Chapter 104 The Deceased Little Fishy Appears and Begins a Bloody Massacre

Midnight had fallen, and Linglong and Feng Yixiao were already fast asleep. Qin Daofei sat wearily on a small stool by the couch, gazing pensively at the two of them.

Suddenly, Feng Yixiao twitched, a lingering reflex of her terror. Subconsciously, Linglong patted Feng Yixiao’s back, soothing her back into stillness.

"Xiaocui is dead!" Qin Daofei knew Linglong was not asleep.

Linglong slowly opened her eyes and said flatly, "Didn't you say you didn't want to kill her?"

"I didn't kill her. Her cause of death is identical to King Xiang's; it must have been done by the same person," Qin Daofei said heavily.

Linglong turned over and looked quietly at Qin Daofei.

"So, you just stood by and watched someone get murdered by that mysterious person right in front of you, without even catching a glimpse of him!" Qin Daofei was the top martial arts expert in the Central Plains. It was already immensely difficult for someone to commit murder right under his nose, but that the killer had not only succeeded without leaving a trace of his shadow made it utterly baffling.

Exhausted as well, Qin Daofei leaned against the edge of the bed and said softly, "My opponent is even more formidable than I imagined. His abilities far surpass mine by an incalculable margin!"

Being stalked in the shadows by such a dangerous entity left Qin Daofei feeling an unprecedented fatigue.

It was a weariness born from the depths of his heart, making him feel completely helpless.

"Any human has weaknesses. Perhaps we've overlooked something. Let's think again!" Linglong rolled out of bed. Qin Daofei quickly pressed her back down, asking, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to deduce this. Starting from the poisoning four years ago, I refuse to believe I can't smoke him out!" Linglong felt that the experiences of the past few years had stretched her to her limits; she just wanted to bring all of this to a swift end.

Qin Daofei pulled Linglong back into bed and tucked her in, saying gently, "There's no rush for this tonight. Rest first. You can do your deductions tomorrow when you have time!"

"And you?" Linglong asked, instantly regretting it so deeply she wanted to slap herself twice.

Qin Daofei massaged Linglong’s hair and said softly, "Go to sleep without worry. I'll be in the outer room, and I won't go anywhere!"

"Hmph, don't try to play pitiful with me. I'm not buying it. I'll give you the corner of the bed, sleep there yourself!" Grumpily, Linglong scrambled over Feng Yixiao and settled securely on the inner side of the bed.

Qin Daofei was slightly startled, then looked at Linglong with delighted surprise.

"Don't read too much into it. Feng Yixiao was terrified today and hasn't been sleeping well. She likes you, and having you nearby brings her peace of mind—that's all!" Linglong’s protest too much only succeeded in amusing Qin Daofei.

He lay down on the couch fully clothed, reached out to take Linglong’s hand, and whispered, "For some reason, I felt so exhausted just now I thought I might die the next minute. But hearing a few words from you made me feel alive again. It's truly wonderful!"

"Is that so?" Linglong raised an eyebrow.

Qin Daofei nodded. "Truly wonderful!"

"Then pay up in silver! Consider me a millennium ginseng root and give me a thousand liang of gold!" It was truly something else how Linglong’s sentences always came back to money.

Qin Daofei chuckled and said, "Alright, I'll give it to you tomorrow."

"Who's looking forward to your handouts!" Qin Daofei agreed far too readily, which only displeased Linglong further. She angrily turned her back to him and refused to look at him again.

Qin Daofei draped an arm around Linglong’s waist. Whether she was truly asleep or just feigning it, she did not push him away. Taking that as tacit permission, Qin Daofei held her slender waist and slept through the night.

***

The next day.

When Linglong and Feng Yixiao woke up, Qin Daofei was no longer by their side. The very first thing Feng Yixiao did upon opening her eyes was cry out, "Daddy!"

"Little rascal, you only ever think of your daddy!" Linglong picked up Feng Yixiao and walked into the outer room, where she saw Hua'er setting out breakfast.

Seeing the two of them up, Hua'er walked over, scooped Feng Yixiao into her arms, and said to Linglong, "My lady, hurry and wash up so you can eat while it's hot. The weather is getting colder, and I don't want you getting a stomachache!"

"Where are the others?" Linglong asked, feigning casualness.

