Chapter 88

Perhaps the frosty moonlight of that night smothered the spectral evils lurking within the unknown shadows, for the conspiracy within that room did not leak out past the window, nor into the clear, bright beams of moonlight bathing the outside.

He Yu’s new room was situated directly above Yun Shen’s.

Chen Shu was presently in He Yu’s room, separated by just the single floor. So profound was the silence that even Xiao Zhong’s deliberately loud “crack!” from below went unheard. In such quiet, even the audible pops of the lamp wick fighting the slight chill of the night seemed pronounced. Holding the lamp high, Chen Shu meticulously inspected every corner of He Yu’s room for him.

Since arriving in Fangcheng, and particularly after their tour of the city, Chen Shu had willingly shouldered the role of “guardian.” After all, it was she who was seeking the sword; the two from Qin Xin Bluff aside, at the very least, He Yu and Yun Shen had come along with her.

Having faced life and death firsthand, she finally grasped how fragile mortals truly were. Thus, even with her usual obliviousness, she felt compelled, in this regard, to strive for absolute thoroughness.

Emerging from Yun Shen’s room, she had naturally found her way next to He Yu’s.

He Yu traveled light, carrying only a small bundle. Moving out of Yun Shen’s quarters had been effortless, and settling into this new one was no different. When Chen Shu insisted on an inspection, the two, without needing detailed discussion, worked together seamlessly to scour every corner of the room.

The longer the group stayed within the city walls, the stranger their impression of this city grew.

The chaotic scenes witnessed upon their initial entry into the city seemed to recede further and further away. Since stepping into this inn, the thugs and bullies on the streets outside had vanished as if overnight, buried beneath a layer of icy winter frost like early snow. Every time they ventured out with the innkeeper, each day that passed, they encountered this city’s inhabitants—whether the usually imperious Vicious Bandits or the rampaging minions—who now treated them with excessive politeness and undue reverence.

As for the common people, already weighed down beneath the oppressive shadow of the city’s high, dark walls, they moved with even greater timidity, almost melting into the cracked, grey stucco façades or vanishing under the eaves of the houses. Unless one looked painstakingly close, they were nearly invisible.

At first, one might have assumed this difference was simply because they had entered the city proper, the civilized center, far removed from conditions near the gates. But gradually, especially after visiting near the city walls and exchanging a few words with the inn boys (who seemed rather inexperienced), the strangeness became apparent. One or two of the very men they had seen bullying someone near the market entrance, witnessed personally by He Yu and Chen Shu on the very day they arrived, now passed them respectfully with gentle expressions, yielding the way, mere days later. The sheer transformation was startling.

Even Chen Shu noticed this unsettling contrast by now.

During the day, out in the open, she had learned to keep her mouth shut. But now, alone with He Yu in this room, she set the candlestick back down on the small table by the window and said,

“I also feel there’s something deeply wrong with this city.”

That word, “also,” naturally referred back to the opinion He Yu had voiced to Yun Shen the night before.

He Yu didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he thoughtfully moved a small stool closer for Chen Shu. Waiting for her to sit, he then began, guiding her gently: “Oh? What makes you say that? Have you also noticed something strange about the other travelers, perhaps at shops or on the street?”

“Well, not exactly them,” Chen Shu answered. She rested her hands on her knees and leaned forward towards He Yu, her voice instinctively lowering. “I’ve only been to a few cities, so before, when I found things strange, I just privately thought it odd, maybe just because I was inexperienced… maybe some cities are truly like this. But today, in that teahouse, there was a man… sitting right at the other end, beneath the corner of the awning closest to the street—wearing a blue robe and a scholar’s cap. Do you remember him?”

“Yes,” He Yu replied after a moment’s thought. “But I didn’t see anything peculiar about him… If anything, compared to others these past days, he seemed more mannerly, less conspicuous.”

“He acted inconspicuously, but did you notice his neck? Just below, where his collar covered it… there was a glimpse of a design—just the edge of some kind of mark.”

He Yu suddenly drew a sharp breath. He slapped the table, then looked quickly towards the door, confirming the hallway remained quiet before exclaiming: “—That I do remember vaguely! Could it possibly be like the… the one—?”

“Exactly,” Chen Shu confirmed. “Though only a corner showed, the shape… I recognized it instantly. It was the exact same as that mark found on the prisoner who died in the great flood—the one reported by Liu Mao. The thing you mentioned…”

For a moment, the two fell silent. The lamp oil seemed poor quality; though the window was shut against the night wind, the flame flickered violently. At one point, it seemed on the verge of extinguishing, then suddenly flared up fiercely, as if it might devour the candle-holder entirely.

