Governor Chi had not slept a full night for two nights running. It was only when dawn was nearly breaking that he had just barely managed to close his eyes — the bedding had not even grown warm before someone began beating the grievance drum outside the government offices. Startled into a lurch, he leapt out of bed and sent someone to inquire. It turned out to be Wu Zhengli, patriarch of the Wu Family from the south of the city, reporting a case — saying his wife had been abducted by a thief in the night, and requesting that the government offices issue a warrant for the suspect’s arrest.

Governor Chi’s head immediately felt two sizes too large.

The Peach Blossom Killer case had yet to be resolved, and now a notorious brigand had surfaced out of nowhere — and by terrible luck, it was also connected to the Wu Family. In a great hurry, he ordered someone to summon Military Advisor Adjutant Wu Zhengli’s counterpart, but the clerk sent to fetch him returned with the report that Wu Zhengli — the Military Advisor Adjutant Wu Zhengqing — had fallen suddenly ill the previous night and had requested the day off.

Governor Chi cursed under his breath. That Wu Zhengqing was as robust as an ox and had not been ill in years. His taking sick leave at this exact moment was transparently no coincidence. Clearly, when Judicial Advisor Ling had raised the questions surrounding the Peach Blossom Killer case the day before, he had felt his face had been lost. On top of that, Wu Zhengqing had become a suspect in the Lian Xiaoshuang case — so naturally he wanted to distance himself from his cousin as swiftly as possible.

A man of such petty jealousies and selfish indulgence was truly no good bird at all.

In the midst of this headache, the constables reported that Judicial Adjutant Hua Yitang and Judicial Investigator Ling had come to call. Governor Chi was overjoyed, thinking that sure enough, when it truly mattered, these two could be relied upon — worthy indeed of being held in high regard by His Majesty, as befitted the Hua Family of Yangdu and the Ling Family of Xingyang.

As soon as Hua Yitang walked through the door, he offered Governor Chi a reassuring pill of comfort.

“I hear the thief who abducted the Wu Family mistress is said to be Yun Zhong Yue. I have crossed swords with this thief on multiple occasions and have considerable understanding of his methods. Why not let me and Judicial Investigator Ling accompany Governor Chi in hearing this case together?”

Governor Chi naturally agreed without hesitation and ordered court to be convened.

Three rounds of the court drum, the weighty call to order falling to the ground. Outside the hall, the crowd was packed tight with onlookers, all eager to hear the strange case of the world’s greatest thief Yun Zhong Yue’s abduction.

Governor Chi donned his freshly pressed official robes and took his seat behind the magistrate’s table. He glanced left — the Dali Court Judicial Investigator was present. He glanced right — Flower Adjutant, the brilliant case-solver, was on hand. And with the renowned Lin Niangzi holding the rear, his heart was greatly steadied. He struck the gavel down and called the plaintiff Wu Zhengli before the court.

Heavy footsteps sounded from outside the hall. Then the sight of Wu Family servants came — carrying, of all things, a bed. The bed hit the ground with a thud, and the assembled onlookers all let out an involuntary “Oh my!”

Governor Chi looked closely: there was someone lying on the bed. He looked again: it was Wu Zhengli. He looked yet again — Wu Zhengli’s face was a mess of bruises and swelling, a strip of bandaging wound around his forehead, his right arm hanging in a sling from his neck — clearly broken.

The listening Hua Yitang covered his mouth in mock horror. “Oh dear, how did the Wu Family patriarch come to suffer such grave injuries? Could it be that he was kicked by a donkey?!”

Lin Sui’an glanced sideways at him: Asking questions he already knows the answer to — this dandy’s tongue really is wicked.

Wu Zhengli struggled to sit up. Even that single motion had him tearing up from pain. “Governor Chi, you must seek justice for this commoner! Last night at the first watch, a person calling himself the world’s greatest thief Yun Zhong Yue forcibly broke into my Wu Family’s side estate, abducted my wife Qu Hui, and beat me into this state. The doctor says the bones in my right hand are completely shattered — this hand will be crippled for life!”

Governor Chi was greatly astonished. “Such a brazen thief exists in this world? What manner of appearance did this criminal have?”

“There were two thieves, both in black clothing with their faces covered. I did not see their faces, but their blows were ruthless — clearly habitual criminals.”

“Two people whose faces you couldn’t see?” Governor Chi looked somewhat troubled. “Can you describe any distinguishing features of their build or bearing?”

