Qu Hui’s body lay quietly in the mortuary, covered with a white cloth. Her hair had been neatly combed and her face wiped clean — she looked as though she were asleep.

Lin Sui’an knew that those who die from asphyxiation due to a blocked airway would never have such a peaceful death expression. Fangke must have tidied Qu Hui’s face after completing the post-mortem examination.

Lin Sui’an gave Fangke a nod of thanks.

Fangke still wore his expression of carved wood. “Your legs can barely carry you, and yet you come here for what purpose?”

Lin Sui’an gave a wry smile. She could currently only walk by leaning on Hua Yitang’s arm for support, like a half-paralyzed old woman — no wonder Fangke put it that way.

“I came to see Qu Niangzi.” Lin Sui’an signaled for Hua Yitang to help her walk to the mortuary slab. “We were acquainted, and I am here to see her off.”

Fangke sighed. “Are you going to look at her eyes again?”

Lin Sui’an said, “I must trouble Coroner Fang.”

Fangke looked somewhat resigned. He put his gloves back on and pried open Qu Hui’s eyelids.

Lin Sui’an’s eyes met the corpse’s pupils. A white light flashed before her, and a small window appeared — faint moonlight filtering through the lattice and falling on the floor like autumn frost.

The air was permeated with the smell of rot, mold, and blood. The sound of a pipa drifted to her ears, mournful as weeping.

Lin Sui’an opened her eyes and saw Hua Yitang spread his arms wide, carefully hovering protectively around her, like a bodyguard standing ready at any moment. “How was it?”

“A small window. It was nighttime with moonlight,” Lin Sui’an said. “Someone was playing a pipa — a very sad piece.” She paused. “It sounds somewhat familiar.”

In the Judicial Office, Lin Sui’an endured Fangke’s burning gaze and felt deeply awkward.

Hua Yitang sat across from her, cradling an elaborately styled four-stringed pipa. The instrument’s body was of rosewood, inlaid with gold and jade. When plucked with a jade plectrum, the tone was clear and luminous — except that the player’s technique was terrible, rendering what should have been “large pearls and small pearls falling into a jade plate” into something more like “big ducks and little chickens pecking a wooden fish.”

“Is the melody right?” Hua Yitang asked with great enthusiasm.

Lin Sui’an scratched her head. “I couldn’t say it was identical — I could only say it bore no resemblance whatsoever.”

Hua Yitang deflated a little. “Which note is wrong?”

Lin Sui’an sighed helplessly. “Every single note is wrong.”

Fangke stared at Lin Sui’an unblinkingly. “So your eyes can see things on a corpse that we cannot see.”

Lin Sui’an said, “Not only can I see images — I can also hear sounds and smell scents. It’s practically like being there in person.”

Fangke’s eyes went wide. “Given such an extraordinary ability, what need is there for a coroner to perform an autopsy?”

Lin Sui’an smiled wryly. “The problem is, what I see are fragments of the deceased’s final obsessions — the images are random, and in most cases are scenes of unclear significance.”

“Why not look multiple times?”

“I can only look once.”

Fangke made a clicking sound with his tongue. “What a useless ability.”

Lin Sui’an didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Coroner Fang, your contemptuous little glare is really rather obvious.

Hua Yitang buried his head and plucked a few more tuneless notes. “Why doesn’t Lin Sui’an hum it for me.”

This was quite a tall order for Lin Sui’an. Whether in her previous life or this one, she was a completely tone-deaf person through and through. Let alone having only heard a few seconds of it — even if someone taught her note by note, she might not be able to hum it correctly.

“Uh—” Lin Sui’an searched for a way out. “I’m fairly sure the pipa in Qu Hui’s memory was most likely played by Lian Xiaoshuang herself. Qu Hui once mentioned that Lian Xiaoshuang had played her a piece — what was it called — something about the autumn moon causing all this trouble—”

Hua Yitang’s eyes brightened. “Staying for the Autumn Moon!”

Lin Sui’an slapped her knee. “That’s the name!”

Hua Yitang set down the pipa and snapped his fan open. “The women of Duan Jiu’s house also mentioned in casual conversation that the little tune Duan Hongning used to hum all the time was also called Staying for the Autumn Moon.”

Lin Sui’an’s mind went “ding” — she remembered.

She had indeed heard this piece before. When they left the Scattered Flower Tower after the Mimina case, it had come drifting faintly on the night wind, broken and intermittent — this very melody.

Could it be that the one playing the pipa in the Scattered Flower Tower that night had been Duan Hongning?

“But this only confirms that Duan Hongning knew Lian Xiaoshuang.” Lin Sui’an said. “And we had already established this connection earlier.”

Hua Yitang mused, “Perhaps the relationship between these two was far deeper than we have understood.”

