The eastern sky turned the pale white of a fish's belly. People throughout the city began getting up, and cries rang out through the streets and alleys:
"Steamed buns..."
"Candied hawthorns..."
In the large residence behind the Lin Family Clinic, the maids had already begun bustling about, while Jia Zheng prepared the carriage in the carriage house.
The main courtyard remained quiet. Inside the bedroom, Lin Wanyi lay on her side on the bed, wearing only a dudou and thin trousers, a full semicircle visible beneath her ribs. Her lashes trembled against her exquisitely beautiful face, which bore a faint blush. Who knew what she was dreaming of?
Behind her, the well-developed Lin Zisu lay flat on her back, her breasts visibly spreading slightly beneath her dudou. She was still sound asleep, only opening her eyes in confusion when the first ray of dawn fell upon the window. She looked around, then abruptly sprang up:
"Oh no, oh no..."
Smack~
A crisp slap landed on the rounded full moon beside her, sending waves surging through its flesh.
In her dream, Lin Wanyi received a slap from Xie Jinhuan and shuddered in alarm. She opened her eyes and looked around blankly before snapping:
"Zisu! What's gotten into you this time?"
Lin Zisu scrambled off the bed and searched for her shoes and clothes:
"I'm done for! I'm late! Aunt, why didn't you wake me?"
"Huh?"
Only then did Lin Wanyi realize the sun was already up. She sat up:
"Who told you to keep talking last night? And making those ridiculous jokes..."
Yesterday, Lin Zisu had discovered her aunt bathing in Xie Jinhuan's room. Naturally, she had needed to question her thoroughly.
Seeing that she was late for school, Lin Zisu feared being punished and took Lin Wanyi's arm, shaking it:
"Aunt, come with me. Just say I went with you to see a patient last night, and we got back late."
This clearly was not the first time Lin Wanyi had been pushed forward as a shield. Considering that Zisu still had to help her refine pills, she said helplessly:
"All right, all right. Get dressed first. I'll go with you in a bit."
"Hee~"
Only then did Lin Zisu breathe a sigh of relief and fetch her skirt to put on.
As she spoke, Lin Wanyi also got up to dress. But when she opened her wardrobe, the little pouch containing the "outlaw-arousing outfit" caught her eye.
She was clearly too embarrassed to wear clothes that looked so provocative.
But she had spent the enormous sum of thirty taels of silver on them. She could not bear to give them to a maid, and letting Zisu wear them was even less appropriate. She could not simply leave them sitting here...
After wrestling with herself briefly, Lin Wanyi reasoned that nobody would know if she wore them underneath. Unable to suppress her curiosity after all, she picked up the pouch, slipped behind the screen, and changed into the undergarments.
Thump, thump~
Because the tights were so close-fitting, pulling them up took some effort, and she even bounced twice on her toes.
Once dressed, Lin Wanyi emerged from behind the screen in a pale green, waist-high ruqun and examined herself in the mirror. Her graceful figure looked unchanged, and nothing showed from the outside. The tightness around her legs simply took a little getting used to.
Lin Wanyi bounced on her toes again and discovered that the bodice provided excellent support, keeping the swaying to a minimum. It was very comfortable. She nodded inwardly, feeling those thirty taels had been well spent...
Elsewhere, at the Commandery Princess's Manor.
Early that morning, maids came and went along Inkstone Mountain Lake, carrying an assortment of delicacies into the Lakeside Pavilion.
A square table stood inside the spacious hall, with two soft cushions placed on either side. Behind it stood a bronze crane incense burner, while maids waited nearby.
Linghu Qingmo had been working almost nonstop these past two days, without even sleeping. Weariness showed between his brows as he ate breakfast, looking troubled:
"Li Zixian's lips are sealed tight. No matter how we question him, he won't confess, and the Yamen doesn't dare beat him too badly. The County Commandant's Office hasn't found any leads on the Demon Bandits behind this either. It looks like the case has stalled again..."
Across the long table, Commandery Princess Changning sat sideways, leaning over it. Her attire was quite sumptuous: a chest-high hezi skirt beneath a pale yellow, wide-sleeved robe. Her sash and the edging of her light robe were both bright yellow, embroidered with cloud patterns, while her bodice bore an embroidered peacock.
As for her face, her red lips were as vivid as roses, and her almond eyes brimmed with charm. Sitting beside Linghu Qingmo, they looked like two sisters with entirely opposite temperaments. She swirled a wine cup in her hand:
"You only came down the mountain to gain experience. Have you really started thinking of yourself as the 'Iceberg Goddess Constable'? If you can't find anything, let the Yamen deal with it. The Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival is about to begin. Come stroll around Peony Pond with me later."
With so much going on, Linghu Qingmo was in no mood to visit the Mid-Autumn Gathering:
"It's the same every year. There's nothing worth seeing."
"Ah~"
Commandery Princess Changning sighed helplessly. After a moment's recollection, she asked:
"I heard that when you went to investigate yesterday, you had a young man named Xie Jinhuan with you. Highly skilled in martial arts, handsome..."
