Chapter 164 I’ve Taken Note

Chapter 164: This Official Takes Note

When Bai Xiuming led the Bright Mirror Bureau guards out of the city, the Military Command forces, under the command of Liang Yan, had already located the crumbling temple where the Consort of the Northern Wilderness King had stayed the previous day.

Zhao Hongliang followed Liang Yan up the hillside and entered the temple. Inside, the corpses of four Zhao household servants remained exactly as they had been at the moment of their deaths.

In a corner lay the body of a woman. Zhao Hongliang stepped forward to examine it and recognized her as the maid who had served the Consort. He reported this to Liang Yan, who nodded but showed no urgency to search for the Consort’s whereabouts.

Instead, Liang Yan carefully surveyed the temple, his eyes eventually settling on the chaotic footprints on the ground.

From these footprints and other subtle clues, he pieced together the events of the previous night in his mind: the four servants had died from excessive blood loss, with no signs of struggle. Whoever subdued them must have been a cultivator.

Their deaths occurred before any conflict erupted in the temple. For reasons unknown, the cultivator had also killed the maid before fleeing the scene.

After the cultivator fled, the Consort left the temple. Later, the cultivator returned and took away the person in the corner.

Liang Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly and he asked Zhao Hongliang, "Did the Consort have any cultivators accompanying her?"

Zhao Hongliang hurriedly replied, "Yes. Her personal guard was named Zhao Yin, a Third Realm cultivator."

"Then, unless I’m mistaken, the Consort’s disappearance is likely connected to him."

"How could that be? He’s—" Zhao Hongliang’s face twisted in disbelief, but he abruptly bit back his words, wary of saying more.

Liang Yan showed no curiosity about the unspoken words. He followed the Consort’s footprints out of the temple and scanned the area, immediately spotting the manor on the opposite mountain.

"If the Consort was betrayed and just escaped from that person, what would she do next?" he mused, half to himself, half to those around him.

"Return to the capital, of course," Zhao Hongliang answered.

"But walking would take too long and leave her vulnerable to pursuit."

Zhao Hongliang frowned. "Then the Consort—"

Liang Yan tilted his chin toward the manor. "She would most likely seek help there. Let’s go!"

With that, he led his subordinates straight to the manor, leaving just two men behind to guard the temple.

Outside the manor, Liang Yan’s group knocked repeatedly, but no one answered. Impatient, he ordered his men to break the gate down.

As the gate was forced open, the faint tang of blood wafted out.

Liang Yan’s heart sank. He hadn’t gone far when he spotted a wooden frame ahead, from which a corpse hung. Two more bodies lay sprawled beneath it.

Judging by their condition, they had been dead for nearly a day.

The corpse on the frame hung limply, its face obscured. Its tattered robes were soaked in blood, the flesh beneath mangled—evidence of unspeakable torture before death.

At the sight, Zhao Hongliang staggered forward with a cry of "Little Sister!" before collapsing into sobs.

Liang Yan swore under his breath. The Consort of the Northern Wilderness King was truly dead. Just as he moved to inspect the body, he sensed a faint surge of Internal Energy—whether intentional or not. Instantly, he drew his blade, his subordinates following suit.

"Show yourself. I know you’re hiding," Liang Yan called sharply, his sharp gaze sweeping the area before settling on the tightly shut door of a nearby house.

When no response came, he added, "You didn’t flee because you know murdering the Consort is a capital offense. There’s no escape for you."

"You seem to know me well. May I ask where you serve?"

The door creaked open, revealing Shang Yin’s voice.

"Liang Yan, Commander of the Military Command," Liang Yan announced.

"Ah, so like me—another Zhao family lapdog."

Liang Yan’s face betrayed nothing. "This place is surrounded. Since you have nowhere to run, why not show yourself?"

A moment later, Shang Yin finally appeared in the doorway—but not alone. By his side stood a small figure: a hostage.

Liang Yan’s frown deepened. This man had not only brazenly murdered the Consort in the manor but also taken a woman hostage instead of fleeing. What was he planning?

Zhao Hongliang, who had been trying to lower the Consort’s body from the frame, spun around at Shang Yin’s voice, his eyes bloodshot. "Zhao Yin! How dare you? The Consort was your—you beast! You’re utterly inhuman, heartless!"

Shang Yin regarded him coldly. "What was the Consort to me? Why don’t you say it? Or shall I? She was my grandmother, wasn’t she?"

The words hit Liang Yan and his men like a thunderbolt.

