Chapter 64: Massacre

Chapter 64: Family Extermination

The girl cradled the steamed buns tightly in her arms, constantly scanning her surroundings with vigilance.

Safely reaching a narrow alley, she let out a sigh of relief and quickened her pace, her tone cheerful as she said, “A'mu, I bought some steamed buns. They smell so good, aren't they your favorite?”

At the end of the alley sat a figure.

He leaned against the wall, one leg bent. His strong, weathered hand rested on his knee, blood droplets trickling down his long fingers.

Lifting his eyes to glance at the girl, he turned his head away, his voice raspy as if filled with gravel, as though he hadn't spoken in a long time.

“No appetite.”

“You haven't eaten for days.”

The girl crouched before him, offering the steamed buns from her arms. “Have some.”

The aroma of the buns spread through the narrow alley. The man lowered his lashes and said coldly, “Can't eat.”

“You have to eat, whether you want to or not!”

The girl grew angry, roughly shoving a bun toward his mouth. “Starving to death before even reaching the capital—how could you face anyone like this?”

“I—”

Just as the man was about to speak, the soft bun was shoved into his mouth.

“Eat!”

The girl glared at him furiously.

The man lowered his gaze and slowly chewed, bite by bite.

Seeing him eat, the girl relaxed and nestled beside him, her tone resolute. “Things will be better once we reach the capital.”

“Once we're in the capital, I'll help you.”

The man paused for a moment, then squeezed out a syllable from his throat.

“Mm.”

…

After a bumpy journey of several days on the river, they finally arrived in Yangzhou. Qiu Shuiyi felt as if a great weight had been lifted.

As the guards unloaded the boat, Qiu Shuiyi stood at the dock, surveying this water town.

Mist-covered waves stretched into the distance, willow branches drooped gracefully. Small bridges spanned flowing streams, and vibrant flowers bloomed in abundance.

The townsfolk were neatly dressed, their expressions calm and composed, a testament to their prosperous lives.

A fine drizzle fell, and a gentle breeze rustled the willow branches. The misty rain created a hazy, poetic scene, as if they were standing within a painting.

“Where does Second Miss plan to go?”

Shen Yuchao walked to her side.

Qiu Shuiyi glanced up at the sky. “It's still early. I'd like to visit the Mu Family Escort Agency first.”

She looked up at him. “Would Your Highness care to accompany me?”

Shen Yuchao nodded. “It would be my pleasure.”

Qiu Shuiyi chuckled softly and called for Liu Cheng. “First, find an inn to settle in. Then send someone to the Mu Family Escort Agency to inform me.”

Liu Cheng respectfully acknowledged the order.

Once Zuo Yi hired a carriage, the group set off for the Mu Family Escort Agency.

Since the Marquis's residence had already inquired about the location, the journey proceeded smoothly without any obstacles.

They stopped in front of the main gate of the Mu Family Escort Agency. Xin Liu and Xin Tao stepped out of the carriage first, raising an umbrella to shield Qiu Shuiyi.

The agency's gate was tightly shut. Just as Xin Liu was about to step forward and knock, a woman passing by frowned and scrutinized them.

When her gaze swept over Qiu Shuiyi, the woman approached with a puzzled expression and asked, “Ying girl, has Old Master Mu been unwell these past few days? He used to treat this escort agency as his lifeblood, but it hasn't opened for so many days now.”

It seemed she had mistaken Qiu Shuiyi for Qiu Lianying.

Qiu Shuiyi smiled warmly. “Auntie, do you know my elder sister?”

“Elder sister?”

The woman looked Qiu Shuiyi up and down, hesitating. “You… aren't A'ying?”

Qiu Shuiyi shook her head. “My sister and I are twins. She's been away from home for a long time, and I've come to find her.”

“Oh, I see.”

The woman suddenly understood.

“Auntie mentioned the agency hasn't opened for many days. Do you happen to know where the Mu family lives?”

“Isn't your family's A'ying supposed to marry that lad Yuan Xi? How come her own family doesn't even know where they live?”

The woman chuckled in amusement.

Marry?!

Qiu Shuiyi was stunned.

Qiu Lianying was getting married?

To whom?

