At the Cui residence in Yinshuang City, Li Si and Bai Zhenzhu had wandered through the estate spanning several acres twice. Bai Zhenzhu’s bright eyes glanced backward, and she whispered, “Big Brother Li, someone is following us from behind.”

“They’re Cui Yunhai’s people. It’s fine,” Li Si said.

“Walking back and forth like this, my legs are sore. I’m so tired,” Bai Zhenzhu said, pounding her legs. Li Si smiled. “Alright, we don’t need to wander anymore.”

Bai Zhenzhu focused her gaze and saw that not far ahead was Cui Yunhai’s study.

In front of the study was a flower corridor with ornamental rocks, and behind it was a shimmering pond. The pond directly faced the study’s rear window. Li Si pointed toward the study, and Bai Zhenzhu spotted Lao Sitou and Wu Wen.

Half an hour earlier, Li Si had sent Wu Wen to bring Lao Sitou.

Lao Sitou let out an exaggerated yawn and said in an icy tone, “Just fell asleep and you wake me up again. I’m afraid it’ll be a long time before I can get a good sleep.”

“Ah! Old senior, did you go to the Yizhuang just to… sleep?” Bai Zhenzhu was utterly astonished.

“Nonsense, do you even need to ask?” Lao Sitou was very impatient. Anyone woken from sleep would be in a bad mood.

“Alright, alright, let’s get down to business.” Li Si explained the situation. Lao Sitou drooped his eyelids and said, “You want me to check if there are any bloodstains in the study?”

Li Si nodded. “The bloodstains must have been cleaned up. It requires special methods to discover them, so I can only ask you, the great expert, to step in.”

“Hmph, little girl, help me out.” Lao Sitou handed a small porcelain bottle to Bai Zhenzhu, then pulled out a small handful of black powder from his chest. He first evenly scattered the powder at the doorway, then Lao Sitou took back the porcelain bottle and poured out the liquid inside.

Bai Zhenzhu sniffed and said, “So sour, it’s the smell of vinegar.”

“Ten-year-aged rice vinegar, mixed with ghost-head grass powder that grows in mountain shade. No matter how clean you wipe it, as long as there was blood in this place, it will reveal itself.” Lao Sitou tucked the porcelain bottle back into his chest, closed his eyes, and said, “Wait. One incense stick’s time.”

After one incense stick’s time, the ground at the doorway gradually changed color, turning dark red.

“There really is blood.” Li Si’s eyes flickered.

Lao Sitou remained noncommittal.

“I’m increasingly convinced of Sun San’s story,” Li Si said lightly, his gaze stopping on the servants monitoring them from behind the ornamental rocks.

“If Sun San’s story is true, then the current Cui Yunhai before us is an imposter. He killed the real Cui Yunhai, then disguised himself as the new Cui Yunhai. Because Sun San stumbled upon his murder, he killed Sun San, along with those who had heard Sun San’s story, including A’Shu,” Li Si said slowly.

Lao Sitou still kept his eyes closed and said nothing. Bai Zhenzhu and Wu Wen were filled with righteous indignation, especially Bai Zhenzhu. She felt that Grandmother Xu, who had lost A’Shu, was very pitiful, after all, she had raised A’Shu from childhood.

“It makes sense, but we need evidence. We can’t convict Cui Yunhai based solely on A’Shu’s story. The authorities would definitely say it’s just misleading rumors and nonsense,” Lao Sitou suddenly spoke.

Li Si nodded. “The evidence can only be in this study.”

“Search.”

The three of them split up to work. Lao Sitou, however, lay down on the daybed, and before long, snoring sounds emerged. Bai Zhenzhu pursed her lips. “The old senior isn’t searching.”

Li Si waved his hand, signaling her not to continue, and whispered, “If you let him hear you, he’ll only say: I’ve done both the coroner’s and the constable’s work, what’s the court keeping you idle people for?”

The three carefully examined every item in the study. Li Si suddenly stared at a small red sandalwood stool in a daze. On it sat a single-legged bronze incense burner. Li Si gently touched the grain of the red sandalwood, then crouched down with his eyes level with the stool’s surface.

“Huh.” Li Si let out a long breath. “Suspicious indeed.”

“What did Big Brother Li discover?” Bai Zhenzhu and Wu Wen came closer, and even the pretending-to-sleep Lao Sitou opened his eyes a crack.

Li Si moved the bronze incense burner aside and said, “This small red sandalwood stool’s surface has three slight indentations. What was previously placed on it should have been a three-legged burner, which was later replaced with this single-legged bronze burner. The single-legged burner hasn’t left indentations yet, indicating it hasn’t been placed here long… very likely after Cui Yunhai was murdered.”

Bai Zhenzhu also felt the three indentations and was so delighted she kept nodding in approval.

“But what’s the connection between the incense burner and Cui Yunhai’s murder?” Lao Sitou asked through his nose.

Li Si’s gaze turned toward the rear window. “I think we’ll have an answer soon.”

Under Bai Zhenzhu’s astonished gaze, Li Si leaped lightly like a sika deer out the rear window. Walking along the cobblestone path by the pond for sixty or seventy steps, he picked up something beneath a weeping willow.

