Chapter 28: Night Rain
The rain seemed black as well.
Where water met sky, the heavy darkness was punctuated only by the flickering lights of fishing boats, like wandering spirits from the other shore. As the last notes of the zither faded, the night grew eerily silent.
And then—a woman’s scream tore through the darkness.
"Murder—murder!"
The guards, gathered in small boats some distance from the painted pleasure barge, had been waiting for Fan Cheng’s signal. The sudden, shrill cry made them freeze in unison.
"What’s going on? Why is there still commotion after all this time?" the lead guard asked.
"The young master hasn’t sent word. We should wait a little longer," someone replied.
After years of serving Fan Cheng, they had learned one thing above all else: to anticipate their master’s whims. Scenes like this were nothing new. As the young master of the Fan family, Fan Cheng had ruined countless decent women—some who threw themselves at him, others who had no choice. Nights like this had happened more than once. Poor women would be lured onto his boat or to an outlying residence, where Fan Cheng would have his way with them. Afterwards, they’d be paid off with a pittance. Too poor and powerless to seek justice, they had no choice but to let it go.
He Yan was supposed to be just another one of them.
Originally, the young lady of the He family had been infatuated with Fan Cheng, so there would have been no need for such measures. But after the incident at the Fan residence, she had grown furious and sworn to cut ties with him. Fan Cheng, however, had become obsessed. If gentle persuasion wouldn’t work, force would.
The guards’ job was simple: bring He Yan to Fan Cheng, then clean up afterward.
"Something’s wrong," the lead guard muttered, standing at the prow of the boat. In the distance, Fan Cheng’s pleasure barge rocked violently in the water—as if a struggle were taking place inside.
"Something’s wrong!" he barked. "Everyone up! Hurry to the boat—there’s trouble!"
The others startled into action, rowing swiftly toward the barge. Before they could get close, a woman burst out of the cabin, stumbling in panic. Judging by her clothes, it was He Yan. She seemed to be fleeing from someone, shrieking as she plunged headlong into the river.
The rushing waters swallowed her instantly. Like a stone, she barely made a splash before vanishing without a trace.
"Young master!" one of the guards called out.
No one spared a thought for He Yan’s fate. As their boat neared the barge, the lead guard leapt onto the deck with a practiced motion. He rushed inside—only to find a man standing with his back turned, a cloth covering his face, revealing only his eyes. In the dim light, his features were indistinct. At his feet lay Fan Cheng, sprawled in a pool of blood.
The masked man held a dagger.
The guard was horrified. When had this intruder appeared? And Fan Cheng—he was surely beyond saving. Furious and terrified, the guard lunged without thinking. "You dare?!"
The masked man sneered and engaged him in combat.
The sounds of struggle echoed through the boat, making it sway even more violently. The other guards boarded soon after. Seeing he was outnumbered, the masked man disengaged with a slash of his dagger and dove into the river without hesitation.
"After him!" the lead guard roared. "He killed the young master!"The crowd quickly followed, only to find the masked man extremely cunning. The guards had all boarded this large boat, assuming he had jumped into the river, but instead, he had leaped onto the small boat they had arrived in earlier.
They were in the middle of the river. Though some could swim, the night was too dark, making it perilous. The small boat, light and swift, cut through the water quickly, while the larger boat, heavier even with several men rowing, lagged half a step behind the masked man.
Chasing and fleeing in the drizzling rain, no one noticed this deadly pursuit on the river.
As they neared the shore, the masked man tossed aside his wooden oar, tapped his toes lightly, and leaped onto the riverbank, disappearing into the night. The guard captain shouted, "Two of you, go alert the city guards! The rest, follow me!"
Though it was night, it wasn’t yet late. Vendors still lined the riverbanks in the spring night. Suddenly, a masked man burst from the docks, rushing past, overturning countless stalls in his wake. Behind him, a group of guards followed, their murderous aura striking fear into onlookers.
"What happened? Why the hurry?" muttered a vendor whose stall had been knocked over, bending to pick up scattered fruits.
"Must be a murder. Look at those chasing him—definitely not ordinary folk."
"Heavens, why is everything so unsettled lately?"
...
The river water carried a fishy stench. Suddenly, a hand emerged from the water, gripping the rocks at the shore before pulling the rest of the body up, dripping with the river’s foul odor.
He Yun Sheng trembled uncontrollably. He hadn’t dared to move too soon, afraid of being discovered. After hiding underwater for a long time, he had quietly swum downstream. Now, his face was pale, his lips purple—whether from the cold water or sheer terror, he couldn’t tell.
In his hand, he clutched a basket containing the clothes He Yan had fetched for him from the tailor’s shop. It was the same basket used to hold pastries on the boat. He Yan had placed the clothes inside, covering them carefully to keep them dry. He stripped off the women’s garments he had been wearing, crumpled them into the basket, then tied a few heavy stones to it before tossing it into the river.
The water swallowed the basket instantly.
He changed into the fresh spring outfit. The clothes fit perfectly, stylish and well-made, complete with a matching headscarf that conveniently hid his wet hair. As he dressed, a lump formed in his throat.
But there was no time to linger in fear. He Yan’s words echoed in his ears:
"Change into dry clothes and sneak home. You must hurry."
He must hurry.
Staggering slightly, he took a shortcut, hastening toward home.
The city guards seemed to be searching everywhere. As He Yun Sheng walked, he overheard snippets of conversation from the streets.
"Someone was killed on a boat in the river. It was brutal."
"Who was it?"
"Don’t know. Some rich family’s young master. Haven’t you seen the guards combing the streets?"
"With this many people, the killer won’t escape. They’ve probably caught him already. Ugh, this endless rain—my clothes are soaked."
The voices faded into the distance until he could hear them no more.
Faster. Faster.
The young man in blue robes and a headscarf hurried down the street. His spring clothes were thin, and the chilly rain made him shiver. He tightened his collar and quickened his pace toward home.The rain grew heavier, and pedestrians without umbrellas hurried to take shelter. Vendors huddled under the eaves, loudly calling out to passersby to take a look. Tonight seemed no different from last night.
"Sister..." someone murmured softly, like a spring night's breeze lost in the drizzle, leaving no trace.
The boy kept his head down as he walked forward, never looking back, tears falling silently.
(End of Chapter)
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