Because the scene of the crime was so gruesome, Hua Yitang commandeered the Jade Tree Chamber adjacent to the Swallow Hairpin Chamber as a temporary investigation base, and brought the unconscious Duan Hongning and Wu Chengqing over together. Lin Sui’an settled Duan Hongning on the soft couch, while Wu Chengqing received no such consideration and was laid directly on the floor. After Fangke’s diagnosis, the two of them had most likely been subjected to a stupefying incense and would not come around for some time.

The Pure Gate disciples worked with impressive efficiency. In less than a quarter of an hour, Constable Wu Da of the Yidu prefecture office arrived at Sanhua Tower with a contingent of officers of the law and surrounded the building inside and out.

Hua Yitang’s first order was to have Wu Da bring the proprietor to the Jade Tree Chamber for questioning about the Swallow Hairpin Chamber’s hidden room.

The proprietor’s surname was Lu. In his mid-forties, he had run Sanhua Tower for ten years. He had been frightened out of his wits and could barely string two coherent sentences together.

“That — that, that hidden room was abandoned long ago. I had actually been planning to break through the wall between the hidden room and the main chamber within the next few days. A few days ago, I already dismantled the hidden door. It was just that with the Su Family banquet keeping me so occupied, I didn’t get to it in time, so I had someone make a paper screen matching the wall color to cover it for now — Flower — Flower, Flower, Flower, Adjutant Hua, I truly know nothing at all. I am an honest, law-abiding man of business. My elderly mother is eighty years old. My nursing infant is barely weaned…”

It was no wonder Proprietor Lu was in such a state. At that moment, Hua Yitang was draped sideways across a resting bench, fan tapping against his palm — tap, tap, tap — his long lashes half-veiling his eyes, those eyes long and narrow, his pale flowing robes cascading to the floor like a chill autumn frost — the very image of a villain boss.

Lin Sui’an pressed her hand to her forehead and glanced across at Ling Zhiyan.

Ling Zhiyan stifled a sigh. “We are merely conducting routine inquiries. Proprietor Lu, there is nothing to fear — simply answer what I ask.”

Proprietor Lu wiped furiously at his face with his sleeve, but when he saw this thick-browed, clear-eyed official standing upright and dignified before him, his heart settled somewhat. He steadied himself. “Please go ahead, Inspector.”

Ling Zhiyan: “You mentioned just now that the Swallow Hairpin Chamber’s hidden room was abandoned — what was it originally used for?”

More sweat from Proprietor Lu. “Those — those hidden rooms were originally built to facilitate guests in… conducting certain matters.”

Ling Zhiyan frowned. “Conducting what matters?”

“Well, this…”

Hua Yitang raised an eyelid. “Do you really need to ask? The dishes and wines on Sanhua Tower’s fourth floor and above are priced astronomically — far beyond what an ordinary commoner could ever afford. Such exorbitant prices naturally include charges for other special services — this establishment is only three streets from Red Fragrance House in East Quarter One. It is quite obvious that this hidden room was built for the entertainment of the upper-floor guests with courtesans.”

Proprietor Lu smiled awkwardly. “Adjutant Hua sees through everything with perfect clarity. The hidden room was indeed prepared for the use of Red Fragrance House’s courtesans. As for the passageway and the hidden door — those were for the servants and the courtesans to use, to avoid wandering into the main dining rooms uninvited and disrupting the honored guests.”

Hua Yitang: “How very thoughtful of you.”

“A man in my trade — I naturally follow the wishes of the honored guests. Whatever they want, I provide. What business would I have having any opinion of my own?”

Ling Zhiyan: “You speak of these honored guests — who are they?”

Proprietor Lu continued mopping the sweat from his brow, his eyes rolling in the direction of the sixth-floor pavilion without a word, his meaning self-evident.

“If the hidden rooms were built to satisfy the honored guests’ desires, they must have been constructed and furnished with some care. Why are they now abandoned?” Lin Sui’an asked.

Proprietor Lu: “Originally, the great families of Yidu loved nothing more than holding lavish all-night banquets at Sanhua Tower. But in these past two years, for some reason — perhaps they simply grew tired of it — these banquets abruptly stopped, and the hidden rooms had no further purpose. To be frank, tonight is the first time in two years that the Su Family of Suizhou has held a banquet at Sanhua Tower. I exerted every means available to me and even paid a considerable sum to invite Lady Duan and Minina, hoping that if this banquet could be made perfect in every respect, perhaps I could win back the Su Family’s business. Who could have known something like this would happen. Truly, a sigh.”

