◎Luo Wanqing Is a Physician. What Are You?◎

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He crouched halfway on the ground. The floor was covered in blood. Xie Heng rested one hand on his knee and held a blade in the other, his face stained with blood as he looked up at Luo Wanqing: “Xiniang, do you know? Is Liu Xiniang Zhang Jiuran?”

Luo Wanqing’s pupils contracted sharply. Xie Heng looked calmly at the other person and continued: “Is Liu Xiniang Zhang Jiuran?”

The other person shook his head hoarsely: “I don’t know.”

Hearing his words, Xie Heng nodded, seeming to accept his answer.

She spoke so frankly, without the slightest evasion or timidity, as if it were true.

Xie Heng stared at her. In the past, he would always be deceived by such sincerity, but now, he had a witness and proof that she had tried to ambush him.

If she were just Liu Xiniang, how could a salt merchant have such profound internal energy, grow so rapidly, and why would she repeatedly contact Fengyu Pavilion and attempt to assassinate him tonight?

Why had she been interested in Xie Heng from the moment she entered the Supervision Department? Why did she eavesdrop on his conversation with Li Guiyu?

For Li Guiyu?

He didn’t believe a word of it.

Although the people sent to investigate in Yangzhou hadn’t returned yet, to say that a salt merchant who had been wandering the martial world for years would willingly risk her life to monitor the Third Prince and climb mountains to eavesdrop on his conversations for a girl she’d known only briefly—what kind of saint was that?

He didn’t believe it.

Xie Heng stared at her quietly, all his emotions slowly settling in the face of her persistent deception.

“If oaths had meaning, why would I establish the Supervision Department? I could build a temple, drag people in to swear oaths—wouldn’t that be better?”

As Xie Heng spoke, he straightened up.

Luo Wanqing remained silent. She understood that her explanations now carried no weight.

Tonight, she had ambushed Xie Heng with Xiang Sizi and helped him escape. No matter what, this was inexcusable.

But she also couldn’t admit to being Zhang Jiuran, because she truly wasn’t.

If she falsely claimed this identity, not to mention the trouble it would bring her, who knew what Xie Heng might do? Zhang Jiuran carried countless blood debts. According to the Supervision Department law, she deserved to die ten thousand times over.

Even if Xie Heng didn’t kill her, he would at least make Zhang Jiuran a key witness in the Qin family case—a role she couldn’t fulfill.

“Young Master,” Luo Wanqing lowered her eyes, sorted through everything once more, and said calmly: “You’re so certain because the Third Prince sent this person?”

Hearing this, Xie Heng turned to look at her: “What other excuses do you have?”

“Young Master has a preset position, believing I’m an assassin, so now the Third Prince can send anyone to make accusations, and Young Master will believe them.”

Luo Wanqing calmly pointed out Xie Heng’s problem. Xie Heng paused, hearing her ask: “When I studied at the Supervision Department, I clearly remember that when investigating cases, the Department first assumes the other party is guilty and exhaustively pursues clues, but when judging cases, it looks at final evidence. Young Master, now,” Luo Wanqing looked up, staring steadily at Xie Heng, “aren’t you violating this principle somewhat?”

Xie Heng paused. He looked at this woman before him, who showed no intention of retreating. Her gaze was clear and cold, so composed that it was as if she weren’t the one who could be sent to the torture rack at any moment.

“Besides this person the Third Prince sent,” Luo Wanqing questioned, “what solid evidence does Young Master have to prove I’m Zhang Jiuran?”

Indeed, there was no evidence—there were even many details that could prove she wasn’t Zhang Jiuran.

But if she wasn’t Zhang Jiuran, who was she? Who else in Fengyu Pavilion could kill Zhao Yuyan, approach him silently, and under such interrogation, reveal not the slightest flaw?

“How do you explain your collaboration with Fengyu Pavilion to ambush me tonight?”

Although he knew asking this was meaningless for Luo Wanqing, Xie Heng decided to try one last time.

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing frowned and only asked: “Why does Young Master think I collaborated with Fengyu Pavilion to ambush you?”

Denying to the death.

Xie Heng understood her attitude.

To persist in denial even at this point showed extraordinary mental fortitude.