Knowing full well that Linglong was inquiring about Qin Daofei's whereabouts, Hua'er deliberately deflected. "Sister Effie ate a bit earlier and went to find the Ghost Doctor to check on Jifeng. Big Brother Tang also went out on business."

She stubbornly omitted any mention of Qin Daofei.

Linglong frowned, gritted her teeth, and asked, "What about Qin Daofei? Why aren't you mentioning where he went?"

"Didn't my lady say you don't care about the brother-in-law's whereabouts?" Hua'er teased. Linglong rolled her eyes. "I don't care about him, but he left without saying goodbye to me—it's terribly impolite! I just want to ask where he went so I can go give him a piece of my mind!"

Hua'er was torn between laughter and tears. "Oh, keep pretending. The brother-in-law went out with Big Brother Tang. They said since Xiaocui is dead, Old Zhu can no longer be used, and all the intelligence agents connected to Old Zhu have to be moved from their original posts—it requires massive restructuring. They're going to be very busy these next few days!"

"Serves him right!" Linglong muttered.

Before long, Effie dragged Yelisang into Linglong Pavilion.

Yelisang grumbled all the way in, "Effie, I've discovered this woman you are isn't a woman at all. You're a man! You must have been reincarnated into the wrong body; you should have been a man!"

"I think so too," Effie retorted sharply. "Yet you, a man, hardly look like one either. I suppose you were reincarnated wrong as well—are you actually a woman?"

What Yelisang hated most in his life was being called a woman. Hearing Effie say that made him bristle instantly; he pointed straight at her nose and cursed furiously, "Do you still want me to treat your man or not?"

"Your man! All the men in the world are your men!" Effie was furious, her arguing skills suddenly plummeting to the level of a toddler's IQ.

Yelisang was equally incensed. "I can live without a man! If you don't have a man, you can't even give birth to a child!"

"Even if you had a man, you couldn't give birth to one!" Effie shot back coldly.

Massaging her temples, Linglong stepped out and said flatly, "Can the two of you argue with a bit more class?"

"No! I'm like this, this is my level, what are you going to do about it?" Yelisang plopped himself down on the floor, throwing a full-blown tantrum.

Effie shrugged and remained wordless.

*Cough, cough, cough!*

At that moment, violent coughing erupted from Jifeng's room.

Yelisang and Effie, who had been quarreling viciously just a second ago, pushed open the door and rushed inside almost simultaneously.

Effie stopped speaking; she knew that right now, keeping quiet was the wisest choice when dealing with Yelisang. And Yelisang's greatest redeeming quality was that even though a second ago he might have been plotting to strangle you, poison you, or kill you in a dozen different ways, the moment an emergency arose, he would lend a hand without a moment's hesitation.

"What's wrong?" Effie hadn't even noticed that her voice was completely out of tune.

Linglong hurried in as well. After taking Jifeng's pulse, Yelisang swiftly pulled out a silver needle and pierced Jifeng's *Renzhong* acupoint. The moment the needle went in, the sudden pain jolted Jifeng awake.

"Ah!"

With a roar, Jifeng tried to leap up. Linglong and Effie lunged forward together. When Jifeng's flailing hand brushed against Linglong, his palm strike sent her flying straight out of the room.

Seeing this, Effie threw her arms around Jifeng and spoke in a tone of gentleness she never imagined herself capable of, "Jifeng, it's alright! It's alright!"

Whether it was the effect of Yelisang's silver needle or Effie's embrace, Jifeng instantly calmed down. After struggling for a moment, he slowly opened his eyes.

"You're awake!" Effie hugged Jifeng tightly, though with practiced care, she avoided his wounds.

Jifeng opened his mouth, his voice abnormally hoarse. "Are you alright?"

"I'm alright," Effie shook her head, refusing to let go of him.

Limping back into the room from outside, Linglong complained bitterly, "Little Effie might be alright, but I'm not! Jifeng, you really have heavy hands—you nearly broke my old waist!"

*Uh...*

Belatedly realizing she had just done something utterly incomprehensible to herself, Effie shoved Jifeng away in a fit of embarrassment and stared straight up at the ceiling.

"Grand Mistress!" Jifeng tried to sit up, but the movement pulled at his wounds, causing him to wince and fall back down with a grimace.

