SWDnovel Chapter 8: First Encounter with Su Qingyao
Chapter 8: First Encounter with Su Qingyao
Lin Yan gripped the animal hide tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. Three years, thirty-six months, one hundred and eight lives—all so easily ended by this thin animal hide. He took a deep breath, carefully put the hide away, and then opened the three ledgers—the first recorded the list of those who offered sacrifices each month, perfectly matching Zhao Mang's Book of Life and Death; the second was a detailed account of the demon-suppressing grain, where the finest white rice had been replaced with moldy rice, the difference going entirely into Chen Fuhai's pocket; the third was the transaction record of blood crystal stones, with the time, quantity, and amount of silver recorded clearly.
The iron box contained three egg-sized red crystals, crystal clear, with what appeared to be flowing blood within them, radiating a rich aura of demonic and spiritual energy. These were Blood Crystals, something Zhao Mang had long coveted. Lin Yan picked one up, feeling its warmth in his hand; the energy it contained made his Soul Devouring Mark begin to heat up.
He wrapped everything up, stuffed it into his pocket, and was about to turn and leave when a very soft sound came from the roof—like a falling leaf, but it didn't escape his late-stage Body Tempering level hearing. Lin Yan's expression changed, and he instantly concealed his aura, hiding in the shadows behind the bookshelf.
Almost simultaneously, a dark figure gracefully descended from the roof beam, landing silently. It was a woman, her slender figure outlined in a tight-fitting night outfit, her face veiled in black, revealing only a pair of clear, bright eyes. Her movements were as light as a butterfly, her fingers quickly groping along the bookshelf, clearly also looking for something.
Lin Yan held his breath, his heart filled with vigilance. Who was this woman? When did she hide on the roof beam? He hadn't noticed her at all!
The woman quickly discovered the hidden compartment under the desk. Seeing the pried-open wooden board, she paused, then warily looked around. Her gaze swept over the bookshelf, finally settling on the shadows where Lin Yan was hiding. Her voice was cold and clear, like the clash of jade: "Come out."
Lin Yan knew he couldn't hide any longer, so he slowly stepped out of the shadows. Moonlight streamed in through the window, falling directly between the two of them, making their silhouettes clear.
"You took the contract?" the woman asked, her voice trembling slightly, clearly indicating her excitement.
Lin Yan didn't answer, but instead asked, "Who are you? Why are you here?"
"None of your business." The woman moved swiftly, lunging at Lin Yan like an arrow released from a bow. A flash of cold light appeared in her hand, and a short sword was thrust straight at his throat. Such speed!
Lin Yan's pupils constricted sharply as he dodged to the side, simultaneously striking the woman's shoulder with a palm. The palm strike was fierce, carrying a dark gray true energy. The woman let out a soft "Eh," clearly not expecting him to possess such strength. Her figure floated back like a willow catkin, dodging the palm strike while her short sword thrust forward again at an extremely tricky angle.
Lin Yan quickly drew his longsword and parried. A clang rang out, the sound particularly jarring in the quiet study. Both men retreated simultaneously, watching each other warily.
In just two moves, Lin Yan had already ascertained his opponent's strength—a mid-stage Body Tempering cultivator, but with exquisitely refined movement techniques far surpassing other martial artists of the same level. But what truly shocked him was the woman's silhouette. Her slender shoulders and waist as she dodged to the side, the wisp of hair that cascaded down her neck when tied up, and the light, swallow-like movement she made as she turned…
Moonlight slanted in through the window, illuminating a tiny, plain silver hairpin adorning her temple. The hairpin was simple in design, with only a grain of white jade, no bigger than a grain of rice, embedded in the cloud-shaped tip, gleaming warmly in the dim light.
The hairpin, the silhouette—Lin Yan's breath caught in her throat.
That night in the mine, life and death hung in the balance. The stench from the monstrous maw almost hit their faces, and it was a plain silver hairpin with flowing clouds that flashed by in the moonlight. The petite figure stood atop the pile of scrap, and as she tossed the flaming talisman, the tassels of the hairpin swayed gently with the movement.
And then there was her figure. Although the woman before him was masked, the lines of her shoulders and back, the arc of her clothes fluttering as she turned, gradually overlapped with the figure in his memory who had saved him from the jaws of a fang.
