An eerie silence fell over the hall, broken only by heavy breathing. Someone’s horrified scream suddenly triggered countless others.

“Ahhhhh! Someone’s dead!”

“Help! Run for your life!”

The entertainers and courtesans pushed and shoved each other, fleeing like headless flies. Amid the chaos came the sharp sound of unsheathing blades as the yamen runners blocked the doorway.

Lin Chengyou shouted harshly, “Move another step and you’ll be charged with causing civil unrest. If you’re not afraid of being beaten, just try taking one step forward!”

Everyone shuddered and timidly withdrew their steps.

Judicial Officer Yan rushed to Lin Chengyou’s side to examine Yao Huang, checking her nose and neck. Finding no pulse, he said angrily, “What a vicious method.”

Lin Chengyou’s expression was equally grim. “Looks like Heart-Rot Grass. Too late to save her.”

The cold glint in his eyes made one’s blood run cold. As he spoke, he raised his head to look at the crowd, his gaze sweeping from left to right, seemingly burning each person’s expression into his memory.

“Everyone stay where you are. No one moves before being searched.”

The Department of Justice quickly arrived. Since the Cai Feng House was mostly populated by women, besides the regular coroners, they brought two female searchers. They called people in one by one to search but found nothing.

When it was Teng Yuyi’s turn, she voluntarily handed over the mechanism from her belt. In her view, the killer was definitely in the hall – to find them quickly, everyone should fully cooperate with the search.

The female searcher was startled upon seeing the mechanism. While keeping an eye on Teng Yuyi, she hurriedly had her colleague take it to report to Lin Chengyou.

Teng Yuyi had nothing to hide and calmly waited for the Department of Justice to release her.

After Lin Chengyou and Officer Yan examined it, they indeed had the female searcher release her.

Teng Yuyi collected her mechanism with composure. Though it contained hidden weapons and poisons, none were lethal. Though Lin Chengyou enjoyed opposing her, he wasn’t stupid. He could distinguish various poisons and knew their severity. With the real killer still at large, he wouldn’t waste time making trouble for her now, no matter how bored he was.

However, it did contain quite a few poisons, and she was vaguely worried Lin Chengyou would confiscate them. But when she opened the mechanism, everything was intact.

She was puzzled. These hidden weapons were made to be extremely devious and vicious. Last time, Lin Chengyou had suffered from them once. She had guessed it was after seeing this collection that he determined she wasn’t a good person. But she only wanted self-protection when facing danger – who had time to care about anything else?

Tonight he had only examined the hidden weapons without confiscating her powders – how strange. Could it be that he was too busy investigating the killer to deal with it?

Meanwhile, the coroners’ examination revealed that Yao Huang had indeed died from poison. The poisoned needle was still embedded in her back – exactly the “Heart-Rot Grass” that Lin Chengyou had mentioned.

This poison had come from the Great Food Kingdom decades ago. It took about half an hour from poisoning to onset. Once it took effect, the victim’s eyes would turn indigo blue before they suffocated to death moments later. Due to its potent toxicity and lack of antidote, it had been classified as a forbidden drug. After several searches and bans, it was now rarely seen in common areas.

After hearing the coroner’s report, Officer Yan turned to Lin Chengyou in shock: “Half an hour? Doesn’t that mean the killer struck before Yao Huang’s confession? That was when Ge Jin was caught attempting to assassinate Wei Zi – the most chaotic moment at Cai Feng House. Looking at it this way, everyone in the building is suspicious.”

Lin Chengyou bent down to examine the poisoned needle: “Heart-Rot Grass has a numbing effect on skin. This needle is as thin as a hair – when lodged in the skin, it causes no pain or sensation. That’s why Yao Huang never noticed anything wrong until her death. The killer knew about Yao Huang and Qing Zhi’s relationship before we did, probably already harboring murderous intent. They took advantage of tonight’s chaos with Ge Jin and Wei Zi to strike without drawing attention.”

He raised his head to observe the crowd. The killer was even more cautious and decisive than he’d imagined. Who would have thought that the small Cai Feng House harbored such talent?

At this moment, a yamen runner returned to report: “We’ve searched everyone’s rooms but found neither Heart-Rot Grass nor any murder weapons.”

Lin Chengyou said, “The poisoned needle is exceptionally sharp – the killer couldn’t have carried it loose in their sleeve. I suspect it was contained in something. From the Red Fragrance Garden to the front building, the path is full of rockeries and plants. The item was likely discarded somewhere along the way. Search those areas thoroughly.”

After Lin Chengyou finished speaking, the consistently gentle and attentive Officer Yan earnestly reminded the runners: “That thing is extremely toxic with no antidote. Be extremely careful when searching.”

The search continued until dawn, with the runners combing every corner, but still finding nothing suspicious.

Having finished searching and questioning everyone in the hall, Lin Chengyou left the front building to Officer Yan while he went to search the back.

When the runners reached the back garden, they encountered Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi crawling out from under the altar in the small Buddhist shrine. The formation point had been filled with dust, and after cleaning down there all night, both emerged covered in gray.

The runners were startled to see two dusty, chubby figures emerge from underground. Upon realizing they were children, they immediately arrested them as thieves.

Having spent the whole night in the formation point, Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi knew nothing of what had happened in the front building. They struggled, necks stiff: “Noble sirs, you’ve got the wrong people! We’re not bad guys – we’re Taoist priests from the Azure Cloud Temple!”

