A Blade in the Fog

Chapter 29: A Blade in the Fog

The night air was thick with silence, the weight of Zhao Fengyun's words pressing against Ye Xian's thoughts.

"Lan Huai's murderer is still alive."

She had expected deception, betrayal, even the unraveling of old secrets—but this?

This was something else.

This meant that every assumption Shen Liwei had made about his first love's death, every thread Han Yue was pulling, and every silent war Zhao Fengyun had been fighting—all of it was leading to a name that no one had spoken aloud.

Not yet.

Ye Xian inhaled slowly, her fingers brushing the inside of her sleeve. She could still feel the lingering heat of Zhao Fengyun's presence, the unspoken warning in his last words.

"If we find them… you won't be able to walk away."

A truth she already knew.

Because if she found them first—she wouldn't let them walk away either.

A Meeting That Was Not a Coincidence

She turned to leave the courtyard, but before she could take another step—she felt it.

Another presence.

This one heavier. Deliberate.

Ye Xian's muscles tensed slightly before she forced herself to relax. She was being followed.

No—not followed.

Intercepted.

She took another step forward, only for a familiar voice to cut through the cold night.

"Physician Xie."

Ye Xian exhaled lightly. Han Yue.

She turned slowly, keeping her expression unreadable. The general stood a few paces away, his crimson robes blending into the shadows of the garden's stone walls.

His stance was casual—but too controlled.

Which meant he had been waiting for her.

Ye Xian placed a hand over her heart lightly, lowering her gaze slightly. "General Han."

Han Yue didn't respond immediately. His dark eyes flickered over her, as if studying something beyond what was visible.

"You have a habit of wandering late at night," he remarked.

Ye Xian smiled faintly. "I could say the same about you."

A pause.

Then—Han Yue took a step forward.

"Tell me, Physician Xie," he murmured. "What do you know about Lan Huai?"

Ye Xian felt the shift instantly.

This wasn't a test. It was a demand.

The Knife Between Them

Ye Xian didn't blink. "You seem rather interested in a woman who has been dead for years."

Han Yue tilted his head slightly. "And yet, it seems everyone in this palace is speaking her name again."

A pause.

Then—his gaze sharpened.

"You were with Zhao Fengyun just now."

Ye Xian's fingers twitched slightly. So he had seen.

Han Yue exhaled softly. "Tell me. Did he happen to mention her?"

Ye Xian considered her answer carefully.

She could lie.

But Han Yue wasn't just any opponent. He had spent his life cutting through deception.

So instead, she chose something in between.

"Perhaps," she said lightly. "Would that change anything?"

Han Yue studied her for a long moment.

Then—he stepped closer.

"You don't trust me," he said.

It wasn't a question.

Ye Xian exhaled. "Trust is a dangerous thing in this world, General."

Han Yue's lips curved faintly. "So is withholding the truth."

A silence.

Then—he said something that shifted everything.

"You're not the only one being watched, Ye Xian."

Ye Xian's eyes narrowed slightly.

Han Yue continued, his voice quiet. Too quiet.

"The same people who want you dead are waiting for me to make the wrong move," he murmured.

A pause.

Then—he met her gaze fully.

"So tell me, Physician Xie."

"Are we playing against each other?"

"Or are we playing the same game?"

The Decision That Cannot Be Undone

Ye Xian inhaled lightly.

She could refuse him.

She could walk away, let him hunt his own answers while she hunted hers.

But if what he said was true—then the same unseen force that had manipulated her had its sights on Han Yue as well.

Which meant this wasn't just about her mission anymore.

It was about survival.

Ye Xian exhaled.

Then—she made her choice.

She stepped forward, closing the space between them slightly.

"Very well, General," she murmured.

"Let's see if you can keep up."

Han Yue studied her for a moment longer.

Then—he nodded.

And in that silent agreement, the game shifted once more.

The Watcher Who Remained

As Ye Xian and Han Yue disappeared into the shadows of the palace, a lone figure remained at the edge of the courtyard.

Zhao Fengyun watched them go, his expression unreadable.

Then—he exhaled softly.

"Interesting."

A pause.

Then—he smiled faintly.

"This should be fun."

And with that, he too vanished into the night.

The pieces were moving.

And the next play would change everything.

End of Chapter 29