Wu Da and Ling Zhiyan walked in with hurried steps. Ling Zhiyan carried more than twenty rolls of case files. Wu Da’s expression was somewhat difficult to read as he cupped his fists in salute. “Reporting to Military Adviser Hua: this subordinate has questioned Wu Zhengli. Wu Zhengli says that the banquet he brought Lian Xiaoshuang to was just an ordinary gathering — Lian Xiaoshuang went to play the pipa and add to the entertainment, nothing more was done. As for where exactly the banquet was held and who hosted it, Wu Zhengqing said that too much time had passed and he truly cannot recall.”

Hua Yitang let out a cold laugh. “He is lying.”

Wu Da nodded. “This subordinate also felt he was not telling the truth, so used some… ahem, methods. But unexpectedly, Wu Zhengqing would rather endure the pain until he fainted than let slip a single additional word — as though he is wary of something.”

Lin Sui’an thought: Oh ho! There aren’t many people that Wu Zhengqing would be wary of. Looking across all of Yidu, one could count them on one’s fingers.

Hua Yitang’s gaze shifted. “What has the sixth young master found?”

Ling Zhiyan set the case files down on the table. “I read through all the criminal case files from Yidu over the past five years. Five years ago, after the Peach Blossom Killer appeared, the people of Yidu were filled with fear. Powerful clans seized the opportunity to take advantage of the chaos, buying up a large number of unruly jianghu factions to take up residence in Yidu, causing rampant banditry and bringing public security to its lowest point. The Judicial Affairs Military Adviser at the time, Wu Zhengqing, proposed governing the disorder with strict punishment, delivering heavy blows, and gradually arrested more than a hundred habitual criminals — thieves, robbers, and the like — sentenced them to the maximum penalty, and only then curbed the tide of banditry.”

Lin Sui’an had a feeling Ling Zhiyan had not finished. “And then?”

Ling Zhiyan drew out one particular roll of case files, densely packed with the names of criminal offenders — at least several dozen people. “This roll records only those convicted of theft, lighter crimes for the most part, the majority sentenced to roughly one year.”

Ling Zhiyan’s finger stopped on one name within it. “I found this person.”

Name: Pi Xi
Crime: Theft
Sentence: Hard labor for one year and one month
Outcome: Fourth year of Xuanfeng, eighth month — sentence served, released

Lin Sui’an was astonished. “Is this Pi Xi the coachman from Duan Jiu’s house?”

Ling Zhiyan gave a solemn nod. “This is exactly the person the fourth young master asked me to investigate.”

This time, not only Lin Sui’an but even Fangke was somewhat puzzled, and all eyes turned to Hua Yitang.

Hua Yitang drew his eyes into a long, narrow gaze, like a sly old fox. “For Pi Xi as a coachman to be familiar with the lanes and alleys of Yidu is not suspicious in itself. What is suspicious is that he knew the streets around Lian Xiaoshuang’s home a little too well. Lian Xiaoshuang’s home is next to the western market, where the back alleys are congested with people and carts, the passages tangled and disorderly — yet Pi Xi could not only accurately choose, based on the time of day, the route with the fewest people and the shortest distance, but he could effortlessly find a vacant parking spot, indicating he had certainly been there more than once — and those visits were also in the evening.”

“You suspect the body disposal person is Pi Xi?” Lin Sui’an said half a sentence, then quickly caught on. “No, there’s another possibility. Pi Xi was just a coachman — he only drove someone there to Lian Xiaoshuang’s home. For instance—”

Duan Hongning?

Hua Yitang neither confirmed nor denied it. He shook his fan toward the doorway. “Little Jin Ruo, you’re the slowest one.”

Jin Ruo walked in against the light, shot Hua Yitang a sideways glance, and huffed, “Nonsense — you gave me the hardest thing to look into.”

Hua Yitang said, “What did you find?”

Jin Ruo slapped the drawings he was holding down on the table in a show of frustration. They depicted the Peach Blossom brands on the bodies of Lian Xiaoshuang and Mimina. “Completely untraceable. Ever since the Peach Blossom Killer case broke five years ago, the people of Yidu see anything peach-blossom-related as an ill omen. The more dramatic ones even chopped down the peach trees in front of their gates. Not a single craftsman is willing to make any item featuring a peach blossom design.”

Hua Yitang’s fan tapped against his forehead. “Could it have been purchased from outside Yidu?”

Jin Ruo spread his hands. “Without a physical object and only a drawing to go on, it’s far too difficult to trace.”

Hua Yitang frowned. “It seems we still need to work from the Duan Jiu’s house angle.”

Ling Zhiyan leaned over. “Before Pi Xi went to Duan Jiu’s house, he had also worked at several brothels. It would be best to investigate those as well—”

Just then, Jin Ruo suddenly burst out laughing and quickly tugged Lin Sui’an’s sleeve. “Master, look at Judicial Supervisor Ling — he definitely doesn’t know yet!”

