“Last August, Adjutant Li instructed me to draft the Yangdu Patrol and Governance Code. After the initial draft was submitted and reviewed by Adjutant Xu, it was then sent to Adjutant Xu for a second review. All the signing, approvals, and issuance followed proper procedure.” Qi Yuansheng’s expression was one of genuine puzzlement. “I am not sure what questions the lords might have.”

“Just a routine inquiry,” Ling Zhiyan said. He was currently reviewing the original draft, second draft, and final version of the “Yangdu Patrol and Governance Code” along with their approval records — just as Qi Yuansheng had described, every step and procedure was in order.

Hua Yitang had already grown too restless to sit still. He leaned in beside Ling Zhiyan, the human scanner activating again — this time looking especially closely.

Lin Sui’an, unable to make much of the archaic classical text anyway, simply settled in with Jin Ruo to observe the people in the room.

“Adjutants Xu and Li are both seven chi tall, Chief Secretary Hè is eight chi, and Qi Yuansheng is six chi,” Jin Ruo said. “Based on build alone, none of them can be ruled out as suspects.”

“After the murders, Chief Secretary Hè and the two adjutants were together all night — all three have alibis,” Lin Sui’an said.

“They hold high positions with many servants and retainers. They could have hired someone to kill, or ordered subordinates to do it.”

“But all of them are in the same camp as Zhou Changping and the Feng Family — what motive would they have for killing?”

“What about this Qi Yuansheng then?”

Lin Sui’an said nothing. She didn’t dare make any definitive statement.

Her sixth sense pointed toward this person, but reason kept reminding her: what truly solves a case is not intuition — it is concrete, solid evidence.

At that thought, Lin Sui’an felt a flicker of resentment. Other people who crossed through time either were reborn, came with a system, or at the very least could foresee the future. Hers, by contrast, was only a pair of eyes that could read the memories of corpses — useful in a limited way and inauspicious at that, and now apparently misfiring on top of everything else, giving her nothing but blurry fragments she couldn’t even make out clearly.

Hold on! Lin Sui’an suddenly realized something — why had the ability’s images turned blurry?

The memories of the original soul and of Luo Shichuan had both appeared in full, crisp clarity. Why had Yan He’s and Jiang Hongwen’s degraded to murky, flickering fragments? The ability showed her a replay of the deceased’s memories as they had last experienced them. Could Yan He and Jiang Hongwen both have been severely nearsighted? But thinking back on how Yan He had appeared, he had shown no signs of nearsightedness — so was there some external factor causing their vision to be unclear?

“I would ask everyone to remain at the yamen tonight. There may be details I need to ask about at any time,” Ling Zhiyan said, sending the constables to escort Chief Secretary Hè and the others out. They all wore displeased expressions but had no choice but to comply.

Qi Yuansheng was the last to leave. One foot had just crossed the threshold when Ling Zhiyan suddenly called out to him.

“Scribe Qi — where were you between the third quarter of the Zi hour and the first mark of the Chou hour last night?”

Qi Yuansheng turned around. Meeting Ling Zhiyan’s gaze, sharp as a blade, his expression did not change in the slightest. “At home, sleeping.”

“Can anyone confirm this?”

“I live alone. No one can confirm it.”

It was only after Qi Yuansheng’s figure had disappeared into the night that Ling Zhiyan finally spoke: “This person is problematic.”

“How so?” Hua Yitang asked without looking up.

“An ordinary person, when asked to account for their whereabouts, would never be so composed — especially just at the moment of leaving, when their guard is lowered. A sudden question like that would ordinarily cause a visible shift in expression,” Ling Zhiyan said, frowning. “Qi Yuansheng’s reaction was too abnormal.”

Lin Sui’an: “…”

So this was apparently his one signature technique, was it? He had used the same trick on her last time — asking about Su Chengxian’s cause of death right as she was about to leave, so suddenly it had made her scalp prickle.

Apparently noticing that Lin Sui’an’s gaze was a bit too “attentive,” Ling Zhiyan gave an awkward dry cough. “The Su Family’s head once had someone inquire with the Court of Judicial Review about Su Chengxian’s cause of death. The records from Nanpu County are quite vague, which is why I thought to ask Lin Niangzi about it.”

Lin Sui’an thought: As long as he’s not here to settle a score with her, it’s fine.

