HCAW 104

Chapter 104: Nowhere to Hide

The guest room was soaked in dark blood; the stench was suffocating.

Crowds packed the hall, all staring solemnly at the corpse of the old woman lying in a pool of blood. Her body was a mangled mess of flesh. Only the tattered gold-embroidered green silk robe wrapped around her gave some hint of her identity. Everyone was deeply disturbed—what kind of monstrous jaw could crush the bones of a newly appointed Xian Mountain Guard to such pulp?

The moment Fatty Ji entered and saw the horrific scene, he ran out and vomited violently, losing control of both ends. Gu Bi Guard stood silently in the room, holding a brocade handkerchief in which lay a tooth soaked through with black blood. He turned the tooth over in his hand, examining it, then looked to the guards and asked:

“What happened? None of you heard a sound last night?”

The guards stammered, “We were on duty last night and truly didn’t notice anything. The Bi Bao Guard’s room was completely quiet—it didn’t seem like anyone had been in or out…”

Gu Bi Guard turned to Fang Jingyu and Chu Kuang, who stood nearby, and gave a faint smile. “And the Tianfu Guard and his servant ? You didn’t notice any trace of the killer either?”

Fang Jingyu and Chu Kuang exchanged a glance. They hadn’t slept all night, playing mahjong and drinking yellow wine while discussing their plans—but they, too, had noticed nothing. Chu Kuang folded his hands and said, “My lord, we weren’t on guard duty last night. Besides, we were assigned to protect Prince Ji—we’re not omnipotent. How could we look after so many people at once?”

Fang Jingyu glanced at him and felt a chill. Chu Kuang’s back was ramrod straight, his expression cold as snow at night—colder than he’d expected, given someone had died.

After questioning the others, Gu Bi Guard’s gaze turned sharp as a blade and landed on Xiao Jiao, who had been the last to enter the room. From the moment she stepped inside, her face had been pale, and she’d gasped at the sight of the corpse. Gu Bi Guard narrowed his eyes and asked:

“Divine Maiden, what are your thoughts on this murder?”

Being singled out hit Xiao Jiao like a thunderclap. She trembled all over and stammered, “N-no thoughts.”

Gu Bi Guard remained unmoved. He held up the bloodstained tooth wrapped in the cloth for all to see. “This morning, I found this in the blood pool. Bi Bao Guard’s death is bizarre—her body appears to have been mauled by some wild beast. But this royal manor keeps only terns and trained birds—no such beasts. And if this half tooth was left behind by the killer, then the murderer may not be a beast at all. Everyone, take a close look—this is clearly a human tooth.”

As he raised the tooth, the room buzzed with suspicion and murmurs. Only Xiao Jiao stood stiff as a board. She tentatively touched the spot where her canine had broken and felt a sharp pain.

“But—but could a human’s teeth really tear apart the copper-boned, iron-bodied Xian Mountain Guard? If so, the killer could chew through the blood bait locks on the city gate!” someone muttered from the crowd.

Gu Bi Guard raised a hand, and the whispering died at once.

“Speaking of which, I must ask His Highness a question.” Though there was a corpse in the room, Gu Bi Guard smiled as he turned to Fatty Ji, who had just returned in fresh clothes and now covered his nose and mouth with an embroidered silk handkerchief. “This old woman—was she truly the Bi Bao Guard’s kin?”

This struck the room like a thunderbolt. Even the servants whispered amongst themselves. Fatty Ji’s face twitched uncomfortably, and he muttered:

“Lord Gu Bi Guard, you knew Bi Bao Guard better than I—surely you’d be more familiar with her?”

Gu Bi Guard smiled. “This woman does resemble the Bi Bao Guard—perhaps she could be her kin. But I once described the real Bi Bao Guard’s appearance to you, and I’m sure Your Highness remembered it well. Also, just the other day, when I came to visit, weren’t you using a little voodoo doll to curse her?”

Fatty Ji’s face turned ghostly white.

“You were stabbing it with silver needles while cursing Bi Bao Guard—saying she had refused to recommend you, and that even now, with your coronation approaching, she still hadn’t shown up. And then suddenly, you found a ‘blood relative’ who praised you to the skies. Isn’t that just a little too convenient? More than that, I examined the body earlier—she showed no signs of having undergone Immortal Elixir refinement. This ‘new Bi Bao Guard’ was just an ordinary old woman.”

Sweating profusely, Fatty Ji stammered, “I… I…”

“Let’s be direct.” Gu Bi Guard’s voice rang with finality. “This woman—was a decoy your highness hired.”

