This was her love knot, her face-concealing fan, her wedding dress – these were the matters of marriage she would soon have to face.

Wang Yun arrived that evening. Huang Zihua was drinking alone by the window. When she saw him approach, she didn’t rise but merely nodded in acknowledgment, pouring him a cup of wine and passing it over.

Wang Yun sat before her, observing the peach-blossom flush of wine on her pale complexion with some surprise. “So you enjoy drinking alone?”

“No, this is my first time,” she replied, lifting eyes tinged with both redness and haziness to look at him, her voice slightly unclear. “I’ve heard that when the world’s burdens become too heavy to bear, drinking oneself into intoxication might bring change with tomorrow’s dawn.”

Wang Yun gazed at her face, dreamy and dazed in the candlelight. Above the peach blossom-like flush, her dew-clear eyes had lost their usual luster, making her appear a thousand times more captivating than her typically bright and clear gaze when looking at him.

He sighed, reaching out to take away the wine pot from the table. “Alright, that’s enough then. Sleep will do you good.”

“The last time I drank was when you were still in the Left Golden Tiger Guard,” she said, a slight smile appearing on her face. Her eyes remained fixed on the flickering candlelight on the table so that a single point of light swayed long in her eyes – a Starpoint amid autumn waves that drew Wang Yun’s gaze irresistibly, as if magnetized.

He remembered when Zhou Ziqin had brought Huang Zihua to drink with the brothers of the Left Golden Tiger Guard. In the sweltering summer noon, despite his efforts to block most of the wine from reaching her, her cheeks still flushed peach-blossom red – perhaps from the heat, perhaps because she was simply susceptible to alcohol.

As a result, just this once, she was caught by Prince Kui. In Wang Yun’s memory, that was the first time he’d seen Prince Kui angry – over such a small matter.

Now, looking at her dazed expression, he suddenly understood what that unsettling panic in his heart had meant back then.

Huang Zihua looked up at him, shaking her head. “Don’t worry, it’s just light wine. I only wanted to drink, not to lose myself in intoxication – how could I allow myself to escape or vent when the matters I face now are so numerous and complex?”

Wang Yun gazed at her silently before saying softly, “If it truly becomes unbearable, I’ll help you.”

“Thank you,” Huang Zihua nodded, “but with the Imperial Guard’s busy affairs, how could I let you set aside your duties to worry about me?”

“Given our relationship now, why are you being so formal?” Wang Yun looked at her helplessly. “Though I know I can’t help you. In this regard, I’m not even as useful as Ziqin – at least he can investigate cases and solve mysteries with you. I truly don’t have his abilities.”

“Why speak like this? Ziqin certainly has his strengths, but you possess abilities unmatched by anyone in this world.”

“It’s just…” He wanted to say that before that person, his abilities meant nothing. But some words were better left unsaid, so he merely shook his head and changed the subject. “I have news that will surely cheer you up.”

Huang Zihua nodded, watching him. “What is it?”

“Today during my routine patrol, I saw someone near the Court of Judicial Review,” his lips curved into a smile as he looked at her tenderly. “Guess who?”

Huang Zihua observed his smile, thought briefly, and then exclaimed involuntarily: “Dicui?”

“Yes, Lu Dicui,” Wang Yun nodded with a smile. “Though I resent Zhang Xingying for framing you, I know you’ve always cared about Miss Lu, so I let the others go ahead while I quietly dismounted to follow her, wanting to see what she was doing there.”

Though anxious, Huang Zihua saw his composed expression and knew it must be good news, so she calmed her eager heart and simply watched him expectantly.

“I saw her wandering in the alley beside the Court of Judicial Review, her face full of despair. I was considering whether to privately bring her to see you when someone emerged nearby, grabbed her arm, and pulled her into a corner, asking her, ‘How dare you still linger here?'” Wang Yun continued, lowering his voice to ask, “Guess who this person was?”

Now Huang Zihua truly didn’t know, so she shook her head. “There aren’t many who would appear near government offices and know Lu Dicui… Is it an acquaintance of Zhang Xingying?”

“It was Wei Baoheng,” Wang Yun said softly.

