After trying once again to convince me to accompany him to the Jinlintai summit, without success, my brother had left with our clan's delegation.

I stayed in YunShen Buzhi with Uncle. In Brother's absence, I continued to avoid him. Just as I did with some elders whom I had not spoken to since I came out of "retirement" four years ago!

Uncle had told me that holding a grudge was punishable by our rules... I am still waiting for the punishment.

The elders, like Uncle, had realized that they could no longer force me to do as they pleased. If I stayed within the clan, it was because I had decided to do so and not because of attachment or duty! I could leave the clan at any time if I wanted to.

Of course, out of respect for my brother, I wouldn't do that; but Uncle didn't know that. I am not sure if Brother told him that I was talking to him again!

Uncle had asked me to teach my variation of the "murder rope" to some of my disciples. I refused! He then sent Brother, to whom I gave the same answer. A little later, I told him that I was actually teaching it to someone in the clan without revealing the identity.

I don't know if he understood that the person in question was my 10 year old son, SiZhui.

I had been teaching him to play Qin for 6 months, as well as his language. He was also secretly training with me in swordplay. I gave him different books to understand the concept of the "killing rope". He should already learn to master it in its initial configuration. Once he had mastered it and learned the intricacies of the Qin, I could teach him how to combine the two to make it an even more formidable weapon than it was originally. It would take time, but he was young!

Brother's absence lasted 7 days. When he returned, he was accompanied by HuaiSang. I hadn't seen the head of the Nie clan for three or four years, I think! Brother sent for me.

When I arrived in his workroom, he and HuaiSang were standing looking at a map. I knocked on the front door. Brother beckoned me to join them. I greeted them and they did the same. Brother rolled up the map and invited us to sit down.

"Wangji, HuaiSang has a small problem. It seems that mysterious murders are taking place near Qingue. You can imagine that the reason I'm talking to you and not to the authorities is that these murders are of a spiritual nature."

"What kind? "I asked.

"Lan Wangji, I thought you had taken a vow of silence! "HuaiSang exclaimed.

"Let's say my brother doesn't talk much, HuaiSang.

"Well, we thought at first, a fierce corpse. So, on the advice of "third brother" I sent a spiritual investigator from the "Impure Domain", but his investigation was unsuccessful. He did not find any missing bodies or desecrated graves. However, we did find traces of demonic culture. So I called my envoy back and thought that the summit was an opportunity to ask for help from "second brother". Han Guang-Jun, you have been close to the Patriarch of Yiling, so you are familiar with the demonic culture. I would like you to accompany me to Qinghe and solve this case. Because I really don't know how to do it! "

HuaiSang was pleading. For the past few years, I had heard his nickname of Mr. "I don't know". The fact that they had found traces of demonic cultivation, was enough for me, to give me a reason to go there.

"Wangji?" asked Brother.

"I'll go."

We went down to Caiyi where a cart was waiting for us.

Traveling with HuaiSang was an experience I had to remember not to repeat. I made him uncomfortable. It is true that I spoke very little. He tried several times to start a conversation, but I was content to meditate, with Bichen prominently displayed on my lap. Fortunately, the trip lasted only three days.

Brother had given me the map where the murders had taken place and HuaiSang the report of his envoy. Arrived at the foot of the mountain of the "Impure Domain" I left the chief of the Nie clan and took the direction of Zibo. Arrived on the spot, the first thing that I made, was to take a room in an inn. Then I explored the city. I found without difficulty the cemetery. As the report said, no graves seemed to have been desecrated. Four new graves had been recently erected. One for each murder committed. These had been at regular seven-day intervals. If the pattern was maintained, another would take place tonight.

According to the report, all the victims knew each other and had at one time or another had a dispute with each other. The first was a sword maker. He was known to local authorities for various drug deals. The second victim was one of his "customers". This one had, at first sight, killed the arms manufacturer because of a disagreement between them. Then he had been in his turn murdered, 7 days later, during a brawl in a pleasure house by one of the courtesans. This one had been killed by the brother of the one she had murdered 1 week earlier. Seven days ago, the latter had in turn died in a mysterious way. He had been found completely naked in a room of one of the inns of the city. Each time the report mentioned the residue of a dark energy. All the victims were spirituals of varying levels.

If the pattern was repeated, the murderer of the last victim would die tonight! I had until nightfall to find the culprit who would become a victim. I was on my way back to the inn when on the way I came across a person I had hoped not to meet again!

