Coroner's Diary

"Huarong Trail?" Qin Guan felt a hint of familiarity upon hearing these words. "Is this about the story of Cao Xing from the Wei Dynasty?"

At Qin Guan's question, Qin Shuang blinked in confusion, but Pang Jiayan nodded. "You know of it?"

Qin Guan smiled slightly. "Over three hundred years ago, during the Wei Dynasty's tripartite division of power, Cao Xing was the ruler of Wei. He encountered a battle against the other two regimes at Wild Goose River, then retreated in defeat. Legend says the path he fled along was called Huarong Trail. Many operas were later inspired by this tale."

Qin Shuang glanced at the game board in her hands. "So that's it. I need to help this person escape?" She pointed to a piece in the upper left corner of the board as she asked.

Pang Jiayan nodded. "Come, let me teach you..." Normally having no one to play with, he now seemed quite enthusiastic. As he eagerly began instructing Qin Shuang on how to play the Huarong Trail game, Qin Guan's gaze drifted to Pang Jiayan's box.

Unable to resist, Qin Guan looked at the acrobatic puppets inside. "Did Qing Niang make these herself? They're truly exquisite."

Qing Niang smiled modestly. "This servant only knows some needlework."

Qin Guan took two steps toward the window. "How is Madam doing now?"

Hearing this, Qing Niang quickly replied, "Madam has improved greatly. She wished to properly thank Ninth Miss, but circumstances made it inconvenient. Madam feels deeply apologetic. Young Master is also very grateful, though these little trinkets must seem laughable to you."

Qin Guan shook her head and looked over, sighing as she saw Pang Jiayan directing Qin Shuang like a little adult. "For Third Young Master to be so mature at such a young age shows Madam's excellent upbringing. These little toys are quite charming too."

As she spoke, Qin Guan walked to Pang Jiayan's box and picked up a small puppet. "Then I'll take this one!"

The puppet in Qin Guan's hand held a spear. Though it represented an acrobatic troupe's martial performer, the sight of that spear made Qin Guan recall the night she first met Yan Chi...

"Thank you, Ninth Miss. Your kindness is appreciated."

Since Pang Jiayan had come to express gratitude, refusing his gifts might have left him unsettled. By accepting something, Qin Guan allowed him to feel at ease.

Hearing Qin Guan had taken a puppet, Pang Jiayan quickly glanced over. Only when he saw she'd chosen the martial performer puppet did he seem to relax and continue teaching Qin Shuang. This small gesture didn't escape the others, drawing an amused smile from Baiying.

After teaching for a while, Pang Jiayan frowned. "How can you be so slow..."

Qin Shuang's brows shot up as she looked pleadingly at Qin Guan. "I truly don't know how to proceed. I keep going in circles."

Qin Guan raised an eyebrow and stepped forward to examine the uniquely shaped "game board." With pieces of varying sizes, it wasn't something one could solve through random moves. After studying it briefly, she suddenly pointed to a particular piece.

"Move this one up here—"

Though not exceptionally bright, Qin Shuang wasn't slow either. At Qin Guan's suggestion, her eyes immediately lit up with understanding. She focused intently on the board, and before long, she'd successfully helped "Cao Xing" escape.

Qin Shuang cheered. "See?! Did I make it out?"

Pang Jiayan gave a light humph. "Only with someone else's help... Fine, you can pick one then..."

Qin Shuang had only been playing for fun. "Who wants your things? I was just teasing you."Pang Jiayan frowned, his dissatisfaction growing. He glared at Qin Shuang, took the Huarong Trail chessboard, walked over to the box, and placed a jade thumb ring on the table. "Here you go."

Without lingering further, he closed the box, picked it up, and left.

Qing Niang gave Qin Guan and the others an apologetic smile, curtsied, and immediately hurried after him.

Qin Shuang picked up the thumb ring with a smile, then exclaimed in surprise, "Huh, the quality is quite good! This..."

She felt somewhat awkward—didn’t this make it seem like she was really coveting Pang Jiayan’s belongings?

Though the quality was excellent, it was still a child’s jade thumb ring. Qin Guan said, "Since he gave it to you, just keep it. Treat it as a little trinket..."

Qin Shuang thought it over and agreed. "This third young master is rather interesting."

With this delay, Qin Shuang no longer insisted on going out and stayed in Qin Guan’s room to watch her prepare medicine.

