Yan Sanhe saw the understanding in his eyes and gently nodded.

“If I were Hu Sanmei, I harbored in my heart someone far away yet unforgettable from my youth—my childhood sweetheart.

I understood him very well, because the young Wu Guanyue would tell me everything—about his lofty aspirations, about why he came to live on Old Street, and about his parents’ discord.

We bonded over Hei Dan, raising it together. He often thought about Hei Dan. So one day I asked him: why are you so good to dogs?”

Xie Zhifei very quickly picked up the narrative.

“I told Hu Sanmei that our Wu family ancestors were once saved by a dog, and thus left behind an ancestral rule that descendants must never kill dogs or eat dog meat—dogs are the Wu family’s most loyal friends.”

Yan Sanhe nodded.

“Many years later, I became Old Lady Ji, living in luxury. One day, I inadvertently heard that the Zheng family massacre was committed by Wu Guanyue and his father. My world collapsed.”

Xie Zhifei’s eyes brightened as he continued Yan Sanhe’s narrative.

“She couldn’t believe at all that this matter could be Wu Guanyue’s doing. In her memory, Wu Guanyue was like a clear breeze and bright moon, a person like an immortal.

She was shocked, doubtful, anguished, heartbroken. All these emotions suppressed in her heart with no one to tell, no one to confide in, unable to find peace until the day she died.”

Yan Sanhe: “The first part is correct, the second part is wrong.”

Xie Zhifei: “What’s wrong?”

“I fundamentally didn’t believe the Zheng family case was Wu Guanyue’s doing. After being shocked, doubtful, anguished, and heartbroken, I calmed down and secretly sent people to investigate.”

Yan Sanhe’s gaze grew distant. “I investigated everywhere, investigated everywhere. When I learned that every dog the Zheng family raised had been killed…”

Xie Zhifei’s pupils contracted sharply as he blurted out: “She knew then that this case definitely wasn’t committed by Wu Guanyue and his father—they were wrongly accused.”

As the last word fell, the room grew silent.

At this point, Xie Zhifei finally understood—to resolve the old lady’s inner demon, there was simply no way to avoid the case of Wu Guanyue and his father.

“Can Third Master spare my arm?”

“Ah… oh…”

Xie Zhifei suddenly released his grip. “Sorry, I’m used to grabbing Pei Mingting.”

Is his arm the same as mine?

Yan Sanhe roared inwardly but maintained a calm expression on her face. “So I can’t promise you this. Everything must wait until I’ve resolved that other half of the inner demon.”

Xie Zhifei seemed not to hear.

Seeing him motionless, Yan Sanhe asked, “Does Third Master have anything else to instruct?”

Xie Zhifei looked up at her and hesitated.

“If Hu Sanmei’s inner demon is knowing that the Zheng family case wasn’t committed by Wu Guanyue and his father, then ultimately it’s still related to Wu Guanyue and his father. In that case, Wu Shunian’s incense shouldn’t have burned halfway and gone out.”

“You’re absolutely right. This is also what I’ve been thinking about the whole way and still haven’t figured out.”

Yan Sanhe said dejectedly: “There must be something I’ve overlooked.”

As she spoke, she rested her chin on her hand, her head tilted slightly back, her slender neck forming a beautiful arc.

Xie Zhifei’s hand unconsciously reached out. Halfway there, he suddenly heard two thumps in his heart and felt inexplicably guilty.

What am I feeling guilty about?

He asked himself.

“Xie Zhifei, what are you doing?”

“Ah?”

Xie Zhifei stood up in alarm and said quickly: “Nothing, nothing. You should rest early. I…”

“Xie Zhifei!”

Yan Sanhe also stood up. “Given what you said about earth-shaking consequences, I absolutely cannot get involved in the Zheng family case. I don’t have a death wish.”

Xie Zhifei paused.

“You and Pei Mingting—one Northern City Commander, one Right Instructor of Virtue, and behind you stands that ‘certain someone.’ That’s enough!”