Sensing something behind his close friend's words, Linghu Qingmo hurried to clarify:
"Xie Jinhuan is Yang Dabiao's friend. He merely came over to help."
Commandery Princess Changning remained half-convinced. Knowing her close friend's temperament, she offered an earnest warning:
"Qingmo, you're frank and straightforward, without much guile. Be careful when making friends out there. Don't let those dissolute young gentlemen who seem so upright deceive you."
Although Linghu Qingmo had been knocked unconscious by Xie Jinhuan, had his chest groped, and done housework without complaint or regret, he considered himself an ice-cold beauty with an unwavering Dao heart. No rake could easily wind him around his finger:
"How could that happen? I know my limits. Besides, Xie Jinhuan is very upright, and his martial arts might be on par with yours. He's certainly no rake."
As a member of Great Qian's imperial family and a prince's legitimate daughter, Commandery Princess Changning had enjoyed unsurpassed circumstances from childhood, and her talent was not poor either. Although she seemed to spend her days pursuing pleasure, she had never neglected her training when it was time to practice. Hearing this, she remained skeptical:
"I don't believe it. Call him over to fight me."
Having suffered himself, Linghu Qingmo did not want to let his close friend get caught in the rain too.
If Xie Jinhuan's brain suddenly misfired and another "Azure Dragon Claw Probe" grabbed the wrong person, the prince might well chop his hand off:
"The Yamen is so busy. Who has time to spar for fun? We can discuss it next time there's an opportunity. You keep eating. I'm heading to the Yamen."
Commandery Princess Changning could do nothing about her workaholic friend. After finishing breakfast, she began preparing for her autumn outing to Peony Pond...
A short while later.
Linghu Qingmo left the Commandery Princess's Manor alone. Seeing that nobody was watching, he immediately turned toward Clear Spring Lane!
It was early morning, and pedestrians thronged the side street. Most were servants and maids from nearby households, buying wine, vegetables, and fruit. The breakfast shops along the street steamed with heat, and people came and went through their doors.
Linghu Qingmo had not been paying attention to the roadside, but as he passed a butcher's shop, he suddenly heard a familiar voice:
"Half a catty of lean meat, finely diced. Each piece one fen long and one fen wide, no more and no less. Not a speck of fat..."
"Young master, those requirements might be..."
"Can't cut it?"
"Uh..."
"If you can't, I'll do it..."
?
Linghu Qingmo turned to look and saw a young gentleman in a white brocade robe, with two weapons hanging at his waist, standing before the meat stall and taking a boning knife from the butcher.
Pitch-black Coal Ball perched on his shoulder, staring fixedly at the meat on the chopping block. Then came:
Swish, swish, swish~
The white-robed gentleman wielded the knife like the wind, slicing horizontally and vertically. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen cuts divided the meat into evenly sized cubes. Once finished, he planted the knife in the chopping block and remarked:
"The knife's a little dull. It needs sharpening. Exactly half a catty. How much?"
The butcher stared, dumbstruck. He tilted his head to study the chopping block and only spoke after a long pause:
"Uh... sixteen copper coins. With knife skills like yours, young master, do you still need to buy groceries yourself?"
"I'm a man of the martial world. When I've eaten my fill, my whole family goes without hunger. I'm used to it."
"Oh..."
Linghu Qingmo truly had not expected Xie Jinhuan to put on such a performance just buying bird food. He strode over:
"Xie Jinhuan?"
"Chirp~"
Coal Ball, who had been staring with yearning eyes, turned his head a full hundred and eighty degrees at the sound.
Xie Jinhuan asked for a lotus leaf to hold the diced meat, then glanced back with a smile:
"Morning, Miss Momo."
Linghu Qingmo had not noticed earlier. Only now, examining him face-to-face, did he realize how exquisite Xie Jinhuan's robe was. Its fine fabric was edged with silver thread, while the cloud-embroidered belt held a piece of warm jade at its center.
His jet-black hair was neatly arranged too. Combined with his handsome features and those cold-spring eyes devoid of the slightest desire, the visual impact was rather powerful...
Caught off guard, Linghu Qingmo was positively jolted by that "smile over his shoulder." Only after looking him over carefully did he recover:
"Why have you dressed yourself up so handsomely?"
Xie Jinhuan merely wanted to look like an upright, harmless young hero, lest anyone suspect him of being an ancient ancestor who dug up graves. Faced with Miss Momo's blatant compliment, he looked down at himself:
"I got my sleeves dirty yesterday, so I bought something at random. Is it very handsome?"
You call this buying something at random?
Linghu Qingmo felt that with this appearance, Xie Jinhuan could earn a bushel of gold a day as a kept man. Not particularly good at compliments, he simply replied:
"Mm... quite good-looking. But dressed like that, you don't match Coal Ball."
"It's fine. I'll dye his feathers white next time."
"Huh?! (Chirp?)"
"Just joking."
Xie Jinhuan walked with Coal Ball perched on him. Looking his companion over, he noticed that the ethereal, coldly beautiful figure before him had dark circles beneath those large, limpid eyes. He asked:
"Didn't you sleep last night, Miss Momo?"
