Threads of evidence

The large, two-courtyard residence in Clear Spring Lane stood silent.

Lin Wanyi sat upright and cross-legged on the bed. The sickly flush on her cheeks gradually faded, and her wet skirt, warmed by her body heat, gave off a faint mist that fogged up even her gold-rimmed glasses.

Coal Ball crouched at the head of the bed. The wait had dragged on, and Xie Jinhuan would not let it bounce around, so it had fallen asleep, turning into a lump of black coal.

Xie Jinhuan sat on a stool beside the bed, a martial arts manual in hand, seizing every spare moment to hone his skills.

They waited in silence for an unknown length of time. Before Lin Wanyi had fully neutralized the poison, urgent knocking suddenly came from outside the courtyard:

Knock, knock, knock~

"Jinhuan? Jinhuan?"

Lin Wanyi instantly grew alert. She ceased circulating her energy, steadied her breathing, and forcibly suppressed the poison before looking up.

"Who is it?"

"Constable Yang. He's probably here to ask about the case earlier."

Hearing that someone from the government office had arrived, Lin Wanyi naturally grew nervous.

After all, a Witch Cult temptress like her could not be exposed to the light of day, but if she stopped neutralizing the poison now, the Blood-Coagulating Powder would injure her. Wasn't she blocked at both ends?

Knowing Lin Wanyi needed time, Xie Jinhuan put away the booklet and rose.

"I'll go send them away."

But as he stood, A Piao, who followed him like a shadow, suddenly reminded him in his ear:

"Someone's watching you, and they might know where you live. She can't protect herself, so leaving her alone isn't safe. I'll watch over her. You go send the officers away."

After a little thought, Xie Jinhuan trusted A Piao's ghostly words after all. He unfastened the Zhenglun Sword and left it at home to guard the residence.

"Keep this sword with you for protection. Talk to Coal Ball if you get bored."

"Gooji~"

Coal Ball murmured with its eyes closed, then fell silent again.

Lin Wanyi was still neutralizing the poison and could not say much. She nodded her thanks and resumed meditating.

Creak~

Soon, the heavy front gate opened from within.

Three figures stood outside. Linghu Qingmo, dressed in snowy white, stood in the middle, flanked by Yang Dabiao, who resembled a double-door refrigerator, and a black-armored soldier.

Xie Jinhuan walked out with his usual expression and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Miss Linghu, Brother Yang. And this gentleman is?"

Liu Qingzhi had just been discussing Xie Jinhuan and felt rather moved by his troubled experiences. He replied:

"Liu Qingzhi of the Prefectural Guards. Greetings, Young Master Xie."

The name sounded familiar to Xie Jinhuan. After a moment's recollection, he remembered that this was the fellow who had "blown that thing until Nongyu fell asleep." He could not help saying in surprise:

"So you're Lord Liu. I've long heard of you!"

Seeing that Xie Jinhuan was not merely being polite but genuinely knew of his reputation, Liu Qingzhi looked puzzled.

"You've heard my name, young master?"

Xie Jinhuan remembered it vividly, but bedroom matters were hardly fit for public discussion. As he considered how to explain, Momo, standing between them, spoke up.

"Save the pleasantries for later."

Linghu Qingmo peered into the residence.

"I heard Doctor Lin was poisoned with Blood-Coagulating Powder. How is she?"

Xie Jinhuan's tone was calm. "Miss Lin is a physician. She has a way to treat the poison and is resting now. Let's talk outside."

"Blood-Coagulating Powder is no ordinary poison. I brought an antidote pill."

As he spoke, Linghu Qingmo headed toward the main room, intending to check on Lin Wanyi.

But Xie Jinhuan certainly dared not let him enter and stepped in front of him.

"She really is fine. She sweated through all her clothes earlier and took them off. She can't receive visitors."

Took them off?

Linghu Qingmo stopped, half believing him.

"You only arrived in Danyang yesterday, and today you and Doctor Lin are already..."

Xie Jinhuan knew it seemed rather sudden. Fortunately, his hometown was also the Capital City, and he explained with a smile:

"I lived in the Capital City. I used to visit the Lin Family Clinic often. We already knew each other."

So she's an old flame...

Linghu Qingmo frowned slightly. The meaning in his eyes was probably-you have a lover, yet you still groped my chest? Are you a scumbag?

Just then, Lin Wanyi's voice came from the inner courtyard:

"Lord Linghu, I'm fine. I've already taken an antidote pill and am circulating my energy to heal. I'll be all right after some rest. My injuries prevent me from coming out to greet you, so please forgive me."

Only after hearing that she sounded reasonably well did Linghu Qingmo relax. He turned and returned to the lane.

"I heard Fu Dongping was hired by yesterday's Demon Bandits. Did you get any leads out of him?"

Xie Jinhuan closed the courtyard gate behind him and led the three toward the mouth of the lane.

"I only arrived yesterday, and I never expected Fu Dongping to be there to kill me. I struck too hard. By the time I wanted to question him properly, he was already dead."

At this, Linghu Qingmo inwardly worried and sighed softly.

"Slaying fiends and demons is a good deed, but do leave a few alive when appropriate. Otherwise, the government office has trouble investigating."

