Chapter 16: The Shura Field on the Third Floor

When He Shanyue inquired about the third floor, Huang Qi's composed smile faltered noticeably. After a moment's pause, he replied, "The third floor houses some old texts and sutras. They haven't seen the light of day for a long time and are usually kept locked."

He Shanyue's gaze fell upon the lock behind him; it was bright, brand new, and free of a single speck of dust.

A lie.

He Shanyue lowered her eyes slightly.

Huang Qi quickly shifted the topic: "The studio where you two ladies will be teaching is on the first floor. The young mistresses may be arriving soon, so please make your way downstairs—"

After a brief pause, having successfully drawn sufficient attention from He Shanyue and Zhou Linian, he smiled brightly again: "This is the ladies' first day of class, so you must teach well. After the Madam visits her aunt, she might come by to audit the lesson."

The short phrase "might come by to audit" instantly made Zhou Linian nervous. It wasn't until the young mistresses began to arrive one after another that Zhou Linian, hiding behind the writing desk and peeking at the four graceful figures scattered outside the classroom, felt her tension reach its peak.

Zhou Linian trembled uncontrollably. "...How about Miss He starts first?"

He Shanyue stood half-turned behind the four folding screens, looking out through the hollowed hibiscus patterns.

The four young ladies were of similar age; judging by their facial structures, they were between fifteen and seventeen. They were all beautiful, each with a different kind of beauty, yet all could easily be identified as "beauties from Jiangnan" by their jade-like tender skin and delicate bone structures.

There was another commonality: all four ladies shared the same dejected expression, their brows furrowed and their minds elsewhere, looking like delicate flowers wilted by a sudden storm.

He Shanyue withdrew her gaze dispassionately and answered Zhou Linian, "That works."

Zhou Linian immediately regretted it: if the Madam came and saw Miss He speaking eloquently and gracefully, wouldn't she lose even more face?

"It's better if I start," Zhou Linian immediately went back on her word.

"Either is fine," He Shanyue smiled, her tone devoid of any fluctuation.

Huang Qi opened the class with moderate gravity. A small maid came to report something, and he hurriedly departed.

Zhou Linian took a deep breath and walked out. As she stood tremulously on the low platform, the four young ladies glanced up hurriedly. Seeing that the newcomer was unremarkable, they all simultaneously lowered their heads, scribbling or drawing something.

Zhou Linian's stumbling lecture failed to pique anyone's interest. An hour later, the four ladies below could no longer sit still. First, they whispered timidly, then two or three huddled together to talk. After another half hour of fidgeting, a piercing, shrill scream erupted from outside. The four ladies could no longer endure it; one of them bolted upright and turned to walk out with small, hurried steps.

The person beside her whispered, "...Not listening to the lesson anymore?! If the Madam finds out, she'll—"

Before she could finish, the girl who stood up let out a cold laugh. "The Madam doesn't have the energy to bother with us right now—whether Ah Yan is dead or alive..."

The person beside her tugged at her sleeve. The sneering girl reluctantly fell silent and turned to leave.

Seeing someone else take the lead, the remaining three found excuses and followed suit.

The flush on Zhou Linian's face gradually faded. After a sigh, whether out of relief or a sense of resigned despondency, she turned back toward the rear pavilion, only to find it empty.

Where was Miss He?

Zhou Linian tilted her head upward. The winding staircase looked like a flicking tongue of a snake, with its tail at the bottom and its head pointing up, as if "hissing" an invitation for her to ascend.

"Miss He—" Zhou Linian called out softly, her voice trembling.

There was no response.

Gathering her courage, Zhou Linian walked up to the second floor. It was empty and pitch black.

Only a few masterless pipas seemed to invite her into the fray.

Zhou Linian involuntarily shuddered, her voice breaking into a sob, "Miss He—where are you—"

There was even an echo.

The echoed sob served as a cryptic gift in return.

Zhou Linian didn't even dare to cry out loud anymore. She pressed herself tightly against the banister, even hallucinating the slimy sensation of a venomous snake in her palm.

Just as she was about to break down and run downstairs, a familiar voice came from the top floor: "I'm up here."

It was Miss He!

Zhou Linian gripped the banister—even if it was a snake, it was better than a ghost!

"Come down quickly... I didn't finish my lesson. Someone screamed outside... they're all gone... let's, let's go back too..." Zhou Linian spoke in a jumbled mess.

There was no response from the top floor.

They were merely passing acquaintances; there was no need to be terrified for a stranger. Receiving no reply, Zhou Linian timidly prepared to descend.

"There is something upstairs," the voice from the third floor spoke again, halting her steps.

"What? What is it?" Zhou Linian asked.

"Something very important to both of us." He Shanyue's voice did not sound as sweet as it had the previous night; it carried a chilling, seductive undertone like a north wind: "Do you want to come up and see?"

Zhou Linian fell silent for a moment, but eventually, she took a step, gripping the stairs and walking up one step at a time.

To strike a snake, one must hit its heart. Aside from this job as a lady teacher, which provided both status and income, what else could be important to both of them?

There were no lights in the entire building. The only light came from the swaying lanterns under the eaves outside and the moon hidden behind the clouds.

The large bronze lock on the third floor had been pried open, and the door slid open a crack.

Bending low, Zhou Linian pushed the door open slowly with rapid breaths. A heavy, metallic scent of rust rushed toward her. Once she saw the scene inside, a high-pitched scream tore from Zhou Linian's throat—"Ahhh—!"

The scream was cut short.

He Shanyue clamped her hand tightly over Zhou Linian's mouth, her voice low: "If you don't want to be discovered, don't scream."

As He Shanyue slowly lowered her hand, Zhou Linian raised both of her own hands to cover her mouth tightly, her eyes wide and staring, her body shaking uncontrollably. The third floor was exactly as Huang Qi had described, with four or five racks storing ancient texts and sutras, but beside the bookshelves lay a scattered array of stocks, shackles, coffin beds, and stone hammers.

The unevenly spaced spikes on the coffin bed stood toward the ceiling, glinting with a cold light.

Beside the instruments of torture sat a large camphor wood box, flanked by five low stools. The box was half a person tall, with sharp corners and an additional layer of locks.

And beside the camphor box was a massive, sprawling bloodstain, along with scattered sprays of a milky-white substance mixed with rust-colored blood streaks. On the walls, on the bookshelves, on the books, on the floor... it was everywhere!

It looked... it looked like a slaughterhouse.

But how could there be a slaughterhouse in a school within the inner quarters!

Zhou Linian's shoulders shook uncontrollably.

"That milky-white substance is human brain matter."

He Shanyue's voice rang out again.

Zhou Linian's pupils dilated and then suddenly constricted. Before she could even wail, she saw He Shanyue step forward, crouch down, and pick up the lock outside the box. With a practiced motion, she used a hairpin removed from her hair; with a single "click," the lock opened.

He Shanyue looked up, her eyelids lifting to meet Zhou Linian's gaze: "Miss Zhou, watch closely. I will demonstrate for you how this lady died."