In the villa, four people sat around a small square table eating dinner.

Yan Sanhe suddenly set down her chopsticks and bowl.

“I’m not eating anymore. I’m going to the study to look at something.”

“Miss Yan?”

“Don’t call her. Let her go.” Li Buyan pulled Tang Yuan down to sit.

Lan Chuan finished chewing the food in his mouth and murmured, “Miss Yan seems to have something on her mind.”

“She has plenty on her mind!”

Li Buyan picked up a chopstick of lamb and placed it in Lan Chuan’s bowl.

Even though Yan Sanhe wasn’t the Zheng family’s biological child, those years living together were real, and their feelings were extraordinary.

Now that the Zheng family’s wall had inexplicably collapsed, how could she have any appetite for eating?

“Oh, Third Master and Young Master Pei have arrived.”

Tang Yuan had sharp eyes. “Have you eaten dinner?”

“We haven’t even eaten lunch.”

Xie Zhifei’s gaze swept over the bowl still half-full. “Where’s Miss Yan?”

“Miss Yan went to the study. I’ll add two sets of chopsticks for Third Master and Young Master Pei.”

Xie Zhifei turned and headed for the study. “Bring the food and dishes to the study.”

Pei Xiao’s gaze uncontrollably glanced at Li Buyan. After a slight pause, he followed along.

“Young Master Pei also seems to have something on his mind.”

Lan Chuan muttered quietly, “I’ve never seen him come here without saying a single word before!”

“Eat your food.”

Tang Yuan flicked him on the forehead, secretly glancing at Li Buyan.

Li Buyan shook her head, curving her lips in a light smile.

…

In the study.

Yan Sanhe seemed to have anticipated their arrival.

“Everyone sit. I’ve already put tea on to brew.”

Xie Zhifei walked to the desk and glanced down at the booklet in Yan Sanhe’s hands. As expected, just as he’d guessed, this girl was examining the Zheng family case files.

At that moment, Li Buyan walked in carrying a food box.

Pei Xiao had already sprawled on the bamboo couch, but seeing her enter, he sprang up as if there were nails in his bottom.

He rushed over and snatched the food box from Li Buyan’s hands.

Never mind that Li Buyan was startled—even Yan Sanhe and Xie Zhifei, who were farther away, were surprised.

Pei Xiao arranged the items from the food box one by one on the small table, saying to Xie Zhifei irritably, “Hurry up and eat. Do you need to be fed?”

Xie Zhifei didn’t argue with the heartbroken man, even turning to explain to Yan Sanhe, “This kid hasn’t had water or rice since this morning.”

Yan Sanhe closed the case file. “Then you eat first. After you’re done, I’ll talk.”

“You talk while we eat.”

Yan Sanhe shook her head. “Once I start talking, I’m afraid you won’t be able to eat.”

Xie Zhifei had already picked up his chopsticks, but hearing this, he set them down again.

“Talk first, eat later.”

“Are you sure?”

“Sure!”

“Today when I approached the Zheng residence, I had a feeling like approaching a coffin—cold and eerie. I’ve never had this feeling when passing by before.”

Clack—

Pei Xiao’s hand trembled and one chopstick fell to the ground. “What, what does that mean?”

Yan Sanhe spoke very slowly. “The heart demon has come again. I can sense it.”

“Whose coffin cracked?”

Xie Zhifei’s heart skipped heavily. “The late Emperor’s, or whose?”

Clack—

The other chopstick also fell to the ground. Pei Xiao looked at Xie Zhifei with terror on his face. “If anyone heard those words, your Xie family would be condemned to nine familial exterminations!”

Xie Zhifei paid no attention, only staring blankly at Yan Sanhe.

“It could be the old Emperor’s, or it could be someone else’s. There’s also another possibility…”

Yan Sanhe paused. “This possibility is a bit mystical—don’t you think the Zheng family’s wall collapsing is like a coffin cracking open?”

The blood in Xie Zhifei’s entire body surged wildly.

