NOVPUB◎ Tragedy and Portraits ◎
The night was as dark as ink, and the small courtyard lay in utter silence.
Lu Jianwei's words were like a sharp arrow, piercing straight toward the west wing room. The person inside froze, their breath hitching for several moments before they finally exhaled and pushed open the door, stepping outside.
The man was tall and lean, in his thirties, with an unremarkable face and a cultivation level at the mid-stage of the sixth rank.
Standing beneath the corridor, he clasped his hands from a distance and asked, "Might I ask what advice you two have for me?"
Anyone capable of detecting his presence must have internal strength no weaker than his own. He had misjudged them, assuming they were merely young martial artists fresh out of the gate.
Lu Jianwei and Pei Zhi often concealed their auras while traveling the jianghu, disguising themselves as low-level martial artists. As a result, they frequently encountered brash challengers, all of whom were swiftly dealt with and handed over to the authorities.
Lu Jianwei replied calmly, "Advice is unnecessary. I’m merely curious—why have you set up this scheme to ambush passing martial artists?"
Since crossing into this world, she had witnessed countless cases of martial artists bullying the weak, but it was rare to see the weak turning the tables on the strong. Today, however, had been an eye-opener.
The Sun siblings had no martial prowess to speak of, yet it was precisely this vulnerability that made others let their guard down.
The entire town was populated by ordinary folk—except for the "guests" staying at the inn.
Traveling martial artists who sought lodging here would naturally lower their vigilance.
Few in the jianghu were familiar with special knockout incense, making it easy for unsuspecting martial artists to fall into their trap.
Many martial artists were prone to lustful impulses, and anyone who harbored improper intentions toward Miss Sun would inevitably meet a gruesome end.
The man studied the two carefully under the candlelight from inside the house.
Unfathomable. Still unfathomable.
Growing increasingly cautious, he said politely, "I am Sun Lei. May I ask for your esteemed names?"
"Just insignificant nobodies," Lu Jianwei replied lazily, resting her chin on her hand. "Now, speak. What’s the purpose behind all this?"
Sun Lei glanced at the paralyzed siblings and clenched his teeth. "Today was my mistake. If you two would be so gracious, I’m willing to offer compensation. Could you spare us?"
"No." Lu Jianwei handed Pei Zhi a pill. "Wake up that unconscious martial artist next door."
Pei Zhi took it without hesitation.
Sun Lei instantly struck, his palm strike fierce and swift as it aimed for Pei Zhi. Pei Zhi merely flicked his sleeve in response. The martial artist’s body stiffened, and he spat out a mouthful of blood before staggering back in shock.
Even if he couldn’t discern Pei Zhi’s true cultivation level, he could still sense the vast, abyssal depth of his opponent’s internal energy.
The sheer disparity was enough to make his knees tremble.
He fought to keep himself from collapsing, forcing his back to remain straight as he watched Pei Zhi enter the room and rouse the unconscious man.
"Who—who dares disturb this old man’s sleep? Get lost!" A grumpy voice rang out from inside.
A moment later, a figure was hurled through the open door, landing with a thud in the courtyard right in front of Sun Lei.
"Oof! Damn it, that hurts!"
The man didn’t look old, sporting a small goatee as he clutched his backside and groaned. Yet, even in pain, he carefully cradled the wine gourd at his waist, muttering indignantly, "You brat, that was too rough! My poor backside!"
Sun Lei: "..."
What rotten luck. What kind of weirdos had they taken in this time?
Lu Jianwei found the noise irritating and sealed the goateed man’s mute acupoint from afar.
"Now that everyone’s here, shouldn’t you answer my question, Martial Artist Sun?"
Sun Lei knew there was no escaping this. With a bitter smile, he said, "This was all my doing. I forced these two into it. If you must punish someone, let it be me alone." 𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝘤𝑜𝘮
"Whether they’re guilty or not isn’t for you to decide," Lu Jianwei said sternly. "Speak."
Sun Lei clenched his fists but couldn’t bring himself to say more.
"Then let me explain," Miss Sun interjected softly. "Sister, could you release my acupoint first?"
Lu Jianwei: "Your mute acupoint isn’t sealed. You can talk just fine."
"..."
Miss Sun had no choice but to recount the past while still immobilized.
Ten years ago, on a night like this, three martial artists came to the town seeking lodging. The host family welcomed them warmly.
Yet one of the martial artists took a liking to the family’s daughter and attempted to force himself on her. The girl and her family resisted desperately, their cries for help rousing the neighbors, who rushed over to stop the assault.
But the other two martial artists slaughtered them without hesitation.
As the night wore on, the two killers grew more frenzied, treating the townsfolk’s lives as nothing more than playthings for their amusement.
The girl’s screams and the villagers’ wails pierced the pitch-black sky, horrifying and chilling.
