It was nearly the Hour of Zi, and hearing this news, everyone present frowned deeply.
Zhan Yang said, “Wasn’t he just delivering a painting? Why has he stayed there so long—”
Earlier that day, Qin Wan had expressed her suspicions about Ning Bu Yi. Everyone had found it incredible at the time since Ning Bu Yi was acquainted with the officials and had helped them considerably before. When Zhan Yang and Zheng Bai Shi heard Qin Wan’s words then, they were quite surprised. Now, however, neither could be certain.
Ning Bu Yi’s appearance in the area was one thing, but staying so long, almost until the Hour of Zi—could something have delayed him?
“Who owns that residence? Surely he’s not visiting a friend and planning to stay the night?”
At Zheng Bai Shi’s words, everyone’s expressions grew serious. After a moment’s thought, Yan Chi said, “Bai Feng, send someone to check.”
Bai Feng nodded and left. Yan Chi rose and walked to the window, looking out at the pitch-black streets and residential areas, with only two distant taverns still dimly lit, though no longer bustling as before.
As the hour grew later and the streets emptier, anyone emerging now would be immediately visible. If he were the killer, this would be the best time to find a hiding place.
“Your Highness, it’s two incense sticks’ time until the Hour of Zi.”
Qin Wan reminded him, looking east. Ning Bu Yi’s location was quite far, and they couldn’t see if there were lights in the house from there. Already suspicious of Ning Bu Yi, his unusual behavior increased her doubts. With the Hour of Zi approaching, if Ning Bu Yi planned to act, he would need to prepare now.
Yan Chi narrowed his eyes. “Let’s take a look—”
Leaving the restaurant, they found the street empty. Yan Chi glanced at the dark eastern market street and led everyone toward the house. After a few steps, Bai Feng returned, saying, “Master, our men checked—the house is completely dark, no lights. Should we sneak in?”
Ning Bu Yi had entered, so why was it dark inside?
Could he be visiting a friend and staying over?
If so, they would naturally have retired by this hour.
In that case, sneaking in would be unreasonable.
“No need to enter yet. We still have two incense sticks time. Wait until one incense stick’s time remains.”
After Yan Chi spoke, he led the group east. After a few steps, two agile figures emerged from the darkness, and then more black-clad figures appeared. Each wore tight-fitting clothes and moved silently, their expressions stern and solemn—well-trained men, naturally Yan Chi’s people.
When they reached the eastern residence, they still saw no lights inside. All around was silent and still.
Yan Chi’s group melted into the darkness, their shadowy figures somewhat intimidating at first glance.
Yan Chi asked Bai Feng, “No movement elsewhere?”
Bai Feng shook his head. “None. Our men have been here since noon and haven’t seen any suspicious persons. Unless the killer lives here, we haven’t missed anything. These two streets have twenty-six shops large and small, and seventeen residences. We have men watching every location from hiding.”
Hearing Bai Feng’s detailed report, Zheng Bai Shi and Zhan Yang realized how much thought and manpower Yan Chi had invested. Watching time slip away, they worried about both delaying and losing another life, yet feared acting too early might alert the killer or cause misunderstandings.
Yan Chi knew time was pressing. “Go in and scout, but don’t enter the house.”
Bai Feng acknowledged the order and darted toward the residence. The others saw his figure rise and fall like a hunting falcon before disappearing behind the high courtyard wall.
Yan Chi’s gaze swept over the house and down the long street. His men had thoroughly investigated every shop and residence on this street. If they still hadn’t found any trace of the killer, how could he be so elusive? Or was his martial arts so superior that even Yan Chi’s men couldn’t detect him?
Zheng Bai Shi sensed Yan Chi’s thoughts and said, “Your Highness, the killer is indeed cunning. Our men have guarded everywhere before, yet the killer still escaped. Only last time, when Young Master Feng was injured, was the killer closest to us, but still slipped away. Later we saw Third Young Master Wu leave that residence, but had no other evidence.”
Yan Chi nodded. “The killer operates from shadows and is well-prepared. Indeed difficult to catch.”
As he finished speaking, Bai Feng leaped back from the residence, arriving before Yan Chi in a few bounds. “Master, there are people inside, more than one, in the main hall. But no one’s speaking. The residence is very old, seemingly rarely inhabited.”
Yan Chi frowned. If rarely inhabited, why would Ning Bu Yi deliver paintings here? And why stay inside without emerging?
Qin Wan also sensed something was wrong. “We should go in and look.”
