Coroner's Diary

"Miss, shall we follow and take a look?" Baiying asked quietly. Without hesitation, Qin Guan nodded.

Night had already enveloped the entire Qinghui Garden. The starless, moonless sky was as dark as ink. It had been overcast during the day, and by evening, the cold wind cut like knives. Qin Guan tightened the collar of her cape and quickened her pace toward Hui Garden. Qing Niang had gone ahead of them and was now out of sight. Qin Guan sped up, turning two more corners before faintly catching sight of Qing Niang's silhouette in the distance.

"Shh, keep quiet—"

Qin Guan whispered the warning, feeling a twinge of tension as they stealthily trailed Qing Niang.

With both Wang Huaiyu and Yan Chi having left Qinghui Garden, there were now fewer constables patrolling the grounds. The master of Hui Garden had already departed, leaving even the entrance unguarded. The garden lay silent in the darkness, its once-brilliant wind lanterns along the main paths unlit these past two nights. The howling night wind carried an inexplicable eeriness.

"Miss, is Qing Niang suspicious?"

Fuling's soft question made Qin Guan nod, though she couldn't explain all her suspicions at the moment.

Qin Guan hadn't initially doubted Qing Niang. But after seeing the opera and acrobatic puppets in Pang Jiayan's box that day, a faint sense of vigilance—not quite suspicion—had stirred within her. The puppets were exquisitely crafted, with every detail from facial expressions to the buttons and embroidery on their opera costumes meticulously rendered. This indicated the maker had invested considerable effort. Qing Niang was merely a servant; even when the Double Purity Troupe visited Qinghui Garden, she wouldn't have had reason to inquire about their costumes. So how did she know them so well?

This question had rippled through Qin Guan's mind, but with another death in Qinghui Garden, she had temporarily set it aside. Even when Yan Chi mentioned the old case, she hadn't connected Qing Niang to the Double Purity Troupe. Then, after Pang Yiwen's accident, she noticed Qing Niang's skirt had been singed. Qing Niang had gone upstairs later—her skirt should have been untouched. How could it have been burned?

There was only one explanation: Qing Niang had been inside the building before the fire was extinguished.

Many doubts remained unresolved in Qin Guan's mind when she suddenly discovered that Pang Jiayun could hum opera tunes.

Though Pang Jiayun was simple-minded, she could learn things through repetition. Only by hearing something many times could she mimic it, even capturing the singer's tone and melancholy. Who would have taught Pang Jiayun these tunes?

In all of Qinghui Garden, Pang Jiayun only listened to Chang Shi and Qing Niang.

Chang Shi came from a wealthy family and would never have learned opera—leaving only Qing Niang.

Once this suspicion took root, Qin Guan wanted to investigate the Double Purity Troupe. Coincidentally, Qinglan happened to be practicing Elegy of Xiang River that very day—and she had also spotted that folding fan.

The Double Purity Troupe had never performed Elegy of Xiang River at the Pang residence. So where had Qing Niang seen that fan?The answer seemed to be on the verge of revelation. When Qin Guan asked what Qingxi was skilled in, Qinglan indeed mentioned that Qingxi excelled in lightness skills and body techniques. Naturally, her disciple would have inherited these abilities. After the incident that befell Qingxi’s family, her disciple had mysteriously vanished. Strangely, no one knew where the disciple was when Qingxi met her tragic fate...

Qingxi could use her agility to outmaneuver a seven-foot-tall man, so her disciple could certainly handle a slender middle-aged man. Qin Guan had always found the marks on Liu Renli’s body peculiar—why had the killer bound him with ropes without leaving any external injuries? Now it all made sense: the killer only needed a rope to subdue Liu Renli.

The narrow, winding paths within the rockery were treacherous. Compared to Liu Renli, Qing Niang, who often took Pang Jiayan to play in the caves, was intimately familiar with them. With this advantage and years of honed skills, subduing Liu Renli wouldn’t have been difficult.

Qing Yun, Liu Renli, Pang Yiwen...

Exquisite body techniques could be used against Liu Renli, while Qingxi’s lightness skills could be employed to deal with Pang Yiwen.

Everyone saw Pang Jiayun set the fire on the first floor, assuming Pang Yiwen was alone on the third floor. But no one knew there was another person up there—someone who descended unnoticed using lightness skills while everyone was distracted by Pang Yiwen’s corpse and the flames.

Everything now fell into place, except for the mystery of Qing Li’s death.

