The cold night was dark and somber. A large puddle of rainwater had collected under the window that couldn’t be shut properly, seeping into the cracks of the worn floorboards. Standing in the hall on the ground floor, one could hear the incessant drip-drop of rainwater falling from above, and the air was filled with a faint smell of grass and mud.
The hall was brightly lit. Ji Yuluo rested her chin on one hand, her eyelids drooping, showing a hint of cold, annoyed drowsiness. She toyed with the lid of the teapot in her hand, creating a crisp sound. Opposite her were two men, tied up tightly, trembling all over.
These two men were the inn’s waiter and the innkeeper. Not long ago, they had warmly welcomed guests at the door, enthusiastically refilling water and serving dishes. Now, they were in a pitiful state. The innkeeper cried out, “Miss, no, heroine, please, both of you, have mercy. We didn’t recognize Mount Tai, truly it’s because of the outbreak of the plague, making business hard. We are honest business people! If it weren’t for being at the end of our rope, we wouldn’t have done such a despicable thing. Please show mercy and spare us, uncle and nephew!”
The waiter also nodded repeatedly, thinking how unlucky they were.
Business was already tough, and it was hard to get two customers. One of them looked so pretty, surely she could be sold for a good price. Who would have thought the little girl beside her was so skilled? Before the knockout smoke could even be lit, a knife was already at his neck.
Looking at the leading lady, with her flawless white skin, she seemed to have a good heart, and being a woman, the waiter cried even harder, trying to win her sympathy.
Unfortunately, Ji Yuluo had no sympathy.
The waiter’s noisy crying, mixed with the sound of the rain, made her ears hurt. So, she flung a wooden chopstick out, landing precisely between his legs. The waiter trembled, scared into silence.
It became quiet.
Chaolu rummaged through drawers and cabinets, checking for dangers.
Ji Yuluo leaned against a wooden pillar with her arms crossed, watching Chaolu pull out a piece of candy from a drawer, about to put it in her mouth. Ji Yuluo frowned and said, “Chaolu.”
Chaolu replied with an “Oh,” and reluctantly put it down.
This inn had no proper cook, and they were really hungry.
Just then, the sound of hooves came from outside, faint in the noise of the rain. Ji Yuluo suddenly stopped, alertly turning her head to look outside, extinguishing the candle in an instant.
The inn plunged into darkness.
The hoofbeats stopped, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps.
Next came two clear knocks on the door.
Ji Yuluo opened the door to see a tall figure stepping in. The innkeeper seemed to want to plead but barely made a sound before Ji Yuluo, who had been hiding by the door, swiftly acted, pinning the person against the wall.
In the brief exchange, they looked at each other, their faces illuminated by dim light, and Ji Yuluo paused in surprise.
Meanwhile, Chaolu, in sync, had already placed a knife against the man’s back. “Don’t move!”
The man, attacked from both sides, indeed didn’t move. The innkeeper’s heart sank as he exchanged a look with the waiter, speechless, unsure who the real robbers were. It seemed they had met professionals today.
Huo Xian didn’t move. As soon as they fought, he recognized her. Now, with Ji Yuluo pinning him in front and a knife at his back, he wasn’t worried at all. He simply stared at the person in front of him.
Their eyes met. Perhaps because it was so dark, his eyes seemed deep, like a well in the dead of night, about to draw one in. He wore a straw raincoat, but it was soaked through.
Yesterday, the raindrop that fell from his chin dripped onto the back of her hand.
Ji Yuluo snapped back to reality and said, “Chaolu, put down the knife.”
With that, she also released her grip.
As the candlelight rekindled, the scene in the inn became clear.
Chaolu looked surprised, “Lord Huo?”
As his words fell, a group of people rushed in from outside, all looking like drowned rats just fished out of a soup, in a pitiful state.
Someone hurriedly said, “My lord, madam, she—she—”
Found her?
Ji Yuluo was puzzled. What happened to her?