Lin Sui’an couldn’t help but knit her brows. Hui had said — the change in Lian Xiaoshuang had started with a “banquet.”

Hua Yitang: “From what you say, the Su Family of Suizhou used to hold banquets at Sanhua Tower regularly?”

“Ahem.” Proprietor Lu cleared his throat. “The Su Family patriarch enjoys a lively atmosphere. In the old days, he would hold a banquet every month or two, inviting the scions of the various great families to come and make merry with him.”

Hua Yitang: “My, the Su Family patriarch certainly doesn’t let age slow him down — what admirable vitality.”

Proprietor Lu laughed dryly.

Ling Zhiyan: “Why did he stop?”

“I’ve been wondering that myself.” Proprietor Lu’s face took on a mournful expression. “Two years ago he just stopped, without any explanation. I don’t know if I somehow offended him… Truly, a sigh!”

Lin Sui’an: Two years ago? That timing is rather significant — it lines up exactly with when the Dragon God Temple began selling the Dragon God Fruit.

Ling Zhiyan: “Do all the private rooms on the fourth and fifth floors have hidden rooms?”

Proprietor Lu: “Only the five highest-grade rooms have hidden rooms — the Swallow Hairpin Chamber, the Jade Tree Chamber, and the玲珑 Chamber on the fifth floor, and the Cherry Chamber and the Banana Leaf Chamber on the fourth floor.”

“Who knows about the locations of these hidden rooms?” Lin Sui’an asked.

“All of Sanhua Tower’s attendants and manservants know, as do the courtesans of Red Fragrance House. And the honored guests who previously attended the Su Family’s banquets are well aware too.”

Lin Sui’an glanced at Jin Ruo, who gave her a look that said “Master, leave it to me,” then grabbed Proprietor Lu and went off to search.

Hua Yitang fanned himself and then asked Constable Wu Da, standing to one side, “Constable Wu, how do things stand?”

Wu Da clasped his hands. “Adjutant Hua, I questioned all the manservants guarding the doors and the coachmen in the plaza outside responsible for watching the carriages — no one has left Sanhua Tower since the banquet began.”

“You are certain?”

“Sanhua Tower has one main entrance, one rear entrance, and two side entrances. The Su Family seemed to have placed great importance on this banquet and required four manservants to be posted at every entrance without exception.” Wu Da continued, “I asked three times over — no one went out.”

Which meant, Lin Sui’an thought, that the killer was very likely still inside Sanhua Tower.

Ling Zhiyan: “How goes the accounting of Sanhua Tower’s manservants, attendants, the courtesans of Red Fragrance House, and the performers?”

“With the banquet so elaborate, all the manservants and attendants were occupied with preparations and never left the group — they can corroborate one another. The musicians and the courtesans of Red Fragrance House remained at the banquet throughout and had no opportunity to slip away.”

Hua Yitang: “And the male dancers?”

Wu Da: “The officers of the law are still questioning them.”

Ling Zhiyan: “Are there any witnesses who saw anyone go to the Swallow Hairpin Chamber, or leave through the fourth-floor hidden door?”

Wu Da shook his head. “None so far.”

“Did anyone see Wu Chengqing and Duan Hongning go to Minina’s room?”

“The Eternal Day Pavilion people said that after each performance of the whirling dance, Minina would always shut herself in her room to rest quietly for one full hour, and she absolutely hated being disturbed. On top of that, the Swallow Hairpin Chamber’s location is extremely secluded — very few people ever pass by — so no witnesses have been found.”

Lin Sui’an: This Swallow Hairpin Chamber’s location is quite peculiar — it has a hidden room and it is hidden away — like a crime scene tailor-made for the occasion.

Fangke pushed open the door and came in. He handed Hua Yitang a fresh examination report.

“Deceased: Minina, female, age twenty-two, of western-region origin. Time of death: approximately half an hour ago.”

Lin Sui’an worked backward — the killer had struck during the exchange between Hua Yitang and Su Feizhang.

