Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Path of the Jianghu

"Qiqiao, you truly are a master at hiding your true self," Zhou Qian coughed softly, a faint smile curving his lips.

"You recognized me long ago?" The woman in black was silent for a moment before speaking.

"Not so early, in fact. It was after you sent Xiang Feihe to assassinate me that I became certain it was you."

"Oh?"

"Actually, after Lady Hu was killed by you, I already had some doubts. In terms of martial skill, she was not top-tier, but certainly formidable, and not the weakest on the boat. Moreover, she was naturally suspicious and, as the mistress of one of the sixteen pleasure barges of Luodu, would not be without means. In her place, if I were the assassin, I would never have chosen her as my target. Thus, two questions arose—why her, and how was she killed?"

"Your second target was Haozi, a vigilant and cautious killer, the most difficult to handle, yet you finished him in a single stroke. That was truly strange."

"I can understand why you killed him—perhaps to frame someone, since Tiger once fought him, or to divert suspicion and hide your real aim. But what I still don’t understand is: how did you do it? How did you win their trust? This puzzles me endlessly."

"I know there are secretive tricks in the martial world, but to use the same method on two people so effectively made me suspect some connection."

"Later, I secretly inspected Lady Hu’s corpse," Zhou Qian's voice grew low, "Though her body was covered in wounds, none were fatal, and it was clear the injuries were inflicted during torture."

"Then I thought, perhaps there was nothing particularly unique about the method. If the killer could win their trust, the same effect could be achieved—"

"At least Haozi’s expression of shock at death could be explained—"

"What sort of person could temporarily gain the trust of both Lady Hu and an assassin, especially with so many ruthless martial heroes aboard? My answer is: a woman. Or rather, a charming, innocent girl. People naturally lower their guard before something beautiful and seemingly harmless, especially these two."

"Lady Hu’s nature and station made her deeply wary of men, but towards women she was often protective and compassionate. If not for her, many girls aboard would have met tragic fates. It was precisely because of her protection that she made many enemies, yet earned a considerable reputation in the martial world. Little did she know she’d one day die at a woman’s hand."

"Haozi was an assassin, withdrawn by nature and profession, with few true friends. There was a rumor that the only time he ever broke his principles of ‘not killing women or children’ was when a few girls were forced to serve guests—he killed those responsible in a rage. Imagine—were I Haozi, and there was a sweet, adoring girl on the boat, praising and even admiring me, I might also let down my guard."

"There were four women aboard: Yi Xiedie, Sun Xiaoniang, Feng Xian’er, and you. Naturally, I ruled you out first—you were by my side when Lady Hu died. Now, that was a masterstroke. Then I eliminated Feng Xian’er, who neither knew martial arts nor had motive, and even ignored the chances I gave her to act. That left only Yi Xiedie and Sun Xiaoniang. I tested them both several times, but either my eyes failed me or their performances were too good—besides, their whereabouts at certain times were clearly inconsistent with the killer’s. I was left stymied."

"Why couldn’t it be Wang Hu?" Qiqiao interrupted. "Despite some doubts, your brother remains the likeliest suspect!"

"Tiger could never have done this!" Zhou Qian replied firmly. "Even knowing he fought Haozi, even not knowing his motive, I cannot believe my brother is capable of such a thing. Because he is my brother."

"So you deliberately had Wang Hu pretend to be the killer, just to lure me out?"

"Yes," Zhou Qian admitted, "Even without Wei Guang, there would have been some ‘Li Guang’ or ‘Wang Guang’ surfacing by chance as the ‘real killer.’ I didn’t expect the Tang Clan to join forces with others to put on such a show for me. It was outside my expectations, yet the effect was better. Your true aim, I believe, was to prevent my group from pursuing the First Emperor’s treasure. Merely killing two people would not fulfill your mission or secure your payment. And when it comes to money, I know how attentive you are."

"Besides, you probably didn’t know that before you killed Lady Hu, Yi Yun had already entered her room. He was startled by Tiger outside and escaped through the window, which must have been left open. That night was bitterly cold, with the river’s chill in the air—anyone would have closed the window. Lady Hu, who hated the cold, especially so. Yet when she died, the window was open!" Zhou Qian’s gaze was sharp. "She didn’t open it. So who did? If Tiger wasn’t the killer, there’s only one explanation: the killer escaped through the window. I checked—all windows were shut by the river wind that night. So the killer had only two ways out: over the deck or toward the stern. That’s why I met you on deck, wasn’t it?"

"Brilliant," Qiqiao removed her black veil, clearly intrigued. "Anything else?"

