xymnovel Chapter 523: The arrest operation begins.
Chapter 523: The arrest operation begins.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the streets and alleys of Huaiyuan City were still shrouded in a thin mist.
Qin Mu stood by the window of the inn, his hands behind his back, gazing at the hazy sky outside, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Yunluan".
Yunluan slipped in through the doorway and knelt on one knee. "Young Master."
"Which house in the west of the city does that woman live in last night?"
Yunluan raised her head, her voice cold and clear. "At the end of Willow Lane in the west of the city, there is a three-courtyard house with two locust trees in front of the gate. There are many hidden stakeouts around the house, and I have already located them."
Qin Mu nodded, turned around, and straightened his robes. "Let's go. This young master will go and meet her."
Jian Lai straightened up from the door frame, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Young master, I will accompany you."
Qin Mu glanced at him and waved his hand. "No need. Yunluan is enough on her own. You stay and keep an eye on them."
Jian Lai lowered his head. "Yes."
A quarter of an hour later, Qin Mu and Yun Luan appeared at the end of Liuxiang Lane in the west of the city.
The thin mist had not yet dissipated, and the depths of the alley were silent, save for a few birdsongs coming from the locust tree branches. The gate was tightly shut, and above the lintel hung a plaque with the two characters "Zhou Residence" written in a robust and dignified style. Two old locust trees stood in front of the gate, their lush foliage casting a somber shadow over the entire house.
Yunluan walked to the door and raised her hand to knock. Three knocks, neither too loud nor too soft.
No one answered.
She knocked three more times. Finally, footsteps came from inside, the latch slid open a crack, revealing an old, wrinkled face. The old man was dressed in a gray cloth robe, his eyes were cloudy, but his gaze held a shrewd sharpness.
"Who should I look for?"
Yunluan didn't speak, but reached out to push the door open. The old man's hand blocked the doorframe, his voice hoarse. "Who are you looking for?"
Yunluan placed her hand on his wrist and gently twisted it. The crisp sound of breaking bones echoed in the quiet alley, as clear as snapping a withered branch. The old man's mouth was open, and before he could even scream, Yunluan's other hand covered his mouth.
With a muffled thud, the old man's head hit the door frame, his eyes rolled back, and he passed out.
Yunluan released her grip, pushed open the door, and stepped aside.
Qin Mu stepped across the threshold, his moon-white robe fluttering gently in the thin mist like a drifting cloud. His pace was unhurried, as if he were strolling in his own backyard.
The courtyard was small, paved with blue bricks, and several pots of chrysanthemums were placed under the eaves, in full bloom. Directly opposite the courtyard gate was a main room, with its doors and windows tightly closed, and a faint candlelight emanating from inside.
Qin Mu walked to the door of the main room and stopped.
Yunluan stepped forward and kicked the door open.
The wooden door shattered, splinters flew everywhere, and a loud "boom" was heard.
Inside the main room, a woman in a dark green dress sat at the table, holding a cup of tea. The tea was still hot, steaming gently. She looked up, her gaze falling on the pale figure in the doorway, and her pupils suddenly contracted.
Yin Sutang.
She looked clearer than last night. Her face was fair, her features exquisite, her lips lightly rouged, and the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, exuding a superior composure. Her eyes were bright, like two stars washed clean, but beneath that light lay a fox-like cunning and a viper-like coldness.
She didn't stand up, but put down her teacup, leaned back in her chair, and glanced at Qin Mu before her gaze fell on Yun Luan.
"Who are you? Trespassing on private property, do you know what crime that is?" Her voice was soft, with a faint, dismissive sarcasm.
Qin Mu did not answer. He stepped into the main room, sat down opposite Yin Sutang, leaned back in his chair, propped his chin on one hand, his gaze fixed on her face, the smile still lingering on his lips.
"Elder Yin, you must have had a long journey all the way from Northern Mang to the Northern Border."
Yin Sutang's eyes flickered slightly. Her composure remained unchanged, but her fingers tightened slightly inside her sleeve for a moment.
"I don't know what you're talking about. What Elder Yin? I'm just an ordinary merchant's wife, here in the North to buy furs."
Qin Mu smiled, a very slight and faint smile. "A businessman's wife? What is Zhou Demao to you?"
Yin Sutang frowned slightly, then relaxed. "Zhou Demao is my husband's business partner. Is there a problem with me staying here?"
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest. "No problem. However, I have some questions for you. Once you've asked, I'll let you go."
Yin Sutang's lips curled slightly upward, a hint of disdain in her smile. "What if I don't answer?"
Qin Mu looked at her, his smile deepening. "Yun Luan."
Yunluan walked in through the door, her hand on the hilt of her sword. She stopped in front of Yin Sutang. Her gaze fell on that fair face, calm and expressionless.
"This is your last chance. Who are you? What are you doing in the North?"
Yin Sutang looked at Yun Luan, at those icy eyes, and her heart sank slightly. But she did not back down. She was an elder of the Xuan Yin Sect, a confidante of the Northern Mang Khan, and had seen countless storms. She didn't believe that a mere inexperienced girl could do anything to her.
A cold smile curled at the corner of her lips. "Little girl, do you know who I am? If you lay a finger on me, you won't leave Huaiyuan City alive."
Yunluan remained silent. Her sword moved.
No one saw how she drew the sword. Only a dark silver arc flashed in the candlelight, as fast as lightning. Yin Sutang's right hand was cleanly severed at the wrist, the severed hand falling to the ground, its fingers still twitching slightly. Blood gushed from the wound, splattering onto her dark green dress, spreading a large patch of dark red.
