At the Zhao residence, Qin Bo received the news while still holding the morning tea tray. It slipped from his hands, shattering the cups, yet the old man did not immediately weep, for some grief struck too hard for tears to come with the first breath.In the ministry corridors, officials who had begun sending gifts to Peony only yesterday suddenly felt as though their boxes of silk had turned foul. Some drew back, others hurried to offer condolences, and the most cowardly began claiming they had never been particularly close to that new circle.The Hall of Justice filled with faces that had arrived earlier than usual. The ministers sat with their backs straight, but no one in the room truly felt safe.Emperor Liu Yan arrived last. His face was red with anger, lack of sleep, or both.“A senior official was murdered on the road to Mount Qingyun,” he declared. “Who dares make Bai Feng look like a lawless land?”No one answered immediately. There was only the rustle of robes and a few bre

Before long, the old coachman spoke from the front without turning. “Your Highness, this is no place to linger.” Jinhai opened the curtain a fraction again. “I know this place.” “If you know it,” the coachman answered, his voice lower now, “why are we still coming here?” Jinhai did not answer immediately. The wind slipped in again, carrying the smells of cold stone, horsehide, and something dry from the ravine. “Because the palace has grown too cramped for an honest path,” he said at last. The old coachman fell silent. The guard on the right had heard, and although he did not turn, his shoulders stiffened slightly. They continued without another word. In a place like this, speaking too much felt like inviting something to arrive sooner than it should. After a while, the track beg

Jinhai studied the mask for several moments before accepting an unpleasant truth. He was not negotiating with someone who could be swayed by rank or bought with titles, and every layer of truth he tried to keep hidden would only be forced out of him in a more humiliating fashion. “She came from outside Bai Feng,” he said at last. “From where?” “The west.” The masked man showed no reaction. “That is still the sort of answer you would give a gate eunuch.” Jinhai let his shoulders lower slightly, knowing there was little point in continuing to hide behind vague court language. “She came as a consort, but now the palace itself is beginning to move around her.” The admission left a bitter taste in his mouth. The black-clad figure remained where he stood, neither impressed nor surprised, before answering i

Once Jinhai had stated his purpose openly, one of his guards moved behind the carriage without waiting for another command. The dark wooden chest they had carried in silence was lifted with both hands and brought into the middle of the sand between the Crown Prince and the masked man standing at the edge of the ravine. The chest was not particularly large, but its weight tightened the guard’s arms as he carried it forward. When he set it down, the sand sank slightly beneath the wood, and Jinhai gave a brief signal for him to open the lid. Crescent moonlight fell across the gold within. It was not bright enough to make the coins blaze, but there was enough light to reveal their muted yellow gleam against the cold sand, the black ravine, and the dark robe of the man who had yet to move from his place. “Five hundred gold pieces,” Jinhai said. “This is not an empty promise. Consider it proof that I am

The Crown Prince’s carriage had already disappeared behind the dunes when the Black Bat King remained standing at the edge of the ravine. Cold wind swept across the hem of his robe before sinking into the Abyss of Suffering, where no sound ever returned.The chest of gold remained on the sand, dark, heavy, and far too tangible after a night filled with the ugly secrets of the imperial household. No one else remained near the ravine except the black-clad figure, the crescent moon overhead, and the distant howling of wolves somewhere to the north.He did not move immediately. This time, his silence was not meant to pressure an opponent, but to make certain no other eyes were still watching the cliff from the darkness.After several breaths, he raised a hand to his face and slowly removed the black mask. Desert wind touched the skin of Rong Tian, who until moments ago had stood there in the identity of the Black Bat King.His expression remained cold, though his jaw was slightly tighter