Mu Xia’s shout set off a chain reaction.

Prefect Chi and Chief Historian Xia jolted awake, sobering up considerably. Hua Yitang cursed — “damn it all” — and he and Ling Zhiyan leaped to their feet almost simultaneously. Jin Ruo nearly threw out his back. At the window, Lin Sui’an turned and asked in a single breath: “Where exactly is the body?”

Mu Xia: “Reportedly in Taibai Ward, West Island Street, in front of the Hua Family’s papermaking mill.”

Hua Ermu: “What?!”

All seven great-grandchildren slammed their palms on the table and rose.

Lin Sui’an nodded to show she understood, and was about to head for the stairs — but she recalled the peculiar spiral design of Zhang Yi Tower’s staircase and thought she might get dizzy before she even reached the ground floor. She made up her mind at once and vaulted straight out the window.

The leap caused an uproar. To everyone’s horror, this was the very top floor of Zhang Yi Tower — the building stood over eighteen zhang tall. A person who fell from there would surely be reduced to a pulp.

Hua Yitang’s face went white. He dashed to the window like a gust of wind — and saw Lin Sui’an sprinting along the black lacquered roof tiles with a series of rapid steps, reaching the edge of the upturned eave, then launching into another leap. She landed cleanly on the eave of the next floor down, ran and leaped again, repeating this over and over until she was at the second floor. There, she seized a silver bell, swung herself through the air in a beautiful arc like a bird in flight, and touched down on the rooftop of a building across the street, then continued across the rooftops toward Taibai Ward.

Ling Zhiyan’s head flushed hot and he nearly threw himself out the window in pursuit — but at the last moment, just enough reason remained to stop him. At that height and distance, no one other than Lin Niangzi could land safely, perhaps only someone with the lightness skill of Yun Zhong Yue. He abandoned the idea and resigned himself to the stairs.

Jin Ruo felt his own martial skills were probably good enough to follow his shifu’s unorthodox path — but he had eaten far too much today. His stomach was round as a ball, heavy and unwieldy, considerably impairing his performance. After careful assessment, he decided it was safer to follow Judicial Supervisor Ling.

Hua Yitang watched until Lin Sui’an had crossed the ward bridge safely, then finally exhaled. He turned back to find that Hua Ermu’s family and both Chi and Xia were frozen in shock, pointing at the window and shrieking: “Lin Niangzi flew down! From that height — she just swooped right down! Is she even human?!”

Hua Yitang had heard similar remarks far too many times to bother explaining. He snapped his fan shut with a crisp click and began issuing instructions in a calm, methodical manner. “Mu Xia, return to the Ninety-Nine Residence immediately and bring the physician to Taibai Ward. Hua clan members, send word to every Hua Family shop in the city — raise their guard to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos to stir up trouble in our territory, and the Shu paper shop on Central West Street should be especially careful. Hua Ermu, come with me to Taibai Ward.”

Mu Xia acknowledged the order and ran out. The great-grandchildren came to their senses, and even in that moment of urgency they remembered to bow to Hua Yitang before leaving.

Hua Yitang reminded Prefect Chi: “I am heading to the scene immediately. I would trouble Prefect Chi to dispatch men back to the office to summon the clerks and the constables to provide support.”

Chief Historian Xia raised his hand eagerly: “I’ll go! There’s a carriage downstairs!”

Prefect Chi wiped his face. “I will go with Military Advisor Hua!”

At this moment, Lin Sui’an felt wonderful.

Since the final battle in Cheng County, this was the first time she had run at such speed. She could clearly feel this body and her mind fusing ever more perfectly — faster, more responsive, the time she stayed airborne on each jump doubled, the whole body light as a feather.

Lin Sui’an knew clearly that this change had come from a shift in her state of mind. Her heart had grown more open, and with that openness, the capacity of her heart and lungs had expanded. Her breathing was naturally stronger. With every inhale and exhale, Yidu’s abundant moisture surged into her chest, cool and clear, the wind brushing past her ears — as free as flight.