Outrage exploded through the crowd like a swarm of flies. Fatty Ji trembled like a leaf. After a long pause, he suddenly cried:

“I—I had no choice! The real Bi Bao Guard has lived in Yuanqiao for years. I sent several invitations to past banquets—she ignored them all. Fine. But this time, it was my coronation! And still she wouldn’t come! Then my men heard someone in Yuanqiao claiming to be her kin, so I figured—if she wouldn’t show up, her relative would do…”

“I’m afraid she wasn’t kin at all—just a scammer posing under Bi Bao Guard’s name, selling medicine.” Gu Bi Guard ordered the woman’s bag to be opened. As expected, out spilled a few pieces of dog-skin plaster, some “peace medicine,” and several packets of fake “Immortal Elixirs.” Xiao Jiao felt a storm of emotions. She couldn’t tell whether the medicine that had helped her the night before had genuinely worked, or if she’d only felt better because she believed it had.

So the old woman hadn’t been a Xian Mountain Guard after all—no wonder her bones had shattered so easily under attack.

Gu Bi Guard surveyed the room, brow furrowed. “Even if this woman wasn’t the real Bi Bao Guard, a murder in the royal manor is no small matter. Someone was killed right under our noses. If we don’t find the killer, Prince Ji will lose all face.” His sharp gaze swept the guards, making them fall silent in fear.

Then he suddenly looked at Xiao Jiao. “Divine Maiden, I hear that Bi Bao Guard brought you medicine yesterday afternoon. You were the last to see her. Did you notice anything unusual?”

Xiao Jiao was sweating nervously and stammered, “I—I had a splitting headache at the time. I went to bed, and Bi Bao Guard came with some medicine. I took it and fell asleep. I… didn’t notice anything after that.”

Gu Bi Guard seemed to pick up something from her trembling demeanor. He narrowed his eyes and glanced around the room. Then, with a frown, he stepped through the bloodstained floor and bent down to pick up something.

It was a blood-stained eastern pearl.

“Then, Divine Maiden,” his voice now cold, “why was a pearl from your necklace found here?”

Xiao Jiao gasped and instinctively reached for her neck. Since coming to the royal manor, Fatty Ji had ordered a full wardrobe for her, to reflect her noble status. The eastern pearl necklace had been one of her regular ornaments. She said with a trembling voice, “W-what necklace? I left it in my room. Why would it be here? And… this might not be mine!”

Gu Bi Guard sent a servant to search her room and released a messenger tern to check with the Divine Maiden’s estate. Not long after, the reports came back: “Lord, the necklace could not be found in either the Divine Maiden’s room here or her quarters at the estate.”

The mood in the room turned grave. Gu Bi Guard held the pearl between his fingers. “Divine Maiden, do you know what kind of pearls your necklace was made from?”

“I don’t bother with such trivial things!”

“They’re rare and precious pearls,” Gu Bi Guard said. “There’s a saying: ‘A full boat of oysters won’t yield a single pearl.’ And these were carved by master craftsmen—each bead is one-of-a-kind.” He held the pearl up to her. “Your necklace was reserved for the most prominent figures in the Da Yuan Dao sect—each bead bears the likeness of a past elder.”

Xiao Jiao had only worn that necklace for its luster, not paying much attention to its details. But now, under closer inspection, she saw it clearly—each pearl bore a delicately carved human face, exquisitely lifelike.

Gu Bi Guard continued, “And yet this one-of-a-kind pearl appeared in this very room. How do you explain that?”

For a moment, Xiao Jiao felt as though she were plunged into freezing water. Everyone’s gaze pressed on her like great stones, suffocating her. A thought rushed into her mind: she could claim the impostor Bi Bao Guard had stolen the necklace. But when she remembered the old woman’s kind, gentle face from the night she brought medicine, the lie stuck in her throat.

Fang Jingyu couldn’t bear it any longer and spoke up: “Maybe this pearl… fell when Xiao Jiao—the Divine Maiden—went to Bi Bao Guard’s room for medicine.”

Gu Bi Guard turned to a nearby maid. “Did the Divine Maiden go to Bi Bao Guard’s room for medicine last night?”

The maid, trembling, dared not lie. “Before she lay down, she didn’t leave the room. After she fell asleep… we don’t know. Prince Ji ordered us to clean up the banquet, and we were busy all night. No one stayed to watch over the Divine Maiden.”