Yan Chi nodded and led everyone toward the house. The black-clad guards beside him leaped onto the roof from both sides. One landed in the courtyard to open the gate, and Yan Chi led the group inside. Just as they reached the gate, a figure flashed past the main hall’s window. Yan Chi raised his hand to stop everyone, taking two steps forward himself.
Qin Wan grew worried and then heard a “bang” as someone yanked open the main hall door from inside. A person stumbled out running, and Zhan Yang immediately drew his sword warily. The next moment, everyone’s expressions changed—
The person was a young man who, upon seeing Yan Chi and the others, froze in place. Everyone recognized his face—it was Third Young Master Wu Yu of the Wei Yuan Marquis’s household!
Wu Yu stood shocked, completely unprepared for so many people outside. His face showed clear hesitation and calculation before he quickly approached Yan Chi. “Your Highness! Princess! Quick, save him, please save Brother Ning!”
As Yan Chi’s group entered in darkness, he immediately signaled, and Bai Feng lit a fire stick. In its light, everyone saw the blood on Wu Yu—his hands and clothes were covered in it, making him appear especially cruel and terrifying. Wu Yu had looked anxious, but seeing the blood on himself in the firelight, his expression changed. He quickly said, “It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me. Hurry and save him, but this matter truly has nothing to do with me—”
Yan Chi frowned and strode into the inner room. Bai Feng moved ahead to light the room’s lamp. When it illuminated, the scene inside shocked everyone. The room was old and dusty, but now held a long table upon which lay a person—Ning Bu Yi.
Ning Bu Yi lay with his eyes tightly closed, his upper body exposed. He had been alive and well when he entered in the afternoon, but now his chest bore a deep cross-shaped wound. Blood flowed down his chest, soaking the long table, dripping steadily to form a small pool on the floor.
Today the killer was meant to perform the Knife and Saw Hell ritual sacrifice. Seeing Ning Bu Yi’s condition, he was meant for fire sacrifice. The killer’s identity seemed obvious!
Zhan Yang and Zheng Bai Shi had already suspected Wu Yu, and now they had caught him in the act—what more could he say?
Zhan Yang turned, laughing coldly. “At this point, Third Young Master, are you still going to fabricate some story about accidentally stumbling in here?! Who would have thought you could be so deranged!”
Wu Yu’s face turned pale. “Captain Zhan! It wasn’t me! Wasn’t me!”
Zheng Bai Shi frowned deeply. “Third Young Master, whatever you have to say, save it for the prefecture office.”
Yan Chi turned to look at Wu Yu and commanded coolly, “Seize him!”
At his order, the guards on the roof swooped down, attacking Wu Yu together. Wu Yu retreated two steps, initially wanting to struggle, but was subdued by the black-clad guards after just over ten moves!
Forced to kneel, Wu Yu looked angrily toward the room. “It wasn’t me! Wasn’t me! Today I ordered a painting from the gallery, and Master Ning personally delivered it. When he arrived, we were drinking tea, but after just two sips, he fainted first. I was naturally shocked, but then I fainted too. I only just woke up!”
Wu Yu spoke anxiously but coherently. “I smelled blood and felt that something had happened to Master Ning, so I stumbled toward the exit. Just as I reached the door, I saw all of you! Captain Zhan! Minister Zheng, you must believe me!”
Inside the room, Qin Wan approached the table to check Ning Bu Yi’s pulse.
Soon, she said, “He still has breath, can still be saved, blood loss isn’t too severe—”
As she spoke, Qin Wan immediately took out her handkerchief to clean Ning Bu Yi’s wound, while instructing Bai Ying, “Bai Ying, return to the mansion and bring a needle, thread, and blood-stopping medicine—”
This place wasn’t far from the Marquis’s mansion. As soon as Qin Wan finished speaking, Bai Ying departed.
Yan Chi approached. “Treat him here?”
Qin Wan nodded. “Yes, here. You go ahead with the questioning. Don’t worry, I won’t let him die.”
As she spoke, Qin Wan glanced at Wu Yu being held in the courtyard. She had suspected Ning Bu Yi, but never imagined that upon entering, Ning Bu Yi would be the victim, and Wu Yu the killer!
Saving people was what Qin Wan did best, and Yan Chi had absolute confidence in leaving this task to her.
Yan Chi nodded and walked out. In the courtyard, Wu Yu’s eyes were red with anger, his face full of stubborn insistence. “It wasn’t me! Wasn’t me! Every word I say is true—”
Zhan Yang sneered, “By now, Third Young Master, you came to report the case to the office so quickly, trying to pressure them and divert their attention, weren’t you? Later, you repeatedly visited the mortuary and the office, becoming thoroughly familiar with the office’s affairs. That day you fled into your residence—we could have convicted you then, but we didn’t find decisive evidence. We let that go, but this time, even with your silver tongue, you can’t talk your way out!”
