PCA Chapter 106

The snow fell heavily, quickly covering the courtyard. The world became a vast expanse of white, making the pool of red in the center of the courtyard all the more striking.

 

Shen Yugui curled up, gasping violently as the biting cold pierced her lungs, but she could no longer care. Her left hand pressed tightly against her right wrist, blood dripping through her fingers, while her right hand hung limp—its tendons severed, she would never hold a brush again.

 

The figure in black approached step by step, crouching before Shen Yugui and gripping her chin to force her head up. Her face was pale, lips trembling faintly, yet her eyes remained stubbornly defiant.

 

“You’re the painter, aren’t you? Look at this blood—doesn’t it resemble your Peach Blossom painting?” The black-clad man sneered coldly. “Tell me where the Houyi Shooting the Sun painting is, and I’ll give you a quick death. Otherwise, I’ll break all your limbs. It’ll be excruciating.”

 

Shen Yugui murmured something softly, lost in the howling wind and snow. The man leaned closer to hear, but in that moment, a flash of cold light struck. He jerked back, yet a cut still split his cheek.

 

Shen Yugui clutched a shard of porcelain—hidden when the man had dragged her downstairs and knocked over a table. The shard, concealed in her bloodied hand, had gone unnoticed. But with only her left hand, her strength and aim faltered. The shard should have slit his throat.

 

Breathing raggedly, she laughed bitterly and glared up at him, spitting out the words: “Beast!”

 

The man touched the blood on his face, enraged. He kicked Shen Yugui viciously, then stomped on her ruined right hand, grinding his heel into it.

 

Shen Yugui lay sprawled, mouth open in silent agony, her broken gasps drowned by the storm.

 

The man yanked her up, snarling, “You think I won’t kill you? I slaughtered your family of thirty-two. I set the fire. What’s one more life?!”

 

Shen Yugui’s scattered gaze sharpened, locking onto him.

 

“Those two cowards you killed dared to plead for mercy. I should thank you for removing useless obstacles.”

 

The man’s dagger crept upward, settling near her eyes. “These eyes are lovely, like your mother’s—soft as water. Let’s see if they stay that way when plucked out.”

 

The blade hovered millimeters from her eye. A snowflake drifted down, landing on her lashes. A tear fell—she had failed to avenge her family. She could not face her parents in death.

 

A sharp whistle pierced the wind. An arrow shot through the storm, embedding itself in the man’s shoulder. He staggered back with a cry, dragging Shen Yugui as a shield.

 

From the blizzard emerged a figure with frost-glinting eyes. “Liu Kang. We meet again.”

 

The man—Liu Kang, the servant who had fled in disguise—shuddered. “How did you find me?!”

 

Su Cen raised a hand, halting the archers. He stepped forward. “You thought burning a vagrant in your yard would fool the Dali Temple? You underestimate us.”

 

“Stay back!” Liu Kang pressed the dagger to Shen Yugui’s throat. “I’ll kill her!”

 

Before Su Cen could react, Shen Yugui laughed. “Sir, do me one last favor—kill this beast! I’ll repay you in the next life!” She lunged at the blade. Liu Kang jerked back, but not before the dagger nicked her neck.

 

Su Cen exhaled imperceptibly, then snapped, “Shen Yugui! If you cause more trouble, I’ll leave you to clean up your family’s mess!”

 

She froze. Su Cen advanced, forcing Liu Kang against the door, panic rising.

 

“Standing in the snow is cold,” Su Cen said lightly. “Let’s talk inside.”

 

Back in the bamboo house, Liu Kang pressed against a corner, Shen Yugui still his shield. He snapped the arrow shaft, leaving the head in his shoulder. Su Cen sat calmly, his gaze chilling at the sight of Shen Yugui’s bleeding hand.

 

“A warning,” Su Cen said. “If she bleeds out, you die here too.”

 

Liu Kang glanced at Shen Yugui—pale, half her robe soaked in blood.

 

Su Cen stood to approach, but Liu Kang barked, “Stop! Bandage her. Stop the bleeding.”

 

After a tense moment, Su Cen tore cloth strips and stepped forward. Shen Yugui’s ruined hand hung limp as he worked. Such skill, now lost, he thought.

 

“What will it take to free her?” Su Cen asked.

 

“A carriage and the Houyi Shooting the Sun painting,” Liu Kang growled.

 

Before Su Cen could reply, Shen Yugui laughed weakly. “That painting burned in the war. Go to hell for it!”

 

Su Cen paused. The painting is in Xingqing Palace. Why lie? He stayed silent, uncertain if she meant to provoke Liu Kang.

 

“Impossible!” Liu Kang’s eyes widened in fury, snarling, “Shen Cun himself said the Shen family’s treasure is hidden in those three paintings! If it’s not Houyi Subdues the Sun, then what?!”

 

Su Cen sighed and pointed at Shen Yugui. “Do you know her name?”

 

Liu Kang froze. He truly didn’t know the girl’s name, only recalling Su Cen had called her something earlier. Hesitantly, he muttered, “Shen… Yu-gui?”

