Xie Jinhuan stopped and turned toward his own white-walled, blue-tiled residence. He sniffed, but detected no unusual scent, and his brows furrowed.
Lin Wanyi looked slightly bewildered and glanced around as well.
"What's wrong?"
"There seems to be Blood Baleful Qi in the courtyard. Did you notice it?"
Blood Baleful Qi usually arose from brutally stripping away blood and vital energy. Whenever it appeared, it was connected to demonic evil nine times out of ten-and then some.
At his question, Lin Wanyi knitted her brows and carefully sensed her surroundings, then asked blankly:
"Is there?"
Xie Jinhuan could not sense it, but if the Nightly Great Succubus said it was there, it definitely was. He jostled the personal maid on his shoulder.
"Up you get. Time to work."
"Gooji?"
Coal Ball opened bleary eyes, looked around, then spread her wings and flew high into the sky to scout.
With a hand on the Heavenly Gang Mace, Xie Jinhuan listened outside the wall. Only after confirming that no one lay in ambush inside did he quietly vault into the courtyard.
Lin Wanyi followed close behind, landing in the front courtyard. Everything looked as usual, apart from a few more fallen leaves.
"Nothing unusual. Could it be coming from the Commandery Princess's Manor?"
Xie Jinhuan had initially thought so too, but Ghost Wife had already appeared beside him. Following the source of the Blood Baleful Qi, she soon reached the bedroom and pointed beneath the canopy bed.
"Here."
Xie Jinhuan stepped over, briefly examined it, then lifted the bare bed boards, revealing a small box beneath the bed.
Inside the box were several letters and a yellowed booklet. The cover read "Medicine Man Scripture," and its pages recorded the medicinal effects of various human organs.
There were also several medicine bottles in the drawer. One seemed improperly sealed, with dark red liquid seeping around its rim.
Lin Wanyi leaned closer to examine it, and her expression shifted slightly.
"Blood Essence? Why would you be hiding this?"
Blood Essence was the essence of blood and vital energy extracted by refining living creatures through secret methods. It had great medicinal value, but was also essential for the Demon Path's production of high-grade Demon Transformation Pills. The Imperial Court strictly prohibited it; only places such as the Alchemy Medicine Institute and the Imperial Pharmacy Directorate possessed it.
Brows tightly knitted, Xie Jinhuan picked up the letters and read them. They were all exchanges of concern between "him and his master," with veiled references to conducting business in Danyang...
"These aren't mine. Someone's framing me, falsely accusing me of having ties to the Demon Bandits!"
"Huh?"
Lin Wanyi was baffled. "You, with those thick brows and honest-looking eyes, a Demon Bandit? Who would be bored enough to frame you with this stuff?"
Xie Jinhuan was also considering who might have framed him.
Bao Fei of Essence Splendor Manor might be seeking revenge...
He had investigated the Li Household, and they could also have obtained forbidden medicines and books...
Because he had wiped out the Corpse-Hiding Cave, the Demon Bandits knew they had been falsely accused. They might also be turning the same trick back on the trickster...
For now, Xie Jinhuan could not determine who had framed him, but with a setup like this, people from the Yamen were certain to arrive shortly.
Once the Yamen found these things, regulations required them to investigate him inside and out to eliminate suspicion.
The only reasons he had escaped suspicion so far were that Yang Dabiao had staked his head on vouching for him, and that he had consistently punished villains and rooted out evil without seeking rewards.
If they truly investigated, he could not explain his activities in recent years, exactly where Wind Spirit Valley was, who his master was, and so forth.
Then he would become a prime suspect, the Great Demon of Purple Emblem Mountain would be caught on the spot, and the Li Household and the Demon Bandits would escape their predicaments without lifting a finger. They might even declare, "How righteous of Lord Xie," and burn a couple more handfuls of spirit money for him...
Realizing how bad the situation was, Xie Jinhuan rose.
"Since this is a frame-up, the Yamen could arrive at any moment. We need to dispose of these first."
