2024-07-15 08:50:48
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Ten Shadows in Maple Forest
Thin fog drifted above Jinhung’s rooftops while Guo Jiang moved through the night at a height low enough to observe without attracting attention.Recent killings had changed the city’s rhythm, leaving several streets emptier than ordinary evenings and many household gates closed earlier than usual.Guo Jiang crossed above merchant districts, clan compounds, and quieter residential lanes while extending Banxiang perception far beyond the reach of normal sight.He ignored ordinary groups returning home, late vendors, watchmen, and household guards because none moved with the careful irregularity of concealed operatives.Near the direction of Maple Forest, ten distinct human presences finally broke the pattern Guo Jiang had been observing across Jinhung.They did not travel along one road or maintain the relaxed spacing of ordinary companions waiting for transport.<
The Burden of the Eastern Seat
After Shangguan Zan departed, Guo Jiang remained alone in the Eastern Mansion garden overlooking the direction of Maple Forest and distant Jinhung City.The old patriarch’s grief had not left with his carriage, because the death of Shangguan Rong carried consequences far beyond one mourning household.Shangguan Rong had been his father’s only son and expected heir, which meant the Shangguan Clan now faced uncertainty inside its own succession.Guo Jiang knew that uncertainty would spread outward through merchants, retainers, workshops, tribute networks, and households depending on Shangguan business.He had accepted the eastern seat partly because it placed him near powerful people and regional currents important to his original purpose in Logun Continent.Yet authority had begun demanding something different from him, because every death inside Jinhung now arrived at his door as responsibility.Guo Jiang rested one hand behind his back and thought, “If I ignore disorder here, then ev
Two Explosive Amulets
Ning Ju bit her lower lip hard enough to force concentration through the pain spreading across her back and ribs.Her fingers found the two explosive amulets hidden beneath her clothing, each familiar enough that she needed no visual confirmation.The Eastern Demigods remained several paces away, white robes nearly silent beneath the forest wind while his attention stayed fixed on her.Ning Ju knew she could not defeat him, so the amulets were not weapons of victory but tools for creating one brief opening.She pulled both free in a single motion and shouted, “If you want my life, then come through this first!”Her arm snapped forward, sending the two source-supported amulets toward the white-robed figure from slightly different angles.Ning Ju did not wait to watch his hands, because survival depended on movement before the result became clear.
The White-Robed Demigods
Back in Maple Forest, Ning Ju still faced the unseen attacker while blood warmed her mouth and pain spread across her injured back.The cold laughter faded between the trees, leaving only shifting leaves and the unnatural chill that had announced danger earlier.Then a voice reached her from ahead, no longer hiding behind distance or changing direction.“So you are one of the people helping bring terror into Jinhung City, yet you still ask why someone stopped you.”Ning Ju tightened her grip around the dagger and searched the shadows, unable to understand how the speaker had connected her to anything.She did not know what evidence the unknown attacker possessed, and the source of that knowledge remained concealed from her.“I do not know what accusation you are making, but attacking from behind is a poor way to demand an explanation.”
The Eastern Ruler’s Burden
Shangguan Zan began with what his household had confirmed before allowing any mention of the rumors spreading throughout Jinhung City.He explained that more than twenty people had been found dead outside the gate, including his only son and several clan guards.Guo Jiang listened without interrupting, his expression remaining difficult to read as the patriarch continued through the known sequence.“The bodies were discovered before sunrise, my lord, and no surviving witness could explain what happened during the night.”Shangguan Zan then described the green dragon banner found near the gate and immediately clarified that he did not know who had placed it.“The city believes foreign killers are responsible, but I cannot honestly tell Your Excellency that the banner proves who murdered them.”Guo Jiang nodded once, approving the distin
A Father Before the Demigods
Earlier that day, long before Ning Ju encountered the mysterious cold wind in Maple Forest, Shangguan Zan had already arrived at Eastern Mansion.He came alone this time, without the five other clan patriarchs who had accompanied him during the previous visit.The difference was visible before anyone asked his purpose, because he entered without political confidence and remained in formal supplication inside the hall.Shangguan Zan had been waiting since morning, yet he showed none of the impatience that had marked his earlier audience attempt.His only son was dead, and the heir who should have carried the Shangguan Clan into another generation would never inherit anything.The memory of Shangguan Rong lying among the guards returned repeatedly whenever silence settled too deeply around him.Shangguan Zan pressed both hands against his knees and thought, “I will not leave before Eastern Mansion hears what happened to my son.”Servants passed the distant entrances occasionally, but no
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