Chương 25: Limitless

Lieutenant Liang froze, his cup of vintage southern wine halting halfway to his lips. One of the oversized oaken doors leading into the banquet hall had just violently flown inwards, revealing the towering, screaming, blood-spattered figure of the Tai-shan Young Master.

"The Hundred Ghost Pavilion has assassinated the Commissioner!" The porcelain cup slipped from the officer's fingers, shattering against the floorboards. For a moment, the entire Great Hall waited along with him in paralyzed silence. Then, pandemonium erupted.

"Secure the perimeter!" Liang roared, his military training overriding his shock. He drew his straight-bladed Heng-dao from its scabbard, shoving past the overturned banquet tables and pointing as his voice joined the chaos.

"You, find where the horses are stabled and send someone to wake the Magistrate! You, go to the barracks and mobilize the infantry! Right now!" Without waiting to see if his orders were being followed, the lieutenant and a dozen of the Commissioner's elite bodyguards sprinted out of the hall, chasing Mu-cheon down the dimly lit corridors and towards the Branch Head's private study. They arrived to find a congested mess of shadows, people, and flickering lantern light.

The doorway was already choked with shouting Tai-shan guards and medical personnel. The officer shoved his way through the press of bodies, using his armored shoulder as a battering ram to force his way into the room. The study had been torn apart, the furniture ripped in half in many places. To his left, through the throng of bodies, Lieutenant Liang caught a fleeting glimpse of the attacker – a corpse slumped against the wall, wearing black robes, the severed head in its lap obscured by a dark veil.

To his right, a swarm of medical personnel were frantically leaning over a ruined cot. Their bodies formed a moving wall, but between them he caught glimpses of oxblood silk, golden embroidery, and a white cloth that had been draped over the dead man's face. But the lieutenant didn't really care about the assassin – or the dead Tai-shan elder. His eyes immediately locked onto the body in the center of the room.

"Make way! Imperial Guard!" Liang screamed, pushing a local warrior aside as he scrambled towards the body of Commissioner Gao. The men behind him spilled into the doorway, rising on their toes and craning their necks over each other's shoulders, desperate to see what had happened. The violet silk of the Commissioner's robes was slick and dark. A wicked ceremonial dagger was buried in his chest, as if it was pinning him to the floorboards.

Blood had seeped outwards from the body in a creeping halo, staining the surrounding wood. The air all around it was already thick with the sickly odor of necrotic poison. A member of the Imperial vanguard rushed up to the body and dropped to his knees. The man hesitated for a moment, blinking rapidly and turning his face away as the acrid fumes from the poison stung his eyes, before pressing two trembling fingers against the Commissioner's neck. After a few moments, he looked up, all color gone from his face.

"He's dead! There's no pulse."

"Step back!" a harsh voice commanded. Several Tai-shan guards surged forwards, shoving the Imperial soldiers back and away from the body. Lieutenant Liang raised his blade, ready to strike the local guards down for daring to touch an Imperial soldier. But before the steel could fall, a soft, calm voice cut through the shouting.

"This is an active crime scene, Lieutenant. The Imperial Magistrate is already on his way." Chae-ha stepped into the flickering light. Her silk scholar's robes glimmered like pristine jade, providing a stark contrast to the bloodied room. She looked at the drawn swords of the Imperial bodyguards with indifference.

"I understand your grief," the young Inspector continued, her voice projecting clearly over the noise.

"But the person you were duty-bound to protect, a Rank Three official, has fallen. By the law of the Empire, you will all be expected to share his fate." It was true. It was like the executioner's axe was already hovering over his neck.

"If you linger here, you are only interfering with the Magistrate's jurisdiction. Your only hope for a pardon – and for survival – is to prove your value to the Emperor. The assassin lying on the floor could not have acted alone. A Hundred Ghost Pavilion cell must be operating in this city." She pointed a finger towards the open courtyard.

"Let the Magistrate do his job here. You need to do yours. Hunt them down." The panic that had momentarily paralyzed Lieutenant Liang collapsed into directed focus. The officer shook his head to clear it. He looked at the dead Commissioner one last time, before spinning around to face his men in the crowded doorway.

"You heard her! We're all dead men if we don't bring the Emperor a mountain of heads!" he roared, shoving his way back out into the corridor.

"Rip the entire city apart to find them if you have to! Move!" The Imperial guards surged backwards like a retreating tide, united and with singular purpose. Soon they would be tearing through the streets of Yangliu. If there were any members of the Hundred Ghost Pavilion hiding in the city, they were about to have a very bad night. The chaotic roar of the Imperial Guards faded down the corridor, leaving the ruined study in near silence.