"It's you?" Lin Yan blurted out, his voice filled with disbelief.
The woman, about to attack again, suddenly paused, a flicker of surprise crossing her bright eyes peeking out from behind her veil. She clearly hadn't expected to be recognized, much less under these circumstances. Her grip on her sword tightened; she neither admitted nor denied it, only coldly stating, "Hand over the item."
Lin Yan didn't make another move. He looked at her, his gaze lingering for a moment on the flowing cloud hairpin at her temple before returning to her eyes. "That night at the mine, you saved me." This wasn't a question, but a statement.
The woman's eyes flickered slightly, and after a moment of silence, she said in a low voice, "I don't know what you're talking about." But her tone was no longer as cold and hard as before.
Lin Yan slowly lowered his long sword slightly to show he meant her no harm. "That explosive talisman saved my life. I owe you a debt of gratitude." He paused, looking into her eyes. "You came here tonight also for this contract?"
The woman remained wary, but her hostility had noticeably lessened. She sized up Lin Yan, seemingly assessing the truthfulness of his words and whether he was trustworthy. This masked man was exceptionally skilled; his ability to infiltrate this place and find the hidden compartment first clearly indicated he wasn't one of Chen Fuhai or Zhao Mang's men. And when he mentioned the mine, his tone was certain, not feigned.
"...So what if it is?" she finally spoke, her voice low. "This contract has far-reaching implications; it's not something you should be getting involved in."
"It involves three lives every month, and countless life-saving supplies being withheld," Lin Yan's voice also turned serious, "This is what I should be concerned about."
The woman paused, seemingly surprised by his words. Her gaze lingered on Lin Yan's face, which was covered by a black cloth, as if trying to see through the fabric to discern the kind of person he was.
Just then, hurried footsteps and shouts came from outside: "Thief! A thief has broken into the study! Quickly surround the area!"
It was the guards who discovered the anomaly! Lin Yan and the woman exchanged a glance, both seeing the urgency in each other's eyes.
"Get out of here first!" the woman shouted, and she darted toward the window first.
Lin Yan followed closely behind. As soon as the two leaped out of the window, the outside was already brightly lit with torches, and more than a dozen guards rushed over with knives in hand. The three men at the head of the group had a calm demeanor and were the mid-stage Body Tempering cultivators who had been lurking in the shadows.
"Catch them! Don't let them get away!" the head guard shouted, swinging his knife at Lin Yan.
The woman darted towards the wall, but Lin Yan grabbed her, saying, "Come with me!" He led her in the opposite direction, heading straight for the backyard of the town mayor's mansion.
"Are you crazy? That's Chen Fuhai's place!" the woman exclaimed, but she didn't break free from his grasp.
"The most dangerous place is often the safest," Lin Yan whispered, pulling her into a storage room where firewood was piled up. Just as the two of them hid, footsteps outside caught up with them, and the light of torches shone through the crack in the door, so bright that they couldn't open their eyes.
The woodshed was dark, filled with the scent of dry hay. The cramped space forced the two to stand very close. Lin Yan could smell the faint fragrance of orchids on the woman, mixed with a hint of nervous sweat; the woman could also feel the unique fluctuations of true energy emanating from him, steady yet carrying a subtle, devouring power.
The sounds of the search outside grew closer and then faded into the distance. The guards clearly hadn't expected them to do the opposite and search deeper into the backyard.
In the darkness, both held their breath. After a long while, complete silence fell outside, broken only by the faint, fading shouts coming from afar.
The crisis was temporarily averted, but the atmosphere in the woodshed grew increasingly subtle. The two remained extremely close, and the alliance they had shared in the life-or-death moment, combined with their current solitude, allowed an inexplicable connection to quietly grow in the darkness.
"Who exactly are you?" the woman asked again in a low voice, this time with less wariness and more inquiry.
Lin Yan looked at her. A few rays of moonlight leaked through the cracks in the door, faintly illuminating her profile, which was covered by a black veil, and her eyes, which remained clear and bright even in the darkness. He slowly raised his hand and removed the black cloth from his face.
"Lin Yan, patrol squad leader of the North Street of the Demon Suppression Division in Blackstone Town."
