Teng Yu’yi let out a surprised laugh. “For me?”

As she opened the lacquered box, a warm cloud of steam rose before her. The box was packed full of round, plump pastries. The dough seemed to have been mixed with herb juice, giving it a faint tawny color. Unfortunately, the shape of the dumplings was a bit uneven – some were too deflated while others were too puffy.

Qi Zhi looked somewhat embarrassed. “These are our temple’s Three Purities Cakes. Jue Sheng and I woke up early to make them. The dough wasn’t kneaded well enough, but it tasted quite good. Lady Du, this box is for you.”

“I get some too?” Du Tinglan smiled as she accepted the box.

Jue Sheng’s face beamed with pride. “The recipe for these Three Purities Cakes was passed down from our Master’s master. It contains several spiritual herbs that help strengthen qi and fortify one’s foundation. Every spring and summer, Master has the temple make a few batches to keep on hand – they’re very effective. We also added lots of spirit and sugar to the filling, making it extra sweet. Lady Teng and Lady Du have had quite a fright these past few days. Eating these will prevent nightmares tonight.”

Teng Yu’yi gazed at the pastries without speaking. Through the sweet-smelling steam, she could almost see the warm hearts of Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi.

She closed her eyes and took a sniff, sighing appreciatively. “Just the smell alone tells me how delicious they must be. Chun Rong quickly takes these boxes to the flower hall. I won’t have anything else for breakfast – I’ll just eat these pastries made by our young Daoists.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi were overjoyed, not expecting Lady Teng to like them so much. It seemed their idea to bring pastries was exactly right.

Until they went to bed last night, they hadn’t decided what gift to bring. Since Lady Teng had specially invited them for a meal, they couldn’t come empty-handed. The two lay on their couch discussing options – one moment suggesting drawing more talismans for Lady Teng, the next suggesting buying some rouge and powder tomorrow. But then their senior brother suddenly returned to the temple. Perhaps overhearing their conversation, he casually remarked while passing through the corridor: “Would she dare use rouge and powder that you bought? Doesn’t she love pastries? Making some Three Purities Cakes wouldn’t be too much trouble.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi hurried out of their room, but their senior brother had already left. The light in the scripture hall was still on, but the door was locked. Inside were stored the Records of Strange Events and various Daoist classics. Whenever their senior brother encountered difficult problems, he would always seek answers there.

Their senior brother returning to the temple late at night to check the temple’s collections suggested he had encountered some thorny issues while investigating Zhuang Mu’s case.

When they opened the door and went in, sure enough, the thickest volume of the Records of Strange Events was missing from the shelves.

When they got up early to make the Three Purities Cakes, their senior brother still hadn’t returned to the temple. They weren’t sure if he had slept at the ministry or returned to Prince Cheng’s mansion after finishing his work.

The group headed to the flower hall. Along the way, Teng Yu’yi asked Chun Rong, “Has Father had breakfast yet?”

Chun Rong smiled, “How could the master be like you, young miss, sleeping in? He had breakfast before dawn and left.”

Teng Yu’yi thought to herself, Father should have been off duty these past few days, yet he was so busy early in the morning. Last night’s conversation must have had an effect. This was for the best – Father was a man of decisive action. Making preparations early would prevent the father and daughter from meeting the same dark fate as in her previous life.

During breakfast, Teng Yu’yi had an excellent appetite, eating quite a few Three Purities Cakes in one go.

Du Tinglan also couldn’t stop praising the pastries.

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi were quite embarrassed by all the praise, scratching their heads as they asked, “There weren’t any evil spirits troubling the household last night, were there?”

“No, my sister and I slept very soundly last night,” Teng Yu’yi said with a smile. After thinking for a moment, she dismissed the servants and asked, “Did you see your senior brother this morning? Did Zhuang Mu say why he was lured to the alley behind the spice shop?”

Jue Sheng shook his head. “We didn’t see senior brother this morning. He did come back last night, but he only took one volume of the Records of Strange Events from the temple and left, not even stopping for a cup of tea. The interrogation must not be going well, otherwise senior brother would have gone to arrest the real culprit last night instead of returning to the temple so late.”

“Zhuang Mu still won’t talk?” asked Teng Yu’yi.

Qi Zhi rested his chin in his hand. “If I were Zhuang Mu, knowing I’d been framed by the real culprit, I would have told everything I knew when I was caught yesterday. Why keep silent?”

