Qin Jiuye fell into a distant, illusory dream.
In the dream, she stood barefoot in a river. The water was a dark, murky crimson that stained her feet red. The current was still; she could barely feel it moving. Everything around her seemed frozen in time.
She began to walk, following the crimson river toward a solitary house in the distance. It was a strange structure—no windows, no roof, only rows of long, thin, upturned pillars that seemed stretched by an invisible hand, curving to enclose the sky.
The submerged path leading to the house was wide and long. She waded through the water for a long time before reaching the end. The river widened, and the air grew perfectly still. The vast surface of the water was as flat as a mirror, and in its center stood a giant tree, its canopy reflecting in the water like a massive umbrella. Suddenly, a huge shadow darted beneath the calm surface, fast as a ghost. She squinted to see it clearly, but the water had already returned to its previous state.
She looked up and discovered that thousands of red eyes had suddenly appeared on the massive canopy. At first, they stared at her without moving. Then, one eye blinked, followed by another... thousands of eyes flickered until deep red liquid began to leak from them.
That deep red was the same color as the river beneath her feet. When it touched her skin, it burned with a searing pain, gradually converging into a blinding light.
*How strange,* she thought. *Don't they say people can't feel pain in dreams?*
她 slapped at her body, trying to rid herself of the red liquid. As the red fell into the water, it turned pitch black. The calm river began to churn and boil, and the earth trembled slightly.
A panic etched deep into her memories swept through her. She broke into a run, using every ounce of strength to flee toward the distance.
Gradually, narrow alleys rose from the charred, black earth. She found herself collapsing in front of the courtyard in the back alley of Sijiao Street. Looking up, she met the gaze of the stone lion with its blurred features.
Vaguely, she heard voices inside the courtyard. It sounded like the property broker showing someone the house, their conversation pleasant and lively. She shouted through the gate and pounded on the wood, but the people inside acted as if they heard nothing.
Frantic, she tremblingly pulled out her pastry box filled with savings. Her hands shook, and silver coins spilled across the ground. No matter how she tried, she couldn't pick them up; no matter how she tried, she couldn't count them.
In the next instant, towering flames erupted from the charred ruins. The stone lion transformed into a monster breathing fire from its mouth and nose, lunging at her. She tried to run but couldn't; her hands and feet were mired in the pitch-black earth. She could only watch as the fire surrounded her until the entire world turned into a sea of flames.
Her body grew hotter and hotter. Burning ash seemed to crawl into her nose and throat, evaporating every drop of moisture in her body. Every breath she exhaled felt like a burst of fire, making every joint in her bones ache with unbearable pain.
After an unknown amount of time, the fire finally seemed to burn itself out. She was finally able to move a finger, struggling to escape the heavy dream.
Qin Jiuye blinked, her vision finally clearing. The first thing she saw was a head of sparse, graying hair. It was the back of Qin Sanyou’s head.
She moved her fingers, and her entire arm throbbed with soreness. At that slight movement, Qin Sanyou, who had been dozing by the bedside, startled awake. He reached out to feel her forehead, then pushed himself up by his knees and ran to a small stove nearby.
A medicine pot was warming over the charcoal stove. The air smelled of bitter, astringent herbs, making her feel for a moment as if she were back at Guoran Residence.
A moment later, Qin Sanyou returned to the bedside with a bowl of decoction. Qin Jiuye looked at those rough, calloused hands, withered like tree bark, and a sense of reality finally began to settle in.
"Grandfather... why are you here?"
"The Governor sent someone to bring me to the official residence. Don't talk so much. Drink the medicine while it's hot."
As he spoke, Qin Sanyou held the bowl, which was so full it nearly overflowed, out to her.
Her grandfather was the same as ever. No matter how much hard labor he had done or how many odd jobs he had taken, he never had many sweet words to say. The moment he opened his mouth, it was to tell her to take her medicine.
She had been sick often as a child. Back then, she was young and ignorant, and because she felt miserable, she had tormented Qin Sanyou quite a bit. Aunt Yang would try to coax her with different kinds of food, but no matter how she cried or threw a tantrum, her grandfather remained unchanged: he made her drink the medicine.