By the dim light, the woman could see his face clearly—he was young, with clear features, yet his eyes held a calmness and determination beyond his years. She remained silent for a moment, then raised her hand and untied the scarf tied behind her head.
The veil slipped off.
A stunningly beautiful face was revealed. Her skin appeared exceptionally fair in the dim light, her eyebrows were like distant, misty mountains, her eyes like rippling autumn waters, her nose was delicate and straight, and her lips were as pale as cherry blossoms. However, between her brows, there was an indelible layer of sorrow and the weariness of time, which added a touch of captivating fortitude and stubbornness to her beautiful face.
"Su Qingyao," she said softly, her gaze meeting Lin Yan's, "just a lonely soul with nowhere to go."
Lin Yan looked at her and suddenly said, "Thank you for that night."
Su Qingyao turned her head slightly, avoiding his overly direct gaze. "No need. I'm not doing this to save you, it's just... I can't stand seeing demons running rampant."
"No matter what, you saved me." Lin Yan said sincerely, "I will remember this kindness."
Su Qingyao didn't continue the topic, but instead asked, "Why would a squad leader in the Demon Suppression Division like you risk investigating this matter? Zhao Mang is your superior."
"That's precisely why we need to investigate even more." Lin Yan's voice lowered. "Seeing them use living people as sacrifices, withhold life-saving food, and trade with demons... this official uniform is burning my heart."
Su Qingyao gave him a deep look, her gaze complex, containing scrutiny, surprise, and a faint, almost imperceptible hint of approval. Having grown up in the Su family, a clan that had been dedicated to exorcising demons for generations, she had seen far too many outwardly respectable but inwardly corrupt so-called "righteous people." This young sergeant before her, however, seemed somewhat different.
"What do you plan to do with this evidence?" she asked.
"Bring them down," Lin Yan answered without hesitation. "Use these contracts and ledgers to expose Chen Fuhai and Zhao Mang's crimes to the public."
Su Qingyao shook her head, her eyes dimming slightly: "It's not that simple. Chen Fuhai and Zhao Mang are just small fry; behind them... there are even greater forces. Three years ago, my Su family was wiped out because we uncovered similar shady dealings."
Lin Yan's heart skipped a beat: "You mean...?"
"The Su family of Qingyang has dedicated generations to the study of methods to exorcise demons and to monitoring the demonic threat throughout the land." Su Qingyao's voice was soft, yet every word was stained with blood. "Three years ago, my father discovered that someone in the court was colluding with high-ranking demons, secretly exchanging living people and resources for the demons' 'offerings' and rare materials, and even... aiding the demons in their cultivation. He gathered evidence, preparing to present it to the emperor. But the news leaked out, and overnight, the Su family was accused of 'treason and collusion with demons.' On the eve of the joint trial by the three judicial authorities, the Su family residence was attacked by a large number of 'wandering demons,' and the entire family perished..."
Her voice choked, and after a pause, she continued, "Only I managed to escape. For the past three years, I've been living under an assumed name, searching everywhere, and finally followed the clues to Blackstone Town. Chen Fuhai and Zhao Mang are very likely the last link in that chain."
Lin Yan fell silent. He had thought this was just the darkness of a small town, but he never expected it to involve such a shocking conspiracy and blood feud.
"Therefore, with this evidence alone, it will be difficult to completely bring them down. On the contrary, it may alert them and attract an even more terrible pursuit." Su Qingyao looked at Lin Yan with earnest eyes. "These contracts and account books are of vital importance to me. They are not only evidence of the crimes committed in Blackstone Town, but also key clues for me to track down the mastermind and clear the Su family's name."
Lin Yan looked at the heavy animal skin contract in his hand, and then at the deep grief and longing in Su Qingyao's eyes, and made up his mind.
"I can give you the contract," he said, handing over the contract and a copy of the account book to Su Qingyao in surprise. "But I need to make a copy. I want to collect the debt from Blackstone Town; and I hope I can also help you with your revenge."
Su Qingyao was stunned. She hadn't expected Lin Yan to be so straightforward, much less say such a thing. For three years, she had carried the burden of a blood feud alone, trudging through the darkness, and had long since grown accustomed to distrusting everyone. At this moment, this sudden, unreserved kindness had cracked a tiny fissure in her hardened defenses.
The air in the woodshed seemed to freeze for a moment.