Chapter Text
With the System's help due to Shen yuan's begging, Shen Yuan and Liu Qingge finally managed to narrow down their suspect.
A male cultivator.
Around his forties.
Long dark hair.
Good-quality robes.
Strong enough to avoid suspicion.
And most importantly—
He wasn't local.
According to the System, the man rarely stayed near the Heng River for extended periods.
He came and went.
Always disappearing before anyone could connect him to the missing merchants.
That alone made him suspicious.
The problem was finding him.
Fortunately, they weren't far from Jin Lan City.
Unfortunately, their investigation quickly led them somewhere Liu Qingge never wanted to enter.
Again.
"A brothel?" Liu Qingge asked.
Shen Yuan coughed.
"Several brothels, actually."
"..."
"The suspect apparently visits them often."
"..."
"The witnesses were surprisingly consistent."
"..."
"The man's reputation is not very good."
—
Their first stop was the establishment where Shen Yuan had worked for years.
The moment they entered, disaster struck.
A customer hurried past and shoulder-checked Shen Yuan.
The fox stumbled.
Nearly falling backward into Liu Qingge.
"Sorry!"
The man shouted before vanishing deeper into the crowd.
Liu Qingge's eyes narrowed dangerously.
The customer had already disappeared.
A pity.
—
Before Shen Yuan could recover—
He was attacked.
Not by enemies.
By women.
"A-Yuan!"
"Look at him!"
"Our little fox finally came back!"
Several women immediately surrounded him.
One grabbed his cheeks.
Another inspected his ears.
A third checked his tails.
A fourth somehow appeared from nowhere and started fixing his hair.
"Sh-Shijie—"
"No complaining."
The eldest woman crossed her arms.
"We finally have you visiting."
"Let us pamper you."
Another scoffed.
"Hmph. I preferred him when he was younger."
Several immediately nodded.
"He was adorable."
"Such a cute kid."
"He used to follow us around everywhere."
Shen Yuan's face turned bright red.
"I was a teenager!"
"Still cute."
"Shijie!"
The women ignored him.
—
Liu Qingge watched from a sofa in the lobby.
People kept staring.
Some recognized him.
Others simply couldn't comprehend why the Peak Lord of Bai Zhan Peak was sitting inside a brothel looking like he'd rather be fighting demons.
Liu Qingge looked away from them all.
'I'm worse than Shen Qingqiu.'
He had entered a brothel voluntarily.
Twice.
—
Nearly half a shichen later, Shen Yuan finally emerged.
He had clearly lost the battle.
His hair had been redone.
A bit of makeup highlighted his features.
His robes had somehow been replaced with a more elaborate version of his usual outfit.
The women behind him looked extremely pleased with themselves.
Shen Yuan looked resigned.
"Sorry, Qingge."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"I couldn't refuse them."
'Who could blame me!? They're basically my sisters!"
Liu Qingge looked him over.
Then immediately looked away.
"...It is fine."
Shen Yuan sighed in relief.
"Good."
"Now let us continue."
Liu Qingge stood.
"I do not wish to stay here longer than necessary."
—
The women quickly ushered both cultivators into a private room.
Tea was served.
Doors were shut.
The atmosphere immediately shifted from reunion to investigation.
One of the older women sat down first.
"If you're asking questions, then something serious happened."
Shen Yuan nodded.
"We're searching for someone."
He described the suspect.
Middle-aged.
Long hair.
Expensive robes.
Frequently visited brothels.
Often traveled between cities.
The moment he finished, several expressions changed.
The women exchanged looks.
One clicked her tongue.
"I know who you're talking about."
Another groaned.
"Him again?"
Liu Qingge immediately leaned forward.
"You recognize him?"
"Unfortunately."
The eldest woman rolled her eyes.
"He doesn't come here often anymore."
"But he used to."
Shen Yuan perked up.
"You know where he goes now?"
One woman nodded.
"He prefers a place on the western side of Jin Lan City."
Another added,
"And whenever he's in town, he rents a private residence nearby."
The room fell silent.
That was the first solid lead they'd found.
Shen Yuan immediately pulled out his notebook.
The questioning continued for another quarter of a shichen before one of the older women suddenly snapped her fingers.
"Oh."
Everyone looked at her.
"What?"
The woman frowned.
"He was here earlier."
The room immediately fell silent.
Shen Yuan straightened.
Liu Qingge's hand moved to Cheng Luan.
"What do you mean earlier?" Shen Yuan asked.
"This morning."
The woman's expression darkened.
"He left in a hurry."
"How long ago?"
"Perhaps two hours."
Shen Yuan's heart sank.
Too recent.
Far too recent.
Another woman leaned forward.
"Now that I think about it, he started visiting shortly after A-Yuan left."
The room grew quieter.
"He kept asking questions."
"What kind of questions?" Liu Qingge asked.
The women exchanged looks.
"About A-Yuan."
Shen Yuan froze.
"He asked what A-Yuan looked like."
"He asked where he lived."
"He asked how long he'd worked here."
One woman looked particularly disturbed.
"He even asked if we would be willing to sell him."
