Nightwatcher

# 366. Bafflingly Complex

The convoy consisted of sword- and spear-wielding Jianghu warriors. Hearing that the great Lady Flying Swallow had come, they had flocked to her in great numbers.

This was their third expedition to hunt the barbarian raiders. Thanks to the unmatched martial prowess of the Lady Flying Swallow, they returned victorious once again. This time, they had slain 120 barbarian raiders, captured 50 warhorses, seized 68 sabres, and reclaimed women and food stolen by the raiders.

Some losses occurred during the skirmishes—damaged warhorses, broken sabres, and casualties among the women and provisions.

The soldiers guarding the city squinted toward the horizon and spotted the heroic figure on a white horse, her appearance both spirited and exquisite. Recognizing the Lady Flying Swallow, they quickly alerted the sentries on the walls and stepped forward, spears in hand, to greet her.

"Lady Flying Swallow, you're back! Ah, you've killed so many barbarians again this time!"

"Quick, escort the Lady to the Constabulary for her reward."

The guards were thrilled, revering her as a paragon of chivalry and an idol worth following.

Two columns of soldiers led the way, escorting Li Miaozhen and her entourage into the city. The townsfolk lined the streets, cheering for the Lady Flying Swallow and marveling at the barbarian corpses being brought in.

They fervently called out her name, "Lady Flying Swallow!"

The jianghu warriors accompanying her straightened their backs, proud to bask in her reflected glory.

Roughly ten days ago, the Lady Flying Swallow had arrived in Beishan County. Declaring her mission to uphold justice, she had punished a group of profiteering merchants who were hoarding grain to inflate prices. She redistributed the seized grain to impoverished commoners and beggars.

The merchants, backed by influential officials, retaliated by sending troops to capture her, only to be repelled time and again.

What happened afterward was unknown to the townsfolk, but this Heroine subsequently rallied a band of jianghu folk in Beishan County to hunt barbarian raiders. She used the rewards from these expeditions to buy food and set up soup kitchens outside the city, feeding the destitute.

Her benevolence became the talk of the town, her deeds lauded in every household.

Even refugees from neighbouring counties braved arduous journeys over dozens of miles, crossing mountains to seek her charity in Beishan County.

…

After the day's charity work, Li Miaozhen returned to her inn, where Susu assisted her in bathing, scrubbing away the stench of blood.

She sat at the table, deep in thought.

Since the day she had exchanged messages with Xu Qi’an via the Earth Book, Li Miaozhen had been making high-profile appearances, performing heroic deeds far and wide. Her reputation was now modestly established in the northern frontier.

Yet despite ten days of effort, and a growing retinue of martial artists—some chasing fame, others profit, and still others genuinely opposing the barbarians—Li Miaozhen had yet to attract the person she sought.

“Master, has that brat made any progress? Isn’t he supposed to be brilliant at solving cases? Or is he just stumped?” Susu placed a cup of tea on the table, her tone tinged with concern for her mistress.

“This matter is far from simple,” Li Miaozhen replied, her brow furrowed. Through the Earth Book, she had learned the truth behind the "Blood Runs Three Thousand Miles" massacre from Xu Qi’an.

“I’ve been thinking these past days: if such a large-scale massacre truly happened in Chuzhou, even if the authorities tried to cover it up, the tongues of martial artists and common folk would never be silenced.”

No matter how she inquired, no one seemed to know anything.

Susu tilted her head in thought. Her breathtaking beauty took on an unusually contemplative expression, and then her eyes lit up with excitement.

“I’ve got it! I’ve got it!”

Li Miaozhen raised a skeptical eyebrow. “What have you come up with this time?”

Susu twirled a strand of hair around her jade-like fingers, her tone playful. “Think about it: if such a massacre occurred but no one remembers it, could it be because their memories were erased? Like how I can’t recall why my father was condemned and executed.”

