Lin Sui’an lay sprawled on the floor of the prefectural jail cell. Iron chains — cold and heavy — bound her wrists and ankles. The straw beneath her was damp and clammy, reeking of mildew, utterly useless at keeping out the chill from the stone floor. Lying on it made her bones ache with cold. But none of that really mattered.

This case bore no resemblance in difficulty to the Luo Shi murder case. By way of comparison: the Luo Shi case had been a beginner’s village quest; this case was a full dungeon boss battle. She hadn’t seen the crime scene. She hadn’t seen the body. She’d had no chance to use her special ability. She had virtually no leads to go on — and piled on top of all that was the Hua Yitang debuff, which had brought nearly a hundred constables down on them. Even without Mu Xia being held hostage, Lin Sui’an couldn’t have escaped. And even if she had managed to escape — then what? Spend her life as a fugitive hunted across the entire kingdom?

As the saying goes: first surge, courage; second surge, falter; third surge, exhausted. She had barely been in this world two months, and she had already been suspected of murder three times and thrown into jail twice. This relentless cycle of torment was getting old.

Things were what they were. Whatever happens, happens.

Lin Sui’an thought with complete resignation.

“Don’t lie on the floor — it’s not good for you.” The neighbor in the adjacent cell banged on the bars with repeated thuds.

Lin Sui’an rolled over and ignored him.

“I’ll pass my blanket to you.”

Lin Sui’an shut her eyes. Out of sight, out of mind.

A bundle of bedding was stuffed through the space between the cell bars and landed on Lin Sui’an’s legs.

She had no choice but to roll back over, regarding the adjacent Hua Yitang with mild exasperation. He had his head wedged between the bars, one arm stretched as far as it could reach, laboriously helping Lin Sui’an pull the blanket over herself.

Thanks to the Hua Family’s Fourth Young Master, both of them had been placed in the premium single cells of the prison — though her cell was the bare minimum model, while Hua Yitang’s was the fully furnished deluxe suite. His came complete with a carpet, a proper bed, bedding, a writing desk, a floor mat, armrests, cushions, a backrest — and on top of that, a weiqi set, a guqin, books, incense burners, and what were clearly high-end takeaway pastries and tea from Furong Tower.

“Save your energy for when Prefect Zhou questions you,” Lin Sui’an said. “I suspect he’s planning a round of severe torture to force a false confession this time.”

Hua Yitang finally managed to tuck the blanket around Lin Sui’an. His voice came out cold and flat: “He wouldn’t dare.”

He wouldn’t dare with Hua Yitang, perhaps — but with her, he would dare plenty.

Lin Sui’an rattled her wrists. The iron chains clanked and rang — they had to be several dozen catties in weight. It was clear that her combat ability had left an indelible psychological mark on Prefect Zhou.

The cell was dim, its only light source the oil lamp hanging on the wall of the passage outside. When the patrolling guard walked past, the lamplight swayed, casting deep shadows across Hua Yitang’s features, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling brightness.

“Does it hurt?” he asked.

“It’s fine.” Lin Sui’an said, unconcerned. The weight meant nothing to her physically.

Hua Yitang was silent for a long while, then said, “I’m sorry.”

Lin Sui’an looked at him with some surprise. He had his gaze lowered, his long eyelashes casting faint shadows across his face, making his lips look pale as paper.

“Actually,” he said softly, “there’s something —”

“Lin Sui’an, get out here!” A sudden bellow cut Hua Yitang off mid-sentence.

Two imposing officials stood outside the door — sable-clothed, black-booted, long blades at their waists, yellow cloth headbands, expressions hard as iron. They ordered the jailer to unlock the cell. “Lin Sui’an, someone wishes to question you!”

Hua Yitang shot to his feet. “Why am I not being questioned?!”

“Fourth Young Master Hua, please wait your turn — they will get to you.”

Lin Sui’an slowly rose, dragging her long chains, and walked out of the cell. Hua Yitang flung himself against the bars and grabbed her sleeve.

“Didn’t you say he wouldn’t dare?” Lin Sui’an smiled at him. “It’s fine.”

Truth be told, Lin Sui’an was feeling considerable pressure — not from the interrogation that was about to take place, but from Hua Yitang’s pitifully earnest expression, which produced in her a strange and inexplicable guilt. He looked like a puppy being abandoned by its owner.

She knew the path to the prefectural main hall, but this time they took her to the rear compound, winding through several turns and passing five squads of patrolling officers. Their destination turned out to be the reception parlor at the back of the compound.

Lin Sui’an’s heart sank. Prefect Zhou was clearly planning a private interrogation. There had to be a trap laid for her.

The two officials pressed down on Lin Sui’an’s shoulders, clearly intending to force her to her knees. Lin Sui’an moved first — cleanly and decisively dropping herself to one knee, then sitting back on her heels. “Ask whatever you like and be quick about it. These chains weigh a ton. I’m exhausted.”

The hall fell silent for a moment. Then a clear, resonant male voice spoke.

“You are Lin Sui’an?”

Wait — this voice was wrong! It was far too pleasant to the ear. Compared to Prefect Zhou’s grating, broken-pot voice, this was like the difference between heaven and earth.