Several runners had been temporarily called in for duty and weren’t familiar with recent events at Cai Feng House. “Hah, you dare impersonate Taoist priests from Azure Cloud Temple?”

As they were being pushed toward Red Fragrance Garden, Jue Sheng spotted Lin Chengyou and called out loudly: “Senior Brother! Save us!”

Lin Chengyou was crouching by a peony bush, holding his long sword and poking at something. However, the two officials beside him recognized Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi and quickly said: “A misunderstanding! These are Evaluator Lin’s junior brothers – release them at once!”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi ran to Lin Chengyou in a flash, looking around in surprise.

“Senior Brother, what happened? Why are there so many people here?”

Lin Chengyou continued poking at the soil with his scabbard. Qi Zhi looked closer – it was an earthworm hole.

The two rolled up their sleeves: “Senior Brother, are you looking for something? Let us help!”

Lin Chengyou raised his sword to block their arms: “Don’t touch anything carelessly. These plants are covered in dew – if Heart-Rot Grass poison powder dissolved in the water, even a slight touch could get it into cuts on your hands. Given this thing’s toxicity, that would be more than enough to finish you.”

The officials pulled Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi aside: “Please wait, venerable Taoists. Another murder occurred at Cai Feng House last night. Evaluator Lin is searching for evidence.”

“Murder? Who died?”

“The Head Madam called Yao Huang.”

Both gasped. The runners returned to report: “Young Master, we’ve searched both Yao Huang and Wei Zi’s rooms but found nothing that could have held the needle.”

Lin Chengyou made a thoughtful sound, then walked to a small nearby pond. He tucked his robe into his jade belt and stepped into the water.

The emerald water rippled outward, instantly reaching his knees.

The officials barely dared breathe. This Crown Prince of the Cheng Kingdom had passed both the Ming Jing and Zhi Ju examinations last year through his ability. The Emperor had personally appointed him to the Department of Justice. Though he held only the lowest rank of Evaluator, no one dared treat him as a lowly official.

As they expected, Lin Chengyou maintained his willful temperament after taking office. While all new officials typically worked diligently, Lin Chengyou was often nowhere to be found. Even when he did show up at the department, he wouldn’t properly handle cases – either lying in the east corridor or sleeping in trees.

Whenever the Minister asked, Lin Chengyou would say he was memorizing legal codes, claiming the office was too noisy and he could only remember them well in trees.

Though this young lord was usually carefree, he would completely change his demeanor for strange and mysterious cases. During the day, he would enthusiastically investigate, and at night he would stay at the department. In just a short year, he had solved several bizarre cases.

“Evaluator Lin, the water is more dangerous than the shore – be careful not to get pricked by the poisoned needle!” an official called out anxiously. Turning to the runners, he said, “There must be drainage channels under the pond – quickly find craftsmen to drain all the water!”

“No draining.” Lin Chengyou took a small net passed from shore and began searching inch by inch. “That poisoned needle is as thin as a hair – it will float everywhere with the waves. If we drain all the water into the channels, the needle might wash away with the current. Then all traces would be gone – wouldn’t that be exactly what the killer wants?”

The official looked ashamed and made to lift his official robes: “My thinking was short-sighted. This pond is neither small nor large. Evaluator Lin, it will take forever for you alone – let us help search in the water.”

But Lin Chengyou stopped them: “You don’t have the cultivation to resist Heart-Rot Grass – you could die in an instant. Better let my junior brothers help with the search. Just find two more nets for them.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi quickly entered the water. The pond seemed long neglected – fallen flowers and leaves covered the surface. When the three stirred it with their nets, a thick, strange stench spread out.

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi secretly pinched their noses. Their senior brother loved cleanliness – he must be even more disgusted than they were.

Sure enough, Lin Chengyou tilted his head back with a sigh: “Goodness, smell this any longer and I won’t need to eat for three days.”

As he spoke, he tore off a piece of his snow-white Buddhist robe sleeve, tying it under his nose with a knot at the back.

The officials on shore twitched their lips, wanting to laugh but not daring to. Lin Chengyou had always been unrestrained – he had done even more outrageous things before. At first, they would make a big fuss, but gradually they got used to it.

The three thoroughly searched the pond but strangely found nothing suspicious.

Lin Chengyou stared at the rippling water, showing confusion for the first time. Based on Heart-Rot Grass’s properties, Yao Huang was poisoned during the commotion between Ge Jin and Wei Zi. At that time, all of Cai Feng House’s entertainers were watching the excitement outside Wei Zi’s room, Yao Huang included.

The killer mixed in with the crowd and struck during the chaos.

Afterward, everyone was ordered to gather in the front building. To avoid suspicion, the killer must have discarded the needle container en route. Then they were trapped in the front building with everyone else and couldn’t return to deal with it. So why hadn’t they found anything suspicious after searching the entire garden?

The runners were somewhat discouraged: “Could they have held the poisoned needle with bare hands?”

“But that’s too risky – Heart-Rot Grass poison has no antidote. If they weren’t afraid of poisoning others, weren’t they afraid of poisoning themselves?”

However, the two officials said: “Evaluator Lin, we’ve searched half the night, not missing even an ant hole. If that thing were here, we would have found it by now. It was probably just a bamboo tube or sachet – even if we found it, we couldn’t identify the killer. Why waste more effort? Better give up.”