 

“Shen Yugui. The ‘Yugui’ from ‘the bride departs, bringing harmony to the household,'” Su Cen replied, casting a pitying glance at Liu Kang. “Shen Cun’s ‘treasure’ is her—Shen Yugui, the Shen family’s heiress. You slaughtered thirty-two people over a vague rumor, and now you’ve reaped what you sowed.”

 

“Thirty-three,” Shen Yugui corrected coldly. “Including Danqing.”

 

Su Cen bit his lip hard. If only he had realized sooner, one more life might have been spared.

 

Liu Kang reeled from the revelation. He had killed so many, ruined his reputation, and risked his life—all for a lie from the start!

 

“You’re lucky to escape with your life. Forget the treasure,” Su Cen said calmly. “I’ll arrange a carriage for you to leave, but release her. Take me instead.”

 

“No!” Shen Yugui protested immediately.

 

“Adults are speaking. Stay quiet,” Su Cen, three years her senior, shot her a stern look. To Liu Kang, he added, “You know I’ve just solved the Heaven Worship case and am favored by the Emperor. If I let you take her, how will I explain it? Take me. Escort me out of Chang’an, then release me. I’ll claim I escaped, and the court might even praise my bravery.”

 

Liu Kang glared. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you?”

 

Su Cen smiled faintly. “What good would killing me do? Add another charge of murdering an official? I’m more useful alive. Without me, you won’t even reach the city gates.”

 

Liu Kang pondered, visibly tempted. “No tricks!”

 

“I’m a scholar, no stronger than her,” Su Cen rolled his eyes. “Search me if you like. I’ve studied for over a decade for fame and fortune. I asked to talk inside to avoid being overheard.”

 

“Tie your own hands,” Liu Kang ordered.

 

Su Cen suppressed his anger and glared. “Fine. I’ll bind myself.”

 

Grabbing a rope from Shen Yugui’s room, Su Cen looped it around his wrists, biting the knot tight. “Satisfied?”

 

Liu Kang’s eyes flashed with malice. He shoved Shen Yugui aside and pressed the dagger to Su Cen’s throat. “Move!”

 

Su Cen edged forward cautiously. Outside, archers nocked arrows but hesitated upon seeing him.

 

Liu Kang smirked—officials were indeed more valuable hostages. But before his smile faded, he tripped on a hidden rope buried in the snow, stumbling forward. Su Cen seized the moment, breaking free as Liu Kang stumbled.

 

The trap was set.

 

This was clearly planned from the beginning! Su Cen pretended to go in to negotiate with him, while his men set up a trap outside!

 

“You tricked me!” Liu Kang shouted angrily, raising his dagger to lunge forward. However, the crossbow bolt was faster, flying straight towards his face!

 

Liu Kang knew his fate was sealed. He closed his eyes tightly, but after waiting for a long time, the expected pain never came.

 

Liu Kang cautiously opened his eyes, only to find that everyone else wore the same expression as him.

 

A person lay in front of him, blood spreading from their body, quickly staining a patch of snow red.

 

Liu Kang was stunned for a long time before regaining his senses. He stepped forward, his voice suddenly hoarse.

 

“Yu… Yuniang…”

 

Liu Kang’s wife, Liu Qin, had appeared out of nowhere and thrown herself in front of Liu Kang just as the arrow was fired!

 

Liu Kang took a few steps forward, his legs suddenly giving way. He fell to his knees and crawled to Liu Qin’s side, gently cradling her in his arms.

 

Yuniang had followed him since she was sixteen, wasting half her life. He had never given her a day of peace.

 

Blood gushed from Liu Qin’s mouth. She could no longer speak, but a sudden glimmer appeared in her dim eyes.

 

Over the years, she had prayed and fasted, but could never wash away her husband’s sins. Now, she had finally repaid this man’s conjugal love. In her next life, she only wished never to meet this person again.

 

The men from the Dali Temple surrounded them, taking them into custody.

 

Su Cen untied the ropes on his hands and went into the room to bring out Shen Yugui. He ordered someone to take Shen Yugui for treatment and to collect Danqing’s body.

 

As he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and turned back to find Shen Yugui, asking, “Is it true what you said earlier about the ‘Houyi Shooting the Suns’ painting being burned?”

 

Tears still stained Shen Yugui’s face. He hesitated for a moment before nodding, “Yes, it was burned. During the chaos at the end of the previous dynasty, my great-grandfather saw it burn in the flames of war with his own eyes.”

 

Su Cen’s mind was in turmoil.

 

Then what was that painting in Xingqing Palace?!

 

“However, there is still one in this world, the one I painted,” Shen Yugui said softly. “Back then, that person asked me to exchange a painting for white phosphorus. What he wanted was the ‘Houyi Shooting the Suns’ painting.”

 

Su Cen suddenly felt an intense chill. Even when he had been at Liu Kang’s knifepoint earlier, he hadn’t felt this panicked. Now he could barely stammer out a sentence, “That person… the one who gave you the white phosphorus, who was he?!”

 

Shen Yugui furrowed his brow in thought for a moment, “He called himself… Lord Lu.”

 

Su Cen staggered, then turned and ran back!

 

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