November 24th. After resting for three days at the Yizhuang, Wen Nansheng’s injuries gradually improved. Wen Nansheng, Meng Rui, and Kua Lao agreed that once Wen Nansheng’s body recovered, they would search for the complete map of the gorge and investigate the Death Gorge thoroughly. Kua Lao’s Yizhuang rarely had visitors. Besides the somewhat putrid odor and the nerve-wracking experience of sleeping there, it proved to be a good place for recuperation.

While Kua Lao cared for Wen Nansheng, Meng Rui didn’t remain idle. Meng Rui first went to Fu Nianyu’s home. Seeing Niu Zhiying’s increasingly frail body and sunken eye sockets, his heart ached with sorrow. After some deliberation, he briefly mentioned that there were new leads in the disappearance case.

Though Niu Zhiying didn’t ask many questions, hope rekindled in her eyes.

After leaving the Fu residence, Meng Rui came to the Dougu County yamen. From Chen Shang’s words, he learned that Jin Yaoguang hadn’t complied with the county yamen’s summons at all. Du Yi’an was also indifferent about it, merely asking Manager Sun of the Jin family’s Chunfeng Hall a few perfunctory questions before stopping the investigation. Meng Rui was so angry he laughed, but it wasn’t convenient to fall out with Du Yi’an. After some consideration, he decided to personally investigate Chunfeng Hall himself.

After inquiring about the address, Meng Rui arrived at Chunfeng Hall. He presented his Divine Constable token and explained his purpose of investigating the Ma He case. Manager Sun of Chunfeng Hall wasn’t present. A pharmacy attendant came forward instead. The attendant invited Meng Rui into an elegant room in the back courtyard of Chunfeng Hall and said, “The manager is entertaining guests in the front. He’ll be here shortly. Sir, please wait a moment. Tea and refreshments will be served right away.” The attendant went to arrange for tea and refreshments.

The back courtyard of Chunfeng Hall had a row of low flat buildings. Not far from the flat buildings stood a horse carriage, led by a robust Youzhou Mifeng horse. Meng Rui quietly approached the flat building and slipped inside in one swift motion.

The interior of the flat building was quite luxurious. Waves of intoxicating sandalwood incense drifted out from deep within the flat building. Deep red wool patterned carpets covered the floor. An entire row of display shelves held valuable porcelain and bronze vessels. Passing through two heavy curtains, Meng Rui heard coarse voices.

Meng Rui quickly concealed himself in the shadows beside the curtain.

“Manager Sun, shouldn’t the things I ordered have arrived already? Why haven’t I seen them after two days?” Through the gap in the heavy curtain, Meng Rui glimpsed several people. The speaker was a lady dressed in a magnificent, flowing jade-green lotus silk dress, her hair styled in a flowing cloud bun with a phoenix gilt warm water hairpin inserted diagonally at the side. She wore sandalwood cloud fine flower boots. Her face was gracious, generous, and dignified. Beside the lady were a maid and household servants. Apart from them was a middle-aged man dressed as a manager, who must be Manager Sun of Chunfeng Hall.

“Madam Dou, we apologize for keeping you waiting these two days. Our master is deeply sorry. Rest assured, our master has instructed that the items Madam Dou needs will definitely be delivered today.” Manager Sun bowed obsequiously with apologies. A flash of divine light gleamed in Madam Dou’s beautiful eyes. “If that’s the case, I’ll trust you once more.”

Just as they were speaking, footsteps sounded outside the flat building. In a moment, a man in red robes entered. He was about thirty years old, imposing and dignified, followed by a sturdy attendant carrying a red lacquer brocade box.

When Manager Sun saw the red-robed man, his face broke into a smile and he immediately introduced him: “Madam Dou, this is the young master of the Jin family, Jin Chuang.”

So this was Jin Chuang. Meng Rui thought to himself. Actually, when he was young, he had seen Jin Chuang twice, but they hadn’t met or conversed, so his impression wasn’t deep. After Jin Chuang exchanged a few pleasantries with Madam Dou, he gave his attendant A’Bao a look. A’Bao placed the red lacquer brocade box on the table in front of Madam Dou.

