Xue Shengjing entered Buddha's Smile Tower with Tie Zheng at his side and asked quietly, "How much did we lose?"
"I just finished taking inventory," Tie Zheng replied in a low voice. "Five treasures are missing in total. The thief seems to have entered only the third-floor storeroom and left the other areas untouched."
Only then did Xue Shengjing breathe a sigh of relief. He surveyed the hall of Buddha's Smile Tower, his gaze settling on the enormous Hetian jade sculpture. "That's all. You may leave," he told Tie Zheng.
Tie Zheng nodded, turned to leave, and closed the outer doors behind him. Xue Shengjing gazed at the Hetian jade sculpture, relief shining in his small eyes. Holding up his lantern, he circled it once to make certain it was unharmed, then reached out to stroke it gently, as though caressing the body of a peerless beauty. It was warm and smooth, and his gaze instantly softened. He lingered alone before the sculpture for a long while before he heard Tie Zheng outside. "Your Highness, Imperial Physician Xu from the Imperial Medical Academy and Commander Shi of the Golden Scale Guards have arrived."
Xue Shengjing snorted coldly and strode outside. The rain was still heavy, blurring the outlines of the Prince's Residence in the night. Tie Zheng stood by the door, with ten warriors waiting silently a short distance away. Tonight's attempt on the prince's life had left the entire Prince's Residence jumping at every rustle of wind and cry of a crane.
"Useless fools!" Xue Shengjing snapped. "I knew that lot couldn't keep a secret."
"Your Highness, paper cannot wrap up a fire when something this serious happens," Tie Zheng said. "Besides, both the Eldest Princess and the First Prince were present tonight." His meaning was plain: the Imperial