Placid Chang’an

Chapter 14: Assassin

After bidding farewell to the three men, Su Cen headed straight back to the Dali Hall. He obtained the registry from Xiao Sun and hurriedly made his way to the Eastern Market during lunchtime.

The Eastern Market had two gates on each side, similar to city and palace gates. They were closed and guarded by street officers. Those caught loitering on the streets after curfew were considered violators of the night curfew. The city gate attendants were responsible for opening and closing the gates daily, while the keys were held by the gatekeepers. The keys to the city gates were stored in the eastern corridor and handed over to the city gate attendants by the gatekeeper on duty when the time came.

Su Cen arrived at the courtyard beneath the northwest gate of the Eastern Market and called for a gatekeeper to fetch the individuals listed in the registry one by one.

The people who were summoned in the scorching noon clearly showed their reluctance. Seeing that Su Cen was merely a minor official with a seventh-rank position and had the appearance of a delicate young man, they became even more bold and complacent. They stood or leaned, scattered around the courtyard without proper order.

Su Cen looked up, raised his chin, and gestured towards a thin man resembling a monkey spirit standing nearby. "You, start. What's your surname, name, place of residence, and which gate were you on duty on the night of the 8th of the fourth month? Did anyone enter or leave during that time?"

The monkey-like man raised his eyelids, revealing yellowed teeth as he grinned. "Sir, that was days ago. Who can remember? How about you chat with us for a while, so we have time to think too? Sir, may I know your esteemed surname, name, and place of residence? We'd like to know what kind of place breeds a person like you."

Su Cen's eyebrows slightly furrowed as he stared at the man for a moment. He nodded, closed the registry with a casual gesture, and stood up to leave.

"Oh, leaving so soon, sir? Aren't you going to ask us any more questions?" the monkey-like man teased from behind, causing laughter to erupt in the courtyard.

As Su Cen reached the doorway, he paused. "I advise all of you not to go back. Just wait here. It will be more convenient when the Dali Hall officials come to take you. Since you don't want to answer while standing, you can kneel and speak in the yamen."

The courtyard fell silent instantly. These people were just commoners trying to make a living. Although they were skilled in handling lawsuits, being brought to the yamen was a serious matter. Seeing Su Cen about to leave, the monkey-like man hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed Su Cen's sleeve. "Sir, please, we remember now. We remember."

Su Cen glanced at the man, and the monkey-like man immediately blurted out like a burst of beans, "I'm called Hou Ping, from Xiamaling. I was on duty at the southeast gate on the night of the 8th, and no one entered or left after the gate was closed."

The others rushed forward to introduce their own circumstances.

After a busy half-day, all the individuals were finally verified, except for one person.

"Where is Wu Deshui?" Su Cen stared at the registry and asked.

"He, uh..." someone whispered softly, but as Su Cen looked up, the sound disappeared.

"You," Su Cen pointed at the monkey-like man, "speak."

"Sir, well..." Hou Ping hesitated and could not come up with a coherent explanation, despite his embarrassed attempts.

Su Cen remained silent, but his ice-cold eyes narrowed, causing everyone to feel a chilling sensation under the scorching sun.

Hou Ping cautiously stepped forward. "Sir, you see, Wu Deshui is, well, he's just lucky. His sister married a high-ranking official in the capital as a concubine. We dare not offend him. Coming from the countryside to take up this position, he behaves arrogantly. During the past ten days, you could rarely see him. If he wasn't inside a wine barrel, he would be under a woman's skirt."

Su Cen furrowed his brows. "So, he was supposed to be on duty that day, but he wasn't."

He was supposed to be on duty at the northwest gate, which was closest to Pingkang District.

"He did come that day," someone murmured in the crowd. "He took the keys to the city gate and left. But he wasn't around when the gate was opened at the Yin hour. Luckily, the keys were left on the table in the courtyard, or else we would have missed the time to open the gate."

"Does he often do this?"

"It's a common occurrence," Hou Ping sneered. "When he's in the mood for a drink, even at midnight, he would open the city gate himself and go smash the doors of the liquor shops."

Su Cen's brows furrowed even deeper. "Who is this high-ranking official he's related to?"

The fact that he could neglect his duty like this without being sent back to his hometown indicated that this influential figure held significant power.

The gatekeepers exchanged glances for a while, and someone whispered in the crowd, "Liu Xiang."

Su Cen was immediately taken aback. That was indeed a powerful figure. Not only were the gatekeepers afraid of him, but even Su Cen himself would have to lower his head when facing him.

So, when was the key placed on the table? Did anyone use it to open the city gate? Was it accidental or deliberate?

"Where does Wu Deshui live?" Su Cen asked.

"He lives in Guiyi Lane," Hou Ping replied. "You can find out about him if you ask around there."

As Su Cen returned from the Eastern Market, his hunger became apparent. He regretted not eating a bowl of pearl jade soup dumplings and getting a portion of chilled mung bean cake to take away as a snack during his investigation. Now, he could only gaze at his plain bowl of noodles in the small kitchen prepared in the backyard of the Dali Hall, holding his chopsticks with teary eyes.

As Su Cen was halfway through his meal, thunder rumbled in the distance, and the sky suddenly darkened.