Knowing that further pressure would be meaningless, he thought for a moment, chuckled softly, and nodded: “Yes. Indeed, there’s no solid evidence. You’re not Zhang Jiuran.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing felt no relief. She looked at Xie Heng and saw him look up at her: “So, you must have no interest in who killed Zhang Jiuran’s father, Zhang Qiuzhi, five years ago?”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing dared not show any emotion.

If she were Zhang Jiuran, at this moment, she absolutely couldn’t remain unmoved.

But Zhang Qiuzhi’s death…

Thinking of that woman who had given everything to her and now lay quietly like a living corpse, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

Xie Heng observed her expression, turned to get a lamp, and called: “Qingya.”

Someone outside heard and pushed the door open. Xie Heng gestured to Luo Wanqing: “Follow me.”

Luo Wanqing stood up. She followed Xie Heng, who walked ahead carrying the lamp, listening to him say: “Let me show you the case files from five years ago.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing looked up, understanding this was Xie Heng’s new interrogation strategy.

She calmly lowered her eyes, listening to Xie Heng walk ahead and speak slowly: “Five years ago, when the Cui family committed treason, many things happened at the border. One of them was that Cui Qingping’s shadow guard, disguised as a wealthy merchant, had sent something from the border. This item eventually reached Yangzhou, escorted by an ordinary escort, a man named Zhang Qiuzhi. He had a son and daughter—daughter Zhang Jiuran, eighteen years old, son Zhang Jiuxian, fifteen. He had washed his hands of the escort business, but because his daughter suffered from a strange illness, he took on this job again.”

As he spoke, Xie Heng opened the door to Zhenbao Tower, leading Luo Wanqing upstairs, saying lightly: “This job paid well—ten times the usual escort fee. The recipient was extremely secretive, known only to Zhang Qiuzhi. However, on the very day they entered Yangzhou territory, the escort party was ambushed. Everyone died clean, and the item they were escorting vanished without a trace.”

“Stolen by those people?”

Luo Wanqing could tell that Zhang Qiuzhi’s death was not an ordinary robbery.

That item, transported thousands of miles from the border to Yangzhou, was the real reason for Zhang Qiuzhi’s death.

But what was that item, and who in Yangzhou was it meant for?

“Afterward, a wealthy merchant went to the authorities to file a complaint, producing documents proving he was the one who had commissioned Zhang Qiuzhi’s delivery. Now that the goods were missing, Zhang Qiuzhi needed to compensate. Because the escort fee was enormous, the compensation required was substantial. Zhang Qiuzhi’s family couldn’t afford it, so the authorities colluded with the merchant to help seize all the Zhang family’s property, including their mansion. But actually, that merchant was fake.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing suddenly clenched her fists. Thinking of Zhang Jiuran being left homeless and forced to sell herself, she couldn’t help but speak: “Fake?”

“The order came from Cui Qingping’s shadow guard, who had already died in the border war. Only one son of the Cui family ever returned—Cui Qingping himself.”

Xie Heng gestured: “Come here, hold the lamp.”

Luo Wanqing stepped forward, taking the lamp from Xie Heng’s hands, illuminating him as he searched through the vast case files. Xie Heng’s expression was calm as he said lightly: “Later, I investigated that merchant’s documents—they were forged.”

“What about the authorities?” Luo Wanqing couldn’t help but speak. “What about those who helped embezzle the property?!”

Xie Heng paused, glancing at her sideways: “All dead. Fengyu Pavilion soon killed all personnel involved in handling the case. We obtained these documents only through great effort.”

Luo Wanqing was stunned, then realized—yes, if they hadn’t died, Zhang Jiuran would have tracked them down long ago. How could she have been deceived for so long?

“Afterward, his family was driven from their mansion. A son, daughter, and mother wandered the streets. His son and wife begged everywhere, trying every means to care for the seriously ill mother. Finally, one day, Zhang Jiuran, unwilling to burden her family, sold herself on the street. She was bought by someone and disappeared. From then on, no one ever saw the Zhang family again.”

