Shadows of Crimson and Snow

Dawn crept over Luoyang like pale ink washing across rice paper. The festival lanterns hung lifeless now, their magic spent with the night. At the Thousand Buddha Temple, incense smoke curled through the morning mist as monks chanted sutras for Magistrate Chen's departed soul.

Dr. Wei Ruyi knelt beside the body, his scholarly robes immaculate despite the grim task before him. Though barely thirty, his eyes held the keen intelligence of a much older man. His fingers moved with practiced precision as he examined the fatal wound, noting details that others had missed in the chaos of discovery.

"Interesting," he murmured, mostly to himself. "The cut is clean, made with a blade sharp enough to slice silk in the wind. But look here—" He gestured to one of the city guards. "The flower wasn't placed after death. It was arranged first, and the killing blow struck around it. Our killer is not just brutal, but artistic."

The guard shifted uncomfortably. "The White Ghost's work, surely. Who else could—"

"The White Ghost?" Wei Ruyi's voice carried a note of skepticism. "Tell me about these sightings."

Before the guard could answer, the temple courtyard fell silent. Crown Prince Li Chengyi swept in with his entourage, his presence commanding immediate attention. His court robes were perfectly arranged, not a tassel out of place, and his expression showed appropriate concern for the tragedy.

"Dr. Wei," the Crown Prince's voice was smooth as aged wine. "I trust you find our capital's hospitality not too disturbing? When I requested the Emperor to send for you, I had hoped to greet you under more pleasant circumstances."

Wei Ruyi rose and bowed with precise formality. "Your Highness honored me with his concern. Though I must note that this case bears striking similarities to unsolved murders in Yangzhou last autumn."

Something flickered in the Crown Prince's eyes. "Indeed? How fascinating. Though surely those were mere bandit attacks?"

"Bandits rarely leave flowers in their victims' hearts, Your Highness."

Their exchange was interrupted by a commotion at the temple gates. The twin guards, Feng Xiao and Feng Yue, swept through the crowd like mirror images in motion. Between them walked a figure in red, his face concealed behind a crimson veil.

"Sister," the Crown Prince's voice carried a hint of steel beneath its warmth. "The palace is safer for you than these bloody streets."

Princess Xiaoyan moved like a flame in human form, her steps silent in the stone courtyard. "Strange, Brother. I remember Magistrate Chen arguing most fervently against my freedom to walk these very streets just last week. Now he lies here, his heart replaced with a flower that speaks of purity."

Wei Ruyi watched the exchange with careful eyes, noting how the Crown Prince's fingers twitched slightly at his sister's words. The princess turned toward the doctor, her veil rippling like blood in water.

"Dr. Wei, I would like to hear your thoughts on this matter. Walk with me."

It wasn't a request. As they moved away from the crime scene, followed by the ever-present twin guards, Wei Ruyi found himself studying the princess's gait. There was a warrior's awareness in her movement, at odds with her noble constraints.

"Your Highness seems well-informed about the victim," he ventured.

"Magistrate Chen was gathering support to restrict imperial women's movements outside the palace," she replied. "He claimed it was for safety, of course. The streets are so dangerous these days."

Her tone made the young doctor glance sharply at her, but the veil revealed nothing. Before he could respond, a shadow passed overhead. On the temple roof, a figure in black stood motionless, white hair catching the morning light like frost. For a moment, Wei Ruyi could have sworn he heard the soft notes of a flute in the wind.

When he looked again, the figure was gone.

"The White Ghost," Princess Xiaoyan's voice held something like amusement. "They say he appears when justice fails. Tell me, doctor, do you believe in ghosts?"

"I believe in evidence, Your Highness. And killers who wish to be seen as ghosts often have very human motives."

The princess stopped at the temple gates, her veiled face turning toward the morning sun. "Then perhaps you should visit the Moon Lotus Tea House at sunset. I heard the owner knew many interesting stories about white-haired demons. Though be warned—" She turned to him, and though he couldn't see her face, he felt the weight of her gaze. "Some stories are better left in the shadows."

As the princess departed with her guards, Wei Ruyi pulled out a small notebook, adding details to his growing collection of observations. Something about this case felt like a complicated game of Weiqi, where each move revealed new patterns.

In the distance, temple bells rang, their deep tones mixing with the continuing sutras. The morning sun had burned away the mist, but shadows still lurked in the corners of the courtyard. Somewhere in the city, a killer walked free, leaving flowers where hearts should be.

And high above, on the temple roof, a single white chrysanthemum petal drifted down, landing at the young doctor's feet like a challenge written in nature's own hand.