Binglu recounted their encounter from that day to Qiao Zhao and Shao Mingyuan: “This servant lost her footing and fell down the hillside. When I came to, I found myself lying by a riverbank with Chenguang lying not far away. After he woke up, he brought me to find an old house to shelter from the rain, where a hunter took us in. Early this morning, the hunter said he was going out for a while, but he never returned. Instead, a group of monks came, insisting that we were accomplices of the killers who murdered the masters of Reflection Shadow Convent, and demanding to know where we had hidden Master Wumei.”
Binglu became more indignant as she spoke: “No matter how we explained, they wouldn’t believe us, especially that fierce monk who completely disregarded Chenguang’s condition and forcibly bound us and brought us back. Thank goodness Miss is here too, or Chenguang would surely have died.”
“Did that hunter show any unusual behavior?” Shao Mingyuan asked.
“Unusual?” Binglu thought for a moment: “Chenguang quietly told me that the hunter’s martial arts skills were probably quite good, and that I shouldn’t leave his side for even a moment.”
Shao Mingyuan and Qiao Zhao exchanged glances.
“It should be the same person,” Qiao Zhao said.
Shao Mingyuan nodded: “Tomorrow we can have Binglu identify him.”
Binglu was completely confused: “Miss, what are you talking about?”
Qiao Zhao smiled: “You’ll know tomorrow.”
“Binglu, were you with that hunter the entire time these past few days? Up until today, did he go out at all during this period?” Shao Mingyuan asked again.
“He went out every day, and when he returned, he would bring back prey like rabbits and wild chickens.” Speaking of this, Binglu smiled: “The soup made from that wild chicken was delicious.”
“Did you see anyone else?” Qiao Zhao asked.
Since they had confirmed that the killer wasn’t acting alone but had accomplices, it would be impossible for them not to make contact after planning such a major incident.
“Yes, we did.” Binglu gave them a pleasant surprise: “On the second day after we arrived, someone came to see him, but seeing us there, that person didn’t enter the house, and we never saw him again after that.”
“What did that person look like?”
Binglu frowned: “I couldn’t see clearly—that person was wearing a bamboo hat.”
Qiao Zhao glanced at Shao Mingyuan.
“It wasn’t raining that day, and the old house was located deep in the mountains. When meeting an accomplice, there should logically be no need to wear a bamboo hat, as this would make one more conspicuous,” Shao Mingyuan analyzed.
The two looked at each other and said in unison: “Unless it was to conceal more obvious features!”
Binglu opened her mouth in surprise, looking at Shao Mingyuan, then at Qiao Zhao: “Miss, what are you talking about?”
Neither paid attention to Binglu.
“So his identity is very likely—” Due to Binglu’s presence, Qiao Zhao didn’t finish her sentence.
It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her maid, but Binglu couldn’t keep calm, and once she knew something, she was likely to let it slip.
Shao Mingyuan nodded: “Right.”
Binglu became even more confused: “Miss, why do I feel that after just a few days apart, I can’t even understand what you’re saying?”
Qiao Zhao patted her arm consolingly and looked at Shao Mingyuan: “What puzzles me is, if the hunter who took in Binglu and the others is indeed that killer, at such a critical moment, why didn’t he harm Binglu and the others?”
Shao Mingyuan glanced at the unconscious Chenguang and said gravely: “There are two possibilities. One is that Chenguang showed some skills, making him wary and not daring to alert them without complete certainty. The other possibility—”
“To divert attention and cover for the real killer who abducted Master Wumei?” Qiao Zhao continued.
“Right, that’s the second possibility. It’s also possible that, after discovering Chenguang was not easy to deal with, the other party came up with this idea on the spot.”
“Binglu, how tall was that person wearing the bamboo hat? Was he fat or thin?”
“This servant only glanced at him briefly. He was about three or four inches taller than I and looked quite thin.”
Qiao Zhao pondered: “Binglu is only of average height among women. Being three or four inches taller than her means that person would be on the short side for a man.”
Shao Mingyuan and Qiao Zhao’s eyes met, and they already had a general outline of that person.
A monk from Great Fortune Temple, not tall, on the thin side, very likely someone who became a monk later in life, and with duties that allowed him to go out frequently without arousing suspicion.
Great Fortune Temple had many monks, but there wouldn’t be too many who fit all these conditions—at least it was manageable to investigate them all.
“Let’s go out,” Shao Mingyuan said gently.
“Mm.” Qiao Zhao nodded and said to Binglu, “Binglu, you stay here to take care of Chenguang.”
Shao Mingyuan looked at Qiao Zhao with surprise.
Binglu was Miss Li’s maid. Earlier, it was due to circumstances, but why would Miss Li leave her to care for Chenguang now?
Qiao Zhao raised an eyebrow: “I wouldn’t take care of him as well as Binglu would.” Each to their specialty.
Shao Mingyuan coughed.
Well, Binglu taking care of Chenguang was indeed quite good.
The two walked out of the room side by side.
Leaving Binglu completely bewildered.
She somehow felt that something had happened between Miss and General Shao.
Outside, the sky was already full of stars. The abbot and others had long since returned to their rooms, with several monks standing guard outside. As soon as they saw the two emerge, their gazes immediately turned toward them.
“We hope the masters can take good care of the injured person inside,” Shao Mingyuan said politely.
“Please rest assured, Marquis. The abbot has already given instructions,” one monk replied.
“Please lead the way, Master. We’d like to speak with the abbot.”
“This way, please, benefactors.” The monk led Qiao Zhao and Shao Mingyuan to the abbot’s residence.
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the two emerged from the abbot’s quarters and returned to the bamboo house.
Qiao Zhao stopped in front of the bamboo house.
Under the moonlight, the bamboo house was serene and quiet, with only the sound of bamboo leaves rustling.
“Doesn’t Miss Li want to sleep yet?” Shao Mingyuan asked.
Qiao Zhao walked a few steps toward the bamboo grove and said softly, “I’m somewhat worried about Master’s safety. Although Master has something the other party wants and should be safe for now, if they’re pushed to desperation, they might act recklessly.”
“Hopefully, we can find that person tomorrow.” Shao Mingyuan reached out his hand, wanting to comfort the girl before him as he had countless times with his soldiers, but suddenly realized that the person in front of him was fundamentally different from his brothers-in-arms.
He could only inconspicuously lower his hand and say gently: “Don’t overthink it. We’ll do our best, and the rest is up to fate.”
The most unpredictable thing in this world is the human heart—it’s hard to predict when the other party might decide to kill Master Wumei.
Qiao Zhao lowered her eyes, staring at the frost-covered ground, and said quietly: “Do one’s best and leave the rest to heaven—I understand the principle.”
Just as she understood that she was safe now, but still didn’t want to go to sleep.
She was afraid that once she quieted down, she would again think of that suffocating feeling when the killer had pressed down on her.
“Otherwise—” She wanted to say, otherwise let’s just chat casually together.
But someone interrupted: “Otherwise, I’ll go get you something to eat.”
“General Shao can cook?”
Half an hour later, at the edge of the bamboo grove.
Shao Mingyuan tore off a golden, oily chicken leg from the roasted wild chicken and handed it over: “It’s ready to eat.”
Qiao Zhao felt somewhat embarrassed: “This is a Buddhist sacred place.”
Hiding here together to roast and eat wild chicken didn’t seem quite appropriate, did it?
Under the moonlight, the young general smiled, showing his neat white teeth: “The Buddhist sacred place is over there. This is just a mountain bamboo grove.”