Chapter 2: The Innkeeper's Doubt

The morning fog hadn’t yet lifted. Grey-white steam hung like gossamer threads, weaving through the shattered walls and collapsed remnants of the Osaka Ward. The moment Xiaoxue stepped out into the ruins, the rhythm of her boots on the soft, wet mud completely changed. The soil was loose and sound-absorbing; every step felt like treading on cotton. It wasn’t that she was trying to stay hidden—she had simply picked up on the sound of someone following behind her.

It wasn’t the rhythmic patter of rain. It was the subtle, irregular scrape of leather boots against bluestone slabs. If it were just one person, their steps would likely be more fluid; if it were more than two, their breathing would be noticeably disjointed. She stopped, but didn’t turn around. Instead, she angled her body, melting into the shadows.

The tailing figure seemed to sense her sudden halt, deliberately slowing their breathing to match the surrounding environment. A cold sneer curled in Xiaoxue’s mind. The intruder was cunning, but they had vastly underestimated how familiar she was with the street layout here. She had to weave through Osaka Ward’s intricate maze of canals and alleys, leaving this malevolent pursuer behind.

Xiaoxue slipped into a narrow alleyway. Tall wooden walls on either side blocked out most of the sky, leaving only a streak of pale, sickly daylight filtering down from above. This spot was close to the bank of the Osaka Canal. The air was thick with the damp smell of moss and rotting wood shavings, mingling with the distinct, pungent stench of river silt.

She crouched low, moving quickly along the edge of the waterway. She deliberately avoided the dry wooden plank paths, knowing that wetter ground would mask the sound of her footsteps. Ahead stood an old stone arch bridge. Its thick pillars had been worn smooth as polished stone by the flowing water, speckled with patches of moss. She hid in the shadow of one of the pillars, listening to the footsteps behind her closing in.

The footsteps were alert, tinged with urgency. Clearly, the pursuer had lost her trail. Xiaoxue held her breath, counting her heartbeats. It wasn’t until the faint sounds vanished into the river wind that she emerged from the shadows, continuing to move upstream against the current.

Meanwhile, in a sealed chamber deep within the Commercial Company, Chiyo Matsudaira sat behind a low table, his fingers tapping lightly on the surface. The dark sandalwood wood emitted a dull, heavy thud that cut through the silence of the small room, sounding obscenely loud. His brow was deeply furrowed. A cunning, sharp light flickered in his eyes. The teacup in his hand had long since gone cold, yet he didn’t move to drink from it.

Outside the door, a household servant knelt on one knee, reporting the tracking progress in a low voice. Chiyo didn’t rise. He merely lifted his eyes, his gaze as sharp as a hawk’s, scrutinizing the trembling subordinate before him. As the servant described the last known location of Xiaoxue, the corner of Chiyo’s mouth curled into a teasing, predatory arc.

A young woman, deftly escaping from under his very nose. That itself was an act of defiance. But more than that, it was a signal of a treasure.

Chiyo spoke, his voice raspy and slow: "Where did she go?"

The servant bowed his forehead to the floor, his voice shaking: "Reply to the Master, she last disappeared into the water alleys near Umeda Bridge."

Chiyo’s tapping fingers stopped. He gently tapped the edge of the table: "Umeda Bridge... That’s the mandatory route leading to the old Station District."

Chiyo stood up, draping a coat over his shoulders. His movements were elegant, yet exuded a cold, unwavering resolve. He knew Xiaoxue’s target wasn’t just a pile of ruins. Hidden behind it lay a secret capable of altering the entire architectural landscape of the Osaka Ward. "Block the three main exits of the canal," he commanded. "Go notify Seijiro. Have him summon all the ‘Gatekeepers’."

"We need to catch that little canary before sunrise."

Xiaoxue moved through the canal against the current. The rush of water provided a loud cover for the crisp sound of her footsteps. The fog here was thicker, blurring her vision. She used the steam rising from the water as a natural screen, hugging her body tightly against the stone walls of the channel.