Yin Sutang's screams pierced the hall, sharp as a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her body jerked backward, the chair overturned, and she fell to the ground. She clutched her severed wrist with her left hand, blood gushing from between her fingers, unstoppable. Her face was deathly pale, her lips trembling violently, her eyes filled with terror and disbelief.
"You...you..."
She couldn't utter a complete sentence anymore.
Yunluan crouched down, picked up the severed hand from the ground, looked at it, and casually tossed it onto the table. The severed hand landed on the table with a dull thud, its fingers still slightly curled.
"Next sword, chop off the left hand. The next sword, chop off the foot." Yunluan's voice was very soft, as soft as if she were talking about what to eat for dinner. "You still have two hands, two feet, and one life. You have five chances in total. Each time you don't answer, you lose one thing."
Yin Sutang's pupils contracted to their limit, then suddenly dilated. Her lips trembled violently, and tears welled up in her eyes, smearing her face. She wasn't afraid of death. She was an elder of the Xuan Yin Sect, someone who had crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and had long since become indifferent to life and death. But she feared this kind of death—being slowly hacked to pieces like a human pig, watching her hands and feet being chopped off and thrown on the table like trash.
"I'll talk! I'll talk!" Her voice was hoarse and broken, each word seeming to be squeezed out from her throat.
Yunluan stood up, took a step back, placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, and her gaze remained calm as still water.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest. "Speak. Who are you? What are you doing in the Northern Territory?"
Yin Sutang slumped to the ground, her left hand clutching her severed wrist tightly. Blood was still flowing, staining her dark green dress black. Her voice trembled, shaking from the first word to the last.
"I...I am Yin Sutang. I am an elder of the Xuan Yin Sect of Northern Mang. I came to the Northern Border...on a mission to find someone."
Qin Mu's eyes flickered slightly. "Who are you looking for?"
Yin Sutang gritted her teeth, the words rolling back and forth in her throat countless times before finally being squeezed out.
"Xu...Xu Longxiang."
The main room fell silent instantly. That silence was brief, as fleeting as a drop of ink falling into a deep pool, creating only a tiny ripple. Yet, wherever that ripple reached, a bone-chilling cold followed.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, his fingers pausing briefly on the armrest before tapping it twice more. "What do you want with Xu Longxiang?"
Yin Sutang's lips trembled violently, her voice hoarse. "The Khan of Northern Mang... wants to form an alliance with the Northern Border to march south together and destroy Great Qin. The Khan sent me... to test Xu Longxiang's attitude, to see if he is willing to join forces with Northern Mang."
Qin Mu tapped his fingers twice on the armrest. "Who were you going to see last night when you were walking down the street?"
Yin Sutang's body trembled violently, and she lowered her head, not daring to look at him. "Go see... Zhou Demao. He's from the Northern Border Royal Palace, responsible for managing Xu Longxiang's fur business, and also for... relaying messages."
A cold smile slowly curved Qin Mu's lips. "Zhou Demao is Xu Longxiang's man?"
Yin Sutang nodded. "Yes. The leather armor, saddles, and boots for the Northern cavalry were all purchased from Zhou Demao. Zhou Demao took a cut, part of which went into his own pocket, and part of which... was given to Xu Longxiang."
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on her face for a long time. "Does Xu Longxiang know that Bei Mang wants to form an alliance with him?"
Yin Sutang shook her head, her voice even softer. "I don't know yet. The Khan sent me ahead to scout out Xu Longxiang's attitude before deciding on the next step."
Qin Mu nodded, stood up, and straightened his robes. "Very good. You cooperated well."
He walked up to Yin Sutang, stopped, looked down at her, and the smile on his lips remained. "I can spare your life. However, you must do something for me."
Yin Sutang raised her head, her eyes filled with fear and pleading. "Wha...what is it?"
Qin Mu's voice was very soft, as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary. "Continue your mission. Go and contact Xu Longxiang, and tell him that Bei Mang wants to form an alliance with him. Whether he agrees or not doesn't matter. You just need to deliver the message."
Yin Sutang's pupils contracted sharply; she understood. He wasn't trying to prevent the alliance between Northern Mang and the Northern Border, but rather to facilitate it. He wanted to bind Xu Longxiang to Northern Mang, and then…
A fine layer of cold sweat seeped down her back, and she dared not think any further.
"I...I promise you. I'll promise you anything." Her voice was hoarse, filled with a despair that went to the bone.
Qin Mu turned around and walked towards the door. After taking two steps, he stopped and did not look back.
"Yunluan, bandage her up. Don't let her die. She's still useful."
Yunluan lowered her head. "Yes."
Qin Mu stepped across the threshold and disappeared into the thin mist outside. His moon-white robe trailed on the ground, making a soft rustling sound, like a cloud being blown by the wind.
Yunluan knelt down, took out a roll of white cloth from her sleeve, and began to bandage Yin Sutang's broken wrist. Her movements were quick and practiced, as if she had done it countless times. Her face was expressionless, only something was faintly shining in her deep eyes.
Yin Sutang slumped to the ground, looking at her right hand, which had been severed at the wrist, and at the severed hand lying on the table, its fingers no longer moving. Tears silently welled up in her eyes.
She knew that from this day forward, she was no longer Elder Yin of the Northern Barbarian Kingdom. She was a pawn, a pawn held in someone's hand and discarded at any time.
The thin mist outside the window gradually dissipated, and the sunlight peeked out from behind the clouds, illuminating the main room.
But Yin Sutang felt even colder than before.