Lin Wanyi did not believe Xie Jinhuan had ties to the Demon Bandits. She asked in confusion:
"You're being falsely accused. Wouldn't destroying the evidence only make your attempt to hide it more conspicuous? I can testify for you..."
Xie Jinhuan understood better than the person framing him that he was not the least bit innocent.
"You're from the Witch Cult. You're afraid of being exposed yourself. How could you testify for me?"
Lin Wanyi realized he had a point. "Then should I go back first? An upright body needn't fear a crooked shadow. You'll be fine even if they investigate."
How would I be fine? Xie Jinhuan said earnestly:
"I don't know who's plotting against me. If someone in the Imperial Court is framing me, anyone bent on condemning a man can always find a charge. No matter how honest I am, I'll still lose a layer of skin. It might even expose your identity."
Lin Wanyi thought that made sense too, and asked worriedly, "Then what do we do? We can throw the things away, but you can't conceal the Blood Baleful Qi. The Yamen will follow the scent here soon."
Xie Jinhuan knew this stuff was difficult to remove. He knew no Mystic Sect arts, so he could only glance at A Piao beside him.
Ye Hongshang sat sideways on the edge of the bed with her legs crossed. She seemed deep in thought too, but soon supplied an answer:
"Blood Baleful Qi comes from blood and vital essence forcibly stripped from the body. You can use the Upside-Down Candle to reverse your blood flow and force blood essence out of your body to fake it.
"But that explanation alone would be too strained. The Yamen might still remain suspicious and investigate your background.
"Also, under normal circumstances, whoever framed you will certainly be the one guiding the Yamen here. They should be among the people who arrive.
"You need to go with the flow and play your part. I'll watch their words and expressions and help you ferret out whoever framed you."
Noticing that Xie Jinhuan had suddenly become distracted and was staring at the empty bed, Lin Wanyi grew suspicious. She turned toward Ye Hongshang.
"What are you looking at? Is someone here?"
"How could there be? I was just thinking."
Xie Jinhuan came back to himself and placed both hands on Lin Wanyi's shoulders.
"Wanyi, we're grasshoppers in the same boat. So I'll have to put you through a little inconvenience. Play along with me in a moment."
?
With the man holding both her shoulders, Lin Wanyi curled her hands before her chest, her gaze growing nervous.
"What are you trying to do? Pretending to take my virginity won't work. That wouldn't produce Blood Baleful Qi. The Yamen won't believe it..."
Take her virginity?
As expected of a doctor-she really does look at problems from an unusual angle! Xie Jinhuan frowned.
"What would I take your virginity for? It's just a speaking scene. You won't have to sacrifice your charms. In a moment..."
He leaned close to her ear and whispered.
Feeling the masculine breath wash over her, Lin Wanyi's heart tightened slightly, but her delicate brows soon drew together.
"How is that acceptable? Pretend to be your intimate companion? If word gets out, how am I supposed to marry anyone? I still haven't cleared up the last time I bathed in your room..."
Xie Jinhuan said solemnly, "I've already earned the Pill King's appreciation. Last night, I even heard the Pill King discussing what reward to give me. I'm planning to earn a little more merit and ask directly for the Martial Dao Divine Canon.
"Wanyi, you wouldn't want this to ruin the Pill King's impression of me and send your plans down the drain, would you?"
"..."
Lin Wanyi looked at the "Two-Headed Dragon" right before her. Her chest swelled beneath her robes as she wanted to refuse, but after holding it in for a long while, she ultimately compromised and warned him gravely:
"I'm a Witch Cult enchantress. If you dare fool me, believe me, I'll put a gu curse on you."
"I believe you, I believe you."
Xie Jinhuan patted her fragrant shoulder.
"If I lie to you, I'll buy you ten sets of Dharma Artifact undergarments."
"Pah! Who wants you to buy that sort of thing?! You have to get the Martial Dao Divine Canon within a month! Otherwise, there's nothing to discuss."
"I'll do my best. Hurry and clear these things away..."