By evening, Yan Chi and Yan Li arrived at Qinghui Garden with Wang Huaiyu.

"Your Highness, there are still no leads," Wang Huaiyu said with a furrowed brow in the Moon Viewing Pavilion. "From the time Qing Yun left the Moon Viewing Pavilion, there was an hour and a half where everyone was occupied with their own tasks."

"What about the pot of tea?" Yan Chi suddenly asked. "Was the person who delivered it questioned?"

"The tea was delivered by a servant under Steward Pang’s supervision. When Qing Yun left, Steward Pang personally escorted her. At the door, Qing Yun asked for tea, so Steward Pang had one of his attendants deliver it. The attendant was questioned—he brought the tea to the room and left immediately. That was about half an hour after Qing Yun left the Moon Viewing Pavilion."

Qinghui Garden was vast, but the household servants were few. Moreover, the garden’s layout was open and interconnected, making it impossible to trace the killer’s movements. Yan Chi narrowed his eyes. "Has the entire garden been searched?"

Wang Huaiyu nodded. "The area around Qing Yun’s courtyard has been searched."

Yan Chi shook his head. "Not just around the courtyard. We need to search further out as well."

Wang Huaiyu’s eyes flickered, and he promptly nodded. He then turned to Pang Fuliang, who was waiting nearby. "Since we haven’t found anything conclusive, we may need to conduct a thorough search of the garden."

Being subjected to a search was hardly pleasant, but there was no other option.

Pang Fuliang quickly assented. "Prefect Wang, please proceed as you see fit."

Wang Huaiyu was somewhat satisfied and immediately summoned the constable to issue orders.

Seeing this, Yan Chi walked outside, with Yan Li following closely. "Seventh Brother, are you coming along?"

Yan Chi nodded. "Just taking a casual stroll—"

By now, dusk had fallen, enveloping Qinghui Garden in a dim glow. As darkness threatened to descend, the constables quickened their pace. Yan Chi stepped outside, glanced around, and headed north behind the Moon Viewing Pavilion.

Yan Li followed Yan Chi, and after giving his instructions, Wang Huaiyu also caught up. "Your Highness, this area is quite remote. Steward Pang said no one lives back here."

Yan Chi frowned. "Let’s still search it. It doesn’t need to be exhaustive, but we should check for anything suspicious."

Wang Huaiyu nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, Your Highness makes a good point."

Yan Chi took a few more steps forward and then stopped. Wang Huaiyu sent a few constables ahead to investigate while Yan Chi remained in place. "Prefect Wang, I heard the deceased Qing Yun had no family left."

Wang Huaiyu nodded. "That’s correct. She originally lived in Dingzhou, and I’ve already sent someone there."Yan Chi remained expressionless. "But I seem to recall she had an elder sister."

Wang Huaiyu was momentarily taken aback before his eyes lit up with realization. "Ah... indeed she did, though she's already married. I can verify this later by asking the Double Purity Troupe."

Speaking of the Double Purity Troupe, Wang Huaiyu sighed again. "Qing Xian and Yang Ying deliberately framed Qinglan, yet they deny any involvement in Qing Li's death. Qing Li's demise will likely be ruled as accidental."

Yan Chi's gaze darkened slightly. "If it can't be conclusively determined as murder, then it can only be an accident."

As they spoke, a guard suddenly rushed over from behind. "Your Highnesses, my lord, we've discovered a strange courtyard at the back..."

"Hmm?" Wang Huaiyu immediately perked up. "Where?"

"Just behind here. Please follow me—"

Wang Huaiyu glanced at Yan Chi, while Yan Li also turned his attention. "A strange courtyard? Lead the way!"

At Yan Li's command, the attendant naturally didn't dare delay and quickly led the way. Yan Chi followed silently, with Wang Huaiyu trailing behind. Soon, they arrived before a locked courtyard gate.

The spot where the three now stood was quite secluded, and the small courtyard before them appeared desolate and dilapidated. Wang Huaiyu frowned as he stood before the gate. "What's strange about this courtyard? The doors are locked..."

"My lord, though the gate is locked, there's someone inside."

Wang Huaiyu raised an eyebrow. "Someone?!"

"Yes, my lord. Just now, when we searched here, there were sounds from within."

The yamen runner spoke earnestly, and Wang Huaiyu, trusting his word, pressed his ear against the gate to listen.