After several great bounding leaps, Lin Sui’an spotted Taibai Ward. A stone arch bridge covered in green moss connected two wards, and below it ran Huanhua Creek — slow-moving, reflecting the sky above, bright silver-white. The bridge and the banks were packed with people, most of them papermaking workers in short jackets, peering downstream. Lin Sui’an pushed through the crowd, crossed the bridge, then leaped back onto a rooftop and sprinted in the direction where the crowd was densest. She quickly spotted the grand, extravagant sign of the Hua Family papermaking mill, with still more people crowded outside the mill gates, pointing and murmuring over something.

Someone shouted “Stop pushing, there’s nothing to see!” while another called out “It’s already been reported to the authorities, the constables are on their way — make room, make room!” But the curious onlookers kept gathering. Lin Sui’an, watching from the rooftop, could see clearly that something was not right. Setting aside the safety concern, this many people would inevitably destroy the scene. She leaped immediately from the roof, dropping through the air, and called out in a commanding voice: “Official business — all bystanders disperse at once!”

Before her voice had finished echoing, she had already landed. The full force of her presence sent Qian Jing ringing out in a sharp, resonant cry.

The bystanders were in the middle of their spectating when a young woman dropped out of the sky — a saber at her hip, a fierce glint in her eyes, clearly no ordinary person. On top of that, she invoked official authority, and the crowd immediately backed away on all sides, clearing a wide open space.

In the center of the open space sat a large, wet wooden crate. Its lacquer was black, water still dripping from its surface. It was unlocked, the lid propped open, and one corner of a green silk sash hung over the edge.

Lin Sui’an swept her eyes around to confirm no one else was pressing forward, then stepped up to the crate.

The crate was large — over four chi wide, and roughly half a person’s length. The wood was thick and finely crafted. The outside was wet, but the interior was essentially dry. From where Lin Sui’an stood, the first thing she saw was a crumple of emerald green silk, and then a yellow skirt. Both the silk and the skirt were bunched together. Peeking out from them was a foot in a red embroidered shoe, the heel pressed tight against the shin, the ankle twisted out of shape — as if it had been folded over by force. The lower half of the body lay on its side, the upper half flat on its back: a deeply unnatural pose.

Above the waist was a woman’s broad-collar half-robe, then black hair, disheveled and scattered in front of the face. Lin Sui’an moved around slowly and saw the dead woman’s face — pale, delicate, with large eyes that stared wide open, gazing emptily into the darkening sky.

Lin Sui’an had not expected the dead woman’s eyes to still be open. Completely unprepared, she met the corpse’s gaze directly. A piercing white light flashed through her mind, and the world before her turned to darkness.

But not entirely dark.

Faint points of light filtered through the black, like luminous sesame seeds scattered on black cloth. The seeds trembled, slowly swelling, transforming into light sources. Close by, low sounds reached her — soft weeping and heavy breathing, so near she could not tell whether they were her own sounds or someone else’s. Then, suddenly, a hand thrust up through the darkness, reaching high. The darkness cracked apart like an eggshell, fracturing in all directions. The whole being was yanked upward, breaking free of the shell. Fingers dug into the ground one by one, wearing away the nails until they bled, raw and torn — crawling slowly toward the source of the light…

“Lin Niangzi, watch out!”

Ling Zhiyan’s voice rang out sharply. Lin Sui’an jolted back from the vision of her golden finger, just in time to feel a rush of air at the back of her head. Someone was attacking from behind. On reflex, she drew Qian Jing and swept its spine along her nape in a reverse arc — a metallic clang rang out as it deflected the blow. The attacker was undeterred, and a second strike came immediately, slashing toward Lin Sui’an’s throat.

Qian Jing was already drawn — how could it allow such insolence?

Lin Sui’an didn’t even turn her head. She tilted slightly to avoid the killing blow. Her left hand’s three fingers listened to the wind and located the attacker by sound, gripping the tip of the opponent’s blade. Her right hand moved in concert, Qian Jing spinning around to shatter the enemy’s blade. She dropped into a bow stance, lowered her center of gravity, and drove her sword hilt back with a reverse strike — a resounding thud sent the attacker flying.