Du Tinglan interjected, “This person must have some concerns holding him back.”

Jue Sheng was puzzled. “He’s already been caught by the Court of Judicial Review. Refusing to confess will surely result in a heavy sentence. Either way leads to death – why bear the evil reputation of being a murderer for someone else?”

Teng Yu’yi pondered as she spoke, “Zhuang Mu is already a desperate criminal. Perhaps the word ‘death’ alone isn’t enough to frighten him. What if, to him, there are disasters even greater than death?”

The three others at the table were stunned for a moment.

Just then, Butler Cheng led in servants from the kitchen, each carrying a lacquered box filled with various pastries – over twenty boxes in total.

“Here are the Jade Dew Balls that young Master Daoist loves, and these are other pastries newly made for spring,” the cook said with a warm smile, opening the boxes one by one for Teng Yu’yi’s inspection. “Please see if they meet with your approval, young miss.”

Teng Yu’yi examined them carefully and nodded with satisfaction. “Add a few more boxes of Transparent Flower Rice Cakes. We didn’t make them last time the young Daoists visited, so this is a good chance for them to try them.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi’s round faces turned red. “Are these all for us? This… this is too much! We can’t eat all of these. Lady Teng, you’re too kind!”

Teng Yu’yi insisted on having the boxes loaded onto the ox cart bound for Qingyun Temple. “The weather is still cool, so the pastries will keep. Take them back and store them – you can eat them slowly without worrying about spoilage.”

Qi Zhi and Jue Sheng thanked her bashfully. As they moved, a purple writing brush fell from Qi Zhi’s sleeve. The brush handle gleamed with lacquer – a premium item.

Teng Yu’yi was surprised. She bent down to help Qi Zhi pick up the brush. “Is this the birthday gift you bought for your senior brother at the ink shop yesterday?”

Such a fine purple brush would cost at least ten strings of cash. These two little fellows might be frugal with themselves, but they certainly cared about their senior brother.

Qi Zhi hurriedly explained, “No, with everything that happened yesterday, we didn’t have time to choose a gift. This was given to us by Third Lady Li.”

Teng Yu’yi and Du Tinglan exchanged glances. “Li Huaigu?”

Jue Sheng added from the side, “Yesterday those young ladies and young masters were quite frightened, and it was getting late, so we escorted them each home. Third Lady Li lived furthest away, so after dropping off the others, she was the only one left in the carriage. Lady Li chatted with us, saying that ever since she encountered a ghost at Yu Su Chuan, she hadn’t been sleeping well at night. She asked if we had any good solutions, so we gave her all the talismans we had on us. Lady Li was incredibly grateful. She said she knew our temple’s talismans were very precious and couldn’t accept them for free, so she took out two brushes she’d bought at the ink shop and insisted on giving them to us. When we refused, she said to consider it as an offering to the temple.”

At this point, Jue Sheng gave an embarrassed smile. “Our Master, well, he’s always been quite frugal. He set a rule long ago that we must accept all voluntary offerings from devotees. We thought Lady Li seemed nice, and since it wasn’t anything too precious, we accepted. But this morning, Qi Zhi discussed it with me and said since we can’t use the brushes for burning incense, it didn’t feel right to keep them. Since we were going out today anyway, we might as well return them. If Lady Li feels indebted for receiving our temple’s talismans, she can come make an offering at the temple another day.”

“I see,” said Du Tinglan.

Teng Yu’yi lowered her eyelashes and took a quiet sip of tea.

Just then, Butler Cheng entered the flower hall. “Young miss, Second Lady Wu has sent invitation cards.”

“Wu Qi?”

Butler Cheng held two gold-dusted invitation cards – one for Teng Yu’yi and one for Du Tinglan.

The sisters opened them to find that the peach blossoms at the Yu Zhen Daoist Nunnery had bloomed, and Wu Qi was inviting them to view the flowers and enjoy an outing that day.

Butler Cheng said, “This invitation arrived yesterday right after you left, young miss. I was going to give it to you last night, but seeing you talking with the master in the study, I set it aside.”

Teng Yu’yi hesitated somewhat. Going out to view flowers during the day wasn’t a problem, but she had promised to take Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi to the Mountain Sea Tower for a meal today.

Butler Cheng gently reminded her, “Young miss, Wu Qi’s father Wu Ruyun has just been promoted to Censor-in-Chief, equal to the Chancellor of the Secretariat.”

