Chapter Two: The Midnight List

“You knew how candidates entered the register, but you don't know all the rules. Who told you?” “My mother. She worked in the Lu archives. Twelve years ago, she died in the Yongping Wharf warehouse fire.” Jingming's expression shifted. Wanqing caught it. “You know about that fire.” “I represented the victims' families.” “And lost.” “All the evidence burned.” “No,” Chenzhou said. “Someone removed it.” He twisted open the end of the umbrella handle. It should have contained the candidates' covenant, but the chamber was empty except for blue-black paper ash. Chenzhou remembered his mother using that ink. Water revealed it; fire made it colorless but could not destroy it.