Massaging her waist, Linglong said viciously, "Damn you! That toss you gave me just now nearly snapped my back in half. Did you vent all your usual resentment toward me into that bit of violence?"

"Grand Mistress, this subordinate wouldn't dare!" Jifeng lay flat again.

Yelisang remarked, "This poison was truly ruthless. It's nothing short of a miracle from the heavens that you managed to survive."

"Who poisoned you?" Linglong and Effie asked in unison.

Jifeng's face drained of color as he grabbed Effie's hand. "Quickly, go tell the Manor Lord—that Little Yu'er didn't die at all! When I was attacked and injured, I saw him. I watched with my own eyes as he walked right up and drove a dagger into my chest!"

*What?*

Jifeng's words hit them like a bolt from the blue. Everyone had assumed Jifeng was wounded by the Fifth Elder of the Tongtian Pavilion. Yet upon waking, Jifeng brought this explosive news: Little Yu'er was alive, and the person obsessively trying to kill Effie and Jifeng was none other than Little Yu'er himself.

"You're saying Little Yu'er didn't die? Then whose corpse was that?" Linglong asked, looking at Jifeng in stunned unease.

Before Jifeng could answer, Effie stood up abruptly and bolted for the door without another word.

"Where are you going?" Linglong called out.

Effie gave Linglong a deep look. Catching her meaning, Linglong stood up and said, "I'm coming with you!"

Leaving Xiaoyao Manor, the two went straight to Yuelai Inn.

Outside the Heavenly Grade room.

*Knock, knock, knock!*

Linglong knocked twice. There was no sound from inside. Just as she raised her foot to kick the door open, Effie beat her to it.

With a loud crash, the door of the Heavenly Grade room swung wide open—and the room was completely empty.

Not only empty, but as clean and tidy as if no one had ever lived there at all.

Surprised, Linglong turned around and stepped back out. Spotting a waiter passing by in the corridor, she asked, "Excuse me, young man, have you seen where the guest staying in this room went?"

"He checked out and left!" the waiter replied, then glanced curiously into the room. "You... how did you get in?"

Effie said coldly, "We opened the door and walked in."

*Uh...*

"I locked it, though," the waiter mumbled.

But a single glance from Effie made him lose all courage to speak further. He scurried away obediently.

Looking around the barren room, Linglong murmured, "Little Effie, where do you think Hanzhi could have gone?"

"I don't know. He didn't tell me. But don't you find it strange? The moment Little Yu'er's survival is exposed, Hanzhi disappears. It all seems far too coincidental!" Effie looked gloomily at Linglong.

A wave of vexation rose in Linglong's heart. "Let's go ask around and see where he went."

"You don't need to ask around. Little Yu'er is alive and trying to kill people from Xiaoyao Manor again. Even if you plead for him, Qin Daofei won't easily spare him or Hanzhi. Qin Daofei will definitely send people to track the two of them down. And Linglong, don't you think the child... has changed?" Though she couldn't quite put her finger on it, Effie felt certain the child was no longer the same.

*Sigh!*

Linglong sighed helplessly. "We won't know why he underwent such a massive transformation until we lay eyes on Little Yu'er ourselves!"

***

Elsewhere, upon learning that Little Yu'er had resurfaced and attempted to kill Effie and Jifeng, Qin Daofei immediately ordered his men to track down Hu Hanzhi for an explanation. However, by the time their men arrived, Linglong and Effie were already at the inn.

"Grand Mistress!" The men from Xiaoyao Manor bowed in greeting.

Linglong said flatly, "Hu Hanzhi isn't in the inn. He has already checked out, and we don't know where he went."

"Many thanks, Grand Mistress. This subordinate will go report to the Manor Lord!" As the men turned to leave, Linglong stopped them. "Never mind, I'll go tell Qin Daofei myself."

Exchanging glances, the men bowed and backed away.

Linglong and Effie returned to Xiaoyao Manor.

Qin Daofei was preparing to head out in a rush. Seeing Linglong and Effie enter, he paused and asked coolly, "Where is Hu Hanzhi?"

"He's vanished," Linglong said.

Qin Daofei slammed a fist against the wall, his voice harsh. "Is he playing games with me?"