Lin Sui’an looked up. The seat of authority in the hall was occupied not by Prefect Zhou at all, but by a rather young man — green official robes, jade belt, black boots, a black gauze official’s cap. Sword-arch brows, star-bright eyes, a squarish jaw, a straight nose. Proper and refined, like a classical hero stepped straight from the pages of a martial arts novel’s illustrations.

Prefect Zhou sat off to the right, hunched over, shoulders caved, expression hollow.

Oh, now this is interesting!

Lin Sui’an immediately perked up. New character. High attractiveness. Seated in the position of authority. Exudes righteousness. A shining star of hope who might just clear her name — he’s arrived!

“And who might you be?” Lin Sui’an asked.

As expected, her infuriating tone immediately provoked Prefect Zhou: “Show some respect! This is the Adjudicator of the Court of Judicial Review, the honorable Ling Zhiyan!”

Lin Sui’an didn’t know what rank Adjudicator of the Court of Judicial Review carried, but she knew the Court of Judicial Review very well — in all its fictional forms across television dramas, novels, and illustrated serials, it was the legendary department that produced the most brilliant investigators.

Lin Sui’an steadied herself inwardly, got her bearings, and looked directly at him. “Adjudicator Ling, what would you like to ask?”

Ling Zhiyan didn’t answer immediately. Since Lin Sui’an had entered, he had been quietly observing her. Though both her hands and feet were weighed down by heavy chains, her posture as she walked was perfectly upright and she moved with ease — she clearly had martial training. There was something untamed about the way she knelt, and especially about her eyes — not a trace of fear or hesitation. Just a calm openness, almost like ease.

This one has a steeled mind. A hard bone to crack.

Ling Zhiyan: “Why did you go to Liuyue Restaurant today?”

Lin Sui’an: “To investigate a case.”

“Investigating what case?”

“The murder of Yan He.”

“Why investigate it yourself?”

“Because the authorities falsely accused me of being the killer, and I don’t trust the authorities.” Lin Sui’an said. “Adjudicator Ling is welcome to review the case files and see for yourself how certain officials managed to fabricate evidence from nothing to frame an innocent person. I guarantee it will be quite an eye-opening experience.”

Prefect Zhou flew into a rage: “That’s outrageous —”

“Prefect Zhou,” Ling Zhiyan said with cool finality, “I am the one conducting this inquiry.”

Prefect Zhou immediately went silent and quietly sat back down.

“I have read the case files. The so-called witness testimonies are riddled with errors and inconsistencies — entirely insufficient to establish guilt,” Ling Zhiyan said, glancing at Prefect Zhou, who shrank into himself and said nothing. “Your distrust of the authorities is understandable.”

Lin Sui’an: Oh, this good-looking one has some substance to him.

“What I find puzzling,” Ling Zhiyan continued, “is how you knew the body had been hidden at Liuyue Restaurant.” His tone as he asked this was entirely mild, as if making casual conversation — but his gaze was razor-sharp.

Lin Sui’an frowned. “Who is the body at Liuyue Restaurant?”

Ling Zhiyan: “Answer my question first.”

One had to bow one’s head when under someone else’s roof.

Lin Sui’an suppressed a quiet sigh and gave a concise account of how she and Hua Yitang had learned of Bai Shun’s disappearance, and how they had tracked their way back to Liuyue Restaurant based on the carriage tracks and the stuffed-pastry vendor’s testimony.

Ling Zhiyan: “What did the vendor who guided you look like?”

“Approximately thirty years of age. He sold stuffed pastries. Shorter in stature, quite dark-complexioned. His stall was sandwiched between the flatbread stall and the mutton broth stall.”

Ling Zhiyan indicated the officer standing at the door. “Ming Shu, look into that later.”

The officer acknowledged the order, and only then did Lin Sui’an realize that the two men were not from the Yangdu prefectural office at all — they were Ling Zhiyan’s own subordinates. No wonder their bearing was a cut above the rest.

Lin Sui’an: “Have you found the person who was doing the repairs on the attic this morning?”

“What the craftsman said was true — he had indeed never taken on any apprentices. Based on a description given by Liuyue Restaurant’s proprietor, we’ve had a portrait drawn.” Ling Zhiyan indicated the constables to show the portrait to Lin Sui’an. It was quite something — the person had been wearing a wide-brimmed hat and had their lower face wrapped in a scarf, exposing only about one-third of their face. You couldn’t even tell if they were male or female. Finding this person from this portrait alone would be a miracle.

“He set a mechanism in the attic. When someone pushed the door open, the body would fall out the window and cause a commotion,” Ling Zhiyan said, his fingers drumming against the table. “The moment of commotion would give him the ideal window to slip away. And it just so happened that you arrived. It just so happened that you heard the craftsman and the workmen talking. It just so happened that you went up to the attic. It just so happened that you discovered the body. Don’t you think that’s a few too many coincidences?”

Lin Sui’an nodded. “I think so too.”

“How do you explain this series of coincidences?”

“That’s simply how things happened. No explanation needed.”