Returning the same way, Li Si placed the object before Lao Sitou’s eyes. Lao Sitou’s eyes opened. “Just as I thought.”

In Li Si’s hand was a half-inch light green torn fabric fragment. Bai Zhenzhu looked at the fabric, then at Li Si and Lao Sitou, her face showing confusion. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand at all.”

Li Si gave Wu Wen a look, and Wu Wen hid behind the door to observe the movements outside.

“The night Sun San infiltrated the Cui residence, the imposter killed Cui Yunhai but was discovered by Sun San. Sun San was frightened unconscious by the bloody scene, and before he lost consciousness, he shouted ‘Help!’ The sound drew the Cui residence’s servants. If not for that, he would have been silenced long ago. Sun San’s cry of ‘Help!’ truly saved his life,” Li Si paused, then continued, “After the imposter killed Cui Yunhai and saw a large number of servants rushing over, in his panic he had to deal with the corpse first. The study is only so big, there’s no place to hide a body. The only method was right there.”

Li Si stared at the pond outside the rear window. Bai Zhenzhu quickly said, “The body was thrown into the pond?”

Li Si nodded. “The imposter was meticulous. He worried that over time the body would float up. So he tore Cui Yunhai’s robe into sturdy strips of cloth, used the strips to bind the three-legged incense burner to Cui Yunhai’s body to add weight and prevent the corpse from floating. Then he disposed of the body and cleaned up the bloodstains at the doorway.”

“After Sun San was imprisoned, he placed a new incense burner as a cover-up,” Li Si took a slight breath and said, “However, the net of Heaven is wide-meshed but lets nothing through. Despite the imposter’s countless schemes, there were still two oversights: The first was the burner marks on the red sandalwood stool; the second was the torn fabric fragment. That night, with wind and rain, fragments of Cui Yunhai’s brocade robe could easily be blown away by the wind. The imposter might have searched the study clean, but he forgot about outside.”

Bai Zhenzhu looked at Li Si. “Big Brother Li, let’s quickly go fish out the corpse.”

Li Si pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

“We can’t act rashly. We don’t yet know if the imposter has moved the body. Recklessly fishing out the corpse would only alert the enemy, making further investigation very difficult. Moreover, we don’t know the depth of the pond. If it’s extremely deep, it won’t be so easy to retrieve the body.” Li Si thought it over, then arranged for Wu Wen to use investigating the jade pendant as an excuse to secretly inquire about the pond’s details from the dozens of servants and maids at the Cui residence.

“Also…” Li Si turned to look at Lao Sitou. “Don’t you want to say something?”

“You’ve already thought of it, why ask me? I’m too lazy to talk, and too lazy to compete with others over cleverness.” Lao Sitou yawned again.

“Also what?” Bai Zhenzhu asked with great interest.

“The imposter disguised himself as Cui Yunhai for over twenty days without being exposed, which means he had long been observing and imitating Cui Yunhai’s every move. Someone who could do this must be someone close to Cui Yunhai. In other words, he was already at the Cui residence before—a servant or guard or the like,” Li Si said with penetrating insight. “As long as we ask which person at the Cui residence suddenly disappeared recently, the imposter is very likely that person.”

“Good, I’ll go ask about this.” Bai Zhenzhu volunteered.

“You must use proper methods and strategy, don’t ask directly.” Li Si instructed. Bai Zhenzhu nodded and went with Wu Wen toward the servants’ and maids’ quarters.

Two of the monitoring servants split off to follow Bai Zhenzhu and Wu Wen. Li Si wasn’t surprised. After Bai Zhenzhu disappeared from sight, he said as if talking to himself, “There are no dead people here, so you can’t sleep. Really nothing you want to say?”

Lao Sitou pressed his temples. “I really shouldn’t have a friend who’s a constable. Not a single secret. No fun, no fun.”

“Then one shouldn’t have a friend who’s a coroner, especially an old friend. It’s made me nauseous at the sight of boiling meat broth in a pot ever since.” Li Si brought up again the matter of Lao Sitou boiling dead human flesh in a pot back then.

Lao Sitou’s rigid face showed some change, his eyes turbid and distant. “I really miss that delicious flavor.”

“Alright, I’m not asking you to talk about that.” Li Si quickly cut him off.

Lao Sitou put on his icy expression and said unhurriedly, “The matter isn’t simple. He could have completely threatened Cui Yunhai to hand over all his money, then left without a trace. But he didn’t. Instead, he took an enormous risk to kill and impersonate him. Even if he could briefly deceive everyone, the longer time passed, the more dangerous it would become for him. In the end, he might not get the money and lose his life too. Unwise. Yet from the planning of the entire case, he’s very clever. So there must be another motive.”

Li Si nodded. “If not for money, then what could it be for?”

Lao Sitou said indifferently, “That’s your business, nothing to do with me.”

Li Si was both speechless and helpless with this old man. A thought suddenly popped into his mind: If icy-cold Meng Rui and cold-as-ice Lao Sitou were locked together for a day, what would that scene be like? Probably the entire room would freeze solid.

