A tangled mystery

Two hours later, at the county yamen.

County Magistrate Zhang Yuanqing, dressed in pale green official robes, stood respectfully at the side of the hall, his eyes on his nose and his nose pointing toward his heart.

The normally unruffled Zhou He, the constantly smoking Yang Ting, and even the usually irreverent Yang Dabiao seemed like different men now, their arms lowered and backs bowed, their restraint apparent even in the way they stood.

Behind the long desk where the county magistrate should have sat, a middle-aged man in python robes leaned against a large chair, holding a white porcelain teacup and leisurely skimming the floating leaves. Zhu Wenyuan stood beside him with a folding fan.

In the hall, Academy Director of Studies Li Jing, Attendant Huangfu Qi, and Ji Shiqing gathered around Li Zixian, carefully examining his bones, skin, flesh, meridians, and acupoints. They had even brought out a bagua mirror capable of detecting blood baleful qi and sinister influences.

Faced with an assembly second only to the emperor himself appearing in person, Li Zixian had lost every trace of his bearing as a wealthy young master. He knelt on the floor, not daring to move:

"Your Highness, I truly have been wronged. I have absolutely no connection to the Demon Bandits..."

Though the Pill King doted on his daughter, his refined bearing retained its majesty, and the presence between his brows exerted an immense pressure:

"Were these three bodies buried in the fields on your orders?"

"Yes, but they weren't buried alive. These three owed gambling debts and were working them off at the estate..."

"Li Zixian."

Zhu Wenyuan picked up the tenancy contracts from the desk and tossed them onto the floor:

"It's one thing to fool ordinary runners, but you dare deceive His Highness too? We've already sent men to question the estate's hired hands and tenant farmers, and the gambling house's managers and patrons. They confirmed that after these three fell into debts they couldn't repay, they disappeared one after another and were never seen again. Did you think a few forged IOUs would let you hoodwink heaven and cross the sea?"

Li Zixian knew he couldn't withstand an investigation, but he absolutely dared not admit to the grave crime of burying people alive now.

Since the Pill King had personally come to hear the case, there had to be a fair and impartial outcome.

Even if he truly had no connection to the Demon Bandits, burying three commoners alive alone was enough to earn him immediate execution.

With so many people watching, what would the people of Dan Prefecture think if the Pill King knew the truth and still showed favoritism? What would the censors and remonstrating officials in Capital City think?

As an imperial prince governing Dan Prefecture on the emperor's behalf, was this how he threw open the doors for wealthy young masters and licked the filthy feet of powerful court officials?

Confessing now would most likely put Li Zixian under the tiger-head execution blade. All he could do was grit his teeth and stall while waiting for Capital City to pull its strings. Faced with the questioning, he replied:

"These three have been dead for nearly half a year. The IOUs were all lost. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to explain things, so lard clouded my heart, and I wrote a few replacements. These three really did die of illness..."

Zhu Wenyuan pointed toward the three skeletons outside the hall:

"You mean all the gentlemen from the Dan King Pavilion and the Academy were mistaken?"

Li Zixian said earnestly, "I don't know why either, but these three absolutely did not die from demonic arts."

"Then tell us how they died."

"Of... of illness..."

"What illness?"

"I don't know. When they looked beyond saving, we didn't treat them and just let them wait for death..."

Li Zixian spun one lie after another, sweat gradually pouring off him like rain.

As a Daoist who had traveled the Southern Border for years, Ji Shiqing served as the Prince's Manor's "advisor on demonic and sinister matters." After a careful examination, he rose and interjected:

"Li Zixian's physique is normal. He has never practiced methods of the Demon Path. But these three corpses unquestionably died from the Essence-Seizing Demonic Art."

Stroking his goatee as he studied the three skeletons, Huangfu Qi also nodded:

"Indeed. The 'desiccated corpse case' in Capital City involved much the same circumstances as these three bodies. It might have been the same band of Demon Bandits..."

Seeing all these experts speak with such certainty, Li Zixian shuffled two steps forward on his knees:

"Your Highness, someone must have tampered with these bodies. I can swear to heaven..."

"With nothing but fabrications coming out of your mouth, who would believe your oath?"

Displeasure appeared on Huangfu Qi's face as he demanded in a low voice:

"Could the Demon Bandits have threatened your family to keep your lips sealed?"