Qin Guan had intended to discuss this with Yan Chi during the day and investigate Qing Li’s death further, but time had slipped away.

For now, the priority was to see what Qing Niang was up to.

“Miss, she’s gone inside—”

The gates of Hui Garden stood wide open, the entire courtyard shrouded in darkness. Given the garden’s considerable size, Qin Guan couldn’t guess Qing Niang’s purpose but quietly followed nonetheless.

Qing Niang hurried along the covered corridor on the left, heading straight for the small red building behind the main house. Qin Guan had visited Hui Garden before and been to Chang Shi’s quarters but never to the small red building—Pang Jiayan’s residence. What could Qing Niang possibly be doing there at this hour?

Before she could ponder further, Qing Niang had already reached the small red building.

She pushed the door open, stepped inside, and closed it behind her, vanishing from sight.

Qin Guan paused, glanced around, and retreated behind a corner flower wall. “Let’s wait here.”

If Qing Niang had entered to fetch something of Pang Jiayan’s, barging in and being spotted would only complicate matters. Suppressing her curiosity and suspicion, Qin Guan stood with Baiying behind the flower wall, waiting.

Through the latticework of the wall, Qin Guan had a clear view of the small red building’s entrance. No matter what Qing Niang was doing inside, they would see her when she emerged.

After standing there for the time it took to drink a cup of tea, there was still no sign of Qing Niang. Qin Guan frowned. “Why hasn’t she come out yet?”

“Miss, there’s no light inside the building either.”

Qin Guan’s frown deepened. If Qing Niang had gone in to grab something, she should have been out by now. If she was searching for something, she would have lit a lamp by this point. Yet, after all this time, the small red building remained dark, and Qing Niang was nowhere to be seen—"Miss, could something have happened?"

Fuling suddenly whispered, her voice low. Qin Guan felt a twinge of nervousness upon hearing this. There were only two possibilities in such a situation: first, Qing Niang had encountered trouble, or second, she was engaged in some unspeakable activity inside the building.

Qin Guan sighed. "Let's wait a little longer—"

She didn’t want Qing Niang to know she was being followed, so she wouldn’t recklessly approach. Yet, as time passed, another cup of tea’s worth of moments slipped by, and still, Qing Niang remained out of sight.

Qin Guan’s expression darkened as she turned to Baiying. "Baiying, you go first."

Baiying possessed exceptional martial skills, making her the best choice to lead—she would be the first to detect any movement inside the small red building.

Baiying acknowledged with a nod and immediately took the lead.

The small red building was a two-story structure, its name likely derived from the vermilion paint adorning its exterior. Naturally, it wasn’t as grand as the building where Pang Yiwen had met his misfortune, but considering it was meant for a child like Pang Jiayan, it was still undeniably luxurious. The door on the first floor was left ajar, and by the time the three of them reached the entrance, Baiying’s face was grave.

Crouching outside the door, Baiying listened intently for a moment before shaking her head. "Miss, I don’t hear anything."

No sound at all? Qin Guan frowned, an uneasy premonition stirring within her.

This was the first time she had ever tailed someone she knew. If not absolutely necessary, she would have preferred to simply observe Qing Niang’s actions discreetly. But now—could Qing Niang truly have encountered danger inside this building?

"Is there really no one inside?" Qin Guan asked again, uncertain.

Baiying tilted her head, listening once more, then shook her head firmly. "No sound at all. It’s possible that..."

It was possible someone was inside but unable to make a sound.

Qin Guan’s gaze darkened. "Let’s go in and take a look. Quietly."

Qing Niang had come alone, and they hadn’t seen anyone else enter. There was no reason for her to have met with an accident. Yet, the complete absence of any noise was undeniably strange. Resigned to the possibility of being discovered by Qing Niang, Qin Guan stepped inside—only to find the interior eerily silent. Baiying, ever cautious, whispered, "Miss, should I light a fire striker?"

Qin Guan shook her head. The garden was already deserted, and if they lit a fire striker now, it would only announce their presence inside the building. The thought made her inwardly sigh—if they were caught in such a situation, it would be difficult to explain.

As she pondered this, Qin Guan’s eyes adjusted to the dim light, allowing her to roughly discern the layout of the room. The first floor consisted of three chambers: a main hall, a study, and a Warm Chamber, all interconnected with partitions of curio shelves and gauze curtains. Not a single figure was in sight. Qin Guan’s gaze shifted toward the staircase leading to the second floor. Could Qing Niang be upstairs?