Xie Zhifei didn’t get angry but smiled instead. His two sword-like eyebrows slowly relaxed, his lips curved, revealing his signature rakish, dandyish smile.

Then he waved his hand and walked away with long strides.

Yan Sanhe stood frozen in place.

In this world, there’s a term for femme fatales—was there a term for male demons?

The door closed.

The smile on the demon’s face sank as he said quietly to himself:

“Yan Sanhe, you must get involved in the Zheng family case, because only you can unravel the mysteries within. Want to escape? Not a chance!”

The demon descended the stairs where Zhu Qing and Ding Yi were waiting below.

“Master?”

Xie Zhifei glanced at the two men and walked outside the inn with his hands behind his back.

The two quickly followed.

The master and two servants walked to a place with no one around before Xie Zhifei turned.

“Ding Yi, return to the capital immediately to see the Imperial Grandson. Have him arrange things—Yan Sanhe needs to see Ji Lingchuan.”

Ding Yi: “Yes!”

Xie Zhifei: “Besides that, have my elder brother help arrange things. Three days from now, I need to have recovered from my illness and make an appearance, and Lord Pei also needs to return from completing his duties in Guangxi.”

Ding Yi: “Understood!”

Xie Zhifei: “Go!”

Ding Yi looked at his master’s tightly drawn face and said ingratiatingly: “There’s one piece of good news I forgot to tell Master.”

“Speak!”

“That Xu Sheng fell from his horse two months ago while hunting in the Western Hills and broke a leg.”

Ding Yi said excitedly: “Shen Chong did it flawlessly.”

Xie Zhifei said indifferently: “Mm!”

Eh?

As Ding Yi turned away, he looked questioningly at Zhu Qing: Why isn’t Master happy at all?

Zhu Qing rubbed his nose: Didn’t I tell you? On this entire journey back, Master’s spirits haven’t been good!

“Zhu Qing, come back to my room with me.”

“Yes!”

Master and servant turned and entered the official station, returning to the room.

Inside the room, Pei Xiao sat alone under a solitary lamp, playing with a teacup in his hands, his expression dark and unclear.

Behind him, Huang Qi stood ramrod straight.

Xie Zhifei sighed inwardly and walked over to sit beside Pei Xiao.

“Zhu Qing, Huang Qi, you sit as well.”

Zhu Qing and Huang Qi exchanged glances, not understanding why Third Master was learning from Miss Yan.

Once the two were seated, Xie Zhifei spoke.

“Everything about Wu Guanyue and his father, and Zhou Ye—you must chew it up and swallow it down. Not a single word can leak out.”

Pei Xiao was still immersed in the grief of Nine Sister’s suicide by ramming the wall and said casually: “Fifth, don’t worry. I know this matter’s gravity.”

“You know its gravity, but you don’t know how light this light is, how heavy this heavy is.”

Xie Zhifei’s deep eyes looked at him.

“No matter who it is—my father, your father, my elder brother, even the Imperial Grandson—not a single word can be revealed.”

You have to hide it even from Huairen?

Pei Xiao was about to ask “why” when he heard Xie Zhifei continue:

“Think about who Old General Zheng was? Think about who Wu Guanyue and his father were? Then think about the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, the Censorate, the Embroidered Uniform Guard… pulling one thread moves the entire body, Mingting!”

After he said this, Pei Mingting’s heart instantly leaped to his throat, cold sweat breaking out.

Damn it all!

If this case came to light, the skies over the Forty-Nine Cities would be turned upside down!

“So all this way, you’ve been speaking little, unable to eat, unable to sleep well—it was all because of this?”

“What else!”

Pei Mingting slapped his forehead in chagrin. “I completely failed to think of this aspect. What a terrible oversight.”

“You didn’t overlook it—you were preoccupied with the other half of the old lady’s inner demon.”

Xie Zhifei spoke word by word.

“The following words, you all listen carefully. Our external story will be…”