Huang Zihua couldn’t help but exclaim “Ah!”, though the fact that Princess Tongchang’s consort Wei Baoheng knew Dicui only surprised her briefly before she asked, “Did Wei Baoheng take her away?”

“Yes, Lu Dicui cried that she was now a capital offender, and with Zhang Xingying dead too, she wanted to surrender herself to the Court of Judicial Review and end it all. But Wei Baoheng persuaded her it would be meaningless, and eventually took her away. However, they didn’t go toward Guanghua Ward, but toward Yongjia Ward. I returned after that, not seeing where they went.”

Huang Zihua frowned slightly, pondering for a moment before saying, “Yongjia Ward, home to Prince Kui’s and Prince Zhao’s mansions, sees much daily traffic of officials and commoners. It’s not a good place to hide someone.”

“Yes, I’ve privately sent people to investigate this matter. If there’s any news, I’ll tell you immediately.”

Huang Zihua nodded. As the night deepened, she rose to clear the wine and dishes from the table, replacing them with several plates of pastries and fruits. She took up a small knife and peeled two oranges for him.

The orange juice was abundant, staining her fingers. She stood to pour water into a basin to wash her hands. When she returned to sit, she saw that in the candlelight, he had been watching her continuously, the firelight reflecting brightly in his gaze.

She couldn’t help but lower her head, avoiding his gaze, and asked, “Is it sweet?”

“Yes.” He responded, reaching out to offer her a slice.

Huang Zihua took a bite – the taste was sweet and sour, but after lingering, carried a slight bitterness.

She ate silently, her downcast face’s eyelashes casting a hazy shadow in the flickering lamplight, half-concealing her expression.

Wang Yun felt a surge of emotion in his heart, mixing sweetness with unease, and spoke impulsively: “Your wedding dress is being made at the capital’s most famous gold embroidery workshop. More than ten embroiderers there are working day and night, and it’s almost complete. It will be delivered to you in the next few days.”

Huang Zihua’s hand trembled slightly, and a drop of orange juice fell onto the table. She paused, took a silk handkerchief from nearby to wipe it away, and nodded slightly, saying, “I’m truly sorry… Other young ladies all make their wedding dresses…”

“My wife is different from others – what’s special about doing what ordinary people can do? You have more important matters to attend to,” Wang Yun said, his lips curving into the gentlest smile as he continued softly, “Now with Prince Kui’s case being handled by Lord Wang, if you can help him, it would be an enormous contribution to the Wang family. Any number of women can make wedding dresses, but for this matter, who in all the world could replace you?”

Huang Zihua hadn’t wanted to mention certain things, but since he had spoken thus, she said softly, “Today, I went to the Liang Woodworking Shop and heard what the master carpenter said. Zihua… is deeply grateful for everything you’ve done for me.”

“I’ve said before, don’t be so formal between us. After all, your matters are my matters – we’re about to become husband and wife, truly of one heart,” Wang Yun gazed at her, his eyes gentle and bright. “Zihua, there’s another matter I must ask you to promise me before our wedding.”

Huang Zihua hesitated slightly, not knowing what he wanted her to promise before the wedding – whether to completely forget Li Shubai or to give up everything she excelled at after marriage.

Yet now she sat before him, under his watching gaze. Her expression flickered, but she could only forcefully suppress all the hesitation and unease in her chest, responding: “Please instruct me, Young Master Wang.”

He gazed at her downturned face and said softly: “Zihua, after we marry, please don’t become a couple who merely show proper etiquette and maintain distant respect. I want us to be like intertwined branches, like paired wings, entwined for a lifetime, growing old together as loving companions. We should become the world’s closest couple, so… you mustn’t remain so coolly composed and formally proper.”

His voice was gentle, his tone so passionate that Huang Zihua felt endless guilt and sadness surge in her heart. But it was only a moment’s emotional turbulence before she quickly suppressed the sourness in her throat, bowing her head to him and responding with difficulty: “Yes.”

Though it was still the bitter cold of early spring, spring had indeed arrived. Zhou Ziqin, riding his horse along the capital’s main road, mused thus.

The willows by the road had already sprouted tender green buds and the grass shoots were just beginning to grow, hidden among the gray withered leaves – from afar, there was only a thin layer of green.