Lin Chengyou pulled off the cloth under his nose and stepped onto shore.

He then removed his boots, poured out the water, checked for any fine needles, and put them back on.

“How can we just give up? If the same person killed both Qing Zhi and Yao Huang, the needle container is the only clue the killer left behind. If we carelessly let this clue slip away, we’ll never catch them.”

The runners hurriedly said: “Then we’ll search the area again thoroughly.”

Lin Chengyou stared at the pond in a daze before suddenly smiling: “But Evaluator Liu is right – if that thing were discarded en route, we would have found it by now. No need to waste more effort here. We missed the most important place.”

Everyone looked around in confusion: “Where?”

The group returned to the front building. Officer Yan hurried out to meet them: “Did you find it?”

“No,” Lin Chengyou strode into the hall. “That’s why I came back.”

Officer Yan was startled: “Did that thing fly away?”

“It can’t fly.” Lin Chengyou walked straight toward the entertainers.

He Mingsheng, E Ji, and the others looked bewildered – the hem and sleeves of Lin Chengyou’s formal robe were soaked through as if he’d just crawled out of water.

Teng Yuyi thought privately that Lin Chengyou had indeed searched even in the water, but what she hadn’t expected was that for the sake of investigating the case, he would actually get into the dirty water himself.

But why stop searching? This was important evidence. If it were her, she would dig three feet deep to find it. Suddenly, a thought struck her – wait, could it be–?

If that was true, the killer was incredibly bold.

Lin Chengyou walked a circle around the entertainers, then suddenly raised his voice: “Search.”

The runners responded: “Yes.”

Everyone became flustered. They had already been searched earlier – not just clothes and shoes, but even their hair buns hadn’t been missed. Presumably, nothing was hidden in their persons, so why search again?

Soon a runner called out: “Evaluator Lin! Found it! It was stuffed under the table!”

The man was half-crouching under a long table, neck craned upward. The hall had seven or eight such tea tables – during evening banquets, guests could either gather around tables to dine or sit at separate tables.

Lin Chengyou and Officer Yan approached and crouched down to look. He quickly used his sword handle to knock the object down.

Everyone gasped in surprise – it was a small sachet.

Lin Chengyou sneered: “So it was hidden in the hall after all.”

Feeling through the satin cover, there were probably dozens of fine needles inside. They must have been buried in thick layers of cloth – with the needle tips pointing downward when inserted, one wouldn’t need to worry about getting pricked even when carrying it close to the body.

“The killer simply doesn’t take the Department of Justice seriously,” Officer Yan’s face darkened slightly. “How did they manage to hide it in plain sight… Ah, I remember now – the hall was chaotic twice. Once when Madam Wei Zi confronted Madam Yao Huang, everyone was busy trying to separate them. The other time was when Madam Yao Huang suddenly died from poison, and the entertainers all rushed out… Could it have been then?”

Lin Chengyou cast a cold glance at the crowd – everyone wore expressions of terror and helplessness. But this wasn’t surprising. This person had planned everything meticulously and wouldn’t slip up now.

He was only puzzled by one thing – there were countless dark corners along the way where this object could have been discarded, yet the killer chose to hide it under a table right under everyone’s noses. He wondered if this person was either incredibly bold or extremely arrogant.

If he hadn’t suddenly returned, the item would have eventually made its way back to that person. Since everyone had already been searched, who would think to search again? Once the confinement was lifted, that person could have retrieved it without anyone noticing.

Lin Chengyou sniffed the sachet – not even a trace of fragrance. The satin surface was brilliantly colorful, with flower petals woven from colored silver threads. The fabric was common brocade, but the embroidered surface was exquisite and ingenious.

Such meticulous craftsmanship indicated it was a woman’s possession.

He thought coldly to himself: What good are all your careful plans now? Now that I’ve found this item, what happens next is no longer up to you.

***

Yao Huang’s body was quickly sent to the Department of Justice. Lin Chengyou had people turn Cai Feng House upside down, but the killer was exceptionally cunning. After toiling all morning, they still had no leads.

As noon passed, Lin Chengyou and Officer Yan planned to take the sachet to fabric shops and embroidery workshops to look for clues. Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi had nowhere else to go and hurried to follow. However, as they were leaving the building, Jue Sheng’s stomach let out an earth-shaking rumble.

The two rubbed their bellies – from midnight until noon, they hadn’t eaten even a flatbread. Afraid of being scolded by their senior brother, they hadn’t dared ask for food, and by now they were dizzy with hunger.

This behavior was quite unseemly – normally Lin Chengyou would have severely knocked his junior brothers’ heads, but fortunately, he was probably busy listening to Officer Yan and didn’t even turn around.

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi walked while secretly eyeing the flatbread shops along the way. Their senior brother must be hungry too – it was getting late, so they had to quickly buy some flatbread to satisfy their hunger.

Unexpectedly, though Lin Chengyou had said they were going to the fabric shops, he suddenly turned to that Hu restaurant from before. After sitting down, he called out to He Mo fellow, the Hu person, and asked him to personally make several portions of Bing.

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi nearly burst into tears – though their senior brother didn’t say it, he truly cared for them in his heart.

