Coroner's Diary

Ning Buyi opened his eyes to find a man in official yamen uniform sitting by the bedside.

Tong Yu had been dozing off when a light cough startled him awake. Turning his head, he saw Ning Buyi was conscious! His face brightened as he exclaimed, "Master Ning! You're awake?!"

Ning Buyi coughed twice more, carefully observing his surroundings. The place was crude, with communal sleeping platforms, and with Tong Yu present, he realized this must be the yamen duty room.

Ning Buyi nodded slightly but felt his throat painfully dry. The slightest movement sent sharp pain through his chest. Touching his bandaged wound, his expression turned dazed.

Tong Yu hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Master Ning! I'll fetch someone immediately!"

With that, Tong Yu rushed out of the duty room toward the yamen's rear hall. Inside, Zheng Baishi was speaking with Yan Chi, Qin Guan, and others. Tong Yu announced, "My Lord! Your Highness! Master Ning is awake! Your Highness! Master Ning has woken up!"

Their expressions shifted slightly. Yan Chi stood up first and headed toward the duty room. Upon entering, he saw Ning Buyi attempting to sit up. Qin Guan quickly advised, "Please don't move, Master Ning."

Hearing this, Ning Buyi lay back down. Seeing so many people present, he murmured in surprise, "Crown Prince... Your Highness... Lord Zheng... You all... How did I..."

Yan Chi approached the bedside. "Master Ning, did you go to deliver paintings to the Third Young Master of the Wu family yesterday?"

Ning Buyi seemed momentarily disoriented before nodding, his voice hoarse. "That's correct."

Then he looked utterly bewildered. "How did I... This injury..."

Yan Chi said, "First tell us what happened after you delivered the paintings yesterday."

Frowning in concentration, Ning Buyi's eyes suddenly shifted. "Yesterday... I went to see the Third Young Master of the Wu family as agreed. I handed over the painting first... then sat down for tea and conversation... I... barely spoke a few words before feeling dizzy... then lost consciousness... How did I..."

Zhan Yang stepped forward. "Master Ning, you were attacked by the Third Young Master of the Wu family. He is the serial killer plaguing the capital. He lured you there intending to kill you."

Ning Buyi's pupils contracted. "How is that possible?!"

Zhan Yang explained, "You may find it hard to believe, but we caught the Third Young Master of the Wu family red-handed yesterday. He's now in our prison. Your injury was inflicted by him when he tried to cut out your heart."

Ning Buyi's face showed both shock and confusion, as if still processing the information. Zheng Baishi approached and said, "It's understandable you can't comprehend this immediately - none of us expected this outcome. Focus on recovering first. Fortunately, your injuries aren't severe, thanks to Her Highness personally treating you yesterday." After a pause, he added, "But I have one more question for you, Master Ning."

Ning Buyi responded promptly, "Please ask, My Lord—"

Zheng Baishi inquired, "Have you ever had a romantic interest before?"

This heart-removal punishment targeted those unfaithful in love or who betrayed affections. If neither applied, it wouldn't align with the killer's motives.

Upon hearing this, Ning Buyi still looked completely bewildered. "This... I haven't..."

Qin Guan frowned slightly upon hearing this. "What about your uncle's daughter, Master Ning?"Hearing this, Ning Buyi seemed to recall something. "Oh, but that person wasn't actually someone I fancied. I merely failed to live up to her affection..."

Zheng Baishi looked at Qin Guan, who then said, "Once when I went to an art gallery to buy paintings, I happened to see Master Ning and that young lady. She seemed quite hesitant around him, but Master Ning appeared rather indifferent. I asked about it later, and Master Ning said her family disapproved of their relationship, so he had no choice but to cruelly reject her."

A faint glimmer appeared in Zheng Baishi's eyes. "If that's the case, then it fits! I'm just afraid the third young master of the Wu family might misunderstand and think Master Ning was the heartless one."

Qin Guan wasn't surprised by this, as when she and Yue Ning had witnessed the scene, they too had initially thought Ning Buyi had wronged the young lady. Zhan Yang continued, "In that case, this matter is resolved. Fortunately, we arrived in time last night. Any later, and Master Ning might have lost his life."

Ning Buyi still seemed somewhat unable to accept it. "But... the painting delivery was arranged long ago. I have no grudge against the third young master of the Wu family..."

Zhan Yang gave a cold laugh. "Master Ning, you may not know this, but when the third young master of the Wu family kills, he doesn't care whether there's a grudge or not. He only kills those who have committed Evil Karma. Ordinary people can unknowingly become his targets."

Yan Chi added, "Was that residence the third young master's dwelling? Why did he ask you to deliver the painting there?"

Ning Buyi replied, "I don't know who the residence belongs to. He sent someone to summon me there. He bought the painting to decorate the residence. I didn't ask about anything else—"

Ning Buyi pressed his lips together as if wanting to say more, but found himself at a loss for words.

Zheng Baishi then said, "It seems you know nothing about this. Never mind, it's still early. Rest for now. Later, we'll send someone to inform your shop. Master Ning, focus on recovering from your injuries these next couple of days."