Teng Yu’yi understood Butler Cheng’s meaning. Wu Ruyun was now Prime Minister, while her father was a powerful frontier commander. To avoid arousing court suspicions, the Teng and Wu families maintained a respectful distance, but some interaction between the children would not harm them.

Du Tinglan also said, “You haven’t properly relaxed since returning to Chang’an. This is a good opportunity for us sisters to go out and have some fun. We can just come back early.”

Teng Yu’yi looked at Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi, still struggling internally.

By now, Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi had also understood the situation. They quickly said to Teng Yu’yi, “Lady Teng, you should go out and enjoy yourself. It works out well since we need to keep watch on Lu Zhao’an today. We can have our meal together tomorrow.”

Teng Yu’yi could only say, “Then shall I come to pick you up at Qingyun Temple first thing tomorrow morning?”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi cheerfully replied, “Alright!”

Teng Yu’yi handed the invitation cards to Butler Cheng. “Reply that we accept the invitation.”

Butler Cheng had just left when a maid in the corridor announced, “The young master is here.”

Before she finished speaking, Du Shaotang stepped into the flower hall.

At eleven years old, he was at the age of rapid growth. Du Shaotang was quite thin, wearing a spring-water green round-collared robe. From a distance, he looked like a slender willow. Fortunately, he wore a headcloth, otherwise he might have been mistaken for a young lady.

Du Shaotang was surprised to see Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi in the flower hall. “Young Daoists?”

Du Tinglan asked curiously, “Why have you come so early? No classes at the Imperial Academy today?”

“The teacher is on ten-day leave, so no classes for these few days.” After exchanging greetings with Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi, Du Shaotang sat down and said, “Cousin Yu, yesterday I—”

He glanced at Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi, hesitating whether to continue.

Teng Yu’yi quickly said, “The young Daoists aren’t outsiders. Whatever you have to say, just say it.”

Du Shaotang then spoke, “Yesterday I had nothing to do at home, so I bought some things and went to the Hu mansion to visit Ji Zhen. I brought along Brother Huo Qiu, and I also brought this that Cousin Yu gave me—”

He took out the worn brush from Dongming Temple to show everyone.

“Since I came alone, the Hu household did allow me into the inner courtyard to visit Ji Zhen this time, but they still wouldn’t let me into the inner room. They just said Ji Zhen’s appearance was too frightening and they were worried about scaring me. I sat in the outer room for a while, thinking that Ji Zhen must be hoping for visits from classmates and friends while bedridden these days. Knowing I had come, he might be very happy. So I called from outside the curtain: ‘Ji Zhen, it’s me, Shaotang. I’ve come to see you. Are you feeling any better?’ Then I heard—”

Du Shaotang’s voice trembled. “I heard a strange voice shouting from the inner room: ‘Don’t come any closer! I didn’t see anything!’ The voice was so shrill and hoarse, that I almost couldn’t recognize it as Ji Zhen’s voice. After quite a while, Master Hu and Madam Hu came out. Madam Hu’s face was covered in tears, and Master Hu looked very troubled. He came out and said to me: ‘My unworthy son is not himself due to illness. Please forgive him, Young Master Du.’ How could I dare stay any longer? I hurriedly took my leave.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi grew increasingly shocked as they listened. When their senior brother told them about Hu Ji Zhen’s situation yesterday, he only said that Hu Ji Zhen had become simple-minded after losing a hun and po soul. Their senior brother had visited the Hu mansion several times in succession but hadn’t been able to get a single word out of Hu Ji Zhen. They hadn’t expected that Young Master Du’s visit would provoke such a strong reaction.

Thinking about it, though, it made sense. Hu Ji Zhen wasn’t familiar with their senior brother, but Young Master Du was his good friend. It wasn’t strange that Hu Ji Zhen’s remaining soul would respond to the voice of his former classmate, stirring up some hazy memories.

“‘Don’t come any closer! I didn’t see anything!’—” Qi Zhi mulled over these words. “Young Master Hu shouted this?”

Du Shaotang nodded, still shaken by the memory.

Teng Yu’yi was both shocked and puzzled. She had known that Hu Ji Zhen’s illness was strange, but from this situation, it seemed as if he had been harmed after discovering something.

Though it was just two short sentences, they might prove that Young Master Hu had sensed danger before the incident. He knew they wouldn’t spare him, and in his desperation could only say such words to protect himself. But clearly, his attackers showed no mercy.