Fang Jingyu stared daggers at Gu Bi Guard. “No one watched her all night? Then if she went for medicine after the maids left and dropped her necklace by accident, isn’t that possible?”

The room burst into murmurs, voices overlapping like swarming gnats. Gu Bi Guard raised a hand, and the room fell silent.

“The Divine Maiden is a distinguished guest. I have no wish to suspect her. But there’s a simple, undeniable way to prove her innocence, isn’t there?”

He picked up the bloodstained tooth and bowed slightly. “Divine Lady, please open your mouth and show everyone whether you’re missing a tooth.”

A powerful wave of pressure crashed down. Xiao Jiao immediately broke into a sweat from head to toe. Gu Bi Guard suddenly moved, fast as lightning, and grasped her jaw. Everyone saw her lips part slightly, revealing her teeth—white like kernels of corn. One canine was broken in half. Gu Bi Guard held the bloody tooth beside it, and it matched exactly.

In an instant, all the suspicious eyes turned to horror. People unconsciously stepped back, as if this girl were some dreadful plague. Xiao Jiao, stunned and drenched in sweat, couldn’t say a word in her own defense.

Suddenly, she spotted a flickering black shadow behind the crowd—the very one she had seen before in the hall, about to bite off Bi Bao Guard’s head while no one else noticed. And in that moment, she realized:

The killer from the wilderness, the one who murdered the old woman in the royal manor—had been lurking beside her all along. It had tormented her on purpose, made her watch helplessly, and was now pouring the blame onto her!

The guards instantly drew their swords, pointing their blades at her. Xiao Jiao’s heart pounded, and she cried out: “It’s not me! The real killer is behind you!”

But when the crowd turned, they saw only an empty corner—and then turned back with even more suspicion. The black shadow grinned mockingly. Xiao Jiao’s hope crumbled. No one else could see the killer. She shouted:

“I’m telling the truth! It’s a black shadow—none of you can see it, but it’s right behind you!”

She struggled wildly, trying to explain herself, her voice full of despair—but it was no use. Gu Bi Guard’s gaze was distant and calm, as though he had expected this all along. He put away the broken tooth and said coolly:

“The Divine Maiden has been unwell. Her mind is unclear. Take her to the dungeon.”

______

The royal manor fell into chaos that very day. The Divine Maiden, suspected of murdering Bi Bao Guard, was imprisoned in an underground cell.

At first, due to her status, the servants didn’t dare mistreat her. They gave her a bed and food and assigned maids to attend her, though everything was more basic than before. But after Gu Bi Guard interrogated her several times, and evidence against her piled up, suspicion among the people grew stronger.

After questioning her again, Gu Bi Guard returned to the hall and saw Fang Jingyu and Chu Kuang waiting outside. He approached with a smile, hands clasped behind his back. “Tianfu Guard, and your young servant—you claimed to be in the Divine Maiden’s service. Now that she’s suspected of murder, what do you have to say?”

Chu Kuang instantly turned his back on her. “Lord Gu Bi Guard, yes, we worked for the Divine Maiden, but only as lowly hired help. Master Zheng from Bai Huan Guard can vouch for us—we know nothing of her personal affairs.”

Gu Bi Guard’s gaze narrowed, staring deep into Chu Kuang’s eyes. Chu Kuang did not flinch, holding his head high, meeting his stare. Finally, Gu Bi Guard chuckled lightly and turned away. “I have no authority to force your hands.”

Once he had left, Fang Jingyu suddenly grabbed Chu Kuang’s arm. “We have to save Xiao Jiao.”

Chu Kuang gave him a sidelong glance, tone cold. “Why?”

“She’s being framed and has no one to defend her. If we don’t help, who will?” Fang Jingyu frowned. He had known what it was to be falsely accused—he couldn’t ignore it.

“Your Highness, one wrong move and everything is lost—you know that. We’re deep in enemy territory. We can’t act rashly.”

“So you’re saying… we should let her suffer for nothing?” Fang Jingyu lowered his gaze, fists clenched. Then Chu Kuang said:

“Has Your Highness considered… that Miss Qin may not be innocent?”

Fang Jingyu flinched and looked up sharply. Chu Kuang’s expression was icy. “The broken tooth, the pearl necklace—both were hers. No one was with her last night. From what we know, she’s the prime suspect.”

“But she’s Xiao Jiao!” Fang Jingyu’s voice rose. “She’s the one who risked her life to save us, who followed us from Penglai to Yingzhou! She rescued me from execution at the Heavenly Pass, held off enemies while gravely wounded! Now she’s been framed, and you want me to abandon her?”

