Chapter 85

“—Why ask how we came by it? The whole Central Plains knows!”

As the words left his mouth, the smile on Yun Shen’s face faltered. As if concerned about eavesdroppers, he finally scanned the other patrons in the inn.

The scattered figures seated at tables in the corners, some who had been craning necks earlier, now swiftly ducked their heads when they saw that Yun Shen looked over. They resumed eating, or pretended to drink their tea. One table even started conversing loudly, voices booming as though afraid not to be heard the moment someone entered—clearly putting on a show.

Yun Shen only cast this light, fleeting glance over the room. Another soft, wry laugh escaped him. He shook his head and gently swirled the tea in his bowl.

Even as he fell quiet, others beat him to expressing disbelief.

“Hold on,” Chen Shu blurted, her mind catching up. “Are you referring to that sword? The one taken by the Valleys of Villains rogues, the one they plundered off a boatman? The one later sent as tribute to—”

“—The slender, blood-veined sword,” He Yu finished coolly. “That’s the version I heard from the Martial Alliance’s Bailiffs.”

“What?” Ying Wei gaped, utterly stupefied. “But… but the whole Central Plains is buzzing about a peerless divine weapon emerging right here in Fangcheng! Precisely why I dragged Xuan Qin along! It’s not just us—I heard rumours of travelers abandoning return journeys to their sects, turning straight around to make haste for Fangcheng!” As if needing to confirm his point, he promptly elbowed Xuan Qin beside him, nudging him to chime in his support.

Xuan Qin, poked in this manner, was in no rush to speak. Instead, she peered across the table, possibly towards either Yun Shen or Chen Shu’s direction. After a moment of silence, her voice soft and gentle, she said, “…A slender sword with blood-patterned embellishments… isn’t that exactly the blade described in Miss Chen’s Bounty Notice? Could it be that Miss Chen’s visit to Fangcheng is also for the sake of this legendary sword?”

“What?” Ying Wei finally snapped back to attention, bellowing with surprise, “So you’re here for the sword too? — Wait, that sword is yours? But didn’t you lose yours? Could it be you’re the one who was robbed… I’m tangling myself up!”

“You’re tangling yourself up!” Chen Shu retorted without courtesy. “It’s perfectly simple—the rumor you heard, after being passed through several mouths from afar, became distorted—the sword stolen by the Valley of Villains must be mine!”

“Can’t be so certain,” He Yu interjected, his tone fair and measured. “The rumor has certainly been distorted upon telling, but it’s impossible to say which telling introduced the error. In principle, if it was a robbery of a boat, it must have been on the Yushui River—that puts it closer to Mengcheng. But if the sword was taken back to the Valley of Villains, judging by your two’s journey, you likely heard the rumor near Fangcheng, correct? This makes things tricky to reconcile.”

“—What’s so tricky? Charge right to their gates, ask the leader what sort of sword they robbed, and isn’t it solved?” Chen Shu inquired.

Silence fell over the group again. Yun Shen gave a few light laughs, the corners of his eyes crinkling. He rested his chin lightly on his hand, looking at Chen Shu. Perhaps because he often smiled, his features, naturally warm and expressive, managed to make even someone as openly forthright as herself feel slightly awkward. She rubbed her ear, protesting, “You tell me I can’t approach just anyone! Yet now we have a lead, and I’m not allowed to… I’m simply anxious in my search for the sword!”

“You are,” Yun Shen shook his head with an undeniable fondness. “But searching requires a method. Charging in recklessly like that—it’s charming to hear about, but truly arriving at that moment, how could you possibly force—coerce those people into peacefully handing it over?”

Chen Shu listened but didn’t quite grasp the nuance. “Well, if he doesn’t force me to coerce him and just offers it willingly, wouldn’t that naturally be even better?”

“Exactly! The food’s here—” The owner had emerged from the kitchen unnoticed, truly holding two steaming plates of food—one meat, one vegetable—clearly freshly cooked.

The aroma soon filled the table, dispelling the lingering chill. Chen Shu’s eyes widened, her mouth watering; her politeness faded to an indistinct mumble of thanks as she reached out, grabbing succulent, sauce-dripping braised meat onto her rice bowl. Without pause, she began eating with focused dedication.