Madam Dou’s hands trembled slightly as she opened the brocade box. Inside the box was a delicate white porcelain bottle. A faint fragrance mixed with the sandalwood incense wafted over, with a faint unusual odor as well that Meng Rui couldn’t quite identify at the moment.

Madam Dou picked up the porcelain bottle and looked toward Jin Chuang. “May I smell it?”

Jin Chuang extended his hand. “Please.”

Madam Dou unscrewed the porcelain bottle and took a deep sniff at the bottle mouth. Her complexion instantly turned somewhat pale, but then her face filled with joy as she screwed the bottle shut. “That’s right, it’s this fragrance with a foul smell mixed in. Lady Shangguan described it just like this.”

“Xiao Mei, give the silver to Young Master Jin.” Madam Dou held the porcelain bottle and instructed the maid Xiao Mei. Xiao Mei called for household servants to carry four black wooden chests before Jin Chuang.

A’Bao opened the chest slightly. Brilliant white silver light immediately shot out. After A’Bao inspected it, he closed the chest.

“According to your requirements, one hundred thousand taels in actual silver. Here, each chest contains twenty-five thousand taels in actual silver. Four chests make exactly one hundred thousand taels.” Madam Dou’s tone carried a trace of disdain. Jin Chuang cupped his hands. “Madam Dou is truly a heroine among women. I admire you.”

Madam Dou said lightly, “One hundred thousand taels for one bottle of secret medicine. You really know how to do business.”

Jin Chuang smiled faintly. “It’s merely each taking what they need. I guarantee Madam Dou won’t be disappointed with the results.”

The two talked in low voices for a while longer. Meng Rui quietly returned to the elegant room. Manager Sun arrived shortly after. Meng Rui briefly asked about Ma He’s situation—whether he had any enemies or grudges, any romantic entanglements, and specifically why Ma He was driven out of Chunfeng Hall.

Manager Sun’s answers were flawless, generally consistent with Constable Chen Shang’s speculation. Ma He, considering himself a meritorious official in the Jin family’s rise to success, was arrogant and domineering everywhere. He even privately misappropriated Chunfeng Hall’s medicine funds, which was why Jin Yaoguang drove Ma He out of Chunfeng Hall. Ma He had no obvious enemies. As for romantic matters, there was even less to speak of. He had lived alone in Chunfeng Hall’s side rooms for many years.

As Meng Rui listened to Manager Sun explain the situation, his eyes intentionally or unintentionally fixed on the flat building in the courtyard. About two quarters of an hour later, Madam Dou’s horse carriage left Chunfeng Hall. Meng Rui also took his leave immediately afterward.

Manager Sun was somewhat bewildered by Meng Rui’s swift and decisive behavior. Watching Meng Rui’s retreating figure, he gradually grew worried.

After the hour of Wei, a mountain rain fell on Sanfen Village—a bone-chilling mountain rain. Jin Yaoguang was advanced in years after all and wrapped himself in an extra layer of fox fur.

Jin Chuang burst into the secret chamber, panting heavily. Jin Yaoguang’s brows furrowed. “How many times have I told you? You’re not young anymore. You must be cautious and meticulous in your actions. Don’t be hasty and flustered.”

“Yes, Father.” Jin Chuang calmed his breathing. “Madam Dou has already left. On my way back, I ran into Chen Shang. The man connected to Ma He has been identified.”

Jin Yaoguang’s expression remained calm as he asked, “Who is he?”

“Wen Nansheng, from Dougu County.”

“Find him.” Jin Yaoguang formed a fierce expression. Jin Chuang understood immediately. “I understand, Father. I’ll handle it.”

Jin Chuang walked out of the secret chamber. Jin Yaoguang’s previously bright eyes instantly dimmed. He coughed several times. “Am I truly getting old?”

