Crime Scene

Qin Luo crossed his arms with a furious expression as someone covers the corpse with a veil -I cannot believe it...!- he growls hitting the knife on the ground with his foot -What even is the reason? He betrays his army to sell Infos and then take his own life?! Makes no sense-

-Calm down now, General...- a man rushes to his side but he pushes him away and comes toward the entrance of the tend

-What happened?- I ask coming in. The scene that unveils before me is quite self explanatory, a corpse on the ground... A knife and blood all over the chair where the man was seating before

-He committed suicide- informs me Qin Luo, gaining a questioning stare from me, right after he goes down on one knee -It was my fault, I need to be punished and I'm willing to...!- -Ehy stop it, stand up and explain first- I grab his arm and force him on his feet

He looks frustrated -I left him alone... I was negligent, just a few minutes and those were enough for him to die. I went to call for the other general... Since the man came to us willingly, I didn't leave any guards and left him here alone. I'm sorry Lai'Er, you went through all that hassle and gained nothing because of me-

I bite the inside of my cheek, of course he was negligent and of course this is an unpleasant turn of events... But still, the situation is fishy -Don't blame yourself now, we need to understand what happened first. It just doesn't make sense for him to suicide, not after he risked his own life to come here-

I quickly cross the room and reach the crime scene -You left him on this chair and went out?- he nods -Then you came back and he was dead over the table?- -Yes...- he begins saying but then stops -No actually no, He was on the floor already. He was like on his knees with the torso falling over-

I start looking at the blood trail, it originates from the chair and follows on the carpet... Yet the table is clean, aside from one single stain. I take a closer look and there seems to be fingerprints dyed on the wood "Why would he grab the table when cutting his own throat...? Did he felt regret? Got scared for a bad cut maybe?"

-Unveil the corpse- I ask when approaching it, I kneel down and examine his throat. The cut is perfect so he died quickly and with no pain -But then why did he grab the table...?- -What?- asks Qin Luo -You're onto something?- I nod and stand back up, taking the knife with me -I don't recall him having a knife back then, yet the engravings are those of the enemy's army... Did you notice if he already had one when entering the tend with you?- he shakes his head

-No he didn't! I remember now, he had to borrow a sword to protect himself back there... Yes, I made him change clothes then we got surrounded and I asked him if he could fight. He reached out and took a random sword piled there with others because he had none... He even got his dominant arm injured, I sent him away to get my horse since he couldn't fight anymore...- I kneel back on the corpse to check his arm -He couldn't possibly cut the throat so neatly with a wounded arm-

Qin Luo widens his eyes -So someone came here when I was gone...! They made it look like a suicide- -Reson why there are imprints on the table, he didn't want to die and probably tried to push himself up or stop the gargles... This mean only one thing, we have a spy between us-

-If only I didn't leave...!- growl Qin Luo -This could have been avoided and we would have gotten those precious informations by now-

I shake my head -We made a deal, he would have gave me the papers in exchange for rescuing him and the Infos about those men later... Once he was sure enough we accepted him. But that spy had no idea so they tried to dispose of him as soon as possible... So if this occasion failed, they would have found another one- I press around the dead man's body

-What are you doing Lai'Er?-

-Trying to see if there's still anything left to save, I did it with Xu Lei once... I can do it again, I shouldn't be too late- I close my eyes and focus on finding any leftover trace of his energy -Xu Lei! Come here!- I yell and he enters the tend

-Yes ChuanZhu- he kneels beside me, having head everything he already knows what to do and gets to work right away. He close his eyes and begin his search. If I can grab onto what's left of his life and Xu Lei enhance it, we might succeed since he just died...

-I cannot find any life left in him... How could his soul have already left?- I ask and he frowns with his eyes still closed -I'll try my best... Maybe using his meridians we...!- he stops talking -Xu Lei?- I rise an eyebrow at his shocked expression -What's wrong?- -The... The meridians, they're broken! They knew about your abilities! And... Tried to prevent...- He tried to talk, quite shoked.

My expression turns murderous -Dong Hu- I whisper standing back up, I snatch Qin Luo's sword while walking out of the tend with one single aim... KILL

-Stop!- Qin Luo blocks me in his arms but I push him away -Lai'Er...!- he comes back to stop me, Xu Lei right beside him -You can't fight him! Stop! This is a suicide! Look at what happened last time you tried to face him!!!-

-You don't understand... He's playing with me, I believed I was one step closer to ending this war. I thought I had the upper hand- I rise my free hand, my eyes almost popping out as I realize how it all was but a little game -Tz! Hahahaha! Afterall he's always one step ahead- I cover my face with my hand -A third party was never involved, these men are part of the supernatural part of that army, now I'm sure... Dong Hu knew very well about those, yet played along and made me believe I was close to finding out something even he didn't knew about... Killing that man isn't a simple move as just silencing him.

He's warning me... Reminding me that I can do nothing against them, telling me that I am nothing but a mouse to the man he serves... Which I thought was Wang Chia-Hao but apparently it's not so simple! And honestly he's right!!! What even can I do now?! I'm back to point zero! I have nothing against them, even if I found out what those men are... They're still a threaten-

-What do you mean? You're stonger- Qin Luo says but earn a shake of the head from Xu Lei -They are weaker, but they can slow down her powers for a short period of time... And going against Dong Hu is useless too, so it's true... We're back to square one-

I throw the sword in the ground and thrust it with rage due to the frustration -I finished up all my ideas, I don't know what to do now... I was sure that I had the upper hand and could finally free us all of that menace, but I failed. I have nothing more-

Qin Luo cleanches his jaw

-"Can she really end this war?" Your thoughts are too loud General- I look at him with a broken smile and leave -No wait... Lai'Er...!- Xu Lei stops him -Let her go, she won't go to seek revenge for now- Qin Luo barely hold himself back with rage boiling his blood.