As he spoke, Xie Heng found a case file, took it out, and handed it to Luo Wanqing, saying calmly: “Later, when I established the Supervision Department, I investigated from the Cui family’s border case to Zhang Qiuzhi and found this case extremely suspicious. What did Cui Qingping have Zhang Qiuzhi escort? Who killed Zhang Qiuzhi? Who was the fake merchant? Where did the Zhang family go? For all these questions, I had only one clue: a young officer had revealed to the Supervision Department that Zhang Jiuran had once told the authorities she had taken a broken blade from her father’s abdomen. She handed over this broken blade, but neither the official case handlers nor the files ever recorded this blade.”

Luo Wanqing took the case file. Xie Heng pointed to a table in the room, placed the lamp on the surface, and indicated for Luo Wanqing to sit down and read.

Luo Wanqing sat at the table with the case file.

Inside were detailed records of Zhang Qiuzhi’s related cases, even including two portraits drawn by artists based on people’s descriptions of the Zhang family.

The portraits showed eighteen-year-old Zhang Jiuran and fifteen-year-old Zhang Jiuxian.

But perhaps because they were only drawn based on others’ descriptions, she couldn’t tell if Zhang Jiuran was accurately depicted, but Zhang Jiuxian looked nothing like Zhang Yiran.

She quietly looked at the portraits. Xie Heng pulled over a chair and sat across from her, saying lightly, “Years later, Zhang Jiuran appeared again. I heard of her from Qin Jue. This junior brother of mine and I weren’t close. When I met him, he was already in prison. From him, I learned Zhang Jiuran’s later story—she was bought by Fengyu Pavilion and became their assassin. She never gave that broken blade to the authorities but kept it with her, searching for her father’s killer. Qin Jue drew that broken blade for me, and coincidentally, I recognized it.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing already understood what Xie Heng was going to say. She calmly looked up at him.

Xie Heng gazed at her and said lightly: “It came from the Empress’s maternal family, the Wang clan. Then today, I happened to confirm another piece of news from Li Guiyu—Fengyu Pavilion belongs to the Empress. That means Zhang Jiuran had been serving her enemy all these years.”

Luo Wanqing said nothing.

She suddenly understood why, in her dream of the previous life, after Zhang Jiuran assassinated Xie Heng, she directly betrayed Fengyu Pavilion, was hunted by both sides, and died under siege in the northwest.

What she was experiencing now was what Zhang Jiuran had gone through in the previous life after meeting Xie Heng.

Xie Heng told her about her situation of serving her enemy as father, so she completely collapsed and betrayed Fengyu Pavilion.

When was Fengyu Pavilion destroyed in the previous life?

It seemed to be shortly after Zhang Jiuran’s death?

Luo Wanqing couldn’t be certain, but she knew that in the previous life, Xie Heng must have obtained something from the completely broken Zhang Jiuran that could destroy Fengyu Pavilion.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t the real Zhang Jiuran, and she already knew all these things.

But thinking about how Xie Heng had driven Zhang Jiuran to desperation, she still couldn’t help but chuckle softly: “Young Master still thinks I’m Zhang Jiuran.”

Xie Heng said nothing, only staring at her.

Luo Wanqing smiled bitterly and looked up: “If I were Zhang Jiuran, Young Master would be too cruel.”

Xie Heng paused, looking at the person before him. After staring for a long time, he said softly, “If you are Zhang Jiuran, speaking of cruelty, I’m not even one-ten-thousandth as cruel as you. Using others’ sincerity as stepping stones, harming entire families, causing them to be imprisoned and separated by life and death,” Xie Heng’s eyes carried killing intent. “Don’t you have any conscience at all?”

Luo Wanqing said nothing.

She felt Xie Heng’s killing intent and knew clearly that at this moment, Xie Heng was certain she was Zhang Jiuran. He truly wanted to kill her.

She couldn’t find a more suitable identity than Zhang Jiuran to explain her abnormalities—why she contacted Fengyu Pavilion, why she eavesdropped on his conversation with Li Guiyu, why she ambushed him tonight, and let Xiang Sizi escape.

Unless she told him the truth—that she was Luo Wanqing.

This thought flashed through her mind but was immediately dismissed.

Xie Heng indeed felt guilty about Luo Wanqing, but that was toward a law-abiding Luo Wanqing.

Now she had replaced a death-row prisoner, her family had escaped from exile. If she confessed, at best, Xie Heng would send them back to exile, returning everything to square one, making all her efforts futile.