Soon the bread and soup were served. Officer Yan was enthusiastically handed a portion of Bing by Qi Zhi. He said thanks but had no appetite to eat: “Though Heart-Rot Grass is forbidden, that’s only on the surface. Underground, Hu people from Da Shi, Huigu, and other regions still risk selling this poison at high prices. The trade spans the Longyou, Hezhong, and Jianghuai circuits – the trails are incredibly complex. Cai Feng House’s guests come from all corners of the world. Trying to find the killer through this lead would be like climbing to heaven.”

Lin Chengyou looked at Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi: “Had enough? Take the food back to Cai Feng House to eat. Officer Yan and I still have matters to discuss.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi said happily: “Senior Brother, Officer Yan, take your time eating!”

The two hugged their bing and ran off in a flash.

Lin Chengyou cleaned his hands and face, tossing the towel aside: “Doesn’t Officer Yan find it strange? Since the killer is such a cautious person, why specifically act while Five Ways and I are staying at Cai Feng House? The first time, killing Qing Zhi was disguised as suicide, but it could easily have revealed flaws – was that person so certain they wouldn’t expose any weaknesses? Why not wait until we left Cai Feng House? By then, He Mingsheng and the others wouldn’t think too much of it, just assuming Qing Zhi took her own life and burying the matter.”

Officer Yan raised his wine cup halfway before setting it down again: “I also find this strange. Earlier when we discovered those gold arm bracelets, we all thought Yao Huang had killed her own younger sister. Sisters conflicting over benefits, Yao Huang is afraid Qing Zhi would publicly reveal their dealings, so she rushes to kill Qing Zhi. But from what Yao Huang said before dying, it doesn’t seem like she killed Qing Zhi…”

“Leaving aside everything else, it’s a fact that Yao Huang knew no martial arts,” Lin Chengyou flicked out a seseryu bead from his sleeve, holding it between his fingers.

Officer Yan quickly said: “Young Master was testing whether Yao Huang knew martial arts at that time?”

Lin Chengyou smiled slightly: “One test was enough to know. No matter how unafraid of death someone is, they will instinctively protect their eyes. But when I used this to shoot at Yao Huang’s eyes, she didn’t even make the most basic self-protective move. Officer Yan, do you remember those holes in Qing Zhi’s outer garments?”

“Of course, I remember. It was because we discovered these holes that you suspected Qing Zhi hadn’t committed suicide. I remember you said it was some kind of dark art.”

“Correct. Manipulating Qing Zhi like a puppet into the well, then creating the illusion of suicide. The needle marks were in hidden positions – once wet, they were hard to notice. If I hadn’t been worried that Qing Zhi’s death was related to corpse demons, I wouldn’t have thought to carefully examine the chest and abdomen of the corpse. If I had looked even slightly less carefully, I would have missed these holes. But let’s set that aside for now – implementing this dark art first requires knowing Qing Zhi’s birth time and date, and also requires a certain level of internal energy cultivation. But I tested with the seseryu bead – Yao Huang didn’t have that ability.”

“Who could the killer be?” Officer Yan sighed deeply. “To plan to this extent shows it wasn’t a spontaneous act. Someone so deeply scheming should have waited until after you left to act.”

Lin Chengyou stared at the amber-colored wine in his cup: “I guess the killer, Qing Zhi had reached a point where she had to die. The killer feared that time would bring changes, so couldn’t even wait a few days.”

“This…” Officer Yan’s eyes showed confusion. “Qing Zhi was just a menial servant with barely any money – it wasn’t for wealth. As for lust, her clothes were intact after death, and her body showed no signs of violation. Could it be that the killer had some deadly secret in Qing Zhi’s hands? But what kind of deadly secret would make the killer take two lives?”

Lin Chengyou used his chopsticks to dip in wine and draw a few strokes on the table: “Actually since this began, several things have seemed incredible. This person Qing Zhi – is outwardly foolish, but stubborn and cold-hearted. Even after personally destroying Ge Jin’s face, she continued eating and drinking as usual. But a few days ago she suddenly started having nightmares. I guess either someone gave her a poison that confused the mind, or she was internally troubled. But from the coroner’s examination, there were no signs of poison in the days before Qing Zhi’s death. This is strange – a person as hard as stone, why would she suddenly become so afraid as to have nightmares?”

Officer Yan pondered: “Could it be that Qing Zhi sensed the killer’s murderous intent and became afraid? Why didn’t she tell Yao Huang? If she had told Yao Huang earlier, Yao Huang wouldn’t have died without knowing who the killer was.”

“So this is the first inconsistency.” Lin Chengyou made two more strokes on the table. “Furthermore, before dying, Yao Huang said she hadn’t given Qing Zhi those accessories. And recently no jewelry had been stolen from the house. So those treasures of Qing Zhi’s were very likely given by the killer. Qing Zhi held someone’s secret and used it for blackmail. The other party first tried to win her over with money, then struck lethally. If this is true, Qing Zhi’s death isn’t strange – but why did the killer only kill Yao Huang last night? Didn’t they know about Yao Huang and Qing Zhi’s true relationship before?”

Officer Yan lightly tapped his forehead: “In my view, the killer didn’t know. If they had known earlier, given this person’s methods, they would have eliminated both that night. Why take the risk again? Last night was full of danger – the killer nearly exposed themselves several times. Knowing it wasn’t a good time to act, the killing must have been spontaneous.”