Hearing this, Li Miaozhen snorted: “It’s such a large massacre, even if people’s memories were erased, it would still leave clear signs. Are you saying that the barbarians wouldn’t be able to find those? Really…”

She suddenly froze, her gaze unfocusing, body frozen.

“Master, what are you thinking?” Susu asked, concerned.

Li Miaozhen’s gaze turned contemplative. “But your suggestion isn’t entirely implausible. If such an event truly happened and yet everyone was kept in the dark…what kind of power could achieve that?”

She immediately ruled out martial artists—it wasn’t even a consideration.

Her mind then settled on a single possibility: Arcanists!

*Xu Qi’an had once mentioned that high-ranking arcanists could obscure heaven’s secrets, conceal certain people or events, and even render themselves invisible to the world…* Li Miaozhen felt as if her mind had been struck by lightning.

Her thoughts became clear, her logic coherent.

In Jiuzhou today, only one person came to mind with such capabilities: the Jianzheng.

Li Miaozhen shuddered at the implications of her speculation.

*Calm down, calm down. Xu Qi’an always said to make bold hypotheses but proceed with cautious verification… Until evidence supports my theory, it’s just conjecture.* Li Miaozhen took a deep breath, intending to use the Earth Book to share her thoughts with Xu Qi’an.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

“Enter,” Li Miaozhen called.

The small ghost guarding the door opened it eagerly, ushering in a guest.

The visitor was a middle aged man called Zhao Jin, a local from Chuzhou and one of the martial artists who had joined Li Miaozhen’s cause. His cultivation was not bad, and he was always on the front lines in their clashes.

Not for fame nor fortune, just for the people of Chuzhou. All he wanted was to drive the barbarians away and bring peace and prosperity to his homeland.

Dressed in her plain attire, Li Miaozhen carried an air of military discipline, her demeanour serious and composed. She asked, “Brother Zhao, what brings you here?”

Zhao Jin laughed heartily, his tone boisterous. “We’ve returned victorious again this time! The grain we’ve secured will keep the refugees outside the city fed for three days. The brothers are overjoyed and thought we’d celebrate at a restaurant.”

As he spoke, he casually moved to the table. Dipping his finger into Li Miaozhen’s teacup, he wrote on the surface of the table: _My lord wishes to meet you. It concerns the Zhenbei King’s massacre of civilians._

“I came to ask if you’ll be joining us tonight,” Zhao Jin said aloud, his voice booming with a friendly smile.

Li Miaozhen’s gaze lingered on the words for a long while before she replied, “Thank the brothers for their kindness on my behalf, but I won’t be attending.”

Zhao Jin nodded, made no attempt to linger, and left the room.

Descending the stairs, he returned to the main hall, where a group of boisterous Jianghu adventurers gathered around a table, eating and drinking. They immediately asked, “Well? Did Lady Flying Swallow agree?”

Zhao Jin shook his head helplessly.

The group groaned in disappointment, their collective sighs filling the room.

For many of the Jianghu men present, Li Miaozhen was an ideal heroine—strong, virtuous, and captivating. Among them were no shortage of admirers who secretly longed to marry her, though most knew their feelings were destined to remain unspoken, mere memories of youthful dreams.

After sharing a few drinks, Zhao Jin excused himself, claiming he was unfit to drink further. He returned to his room and, once alone, retrieved a talisman that Li Miaozhen had handed him earlier. With a surge of qi, he activated it. The talisman ignited with a faint hiss, and a profound drowsiness overtook him, pulling him into slumber.

In the haze of sleep, Zhao Jin opened his eyes once more, only to find a graceful figure in Daoist robes standing before him—it was Li Miaozhen.

“This is a dream,” she said calmly, her tone unwavering. “What you’re seeing is my nascent soul. Hmph, though none of you have openly admitted it, I’m well aware that some among you already know my true identity.”

The Conflict of Heaven and Man had stirred for over a month, and word that the Holy Maiden of Heaven Sect was none other than Lady Flying Swallow had begun to spread. While not common knowledge, it had reached enough ears to matter.