“I found a few interesting points,” Hua Yitang said, selecting about a dozen scrolls and laying them out in a row on the table. “First: the various divisions of the Yangdu yamen don’t communicate their orders across departments — the Yangdu Patrol and Governance Code was only implemented within the Justice and Military Affairs divisions, and the other four divisions never received a copy for their records. Second:” — Hua Yitang singled out over ten scroll books — “more than seventy percent of the codes and orders drafted by the Division of Justice were written by Qi Yuansheng. The rest, though other scribes’ names are listed as authors, clearly show his handwriting on inspection — he was writing on their behalf. Moreover, his writing is exceptional, his reasoning lucid, and any code or order he drafted received only minor corrections upon review — rarely any major revisions. Even more remarkably, Qi Yuansheng has ghostwritten quite a few things for scribes in the Military Affairs, Household Affairs, Treasury, and Works divisions. Not particularly significant items, but in considerable volume.”

Lin Sui’an understood. As Hua Yitang had described earlier, the entire Yangdu yamen operated on the guiding philosophy of “seek no merit, seek only no fault” — and so the work culture was everyone lying flat and doing the bare minimum, seizing on whoever seemed willing to do the work and using them until they broke.

Ling Zhiyan was visibly shaken.

“Does this go beyond what Inspector Ling expected?” Hua Yitang asked.

“It’s quite unbelievable,” Ling Zhiyan admitted.

“Standard practice for lower-ranking officials,” Hua Yitang said.

“That only shows the man is diligent and well-liked,” Jin Ruo said. “What’s suspicious about that?”

“Well — let’s put it this way,” Lin Sui’an thought for a moment, “today you do me a favor, tomorrow I do you one — small, harmless things done in quiet mutual understanding.”

“What kind of things could — could be done?” Jin Ruo asked.

“The Household Affairs Division handles household registrations and marriages; the Treasury Division oversees tax records, warehouses, and markets — there’s a near-endless list of trivial things a low-ranking official could accomplish with a flick of the wrist,” Hua Yitang said, seeming to both answer Jin Ruo and muse to himself. “We still haven’t located the primary crime scene. In a city as vast as Yangdu, there are far too many places to hide something…”

“Ming Shu,” Ling Zhiyan called. “Go look into this person’s place of origin, personal history, official career, and who he associates with day-to-day — especially his connections with officials across the six divisions.” He called over another person: “Ming Feng — go take a look at Qi Yuansheng’s residence.”

Both of them sprinted out.

Lin Sui’an scratched her head. The case was starting to develop some leads. For now, suspicion appeared to be narrowing toward Chief Secretary Hè, Adjutant Xu, Adjutant Li, and Qi Yuansheng — with Qi Yuansheng in particular standing out.

Her sixth sense had actually proved right, and yet far from feeling relieved, the unease in her heart only grew heavier. It was as if something in the shadows had been pulling their investigation toward this particular thread — but when she examined it carefully, everything remained conjecture and hypothesis, with no direct physical evidence linking anything to the case.

It was a feeling like being suspended in mid-air, with no ground underfoot.

Lin Sui’an’s gaze shifted to Hua Yitang. She could see that his brow was furrowed in thought — perhaps wrestling with the same problem. Jin Ruo was even more peculiar, gnawing his fingernails while pacing in circles. “I need to go back for a moment.”

“What did you find?” Lin Sui’an asked.

“Elder Zhang mentioned before that much of the inside information we’ve obtained from official sources came through the assistance of a certain benefactor. In exchange, we would occasionally provide this person with certain inconsequential information — mutual exchange, no payment required.” Jin Ruo lowered his voice. “Just like what you just described — today you help me, tomorrow I help you, in quiet mutual understanding—”

Could it really be this much of a coincidence?

“And who is this benefactor?” Lin Sui’an asked.

“That’s exactly why I need to go back and ask Elder Zhang!” Jin Ruo said.

“Let’s go,” Hua Yitang said.

Lin Sui’an and Jin Ruo both snapped their heads toward Hua Yitang.

“Nothing much will come of things on this end for a while anyway,” Hua Yitang said, getting to his feet. “I’m more interested in your mole.”

Jin Ruo: “Who do you think you are? Who gave you the authority to be involved in this?!”

Hua Yitang bared his teeth. “Because I, Hua Yitang, never forget a grievance!”

