Chapter 13: The Mysterious Assassin
Translated by algoo | Proofread by algoo
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When Lin Xiu last saw Qin Cong, the man had said they would meet again. He hadn’t expected it to be so soon, and under such circumstances.
The Ministry of Records, mortuary.
Qin Cong’s body lay stiffly on a wooden board. The coroner, after examining him, declared, “Time of death, between the You and Xu hours yesterday. Cause of death, a sword wound to the throat. Instantaneous death. Judging by the wound, the weapon was a short sword or dagger.”
Qin Cong was dead, killed in his own home.
Before entering his room, he had instructed his servants not to disturb him. The next morning, they found him dead in his bedroom.
The furious Qin family immediately reported the crime to the Ministry of Records. Lin Xiu and Zhao Lingyin, having had a prior conflict with him, were naturally summoned.
The Magistrate briefly questioned them, then dismissed them.
Both had alibis, being at home at the time of Qin Cong’s death. They had neither the time nor the means to commit the crime.
Infiltrating a First Rank Baron’s residence undetected, killing him, and escaping without a trace wasn’t something an ordinary person could do.
Moreover, the killer hadn’t bothered to conceal their identity.
They had left flower petals on Qin Cong’s body.
An official, looking at the body, said gravely, “A single strike to the throat, flower petals left on the body… aside from those deliberate marks, there are no other clues. That woman has struck again…”
The Magistrate waved his hand. “Since this isn’t an ordinary case, hand it over to the Mystical Arts Division.”
The Mystical Arts Division was a separate government agency. The Ministry of Records handled ordinary cases; those involving mystical arts or practitioners were transferred to the Mystical Arts Division.
Looking at Qin Cong’s body, Lin Xiu discreetly placed his hand on his head. The power within him didn’t react. It seemed he couldn’t copy abilities from the dead.
Back in the Archives, after washing his hands ten times, Lin Xiu asked Supervisor Chen, “Uncle Chen, who killed Qin Cong?”
Supervisor Chen took a sip of tea. “A mysterious assassin. Many officials and nobles have died by her hand in the past year. The Mystical Arts Division and the Secret Investigation Department are actively searching for her. Qin Cong was simply unlucky to have caught her attention…”
Supervisor Chen didn’t reveal much. After he left, Lin Xiu began searching the Archives.
This was where case files were stored. Every case handled by the Ministry of Records in the past three years could be found here. After a long search, Lin Xiu found the assassin’s file.
Information on her was scarce. She was a woman, her weapon a dagger or short sword. She specialized in assassination, targeting high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital, rarely failing. Her few failures were due to her targets having powerful protectors. It was these failures that provided the court with some information.
Before that, the court knew nothing about her. Anyone who had seen her was dead.
Reading the file, Lin Xiu felt a grudging admiration for her.
Though she had killed many, her victims were either corrupt officials, cruel nobles, or criminals like Qin Cong, who escaped justice through their influence.
She had a habit of leaving flower petals at the scene, marking her work, ensuring no innocent person was wrongly accused.
Finishing the file, Lin Xiu sighed. “A true hero…”
He, too, wanted to see scum like Qin Cong dead, but he lacked the power.
The file stated the assassin was also a mystical arts practitioner with considerable martial arts skill.
Her ability was concealment, awakened at least three times, allowing her to become invisible at will. Not a combat ability, but combined with martial arts, it made her a deadly assassin. An invisible assassin, launching unpredictable attacks, was terrifying.
Lin Xiu, in his previous life, had played a game called Honor of Kings. He hated facing certain invisible assassins.
You couldn’t see them most of the game. The moment they appeared was the moment you died.
Later, when he mastered playing one of those assassins himself, he understood how powerful invisibility was.
Because of her numerous successful assassinations, the court had placed a large bounty on her head, reportedly ten thousand taels, enough for an ordinary family to live comfortably for generations.