"The Demon Bandits haven't threatened me..."

"Oh?"

Huangfu Qi frowned and pressed on. "You're saying the Demon Bandits didn't verbally threaten you? Then why did you fail to report what you knew and insist on concealing his whereabouts?"

"I... huh?!"

Realizing Huangfu Qi was laying a trap, Li Zixian's expression changed sharply:

"No Demon Bandits threatened me! I've never had contact with any Demon Bandits..."

The Pill King had already seen that Li Zixian was counting on the Li Household to save him and would admit nothing for now. He put down his teacup and waved to Tie Fengzhang.

Tie Fengzhang had always taken a hard line. This time, he didn't even have his subordinates act, fetching the finger clamps himself and fitting them around Li Zixian's ten fingers.

Seeing that the Pill King intended to use severe torture, Li Zixian went pale:

"Your Highness, the Li Household must have been framed by those Demon Bandits, just like the Three Harmony Tower! Your Highness! Your... aah-"

Screams rang out from the hall.

Xie Jinhuan had remained outside the hall as a spectator, watching the entire interrogation. In truth, he was somewhat puzzled.

He knew nothing about methods of the Demon Path and hadn't initially noticed the abnormalities inside the skulls. It was Ghost Wife who had told him the dead had been killed by the Essence-Seizing Demonic Art, and that its methods came from the same lineage as the demonic Daoist in the corpse cave!

Thus, the culprit who had buried these bodies alive had to be the mastermind behind the Mad Corpse Flower or an accomplice.

Judging by Li Zixian's replies, the Li Household had buried them, so the mastermind behind it naturally had to be the Li Household.

But Li Zixian's belief that he had been wronged didn't seem feigned either, and the Three Harmony Tower incident was even harder to explain. If the Demon Bandits had secretly framed him by tampering with the corpses, their methods were rather too formidable...

Xie Jinhuan was still silently pondering, unable to work out the reason, when he suddenly heard a voice beside him:

"You're Xie Jinhuan?"

"Hm?"

Xie Jinhuan immediately came back to himself and turned to look. The gentle and courteous Pill King, unable to bear watching someone suffer bodily torment, had already stepped out of the hall.

Though Xie Jinhuan had lived in Capital City for sixteen years, he had never dealt with its highest-ranking nobles. The Pill King was the highest official he had ever met. He cupped his hands in salute:

"My respects, Your Highness."

The Pill King carefully studied Xie Jinhuan's appearance and bearing, a measure of praise showing in his eyes:

"So young, yet quite capable. Without you running about these past few days, the yamen wouldn't have uncovered so many clues. Thank you for your efforts."

What efforts? If I weren't running around investigating them, you'd have to run around investigating me... That was what Xie Jinhuan thought, but outwardly he remained quite modest:

"You flatter me, Your Highness. This commoner only wanted to resolve this trouble quickly so I could return to Capital City to visit my family. I haven't contributed much. What little merit I've earned recently is all thanks to Officer Yang and Miss Linghu's fine guidance."

Yang Dabiao jolted at those words. The look in his eyes probably meant-Oh! This brother really is worth having around!

Linghu Qingmo had been standing nearby, restraining Coal Ball, who wanted to eat the python-dragon on the Pill King's robes. Now he too looked somewhat ashamed.

"You are modest."

The Pill King had repeatedly seen Xie Jinhuan's name in the case files over the past two days. With such virtues as a father who had died in the line of duty, solid abilities, upright conduct, and modesty without contention, the impression he made could hardly be poor. The Pill King smiled:

"Your late father died in the line of duty, so the court ought to look after his offspring. Now you've grown into a man and devoted yourself to catching criminals and pleading the people's cause. How could the court deny you an opportunity?

"Keep working hard. Once this case is settled, I'll write to my imperial elder brother and ask him to grant you a good post."

?!

Everyone following behind wore looks of envy at those words.

After all, the Pill King and Emperor Qian were full brothers who had weathered hardship together, and he himself was a regional ruler with real power.

If the Pill King personally recommended someone to the emperor, the starting point would probably be a substantive sixth- or seventh-grade post.

Xie Jinhuan was young and capable, upright, and versed in worldly dealings. Given ten or twenty years, it wasn't impossible that he could work his way into the first three rows before Taiji Hall.