“It’s already early in the second month, the wind seems to have grown gentler too,” he muttered to himself, passing under the hanging willow branches as he headed toward Yongchang Ward.

Children holding paper kites ran past him, cheering as they sought open ground to fly them. Zhou Ziqin turned his head to see a butterfly kite in one child’s hands and immediately called out: “Hey! You! Little one, yes… you, come here, come here!”

The child nervously approached him with the butterfly kite, timidly asking, “Brother, what is it…”

“What’s this, is this how you make a kite? Give it here!” He said, taking the kite and weighing it in his hand, placing it on his index finger to show him. “The head’s too heavy, the body too light, unstable on both sides – it’d be a miracle if it could fly! Let me adjust it for you.”

Speaking thus, he took out his small knife, trimmed all the small wooden sticks on the kite, then satisfied, tossed it back to him: “Go on then! With my years of experience skipping school to fly kites, this kite will fly both high and steady!”

While he was still feeling pleased with himself, applause and laughter came from the mouth of the alley: “Ziqin, you’re still so childish, haven’t changed a bit.”

Zhou Ziqin turned to look and quickly dismounted: “Commander Wang.”

Wang Yun smiled: “Just like with Zihua, call me Yunzhi.”

Zhou Ziqin didn’t mind, watching the children running away as he said: “You were in Langya before coming to the capital in recent years, so of course you don’t know my reputation back then – I led all the National University students in skipping class to fly kites!”

“I know, Lord Wei gets heart pains just mentioning you – all four or five of his nephews were led astray by you.” Though Wang Yun spoke jestingly, his feet didn’t stop, gesturing for those behind him to follow.

Zhou Ziqin glanced at the people beside him and immediately understood: “Are these things for Miss Chon… Miss Huang?”

“Yes, we’ll be heading to Chengdu next month, so many things need to be arranged before leaving the capital,” Wang Yun smiled, pointing to the boxes they’d brought, saying, “These things need Zihua’s approval first.”

Today’s delivery included clothes for all seasons, various shawls, silk handkerchiefs, clothes, bedding, and more. Most important among them was certainly the wedding dress that had required so much labor.

Huang Zihua opened the boxes for inspection in the inner hall, discussing with the woman from the gold embroidery workshop whether any adjustments were needed to the size and length. As fate would have it, when she put on the wedding dress, it fit perfectly, as if tailored to her body. The woman clicked her tongue in admiration: “Young Master Wang has such good judgment. He pointed to one embroiderer and said she was about the same build, so we took her measurements to make it, and indeed they’re identical.”

Huang Zihua only lowered her head silently, her fingers trailing over the intricate embroidery of the pheasants. Her father had been the Prefecture Governor of Chengdu, and Wang Yun was the Right Commander of the Imperial Guard, with his father Wang Lin being a Minister – naturally, her wedding dress would bear pheasant motifs. Pairs of pheasants came alive on the blue-green gauze robe, appearing even more dignified and beautiful with the flower hairpins.

She set down the pheasant robe and picked up the white jade-handled fan with gold openwork that would shield her face during the wedding. The fan was embroidered on both sides with gold and silver thread – tree of heaven on the front, daylilies on the back. The tassel at the fan’s handle was braided into a nine-children heart knot, in the same blue-green as the wedding dress.

She stared blankly at that heart knot, and before her eyes appeared the silk threads they had found in Prince E’s incense burner, burned to mere remnants.

That dagger, that jade bracelet, that heart knot – would she ever have a way to reveal this secret before others, to bring all the truth to light?

As Huang Zihua pondered this, it felt like a great tangled mass stuffed in her chest, nearly suffocating her. She sat down, her hand pressing on the fan handle, and in this moment seemed to finally understand –

This was her heart knot, her face-concealing fan, her wedding dress – these were the matters of marriage she would soon have to face.

Round and round, from Yu Xuan to Li Shubai, in the end, she had still returned to where she started, choosing this person whom she had never loved but who was destined to be her refuge.

Her chest heaved violently until finally, she could bear it no longer. She pressed hard against her chest, unable to control herself as she collapsed into the chair, breathing heavily, her eyes instantly turning red.

