What’s this kid looking at?

Xie Zhifei had no choice but to personally console her.

“I’ve already sent people to escort Tangyuan and Lanchuan back to the villa. It’s not your fault. Don’t panic—we’ll definitely find her.”

Li Buyan always responded better to gentleness than harshness.

If someone scolded her, yelled at her, or even hit her at this moment, she’d actually feel somewhat better inside.

But hearing words like these—how could she bear it? Tears flooded out.

This time, even Xie Zhifei was stunned.

The troublemaker actually…

Could cry?

Young Master Pei, as if possessed, came back to his senses. He fumbled in his robes and forcefully stuffed a handkerchief into her hand.

“Why are you crying? Can’t you have a bit of backbone?”

Who lacks backbone?

Who wants your handkerchief?

Li Buyan was about to throw the handkerchief back at him when she heard Pei Xiao say seriously to Xie Zhifei, “Where wild geese pass, they leave traces; where wind passes, it leaves sound. Search carefully—don’t miss a single inch.”

Xie Zhifei nodded, his gaze turning to Zhu Qing.

Zhu Qing quickly asked, “Miss Li, you’re certain she disappeared from the courtyard?”

Li Buyan wiped her tears with the handkerchief and grunted affirmatively:

“She said she’d wait for me here, so she definitely would have waited here. She always keeps her word, unless someone lured her away.”

“Sir!”

The shopkeeper hurried over saying, “Our estate only has front and back gates. The front gate has welcoming attendants, the back gate has gatekeepers—none saw anyone leave!”

Zhu Qing: “Master, then let’s start searching from this courtyard.”

Xie Zhifei: “Search!”

The courtyard was truly small. Zhu Qing walked a circuit and stopped before the locust tree, looking up at the gray-blue sky.

“If it were me, to abduct someone without alerting anyone, I’d knock them unconscious first, then climb this tree to the roof and leave via the rooftops.”

He circled the locust tree again. “One person wouldn’t be enough—someone above would need to provide assistance.”

Xie Zhifei decided immediately: “Go up and take a look.”

Zhu Qing leaped onto the locust tree, climbed nimbly for a few moments, then reached up and flipped onto the roof.

Having gone days without rain, a layer of dust had accumulated on the tiles.

In the dust, over a dozen scattered footprints starkly met his eyes.

“Master, I guessed correctly. Two people, traveling via rooftops. There are footprints up here.”

Hearing these words, Xie Zhifei not only wasn’t excited but frowned even deeper.

That these two dared travel by rooftop showed they were experts.

Li Buyan drew her soft sword, also preparing to go up, but was stopped by Pei Xiao pulling her back. “Wait. Too many people would actually be problematic.”

Possessed by some impulse, Li Buyan halted.

After a while, Zhu Qing landed steadily and handed two broken tile fragments into Xie Zhifei’s hands.

“Freshly broken. Master, look—the break is new.”

Hearing this, the shopkeeper was so happy he nearly cried.

“Sir, I told you our silk and satin shop was wronged! This, this is clearly someone seeking…”

“Seeking what?”

Xie Zhifei’s gaze darkened.

The shopkeeper was frightened and quickly swallowed his words.

“Even if it’s a vendetta, the person still disappeared at your establishment—you can’t escape responsibility.”

Xie Zhifei spoke each word forcefully and clearly. “Everyone go wait in the front hall. This official needs to investigate more carefully.”

The shopkeeper quickly waved at the attendants and embroiderers behind him.

Once everyone had left, Xie Zhifei said in a low voice, “Now we can basically confirm it’s Chonghua Palace.”

Hearing “Chonghua Palace,” Li Buyan said through gritted teeth, “Zhu Qing, come on, follow this old mistress and kill our way there.”

“Don’t be impulsive.”

Zhu Qing blocked her path. “Listen to Third Master’s arrangements.”

Li Buyan: “What’s there to arrange? Kill our way there, put a blade to that bastard’s throat—one life for one life.”

“Right, then implicate the Zhu family and that deadly matter behind them.”

Xie Zhifei briefly explained Shen Yande’s situation to her, then sneered coldly at the end: “Then we can all hold hands, stand shoulder to shoulder, and happily go to the execution ground together.”

Li Buyan wasn’t stupid. She quickly said, “I was impulsive. I’ll follow Third Master’s arrangements.”

Now that sounded more like it.

Xie Zhifei pointed at the roof. “You and Zhu Qing both go up and see if you can track forward following the footprints.”

“What about you?” Li Buyan asked.

Xie Zhifei: “Mingting and I are going to the gambling house. Afterward, we’ll meet at the Military Commission office.”

The gambling house—that meant seeking that person’s help.

Li Buyan asked through gritted teeth, “Third Master, do you think Sanhe might…”

“Might what?”

Xie Zhifei didn’t want to hear such fruitless speculation. He raised his brows and said fiercely:

“Rest assured, whether gods or Buddhas block our way, we’ll kill them all. We’ll definitely find a way to rescue her.”

…

Zhu Residence.

Study.

Zhu Yuanmo took out three copper coins and threw them on the ground.

Normally, the coins would roll a few times and quickly reveal heads or tails.

But today, the three copper coins spun like tops on the ground, continuously circling, then… then…

Right before the three brothers’ eyes, they stood upright.

The room fell silent.

All three brothers’ expressions were extremely grim. This scene was something they’d never witnessed in all their years—a bizarre occurrence.

This also meant they absolutely could not divine Yan Sanhe’s fortune or misfortune.

Zhu Yuanzhao felt his hair stand on end. “Elder Brother, how can this be?”

Zhu Yuanmo’s eyes contracted, suppressing the shock within them.

The Patriarch once said that in this world, only two types of people’s fortunes cannot be divined: one is those of unspeakable nobility; the other…

Zhu Yuanmo didn’t dare think further and said casually, “Since Miss Yan can transform thoughts and resolve demons, she naturally has exceptional qualities. It’s normal that we ordinary people cannot divine her fortune.”

“So what do we do now?”

Zhu Yuanhao’s face turned pale. “If something happens to Miss Yan…”

“Don’t frighten yourself.”

Zhu Yuanmo cleared his throat. “Now we divide into two groups. Second Brother, you change into servant’s clothes and immediately go meet Third Master. Follow all of Third Master’s commands.”

Zhu Yuanzhao: “Yes!”

“Wait.”

Zhu Yuanmo called him back. “This time, don’t worry about righteous or evil paths. As long as it brings Miss Yan back safely, it’s the right path.”

Hearing these words, Zhu Yuanzhao’s heart filled with sorrow.

Elder Brother, a person who always followed rules in conduct and affairs, had now been forced by one incident after another to throw everything aside.

At life-or-death junctures, Zhu Yuanmo had to throw everything aside.

Yan Sanhe was the only person who could save their Zhu family. Even if the Zhu family had reached a dead end, as long as she lived, there remained a thread of hope.

So even if he died, Yan Sanhe must live.

“Third Brother.”

“Elder Brother?”

“Someone has their eye on our Zhu family. Third Master wants us to find the source. Do you have any good methods?”

Among the three brothers, Zhu Yuanhao always had the most clever schemes. Zhu Yuanmo kept him behind precisely for this important matter.

Zhu Yuanhao furrowed his brow, thought for a full cup of tea’s time, then said cautiously:

“Elder Brother, there’s one method we can try, but it would inconvenience you.”

“What?”

“You’re the Zhu family head. Their target is you. If something happens to you, those hiding in the shadows will definitely draw closer to see what happened.”

Zhu Yuanmo’s heart jolted. “You mean… use me as bait?”

“Yes!”

—