Wu Zhengli thought for a moment. “One was quite tall, with long arms and long legs — like a tall bamboo pole. Yun Zhong Yue was slightly shorter, with a figure more resembling a woman’s rather than a man’s — and —” His eyes swept across the hall and landed on Lin Sui’an. “— somewhat similar to this Lin Niangzi here… with great strength… a black-sheathed straight blade at the waist —”

The more Wu Zhengli spoke, the more uneasy he became. He sized Lin Sui’an up from head to toe, his eyes bulging. He raised his left hand and pointed at Lin Sui’an, shrieking: “It — it it it it it is her!”

Governor Chi: “What?!”

Lin Sui’an crossed her arms and gave a cold laugh. “What evidence do you have that I am Yun Zhong Yue?”

“The voice is the same too!” Wu Zhengli’s eyes shot through with red veins. “This woman is Yun Zhong Yue! Please, Governor Chi, order this woman seized at once and rescue my wife!”

The onlooking crowd erupted in uproar. Governor Chi struck the gavel three times in quick succession. “Court is in session! No noise! Quiet! Quiet!”

“With Governor Chi’s permission,” Hua Yitang rose to his feet, leisurely clasping his hands in salute, “I believe the Wu Family patriarch has made a mistaken identification.”

Wu Zhengli: “I have not made a mistake! The build, the voice, even the blade at the waist — all identical!”

Hua Yitang sighed. “What neither of you may know is this: the reason Yun Zhong Yue is called the world’s greatest thief is because of two extraordinary skills. First, unparalleled lightness kung fu — the Lotus Step. Second, an uncanny bone-contraction skill and disguise art. Whenever this person wishes, he can transform himself into any person in the world in the blink of an eye — facial features, physique, voice, even mannerisms — all an indistinguishable replica of the real person. Not even one’s own parents could tell the difference.”

The crowd: “Wooooah—”

Governor Chi gaped. “Such a miraculous disguise technique truly exists in this world?!”

Wu Zhengli: “Utter nonsense! No such thing is possible!”

Hua Yitang shook his head. “Wu Family patriarch, the world is vast, and there are wonders without end. The fact that you’ve never seen such a thing only proves you are a frog at the bottom of a well.”

“Every word Flower Adjutant says is true,” Ling Zhiyan said. “I myself have personally witnessed Yun Zhong Yue disguise himself as a Persian merchant, a Taoist priest, a woman — and even as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, Lu Yingjie. When Yun Zhong Yue and Vice Minister Lu appeared at the same time, it was like a man standing before his own mirror image. Truly remarkable.”

Governor Chi was entirely convinced.

If he still had any doubt about Hua Yitang’s account, Ling Zhiyan’s testimony he could trust without reservation. Everyone in the Eastern Capital knew: Ling Family’s sixth son of Xingyang was earnest and upright — the most honest man in the entire Tang realm.

This time, even Wu Zhengli had nothing left to say.

“However —” Hua Yitang paused in thought, “if the one who truly abducted Madam Qu is Yun Zhong Yue, this becomes rather strange indeed!”

Governor Chi: “What does Flower Adjutant mean by that?”

“Yun Zhong Yue cares only for money and valuables and has no interest in women. In all the years he has been active, the jianghu has never heard a word about him having any habit of stealing people. So why has his temperament suddenly changed and he has begun forcibly snatching respectable women?” Hua Yitang turned to look at Wu Zhengli. “When Yun Zhong Yue abducted Madam Qu, did he say anything?”

Wu Zhengli’s face darkened from black to green. Through gritted teeth: “He — he said… he had taken a liking to my wife… and also said something about ‘the moon rising above the willow tips, coming in the middle of the night to steal fragrance’…”

The moment those words fell, everyone in and outside the hall perked right up. The crowd, never ones to let a good spectacle pass quietly, exchanged glances and gleaming expressions with great relish. Even the court officers gripping their authority staffs were listening with keen interest.

Governor Chi stared dumbfounded. Ling Zhiyan cleared his throat repeatedly. Hua Yitang’s eyes went wide, and he darted a rapid look at Lin Sui’an.

Lin Sui’an quietly turned her head: the situation had been pressing, and she had just blurted it out on a whim — at least it rhymed.

“Ahem!” Hua Yitang cleared his throat. “At the time, did Madam Qu put up no resistance at all?”

Wu Zhengli’s expression stiffened slightly. “At the time… my wife had already been struck unconscious by him!”

