Julie waited until after the hour of Xu, when the others had gradually turned off their lights.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she slipped into their rooms. Seeing their steady breathing and confirming they were asleep, she quietly left and disappeared into the night.
By the time Julie climbed over the back wall of the county magistrate's residence, it was already the hour of Hai.
She didn't act immediately but instead observed the layout of the courtyard.
At this time of night, most were asleep. One person was patrolling, and one was guarding the main gate.
Julie knocked both out with a swift strike to the neck. After they fell, she gave them a drug that would erase their memory for six hours, then moved silently inward.
Now, she had completely transformed into "Master Cold," the same look she used when dragging Li Yan into the woods late at night to "chat."
She appeared to be a man in his thirties, face covered in black cloth, with seven-centimeter shoe inserts that made her look about 1.8 meters tall.
She didn't move in right away. Even at this hour, some people were still awake.
Julie used her energy to leap onto the rooftop and went from room to room, blowing sleeping powder through bamboo tubes. Anyone affected would stay asleep for at least three hours and wouldn't wake up halfway.
She didn't even spare the latrines or the kitchen—better to be thorough than careless.
Places like this had too many eyes.
One overlooked spot could ruin everything.
Julie was now on the roof of County Magistrate Wei Zhen's main bedroom.
Every other area had been covered with the sleep powder except this one.
Just as she prepared to blow in the powder, she heard movement inside—and vaguely, her name.
Her eyes narrowed. She focused her energy and dropped down quietly.
She crept near the door without making a sound.
She poked a hole in the paper window to get a better view of the room inside.
Thanks to her advancement to the fourth stage, her hearing and sight had improved, allowing her to clearly make out the conversation inside.
Wei Zhen had finally brought Qingfeng into her residence after his half-month recovery.
She didn't understand why he had kept making excuses before, but now that he was here, it didn't matter.
He was on her bed. That was all that counted.
Wei Zhen felt pleased. So what if he was a courtesan? He was still under her control.
She always liked to coax the men she was interested in: "Feng'er, the night is short... let's not waste it. I promise to be gentle."
She reached for him as her voice dripped with desire.
Qingfeng's eyes flickered with pride and disgust, but his voice was soft and pitiful: "My lady, I've suffered... You don't know—at that banquet, the youngest village chief, I don't know her name, came to find me later. She insulted and harassed me. Said she'd take me in as a concubine. When I refused, she claimed she wasn't afraid of you and made it clear she didn't respect you at all."
Tears streamed from his eyes as he spoke, making Wei Zhen feel all the more protective.
"Don't cry, Feng'er. Tomorrow morning, I'll have her arrested for you. That'll teach her a lesson."
After all, that woman hadn't offered any bribes—she wasn't worth protecting.
Wei Zhen had also heard that woman had three husbands, each different and handsome. Even if she'd already used them, they were still worth playing with.
She needed to stay calm for now. Her current situation required patience.
She had completely forgotten her earlier promise to Dong Miao to give the woman a few days' grace.
Qingfeng looked touched: "My lady, you're so kind to me."
But in his heart, he felt nothing but contempt.
To him, all women deserved to die.
His mother had sold him to human traffickers when he was young, and then he was sold again to a brothel.
He'd suffered much as a child. As he grew older, the brothel owner saw his good looks and refined manner and began training him, step by step, until he became the famed courtesan he was now.
He'd seen enough to know men in this world were pitiful.
Many courtesans had been beaten to death by their female patrons.
Even those lucky enough to be bought out didn't usually end up well.
If he hadn't caught Wei Zhen's attention—and grabbed hold of her weakness, knowing she was lustful and prideful—he wouldn't have been able to stay safe for so long.
He also knew her patience was wearing thin. That's why he approached her himself.
He had his little servant inquire about the woman who stepped on his foot that day. Turned out she was the same sort—three husbands and all, and she was known to scold and beat them.
Why?
Why were women allowed to have multiple husbands and still treat them so cruelly?
In his eyes, no woman was worth trusting.
So he decided he had nothing to lose. If he was going to fall, he'd take someone else down too.
His servant had only learned about Julie's original reputation. Only those who had dealt with her recently knew the truth.
Julie hadn't gone out of her way to clear her name. She kept a low profile.
Qingfeng knew that to Wei Zhen, he was just a toy.
Once she got bored, she would toss him aside.
But it didn't matter. He had nothing to lose. If it wasn't her, it would be someone else.
