Biyun Temple, an ancient incense room, a pretty young girl.

Only the young girl was alone in the incense room. Xiao Ning said suspiciously, “How can it be you? That’s not right—I clearly heard a hoarse, aged male voice just now.”

“Constable Xiao, are you looking for this voice?” Wei’er’s voice suddenly changed, becoming hoarse and aged, exactly the same as the voice from before. Xiao Ning still said disbelievingly, “It’s really you.”

“Wandering the jianghu naturally requires one or two special skills. Learning to change voices is what Wei’er is best at,” Wei’er said obediently.

“You are my fated one—truly an unexpected fated one,” Li Si said with deep meaning. Wei’er smiled sweetly. “Life passes like a white colt’s shadow. Meeting is fate, so we are all each other’s fated ones.”

Li Si said indifferently, “But I’m afraid you are not the fated one I’m seeking.”

“Fate lies in the heart, forgetting lies in thought. Why must God-Catcher Li stubbornly cling to a single thought?”

Xiao Ning looked at the young girl. “Since you’re here, could it be that fated one is your grandfather?”

Wei’er’s smile was sweet and kind, but she didn’t answer Xiao Ning’s question.

Li Si stared fixedly at the young girl and said slowly, “I don’t understand why you’re here.”

Wei’er’s expression became slightly serious as she said earnestly, “God-Catcher Li’s fated one is also Wei’er’s fated one. For his sake, I stand here.”

“There’s one more thing I want to tell God-Catcher Li.” Wei’er’s voice was like an oriole singing. Li Si nodded. “Speak.”

“The person who killed Zheng Hounian, Shang Yun, and Tao Nan is indeed not Meng Xiu. It was me.” After Wei’er finished speaking softly, Li Si knew she would continue and didn’t interrupt her. Wei’er indeed continued, “I killed these three people because they killed my grandfather.”

Xiao Ning asked in surprise, “Isn’t your grandfather still ali—” Li Si signaled Xiao Ning not to speak yet, and Xiao Ning swallowed the rest of his sentence.

“Two and a half years ago, my grandfather and I were still making a living in various cities in Qingzhou. One rainy night, my grandfather and I didn’t make it back to the inn in time and spent the night in a dilapidated City God Temple. The heavy rain continued until the hour of Hai when three men suddenly burst into the City God Temple. At first the three men were polite, but later their lecherous gazes kept turning back and forth on me. Grandfather saw the three had evil intentions and pulled me to leave. The three knocked out Grandfather, then grabbed me.” Wei’er’s face became icy cold as she said this. After calming her emotions, she continued, “The three held down my hands and feet and tore at my dress. How could I resist their violence? I steeled my heart that if I couldn’t protect my chastity, I would immediately bite off my tongue and end my life. My unconscious grandfather awoke at this moment. Grandfather used a long staff to knock down one person, then pushed me out the door. Grandfather firmly guarded the doorway, not letting the three beasts rush out.”

“I still remember that night the rain was very heavy and cold. The wind cut across my cheeks like knives. I ran to the county yamen to report to the authorities. When the yamen constables rushed back to the City God Temple, only my grandfather’s corpse remained in the City God Temple.” Wei’er’s expression was resolute. “I swore I wouldn’t let these evil people live well. I wanted revenge!”

“At the City God Temple, one of the three men mentioned returning to Suishui City to escort goods—he seemed to be an escort. The other two also spoke with accents from the Suzhou region, so I came to Suishui City in Suzhou.” Wei’er took a breath and continued, “After staying in Suishui City for over two months, I finally figured out the identities of the three. They were Zheng Hounian, Shang Yun, and Tao Nan.”

The truth was this: Zheng Hounian, Shang Yun, and Tao Nan encountered each other by chance in Zhu City. The three drank themselves blind drunk and got lost, stumbling into the City God Temple where they saw the grandfather and granddaughter street performers. The three men became lustful after drinking and wanted to vent their animal desires on Wei’er. After being blocked by Wei’er’s grandfather, the three men who had lost their reason beat Wei’er’s grandfather to death.

Wei’er’s eyes reddened as she thought of her grandfather who died miserably trying to save her. She said, “I’m just a weak woman. Zheng Hounian was a wealthy merchant, Tao Nan was a reclusive dance troupe instructor, and Shang Yun was an escort with strong martial arts skills. Although I wanted to avenge my grandfather, I had no way to do so. After staying in Suishui City for two months, I had spent all my savings. In utter despair, I chose to wear a red dress and drown myself in the river, wanting to become a wronged ghost to haunt the three.”

