Upon returning to Andu City, Hua Yitang’s first order of business was to write a family letter to his elder brother Hua Yihuan, giving a detailed account of the progress of Hua Yifeng and He Sishan’s relationship, offering what he considered a fairly objective and impartial assessment of He Sishan’s character, and taking the opportunity to make a few pointed jabs at the Longxi Bai Family, calling them “eyeing what’s in their bowl while coveting what’s in the pot” — and even plotting to poach Lin Sui’an from under his nose, which was truly a display of poor character.

After that, Hua Yitang threw himself into the exhausting work of presiding over the adjudication of the Sanhé Academy cases.

The attempted murder of He Sishan was comparatively straightforward — with Qi Mu’s confession and personal thumbprint, the facts were clear and plain. The verdict was attempted murder: fifty strokes of the cane, three years of hard labor, and a lifetime ban from sitting the imperial examinations.

The troublesome matter was the embezzlement of Sanhé Academy’s renovation funds. The case had extensive reach and deeply entangled roots. If one were to account for it thoroughly, the entire Department of Works would be implicated.

To leave it unaddressed was inappropriate; to investigate fully was even more inappropriate. Andu Prefect Jia Mu was driven to distraction, sitting in meeting after meeting without pause. The five catties of weight he had only just managed to regain fell off again. After much pulling and compromising among multiple factions, a handful of mid-level officials were arrested and handed down mid-range sentences — barely enough to consider that particular shameful Ni You Qian Wo You Dao – Chapter turned.

Busy and occupied, another half-month slipped by. Andu welcomed the New Year.

The first day of the New Year was called “Yuan.”

Last year on Yuan Day, Hua Yitang had been sitting the imperial special examination — so occupied that he had not managed to observe the holiday at all. This year on Yuan Day, Mu Xia and Mu Sheng’s wife joined forces and put in their full effort and every trick at their disposal to prepare elaborately. The entire Hua Family’s Eight Residences were decorated with lanterns and festive ornaments, radiant with splendor — with the nighttime lighting alone, one hundred and fifty newly added luminous pearl lamps, the lamp holders crafted from Yue Kiln’s specially ordered celadon porcelain. The luminous pearls set in them cast a moist, lustrous glow like an invisible precious jade — exuding opulence and ostentatious wealth, blinding to behold. Even Jin Ruo gave it a wide berth when he saw it from a distance.

The Yuan Day banquet was held at Hua Ming Tower, located in the southeast of the Hua Family’s Eight Residences — a two-story appreciation tower with ornately carved beams and painted pillars, the outer walls painted pink, perfectly complementing the flamboyant and gaudy Yangdu number-one wastrel.

The banquet boasted seventy-two dishes in total. Lin Sui’an scanned the menu — none of which she recognized: “Natural Talent and Vigorous Spirit,” “Dark-Browed Cunning Thought with Palace Makeup Rich,” “Distant Is the Day of Return Across the Ends of the Earth,” “Firecrackers Ring out with Rice Wine Fragrance” — reportedly all the dish names had been conceived by Hua Yitang through a sleepless night.

Everyone’s assessment: utterly lacking in literary merit, completely nonsensical.

Fortunately, the dishes themselves were personally supervised at every step by Mu Xia, and the color, aroma, taste, and presentation were all top-tier. Since Andu City’s winters are dry and cold, steamed dishes and soup-based dishes predominated. Lin Sui’an’s favorite sliced raw fish was naturally absent, but a roasted leg of lamb had been added — freshly roasted and freshly carved, the flavor fresh and delicious. Mu Xia roasted a piece, Hua Yitang carved it, and Lin Sui’an picked it up — a very satisfying arrangement.

Fang Ke finally got to drink Ita’s personally brewed hellish-flavored smoked tea, eyes closed, head swaying, an expression of considerable enjoyment. Jin Ruo rejected nothing — whatever came, he cleared — while Ita and the Four Saints followed his example, their appetites nearly matching Hua Yitang’s.

Lin Sui’an observed for a moment, a little concerned. “Have you all put on weight from following Jin Ruo’s eating habits?”

Ita: “Every day eating street stalls, taste, not good, too full.”

Four Saints: “Indeed. Too full.”

Jin Ruo: “Someone else is treating, and you still complain? That’s a bit much.”