Swallowing her torrent of doubts, Qiu Shuiyi shyly lowered her head. “My trip was rather rushed. I only asked for the location of the escort agency but forgot to ask where the Mu family lives.”

The girl was lovely, and seeing her like this, the woman's eyes filled with affection. “I don't know the exact address, but I do know the general area.”

“Go to Qili Lane. Anyone there can tell you.”

“Thank you, Auntie.”

“Oh, no need for thanks. When your family holds the wedding banquet, don't forget to send me an invitation!”

The woman beamed.

“Of course, of course.”

Qiu Shuiyi smiled as she made the promise.

After the woman left, Xin Tao looked dazed, murmuring in disbelief, "The... the First Young Lady... is getting married?"

She looked at Xin Liu. "If Madame Marquis finds out, won't she be livid?"

Xin Liu glanced sideways, frowning. "Don't talk nonsense."

Xin Tao immediately covered her mouth and nodded slightly.

"Mm-hmm."

Back in the carriage, Qiu Shuiyi leaned against the wall, deep in thought.

Her brow had remained furrowed ever since she heard that Qiu Lianying was getting married.

Shen Yuchao poured her a cup of tea. "Outsiders may not know the whole truth. There might be more to this matter."

Qiu Shuiyi turned her gaze toward him.

Shen Yuchao chuckled lightly. "The carriage was hastily arranged, and the tea is simple. I hope you don't mind, Second Young Lady."

"Ordinary tea, precious tea: aren't they both tea? What's the difference?"

Qiu Shuiyi accepted it.

"In that case, worrying now or worrying later—it's all worrying, isn't it? Since you'll have to worry about it sooner or later, why not wait until you see the person involved?"

Shen Yuchao laughed softly.

A sudden gust of wind blew the carriage curtain open, the fine rain dampening his temples.

Tiny droplets clung to his hair, making his dark eyes appear exceptionally bright.

Qiu Shuiyi was dazed for a moment, then smiled. "Your Highness is right. Worrying now is useless. Since we've just arrived in Jiangnan, we should take the time to appreciate its beauty."

She drew back the curtain, feeling the cool touch of the fine rain on her face, sipping her tea leisurely as she admired the hazy, poetic scenery of Jiangnan in the rain.

...

The carriage swayed and soon arrived at Qili Lane.

They parked the carriage at the entrance of the lane and proceeded on foot.

The Mu family was quite well-known in the area. After asking a local woman, they were immediately pointed in the right direction.

Following the directions, the characters "Mu Residence" came into view.

Xin Tao stepped forward and knocked on the door. "Is anyone there? Is anyone home?"

After a moment, there was no response.

Xin Tao knocked a few more times, then turned back and shook her head. "Young Lady, no one's here."

"How could there be no one?"

Qiu Shuiyi frowned, stepped up to the door, curled her fingers, and knocked heavily. "Is anyone there? We're from the capital! Is anyone inside?"

Still, no one responded.

"Something's wrong."

Shen Yuchao walked to Qiu Shuiyi's side, sniffed the air, and furrowed his brows. "I smell blood."

Something had happened.

Their eyes met, and both saw the same three words in each other's gaze.

Qiu Shuiyi pressed her lips tightly together.

"Zuo Yi, Shang Ze."

Shen Yuchao called.

The two men quickly stepped forward—one moving to shield Xin Liu and Xin Tao, the other lifting his leg and kicking the door hard!

"Bang—"

Accompanying the sound of the door breaking was an overwhelming stench of blood and decay.

Several corpses lay scattered on the ground—some with swords plunged into their chests, others decapitated, and still others with their eyes wide open, staring fixedly at the sky, the resentment in their gaze yet to fade.

Blood pooled together, washed by the rain, flowing like countless gurgling rivers of blood.

Two pots of camellia flowers were placed by the door, their emerald green leaves stained with blood, trembling in the cool wind, lending the blooming crimson flowers an inexplicable sense of sorrow.

Swarms of flies circled the corpses, unwilling to leave.

"Ugh—"

Suddenly confronted with this scene, Xin Liu and Xin Tao leaned against the doorframe, vomiting uncontrollably.

Qiu Shuiyi's face instantly turned pale, and her hands hanging at her sides trembled violently.