The King of Northern Wilderness, not yet thirty, couldn’t possibly have a son this age. This implicated the Consort’s personal secrets. If the killer truly was the man before them, this was far more complicated than simply bringing in a murderer.

Zhao Hongliang’s eyes darted evasively. "Zhao Yin, you’ve lost your mind."

"I’m in my right mind," Shang Yin replied calmly. "I didn’t kill her myself. Zhao Xun did—and Zhao Xun was killed by Zhao Zeqian. All I did was kill Zhao Zeqian."

"They were your father and your own brother!" Zhao Hongliang was aghast at the brutality of turning family against family.

"They never treated me as family. They bore the Zhao name—I am Shang. To me, they were always my enemies." Shang Yin smirked. "Your Zhao family, in cahoots with the King of Northern Wilderness, wiped out my entire family. Did you think I wouldn’t find out, Zhao Hongliang?"

Liang Yan’s stomach sank with every word. This was far worse than he’d imagined—not just the Consort’s secrets, but a feud involving the Residence of the King of Northern Wilderness. He began calculating how to get out alive, fearing neither the Zhao family nor the King would let him walk away unscathed.

Zhao Hongliang’s face went pale. Through gritted teeth, he hissed, "Liang Yan, kill him. Silence him!"

Liang Yan glanced at the terrified young woman in Shang Yin’s grip and made his decision. "This criminal is beyond redemption. Kill him now!"

"Yes, sir!"

As Liang Yan charged forward, Shang Yin leaped over the manor walls with A Chan in tow. Liang Yan pursued, flinging a hidden blade—not at Shang Yin, but at A Chan.

Shang Yin knocked it away mid-flight, dodging attacks while taunting, "A true Zhao family dog. To silence me, you’d even kill a hostage."

Having committed, Liang Yan dropped the act. Sword in hand, he closed in, declaring, "I don’t kill innocents. Clearly, you’re the monster who slaughtered the hostage and everyone in this manor."

He’d already decided his story.

"Aren’t you afraid this will come to light?" Shang Yin dodged another projectile.

"No one will ever know." With that, Liang Yan flung his blade, blinking ahead of Shang Yin in a flash.

Catching the sword, he unleashed a flurry of slashes, the blade’s glow weaving a lethal web. Shang Yin grimaced—this commander matched his cultivation realm, but his fighting prowess was fierce.

Alone, Shang Yin might have held his own. But protecting A Chan left him open. Two strikes landed, shredding his robes at the waist and arm, blood seeping from deep gashes.

"Playing the hero, saving a hostage even at death’s door."

Before Shang Yin could retort, A Chan’s sobbing voice broke in: "Please, sir, don’t kill me! I don’t want to die!"

Liang Yan looked at A Chan, his heart slightly stirred. Her tearful appearance was truly pitiable, making it hard not to waver—though the hesitation lasted only a moment before he forcibly suppressed it.

"I'm afraid not. You can only blame your bad luck for hearing things you shouldn’t have. Next time, don’t eavesdrop."

As the words fell, Liang Yan engaged Shang Yin again.

The two exchanged dozens of blows before Liang Yan leaped into the air, his blade raised to strike. Suddenly, a sharp pain flared in his side, and the next moment, he lost his balance and crashed heavily to the ground, spitting blood.

Lying face-down, Liang Yan saw a pair of black official boots enter his vision. With great effort, he lifted his head and saw someone who had no business being there.

"Bai... Xiuming?"

"What exactly did she hear that she shouldn’t have? Tell me—I’d like to hear it myself." Bai Xiuming looked down at Liang Yan with cold eyes.

Clutching his side, Liang Yan struggled to rise from the ground. "You must have misheard, Lord Bai."

He pointed at Shang Yin. "This man is a vicious killer, having killed the Consort of the Northern Wilderness King and Zhao Xun and his son, then taking a hostage to defy arrest. When I pursued him earlier, I noticed he repeatedly shielded this woman, leading me to suspect they are accomplices. I acted accordingly. I urge Lord Bai to investigate."

"So they’re accomplices." Bai Xiuming tilted his head slightly, his gaze lingering meaningfully on A Chan, who was restrained by Shang Yin.

Under Bai Xiuming’s scrutiny, A Chan edged away slightly.

In just those few moments, Liang Yan’s subordinates and Zhao Hongliang had caught up, while the sound of hoofbeats signaled the arrival of Bright Mirror Bureau Guards on dragon blood horses.

Soon, Shang Yin and A Chan were surrounded.