The people helping her try on the wedding dress were bewildered, looking at each other for a long while before someone asked, “Is the dress too tight? Is it constricting you? Should we loosen the sash?”

Huang Zihua bit her lower lip, shaking her head as she said in a trembling voice, “No, I just… I’m just excited and happy, a bit dizzy… Let me be alone for a moment.”

She stumbled alone into the inner chamber, shutting everyone outside. She leaned against the door breathing deeply, trying to suppress the surging bitterness in her chest, but ultimately, the dark dizziness overwhelmed her. Her legs gave way, no longer able to support her body, and she slowly slid down along the tightly closed door behind her.

She collapsed sitting with bent knees behind the door, and only after a long while seemed to understand, slowly hugging her knees as she sat on the cold floor, eyes wide open looking at everything before her.

She felt she could see everything, yet seemed to see nothing. Her gaze only woodenly and vaguely swept over the things before her, then fell on an empty point in space.

She didn’t know how long she sat there on the floor until knocking came from outside and Wang Yun’s voice asked through the door: “Zihua, the people from the gold embroidery workshop need to leave, do you have any other instructions for them?”

She responded hazily, feeling her eyes burning terribly. When she blinked, her eyes which had been open too long were unbearably sore, and two trails of tears fell.

She raised her hand to wipe away the tear tracks, closed her eyes breathing deeply, then finally answered in as steady a voice as she could manage: “No need, I’m satisfied with everything.”

Wang Yun felt something seemed wrong with her voice, but only paused briefly before giving some minor instructions to those people and sending them away.

When he turned back, he found Huang Zihua had already come out from the inner chamber, her face calm but notably pale, the color of one long kept from sunlight.

She stood there looking at him, like a lotus flower silently blooming and falling in wind and water. Wang Yun tried to find a trace of joy on her face but ultimately found none.

At this moment when their happy occasion approached, it seemed only he was full of anticipation, his heart burning like fire.

As if doused with a bucket of cold water, what welled up in his heart was not just sadness, but anger. He turned his face away, sitting down on the couch beside them, saying nothing.

The atmosphere suddenly grew cold, with only Zhou Ziqin obliviously looking between them before asking: “When do you plan… to go to Chengdu?”

Huang Zihua looked toward Wang Yun, who said flatly: “In a few more days. It might still snow recently, which could make mountain roads difficult.”

“That’s true. I suggest you wait a while longer – the third month with its misty flowers is best for heading south. You can see the scenery along the way, make it a pleasure trip, and time will pass quickly,” Zhou Ziqin said, then scratched his head worriedly, “But I wanted to return with you… if we wait until the third month, wouldn’t that be too late…”

Wang Yun smiled slightly, saying: “Indeed, what if your fiancée sees you’re not returning and breaks off the engagement? What would you do then?”

It was meant as a joke, but unexpectedly Zhou Ziqin immediately became anxious: “That’s right… this, this would be terrible!”

Huang Zihua consoled him: “Don’t worry, you’ve only been away from home for a month or two, how could they break off the engagement so quickly?”

Zhou Ziqin said nervously: “But… but when I left home I said I ran away because I didn’t want to marry, but now I understand that finding a wife is quite difficult – no one wants to marry me! The second young lady… thinking about it now, the second young lady is quite good!”

Seeing him so anxious, Huang Zihua couldn’t help but show a slight smile: “Trust that your elder brother already knows your feelings, he will explain to your parents, and they won’t let you down.”

“I hope so…” he sat beside Wang Yun with a worried face, saying, “Now you two are getting married, you’ll be a loving couple in the future, what about me left all alone? I need someone to play with too!”

Huang Zihua started, unconsciously turning her head to look at Wang Yun.

Wang Yun’s gaze was also fixed on her, their eyes meeting precisely, both seeing the complex emotions in each other’s eyes.

An awkward and oppressive mood invisibly permeated around them.

Huang Zihua silently turned her head away, changing the subject: “Ziqin, did you come to find me today for something?”