If Xie Heng handled her according to the law, her whole family would face death sentences.

She and Xie Heng were neither relatives nor friends—why would Xie Heng help her?

She could die, but she dared not gamble with her family’s lives.

As long as she rescued her family from Xiang Sizi and they lived well under the identities Xiang Sizi arranged, just like Zhang Yiran’s family.

Then she would kill Xiang Sizi and bear the consequences herself—that would be the best outcome.

She couldn’t admit to being Luo Wanqing, nor could she admit to being Zhang Jiuran. She could only insist on the Liu Xiniang identity. Xie Heng didn’t believe it, but he was still tolerating her.

“Since Young Master believes I’m Zhang Jiuran, don’t you plan to kill me?”

Luo Wanqing finally found a breakthrough. She realized something and looked up at Xie Heng.

“I won’t kill you because I’m giving you a chance.”

Xie Heng tapped his armrest and said calmly: “A chance for revenge.”

“Kill Xiang Sizi?”

Luo Wanqing understood Xie Heng’s intention in showing her Zhang Qiuzhi’s case files. She stopped arguing with him and looked at him calmly: “If I can kill Xiang Sizi, can I continue to stay in the Supervision Department?”

Xie Heng paused. He looked up at Luo Wanqing, not understanding why she would make such a request at this time.

But it seemed that every time he began to suspect her, she would give him behavior completely inconsistent with her identity, misleading him to think in other directions.

“Keep Xiang Sizi alive for me. He needs to be a witness. Don’t let Qin Jue know you’re alive.”

Xie Heng turned away and said coldly, “If you’re useful, you can stay.”

“Young Master is willing to trust me?” Luo Wanqing tested whether Xie Heng would truly keep her. “Although she has the revenge of her father’s murder, Xiang Sizi did raise Zhang Jiuran for five years. If Young Master considers me Zhang Jiuran, do you trust that I would betray him so readily?”

“Qin Jue treated you so sincerely, yet didn’t you betray him readily too?”

“Then, according to Young Master, I’m such a treacherous person—Young Master dares to use me?”

Hearing this, Xie Heng looked up at her. His thin lips curved slightly as he spoke harshly: “Even three-surnamed household vassals find people who dare use them. You’re just a dog—what wouldn’t I dare?”

He rarely spoke such words. Although Luo Wanqing hadn’t known Xie Heng long, she seldom saw him with such a sharp attitude.

She saw his disdain and felt Xie Heng’s hatred for what Zhang Jiuran had done.

She lowered her eyes, setting aside her emotions, as if completely indifferent to his words, saying lightly: “With Young Master’s words, I feel reassured. I have only one last question. What if Xiang Sizi dies?”

Xie Heng wanted Xiang Sizi alive as a witness, but she couldn’t let Xiang Sizi live. As long as she safely rescued her family, Xiang Sizi, who knew her family’s whereabouts, had to die.

“Then you must come out to testify,” Xie Heng glanced at her warningly. “Once Qin Jue knows you’re alive, your life and death will be up to Qin Jue.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing felt confident.

Usefulness.

This was the highest standard of judgment in Xie Heng’s heart.

She closed the case file, looked up at the young man across from her, and said calmly: “Young Master, although I’m not Zhang Jiuran, I can help you capture Xiang Sizi.”

Xie Heng looked up. He suddenly felt something was wrong.

Even at this point, she still wouldn’t admit it?

But he couldn’t quite figure out this person’s approach—she was too difficult to predict by conventional logic.

Luo Wanqing stood up and respectfully knelt before Xie Heng, saying calmly: “From today forward, everything will be arranged entirely by Young Master.”

Xie Heng turned to look at her. He stared at her posture, suppressed all his strange feelings, thought for a moment, and only asked: “How is Fengyu Pavilion arranging for you now?”

“They’re waiting for me to find opportunities.”

“Will they come to assassinate me in ten days?”

Xie Heng tapped his armrest.

“There’s no such message.” Luo Wanqing told the truth.

Xie Heng seemed to understand something and said lightly: “As expected.”

“Then…” Xie Heng pondered and turned to look at Luo Wanqing. “You let them come.”

