The doorkeeper, seeing that this young gentleman was handsome and refined, unlike a swindler, hesitated briefly and said:

“Please wait a moment, sir!”

He turned and hurried into the mansion. About a quarter of an hour later, the sound of urgent footsteps approached, and a woman came running out. She wore a plain long dress, had delicate eyebrows, cherry-like lips, and skin so fair and tender it seemed water would ooze out if pinched.

The woman in her early thirties, despite her simple attire, couldn’t conceal her stunning figure. A white flower was pinned in her hair. What drew people’s attention most was the faint melancholy in her demeanor, inexplicably evoking sympathy.

“Xing’er!” Li Lingsu smiled, the very picture of a refined young gentleman.

Chai Xing’er stared at him blankly, her eyes reddening. She spoke coldly:

“Didn’t Young Master Li claim to be a wanderer of the jianghu, with no attachments, and that roaming the world was his only home? What wind has blown you to my doorstep today?”

Li Lingsu sighed: “Those with attachments in their hearts can’t wander far. They will always return to the side of their beloved…”

Chai Xing’er turned her face away, stubbornly refusing to let her tears fall.

This guy must have left without saying goodbye, probably leaving a letter or something… Xu Qi’an secretly guessed. Otherwise, this young madam wouldn’t harbor such resentment. Moreover, compared to the Eastern sisters and Wenren Qianrou, Aunt Chai seemed to have a much more stubborn personality.

Li Lingsu opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say some sweet words, but feeling the environment inappropriate, he coughed and said:

“This senior is my friend. He came to Xiangzhou with me to travel. Upon hearing about the incident at the Chai mansion, he came to see if there was any way he could help. Xing’er, feel free to ask if you need anything.”

The young doorkeeper was dumbfounded. This young gentleman was calling Aunt Chai “Xing’er” so casually.

Chai Xing’er took a deep breath, nodded to Xu Qi’an, and said in a cool, polite voice:

“Senior, you’ve come from afar. Please, come in.”

If there were truly no feelings, she would have sent us away by now. Alas, another fish caught by a scoundrel… Xu Qi’an cupped his hands in respect and led the little mare into the mansion.

After entrusting the little mare to the Chai household servants for proper care, the three followed Chai Xing’er to the main hall.

“Xing’er, did Chai Xian kill the Chai family head?” Li Lingsu asked eagerly after Chai Xing’er dismissed the servants. “This doesn’t seem right. Chai Xian has a gentle nature; he’s not the type to commit such a heinous act. Is there perhaps some misunderstanding?”

“Misunderstanding?” Chai Xing’er’s fair face showed a cold smile. “I witnessed it with my own eyes, as did everyone in the Chai mansion. How could it be false?”

Li Lingsu pondered, “Perhaps it was an impersonator?”

Chai Xing’er shook her head. “No disguise could fool my eyes. Moreover, his techniques, personal items, and methods of controlling corpses all serve as evidence. One’s appearance may change, but these cannot.”

Li Lingsu was speechless. He frowned for a while before asking the question that had been bothering him all along: “But why would he commit such an unconscionable act?”

Chai Xing’er explained:

“Because my elder brother planned to marry Xiaolan to the Huangfu family. You know, Xiaolan and Chai Xian grew up together, and he has always loved her. Upon learning this, he repeatedly asked my brother to reconsider, expressing his desire to marry Xiaolan.

“Although Chai Xian has considerable talent, my brother believed that marrying Xiaolan to him would only be gilding the lily and wouldn’t bring significant benefits to the Chai family. However, if they could ally through marriage with the Huangfu family, it would be more beneficial for the Chai family’s development.”

Chai Xing’er was the younger sister of the Chai family head, and her previous husband had been a son-in-law who had married into the family.

Hearing this, Li Lingsu frowned even deeper: “Xiaolan doesn’t love him; she only sees him as a brother. By the way, where is Xiaolan?”

Chai Xing’er’s face turned sorrowful at the question. “Xiaolan has been kidnapped.”