Yet after holding his breath for a long while, he heard nothing.

In the meantime, night had fully fallen. Just as Wang Huaiyu was about to turn and question the runner, a child's voice suddenly rang out—

"Little child, hide and seek, giggling behind the gate..."

The voice was youthful and ethereal, piercing the quiet desolation of the place so abruptly that even Wang Huaiyu felt a chill run down his spine.

He stumbled back a step, staring incredulously at the courtyard gate.

For he had heard clearly—the eerie voice had come from behind the gate.

Yan Li, standing beside Yan Chi, also started slightly. "Who's in there?"

"Little child, hide and seek, giggling behind the gate..."

Perhaps hearing their voices, the person inside spoke again, repeating the same words but now laced with a spine-chilling, delirious laughter...

Wang Huaiyu couldn't help retreating another step. Gritting his teeth, he ordered, "Someone, fetch Master Pang and open this gate!"

At his command, the yamen runner hurried off. Wang Huaiyu glanced at Yan Chi, then at Yan Li, still feeling a lingering chill. "Your Highness, this—"

"Little child, hide and seek, giggling behind the gate..."

Before Wang Huaiyu could finish, the voice called out again. He felt goosebumps rise on his arms—even the corpse examination with Qin Guan that night hadn't unsettled him this much.

Whoever was behind the gate had clearly heard them but showed no reaction, repeating the same eerie nursery rhyme over and over. Either they were doing it deliberately, or their mind was unhinged—Looking at the desolate and deserted courtyard, Wang Huaiyu frowned as he recalled some of the rumors he had heard in the past.

While Wang Huaiyu was still deep in thought, Pang Fuliang and Pang Youde approached from the path behind them. Seeing Yan Chi and the others standing at the courtyard gate, Pang Fuliang naturally understood what had happened. Panting, he hurried over, "Your Highnesses, Prefect..."

Wang Huaiyu pointed at the courtyard gate, "Master Pang, who lives here?"

At this question, Pang Fuliang's expression immediately became uneasy. After hesitating for a moment, he finally replied, "Sir, inside this courtyard is my eldest daughter, Jiayun."

Wang Huaiyu's expression turned slightly awkward. Pang Fuliang had no biological daughters but had a stepdaughter, a fact well-known to most of the common folk in Yuzhou. As the local official, Wang Huaiyu was aware of this, though he had never met Pang Fuliang's stepdaughter and had never pried into others' family matters. He hadn't expected to encounter such a situation now.

"Little child, hide and seek, giggling behind the big door..."

As soon as Pang Fuliang finished speaking, the sound of a young girl singing a nursery rhyme came from behind the door.

Pang Fuliang's face turned pale and then flushed. Yan Chi raised an eyebrow, "If she is a young lady of the Pang household, why does she live in such a secluded place? And why is her courtyard locked?"

A thin layer of sweat formed on Pang Fuliang's forehead. "I dare not hide the truth from Your Highness. My eldest daughter developed a mental illness four or five years ago for reasons unknown. Since then, she has been erratic and unstable. I called in physicians, but none could cure her. Eventually, I had no choice but to move her to this back courtyard. Later, she would scream incessantly at the slightest disturbance, so we had to lock the gate to prevent the servants from disturbing her..."

Pang Fuliang forced a bitter smile. "Family shame should not be aired in public. I apologize for the embarrassment before Your Highnesses and the Prefect."

Yan Chi glanced at the courtyard gate. "Open it—"

Hearing this, Pang Fuliang quickly turned to Pang Youde, who immediately stepped forward with a key. With a "click," the lock on the gate was undone. As soon as the lock fell, the sound of rustling footsteps came from behind the gate. Pang Youde pushed the door open, and Yan Chi caught only a glimpse of a slender figure darting quickly into the house.

Pang Fuliang explained, "Your Highness sees, doesn't he? Jiayun is afraid of people. When there are too many, she first hides, and if she can't hide, she starts screaming."

Yan Li frowned. "What was she saying earlier?"

Pang Fuliang replied, "Your Highness means the nursery rhyme? That was a song Jiayun and Jiayan used to sing when they played together as children. Jiayan was only two or three years old at the time..."