Didn't I leave someone alive for the government office yesterday?

Who knew they were such useless rice buckets that they wouldn't even stop the bandit's bleeding and save him?

Xie Jinhuan could hardly criticize Yang Dabiao, so he could only nod.

"My father always said to kill Demon Bandits whenever you can and never leave anything to chance. It's a habit. I'll be more careful next time."

Yang Dabiao had neglected his duty yesterday. Now he interjected:

"That's right, but not showing mercy doesn't necessarily mean beating them to death. Next time you want to leave someone alive, just shatter his sea of qi, then chop off his hands and feet. Turn him into a human stump. I guarantee he won't be able to bite back, and the government office can keep questioning him."

Xie Jinhuan frowned. "Isn't that too cruel? Killing is killing. Torturing people for pleasure is the way of the wicked."

"Cruel?!"

All three turned to look at him.

This time, even Liu Qingzhi could not keep his composure and earnestly reviewed what had happened:

"Yesterday, that monk was smashed to pieces. His flesh and blood coated half the lane, and the runners still haven't finished cleaning it up today. Then today, Fu Dongping had his intestines hooked out and thrown on the ground..."

"Enough!"

Linghu Qingmo was discussing the case. He raised a hand to stop the digression and asked:

"How did these Demon Bandits find you?"

Xie Jinhuan spread his hands. "I don't know. I stayed here last night and didn't go out once. This morning, after breakfast with Brother Yang, I went to the clinic. I ran into the assassin when I came out. Allowing for the time needed to hire him and follow me, they must have had their eyes on me last night."

"Last night..."

Yang Dabiao folded his arms and considered it carefully.

"To learn all your movements in such a short time, they must have an insider at the government office."

Xie Jinhuan sensed there was an insider, but he still did not understand.

"If they have an insider at the government office and came for revenge because they knew I killed everyone at the warehouse, wouldn't they know how strong I am? Sending some rotten fish and shrimp to throw his life away doesn't quite make sense."

Linghu Qingmo also found the matter suspicious. After some thought, he said:

"Perhaps the insider didn't know much, only that you slaughtered the people at the warehouse, not the particulars. Fu Dongping wasn't exactly rotten fish and shrimp, either. Any other twenty-year-old would have died eight times over."

As the four discussed this, a constable suddenly came running from the street.

"Lord Yang! Lord Yang!"

Yang Dabiao frowned. "What? More trouble in the city?"

"No."

The constable approached the four and handed over a bottle.

"When we were collecting the body on Golden Gate Street earlier, we found a bottle at the scene. Please take a look, sir."

Xie Jinhuan glanced at the black bottle. "It belonged to Fu Dongping. I saw it earlier. It probably contained Blood-Coagulating Powder."

Linghu Qingmo took out a handkerchief, accepted the empty bottle, and examined it, carefully sniffing it.

"It is indeed a container for Blood-Coagulating Powder. Is something wrong with the bottle?"

Yang Dabiao, who had spent years making inquiries in the streets, knitted his brows as he searched his memory.

"This bottle... wasn't the Ascension Powder seized by the government office kept in bottles like this?"

Liu Qingzhi rubbed his chin. "I think it was. We arrested a few addicts in a beggars' den before, and they had bottles like this on them. They reportedly bought them at Three Harmony Tower."

Xie Jinhuan had heard of Ascension Powder. It caused hallucinations and made users feel as though they were floating into immortality, but it damaged the mind, and the psychological addiction was difficult to break. Great Qian had explicitly banned it when the nation was founded, and his father had often investigated it.

Seeing that Liu Qingzhi knew its source, he asked in puzzlement:

"If the government office knows somewhere is selling Ascension Powder, why not send people to wipe it out?"

Liu Qingzhi looked uncomfortable. "We're not certain Three Harmony Tower is selling it under the table. Its owner behind the scenes is the Li Household on Wencheng Street. They're relatives of Li Gongpu, the Yellow Gate Attendant, a favorite of the current emperor..."

Xie Jinhuan nodded slightly, understanding the reason.

Because Li Gongpu spent all day hovering around the emperor, fawning and flattering, the court officials derisively called him "Lord Li" behind his back. Though his reputation was poor, he held Subordinate Second Rank and enjoyed the emperor's deep trust. Never mind the county office—even the Pill King could not lightly offend such a man. It would have been strange if the government office dared investigate.

Linghu Qingmo thought back carefully for a moment, then asked:

"Doesn't Ascension Powder contain an ingredient called Dragon Whisker Grass?"

Yang Dabiao paused, his expression growing grave.

"Dragon Whisker Grass is cold in nature and can cloud the mind. I think Ascension Powder really does contain it. Could Three Harmony Tower be secretly colluding with the Demon Bandits to collect Dragon Whisker Grass, then hiring a killer for revenge after their warehouse was smashed?"

Having found a thread of evidence, Linghu Qingmo acted with the speed of thunder and wind.

"We can't ignore a lead. Let's go to Three Harmony Tower first and take a look."

Xie Jinhuan also wanted to know who was hiring killers to murder him. With Coal Ball and A Piao guarding Lin Wanyi, there should be no problem, so he followed them...