“Oh! Yes, I almost forgot,” Zhou Ziqin quickly said, “Old Guo at the charity cemetery in the south of the city, I have a good relationship with him, so yesterday afternoon he had someone tell me that for Zhang Xingying’s case, the Court of Judicial Review has concluded the case, Zhang’s father’s case has also been recorded, so today they will have Brother Zhang and the others collect the bodies.”

Huang Zihua pondered for a moment, asking: “So if we want to investigate anything, we’d better go today?”

“What else is there to investigate? Hasn’t Zhang Xingying’s framing of you been brought to light?” Wang Yun asked from beside them.

Zhou Ziqin nodded, saying: “Yes, there’s nothing more. Besides, even if they’re buried…”

Even if they’re buried, if they wanted to investigate, they could still do as before and secretly dig them up to examine – it would just be more disgusting.

He looked toward Huang Zihua, but saw her walking toward the inner chamber, saying: “Wait a moment, I’ll change clothes.”

Zhou Ziqin made a sound of surprise, mumbling: “This…” “I Want to Seal the Heavens”

He vaguely felt something wasn’t quite right, so turned his gaze toward Wang Yun. He saw Wang Yun rise and walk to Huang Zihua’s side, asking in a low voice: “Zihua, you just tried on your wedding dress, and now you’re going to examine corpses?”

Even someone as slow as Zhou Ziqin finally realized what felt wrong – it seemed somewhat inauspicious.

But Huang Zihua looked up at Wang Yun, saying softly: “Yunzhi, some things in my heart haven’t settled, I still feel uneasy. The bodies are about to be buried, if I don’t go look now, I fear I’ll miss the last chance and regret it forever.”

Wang Yun looked down at her, and the stubborn look in her eyes ultimately left him unable to refuse. He could only sigh, gently patting her shoulder as he said: “I’ll go with you.”

They arrived at just the right time – Old Guo from the south city charity cemetery and his adopted baldy were loading body bags onto an ox cart.

Zhou Ziqin quickly ran up shouting: “Old Guo, wait, wait!”

Old Guo saw him and quickly dropped the bag: “Young Master Zhou, you’re here! And these two are…”

“They’re my friends,” Zhou Ziqin said simply, then looked around asking, “No one from the Zhang family came to collect the bodies?”

“They did, their eldest told me earlier, they ordered two thin-wood coffins from the shop, but they haven’t been delivered yet. They asked me to help transport them to Yezi Ridge in the south of the city,” Old Guo patted the bulge in his chest, clearly money from the Zhang family, his face showing a satisfied smile, “Their father and brother both died dishonorably, so they told me not to deliver to their home, but straight to the burial ground.”

Huang Zihua looked at the two bodies on the ox cart, feeling infinite desolation in her heart. She couldn’t help but turn her face away, tilting her head back to breathe deeply, forcefully holding back the burning tears in her eyes.

Zhou Ziqin said: “However, since the bodies haven’t left the charity cemetery yet, the officials can still examine them, right?”

Old Guo nodded, saying: “But the Court of Judicial Review has already concluded the case…”

Zhou Ziqin quickly stuffed half a string of coins into his hand, saying: “No matter, I’ll file a document later. Right now we need to examine these bodies again.”

Old Guo gestured for Little Baldy to drag the bodies back in, his gaze falling on Wang Yun. Seeing his gentle and warm demeanor, he felt somewhat puzzled, wondering how such a refined young gentleman would come to view corpses. Then looking at Huang Zihua, his jaw nearly dropped as he pulled Zhou Ziqin aside to ask in a low voice: “You… you’re bringing them to examine corpses?”

Zhou Ziqin nodded: “Yes, I’ve even brought my examination kit from home. Don’t say it’s not allowed.”

“That… that young lady will examine them too?”

“Of course! This couldn’t be done without her. Do you know who she is?” Zhou Ziqin gave a thumbs up, saying proudly, “In examining corpses and investigating cases, if she’s second, no one dares claim first!”

“You’re just boasting!” Old Guo gave him a contemptuous look. “The world’s best was naturally Lord Huang’s daughter – later Yang the Eunuch who served beside Prince Kui.”

“What a coincidence, this lady I’ve brought is Miss Huang,” Zhou Ziqin said triumphantly.