Lin Sui’an answered with such matter-of-fact confidence that Ling Zhiyan was momentarily left speechless.

Prefect Zhou seized the opening to pile on: “Adjudicator, this woman is exceptionally crafty — last time she used the exact same kind of sophistry —” One look at Ling Zhiyan’s expression, and he promptly closed his mouth.

“I’ve answered all your questions,” Lin Sui’an said. “Who is the body at Liuyue Restaurant?”

“Isn’t it obvious — it must be the Yan Family’s second son’s body!” Prefect Zhou bellowed — only for Ling Zhiyan’s very next words to slap him squarely in the face: “The coroner is still examining the remains. The body is severely damaged — identifying the victim will take time.”

Lin Sui’an hadn’t expected the man to actually answer her. She was mildly surprised, and pressed further. “Were there any bruises on the chest?”

Ling Zhiyan: “Why do you ask?”

“I kicked Yan He once before he died.”

If the body had the bruise, it was Yan He. If not… Lin Sui’an mentally sighed. There was a nine-in-ten chance it would turn out to be Bai Shun.

If it was Bai Shun, every lead they had gathered so far would be useless.

Ling Zhiyan nodded and gestured for the officer to escort Lin Sui’an out, but just as she reached the door, he called after her. “I’ve read the case files from Nanpu County concerning the Luo Shi murder. Do you know a member of the Su clan named Su Chengxian?”

Lin Sui’an’s scalp instantly prickled. Ling Zhiyan’s pupils were still as a dead sea, unblinking, fixed on her. His expression was deeply unsettling.

She was finished. Did this man have some connection to Su Chengxian — and was now planning to settle a personal score under the guise of official business?

Lin Sui’an forced herself to remain calm. “I do.”

“How did he die?”

“He lost his footing and fell into the water.”

“What caused him to lose his footing?”

“It’s a long story.”

Ling Zhiyan regarded Lin Sui’an quietly for a long moment, then looked away.

Lin Sui’an was escorted out of the reception parlor. Before she had even had a moment to exhale, she found that they were not taking her back to the jail — instead, they led her around in a circle to a room on the southern side. The officer named Ming Shu was clearly no weakling in terms of martial ability. He yanked the chains with considerable force to restrict Lin Sui’an’s movement, his large eyes fixed unblinkingly on her as if afraid she might vanish into thin air.

Just as Lin Sui’an was wondering what was happening, she suddenly heard voices from behind the wall — it was Hua Yitang.

“Why, if it isn’t the renowned Sixth Son of the Ling Family! With you presiding over this case, I feel one hundred percent at ease.”

Then came Ling Zhiyan’s voice: “Fourth Young Master of the Hua Family — I’ve long heard of you.”

So the interrogation parlor and this room were separated by only a thin wall. This was clearly a room designed for covert listening. Ling Zhiyan had deliberately arranged for her to be placed here — to listen in on Hua Yitang’s testimony.

What was this tactic?

Ling Zhiyan: “There is a signed confession from Lin Sui’an here, detailing her crimes. It states that she murdered both Yan He and Bai Shun.”

Lin Sui’an: What?!

Before she had even a moment to react, Ming Shu made his move — one palm slammed her head down against the floor.

The force was nothing modest. Lin Sui’an’s ears rang violently from the impact, and her jaw felt as if it had been dislocated. She could only produce garbled sounds and was unable to speak.

Ling Zhiyan: “This confession has already been signed and sealed.”

Oh, now she understood.

This move of Ling Zhiyan’s was pure fabrication — a trap designed to sow discord and break them down one at a time. He was every bit as despicable as Prefect Zhou. Two peas in the same rotten pod.

Yet she heard no sound from Hua Yitang.

Ling Zhiyan: “I believe this case has nothing to do with the Hua Family’s Fourth Young Master. The Ling and Hua clans are both among the Five Great Clans and Seven Noble Houses — we are bound by the same roots. On your word alone, I will help you and restore your name.”

Hua Yitang finally spoke. His voice was entirely normal — no emotion whatsoever could be detected. “You have proof?”

Ling Zhiyan: “I only wish to remind the Fourth Young Master that both the Luo Shi family patriarch and Su Chengxian of the Su clan each met with misfortune after crossing paths with this woman.”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

“This woman has been entangled in violent cases one after another in a most peculiar manner. What does the Fourth Young Master make of that?”

Hua Yitang let out a short, sharp “hah.”

Then — silence again.

Lin Sui’an stopped breathing.

A long while passed. A very long while. And still — nothing from Hua Yitang.

Lin Sui’an felt something lodge in her throat. The warmth drained from her heart with every second of Hua Yitang’s prolonged silence.

How utterly ridiculous. Just a moment ago, there had been some small, fleeting hope that Hua Yitang would believe her. How could she possibly have expected that?

They had only known each other for three days. They called themselves partners, but they were barely acquainted. What reason did he have to believe a stranger who had been entangled in one suspicious death after another for three consecutive days?

If she and Hua Yitang had switched places, would she believe him?

The thought made Lin Sui’an smile despite herself. Her face pressed against the cold stone brick, the skin dragging painfully.

Of course she wouldn’t.