Fangke: “The fatal cause of death was severing of the left cervical carotid artery by a sharp instrument, resulting in death by blood spray. A second wound is located in the abdomen, three cun to the left of the navel, pierced through by a sharp blade. Based on the size, shape, and depth of both wounds, the murder weapon is the horizontal saber embedded in the abdomen of the body.”

An officer of the law placed a white cloth on the table before everyone. Inside the cloth, wrapped around the weapon extracted from the corpse, was a three-foot ring-pommel horizontal saber. The black hilt was wound with a firmly tied grip-band, soaked through with blood — clearly a weapon that had seen years of regular use.

Wu Da’s breath suddenly caught. He stared fixedly at the horizontal saber, and his expression changed.

Hua Yitang: “Constable Wu, do you recognize this blade?”

Wu Da’s brow furrowed deeply. He cast a glance toward the prostrate Wu Chengqing on the floor, drew a breath, and said: “Adjutant Hua — this blade is… Adjutant Wu’s personal saber.”

Hua Yitang slowly sat up straight. “You are certain, Constable Wu?”

Wu Da bowed his head and clasped his hands. “I have worked alongside Adjutant Wu for many years — I could not be mistaken.”

Oh, this was getting interesting. Lin Sui’an was immediately engaged.

Hua Yitang signaled Wu Da to step down, then rose and walked over to Wu Chengqing. He paced a slow circle around him, fan tapping against his chin. “The murder weapon is Wu Chengqing’s, yet there is not a drop of blood on his body.”

Fangke shook his head. “The killer thrust the blade into Minina’s neck and withdrew it, severing the carotid artery. Blood sprayed outward over a distance of several feet. The walls and ceiling of the Swallow Hairpin Chamber are covered in blood spatter. If Wu Chengqing were the killer, it would be impossible for him to have emerged without a single drop.”

Lin Sui’an glanced at Duan Hongning. She too was perfectly clean — not a speck of blood on her.

Ling Zhiyan: “At the time of the banquet, Wu Chengqing and Duan Hongning were both wearing the same clothes they have on now — neither changed.”

Lin Sui’an: “So someone took Wu Chengqing’s saber and used it to commit the murder?”

Hua Yitang made a dismissive sound. “Why does he have to show up in every crime case — he’s becoming a real nuisance.”

Fangke tapped the examination report in Hua Yitang’s hands. “Minina’s neck and wrists show ligature marks from the three leather cords. The marks on the wrists are deeper, and those on the neck are shallower — suggesting that when she was bound, the primary points of stress were her arms. All of these are pre-mortem injuries.”

Lin Sui’an: “That means someone hung Minina from the ceiling beam while she was still alive, then took Wu Chengqing’s saber and killed her—”

But why this particular arrangement? Simply to make the scene more grotesque?

“One more thing,” Fangke’s lips moved in something like a strange, unsettling smile. “Minina’s inner thigh also bears a peach-blossom brand mark.”

All three gave a violent start. “What?!”

Fangke: “Same shape and size as the one on Lian Xiaoshuang’s leg. The sole difference is that this brand is a pre-mortem wound — to be precise, it was seared on several hours prior.”

Lin Sui’an and Hua Yitang stared at each other.

What on earth did this mean?

Ling Zhiyan’s brow creased into deep furrows. “According to the previous case files, all the victims in the Peach Blossom Killer cases were assaulted and then killed, and the brand was applied after death. But in the cases of Lian Xiaoshuang and Minina—”

“Neither of the two had suffered any such violation,” Fangke said.

Ling Zhiyan pondered for a moment. “Could it be that these two cases are imitations?”

Just then, the eyelids of Duan Hongning on the couch twitched, and she opened her eyes, looking disoriented. “Where… am I… what happened to me…”

Lin Sui’an sighed softly and helped Duan Hongning sit up. Duan Hongning’s gaze traveled from Hua Yitang’s face to Ling Zhiyan’s face to Fangke’s face, growing increasingly bewildered. “Adjutant Hua, Judicial Inspector Ling — and this gentleman is—”

“The matter is grave. I’ll be brief.” Ling Zhiyan said in a serious tone. “Minina has been found dead in the Swallow Hairpin Chamber. We found you in the hidden room of the Swallow Hairpin Chamber — you were already unconscious at that point. May I ask, Lady Duan: when did you go to the Swallow Hairpin Chamber? Did you encounter Minina? Was Minina still alive at that time?”