--
Wencheng Street.
Li Jing walked slowly, leading his horse. A three-foot sword hung at the horse's side, and a wine flask dangled from his waist. He looked more like an old man drinking away his troubles in the streets.
The old man, who served as Director of Studies at the Academy, was easygoing and approachable. Many students unaware of his background liked to call him "Old Man Li."
But anyone with a little experience understood how formidable the credentials of a man serving as deputy head of Confucianism's foremost institution had to be.
Zhou He followed behind him. His words showed not the slightest disrespect, but carried a trace of urgency:
"Sir, you and Lord Li of the current court both come from the Hualin Li Clan. A few centuries ago, you were one family. Now that you teach at the Academy, the Li Household has always treated you with great courtesy. And now that they're in trouble..."
The Hualin Li Clan was one of Great Qian's eminent clans, with descendants spread throughout the north and south.
Strictly speaking, Li Jing and Li Gongpu did indeed share an ancestor, but there were no fewer than several hundred people with that same connection in Dan Prefecture alone.
Faced with the Scarlet Qilin Guard's request, Li Jing spoke amiably:
"I'm a man of the martial world. I only took the position of Director of Studies at the Academy out of regard for Mister Mu. The Academy's duty is to teach and nurture people. The scrambling of flies and skulking of dogs at court is not the Academy's concern."
Zhou He nodded repeatedly. "You're right, sir. But the Li Household truly has been framed by the Demon Bandits. Young Master Li is frail and cannot withstand harsh torture. Confucianism advocates 'virtue as the foundation, punishment as the supplement; show compassion in sentencing and exercise caution in punishment.' The Yamen's brutal interrogations could force a false confession. As a senior Confucian, Mister Li, you shouldn't turn a blind eye..."
Li Jing was entirely unmoved and replied bluntly:
"Everyone knows the Confucian sages were learned, yet they overlook that Confucianism emphasizes 'the gentleman's six arts, mastery of both letters and arms.' Not one of the worthy teachers whose names remain in the books was a pushover.
"A scholar studies letters to reason with others; he studies martial arts to make those who refuse reason sit down and listen to it.
"If the Li Household is reasonable but has been wronged, the Academy won't stand idly by. But if they spout nonsense, conceal the truth, and seek only to escape punishment, the Academy's usual practice is also to beat them until they recognize their mistakes."
There were many teachings and schools in the world, but Confucianism, Mohism, the School of Military Thought, and the like differed only in philosophy; they were not divided according to cultivation methods.
Confucianism did not chiefly pursue cultivation and immortality, but it encouraged students to "make their bodies savage and their souls civilized." Thus, most Confucian disciples practiced the martial dao, while some also ventured into the immortal dao.
How could Zhou He outtalk this bunch of Confucian warriors with their extraordinarily flexible moral boundaries? He found himself at a loss for words. As he was composing his response, he suddenly frowned slightly and took a palm-sized compass from his waist.
The compass, formally called the Demon-Searching Compass Scripture, could detect changes in the energies of yin, yang, and the five elements and track demons and ghosts. It was a Dharma Artifact the Scarlet Qilin Guard used to hunt demonic evil.
Several rotating needles occupied the center of the compass. Two of them were now trembling slightly, pointing toward the roadside.
Li Jing frowned, stepped half a pace back, and examined it carefully.
"An imbalance in the five elements inevitably heralds calamity. When water and yin both stir, baleful energy often arises. This is a sign of Blood Baleful Intent."
With that, he looked toward the Commandery Princess's Manor beside the street.
Zhou He's expression grew grave. "Elder Li, could there be demonic energy over there?"
The Blood Baleful Qi was too faint for even Li Jing to readily sense. He took the Demon-Searching Compass from Zhou He and followed its direction.
Zhou He followed close behind, urgently instructing an attendant:
"Something is amiss here. Notify the Yamen immediately."
"Yes!"
At the order, the accompanying Scarlet Qilin Guard immediately ran back...
Before you continue