Dragging a scumbag down with him? That was a win in his book.
"My lady, are you really going to arrest her tomorrow? You're not just saying that to make me happy, right?" He moved slightly, nearly driving Wei Zhen mad.
Driven by lust, she was ready to agree to anything.
Still, Wei Zhen wasn't completely irrational. She kept a bit of clarity.
She began plotting how to throw Julie in jail the next day. What excuse could she use?
Best to keep her locked up for a while. In the meantime, she could enjoy playing with her husbands.
Wei Zhen wasn't afraid of Julie coming back to cause trouble.
She might not even make it back into the city. And even if she did, Wei Zhen was the authority here.
Julie was just a small-time village official. What could she possibly do?
If Julie knew what was good for her, she'd behave.
If not, Wei Zhen could strip her of her position or exile her with a single word.
Wei Zhen had a plan in her mind, so she agreed. "Sweetheart, don't worry. Tomorrow morning, I'll send someone to arrest them. I promise you. Now, can you satisfy me first? Come here… sweetheart…" She pulled and bit as she spoke.
Qingfeng closed his eyes and endured it. Two tears slid down from the corners of his eyes — for the men of this era, and for himself. But he still let out a few soft moans to play along.
Julie heard enough and decided not to keep listening.
Whether Wei Zhen was saying those things to comfort Qingfeng or she really meant it didn't matter to Julie.
She would rather kill the wrong person than let someone dangerous go.
Any hesitation or soft-heartedness would only lead to a miserable end.
Julie kicked the door open. The two people inside, like ants on a hot pan, were shocked and quickly let go of each other.
Qingfeng was scared and instinctively leaned into Wei Zhen's arms. Wei Zhen was scared too. She grabbed Qingfeng and pushed him out: "You… go check…"
Then she backed into the corner of the bed to hide.
Wei Zhen usually only cared about food, fun, playing with men, and getting rich.
She didn't know any martial arts.
So when danger came, her instinct was to run.
She didn't care that Qingfeng was a man. In her eyes, he was just someone to push in front of the danger.
She even thought about hiding under the bed to try and escape.
Qingfeng was stunned for a second when she pushed him. He didn't expect Wei Zhen to be so cowardly, throwing him out and forgetting all the affection from just moments ago.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
Qingfeng's clothes were messy, hair disheveled. Before he could walk out, Julie was already in front of him.
He didn't recognize her and didn't have time to speak. Her willow-leaf blade cut across his neck. Blood poured out.
In the next second, Qingfeng fell to the floor, eyes wide open, dying with regret.
Julie didn't like talking before killing. It was pointless and a waste of time.
Wei Zhen was trembling in the corner of the bed.
She heard the noise and got even more scared. "Qingfeng… Feng'er…" she called twice, but there was no reply.
Her mind was racing with questions.
Who was it? An enemy? Did they want money or her life?
Julie walked to the bedside and saw Wei Zhen hiding under the blanket, poking her head out now and then to check.
She looked nothing like the proud and confident woman from that meeting days ago.
Wei Zhen saw a masked man staring at her silently and got nervous.
She couldn't see his face, but he didn't look like someone she had ever favored.
He seemed older, and he was too tall. She liked small, delicate, younger men.
Wei Zhen loved money and beauty, but she valued her life more.
When her life was in danger, all those other things didn't matter.
If she stayed alive, she could always get more money and more pretty men.
After thinking it through, Wei Zhen knelt on the bed and begged. "Sir, please don't kill me. All my money is in the study. I can give it all to you. Please let me live. I can serve you, give you everything. Beautiful women, wealth—anything. Please, don't kill me…"
Julie didn't speak. Her eyes only shifted slightly when she heard about the money in the study.
As soon as Wei Zhen finished talking, the willow-leaf blade moved again—quick and precise. In less than two seconds, it cut her throat. Blood sprayed as her life faded. A look of nostalgia flashed in Julie's eyes.
She stored the blade in her space so no murder weapon was left behind.
She checked both of them—they were dead.
She didn't leave right away.
She started searching the room.
In a drawer, she found silver notes worth two hundred taels and some loose silver coins. She took everything.
Julie didn't know where the study was, so she checked each room. She even went through the kitchen and avoided only the toilet.
In the kitchen, she saw two baskets of eggs—about fifty in each. Her eyes lit up, and she took them all.
She left the vegetables and grains behind but took all the meat.