Zi Siwei didn’t know if it was right for him to leave Dawa to face Minister Hao alone. It wasn’t as if she was confessing to a heinous crime but they did encounter an assassin who killed himself. He should have stayed but he was supposed to be ‘visiting his father’ which he why he is standing outside his family estate.

The Zi family were the family under the current Xiafeng dynasty, making Zi Siwei part-in-parcel a royal family member. However, he was only a member of a side branch, making his royal legitimacy shaky; not that he ever wanted to take over the throne in the first place.

Despite Zi Siwei’s general ambivalence to his status among the cultivation clans in Li, he knew that being part of this family came with perks. He was at his family estate to convince his father to vouch for him being present at the estate a few hours ago. Like Bai Haoxia, he was also a student of Minister Hao and knew that the man will most certainly try to ‘check-up’ on him.

Zi Siwei was not a good liar but he was always aware of folly if his mind was in good working order. Saying that he respected his father and didn’t want to keep him waiting was pure nonsense — he hadn’t returned home since he was 16-years-old.

Zi Siwei entered the gates of the family estate whereupon servants respectfully bowed to him and choruses of “Young Master” poured out from their mouths as if they were welcoming him back.

If only welcoming were that funny.

Zi Siwei called for Head Servant Tong and instructed him to tell his father that he had returned and wished to speak to him. The meek servant bowed hastily and left to inform the master.

Moments later, he returned and Zi Siwei followed him to his father’s study located at the back of the estate.

Head Servant Tong left Zi Siwei at the threshold of the study and Zi Siwei bowed respectfully to the man sitting at the desk.

“Zi Siwei greets Father.”

The man looked up, staring at the youth bowing to him. He was around 50 years of age but he looked around his late 30s*. He immediately dropped his head back to papers.

“Humph…speak your request.”

So, he knows why I’m here. No surprise there.

Zi Siwei, “Siwei wishes Father to tell people that I was here two shichen ago.”

Zi Xiyu or Branch Sect Leader Zi as he was called chuckled, “What if I don’t?”

Zi Siwei, “This one knows Father will not break a request from me.”

Branch Sect Leader Zi put down his brush and looked at Zi Siwei dead in the eyes, “How would you know I won’t break a request from you? You have been insolent since you disgraced us, humiliating Young Maiden Pei and nearly dragging us into a sect conflict.”

Zi Siwei clenched his fist slightly, the incident with the Cangshi Sect was still a sore spot for him.

Zi Siwei, “I* am the only one who can succeed this line.”

Branch Sect Leader Zi harrumphed, “Don’t get too cocky. I can find whoever I want. Leave me! I have things to do.”

Zi Siwei bowed before leaving the sight of the Branch Sect Leader.

Good. Now I just have to get back to Dawa and Minister Hao. The matter of the assassin is of great importance.

Zi Siwei left the gates of his large family estate and swiftly made his way back to The Court.

Suddenly he stopped.

What is this feeling in the air?

Zi Siwei abruptly turned a different corner and into an alley, hoping to draw in whoever is following him.

The sound of footsteps increased.

Considering what had happened earlier, he didn’t want to engage in combat. It was likely that this person and the dead assassin were connected.

He needed to get a good look at him.

Zi Siwei continued to go through alleys, waiting for an opening.

The sound of footsteps increased.

Zi Siwei hopped over crates and other thrown items, there has to be an opening somewhere.

There!!!

Zi Siwei hopped on a crate and turned to face his pursuer. He summoned his sword and directed it at him.

The sword whooshed past his head, only coming to a stop when it embedded itself in a house beam.

The sound of footsteps stopped.

The pursuer quietly fled.

Zi Siwei summoned his sword back to its scabbard and walked towards the house beam where it was embedded in.

He picked up a small piece of cloth, barely bigger than his palm. His sword had managed to cut that from his pursuer’s clothes.

On first sight and touch, it felt like silk.

Silk?? Either this person’s patron is very rich or he is from a rich family.

Zi Siwei tucked the cloth into his sleeves. Something is going on here. I wonder if it has something to do with Dawa’s appearance??