Chae-ha deflated slightly as she released a breath she didn't know she was holding, allowing herself to relax a bit. Now that the soldiers were gone, she was almost through this mess. There was just one more obstacle to overcome. The young girl plopped down onto a stool that had once been a chair. The last few days had been full of non-stop, high-intensity situations that had demanded perfection from her, and she could feel her nerves beginning to fray from the stress.

Chae-ha's entire body was sore, her voice was tired, and she couldn't stop herself from occasionally shaking. She knew that cracks were starting to form in her façade, but the young girl hoped her mask would be able to last a few more hours. To her surprise, Mu-cheon came and crouched beside her. The young man looked down at his hands as he spoke, hesitant to meet her gaze.

"Little sister, I owe you an apology," he began.

"I'm sorry for making things awkward between us. And for…getting you into this whole mess." He waved his hands at the destruction all around them.

"Honestly," he continued, "a part of me knew I was being stupid. That you were right when you said we should just retreat. But I don't think I could have lived with myself if we'd abandoned the wounded. So, thank you…for letting me be stupid." Chae-ha closed her eyes, her lower lip beginning to tremble with emotion. This wasn't helping the mask stay in place.

"Senior brother, please don't," she whispered, almost imperceptibly. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings. Completely oblivious to her plea, Mu-cheon plowed on.

"And not just for that. Thank you, Chae-ha. For getting us in here. For uncovering the corruption. For staying by my side. For saving us all." He looked at her with an expression of honest compassion.

"For being you." Tears welled up in Chae-ha's eyes as he spoke. She looked away, brushing at them furiously, not wanting him to see.

"Senior brother…" she said, louder this time to ensure he heard it, her voice still hoarse.

"Yes, little sister? What is it?"

"…we still have work to do. It's time for the Eye Demon's casket to make its return." Mu-cheon continued looking at the side of her head for a moment, a gentle expression of understanding on his face.

"Alright," he replied softly. The young man stood up.

"If you ever decide you need to talk, I'll be there to listen. We make a pretty good team, you know?" With that, he jogged off to go retrieve the casket. Chae-ha turned her head to stare at the young man's back as he left. Her eyes were red and puffy, but the small smile on her face was genuine.

"Thank you too, senior brother," she whispered after him.

"For being you." The frantic clatter of boots and the sound of irregular panting heralded the arrival of the local authorities. The Imperial Magistrate stormed down the dimly lit corridor, surrounded by a phalanx of nervous city guards. His silk robes had been thrown on in obvious haste, the sash tied unevenly around his waist. His face was pale from anxiety at the enormous scope of the political nightmare that had just been dropped into his lap.

"What is the meaning of this?!" the Magistrate gulped between deep, gasping breaths.

"A Rank Three official dead in my town? I demand a full accounting of this disaster immediately!" His bluster faltered as he rounded the corner and found a calm, perfectly composed young woman waiting for him in the corridor.

"Greetings, Magistrate," Chae-ha said, bowing with practiced reverence.

"I am junior Inspector Han Chae-ha of the main sect. Allow me to introduce Young Master Kang Mu-cheon, as well as Administrator Seo, who is currently the acting head of this branch." The Magistrate's eyes darted frantically between the giant, blood-spattered Young Master, the sweating administrator, and the young girl.

"Acting head? Where in the heavens is Branch Head Yu?"

"Executed for treason, my lord," Chae-ha replied, her voice somber.

"He was found to have conspired with the enemy. Please, follow me – you must see the scene for yourself." She turned and led the bewildered official into the ruined private study. The Magistrate gasped, bringing a silk sleeve up to cover his mouth as the metallic tang of blood and the sickly scent of rotting flesh hit him. The Commissioner lay impaled on the floorboards in the center of the room. Flanking the gruesome scene were two identical cedar caskets. In one rested the body of a Tai-shan High Elder.

In the other lay a figure entirely cloaked in black.

"Heavens above," the Magistrate whispered, his feelings of dread mounting.

"What happened here?"

"A tragedy," Chae-ha replied, her tone matching the gravity of the room.

"An assassin from the Hundred Ghost Pavilion infiltrated the banquet and struck the Commissioner down. High Elder Ma valiantly intercepted the attacker, engaging him in a brutal duel. Elder Ma managed to slay the intruder, but alas, he could not save Lord Gao." Chae-ha's face fell as she continued with the story.

"I know your primary concern is with the Imperial Commissioner, but our High Elder was also struck. Despite beheading the attacker, he succumbed to the poison shortly after." Nearby, the medical team lifted the heavy wooden lid of Elder Ma's casket into place and began aggressively hammering it on with iron nails. The Magistrate flinched at the loud ringing of the hammers, his bureaucratic instincts finally piercing through his panic. He pointed a trembling finger at the second casket.