The temperature in the room dropped.
Liu Qingge's expression didn't change.
Which somehow made it worse.
The women immediately felt a chill.
Shen Yuan, meanwhile, simply sat there.
Silent.
The pieces were fitting together far too neatly.
The man appears after his identity becomes public.
The disappearances begin.
The questions begin.
The murders begin.
And now—
The man had specifically sought information about him.
Not a huli jing.
Not fox spirits.
Him.
Shen Yuan.
His ears slowly drooped.
His tails puffed up instinctively.
The room immediately quieted.
The women noticed at once.
Most had known him since he was young.
They knew exactly what that reaction meant.
Fear.
Not panic.
Not terror.
But the old instinctive fear that had followed huli jings for generations.
The fear of being hunted.
Shen Yuan lowered his gaze.
Huli jings being targeted wasn't unusual.
It never had been.
Not after Huan Hua Palace.
Not after the extermination campaigns.
Not after entire clans vanished.
He remembered the stories.
The memories.
Huli jings killed for bounties, captured and sold, frapped in their animal forms, used as pets, servants entertainment.
Things.
Not people.
If someone wanted to kill him simply because he existed—
That wasn't surprising.
It was expected
"...A-Yuan."
One of the women reached over and gently touched his shoulder.
His ears twitched.
"It's best if you stay here for a few days."
Shen Yuan blinked.
"Huh?"
The woman crossed her arms.
"If he's looking for you, he'll probably come back."
Another nodded.
"You'll have a much easier time catching him here."
"Rather than running around every brothel in Jin Lan City."
Several immediately agreed.
"Exactly."
"We know his face."
"If he comes back, we'll recognize him."
"And we can send someone to get you."
Shen Yuan slowly considered it.
Objectively speaking...
It wasn't a bad idea.
The man clearly had some connection to this place.
He'd been coming here for months.
If he returned—
They could catch him.
Before he disappeared again.
Shen Yuan looked toward Liu Qingge.
"What do you think?"
Liu Qingge looked absolutely miserable.
His gaze swept across the brothel.
The musicians, customers, women, decorations, the entire establishment.
His expression said everything.
He hated this idea.
Deeply, profoundly, with every fiber of his being, unfortunately—
He couldn't find a flaw in the plan.
"..."
The silence stretched.
"...It is better than searching every brothel."
Shen Yuan immediately laughed.
"You sound like you just swallowed poison."
"It is still preferable."
"To what?"
"Searching every brothel."
The answer came far too quickly.
Several women covered their mouths to hide their laughter.
Liu Qingge ignored them.
Mostly.
One of his ears had turned red.
Shen Yuan unfortunately noticed.
The fox immediately looked far too entertained.
"Aww."
"Do not."
"You hate being here that much?"
"I do."
"You've visited this place twice now."
"I regret both."
The room erupted into laughter.
Even Shen Yuan's mood improved.
Just a little.
Enough that his ears rose again.
Enough that his tails slowly settled.
Liu Qingge watched the change and quietly relaxed.
~
What was supposed to be a stakeout quickly became Shen Yuan returning to his old job.
Temporarily.
At least that was what he told Liu Qingge.
Somehow, three days later, he was already helping with performances, carrying trays, playing the guqin, and gossiping with the women as if he'd never left.
Liu Qingge suspected Shen Yuan had simply missed them.
Deeply.
"Shijie, your hairpin is crooked."
"A-Yuan, stop fussing."
"It is crooked."
"Then fix it."
Shen Yuan immediately did.
The woman laughed and pinched his cheek.
"A-Yuan is still the sweetest."
"I know."
The shameless answer earned several amused snorts.
—
The performances were especially bad.
Bad for Liu Qingge.
Not because they were poorly done.
The opposite.
They were very good.
Far too good.
Shen Yuan sat gracefully before the guqin, long fingers dancing across the strings while several dancers performed around him.
His fox ears twitched occasionally.
His tails swayed behind him.
Every time he smiled, someone in the audience seemed ready to throw more money at him.
Liu Qingge hated it.
Not because Shen Yuan looked good.
That would be ridiculous.
He hated it because Shen Yuan kept dragging him into the performances.
"Qingge!"
Liu Qingge immediately felt dread.
"No."
"You don't even know what I'm asking."
"No."
Shen Yuan clicked his tongue.
Then immediately turned toward the audience.
"Our honored Peak Lord Liu seems shy today."
Liu Qingge nearly choked.
The audience laughed.
Several women laughed harder.
Shen Yuan looked entirely too pleased with himself.
"Perhaps I should lower my price?"
Liu Qingge froze.
The room immediately became interested.
"What price?" someone called.
Shen Yuan smiled.
"If Peak Lord Liu purchases my company tonight, I'll charge him half."
The room erupted.
Several customers nearly fell from their seats in shock.
Liu Qingge looked ready to draw Cheng Luan.
"Shen. Yuan."
The fox immediately hid behind one of the dancers.
"Look everyone, he's embarrassed."
Liu Qingge spent the rest of the night following Shen Yuan around with the expression of a man contemplating murder.
