The party arrived in Jade City with three places to investigate. Baozhu was still hesitating over which to visit first when Tuoba Sanniang turned her horse around, intending to leave the others.
Seeing that she was heading toward Pang Liangji's house, Baozhu called out, "The bride probably first went missing at the Xiao Residence, not the Pang Residence."
Tuoba Sanniang gave a contemptuous smile. "Since when do I have to report to you about what I'm doing?" Without another backward glance, she galloped away.
Baozhu was furious. Huo Qilang explained, "Third Senior Sister specializes in arranging for assassins to infiltrate targets' homes, ferret out secrets, or take their heads. She wants to inspect the enemy's methods. Besides, someone powerful needs to keep an eye on that false bride."
At this, Baozhu's heart immediately stirred. She wanted to bring Tuoba Sanniang under her command, but the woman seemed even more wild and untamable than Wei Xun. She could not even hold a civil conversation with her.
Watching that ghostly swordswoman disappear at the end of the lane, Baozhu said, "Since she's gone to the Pang Residence, we'll visit the Xiao Residence first."
Compared with the bustle of carriages and horses crowding its gates on the wedding day, the Xiao Residence was now deserted. An old servant who could no longer straighten his back threw a basin of water into the courtyard and swept the ground with slow, sluggish movements. The party dismounted, but there was no gatekeeper to announce them and no one to take their mounts. They could only tether their horses and donkey to the hitching posts outside and enter on their own. Only after they reached the courtyard did a maid go inside to inform the master.
After a long while, a middle-aged gentleman in a brocade robe