The entire sequence had taken no more than a heartbeat. As the attacker hit the ground with a crash, Lin Sui’an caught the scabbard that had been thrown aside, and posed with an elegant flourish as she sheathed the blade.

The bystanders were stupefied, mouths falling open in a chorus of “Wah!”

“Lin Niangzi, are you—” Ling Zhiyan arrived in a rush, mopping his forehead with sweat — and swallowed the rest of his sentence. “Ahem. I’m glad you’re unhurt.”

“That was a perilously close moment — I am deeply grateful to Judicial Supervisor Ling for the warning.” Lin Sui’an cupped her fists in salute.

Ling Zhiyan: “……Lin Niangzi is too kind.”

What perilous moment? All he had seen was Lin Sui’an beat that man who had attacked her from behind into something resembling a blood-spewing firework.

“How dare anyone attack my shifu!” Jin Ruo shoved through the crowd and dragged the reckless man forward. “Are you tired of living?”

Unexpectedly, the man was even more insolent than Jin Ruo, spitting a mouthful of blood and pointing at Lin Sui’an as he snarled: “Where did this nobody come from, daring to obstruct official business? Do you want to die?!”

Lin Sui’an then noticed that the “attacker” was wearing an official robe — pale green. If she recalled correctly, pale green was the color of a seventh-grade official. Wait a moment.

“Someone! Seize these miscreants and bring them to the prefect’s office — I intend to interrogate them thoroughly!”

Over ten constables brandishing iron rulers charged into the crowd, surrounding Lin Sui’an, Ling Zhiyan, and Jin Ruo. Ling Zhiyan’s expression darkened. He held up his authority token. “The Grand Court is conducting business here. Who dares make trouble?”

The moment he revealed his identity, the constables all froze.

“Everyone stop! All of you, stop!” Prefect Chi came charging over, hitching up his robes and gasping for breath, finally managing to catch his breath with much patting of his chest. “Judicial Supervisor Ling, Lin Niangzi — this is all a misunderstanding. This is Wu Zhengqing, the Yidu Military Affairs Advisor, currently also serving as Judicial Affairs Advisor. Someone must have reported the matter to the authorities, which is why he brought men to investigate.” He then hastily made eye contact with this Wu official. “Are you not going to quickly apologize to Lin Niangzi and Judicial Supervisor Ling?!”

“Lin Niangzi?” Wu Zhengqing wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. “You are the Hua Family’s Lin Sui’an?”

Lin Sui’an cupped her fists in greeting. “I acted rashly just now — I hope Advisor Wu will not take offense.”

Wu Zhengqing’s eyelids flickered, something moving in his gaze. He smiled. “So it is Lin Niangzi — what remarkable skill.” He raised his hands in a broad salute. “I, Wu, am completely convinced in my defeat.”

Frankly speaking, this Wu Zhengqing was neither particularly handsome nor particularly plain — tall and lean, with unremarkable features, which combined with his official robes and boots made him stand out somewhat in the crowd. His tone when complimenting Lin Sui’an was reasonably sincere. Yet Lin Sui’an felt in his manner an undertone of something that unsettled her — particularly when he spoke the words “what remarkable skill.” His gaze had swept swiftly over her face and body, an intrusive look that turned the stomach.

The feeling vanished in an instant, so quickly it was almost imperceptible. He appeared confident in his concealment, without a trace of guilt, ordering the constables to disperse the crowd and respectfully offering his respects to Ling Zhiyan.

Lin Sui’an gave a cold inward laugh, flicked the tip of her foot to send a small stone flying — it landed lightly against Wu Zhengqing’s lower half. Wu Zhengqing was mid-sentence, saying “I have long admired Judicial Supervisor Ling’s great reputation,” when he let out a yelp and clutched a certain region of his body, dropping to his knees. Ling Zhiyan, who had been standing directly across from him, sidestepped nimbly — and as fate would have it, the scene was caught perfectly by Hua Yitang, who was arriving late to the scene.

