“The Second Young Master of the Pang family?” Yan Chi frowned.
Wang Huai Yu smiled bitterly, “Yes, the Second Young Master was trying to leave the manor with a bundle.”
Yan Chi looked at Qin Wan, who frowned and said, “Earlier, I saw two people in this room. I couldn’t make out the other person clearly, but I’m certain there was someone else.”
Yan Chi turned to Wang Huai Yu, “Bring the Second Young Master here.”
Wang Huai Yu acknowledged and went out to give the order, while Qin Wan stepped over the stream of blood at the doorway and entered.
She had seen many cases while assisting her father before, but she wasn’t an official herself. Though she had developed an interest in murder cases, she never felt compelled to investigate them. However, with Pang Fu Liang dying right under her nose, while she didn’t feel challenged or insulted, she did feel somewhat annoyed.
Even if Pang Fu Liang was evil, he shouldn’t have died this way. Most crucially, she had been watching this area—why hadn’t she noticed anything amiss? Qin Wan felt frustrated, but this frustration and annoyance fueled her courage. She wanted to investigate further, even without prompting from Yan Chi and Wang Huai Yu.
Looking around the study, the elegantly decorated room showed no signs of disorder. The bronze lamp stands in the corner casting a dim light, with the fire stick placed neatly on top. Just looking at the fire stick, one could imagine the person who lit it had done so casually and easily. Qin Wan carefully examined the tall cabinets and desk before finally turning her attention to Pang Fu Liang.
Pang Fu Liang must have suffered greatly before death, evident from his wide-open eyes and furrowed brows. Beyond pain, his face showed shock, as if he hadn’t expected to be killed, or perhaps hadn’t expected who killed him.
Could it be Pang Yi Wu? Wang Huai Yu’s words made Qin Wan suspicious, and her questions naturally turned toward Pang Yi Wu.
With this thought, Qin Wan approached Pang Fu Liang. There was a large pool of blood in front of him, so she stood to his side.
From the side, she could see the long sword firmly pinned to the window frame. Pang Fu Liang’s body was about two fen away from the frame, showing he had struggled to pull out the sword. However, weakened by blood loss, he hadn’t expected the sword to be so firmly embedded. The more he struggled, the larger the wound in his chest became, only hastening his death.
Qin Wan thought about this as she looked down to examine Pang Fu Liang’s hands and other parts of his body.
Both his hands hung at his sides, half-curled into fists, with blood stains but no wounds. The rest of his body was also unharmed. Qin Wan frowned—had Pang Fu Liang been killed with a single sword strike?
Thinking this, she carefully examined his hands, and her expression darkened further.
Yan Chi walked slowly behind Qin Wan and also saw Pang Fu Liang’s palms. “He has calluses on his tiger’s mouth, palm, and fingertips—he must have been a trained fighter.”
Yan Chi had mentioned earlier that the Pang family ran a martial arts school, so Qin Wan wasn’t surprised that Pang Fu Liang knew martial arts.
“He has no external wounds and shows no signs of poisoning. If he was trained in martial arts, how could he be killed with a single strike?” Qin Wan said, looking at the sword in Pang Fu Liang’s body. “And where did this sword come from…”
Just as she finished speaking, there was a commotion in the courtyard outside. A moment later, Wang Huai Yu strode to the door, “Your Highness, the Second Young Master of the Pang family has been brought.”
Yan Chi glanced at Pang Fu Liang, “Bring him in.”
Wang Huai Yu acknowledged and turned to leave. Qin Wan and Yan Chi exchanged glances, both their eyes deep with thought.
“Magistrate Wang, I… I just wanted to return to our old home in Ding Prefecture. Father disappeared, Big Brother is dead, I’m the only one left in this manor. I… I was just scared…”
Pang Yi Wu’s voice grew closer along with footsteps, and soon two figures appeared at the study door.
“Magistrate Wang, I don’t know anything, I just—”
Pang Yi Wu, clutching his bundle and wearing gray plain robes instead of his usual fine clothes, clearly looked like he was trying to escape in the chaos. As Wang Huai Yu led him in, he appeared timid, but as soon as he reached the doorway, his words cut off as he saw Pang Fu Liang pinned to the window—
Pang Yi Wu froze like a statue, eyes wide with horror and shock. Soon, he stepped forward with a trembling voice, “Father—Father—”
He stumbled, not even noticing the blood on the floor before stepping into it.
Yet he dared not go closer, stopping just inside the doorway, his eyes filled with shock and grief.
Pang Yi Wu looked with wide eyes from Qin Wan to Yan Chi, then to Wang Huai Yu, before finally speaking, “You… how did my father… who… who did this!”
Pang Yi Wu’s eyes were red as Yan Chi narrowed his gaze at the bundle on Pang Yi Wu’s back, “Where was the Second Young Master heading?”
Pang Yi Wu dared not meet Yan Chi’s eyes, avoiding them to look at the blood on the floor, but finding that too difficult, his gaze shifted to other parts of the room, “Your Highness… I… I was scared, and wanted to leave Qing Hui Garden.”
“Oh? Then what’s in your bundle?”