"Han GuangJun, we haven't seen each other for a long time! So, did you like my gift? ".

Why did he have to be here! I drew Bichen and pointed it at his throat. Baochen put his index finger on the tip of my sword and turned it away from him with a frown and a tight smile.

"Han GuangJun, don't you have a sense of humor? I thought you would like this book considering the curiosity you showed towards it."

"Indecent! "I pointed at Bichen again. He rested his finger on it and pushed it away, ... this time from the other side.

"Han GuangJun, I didn't have any bad intention, it's just that I know old Qi Ren. In this matter, he must not have been of much help to you! ". I lowered my sword.

"You know Uncle? "

"Let's just say that our paths have already crossed. At one time, we almost belonged to the same family! But that's all in the past... What are you doing here, Han Guangjun?

Baochen was serious again.

"And you? "I asked, intrigued by this surprise appearance.

"I was visiting a colleague not far from here when I heard about the mysterious deaths. I was told of a cursed spiritual object that was discovered by a smuggler and that was the cause of the murders.

"They? "I asked suspiciously. Baochen ironically said.

"Oh, you know how it is, so-and-so told another who repeated it and so on.... "

"The rumor! "

"Yes that's right, the rumor! So, you too are here about the murders and this dark energy infected object?".

"Mnn"

"Good! It's safer to hunt with two people in this kind of business. Let's team up, what do you say? "

"Boring! "

"Boring? Is it me that's boring or the fact that you have no one else to help you? "

"Both," I replied, giving him a cold stare.

"Han GuangJun, has anyone ever told you that your gaze could freeze even the hottest of courtesans in place? ".

"You talk too much"

"And you not enough! "We looked at each other.

He reminded me so much of you my love. If I hadn't known your parents had died when you were a child, I would have taken him for your father. Your characters were so similar.

"Let's go to the inn, where the last crime took place" I turned away from him and headed towards the outskirts of the city where the body had been found.

"I follow you dear friend! "Baochen followed me.

When we arrived at the inn, it didn't take long to discover that our victim was not alone in that room and that he was in the company of a "lady".

To make him confess the name of this person was quite complicated! But Baochen was very talented and a little devious too. I saw him discreetly pouring a powder into the innkeeper's tea cup. I questioned him with my eyes but he nodded and squinted. The innkeeper quickly began to doze off. Baochen took the opportunity to ask him about the identity of the famous "lady". It turned out that the lady was married to a prominent man of the city and that the night of the murder, the couple had been surprised by the deceived husband!

We had the identity of our assassin: Gao Feng. He was in charge of the city's accounting.

Night was about to fall. We had to find him as soon as possible. We went to his house. But the servants told us that he had disappeared and that they did not know where he was. We asked to see his wife, but she had left a little before nightfall for Lanling where her parents lived.

We immediately set off in the direction of the Lanling road. After half an hour we found Gao Furhen's cart. The coachman and the maid who accompanied him had both been killed. We then heard a scream in the forest. We ran in its direction.

We saw a man and a woman fighting. The man had tackled the woman to the ground and was threatening her with a dagger.

I threw Bichen, and she pierced his hand. His weapon flew into the foot of a tree. Drunk with rage, Gao Feng rushed towards me. His eyes were completely black. He was possessed. I summoned Wangji and put him out of action. A blue aura escaped from him and took refuge in the dagger.

Baochen rushed towards it. He had his back to me. When I reached him, I had time to see him put something in his sleeve. Then he took out his gloves.

"Han GuangJun do you have a Qiankun pocket, to seal this dagger? "

I took out my purse from my sleeve and opened it. Baochen, with his gloves on, took the dagger and put it in.

"Here is a good thing done! I count on you to take care of this spirit! "

He let himself fall into the grass at the foot of a tree. He looked up at the sky and smiled.

"You know what we need, Han Guangjun? A good jar of alcohol to recover from our emotions! Would you like to accompany me once we get back to the inn? "

"Alcohol is a source of boredom and is forbidden to members of our clan"

"Come on, you sound like an old man! Han GuangJun you are young, you should indulge a little more in the pleasures of life! "

If only he knew how much I would have liked to do that! But I had no desire to do so because the person with whom I would have liked to make these discoveries was no longer there. But in my heart remained the hope of his return, ... one day!

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)