Lin Sui’an was thoroughly confused. “Know what?”

Jin Ruo grinned from ear to ear. “The people of Yidu all know by now that the sixth young master of the Ling Family of Xingyang has become the exclusive companion of Duan Hongning, the number one beauty of the Red Fragrance House. Duan Jiu Niang treats Judicial Supervisor Ling as the treasure of her palm, the dearest thing in her heart.”

Lin Sui’an: “…”

What in the world?!

Such explosive gossip — how had she not heard of this?!

Ling Zhiyan’s voice cut off abruptly. His two eyeballs nearly flew out of their sockets toward Jin Ruo’s face. Hua Yitang was watching the excitement with great relish, his little fan fanning at lightning speed. “Tell us in detail.”

“This business must be traced back to the last time Judicial Supervisor Ling went to Duan Jiu’s house to investigate. That day happened to fall on Duan Jiu’s day off — Duan Jiu Niang was not normally receiving guests. But the moment she heard that the famed Sixth Young Master Ling had come to visit, she immediately broke her own rule and reverently invited Judicial Supervisor Ling inside.”

Jin Ruo spoke with great animation. “Word has it that that day, Duan Jiu Niang and a group of women were soaking in a hot spring in the back garden. Steam billowed all around, skin like congealed fat, beautiful and captivating. But Judicial Supervisor Ling kept his eyes straight ahead, truly deserving to be called the number one gentleman in the Tang Kingdom. Duan Jiu Niang had worked in the pleasure quarters for many years and had never seen anyone so wooden yet so amusing. Before she knew it, she had taken a fancy to him, and so one visit led to another, and the two of them—” Jin Ruo gave a sly chuckle, “heh heh heh heh heh—”

Lin Sui’an raised an eyebrow. Hua Yitang covered his mouth with his fan. Fangke fixed a sideways look on Ling Zhiyan. Ling Zhiyan’s face went as black as the bottom of a pot, and he slammed the table as he shot to his feet. “Absurd — who spread this rumor?!”

Jin Ruo grinned and pointed at his own nose. “Me.”

Ling Zhiyan: “!!”

“Ha!” Hua Yitang burst out laughing.

Lin Sui’an was left with a string of dark thoughts, thinking to herself: This student of mine is really too troublesome. He didn’t learn a single thing of his master’s high moral character, but managed to pick up every last bit of Hua Yitang’s mischief-making ability — a full ten parts of it.

Ling Zhiyan’s lips trembled. “Jin… Young Master Jin… You you you — this this this—”

Jin Ruo clapped Ling Zhiyan on the shoulder. “Just a little joke — don’t worry. I’ll have the disciples of the Pure Gate spare no effort in clearing your name, and return Judicial Supervisor Ling a spotless reputation.” He smacked his lips. “But it’s actually thanks to this spicy bit of gossip about Judicial Supervisor Ling that the disciples of the Pure Gate managed to follow the trail and dig up quite a lot of inside information about Duan Jiu Niang.”

Lin Sui’an perked up instantly. “Tell us the details.”

Jin Ruo took a sip of tea and cleared his throat. “At first, the disciples of the Pure Gate on duty at the Red Fragrance House overheard people at other brothels discussing how Duan Jiu Niang had a new favourite and had forgotten her old one — that she was a fickle woman. The ‘new one’ naturally referred to Judicial Supervisor Ling. As for who this ‘old one’ was — no one knew. Our Pure Gate disciples are second to none in the world when it comes to getting to the bottom of things, and so they followed this clue and dug deeper.”

“It turns out that the old Duan Hongning would dress up carefully on the fifteenth of every month, going out in full finery to secretly meet her lover, and would not return before the hour of midnight. And so the fifteenth of every month was designated as Duan Jiu’s day of rest — a custom that had been maintained for ten years.”

“But a year and a half ago, Duan Hongning suddenly stopped going out. She became listless, and her expression was frequently one of grief. Everyone speculated that she must have had a falling out with that lover, and had parted ways.”

“Two months ago, Duan Hongning seemed to have reconciled with her lover. She would often go out at night, staying out until dawn. People at the Jinjiang Night Market, the western market, and Jinxi District had all spotted Duan Jiu’s carriage on multiple occasions at the onset of nightfall.” Jin Ruo raised a finger. “So everyone guessed that Duan Hongning’s lover likely lived somewhere near the western market.”

Near the western market — wasn’t that the vicinity of Lian Xiaoshuang’s home?

The Judicial Office fell into dead silence as everyone looked at each other.

All the clues pointed to Duan Hongning — this could not be a coincidence!

Hua Yitang slapped the table and rose. “To the Red Fragrance House — Duan Jiu’s place!”

Side Story: Lin Sui’an: I have to say, she now has a bad feeling about what’s coming…

Author’s Note: It’s so hot! I don’t want to write! I just want to lie down!