The bright candlelight illuminated the window lattice and the wood grain of the small table. The shifting light rendered the wood’s texture starkly distinct, the mottled shadows contrasting sharply with areas of brightness. Beneath it, the bed remained perfectly clean—not a speck of dust visible—bathed in the lamp’s lightly golden glow.

Chen Shu’s face was also caught in such a brilliant light. Her eyes mirrored the flickering candle flame, transforming her naturally lively, round eyes into radiant orbs that seemed truly ignited by that small fire—growing fiercer and more magnificent.

“I think… it’s definitely those Valley of Villains people scheming behind the scenes,” Chen Shu said.

Her expression showed no trace of displeasure, only the primal thrill of a mountain predator spotting its prey.

——

The next day, that Protector vanished again, presumably busy with some task, leaving no word for half a day. But this time, the mysterious innkeeper was also missing.

Conversely, Fangcheng bustled with an energy unlike previous days.

“Bustling” wasn’t entirely accurate, though, for the city itself remained quiet.

That morning, gathered downstairs and finding the innkeeper absent, Xuan Qin and He Yu intended to wait. But when Yun Shen descended, he seemed long prepared. Tucking his sleeves, he gestured them toward the door.

Everyone stiffened in surprise—all except Chen Shu, who immediately followed, nudged him, and asked, “What, are you taking us sightseeing today?”

Yun Shen glanced at her, smiling wordlessly before turning to the others. “Though we settled on swords, if there’s anywhere specific you wish to see, I can guide you. Having arrived days earlier, I may not be a proper tour guide, but showing the way is no trouble.”

“Haven’t we covered everywhere with the innkeeper these past days?” Ying Wei said, sounding listless, likely due to Chen Shu’s talks with the Valley of Villains people. “Fangcheng’s this small—what else is there to look at?”

“Perhaps nothing in Fangcheng,” Yun Shen halted midstride, pointing east toward the sunrise. “But beyond it?”

“You mean… Mijiang Slope?” He Yu asked.

“Definitely not Mijiang Slope!” Chen Shu cut in before Yun Shen could answer. “If Mijiang Slope had anything noteworthy, why wouldn’t the innkeeper take us? More importantly, why didn’t you mention it while he was around? It must be something outside the city—or perhaps…”

“—the Valley of Villains’ encampment—or rather, their main military camp—lies beyond the walls,” Yun Shen stated.

Producing a map seemingly from thin air, he didn’t object when Chen Shu peeked. Though crude, the map clearly marked Fangcheng’s layout and the Valley of Villains’ military camp.

Why was this place called “Valley of Villains”? Not merely because vicious bandits gathered at Fangcheng. The Valley had emerged during dynastic upheaval as a minor force. Back in wartime, defending barren Fangcheng alone was impossible.

The true Valley of Villains sat in an actual valley: nestled within low hills stretching north from Liangyu Mountain’s eastern edge, near Fangcheng. After setting their military camp there during the chaos of war—when opposing forces lacked resources to attack—the valley’s defensible terrain repelled multiple smaller assaults. Only after the new dynasty’s founding did the valley gradually attract Yubei’s petty criminals, growing strong enough to seize Fangcheng and amass power challenging imperial troops.

Now, Fangcheng and the valley formed a pincèr—advance or retreat covered. From any city vantage point, they saw beyond the walls: wilderness blending into forested mountains. Along the road connecting city to camp, watchtowers doubled as arrow fortresses. Precautions this thorough suggested either a tactically-gifted leader… or expert counsel.

Clearly, the Valley of Villains wasn’t unafraid of the throne. Days earlier, the innkeeper took them to Fangcheng’s southwestern ramparts—not this direction.

One quiet gaze from these walls sufficed to feel the pervasive defenses. Considering villages pillaged or razed like Mijiang Slope, these preparations could mean only one thing: they anticipated an imperial assault.

It made sense. Though young, this dynasty hungered for conquest—why let a rival fester? Only the aging emperor’s aversion to war granted them respite.

Silence hung thick as each traveler retreated into thought. Suddenly, He Yu leaned over the parapet.

“What’s that?” He pointed west where the wall blocked their view.

Everyone turned. Amid rugged foothills, morning mist thinned over wide fields yet untouched by the climbing sun. Across faded gray-green plains, dark shapes galloped.

Chen Shu jostled to He Yu’s side, stood on tiptoe, nearly climbing his shoulder.

“Who are they? I thought Fangcheng had no visitors. Why so many trailing after us?”

Xuan Qin, tallest among them, needed but a glance to see fully.

“…I believe I know why they’ve come,” he said.