CHAPTER 12 :
"Undetected Massacre
"Shadow Controller…" Shen Hua Lan's voice cut through the quiet of the carriage, teasing yet sharp. "You look… slightly unwell."
Arata raised an eyebrow, his gaze piercing.
Shen Hua Lan's lips curved into a faint, mocking smile, as if he were enjoying some private amusement.
"What I mean," he continued lightly, "you look as though you've had a terrible dream… a nightmare, perhaps."
Arata's eyes narrowed dangerously, but he remained silent, letting the words hang in the air like a drawn blade.
Lan Fa, seated across from them in the carriage, shifted uneasily. He could feel the tension, even if he didn't understand the cryptic exchange between Arata and Shen Hua Lan.
"He looks fine to me!" Lan Fa said irritably, attempting to break the tension. "Still the same stern face… nothing wrong here!"
Shen Hua Lan's gaze flicked to Arata, sharp and measuring. "Of course," he said softly, "you can't see anything on the surface… but inside, on the…"
He let the sentence trail off, leaving its meaning unspoken, a silent warning only Arata could read.
Arata ignored him completely, arms folded across his chest, unmoving and unreadable.
The carriage glided forward, the wheels whispering across the stone road. Inside, the air was thick with unspoken thoughts, every subtle movement weighed with meaning.
By the time the carriage came to a smooth halt at the palace gates, Arata, Shen Hua Lan, and Lan Fa were ready. The grand doors swung open, revealing the vast hall bathed in light.
Inside, Emperor Tian Jun sat upon his throne, rubbing his temples, the exhaustion of the day evident in his posture. Servants and attendants lined the hall with precise attention, while guards stood silently at the sides.
Tian Jun's gaze fell upon the three as they entered. With a faint sigh, he dismissed the attendants and servants, leaving the hall vast and quiet, filled only with the three figures and his watchful presence.
Before anyone could speak, Emperor Tian Jun's voice cut through the air, calm yet commanding, reverberating through the vast hall.
"You are all right on time. A case has arisen—and the most shocking part is… it happened a while ago. A long while. Yet, no one knew of it until now."
Arata tilted his head slightly, curiosity flickering across his otherwise unreadable expression.
Shen Hua Lan opened his folding fan slowly, the soft snap echoing like a whisper of danger, and raised a sharp eyebrow. Lan Fa folded his arms across his chest, his posture rigid, a mixture of irritation and anticipation in his gaze.
"Another kill?" Arata asked, his voice calm, yet carrying an undercurrent of warning.
"Seems so," Shen Hua Lan replied casually, though his eyes glimmered with a hint of intrigue, as if savoring the anticipation of the story about to unfold.
"When did it happen?" Lan Fa's voice was tense, controlled, betraying the edge of shock he was trying to suppress.
Tian Jun rose from his throne, the hall suddenly feeling smaller under the weight of his presence. He clasped his hands behind his back, his posture regal, his gaze steady.
"Several days ago," he said slowly, each word deliberate. "A whole village… slaughtered. Not a soul survived."
"Whole?" Lan Fa's breath caught in his throat, the word barely audible, edged with disbelief.
Tian Jun's expression remained unreadable as he nodded. His dark eyes seemed to pierce through the very air, weighing every reaction before continuing.
Shen Hua Lan's voice was soft, almost melodic, yet it carried the weight of curiosity and subtle incredulity. "And nobody knew? Not even the reason behind this massacre?"
Arata's jaw tightened, a shadow crossing his sharp features. "It's the second village that's been destroyed—"
"Not destroyed," Tian Jun interjected, his voice low and cutting. "The people are dead. That is all. The houses remain intact, the belongings untouched. The valuables—everything left as it was. Only blood stains the ground… a crimson tide that has already seeped through the village, leaving a stench that no one could ignore if they had entered."
A silence fell over the hall, thick and suffocating, as if the very walls absorbed the horror of his words. The three of them exchanged glances, each understanding, in a different way, the gravity of the massacre.
After a long pause, Lan Fa finally spoke, voice strained but steady:
"Any clues?"
Tian Jun's gaze swept across them, calculating, heavy with unspoken meaning. The hall seemed to constrict, each shadow elongating as though eager to listen. The faint flicker of candlelight and sunlight streaming through the windows did nothing to dispel the oppressive weight of the story.
Tian Jun's dark eyes narrowed as he leaned slightly forward on the throne. "No, not yet. I'll go there myself. Whoever this is… the style… doesn't it match the killings that happened before?"
Shen Hua Lan's fan clicked open, his crimson-gemmed gaze fixed on the emperor. "Your Majesty… do you mean the people killed in the mansion, and the body found in the arena?"
Arata's voice cut in, calm but sharp as steel. "Yes. The killer… it's the same. 'The Silent Killer.' Or as the common folk call him… the Masked Man."
Tian Jun's expression darkened further. "Surely… even the method is the same. Brutal. Cold. Efficient."
His gaze swept across the three.
"You came here… is there something I should know about?"
Arata inclined his head slightly, voice respectful but unhurried.
"Your Majesty is busy. I will come later."
Tian Jun gave a slow nod, and with that, the matter was left unspoken.
The three departed from the palace, their steps measured. This time, they did not take the carriage. They walked, letting the crisp air fill their lungs, each lost in their own thoughts.
"A whole village… slaughtered," Shen Hua Lan muttered, voice low, almost a hiss. "No clues. No leads. Nothing. Whoever did this… cunning beyond imagination."
Lan Fa's fists clenched at his sides, his face taut with frustration. "Who could it be? And why… why commit such heinous, disgusting acts?"
Arata's dark eyes flicked toward him, calm but carrying an unspoken edge. "How about this," he said slowly, letting each word land like a blade, "go ask him yourself."
Lan Fa's lips twisted into a scowl.
"Why don't you… do me a favor and call him here!"
Arata's eyes glinted dangerously, his tone low, sharp. "You think I'm going to follow your orders?"