So it was very likely that the one hundred eighty lives of the Zheng family were causing trouble?

They wanted to deliberately overturn the truth that had been covered up behind high walls, never to see daylight again?

Xie Zhifei glanced at the food on the small table, unable even to muster a bitter smile.

Yan Sanhe had guessed correctly—indeed, he couldn’t eat anymore.

…

Someone else who couldn’t eat was Bu Liu.

At this moment he was crouching in front of the stable, his large palm gently rubbing an old horse.

This horse was the old general’s former war horse, having followed the old general through eastern and western campaigns for many years.

In the eighth year of Yonghe, when the old general died on the battlefield, this horse circled the old general’s corpse continuously neighing until its voice went hoarse.

After carrying the old general’s body back, it refused food and water, as if wanting to accompany its master westward.

Animals—sometimes they have more loyalty than people.

He had sat with this horse all night talking, speaking of the old general’s past, of the old general’s life-saving grace to him… talking until tears streamed down his face.

At daybreak, the creature whimpered a few times and climbed up from the ground, eating grass and drinking water. From then on it accepted him as its master.

He couldn’t bear to take it to the battlefield again, so he built it a separate stable and personally cared for it.

Later, as his official position grew and he commanded more soldiers, he didn’t have much time, so he had his subordinate, Old Wen the stable keeper, look after it.

But whenever he had free time, he would come talk to it and take it for a few runs.

When they were tired from running, man and horse would rest in some dense woods, and he would ramble on about recent troubles while it listened quietly beside him.

Ten years.

He had less and less to say. The horse grew old, and so did he.

Bu Liu turned around. “What did the veterinary officer say?”

Old Wen: “Replying to General, the veterinary officer said that when the King of Hell calls someone at the third watch, he won’t wait until the fifth watch. It’s the same for horses—when the time comes, it comes.”

Bu Liu’s heart twisted painfully.

He had originally planned that when he had leisure time, he’d bring this creature to see Third Master, to let Third Master see what his grandfather’s former mount looked like.

“Old thing.”

Bu Liu gently patted it, complaining, “Why won’t you keep me company for a few more years?”

The horse whimpered lowly a few times, its eyes looking at Bu Liu, as if reluctant, and also as if bidding farewell.

After watching for a good while, two teardrops slowly flowed from its eyes, and its eyelids gradually closed.

“Old thing, you old thing.”

Bu Liu cursed while pressing his face against the horse’s head, fiercely closing his eyes.

Man and horse remained motionless.

After a long while, Bu Liu leaped up, took a deep breath. “Come, bring a shovel.”

“General, bury it here?”

“Bury it right here. I’ll bury it myself!”

…

By the time the burial was finished, it was already midnight. Bu Liu felt terrible and returned to his tent to drink a pot of wine before collapsing into sleep.

Before dawn, someone shook him awake. Opening his eyes, he saw it was actually Old Wen the stable keeper.

“What is it?”

“General, terrible news—the horses, the horses… are sick.”

Bu Liu hadn’t fully awakened yet, still groggy. “Which horses are sick?”

“Our military camp’s war horses!”

“If they’re sick, call the veterinary officer to treat them.”

Bu Liu covered his eyes with his hand and rolled over. “What’s the point of telling me?”

Old Wen pulled at his arm, extremely anxious. “General, all of them are sick—not one can stand up!”

Bu Liu sat up with a start. “All sick?”

“Last night I checked on them—every one was fine. This morning, they were all lying down.”

Old Wen’s face was mournful. “How did they all collapse?”

Bu Liu threw back the covers. Not even bothering with shoes, he rushed out barefoot.

Rushing to the rows of stables, he staggered a few steps before steadying himself. Looking up, his entire heart sank.

In the stables, not a single horse was standing. They lay scattered across the ground, their expressions listless.

What was going on?

All sick?

With a great battle imminent, problems with the military camp’s war horses were no small matter. If blame were assigned, everyone up and down the chain would suffer.

Bu Liu roared, “Come, come quickly! Go fetch the veterinary officer, quickly!”