The town was small, its population sparse. It didn’t take long for the slaughter to nearly wipe them all out.
By the end, the remaining survivors knelt and begged, their foreheads smearing blood across the stone pavement. Only then did the killers finally tire and relent.
But the family who had taken them in—including the girl—had long since had their throats slit.
Miss Sun’s tears fell freely. "I was only seven. I watched my parents die before my eyes. If they hadn’t grown tired of killing, we wouldn’t have survived."
The goateed man scrambled up from the ground, his face flushed with fury. He tried to speak but remembered his mute acupoint was still sealed.
He turned to Lu Jianwei, pointing at himself urgently.
She waved a hand, releasing the seal.
"Outrageous! Who were those three deranged monsters? I swear I’ll skin them alive and make sure they’re reborn as beasts!"
Lu Jianwei: "Don’t forget—you were drugged earlier. These three were planning to harm you too."
"What?!" The man’s goatee bristled. "You tried to kill me?!"
The three: "..."
"Are the current townsfolk all survivors from back then?" Lu Jianwei asked. "What happened to those three killers?"
Sun Da gave a pained smile. "After their spree, they left and were never seen again."
"So you set up this trap here. If any passing martial artist lusts after Miss Sun, you kill them. Is that it?"
"Exactly!" Sun Lei’s veins bulged on his arms. "You have no idea how it felt when I returned after years of training, only to find my family’s graves waiting for me!"
"The ones responsible for the massacre were those three. Why not hunt them down instead?" Lu Jianwei countered. "By pinning their crimes on random travelers, how is that fair?"
Sun Da retorted, "As long as they don’t harbor ill intentions, we won’t touch them!"
"I heard it clearly earlier—you planned to rob us while we were unconscious. How is that any different from banditry? If you want revenge, go after the real culprits. No matter how many travelers you kill, your wronged loved ones won’t find peace in the afterlife."
Sun Lei’s eyes burned with fury. "I tried! Do you think I didn’t? I searched for ten years, scouring nearby towns, but it was like finding a needle in a haystack!"
"How did you search?"
"I asked around discreetly and even drew their portraits, but I couldn’t make it public—only dared to inquire in secret."
Lu Jianwei: "Where are the portraits?"
Her composure was unshakable, and Sun Lei found himself following her lead. "They’re in the room! I’ll fetch them!"
Moments later, he returned with three portraits, holding them up one by one.
The courtyard was too dimly lit to see clearly, so the man with the goat beard fetched a lantern to illuminate the portrait.
Lu Jianwei: "..."
With a drawing like this, finding the person would be nothing short of miraculous.
The goat-bearded man was more direct: "This is a sloppy mess. How are we supposed to find anyone with this?"
Sun Lei remained silent, but Sun Da, who had been immobilized by acupoint pressure, was indignant.
"This is exactly what they looked like."
In moments of extreme terror, emotions distort one's senses. To them, those three martial artists were deranged monsters, so when translated onto paper, they became ghastly figures with green faces and fanged teeth.
Pei Zhi asked, "Do you remember their physical features?"
"Of course we do!"
"We’d never forget, even in death!"
Pei Zhi nodded and instructed Sun Lei, "Fetch paper and ink."
Sun Lei reflexively went to retrieve them before belatedly asking, "What are you planning to do?"
"Jianwei, could you block the other person's senses for now?" Pei Zhi spread the paper on the table.
During the massacre, Sun Lei hadn’t been present and thus couldn’t know the three men’s appearances. He could only ask the Sun siblings.
But when people observe others, their focus varies. If questioned simultaneously, their recollections might influence each other, so separate inquiries were more reliable.
Lu Jianwei used her inner energy to block Sun Da’s hearing and vision temporarily, then moved behind Pei Zhi to watch him sketch.
Pei Zhi began with Miss Sun.
"Close your eyes and describe what you first saw when you encountered them—what they were doing, what they said, their expressions, the weapons they held..."
Though the siblings were certain, memories from ten years ago couldn’t possibly remain crystal clear.
Their impression of the killers’ "ferocious appearances" had solidified over time. Without guidance, they’d still describe them as "green-faced with fanged teeth."
Logically, if the three had truly looked menacing, the townsfolk wouldn’t have welcomed them so warmly and boldly.
Under Pei Zhi’s guidance, Miss Sun slowly relived the hellish scene from a decade ago.
Eyes shut, she recounted the events, tears streaming down her face.
One was tall and lean, with straight eyebrows, single-lidded yet large eyes, the upper lids slightly covering his pupils. His nose was somewhat flat, his lips thick, and he wielded a short spike, taking pleasure in piercing throats.
Another was short and stout, with messy brows, a broad face, and square nose. His eyes bulged like brass bells. He seemed weaponless, merely picking up a wooden stick to gleefully shatter limbs.