A rapid-fire barrage of questions — even Lin Sui’an was startled, and she silently noted that Ling Zhiyan, for all his handsome presence, was thoroughly lacking in any instinct for gentleness when it came to delivering hard news to women.

Duan Hongning’s eyes, lips, and even the very texture of her skin and the breath in her nostrils all seemed to stop. She stared fixedly at Ling Zhiyan for a long moment, and a voice drifted from her pale lips like a wisp of smoke. “…Minina… is dead?”

Hua Yitang coughed pointedly and gave Ling Zhiyan a discreet poke with his fan. Ling Zhiyan at last realized his manner had not been ideal, and stepped back half a pace in awkward retreat.

Hua Yitang bent low, met Duan Hongning’s eyes directly, and said in a gentle voice: “Lady Duan, please be calm. As Adjutant of the Law Court of Yidu, I am conducting only routine inquiries — this is not an accusation against Lady Duan—”

Duan Hongning seemed not to hear Hua Yitang’s voice at all. She continued staring at Ling Zhiyan. Her face was white as paper, and from Lin Sui’an’s angle, the outer corner of her eye was twitching violently — almost contorted.

“Where is she?!” The words burst from Duan Hongning in almost a shout.

Everyone exchanged rapid, surprised glances.

Duan Hongning’s reaction was not right.

“The body is in the Swallow Hairpin Chamber next door.” Fangke said flatly.

Duan Hongning’s face drained of color. She struggled to get off the couch, but the moment her feet touched the ground, her legs gave out and she nearly pitched forward. Lin Sui’an quickly guided her back. Duan Hongning seized Lin Sui’an’s forearm in both hands, her body shaking violently. Her large eyes gazed at Lin Sui’an with a hollow emptiness, and great tears spilled silently down her face.

Lin Sui’an didn’t dare move a muscle. She sent a silent distress signal to Hua Yitang.

What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?

To her dismay, not only did Hua Yitang fail to help — he retreated swiftly backward half a step. Ling Zhiyan and Fangke withdrew a full eight feet. With Duan Hongning on the verge of weeping herself into a faint and no one else stepping in, Lin Sui’an had no choice but to steel herself, imitate the posture Hua Yimeng had used on her once, and gather Duan Hongning close, patting her back gently in comfort.

Gradually, Duan Hongning’s breathing evened out. She swallowed the rest of her tears, lowered her head, and gave a respectful bow. “Red Fragrance House’s Hongning has lost her composure — I beg the honored officials’ pardon.”

Hua Yitang sighed. “Was Lady Duan acquainted with Minina?”

“…When I count the years, it has been more than ten.”

Hua Yitang sighed again. “The dead cannot be recalled — Lady Duan, please take comfort in what remains.”

“Forgive me — I didn’t know when I asked just now—” Ling Zhiyan clasped his hands in apology. “I was too abrupt.”

Duan Hongning shook her head. “The honored officials have their duties. Hongning should cooperate.” She paused. “How… did she… die…”

“A blade was drawn across her neck, severing the carotid artery. She died from blood loss,” Fangke said.

Duan Hongning’s body convulsed violently. Lin Sui’an steadied her again. Duan Hongning clenched her teeth so hard the words came out in a distorted pitch. “Who killed her?!”

“So long as Lady Duan cooperates with our questions, I promise you — we will have the killer apprehended very soon!” Hua Yitang declared in a firm voice.

Duan Hongning squeezed her eyes shut, drew a deep breath. “Adjutant Hua, please ask.”

“Do you still remember how you came to be in the hidden room of the Swallow Hairpin Chamber?”

Duan Hongning: “All I remember is that after the dance performance, I went back to my room to prepare for the next musical number, and I saw a note on the table that Minina had left me — inviting me to the Swallow Hairpin Chamber to talk.”

Ling Zhiyan: “Where is the note now?”

Duan Hongning opened her hands and looked, then felt in her sleeve and around her sash. “It’s gone.”

Hua Yitang: “And then?”

