Chapter 162: The Third Master of the Gu Family? Quite the Ability (Part Two)

It was already late May, and although it was not yet hot, the night wind carried a persistent chill.

Mother Ku entered the room to fetch a thin outer garment, draped it gently over Gu Fei's shoulders, and then quietly melted back into the shadows, disappearing from sight.

Zuo Shengshi looked around in all directions, unable to spot a single soul in the small courtyard. He rubbed the tip of his nose rather awkwardly, suddenly at a loss for words.

Gu Fei, however, lacked such inhibitions. Sweeping her long sleeve across the small desk, she asked calmly, "Do you play Go?"

Zuo Shengshi nodded silently, instinctively picking up a white Go stone from the side, and gestured gracefully. "Black goes first."

Gu Fei raised an eyebrow, dispensing with any false courtesy. She placed her black stone down first and said, "Tell me about the political currents in Dajing, so I won't accidentally offend any nobles when I go out one of these days."

Zuo Shengshi played his stone casually, glancing at Gu Fei with a light chuckle, amused both by her words and her directness. "The capital is far from peaceful these days. Three imperial princes are locked in a fierce struggle, while five others watch like tigers eyeing their prey. Not a single one of them is easy to deal with. Even my father, who has always remained strictly neutral, finds life difficult."

Gu Fei was already well aware of these matters. The current Emperor Chuyuan of Dayin lived in constant fear of death, yet among his many sons, he refused to appoint a crown prince. His intentions remained completely inscrutable—favoring one prince today only to praise another tomorrow. Such an emperor lacked even the decisiveness of the Empress, mother of the inner court.

It was precisely this hesitation that fueled the increasingly bitter succession struggle among the princes.

Lost in thought, Gu Fei continued to place her stones without pause. The oil lamp flickered with a dim, yellowish glow, occasionally punctuated by the crisp snap of a moth flying too close to the flame, followed by a faint, scorched scent.

"Why does the young lady care about such things?" Zuo Shengshi asked. A young maiden of Gu Fei's age in a boudoir setting should rightfully be occupied with thoughts of her own marriage, he reasoned.

Gu Fei played another stone, effortlessly capturing half of Zuo Shengshi's pieces, and answered nonchalantly, "Why shouldn't I care? I am currently in Dajing. The Tribute Ink selection won't begin until June, leaving more than half a month in between. I will inevitably have to go out, and besides..."

At this, she raised her head, fixing her piercing gaze on Zuo Shengshi with a mocking smile. "Young Master Zuo, do you truly believe that once the Tribute Ink selection is over, no one will attempt to recruit us artisans?"

Zuo Shengshi froze. He genuinely had not thought that far ahead.

The moment she saw his expression, Gu Fei knew he had been oblivious to the possibility, and she shook her head inwardly. She truly wondered how, upon first meeting him, she could have thought him complex and clever. It had been a grave misjudgment; he was simply born to a prominent family and sheltered under their wings. Whenever an issue arose, those around him always considered every angle, leaving him entirely unaccustomed to using his own wits.

"You are the youngest son in your family, and your elder brothers frequently help clear up your messes, do they not?" Gu Fei inquired.

"How did you know?" Zuo Shengshi asked in astonishment, his hand suspended mid-air as he prepared to place another stone.

Gu Fei gave a soft chuckle. "I also know that the very people you brought here tonight were arranged by your elder brothers. When you return and tell them, surely no one will believe you, convinced that Ah Fei is nothing more than a charlatan and swindler. The only reason you brought people here in the end is because you threw a tantrum."

"Ahem, ahem..." Zuo Shengshi coughed in embarrassment. He completely lost interest in the chessboard, tossed his stone down at random, and averted his gaze, refusing to look at Gu Fei.

A gentle smile bloomed across Gu Fei's fair face, her dark pupils shining as bright as obsidian. In truth, having seen through his nature, she didn't find Zuo Shengshi all too detestable.

"Young master need not feel that Ah Fei is mocking you. To have family members willing to go to such lengths for you is a sign of deep familial affection. That is a rare blessing in this world."

Whether it was a blessing or not, Zuo Shengshi could not quite fathom. He chewed over her words repeatedly, yet failed to grasp their full meaning, sensing a profound underlying sorrow wrapped within a bitter sigh.

"Young master, you have lost," Gu Fei's voice sounded, pitched slightly lower than that of ordinary maidens, carrying the cool crispness of shaved ice.

Zuo Shengshi snapped out of his reverie. Sure enough, he had lost. Across the entire chessboard, the black stones had formed an airtight encirclement, trapping the white stones in a corner with no hope of a comeback.

"It seems the young lady not only crafts the finest ink, but also plays an exceptional game of chess," Zuo Shengshi flattered lazily.

Gu Fei curled her lip in disdain. With a sweep of her wide, water-like sleeves, she scattered the pieces across the board before methodically picking them up one by one and dropping them back into the bowl. The faint, yellowish lamplight cast a soft halo along her cheek contours, lending a tender warmth to her features. Even the tips of her long, curled eyelashes shimmered with a dancing fluorescence, glowing brilliantly with every blink.

