The next morning, Han Liang woke a little later than usual. The exhaustion of the past week seemed to have finally lifted. He had slept deeply for the first time in days.
The smell of food drifted in from the garden.
The Second Commander had already lit the fire and was preparing rice porridge and pork ribs. Han Liang drew water from the well, washed his face and hands, then sat at the low table beneath the open doorway. Sunlight spilled across the floor as the Second Commander carried the dishes inside.
For a while, they ate in silence.
Then Han Liang set down his bowl.
"Everyone in town is talking about a new weapons merchant," he said. "But no one seems to know who the person really is."
The Second Commander looked up.
"They say the merchant wears black from head to toe," Han Liang continued. "A small figure. Face hidden. Some say it's a man. Others insist it's a woman. The only thing anyone agrees on is a pair of violet eyes."
The Second Commander considered this for a moment before returning to his meal.
Han Liang's curiosity only grew.
By noon, they headed into town.
The market was as crowded as ever. Merchants called out from every direction, customers moved between the stalls, and rumors spread more quickly than goods.
Han Liang and the Second Commander spent hours speaking with shopkeepers, blacksmiths, traders, and travelers.
Each version of the story was different.
"The merchant looked like a young man," an elderly blacksmith insisted.
"Nonsense," another merchant scoffed. "It was clearly a woman."
"I heard the merchant never speaks."
"They say he's a master of hidden weapons."
"No. They say she only sells them."
A nearby shopkeeper leaned forward.
"They say the merchant's weapons are unlike anything sold in the neighboring towns."
"Then who keeps buying them?" another man asked with a snort. "Those things can't be cheap."
The first merchant shrugged.
"Who else? The Jewel Sect, probably. They're the only ones around here wealthy enough to spend silver like water."
Several people nodded in agreement.
Han Liang listened quietly.
The answer came far too quickly.
Who else? The Jewel Sect.
The merchant was supposedly secretive, yet people spoke of the sect's purchases as though they were common knowledge.
That alone felt strange.
Large transactions were rarely discussed so openly.
Han Liang turned the thought over in his mind.
It almost sounded as though someone wanted people to know that the Jewel Sect was buying weapons.
But why?
For whose benefit?
In a town that lived beneath the shadow of Ying Mountain, perhaps that should not have surprised him. Yet he found himself hearing the sect's name more and more often.
By the time the afternoon sun began to sink, they were no closer to the truth.
The stories contradicted one another so completely that it was impossible to know what was real.
Only one detail remained consistent.
Violet eyes.
As they moved through the crowd, Han Liang suddenly caught sight of a figure dressed entirely in black.
Small and swift.
A wide hat concealed the face, but for the briefest moment he saw a flash of violet beneath the veil.
His attention sharpened immediately.
"Wait."
He pushed through the crowd, but by the time he reached the spot, the figure had already vanished.
There was nothing left but merchants, customers, and the endless noise of the market.
The Second Commander stopped beside him.
"Did you see that?" Han Liang asked.
"Yes."
"Where did they go?"
The Second Commander glanced around once before shaking his head.
"I don't know."
Han Liang lingered a moment longer, searching the crowd.
Nothing.
At last, he turned away.
"If everyone is talking about them," he said quietly, "they'll appear again."
The Second Commander nodded.
As evening approached, they left the market and stopped at a small tavern near the eastern road.
The crowd inside was thin. A few travelers sat in the corners, speaking quietly among themselves while lantern light flickered against the wooden walls.
Han Liang ordered a pot of wine.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
The Second Commander poured two cups.
Han Liang turned his cup slowly between his fingers.
"Every merchant told a different story."
"Yet they all mentioned the eyes," the Second Commander replied.
"The violet eyes."
Silence settled between them once more.
Han Liang's gaze drifted toward the window, where the last traces of daylight lingered beyond the rooftops.
"This town still holds more secrets than answers."
The Second Commander understood.
The deeper they looked, the more complicated things seemed to become.
They finished their wine and returned to the streets.
The market had quieted considerably. Lanterns glowed outside the remaining shops, casting pools of gold across the stone roads.
That was when Han Liang saw the figure again.
Black robes moving through the crowd.
This time, he did not hesitate.
He followed.
The figure moved through the crowd before slipping into a network of narrow streets.
The Second Commander followed close behind.
Something felt strange.
Not once did the figure glance back.
Yet every turn seemed deliberate.
As though the figure had expected them to follow.
Han Liang kept pace.
Gradually, the sounds of the town faded behind them. The streets narrowed, the buildings grew darker, and before long only the echo of footsteps remained.
Then the figure stopped.
Without warning, a blade flashed through the darkness.
Han Liang stepped back instinctively.
A pair of violet eyes glimmered beneath the veil. The stranger attacked without a word.
Quick.
Precise.
Skilled.
Twin blades moved like silver lightning, carving clean arcs through the air.
Han Liang met every strike calmly, his movements controlled and efficient.
The exchange lasted only moments.
Then the veil shifted.
Han Liang's eyes narrowed.
A woman.
Despite her slight frame, every movement carried remarkable strength and discipline.
Suddenly, purple light gathered in her palm.
A sphere of energy formed.
She threw it toward them.
The flash burst outward.
For a moment, Han Liang saw nothing but violet.
His expression darkened.
Smoke bombs were common enough. He had encountered countless variations over the years.
But purple...
That was new.
A faint unease settled in his chest.
Not here.
When his vision finally cleared, the woman was gone.
The alley stood empty. Not a trace remained. Han Liang frowned.
Before he could search further, a soft whistle came from above.
He looked up.
The Second Commander stood on a nearby rooftop.
Their eyes met.
The commander gave a small gesture.
This way.
Without hesitation, Han Liang leapt upward.
They moved swiftly across the rooftops, keeping low as they crossed the darkened streets below.
"The woman?" Han Liang asked quietly.
"I lost sight of her," the Second Commander replied. "But I saw where she went before the light exploded."
Han Liang said nothing.
After several moments, the Second Commander slowed.
Ahead, a weathered warehouse stood near the edge of town.
A narrow gap in the roof tiles overlooked the building below.
The two men crouched there briefly before descending silently into the shadows beside the warehouse.
One of the doors stood slightly ajar.
A man's voice drifted from within.
Han Liang approached quietly and peered through the narrow opening.
Inside stood a middle-aged man with a cold, commanding presence.
The woman in black stood before him, speaking in hushed tones. She bowed slightly, as though delivering a report.
The man listened carefully before giving several brief instructions.
Han Liang's heartbeat quickened.
That face...
He couldn't place it.
Yet something about it tugged faintly at his memory.
The man carried himself with the confidence of someone accustomed to authority. He was no ordinary merchant, official, or traveler.
He couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen the man before.
After several minutes, the man handed the woman a small pouch and rose to leave.
Han Liang quickly withdrew into the shadows.
As the man stepped outside, he pulled on a mask.
Without a word, the Second Commander began following him.
Han Liang remained behind and turned his attention back to the warehouse.
The woman should still have been inside.
But when he looked again, the room was empty.
Gone.
There had been only one visible exit.
Yet somehow she had vanished.
Han Liang stared at the empty warehouse for a long moment before letting out a quiet breath.
"Things just got complicated."
What he didn't know—
was that the man he had just seen...
was Yuan Yu's uncle.