“Zhong Xiao,” observing the scene, seemed very pleased with this table, Chen Shu’s reaction in particular. He rubbed his hands meticulously upon that snow-white ramie cloth tucked at his waist, smiling, “And what a coincidence! You have indeed found the right person. Zhong might not have extraordinary skills, but in this Fangcheng, I do have one or two acquaintances close to the powerful figures of the Valley of Villains. Tales of this famous sword’s hijacking had reached my ears too, and I even shared them with Scholar Yun. If you are willing to believe this Zhong, go ahead and rest and board here at my small establishment. Just leave it to Zhong to investigate the finer details for you—”

“How could we impose? It’s too much trouble,” He Yu exclaimed with earnest concern, his chopsticks yet untouched upon the plate.

“No trouble at all, no trouble at all! Meeting is a rare bond!” “Zhong Xiao” insisted, his smile unwavering. “I only hope you can all truly enjoy exploring Fangcheng—realize that though Fangcheng might seem ordinary at first glance, it is, in fact, a paradise away from the hustle! Far more peaceful than those chaotic towns of the Central Plains!”

He spoke sincerely. In the latter half of his words, his tone became even impassioned and lofty—almost as if… as if he genuinely believed it.

——

Faced with such hospitality they could scarcely refuse, and compounded by the fact that the five of them harbored their own hidden thoughts, not one truly had the nerve to stand and decline the innkeeper. And so, that entire afternoon, the four who came seeking the sword, plus one Yun Shen, exactly followed that “Zhong Xiao’s” arrangements and toured Fangcheng.

This tour proved far livelier than their subdued entry that dawn.

They browsed a bookshop, climbed upon the city walls to witness the sunset cast against the distant mountains, sampled snacks from two or three street stalls “Zhong Xiao” had vouched for; by the time they returned to the inn, the moon was already perched upon the treetops.

Chen Shu had eaten at three stalls back-to-back. She consumed not only her own portion but, through pleading snatches, devoured Yun Shen’s share as well. It seemed the deliciousness filled her mind to the brim, leaving no room to recall that some sword might possibly be in the hands of Valley of Villains minions. She retired to her room immediately upon returning to the inn, eager to settle down and rest.

Xuan Qin and Ying Wei also retired to their respective rooms. Only He Yu and Yun Shen returned. Following an awkward silence, they forced stilted small talk—chatting briefly about Chen Shu’s excitement, then of their own time in Cold Pine Glen—each politely deferring to the other until finally they entered Yun Shen’s room.

Within, it felt as still as if no one had ever occupied it.

Two beds stood properly made. Yun Shen walked straight toward his upon entering, sat upon its edge, and methodically folded his grey outer robe by its side.

He Yu closed the door. Only then did the layer of enforced courtesy slide away. Turning towards Yun Shen, seated upon the bed, he released a low sigh, his voice deliberately hushed in the dense quiet. “Something’s unusual about that shopkeeper.”

In the heavy silence of the night, the murmur of the wind outside the window felt distant. The city lights, filtered through the pasted-over window paper, became hazy, smeared reflections—more distorted, more remote than the lightly falling moonlight. Yun Shen’s profile was halved: one side grazed by that faint light, the other sinking into darkness. For a long moment, the shadow outlined his face like a stark drawing—chiseled angles softened only by ink-like shading. Until his expression, frozen till now, subtly shifted.

A low chuckle escaped his lips, followed immediately by Yun Shen’s signature, gentle voice.

“What does Brother He suspect?”

“It’s not that I harbor baseless malice towards this kind-hearted innkeeper. He treated us to a meal! He is open and generous; that much seems true. But there’s a palpable strangeness about this inn,” He Yu paused, pulled up a stool, and walked over to the window. He lifted the latch, peered out at the almost deserted street below, then carefully lowered the wooden lattice over the pane—securely shutting them out of the dim view. “During the noon meal… did you not notice? Those few customers in the inn… appeared ordinary enough, but each one felt oddly… deliberate. Fangcheng is so chaotic, yet these patrons dining leisurely? Skilled, observably skilled folks, yet each possessed manners so impeccable! Just observing the clientele of this one inn, one would think Fangcheng was a city where valuables remained untouched upon the roadside!