“Hasn’t your senior brother been investigating this matter?” Teng Yu’yi turned to Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi. “Wouldn’t checking where Hu Ji Zhen went and who he met before the incident reveal everything?”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi hesitated. Yesterday when their senior brother mentioned Hu Ji Zhen’s strange illness, he had mentioned that Lady Teng was investigating Lu Zhao’an, but he had only told them to keep watch on Lu Zhao’an, not to keep silent about it in front of Lady Teng.

Now that Young Master Du had made discoveries, there was even less reason to keep things from Lady Teng.

So they explained Hu Ji Zhen’s movements on the day of the incident.

“There were two full hours when Young Master Hu’s whereabouts were unknown. It just happened that Lu Zhao’an was attending a banquet at Duke Ying’s mansion during that time, but this can’t prove that Young Master Hu went to see Lu Zhao’an before the incident.”

Teng Yu’yi and Du Tinglan exchanged glances. Lu Zhao’an was truly too cautious. Even though the investigation led to him, they still couldn’t find any concrete evidence.

Du Shaotang interjected, “Even if Ji Zhen discovered something, why would they harm him like this? Could there be a crime worse than murder?”

“It must be evidence that could cost lives,” Teng Yu’yi said thoughtfully. “If word got out, the killer would face destruction. But outright murder would be too obvious. Better to turn Hu Ji Zhen into a simpleton – the symptoms appear similar to phlegm clouding the heart, and nothing suspicious would be found for quite some time. If Lin Chengyou hadn’t already been secretly watching Lu Zhao’an and grown suspicious of Hu Ji Zhen’s illness because of it, this matter might have gone nowhere.”

Du Shaotang was stunned for a moment, then said indignantly, “I still don’t understand. Hu Ji Zhen wasn’t a gossip. Even if he saw something, he wouldn’t necessarily spread it around. Why did that person have to strike so ruthlessly?”

“What if he caught Lu Zhao’an committing murder?” Teng Yu’yi asked suddenly. “Would Young Master Hu still keep that to himself?”

Everyone was shocked.

After thinking for a while, Du Tinglan said fearfully, “Young Master Hu said ‘you all.’ If this was the last thing he shouted before the incident, could it mean he saw more than one person?”

Jue Sheng came to a realization: “That’s right, otherwise he wouldn’t have said ‘you all.’ If one of them was Lu Zhao’an, who was the other?”

Teng Yu’yi gazed at the jasmine petals in her teacup. Interesting – Lu Zhao’an’s involvement seemed even deeper than she had anticipated. Her sister’s death in her previous life, Young Master Hu’s strange illness in this life – countless threads, layers of fog, the deeper they investigated, the more frightening it became. If Young Master Hu was indeed harmed by Lu Zhao’an, who was that person with him? For someone to immediately decide to kill, what Hu Ji Zhen saw must have been extraordinarily serious.

“We must tell your senior brother about this quickly,” Teng Yu’yi said, putting down her teacup. “Shaotang, you go too. This matter is crucial – tell Lin Chengyou everything you witnessed at the Hu mansion, don’t leave anything out.”

Qi Zhi hesitated. “But the senior brother is busy investigating those pregnant women cases today. We might not be able to see him.”

“Then we’ll wait outside the Court of Judicial Review.” Teng Yu’yi considered – they absolutely couldn’t let Lu Zhao’an know that Shaotang was investigating him, so she said to Du Shaotang, “I’ll have Butler Cheng disguise you first. Don’t forget about Huo Qiu either.”

Time was of the essence. The three siblings returned to the inner courtyard, where Butler Cheng retrieved several false beards from storage to disguise Du Shaotang. He was quite skilled at this – in less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea, he had completely transformed Du Shaotang’s appearance.

After it was done, Teng Yu’yi and Du Tinglan walked around Du Shaotang, clicking their tongues in amazement. Du Shaotang himself was dumbfounded. Butler Cheng’s technique was completely seamless – even his mother probably wouldn’t recognize him now.

Huo Qiu knew the art of disguise and had already transformed his appearance by the time Teng Yu’yi and the others came out.

They met up with Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi in the flower hall and headed out together.

On the way, Teng Yu’yi instructed Du Shaotang, “In public, just say your surname is Tang.”

Du Shaotang nodded. Participating in such an important “mission” for the first time, he couldn’t tell if he was excited or scared. Walking too quickly, he almost tripped.

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi quickly steadied him. “Young Master Du—Tang.”