If she knocked the bowl over, he would fill it again. If a normal person needed one pot of medicine, he would brew several extra pots to have them ready. When she kept breaking the bowls, he fashioned a wooden bowl out of a gourd ladle. When she was delirious with fever and bit his arm in her resentment, he would put on thick, padded clothes to feed her, even in the sweltering heat of midsummer.
To raise her, a sickly child, Qin Sanyou had suffered much.
In truth, children were easy to coax; a single piece of candy could quiet them down. But Qin Sanyou didn't understand such things, or perhaps he chose to save the money for candy to buy more medicine instead. In short, from childhood to adulthood, she had never received a piece of candy for drinking her medicine.
Now, she no longer cried no matter how bitter the medicine was, and of course, she no longer wanted that piece of candy.
Qin Jiuye took the bowl and drained it in one go. The bitter liquid cleared her foggy head slightly. She suddenly looked at Qin Sanyou.
"How long have I been asleep?"
"You fainted yesterday. It is now noon on the second day."
Before Qin Sanyou could finish, the woman on the bed propped herself up and climbed down. She slipped on her shoes and prepared to head out, but Qin Sanyou grabbed her.
"Where are you going?"
Qin Jiuye pulled away from him, pulling up her shoes while haphazardly grabbing a hair ribbon to tie back her hair.
"I might be able to help with the matter of that courtyard. And Old Tang... the business with Old Tang isn't finished yet. Everyone is waiting for me..."
"It won't hurt to wait another hour or two. Lie down for a bit, eat something..."
"When *can't* I lie down? When *can't* I eat?" Qin Jiuye's eyes were rimmed with red, whether from the fever or her urgency. "I just want a result, an explanation. I don't want to leave things unclear..."
"This world doesn't give a reason or an answer for everything. Your life is only worth a few taels; why do you always want to shoulder such heavy burdens? The Qiu family has two officials in one courtyard; if something needs to be done, why is it your turn to worry?"
Qin Sanyou’s slightly hunched figure blocked the door, his hands gripping the frame, refusing to move. In truth, even if he hadn't done so, Qin Jiuye didn't have the strength to fight him.
She stood with her hands on her hips, panting for a moment. She felt the bitterness of the medicine spreading to every corner of her body, making her feel wretched.
"Even if my life is only worth three taels, you still look down on it, Grandfather."
Her heart was heavy, and she spoke with the intent to argue, but this time, Qin Sanyou was not easily provoked. After a moment of silence, he spoke with piercing accuracy.
"You just can't let go of that courtyard, can you?"
The room fell into a brief silence. Qin Jiuye sometimes felt that Qin Sanyou didn't lack understanding of her; he was simply too stubborn, and many words remained unspoken.
She clenched her fists, her entire body trembling slightly.
"If you knew how much I sacrificed for it, Grandfather, perhaps you wouldn't speak of it so lightly."
Rain pattered outside the window. Qin Sanyou paced within the room.
"No matter how much you sacrifice, if it isn't yours, it isn't yours. But life is long, and there isn't only one path. The courtyard is gone; go find a new one. This Jiugao City is so large, how could you not find a suitable place?"
*Yes, Jiugao City is so large. Why is it that it cannot accommodate one small home for me?*
"That's what I asked the property broker back then." Qin Jiuye slumped by the table, the smile on her face looking worse than a sob. "The broker only asked me: there is so much gold and silver in Jiugao City, why haven't you managed to grab any?"
Straw sandals scraped against the floor, leaving a faint trail of damp footprints. Qin Sanyou sat down beside Qin Jiuye and tightened the loose hair ribbon on her head. Finally, he spoke with a frown.
"That broker was just talking nonsense! I think that courtyard was problematic to begin with—terribly cursed. He couldn't sell it himself, so he looked for a sucker like you. Heaven helped you by burning it down and ending the matter. What is there to be so hung up about?"
Qin Jiuye slowly raised her head. When she spoke again, her voice was hoarse and unpleasant, whether from the smoke or from screaming too much the day before.