Ita: “Jin-ge treats, I spend money.”

Four Saints: “Jin-ge, not generous.”

Jin Ruo: “……”

Lin Sui’an said with an amused shake of her head, “How is the investigation into the Fusheng Sect going?”

Jin Ruo grabbed a cloth and wiped his mouth. “I think something’s off about this Fusheng Sect. Every time I’d find out that Fusheng Sect people had gone to such-and-such shop to collect protection fees and rushed over in a hurry — they were all gone. It seemed like they’d gotten word early and were prepared in advance. The feeling was like —”

Hua Yitang: “Like being monitored by the Jing Sect.”

“Exactly!” Jin Ruo said. “Only now I’m the one being monitored.”

Lin Sui’an: Oh ho, interesting.

Hua Yitang: “So without the Jing Sect’s informants, our Young Sect Master Jin is at a loss?”

Jin Ruo gave a dismissive sound. “Hua, you really underestimate me. What does it matter without the Jing Sect’s informants? I am the most clever and agile Jing Sect informant of all. After scouting around the city for this long, how could I have come away completely empty-handed?”

Lin Sui’an: “Tell us in detail.”

Jin Ruo: “The Fusheng Sect has quite a few fixed bases in Andu. I’ve found three of them. The first is the fresh meat shop at No. 44, Qun Fifth Street, Qunxian Ward. The second is the ironware shop at No. 59, Yangguan Alley, Anding Ward. The third is the Wind Cloud Inn at No. 200, Locust Tree Street, Daning Ward. Heh heh — you’d never guess what these three shops were doing a few months ago.”

Hua Yitang smiled faintly. “Could they have been tea establishments?”

Jin Ruo shot upright. “You — you you you, you’re not actually some disciple of the Ten Brilliance Daoist of Seven Stars Terrace, are you?”

Hua Yitang carved a piece of roast lamb, dipped it in cumin and pepper salt, and placed it on the small dish in front of Lin Sui’an. “Qi Yuansheng established four hundred and sixty-six shell shops for the Suzhou Su Family, of which one-tenth — fifty shops — were crafted as convincing duplicates: complete with shopfronts, proprietors, and staff. The original addresses of these three shops happened to fall among those fifty duplicate shells.”

Jin Ruo gave a dismissive click of his tongue. “You clearly can’t tell fortunes after all.”

Lin Sui’an rapidly sorted through the clues known so far:

The Dragon God fruits and masked military regiment in Qingzhou County were behind Third Master. Seventh Master Qi Yuansheng’s shell shops and counterfeit Hundred Blossoms Tea had brought down the Suzhou Su Family. Various evidence pointed to Qi Yuansheng and Third Master being in league with each other. Now the shell shop addresses had become bases for the Fusheng Sect — which meant —

Lin Sui’an: “The mastermind behind the Fusheng Sect is in all likelihood Third Master.”

“Jin Ruo couldn’t find any news of Andu’s Jing Sect branch — presumably because Andu’s Jing Sect branch has already been absorbed by the Fusheng Sect. The Fusheng Sect must be what Han Taiping referred to as —” Hua Yitang’s eyes flashed with sharp light. “The other Jing Sect.”

Jin Ruo shuddered. “Oof, I’ve got goosebumps all over.”

Lin Sui’an took a bite of the lamb, the doneness just right — though the dipping sauce was a touch bland. She gestured for Hua Yitang to dip it more generously. “Speaking of the Suzhou Su Family — why is it that since arriving in Andu City, we have never once run into trouble from the Taiyuan Jiang Family?”

Hua Yitang dipped the roasted meat on both sides. “In truth, we have already encountered them.”

Lin Sui’an was taken aback. “When? Who?”

“The current head of the Taiyuan Jiang Family, Jiang Wenzhong, is past seventy — a muddleheaded old man, utterly incapable of controlling the family. The person who actually holds power in the Jiang Family now is Jiang Wende — lacking only the nominal title of family head. When the day comes that Jiang Wenzhong can no longer draw breath and passes on, Jiang Wende will be the rightful Jiang Family head in name and in fact.”

Lin Sui’an gave a long “oh.”

