The Five City Metropolitan Police Command office was brightly lit.

Xie Zhifei had just sat down after finishing his work when Ding Yi handed him warm tea with honeysuckle added.

He took a sip, irritating a row of blisters at the corner of his mouth, grimacing in pain.

Once the old Emperor died, all of the capital’s forty-nine wards became busy.

The Imperial Guards managed martial law, the Embroidered Uniform Guard handled arrests, and only their Five City Metropolitan Police were like all-purpose dog-skin plaster—wherever there was a problem, they stuck themselves there.

For three days straight, he’d been spinning like a top. Adding up all his sleep, it totaled less than three hours.

Exhaustion was secondary—the key was his anxious heart.

Where was Yan Sanhe now?

What about Dong Chengfeng’s people?

Since the matter was settled, why hadn’t they sent him any word?

Had something gone wrong?

Exhausted and anxious, blisters kept erupting, even honeysuckle couldn’t suppress them.

At that moment, Zhu Qing walked in with someone following behind.

Xie Zhifei lifted his eyelids for a look and immediately jumped up from his chair.

Xue Zhao pulled out a letter from his clothes. “This is what my master ordered me to deliver to Third Master.”

“Why is your master sending me a letter?”

“Where’s Yan Sanhe?”

“Where’s the one surnamed Dong?”

“How are they doing now?”

“With you here, who’s protecting them?”

Xie Zhifei’s questions grew more urgent, but Xue Zhao looked at him with a deadpan expression, his eyes like he was looking at an idiot.

Xie Zhifei ground his back teeth, unfolding the letter.

After a quick scan, his expression changed drastically. “What does it mean that Yan Sanhe is unconscious?”

“The literal meaning.”

Xie Zhifei forcefully suppressed his anger. “Master Xue, this is a matter of life and death. Please open your golden mouth. Was the heart demon resolved?”

Xue Zhao: “Mm.”

Xie Zhifei: “Was the heart demon resolved at Muli Mountain?”

Xue Zhao: “Mm.”

Xie Zhifei: “After resolving the heart demon, she fainted?”

Xue Zhao: “Mm.”

Xie Zhifei: “Can’t be awakened no matter how you call her?”

Xue Zhao: “Mm.”

Xie Zhifei: “Your master is asking me what to do?”

Xue Zhao: “Mm!”

Xie Zhifei: “How many days has it been?”

Xue Zhao didn’t even bother with “mm”—he simply held up three fingers.

Three days?

Indeed, the same day the old Emperor died.

Then what were they waiting for!

“Let’s go. I’m coming with you to Muli Mountain.”

“Master!”

Zhu Qing quietly reminded, “You can’t get away from here.”

“Even if I can’t get away, I must. You and Ding Yi both stay.”

Xie Zhifei grabbed Xue Zhao. “Wait while I see one person, then I’ll leave with you.”

…

The person he needed to see was Hero Li.

Li Buyan had already moved back to the villa, carefully tended by Tang Yuan.

No matter how busy Xie Zhifei was, he came to see her once a day.

Dismounting, with one foot across the threshold, Xie Zhifei suddenly thought of something. He threw his arm around Xue Zhao’s shoulder, asking in a low voice:

“For this heart demon, who was the incense lighter?”

Xue Zhao looked at the hand on his shoulder, his eyes clearly flashing with displeasure, yet still coldly bit out three words: “Miss Yan.”

In that instant, it was as if nine bolts of heavenly lightning struck down, scattering Xie Zhifei’s soul and spirit.

How could the incense lighter be Yan Sanhe?

What was her relationship with those crows?

Impossible!

“Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”

Xue Zhao again wore that expression of looking at an idiot. “Miss Yan said it herself.”

Another nine bolts of heavenly lightning struck.

Xie Zhifei’s bottom hit the threshold as he sat down heavily, storms raging in the depths of his dark eyes.

The crows were the wronged souls of those who died in the Witchcraft Case.

If Yan Sanhe was the incense lighter, that meant she had connections with these wronged souls.

What kind of connections?

Xie Zhifei shot up again, his long arm extending to grip Xue Zhao’s neck firmly as he strode into the residence.