"Haven't I let go of enough? All I wanted was a home. If I can't even keep a home, what else can I keep?"
"That wasn't your home. It was just a dilapidated courtyard you didn't have time to buy. Your home was once in Suiqing, and now it's in Dingweng Village. You kept Guoran Residence, you kept Jinbao—is that not enough? Do you have to bash your head against a wall until you're bloody every single time?"
"I don't want to be like this either. I'm just... I'm just not reconciled. I'm not reconciled to why things always turn out this way when they reach me. Don't they say good people get good rewards? I've saved so many people, yet Heaven wants to punish me. I can't find the courtyards I can afford, and I can't afford the ones I find. The silver in my hand is never enough, and the things I want to do never have an ending..."
"In a person's life, how can everything always go your way? There will always be a few disappointments. As long as your heart is clear and you can face your conscience, as long as you can live uprightly, that is enough."
The ash that had fallen into her eyes the day before seemed to catch fire again. Qin Jiuye's eyes were bloodshot.
"When did I ever crave for everything to go my way? I only asked for this one time—can't I have just this one time?! Do I not deserve to have a courtyard of my own, a home of my own?!"
The woman's questioning voice echoed in the room, carrying a hoarseness from her illness that was painful to hear.
After an unknown amount of time, Qin Sanyou finally let out a soft sigh, his voice weakening. He rarely spoke like this, sounding almost as if he were the one who had made a mistake.
"It's your grandfather's fault. I failed to give you a courtyard, failed to give you a home. But I will stay with you. No matter what life becomes, I will always stay with you..."
"But I don't want you to suffer with me! Don't you understand? Don't you understand..."
The grievances she had accumulated for so long poured out. She choked up, unable to continue. She sobbed quietly, her tears falling like broken pearls, causing the old man before her to lower his head.
The sound of rain outside grew thick again, as if the troubles of common folk were never-ending.
***
Not long after Qin Jiuye woke up, Qin Sanyou left in a hurry.
In his own words, staying any longer was useless. Qin Jiuye was a physician herself and could take care of herself. Besides, the new bamboo shoots were about to come in; with this spare time, he could make two business trips back and forth to Suiqing.
Since she had left home to make a living, they had always spent more time apart than together.
Only this time, before parting, Qin Sanyou seemed to have much more to say than usual. In just a few steps, he would stop to say a few more words—one moment worrying about the old sickly folks in Dingweng Village and not trusting Jinbao to watch the house alone, urging her to return as soon as possible; the next moment telling her not to worry too much about Guoran Residence, not to always complain that Jinbao wasn't bright, and not to do everything herself, saying he'd never seen a great pharmacy where the manager worked themselves to death.
At the very end, Qin Sanyou took her hand. He hung his head, seemingly with many more words to say. His lips moved for a moment before he whispered, "Gold and silver are good, but only when held in a person's hand. If the person is gone, what good is the silver?"
As he spoke, he pried open her stiff fingers one by one and stubbornly placed several warm objects into her palm.
"Take these for now. Later, buy some food to nourish your body. We don't need a lot of silver; enough is enough."
Qin Jiuye looked down. In her palm lay a handful of broken silver—large pieces, small pieces, square and round. She didn't know how long he had been saving to accumulate this much.
Qin Sanyou patted her palm, signaling her to put the silver away. Before leaving, he said one last thing.
"I only want you to live well. Just living well is more important than anything else."
Clutching that handful of broken silver, Qin Jiuye stood motionless under the eaves for a long time. Her mouth was half-open as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, nothing came out. She could only watch as her grandfather, carrying his shoulder pole, disappeared into the crowd of the marketplace.
"Miss Qin is awake? Is your health alright?"
Gao Quan's voice suddenly rang out. Qin Jiuye turned to see that he had been standing at the courtyard gate for some time.
A man from a military background was always alert; he couldn't have just noticed her movement. He had chosen to appear only now, clearly intending to give her some space.
Qin Jiuye moved her limbs and stretched her back, which had been lying flat for a day and a night, trying to make herself look more energetic.
"I was just caught in the rain and a bit exhausted. I am fine now. I must thank Commander Gao for his care. I just don't know if the person who was with me yesterday..."