"As for how you were with me when Lady Hu screamed, at first I couldn’t fathom it. But while checking her body, I found a tiny puncture at the crown of her head. Stimulating that point briefly can multiply pain many times over. After torturing her, you injected a large dose of anesthetic, then inserted a silver needle into her crown, calculating the time before leaving. No one suspected you, because you were right beside us the whole time—hidden in plain sight!"

"Well said indeed. When I killed Lady Hu, it was as if you were right there," Qiqiao smiled sweetly, her cuteness almost heartbreaking—yet this adorable girl had committed such a ruthless deed.

"There were no marks from a gag at Lady Hu’s mouth; I can think of no other reason," Zhou Qian sighed. "And you made another mistake—when you accused Tiger today, you must have accepted a bribe from the Tang Clan. You knew he and I were sworn brothers, yet still acted so. Given our friendship, if you had no ulterior motive, you would have at least told me, hoping for a better price. That’s not like you."

"So I still matter a little to you," Qiqiao teased. "How about we make a deal? Let me go, won’t you?"

"I have never claimed to be just or noble," Zhou Qian replied, word by word. "Had you killed someone else, I might have turned a blind eye, but you murdered Lady Hu and tortured her before she died. You are no longer the greedy but lovable girl you were two years ago. For murder, you must pay with your life. I will avenge my friend!"

"Hmph! Lady Hu was nothing," Qiqiao sneered. "Just a whore who fancied herself a do-gooder, unable to tell right from wrong with a few sweet words. I despise her kind! Loyalty, dignity, martial honor—they’re not worth a copper coin!"

"Have you ever gone seven days and nights without food? Have you seen a father sell his daughter for fourteen coins? Have you seen women entertain a dozen men just for a full meal? You know nothing!"

"Power, status, men, women, love, family—if you have silver, there’s nothing you can’t buy! The Red Lotus gave me five hundred thousand taels, Wei Guang gave me a hundred thousand. Only a fool would risk everything for nothing!"

"Do you think I listened to your nonsense for nothing?" Qiqiao sneered coldly. "I’d already filled this place with Incense of Dissolution. Yes, the kind that’s colorless and odorless, that saps all strength. I forgot to mention, on the black market it’s a hundred thousand taels per stick. Expensive, isn’t it? What use is your sword skill now? Can you still lift your sword?"

"Since silver can buy anything, it can buy your life too! Your life—worth a hundred thousand taels!"

"Good thing I kept my distance, or my life wouldn’t be worth a single coin," came Lou Yuxiao’s voice from the hatch.

"Haha! The new generation surpasses the old. This little girl has played every hero aboard for fools—even our Tang Clan was nearly made her pawn," Fei Yue laughed heartily, as if he hadn’t been behind the recent plot.

"At least in this matter, the Beggar Sect and Wang Hu are proven innocent," Tu Yue shook his head, entering the room along with Mo Shaoguan and Wu Zier, renowned heroes of the martial world.

"If I hadn't said all that, how could I prove my brother’s innocence? Until yesterday, everyone thought he was the killer," Zhou Qian said wryly.

Qiqiao’s heart sank. All these were top fighters—even Wu Zier and Mo Shaoguan, the weakest among them, were close to reaching the first rank. She couldn’t win even one-on-one.

‘No, there’s still a chance!’ Qiqiao’s mind raced. ‘Zhou Qian has inhaled the incense. If I seize the moment to control him and kill Wang Hu amid the confusion, I might still turn things around!’

With a stomp, she threw all her strength into a lunge at Zhou Qian, flicking her hands to send a shower of silver needles at his limbs.

Zhou Qian unleashed a move called "Clouds Obscuring the Moon," a sword technique he’d devised from the Floating Cloud style, designed to counter hidden weapons and poisoned darts. His arms surged with energy, making a ‘whoosh’ sound, and the Ghostmaster Sword swept a mysterious arc before him, stirring up currents of air.

The air currents deflected the needles, which sparked harmlessly against the walls. Qiqiao gasped, but as she moved, she felt a sharp pain in her hand—

Blood spurted. She had never expected Zhou Qian’s sword to be so fast—so terrifyingly fast.

"This is for Haozi," Zhou Qian said icily. He almost never lost his temper, so few had ever seen this side of him.

With a swish—Qiqiao’s arms were severed, blood staining the floor.

"This is for Lady Hu."

At last, pain and fear broke Qiqiao. She realized there were things more precious than silver—her life! She wanted to beg for mercy, to live, but she had never seen Zhou Qian like this—so indifferent, regarding her as nothing more than livestock for slaughter.

"You are of the martial world, and so am I. So let us settle this by the rules of the martial world!"

The sword rose; her head fell.

"For murder, a life; for wounding, an arm—"

"This is martial honor…"