Elder Zhang’s home — or rather, the Ten Purity Sect’s base of operations — was in Green Cloud Ward in the north of the city, beside the Nine Initial River. By now it was past the second Xu hour. Along the riverbank, festival lanterns gleamed, strollers crowded the walkways, and the night scenery was like a painting. Seated inside, one could hear the singing of the boat courtesans drifting from the painted pleasure boats on the river.

Elder Zhang’s given name was a single character: Flag. Remarkably, he turned out to be the old Hu man who had been selling flatbreads earlier. As for Lin Sui’an’s unspoken question about how a foreigner could hold a high position in the Ten Purity Sect, Jin Ruo answered with evident pride: “The Ten Purity Sect accepts disciples without regard to background. No matter one’s nationality or origin — provided one passes the trials, one may enter the Sect.”

Quite an international organization. Lin Sui’an found her estimation of it rising considerably.

Elder Zhang showed no surprise at Lin Sui’an’s arrival. He was, however, quite interested in Hua Yitang and studied him for several moments before remarking admiringly, “Hua Family’s Fourth Young Master is indeed every bit the legend — truly a product of exceptional natural talent.”

“You flatter me,” Hua Yitang said, fanning himself with distinct satisfaction, and casting a sidelong glance at Jin Ruo.

Jin Ruo paid Hua Yitang no notice at all. He spoke up immediately: “Elder Zhang — you mentioned before that we’ve received certain information from official sources thanks to the help of a particular benefactor. Who is that person?”

Elder Zhang took his time responding. “Is it Lin Niangzi who wishes to know, or Hua the Fourth?”

Jin Ruo paused. “We both—”

Elder Zhang sighed. “Has the Acting Sect Leader forgotten the Sect’s rules again?”

“Oh,” Jin Ruo said, scratching his head.

Elder Zhang said in a resigned tone, “The Acting Sect Leader has only been in the position a year. Young and inexperienced, with a poor memory to boot — as an Elder, I naturally must offer a few reminders.”

“What rules?” Lin Sui’an asked.

“Although Lin Niangzi belongs to the outer sect, she is currently the holder of Qian Jing — which makes her half a core member,” Elder Zhang said, raising five fingers. “For information of this importance, there is a fifty percent discount. Five gold leaf pieces.”

Why don’t you just rob me?!

Lin Sui’an almost blurted it out.

“It’s my question,” Hua Yitang said, casually producing five gold leaves — only to have Elder Zhang wave them away.

“For Hua Family’s Fourth Young Master, the price would be different.”

“Is Elder Zhang raising his price on the spot?”

“No — I charge according to the person.”

“I hear the Hua Family is planning to open three more silk shops in Gold Mud Ward?”

“The Ten Purity Sect is impressively well-informed, as always.”

“And the stall spaces on the outer street of the silk shops — not yet assigned, I imagine?”

“Twelve stall spaces — all twelve gifted to the Ten Purity Sect.”

Elder Zhang’s smile disappeared for the first time. “Those twelve stall spaces generate at minimum one hundred gold in annual rent.”

Hua Yitang: “Consider it a welcoming gift to the Ten Purity Sect.”

Jin Ruo’s jaw dropped. Lin Sui’an nearly fainted.

Hey, hey, hey! Are you trying to squander your entire fortune, man?!

Lin Sui’an snatched the gold leaves out of Hua Yitang’s hand. “Count it against mine—”

Hua Yitang pressed down on Lin Sui’an’s arm. “It’s settled!”

Elder Zhang glanced at Lin Sui’an, nodded with deep significance, and said, “Hua Family’s Fourth Young Master is truly every bit the legend — truly generous to the extreme… for someone he cares about!”

“Speak then,” Hua Yitang said in a low, firm voice. “Who is that person?”

“Qi Yuansheng — scribe of the Division of Justice.”

Oh! There he was again!

Lin Sui’an and Hua Yitang exchanged a glance.

“Has anyone within the Sect ever disclosed to him that Lin Sui’an went to Liuyue Tower to investigate?” Jin Ruo asked, his expression shifting slightly.

“Ah — so that’s what the Acting Sect Leader wanted to ask. Actually, regarding the information leak that day, I have already traced it — the person responsible was num—”

At that very moment, the sound of thunderous gongs erupted from the street outside, tangled with the din of clamoring shouts and screams.

Lin Sui’an’s temple jumped. She, Hua Yitang, and Jin Ruo bolted out the door and had barely cleared the ward gate when they heard several sharp shouts.