Luo Wanqing looked up at Xie Heng.

Xie Heng said lightly: “You tell them that in ten days, at Fangfei Pavilion, I’ll go alone. Have them mobilize their entire pavilion to ambush me, ensuring a killing blow.”

“Yes.” Luo Wanqing lowered her head in agreement.

Xie Heng looked at the person kneeling before him and gestured: “Call Qingya in. You may go.”

“Yes.”

Luo Wanqing stood up. Xie Heng watched her straight back and couldn’t help but purse his lips.

With so much blood on her hands, having come this far, how could this person still be so calm and steady, without any guilt, as if everything had nothing to do with her, as if she had never made any mistakes?

He felt somewhat annoyed and said coldly, “Liu Xiniang.”

Luo Wanqing stopped. Xie Heng rested his hand on the armrest, rubbing his fingertips, and said lightly: “Didn’t you say you had a good relationship with Miss Luo? You risked your life to climb the mountain to hear what the Third Prince and I were saying, such deep sisterly affection. Now that she’s gone, you don’t even offer her a memorial tablet, leaving her as a wandering ghost. Isn’t that inappropriate?”

Luo Wanqing paused.

Xie Heng lowered his eyes: “In the future, don’t think you can casually exploit people’s hearts. I’m not Qin Jue. I’m sparing your life now, but if you commit evil again,” Xie Heng looked up and said coldly, “I’ll kill you.”

Hearing his words, Luo Wanqing turned back calmly: “What did I exploit from Young Master’s heart?”

Unexpectedly, Luo Wanqing was so perceptive. Xie Heng didn’t answer.

Luo Wanqing continued asking: “What did I deceive Young Master about? Did Young Master fall for me?”

“Don’t humiliate yourself.”

Xie Heng looked up coldly but explained further: “I mean you exploited my guilty feelings toward Miss Luo.”

These words made Luo Wanqing slightly stunned. For a moment, she suddenly felt there was no need to argue with Xie Heng.

She thought for a moment and couldn’t help asking: “Young Master is so harsh with me. If I were Miss Luo, how would Young Master treat me?”

“You are Miss Luo?” Hearing this, Xie Heng supported his forehead with his hand and closed his eyes. “Don’t entertain such fantasies.”

Before Luo Wanqing could speak, Xie Heng continued: “She has a gentle and weak personality, a pure heart. She would rather go to Lingnan for exile and endure until death than come to the Supervision Department to kill people. She is a physician. What are you?”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing didn’t know why, but suddenly felt a sharp pain wrapped in sourness, spreading acutely across her heart.

She remembered her parents’ teachings from childhood, and remembered her grandfather’s reminder when he first opened medical texts with her.

Human life is of utmost importance.

This was the belief she had always held.

Xie Heng was right. If not for that dream, she would have spent ten years in Lingnan. Even knowing Jiang Shaoyan had killed her family, when she sought revenge, she wouldn’t have taken this path.

It was those ten years in Lingnan that wore away her kindness. In those ten years of bitter waiting and torment, after experiencing the pain of losing all friends and relatives, she forgot everything she had once learned and became an executioner.

The current heir had no face to see her parents, nor dared to see her grandfather.

She had killed so many people—what was she?

She lowered her head in acknowledgment, saying hoarsely: “Young Master is right. This subordinate will withdraw now.”

With that, she turned and left.

Xie Heng heard the door close and slowly opened his eyes.

He didn’t know why, but when she said those last words, though her tone was very calm, he suddenly felt bitter.

He sat silently at the table. After a while, Qingya entered the room carrying case files, looked at Xie Heng sitting at the table, and smiled: “Young Master doesn’t seem very happy?”

“Have you investigated the Crown Prince’s movements in ten days?”

Xie Heng looked up. Qingya smiled slightly: “Young Master’s foresight is divine. Although there’s no very clear news, I hear that in ten days, the Crown Prince has made arrangements everywhere and taken leave from His Majesty, apparently planning to travel incognito at night.”

“I thought so. How could one Xiang Sizi be worth Li Guiyu’s grand efforts? So it’s Crown Prince.”

Xie Heng’s voice was flat.