“Oh my, oh my!” Hua Yitang covered his mouth with his fan and struck a pose of exaggerated astonishment, bellowing at full volume: “Hua Ermu! Come look — whose grandson is this?!”

Hua Ermu bent down for a look, then went pale with alarm and rushed over to support Wu Zhengqing. “Oh my — isn’t this Advisor Wu? Why are you performing such a grand bow?! Please, do get up!”

Wu Zhengqing was in too much pain for his face to form a proper shape. He could not straighten at all, and could only emit a garbled wail — not a single coherent word came out.

Hua Yitang cocked his head and peered at him. “Are you sure he’s not a grandson?”

Hua Ermu: “Fourth Great-Uncle, truly he is not. Could any grandson of our Hua Family be this unattractive?”

The upright Judicial Supervisor Ling expressed sincere concern. “For Advisor Wu to be in such a condition — could it be some hidden ailment?”

Jin Ruo added helpfully: “I know a physician who specializes in hidden ailments. Shall I introduce him to Military Advisor Hua?”

Wu Zhengqing’s face turned green.

The constables maintaining order could no longer contain themselves, and burst into barely suppressed laughter.

Lin Sui’an lowered her eyes and smiled: these people had truly been corrupted by Hua Yitang.

Prefect Chi, befuddled by all the references to “great-uncles” and “grandsons,” watched Wu Zhengqing’s face grow ever greener and began to have his own doubts — could this Advisor Wu truly have some embarrassing medical condition?

“Stand aside!”

A red-robed man with a face white as a ghost’s stormed through, shouldering past Prefect Chi, and strode directly toward the crate containing the body, carrying a large wooden case on his back. Prefect Chi cried out in alarm: “Who are you—Oh?”

The red-robed man swept them all with a cold glance, then hooked his middle finger out to produce a coroner’s identification token, which he spun once before anyone’s eyes. Prefect Chi fell silent.

Blood-stained red robes. A face like the ghost of an impermanence deity. This could only be the legendary Grand Court’s elite coroner, Fang Ke. Word was this man’s autopsy skills were uncanny — capable of examining the dead as though speaking with them.

Prefect Chi felt rather reassured: one Hua Fourth Young Master had come to take up his post, and brought with him an entire team. The prefect’s office only needed to pay one man’s salary — what an excellent deal.

Fang Ke’s initial examination was swift. In less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea, he had delivered his preliminary findings.

“The deceased is female, identity unknown, approximately twenty years of age. Time of death estimated between eight and twelve hours ago. The conjunctiva shows hemorrhaging. There is a broad, shallow groove across the neck — she appears to have been strangled from behind with a cord of some kind. The implement was likely a rope about two fingers thick. After death, the body was placed in the wooden crate. More detailed findings will require the body to be transported to the prefect’s office for a full examination.”

Fang Ke paused, then turned his jet-black eyes toward Hua Yitang. The corner of his mouth curved into an uncanny arc that might have been a smile. “On the inner side of the deceased’s right upper thigh — there is a peach blossom brand.”

Lin Sui’an: “……”

Had she heard that correctly? A peach blossom — brand?

“A peach blossom brand?! That cannot be!” Prefect Chi’s expression changed drastically.

Ling Zhiyan’s face also shifted. Hua Yitang blinked, and tapped Ling Zhiyan’s shoulder with his fan. “Does this peach blossom brand carry some particular significance?”

Ling Zhiyan drew a slow breath, his expression grave. “Five years ago, a serial killer appeared in Yidu. Over fourteen months, he violated and murdered seventeen women in succession. Every body was found with a peach blossom brand on the inner right thigh. He was known as: the Peach Blossom Killer.”

Interlude

Hua Yitang: Damn, I arrived late and missed seeing exactly what this Advisor Wu did — but whoever manages to make Lin Sui’an angry, they’ve got to be absolute trash. Let me curse him out first and ask questions later.