She remembered Jiang Wende — the fifth-rank Senior Censor of the Censorate. To this day, she still did not know what this man’s purpose had been in appearing in Yidu. She only had a vague sixth sense that his thoughts were deep and calculating, and that he would be difficult to deal with.

Hua Yitang: “In passing — the Taiyuan Jiang Family’s main branch once had a rising star who was accomplished in both literary and martial arts, on whom the entire Taiyuan Jiang Family pinned their hopes. He was considered the bright star of hope for continuing to lead the Taiyuan Jiang Family back to its peak after Jiang Wende — but unfortunately, this man suffered great misfortune, dying in a foreign land at a young age.”

Jin Ruo’s face twitched. “This person you’re speaking of — could it be —”

Hua Yitang struck the pose of a storyteller at a teahouse stage. “None other than the man known throughout Taiyuan as the Fierce Tiger — Jiang Dongyi!”

Everyone: “……”

Jin Ruo: “I once thought only the Yangdu Hua Family was out of the ordinary — but now I see that every one of the five great clans and seven great surnames is more eccentric than the last.”

Lin Sui’an patted Jin Ruo’s shoulder. “You’re still young. After you’ve experienced more of the world, you’ll discover that no matter how impressive a family or organization appears on the surface, it is, at its core, an improvised troupe.”

Fang Ke sighed. “How true!”

Everyone burst out laughing.

Jin Ruo gnawed on a couple pieces of lamb. “My eyelids have been twitching for the past few days. There’s this unsettling feeling in my heart.”

Ita raised a hand. “Jin-ge, too idle.”

“Come to think of it, you may be right.” Jin Ruo leaned forward mysteriously. “But don’t you all feel like Andu City has been unusually quiet lately?”

Lin Sui’an: “Peace and prosperity — is that not a good thing?”

“The problem is — with that Hua fellow around—” Jin Ruo pouted, “wherever we went before, a case broke out. Dead people came in strings. Now suddenly there are no cases — there’s this feeling like something is dangling in my throat. I feel terrible!”

Fang Ke: “A storm gathers before it breaks —”

Jin Ruo: “Yes, yes, yes! That’s exactly the feeling!”

Hua Yitang: “Bite your tongue, bite your tongue—”

Before his words had finished falling, Mu Sheng’s wife drifted past the door. “Reporting to Fourth Young Master — Andu Prefecture head constable Gu Liang urgently requests an audience.”

Everyone was startled. And then Gu Liang burst through the door, drenched in sweat, gave a hasty bow, and said: “Military Adviser Hua — terribly bad news! Vice-Prefect Liu has been stabbed by a bandit!”

Dead silence in the hall.

Lin Sui’an nearly choked on the piece of lamb stuck in her throat. She hurriedly gulped down a mouthful of water and pounded her chest twice before managing to swallow it.

Hua Yitang and Jin Ruo simultaneously pointed at each other and shouted:

“Jinx!”

“Crow mouth!”

On New Year’s Day, Andu Vice-Prefect Liu Yijia finished his noon meal and took his carriage to the ancestral graves on the eastern outskirts of the city to pay respects. By the time he returned, it was nearly the hour of You. The sky was dimming. He had just entered the Open-Yuan Gate and had not yet reached the gate of Jin City Ward when a squad of black-clad figures descended from the sky without warning, surrounded Vice-Prefect Liu’s carriage without so much as a word, beat the driver and two attendants soundly, stormed the carriage to stab Vice-Prefect Liu, then departed just as swaggeringly as they had come.

“Wow, that’s brazen!” said Jin Ruo.

“Wow — bold and skilled,” said Lin Sui’an.

“Insufferable!” said Hua Yitang.

“Just a gash on the backside. Didn’t damage bone or tendon. Not fatal,” said Fang Ke.

Lin Sui’an, Hua Yitang, and Jin Ruo simultaneously clamped their hands over their own cheeks and forced themselves not to burst out laughing.

Vice-Prefect Liu’s residence was located in Yongxing Ward, a renowned district for nobility in Andu City — refined surroundings, tranquil within the bustle. The Vice-Prefect’s manor itself had been designed and built by a famous hand, with winding paths leading to secluded spots, every step offering a different view. Though not as spacious as the Hua Residence, in terms of aesthetic sensibility, the two were clearly not operating at the same level.