Seeing Bai Xiuming here, Zhao Hongliang’s heart sank, but there was no way to have Liang Yan kill them in front of him. Bracing himself, he stepped forward and asked, "Lord Bai, what are you doing here?"

Bai Xiuming’s indifferent gaze swept over Zhao Hongliang. "I received a report of a hostage situation."

"Who’s important enough to warrant Lord Bai’s personal—" Zhao Hongliang trailed off mid-sentence.

Everyone’s eyes turned to A Chan, still held by Shang Yin.

At first, no one had paid much attention to the hostage. Neither Zhao Hongliang nor Liang Yan had intended to let her—or anyone else in the estate—live.

Yet their smooth plan had been disrupted by this seemingly insignificant hostage.

"Lord Bai, save me..." A Chan whimpered, tears streaming down her face like beads, looking pitiful and heartbroken.

Shang Yin, standing beside her, was startled. She had been fine just moments ago—how had she started crying so suddenly?

Shit, this woman actually knows Bai Xiuming!

The thought flashed through Zhao Hongliang’s mind as he glanced at Liang Yan, silently urging him to think of something. But Liang Yan was just as clueless.

With anyone else, he might have dared to pull something and arrange an "accidental" death. But Bai Xiuming’s cultivation surpassed his own, and the man was infamously ruthless. If caught, Liang Yan might not just lose his position—he could lose his life.

Bai Xiuming ignored their silent exchange and addressed Shang Yin directly. "Release her. Name your terms, if you have any."

This was Shang Yin’s first time seeing Bai Xiuming in person. Though he’d been warned that Lord Bai was not to be messed with, the reality was even more imposing than he’d imagined.

This man was the polar opposite of the King of Northern Wilderness. Where the king appeared refined and courteous, Bai Xiuming radiated danger just from his presence.

If they’d met under different circumstances, Shang Yin might have asked A Chan how she’d managed to form such a close connection with someone like him.

His mind raced briefly before he spoke. "I’ll release her. I don’t have demands—just a plea for justice."

"Justice? Explain." Bai Xiuming sounded intrigued.

Before Shang Yin could continue, Zhao Hongliang interjected. "Lord Bai, he is the son of my child, Zhao Xun. Raised by the Consort with great care, he inherited a madness from his mother’s bloodline. Now, having killed his father and brother, he is clearly deranged. His words cannot be trusted."

Bai Xiuming’s gaze fixed on Zhao Hongliang, making his skin crawl before he finally spoke. "Lord Zhao, unless this official permits it, do not speak out of turn. Otherwise, I will take it as deliberate obstruction of the Bright Mirror Bureau’s duties. Understood?"

Humiliated in front of everyone, Zhao Hongliang flushed but could only seethe inwardly, thinking Bai Xiuming only had his position because of King Ming’s favor.

Before he could dwell further, a blade pressed against his neck, its edge biting into his skin and leaving a red mark. Jiang Kai, standing beside him, asked darkly, "Lord Zhao, did you understand my lord’s words?"

Fuming but powerless, Zhao Hongliang nodded stiffly.

"Speak," Bai Xiuming turned back to Shang Yin.

Without hesitation, Shang Yin began. "My name is Shang Yin. I am Zhao Xun’s son and the Consort of the Northern Wilderness King’s grandson. The Shang family, massacred over twenty years ago, was my mother’s kin."

Bai Xiuming’s brow lifted slightly. Shang... now that’s an interesting name.

"Go on. I’m listening."

Shang Yin took a breath. "Zhao Qi colluded with the previous King of Northern Wilderness to exterminate my Shang family and divided our wealth between them. The king used those resources to amass troops in the north, plotting rebellion. The Zhao family stole the Shang’s Ghost Control technique, intending to use it against the late emperor to extract imperial secrets."

The latter part was A Chan’s addition—more believable but still bold. Shang Yin doubted Zhao Qi had the talent to master Ghost Control, but as A Chan had said, who could prove otherwise? And the emperor needed no proof to suspect someone.

A heavy silence followed his words. Accusing a prince of rebellion and a former Imperial Tutor of treason—this was playing with fire.

Only Bai Xiuming was unmoved. "And how does this justify killing the Consort?"

"She orchestrated it all. She conspired with the previous king to slaughter my maternal family, murdered my grandfather—her own former husband—and then killed my mother before my eyes. I killed her for vengeance and to bet my life on His Majesty’s justice."