Teng Yu’yi pulled Du Shaotang aside and said in a low voice, “It’s just a trip to the Court of Judicial Review, why are you so flustered? Remember, you’re a man. No matter what happens outside, you must stay steady.”

Du Shaotang looked sheepishly at Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi in the distance. These two young Daoists were several years younger than him, yet they could already handle themselves independently.

Not to mention his cousin Yu.

He hurriedly adjusted his headcloth. “Don’t worry, Cousin Yu. I know what to do.”

Teng Yu’yi stared at him sternly for a moment before finally nodding.

Before leaving, Du Tinglan gave her brother a few more instructions, while Teng Yu’yi watched the servants load the pastries she had prepared box by box onto Qingyun Temple’s ox cart. Only after confirming nothing was left behind did she feel at ease.

Du Shaotang traveled with Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi, while Teng Yu’yi and Du Tinglan took another carriage.

Along the way, passing by a mansion, Teng Yu’yi heard some commotion outside. Looking through the window curtain, she saw a line of constables at the mansion’s gate. The lead constable was saying to the servant who opened the door, “Are there any pregnant women in your household? Whether from the main family or among the servants, all must be reported. This matter is of great importance. Those who dare conceal information from the authorities will be severely punished!”

The gatekeeper was startled and quickly replied, “Our lady is not pregnant. Please wait, officers. This humble one will go ask if any of the female stewards are with child.”

Teng Yu’yi asked in surprise, “Are they conducting a census of all pregnant women in Chang’an?”

Du Tinglan was stunned. “Could it be they’re worried about the culprit strikes again, so they’re taking precautions? Last time Father said Chang’an is now prosperous and peaceful, with at least a million residents. Going door to door like this, who knows how long it will take to check everyone.”

Teng Yu’yi thought for a moment. Others might not be able to conduct such a search, but if it was Lin Chengyou’s idea, that was different. Lin Chengyou had direct access to the emperor’s ear – the magistrates of Chang’an and Wannian counties, thinking of their careers, would certainly not dare refuse his orders. While Chang’an’s population was large, the number of households was limited. If they mobilized all available manpower to search the city, they could get a clear picture in just a few days.

She was somewhat puzzled. The opponent had gone to great lengths to frame Zhuang Mu, and now that Zhuang Mu was caught, why wasn’t Lin Chengyou using this to his advantage?

***

At the Court of Judicial Review.

Yan Shizhi came out of the morgue and said to Lin Chengyou as they walked, “Neither Shu Linian’s nor Lady Bai’s skirt hems were damaged, showing the killer hadn’t planned to wrap the fetuses in their skirts. But when it came to Lady Jiang, the Rongan Marquis’s heir’s wife, they did exactly that – intending to frame Zhuang Mu. Evaluator Lin, since that’s the case, why not announce publicly that we’ve caught the real culprit? When the killer hears we’ve ‘fallen for it,’ they might show their hand sooner.”

Lin Chengyou gazed thoughtfully at the pine and cypress trees in the courtyard. After a moment, he replied, “Last night I looked through all the major temples’ records of evil spirits and demonic arts involving fetus extraction. If this were truly for cultivating a Moon-Birth Child Lord, the killer wouldn’t stop at just three fetuses. If they strike again, their attempt to frame Zhuang Mu becomes meaningless. Would such an experienced killer take meaningless actions? I’m wondering – they set so many traps for Zhuang Mu, was it just to clear their suspicion? Could there be some deeper meaning?”

Yan Shizhi was stunned. “What else could it be besides framing him?”

“Intimidation? A warning?” Lin Chengyou pondered as he descended the steps.

Yan Shizhi grew more confused. “Zhuang Mu has already been caught. Who would this supposed ‘intimidation’ and ‘warning’ be for?”

“What if someone is behind Zhuang Mu…” Lin Chengyou said. “The killer’s target isn’t Zhuang Mu, but the person behind him. I asked Azan, Tou Migui’s master – Zhuang Mu only earned five hundred cash per month for his work. But Zhuang Mu regularly went drinking at taverns and even gambled at betting houses from time to time. How could a mere five hundred cash cover such expenses? And where did he get the money for his month-long trip away from Chang’an? Being an iron worker was just his cover – he must have had other employers in secret.”

“I had my suspicions about that too.” Yan Shizhi was stunned for a moment. “By the way, Evaluator Lin has confirmed that Zhuang Mu wasn’t in Chang’an for the past month?”

