Pan Chi held the amber stone, feeling it burn in his hand. He sighed helplessly:
“Your guess is correct. It’s Zoroastrianism.”
“Zoroastrianism?”
Pan Chi nodded, a hint of bitterness tugging at the corners of his mouth:
“This faith regards fire as a symbol of goodness and light and holds a particular reverence for fire. They have special rituals to worship sacred flames. Every Zoroastrian follower must adhere to three main principles: good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. They firmly believe that only by following these three principles can one overcome evil and darkness. For these believers, fire is undoubtedly the most sacred element, signifying the birth of life and the emergence of light.”
Pan Chi had almost guessed Zhu Yan’s thoughts: “You suspect the Fire Moth Party is connected to Zoroastrianism?”
Zhu Yan’s brows furrowed, but her expression confirmed his guess.
Pan Chi shook his head firmly: “During my travels in the Western Regions, I never heard of the Fire Moth Party, nor did I encounter anyone worshipping fire moths.”
He glanced at Zhu Yan: “Didn’t we investigate this already? The Fire Moth Party has always been active in the Central Plains. Apart from their tools, they have no connection to the Western Regions.”
But tools could be obtained anywhere, nothing special about that.
“But what if…?” Zhu Yan pressed.
“There is no ‘what if.’ Their worshipped totems are entirely different. Zoroastrianism simply reveres fire, while the Fire Moth Party worships moths,” Pan Chi’s gaze grew serious, “There’s no connection at all.”
As for their beliefs, they were even more dissimilar.
“The Fire Moth Party believes in death and rebirth, while Zoroastrianism believes in light and justice.”
This was also compelling evidence, leaving Zhu Yan at a loss for a rebuttal. Besides, she had been present during the initial information gathering.
Their thoughts scattered, and the three people in the room momentarily lost direction.
The Fire Moth Party had been lurking for years. Even the previous Buddha Swallowing Sin case and the Chen Huoe case failed to uncover them. If it weren’t for Mo Qianzhi’s accidental report of the “Half-faced Ghost” case, which Shen Du then took the lead in investigating, they might have remained hidden, wreaking havoc from the shadows.
“Scholars laugh at moths flying into flames, not knowing that their bodies, like mayflies, live and die in a day without entering reincarnation, while moths pass through fire without dying and are reborn through reincarnation.”
Zhu Yan recited each word slowly, pondering for a moment but finding no solution. The only course of action now was to wait.
Pan Chi didn’t dare to be careless either. After careful consideration, he still shook his head:
“I never heard Su Guang mention anything about this.”
Zhu Yan fixed her clear eyes on him, causing Pan Chi to break out in a cold sweat: “W-what is it?”
Shaking her head, Jing Lin clapped his hands: “That’s right, Young Master Pan has an intimate relationship with that Holy Maiden. I’ve seen it myself. If he says the Holy Maiden never mentioned it, it must be true.”
Pan Chi’s lips trembled slightly, wishing he could strangle Jing Lin. What did he mean by “intimate relationship”?
“What did you see? What did you see? I have no relationship with the Holy Maiden. Don’t make wild guesses.”
Zhu Yan quite agreed on this point: “The Holy Maiden seemed more disgusted than fond of you when she looked at you. Taking you along was probably out of necessity.”
Pan Chi laughed heartily, taking a few steps closer to Zhu Yan. Jing Lin threatened him with his sword, forcing him to step back. Pan Chi winked suggestively:
“Zhu Yan, are you so eager to explain things to me because you’ve discovered my good qualities and fallen in love with me again?”
This statement shocked both people present.
Jing Lin immediately pressed the hilt of his sword against Pan Chi’s neck, his expression unfriendly.
Pan Chi, completely oblivious, stared directly at Zhu Yan: “You just need to divorce Shen Du. Look, I nearly lost my life for the people of Yingzhou.”