“And then…” Duan Hongning searched her memory. “I went to the Swallow Hairpin Chamber. The door wasn’t locked. I pushed it open, and didn’t see Minina — so I sat down and waited for her. I suppose I had worn myself out preparing for the banquet that night and while waiting, I started to feel drowsy—” Duan Hongning paused. “That’s right — I heard a knock at the door. I stood up, and then — I fell to the floor. The door opened. I saw someone walking in. A pair of black leather boots. Robes hemmed with ink-blue embroidery — the color of the fabric was something like grey, or perhaps a blue-grey—”

As Duan Hongning spoke, everyone’s eyes drifted in unison to Wu Chengqing, lying not far away. His footwear was black soft-leather official boots, and his pale blue silk robe was embroidered with deep blue patterns.

Duan Hongning followed their gaze. Her pupils contracted sharply. “Those boots — that was the embroidery — exactly!”

Ling Zhiyan: “What happened after that?”

“After that…” Duan Hongning wrinkled her brow. “I don’t remember…”

Hua Yitang made a sharp sound, walked to Wu Chengqing’s side, crouched down, and rapped Wu Chengqing on the forehead with his fan. Wu Chengqing didn’t stir.

“I’ll do it.” Fangke came forward, drew a small jade-green porcelain vial from his sleeve, pulled out the stopper, and let a single drop fall onto Wu Chengqing’s lips. The vivid green liquid seeped through Wu Chengqing’s lips into his mouth. Wu Chengqing suddenly opened his eyes, bolted upright, and vomited. In an instant, an overwhelming stench of bitterness, heat, sourness, and astringency flooded the entire chamber. Hua Yitang, being closest, was stricken in both eyes — they went crimson, and he shot to his feet screaming: “What the hell is this substance?!”

“A concentrate of tea broth newly formulated by Yi Ta, called Night Murmur Brew,” Fangke said, calmly putting the vial away. “I was afraid I might not enjoy the banquet’s tea, so I brought it to supplement my palate.”

Everyone nearly dropped to their knees.

Wu Chengqing retched for quite some time before recovering. He shook his head, looked around at those present, and said: “Adjutant Hua? Judicial Inspector Ling — what are you— how did I end up here? I clearly remember I was—”

“In the Swallow Hairpin Chamber, I take it?” Hua Yitang stepped aside and pointed toward the horizontal saber on the table. “This is the murder weapon found in the Swallow Hairpin Chamber — the weapon used to kill Minina. Adjutant Wu, does it look at all familiar?”

Wu Chengqing’s eyelid gave a sharp twitch. He stared as though at something monstrous. His face contorted and spasmed.

“This is my personal saber.” He brought his expression under control swiftly. “I did not kill anyone!”

At the moment Wu Chengqing spoke those words, Lin Sui’an distinctly felt Duan Hongning’s body go taut. Her sixth sense even told her that Duan Hongning had released a surge of fierce, living murderous intent.

But it lasted no more than an eyeblink before Duan Hongning packed every trace of feeling away with immaculate composure and became once again the poised and dignified first courtesan — if Lin Sui’an hadn’t had absolute confidence in her own perception, she might have thought she had imagined it.

“Minina’s death truly has nothing to do with me!” Wu Chengqing declared with a forthright expression. “When I arrived at the Swallow Hairpin Chamber, I did not see Minina. I only saw Lady Duan lying on the ground — she appeared to have fainted. I had fully intended to help her, but when I crouched down, I inexplicably lost all awareness, and when I came to, I was already here.”

Ling Zhiyan: “Why did Adjutant Wu go to the Swallow Hairpin Chamber?”

“I—” Wu Chengqing stumbled slightly over the words. “Yiyun and Minina were old acquaintances. We hadn’t seen each other in a long time, and today, seeing her again, I wanted to take the opportunity to catch up.”

Hua Yitang drew out a long “oh.” “Adjutant Wu and Minina were old acquaintances, and Lady Duan has known Minina for ten years — then the two of you must surely also be old friends?”

“Hongning has long heard of Adjutant Wu’s heroic reputation and has always greatly admired him, though until now she has never had the chance to meet him. Most regrettable.” Duan Hongning lowered her eyes and said in a soft voice.

Wu Chengqing’s gaze flicked toward Duan Hongning, as though faintly surprised, but he quickly relaxed into an expression of understanding. He raised an eyebrow. “I also hadn’t imagined that we two would meet under circumstances such as these — truly, what unexpected turns fate takes.”

Lin Sui’an nearly gagged. Even in this situation, Wu Chengqing found time to show off his insufferably oily charm.