Lin Chengyou made a thoughtful sound: “So this is what I call the second inconsistency. Even though Qing Zhi was cold-hearted, judging from her insistence on finding her elder sister, she at least had genuine feelings for her sister. Understandably, she wouldn’t reveal her relationship with Yao Huang to the killer, but why conceal it from Yao Huang too? It was because she kept it secret from both sides that Yao Huang was so constrained afterward.”

Officer Yan thought for a while but had no clues. Finally, he smiled bitterly: “Is there a third inconsistency?”

Lin Chengyou took out the sachet from his sleeve, undid the string to look – the poisoned needles had already been packed in a wooden box and taken to the Department of Justice, leaving the pouch empty.

He played with the sachet: “The third point? It’s this sachet. Last night the killer risked bringing the poisoned needles back to the main hall – was it out of arrogance, or was there some compelling reason?”

Officer Yan thought for a moment, then reached out to take the sachet. He felt along the silver threads that formed the pattern like veins, suddenly brightening: “Last year I investigated a headless case in the West Market. The victim was a butcher who died clutching a torn handkerchief corner so tightly that no one could pry it loose. I suspected something odd about that handkerchief, so I took the remaining corner to nearby embroidery shops to inquire. And guess what? We found the killer through the embroidery on that handkerchief. Chengyou, look at this sachet – the pattern is uniquely designed, and the stitching is ingeniously crafted. If we investigate through this angle, we might find something. Could it be that the killer was also worried about this, so they risked hiding the sachet under the table, planning to secretly take it back when no one was paying attention?”

Lin Chengyou smiled at these words: “I thought the same, but the sachet is one thing – what was hidden inside were poisoned needles. The killer’s reluctance to discard it might be as Officer Yan said, fearing we could trace something through the sachet. But don’t forget another possibility – Heart-Rot Grass poison has no cure, and the killer had gone to great trouble to obtain the poison and make needles as fine as hair, using them to kill without leaving traces. Could what this person truly couldn’t bear to part with be the poisoned needles inside?”

Officer Yan’s expression suddenly changed: “You mean – the killer plans to use these poisoned needles again?”

Lin Chengyou didn’t answer, instead unfastening the jade tablet from his waist and handing it to Officer Yan: “I can’t leave Peace and Prosperity Ward now, so I must ask Officer Yan to quickly make a palace visit for me. In the palace’s Weaving and Dyeing Bureau, there’s an elderly Imperial Textile Official named Madame Tuo. She’s held her position for thirty years and can recognize needlework from all under heaven. Just put something before her, and there’s nothing whose origin she can’t tell. I notice something odd about the stitching on this sachet – rather than troubling to ask every embroidery shop, we might as well first take it to the palace for Madame Tuo to examine. At least she can tell at a glance where this embroidery work is from.”

“Very well.” Officer Yan hesitated briefly before taking the jade tablet. “I’ll go to the palace right away. Is the Young Master returning to Cai Feng House?”

Lin Chengyou looked at the sky outside: “The weather’s not right – I suspect the corpse demon will be active tonight. I need to return to lie in wait. If Officer Yan discovers anything, feel free to find me before dark. After dark, if you see Cai Feng House’s doors closed and shuttered, take your men and leave early – anything else can wait until tomorrow.”

Officer Yan paused, then sighed deeply: “I almost forgot – this Cai Feng House has both evil people and supernatural demons. Though thinking carefully, I’m not sure which is more evil – humans or demons. Very well, I’ll do as you say. I’ll go and return quickly – you must be careful yourself.”

***

Teng Yuyi was practicing the second sword technique in the back garden. Compared to the first time, she picked it up much faster this time. After practicing, her whole body felt refreshed, with a sense of clarity and satisfaction.

Teng Yuyi wiped her sweat while staring at the Xiaoya sword in her hand: “Uncle Cheng, isn’t it strange? The moves seem to be in place, but why do I always feel some blockage and sluggishness at the end of each practice?”

Uncle Cheng looked thoughtful: “This old servant was just about to discuss this with Young Miss-“

Several Taoist priests from Dongming Temple came together: “Hehe, Young Master Wang, you’ve been sweating unusually since last night – could it be related to that bowl of Fire Jade Spirit Root soup?”

Teng Yuyi sheathed her sword with a smile: “The venerable masters have noticed. This soup has endless wonders, but it’s too difficult to digest.”

“This poor priest thinks the sword technique Uncle Cheng is teaching you is good, just too slow.”

“Slow?”

Jian Tian said with a grin: “This poor priest understands now. Young Master Wang’s current situation is like a gardener planting flowers – the hole should be deep, but the roots are only buried in shallow soil. What use is lush foliage if the meridians aren’t connected? You can’t draw nutrients from the soil. The only solution now is to dig deeper and bury the roots more firmly. Otherwise, this soup won’t benefit you. But at your current practice rate, even training day and night, it would take ten days to open the major meridians.”

Teng Yuyi thought for a moment – though Five Ways hadn’t hit everything exactly, he wasn’t far off.

She lightly tapped her palm with the sword handle, slowly pacing: “If it takes ten days, then ten days it is. Learning martial arts isn’t accomplished overnight. Since I’ve decided to properly learn martial arts, I’m prepared for years of practice.”