Ning Buyi nodded. Zheng Baishi turned to Yan Chi beside him. "Crown Prince, shall we go see Wu Yu?"

Yan Chi nodded in agreement. Zheng Baishi left Tong Yu behind, and the group stepped out.

Yan Chi had rushed to see Ning Buyi primarily to inquire about the previous day's events, but Ning Buyi had fainted shortly after arriving and knew nothing else. Under the circumstances, they had no choice but to go see Wu Yu.

Dawn had yet to break. Having stayed up all night, the men were holding up reasonably well, but Yan Chi was concerned about Qin Guan. As Zheng Baishi and the others walked ahead, Yan Chi lagged behind and looked at Qin Guan. "Can you still manage? Would you like to go back and rest first?"

Qin Guan shook her head. "I still have many doubts about this case. Let's first hear what Wu Yu has to say."

Yan Chi said no more and took Qin Guan with him to the government prison.

In the prison, Wu Yu sat on the ground as if in a daze. The cell was pitch black, with only a dim lamp glowing at the end of the corridor. Wu Yu had never known prison cells were like this. After shouting and yelling for what felt like ages, his voice grew hoarse, and he collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted. He had no idea how much time had passed when footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor.

Wu Yu jerked his head up and soon saw Yan Chi and Zheng Baishi approaching with their entourage.

A spark of hope lit in Wu Yu's eyes. He scrambled to his feet and rushed to the cell door, gripping the wooden bars tightly. "Lord Zheng! Crown Prince! I swear I didn't do this!"Yan Chi did not rush to answer. Only after approaching did he finally size up Wu Yu for a moment.

"You always claim it wasn’t you—then tell me, how did Ning Buyi get injured?"

Wu Yu was on the verge of tears. "I don’t know. I also passed out. When I woke up, everything was like this..."

Zheng Baishi then asked, "Third Young Master, are you skilled in carving seals?"

Wu Yu pressed his lips together, unsure why Zheng Baishi was asking this. He neither nodded nor shook his head, as if weighing his options. Seeing his hesitation, the others grew even more suspicious. After a long pause, Wu Yu finally said, "Yes, I learned seal carving in the past."

Zheng Baishi and Zhan Yang exchanged a glance. Zhan Yang spoke directly, "Then where did you kill Wu Qian back then?"

Wu Yu gritted his teeth. "Fourth Brother and I are siblings! How could I possibly kill him?!"

Zhan Yang frowned. "It seems Third Young Master still isn’t willing to talk?"

Wu Yu clenched the wooden bars fiercely. "What do you want me to say?! I truly wanted to rent that house! I asked Master Ning to deliver the painting just to decorate the place with his work. I hold no grudge against him—why would I want to kill him? As for that altar you mentioned, I know nothing about it..."

He then smiled bitterly. "Lord Zheng, Zhan Butou, we’ve known each other for some time. Are you arresting the wrong person, or are you just using me to close the case because you can’t solve it?"

At these words, both Zhan Yang and Zheng Baishi’s expressions darkened. Zhan Yang stepped forward. "Since Third Young Master refuses to cooperate, it seems we’ll have to take you to the interrogation room."

Going to the interrogation room meant torture was imminent. Wu Yu frowned deeply. "Zhan Butou, it’s not that I’m being disrespectful, but... I’m truly not the culprit. I can’t answer any of the questions you’re asking..."

Zhan Yang replied, "I’ve seen many criminals, and every one of them says the same thing when trying to evade responsibility. Third Young Master can play ignorant all you want, but we caught you red-handed! We already knew the murderer would strike in that area that night. Now, after one night, only you and Master Ning were involved. It’s clear the target was Master Ning. Are you going to claim the murderer was lying in wait in your house to kill him?"

"You went to the government office yesterday morning but disappeared in the afternoon. When did you arrive at the house? Did you set everything up there, just waiting to take Master Ning’s life?"

Wu Yu smiled bitterly. "I did leave work early yesterday. I didn’t bring any servants and just wanted to see the house myself. How could I possibly think about killing someone..."

Wu Yu’s faltering speech clearly indicated he was hiding something. Zheng Baishi made a decisive move and ordered the guards to take Wu Yu out of the cell to the interrogation room. Wu Yu struggled, shouting, "Zhan Butou! Lord Zheng! You’ve got the wrong person! The real killer is still out there free! If you keep this up, it’ll lead to disaster! Zhan Butou! Lord Zheng!"

As two guards escorted Wu Yu to the interrogation room, Qin Guan’s brow furrowed slightly.Zheng Baishi said, "Your Highness, Your Ladyship, it seems Wu Yu won't confess anytime soon. It's extremely late now—perhaps you two should return and rest? For a repeat offender like Wu Yu, even if we resort to torture, he likely won't easily speak the truth. We may need to invest considerable effort in him—"

Dawn was approaching, and Yan Chi had to go to the Ministry of Justice after daybreak. Seeing that Wu Yu remained tight-lipped, he found Zheng Baishi's reasoning sound and nodded. "In that case, I'll escort the Lady back first."