Upon receiving Constable Gu’s message, the group wasted no time and rushed at full speed to the Vice-Prefect’s manor. Based on Constable Gu’s description — “blood flowing like a river,” “flesh and blood flying everywhere,” “a gory mess” — they had assumed Vice-Prefect Liu was in dire straits. Fang Ke had even sharpened his examination blade on the way over. But when they arrived and looked, Vice-Prefect Liu had only been stabbed in the backside, had fainted from fright, and was far from death.

Fang Ke examined the wound with a black expression, put on his face covering and mask, and began stitching with needle and thread. Apparently the Medical Examiner’s anesthetic had not been refreshed in time, and its effects were negligible. At the first stitch, Vice-Prefect Liu jerked awake from his stupor and howled like a pig being slaughtered — so loudly that dust rained from the rafters. The two physicians the Vice-Prefect’s manor had summoned were so terrified that they fled through the door.

Lin Sui’an and the others could not bear to watch any longer and by tacit understanding withdrew from the side room. Hua Yitang ordered Constable Gu to call in the driver and the two attendants for questioning.

The driver and attendants were in rather poor shape as well — noses bruised and faces swollen. Hua Yitang had barely begun questioning them when they burst into tears of aggrievement.

Driver: “Military Adviser Hua, what kind of situation is this — New Year’s Day and all, bandits popping out of nowhere, beating people without any explanation. Just look at my face, it’s gone all black!”

Attendant One: “Our Vice-Prefect is an honest and clean official! Goodness knows whose ill star he ran into, to suffer such a calamity!”

Attendant Two: “Truly, bad luck is bad luck — even drinking plain water, you’d choke on it! Wuwuwu —”

Hua Yitang was at a loss. “All three of you, please calm yourselves. I will ask a question, you answer a question.”

The three nodded frantically.

Hua Yitang: “How many bandits were there in total?”

Driver: “A dozen or more!”

Attendant One: “Seven or eight, maybe.”

Attendant Two: “Eighty or ninety.”

Lin Sui’an and Jin Ruo both pressed their foreheads with their hands simultaneously.

Hua Yitang’s face twitched, but he pressed on.

“What were the bandits wearing?”

This time all three gave the same answer: “Black robes, black boots, and their faces were covered.”

“What were distinguishing features of the blades?”

The driver gestured: “Incredibly long!”

Attendant One: “Much longer than a standard blade.”

Attendant Two pointed at Qian Jing at Lin Sui’an’s waist: “About twice as long as that blade.”

Jin Ruo’s eyes lit up. “Are you certain?”

The three nodded in unison.

Lin Sui’an: “What were particular features of the scabbards and blades?”

Driver: “They never drew their blades at all.”

Attendant One: “They used the scabbards to beat us.”

Attendant Two: “The scabbards were black as pitch, no particular features.”

Jin Ruo: “Beyond all of this — can you recall anything special about them? Their scent, their shoes, anything like that?”

The three exchanged glances.

Driver: “They were all powerfully built — thick legs, enormous feet!”

Attendant One: “The leader looked like an iron tower. His fists were bigger than my head!”

Attendant Two scratched his head. “The one who hit me — his hand had this fishy smell.”

Jin Ruo leaned over. “Where did he hit you?”

Attendant Two pointed to the black-and-blue ring around his right eye. “Isn’t it obvious?”

Jin Ruo sniffed at it and grinned. “That’s the smell of lamb’s blood.”

Hua Yitang: “From the sound of Jin Ruo’s tone, it seems you have a lead?”

Jin Ruo planted his fists on his hips. “Of the Fusheng Sect’s three bases in Andu, the first — the fresh meat shop at No. 44, Qun Fifth Street, Qunxian Ward — sells freshly slaughtered lamb. The second — the ironware shop at No. 59, Yangguan Alley, Anding Ward — specializes in forging a type of broadsword, four finger-widths across and four feet in length. The blade is said to be razor-sharp, capable of cutting hair at a blow. It even has a rather elegant name: ‘Life is But a Dream.'”

Lin Sui’an: Oh ho, quite the coincidence!

Epilogue Skit:

Mu Sheng’s wife: Is our Fourth Young Master really that unlucky? A case shows up on the very first day of the New Year?

Mu Xia: I have a feeling today might be the most leisurely day of this entire year.