Old Guo was immediately dumbfounded, repeatedly looking Huang Zihua up and down in amazement. Wang Yun, seeing Old Guo’s expression, smiled and patted Huang Zihua’s shoulder, saying: “Let’s go.”

After they went inside, Old Guo pulled Zhou Ziqin’s sleeve again, asking in a lowered voice: “So, this gentleman who came with you, with such a refined and handsome appearance like a jade tree in the wind – could he be legendary… Prince Kui? But I heard Prince Kui is currently detained in the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs…”

Zhou Ziqin looked at him in shock, asking: “This is Commander Wang of the Imperial Guard, how could it be him?”

“Oh? It’s not?” Old Guo’s face immediately showed disappointment. “I’d heard that Prince Kui and Yang Chonggu worked together to solve several mysterious cases, they were a match made in heaven. Some say, Prince Kui, being over twenty, hasn’t married yet because he’s waiting for this princess.”

“What nonsense… such confusion!” Zhou Ziqin listened in shock, saying bewilderedly.

“Indeed, these street rumors are all nonsense.” Old Guo quickly apologized with a smile.

Zhou Ziqin wordlessly carried his box into the morgue. To preserve the bodies, the room had thick walls and small windows, making it very dim.

Coming suddenly from the bright outdoors, everything before his eyes was pitch black. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them to see Huang Zihua’s face in the darkness, pale as snow and ice.

Zhou Ziqin stood dumbfounded for a long while, finally gradually understanding.

Understanding her confident fearlessness when standing behind Prince Kui, knowing everything would be fine; understanding the unspoken coordination when Prince Kui would arrange everything for her before she spoke or acted; understanding those moments when they would exchange glances, comprehending each other without words, leaving only him unable to guess their secret…

Suddenly grasping what he had never noticed before, he felt at a loss. Prince Kui and Wang Yun were both his close acquaintances, and Huang Zihua held a place in his heart above almost everyone else. Now, these three people suddenly presented such a complex situation before him that his mind went blank.

Wang Yun glanced at him, asking: “Ziqin, what are you thinking about?”

“No… nothing.” He vigorously shook his head, forcing all thoughts from his mind, then quickly set down his box, taking out gloves and face masks to hand to Huang Zihua before hurriedly putting on thin leather gloves himself. “It’s a bit dark here, let’s move the bodies under that window.”

In the light streaming through the window, he took out a thin knife from the box, held it in his palm, and bowed to Zhang Xingying, mumbling: “Second Brother Zhang, I’m sorry, we just want to find out the truth for you, to see if there was any injustice in your death…”

Wang Yun said from beside them: “As far as I know, Zhang Xingying committed suicide, and had previously framed Zihua with solid evidence. What need is there for an examination?”

“Well, that’s true…” Zhou Ziqin looked at Huang Zihua somewhat helplessly.

“It’s just in case. After all, a thorough examination will put our minds at ease,” Huang Zihua said to Wang Yun. “Yunzhi, I know you don’t like autopsy examinations, you can wait for us outside.”

Wang Yun frowned slightly but nodded once, saying: “I’ll keep watch outside for you.”

When he reached the doorway, he looked back at them. Zhou Ziqin had already undone Zhang Xingying’s clothes and was carefully checking for wounds. Huang Zihua, holding her face mask, gestured for him to turn the body over, paying attention to any remaining marks.

Wang Yun hesitated for a moment but finally walked out. “Choose Destiny”

Standing at the doorway, looking at the bright sunlight outside, he thought to himself, what was the point, after all, she must have seen many corpses before – men and women, old and young, clothed and unclothed…

Let it all end. After marriage, she might change and never touch these absurd things again.

Zhou Ziqin cut open Zhang Xingying’s chest and abdomen, examining carefully.

Seeing he had opened the intestines, Huang Zihua went outside to get the large tub for washing corpses, having Wang Yun help bring in two buckets of water to clean all the organs.

Zhang Xingying had been dead for some time, his blood long congealed, but even so, as she and Zhou Ziqin washed the organs one by one in the water, Wang Yun retreated outside.