It seemed to Zuo Shengshi that he was looking at Gu Fei this clearly for the very first time, and he suddenly felt that the young maiden before him exuded such profound tranquility that it quieted the very heart of anyone who looked upon her.

"Young Master Zuo is simply terrible at chess," Gu Fei remarked after finishing clearing the board, refusing to grant him the mercy of a second game.

Disappointment was plastered all over her face; his skill was even worse than her own, making it utterly uninteresting. Involuntarily, her thoughts drifted back to You Hu, the one who had taught her to play. For all this time, she had never managed to capture even a single stone from him. Only when one crossed paths with a formidable opponent did things truly become interesting.

Zuo Shengshi choked, unable to utter a single syllable in response. He moved his lips, ultimately clutching at straws for conversation. "Are you going to sit in this courtyard all night?"

Hearing this, Gu Fei turned her head and smiled faintly. "Of course."

Just as Zuo Shengshi frowned, she added, "Though that applies only to the young master himself. Ah Fei must return to her room to rest."

Zuo Shengshi felt as though he could not catch his breath, a stifling ache constricting his chest. As the most favored youngest son of the Grand Secretary, who in Dajing would ever dare to toy with him so? Yet this maiden, whom he had known for only a few days, always managed to leave him speechless with frustration.

Gu Fei paid no heed to Zuo Shengshi's inner turmoil. Having delivered her words, she held the oil lamp in one hand, turned the wheels of her wheelchair with the other, and slowly made her way toward her bedroom.

Zuo Shengshi opened his mouth to speak, but before any words emerged, Gu Fei's parting voice drifted back. "If there is no movement by the midnight hour, the young master may proceed to the west wing to rest."

Seeing that Gu Fei was not entirely abandoning him, Zuo Shengshi finally exhaled a sigh of relief. He instantly convinced himself that Gu Fei was being thoroughly considerate, completely failing to realize that he had been sold by her and was still happily helping her count the money.

The guards lurking in the shadows watched their young master get manipulated so easily and almost leapt out in unison, desperately wishing they could shake Zuo Shengshi awake.

Upon returning to her room, Gu Fei did not actually go to sleep. She simply loosened her hair bun, paused in thought, and tucked the dark-gold obsidian carved-fox hairpin that You Hu had given her into her robes. Finally, she pushed open the wooden window, gazing unblinkingly into the pitch-black night like a statue.

True to her prediction, Zuo Shengshi did not wait in the courtyard until midnight. Scarcely a quarter of an hour after Gu Fei left, he made his way to the west wing, shed his outer robe, and lay down quite comfortably.

At the first quarter past midnight, Pan Gouzi, the night watchman, passed by the gate of Gu Fei's courtyard in Wuyi Lane. As the sound of his wooden clapper faded further and further away until it could no longer be heard at all—

*Click.* The sound of a door latch being lifted rang out.

A gleaming, cold blade thrust through the crack of the courtyard gate, followed instantly by a boot clad in black brocaded cloth, black trousers, black garments, and a black face mask.

Like the darkest shadow, the figure in black entered the courtyard as if no one else were there. In the gloom, only the weak, flickering lantern hanging from the eaves swayed with the wind, stretching the shadows of the night into long, slender forms resembling a splashed-ink scroll. The surroundings were plunged into a sea of ink-black darkness, save for the faint, glittering reflection of the blade in the intruder's hand.

The assassin glanced left and right, heading straight for the main room. He brandished his blade, his strides long and purposeful. Within a few steps, he reached Gu Fei's door. Just as he raised his hand to push it open, a voice like floating ice and crushed snow chimed from within—

"Friends coming from afar, how delightful. Since you are here, Master Gu, why bother hiding your face?"

Startled, the assassin executed a series of backflips to land firmly in the center of the courtyard, preparing to flee. Before he could move, Mother Ku let out a cold shout and leaped out to block his path. "Stay!"

Before the word had even faded, she struck out with a fierce palm blast. At the same time, the hidden guards brought by Zuo Shengshi flashed their blades with a metallic clang, stepping forward to bar every exit. "Imperial Censorate bailiffs are here! Surrender immediately, villain!"

Gu Fei rolled her wheelchair out, opening the door to witness Mother Ku and the assassin locked in fierce combat. The Censorate bailiffs blocked all escape routes with drawn sabers, while You Er, built like an iron tower, stood off to the side with his arms crossed to oversee the battle. From the initial exchange, he could already tell the assassin was no match for Mother Ku.

True to form, within ten moves, Mother Ku seized an opening, swept her leg horizontally to trip the man, and flicked her toe upward. First, she snatched away the assassin's face mask, and then the concealed blade springing from the tip of her embroidered shoe pressed firmly against the assassin's throat just as he attempted to struggle.

Nightingale and Egret hurried over, pushing Gu Fei's wheelchair forward. Under the illumination of several lanterns, the man's face was revealed—he indeed had triangular eyes and a black mole beneath his jaw: Gu Yuan.