“I didn’t die. The fated one saved me.” Wei’er’s gaze became distant. “The fated one saved my life. After asking clearly why I wanted to end my life, he expressed willingness to help me take revenge. But the revenge had to be carried out according to his plan. I couldn’t ask why—I only needed to do as he said. He promised me I could personally kill my enemies with my own hands.”

“I agreed to him. So I went to Shanliu Ju to sing and beat the drum. So I personally killed one by one the murderers who killed my grandfather. So I followed the fated one’s final arrangement and stood here, waiting for God-Catcher Li to come.” Wei’er finished her own story and smiled with relief.

Li Si listened with mixed feelings. Seeing the innocent and lively young girl become a murderer made him feel regretful. Knowing that the scum who harmed the young girl’s grandfather received their punishment made him feel satisfied. Then thinking about how the young girl clung to a single thought of good and evil and could never turn back made his chest ache. For a moment, Li Si didn’t know what to say.

“Your grandfather—no, where did the person impersonating your grandfather go?” Xiao Ning squinted his eyes and asked. Wei’er smiled. “He left. I don’t know where he went.”

“You…” Xiao Ning wanted to reproach the young girl, but looking at her clear and transparent eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to be harsh.

“Did he really leave?” Li Si spoke up. The young girl nodded. “The person impersonating my grandfather left. The fated one instructed me to answer your questions in his tone. If you deduced there were still survivors from Budong Manor, I would open the door for you. He also left one sentence for you.”

“What sentence?”

“Life’s gatherings and partings have no basis, with fate we may meet again.” The young girl softly recited it, speaking it to Li Si yet seeming to speak to herself. Li Si carefully savored the young girl’s words, gazing deeply into her eyes.

By the time they returned to Suishui City, it was already midnight. Wei’er was the true murderer. Li Si and Xiao Ning went to the prison to release Meng Xiu. Meng Xiu had actually used his undergarment to make a rope and hanged himself in the prison cell. After death, a trace of an eerie smile still lingered at the corner of his mouth, as if he had ended his endless torment and finally achieved liberation.

Li Si examined Meng Xiu’s corpse in the black room but didn’t discover anything. After coming out of the black room, Li Si instructed Xiao Ning to carefully watch over Wei’er and not let tragedy occur again and again. Xiao Ning said with a grave expression, “I’ll move into the prison and personally guard her.”

“Also, spare no effort to pursue and capture the blind old man.” Li Si paused, then spoke again. “No, not to pursue and capture the blind old man.”

“Ah?” Xiao Ning didn’t understand.

“What should be pursued and captured is a handsome young man about twenty years old. The key point is he has a pair of enchanting purple eyes.” Li Si said clearly. Xiao Ning was first surprised, then looked toward Li Si with shock and asked, “Brother Li, are you saying it could be… him?”

Li Si slowly nodded.

At the hour of Hai, the side room in Xiao Ning’s residence.

Li Si carefully examined each walnut once more. He gazed at the only walnut that had no iron filings inside. This was the walnut he had received when he first returned to the old residence in Suishui City.

What was carved on the walnut was a man wearing constable clothing standing before a table, examining a walnut. The man’s facial features were not very clear, only a pair of eyes were relatively distinct. This… Li Si stared at the walnut. In his mind, thunder suddenly exploded wildly. He abruptly stood up and said to himself, “So this is what the truth actually is!”

January 7th, three quarters past the hour of Chou. In the silent courtyard at night, he leaped like an agile cat and slipped into a pitch-black room.

He stood by the window gazing blankly at the sky thick with dark clouds. After a long while, he slowly lowered his head. At this very moment, a deep sigh came from behind him.

“Who?” he asked coldly.

“Me.” The person who sighed lit an oil lamp. The bean-sized lamplight illuminated his face. In his slender eyes was a gaze as deep as the ocean. Who else could it be but Li Si?

Li Si lit the oil lamp, looked at him, and said softly, “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. You’ve also been waiting for me for quite a while, haven’t you?”

His expression was strange, then returned to normal as he smiled and said, “Brother Li, what joke are you making?”

He was none other than Suishui City Constable Xiao Ning.