The courtyard was pitch black, enough to frighten even an adult, let alone a young girl. Moreover, Yan Li had clearly seen that Pang Jiayun appeared to be fourteen or fifteen years old, yet her voice while singing the nursery rhyme sounded childishly tender, as if frozen at the age of seven or eight. The thought sent a shiver of eerie unease down Yan Li's spine.

The courtyard was so dark one couldn't see their own hand, and the inside of the house was no better. Yan Li couldn't fathom how a young girl could live here alone.

"There isn't even a single lamp here. How could you bear to let her live in such conditions?"

Pang Fuliang smiled bitterly. "It's not that I am heartless, but Jiayun prefers to hide in the dark. And during the day, she absolutely refuses to come out..."Yan Li's frown deepened. How could such a condition exist in this world?

Pang Fuliang lowered his gaze again, speaking bitterly, "These are merely my family affairs. I apologize for troubling Your Highness with them."

Indeed, these were the Pang family's private matters. Yan Chi frowned. "Since it's Master Pang's family affair, we won't interfere further."

With that, he turned to Wang Huaiyu. "Let's check elsewhere..."

Wang Huaiyu acknowledged and followed as Yan Chi turned to leave. Seeing this, Yan Li also trailed behind. Pang Fuliang stood still for a moment, glancing at the pitch-black courtyard before instructing Pang Youde, "Lock the gate."

......

"Seventh Brother, don't you find this strange?" Yan Li quickened his pace to catch up with Yan Chi. Noticing Wang Huaiyu leading the constables toward the next courtyard, he immediately stepped closer and whispered to Yan Chi.

Yan Chi nodded. "Strange."

Yan Li's brows knitted tighter. "Then why not investigate?"

Yan Chi replied impassively, "How?"

Yan Li gave a wry smile. "Call the girl out and see if she's truly mad. Besides, even if she is, how could a perfectly fine young lady go mad? There must be a reason."

Yan Chi sighed. "This is Pang Fuliang's family matter, and that girl has nothing to do with the case. How can we detain her for questioning? Even if we uncover something, her father and mother are both here in the yamen. If her own mother doesn't care for her, how can we intervene?"

Yan Li froze momentarily. "Right... why doesn't her mother care..."

He lowered his head, his expression briefly clouded with dejection, as if lost in thought.

Yan Chi seemed to soften. "Don't rush. There may still be a way." He narrowed his eyes, gazing into the vast darkness of Qinghui Garden. "This garden... grows more and more peculiar."

Yan Li scoffed lightly. "Indeed. A dead body and a mad stepdaughter."

Yan Chi said no more, striding toward the eastern side of Qinghui Garden. Noticing his direction, Yan Li smirked. "Seventh Brother is going to see Ninth Miss?"

Yan Chi walked briskly ahead, responding with a simple "Mm."

"What does Seventh Brother need from her?"

"There's something I'm unsure about. I want to ask her."

Yan Chi spoke quickly, his steps even faster. Yan Li nearly had to jog to keep up.

Suddenly, Yan Chi glanced back at him. "If you find following me inconvenient, you can go enjoy yourself at Heavenly Fragrance Brothel."

Yan Li chuckled. "Heavenly Fragrance Brothel can't compare to sticking with Seventh Brother. You've been stationed in Shuoxi for so long—now that you're back, of course I want to stay by your side..."

Yan Chi felt his ears grow slightly warm and shook his head, saying nothing more.

Since Yan Chi was here to oversee the case, visiting Qin Guan wasn't out of the ordinary. As he hurried to her guest courtyard, he spotted Fuling stepping out. Seeing Yan Chi, she quickly bowed.

"I need to see your mistress."

Yan Chi was direct. Fuling nodded and scurried back inside.

Yan Li remarked with amusement, "That little maid seems a bit afraid of Seventh Brother..."

Yan Chi neither confirmed nor denied it. Soon, Qin Guan emerged.

She seemed surprised by Yan Chi's visit at this hour, rushing out so hastily she hadn't even thrown on her cape.The snow outside the courtyard had yet to melt, and with the evening chill, the biting wind cut through the air. The moment Yan Chi saw her without a cape, his brows furrowed. Fuling hurried out from behind, clutching the cape. "Miss—"

Qin Guan turned around, allowing Fuling to drape the cape over her shoulders. She shook her head lightly. "It's fine."

Only then did she begin fastening the satin ribbons of the cape as she walked toward Yan Chi.