Before she could finish, Gao Quan nodded and made a gesture to lead the way.
"Miss Qin does not need to thank me. It was all arranged by the Governor. He should be at Tingfeng Hall right now. Would you like to go with me to see him?"
She hadn't mentioned Li Qiao's name, yet the other man seemed to know exactly what she was going to say. But he pointedly mentioned only Qiu Ling. This Commander Gao was not only skilled at reading people but also far superior to Lu Zican in his choice of words.
Qin Jiuye knew there was no need to ask further and immediately nodded to follow him.
The dream was over; she had to face what was coming. Her head still throbbed, but she couldn't lie on that sickbed for another moment. She had more important things to do. She had to clear Li Qiao's name as quickly as possible and find out exactly what had happened with Old Tang's death.
Rain soaked the soles of her shoes. A chill, like her current troubled thoughts, seeped into her body from her feet. Qin Jiuye stepped into Tingfeng Hall, carrying the wind and rain with her.
Old Tang's passing had taken away the lively atmosphere of the courtyard, returning it to the desolate loneliness of its original state as a shrine. Everywhere felt cold and damp. The taste of Great Hut Brew paired with river delicacies seemed to linger in some corner, but the promise of a crab feast would never be fulfilled.
Recalling the events of the fifth day of the fifth month, she suddenly felt that Old Tang had already anticipated this day, which was why he had hosted that inexplicable celebration. After all, a man as stingy as him, who wouldn't even throw away a piece of pork skin used to grease a pot, why would he suddenly decide to treat people to a meal?
A sharp clanging of metal rang out. Qin Jiuye snapped back to her senses and looked toward the courtyard.
She saw the youth, who had heard her footsteps, rushing out from somewhere. He had changed back into his old clothes from Guoran Residence. He didn't speak, only took a few urgent steps toward her before abruptly stopping, staring at her fixedly.
The harsh scraping sound stopped as well. Qin Jiuye looked down and realized he had been shackled. One set wasn't enough, so they had put on two; as he moved, the iron chains were heavy enough to drag a furrow into the mud.
"Miss Qin?"
A grumbling Lu Zican chased out from the accounting room, blade in hand. He froze for a moment upon seeing Qin Jiuye, then quickly sheathed his weapon.
"Miss Qin, you didn't really need to come in person. You were just ill, and Manager Tang was your friend..."
However, before he could finish, he was interrupted by Qiu Ling's voice from inside.
"If you feel your body can handle it, come in and take a look."
The moment he spoke, Qin Jiuye couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude. After everything that had happened, he still didn't view her as a burden and was still willing to trust her ability and her stance. What she could do was fulfill the promise she had made when she took the jade pendant.
She took a deep breath and climbed the three steps. In those three steps, the last trace of illness vanished from her features. By the time she stepped into the accounting room, her eyes held only a steady light.
The room was still as messy as before, but there was a large hole in the roof. Scattered tiles and papers lay on the desks, and rainwater had pooled everywhere. The bloodstains on the floor had dried into a dark red, their edges blurred by the rain, yet they remained shocking to behold.
Old Tang's body lay to one side, almost unmoved to preserve the scene.
"I had Gao Quan keep watch at the official residence, knowing you were concerned about the Tingfeng Hall case and would surely ask about it once you woke." Qiu Ling said, shifting his gaze to Li Qiao behind her. "The crime scene is right here. Although most trials must be held in the Ministry of Justice dungeons, a confrontation at the scene is more direct and efficient."
Qin Jiuye nodded repeatedly. She knew this was an "extra-legal mercy" from the man before her. She went straight to the point.
"I may not be a master at settling sect disputes in the martial world, but I've dealt with many desperate martial artists over the years. I might be able to help." She looked at the body covered with a white cloth and hesitated for a moment before asking, "Has the coroner reached any conclusions after the examination?"
Back at the lakeside, Qin Jiuye had already clarified one thing: if she wanted to prove Li Qiao's innocence and find the truth quickly, confirming Old Tang's time of death was key. If he had been killed around the time the fire started at Tingfeng Hall, then even for a master like Li Qiao, there wouldn't have been enough time to commit the crime. All suspicion would naturally collapse.