The last, the one who committed unspeakable atrocities, was the most refined in appearance—dressed luxuriously, exuding nobility. He barely lifted a hand, but the other two clearly obeyed him.
By the time Miss Sun finished, Pei Zhi had completed three portraits, far more lifelike than the ones Sun Lei held.
"You’re quite skilled," Lu Jianwei praised without reservation.
Who knew the commander had such talent?
Pei Zhi looked up, his eyes bright as morning stars at the compliment, though he refrained from smiling out of respect for the tragedy Miss Sun had described.
"It’s still incomplete. I need to ask Sun Da."
The goat-bearded man leaned in for a look and stroked his beard. "Impressive work, young man!"
Sun Lei, who had hesitated earlier, also stepped closer. Under the candlelight, the vividness of the portraits made his eyes widen.
They looked so real!
His own drawings instantly seemed worthless by comparison—despite having paid a fortune for them.
Sun Da’s descriptions largely matched Miss Sun’s, though with minor discrepancies, making it hard to determine which was more accurate.
"The townsfolk are all survivors from back then. Why not ask a few more?" Lu Jianwei suggested. "I doubt they’re asleep—probably waiting to 'judge' us, aren’t they?"
The three: "..."
Lu Jianwei sympathized with the town’s suffering, but that didn’t justify trapping and harming martial artists.
Both the innocents slaughtered a decade ago and the travelers killed in recent years deserved justice.
Sun Lei was the town’s only martial artist—a sixth-rank warrior, considered top-tier in the martial world. Combined with knockout incense, many had fallen prey to their schemes.
The thrill of holding others’ lives in their hands had not only deluded them into thinking they’d avenged their losses but also twisted their minds.
Few could easily relinquish the taste of "power" once they’d savored it.
The three and the townsfolk had long been lost in a mire of vengeance masquerading as justice.
They simply hadn’t expected to encounter experts like Lu Jianwei and Pei Zhi, immune to their incense.
Under Lu Jianwei’s orders, the townsfolk reluctantly recalled the three murderers.
Their accounts varied, but common threads emerged—the killers’ most distinctive traits.
After refining the details based on the most frequent descriptions, the three portraits were finalized.
"That’s them!"
"Uncanny! Just like them!"
"Yes! Exactly right!"
The townsfolk’s eyes blazed with hatred, faces flushed and veins bulging, as if they longed to tear the portraits to shreds.
Lu Jianwei asked, "Do you want revenge?"
"Revenge! I want revenge!" Sun Lei roared. "I’ll drag their heads to my parents’ graves and make them kowtow in apology!"
Lu Jianwei: "..."
The man was so worked up he wasn’t making sense—how could heads kowtow?
"They’re guilty, but are you innocent?"
"We only killed evil people!" Sun Lei insisted. "Righteous ones like you, we’d never harm!"
"Never harm, just swindle out of their money, is that it?"
"..."
Consumed by vengeance, the entire town had abandoned honest work, surviving solely on robbery and extortion.
The wealth they’d stolen was probably enough to earn them exile a thousand times over.
After a long pause, Sun Lei’s eyes suddenly gleamed with hope. "Senior, may I ask… who exactly are you?"
Lu Jianwei didn’t answer.
"They say the proprietor of Eight Directions Inn, Lu Jianwei, is a righteous heroine who rights wrongs and delivers justice," Sun Lei said, dropping to his knees, eyes red. "If you’re the renowned Proprietor Lu, please—grant justice for our slaughtered townsfolk!"
Miss Sun’s face lit up. "Proprietor Lu! You’re Proprietor Lu!"
Had she and Sun Da not been immobilized, they’d have knelt just like Sun Lei.
"If you trusted Proprietor Lu so much, why not seek justice at Eight Directions Inn earlier?" Pei Zhi asked.
Sun Lei: "We planned to go after the opening ceremony, but then the martial tournament began, followed by the Alliance Leader’s decree. By the time that settled, we heard entry now requires proof of a clean record. I… didn’t dare."
Years of wrongdoing had left the town unable to withstand scrutiny from the Mystic Mirror Bureau.
There was no turning back now.
"When it happened, why didn’t you report it to the authorities?" Lu Jianwei pressed. "Even if the local officials couldn’t intervene, cases involving martial artists would’ve been handed to the Mystic Mirror Bureau."
Sun Da: "We did! But the officials ignored us!"
A clear case of negligence.
Lu Jianwei turned to Pei Zhi and said, "First, we need to identify these three individuals before making any decisions."
"Agreed."
The decade-old case required investigation, but so did the current one.
The townspeople were both victims and perpetrators, involving both ordinary civilians and martial artists. This case rightfully fell under the jurisdiction of the Mystic Mirror Bureau.
However—
She might be able to use this case as leverage to push for the establishment of the Jianghu Aid Alliance.