Linghu Qingmo rubbed Coal Ball. "Who had time to sleep? The Li Household insists they knew nothing about what happened at Three Harmony Tower. Apparently, the Capital City has even sent someone to sit in on the trial. The Yamen is at its wits' end. As for the Demon Bandits behind it, we haven't found so much as their shadow.
"The Prince's Manor has issued an absolute order: everyone must prioritize tracing the demonic aura on Purple Emblem Mountain. If we still can't find the slightest thread of a clue today, we'll report it to Luojing and have the Director come investigate personally. Then I can introduce you to him."
?
Xie Jinhuan inwardly stumbled. The Director of the Directorate of Celestial Observation was Great Qian's nuclear weapon. If he really came to investigate the demonic aura on Purple Emblem Mountain, Xie Jinhuan would barely have time to run. How would he dare visit him?
Realizing that divine punishment truly was coming, Xie Jinhuan naturally grew solemn:
"The demonic aura on Purple Emblem Mountain was almost certainly the work of those Demon Bandits behind the scenes. You really haven't found any leads?"
Linghu Qingmo shook his head. "All the evidence points to Li Shizhong and the Li Household, but there are no survivors to serve as witnesses. The suspicious points are those three you mentioned yesterday, but there's no evidence to support the idea that Demon Bandits framed them."
Xie Jinhuan had not exactly been speaking at random yesterday. They had inexplicably obtained evidence, and just as they arrived at Three Harmony Tower, the mastermind went mad, while the accounting secretary died too. How could there be such coincidences in this world?
He silently considered his experiences over the past few days, then suddenly asked:
"Right, didn't you go back to examine the bodies the night before last? What exactly did you find?"
"We found nothing. They were so badly decomposed they were crawling with maggots. Just like..."
Linghu Qingmo wanted to make a comparison, but truly could not describe that disgusting scene. He tilted his head to indicate the direction:
"The county office is just nearby. Why don't you take a look yourself?"
If Xie Jinhuan did not uncover something about the Demon Bandits and the Li Household, Lu Wuzhen would be coming to investigate him. Holding Coal Ball, he immediately headed toward Wencheng Street:
"Come on. Let's take a look."
Linghu Qingmo led the way. After a few steps, he looked at the sword hanging at Xie Jinhuan's waist:
"That sword of yours is also a Purple Emblem Mountain design. Where did you get it?"
For the past two days, Xie Jinhuan had not dared draw his sword in front of Momo. But as long as they kept interacting, he would never be able to hide it, so he had prepared an excuse long ago. He flicked it lightly with a finger, revealing the characters "Zhenglun" on the blade:
"Purple Emblem Mountain's Dharma Swords are renowned throughout the world. I've heard of them for ages, so I paid a high price for an imitation. Does it look genuine to you?"
Purple Emblem Mountain's Dharma Swords all looked alike, differing only slightly in the characters engraved on them. The Zhenglun Sword had been lost for a hundred years, and none of the current disciples had actually seen the genuine article.
It clearly never occurred to Linghu Qingmo that this was a True Disciple's heirloom. He gave it a brief glance:
"The quality is good. It must have cost quite a bit to make. How much did you pay?"
Relieved of a great burden, Xie Jinhuan put his sword away:
"Fifty taels. Enough to buy a hundred Coal Balls!"
"Huh?!"
Linghu Qingmo lifted Coal Ball and examined him from side to side:
"He's that cheap?"
"Chirp~"
"Heh..."
Chatting as usual, the two soon emerged from the intersection. Before them, a luxurious carriage stood outside the magnificent golden gates of the Commandery Princess's Manor.
Several pretty, charming maids waited nearby, surrounded by soldiers from the Prince's Manor in gleaming armor. Liu Qingzhi was among them, presumably serving as part of the honor guard.
Meanwhile, Chief Steward Hou, whose looks could shake heaven and earth and make ghosts and gods weep, stood on the steps waving a fan, openly demanding a bribe from a young gentleman in brocade:
"Even seeing the top girl on Flower Tower Street requires five taels in tea money first. My mistress is worth far more than a courtesan queen, yet Young Master Liu offers a mere ten taels and expects me to pass on a message?"
"Shh, shh! Steward Hou, you mustn't say such things. How could Her Highness be compared to a woman of the pleasure quarters? If Her Highness heard..."
"If she heard, that would be contempt for the imperial family! I'm a household servant of the Zhao Household. At worst, I'd get a few slaps. You're a different matter, Young Master Liu..."
"All right, all right, I'll pay..."
"I already asked. The commandery princess isn't receiving visitors."
"You!"
Seeing him bully others through borrowed power, Xie Jinhuan felt that Steward Hou truly lived up to his appearance:
"What's going on?"
Long accustomed to this, Linghu Qingmo turned into an alley beside the street, perhaps afraid his close friend might see him:
"Commandery Princess Changning possesses beauty fit to topple a nation, along with great rank and power. She has countless admirers, and people come pestering her every day. She specifically has Steward Hou stop them outside."
"Oh."
Before you continue