"Greetings to both Your Highnesses—"

Qin Guan's courtesy was impeccable. Yan Li chuckled warmly. "Rise, rise. Ninth Miss, were you startled too? On such a cold day, stepping out without a cape won't do."

Qin Guan curved her lips slightly. "I was in a bit of a hurry. Since both Your Highnesses arrived suddenly, I thought something urgent had happened."

Yan Li glanced at Yan Chi briefly. "Whether it's urgent or not, Ninth Miss will know once you hear it."

With that, he walked away, deliberately giving them space.

Qin Guan didn’t hesitate either. As soon as Yan Li was out of earshot, she asked, "What happened?"

Yan Chi took a step closer, reducing the distance between them. He angled his body slightly, shielding her from the cold wind blowing from the direction of the courtyard entrance. Qin Guan noticed this, her eyes reflecting a warm, clear glow.

"I've uncovered some information about Qing Yun's senior sister."

Qin Guan's eyes brightened. "Oh? Where is she now?"

Yan Chi's expression darkened momentarily. "She's already dead."

"Dead?" Qin Guan frowned. "Was she very old?"

Yan Chi shook his head. "Not at all. She was around the same age as Qing Yun, perhaps two or three years older at most. She died fifteen years ago."

Fifteen years ago—back then, Qing Yun was still the troupe leader of the Double Purity Troupe, at the peak of her fame.

The look in Yan Chi's eyes told Qin Guan that there was more to the story of Qing Yun's senior sister's death.

"Qing Yun's senior sister was named Qingxi. Back then, she and Qing Yun took over the Double Purity Troupe together. Both served as troupe leaders—a tradition passed down through generations of the troupe. But just over a year after taking charge, Qingxi left the troupe. The reason? She got married. All the women and workers in the Double Purity Troupe came from humble backgrounds, and because of their lowly profession, they rarely married into good families. Moreover, from the very first troupe leader onward, none of the Double Purity Troupe leaders ever married."

Qin Guan's eyes widened slightly. "If they never met the right person, not marrying is understandable. But if they did meet someone good, wouldn’t refusing to marry be a disservice to themselves?" She quickly added, "Did Qingxi marry well?"

Yan Chi lifted his chin slightly. "Have you heard of the position of Zhenwu General in the northwest?"

Qin Guan tilted her head in thought. "Zhenwu General... if I recall correctly, that's a fifth-rank military title on the northwest route?"

A faint light flickered in Yan Chi's eyes. "Exactly. The one who sincerely sought Qingxi's hand in marriage back then was a Zhenwu General surnamed Zhang... So by all accounts, Qingxi married exceptionally well."

Qin Guan's eyes sparkled. "Then wasn’t that wonderful?"

Yan Chi shook his head. "It started out well, but later... not so much."

His tone darkened. "In the 224th year of the Great Zhou calendar, a major case that shocked the entire northwest route occurred. I suspect you might have come across it in some archives or perhaps in Shen Yi's writings."

An old, major case? Qin Guan's expression grew solemn, her heart tightening.Yan Chi gazed into her sparkling eyes and said solemnly, "That year, the western Rong invaders launched a massive attack. The Northwest Frontier Army and the Northern Garrison Army, totaling over two hundred thousand troops, were stationed at the northwestern border, preparing to counter the Rong assault. With the imminent battle and the imperial treasury unable to deliver military pay on time, they had to allocate the stored one hundred thousand taels of gold. That gold set out from Lin'an Prefecture, making its way northwest."

"Upon reaching Dingzhou, due to rampant banditry in the west, the main escort officers at the time split into four routes. Two teams without the gold traveled through the most bandit-infested areas as a diversion, while the other two routes—led by two commanders who claimed to be traveling with their families—followed behind. The gold was divided equally between these two groups, with one taking the Liangzhou route and the other the Mengzhou route."

"They believed this strategy would deceive the bandits, but in the end, the fifty thousand taels of gold sent via Mengzhou vanished without a trace. The commander escorting that portion, along with his entire family and dozens of soldiers disguised as servants, were all killed. The massacre occurred at a relay station west of Mengzhou. After the crime, the station was burned to the ground, leaving no evidence behind."

"This case caused a sensation at the time, yet the true culprits were never uncovered." Yan Chi paused briefly before adding, "The commander who died was Qingxi's husband. Qingxi and her two children also perished in that fire."