"Why is the Commissioner rotting on the floor while the criminal is being boxed up like premium tea?!"

"We did not want to disturb the Commissioner until you arrived, my lord. His exact circumstances are vital evidence for your investigation. As for the assassin... we needed to ensure the corpse remained recognizable. It is necessary if you are to present it at the capital and collect the Imperial bounty." The Magistrate blinked, his fear and outrage hitting a sudden brick wall.

"Collect... the bounty?"

"Of course," Chae-ha said, gesturing towards the open box.

"Before you lies the corpse of Sa Jeong-gwi, the Eye Demon of Shandong. He is one of the twenty most wanted men in the Murim." The Magistrate's breath caught in his throat. Greed warred with confusion as he cautiously approached the second casket. His eyes widened as he took in the assassin's appearance. He knew those markings well.

"Polished black silk with violet trim," the Magistrate whispered.

"Ominous, red demonic eyes embroidered on the veil. And the scarlet sigil of the Hundred Ghost Pavilion." The man shook his head, almost unable to believe what his eyes were telling him. The size of the bounty would be life-changing.

"It's really him!" Before he could lean in any closer or notice the oddly desiccated skin around the assassin's neck, Chae-ha provided a distraction. She reached into her sleeve and produced a neatly folded document, offering it to the official with both hands as she lowered her head.

"I have already drafted a comprehensive report detailing the sequence of events. All it requires is your official seal," Chae-ha said softly. She took a half-step closer, dropping her voice so only he could hear.

"Think carefully about the narrative you send to the capital, my lord. A Magistrate who passively allowed a Rank Three official to be murdered within his own jurisdiction is a political pariah. But a man who immediately took control of the situation, stabilized the local sect, and returned with the corpse of a legendary assassin? That man is up for a promotion." The official stared at the paper in her hands. The blunt, calculating logic of her words washed over him.

This entire situation should have been a deadly maze, all but impossible to navigate safely. Yet somehow, this junior Inspector had just handed him a ladder he could use to climb out of it. The Magistrate snatched the report from her hands. He read through it carefully, noting how perfectly it matched all the details of the scene, and how his own name was listed at the top as leader of the investigation. The man glanced around nervously before looking back at the young Inspector.

This felt like a bribe; something odd was definitely going on here. But he had no interest in getting further involved to find out what. And it's not like he was above taking a bribe. There wasn't really an alternative course of action to consider. The man placed the report down onto the desk, and after a moment's hesitation, stamped it. Chae-ha nodded her thanks, pulling her own small seal from her robes as she followed behind him to counter-sign the document.

"Wait," the Magistrate interjected, holding out a trembling hand to stop her.

"No offense, junior Inspector, but your seal carries no weight in the capital. If I am submitting a report detailing events that took place within a sect branch, I'll also need the seal of the highest-ranking sect official present." He looked pointedly at Mu-cheon.

"That would be you, Young Master." Chae-ha paused before stepping aside.

"Of course. Senior brother, if you would." Mu-cheon stepped forwards, retrieving his personal seal from within his robes. He pressed it into the tin of red cinnabar paste on the desk and stamped it vertically at the bottom of the page. 康 (Kang) – 無 (Mu) – 天 (Cheon) When it was her turn, Chae-ha leaned over the desk, pressing her own single-character stamp onto the paper beside his. The disparity made their difference in station feel glaringly obvious.

限 (Han) As she lifted her hand away, the young girl's eyes lingered on the pristine red characters drying on the bottom of the report. Coincidentally, she had placed her stamp right next to the middle character of Mu-cheon's name. 無 (Mu) – 限 (Han) [Without] [Limit] Chae-ha's eyes went wide. She stared at the two characters, sitting perfectly side by side. Taken together, they spelled the word Mu-han. Infinity.

The impossible scale of the deception they had just pulled off washed over her, along with the memory of Mu-cheon's gentle voice from earlier. We make a pretty good team, you know? A genuine, quiet smile grew on the young girl's lips as she rolled the paper up and handed it to the Magistrate.

"Thank you for your cooperation, my lord." They waited in silence as the man eagerly scurried out of the room, clutching his golden ticket to the capital. The elegant doors to the study clicked shut behind him. Mu-cheon let out a long, shaky breath before collapsing against the wall.

"I can't believe we actually pulled that off," he sighed, closing his eyes.

"When the capital reads that report, they're going to send the entire Imperial Army after the Hundred Ghost Pavilion. They will wipe them off the face of the earth."

"I know. But don't celebrate just yet, senior brother," Chae-ha whispered, the smile on her lips turning slightly melancholy.

"Don't forget: we still have to go back and explain this whole mess to your father."