Under Li Lingsu’s questioning, she recounted the events. On the day of the incident, the household was awakened by the sounds of a struggle. They rushed to the family head’s quarters to find him already murdered, with the culprit being none other than his adopted son, Chai Xian.

Seeing that he had been exposed, Chai Xian went berserk, controlling four iron corpses to fight his way out, and thus escaped.

“When I was dealing with the aftermath, I discovered that Xiaolan was no longer in her room. For the past half month, I’ve sent people to search everywhere, but we’ve found no trace of her.” Chai Xing’er’s face was full of worry.

Li Lingsu asked, “Xing’er, don’t you find anything unreasonable about this incident?”

Chai Xing’er replied coolly:

“When he was fighting his way out of the Chai mansion that day, I tried to stop him myself. If there’s anything most unreasonable, it’s that Chai Xian’s cultivation had somehow advanced rapidly, no longer inferior to mine.

“But you know, the Chai family’s corpse-controlling techniques originate from the Gu clan’s corpse-Gu techniques. Apart from the practitioner himself, it’s difficult for outsiders to control them.”

Li Lingsu drew in a sharp breath, his expression grave and perplexed. He instinctively felt that there were many inconsistencies in this matter, but he couldn’t effectively summarize them, let alone know how to investigate.

Seeing him frowning in thought, Chai Xing’er spoke coldly:

“You think Chai Xian has been wronged and wants to investigate to clear his name?”

Li Lingsu shook his head, “It’s about uncovering the truth for the Chai family. Since I’m here, I naturally want to help you resolve this matter.”

Chai Xing’er looked at him coldly, “So, do you have any leads?”

Li Lingsu was at a loss for words and shook his head.

The lilac-like, elegant, and melancholic young madam sneered, “Do you think you’re Constable Xu, specialized in solving bizarre cases?”

Li Lingsu smiled bitterly, “Xing’er, why must you mock me so? I know you resent me for leaving without saying goodbye…”

Knock knock!

At this moment, the sound of knocking on the table interrupted the pair of star-crossed lovers. Chai Xing’er frowned her delicate brows and looked at the man in blue robes.

Xu Qi’an spoke slowly, “I have a few questions for the young lady.”

Young lady… Chai Xing’er raised an eyebrow.

“His identity is extraordinary. Even the Chai family’s ancestors would be considered youngsters before him,” Li Lingsu hurriedly explained via voice transmission, fearing his beloved might offend Xu Qian and displease this old fellow.

Chai Xing’er knew what “longevity” implied. Her expression changed slightly, and her attitude immediately became more respectful. She said gently:

“Please ask, Senior.”

“How did Family Head Chai Jianyuan treat Chai Xian? And what was Chai Xian’s character like?” Xu Qi’an asked.

Chai Xing’er replied:

“Chai Xian was an orphan in his youth, suffering from bullying. My elder brother took pity on him and adopted him as his son. Not only did he raise him to adulthood, but he also taught him corpse-controlling techniques and martial arts cultivation. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say his kindness was as vast as a mountain.

“As for Chai Xian himself, if this bloody incident hadn’t occurred, we would all still be in the dark, believing him to be a person of loyalty and honesty.”

Xu Qi’an nodded, “So, you’re saying that the Chai family head’s kindness to him was immense, and his previous character didn’t seem like someone who would betray such kindness. Then, even if he truly harbored resentment and couldn’t bear to see the Chai family’s daughter marry someone else, wouldn’t it have been a better choice to simply kidnap her and elope?”

Yes, that’s it… Li Lingsu clapped his hands. This was why he felt there were many inconsistencies in this matter.

Chai Xing’er frowned in thought, then said, “Senior’s words make sense, but on that day, I fought with him and confirmed it was indeed Chai Xian. Many people in the mansion can testify to this. Those iron corpses were indeed his as well.”

Eyewitnesses… Xu Qi’an analyzed, “Corpse Gu techniques are compatible from top to bottom. A powerful Corpse Gu master can release sub-Gu to forcibly control another’s puppets. What if someone impersonated Chai Xian and forcibly controlled his iron corpses?”