“That makes it stranger still.” Hua Yitang stroked his chin. “Yun Zhong Yue’s lightness kung fu may be extraordinary, but carrying an unconscious Madam Qu would certainly prevent him from deploying it. Were there no servants who tried to intervene? Did he truly come and go as though there were no one around?”

Wu Zhengli: “It — it was already deep night. The servants of the side estate had all retired.”

“Were there any other eyewitnesses besides the Wu Family patriarch?”

“I told you — it was deep night. No one else saw anything!”

“The Wu Family household is at least one of Yidu’s prominent clans. Does it not even have guards?”

“I — I and my wife like tranquillity. We stay in the pavilion by the rear garden, and guards rarely approach.”

“Oh my!” Hua Yitang struck one fist into his palm. “Wu Family patriarch, you are far too careless! With defenses this lax and the gates left wide open, it’s practically an invitation to wolves!”

Wu Zhengli’s lips turned blue. “Is Flower Adjutant suggesting this is my own fault?”

“The Wu Family patriarch has misunderstood. I only feel this case is riddled with suspicious points and wish to understand them clearly.”

Governor Chi was greatly puzzled. “What suspicious points?”

“First, this case does not match Yun Zhong Yue’s known patterns of crime. Second, aside from the Wu Family patriarch, not a single person witnessed this so-called Yun Zhong Yue — and yet Madam Qu has inexplicably vanished.” At that, Hua Yitang shot a swift glance at Ling Zhiyan.

Ling Zhiyan’s expression grew serious. “In my time at the Dali Court, I once read through a case file. A man reported to the authorities that his wife had been abducted by a licentious bandit. The government searched for half a year with no result, and had no choice but to declare the wife deceased. The man quickly remarried. Three months after the new wedding, the new wife came to the authorities to report her husband for strange behavior — the household woodshed was crawling with maggots. Officials were dispatched to investigate, and inside a hollow section of the woodshed’s inner wall, they found the body of the missing wife.”

Governor Chi let out a cry. The crowd erupted with “Wow!”

Wu Zhengli’s complexion changed drastically. “What is Judicial Investigator Ling implying?!”

Ling Zhiyan’s dark eyes fixed steadily on Wu Zhengli. The golden morning light fell across his resolute, upright face — like an iron-faced judge from a temple. “After interrogation, the man confessed to his crime. He had been dissatisfied with his wife for bearing him no children over many years, and had beaten her every day. When his wife sought to dissolve the marriage, the man was overcome with fury and beat her to death. To conceal his crime, he hid his wife’s body in the hollow of the woodshed wall, then reported to the authorities that she had been abducted by a licentious bandit, believing this would allow him to deceive heaven and earth. What is laughable is that medical examination revealed the man himself had an abnormal constitution and was entirely incapable of producing offspring — the fault was never his wife’s to begin with. Fortunately, heaven’s justice was served and retribution was swift. In the end, that man was sentenced to death by hanging.”

Well! Lin Sui’an thought to herself — Ling the handsome truly lived up to his reputation as a man who had devoured every Dali Court case file in existence. What obscure corner had he dug this case out from? It was absolutely perfect. Every detail fit seamlessly, like roasting Wu Zhengli directly over an open flame.

The crowd was indignant.

“That’s not a person, that’s a beast!”

“Insulting to beasts — that’s clearly worse than a beast!”

“Hey hey hey, doesn’t anyone else think the case Judicial Investigator Ling just described sounds a lot like Wu Zhengli’s situation?”

“Tsk tsk tsk, hard to say, hard to say —”

Wu Zhengli was so enraged that the wound on his forehead cracked open, blood soaking through the bandage. “Outrageous! This bunch of worthless rice-bags who can’t tell right from wrong — instead of catching an actual brigand, you dare to slander me — slander me for being incapable of — slander me for harming my own wife! Turning black into white! Making a mockery of the law! This is absurd! This is dereliction of duty!”

Hua Yitang raised an eyebrow calmly. “Judicial Investigator Ling only wished to solve the case swiftly and was discussing case records with his colleagues. He never once said the Wu Family patriarch was the same sort of person. The Wu Family patriarch would do well not to see himself in every story and torment himself needlessly.”

Wu Zhengli’s eyes blazed with fury. He was about to retort when Governor Chi abruptly struck the gavel, making Wu Zhengli flinch violently. The hall fell dead silent.

Governor Chi’s face darkened as he rapidly ran calculations in his mind.

