“Every year when Aye comes to the capital for his official report, I disguise myself as his servant and follow along. You must be curious what I’m doing, taking such great risks to enter the capital?”

Wu Shunian slowly straightened his back, his gaze distant and profound.

“In your eyes, my father may be a rebellious traitor, but in my heart, he’s a great hero.

Heroes can do earth-shattering things that turn heaven upside down; they can also die alone on a winter solstice night—either way, they do so with honor and integrity.

My life under his protection has been unaccomplished, pathetic and hiding in shadows, but…”

He took a sharp breath.

“But as long as I still draw breath, I won’t allow anyone to slander him, won’t allow anyone to throw dirt on his name.

So every year when I enter the capital, I secretly investigate the true murderer who killed the Zheng family.

Until three years ago, when I began taking the Soul Revival Pills, I… I… I no longer had the strength to clear my great hero’s name.”

Tears fell from his deeply sunken eye sockets.

Zhou Ye stepped forward and gently embraced Wu Shunian, saying in a low voice: “These past three years, I’ve been the one going to the capital alone. Besides reporting for duty and buying medicine, I’ve been seeking opportunities at every moment.”

Yan Sanhe: “What opportunities?”

“The reason the investigation path won’t work is because I’m a provincial official—I can’t even touch the waters of the capital, let alone probe their depths. But you all…”

Zhou Ye slowly exhaled.

“One Right Virtuous Chancellor of the Buddhist Registry, one Commander of the Northern District Military Patrol—you’re not only in those waters, you’re skilled swimmers who know their depths.”

“You want us to investigate the Zheng family case?” Pei Xiao blurted out in shock.

“We’ll help you dispel your obsessions and resolve your demons.”

Zhou Ye’s gaze slowly swept across Yan Sanhe, Xie Zhifei, and Pei Xiao before him, speaking word by word.

“You help clear the names of the Wu father and son, find the true murderer who massacred the Zheng family, honor the spirits of the dead, and allow Shunian and me… to die with closed eyes.”

Each word struck harshly against their eardrums. Before they could react, Wu Shunian opened his mouth and vomited several mouthfuls of blood.

“Shunian?”

“Master!”

Wu Shunian gave Zhou Ye a miserable smile, “I’m sorry, Aye, this time I couldn’t hold it in!”

Zhou Ye’s expression changed drastically. He scooped his hands under Wu Shunian’s body and lifted him horizontally into his arms.

“You three, I’ll wait half a shichen for you, and only half a shichen.”

The courtyard fell empty.

The three looked at each other, their faces all extremely unpleasant.

…

The matter had reached this point—all the mysteries had been solved.

What remained was to make a choice.

But how to choose?

Yan Sanhe looked at the fish in the water jar and said calmly: “Let’s each state our positions.”

Pei Xiao looked at Yan Sanhe, then at Xie Zhifei. “Before stating positions, I have a question—do you believe what they said?”

Yan Sanhe: “I believe them!”

Xie Zhifei: “I don’t believe them!”

Pei Xiao couldn’t even roll his eyes properly.

Look!

Their own side wasn’t unified—how could they reply to others?

Pei Xiao asked: “Yan Sanhe, why do you believe them?”

Yan Sanhe: “Because they have no reason to go to such great lengths to fabricate a lie for us.”

Pei Xiao asked again: “Xie Fifty, why don’t you believe them?”

Xie Zhifei glanced at Yan Sanhe.

“Four departments investigating one case simultaneously—it would be nearly impossible for anyone to manipulate things within. I personally examined the case files, and there were no problems whatsoever.”

“Why did you look at the Zheng family case files?” Pei Xiao was stunned.

Something flashed through Xie Zhifei’s eyes.

“The perpetrator of this case still hasn’t been caught. Every year during evaluations, the four departments bring up this old matter. If we at the Five District Military Patrols don’t examine the files, how can we apprehend anyone?”

“Xie Zhifei.”

Yan Sanhe looked directly at him. “Give me one reason why Wu Shunian would lie?”

“Yan Sanhe.”

Xie Zhifei returned her gaze. “Then you give me one reason why Wu Shunian wouldn’t lie?”

Yan Sanhe: “Do you acknowledge that Wu Guanyue loved the people like his own children?”

Xie Zhifei: “I acknowledge it.”

Yan Sanhe: “His love for the people brought two consequences.”

Xie Zhifei: “Which two?”

Yan Sanhe: “One is that the common people of Great Qi still speak well of him to this day.”

Xie Zhifei: “And the other?”

Yan Sanhe: “Influenced by him, Zhou Ye also loves the people like his own children.”

Xie Zhifei’s brow furrowed. “And then?”

Yan Sanhe: “When Wu Guanyue rebelled and stormed the palace, he massacred the Chen clan, yet left even that old minister named Sun Bin alive—correct?”

Xie Zhifei’s limbs stiffened, his speech noticeably slowing: “Correct!”

Yan Sanhe: “This shows the man wouldn’t kill the innocent indiscriminately—correct?”

Xie Zhifei nodded with difficulty.

“I remember when we were resolving Yan Xing’s inner demons, I said something to your father: I said grievances have their source, debts have their owner—it wasn’t General Zheng’s household’s turn to bear them.”

Yan Sanhe tapped her finger on the jar’s rim.

“Besides old General Zheng, who else in General Zheng’s household deserved to die?”

Boom!

Xie Zhifei’s ears roared. The color drained from his face like a receding tide, while the roar in his heart surged up continuously, nearly bursting through this body that should never have belonged to him.

No one deserved to die—they were all innocent.

My father was innocent;

My mother was innocent;

My younger sister was innocent;

And me…

I was innocent too!

Buddha says good people who do good deeds go from light to light. They were all such good people—why did they still die amidst blades and flames?

Why?

“Xie Zhifei, Xie Zhifei…”

“Xie Fifty, Xie Fifty…”

“Ah?”

Third Master looked up vacantly, his eyes unfocused.

Yan Sanhe was furious. “At a time like this, you can space out while speaking—can you focus?”

Pei Xiao was also furious and kicked out. “Xie Fifty, you’re not possessed by a ghost, are you? How many times did we call you?”

Xie Zhifei’s scattered pupils finally focused, squeezing out words from his throat.

“Yan Sanhe, you make the decisions for what comes next.”

What do you mean I make the decisions?

Yan Sanhe frowned tightly, looking at him.

This person had been off all evening, nothing like the usual Xie wastrel she was accustomed to seeing.

Really possessed by a ghost?

“Yan Sanhe!”

Xie Zhifei knew what she suspected and deliberately said roguishly: “You staring at me like this—does it mean you have feelings for me?”

Bah!

Yan Sanhe treated him like air, turned her head to Pei Xiao: “You represent the aggrieved party—state your position!”

Pei Xiao took a deep breath and said steadily: “There’s no choice at all—we can only agree. Besides, I can see that this Wu Shunian doesn’t have much time left.”

“I think the same as you.”

Yan Sanhe dropped this statement and turned to walk outside the courtyard.

“Go tell your master we agree.”

“Yes!”

“Wait, please prepare an altar table, three plates of melons and fruits, two candlesticks, and one incense burner. Also, please have your master bathe and change clothes to prepare for dispelling obsessions and resolving demons.”