Li Lingsu pondered, “So, that’s why his cultivation seemed to have advanced so rapidly? It wasn’t him?”

Chai Xing’er shook her head, “No if someone were truly impersonating him, they wouldn’t have exposed their true strength. Moreover, there are very few experts who meet the criteria. What would be their motive? Just to frame Chai Xian?”

Xu Qi’an looked at her deeply and smiled, “Well, that’s something we’ll need to investigate thoroughly. Of course, if we could capture Chai Xian alive, it would make things much simpler.”

…

In the capital, at the Court of Astronomy.

On the second floor of the great hall, Yang Qianhuan stood by the window, facing outside with his back to everyone.

Behind him were over twenty mages, all belonging to Yang Qianhuan’s faction. Within the Court of Astronomy, they were known by their colleagues as the “Back of the Head Party.”

This was an impolite, mocking name. But other factions had equally unflattering names. Song Qing’s faction was called the “Madman Party,” Sun Xuanji’s group the “Mute Party,” and Zhong Li’s faction the “Ghost-Scaring Party.”

Chu Caiwei, due to her low rank, wasn’t yet qualified to accept disciples on behalf of her master, so she didn’t have a faction. However, next year, she would be eligible to teach apprentices.

Back to the matter at hand, the atmosphere in the great hall was tense, with everyone wearing serious expressions.

“Didn’t we say we were closing shop? When will these people stop? Are they not going to let us live?”

“This is absurd. Are these troublemakers trying to bleed the Court of Astronomy dry?”

“If it comes down to it, we should mobilize the Imperial Guard to suppress them.”

“But if we do that, Elder Brother Yang’s reputation will be irreparable.”

“It’s already as bad as it can get…”

The mages discussed worriedly, each offering their thoughts.

Recently, Elder Brother Yang had a whim to open a shop in the city for charitable purposes. Any citizen of the capital with difficulties or injustices could come to the heroic Yang Qianhuan, who served the country and the people, for solutions.

Initially, the capital’s citizens didn’t believe such a good person existed. The “Great Benefactor Yang Qianhuan Affairs Office” had no visitors. But this didn’t stump the talented and wise Elder Brother Yang.

He found a plant – a suffering woman whose husband was addicted to gambling, and whose mother-in-law was bedridden with no money for treatment. At her wit’s end, she sought help from Yang Qianhuan’s office.

Yang Qianhuan, the man aspiring to be a hero-king, unhesitatingly helped this pitiful woman.

From then on, more and more citizens sought Yang Qianhuan’s help and were satisfied. Word spread and Yang Qianhuan of the Court of Astronomy quickly became a household name as a great benefactor.

But before long, things took a turn.

The citizens became like a bottomless pit, constantly taking advantage of Yang Qianhuan. They saw satisfaction as their right and hurled abuse when unsatisfied.

Yang Qianhuan, exploited left and right, saw his grand cause faltering. Heartbroken, he closed the shop and retreated to the Court of Astronomy.

But the citizens didn’t let him go. They gathered in the square outside the Star-Gazing Tower, demanding justice.

They claimed he had promised to help indefinitely, and that one should honor their commitments.

Yang Qianhuan gazed down from the window, seeing hundreds of citizens gathered in the square outside the Star-Gazing Tower.

“What kind of matters are these? Read them to me.”

His tone was low and world-weary, like someone who had been beaten down by society and was full of stories.

The white-robed mages sighed in relief. One of them picked up the thick stack of letters on the table, opened the first one, and after reading it, said:

“Madam Zhang from Wheel Street says that her neighbor, Madam Yang, has another grandchild. She wants to hold a grandchild too and hopes the Court of Astronomy can think of something.”

Yang Qianhuan nodded. This wasn’t a difficult matter. Although the Court of Astronomy had been losing money recently, they could still afford some medicine.

“Then give her son some medicine to boost his kidneys and virility,” he said.

The white-robed mage’s expression turned strange. “But Madam Zhang only has three daughters. Where would she get a son from?”