At her glance, Baiying moved ahead. Her steps were light and soundless, leaving only the faint rustling of Qin Guan and Fuling behind her. The three ascended the stairs, and Baiying paused at the landing, listening before turning back to Qin Guan with a shake of her head. "Miss, no one—"

Qin Guan frowned. Baiying stepped fully onto the second floor, and Qin Guan followed. The windows on both sides were open, allowing the cold wind to rush in unchecked. The curtains inside fluttered faintly in the draft, but the room was indeed empty.Qin Guan was immediately puzzled. She went up to the second floor, which turned out to be a very large bedroom. Apart from the bed, there was a qin table, a desk, and elegantly arranged ornaments and screens. A woolen carpet was spread on the floor by the window, scattered with many small trinkets. Pang Jiayan's box was also placed on a tall cabinet nearby. At a glance, Qin Guan suddenly noticed an object on the low cabinet beneath the south window.

It was a waist-high cabinet, and currently, a cylindrical object was placed on top of it. For some reason, perhaps because the window was open, Qin Guan felt as if the object had just been placed there.

Curious, Qin Guan walked toward the object. The closer she got, the clearer the cylindrical object appeared—wasn't it the "Thousand-mile Eye" she had discovered in Pang Jiayan's box that day? Except this one was slightly larger than the one she had seen before.

Qin Guan frowned. Had this been placed here earlier, or had it just been put here now?

She approached the low cabinet and picked up the Thousand-mile Eye. She had seen this object once or twice in treasure shops outside—it was a rare and amusing item, but also very expensive, mostly a plaything for the wealthy. Given its name, it naturally allowed one to see distant objects clearly. A thought struck Qin Guan, and she instinctively raised it to her eye. The moment she did, her vision changed dramatically. The small red building was at least thirty meters away from the main house, yet with the Thousand-mile Eye, she could even make out the carved patterns on the main house's window frames.

If it could achieve this in pitch darkness, wouldn’t it allow her to see inside the main house clearly during the day?

At this thought, Qin Guan suddenly frowned. The Thousand-mile Eye she had seen that day was very small, merely a toy for Pang Jiayan. But the one she held now was large—a genuine treasure capable of seeing faraway objects clearly. Why would Pang Jiayan have this in his room? Or had Qing Niang brought it just now?

The Thousand-mile Eye in Qin Guan's hand was as thick as an arm. Something this large couldn’t have been carried on Qing Niang’s person. The only explanation was that it had always been inside this small red building...

A strange feeling rose in Qin Guan’s heart. Had Pang Jiayan used this Thousand-mile Eye to observe everything happening in the main house?

If so, wouldn’t he have witnessed Pang Fuliang abusing Chang Shi?

Qin Guan thought of Pang Jiayan’s extraordinary memory and the unusual quietness that set him apart from other children. Suddenly, an inexplicable chill ran down her spine...

Qing Niang had taken care of Pang Jiayan since he was a child. There was no way she wouldn’t know what he was doing. So where had this large Thousand-mile Eye come from? It couldn’t possibly be Qing Niang’s, left in Pang Jiayan’s bedroom.

And most importantly—where was Qing Niang? The Qing Niang who had entered the small red building?

"Miss, what’s wrong?"

The Thousand-mile Eye was still pressed to Qin Guan’s eye when Fuling softly asked. For some reason, the unease in Qin Guan’s heart grew stronger. What had Qing Niang come back to the small red building for in the first place?Between the small red building and the main house in front stood a waist-high floral wall. If one were on the first floor, their view would be mostly blocked by this wall, but from the second floor, the line of sight was exceptionally open. Moreover, with the aid of the Thousand-mile Eye, one could see even farther and clearer. Qin Guan took a quick glance and recalled the layout of the main house she had seen during her previous visit to Chang Shi’s quarters. She adjusted the Thousand-mile Eye slightly and was startled to discover that not only could she see Chang Shi’s sleeping quarters from here, but also Pang Fuliang’s study...

With this thought, Qin Guan fixed her gaze on the house to the southwest. After a brief search, she located the window frame—this was Pang Fuliang’s study. Though her visit that day had been brief, she had remembered the general layout of the main house. Under normal circumstances, standing here would only allow one to see the main house but not what was happening inside. But with the Thousand-mile Eye...

Before her thoughts could settle, Qin Guan suddenly frowned. Through the cylindrical lens of the Thousand-mile Eye, a figure appeared behind the study window. Her brow furrowed—was that Qing Niang?!