Qingya shook his head: “These brothers. Years ago, the Crown Prince and Empress climbed up by stepping on the Third Prince’s life. Now it seems the Third Prince plans to kill the Crown Prince, making himself the Empress’s only son. Even if she knows the Crown Prince was killed by him, the Empress will have no choice but to rely on him.”

“Mm.”

Xie Heng tapped the table, seeming to consider something.

Qingya looked up: “What is Young Master thinking?”

“I’m wondering if my thinking is wrong.”

Qingya didn’t understand. Xie Heng looked at him: “Tell me, if Liu Xiniang isn’t from Fengyu Pavilion, who could she be? Why would she get involved with Fengyu Pavilion people? What does she want to do?”

If not Fengyu Pavilion, then in this vast world, who could she be?

This question stumped Qingya. He thought for a moment and reminded: “Young Master, it’s better not to entertain overly optimistic fantasies.”

These words made Xie Heng pause. He suddenly realized he seemed to be letting her slip by again and again like this. He always tried to speculate about her from better angles.

Xie Heng remained silent. After a moment, he remembered: “How much longer before the people sent to Yangzhou return?”

“Still on the road,” Qingya reported thoughtfully. “Liu Xiniang’s case is too minor, not under the Supervision Department’s jurisdiction. Much information is in the Ministry of Justice’s hands and requires arrangements.”

“What about Elder Zhong?” Xie Heng frowned. “Did he return?”

“He went traveling.” Qingya was somewhat puzzled. “What does Young Master plan to do?”

“Find an artist and have Elder Zhong draw Liu Xiniang’s original appearance for me.”

Xie Heng gestured.

Qingya paused and said hesitantly: “This, Young Master, is unnecessary.”

Xie Heng turned to look. Qingya explained: “Previously, there was a disfigured criminal. Elder Zhong felt the bones and drew the face, but the resulting portrait was completely different from the criminal’s original appearance. Because during the crime, the criminal had one large and one small eye, one single and one double eyelid, and was fat, when witnesses looked at the portrait for identification, they said it wasn’t the same person. We let him go, and only after several investigations and confirmations did we discover it was the same person. Bone structure is just a basic framework—skin composition has countless possibilities…”

“Then send him thirty artists.”

Xie Heng glanced over coldly: “A human face has only two eyes and a few pieces of flesh. Draw every possibility for me. I’ll wait for him.”

“Yes.”

Seeing Xie Heng’s determination, Qingya lowered his head in agreement.

He thought for a moment and finally said: “Young Master.”

Xie Heng looked up at him. Qingya pursed his lips and said seriously: “The Supervision Department cannot afford to lose. You cannot be a second Qin Jue.”

Xie Heng paused, then chuckled: “What are you thinking? I just don’t want to do wrong to innocent people.”

“When the cost is too great, it’s better to wrongly kill a hundred.”

Qingya’s expression was calm. Xie Heng looked up at him. After a long time, he nodded: “I know, but I want to do everything in my power.”

With that, he turned his head. Under the candlelight, Zhang Qiuzhi’s case file showed yellow with age.

He had taken this path not to become that kind of person.

“Then,” Qingya looked seriously at Xie Heng, “is this the last time?”

Xie Heng didn’t speak. Qingya said calmly, “If this woman betrays again, this subordinate will kill her. Does Young Master agree?”

Xie Heng’s fingertips trembled slightly. He met Qingya’s gaze, and for some reason, felt the word was somewhat difficult to say.

“Yes.”

Author’s Note:

The reveal will be in the next few days.

The big plot at Fangfei Pavilion will reveal it.

[Mini Theater]

Xie Heng: “Miss Luo is a fairy, what are you?”

Luo Wanqing: “…”

Zhuque: “Young Master, she seems to be Miss Luo!”

Xie Heng: “…”

Xie Heng walking on the road: “I deserve to die.”

Xie Heng, lying in bed: “I deserve to die.”

Xie Heng buried in soil: “I deserve to die.”

Xie Heng at Meng Po’s face: “I won’t drink this soup. I want to always remember—I deserve to die!!”

Luo Wanqing: “…”

Xie Heng: “Wife, I deserve to die!!”

Luo Wanqing: “Young Master, you’ve called the wrong person. I like Cui Guanlan.”

Xie Heng: “…”