Linglong didn't dare speak. In truth, judging by the current situation, Hu Hanzhi very well might have played Qin Daofei for a fool.

She truly didn't want to believe Hu Hanzhi was that kind of person, yet under Qin Daofei's towering rage, she had no idea how to broach the subject.

"Men! Issue a wanted poster. Order everyone to intercept Hu Hanzhi and Little Yu'er at all costs. If they put up stubborn resistance, execute them on the spot!" Hearing those words, Linglong's heart gave a violent shudder, and her hand instinctively caught his sleeve.

Qin Daofei frowned down at Linglong, saying nothing.

"Investigate thoroughly first, alright?" Linglong's only demand was a proper investigation to ensure Hu Hanzhi wasn't being made a scapegoat.

Giving her a long, deep look, Qin Daofei said flatly, "I will investigate. As long as he doesn't kill anyone from Xiaoyao Manor, I won't touch him!"

This was the only concession Qin Daofei was willing to make. Knowing it was the best she could hope for, Linglong dared not ask for more.

Qin Daofei left. Watching his retreating back, Linglong felt a profound sense of helplessness.

That very day, Xiaoyao Manor's agents failed to find any trace of Hu Hanzhi in the capital, nor had anyone seen him leave the city gates. He had vanished as completely as if he had evaporated into thin air.

Xiaoyao Manor was thrown into turmoil, and Qin Daofei's temper turned foul.

Though he didn't vent his anger indiscriminately, even Feng Yixiao could sense his fury; whenever she saw him, she would tuck in her short little legs and hide behind Hua'er, not daring to poke her head out!

***

The next day.

A report came from Xiaoyao Manor that someone matching Little Yu'er's description had been spotted in the West District. He had slaughtered the entire household of a jianghu figure known as the Pale Scholar, sparing not even a month-old infant.

The news spread rapidly to every corner of the capital, plunging the populace into panic as everyone feared falling victim to the same doom.

The incident alarmed the Emperor, who commanded Wang Liushu to take charge of the case and capture the killer within a five-day deadline. Lacking any such capability, Wang Liushu had no choice but to come to Xiaoyao Manor to seek Qin Daofei's assistance.

Since their paths ultimately aligned, Qin Daofei agreed to help Wang Liushu, but with one condition: Jiong Zimo and his men must join the operation. Where jianghu martial artists found it inconvenient to step in, he needed officials like Jiong Zimo to lead the charge.

When the combined forces of Xiaoyao Manor and the Ministry of Justice arrived at the Pale Scholar's residence in the West District, a fine snow was beginning to drift down. Corpses littered the courtyard—men, women, adults, and children. Every single one had died a swift and clean death: their carotid arteries slashed with a dagger, causing them to bleed out.

Comparing the wounds, Tang Li stood up, bowed, and reported to Qin Daofei, "Manor Lord, their cause of death matches Huan'er's. We can confirm it was done by the same person."

"I wouldn't have thought Little Yu'er had such skills," Qin Daofei said as he walked up to the Pale Scholar and examined the wound on his neck. He instructed the Ministry of Justice officers, "Check his body for any other injuries."

After inspecting the corpse, the officer shook his head. "Lord Qin, aside from his neck, there isn't a single scratch anywhere else on his body!"

"The Pale Scholar was considered a top-tier expert in the jianghu. While Little Yu'er's martial arts are decent, taking down an expert like the Pale Scholar with a single move seems unlikely—especially since he started killing the moment he crossed the threshold, without giving the Pale Scholar any time to react." Qin Daofei's analysis left everyone staring silently at the corpses in the courtyard, a growing sense of eeriness creeping into their hearts.

Jiong Zimo, coming from an official background, cared most about the killer's motive. "Is this a jianghu blood feud?"

"It looks like one, but our agents at Xiaoyao Manor discovered that the killer is merely a half-grown boy. Just a few days ago, he killed people back at the manor; given his skills, he shouldn't be capable of this, and given his age, he shouldn't have any grudges against a semi-retired jianghu figure like the Pale Scholar." Once Qin Daofei finished his breakdown, Jiong Zimo was left speechless.

At that moment, a bailiff ran in and bowed to Jiong Zimo. "Magistrate, we found that the Pale Scholar's study has been ransacked. Could this perpetrator be after valuables?"

