Placid Chang’an Chapter 2

 Chapter 2: The Assassin

Su Cen followed the figure of the young attendant and looked upstairs. The upper floor was filled with luxurious private rooms. The attendant went straight to the second floor and entered a small room near the railing. A light veil was hanging, partially obscuring the figure inside. Although it was difficult to see the details, there was a distinct feeling that a pair of eyes behind the veil were staring at him.

“Young Master…” Ah Fu cautiously called out.

The Young Master stared intently at the attendant. Could it be… considering Young Master’s current behavior, the chances of him passing the examination this year is slim. If he ends up keeping the attendant in Chang’an City… If the old master finds out, he should start considering saving money to buy his own coffin.

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“?!” Kwpv yp lmrlnvle!

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Mlyap pvalyxle esod bkp qynl yp bl alynble vbl lde sq bkp rzly.

Su Cen: “…”

What does this have to do with anything?

Suddenly, a loud noise came from upstairs. A cup fell to the ground. Su Cen quickly turned his head and saw the attendant being pushed down from upstairs by a palm strike. The people downstairs gasped in astonishment as the attendant fell straight to the ground. However, with agile movements, he managed to land firmly on the ground.

Another person jumped down from upstairs and charged straight at the attendant.

The attendant swiftly dodged a powerful strike, and in a cunning move, he sidestepped behind the attacker. But the pursuer was not to be underestimated. In a split second, a sharp blade was drawn, and the hilt was forcefully pressed against the attendant’s waist.

The attendant winced in pain, but his reflexes were still quick. Just as the sword was about to strike, he quickly retreated, knowing that he was no match. With a glance, he sidestepped and took shelter behind Su Cen.

At that moment, Su Cen, who was fully focused on savoring his tea, suddenly felt a chill at his neck as the blade brushed against it.

Su Cen: “…”

“Move aside!” the sword-wielding man said coldly.

Of course, Su Cen wanted to move aside, if not for the fact that there was also a hidden arrow pointing at his waist.

Today, he must have ignored checking the almanac before leaving. Otherwise, he should have been at home, taking a bath and offering incense for the day.

The attendant behind him still appeared pitiful and pleaded in a soft voice, “Young Master, save me!”

Su Cen glanced sideways at the blade pressed against his neck and cautiously pushed it away a few inches with his fingertips. He then carefully observed the person in front of him. Standing at a height of eight feet, with pale eyes that had a hint of amber color, dressed as a guard, emanating a chilling aura. Su Cen couldn’t help but swallow his saliva and said cautiously, “Brother, let’s have a civilized conversation. It wouldn’t be good to harm innocent people with knives and swords.”

Ah Fu finally regained his senses and was about to argue when a single glance from the person made him retreat.

The guard coldly said, “This person attempted to assassinate my master. Hand him over.”

The attendant poked his head out from behind Su Cen and argued, “It was clearly your master who was making indecent advances in broad daylight. Out of shame, he turned violent and wanted to kill me to silence me. Let’s all reason this out. Is there still justice in Chang’an City?”

Considering that the attendant had just walked through the building downstairs and his appearance was visible to all, many people believed his words. They dared not speak loudly but quietly whispered and gestured toward the guard.

The attendant smirked at the guard over Su Cen’s shoulder, but only received a stern look in return.

Seizing the opportunity, Su Cen glanced upstairs and saw that the person was still hidden behind the veil, holding a cup without moving. Although he couldn’t see the details clearly, he had a sense that the person was watching him. He could even sense a hint of intriguing amusement from the faint figure.

An inexplicable anger surged within Su Cen, but he quickly shifted his gaze away. Originally, he only wanted to leave as soon as possible, but suddenly he took a step forward with his neck held high. “You claim he was trying to assassinate your master, but he claims you intended to harm him. Before understanding what’s really going on, I won’t hand him over to you.”

The attendant was momentarily stunned and quietly put away the hidden arrow in his hand.

Ah Fu inwardly cursed, realizing the trouble they were in. This area of the East Market was adjacent to the “Three Great Inner Palaces” of the imperial city, where many high-ranking officials lived. A falling tile from a roof could kill several officials, let alone someone who clearly didn’t come from an ordinary family. The master upstairs might be a significant figure. Hurriedly, Ah Fu tugged at Su Cen’s sleeve from behind, but his hand was shaken off.

Su Cen continued, “You say he attempted to assassinate your master, but what grudge does he have against your master? Was there poisoning or assassination involved? Where is the murder weapon? What evidence do you have?”

“The murder weapon is a small steel needle, which disappeared into the roof. As for the grudge…” the guard narrowed his eyes, “Once we capture him and interrogate him, we will find out.”

“In other words, you have no evidence,” Su Cen smirked. “If you take him away, how do we know you won’t torture him to extract a false confession? Then it will be your word against his. If he suffers injustice, who should he turn to?”

The crowd agreed in unison, and the attendant nodded vigorously behind everyone’s backs.

The guard swept a cold gaze around, and instantly silence fell upon the surroundings. He spoke in a low voice, “There should be a hidden mechanism on this person to launch concealed weapons. Strip off his clothes and we will find out.”