Jian Tian shook his head: “Young Master Wang doesn’t understand martial arts or Taoist arts, no wonder you think of it so simply. This ‘take it slow’ approach only works for other methods of cultivating internal energy – it won’t work with Taoist spirit herbs.”

The smile froze on Teng Yuyi’s face.

Jian Le stepped forward, smiling: “Everything depends on timing – Taoist spirit herbs are the same. These things won’t compromise – they often need to settle in the body within days. If successful, it’s ‘good borrowing makes success’; if not, it’s ‘false path, not the way.’ In short, to gain seven or eight years’ worth of power, you must pay a price. Though this poor priest doesn’t know Fire Jade Spirit Root’s time limit, it certainly won’t give you the chance to digest it slowly.”

Teng Yuyi’s temple twitched – so practicing slowly won’t work?

“What happens if the time limit is exceeded?”

“The consequences are likely very serious.” Jian Le sighed with hands behind his back. “Last night, because we drank the Fire Jade Spirit Root soup, we specifically checked our ‘Medicine Classic.’ Each spirit herb has different properties, with time limits ranging from three to seven days. If not digested within the limit, minor cases result in headaches and severe cases of deafness or stupidity. But Young Master needn’t worry so much – the ‘Medicine Classic’ doesn’t mention Fire Jade Spirit Root, perhaps this thing’s digestion period is longer.”

Teng Yuyi’s fingers curled slightly. Last night she had also glanced at Lin Chengyou’s small book – failure to digest would only result in heat sores. She didn’t believe a word of Five Ways’ talk about “becoming deaf or stupid,” but their words had some reason – these spirit herbs were domineering, perhaps there wasn’t time for slow digestion.

It seemed if she didn’t want heat sores, she could only quickly switch to practicing Taoist sword techniques. But she wasn’t a Taoist – how could she learn genuine sword techniques?

She looked at Five Ways, had a thought, and changed to a pleasant expression, humbly saying: “I understand now. Since it’s a Taoist spirit herb, naturally it needs Taoist techniques to digest. The venerable masters’ Taoist arts are profound – might you be willing to give guidance?”

“Well…” Jian Tian made a show of stroking his beard.

Teng Yuyi and Uncle Cheng quickly exchanged glances. Five Ways had always been greedy and stingy – looking at this posturing, they clearly had a method but were deliberately acting hesitant, probably planning some scheme again.

Suddenly they heard Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi calling from afar: “Young Master Wang, Uncle Cheng, Brother Huo, so you’re in the garden!”

Qi Zhi was hugging something wrapped in cloth – it looked bulging, probably flatbread or similar. Before they arrived, the fragrance wafted over on the wind.

Five Ways rushed over as one: “Finally back! Did you find out who the killer is? Oh, what smells so good? Wow, bing!”

Teng Yuyi seized the opportunity: “Have the Taoist masters not had lunch yet?”

Five Ways got fired up at this mention: “From last night to noon today, Cai Feng House hasn’t had peace. I heard the Young Master had people search just the kitchen several times. Everything’s in chaos now – the kitchen maids are busy putting things back in order. He Mingsheng just said food won’t be ready until evening at the earliest.”

Teng Yuyi nodded: “Perfect timing – Huo Qiu is going out to buy things for me, he can pick up some meat dishes too. This place is quite secluded – why don’t the venerable masters sit in that pavilion over there? Huo Qiu, before you go, fetch a few bottles of Luofu Spring wine from my room.”

After a while, Huo Qiu brought wine and small dishes like deer vinegar, and everyone sat in the pavilion drinking and chatting.

Jian Tian gazed far toward South Marsh and Red Fragrance Garden. The noon sun was directly overhead, and spring was in full bloom in the garden, yet both wing rooms were desolately quiet, without a single young lady out strolling.

“After last night’s events, probably no one dares roam around. When Qing Zhi died earlier, everyone could still deceive themselves, but last night Yao Huang was killed in plain sight. Just thinking that a cold-blooded killer lurks among them – who wouldn’t be terrified?”

Teng Yuyi asked Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi: “That sachet’s embroidery and fabric are extraordinary – nearby fabric shops should be able to tell us something. How was it? Did you find any clues?”

Jue Sheng shook his head like a rattle drum: “Senior Brother sent us away before we could even sit down.”

Jian Tian gave Jue Sheng a sidelong glance: “Too many eyes and ears in the house – probably afraid you might accidentally let something slip. Speaking of that sachet, the killer must be crazy. Why not throw it along the way? Instead, they hid it right under our noses. Too bad everyone’s attention was on Ge Jin and Madam Yao Huang – a whole room full of people, yet no one noticed the killer’s actions.”

“Maybe it was something the killer cherished – perhaps a gift from a beloved young man, so they couldn’t bear to throw it away.”

Jian Xi made a grimacing expression: “Le Le, you’re getting on in years – why is your mind still full of such romantic nonsense? Couldn’t the killer just be afraid the stitching and threads on the sachet would give them away?”

Teng Yuyi laughed.

Jian Xi and Jian Le turned their gazes to Teng Yuyi in unison: “If Young Master Wang has other insights, please share them. It’s just a small sachet – this old priest doesn’t believe Young Master Wang could come up with anything else.”

Teng Yuyi set down her wine cup: “If I can’t come up with anything else, I’ll give all twenty bottles of Luofu Spring in my room to the five venerable masters. But if what I say makes sense, the five masters must grant me one request.”

