After Empress Han Lian departed, the air in the study of Prince Long Xun's mansion grew still. Long Xun stood before the window, his mind drifting between the unexpected marriage decree and his duties.
The quiet was broken when Zhenren, his trusted subordinate, entered swiftly. His face was grim.
"Your Highness… Guanglie is dead."
Long Xun turned sharply, his voice cold."What?"
"He was found in his cell an hour ago. No sign of struggle, but…" Zhenren hesitated, "…it happened before we could extract any information."
A wave of fury passed over Long Xun's usually composed face. He was not only a prince — he was the Chief of the Justice in Song court, the empire's most feared judicial force. Losing such a key prisoner under his watch was an insult to his authority.
"Prepare the horses," he ordered. "We go to the prison now."
In the dimly lit underground chamber of Hei Assassination Foundation, Hei Yan, the enigmatic leader of the foundation, paced like a caged beast. His eyes darted to the hourglass on the table, each grain of sand pulling his patience thinner.
They had taken a dangerous contract — to silence Guanglie before he could speak under torture. Failure meant trouble, even for him.
At last, soft footsteps echoed through the chamber. Xuanji Yin emerged from the shadows, her black robes still carrying the scent of smoke and steel.
"It's done," she said coolly, tossing a bloodstained token onto the table.
Hei Yan caught it, his brows knitting."You're certain?"
She smirked faintly. "Dead men tell no tales. Guanglie will trouble no one."
But in her eyes, a flicker of unease remained.
Justice of Song , the prison gates groaned open under the weight of authority. Long Xun strode inside, Zhenren at his side, his boots echoing against the stone floor.
The stench of death hit first. Guanglie's body lay cold on the ground, his expression eerily calm — as if death had come without warning.
Long Xun knelt, his sharp gaze scanning the corpse for any trace of the killer. No wounds. No bruises. No broken bones. Only a faint mark along the neck, almost invisible in the torchlight.
"Nothing," Zhenren muttered.
Long Xun's eyes narrowed."No… there's always something. We just haven't seen it yet."
In the silence of the prison, the mystery deepened.
To be continued.