Something is not right about this case! Flower Adjutant may appear to be making a muddle of things, yet his reasoning is clear, and every sentence points to a suspicious hole. Judicial Investigator Ling would not bring up a case of a husband killing his wife and hiding her body for no reason. These two, born of great families, well-informed and sharp-minded, must have discovered something significant — yet find it inconvenient to say so openly in court, and so have been hinting at it to him throughout.

Truly worthy of being the talents His Majesty holds in high esteem — noble in character and generous in conduct.

A wave of warmth rose in Governor Chi’s heart. He quietly raised a hand and gestured for Hua Yitang and Ling Zhiyan to come closer.

“What exactly is your view on this case, the two of you? Feel free to speak plainly.”

Hua Yitang: “We only just questioned Qu Hui yesterday, and today she has disappeared. Is that not a bit too convenient?”

Governor Chi nodded repeatedly. “Indeed, suspicious.”

Ling Zhiyan: “I still have several points I wish to confirm.”

Governor Chi bobbed his head vigorously. “Judicial Investigator Ling, please proceed.”

The three arrived at a quiet, shared understanding, and returned to their seats.

Governor Chi struck the gavel. “Wu Zhengli. To resolve this case as swiftly as possible, Judicial Investigator Ling will now ask you a few details. Answer carefully.”

Wu Zhengli closed his eyes briefly, then through gritted teeth: “Yes!”

Ling Zhiyan: “You said earlier that Yun Zhong Yue broke into your bedroom at the first watch, and abducted Qu Hui. At that time, what were you and Qu Hui doing?”

Wu Zhengli’s skin twitched uneasily. “What — what else would we be doing? Naturally, sleeping.”

“Was there a lamp burning in the room?”

“Since we were sleeping, naturally there was no lamp.”

“In other words, when Yun Zhong Yue entered the room, the interior was completely dark. So how was the Wu Family patriarch able to make out Yun Zhong Yue’s attire, blade, and physical features?”

“There was a moon last night, and moonlight!” Wu Zhengli said quickly. “So I saw everything clearly.”

Of course it wasn’t the moonlight — it was because several candles were burning in the secret room. Lin Sui’an thought to herself.

“Where was the bedroom you and your wife occupied?”

“The pavilion in the rear garden of the side estate.”

“How many floors?”

“Two.”

“Which floor was the bedroom on?”

“The second.”

Ling Zhiyan nodded slightly. “You said Yun Zhong Yue announced that he had taken a liking to Qu Hui, and so came to abduct her. Is this accurate?”

Wu Zhengli was furious. “Of course! I heard it with my own ears!”

“May I ask — does Madam Qu typically go out often? Would she have had opportunities to be in contact with men outside the household?”

Wu Zhengli’s voice abruptly grew abnormally shrill. “My wife comes from a scholarly family of refinement and culture. In her daily life she does not step beyond the inner gates. She is the most virtuous and proper of women! How could she possibly have any improper dealings with men outside?!”

Hua Yitang gave a small quiet “hmph.” Lin Sui’an rolled her eyes.

Ling Zhiyan: “Has anything of value gone missing from the Wu household?”

Wu Zhengli sputtered: “…That would be no.”

Ling Zhiyan frowned. “Then this makes no sense.”

“What sense and nonsense?! After wasting all this time, what is the meaning of all these disorganized questions?! When exactly do you plan to go and make the arrest?”

“Wu Family patriarch, please be patient,” Governor Chi said quickly. “Judicial Investigator Ling — where is the inconsistency?”

Ling Zhiyan shook his head repeatedly, appearing to hesitate before speaking. Hua Yitang sighed. “Why not let me help Governor Chi sort through the threads?”

“Flower Adjutant, please proceed.”

Hua Yitang rose and strolled unhurriedly in front of Wu Zhengli’s bed, pacing in leisurely circles. “According to the Wu Family patriarch’s account, Qu Hui lives deep within the household and rarely goes out — no opportunity to encounter men from outside. The chance of her encountering a notorious brigand like Yun Zhong Yue would be even more infinitesimally small. In other words, it is very likely that last night was the first time Yun Zhong Yue ever laid eyes on Qu Hui.”