“Adjutant Wu!” Ling Zhiyan’s voice rose abruptly. “When you entered the Swallow Hairpin Chamber, did you notice anything out of the ordinary?”

“This… I was down the moment I entered, so the time was very short — I didn’t take note— if I must name something out of the ordinary,” Wu Chengqing said, “the incense in the room was very heavy. Quite pungent.”

Duan Hongning: “Now that you mention it, the incense did smell different from what Minina usually uses — it seemed to have a faintly fishy quality.”

“When you entered the Swallow Hairpin Chamber, were the windows open or closed?” Ling Zhiyan asked again.

Duan Hongning thought for a moment. “Closed.”

Ling Zhiyan’s eyes flashed. He turned and left the room at once. Lin Sui’an, Hua Yitang, and Fangke had no idea what he was doing but followed anyway. Ling Zhiyan turned into the corridor and went back to the Swallow Hairpin Chamber. He passed through the main door, went straight to the window, and examined the window frame, panel, and lattice carefully. He closed the window with his hand behind his back, and called out: “Close the main door!”

The guarding officers of the law quickly pulled the door shut.

“Force the door open!” Ling Zhiyan called again.

The main door burst open with a bang — and at almost the same instant, the closed window also burst open with a bang. The river wind outside rushed in all at once, sending everyone’s robes billowing wildly.

“When we forced our way in, a strange fishy and fragrant smell surged out of the room. Ling found it odd at the time — if the window had been open, why hadn’t the smell dissipated?” Ling Zhiyan said. “It must be that this chamber sits at a wind-funnel point. With the doors and windows tightly shut, the external wind pressure is too high and presses the window panels tightly closed. When the main door is burst open, the air shifts, and the outside wind pressure blasts the window open as well.”

Lin Sui’an: “In other words, before we entered, those windows were shut.”

“The fishy and fragrant odor we encountered was exceptionally concentrated — so—” Hua Yitang swept his gaze around the room. “The source of the fragrance was inside this room all along, and had not left—”

Everyone’s gaze, following Hua Yitang’s line of sight, came to rest simultaneously on the floor-length bronze lampstand by the window. The stand held sixteen candles in total, long and short, all burned to varying lengths partway down. Fangke stepped forward quickly and took all the candles down one by one, smelling each. He soon singled out four. “These four have a different smell from the rest — somewhat acrid. Everyone step back — I’ll light them and see.”

The four candles were lit one by one. The lake wind blew steadily, making the candlelight waver and flicker. Nothing could be smelled. Hua Yitang sniffed toward them and leaned in. Fangke sent a vicious glance in his direction. Hua Yitang shielded his nose with his fan and retreated.

Fangke produced four strips of white paper, each roughly one finger wide and one cun long. He held each strip over a candle flame in turn. The first paper burned with an orange flame. The second was blue. The third was white. The last was green.

All three pairs of eyes went wide simultaneously.

“Extinguish them,” Fangke said.

Hua Yitang fanned out the four candles and looked eagerly at Fangke. “Well?”

Fangke: “The candle with the orange flame contained stupefying incense. The blue-flame candle held an arousal-incense compound. The white-flame candle contained another variety of high-potency stupefying incense. The green-flame candle contained Dragon God Fruit.”

All three drew in a sharp breath together.

“If all four candles burn simultaneously, there would likely be compounding effects of varying degrees. As for what the combined effect actually produces — further experimentation would be needed to determine that.” Fangke added.

All three exchanged a glance, their expressions identically pained.

“Master, master, master!” Jin Ruo came sprinting in with her characteristic booming voice, face flushed with triumphant excitement. “I went back through the passageway again, and I found that in addition to the bloody footprints on the floor, the side walls of the hidden door and the passageway also bear blood traces. The marks are erratic — the killer was in a panic when fleeing. So I thought — a panicked killer making mistakes might have left behind other clues as well — and so I searched through every single chamber on the fourth floor, and in the hidden room beneath the Cherry Chamber’s resting couch, I found this—”

She flung the cloth bundle down on the floor. “Look!”

Lin Sui’an’s heart gave a silent exclamation — inside the bundle was a blood-soaked robe, a blood-stained saber scabbard, and a pair of black cloth boots caked in blood.

Fangke immediately crouched to examine the bloodied robe. Ling Zhiyan lifted the boots.