“Move aside — constables in pursuit! Everyone move aside!”

“Everyone get up — don’t let that carriage get away!”

In the brilliant glow of the riverside lanterns, a carriage came tearing through the crowd. The driver was dressed all in black, wearing a red ghost mask, plowing through the people with reckless abandon. More than ten constables and city patrol soldiers pursued the carriage, shouting — and at their lead were none other than Ming Shu and Ming Feng.

The moment they saw Lin Sui’an they were overjoyed, hollering at the top of their lungs: “Lin Niangzi — stop that carriage!”

The carriage happened to be flying past right in front of her. Lin Sui’an’s feet pushed off the ground and she launched herself into the air, landing solidly on the roof of the carriage. The carriage lurched violently; Lin Sui’an’s body swayed and she nearly tumbled off. She quickly drew Qian Jing and drove it into the roof to anchor herself, and in the instant Qian Jing pierced through, she caught a nauseating smell — sharp and charred.

Suddenly, a blade stabbed upward from inside the carriage, thrusting through the roof in reverse. Someone was inside! Lin Sui’an was taken aback. She grabbed Qian Jing’s hilt with one hand and swung her entire body in an arc, using the momentum to kick toward the back of the driver’s head — only for the driver to seem to have eyes in the back of his head, ducking just in time. He then wrenched the horse sharply to one side, and Lin Sui’an’s entire body swung back onto the carriage roof with the pendulum motion. The long blade inside the carriage thrust through the roof again and again, and Lin Sui’an rolled aside three times in rapid succession — blade-wind grazing her arm, her neck, her temple — and blood flew.

So you want to play dirty, do you?!

I’ll do the opposite!

Lin Sui’an let out a cold laugh. Her wrist twisted and she wrenched Qian Jing free. Her left palm braced her body as she flipped backward upward, and using her full body weight she brought Qian Jing crashing down — Qian Jing cleaved through the carriage with a sound like splitting bamboo, a resounding crack splitting the carriage compartment into two halves.

The horse screamed, bystanders shrieked, the two halves of the carriage were flung far behind, shattering into pieces with a great explosion of dust. Lin Sui’an was still in the air when a large black object shot out from the cloud of dust and hurtled straight at her face. Lin Sui’an’s reflexes had her blade already rising — when suddenly she noticed that the black object had two dark holes on it.

In that instant, the scene before her eyes changed abruptly. A scroll appeared, dappled sunlight filtering down upon it, and a dense mass of writing flashed by in an instant. Lin Sui’an only managed to make out two characters:

“…Ten Cruel…”

Her vision snapped back. That blackened thing was barely half a chi away from her face — it was a burned human head.

Lin Sui’an was aghast. She forced herself to check her blade mid-swing, spinning her body like a top through the air, and landed hard, staggering several steps before steadying herself, drenched in cold sweat.

Wait — had the ability just activated?

This charred corpse doesn’t even have eyeballs — and yet it could still show a memory?

That defies all logic!

The screams of the surrounding people pierced the sky as they scattered in all directions, fleeing not because of Lin Sui’an, but because of what had just been thrown from the carriage: a pitch-black charred corpse, lying on the ground, its surroundings covered in black ash.

The carriage had shattered, the horse had bolted, and the driver was standing unscathed three zhang away. A second figure, dressed identically and wearing a black ghost mask, stood on the tip of one foot at the top of a large pagoda tree by the river, with a powerful, broad-shouldered build and steady, rooted footing.

Ming Shu and Ming Feng led the constables charging forward. Hua Yitang and Jin Ruo arrived breathless, both staring at the scene before them in stunned silence.

“What are you?!” Ming Shu demanded.

“What’s with this charred corpse?!” Jin Ruo said.

“Why don’t you surrender now?!” Ming Feng called.

“Lin Sui’an, you’re bleeding!” Hua Yitang exclaimed.

If the situation weren’t what it was, Lin Sui’an truly would have liked to point out the problem with this sequence of priorities.

Hua Yitang, your instincts are all wrong!

“Ha ha ha ha ha — did you see that?!” The man in the tree threw back his head in laughter, and the long blade in his hand leveled directly at Hua Yitang. “Hua Family’s Fourth Young Master — you’re next!”

Side Skit

Everyone: Happy Children’s Day!

Congratulations to the friends in Shanghai on the end of the lockdown!