However, how could Qiu Ling, the Governor in charge of the investigation, not know what she was thinking? He spoke plainly.
"The weather is hot, and there was heavy rain that day. The traces at the scene were severely damaged, and the autopsy faced many obstacles. The coroner could only estimate an approximate time of death."
The first layer of hope vanished. Qin Jiuye pursed her lips, quickly adjusted her state, and continued, "Then regarding the identity of the perpetrator, can anything be determined from the scene or the body?"
Qiu Ling gave her a deep look, then reached out and pulled back the white cloth, instantly revealing the cruel marks.
"As you can see, the killer entered directly through the roof. The entire act took place within this accounting room. Judging from the condition of the body and the rain traces at the scene, it should have happened shortly after midnight last night. The fatal wound is an inch below the throat. This single strike pierced his windpipe and blood vessels. He didn't so much die of blood loss as he did from choking on his own blood. The local coroner isn't from the martial world; he can only identify the wounds as being caused by a blade, but nothing more."
Qiu Ling's narration echoed in the small room, and the surroundings fell silent. It was a shared resentment toward the executioner and a mark of respect for the deceased who had fought until the very last moment.
The pain was over. Old Tang lay there quietly. Though he was missing an ear, he "slept" more peacefully than he ever had before.
Qin Jiuye listened with a grim expression. She took a deep breath and solemnly rolled up her sleeves. After receiving permission, she stepped forward to examine the body herself.
"Judging from the technique used to slice off the ear and finger bones, the cuts are clean and precise, the blade entering almost flush against the joints. This is clearly the work of a veteran killer. Yet the wound at the collarbone was clearly intended to avoid vital points. A wound here won't kill a person immediately, but they will clearly feel the bones creaking and blood flowing from the wound. The pressure of impending death is magnified, yet they are unable to move or save themselves. As for the weapon..." Tang Shenyan's gray, lifeless face was inches away. She took a deep breath and continued truthfully, "Judging from the shape of the two piercing wounds and the angle and depth of the entry, the assailant held the blade in their left hand. The weapon was undoubtedly a long blade about two fingers wide."
As her words fell, Lu Zican let out a cold snort. He produced the Qingwu Blade he had "confiscated" earlier. Though he spoke to Qin Jiuye, his gaze lingered on Li Qiao.
"I wonder if the blade Miss Qin described is consistent with this one?"
As he spoke, Lu Zican shoved the blade into Qin Jiuye's hands without a word, as if forcing her to draw it on the spot and draw a line between herself and the youth.
Qin Jiuye held the heavy weapon, her heart racing again.
Earlier, in the emergency, she hadn't had a good look at the blade in Li Qiao's hand. Now, looking closely, she realized this blade seemed completely different from the one she had seen in the Hidden Cave of Qionghu Island. But since Qiu Ling had also been at that scene, even if there was a hidden story behind it, she clearly couldn't use the timing of the Qingwu Blade's appearance on Qionghu Island to exonerate Li Qiao without knowing the full truth.
Her fingers curled with tension. Qin Jiuye took a deep breath, forcing herself to meticulously examine the blade inside and out. Finally, her gaze stopped on the hilt.
"May I ask Commander Lu, were there blood splatters at the scene?"
"Of course." Lu Zican answered quickly, pulling out a small notebook with details he had recorded earlier. "Though the rain damaged the bloodstains at the door, there are still traces inside. After delivering the fatal blow, the killer even grabbed papers from the room to wipe the blood from his hands. It shows he was cold-blooded and ruthless to the extreme."
"Then I ask Commander Lu to look closely. Is there any blood on the hilt of this blade?"
As Qin Jiuye spoke, everyone's eyes gathered on the hilt of the Qingwu Blade. The bright blade and the guard showed faint traces of blood, but the hilt was perfectly clean, especially in the fine textures of the grip.
"The killer's final strike hit a major vessel. When the blade was pulled out, it would inevitably be splattered with blood. If there is no blood on the hilt, why would he need to wipe his hands with paper because they were splattered?"