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Lin Xiu returned the file and left the Ministry of Records.
News traveled fast in the capital. The Qin family’s visit to the Ministry of Records and the removal of Qin Cong’s body were already public knowledge. As Lin Xiu walked the streets, he heard people discussing it everywhere.
“Serves him right! That scoundrel should have died long ago!”
“I wonder which hero delivered justice. I thank them!”
“This is truly satisfying!”
Lin Xiu, having been summoned early, hadn’t eaten breakfast. He stopped at a stall, ordered steamed buns and porridge, and sat down to eat.
This was a commoner’s eatery. Lin Xiu’s fine clothes made him stand out.
Even those excitedly discussing Qin Cong’s death fell silent.
Such talk was fine in private, but if overheard by the wrong person and reported to the Qin family, the consequences could be severe.
But soon, someone recognized him.
“Isn’t that the official who spoke up for Old Wang the other day?”
“No way. Someone like him, eating here?”
“It is him! There aren’t many people this handsome. I can’t be wrong!”
Though they whispered, no one dared approach him. He was an official, they were commoners. They still held a degree of awe and fear towards officials.
Lin Xiu finished his meal and ordered several more steamed buns to go, intending to take them back to the Ministry of Records.
The urgent case this morning meant many of his colleagues hadn’t eaten either.
Since he planned to frequent the Ministry of Records, he needed to build rapport with his colleagues. He was still an outsider.
As he paid, the stall owner, a sturdy middle-aged man, shook his head. “These buns are on me, Your Honor.”
Lin Xiu was taken aback. Before he could ask, the owner explained, “Poor Old Wang. He raised his daughter with such hardship, only for her to be murdered by that villain. You were the only one who spoke up for them. It’s just a few buns. I can’t accept your money.”
Lin Xiu insisted on paying, but the owner refused. Even other customers urged him to accept the offer. Lin Xiu finally relented.
Back at the Ministry of Records, he distributed the buns. The officials, busy with the Qin case, hadn’t had time for breakfast. Unlike Lin Xiu, they couldn’t simply leave. The aroma of the buns quickly attracted them.
In the Archives, Lin Xiu smiled at his three colleagues. “I bought some buns. If you haven’t eaten, have some.”
The three hungry clerks immediately gathered, each taking a bun, thanking him as they devoured them.
“Thank you, thank you…”
“Master Lin’s buns are a lifesaver.”
“We were just discussing sending someone out to buy some…”
Previously, they had only greeted him politely, maintaining a distance. These simple buns bridged the gap.
One clerk, finishing his bun, wiped his hands and said, “How much were these? We’ll pay you back.”
Lin Xiu waved his hand. “Don’t mention it, Master Xu. A few buns aren’t worth much.”
The clerk smiled. “Even brothers keep accounts clear. Otherwise, we won’t feel comfortable asking you to bring us food next time.”
Lin Xiu shook his head. “Really, there’s no need. These buns didn’t cost me anything. The stall owner gave them to me. Wang Shi, the woman who died a few days ago, was his neighbor. He thanked me for speaking up for her and refused my money.”
The clerks were stunned. Clerk Xu, who had just picked up another bun, paused, then slowly put it down. “In that case, we don’t deserve to eat these…”
Lin Xiu sighed. “I don’t deserve them either. That thief was clearly a scapegoat. Wang Shi’s reputation is still tarnished. I failed to clear her name.”
Wang Shi had been raped by Qin Cong, then silenced when she threatened to report him. Her death was staged as a suicide.
Later, the Qin family found a scapegoat. The official records now stated she had willingly engaged with Qin Cong and was then killed by a thief.
A virtuous young woman, wrongly accused and murdered, then labeled a prostitute. Lin Xiu couldn’t imagine her family’s grief.
At the entrance to the Archives, the Magistrate, halfway through a bun, paused, then finished it in a single bite.
He returned to his office and addressed a guard. “Prepare the court.”
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