Chapter 96: Ink that condemns
Four shadows moved along the outer wall of the village head’s office. There was chatter in the distance, but upon close inspection the doors were not guarded.
The success of their mission depended solely on how careless Zhou Wen was.
They moved through shadow and silence, reaching the door in no time. Lieyin barely paused. A thin blade slipped from her sleeve in one precise emotion.
Click.
The door opened, the scent of old wood and ink hitting them in the nose.
Qingyue stepped in first, her eyes already adjusting to the dim light of the office. It was the same room he had received them the first day, along with Madam Xiao.
There were shelves lined against the walls. Scrolls. Ledgers. Documents stacked in careful, meticulous order.
A desk sat at the center. Clean, organized, and untouchable.
Ru Yi felt a chill crawl up her spine. This was where he worked. Where he planned to have children kidnapped. Where he decided their fate.
"Search everything," Qingyue said quietly. "And be fast."
They moved instantly.
Yexue tore through shelves with controlled urgency, scanning names, records, looking for anything that seemed unusual.
Lieyin checked drawers, compartments, and hidden panels.
Qingyue went straight to the desk, while Ru Yi hovered for a moment before forcing herself forward. She couldn’t just stand there.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she unrolled the first scroll. Grain records. Taxes. She reached for another scroll...then another...not finding anything circumstantial.
What if there was really nothing? What if Zhou Wen wasn’t as careless as they thought?
"Qingyue." Lieyin’s voice cut through the silence, low and serious.
They all turned to her.
Lieyin held up a ledger that looked thicker than the rest, it was unmarked on the outside. Qingyue crossed the room in two huge steps and took it.
She opened it and scammed the page—then froze for just a fraction of a second. But that was enough to alert the others.
"What is it?" Yexue demanded.
Qingyue turned the book so they could see. There were names, dates, numbers. Beside each of them were marks, symbols, and locations.
Ru Yi leaned closer, then felt her stomach drop.
Those weren’t supplies, they were people. Children, their ages written beside their names. Some of them were marked with a single character: ’Delivered’.
Her hands went cold. "No..."
Qingyue flipped the page. There were more names, more markings, then a column— Clients. Not their names, but their titles.
’Eastern Marquis Estate.’
’Second Minister’s Residence.’
’Private Order - Priority.’
Yexue’s expression darkened instantly. "The distinguished clients they talked about... So it’s true."
Ru Yi couldn’t breathe. This wasn’t just a village where normal people lived. This was a network. A system. And now they had proof.
Qingyue closed the ledger slowly. "Looks like we found what we were looking for. It’s coming with us."
Suddenly there were footsteps outside. Close. All four of them froze.
Voices followed. "I think I heard something inside."
Ru Yi’s heart slammed against her ribs. They’d barely managed to escape the first time. Were they lucky enough to escape a second time?
Lieyin moved instantly toward the door but Qingyue grabbed her wrist. "Not that way."
There was a rattle at the door. Someone was unlocking it.
Qingyue moved to the back of the wall, scanning quickly, then pressed against a panel between the shelves.
There was nothing at first.
A beat...
Then—
A faint shift. A hidden seam.
Lieyin caught on instantly and drove her fingers into the gap...pulling. The panel slid open just as the door burst wide.
"Who’s—"
Light flooded the room but they were already gone. The hidden passage swallowed them whole as the panel slid shut behind them.
Darkness. Tight. Suffocating.
Ru Yi stumbled, nearly falling. But Yexue caught her, dragging her forward. "Keep moving!"
Behind them there was shouting.
"They were here!"
"Search the grounds!"
"They couldn’t have gone so far!"
The passage twisted sharply, sloping downward before curving back up. It was narrow, with barely enough room to breathe.
Ru Yi’s lungs burned, her legs ached. But she didn’t stop, couldn’t stop. Not now. Now with the truth in Qingyue’s hands.
Ahead there was a faint glow. An exit.
Lieyin pushed through first, forcing open a hidden hatch that led out beyond compound walls. Cool air rushed in.
They stumbled out one by one, breathing hard but alive.
Behind them, the village head’s residence remained lit. Searching...hunting for them. But it was too late.
Qingyue tightened her grip on the ledger, her gaze cold as she looked back. "They’re finished."
Ru Yi stood beside her, still shaking. But for the first time there was something else beneath the fear.
Hope.
Because now they had the truth. And this time it wouldn’t stay buried.
"Come, let’s go home," Yexue told Ru Yi, grabbing her hand.
"How did you know there was a hidden passage?" Lieyin asked, as they started walking back to Madam Xiao’s house.
Qingyue thought about it but not for long. "I guess it was just instinct. It made sense that a coward like Zhou Wen would have a means to escape in case all his plans went up in flames."
Lieyin nodded. "Fast thinking on your part. What next?"
"We’ll get some rest tonight, come tomorrow we’ll attack. I’ll have to send a letter along with the ledger to the capital explaining the situation, so they can send reinforcement." Qingyue frowned. This was the type of case she usually handled.
"Do you think they’ll give us any audience?" Yexue asked.
"No," Qingyue answered honestly. "I’ll have Madam Xiao sign the letter, they can’t know we’re involved."
Lieyin chose her next words carefully. "Who will you address the letter to?"
Qingyue made sure her face remained stoic, free from any emotion. "Han Shuying will have to do. She’s the only one capable of pursuing the case."
The rest nodded, falling into a comfortable silence as they walked the rest of the way. Madam Xiao was still waiting for them when they walked through the door.
She exhaled deeply in relief. "Thank heavens you’re back! I was worried you were caught."
Lieyin gave her a pat on the shoulder. "We’re not called wolves for no reason."
They shared a rare laugh together, each of their feelings left unguarded by the long night. The future was looking brilliant for once, and they prayed it would remain that way for a long time.
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