Gu Fei glanced at his right hand. Sure enough, beside the thumb, an extra digit had grown—a small nub smaller than a pinkies, confirming beyond a doubt that he possessed six fingers.

"Master Gu," Gu Fei looked down at him from her elevated position, her expression chillingly indifferent. "Can you tell Ah Fei why you murdered so many of your peers?"

Gu Yuan gave a harsh, dry laugh. Raising his head to look at Gu Fei, a bizarre, twisted expression crossed his features. "Have you not figured it out yet? You and I both share the surname Gu. Did you really think it was a mere coincidence?"

Gu Fei's expression tightened, a deep shadow settling into her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Gu Yuan averted his gaze, refusing to answer Gu Fei altogether.

Just then, a man who appeared to be the leader of the Censorate bailiffs stepped forward and cupped his fists toward Gu Fei. "Young lady, this man is utterly ruthless. It would be most prudent to hand him over to the yamen for interrogation."

Gu Fei sneered. She glanced toward the west wing, where Zuo Shengshi had finally heard the commotion and hurried out half-dressed. Just in time to hear the leader's words, Zuo Shengshi chimed in, "Commander Zhu is right, Gu. You shouldn't get involved in this matter."

Yet no one ever managed to gain the upper hand against Gu Fei. Moreover, since Gu Yuan clearly possessed vital information, Gu Fei had no intention of handing him over just yet.

She tapped her knuckles rhythmically against the armrest of her wheelchair. "And if I refuse?"

Commander Zhu lifted his chin and let out a disdainful chuckle. "I'm afraid that won't be up to the young lady—"

"Cripple him!" Before Commander Zhu could finish, Gu Fei coldly interrupted, issuing a command to Mother Ku.

Mother Ku moved with the speed of blurring shadows. A flash of white light sliced through the air, followed immediately by Gu Yuan's piercing scream as a belated spray of blood erupted into the night.

Everyone was stunned. Zuo Shengshi's pupils contracted violently; he had never imagined that Gu Fei would actually commit such a brutal act.

Lying on the ground, Gu Yuan's blood poured freely from the tendons of his wrists and ankles. In the hazy twilight of the night, it emitted a sweet, cloying scent of blood that nearly caused Zuo Shengshi, who had never witnessed such carnage before, to retch.

"Seize her!" Commander Zhu waved his hand in a sweeping gesture, preparing to arrest Gu Fei.

"Who dares lay a hand on our young lady!" You Er slammed his foot down, his massive, sturdy frame planting itself squarely in front of Gu Fei's wheelchair with the formidable aura of a lone warrior holding off a thousand men.

The atmosphere grew deathly stiff. Regaining his composure, Zuo Shengshi—who no longer dared to view Gu Fei as an ordinary maiden—waved his hand to signal Commander Zhu, indicating that he would handle this situation.

Gu Fei was well-versed in playing along. Lowering her gaze slightly, she said, "Ah Fei merely wishes to ask this man a few questions. Once finished, out of respect for Young Master Zuo, I will naturally hand him over to the authorities."

Taking the graceful exit Gu Fei provided, Zuo Shengshi motioned for Commander Zhu to remain calm before turning to Gu Fei. "Zuo believes that the young lady will honor her word."

Gu Fei nodded. "Wait a moment."

She instructed Mother Ku to haul the man up and throw him into the storage shed, slamming the door shut behind him. Her expression instantly turned frosty. "Third Master Gu? Quite a capable trick. I never expected you to still be in Dajing; I assumed everyone in the Third Branch of the Gu family had long since perished."

Gu Yuan's body trembled. Abandoning all denial, he gasped for breath, his features twisting in agony. "Indeed, they are all dead. Every last one of them. My wife, my daughter—annihilated."

Hearing this, Gu Fei narrowed the corners of her eyes, though she held no interest in Gu Yuan's personal tragedies. "Who is the person behind you?"

Gu Yuan gave a cold, bitter laugh. Mother Ku's strike had severed the tendons in his limbs, meaning that even if he recovered, he would remain a helpless cripple with no strength to truss a chicken. Staring up at Gu Fei, he spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground. "Bah! The more you want to know, the less I will tell you."

Observing the expression on his face, Gu Fei knew nothing further could be squeezed out of him. She smiled indifferently. "No matter. I shall find out the truth eventually. It is merely a pity that Third Uncle Gu will now have to rot in a prison cell and endure unspeakable tortures."

Without missing a beat, she exchanged a glance with Mother Ku, who dragged Gu Yuan back out and tossed him to the Censorate bailiffs as a gesture of goodwill.

Commander Zhu remained deeply dissatisfied with Gu Fei, but lacking the courage to take action against her, he could only haul the bloodied Gu Yuan away with a cold huff and storm off into the night. Zuo Shengshi, still shaken and harboring a lingering fear of Gu Fei's ruthless methods, forgot even to offer a polite farewell as he trailed after Commander Zhu.

After a turbulent night, the courtyard in Wuyi Lane grew peaceful once more.