Three li outside the southern suburbs of Dougu County, the horse carriage suddenly stopped. Inside the carriage, Madam Dou lurched forward violently, nearly striking her head. Madam Dou’s almond eyes widened as she shouted angrily, “What’s happening outside!”

Madam Dou angrily lifted the carriage curtain, preparing to reprimand the coachman, but was shocked to discover that all her attendants had fallen to the ground. A man in black robes, his face covered with a veil, stood before the carriage, holding a ghost-head saber in his hand.

“Who, who are you?” Madam Dou’s voice trembled with panic. The maid screamed once before being instantly struck down by the man in black inside the carriage. Madam Dou dodged the man in black and pointed behind her. “There’s silver in the carriage. Take it all… just don’t hurt me.”

The man in black didn’t touch the silver. Instead, he used the ghost-head saber to hook out a red lacquer brocade box wrapped in silk and satin.

“You can’t have this!” Madam Dou’s expression grew tense as she tried to stop him, but was frightened back by the man in black’s fierce glare. She said in a small voice, “The thing in the box is useless to you. You can take all the silver. Just leave the box.”

“Hmph, I’m quite curious about what’s actually inside the box.” The man in black’s voice was ice-cold. “I have a peculiar habit—I love knowing other people’s secrets.”

“Speak! What’s in the box?” The man in black shouted loudly, the blade pressed against Madam Dou’s neck. Madam Dou closed her eyes and began to cry, nodding continuously. “I’ll tell, I’ll tell…”

When Meng Rui returned to the Yizhuang, it was already midnight. Meng Rui called for Kua Lao and Wen Nansheng.

“What is it, Constable Meng?” Wen Nansheng asked.

“I know what Jin Yaoguang is up to at Chunfeng Hall, and I understand why he suddenly thrived these past ten years, amassing vast wealth.” Meng Rui placed the white porcelain bottle on the coffin lid, then tossed aside the black robe. It turned out he was the man in black who had stopped Madam Dou.

“What’s inside the bottle?” Kua Lao guessed the key was the contents of the bottle and asked.

“It’s a kind of secret medicine. This secret medicine has powerful and miraculous effects. It can restore a woman’s perfect figure after childbirth and can even increase a woman’s chances of conceiving. Ha, just one single bottle of this secret medicine is worth one hundred thousand taels of silver.” Meng Rui wasn’t a bad person. He only took one-fifth of Madam Dou’s secret medicine, placing it in his own porcelain bottle to bring back.

The miraculous effects of the secret medicine were also learned from Madam Dou’s own mouth. Kua Lao grunted in acknowledgment. Wen Nansheng said with sudden realization, “So Jin Yaoguang made his fortune by selling this secret medicine. But Constable Meng, why did you bring the secret medicine back? We don’t need it.”

Meng Rui smiled without speaking. Kua Lao’s gaze burned intensely. “Are you saying the secret medicine is secretly made using Moluo?”

Meng Rui nodded. Wen Nansheng stared at the secret medicine and said, “The men in black cloaks harvesting Moluo were doing it to make this secret medicine.”

“Moluo is a huge secret for the Jin father and son. The two men in black cloaks that Brother Wen saw should be Jin Yaoguang and Jin Chuang.” Meng Rui said. Wen Nansheng nodded, then immediately shook his head. “Even if the Jin father and son harvest Moluo to make the secret medicine, why would they abduct innocent children? Are these children also connected to the Moluo and the secret medicine?”

“The secrets within are temporarily unknowable.” Meng Rui stared outside the Yizhuang. “But I firmly believe the day when the truth comes to light is not far off.”

Wen Nansheng nodded in agreement. Kua Lao’s gaze, however, followed the white porcelain bottle closely.

That night, in the curtain of rain over Sanfen Village, two men in black cloaks came to the forbidden Death Gorge of Sanfen Village. One of them carried a long cloth bag on his shoulder. The long cloth bag stirred once. The man in the black cloak pressed the bag back down, then gazed into the incomparably deep and dark interior of the gorge and walked inside…