"Lord Qin, shall we go take a look at the study?" With Qin Daofei present, Jiong Zimo was more than happy to play a hands-off supervisor and let Qin Daofei handle the investigation.

Entering the study, they found it tossed into utter disarray. Qin Daofei asked, "Were the other rooms ransacked?"

Everyone shook their heads in the negative.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Qin Daofei paced around the study before saying, "Nothing to see here. Let's check the bedroom."

They moved into the bedroom.

Just as reported, the bedroom was pristine and orderly, without the slightest trace of a disturbance. A money pouch left on the desk remained untouched, its silver coins entirely unpillaged. This proved that Little Yu'er's murder spree was not motivated by wealth.

Standing in the room with narrowed eyes in deep thought, Tang Li, accustomed to Qin Daofei's methods, said to Jiong Zimo, "Lord Jiong, please have your men wait outside. My Manor Lord is checking if there's a secret passage in this bedroom."

Once Jiong Zimo cleared the room, Qin Daofei stood in the center, casting a lingering gaze at everything around him.

"Check beneath the bed," Qin Daofei instructed Tang Li quietly.

Receiving the order, Tang Li ducked beneath the bedframe. A moment later, he emerged holding a long box used for scroll paintings.

Carefully prying the box open with a dagger, Qin Daofei found no hidden mechanisms or traps inside—only a yellowed scroll. Judging by the wear, it had been frequently unrolled, and the wooden scroll-rollers bore impact dents.

Pulling out the scroll, Qin Daofei unrolled it in front of the others. Painted upon it was an exquisite, exotic woman dressed in crimson, standing by the shores of a lake at Hanshan Temple, framed by the tender green shoots of budding willows.

The signature seal at the bottom of the scroll had been gouged out with a small knife and then smeared over with ink, leaving only a single verse: *In this mortal realm, the fragrant grasses grow lush and green; afar beyond the northern frontier, Hu's enchanting maiden rests in solitary cold.*

*Hu's enchanting maiden!*

*Hu Meiniang!*

Qin Daofei and Tang Li exchanged glances, maintaining a poker face. Rolling the scroll back up, Qin Daofei remarked flatly, "This doesn't look like the work of a master, yet the Pale Scholar treasured it so deeply. There must be a secret here we don't know about. I'm taking it back to examine—perhaps all the answers are hidden within."

"Please feel free, Lord Qin. If you need anything, just say the word; my yamen will cooperate fully!" Since Qin Daofei only wanted a worthless painting, Jiong Zimo wouldn't dare utter a single syllable of objection.

Having gleaned Little Yu'er's objective, Qin Daofei lingered no longer. He instructed Jiong Zimo, "Leave the cleanup of the scene to Lord Jiong. I have other places to check!"

"Safe journey, Lord Qin!" Jiong Zimo bowed as he saw them off.

Once they departed, Tang Li asked anxiously, "Manor Lord, do you think Hu Hanzhi deliberately hid Little Yu'er, sent him to steal the painting to destroy the evidence so we couldn't uncover the truth about Hu Meiniang, and then... then seized your estate's fortune?"

"Don't speak wildly about things we can't prove. But what we can confirm now is that he came because of Hu Meiniang!" Whatever Hu Hanzhi's motives were, he had thoroughly piqued Qin Daofei's interest.

In all his life, Qin Daofei had never suffered such frustration!

First, he could uncover nothing about Hu Meiniang save that she was a woman with a son, and that she hailed from beyond the northern frontier.

Second, regarding Hu Hanzhi, the records showed he held a jianghu standing beyond the frontier comparable to Qin Daofei's in Hanshi. Yet for a man of such renown, Qin Daofei could discover nothing of his origins; had Hu Hanzhi not brought it up himself, Qin Daofei would have remained utterly ignorant of Hu Meiniang's existence.

Thus, Qin Daofei was resolved to uncover his relationship with Hu Meiniang.

Taking the painting back to his study, Qin Daofei meticulously replaced the scroll's mounting before tossing it casually into a corner among his own numerous sketches.

Busy all day, Qin Daofei hadn't visited Linglong and Yixiao, so he set off to see them.

Later that evening, Xiahe arrived at Qin Daofei's study carrying a basin of water to clean up—a routine she had maintained for many years. Because the study was of utmost importance, the Qin household never permitted outsiders to clean it. Even back when Tan Xiyin had been fully able-bodied, she was never allowed to tidy the study alone.