“What does that have to do with me?” Zhu Yan held her forehead, unsure of what to say. “Go ask the people of Yingzhou, or Shen Du, for an explanation.”
She pointed at the amber stone, not giving Pan Chi a chance to speak first:
“I didn’t willingly accept this amber stone in the first place. Now I’ve returned it to you, so you should give it to whom it belongs.”
Pan Chi was about to say something more, but Zhu Yan’s dark eyes sank as she spoke sternly: “Don’t joke around. Find an opportunity to ask Su Guang and see if you can learn anything.”
With his words blocked, Pan Chi felt frustrated and very unhappy. He swatted away Jing Lin’s sword hilt and crossed his arms defiantly:
“I won’t go.”
Zhu Yan coaxed him patiently: “If you don’t go, I’ll hand you over to Su Guang to take away.”
This…
Pan Chi clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, extremely unwilling: “Fine, I’ll go!”
Seeing that the matter was settled, Zhu Yan bid farewell. Jing Lin glanced at him before following her out.
The face that had been smiling and joking instantly became desolate when left alone. Pan Chi opened his palm to reveal the amber stone and smiled bitterly.
That day, it was given in haste, and unexpectedly, it was returned just as hastily. Just like the feelings he had developed for her – coming quickly, leaving quickly.
—
In the room, Shen Du sat by the table, his expression somewhat gloomy.
Zhu Yan entered, greeted him briefly, then dove into the inner study to search through ancient texts. She was determined to solve this mystery before giving up.
The ignored Shen Du: …
Finally, Shen Du resigned himself and walked over to peer over her shoulder. Seeing she was looking through books recording temple scriptures, he was about to ask when he heard Zhu Yan sighing repeatedly, her face full of worry, seemingly troubled by something.
“What are you looking for in these? Did the autopsy yield results?”
Zhu Yan suddenly realized how close they were. She tried to suppress her nervousness and move away, but Shen Du’s gaze pinned her in place.
Enduring her embarrassment and the rising heat, she briefly explained the autopsy results and recounted her discussion with Pan Chi, consistent with what she had told Jing Lin.
Only the matter of the amber stone was left out.
Shen Du felt slightly reassured and chided gently: “You should have told me earlier. I could have helped you look through these.”
Zhu Yan shook her head: “Your body hasn’t fully recovered. I didn’t want you to overexert yourself.”
This was like looking for a needle in a haystack, with slim chances of success.
Warmth flooded Shen Du’s heart. He couldn’t help but wrap his arms around Zhu Yan’s slender waist, his chin nuzzling the top of her head:
“I am your husband. I must exert myself for you. Are you treating me like an outsider?”
Zhu Yan wouldn’t dare. She quickly invited him: “Then, will you accompany me to visit the nearby temples? We might find something there.”
The process of solving cases was always about slowly investigating minute details, a long and arduous journey.
Shen Du was naturally very willing to accompany her and couldn’t possibly let Zhu Yan go alone. However, he was now urgent about another matter. He turned Zhu Yan to face him, put down the book, cupped her face, and looked at her intently:
“I saw you go to Pan Chi’s place. What was that about?”
“That was because…”
Zhu Yan paused halfway through her sentence, suddenly realizing that Jing Lin must have already reported everything. She couldn’t help but smile, stood on tiptoe to plant a few light kisses on Shen Du’s cheek, and used her hand to smooth out his furrowed brow:
“Are you jealous?”
“Hmph!” Shen Du was quite pleased, showing no trace of anger. “In the future, don’t casually accept gifts from other men.”
Zhu Yan took the initiative to wrap her arms around his narrow waist, her face flushed pink, but her expression determined: “The same goes for you.”
This little woman was even setting conditions now.
Shen Du pulled Zhu Yan into his embrace, feeling secure and satisfied. He only wished for the sky to remain high and the waters long, and for the rest of their lives to be peaceful.
Zhu Yan shared the same thought, hoping for long-lasting love and to have found her true soulmate.