After dawn, the bailiffs discovered Bao Lang’s headless corpse in the courtyard before the county office’s main hall.

Wu Zhiyuan sighed deeply, knowing his career was finished. Not only had he lost the night pearl the Regional Commander was presenting to the Son of Heaven, but he had also allowed the special envoy to be murdered right under his nose. Various strange rumors among the people were spreading unstoppably, and even his own subordinates were extremely reluctant to continue investigating the case.

Bao Lang, who had slain the snake and seized the pearl, first went mad slashing people, then became a headless corpse. Before all eyes, the white snake had transformed into a dragon and appeared, with ghosts and spirits involved – what power did mortals have to pursue such matters?

Bao Lang’s head was soon discovered, placed on the seventh floor of Lotus Flower Temple’s Buddha tower where the night pearl had been lost.

The Weituo Bodhisattva glared with diamond fury, his invincible vajra that could sever all worldly troubles and subdue demons pierced through the human head, as if the Bodhisattva had personally executed him. The dead man’s twisted features were aligned with the blue demon trampled under the Bodhisattva’s feet. All of Bao Lang’s lifelong obsessions, greed, and demonic obstacles vanished like smoke, never to return.

When this severed head appeared out of nowhere, the interior of the Treasure Tower remained in a heavily sealed chamber state. With the case reaching this point, there was no further need to investigate.

As for the Yang father and daughter who had quietly disappeared, that they didn’t come seeking trouble was already unbelievable good fortune – he dared not pursue the matter further.

The city gates reopened, and all manner of people trapped in Lower Gui City could finally move freely. The story of the white snake’s vengeful justice would spread in all directions with their footsteps. The Changzhou craftsmen set off to continue westward, going to busy themselves with the funeral arrangements for the supremely noble Princess Wanshou.

As for Princess Wanshou herself, she was busily preparing to set out eastward, but searching high and low, she simply couldn’t find the rouge and eyebrow cosmetics brought from Wu Zhiyuan’s house, greatly puzzled.

She inquired through the window to Wei Xun and Shisan Lang who were preparing saddles and luggage: “Have you two seen my makeup powder and rouge?”

Shisan Lang shook his head in confusion. Wei Xun’s eyes were clear and innocent as he said: “I don’t recognize those bottles and jars.”

Bao Zhu thought this made sense – had she simply forgotten to bring them when fleeing the county office?

Getting no answers from her inquiry, she turned back to continue searching. Wei Xun lowered his head to continue preparing the saddles, a sly smile appearing at his lips.

He thought to himself that this girl stayed in bed every day refusing to get up, requiring three to eight urgings before she’d agree to leave. If she spent another hour or two each day applying makeup, they’d never get anywhere.

As for her taking rouge to paint gruesome fake wounds on her face, or reddening her lips while claiming she was going to manipulate strange men and such – he had never seen such terrifying implements and was deeply tormented by them, truly unable to bear it. Last night while she slept deeply, he had snuck into her room to quietly steal them all and thrown them into the bushes.

Before departure, Yang Xingjian specially bought a two-wheeled ox cart with curtains around the canopy. Though plain in appearance, it was lined with brocade cushions for Bao Zhu to rest when tired on the road. However, the county town was small and he couldn’t buy her a suitable maid, feeling he had failed the princess and chattering endlessly about it.

Wei Xun grew annoyed listening and said bluntly: “She’s both literary and martial, can solve cases and personally slay Luo Chengye. She can take perfect care of herself without needing any maid.”

Hearing this, Yang Xingjian sighed deeply, thinking the young hothead was truly naive: “You completely don’t understand what this old man is talking about.”

At this moment, Bao Zhu hurried out of the inn, looking down to search through the luggage already loaded on the donkey’s back. With her back turned, both Wei and Yang fell silent and froze.

As a noble princess, pampered from birth with fine clothes, precious food, and servants all around, though Bao Zhu was skilled in archery and horsemanship with abundant martial virtue, her daily self-care abilities for combing hair and dressing were quite ordinary. She could manage simple Hu clothing respectably, but these layered robes and skirts were harder to handle. Without a mirror to check and hurrying out in panic, she hadn’t noticed that a corner of her skirt hem had gotten tucked inside, revealing her undergarments from behind.

Old Yang turned to glare at Wei Xun and spread his hands, meaning: Do you understand now?

Yang Xingjian was experienced and mature, not panicking. He looked around planning to find a passing woman to remind Bao Zhu, but Wei Xun had already walked straight over quickly. Yang Xingjian was shocked and called out in a lowered voice: “No! You can’t speak to her directly about it!” But it was too late to stop him.

Wei Xun walked to Bao Zhu’s side and pointed at the luggage hanging on the donkey’s back: “I just saw a caterpillar fall into your arrow quiver.”

Bao Zhu was most afraid of insects. Hearing this, her face immediately paled as she stood on tiptoe to peer into the quiver: “Where? Where did it fall!” Taking advantage of her distraction, Wei Xun’s wrist moved slightly, using extremely light technique to pull out and smooth the corner of skirt behind her.