Entering, Xiahe went about her habitual duties: wiping the desk, organizing Qin Daofei's official documents, tending to the vases, and trimming the withered leaves on the potted plants...

When she finished, she locked the study door behind her and stepped out.

Just as she emerged, she saw Tan Xiyin being pushed toward the study by a newly hired maid.

Xiahe no longer even wished to address Tan Xiyin as Second Mistress. She cast a chilling, sidelong glance at her and said flatly to the maid, "Ping'er, no one is permitted to enter the study without authorization when the Manor Lord is not here."

"I'm looking for Brother Daofei. Once I'm inside his study, he'll come see me right away!" Tan Xiyin insisted on pushing her way in.

Looking torn, the maid glanced at Xiahe. Tan Xiyin turned and viciously pinched the young maid's arm, hissing, "I am the Second Mistress of Xiaoyao Manor; she is nothing more than a slave girl! Are you going to listen to me or some lowly maid?"

The maid didn't dare speak.

Xiahe said coldly, "Since the Second Mistress is so inclined, let her go in."

Not long after entering, Tan Xiyin grew bored waiting when Qin Daofei failed to appear. Terrified of incurring his wrath, she had her maid wheel her back out.

***

Linglong Pavilion.

Qin Daofei's mood had improved slightly, his murderous aura less oppressive, prompting Feng Yixiao to cling to him affectionately once more.

Holding Feng Yixiao, Qin Daofei told Linglong, "I went to check earlier. The slaughter of the Pale Scholar's household in the West District was indeed the work of Little Yu'er."

Linglong was blowing on a spoonful of porridge for Feng Yixiao. Hearing this, she looked up in shock. "Why would Little Yu'er kill the Pale Scholar? And why would a scholar live in the West District surrounded by jianghu folk?"

"Pale Scholar was a pseudonym; he was originally a jianghu man himself, though he's spent these past years semi-retired and rarely walks the jianghu. As for why he killed that man, his primary objective was actually to seize a painting from him." Qin Daofei looked at Linglong, still hesitant about how to bring up the subject of Hu Hanzhi.

Staring at him in astonishment, Linglong asked, "You're saying Little Yu'er slaughtered that jianghu man's entire household just for a painting?"

"He didn't just kill one man; he slaughtered the Pale Scholar's entire family, including his infant grandson who was just a month old!" Hearing this, Linglong rose slowly, her voice freezing. "Are you telling me he's slaughtering the innocent indiscriminately?"

Qin Daofei looked her straight in the eye, speaking every word clearly. "This isn't the first time, is it?"

Linglong was left speechless!

"That painting... what on earth is it?" Linglong asked after a long silence.

Qin Daofei replied evenly, "I'll take you to the study; the painting is there. Since you originally started out in the antique and calligraphy trade, you might have a different perspective after seeing it, because the signature on it was defaced!"

"Alright, let's go take a look!" Holding Feng Yixiao, Linglong headed out. Seeing Effie about to check on Jifeng, Linglong shoved the child straight into Effie's arms and pinched Feng Yixiao's little cheek. "Be good now, stay with Auntie Effie. Mommy has important business to attend to!"

Effie looked at Feng Yixiao; Feng Yixiao looked at Effie. Before the child could screw up her face for a wailing tantrum, Effie hoisted her like a stray chick and dumped her straight into Jifeng's lap. The brewing storm of tears vanished from the corners of Feng Yixiao's mouth instantly.

Effie couldn't help rolling her eyes!

***

As for Linglong and Qin Daofei, upon arriving at the study, Qin Daofei walked over to the large flower pot where he had placed the painting and began searching for it.

It wasn't there.

"Jingchen, who has been in my study?" Qin Daofei called out.

A chilling voice replied, "Matron Xiahe came to clean, and Tan Xiyin came to wait for the Manor Lord."

"Who touched the books and paintings here?" Qin Daofei continued.

"Both of them did. Matron Xiahe for cleaning, and Tan Xiyin just to pass the time. Neither of them had the opportunity to take the scroll away," Jingchen answered.

"Yet the scroll is gone," Qin Daofei said darkly.

