Timeless Assassin

(Planet Vorthas, The Shoppers market, Next Morning, Su Pei's POV)

Su Pei arrived at the small, nondescript building tucked between a pawn shop and a spice merchant's stall, its faded sign reading 'Marrowstone Investigations' in chipped gold paint.

This was the address that Jacob had given him, informing him about how the private investigator inside came highly recommended, which was why he sought him out.

However, judging by the shoddy state of the establishment, Su Pei did not feel impressed at all.

Inside, the office was dimly lit, a single fan turning lazily overhead as a middle-aged man in a dark vest sat behind a cluttered desk.

Stacks of files, unwashed cups, and an old ink blotter crowded the space, which once again ticked Su Pei off, who was a bit of a neat freak.

However, he did not let his disappointment show, as he walked in with an easy smile, the kind one might use when seeking help rather than delivering a threat, and took the seat across from the investigator who seemed to be happy to see a customer.

"Please…. Tell me gentleman, how may I help you?" The investigator asked in a deep voice, as Su Pei made a distressed expression.

"You must understand, good sir," Su Pei began, resting his elbows lightly on the desk, "my wife… I don't think she is who she claims to be."

"I think… she might be a spy for the righteous faction, or a part of the infamous red army! I want to report her to the authorities, but she's my wife…. So I don't want to turn her in, unless I'm absolutely sure…." Su Pei explained, as the investigator let out a soft chuckle.

"That is a serious claim. Most who throw it around have no idea what they're saying. Why do you think your wife is a part of the Red Army?" The investigator asked, as he tried to dig deeper and find out the basis behind this allegation.

"I do not make this claim lightly," Su Pei replied in a quiet tone, leaning forward as though sharing a personal confession.

"I have seen her hide a long sword from me, the long, straight and pointy kind used by high tier warriors.

And once, I managed to retrieve a gray smoke orb from her. Now tell me, why would she need a smoke orb? She told me she used to be an adventurer and a tank before she married me."

The investigator sighed, leaning back in his chair, his fingers drumming against the armrest as though he were disappointed in this conversation.

"Look, sir… I will investigate your wife if that's what you wish. I am not denying that there is a possibility that she might be affiliated with the Righteous Faction, but I highly doubt she belongs to the Red Army in particular."

Su Pei tilted his head slightly. "Why is that?"

"You see, Red Army members…. Most of them, at least nine in ten, carry a distinct curved blade.

It is their signature, their pride, their mark of belonging. As for the smoke bomb you found, I do not know why a tank would carry it, but I can tell you this… if she were in the Red Army, the smoke bomb would be red, not gray."

He spread his hands as though the matter were settled. "So while your wife may not be who she says she is, I do not think she belongs to the Red Army either."

Su Pei's lips curved into a polite smile, his eyes never leaving the man's face. "I see. So you do know about the signature style the Red Army operates with. That is good to know."

The investigator blinked, sensing the faintest shift in tone, but said nothing.

"But then," Su Pei continued, his voice as calm as before, "if you do know this… I wonder why you did not flag a report when you examined the wounds on one Luke Skyshard.

Every single injury on his body was caused by straight blades.

Every single one, yet in your report as a private investigator, you blamed it all on the Red Army…. I wonder why?"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees, the hum of the fan overhead sounding louder in the sudden silence. The investigator's eyes flickered briefly to the door before darting back to Su Pei.

"What nonsense are you talking about? I know nothing of what you speak. Please leave my office at once," he said sharply, his hand sliding beneath the desk.

Su Pei made no move as the man pulled out a short blade, its edge worn but serviceable, and pointed it across the desk.

The blade did not even have time to catch the light before a sudden, crushing weight filled the air.

*Crash*

The investigator's chair splintered as he collapsed to the floor, his limbs locking under the pressure of Su Pei's aura.

The man could not so much as lift his head. His breath came in shallow, wheezing gasps, each one an effort against the invisible force pinning him down.

"My, my," Su Pei murmured, standing slowly and walking around the desk with the measured steps of someone entirely unhurried. "You were not planning to threaten me, were you?"

The investigator's eyes widened, the disbelief plain even as his body trembled under the weight crushing him. "Who… are… you?" he rasped.

Su Pei crouched beside him, moving the desk aside with one hand as though it were made of paper. "I am Su Pei. I work for Master Leo Skyshard. Your Shadow Dragon."

The man's face drained of color, his lips parting soundlessly.

"I believe he is… disappointed… in how you have been lying to him about his brother's condition," Su Pei said quietly, the words slipping from his tongue like a calm observation rather than an accusation.

"I—I—"

"Do not waste breath on lies," Su Pei interrupted, his tone still level, though his aura pressed down harder, drawing a strangled gasp from the man.

"I will know instantly if you lie. I am a Monarch, and I do not need tricks to see through falsehoods.

Now… tell me the truth.

I am not with the Righteous Faction, so you shouldn't feel shame in telling me what really happened.

In fact, you should fear what happens if you hold it back."

The man's chest rose and fell rapidly, panic clouding his eyes as sweat gathered along his temple.

"They… they forced me to alter my report," he stammered. "The Tw—Twelfth Elder's office… and a woman named Mu Fan."

The name hung in the air like a stone dropped into still water.

Su Pei's brows drew together slightly. "The Twelfth Elder's office? But why," he said softly, "would the Cult's management be involved in this?"

The investigator made a desperate, choking sound, but before Su Pei could press further, his body went slack.

He had fainted, his breath shallow but steady.

Su Pei straightened, brushing the dust from his hands as though nothing of consequence had occurred, and walked toward the door without a backward glance.

Outside, the street was still quiet and it seemed like his interrogation had gone without any major issues.

However, what he learnt from it was most surprising to say the least.

Su Pei had not expected the Cult's own high-ranking members to have a hand in altering Luke's memories, for if that were true, then the very foundation of trust within the system was already crumbling beneath their feet.

For now, Su Pei chose to keep his discovery to himself, his steps carrying him toward the second private investigator's office, the other man who had also worked on the case.

There was no point in sounding the alarm until he could confirm the full extent of the matter, yet if his suspicions were proven beyond doubt… he could not help but wonder how his master would react when the truth came to light.