A man and woman eating at one table in one room.

As they ate, Yan Sanhe began to regret it.

Had she known the atmosphere would become this awkward, she would have thrown a young lady’s tantrum no matter what and gone to Guanyin Chan Temple with Pei Xiao.

Yan Sanhe was regretting it in her heart, but Xie Zhifei regretted it even more.

He even developed an incredible notion—

All these years, the reason he’d tolerated Pei Mingting’s various behaviors was probably because with him around, there was no need to rack his brains finding topics. He just had to be lazy and smile.

The meal left both feeling somewhat indigestible.

Yan Sanhe cleared away the bowls and chopsticks while Xie Sanye boiled water to make tea. The two had no interaction throughout, each doing their own work.

There wasn’t much work—it was finished in no time.

And then?

What to do?

Yan Sanhe was someone who could remain calm, but Xie Sanye wasn’t!

Third Master sighed helplessly in his heart.

How was it that he could talk endlessly with everyone else, from astronomy above to geography below, from elegant poetry and songs to vulgar pleasure houses and gambling dens, discussing and talking about everything without exception.

Only with her…

He just didn’t know what to say!

After drinking tea, Third Master’s voice still sounded a bit dry. “Mingting told us to discuss what to do next.”

“No need to discuss.”

“Why not?”

“Because neither of us knows whether things went smoothly on their end.”

Xie Zhifei, hearing her say this, felt his heart lift anxiously. “Will there be complications?”

Yan Sanhe picked up her teacup and laughed coldly:

“I’m not afraid of complications. I’m afraid of no complications at all.”

…

Were there complications on Pei Daren’s end?

Yes.

The fat monk Changqing found Pei Daren’s “turning hostile” very unexpected.

They’d provided everything he wanted to eat and drink.

They’d satisfied his requests for horses and people.

How was it that in the end, Pei Daren still wanted to investigate Guanyin Chan Temple thoroughly?

What illness is this!

As the saying goes, the people don’t contend with officials. Monk Changqing immediately had someone strike the great bell.

Nine strikes meant an emergency assembly. In no time, the Great Buddha Hall was packed with bald monks.

Pei Daren personally presided, holding the brush in one hand and the roster in the other, checking each monk.

After checking, twenty monks weren’t on the roster.

Very good.

Check those not on the roster again.

Behind him, Huang Qi observed in all directions, listening on all sides. His eyes were like two clusters of flame, the portraits of Wu Guanyue and his son carved into his mind.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

While Pei Daren was checking the roster, Li Buyan and Zhu Qing had already taken the opportunity to sprinkle a thin layer of lime powder on both sides of the paths leading from the Great Buddha Hall to several dormitories.

If anyone wanted to send a warning, they’d certainly take the small paths at night.

Besides this, they also sprinkled a thin layer at the entrances of several dormitories.

After the Great Buddha Hall finished, it was already quite late. The monks all habitually went to bed early. Normal people who entered the dormitories wouldn’t come out again.

Whichever dormitory had footprints going outward—that would likely be problematic and needed close investigation.

After sprinkling the lime, Li Buyan and Zhu Qing immediately split up to act.

Whether on the roster or not, everyone was now gathered in the Great Buddha Hall. Anyone stubbornly staying in their room without coming out would be highly suspicious.

In these two hours, the two of them had to check every room at Guanyin Chan Temple one by one…

…

Some people were worked to death, others idled to death.

Xie Sanye, having nothing to do, first drank tea in his own room for half the day. Unable to sit still, he went to pace in the courtyard.

His heart remained unsettled.

He kept feeling something was going to happen.

He thought just waiting like this wouldn’t work—he must discuss it more with Yan Sanhe.

Looking up, he discovered Yan Sanhe’s room had gone dark at some point.

Asleep?

She could actually fall asleep?

Xie Zhifei’s heart wrote a huge: Impressive!

Yan Sanhe was currently lying flat on the bed, hands pillowed behind her head, eyes shining bright in the darkness.

No sleepiness.

In her mind, she sorted through what they’d investigated these past days, bit by bit, then peeled away layer by layer.

Before the midnight hour arrived, talking voices came from outside the courtyard.

Yan Sanhe rolled off the bed in one motion and rushed to the door, yanking it open.

Outside, Pei Xiao and Xie Zhifei were talking.

Seeing her emerge, Pei Xiao sighed while shaking his head.

Yan Sanhe hadn’t placed too much hope in him. Very calmly, she asked, “Where’s Huang Qi?”

Pei Xiao: “After finishing with my end, he went to help Zhu Qing.”

Yan Sanhe: “Then sleep first. We’ll talk when Buyan and Zhu Qing return.”

Xie Zhifei seemed very casual but added an extra comment. “Can you fall asleep?”

“Without sleep, where would I get the energy to match wits with Wu Guanyue and his son?”

Yan Sanhe dropped this line and closed the door.

Xie Zhifei’s expression shifted slightly. He said to Pei Xiao in a low voice, “Come, let’s sleep.”

Pei Xiao: “…”

Hey, how did we suddenly go to sleep?

Why don’t you even ask about my situation at Guanyin Chan Temple?

Forget it!

If we’re sleeping, we’re sleeping. My end didn’t have much happening anyway.

Aiyah, I’m exhausted!

…

When the sky showed faint light, Li Buyan, Zhu Qing, and Huang Qi finally returned.

All three had heavy dark circles under their eyes, bloodshot throughout.

“How did it go?” Pei Xiao asked urgently.

All three shook their heads simultaneously.

Pei Xiao collapsed into a chair.

In his view, this hidden and revealed approach had laid down an inescapable net. Why, in the end, hadn’t they netted even one prey?

“Yan Sanhe, what do we do?” Pei Daren, deeply wounded, wanted to die.

Yan Sanhe didn’t even look at him. “Buyan, Zhu Qing, Huang Qi, don’t think about anything. Go sleep first.”

With one command, all three obediently left.

Only then did Yan Sanhe glance at Pei Xiao, who’d been struck down like a wilted cucumber.

“Third Master, trouble yourself to comfort him. I’m going out for some air.”

“No need, he’ll be fine on his own.”

Xie Zhifei rubbed Pei Xiao’s head and looked at Yan Sanhe. “I’ll walk with you.”

Yan Sanhe frowned.

“Don’t worry, I’ll follow behind you. I won’t disturb you.”

Xie Zhifei said he wouldn’t disturb, and he truly didn’t.

In fact, from when he’d resolved Yan Xing’s inner demon, he’d discovered Yan Sanhe had a habit of walking while thinking.

And she preferred being alone.

Yan Sanhe walked very slowly, as if each step she took forward carried a thousand pounds of weight.

Was the direction completely wrong with no results?

Wu Guanyue and his son weren’t at Guanyin Chan Temple at all?

Or was there another possibility?

“I may have made one wrong move.”

She spoke to herself, but Xie Zhifei behind her heard very clearly and couldn’t help asking, “Which move?”

“We shouldn’t have lodged at the magistrate’s office.”

Xie Zhifei was slightly surprised. He hadn’t expected Yan Sanhe would answer his question.

His heart stirred, and he quickly stepped forward to walk beside her.

“Why do you say that?”

Yan Sanhe stopped and looked at him. “True hunters often appear in the guise of prey.”

Xie Zhifei shuddered violently. Through Yan Sanhe’s pupils, he saw his own alarmed expression.

These words?

These words?

How could she think of this??