Qin Guan, standing nearby, nodded as well. "Very well. Then I leave Wu Yu in your hands. I shall take my leave."

After bidding farewell to Zheng Baishi and Zhan Yang, Yan Chi and Qin Guan walked out together. Only when they had exited the dark corridor of the prison did Yan Chi remark, "Wu Yu's evasive words are indeed suspicious. However, his capture this time was somewhat too easy. Last time, when Feng Zhang was attacked, the culprit escaped, and Wu Yu was also the last one seen. If Wu Yu were the perpetrator this time, would he so straightforwardly summon Ning Buyi to this residence? The previous culprit knew the authorities had set up defenses and even disguised themselves, but this time it seems recklessly bold. Although the Garrison Battalion hasn't imposed strict martial law this time, the culprit must know the authorities haven't let their guard down."

Qin Guan nodded. "True. But being caught red-handed by the authorities, Wu Yu's suspicion is undeniable. Just now, though he was evasive, he was very firm in denying his crimes. Yet, being implicated twice in a row makes it hard for me to determine whether his firmness is genuine or not."

She then added, "I never expected the victim this time to be Ning Buyi."

Yan Chi also expressed surprise, "It is indeed startling. Were there any anomalies in his injuries?"

Qin Guan shook her head. "He was indeed drugged into unconsciousness, and his wounds were real. Moreover, when we arrived, his injuries were fresh—meaning the assailant struck just as we were heading to the residence."

"In that case, the culprit must undoubtedly be Wu Yu. When we went to the residence, Bai Feng was already there with many of our people nearby. If anyone had fled, they would have been spotted."

Qin Guan agreed, "When we opened the courtyard gate, Wu Yu heard the commotion and tried to bolt out, only to run into us. That... does make sense, though it seems rather foolish."

How desperate must the culprit have been to exit through the main gate?

Although a culprit can't always be meticulously calculating, this incident still holds elements worth doubting.

Leaving the prison, they lifted their heads to see the sky above. The darkness before dawn had passed, replaced by a deep azure hue. Though it was early summer, the air at this hour held a slight chill. Yan Chi moved closer, his shoulder brushing Qin Guan's, shielding her from the cool breeze blowing from his direction.

Yan Chi spoke again, "Let's wait for the interrogation updates first. Though Wu Yu adamantly denies it, deranged individuals rarely confess easily. It's too late now—I'll see you back."

Qin Guan nodded. "That seems the only way for now."Qin Guan had initially suspected Ning Buyi, but Ning Buyi was nearly killed—who would suspect a victim? Meanwhile, Wu Yu was caught red-handed, witnessed by so many eyes, making it the best possible evidence. Unless Wu Yu could provide useful information or prove his innocence in these murder cases, the charges would almost certainly stick! Even if his assault on Ning Buyi was unrelated to the case, the accusation of harming others would be difficult to shake off—

Exiting the government office, Yan Chi accompanied Qin Guan into the carriage.

With a long arm, Yan Chi pulled Qin Guan into his embrace. Her body was indeed cold, so Yan Chi said, "Let’s wait for updates from the office. I’m afraid I won’t have time to come by today."

Qin Guan nodded, "Don’t worry, I understand."

As the carriage began moving slowly, a wave of exhaustion washed over Qin Guan. Leaning against Yan Chi’s warm embrace, she unknowingly fell asleep. By the time the carriage reached the Marquis’s residence, Qin Guan was still sleeping peacefully with her eyes closed. Yan Chi, gazing at her serene face, couldn’t bear to wake her and remained still against the carriage wall.

Qin Guan only woke when her neck grew stiff, and looking outside, she realized the sky was already bright with daylight!

She couldn’t help but sigh helplessly, "Why didn’t you wake me—"

Yan Chi hugged her tightly and laughed, "It’s still early. I’m more than happy to have you sleep in my arms—why would I wake you?"

Qin Guan hummed softly and sighed, "You still have to go to the Ministry of Justice. I’ve delayed you like this."

Yan Chi indeed couldn’t stay much longer and gave Qin Guan a few more reminders before leaving. Qin Guan straightened her robes and headed into the residence.

Having stayed up all night, Qin Guan washed up upon returning and slept for a short while. By the time she rose, it was nearly noon. Just after noon, Meng Yao arrived at the residence. Not having seen each other for days, Qin Guan quickly invited Meng Yao into Pine Breeze Courtyard. Noticing Qin Guan’s poor complexion, Meng Yao immediately asked what had happened. Yue Ning briefly recounted the events of the previous night, leaving Meng Yao astonished!

"Master Ning really had a close call—just a hair’s breadth away!"

Qin Guan nodded, "Exactly, just a tiny bit. But fortunately, he was saved. Don’t worry, I know you two are somewhat acquainted."

Meng Yao smiled, "He’s only painted for our family before."

As she spoke, Meng Yao seemed to recall something and said, "Speaking of Master Ning, I just remembered something."