Wu Yu held his neck stiffly. “Captain Zhan! I know this scene looks very incriminating, but it wasn’t me! I was drugged after drinking the tea. Someone else, someone else wanted to harm Master Ning and frame me—”
Zhan Yang frowned. “Then perhaps Third Young Master can tell us, was there a third person in this house?”
Wu Yu’s expression changed slightly, momentarily speechless. Zhan Yang sneered, “Why don’t you tell us why you’ve been so ruthlessly killing people?”
Wu Yu clenched his teeth. “It wasn’t me! I said I didn’t kill anyone…”
Yan Chi strode out from the doorway. “Then can Third Young Master explain why you’re here today?”
At this question, Wu Yu’s eyes flickered. Zheng Bai Shi asked, “This residence—could it be yours too?”
Wu Yu lowered his eyes, then raised his head after a moment. “Minister Zheng, this residence belongs to a friend. Today I wanted to redecorate it since it’s close to the office. You know my western residence is too far, so I had Master Ning deliver the painting here. But I never expected this to happen!”
At this point, no matter what Wu Yu said, Zheng Bai Shi and the others wouldn’t easily believe him.
Zhan Yang pressed further, “Over this past month of cases, you’ve managed to kill so many people—how could you not craft a plausible explanation? You’re the only one in this house, so tell me, who harmed Master Ning?!”
Wu Yu smiled bitterly. “How would I know that…”
Zhan Yang said coldly, “Of course you don’t know, because you’re the killer!”
Inside the room, Qin Wan had finished basic bandaging and blood-stopping for Ning Bu Yi. While waiting for Bai Ying to return with medicine, she began examining the room’s layout. The room appeared to have been cleaned only days ago, with cobwebs still visible in the ceiling corners. Wu Yu’s explanation seemed somewhat plausible, but the strange thing was, if no third person was present, not even a servant, who had administered the poison?!
Wu Yu claimed he fainted from drinking tea—
Qin Wan turned to look at the teacups on the nearby table. There were two cups and a teapot. She walked over to examine the teapot and cups, then quickly frowned and walked outside.
“Third Young Master, you say someone else poisoned the tea, but there’s no knockout drug in the teapot, only in the two cups. Tell me, which cup was yours?”
Wu Yu looked up. “I drank from the left one—”
Qin Wan’s eyes darkened. “That’s right, the left cup is barely touched, while the right cup is half empty.”
Hearing this, Zhan Yang hurried inside to look. Sure enough, it was exactly as Qin Wan said. He returned outside. “Third Young Master probably didn’t expect us to come here directly, so he didn’t even complete these details.”
Wu Yu looked desperate, but he couldn’t refute what Qin Wan and Zhan Yang had said. Looking at Ning Bu Yi lying on the table, Wu Yu was near tears. “My relationship with Master Ning isn’t deep, and we have no grudges. Why would I harm him?!”
Zhan Yang frowned. “Of course, it was to set up your ritual site!”
“Ritual site?! What ritual site?!” Wu Yu looked completely confused.
Zhan Yang shook his head. “Third Young Master can keep denying. You can say all this in prison.”
Zhan Yang didn’t want to question further and turned to look at Zheng Bai Shi and Yan Chi. Yan Chi said, “Search the house. The interrogation can wait until tomorrow after the Princess revives Master Ning to hear what he has to say.”
Zhan Yang nodded and immediately led people to search. He soon returned to report, “This courtyard is similar to Wu Yu’s small residence from before—very old, with only the main room being somewhat clean. The other areas are uninhabitable. The kitchen has only a working water-heating stove. The side study has writing materials, and besides these, only a tea set is usable.”
In short, this was not a proper place to receive guests.
After another moment, Bai Ying returned with the medicine, and Qin Wan hurried to re-suture Ning Bu Yi’s wound.
Because she had needed suturing thread several times before, Qin Wan eventually made some herself using sheep intestines. Now she had it ready to use. Zheng Bai Shi and the others were amazed to see Qin Wan sewing up a person’s wound. After suturing, applying medicine, and bandaging, Qin Wan finally wiped the light sweat from her brow and relaxed.
“He should wake by dawn. Better to wait half an hour for the wound to start clotting before moving him.” Looking at Ning Bu Yi’s deathly pale face, she added, “This time, I was wrong in my deduction.”