“And then, that Zhong fellow… rugged build, simple features—sure, he looks capable of daily labor. But I examined his ensemble more closely.” He Yu’s voice dropped to a near whisper. “His clothes, immaculately clean and neat? Expected perhaps, but that ramie cloth he used to wipe tables—white as driven snow! Never mind that. His bearing itself—he simply doesn’t move with practiced ease. That man… he doesn’t comport himself like any innkeeper I’ve ever met.”

His final observation echoed in the cramped confines. Yun Shen remained seated on the edge of the bed. With the window sealed shut, the room plunged into absolute dimness for a few heartbeats. Gradually, eyes adjusted to this softened gloom, defining his features once more beneath the newly amplified and colder light filtering through the shutters. His expression seemed suddenly difficult to decipher.

The stool remained cold. Beneath Yun Shen’s warmth for several moments, the bed beneath him was still unnaturally cold. As if carved from winter ice rather than the deep autumn air.

“Something is undeniably off,” Yun Shen eventually conceded, his tone low. “But from my observation, it’s likely this Brother Zhong hails from some considerable family wealth. Possessing the influence to glean news from the Valley of Villains and those Vicious Bandits? That alone speaks to sufficient power to intimidate the usual rabble of petty bullies and minions who roam the streets making trouble. This shopkeeper… probably hides his background deliberately. It’s a sensible precaution, after all—we only met by—” He stopped mid-sentence. The ever-present geniality vanished from his face like lightning snuffed out. His head snapped towards the door. His voice, sharp as broken steel, cut through the quiet—

“—Who?!”

Then, an enduring silence fell.

Indoors, separated by the small table, Yun Shen and He Yu shared a tacit glance. In a city like Fangcheng—crowded with those of all kinds, chaotic and oppressive, just as He Yu had described moments ago—being eavesdropped upon or spied on in a small inn wasn’t so strange.

To deal with such petty thieves, one only needed to drive them away sharply, as Yun Shen had done.

Such people typically had little skill and even less courage, or else they wouldn’t have been reduced to eavesdropping at doorways of passing travelers in such inns. Once called out and stripped of their element of secrecy, nine out of ten of these weaker-willed ones would flee immediately.

Of course, if one was unfortunate enough to encounter someone overcome by malice who barged in, though unlucky, it wouldn’t be utterly unexpected.

But the one tonight carried a distinctly familiar oddness, much like the events that unfolded in the daytime. Aware that their eavesdropping had been discovered, this person didn’t flee or force their way in. Even after Yun Shen’s sharp reprimand—alarming enough to scare off eight-tenths of their courage and make them slip with a sound—they remained strangely stubborn, even clumsy, lingering outside.

Either they naively assumed no one inside would emerge to investigate after the shout, or they were reckless enough to remain unfazed despite being caught.

Night had fallen gently; Fangcheng’s streets weren’t under curfew. The chaotic hawking from the distant markets carried faint echoes of life through the wind, but compared to the crisp crunch of footsteps occasionally stepping on gravel nearby, the sounds seemed vague and elusive.

In this stillness, the silence beyond the door was especially palpable.

He Yu leaped forward in a flash, pressing against the back of the door. Then, before the person outside could react, he forcefully swung it inward.

The corridor was dim, obscuring vision. All that could be seen was a childlike figure stumbling into the room’s brightness from the shadowy darkness. Clearly having been pressed against the door just moments before, they staggered forward two full steps before barely regaining their balance.

It was in that instant, Yun Shen’s stern expression vanished entirely, replaced by helpless surprise.

“What brings you here?” he asked, rising unobtrusively to drape his outer robe over himself.

“…You still ask!” Chen Shu dusted herself off. Seeing Yun Shen inexplicably renewed her confidence. Straightening her back, she acted as if she were the wronged party, sniffed indignantly, and demanded loudly,

“You knew someone was out there! How could you open the door to scare me like that?!”