“So the events of last night should have unfolded as follows:” Hua Yitang snapped open his official robe sleeve with a crack, his voice and tone rising and falling with theatrical flourish. “Picture this — at the first watch of last night, the world’s greatest thief Yun Zhong Yue and an accomplice broke into the rear quarters of the Wu Family side estate, passing through without obstruction as though entering a deserted place, unerringly locating the second-floor bedroom of the garden pavilion. By the faint light of the moon, they caught sight of the sleeping Wu Zhengli and Qu Hui. Yun Zhong Yue laid eyes on Qu Hui for the first time and was — ah! — struck as if by lightning, smitten at first sight. So he formed a wicked intent, wishing to forcibly possess this woman. Jealousy flared in his heart at the sight of the Wu Family patriarch lying beside her, and so he first gave the patriarch a thorough beating, then carried Qu Hui off — once again passing through the entire estate without obstruction and making clean his escape.”

“Meanwhile, Yun Zhong Yue, who cares only for silver and gems, did not happen to pocket a single valuable item in passing. Meanwhile, not one servant or guard detected a thing —” Hua Yitang whirled around, a faint smile playing on his lips as he fixed his gaze on Wu Zhengli. “Wu Family patriarch — does that sound reasonable to you?”

Someone in the crowd “pfft”-laughed out loud. Another heckled: “Even a storyteller at the vaudeville house couldn’t make up something this preposterous!” The court officers were all rolling their eyes, unable to bear listening any longer.

Wu Zhengli’s face cycled through shades of green, black, and green again. His lips twitched for a long moment, and not a single word came out.

Lin Sui’an forced herself not to laugh out loud.

Naturally it was absurd — first, because Wu Zhengli had told none of the truth; second, because there was no Yun Zhong Yue involved at all. Built from nothing but lie upon lie, the resulting account was inevitably this incoherent and nonsensical.

Governor Chi slammed the gavel down hard. “Wu Zhengli! What really happened?! Confess the truth now!”

Wu Zhengli struggled to raise himself upright, kneeling on the bed and repeatedly striking his forehead against it. “Everything I have said is the truth! My wife Qu Hui truly was abducted by that Yun Zhong Yue! Please, Governor Chi, seek justice for this commoner!”

As he spoke, he covered his face and wept loudly.

Hua Yitang swept a cold gaze over Wu Zhengli, then clasped his hands in salute. “With Governor Chi’s permission, this case is riddled with suspicious points. I believe the side estate should be immediately searched to confirm the evidence. If Yun Zhong Yue is truly responsible, a city-wide warrant for his capture must be issued at once to rescue Madam Qu. But if someone intends to use Yun Zhong Yue’s name as cover for their own crimes — to muddy the waters — then with Governor Chi’s perceptiveness, he shall surely render them unable to escape!”

Wu Zhengli jerked his head up, his voice trembling. “S-s-search the s-side estate — that really shouldn’t be necessary —”

“Outrageous!” Governor Chi erupted in fury. “Without searching the scene, how can we determine whether Yun Zhong Yue was truly responsible? Or does the Wu Family side estate truly have something to hide?”

Wu Zhengli’s face drained white in an instant.

Lin Sui’an raised an eyebrow: Wu Zhengli’s expression — could it be that… by the timeline, when she and Jin Ruo went to the side estate it was already past the first watch. Jin Ruo had kicked Wu Zhengli unconscious, and given Jin Ruo’s force, Wu Zhengli would need to be out for at least two hours. By the time he woke, had the doctor tend to him, and rushed to make his report, it was basically already dawn. Wu Zhengli had been in such a hurry to report, there was a very good chance he had forgotten to clean up after himself — the secret room might not have been dealt with yet.

Oh ho ho! This was going to be entertaining.

Governor Chi: “Guards!”

The constable chief charged into the hall, saluting: “Present!”

“Take men to the Wu Family side estate immediately and search it — dig three feet into the ground if you must to find evidence!”

“Understood!”

The court officers sprinted out of the government offices in a line. Wu Zhengli’s expression glazed over, and he collapsed onto his bed like a used rag. His expression and manner only deepened Governor Chi’s suspicion — the Governor abandoned any thought of a break and sat firmly on the bench waiting for news. The crowd, even more reluctant to leave, clustered outside whispering among themselves.

Lin Sui’an, Hua Yitang, and Ling Zhiyan were in comparatively relaxed spirits. Mu Xia and Hua Yitang sipped tea leisurely. Ling Zhiyan pulled out a sheaf of worn-looking old case files to browse. Lin Sui’an, who had not slept all night, took the opportunity to close her eyes and rest.

After more than half an hour, the constable chief who had gone to investigate returned, his complexion deeply troubled.

“Reporting to your honor — no trace whatsoever was found in the second-floor bedroom of the Wu Family side estate garden pavilion. However, in the first floor of the pavilion, we discovered a hidden concealed door — inside is a secret room.”