Judging by the situation, it seemed that the Jinyiwei had a mission. She asked, “Do you have a task tonight? Passing through here and need to stay?”
Huo Xian had already taken off his rain-soaked straw raincoat, shaking off water everywhere, and glanced around, “Yes, what’s the situation?”
The Jinyiwei at the door looked at each other, thinking, what situation? Searching for someone in the vast capital was like finding a needle in a haystack. They followed the trail to a house in the suburbs, but there was no one, just a pool of blood that seemed fatal. Even the town guards were panicked.
The times were chaotic, and if madam, a young woman, encountered bandits, that pool of blood was most likely hers! The town guards looked grim and dared not slack off, searching in the pouring rain. They only found a male corpse and eventually located this inn.
But now, it seemed madam was fine; someone else was in trouble.
Before Ji Yuluo could speak, the innkeeper, seeing the familiar flying fish suits and embroidered spring knives, quickly said, “My lords, save us! These two are kidnappers, plotting murder and robbery!”
The group: “…”
The waiter said nothing, but the air was filled with a foul smell—he had wet his pants. Huo Xian glanced at the puddle at his feet and instructed, “The rain is heavy tonight. We’ll rest here.”
The Jinyiwei agreed, relieved they didn’t have to continue in the rain. Although the inn was dilapidated, there were plenty of rooms, so they each picked one and began looking for food and hot water.
There was food, but it was all raw. Someone went to cook, and Chaolu followed eagerly, watching the fire.
The innkeeper was stunned, realizing they were all together!
Huo Xian asked again, “What’s going on?”
Ji Yuluo pointed her chin at the two people on the ground, “Black inn. These two tried to drug us, but Chaolu stopped them.”
Anyone could see what happened. Huo Xian wasn’t asking about that but, feeling uncomfortable in his wet clothes, headed upstairs, “We’ll talk up there.”
The wooden stairs were old, and even creaked as if they might collapse any moment.
This inn indeed had little business. The vacant rooms were filthy, cobwebs untouched in the door cracks, except for one “superior room” that was cleaned, probably to lure guests.
Seeing it like this, calling it a “superior room” doesn’t seem too far off.
Once inside the room, Huo Xian took off his outer robe and hung it on a wooden rack to dry. Without charcoal, it was uncertain if it would dry by tomorrow.
Using his kerchief, he wiped the inner part of his clothing. His bangs, damp from the rain, stuck to his forehead. “So, tell me, did you kill Zhou Fu?”
Ji Yuluo raised an eyebrow. “As expected of Zhenfu, you find out pretty quickly.”
Huo Xian chuckled. When they found Zhou Fu’s body, he had a rough idea of why she had gone all the way to the outskirts. He responded politely, “Not at all. Compared to Miss Yuluo’s skills, I’m still a bit lacking.”
He referred to Ji Yuluo finding Zhou Fu first and killing him. He asked, “What did Zhou Fu confess?”
Surely, Zhou Fu must have confessed everything for Ji Yuluo to take his life without hesitation.
After being out in the rain, Huo Xian’s lips were pale.
Ji Yuluo didn’t sit down. She leaned against the table’s edge, tilting her head to watch him wipe his clothes. Her gaze settled on his lips, and she inexplicably recalled that half-awake night. She had fallen back asleep and later wondered if it was real or just a dream.
Thinking of this, Ji Yuluo frowned slightly, frustrated by the uncertainty.
This frustration had only appeared for a moment when she was awake, but now it seemed to be magnified.
Huo Xian, waiting for a response, glanced up after wiping his chest and saw Ji Yuluo staring at him with a cold, indifferent look, like the wind on a rainy night—casual yet somewhat fierce.
Understanding, he nodded, tossed the kerchief aside, and leaned back in his chair. “Miss Yuluo, aren’t people from the martial world known for their sense of honor? We agreed to investigate this together. You finished the job, killed him, and planned to keep it secret?”