Looking at him in disbelief, Linglong asked, "You're saying the scroll you brought back has vanished without a trace?"

"It is this subordinate's incompetence. I shall go find those two women at once!" Jingchen moved to leave.

Stopping him, Qin Daofei said, "It's useless. Neither of them took the painting out with them, which means it wasn't removed from the premises. To pull off a move right under your nose without being detected—this person is no simple adversary. Let's not alert the enemy; we'll figure out a way to deal with them slowly."

"There's definitely something strange about this. Who on earth is the person in your painting?" Linglong asked.

Qin Daofei said coldly, "Hu Meiniang!"

*Oh...*

Could it be normal that every single piece of evidence pointed straight to Hu Hanzhi?

That was the immediate thought that flashed through Linglong's mind. But knowing how immense Qin Daofei's recent pressure had been, she swallowed the words to avoid angering him further.

She kept quiet, but Qin Daofei voiced the thought himself. "All the evidence points to Hu Hanzhi. It's almost suspiciously coincidental!"

"Indeed. And the most critical part is that Hu Hanzhi has vanished mysteriously. Without his whereabouts, we can't find out the truth!" Linglong said with a troubled frown.

Qin Daofei's lips parted. He desperately wanted to ask Linglong a question: Was Hu Hanzhi setting traps precisely to help Linglong exact her revenge in the future? But if he voiced such a suspicion, he had no idea how fiercely Linglong might retaliate, and he dared not risk it.

Noticing his hesitation, Linglong asked, "Is there something you want to say?"

"I was just thinking: the moment I began suspecting Hu Hanzhi, evidence conveniently pointed his way. Could it be that his father truly exists, but because he wishes to remain hidden in the shadows, he keeps sabotaging us?" Though Qin Daofei spoke in a seemingly casual tone, his gaze remained probing as he studied her.

Linglong could hardly miss such scrutiny. A dark shadow crossed her heart before she replied coolly, "He's looking for his father—that much is certain. As for who is sabotaging us behind the scenes, there's no way to know!"

"Then I shall continue investigating along that line!" When Qin Daofei finished, Linglong offered no response. She merely cast a cold glance around the study and walked out.

Gritting his teeth, Qin Daofei felt a sharp pang of regret. Yet if he rushed after her to explain now, Linglong would only grow angrier.

The two parted on a sour note.

Upon returning to Linglong Pavilion, Linglong shut herself inside her room and refused to see anyone.

Assuming she was simply worrying over Hu Hanzhi, Effie chose not to disturb her.

However, that very night, another bloody massacre occurred in the capital.

This time, the victims were students and instructors at the capital's Qingshan Academy. Because the academy was heavily populated, Little Yu'er didn't manage to kill everyone, but this time, he was seen with absolute clarity. The murderer was undeniably Little Yu'er himself.

When Qin Daofei and his team rushed to the academy, it was already cordoned off by the authorities. The victims were covered in white linen shrouds, laid out to fill an entire courtyard.

"Lord Qin, this is already the second time! The dead are pillars of the state and the future hope of Hanshi. How am I supposed to answer for this?" As soon as Jiong Zimo caught sight of Qin Daofei, he hurried over to air his grievances.

Qin Daofei asked flatly, "What is the situation right now?"

"A student was hiding in the dark and witnessed the entire sequence of events. Come, come tell Lord Qin everything you saw." Jiong Zimo shoved a young student forward.

The student bowed to Qin Daofei and said, "That youth came to kill Instructor Cheng Chun. The moment he entered, he loudly demanded to know where Instructor Cheng Chun was. At the time, my companion and I were on night patrol. Seeing the youth shouting in the middle of the night, my companion went to stop him, but without a second word, the youth drew a dagger and killed him. Terrified, I hid behind the rockery until he walked away before coming out to call for help."

"Who is Instructor Cheng Chun?" Qin Daofei asked Jiong Zimo.

Jiong Zimo replied, "He's an instructor at Qingshan Academy, most skilled in painting and calligraphy. He usually keeps to himself, never frequents pleasure quarters, and has always been an upright figure."

"An upright figure who never frequents pleasure districts is murdered by that youth. If he truly lived a life detached from worldly disputes, why would the youth want him dead?" Qin Daofei's interrogation left Jiong Zimo stammering, unable to utter a single coherent reply.