Su Cen was taken aback and turned his head to look at the attendant. He saw the attendant pretending to wipe nonexistent tears with his sleeve, wearing a pitiable expression. “Everyone, take a look. This person even wants to strip someone’s clothes in broad daylight. Although I am not an innocent young lady, there is no reason for me to tolerate such humiliation!”

The guard remained unmoved. “Either strip off his clothes, or I take him away.”

The young man glanced at Su Cen, seeking help.

Su Cen sighed inwardly. This person must still have the item on him. If it’s found during a search, he’ll likely face trouble. He thought to himself that he had unwittingly boarded a bandit’s ship. Helplessly, he turned around and said, “I already checked this person just now, and there’s nothing on him.” He then glanced around at the people nearby and continued, “If you don’t trust me, many people here can vouch for him. Those who were playing around earlier can come forward and confirm whether they found anything suspicious on him.”

Several individuals shook their heads, realizing that admitting they were busybodies would not bode well for them. They remained still.

However, the actions of those few were sufficient. Su Cen smiled and said, “You see, we all said there’s nothing. If you still don’t believe and insist on searching his clothes, it will undoubtedly raise suspicions. Could it be that you’re eager to show him to others because your master failed to accomplish something?”

The guard furrowed his brow and said sternly, “How insolent!”

“Qilin.”

A low, deep voice resonated from the building, like an overturned cask of aged wine in the thick darkness of the night.

Su Cen looked up in the direction of the voice and saw a figure descending from the upper floor. The person wore a robe adorned with intricate patterns, exuding an indescribable presence. It was no wonder that even through a thin veil, he was hard to ignore.

The guard respectfully bowed and stepped aside.

Su Cen felt his neck stiffen, and his heartbeat quickened inexplicably. He already felt the pressure when facing the guard earlier, but now, this person’s mere utterance of two words brought instant silence to the surroundings. He naturally emanated a compelling aura. Su Cen felt a churn in his throat, unable to utter a single word.

Fortunately, the person merely glanced at Su Cen and said, “Let’s go,” leaving the stunned crowd behind as he walked away.

Su Cen quickly turned around and noticed that the person paused at the entrance, deliberately or unintentionally casting a glance at him. Those eyes were deep and unfathomable, yet Su Cen still discerned a hint of derision.

It was like the contemptuous laughter of someone observing a frog in a well attempting to show off its ax skills in front of them.

Su Cen stood there in a daze for a while before snapping back to reality, feeling an inexplicable annoyance welling up inside him.

He grabbed the cold tea on the table, finished it in one gulp, and threw a few copper coins down before turning and leaving. Ah Fu followed closely behind. After walking several steps, Su Cen realized that the young man had also followed them outside.

Su Cen stopped in his tracks and furrowed his brow. “Why are you following me?”

The young man’s lips curved into a meaningful smile. “Shouldn’t I come out to thank you since you helped me?”

While walking, Su Cen replied, “I didn’t help you willingly; I just couldn’t stand the people upstairs.”

“Oh?” The young man raised an eyebrow.

“Going to a teahouse to drink tea, couldn’t you have chosen a quiet spot downstairs? Why did you insist on picking an elegant seat upstairs? It’s not like he lacks the means to afford a few taels of tea based on his attire,” Su Cen remarked.

“Do you know who he is?”

“I don’t know who he is,” Su Cen narrowed his eyes suddenly. “But I do know that you were planning to assassinate him.”

The young man was taken aback.

“You’re not really a teahouse worker. Otherwise, when I mentioned that you were serving Yuqian Tea as Mingquan Longjing Tea, you wouldn’t have remained indifferent. Moreover, it was indeed Mingquan Tea, and if you were truly a teahouse employee, you wouldn’t have failed to defend your own establishment. That can only mean you had ulterior motives for being there. Furthermore, when you walked downstairs, you intentionally avoided using your right hand, which held the copper kettle. It must mean that you had a hidden mechanism concealed in the right sleeve, probably a hidden sleeve arrow.”

The young man instinctively touched his right sleeve, where indeed a sleeve arrow capable of shooting steel needles was hidden. His gaze grew increasingly intrigued. “So, why did you help me?”

“I already said I didn’t help you. I just can’t stand that person,” Su Cen replied. The thought of that gaze made him feel irritated again. He took a few steps forward, then turned back and said, “I advise you not to follow me. Just because he couldn’t catch you in the teahouse doesn’t mean he won’t pursue you. If you have the ability, it’s better to escape for your own safety.”

“After he failed to catch me in the teahouse, he won’t be able to catch me at all,” the young man smiled. “My name is Qu Ling’er. Anyway, thank you for today. And…”

Qu Ling’er suddenly leaned close to Su Cen’s ear and whispered softly, “That person indeed prefers men.”

Su Cen was momentarily stunned. When he turned back again, dusk had settled, and Qu Ling’er had vanished into thin air. Su Cen touched his ear, still feeling a tingling sensation. Was that sentence just now… a hallucination?

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