Lin Chengyou replied, “After Young Master Wang mentioned this yesterday, I had people look into it. Zhuang Mu did leave Chang’an on the first day of the third month. He rented a horse at the post station outside the city gates, seemingly planning a long journey. Tong Prefecture isn’t far from Chang’an – if Zhuang Mu rode hard, he could have reached there by the fifth day of the third month. But whether he went there to commit crimes or for other purposes, that’s unclear. For someone like him, forging travel papers wouldn’t be difficult. Coincidentally, Zhuang Mu was present in the scenes of the next two cases. From all current evidence, it appears the killer deliberately led Zhuang Mu to the crime scenes. But looking at it from another angle, could it be that Zhuang Mu was investigating the real killer, which is why he kept arriving at the scenes after the perpetrator?”

Yan Shizhi’s mouth gaped in surprise. “You mean Zhuang Mu was tracking the real killer?”

Lin Chengyou stroked his chin. “Let me try to guess. The real killer’s goal was to murder and extract fetuses, while Zhuang Mu was investigating the killer. The killer noticed Zhuang Mu’s actions and decided to turn the situation to their advantage by pinning the crimes on him.”

“Wait… wait…” Yan Shizhi tried to organize his thoughts. “Setting aside how the real killer laid the trap, Zhuang Mu is just a ruffian from the Western Market. How could he have known in advance that the real killer would strike?”

“That I don’t know,” Lin Chengyou hesitated. “First, he might not have known the killer’s true appearance. Second, he might not have known exactly what the killer was doing. Perhaps he was just following someone’s orders to investigate, or searching for something… and he might have started his investigation before the Tong Prefecture murder even occurred.”

“If the real killer discovered Zhuang Mu was investigating them, why not just kill him? By setting such an elaborate trap, aren’t they worried Zhuang Mu might tell the Court everything he discovered while tracking them?”

Lin Chengyou considered this. “The real killer must be confident that Zhuang Mu has no concrete evidence against them. But once Zhuang Mu is caught, we’ll investigate and find the person behind him. This way, the killer can use the Court’s own hands to flush out whoever is backing Zhuang Mu, without spending any effort themselves.”

“Evaluator Lin means…”

Lin Chengyou smiled slightly. “The real killer is also very curious about who’s behind Zhuang Mu.”

Yan Shizhi froze for a moment, then hurried to catch up as Lin Chengyou walked ahead. “I understand now. This case involves two groups. One is the real killer, the other is Zhuang Mu and his backer. Zhuang Mu was caught yesterday but couldn’t reveal the fetuses’ whereabouts. The Court will keep investigating until we uncover Zhuang Mu’s background to get complete evidence… Using another’s knife to kill – quite a clever strategy.”

“Indeed, well calculated,” Lin Chengyou smirked. “But the killer didn’t expect Young Master Wang to burst into the quiet room yesterday. They lurked inside for a while before escaping, probably debating whether to attack the young master. If they had stayed to attack him, there wouldn’t have been enough time to frame Zhuang Mu. After weighing the options, they could only flee hurriedly. The room was dark, and the killer was confident in their disguise. They gambled that the young master wouldn’t notice the physical differences between them and Zhuang Mu. But they never expected that due to his expertise in spices, the young master would immediately recognize the rare ‘Tianshui Xiluo’ fragrance, and being extremely observant, notice the torn hole in their clothing. This flaw is how we knew Zhuang Mu wasn’t the real killer.”

Yan Shizhi nodded in sudden understanding. “No wonder Evaluator Lin ordered a census of pregnant women as soon as you returned last night. These strange cases have already become the talk of the city, with every pregnant woman fearing for her safety. This official action both reassures the public and lets the real killer know the Court hasn’t fallen for their trick. When the killer learns their carefully laid trap has been exposed, their subsequent plans will be disrupted. And in that chaos, they’re likely to make mistakes.”

Lin Chengyou smiled – exactly, he was deliberately creating chaos for the real killer.

When the person behind Zhuang Mu learns of his capture, they’ll quickly realize it was a trap set by the real killer. Someone capable of commanding an expert like Zhuang Mu won’t fail to retaliate. With that person hidden and the real killer exposed, the killer must guard against both the official investigation and revenge from Zhuang Mu’s backer, all while struggling to collect Moon-Birth Child Lords – quite busy indeed. And when people get busy, they tend to reveal weaknesses. They would just wait and watch.