Governor Chi shot upright. “What secret room?!”

The constable chief glared at Wu Zhengli with unconcealed disgust. “Inside the secret room there is an enormous bed, along with many strange instruments of torture — clubs, ropes, leather whips. The instruments of torture, the bed, and the bed curtains are all covered in human blood!”

Governor Chi was aghast, and rose to his feet striking the table. “What?! Why are there instruments of torture?! Whose blood?!”

The constable chief produced a hairpin and presented it forward. “On the bed a hairpin was also found. According to the identification of the side estate’s servants, it belongs to Qu Hui’s personal ornaments.”

Governor Chi was furious enough to stamp his feet, striking the gavel again and again with great force. “Wu Zhengli, where exactly is your wife? Was she truly abducted by Yun Zhong Yue, or did you kill her?! Confess now!”

Wu Zhengli’s entire body trembled like a sieve. “I — I — I am wronged! I did not kill anyone! My wife truly was taken by someone! I —”

“Then explain the secret room! Explain the blood in the secret room!”

Wu Zhengli’s face was as white as paper. His mouth opened and closed like a catfish, but he was utterly without words to defend himself.

Lin Sui’an felt a cold satisfaction within.

She wanted to see how Wu Zhengli would explain this.

Why was there a secret room? Because he had been subjecting his wife to domestic violence for years.

Why did he abuse her? Because of a warped and twisted mind.

Why was his mind warped? Because he was incapable of performing a man’s duties.

If he stayed silent, he was a suspect in his wife’s murder.

If he spoke, he had to admit he was a beast who had beaten his wife — and worse, that he was an incapable wretch.

“Ha! So the great Wu Family patriarch turns out to be this sort of creature! Disgusting!”

“Oh my, this is even more beastly than that beastly husband from earlier!”

“What Yun Zhong Yue abducting someone — I’d say eight in ten chances it was this man who killed his own wife!”

“Tsk tsk tsk. What a vicious heart.”

“To think I actually bought cloth from the Wu Family before. Revolting!”

“Oh goodness, I bought some too — I’m going home to burn it. What bad luck!”

The chorus of curses and contemptuous voices rose one after another from the crowd. The scorn in everyone’s eyes was like countless blades, slicing hard across Wu Zhengli’s face. Wu Zhengli had been pampered and privileged since childhood and had never suffered such humiliation. The combined shock and fury surged to his heart, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted dead away once more.

Governor Chi struck the gavel furiously. “Take Wu Zhengli to the cells — place him under strict watch!”

The court officers dragged Wu Zhengli off the bed and hauled him away. How pitiful this Wu Family patriarch — he had arrived with a bed to lie on, but once in the cells, all he would have was a damp floor.

“Simply vicious and lawless — outrageous!” Governor Chi was so enraged his eyes were practically bulging.

Hua Yitang took the opportunity to step forward with a suggestion: “The cases involving both Qu Hui and Lian Xiaoshuang are both tied to Wu Zhengli. Lian Xiaoshuang’s death was suspicious, and now Qu Hui’s whereabouts are unknown as well. I believe that not only should the Wu Family side estate be thoroughly searched — every shop under Wu Family’s name should be carefully investigated too.”

Governor Chi let out a long breath. “Flower Adjutant’s point is well taken. I entrust this case to Flower Adjutant to handle with full authority — handle it swiftly and strictly, and give this office a full accounting.”

Done! Lin Sui’an felt a deep satisfaction. That was exactly what was needed.

This would allow them to bypass the tedious bureaucratic approval process and conduct a swift, legitimate, fully authorized search of every shop under the Wu Family name — tracing the source of the Qingzhou embroidery and Longshen fruit distribution.

Hua Yitang bowed deeply, clasping his hands, and curved his lips into a smile. “Your subordinate obeys!”

Side story:

At the same time, outside the hall where Jin Ruo and Mu Xia were listening in on the proceedings, their eyes lit up simultaneously, and they each summoned their respective subordinates.

Jin Ruo: “Immediately notify Elder Gan of the altar — sweep through every shop under the Wu Family name. Any that show signs of problems, report them at once. Also — the backer of Duck Row Gate is finished. Tell the brothers to be ready to take over the territory.”

Mu Xia: “Immediately notify Hua Er Mu — the Wu Family is done. Get started at once preparing to absorb the Wu Family’s shops.”

Author’s note: Something has come up tomorrow and I won’t be able to update. During the May Day holiday, if I have time, I’ll make it up on one of the days.