If he returned to Danyang then, the Pill King would probably be the only person present who dared speak with his back straight.

Even if he subjected Momo to unspoken workplace demands, Momo probably wouldn't dare make a peep...

Xie Jinhuan knew the Pill King meant well, but if the "demonic qi on Purple Emblem Mountain" case were truly solved, he and Ghost Wife would be due for burial too. He really couldn't receive this heaven-flooding wealth and honor, so he merely replied politely:

"Thank you for your favor, Your Highness. This commoner will certainly redouble his efforts."

The Pill King said no more and quietly waited for Li Zixian to confess.

Everyone else's gaze rested on Xie Jinhuan, some envious, some appreciative.

But Scarlet Qilin Guard Hundred-Household Commander Zhou He, standing inside the hall, seemed to be watching Li Zixian's torture after hearing those words, while a barely perceptible shadow passed through his eyes...

That night, inside the Riverside Villa.

A painting desk stood on the riverside terrace, with no one around it. In the meditation room behind it, Taishu Dan sat on the floor in a scholar's robe, facing a puppet.

The puppet wore a gray cloak. The skin on its hands and cheeks was bronze-colored, as though cast from metal and stone, with intricate incantations covering its surface. There wasn't the slightest trace of life in its entire body, yet it was speaking:

"Li Zixian is tight-lipped. He insists the gamblers died of illness and denies any connection with the Demon Bandits. The Pill King is searching all the Li Household's residences and shops. Barring surprises, this should drag things out until after the Mid-Autumn Festival. Make sure none of you leak anything else."

Puppets had no consciousness, and Taishu Dan didn't know why this one could speak in a human voice, but he nodded at its instructions:

"Rest assured, senior brother. We've gathered enough Mad Corpse Flower, and we can act during the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival the day after tomorrow. But Peony Pond is only twenty li from Danyang City. If the city's experts are alerted by the blood baleful qi, they'll arrive in less than half a quarter-hour, especially Mu Yunling..."

The puppet had no expression, and its words came one by one, without any emotion:

"Just carry out your task. I'll find a way to draw those people away when the time comes. Once you succeed, leave immediately and deliver the Blood Demon Pill to Capital City."

Taishu Dan felt drawing away every expert would be rather difficult and wanted to discuss the details further, but the sound of air being cleaved came from beyond the terrace:

Whoosh~

The puppet immediately went still, without the slightest further movement.

Taishu Dan turned to look and saw his disciple He Can land on the terrace, panting and looking delighted. The moment he appeared, he offered flattery:

"Master truly leaves nothing out of his calculations! The yamen has gone straight after the Li Household... eh? Master, what are you doing?"

Caught by the sudden arrival, Taishu Dan hadn't had time to get up. He took a handkerchief from inside his robe and wiped the puppet's shoes:

"Weapons need regular maintenance, and puppets are no different."

"Really?"

This was the first He Can had heard of such a thing, but he didn't ask further and continued:

"From what I found out, the Prince's Manor's experts stared at those skeletons for ages without finding anything wrong. Even Xie Jinhuan had nothing to say."

Taishu Dan settled onto his meditation cushion. "Those three were killed by demonic arts in the first place. They simply weren't the gamblers the Li Household buried alive, but remains brought from elsewhere. That senior brother in the city switched them using a secret method.

"The bodies are genuine, and even the timing matches. The Li Household wouldn't remember the gamblers' bone structure, and the ground had only just been turned over. How could Xie Jinhuan spot anything wrong?"

He Can had been pondering all along the way how they had managed to hoodwink heaven and cross the sea. Hearing this, he couldn't hide the surprise in his eyes:

"Just who is that martial uncle in the city? He left everything seamless as a heavenly robe. Those methods are far too impressive."

Taishu Dan frowned, looking displeased:

"Do you still not understand how your master operates?"

What he meant was to tell He Can-his master planned before acting and kept a tight tongue. Even with his disciple, he wouldn't readily reveal crucial information!

But as his disciple, no one knew the master better than he did. He Can nodded thoughtfully:

"True. Given your character, Master, if you knew his exact identity, you could go sell it to the Prince's Manor for an astronomical price tomorrow. It's only reasonable that martial uncle wouldn't tell you."

"?"