Qin Jiuye finished in one breath. Lu Zican was momentarily speechless, but Qiu Ling spoke coldly from the side.
"If I remember correctly, when I found the two of you outside the city yesterday, there were some scattered bloody cloth strips on the ground. If one wraps their sword-hand in cloth, then even if blood splatters, it won't leave a mark on the hilt."
In the matter of investigating and judging cases, his mind was terrifyingly deep and meticulous. Even in his state of fury yesterday, he had still noticed every minute detail at the scene.
Qin Jiuye was momentarily speechless. The youth behind her finally broke the silence.
"Opening a hole in the throat to drain blood can destroy the vocal cords, making it impossible to make much noise to alert others, yet not so much that they lose the ability to speak. This is indeed a common technique used by the Manor's assassins when interrogating for information." Li Qiao looked up at Qiu Ling, his voice carrying an unshielded frankness. "But if the person doing it can't find the right spot or handles it poorly, blood will splatter. Not only will the scene be a mess, but the hilt will also get bloody, making it difficult to grip the blade afterward. This person's killing technique is indeed clean, but in the matter of interrogation, they are amateur—far inferior to me."
Qiu Ling stared at the youth's arrogant face and laughed out of sheer anger.
"You seem quite satisfied with your mastery of the art of killing. Do not forget that you also come from the same place."
"What I learned is indeed the art of killing. Not just me, but the assassins of the Peerless Manor, and even the vast majority of martial artists in this world. Governor Qiu is also a man who has been to the battlefield. Is what you learned in the military not the method of killing?"
"What I learned is the method of killing the wicked and cruel of the world."
"I think the Governor should clear his eyes first. Why not let my sister brew you a prescription for clearing the liver and brightening the eyes?"
Seeing the two of them about to fall into a state of mutual hostility again, Qin Jiuye quickly interjected.
"Aside from the weapon and physical evidence, understanding the killer's motive is also very important."
She had already seen that while comparing the weapon and the wounds couldn't settle the case, there weren't many assassins in the martial world with such skill; Li Qiao was indeed the most closely linked. Identifying why Old Tang had invited this fatal disaster might be the best way to clear Li Qiao's suspicion.
Lu Zican added from the side, "Manager Tang was in the business of martial world information. It's not impossible that he made enemies. Gao Quan also found his packed bags in the room, and there were traces of black fire burning in the accounting room. He must have sensed something and was preparing to flee, but unfortunately..."
Qin Jiuye listened quietly, not speaking for a moment. Since the establishment of Tingfeng Hall, Tang Shenyan had almost never left the premises, let alone Jiugao City. But for this Sword Appreciation Assembly, he had broken his rule and left the city for Lixin Lake. At the time, Qin Jiuye thought he was just eager for first-hand information from the assembly.
But thinking about it now, Tingfeng Hall had never had a piece of news that he personally went out to get. The so-called "Listening to the Wind" meant "waiting for the wind to come."
The reason he had made that trip was perhaps because he had a premonition, knowing his end was near, and wanted one last look at the martial world he had talked about his entire life.
However, if Tang Shenyan was indeed Tang Xiao, there were likely many people who wanted him dead, and the bounty on him wouldn't have been posted only recently. Since the rumors had never stopped, why had he made no move before, choosing to flee only now?
Looking around the unremarkable accounting room again, Qin Jiuye suddenly remembered something.
"During the Su Manor case, that Ciyi Needle once broke into Tingfeng Hall. If I remember correctly, she had sneaked into this very accounting room that night. At the time, Old Tang only said there were many things in the room and he didn't know if anything was missing. Only Old Tang knew what Ciyi Needle had been looking for. He must have known he was exposed, so he began preparing for his end from that moment."
"If it really is related to Ciyi Needle, then this case is definitely inseparable from the fire in the back alley of Sijiao Street."
Or rather, related to the secret formula case, only...
Lu Zican pondered for a moment, his doubts rising again. "Since he knew he was exposed, why didn't he clean this place up and leave earlier? Why wait for the enemy to come to his door?"