“Haha, haha!” Ignoring the stunned Lao Sitou, Li Si laughed heartily and strode out of the study.

The twenty-third day, one day before going to the Nüwa Temple to pray for blessings.

Huo Daozhang felt uneasy. Everything he had already arranged somehow didn’t seem entirely secure. His own safety was a small matter, but if that person had an accident, he could only present the heads of his entire family to the Crown Prince.

Because he hadn’t slept well yesterday, Huo Daozhang had Zhu Chao bring him calming tea.

He had just taken a sip when he saw Zhu Chao rush in frantically. Huo Daozhang said with displeasure, “What happened? Making such a fuss.”

“There’s, there’s someone looking for you.”

“Looking for me?” Huo Daozhang’s nerves tightened. He had secretly come to Yinshuang City in Qingzhou and stayed at his former subordinate Zhu Chao’s home. Except for the Crown Prince, no one else should know. So who could be looking for him?

“Who?” Huo Daozhang squeezed out the single word.

“He said he’s your year-mate, an old acquaintance.”

Huo Daozhang’s heart skipped a beat, as if it instantly stopped beating. His entire mind went blank. Zhu Chao called several times before Huo Daozhang took a sharp breath and came to his senses.

There could be no mistake. In the entire current Great Shi Dynasty court, the only remaining year-mate was him, and could only be him—Zhang Xianglin, Regional Inspector of Bei’an Central Province, that detestable and venomous old fox. Despite all his hiding, he had ultimately been targeted. Zhang Xianglin had been Prince Ding’s confidant for so many years. Could it be that Prince Ding also… Huo Daozhang dared not think further.

“Should I drive him away?”

“No, invite him into the residence.”

The hall was unusually quiet, with only two people: Huo Daozhang and Zhang Xianglin. Zhang Xianglin lifted the tea cup lid and blew at the wafting tea mist. Huo Daozhang’s face was like frozen stone as he stared at Zhang Xianglin through the tea mist.

Zhang Xianglin smiled and lightly sipped his tea.

Huo Daozhang couldn’t stand it anymore and asked coldly, “Zhang Xianglin, how did you know I was here? What are you here for?”

Zhang Xianglin said lightly, “Brother Huo is too tense. I merely happened to pass through Yinshuang City and saw Brother Huo, so I called to reminisce about our year-mate relationship. Nothing else.”

“Year-mate relationship—have we ever had such a thing between us? Hmph! Zhang Xianglin, can you still count how many of your old year-mates you’ve killed? Feng Banyuan, Nie Wenzheng, Zhang Xiang—didn’t all these people die at your hands?” Huo Daozhang said emotionally. “Stop your hypocritical pretense before me.”

“Brother Huo is too agitated again. I don’t deny I’ve killed some people, but in officialdom one can’t help oneself. May I ask Brother Huo, in your thirty years as an official, have you never caused anyone’s death? Do I need to remind you one by one?” Zhang Xianglin didn’t yield an inch, responding tit for tat.

Huo Daozhang calmed down and suppressed his anger. “Enough nonsense. What exactly do you want today?”

“I’ve already said, after such a long separation and reunion, to reminisce about our year-mate relationship. Also, there’s one more thing I want to say to Brother Huo.” Zhang Xianglin’s bright smile concealed murderous intent. “You shouldn’t have come to Yinshuang City. Since you’ve come… don’t leave.”

“Are you finished?” Huo Daozhang said angrily.

Zhang Xianglin touched his teacup and smiled. “The tea has gone cold.”

“Show the guest out!”

“Take care!”

Zhang Xianglin walked to the hall entrance, suddenly stopped but didn’t turn back, and said, “Forgot to mention, Yinshuang City’s magistrate Wang Hang is a good person. Prince Kang values him highly, and Prince Ding appreciates him even more. If needed, Brother Huo can get to know him.”

Wang Hang, Prince Kang… Huo Daozhang’s heart was shrouded in another layer of shadow. Yinshuang City wasn’t as calm on the surface as it appeared. Various factions had already infiltrated deeply. Would what they planned to do next go smoothly? No one knew—perhaps only Heaven knew.

Zhang Xianglin calmly left the Zhu residence and got into his sedan chair. He leaned back and said in a gloomy tone, “Has Chou Kui returned?”

Another person was hidden in the sedan chair, with a Five Poisons Skull pattern tattooed on his arm—it was Wu Du.

Wu Du’s voice was very small, as if unwilling to waste even a trace of energy. “Already returned.”

“Good.” Zhang Xianglin revealed a smile. “I’ve tested him. That fellow Huo Daozhang was as nervous as a mad dog. What he’s escorting this time must be the Crown Prince’s young prince, the current Emperor’s Imperial Grandson. The Crown Princess is gravely ill, and the young prince traveled through wind and dust to rush to the Nüwa Temple to pray for his mother’s blessing. Truly a filial son. Hmph, hmph. However, even if the Nüwa Empress can save his birth mother, I’m afraid she won’t be able to save him this time.”

“Proceed with the plan as scheduled. Notify the demon-men to prepare.”

Wu Du slowly nodded, his eyes bursting with astonishingly vicious malice.