The waterway here was winding and tortuous. Every turn could hide a deadly trap, or an unexpected escape route. In her mind, she recited the nodes of the star map. Those ancient markings flashed in her thoughts, like beacons for a night navigator. The rhythm of the water synchronized with her breathing. Fear was suppressed, buried deep beneath the ice of her logic.

She knew that Chiyo’s net was tightening. Time was running out. She had to find Ayano as quickly as possible. Only that sharp, honest daughter of a Station Master could help her solve the final, crucial puzzle of the broken map.

Finally, Xiaoxue reached a secluded corner of the old Station District. This place was far from the city’s bustle, so quiet that you could hear the chirping of insects. An unassuming wooden house stood here, its door half-open, revealing a sliver of dim yellow light. The flame flickered violently in the wind. She took a deep breath, straightening her sweat-drenched collar, and raised her hand to knock.

The knocking was light, rhythmic, and deliberate—a signal they had pre-arranged. After a moment, the door hinge gave a soft creak. Ayano Ono stood in the doorway. Her expression was tense, but her eyes held a firm expectation. She stepped aside to let her in, whispering: "It’s very chaotic out there. Are you sure you want to come inside?"

Xiaoxue stepped into the room. The damp, cold moisture clinging to her body instantly dispersed in the warm interior, creating a brief puff of white steam. Ayano noticed the mud caked on Xiaoxue’s boot soles. Her brow furrowed slightly, but she didn’t ask questions. Xiaoxue didn’t sit down. Instead, she immediately pulled a rolled-up, damaged piece of parchment from her bosom and carefully unrolled it.

Ayano leaned in close, her gaze landing on the complex lines and the broken corners of the drawing. A flash of shock crossed her eyes. Her fingertip traced the gap in the diagram, her voice dropping to an absolute whisper: "This is... a broken beam?" Xiaoxue nodded, a calm, sharp light in her eyes. She needed Ayano’s expertise to complete this deadly piece of the puzzle.

Xiaoxue pointed to a specific structural part of the drawing, her voice steady: "This isn’t just a beam framework. It’s the lifeline supporting the entire structure. On the night of the 'Heavenly Fire' massacre that wiped out my family, this exact point snapped. The load-bearing failed, and the entire building collapsed in an instant." She paused, her gaze locking onto Ayano with piercing intensity. "My family died in a meticulously engineered structural accident."

"This was not an accident. It was murder." Ayano’s fingers were trembling. Looking at the diagram, a chilling wave she couldn’t quite name surged through her heart. The value of this map far exceeded their imaginations, and far exceeded what the powers lurking in the shadows had anticipated.

Ayano took a step back, her back against the wall, trying to steady her rapid breathing. She studied the Mortise and Tenon structure at the broken corner of the diagram. It presented an incredibly rare interlocking method, so precise it was almost frightening.

She said quietly, "I’ve seen a similar description in my grandfather’s ancient texts. This Mortise and Tenon is called the 'Soul-Locking Mortise.' It’s typically used to seal away dangerous architectural components."

She looked up, suspicion in her eyes. "If Seijiro is also hunting for similar blueprints, his goal definitely isn’t to repair buildings. It’s to monopolize the production rights of this technology." A logical chain snapped into place in Xiaoxue’s mind, closing the circuit with rapid precision.

Xiaoxue let out a cold snort, a hint of mockery at the corner of her mouth: "Chiyo uses the map to hunt for wealth. Seijiro wants to control the market by monopolizing building materials. One handles intelligence, the other handles technology. They’re secretly collaborating, building a massive black hole for profits."

She pointed to the break on the broken map. "And my family... because we possessed the complete star map, we obstructed their plan. That’s why the 'Heavenly Fire' erupted that night. This wasn’t a natural disaster. It was a building collapse accident caused by a corporate war. The truth is hidden right in this missing corner."

Ayano gasped sharply, the air hitching in her throat. She never imagined that this seemingly simple quest for justice for a wrongful conviction was actually tangled up in a massive, dark conspiracy of such magnitude.

A brief silence settled inside the room, broken only by the clear, ticking sound of the wall clock. Xiaoxue rolled up the broken map again, gripping it tightly in her hand. Her knuckles turned white from the strain. She knew time was nearly up. Chiyo’s reach was long, Seijiro’s ambition was greater, and the broken map in their hands had become the focal point of a multi-party conflict.