"Perhaps he was waiting for someone," Qiu Ling said slowly, his gaze falling on an unremarkable wine jar in the corner. "Or perhaps, someone disrupted his plan."
Qin Jiuye also noticed Qiu Ling's gaze. An almost unbelievable figure appeared in her mind. She murmured, "It's Old Dog Du."
Lu Zican's eyes widened. "The killer is Old Dog Du?"
"Old Dog Du can't even beat the ducks in this courtyard. How could he kill anyone?" Qin Jiuye looked at Lu Zican with some helplessness, feeling that his shrewd little eyes were showing a hint of stupidity. "Old Tang was stingy and didn't have a habit of buying wine, nor did he have friends who could drink. But that Old Dog Du is thick-skinned and used to stay at Tingfeng Hall. He might have used drinking as an excuse to scrounge for food and drink."
Qiu Ling immediately said briefly, "I can send men into the city to find him. But if he truly appeared at Tingfeng Hall on the night of the murder and witnessed the killer, he might already be in grave danger."
The face of Old Dog Du, full of the will to survive, appeared in her mind. Qin Jiuye had a different premonition, but she agreed with Qiu Ling's judgment; they couldn't pin all their hopes for solving the case on Old Dog Du as a witness.
Beside them, Lu Zican also agreed, his gaze involuntarily shifting to Li Qiao.
"Speaking of people who entered and exited Tingfeng Hall before the murder, isn't there one right here?"
Li Qiao looked at him coldly and said without evasion, "I've already said it—it was just a paper lotus, a job any assassin in the dark market could take. The reason I stayed was only to warn him."
Before Lu Zican could speak, Qiu Ling said coldly, "Did you enter the dark market also to help Tang Shenyan check for danger? These past few days you've been lingering by Lixin Lake, your mind clearly wasn't in the city. Why would you specifically run into town to find a storyteller and warn him to be careful?"
"I went to find him at first because..." He stopped halfway, seeing Qin Jiuye's expression, and swallowed the words. "If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext. Since the Governor doesn't believe me, why should I explain it to you?"
Even though he had been holding back, Lu Zican could no longer control the anger he had been suppressing. He stepped forward.
"Because you, kid, are untrustworthy! When the Baoshen Pavilion caught fire, you used the waterway to escape the city. How do I know you're not repeating your old tricks and playing us for fools? The Governor is only following the law, but he's being misled by a villain like you!"
Seeing the other man aggressively approaching while the youth was still heavily shackled, Qin Jiuye instinctively stepped forward to block Li Qiao, stating the facts calmly.
"Commander Lu's words are somewhat biased. During the Sword Appreciation Assembly, almost all the masters of the martial world were gathered in Jiugao. Even if your previous deduction holds and Li Qiao could travel between Qionghu Island and Jiugao City that night to commit the crime, it's not impossible for others to have done the same."
However, Lu Zican was currently blinded by prejudice. Looking at the youth hiding behind the woman, he felt his anger flare even more.
"I am a bladesman myself. I've traveled far and wide with the Governor solving cases. I know almost every bladesman of note in this martial world. Left-handed bladesmen are few and far between. Miss Qin keeps saying the killer is someone else, but you can't give us a name or a face. How can anyone be convinced?"
"I can prove that such a person exists."
A woman's voice suddenly rang out. Before she appeared, her voice arrived. In the next moment, Jiang Xin'er, dressed in red, stepped into the room with the limping Xu Qiuchi.
"On the final night of the Sword Appreciation Assembly, I saw someone near Sunshi Street in the north of the city. It was the same bladesman who kidnapped Xin Yu on Lixin Lake."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
房牙 | Property broker | A middleman for real estate transactions.
听风堂 | Tingfeng Hall | Literally "Listening Wind Hall," Old Tang's establishment.
青芜刀 | Qingwu Blade | Li Qiao's signature weapon.
慈衣针 | Ciyi Needle | An assassin/antagonist.
心俞 | Xin Yu | A character previously kidnapped.
笋石街 | Sunshi Street | A location in Jiugao City.
纸荷花 | Paper lotus | A signal or token used by assassins in the dark market.
