Scholar Realm

"Who told him to come strolling in at the last moment like a villain, clapping and laughing? That was just a reflex..."

Lin Ke couldn't help muttering.

Well, it was true!

Damn it, they'd barely started making progress before this Golden Crow eldest prince came in to show off.

How was he any different from the villains in Lin Ke's previous life?

Talkative, fond of showing off, appearing just to make their presence felt, always clapping, first offering approval and praise before killing you to prove their superiority.

Redeeming one was easy, too. All you needed was a tragic childhood, plus a bleeding-heart male protagonist who embodied truth, goodness, and beauty.

And that Golden Crow Prince had plainly shown up just to make his presence felt!

He'd talked so much, too-several whole lines.

Being handsome was already showing off in itself.

Then he'd clapped while expressing admiration and approval for Lin Ke's criminal investigation logic.

Any goddamn person from Earth would've reacted, okay?

"...So tell me, what were you thinking? Aren't you just making trouble for Lord Li? Honestly! There won't be a next time, understood?"

Constable Xing criticized Lin Ke with extreme severity, his voice and expression equally stern. Once he finished, he knelt before the Golden Crow Prince and Li Hanlin again, bowing and scraping as he cupped his hands with a face full of flattery.

"Your Highness, Lord Li, it was all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! From now on, this humble servant will keep Xiaolin under strict supervision and make sure he learns his lesson!"

"Mm, we'll leave the matter at that." Li Hanlin waved a hand indifferently. "You may withdraw."

"Yes, yes, of course." Constable Xing nodded like a chick pecking grain, his forty- or fifty-year-old face creasing into a chrysanthemum of a smile. "Thank you, my lords. Thank you, my lords."

Watching this, Lin Ke couldn't help revising his impression of Constable Xing.

Usually, Constable Xing was accustomed to borrowing the tiger's might like a fox; every visit he made to Chaoyang Street sent chickens flying and dogs scrambling.

Now, it seemed he really did regard everyone as his own people!

Lin Ke watched Constable Xing come over and signal him with his eyes. Resigned, he prepared to apologize.

After all, he really had been in the wrong just now.

"Enough!"

Just then, however, the Golden Crow Prince spoke softly.

Everyone immediately turned their gaze toward him.

Still smiling, the Golden Crow Prince looked at Lin Ke with an air of refinement. "I like how sensitive you are."

Lin Ke: ?

Would you listen to what you're saying???

This would've been enough to get you banned on Qidian in my previous life, wouldn't it??

"...My youngest brother was bright and gifted from childhood. Unfortunately, our family's strict upbringing meant he had only left home a handful of times. He was filled with curiosity and anticipation for the bustling world outside, never imagining he would meet with disaster on this outing."

At this point, the Golden Crow Prince's gaze dimmed, and his smile faded somewhat.

A genuine outpouring of emotion!

Everyone present could feel that the Golden Crow Prince's feelings were sincere, without a trace of affectation.

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Young Master Xiaolin, I can sense your considerable talent. If you can get to the bottom of this matter and bring the truth to light, I will surely reward you generously!"

As he spoke, the Golden Crow Prince rose and bowed to Lin Ke with his hands clasped.

Lin Ke immediately returned the gesture, his expression earnest and solemn. "There's no need, Prince Jin. I'm caught in this whirlpool myself, so naturally I'll do everything in my power."

The Golden Crow Prince nodded. "Sorry for the trouble."

After that, the Golden Crow Prince said no more, merely sitting to one side and watching.

Lin Ke finally began the next step as well.

The next step: analyzing and confirming the motive!

"Wu Dalang sells flatbreads on the next street over. After selling out during the day, he came to Tongfu for a meal. He's a bachelor and has lived in Blackwater Alley for over thirty years."

"Pan Jinlian is the star courtesan of the 'Water Promise' entertainment house. She came here to listen to storytelling and bought some milk at Tongfu while she was at it."

"Liu Laoye is a sweeping woman at the Grand View Garden. She came to buy pork and milk."

"Sun Wujing came to the Immortal Realm Painting Studio..."

Holding the notes recorded on paper, Lin Ke calmly introduced them, while the people around him occasionally added details.

Watching Lin Ke conduct himself this way, the Golden Crow Prince and Li Hanlin's expressions grew increasingly relaxed.

After reading through the contents of the paper, Lin Ke raised his head and addressed Li Hanlin. "Lord Li, we can proceed to the next step!"

Confusion appeared on everyone's faces.

Their gazes converged on Lin Ke as they all waited for his next words.

Suddenly finding so many people staring at him at once, Lin Ke felt a little uncomfortable.

But who was he?

He was a professionally trained actor from the twenty-first century!

How could such a little commotion intimidate him?

To put it bluntly, even if the Sage Emperor himself showed up, his expression wouldn't change...

Lin Ke put on a warm smile and said slowly, "Yes, we've identified this many suspects, and we need to screen every one of them."

As he spoke, he walked up to Li Hanlin and asked quietly, "Lord Li, you must be a very powerful expert, right? I'd like to ask you a question."

Hearing Lin Ke's words, Li Hanlin also lowered his voice. "No need to stand on ceremony. If I can help, I won't hesitate."

Lin Ke noticed Li Hanlin's subtle glances, which kept flicking toward the Golden Crow Prince nearby.

He immediately understood: the man was being so accommodating not because of the case, but because someone important had arrived!

He asked with a smile, "Lord Li, could we use some special methods for this screening?"

"Mm, use whatever you like!" Li Hanlin's attention hadn't been on Lin Ke in the first place. After answering offhandedly, he realized what had been said, and his voice instantly rose. "What did you say?"

Hearing Li Hanlin's voice suddenly rise, Lin Ke hurriedly waved his hands to stop him.

Li Hanlin also realized he had spoken too loudly, and the people around them had turned to look.

He quickly lowered his voice and frowned. "You actually want to use torture without authorization? Have you got a death wish? I certainly haven't!"

Li Hanlin left Lin Ke utterly speechless.

He hurriedly explained, "Lord Li, you've misunderstood. By special methods, I didn't mean torture!"

Li Hanlin's expression eased, and he asked quietly, "Then what sort of methods do you mean?"

Lin Ke asked, "My lord, is there a method that makes people tell the truth despite themselves?"

Li Hanlin froze for a moment at that, then smiled. "What are you planning?"

Lin Ke answered directly, "I just want to make our screening more efficient. If we could get everyone to tell the truth in a short amount of time, think how much time we'd save!"

Li Hanlin nodded confidently and smiled at Lin Ke. "Of course. You should know that I'm a Scholar!"

A Scholar?

Lin Ke raised his eyebrows.

A Scholar!

Li Hanlin was actually a Scholar?

The first realm of Confucian cultivation was the Confucian Scholar Realm.

And he had already met someone at that level: Qi Ye, the exceedingly filial son of Qi Tianxia's family.

Li Hanlin, meanwhile, was in the second realm, the Scholar Realm.

Although inwardly shocked, Lin Ke let confusion show in his eyes, as though he didn't understand.

Seeing the confusion in Lin Ke's eyes, a flash of superiority crossed Li Hanlin's gaze. He explained, "All cultivation is divided into nine major realms, and each realm has three stages: lower, middle, and upper. I'm at the second stage of the second realm of Confucian cultivation, which is the middle stage of the Scholar Realm."

Watching Li Hanlin show off, Lin Ke pressed, "What about the first and third realms?"

This time, Li Hanlin made no attempt to hide his exasperation. "The first realm is Confucian Scholar, the second is Scholar, and the third is... you brat, why are you asking so many questions? What does this have to do with investigating the case?"