She had to complete this map quickly. Not just to clear her family’s name, but to prevent this ancient town from plunging into destruction again due to greed. Sunlight filtered through the window lattice, casting dappled shadows on the wooden floorboards. Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, danger loomed from all sides.

Suddenly, a faint sound came from outside the door. It was the sound of a sword scabbard rubbing against leather—sharp, cold, cutting through the dead silence of the room. Ayano’s expression changed instantly. Her pupils contracted. She lunged at Xiaoxue, pushing her deeper into the shadows of the room.

"Chiyo’s personal guard is here," Ayano whispered, her tone carrying a level of urgency she had never shown before. "Make no sound. They track positions by sound." Xiaoxue stood in the darkness, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword, her gaze icy. The footsteps outside stopped. A killing intent seeped through the thin wooden door, permeating the room. It seemed the air itself had solidified.

She knew, the moment of the true hunt had finally arrived.

The edge of a blade sliced through the wooden fibers of the door frame, emitting a light, grating sound that made her teeth ache. In that instant, time seemed to stretch infinitely. Ayano clamped her mouth firmly over Xiaoxue’s, her other hand yanking her into the hidden niche behind the wardrobe. The niche was narrow and cramped, just wide enough for one person to curl up, but it offered a view of the entire room through the cracks.

Heavy, synchronized breathing sounds came from outside. The kind of stable, battle-hardened respiration unique to elite samurai. There were no more words, just a low, muffled grunt, as if confirming the location of the prey.

Then, the sound of boot heels hitting the floorboards approached. Each step was precise, deliberately landing on the weak spots of the flooring to stir up dust and noise, allowing them to judge the prey’s location through the faint echo.

Xiaoxue held her breath, her back pressed tightly against the cold wooden panel. Her heartbeat pounded fiercely in her ears. Through the gap, she saw a black shadow flash into the room. It wasn’t an ordinary servant. This was Chiyo’s sharpest fang—the one-eyed warrior known as the "Oni-Men." He radiated a chilling killing aura. The katana in his hand was still sheathed, but it coiled with ready-to-strike energy.

The Oni-Men didn’t draw his blade immediately. Instead, he dropped to one knee, his gaze sweeping every corner of the room like a hawk’s.

Suddenly, he stopped.

The Oni-Men slowly stood up and walked toward the windowsill. There, a corner of paper lay unrolled—not fully cleaned up, but a small fragment of the broken map that Xiaoxue had dropped in her panic. The Oni-Men didn’t pick it up. He simply stared at the fragment, a cruel arc forming on his lips.

He drew an iron tag from his waist, engraved with the Chiyo family crest, and placed it next to the fragment. Then he turned and spoke into the void outside the door: "My Lord, the prey is in the net. Awaiting your orders."

Outside was silent for a moment. Then, a dismissive laugh rang out. The sound passed through the door panel into the room, sending a shiver down Xiaoxue’s spine. It was Chiyo himself.

"Search." Chiyo’s voice was as cold as ice, yet carried an unquestionable authority. "Alive or dead, I want that complete map. If Xiaoxue resists..." He paused, a barely perceptible edge of excitement in his tone. "Then let her join her ancestors in the underworld."

The Oni-Men knelt, his blade tip lightly tapping the floor with a sharp ring. With a sudden burst of force, he slashed at the side panel of the wardrobe. In the instant the wood splintered, Xiaoxue didn’t dodge. Instead, she shot out of the hidden niche, her short blade already pressed against the carotid artery at the back of the Oni-Men’s neck. If this strike landed, the Oni-Men would die without a doubt. But she had also fully exposed herself to the room’s gaze.

Chiyo’s laughter cut off abruptly. It was replaced by the deafening, thunderous sound of a sword being unsheathed, echoing like a strike of lightning in the small room. Xiaoxue stood before the broken wardrobe, alone, facing a room full of murderous intent. There was no fear in her eyes, only cold, resolute determination. The true deadlock had only just begun.