Five Ways rubbed their hands with delight. Luofu Spring was a famous wine from Jiangnan, and these bottles from the Teng household were the finest of wines. After just these few sips, they already couldn’t get enough. If they could drink to their heart’s content, they’d be happier than immortals.

A bet it is.

“Good! We’ll do as Young Master Wang says.”

Teng Yuyi said seriously: “This morning when the sachet was found, the venerable masters saw clearly – it contained dozens of poisoned needles. Though I don’t know what poison Madam Yao Huang was given, judging by how she knew nothing from being poisoned until it took effect, those needles must have been carefully designed. The killer risked being discovered to hide this sachet – why must it be for the sachet itself? Couldn’t it be that they couldn’t bear to part with the poisoned needles inside?”

Five Ways’ mouths twitched, quickly changing their tune: “Actually, this old priest had thought of this already, just got caught up in the drinking earlier and forgot to mention it.”

Seeing Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi’s contemptuous looks, they put on a dignified air: “Well, well, a bet is a bet. Young Master Wang, tell us what you want us to do.”

Teng Yuyi tossed back the black ribbon on her shoulder: “My request is simple. I just need the five venerable masters to teach me a set of Taoist techniques that will let me digest the Fire Jade Spirit Root soup within three days.”

Jian Tian narrowed his eyes: “Our humble temple has never accepted female disciples since its founding. This is our patriarch’s rule – we dare not change it on our own.”

Teng Yuyi wasn’t upset at all, nodding: “I was planning to send twenty bottles of Luofu Spring to the small temple as thanks, but I guess that’s unnecessary now. Young Taoist masters, you see? Even the Dongming Temple elders go back on their word-“

Five Ways’ cheeks tightened. Though their reputation had never been good, “breaking promises” directly violated their patriarch’s teachings. The key issue was that if they didn’t agree, those twenty bottles of Luofu Spring that they’d just regained would slip away again.

Jian Xian smiled warmly: “Young Master Wang, don’t be angry. My elder brother only spoke half his thoughts. While it’s true we never accept female disciples, we’ve never said we can’t help those in need. Young Master Wang is in urgent difficulty – how could we stand idly by?”

“Right, right, right! As long as Young Master Wang doesn’t tell outsiders after learning, teaching some simple techniques shouldn’t be a problem.”

Teng Yuyi rose and bowed: “Please rest assured, venerable masters. I never intended to covet your temple’s sword techniques. As long as I can successfully open my meridians, I won’t speak of what shouldn’t be spoken. The soup I drank last night – counting the days left, it’s less than three days. Since the venerable masters have agreed, why not start practicing now?”

As she spoke, she moved to draw the Xiaoya sword, but Jian Xian hurriedly stopped her: “Ah, not so fast – let us discuss first which set of techniques would be easiest to learn.”

This discussion took nearly half an hour. After the Luofu Spring on the table was almost gone, Jian Tian finally smacked his lips and said: “Our humble temple specializes in sword techniques. Since Young Master Wang is a beginner, better start with techniques that have fewer moves.”

“How many moves are there?”

“Not many, thirty-six moves.”

Teng Yuyi nearly spat out her wine. She could barely handle the ten moves of the Ke’e sword technique – how long would it take to learn thirty-six moves?

“Young Master Wang, don’t look at us like that. This technique is called the Coarse Cloth Sword Technique, meaning ‘wearing coarse cloth while harboring jade in the heart.’ It emphasizes cultivating in obscurity – a famous hermit’s sword technique. Once mastered, you’ve entered the Taoist path. Though there are many moves, they’re simple and easy to understand. Don’t believe me? Ask the two young Taoist masters.”

Teng Yuyi shifted her gaze left – Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi nodded.

However, in their hearts, they were quietly calculating. Even if it was easy to learn, mastering all thirty-six moves would take at least two full days, and that’s without sleep or rest. Five Ways could take turns, but Miss Teng only had one body. Even with the Fire Jade Spirit Root soup’s energizing effects, she wouldn’t be able to handle it.

They had felt guilty toward Teng Yuyi all day. As soon as the confinement was lifted, they planned to explain to her that this was all due to their unauthorized actions, not their senior brother’s fault.

Miss Teng said she understood, but they could tell from her expression that she must think their senior brother did it deliberately. They tried explaining several more times, but it only made things worse.

Now there was no other way – helping Miss Teng digest the herb quickly was the priority. If only they could get their senior brother to agree to teach that Peach Blossom Sword Technique – it was the easiest Taoist sword technique in the world. This way, Miss Teng wouldn’t get heat sores and would gain seven or eight years of power for free.

Unfortunately, they’d mentioned it last night and been immediately refused by their senior brother. They hadn’t seen the sword manual themselves, so they couldn’t teach Miss Teng even if they wanted to.

Seeing Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi nod, Teng Yuyi eagerly drew her sword again: “Good, let’s go with the Coarse Cloth Sword Technique then. Venerable masters, shall we begin now?”

Five Ways lined up in a row and had just taught two moves after getting into position when two Department of Justice runners came over: “Please return to your rooms immediately.”

Five Ways looked at each other: “We’re practicing martial arts in the back garden, not bothering anyone – does this need to be controlled too?”

“Evaluator Lin said that without his permission, no one is allowed to wander outside tonight.”