“The hidden room in the Cherry Chamber also contained a basin of water, stained red with blood — clearly what the killer used to wash off the bloodstains. And a wardrobe, holding several changes of clothing. The sizes match this bloodied robe.” Jin Ruo continued: “I compared the measurements — the sole of this boot matches perfectly with the bloody footprints left in the passageway. It seems this killer came thoroughly prepared!”

Fangke shook the bloodied robe open, stood in the position where Minina’s body had hung, and held it up against the blood spatter pattern on the wall and ceiling. He nodded. “The trajectory and distribution of the blood points match. This should be the garment the killer wore when committing the crime.”

Lin Sui’an gave a thumbs up. “Good work, dear disciple.”

Jin Ruo planted her hands on her hips and tilted her chin up with pride — a posture that, to Lin Sui’an’s unsettling realization, bore about thirty percent resemblance to Hua Yitang’s genuine mannerisms.

Hua Yitang hid behind his fan and swept his gaze up and down over the bloodied robe. “Does anyone else feel this robe looks somewhat familiar?”

Though the garment had been stained beyond recognition by blood, its basic silhouette was still visible — a man’s silk long robe, cut rather wide, with intricate embroidery at the shoulders, sleeve cuffs, and collar. The base color appeared to have been a shade of stone-green.

Lin Sui’an’s mind gave a distinct click. She remembered. At the time of Minina’s performance, the owner of this outfit had been hovering all around Minina constantly — and because he was green-clad and rotund, he had looked for all the world like an irritating green-headed blowfly.

At the second quarter-hour past the hour of xu, the sixth-floor pavilion of Sanhua Tower had descended into complete pandemonium.

The newly appointed Yidu Adjutant, Hua the Fourth, had suddenly sealed the entirety of Sanhua Tower. No one was permitted to enter or leave. The banquet guests were all noble families — none of them to be trifled with — and the moment they heard, they raged and moved as one toward the door, ready to force their way out. The proprietor frantically relayed Hua the Fourth’s exact words: whoever dared to cause trouble should beware of Lady Lin’s blade severing their dog legs.

The fierce spectacle of Lin Sui’an’s battle against Wu Chun was still vivid in everyone’s minds. Nobody dared to provoke that, and had to swallow their dissatisfaction and wait in place — while covertly cursing Hua Yitang in every way imaginable.

Yet as they waited and waited, not only did the lockdown not lift — officers of the law from the Yidu prefecture office arrived and sealed Sanhua Tower completely shut.

It dawned on everyone then that Sanhua Tower had almost certainly seen a murder. Recalling the dancer who had burst into the pavilion earlier, it was not hard to deduce that Minina had almost certainly met with an ill fate.

With that, chaos descended further.

Liu Qingxi sat beside Hua Ermu feeling utterly on edge.

Directly across from her was the Su Family patriarch, Su Feizhang. He sat cradling his wine cup, eyelids heavy, the expression between his brows dark and inscrutable. Beside him, Su Yiyun had his head slumped, looking listless and deflated. Behind Su Yiyun, Wu Chun was hunched in a heap by the window, still bleeding from his head, with no one paying him any mind — left to bandage and tend to his own wounds.

The most absurd sight of all was Prefect Chi and Chief Historian Xia. With everything in chaos, the two of them were still sitting with their heads tilted together, still feigning unconsciousness — only a moment ago, Prefect Chi had unmistakably pried one eye half open, his eyeball rolling around, until he caught Liu Qingxi looking at him, and snapped it shut again.

To the left sat seven or eight scions of the Zhou Family of the northern city. They appeared to have been admirers of Minina — at this moment, seized by grief, they clung to one another and wept. To the right was a cluster of scions from the Wang Family of the southern city and the Ma Family of the eastern city — followers of the Su Family banner on ordinary days, now resentful at being suppressed in front of everyone, and falling over one another to voice complaints, foremost among them Wang Jinglu, younger brother of the Wang Family patriarch Wang Jingfu, who was by far the loudest.

The greater majority — the scions of the Xu Family of the southern city, the Qian Family of the northern city, the Sun Family — were like Liu Qingxi: anxious and on tenterhooks.

Liu Qingxi’s gaze paused on Wang Jinglu for a moment. Something felt off, though she couldn’t quite pin down what, and soon her attention was redirected — Wu Chengqing, who had earlier been paying her such lavish attentions, was nowhere to be seen.