However, Li Miaozhen didn’t dwell on that. Fixing Zhao Jin with a steely gaze, she demanded, “Who are you?”

“I am indeed called Zhao Jin, a wandering swordsman from Chuzhou,” he replied.

She nodded slightly, seemingly able to discern his honesty even within the dreamscape. Pressing on, she asked, “Who is your lord? And how did you learn of Zhenbei King’s massacre? As far as I know, aside from the barbarians, no one in Chuzhou is aware of this matter.”

Her implication was clear: for a mere Jianghu swordsman, such knowledge was utterly implausible.

“My lord, he...”

…

After days of discreet inquiries, Constable Chen returned to the courier station empty-handed, admitting he had found no leads of value.

Censor Liu pondered aloud, “I believe our breakthrough might lie with Chuzhou’s Provincial Commissioner, Zheng Xinghuai. He has an excellent reputation, deeply respected by the people of Chuzhou, and is one of the rare upright officials.

“If he knows anything, he wouldn’t cover it up. If he hasn’t spoken, perhaps it’s because he’s been threatened by Zhenbei King or the Chief Commander. Why not visit him and test his response?”

Yang Yan glanced at the High Court’s Deputy Justice and the other censor. Seeing no objections, he nodded and said, “Let’s pay a visit to the Provincial Administration Office.”

Together with Censor Liu, who had connections with Zheng Xinghuai, they mounted their horses and rode to the office. After being announced, they were received by Zheng Xinghuai in the inner hall.

Learning their purpose, the stern-faced Zheng Xinghuai frowned deeply and asked, “Gentlemen, I have a question for you.”

“Please, speak,” Censor Liu replied with a polite smile.

Zheng Xinghuai regarded them solemnly. “This so-called massacre—Blood Runs Three Thousand Miles—is based on the fragmentary words of a single vengeful soul. On such flimsy evidence, you intend to investigate Zhenbei King? Don’t you think that’s overly hasty?”

Censor Liu furrowed his brow. “You mean to say…”

Zheng Xinghuai smiled faintly. “I oversee all matters in Chuzhou, from local unrest to barbarian raids. If such an event had occurred, believe me, Zhenbei King couldn’t possibly suppress the rumours. Surely you understand, Censor Liu.”

Even an emperor could not silence the court, let alone the Zhenbei King.

Censor Liu fell silent, deep in thought.

Meanwhile, Yang Yan spoke calmly. “If that’s the case, why obstruct the delegation’s investigation?”

Zheng Xinghuai’s smile remained unchanged. “The Zhenbei King is a king of the realm. The court sending a delegation to investigate him is seen by his soldiers as baseless slander. Their indignation is only natural.

“What’s more, the Zhenbei King commands the northern forces, and many in court would love to see his power diminished. The delegation’s troubles in Chuzhou are merely the reflexive actions of his faction.”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Exchanging glances, Censor Liu and Yang Yan took their leave.

As they rode back side by side, Censor Liu turned to Yang Yan and asked, “Do you think Commissioner Zheng’s words have a point?”

“I don’t know!”

Yang Yan replied succinctly. His efforts thus far had been aimed solely at gathering clues for Xu Qi’an. It would be too humiliating if the delegation regrouped with Xu Qi’an empty-handed.

But he had to admit, this case was bafflingly complex.

…

“My lord was the sole survivor, escaping Zhenbei King’s slaughter by a stroke of luck. Since then, he has been on the run.”

Zhao Jin had barely finished when Li Miaozhen interrupted coldly, “The Zhenbei King is a third-rank martial artist. For your lord to escape his blade, what kind of extraordinary figure must he be? And if you’ve been in my midst all this time, why reveal yourself only now?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Start with your lord’s identity.” Li Miaozhen’s brow furrowed.

“My lord is Zheng Xinghuai, Provincial Commissioner of Chuzhou,” Zhao Jin said gravely.