Chu Kuang closed his eyes. “Sometimes, sacrifices must be made for the greater cause.”

“We’re already fighting alone. If we lose one more person, how will we ever break through the gate?”

“Your Highness, the only one I vowed to protect is you.” Chu Kuang’s voice was cold. “To send you to Guixu, I will stop at nothing—even if it costs others their lives.”

Fang Jingyu stared at him, stunned. Chu Kuang’s eyes were like snow and frost, chilling to the core. In that moment, he felt the man before him was a stranger. Chu Kuang reminded him of the ruthless Langgan Guard—just as ruthless, just as willing to use any means.

And in that moment, a crack opened in Fang Jingyu’s heart.

Who is this man? The brother-in-arms who fought beside me, or the cold-blooded “King Yama”?

_____

The slight kindness Xiao Jiao had been shown lasted only a few days. Then the food and water worsened, the maids stopped coming, and the evidence Gu Bi Guard uncovered made it almost certain she was being blamed for Bi Bao Guard’s death.

In the dungeon, a single candle flickered. Its dim glow filled the space like lingering dusk. Xiao Jiao was bound to an iron rack, her head lowered, remembering those winter nights around a table with Fang Jingyu and Chu Kuang, eating together. Now, she felt more alone than ever.

The guards had lost patience. They tortured her, trying to force a confession. Whip after whip lashed her skin. She bled—but felt no pain. She kept thinking about that night with Bi Bao Guard, wondering where it had all gone wrong. Was it her fault? Had she truly caused the old woman’s death?

Even if the old woman was a swindler, she had treated Xiao Jiao with warmth. Could Xiao Jiao have somehow, unknowingly, been the cause?

Footsteps echoed. A long shadow spilled down the stairs. A handsome youth appeared in the dim light—elegant brows, flawless features. It was Gu Bi Guard.

He smiled as he looked at her, bound and battered. In just a few days, she was bruised and broken, her hair in tangles, her spirit faded. He asked:

“Well then, Divine Maiden? Ready to speak the truth?”

Xiao Jiao whispered, “I didn’t hurt anyone… That is the truth.”

“If you didn’t, why was there so much evidence in Bi Bao Guard’s room pointing to you?”

“I don’t know…” Her voice wilted. “Maybe someone’s trying to frame me.”

“No one is framing you.”

His tone suddenly changed. She looked up. In the murky light, his expression turned sinister. He stepped forward and gently touched her wounds. Strangely, Xiao Jiao felt no pain—her body felt like an empty shell, already dead.

“You killed Bi Bao Guard. You’re the one killing across Daiyu. There is no black shadow—the chaos in Daiyu comes from you.” He stroked her face, stopping her trembling.

“You’re mad! I’m just a traveler passing through—I have no quarrel with anyone here! Why would I kill?”

Suddenly, she heard a tearing sound—like something breaking free from a cocoon. Looking down, she saw Gu Bi Guard’s fingers had slipped into her wounds, peeling back her skin. There was no blood, no pain.

Her flesh flaked away like snow, falling softly to the ground. Gu Bi Guard smiled, half his face shadowed like a demon mask. He said:

“Haven’t you realized your true nature? You can command those black mud-like ‘Immortal Elixirs.’ You are of their kind.”

With a sudden yank, he tore open the skin on her shoulder. Xiao Jiao felt like firecrackers were exploding inside her, the earth splitting open, molten light pouring out. But when she looked down—she froze in horror.

Her flesh had split open. What oozed out was thick, black sludge.

It wasn’t blood—it was her essence, her everything. Web-like markings spread across her body. Her form collapsed. She slid off the rack, her red peony dress in tatters, surrounded by torn human skin and a pool of inky fluid. And yet, her consciousness remained.

And that’s when Xiao Jiao finally realized—

She was no different from those seven-eyed, nine-tentacled mud. She let out a soul-wrenching scream that pierced the dungeon’s silence.

She had always been a monster.

Suddenly, everything made sense. Why she could control those corrupted beasts. Why she could live without a heartbeat.

She tried to raise her hand—but found only two limp, sludge-like tentacles in front of her.

Gu Bi Guard stood calmly before her, hands behind his back. His towering figure loomed over her in the candlelight.

“This is who you are. From the first moment I saw you, I knew.” His eyes gleamed with pity.

“The human skin… was just your disguise.”

And softly, with finality:

“You were never human.”