With that, Shang Yin fell to his knees. "My lord, my clan died horribly. As a child, the Consort used me to torment my mother until she died protecting me. Afterward, the Consort turned me into her assassin.

"After leaving the north, I saw the peace and prosperity under His Majesty’s rule and knew him to be a wise sovereign. I could not bear for him to be deceived by the Zhao family and the King of Northern Wilderness. I sought vengeance for my family, hence my drastic measures. I accept punishment for my crimes but beg for justice for the Shang family."

His plea was moving, but Bai Xiuming’s gaze drifted to A Chan.

She was dressed simply today, her hair in a loose braid rather than an elaborate style. Her eyes, red from crying, looked fragile and afraid.

He knew she was faking—but he couldn’t tear his eyes away.

"Do you have proof?" Bai Xiuming asked, still watching her.

"Yes. Half of the Shang family’s wealth remains in the Zhao family’s hidden vault. Recently, an incense burner went missing—engraved with my family’s crest."

"What a coincidence. That burner is now in this official’s possession."

Shang Yin pressed on. "The Consort once sent a Fourth Realm cultivator named Huang Lin—a guard from the Residence of the Northern Wilderness King—to retrieve it. If you don’t believe me, interrogate her maids. Three still serve in the Zhao household."

As the exchange continued, Zhao Hongliang went cold. He sensed the situation slipping out of control.

"Lord Zhao, Lord Liang—do you have anything to say?" Bai Xiuming finally turned to them.

Liang Yan felt uneasy. Since when did Bai Xiuming entertain criminals?

But he had no time to dwell. "This official merely assisted Lord Zhao in tracking the Consort’s whereabouts. I trust Lord Bai will judge fairly."

Zhao Hongliang, unable to distance himself, retorted stiffly, "My father served Great Xia and the Emperor loyally. Lord Bai cannot condemn my family based on his lies! This man is clearly plotting treason."

"You needn’t worry, Lord Zhao, everything that transpired here today will be truthfully reported to His Majesty. However, before that, I’ll need your cooperation with the Bright Mirror Bureau."

Of course, neither of them was willing to comply. Liang Yan spoke up: "Lord Bai, though you are our superior, the Military Command does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Bright Mirror Bureau."

"Indeed," Bai Xiuming chuckled. "But you've heard things you shouldn't have. If you refuse to cooperate, to prevent leaks, I'll have no choice but to put you down."

Not long ago, Liang Yan had contemplated silencing others—now the shoe’s on the other foot.

Liang Yan shut his mouth, while Zhao Hongliang remained furious: "You wouldn't!"

"Let me show Lord Zhao whether I dare or not."

As soon as Bai Xiuming finished speaking, Jiang Kai drew his dagger and cut Zhao Hongliang across the thigh.

Zhao Hongliang clutched his thigh, screaming in pain as he collapsed. No one dared to step forward.

Liang Yan and his subordinates were stunned. They knew about the Bright Mirror Bureau's audacity, but never imagined it would go this far.

This was the Imperial Tutor's eldest son—a court official! Though his rank wasn't high, you’d think they’d show some respect for his father's status? And yet, just for a single offensive remark, he was cut?

"Would Lord Liang like to try as well?" Bai Xiuming asked.

Liang Yan shook his head hard, his entire body tense. He sensed the killing intent hidden in the other man's gaze and couldn't understand where such hostility came from.

Bai Xiuming didn’t even look at Liang Yan again. He ordered his subordinates, "Put him in shackles and escort him safely to the Bright Mirror Bureau."

"Yes, sir." A Bright Mirror Bureau Guard stepped forward to shackle Shang Yin, who offered no resistance and even extended his hands willingly.

Before being taken away, Shang Yin glanced at A Chan. She met his gaze and watched as he left.

Once the irrelevant parties were cleared out, Bai Xiuming finally turned his attention to A Chan, with a hint of exasperation: "You coming or what?"

Compared to his earlier cold severity, his demeanor now could almost be called gentle.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle—and played no small part in it—A Chan was utterly satisfied.

Holding the hem of her skirt, she stepped lightly to stand before Bai Xiuming, tilting her head slightly upward. Her eyes glistened, her red lips parting slightly: "Lord Bai, little old me has no way to repay your life-saving grace."

Bai Xiuming stared at her intently.

Then, A Chan's tone shifted playfully: "Unless I give myself to you."

Liang Yan stared in shock, while the Bright Mirror Bureau Guards merely looked on unfazed—at most stealing a few glances before returning to their duties.

Bai Xiuming let out a low laugh. "I’ll remember that."