He thought this misdirection trick was learned from street theft in childhood – he hadn’t used it in countless years. Now using it to arrange her skirt was rather amusing. Turning back, he saw Yang Xingjian angrily shaking his head with complete disapproval. Wei Xun showed his fine white teeth, smiling even more happily.

Only Bao Zhu herself remained in the dark, gripping the quiver and repeatedly asking: “Where did the caterpillar fall? How come I don’t see it? You’re not teasing me again, are you?”

With all affairs in Lower Gui County concluded and no one left to obstruct them, the group prepared their horses and luggage and set off.

Bao Zhu rode the donkey with Wei Xun leading the reins in front and Shisan Lang bringing up the rear, plus Yang Xingjian sitting in the cart driving the ox. The four departed through Lower Gui County’s east gate. Bao Zhu was still puzzled about the suspicious caterpillar when she saw a tall man in black robes standing beside the official road outside the city gate – heroic and dashingly handsome. It was Huo Qi Lang who had already left, waiting for them.

Hearing her mention “teasing people,” Huo Qi laughed and came forward, interjecting: “Has Brother Wei been pranking again? That day when we went to break into the jail and cause trouble, I saw him casually steal the county magistrate’s official seal and hide it in the roof beams of the county office main hall. Magistrate Wu is probably going crazy looking for it now. Unless he tears down and rebuilds the hall, he’ll never find it. He’d never imagine the seal is hidden right above his head.”

Hearing this revelation, Wei Xun shrugged dismissively. Bao Zhu and Shisan Lang burst into delighted laughter, while only Yang Xingjian, having official rank himself, felt sympathetic. Imagining the feeling of losing an official seal made him break out in a cold sweat from his feet up – he couldn’t laugh at all.

Bao Zhu looked at Wei Xun’s vigorous yet light silhouette from behind, laughing while thinking how this person acted with chivalrous justice when encountering injustice, then departed with sleeves brushed clean, deeply hiding his identity and name – how generous and carefree! Who could imagine he privately loved pranks so much, feeling itchy if he didn’t pull one each day, full of mischievous boyish spirit? She wondered what kind of person had raised him.

Then she remembered something: “With this case solved, there’s only one thing that still doesn’t add up – who stole Chen Yu’s fake pearl?”

Wei Xun said: “I have a guess, though it might not be right.”

Bao Zhu urged: “Tell me quickly!”

Wei Xun said: “I went to investigate the Lotus Flower Temple tower several times and found that during the day, heat all gathered at the top, making the upper floors extremely hot. The egg Chen Yu used to forge the night pearl probably hatched.”

Bao Zhu frowned: “Nonsense. Without a mother bird incubating, how could it hatch by itself?”

Wei Xun said: “You don’t know – snakes don’t need mothers to incubate eggs. As long as the external temperature is hot enough, they can hatch on their own. There’s a transparent stain on the brocade cushion inside the lacquer box. If it’s liquid left behind when a snake egg hatched, that would explain everything.”

Bao Zhu made an “oh” sound and thought carefully, but still felt something was wrong: “But even if a small snake hatched and crawled away, there would still be eggshell left behind. It couldn’t be seamless – the three people present would definitely notice something amiss.”

Wei Xun said: “There’s a type of snake whose eggshell becomes soft before and after hatching. When the small snake emerges, the shell becomes its first meal. If it happened to be this type of snake, then it was probably heaven’s will.”

Hearing this, everyone fell silent. Wei Xun himself said it was only speculation, impossible to verify. Throughout the entire case – whether the disembowelment and hanging from beams, deep-frying human heads, white snake manifestations, or flood dragon crossings – all the strange traces were deliberately created by humans. Yet it felt like there were many ghostly coincidences guided by fate.

The Changzhou craftsmen passed through Lower Gui County due to Princess Wanshou’s death, Wei Xun fell ill, the pearl theft and murder case was coincidentally pinned on the Blue-Robed Guest, and everyone step by step became deeply involved, involuntarily forced to participate in solving the case until the old case of Ying Niang’s murder was finally resolved and they could leave Lower Gui.

All consequences arise from causes, all retributions arise from karma. Now the stone carver family’s great revenge had been washed clean in blood through Wei Xun’s hands. Hopefully Ying Niang’s spirit in heaven could rest in peace.

After being sealed in Lower Gui County for over ten days, summer’s oppressive heat gradually receded. Leaving the enclosed city, they saw clear skies with a crane soaring above the clouds – the weather was crisp and their oppressed moods swept away completely.

Bao Zhu looked up and saw a wispy thin cloud slowly drifting across the sky, its outline constantly changing, seeming like a snow-white young woman bowing gracefully with gathered sleeves – ethereal and elusive, light and graceful. She couldn’t tell if it was a real sight or a fantasy born from her thoughts. After a moment’s hesitation, when she wanted to call others to look, that cloud had already scattered with the wind, leaving no trace to follow.

Author’s Note: This story draws inspiration from Tang dynasty legendary tales and supernatural stories. It’s not purely mystery and crime-solving, but has a subtle fantasy undertone.