Zi Siwei didn’t want to suspect the girl since he had just arrived but he couldn’t help but connect the strange events to her.

He quickly left the alleyways and made his way to The Court.

Zi Siwei entered the gates of The Court and told Bai Haoxia about the ‘discussion’ with his father.

Bai Haoxia played along and Zi Siwei covertly told him the events of his tailing through specialised hand signs.

Once Zi Siwei finished telling his story, he requested Bai Haoxia distract all the Huayi servants that came with them. Being the great friend that he was, Bai Haoxia obliged and Zi Siwei swiftly made his way to Dawa’s chambers to meet with Minister Hao.

Zi Siwei stopped just outside the door, “Zi Siwei greets Minister Hao.”

“Umm…Minister Hao left the room for a bit, it’s just me.” Dawa called.

“Oh! Um…I’ll just enter then.” Zi Siwei replied, suddenly flustered.

Zi Siwei entered Dawa’s chambers and joined her at the table for tea. The two drank their tea in total silence.

Zi Siwei looked at Dawa and she turned her eyes from him.

It was very odd. When they were making their way to the capital, she was talking non-stop about food, fashion, the arts, cultivation. It was as if she wasn’t entering the palace to become a concubine and giving up her freedom to be a political pawn for her people.

Zi Siwei figured that she had accepted her fate and was just living life to the fullest before it changes forever.

Now, she was eerily quiet. It was making him uncomfortable. Every time he tried to look at her, she turned away. It was starting to worry him a little.

He opened his mouth to speak.

“Minister Hao said His Majesty is ready to receive me. I leave after a shichen.” Dawa suddenly spoke.

Her voice was unwavering and curt. Zi Siwei was surprised how unfeeling it sounded.

He remembered how her family was suddenly formal to her when she was leaving the tribe. She was doing it to him now.

No more friendliness or jokes; he is now going to be General Zi, not Siwei-xiong.

“I see.” Zi Siwei acknowledged.

Dawa, “He didn’t say anymore as a servant called him to attend to some urgent matter. We’ll have to wait for him to return.”

“Mm.” Zi Siwei took a sip of his tea.

After what felt like hours, Minister Hao returned to Dawa’s chamber.

“Zi Siwei, you’re back.” Minister Hao smiled. “I gather that the visit went well?”

Zi Siwei, “As well as you would expect.”

Minister Hao chuckled and turned to Dawa, “Eat the shaobing from the stall outside the Restaurant Quarter. It’s flakier and the fillings are sweeter.”

Dawa’s cup stopped halfway to her lips and stared at Minister Hao in astonishment.

Zi Siwei quickly released spiritual energy and scanned the premises. All the servants were gone. He looked at Minister Hao with wide eyes.

He was still smiling.

Once again, the room went quiet.

Dawa was the first to speak, “We met with an assassin on the way back. He killed himself before we could catch him.”

Minister Hao’s smile faded slowly, easing into the gravity of the situation, “Where is the body?”

“In the closet.” Dawa said frankly while pointing to the ornate wardrobe at the back of the chamber.

…

…

…

Zi Siwei picked up his tea cup again.

Saying it out loud is really too weird. It’s a good thing Dawa has a thick face.

Dawa darted her glance between the two men, “Don’t worry! I’ve used a special technique from my tribe to preserve the body. Not only does it have no smell, but it also smells like newly washed hair!”

Zi Siwei smiled wryly at the young lady blustering to normalise the oddness of the situation. It wasn’t even her idea to bring back the body, it was his but she somehow took responsibility for it.

Her hands gesturing wildly, her eyes as wide as a doe caught by hunters, her face flushing with embarrassment.

She is…quite adorable.

Zi Siwei surprised himself. He quickly pushed those thoughts from his mind.

“Young Maiden Dawa, we need to see the body.” Minister Hao requested. “We have to see where this assassin came from.”

“Ah…alright.” Dawa nodded and walked to the ornate wardrobe.

Zi Siwei stood in front of the entrance to the room and kept his spiritual energy released while Minister Hao and Dawa removed the body from the closet and placed it on the long table in the chamber.

His eyes never left Dawa’s moving figure.