She stepped over the threshold, stumbling and nearly falling.

Shen Yuchao steadied her in time. "Be careful."

"I-I'm fine."

Qiu Shuiyi pushed Shen Yuchao's hand away, stood still in place, and forced herself to calm down.

After a long while, she took stiff steps, walking slowly inward.

The many corpses wore different attire—some in black clothes, their faces covered with black cloth.

Others wore simple coarse cloth shirts, perhaps relatives or friends of the Mu family, or possibly escort guards from the escort agency.

Qiu Shuiyi lowered her head, suppressing her discomfort, and carefully examined their faces.

In the main hall, incense burners were scattered on the floor, chairs were in disarray, and the table was still set with various fruits and pastries, indicating that they had been gathered together chatting, unaware of the impending disaster.

Leaving the main hall, Qiu Shuiyi walked to the backyard.

Although the Mu residence couldn't compare to the grandeur of the Marquis's estate, it was still considered a large and prosperous household. Along the way, the red blood had been diluted by the rain, pooling at her feet.

Under the corridors, on the bridges, in the grass—corpses lay everywhere.

Qiu Shuiyi walked through the entire Mu residence, her eyes vacant and unseeing.

After checking the last corpse, she turned to face Shen Yuchao, who had been following her, and managed to say, "It's okay... my sister isn't among them."

Her dark hair was already soaked by the rain, and her face was streaked with water. Her lips were pale, and her slender shoulders trembled slightly, as pitiful as a delicate flower crushed underfoot.

His brow furrowed involuntarily. Shen Yuchao placed a hand on her shoulder. "You—"

"Whoosh—"

Before he could finish, a sharp, swift sound cut through the air. A flying blade sliced through the curtain of rain with unstoppable force.

Shen Yuchao's eyes turned cold. His large hand settled on Qiu Shuiyi's waist, yanking her out of the way to evade the blade.

"Dodge successful. Congratulations, Host. Lifespan extended by one month."

By the time the system's voice echoed in her ear, Qiu Shuiyi was still in a daze.

Shen Yuchao's robes snapped in the wind. She looked up and saw a black-clad assassin crouched on the rooftop.

"Your Highness, on the roof!"

Another flying blade shot toward them. Shen Yuchao's robes billowed, ensnaring it.

In the next instant, he flicked a thin blade between two fingers toward the roof.

The blade cut through the falling raindrops faster than the eye could follow, burying itself in the assassin's throat.

The man trembled violently, tumbled downward, and slammed into the ground.

"Let's go."

Without a change in expression, Shen Yuchao pulled Qiu Shuiyi away.

Before they reached the main hall, a piercing scream scared the birds from the trees.

Qiu Shuiyi said urgently, "That's Xin Tao's voice. They must have been attacked too."

The worry in her eyes was plain to see.

"With Shang Ze and Zuo Yi there, they'll be alright."

Shen Yuchao reassured her quietly.

Qiu Shuiyi forced herself to calm down and quickened her pace.

When they arrived, she immediately saw that Xin Liu and Xin Tao were sheltered behind Shang Ze. They were unharmed, if visibly shaken.

Qiu Shuiyi breathed a sigh of relief and called out to Zuo Yi, who was fighting an assassin, "Guard Zuo, keep one alive!"

"Right!"

Zuo Yi responded, kicking the assassin off the roof.

The assassin crashed heavily to the ground, turned his head, and spat out a mouthful of blood before struggling to get up.

Zuo Yi leaped down, stomping on the man's leg.

The assassin let out a pained groan.

Zuo Yi wrenched his arms behind his back and demanded sharply, "Talk! Who sent you? Why did you massacre the Mu family?"

The assassin remained silent.

"Will you talk or not!"

Zuo Yi pressed down harder on the man's leg.

The assassin screamed but stubbornly refused to speak.

Shen Yuchao had been watching coldly. Noticing the assassin's expression shift, he immediately ordered, "Stop him!"

Zuo Yi reacted swiftly, dislocating the man's jaw.

But it was too late.

A trickle of dark red blood flowed from the corner of the assassin's mouth. His entire body convulsed, twitching as he fell backward.

Frowning, Zuo Yi checked his pulse.

He was unquestionably dead.