—
Several days passed.
The suspect never appeared.
But Shen Yuan wasn't entirely discouraged.
Eventually someone would make a mistake.
People always did.
—
One evening, Shen Yuan sat upon the stage playing the guqin.
Soft music filled the room.
Several dancers performed nearby.
The audience watched quietly.
His ears twitched occasionally.
His tails moved lazily behind him.
All while he secretly monitored every person entering the building.
Searching.
Waiting.
Watching.
When the performance ended, applause followed.
Shen Yuan stood and bowed politely.
Just as he was preparing to leave—
A voice spoke up.
"I'd like to request Shen-gongzi's company tonight."
The room immediately grew interested.
Shen Yuan blinked.
The speaker was handsome.
Young.
Far too young.
At least in appearance.
Certainly not the forty-year-old cultivator they were hunting.
Still...
Something felt strange.
Liu Qingge immediately stepped forward.
"No."
The answer came instantly.
The man raised an eyebrow.
"I wasn't asking Peak Lord Liu."
"I answered anyway."
The atmosphere became tense.
Shen Yuan quickly stepped between them.
"It's alright."
Liu Qingge turned.
"It is not."
"It's just conversation."
"No."
"Qingge."
"No."
The man chuckled.
"You guard him closely."
Liu Qingge's expression somehow became even colder.
Shen Yuan immediately intervened before someone died.
"I accept."
Silence.
Liu Qingge stared.
Absolutely stared.
Shen Yuan smiled nervously.
"It'll be fine."
"No."
"It will."
"No."
"Trust me."
"No."
"...You really only know one word, huh?"
—
A private room was prepared.
Tea was served.
The handsome stranger sat across from Shen Yuan.
For a while, their conversation remained harmless.
The man asked questions.
Many questions.
About Shen Yuan.
About Cang Qiong.
About huli jings.
"What are huli jings really like?"
Shen Yuan shrugged.
"People."
The man smiled.
"That's a simple answer."
"It's the correct one."
"Most would disagree."
"Most people are idiots."
The man laughed.
Genuinely.
For a brief moment, Shen Yuan relaxed.
Perhaps he had judged too quickly.
Perhaps this was merely a curious cultivator.
—
Outside.
Liu Qingge sat in the hallway.
Waiting.
Fuming.
A passing worker wisely chose not to disturb him.
—
Inside.
The conversation continued.
"What was your childhood like?"
"Terrible."
The man blinked.
"...That direct?"
"You asked."
Another laugh.
The stranger seemed increasingly interested.
Meanwhile Shen Yuan's guard slowly lowered.
Not completely.
But enough.
Enough to miss certain details.
Like how the man's questions never truly stopped focusing on him.
Enough to miss how carefully the stranger observed him.
Enough to miss the hidden blade concealed inside his sleeve.
—
Eventually the man stood.
"I should leave."
"So soon?"
"I've taken enough of Shen-gongzi's time."
The stranger moved behind him.
Slowly.
Calmly.
Shen Yuan remained seated.
The man gently brushed several strands of hair away from his neck.
A strange gesture.
But not enough to trigger alarm.
"Gege?"
The term slipped out automatically.
A habit from years of dealing with customers.
Then—
Pain.
A sharp sting against his neck.
Shen Yuan's eyes widened.
His body immediately went numb.
Poison.
'Shit.'
His vision blurred.
The room tilted.
The last thing he saw was the man's appearance shifting.
The youthful features melted away.
Wrinkles appeared.
His face aged.
His disguise breaking apart.
A man in his forties.
Long dark hair.
Expensive robes.
Cold eyes.
The suspect.
'Found him...'
Everything went black.
—
The cultivator caught Shen Yuan before he collapsed.
"You really are foolish."
His voice carried no warmth.
Only hatred.
"Just like every other huli jing."
He lifted the unconscious fox into his arms.
Then escaped through the window.
Not quietly.
He no longer cared.
—
Outside.
Liu Qingge immediately stood.
Crash.
The sound of breaking wood echoed from above.
His instincts screamed.
Without hesitation he kicked the door open.
The room exploded inward.
"Shen Yuan—"
Silence.
Empty.
The window hung open.
Curtains fluttered in the night breeze.
No Shen Yuan.
No suspect.
Nothing.
For one horrifying second, Liu Qingge froze.
Then he spotted it.
fur caught on the window frame.
The room instantly filled with killing intent.
Cold.
Violent.
Terrifying.
The nearby workers stumbled backward.
Someone dropped a tray.
Liu Qingge snatched the hair from the frame.
His hand trembled.
Not from fear.
From fury.
"Shen. Yuan."
The name came out dangerously quiet.
Then he jumped through the window.
Cheng Luan appeared beneath his feet.
The sword shot into the night sky.
Faster.
Faster.
Faster.
Spiritual sense spread across the city.
Searching.
Hunting.
Desperate.
But there was nothing.
No trace of Shen Yuan.
No trace of the kidnapper.
Nothing.
For the first time since arriving at Jin Lan City—
Liu Qingge felt genuinely afraid.