He leaned against a tree feeling nauseous, but after taking deep breaths for a long while, he forcefully held it back. When he turned back and saw them filtering what they had washed out with gauze, he finally couldn’t bear it anymore and ran two steps away, fleeing to the courtyard.

They filtered through two buckets of water for a long time but found nothing. Huang Zihua pondered briefly, saying: “Open the trachea and esophagus.”

Zhou Ziqin took out a smaller knife to cut open the lungs, but Huang Zihua gestured for him to cut along the trachea – still, nothing was found. The esophagus and throat also yielded nothing.

She took a bowl of water and carefully washed away the bodily fluids and congealed blood from the cut neck, then searched down from the mouth along the trachea.

Zhou Ziqin asked: “Are you looking for something he ate before death?”

“Yes, I think it shouldn’t have decomposed yet.” As she spoke, her hand stopped. Zhou Ziqin quickly came closer, joining her in washing that area with a damp cloth. Right in the glottis, there was something small and red.

She took the forceps from his box and extracted a tiny red fish from the glottis.

The redfish was only as long as a small fingernail, thin as a mosquito. Its gossamer-like tail made up half its body. It had begun to decay, its deeply sunken eyes like a skull’s.

Zhou Ziqin quickly took a small porcelain box from nearby and placed it inside.

The tense nerves only relaxed after finding the small fish. Huang Zihua felt cold sweat all over. She raised her arm, using her sleeve to wipe away the streaming sweat from her forehead, then woodenly walked to sit on a nearby stool.

Zhou Ziqin had already moved to Zhang Weiyi’s side, cutting open his throat to search carefully as before. After a while, he made a soft sound of surprise, then extracted something from the throat and placed it in the porcelain box, bringing it before her.

Two almost identical small redfish, their red bodies hidden within the tissue, so tiny they were almost invisible to the naked eye.

Huang Zihua looked at the two fish for a long while, then slowly removed her thin leather gloves, saying: “Ziqin, stitch up the bodies.”

“Yes, I’ll stitch them very carefully,” Zhou Ziqin said seriously.

Huang Zihua nodded slightly to him, standing up to walk out of the morgue.

The sunlight outside was brilliant, its sudden brightness making her eyes uncomfortable, her pupils contracting sharply with slight pain.

She slowly pulled down her face mask, leaning against the door and letting out a long breath.

Wang Yun stood beneath a withered tree in the courtyard, and seeing her come out, walked over to ask: “Is it done?”

She nodded, going to wash her hands thoroughly, saying softly: “Yes, let’s go.”

Wang Yun, seeing her pale, exhausted expression, asked with concern: “Too tired?”

She didn’t answer, only stumbling forward. Wang Yun reached out to grasp her wrist, leading her step by step out of the charity cemetery.

Her hand stiffened for a moment but ultimately allowed him to lead her toward the street outside. “Martial World”

Wang Yun escorted Huang Zihua back to Yongchang Ward, and as he was about to leave, Huang Zihua called him back.

When he turned back to look at her, she pondered and hesitated for a long while before slowly saying: “If you see Lord Wang, please relay a message for me – tell him that what he wants is in Yongchang Ward.”

Wang Yun nodded, saying: “Get some good rest.”

She agreed, watching him leave before returning to her quarters, taking out the crystal bottle containing the pair of Agashne to examine carefully.

The fish eggs, as fine as dust, were still in the water, though she had scattered them last night. Now they settled at the bottom like a faint bloodstain spreading out.

She gently swirled the bottle, staring at the drifting fish and eggs in a daze for a long time.

Before Wang Zongshi arrived, she first opened the drawer to take out the propolis inside and looked at it for a long while. Everything seemed to be taking shape. She pulled out the hairpin from her hair, slowly carving the emerging solution to the mystery on the table.

After who knows how long, someone lightly knocked on the open door.

She looked up to see Wang Zongshi standing in the doorway, and put the hairpin back in her hair before giving him a bow: “Lord Wang.”

Wang Zongshi nodded as he entered, and she walked to the table to pick up the crystal bottle to show him.

“I thought something had happened. Yunzhi is truly concerned about your affairs,” Wang Zongshi said slowly as he stepped into the room. “So it’s that the Agashne has laid eggs.”