Early the next morning, a fisherman awoke to cast his net. The net was unusually heavy, and he assumed he had caught a large fish. But after sifting through little fish and prawns, he uncovered a bloated corpse.

The fisherman reported the discovery to the authorities that very day, and by noon, the news was already delivered to Xique Pavilion by falcons.

...…

"Is it confirmed that Laughing Pelican is dead?"

"Confirmed. Do you want to take a look?"

"Even if I wanted to, it's too late now. Pour a couple more cups for him afterward." Death Raven muttered, wiping his sleeve across his arm before beginning to sketch on the ground. "Laughing Pelican died over there shortly after he went missing. That's around the confluence of the middle and lower reaches—a place with turbulent currents. He couldn't have crossed the river, so he must still be on the north bank."

Unyielding Eagle glanced at the sketch on the ground and said, "There are two villages and one mountain there. The villages are named Bannerhead and Bannerfoot, while the mountain is called Drunk Mountain. Within the mountain lies Huishou Cliff, where many woodcutters rely on harvesting Lingzhi to make a living. But now it's the New Year, and there aren't many woodcutters around. He has no chance to disguise himself."

"Do you know the area well?"

"That's where I came from. My stepmother took a liking to me at first glance." Unyielding Eagle's tone carried a hint of pride. The stepmother he mentioned was the Nameless Old Matron.

Death Raven scraped his nose with his sleeve and whispered, "In that case, I'll go with you."

"Why don't you work with Soul Returning Sparrow?"

"She's attending to the Empress Dowager," Death Raven hesitated before continuing, "Are you certain we'll find this Chen?"

Unyielding Eagle responded with certainty, "We'll find him."

"That's true. If he wants to play cat and mouse with us, he'll surely leave behind traces."

......…

......…

Somewhere in Qiaoshui County, inside the An family estate.

As the most powerful extended family, the An clan owned lands throughout the imperial territories—even in the small county of Qiaoshui.

When secrecy became necessary, the local An family members naturally forfeited their entire mansion without protest.

The elegantly dressed woman stood in the study, her presence commanding even as Soul Returning Sparrow knelt behind her.

"He killed Laughing Pelican?" she asked calmly.

Lowering her head, Soul Returning Sparrow replied, "Laughing Pelican went missing the day before yesterday. Today, he was found—confirmed to have been killed by him."

Clad in a black robe, Empress An fell silent, her face obscured by the dim flicker of the lamp.

Soul Returning Sparrow kept her gaze downcast, not daring to steal a glance. She possessed the best quality of a killer—obedient discretion. Yet at this moment, she couldn't help but wonder why the Empress, the mother of a nation, remained so serene.

Being a woman herself, she knew Empress An's affection for Chen Yi was genuine.

But from beginning to end, the Empress was eerily composed.

"I will arrange Laughing Pelican's funeral later—with a proper burial, posthumous honors, and spiritual rites…"

After pausing briefly, the Empress continued to ask:

"Where is he now?"

Soul Returning Sparrow answered, "Likely hiding on the north bank of the Northern Yao River. Unyielding Eagle and Death Raven have set out in pursuit."

"Alright. You are dismissed."

With a fluid motion accompanying the words, Soul Returning Sparrow vanished without a trace.

The woman, used to wearing robes embroidered with phoenixes, lowered her head slightly, gazing at the portrait before her. It was of him, painted during his days in the palace. She had secretly ordered the painting done. His face on the paper appeared unusually tired, and the light in his eyes flickered with hesitation. It was exactly this resigned posture that had allowed the Empress to lower her final guard.

This final step may have stemmed from a semblance of pseudo-affection she could not name. She had believed in him.

But he had betrayed her.

Laughing Pelican's death was neither heavy nor light—just like a thorn that wasn't fatal, yet pricked her palm.

Yesterday, he had killed Laughing Pelican. Would he kill her tomorrow?

Realizing this, Empress An felt no fear whatsoever. Instead, she began to laugh—a mocking laugh, one laced with ridicule.

After laughing, she brushed her fingers across the portrait paper. Initially gentle, her touch became forceful as they reached the chest of the figure in the painting.

The paper tore. The figure in the painting tore.

On the table were many similar portraits—every single one of him, drawn under her orders.

"I treated you well, and still, you ran."

With a blank expression, her fingers brushed against the Buddhist Scripture—specifically, *The King of Marvelous Color's Sutra.* She murmured:

"With love comes sorrow, with love comes fear. If one is free from love, there is neither sorrow nor fear…"

The words of the scripture lingered in her ears. As Empress An thought of the masters at Xique Pavilion hunting him down, her heart remained empty.

She no longer wished for him to live.

What had possessed her before, that she had treated him so leniently, giving him retreat after retreat? What had she gotten in return?

Now that she understood his determination, Empress An marveled at herself—for once entertaining the fantasy of treating him like a mother to a child.

In an instant, the tenderness and compassion that had swayed her heart vanished without a trace, leaving no hint to be found.

He was gone, far from her reach, and Empress An searched her heart, finding no reason to yield to him ever again.

"What's done is done; the past is past. But hatred… it remains," she said, picking up the torn painting and tossing it into the warmth of the brazier. "I've said this to you before. I wonder if you understood the true meaning behind my words."

The embers consumed the ashes, scattering the face in the painting. The flickering flames reflected across her visage, alternately bright and dark.

Kill him.

Cut away all stray thoughts.

If one is free from love, there is neither sorrow nor fear…

The words of the scripture seemed to suppress her past emotions as Empress An's expression remained as still as a placid lake. There had never been true hatred between the two of them before. Yet in the moment of his escape, an abyssal hatred had taken root in her heart. From then onward, it flourished unchecked. She neither sought to comprehend its name nor offered forgiveness for its presence.

Her pride would never allow her to admit that this hatred was born from unrequited love.

Chen Yi had once hated Yin Tingxue, forcing her to become his concubine. Now Empress An had finally come to truly hate this man. And she wished to personally witness his death. When one holds hatred, they are driven to resolve it. Chen Yi was driven so; Empress An was driven so. They were only doing what mirrored the other.

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