Qin Guan held her breath, unable to recover for a long while.

She had assumed Qingxi, having left the Double Purity Troupe and married well, must have lived the happiest life. Never had she imagined such a tragic end. And just as Yan Chi said, she was aware of this case.

When the incident occurred, she was only two years old—a babbling toddler with no clear memories, let alone firsthand experience. But around seven or eight years ago, when her father was stationed in Yunzhou north of Yuzhou, he had compiled a list of unsolved cases along the northwestern routes. The Gold Heist Case was among them. Qin Guan remembered seeing her father troubled over it, though she hadn’t paid much attention to the details. She never expected that, years later, she would learn the specifics of the case in this manner.

"The case remains unsolved to this day?"

Yan Chi nodded. "Unsolved. The two diversion teams succeeded in their mission, yet somehow, General Zhang's group was still discovered. Not only was the gold stolen, but everyone was slaughtered."

Qin Guan frowned deeply. "If they had such a strategy, could there have been a traitor among the escorts who leaked information?"

Yan Chi shook his head. "There’s no way to know now. The case was ultimately attributed to the notorious bandits of the northwest. After the hard-won victory against the Rong enemies, the Northwest Frontier Army conducted several bandit suppression campaigns in the west. That region is now peaceful, but this case was never solved. I don’t know the specifics, but investigations were carried out during the suppression."

Mengzhou lay north of Dingzhou, even farther than Yuzhou. Given the distance, Qin Guan didn’t entertain any grand ambitions of solving the case for her father. She could only sigh over the fate of Qingxi’s family and the soldiers before saying, "Since Qingxi is gone, Qing Yun truly has no kin left. For now, we can only wait for news from Dingzhou and inquire with the older members of the Double Purity Troupe."

Yan Chi nodded. "When I learned of this in the afternoon, I was equally shocked. I hadn’t realized the incident was connected to someone from the Double Purity Troupe."

"So that’s why you came?"

Yan Chi gave a quiet "Mm," then added, "Earlier, while searching Qinghui Garden, we found a deranged young girl in a dilapidated courtyard in the northern section. Pang Fuliang claimed she was his stepdaughter."

"A deranged young girl?"

Qin Guan’s heart skipped a beat, instantly recalling the shadowy figure that had taunted them that night.

"What does she look like? How does her voice sound?"Qin Guan asked instinctively, and Yan Chi replied, "I didn't get a clear look at her appearance. As soon as the courtyard gate opened, she ran into the house. But she seemed to only know how to recite one children's nursery rhyme from a game..."

"Hide and seek?" Qin Guan responded swiftly.

Yan Chi was slightly surprised. "How did you know?"

Qin Guan immediately recounted the incident of being teased that night. Yan Chi frowned in confusion, "But today when we saw her, her courtyard gate was locked. How did she get out that night?"

Qin Guan still felt a chill down her spine at the memory and shook her head. "I don't know. It's just... eerie."

Yan Chi nodded. "Indeed eerie. And somehow, I feel like there's some secret hidden in this mansion. Something else might happen. You must be careful here."

Seeing the deep concern in Yan Chi's eyes, Qin Guan quickly assured him, "I know, don't worry. Baiying's injuries are almost healed. She'll accompany me when I go out. Besides, I rarely leave my quarters anyway. There's no need to worry. Just let me know if there's any news."

After a pause, Qin Guan added, "One more thing. Third Brother said he might not wait until this case is fully resolved to leave. As long as it's confirmed that none of us are involved, he'll depart. Given the current progress, who knows when the case will be solved? He doesn't want to return too late."

Yan Chi nodded understandingly. "I see. I'll know once you've decided on the timing."

Noticing they had been standing outside talking for so long, Yan Chi said no more and urged Qin Guan to return to her room. Only after watching her enter the courtyard did he turn to leave.

The night deepened, and Qinghui Garden finally settled into quietude by midnight.

Wang Huaiyu and the others left Qinghui Garden empty-handed once again.

Little did Qin Guan expect that Yan Chi's warning—"something else might happen"—uttered out of concern for her, would come true the very next morning.

At the break of dawn, a piercing scream tore through the air of Qinghui Garden.

Within the time it took to drink two cups of tea, Qin Shuang rushed into Qin Guan's room. "Get up, get up!... Another death... That Liu Yuntong... Liu Yuntong fell into the lotus pond and drowned!"