Ji Yuluo hadn’t intended to hide it, but his words made her snort coldly. “So what if I did?”
She paused, then asked, “What case are you working on? Lost money again?”
Indeed, Ji Yuluo asked sincerely, but given that the last treasury incident was mostly the work of Cuixue Tower, her question seemed a bit like rubbing salt in the wound.
Huo Xian was almost amused by her. Crossing his arms over his chest, he said, “Searching for missing persons—does that count as a task?”
“Who went missing—”
Ji Yuluo suddenly realized, “You’re looking for me?”
Huo Xian didn’t answer, giving her a look to let her figure it out. Ji Yuluo digested this and said, “What, you thought I ran away and planned to capture me?”
Huo Xian was silent for a moment, then said, “I thought you were dead and planned to collect your body.”
“…”
They looked at each other, speechless.
After a long while, Ji Yuluo averted her gaze and said, “Rest assured, Cuixue Tower never does unprofitable business. You’ve only paid half the deposit; I’m still waiting for the other half. Besides, you haven’t fulfilled your promise yet.”
Huo Xian snorted, his tone not entirely pleasant. “That’s for the best.”
With a bang, the already unstable window collapsed halfway. Wind and rain poured in, hitting Ji Yuluo in the face. She stepped forward to close the window, but it was too late.
This broken window won’t last the night; the room might flood.
Annoyed, Ji Yuluo yanked the unstable wooden window inward with a “bang.” The window, damaged by external forces, collapsed completely with a faint crack.
When misfortune strikes, it pours—caught in a rainstorm outside, seeking refuge in a black inn, and the inn itself is in disrepair, without even a window to keep out the wind and rain.
Ji Yuluo remained silent for a moment and said, “Let’s change rooms.”
Huo Xian said nothing. He took his rain-soaked outer robe and tied it tightly to the window frame. The wind puffed it into a half-spherical shape, but it barely managed to block the rain.
Standing right in front of her, he said, “Let’s talk about Zhou Fu.”
Huo Xian, with his tall and robust physique, was well-suited for military life. When he stood in front of someone, his shadow could engulf them entirely, exuding an oppressive presence.
Ji Yuluo disliked this face-to-face stance, which required her to look up, making her feel at a disadvantage.
She lifted her chin, her eyes cold and challenging. “I told you, Cuixue Tower never does unprofitable business. Give me something in exchange.”
Since entering the inn, Huo Xian had noticed Ji Yuluo’s foul mood. Usually cold, she wouldn’t be this hostile unless it involved Zhao Yong.
He looked down at her for a long time before nodding. “Alright, information for information. What do you want to know?”
There was so much she wanted to know.
She wanted to ask if Xie Qiao was really Lou Panshun, if Huo Xian knew about it, if the “Iron Horse Glacier” painting was authentic, and where the other painting was.
If Xie Subai was the young prince, what would become of Cuixue Tower once he avenged his great enmity and ascended the throne?
Ji Yuluo felt a pang of confusion and helplessness, like after the Qiao family’s massacre when she and Qiao Xun hid for two days with no sense of belonging.
She stared at Huo Xian, her eyes growing darker like the night. Suddenly, she grabbed his collar and pulled him down with force, standing on tiptoe to reach his height.
Her lips met his, her warmth touching his coldness.
It was like two extremes colliding, pushing them into an abyss.
She bit down hard, mercilessly, venting her anger.
Huo Xian frowned, enduring the pain. Blood dripped from his chin. It was a long time—long enough for his lips to go numb—before the pressure eased. Ji Yuluo released his collar and stepped back.
Both of them were panting.
Huo Xian wiped the blood from his mouth with his hand, looking at her. “Is this supposed to be the price for the information?”
Ji Yuluo didn’t respond. She licked the blood from her lips, frowning as if she didn’t quite like the taste.
Above, she heard a laugh with an unclear meaning. “This price seems unfair. You know, no one dares to do business with the Jinyiwei.”
“If they do, they must be prepared for a total loss.”
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