woman seemed to be deliberately stealing his lines.
Cui Buqu nodded confirmation. Bing Xian couldn't help smiling. "It seems Cui-langjun and I had the same thought. But there was something else I observed—this man appeared unfamiliar with the rules of the jianghu and even common Han etiquette. It's unlikely he'd adopt a false name. And here's another thing: His martial arts techniques were reminiscent of Hulugu, the great master of the Western Regions."
"Hulugu had several notable disciples in his time," Cui Buqu replied. "Kunye, Duan Wenyang, and Qin Shuanghan. His other disciples never set foot in the Central Plains, nor did they gain any particular fame in the Western Regions. I couldn't tell you their names."
In fact, he wasn't disclosing all he knew. Cui Buqu, too, had received the news that the Göktürks had pledged allegiance to the Sui dynasty, and that the seventh prince Kuhezhen was on his way with a tribute of Göktürk treasures, ready to serve the emperor. What were the odds that a Göktürk prince had arrived within the Central Plains just as an expert mimicking Hulugu's style appeared from the Western Regions? It was too much of a coincidence—there was surely some connection between the two.
News of the Göktürk prince's arrival must have reached Luoyang, but Bing Xian either hadn't connected the dots or was pretending she hadn't. She nodded. "It seems his identity will remain a mystery," she said with a sigh. "If Cui-langjun uncovers any further leads, could I trouble you to send someone to notify the Hehuan Sect?"
Feng Xiao sneered to himself. With Sui replacing Zhou, the Hehuan Sect's influence within the court had dwindled significantly. This woman was making a transparent attempt to latch onto the Zuoyue Bureau in hopes of getting a new foothold. He cleared his throat noisily, reminding Cui Buqu not to be deceived by the weasel.
Cui Buqu pretended not to hear. "Certainly. However, you've always taken the initiative to come to us. Does the Hehuan Sect have a residence in the capital where we may contact you?"
If such a residence existed, it wouldn't be public knowledge. Still, if Cui Buqu wanted to know, the Zuoyue Bureau could find out even if Bing Xian refused to tell him. She was clever enough not to wait for Cui Buqu to press her and promptly confessed the address. "We do, but it's seldom occupied. Our disciples only use it when they have affairs to see to in the capital. You'll find it in Anyi Ward, the last house on the right at the end of the alley."
Her message was clear: The Zuoyue Bureau was welcome to investigate if they wished.
Pleased with her willingness to cooperate, Cui Buqu softened his tone. "I find I get along very well with Bing Xian-guniang, and so many fateful encounters have brought us together. If you're in no hurry, why not share a meal with us here before setting off?"
Feng Xiao was speechless. They'd agreed not to linger here and to head straight to Luoyang. Yet the moment Cui Buqu realized he could extract more information from this woman, he'd changed their plans without consulting anyone.
As if sensing Feng Xiao's displeasure, Cui Buqu turned to him. "If Deputy Chief Feng has urgent matters to attend to, there's no need to wait," he said in tones of great understanding. "Please set off without us."
Feng Xiao's mouth twitched. Was Cui Buqu trying to get rid of him? No chance.
His smile failed to reach his eyes. "I also wish to hear Bing Xian-guniang's account of Songshan's swordsmanship contest. How unfortunate I wasn't able to attend, though my heart yearned to."
Bing Xian frowned. "Thank you for your kindness, Cui-langjun. But there's something more I must tell you both. Just yesterday, as I was leaving Luoyang, I heard there was a massacre at Yandang Mountain Estate. The Lin family of Luoyang had over fifty members, yet they all perished in a single night."
Cui Buqu's gaze sharpened.
Yandang Mountain Estate was inside Luoyang, and their young leader was the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai's Qi-xiansheng, Lin Yong. Back at Mount Tiannan, Lin Yong had been the only high-ranking member they'd captured alive. The seventh director had been brought back to the Zuoyue Bureau, where he had provided a considerable amount of information under interrogation. But Lin Yong was only responsible for the Thirteen Floors' northern trade routes; he wasn't one of Xiao Lü's confidants. He knew very little compared to someone like Fan Yun. Seeing that they wouldn't get anything more out of him, Cui Buqu had detained him at the Zuoyue Bureau, waiting for an opportunity to make use of him.