Five Ways was startled: “Is it because of the murder? But we’re not Cai Feng House people – we’re just temporarily here helping catch demons-“

“We’re just following orders.”

Teng Yuyi asked the runners: “Is the Crown Prince of Cheng arranging this because he’s worried more people might get hurt?”

Five Ways turned back in shock: “What do you mean?”

Teng Yuyi sheathed her sword: “We were just speculating – the killer couldn’t bear to throw away the sachet, perhaps not because of the sachet itself, but because of the poisoned needles inside. Think about it – what would this person keep the poisoned needles for?”

“What else could poisoned needles be for? Naturally – only to harm people.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi shuddered: “Young Master Wang, you mean the killer plans to kill again?”

Just then, someone laughed: “Quite lively here.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi hurried to greet him: “Senior Brother, the five elders can’t be confined to their rooms – they agreed to teach Young Master Wang sword techniques, and they’ve just started.”

Five Ways also clamored: “Yes, yes! If we stop now, there’s no way to teach the remaining moves within the time limit!”

Lin Chengyou’s gaze swept across everyone’s faces. He hadn’t expected that during his brief absence, Five Ways would be properly teaching Teng Yuyi sword techniques. He wasn’t surprised that Teng Yuyi could persuade Five Ways to agree to teach – it was probably through threats or inducements. This sword technique seemed to suit Teng Yuyi’s path – if she could master it, that would be her ability.

He said to the two runners: “You two return to the front building. I have other arrangements for them.”

Jian Xi shouted: “That’s more like it! Young Master, we were brought here by you – confining others is one thing, but we absolutely won’t stay cooped up in our rooms.”

Jian Tian stared at Lin Chengyou for a moment, suddenly hatching a plan. He quickly said to Teng Yuyi:

“Young Master Wang, actually our humble temple’s Coarse Cloth Sword Technique isn’t anything special – the Peach Blossom Sword Technique is the world’s simplest Taoist sword technique. However, it’s not an external technique – its brilliance lies not in the moves but in the mind method. They say years ago, an enlightened master living in seclusion on Mount Zhongnan often gathered herbs in the mountains with his sickly wife. His wife didn’t know martial arts but was very knowledgeable about medicine. Living in the mountains for so long, she occasionally accidentally consumed spirit herbs. To help his wife digest them, that elder created this Peach Blossom Sword Technique. They say it requires no martial arts foundation – the clever can learn it in one try, and even the slow can master it in half an hour.”

Teng Yuyi had been worrying about how to learn thirty-six moves in two days. Hearing this, her eyes immediately lit up: “Why not teach this one?”

Jian Le shook his head dejectedly: “This sword technique was reportedly lost long ago. Only when a prince from Bohai came to pay tribute many years ago did the manual resurface. I suppose it’s now either kept in the palace or at Azure Cloud Temple. Young Taoist masters, you’ve learned this technique, right?”

“We’ve heard of it,” Qi Zhi said candidly, “but never learned it. However, the manual has always been kept at the temple – Senior Brother must have seen it.”

Jian Tian quickly seized the opportunity: “Isn’t the Young Master here now? Young Master Wang, why not have the Young Master teach you the Peach Blossom Sword Technique?”

He had already thought it through – teaching sword techniques was too tiring, so why not pass this task to Lin Chengyou? After all, the Fire Jade Spirit Root came from Lin Chengyou, and he bore some responsibility for Miss Teng accidentally consuming it. If Lin Chengyou didn’t help her digest it, who would?

At these words, both Teng Yuyi and Lin Chengyou’s expressions turned strange simultaneously.

Teng Yuyi knew Lin Chengyou would never teach her sword techniques – Five Ways suddenly suggested this terrible idea was trying to push her away.

Lin Chengyou, however, was wondering if Five Ways did this deliberately. Did they not know the Peach Blossom Sword Technique’s alternate name?

He recalled the moves from the manual, glancing at Teng Yuyi from the corner of his eye. Him teaching Teng Yuyi like that? Impossible.

He suspiciously examined Five Ways’ expressions, then thought perhaps they were just speaking casually. True – very few people had seen this sword technique. Even if people had heard of it, they didn’t know its mysteries.

“Young Master, what do you think?” said Jian Tian. “The Peach Blossom Sword Technique is much easier to learn than the Coarse Cloth Sword Technique. With you teaching Young Master Wang personally, I guarantee she’ll learn quickly.”

Lin Chengyou smiled: “I have glanced at this manual, but I can’t teach Young Master Wang either. Since Young Master Wang has already started learning your temple’s Coarse Cloth Sword Technique, don’t be of two minds about it. I just watched – Young Master Wang has remarkable comprehension. If you start practicing early, learning it in two days isn’t impossible. If you digest it, that’s seven or eight years of power gained from nothing.”

Though he said this, he knew Teng Yuyi might not be able to learn the sword technique in such a short time. If she couldn’t digest it, she would likely get heart sores…

At worst, he could get her some Jade Countenance Pills from the palace. Last year when the Crown Prince got bright red heat sores all over his face, after using the Jade Countenance Pills, not a trace remained. They say this medicine can remove old shallow scars – a few dark sores would naturally be nothing.

Unfortunately, it was kept by the Empress. If he wanted to get the medicine for Teng Yuyi, he’d need to think of a good explanation first.