“…” Yang Qianhuan said in a deep voice, “Next letter.”

“Shopkeeper Wang from Apricot Blossom Street says a new shop has opened next door, stealing his business. He hopes the Court of Astronomy can help drive them away.”

“We don’t do anything that violates the law. Next letter.”

“Little Cui, a maid from the Zhao mansion on Pingkang Street, feels her looks and personality are better than her young mistress’s. She’s not content with being a maid for life and asks us to help her become a young lady of a wealthy family too.”

Yang Qianhuan held back for a while: “Reincarnate into a better family next life. Next letter.”

“Li Er from Li Village, his wife is six months pregnant and about to give birth. The Li family has only one heir, and he wants to buy some medicine to protect the fetus but has no money, so he’s come to us for help.”

Before Yang Qianhuan could speak, the mage said helplessly, “A dose of fetus-protecting medicine is easy enough, but I think what Li Er needs to do first is forgive his wife.”

Yang Qianhuan waved his hand wearily, “Next letter.”

“The hooligan Liang San hopes to find an easy job that brings in loads of gold daily. If possible, he’d prefer if our Court of Astronomy could gift him a mountain of gold.”

Yang Qianhuan sighed, “We don’t have a mountain of gold, but jobs that bring in loads of gold daily are all written in the Great Daofeng laws. Let him pick one he likes.”

“Oh, this letter is from the Xu family matriarch, Constable Xu’s aunt,” the white-robed mage said excitedly.

Yang Qianhuan’s tone softened a bit, “Tell me what she needs. I know that dog Xu Qi’an. I’ll try my best to fulfill his aunt’s request.”

The white-robed mage nodded and said:

“She says her young daughter eats too much, and their household can barely afford food. If possible, she’d like to send her young daughter to the Court of Astronomy to learn skills, with room and board provided. Her young daughter also has a master, a girl from the Southern Borderlands, who would come along. She hopes we won’t mind.”

… Yang Qianhuan’s voice was filled with fatigue: “Too stupid, can’t be a mage, unless the Head of the Court personally teaches her.”

What a mess of trivial matters!

In the quiet corridor, faint footsteps could be heard.

Zhong Li reached the doorway and peeked into the dim corridor, speaking softly:

“Elder Brother Yang, why are you back?”

Yang Qianhuan replied emptily: “The mortal world isn’t worth it. I’ve decided to come back and rest for a while.”

After a pause, he asked suspiciously: “Sister Zhong, I remember you saying my idea was good and would surely lead to great things.”

Zhong Li replied innocently: “Did I say that? I can’t remember.”

“…”

Zhong Li asked quietly: “How is your endeavor progressing?”

Yang Qianhuan thought for a moment, then said solemnly: “I think regicide might be more reliable.”

…

At the Chai mansion in Xiangzhou.

In the pavilion of the back garden, Mu Nanzhi, wrapped in a fox fur cloak, threw a handful of feed into the pond, attracting koi fish to compete for food.

Behind her at the stone table, Xu Qi’an threw poisonous herbs and fruits into a mortar to grind, then scraped them out with a porcelain spoon and ate them.

He never stopped taking poison, and he was incredibly grateful for bringing the reincarnation of the Flower Goddess along to roam the jianghu. Every so often, he could consume high-quality mutated poisonous herbs and fruits.

He was equally thankful for bringing the little mare along. Interacting and communicating with the little mare alleviated the after-effects of the heart Gu.

As for the after-effects of the corpse Gu, Xu Qi’an had recently discovered an excellent method – controlling Hengyin’s corpse, making it speak and act, achieving the purpose of “dancing with the corpse.”

Just like now…

Li Lingsu came running over urgently. Hengyin, standing guard outside the pavilion, stopped him and said in a deep voice:

“Benefactor, please don’t be a third wheel.”

Li Lingsu gave him a surprised look, not bothering to ponder why this dead man suddenly started speaking. He hurriedly passed by and entered the pavilion, saying gravely:

“Big trouble. I heard from the mansion’s steward that a few monks just arrived, led by one who calls himself Jingxin.”