“Brother Yan, let’s go interrogate Zhuang Mu,” Lin Chengyou said, walking toward the prison.

Yan Shizhi sighed. “We were too busy with the pregnant women census last night to question Zhuang Mu. I thought after leaving him alone all night, he’d have plenty to confess, but when I interrogated him this morning, the man was like solid iron – still refusing to speak.”

***

In the dungeon, Zhuang Mu sat in his cage with his eyes closed.

Multiple chains surrounded the cage, the dark iron bars gleaming with stone-like hardness. This was a special cage used by the Court of Judicial Review for serious criminals. Each mechanism had been carefully forged by hundreds of craftsmen. Once imprisoned inside, even someone with tremendous strength couldn’t escape.

Zhuang Mu was thoroughly bound and gagged, with only his eyes free to move. Not a single part of his body could stir.

Additionally, four guards surrounded the iron cage.

The guards were chatting idly, occasionally glancing at Zhuang Mu in his cage. Such strict precautions weren’t to prevent his escape, but to stop him from using various strange methods to commit suicide.

Suddenly, footsteps approached from outside. When the door opened, a fragrant aroma wafted in. The guards looked up to see Lin Chengyou and Yan Shizhi entering with an elderly guard.

The elderly guard carried a tray with five large bowls of steaming huntun, along with meat-filled flatbreads and meatballs. Each dish emanated a rich aroma. The elderly guard warmly called out to the guards, “Come have breakfast, everyone! No need to thank me – Evaluator Lin is treating today.”

The guards erupted in excitement, rushing to sit at the table, not forgetting to ask, “Evaluator Lin, Director Yan, aren’t you eating?”

Yan Shizhi smiled and shook his head, walking to the special desk used for recording prisoner confessions. He lifted his robes and sat down.

Lin Chengyou, however, walked straight to the iron cage and crouched down to look at Zhuang Mu. “Hungry?”

The aroma kept wafting toward one’s nose – enough to make anyone’s mouth water. A person’s willpower is often weakest when hungry, but Zhuang Mu had been tempered by countless trials. Like an old monk in deep meditation, he showed no reaction to Lin Chengyou’s words.

“You haven’t eaten for a day. You can’t hold out like this,” Lin Chengyou said with a smile. “How about this – I’ll save you some breakfast. After we finish our chat, I’ll have it brought in to you.”

Zhuang Mu slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with both mockery and disdain.

Lin Chengyou made a sound of understanding. “I see. You’re not afraid of hunger, nor death.”

Before Zhuang Mu could react, he continued in a low voice, “First you’re confused into taking the blame for someone else, then you’ll die confused and hungry in prison. Don’t you find it pathetic? I feel pathetic for you. If I were you, even if I had to die, I’d first find out who framed me.”

The words were so quiet only the two of them could hear. Zhuang Mu’s expression froze, the thick mockery in his eyes instantly replaced by shock.

“Yes, I know you were framed,” Lin Chengyou’s eyes remained amused. “Right now, besides me, no one can help clear your name.”

Ripples appeared in Zhuang Mu’s gaze as if he was hesitating or thinking. Then, as if remembering something, he closed his eyes again.

Lin Chengyou wasn’t rushed. He shifted his gaze to look at Zhuang Mu’s hands, still stained with blood. “Let me guess – yesterday when you ran to the alley behind the spice shop, you were probably looking for something. But instead of finding it, you fell into a trap the killer had prepared. Earlier when you went to Tong Prefecture, you were also hired for a task, not knowing the real killer was already planning to deal with you.”

Zhuang Mu’s eyes snapped open. Compared to his previous half-believing expression, his gaze was now much more complex. He stared at Lin Chengyou in shock, seemingly reassessing the young man before him.

“The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind,” Lin Chengyou said meaningfully. “You’ve been played for a fool and forced to take the blame for murder. Zhuang Mu, you can’t swallow this bitter pill, can you? The real killer is so despicable – want to consider working with me?”

Uncertainty flickered in Zhuang Mu’s eyes, but after a brief moment of distraction, the hesitation was replaced by thick wariness.

Lin Chengyou stared at Zhuang Mu without blinking. Seeing his reaction, he smiled and said, “That’s right, I am interested in your secrets. But more than that, I want to catch the real killer quickly. You want revenge, I want to catch someone – we each get what we want. How about it? Want to work together to set up a trap? The real killer has played both the Court and you, Zhuang Mu – shall we turn the tables on them?”