Bloodkiller - Chapter 31
Chapter 31: Knife Score
The Qingzhou outpost of the Shuanglong Sect was unlike others—situated not in the city, but secluded in a fortified villa some 80 miles south. It was also one of the earliest-established branches and had grown into a heavily-guarded stronghold. After the chaotic events in the capital, the group temporarily rested there.
Inside the study, Lin Yi dismissed all guards, secured the windows and doors, and gave Yao Chuan a firm nod. Yao, sensing the gravity of the situation, turned to those present and declared, “These are troubled times. Zhou Xing betrayed the sect and poisoned the master. I’ve already killed him.”
He paused, then looked around the room before adding, “I should have remained in Bianjing to stabilize matters, but Prince Huai of Qingzhou holds old grudges. I rushed back to prevent more harm—especially to Lin Yi. I failed to protect him, and for that, I’m deeply sorry.”
It had been a while since he’d referred to Lin Yi as “Young Master of Shaozhai.” Lin Yi raised an eyebrow at the title, a faint smile playing on his lips. Yao looked away quickly and changed the subject, thanking Ye Xiangming for his strategic aid in the escape.
Ye Xiangming, modest and slightly wounded, dismissed the praise. Bl00d still seeped from his shoulder wound, but his anger flared as he cursed Zhou Xing for his betrayal. “It’s just a shame I wasn’t in Bianjing to fight by your side,” he lamented.
Fang Ruyun, noticing his injury, voiced concern. Yao Chuan offered to assist with his internal energy, and though Ye Xiangming declined at first, he soon relented, allowing Yao to transfer energy and stabilize his wound.
As they sat healing, Lin Yi quietly observed the room, particularly Ruyun. She was silent, her gaze unfocused and melancholy.
Breaking the tension, Lin Yi led Ruyun outside into the courtyard. As they strolled among blooming osmanthus trees, Lin Yi remarked on their fragrance. “These are Jiulong osmanthus, aren’t they?” Ruyun nodded, a faint smile returning. But when he questioned how she ended up in Qingzhou with Yao Chuan, her demeanor shifted.
Ruyun explained that after her father’s death, she and Yao buried their parents and tied up loose ends in Bianjing. At her parents’ graves, Yao revealed his intention to head to Qingzhou, worried about Lin Yi’s safety. She followed, she said, both out of concern for him and for Lin Yi.
Lin Yi gently probed further, bringing up the subject of her past—and more specifically, the hairpin he once gave her along with his old proposal. “You told me then you had a sweetheart. But I never asked who.”
Ruyun’s face flushed. She looked away, replying quietly, “It’s been so long. Why bring it up again?”
Lin Yi pressed, “Why didn’t you ever tell him?”
There was a pause before she answered, gazing at the flowers. “Because I’m not like you. I’m not strong. I’ve never lived in the martial world like you all. I know who treats me well, and I know who I could be happy with. But not everything spoken leads to a happy ending. Sometimes, silence is kinder.”
She wiped away a tear and smiled. “People say you’re a flirt, Lin Yi, but I know better. You were sincere back then. So was I. But affection alone isn’t enough for happiness. I couldn’t give you that. And promising you would only have hurt us both.”
Lin Yi smiled back, acknowledging her honesty with warmth. “You’ve always seen more clearly than I.”
Switching topics, Lin Yi casually asked if any of the wound salves made by her uncle remained. When Ruyun hesitated and her expression shifted, Lin Yi observed her carefully.
She quickly composed herself. “I was just distracted, Brother Lin. I’ll go fetch some now.”
Lin Yi didn’t stop her—but once she left, he murmured, “If it really is him… this will get even more complicated.”
—
Back inside, Yao Chuan had finished healing Ye Xiangming. The junior’s injury was minor, and he was recovering well. Yao praised his improved internal strength, and Ye humbly explained that he had little else to do in Qingzhou and had spent his time training.
Yao then asked about the reason Ye had been sent to Qingzhou six months ago. Ye paused, then offered a vague explanation: he had mishandled an errand from their master and had been reprimanded for it. Yao sensed something was off but didn’t press further.
As he stepped out, he encountered Ruyun bringing the medicine. She seemed a bit upset but brushed it off, offering to tend to Ye’s wound herself. Yao, oblivious to the undertone, agreed and left her inside.
He found Lin Yi in the courtyard, who greeted him with a smirk. “Yao Daxia,” Lin teased, “you misspoke again.”
Confused, Yao asked what he’d done wrong. Lin chuckled and explained: “You sent a girl—your junior sister, no less—into a room alone with a wounded young man, asking her to tend his wounds? How do you think she felt about that?”
Yao finally understood and sighed. “I didn’t think. I’ll go apologize—”
“Wait,” Lin Yi stopped him. “She may be shy, but she didn’t object. I’m guessing this isn’t the first time.”
He went on to explain his suspicions—how Ruyun seemed too familiar with the layout and little details of the Qingzhou villa. Lin Yi believed she’d stayed there before, perhaps even when Ye Xiangming was transferred. It would explain their closeness—and perhaps why the master had once separated them.
Yao Chuan reflected on past conversations and realized Lin Yi might be right. If the master had discovered their relationship, perhaps Ye’s demotion was actually a form of protection.
The two agreed to pool their information. Lin Yi recounted the strange events at Prince Huai’s palace, and Yao detailed his conversations with the dying master.
But there was one unresolved question: what was the “knife score” their master had referenced?
Lin Yi had a theory. “The library,” he said suddenly. “It’s not in Bianjing. The only library in any branch is right here, in Qingzhou.”
Yao Chuan’s eyes widened. “That’s why I came here.”
Their master had once created a legendary martial art—the Bl00d-Drinking Blade Technique—but never revealed the written form. If it were hidden anywhere, it would be in the Qingzhou library.
That night, the two disguised themselves and slipped into the old building. The guards were few, and the place quiet. Lin Yi illuminated the space using a soft glow from a stolen night pearl, picked up during the escape from Prince Huai’s mansion.
Together, they searched through rows of texts—medical scrolls, Buddhist scriptures—but nothing resembled the legendary knife manual. Time passed. The sky began to lighten.
“How could it not be here?” Yao murmured in frustration. “Did Master mean another place?”
Lin Yi shook his head. “No. If he wanted you to find it, this must be the place. But…”
They had checked every book. Every scroll. Still, the knife score was nowhere to be found.
And that could only mean one thing—
It was hidden somewhere else entirely within this room.