At Yan Chi’s soft question, Pang Yi Wu’s brows trembled again.
“Just some travel money…”
Pang Yi Wu indeed looked like he was trying to escape, but even with the Pang family involved in several murder cases, he had no reason to flee if he hadn’t killed anyone. More strange was how to explain Pang Fu Liang’s presence in the manor.
Yan Chi glanced at Pang Fu Liang’s body, “Did the Second Young Master not come to see Master Pang before leaving?”
Pang Yi Wu took a deep breath and shook his head, “No, I didn’t…”
Pang Yi Wu glanced up at Yan Chi before lowering his head again. Yan Chi gave a cold laugh, “You’ve been here a while, Second Young Master, yet you don’t seem surprised at why Master Pang has returned.”
Pang Yi Wu’s shoulders were hunched. Yan Chi turned to Wang Huai Yu, “Magistrate Wang should remember, it was the Second Young Master who revealed that Master Pang wasn’t in the manor. We all left Qing Hui Garden to pursue him, yet he waited until night to try to leave. And Master Pang, in these clothes, also looks like he was preparing to flee.”
If Yan Chi hadn’t mentioned it, Qin Wan wouldn’t have thought about it. Pang Fu Liang was wearing gray martial clothes that looked even more practical than Pang Yi Wu’s attire. He had first used a diversionary tactic, but what was he planning next?
Qin Wan looked at the tall cabinets in the room—where had Pang Fu Liang hidden during the day?
“I… I don’t know… I was just scared…”
Pang Yi Wu still hunched his shoulders, his voice getting lower. Yan Chi looked at him for a moment, “Magistrate Wang, let’s see what the Second Young Master was taking with him…”
As soon as the words were spoken, Pang Yi Wu clutched his bundle tighter. Wang Huai Yu, seeing something was wrong, immediately stepped forward and grabbed the bundle. Pang Yi Wu was thin and not tall, while Wang Huai Yu was large and strong. With one pull and yank, he took the bundle from Pang Yi Wu, who watched it desperately but was helpless against Wang Huai Yu. Seeing his bloodless lips, Yan Chi slightly narrowed his eyes.
Pang Yi Wu’s bundle wasn’t large. Wang Huai Yu took it to a nearby desk and opened it. As expected, there were some bank notes and travel money, but as he looked further, he found a small string of keys. Wang Huai Yu picked up the keys and looked at Pang Yi Wu, “Second Young Master, where did these keys come from?”
Pang Yi Wu quickly glanced at the keys in Wang Huai Yu’s hand before lowering his eyes again, “They’re… they’re the keys to my room…”
Wang Huai Yu gave a slight laugh, “Is that so? Have you thought this through? I’m going to have someone test these, and if the Second Young Master has lied, you’ll be charged with deceiving officials.”
At these words, cold sweat broke out on Pang Yi Wu’s forehead.
Seeing this, Wang Huai Yu and Yan Chi exchanged glances, and Wang Huai Yu continued, “Come—”
Before he could finish his command, Pang Yi Wu quickly raised his head, “Magistrate Wang… those… those aren’t my keys, they’re…”
His eyes darted briefly to Pang Fu Liang’s corpse, “They’re… Father gave them to me.”
Wang Huai Yu immediately frowned, “When did your father give them to you?”
Large beads of sweat rolled down Pang Yi Wu’s ghostly pale face. His hands hung helplessly at his sides, torn between fear of punishment and fear of his father’s wide-open, unrest eyes.
“I… I… just…”
Pang Yi Wu seemed caught between speaking and staying silent, one hand trembling as he wiped away sweat.
Wang Huai Yu softened his tone, “Second Young Master doesn’t handle affairs in the manor. Even if something happened, it might not have been your own doing. If you tell the truth, this official naturally won’t wrong you.”
He continued, “Your father is dead, and you’re closely connected to his death. If you don’t explain clearly, you might be implicated in your father’s murder case…”
Already nervous, Pang Yi Wu trembled as if terrified by these words and hurriedly said, “No, no, when I arrived, Father had just come out of the secret room. Father and I had planned it.”
Speaking rapidly, he first nervously glanced at Wang Huai Yu and Yan Chi, then continued dejectedly as if resigned to his fate, “Butler Pang was released this morning. He came here and spoke with Father for a while. After he left, Father called me in. Father… Father said that years ago, the Pang family had done some unrighteous business. We had gotten away with it, but now… because people had died, that matter might be discovered. He said the Pang family faced a life-or-death situation and wanted me to act out a play with him. I went to fetch the doctor, then deliberately left some flaws to make everyone think Father had disguised himself as the doctor to escape. Actually… actually, Father was just hiding in the secret room…”
“There were too many officials in the manor during the day, not even a fly could escape. We had to wait until the officials were withdrawn, only then could we leave at night. Father arranged to meet me here later, so I changed clothes early and came at the appointed time.”