“Brothers! With Hua the Fourth sealing the tower like this, he’s treating all of us as criminals!” Wang Jinglu shouted. “This is an insult to every noble family of Yidu!”

The Wang Family and the Ma Family were the largest clans in Yidu second only to the Su Family of Suizhou. Their scions were raised in luxury and idleness and had never been denied anything they wanted — they were precisely the sort who thrived on chaos. Having never suffered such indignity, they naturally chimed in with enthusiasm.

“Wang is right — so what if he’s Hua the Fourth? So what if his clan is the Hua Family of Yangdu? He’s come to our territory in Yidu and ought to know his place!”

“We’ve already been waiting nearly two hours — how much longer? Can someone give us a straight answer?”

“Even if there’s a case, what does it have to do with us?”

“Exactly — we’ve all been up here on the sixth floor or above the whole time — the door never left our sight!”

“No matter what case it is, it can’t be pinned on us!”

“The way I see it, Hua the Fourth is clearly using this as an excuse for a personal grudge — he wants to humiliate us!”

“Comrades, follow me — let’s go demand an accounting!” Wang Jinglu raised his arm and led the Wang and Ma Family scions surging toward the main door. “Hua Yitang, let us out!”

“Hua the Fourth, you self-righteous, two-faced scoundrel! You come to Yidu and think you can throw your weight around? Dream on!”

“Hua Yitang! Hua the Fourth! Come out here! Come out, come out, come out!”

“Hua Yitang! Don’t be a coward — come out and give us an answer!”

The officers of the law at the door went pale with alarm, drawing their iron batons and blocking the way in a chorus of shouts to stand back. But these noble scions had no concept of the consequences they might face, and kept pressing forward with their heads down. Just as the officers’ defense line was about to be overrun, a streak of blazing light tore through the air — carrying a piercing, sharp whistle — skimmed over everyone’s heads, and buried itself in the floorboards with a crack, vibrating without pause.

It was a blood-stained horizontal saber.

Everyone recoiled in terror, scattering in all directions.

Wang Jinglu had a lock of hair sheared clean off by the passing blade-wind. He sat down hard on the floor in fright.

“Honored guests wished for an answer from Hua — did you not?” A clear, resonant voice rang out from beyond the door. “This is Hua’s answer.”

The officers of the law exhaled in collective relief and moved to both sides, opening a path.

Hua Yitang strolled in with his fan, moving at his own unhurried pace. Behind him came Lin Sui’an, Ling Zhiyan, Jin Ruo, and Fangke. Constable Wu Da supported Duan Hongning. Bringing up the rear was Wu Chengqing, his expression dark.

The entire hall went deathly still. Several of the courtesans, unable to bear the shock, fainted.

Liu Qingxi raised her sleeve over her nose and mouth. Even from some distance away, she thought she could smell an indescribable odor of blood.

Su Feizhang sat up straight. Su Yiyun raised his head and stared directly at the center of the pavilion.

Hua Yitang fanned himself and sauntered forward. The layers of his gauze robes rose and fell in the air, catching the candlelight in cascading, shimmering waves, like mist and flowing water wrapped around him. His strikingly handsome features were luminous and compelling. But the light in his eyes was colder than a sword tempered in ice.

“The Eternal Day Pavilion dancer Minina was murdered by severance of the carotid artery one hour ago. The murder weapon is this blade!”

The hall erupted in an uproar. A sharp-eyed someone recognized it immediately and cried out: “That blade belongs to Wu Chengqing of the Wu Family!”

This single shout hit like a thunderbolt — the feigning-unconscious Prefect Chi and Chief Historian Xia let out simultaneous yelps and leapt to their feet.

Hua Yitang snapped his fan shut. “Correct. And the killer who murdered Minina is—” The fan shot forward pointing at Wu Chengqing. Wu Chengqing’s face convulsed — he was about to speak — but then Hua Yitang’s fan suddenly angled downward and pointed to someone else entirely. “— Wang Jinglu of the Wang Family of the northern city!”

Side story:

Jin Ruo: Does not boasting kill you, Hua the Fourth?

Lin Sui’an: He just becomes more dramatic with an audience. Let him be — as long as he solves the case, it’s fine.

Author’s note: Making up for Friday’s missed word count. Breaking a case is so hard. (Prairie dog scream)