Xue Zhao recalled the last person who had grabbed his neck—seemed like he’d been poisoned to death.

Walking to a corner, Xie Zhifei still didn’t release his grip, asking in a low voice, “Where’s Dong Chengfeng?”

Xue Zhao: “Gone.”

Xie Zhifei: “Where did he go?”

Xue Zhao shook his head, indicating he didn’t know.

Xie Zhifei ground his teeth, indicating: You bastard, would it kill you to say one or two more sentences?

“In the carriage, what did he and Yan Sanhe discuss?”

Xie Zhifei brought his face close. “Can you secretly tell me?”

Xue Zhao: “Cannot!”

Xie Zhifei’s back teeth were nearly ground to nothing. “Why can’t you? Your master and I…”

“I promised her I wouldn’t leak a single word.”

Rarely a complete sentence, yet it infuriated Xie Zhifei terribly.

Recalling that day on the mountain, this person’s stubborn, unyielding attitude, Xie Zhifei abandoned the thought of further questioning, thinking he’d ask Yan Sanhe directly when he saw her.

Just then, Xue Zhao’s ear twitched. “Outside the residence gate—someone’s coming.”

At this hour visiting the villa, there was only one person.

Pei Xiao entered the residence gate and jogged toward the inner compound. Suddenly sensing something wrong, he turned his head—in the dim light stood Xie Zhifei, and also…

“Xue Zhao, how can it be you?”

Pei Xiao rushed straight over. “Where’s Yan the Spirit Medium?”

“At Muli Mountain, unconscious. Tang Jianxi panicked and had Xue Zhao deliver a letter to me.”

Xie Zhifei explained the situation in three brief sentences. “Come, let’s discuss this with Hero Li.”

“Don’t discuss it!”

Pei Xiao quickly reached out to block him, forcing a smile. “With her temperament, nine times out of ten she’ll kill her way there overnight. Her injury isn’t fully healed yet!”

Xie Zhifei looked at him silently.

Pei Xiao straightened up. “My father said it’ll take another month to fully heal.”

Xie Zhifei’s gaze carried a trace of scrutiny.

This kid had been too strange lately.

Never mind that these past days he’d come to the villa rain or shine—just those few days when Li Buyan was unconscious, he’d been more heartbroken than if his own parents had died.

These past days had been even more outrageous.

Supplements and medicinal materials poured into the villa as if they cost nothing. He suspected this wastrel was planning to empty the Pei family’s Hundred Medicine Hall.

“Pei Mingting, honestly confess…”

“Confess my ass!”

Pei Xiao rolled his eyes.

“This young master has a hard mouth but a soft heart. I’d feel bad for anyone injured like that. You have this free time—better think about how to wake up your Yan Sanhe!”

Still managing me!

Is it any of your business!

Bringing up Yan Sanhe, Xie Zhifei sneered coldly. “Sorry, but this matter really must be discussed.”

Pei Xiao: “Why?”

Xie Zhifei: “How many days minimum and maximum does Yan Sanhe remain unconscious after resolving a heart demon, and how to awaken her—only Hero Li knows most clearly.”

Pei Xiao: “…”

At this moment, Xue Zhao’s ear twitched again. “Outside the residence gate—someone else is coming!”

The newcomer was actually Shen Chong.

Seeing him, Xie Zhifei’s heart inexplicably tightened.

During the transition between old and new, everyone in the imperial palace was busy as could be. By rights, Shen Chong should be accompanying Huairen at this time.

He exchanged glances with Pei Xiao, and the two quickly went to meet him.

Shen Chong clasped his hands, his peripheral vision catching sight of an unfamiliar person in the distance. He quickly lowered his voice:

“Third Master, Young Master Pei, find a safe place to talk.”

“One of our own.”

Though Xie Zhifei said this, he still had Huang Qi lead Xue Zhao away to eat and wash up.

Only after the person had gone far did he speak: “Does His Highness have instructions?”

Shen Chong met Xie Zhifei’s gaze.

“Third Master, in the mourning hall—there are strange occurrences.”

—