He paused, looking at the keys in Wang Huai Yu’s hand, “When I arrived, Father had been waiting here for a long time. As soon as I came, he gave me these keys and told me that in the old house in Ding Prefecture, there were several chests of the Pang family’s assets. He said once this matter came to light, the family fortune would likely be gone. He said those assets were for me and told me to take them to Liang Prefecture, saying he would wait for me there…”
Yan Chi and Qin Wan exchanged glances, their eyes brightening.
Wang Huai Yu also keenly noticed the word “assets,” “Did your father say what these assets were?”
Pang Yi Wu shook his head, “No, but I guess they’re probably gold, silver, and jewels.”
Wang Huai Yu nodded, “Then what?”
Pang Yi Wu continued, “Father told me to use the west gate, saying he would follow a cup of tea’s time after me. He said if I was caught, I should say I knew nothing, that I was just too scared to stay here.”
That was indeed what Pang Yi Wu had said earlier. Yan Chi looked at him, then at Qin Wan, who nodded—she believed Pang Yi Wu was telling the truth…
“Did your father open the window to check outside?”
Qin Wan suddenly asked, and Pang Yi Wu looked at her in surprise, “How did you know?”
Qin Wan didn’t answer, but she understood—before the room was lit, the person checking outside through the window was Pang Fu Liang. “After that, you left?”
Pang Yi Wu nodded again, “Yes, Father told me to go first.”
Qin Wan’s brows furrowed, “Was the room lit when you left?”
Pang Yi Wu shook his head again, “No, Father was secretly staying in the manor, how could he light a lamp?”
Qin Wan clenched her fists—this was the problem!
After Pang Fu Liang closed the window, she had Bai Ying signal Yan Chi, and then? After just a brief conversation with Bai Ying, the room’s light came on. When the light came on, Pang Fu Liang became still, but Qin Wan saw two figures in the lit room!
Was the other person at that time the killer?!
Qin Wan’s breath quickened. The murder had already occurred by then, and the second shadow before and after the light was lit wasn’t the same person. The killer must have sneaked in after Pang Yi Wu left, striking in the darkness when Pang Fu Liang was off guard—
This explained why Pang Fu Liang hadn’t resisted; he probably thought it was Pang Yi Wu coming back.
But in such a short time, how had the killer timed it so perfectly?
Thinking this, Qin Wan immediately thought of the mysteriously disappeared Qing Niang. If Qing Niang was Qing Xuan, she must have excellent lightness kung fu and movement skills. When she went to the second floor of the small red building, both front and back windows were open. Qing Niang had likely already left through the back window and infiltrated the main building. Having been in the manor for years, and given her calculated entry into Qing Hui Garden, her motives were clear. She knew the main building’s layout extremely well, and with her skills, could easily hide outside without a sound.
Qing Niang was the most likely suspect.
This matched all her previous deductions.
At this thought, Qin Wan felt a chill down her spine. These were just her deductions—without evidence, what could be done?
The second figure hadn’t stood by the window; she only knew someone was in the room but couldn’t tell if they were male or female, tall or short. Such testimony would only point to Pang Yi Wu, who had admitted to entering the room…
“What’s wrong?” Yan Chi suddenly asked, noting Qin Wan’s pale face.
Qin Wan looked at Yan Chi briefly, her heart tight. Having understood all the connections, the final crucial question emerged: Qing Niang had done all this, and everything had happened right before her eyes. Yet with a magician’s sleight of hand, this trick had been performed specifically for her to see. Qing Niang had known they were following her from the start!
Qin Wan’s back stiffened, her palms sweaty—
She had always been the one unraveling mysteries, but today, she had become someone else’s pawn.
Qin Wan shook her head and mouthed two words: “Qing Niang.”
Yan Chi nodded and turned to Wang Huai Yu, “Magistrate Wang, first take the Second Young Master out. I have something to tell you.”
Wang Huai Yu immediately understood there was more to discuss and quickly had the yamen runners take Pang Yi Wu away.
Once Pang Yi Wu left, Yan Chi clearly explained Qin Wan’s discoveries and suspicions to Wang Huai Yu. After hearing everything, Wang Huai Yu stood there with his mouth agape, “Qing Niang? Is she… Qing Xi’s disciple from back then?”
Not just Wang Huai Yu, even Yan Chi was surprised by this news, so no one minded Wang Huai Yu’s shock. He forcefully closed his mouth and continued, “The younger generation like Qing Lan might not recognize Qing Xuan’s generation, but Qing Yun and Qing Li should have known Qing Xuan. How did no one recognize Qing Niang?”
Qin Wan’s expression became serious, “Qing Lan said she came to Qing Hui Garden many times but never noticed Qing Niang. And this time when Qing Yun came, the Third Young Master overheard the conversation between Pang Fu Liang and Qing Yun, but Qing Niang didn’t. Magistrate Wang, you know Qing Niang never left the Third Young Master’s side… I asked Qing Niang, and she said she was unwell that day and wasn’t with the Third Young Master. I wonder if Qing Niang made excuses to be absent every time Qing Yun and Qing Li visited. Otherwise, how could Qing Lan be so familiar with the Third Young Master yet have no impression of his nursemaid…”
Wang Huai Yu stood stunned as he processed this, then straightened his back, “Good, this official will go arrest her right away!”