Now, his first thought was that Xiao Lü had killed the Lin family to silence Lin Yong. But he quickly rejected this notion—as far as he knew, Lin Yong had acted without his father's knowledge. If Xiao Lü wished to use Lin Yong's family to threaten him into silence, he wouldn't have killed them all. Doing so would only push Lin Yong to join his enemies.
But if the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai weren't responsible, who was?
Cui Buqu exchanged a glance with Feng Xiao, then gave a slight shake of his head.
"The massacre has nothing to do with the Hehuan Sect. Why tell us this?" Feng Xiao asked Bing Xian.
"The officials in Luoyang are preparing to seal off the Lin manor. As the swordsmanship contest had just concluded, a few of us were invited to act as witnesses and lend our assistance. The circumstances are extremely strange—as far as we could tell, there was no outside killer. Over fifty people of the estate turned on one another: husbands against wives, masters attacking servants. A few even inflicted dozens of wounds on their own bodies and bled to death. By the time we arrived, not a single survivor remained at Yandang Mountain Estate. There are few martial techniques within the jianghu that can drive men to lose their minds and harm themselves. The demonic sects have one, for instance."
"Demonic Persuasion," Feng Xiao supplied.
"Correct," said Bing Xian. "This technique is known to all members of the three demonic sects. This is partially why I wanted to tell both of you about this matter in advance. The Hehuan Sect has no grievances, old or new, with Yandang Mountain Estate; there's no reason for us to have slaughtered the family."
"Taking the initiative to tell us won't convince us of your innocence." Feng Xiao's smile was all teeth. "Surely you know that, sometimes, the more eager one is to speak, the more suspicious it seems. Earlier you mentioned you were merely passing through, but it's clear you planned this encounter in advance. You waited here knowing we were on our way to Luoyang."
Bing Xian sighed. "I'll be honest. Cui-langjun's investigation into the grain embezzlement in Guangqian caused quite a commotion—everyone in the county heard about it. One of our disciples happened to be nearby, and it only took a few inquiries to discover when you were planning to leave. I suspected you'd both be passing through Luoyang in the next few days. Yes, I was waiting here, but I meant no harm. If Deputy Chief Feng doubts my intentions, I'm happy to return to Luoyang with you to prove my innocence."
There was a moment's pause. "I believe you," said Cui Buqu.
Feng Xiao's expression darkened.
"That is, I believe that you weren't deliberately tracking us," Cui Buqu continued. "But whether you are innocent of the rest is still up for debate."
The furrow between Feng Xiao's brows eased slightly.
Bing Xian rose and straightened her clothes. "Thank you for your understanding; I truly do appreciate it. This case has no connection to the Hehuan Sect; I only wished to clarify any misunderstandings before they occurred. I hope the two gentlemen will uncover the truth and prove our innocence."
Bing Xian was painfully aware that the Hehuan Sect couldn't afford any scandals. If her sect was judged to have committed mass murder, the combined might of the Zuoyue and Jiejian Bureaus could easily crush what little influence they still had in the Northern dynasty. The Hehuan Sect was already facing significant challenges; an accusation like this could very well be the nail in the coffin.
But any further explanations would be in vain; until the truth had been determined, Cui Buqu would make no promises.
At this point, the group could delay no longer. They immediately returned to the road, heading for Luoyang.
Bing Xian rode a little distance behind them, while Deputy Chief Feng stepped into Cui Buqu's carriage yet again. Cui Buqu didn't drive him away—for once, Feng-er's expression was serious. He hadn't come to play around.
"After you detained Lin Yong at the Zuoyue Bureau, I discreetly assigned people to monitor Yandang Mountain Estate. How could something of this magnitude occur while I've been blissfully unaware?"
The Jiejian Bureau's surveillance network was expansive; its reach included even remote border towns like Liugong City, let alone a major metropolis like Luoyang. Even if Feng Xiao had been at the ends of the earth, any such development should have reached him swiftly through specialized channels.
The Zuoyue Bureau couldn't match the Jiejian Bureau when it came to the sheer scale of their operation, but Feng Xiao was certain that Cui Buqu, prudent as he was, had placed similar surveillance on Yandang Mountain Estate. Yet during their journey, neither of them had received so much as a hint of this news.
Their eyes met as a single possibility unfurled in both their minds: It wasn't just the family that had died. Everyone monitoring the estate was dead too.