Leisurely stepping past Jiong Zimo, Qin Daofei asked the student, "Can you draw a likeness of that youth for me?"

"Yes, I can!" Complying with Qin Daofei's request, the student retrieved brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone, sketching the appearance of the Little Yu'er he had seen and showing it to Qin Daofei.

Qin Daofei vividly remembered that when Little Yu'er was cast down from the Tongtian Pavilion by the Fifth Elder, he had been wearing the exact robes depicted in the student's sketch. He couldn't help wondering: since Little Yu'er had clearly died right before their eyes, why was he reappearing across the capital in this manner?

And that instructor—unless he possessed something Little Yu'er coveted, the boy shouldn't have targeted him for murder.

"Let's go check Instructor Cheng Chun's quarters!" With that, Qin Daofei led the way.

Arriving at the quarters, Qin Daofei caught a faint whiff of rotting flesh—though very subtle, it was undeniably present.

"Why would there be the smell of decaying meat in an instructor's room?" Qin Daofei asked.

The student stepped forward quickly. "Lord Qin may not know this, but when the young boy entered, the smell of rotting flesh coming off him was even stronger!"

*Heh!*

Qin Daofei smiled faintly.

"You're saying that person was a dead man?" Hearing Jiong Zimo's earlier complaint, the people in the academy began to panic.

As the students and instructors grew increasingly agitated, Qin Daofei commanded, "All of you, calm down! How could there be so many ghosts and ghouls in this world? He likely had some ulterior motive and deliberately smeared himself with the stench of rotting flesh to throw us off. You are the future pillars of the nation—do not make a mountain out of a molehill!"

Given Qin Daofei's peerless reputation throughout the capital, his words forced everyone to regain a measure of composure, though they still cast fearful glances his way.

Knowing he had blundered, Jiong Zimo was too terrified to utter another sound.

"Lord Jiong, issue an order to lock down the city and hunt him down!" Qin Daofei said before turning to leave.

Deeming himself thoroughly cursed by bad luck, Jiong Zimo had no choice but to drag his subordinates toward the city proper.

Once peace was restored to the academy, a figure clad in black dropped down from the wall and swiftly slipped into Instructor Cheng Chun's room. The intruder searched meticulously for a long while without finding anything. Disappointed, he prepared to leap out the window, but accidentally brushed against the wooden frame—causing a hair stick to tumble down. A woman's hair stick.

Pocketing the item, the figure vanished into the moonlight.

***

Xiaoyao Manor.

Sitting in his study with a brush dipped in cinnabar, Qin Daofei was outlining a sketch when a dark shadow flickered across the room. Pausing his brush, he asked calmly, "Did you find anything?"

"Reporting to the Manor Lord, I found this hairpin on the window frame of Instructor Cheng Chun's room!" It was Wuying. He handed the hairpin to Qin Daofei, who took one look and chuckled.

"Tell me, how can there be such coincidences in this world?" Qin Daofei slid the sketch on his desk toward Wuying.

Wuying saw that Qin Daofei had meticulously recreated the painting that had mysteriously vanished the previous day. And nestled in the hair of the woman in the painting was unmistakably the golden hairpin Wuying had just retrieved from Instructor Cheng Chun's quarters.

"It seems this instructor is no simple man," Qin Daofei said coldly, before adding with chilling detachment, "With methods like these, Hu Hanzhi's mother must have been far more dazzling than the top courtesans in the capital back in the day!"

Anyone could hear the heavy mockery in Qin Daofei's tone.

The next day, Qin Daofei took Tang Li and Wuying back to Qingshan Academy. Heading straight for Instructor Cheng Chun's room, they poked and tapped around for quite some time until they finally uncovered a hidden secret.

Inside Cheng Chun's room lay a concealed secret chamber. Though not large, it was densely packed with books, save for a small sleeping couch tucked away behind a row of bookshelves.

Catching sight of the couch, Tang Li peeked over, then shrank back as if startled, pointing at the cot. "Manor Lord, someone's there!"

Looking over, Qin Daofei and the others saw a young maiden lying on the cot, trembling fearfully beneath her blanket. She stared at them silently with wide, wide eyes, not making a single sound.

Even a supreme expert like Qin Daofei had failed to detect her presence.