Сhарter 239: Laуеrs оf Мist
“I hаve known Sima Вiqiu’s сharaсter all thеsе уеаrs.”
“Just аs I suspeсted, the Half-Facеd Ghоst must havе cоmе fоr mе and mistаkеnlу killеd Вiqiu! I am аshamed befоrе Biqiu!” Аs Mo Qianzhi sрoke, tеars wellеd uр in his еуеs оnсe morе.
“In thе cоming dауs, send рeорle to wаtсh ovеr Biqiu’s family. Сomfort the еldеrlу cоuple well, аnd еnsurе no furthеr mishарs оссur.” Mо Qiаnzhi sighed аs he gаve the оrder.
“Yеs!” Тhе man tightеnеd his griр оn his sword hilt, his facе filled with deep hatrеd.
Sima Biqiu had wоrked alоngside thеm fоr manу years. His death felt like losing a family member, and to have him skinned and dismembered—how could it not stir fury?
“You may leave now.”
After the others withdrew, only Zhu Yan and the two men remained. Mo Qianzhi leaned against a bookshelf, silent for a long while, lost in grief.
A flicker of emotion surfaced in Zhu Yan’s eyes as she adjusted her cloak. “I had thought they specifically targeted those with poor character, acting as agents of heaven’s justice. But now it seems they had no such intention.”
Pan Chi moved closer to her, ignoring Shen Du’s glare. “I told you, villains are villains. There’s no such thing as a good person among villains.”
Shen Du pushed Pan Chi aside, shot him a glare, then turned his scrutinizing gaze to Mo Qianzhi. “The Half-Faced Ghost has been committing murders in Gannan Circuit for over a decade. Why did Lord Mo not report this to the imperial court earlier?”
Mo Qianzhi trembled slightly, mustering a bit of energy before collapsing into a chair, looking utterly defeated.
“Rumors of the Half-Faced Ghost have circulated for years, but no one has ever seen him with their own eyes. Moreover, the victims were scattered across Gannan Circuit without any discernible pattern. I failed to detect any connection over the years and only recently noticed some clues. I immediately drafted a report to send to the capital.”
He sighed, sounding weary.
“If I had someone as capable as Lord Zhu to assist me, I might have uncovered the Half-Faced Ghost’s intentions earlier, and today’s tragedy could have been avoided.”
His words were flawless and reasonable. Shen Du nodded slightly, intending to ask more questions, but when he glanced at Zhu Yan and saw her exhaustion, he held his tongue. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her out.
“We’ll stop here for today. We’ll continue tomorrow.”
Seeing Zhu Yan and Shen Du leave, Pan Chi also lost interest. He cupped his hands in farewell and turned to depart.
From start to finish, Pan Chi seemed like an extra, and it was unclear how he had earned the title of “Master Detective.”
Mo Qianzhi stood dazed for a long while before finally sighing. He turned, pressing his hands against the back of a chair, veins bulging, his eyes filled with pain and resolve.
The next day, Shen Du and Zhu Yan rose early to go out and investigate, only to find Pan Chi following them. Shen Du was displeased, but Pan Chi acted as if he didn’t notice Shen Du’s dark expression, tagging along nonchalantly.
Moreover, he engaged Zhu Yan in discussions about the case, sharing some insights.
It seemed they needed to solve the “Half-Faced Ghost” case quickly and return to the capital as soon as possible.
Each lost in their own thoughts, the three walked down the street.
“Why is it so quiet today?” Zhu Yan wondered, glancing around. Only a few people hurried along the street, their expressions tense. The windows of the shops were tightly shut, not a single one open. Some stores had already hung “Closed” signs early in the morning.
It was just past mao hour. The sky was a dull blue-gray, the rising sun hidden behind layers of white clouds, leaving only a faint, thin golden rim painted along the horizon.
Shen Du frowned slightly, while Pan Chi had already stepped forward to stop a hurried-looking man. “Excuse me, sir. What has happened in the city today? Why is no one out trading or calling out their wares?”The man, who had initially been furious, lost his temper upon seeing that the man who had grabbed him was dressed in fine clothes and had an extraordinary appearance. His eyes wandered, and he sighed. "Young man, you must have entered the city just last night, right? You’ve come at an unfortunate time. Yesterday during the day, the Half-Faced Ghost killed Sima Biqiu in the yamen. I heard the scene was gruesome—his skin was completely stripped off. We were too afraid to go out."