However, Su Cen didn't relax. Shortly after, a heavy rain poured down, and it showed no sign of stopping.

When Su Cen left the Dali Temple, he saw Qu Ling'er standing outside with an umbrella, wearing his usual attire. He approached him, and he quickly sheltered him under the umbrella.

"Where's Ah Fu?" Su Cen asked.

"Ah Fu is helping the girl from the neighboring Zhang family to collect clothes," Qu Ling'er replied.

Su Cen glanced at him. "The rain has been pouring for an hour, and they haven't finished collecting?"

"You know about that?" Qu Ling'er's face drooped. "I felt suffocated at home, so I came out to get some fresh air. But I didn't dare to venture out in broad daylight."

"You're getting fresh air all the way to the Dali Hall. It doesn't seem like you're afraid to come out," Su Cen remarked.

"I just happened to pass by and wanted to get familiar with the place," Qu Ling'er grinned mischievously. "In case you ever end up sending me here, I can find a way to escape."

Su Cen rolled his eyes. "You won't come here. The Dali Hall handles criminal cases, and someone like you would be sent straight to the prison of the Ministry of Justice, waiting for execution."

"You're so ruthless, Su Gege," Qu Ling'er wiped his nonexistent tears with his sleeve, then turned around, smiling mischievously as he walked backward towards the gate of the Dali Temple. He commented with interest, "The Dali Temple is quite impressive. They say, 'The main entrance faces south, those without money or reason, do not enter.' I wonder if it's the same here."

Then he shook his head and muttered to himself, "It must be different. After all, you're inside."

Su Cen couldn't help but laugh. "The Dali Hall isn't my family's property just because I'm here. I have no control over it."

"But you will surely administer justice for the common people," Qu Ling'er said confidently. "Besides, you're not lacking in money either. Maybe you'll even send a beauty as a gift."

Su Cen replied, "..."

Before Su Cen could mock Qu Ling'er, he turned around and smiled at him. "You know, people like us common folks fear places like this the most. Officials and merchants protect each other, and money can dictate everything. Even the two stone lions at the entrance can drain a person's blood. But I believe you're not that kind of person."

"Oh?" Su Cen almost retorted with a sarcastic remark but held his tongue. Instead, he asked, "Then what kind of person am I?"

"You are a good person," Qu Ling'er said, smiling at him. "Su Gege, you are a good person."

What does it mean to be a good person? Su Cen couldn't help but smile bitterly. The wicked are carefree, and the bad are free-spirited, but a good person must meticulously seek the truth within the confines of societal norms. The hardest role to play in this world is that of a good person.

As they turned into the alley, the rain grew heavier, pattering against the umbrella. The rain curtain slid down between the umbrella ribs, obscuring the surroundings in a hazy mist.

Suddenly, Qu Ling'er stopped and tugged at Su Cen's sleeve.

"What's wrong?" Su Cen asked, following his gaze, only to see a figure emerging from the rain and fog. The person was not carrying an umbrella, and their black clothes were soaked through. As they approached, Qu Ling'er handed the umbrella to Su Cen and pushed the person backward. "Quick, run!"

In the next instant, a cold glint flashed.

Su Cen stumbled back as he was pushed, barely regaining his footing. Just as he steadied himself, he saw Qu Ling'er tilt backward, narrowly avoiding a dagger that slashed through the air. Then, with a swift and elusive movement, he flipped backward and landed beside Su Cen, pulling him. "Why are you standing there? Run!"

The umbrella handle in Su Cen's hand almost snapped as he was pulled. Realizing that carrying it would only hinder him, he released his grip, allowing the umbrella to be carried away by the wind, smacking the person in the face.

Taking a moment to catch their breath, Su Cen ran alongside Qu Ling'er and asked, "Who is this person?"

"How should I know?!" Qu Ling'er pressed on his waist where he was injured. The movement caused the wound to reopen, oozing strands of lingering red. With each step, he winced in pain.

It was clear that they were no match for this person with their injuries and vulnerabilities. The person in black smoothly landed ahead of them.

Qu Ling'er quickly halted and shielded Su Cen behind him. He said, "I'll hold them off. Don't turn back, just run as far as you can."

"Are you sure about this?" Su Cen furrowed his brow.

"Stop talking and go!"

Qu Ling'er exerted his strength and launched himself forward. Su Cen gritted his teeth and turned to run.

Just as he took a couple of steps, he heard a loud thud. Qu Ling'er, in a mysterious posture, soared over him and crashed into the wall directly in front. The wall instantly collapsed, and Qu Ling'er, covered in bruises and cuts from the sharp edges of bricks and tiles, gasped for air and coughed up blood.

Su Cen: "..."

He quickly helped Qu Ling'er up. "Aren't you skilled? What about your 'Flowing clouds and flying swallows' technique?"

Leaning on Su Cen for support, Qu Ling'er struggled to stand, mustering the last of his strength. He rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Su Gege, I only have two special skills: hidden weapons and lightness technique. I kill and then run. You took my hidden weapons, so if I run, what will you do?"

"Fine," Su Cen said, watching as the person in black approached step by step. He grabbed a brick and positioned himself in front of Qu Ling'er, shielding him. "Su Gege will protect you."