As soon as he said this, the other three looked at him with strange expressions. The man smiled bitterly, "If it weren’t for my daughter begging me to buy her hibiscus cakes from the south of the city, I would never have gone out. I won’t say more, young man. I’m heading home now."
The man quickly stepped aside and hurried away. The three indeed saw him holding an oil-paper package in his arms, stamped with the name of a pastry shop in the south of the city.
Shen Du took half a step back, frowning tightly, as if he hadn’t expected the news to spread so quickly.
After wandering through most of Yingzhou City, the three found the same scene everywhere, leaving them deeply puzzled.
"The Half-Faced Ghost entered the yamen to commit the murder around the second watch of the Yin hour. Only a few of us and the yamen officials knew about it. How did the city’s residents learn of it overnight? Didn’t Lord Mo order the news to be sealed off…" Zhu Yan murmured to herself.
"That’s why this is so strange. If no one deliberately spread it, how could such a large city as Yingzhou become aware of it in just a few moments, turning into an empty city? It’s truly suspicious!" Pan Chi affirmed Zhu Yan’s words.
By now, the sun had risen a little higher, illuminating the main street. Yet, despite this, the street was deserted and eerily quiet.
Zhu Yan shook her head. "Who could have such great power to make this news spread wings and fly across the entire city in such a short time?"
"Indeed, how could there be such a capable person in Yingzhou City, with such extraordinary abilities?"
The two walked ahead, analyzing who could have done it, completely unaware that Shen Du, walking behind them, clenched his fists, his eyes clouded with gloom, colder than the lifeless atmosphere of the main street.
Pan Chi, sharp-eyed, noticed that Zhu Yan had been clutching something in her hand and curiously leaned in to whisper, "What’s this thing you’re holding so preciously?"
Startled by Pan Chi’s question, Zhu Yan grew flustered. The item in her hand was the brocade pouch Shen Du had dropped, which she had picked up that morning. She had been thinking of an excuse to return it to Shen Du safely, never expecting that her thoughts would lead her to clutch it tightly in her hand. Forcing herself to stay calm, she said:
"This belongs to Shen Du. I saw it fall from his clothes when he was in a hurry, so I picked it up. Here, take it."
As if afraid of being associated with the item, Zhu Yan suddenly stopped and shoved the pouch back into Shen Du’s hand. The back of her finger brushed lightly against Shen Du’s palm, sending a wave of heat to her cheeks. Her heart raced with an indescribable feeling.
Looking down, Shen Du saw the object Zhu Yan had returned to his palm—a small woven pig made of rattan, only as long as a finger, exquisitely crafted. The rattan had dried out, its surface gleaming faintly, clearly an old keepsake.
Since Zhu Yan had tossed it back, the pouch had loosened, revealing half of the pig’s body.
Shen Du acknowledged with a sound and, with a cold expression, tucked it into his robe.
"A pig?" Pan Chi had already seen it and chuckled ambiguously. "Who would have thought? The esteemed Great Pavilion Commander actually enjoys collecting such girlish trinkets. It truly matches the rumors. Congratulations indeed."Shen Du lifted his sword, shaking out the blade to press against Pan Chi’s forehead. “What rumor is worth Young Master Pan’s concern? Why not share it?”
Shen Du’s sudden move clearly carried a threat.
Pan Chi reached out a finger to push the sword aside, his expression showing no fear. “A rumor is just a rumor. Why bother with it?”
Then, staring at the bulge inside Shen Du’s collar, he teased, “I suppose this item was given by someone dear to the Great Pavilion Commander. I wonder who could have earned your favor.”
Pan Chi was clearly doing this on purpose. Everyone knew that little woven pig could belong to anyone—except Zhu Yan. Just one look at Zhu Yan’s earlier reaction made that clear.
“None of your business,” Shen Du retorted impatiently. He glanced at Zhu Yan but ultimately said nothing more.
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