Tangled Threads

Another quarter of an hour passed before the chimes finally stopped. All sixteen bells fell silent at the same moment, plunging the room into abrupt emptiness. That thing had finally left. *** Having finished breakfast and feeling thoroughly refreshed, He Lingchuan picked at his teeth with a toothpick and said, "Come on, let's go have some tea." This time, their destination was the Xiang residence. Although Xiang Yan had consumed an elixir of immortality, he was eighty-four in actual years. An elixir of immortality was not truly an elixir of deathlessness, so like any other elderly man, he slept lightly and rose early. The entire Xiang manor stirred awake alongside him, the servants already busy sweeping and washing the courtyards. Xiang Yan himself was feeding a pair of red-billed pearlbirds. Though these two were avian demons, their bodies were actually smaller than ordinary birds of their kind. They hopped among the leaves and branches, their plumage and forms striking and lovely. The morning sun had just risen, the summer heat had not yet crept in, and Xiang Yan was in high spirits. Just then, a servant arrived to report, "Master, the Crown Prince's special envoy is here." Xiang Yan's hand gave a tremor, spilling a dozen or so grains of millet onto the ground. Sparrows fluttered down from the treetop to peck hungrily at them. Why was the Crown Prince's special envoy here again? Xiang Yan suddenly lost all desire to feed the birds. Tossing the small scoop aside, he stood dazed for a long moment. "Master?" the servant beside him prompted softly. Only then did Xiang Yan straighten his robes and hat, let out a breath, and make his way toward the main hall. The servants had already ushered the envoy inside and served tea. The tea in the Xiang residence was quite good. He Lingchuan had emptied one cup and was having his second poured when he finally saw old Xiang walking in from the rear. "I've come to disturb you once more. I hope you won't take offense, Old Xiang." "It is an honor that the Special Envoy would grace my humble dwelling with his presence. I could not be happier!" Having served as an official at court for decades, Xiang Yan could spout hollow pleasantries without blinking—warm, exuberant, and without the slightest hint of stiffness. "Have... have you had breakfast yet?" He Lingchuan looked at him and smiled broadly. "Just ate. It was that savory porridge place you recommended. The heat and timing were just right. Truly worthy of an old, established shop." After exchanging a few pleasantries, He Lingchuan said, "The weather is lovely. How about we take a stroll in the garden?" Xiang Yan naturally had no reason to refuse. The two wandered out toward the garden, conversing as they walked. "I heard you're originally from Baishaqu, Old Xiang?" "Indeed. I have lived here for decades, from childhood to old age. Even during my years serving in the capital, I made a point of returning several times each year." He Lingchuan smiled and came to the point: "Has the Cen family also been in Baishaqu for many years?" "The Cen family? Which Cen family?" Xiang Yan's heart gave a sudden thump. The envoy couldn't be planning to pick a fight with the Cen family next, could he? "Cen Boqing." "His family... his family is connected by marriage to Lingxu City's Minister of Agriculture!" The unspoken meaning was clear: none of the officials or nobility in Baishaqu wished to offend his household. He Lingchuan acted as though he had not understood the implication. "Right. So does the Cen family live here permanently?" "Baishaqu boasts picturesque scenery, so Cen Boqing brings his family here every year—meaning the eldest daughter of Beijia's Minister of Agriculture. Every time she arrives, everyone goes to pay their respects, and the threshold of the Cen manor is practically trampled flat. However, she didn't come this year." Having said this, Xiang Yan cleared his throat lightly. "Envoy, I heard there is some misunderstanding between you and the Inspector?" The Crown Prince's special envoy had snatched an imperial fugitive wanted by Lingxu City right out of the Inspector's hands! When Xiang Yan heard the news the day before yesterday, he hadn't known what to say for quite some time. It turned out that on that very day, after trampling the Inspector's pride into the dirt, the Special Envoy had come straight to him, Old Xiang. What a tremendous honor. He Lingchuan smiled. "There are indeed a few misunderstandings, but they'll be cleared up soon." Once the truth of the case was unearthed, there would be no misunderstandings left—only an undeniable outcome. Xiang Yan could not help but sigh. "A misunderstanding with the Inspector is one thing, but Lord Cen, the Cen manor... Even if the Crown Prince himself were here, he would treat them with considerable deference." He Lingchuan looked at him and said, "How come the Cen manor wasn't on the list of households you gave me a few days ago?" During his previous visit, he had asked Xiang Yan how many of the households residing in Baishaqu's northwest corner hailed from Lingxu City and were on good terms with the Zhongsun clan. Xiang Yan had named five households, but none of them was the Cen manor. "Although the Cen family and the Zhongsun family both serve as officials in Lingxu City, they rarely cross paths. During the years I was assigned to Lingxu City, the two families even had a bit of minor friction." Xiang Yan stroked his long beard. "However, it has been over twenty years since I returned to Chiyan. I am not certain whether relations between them have improved, and no one in the city mentions it in ordinary conversation." Knowing it was pointless to play dumb any longer, he simply asked, "Envoy, have you truly uncovered evidence that the Cen family is involved in this case?" He Lingchuan nodded. "The clues all point directly at the Cen residence." "Is the evidence conclusive?" "We're still missing a critical piece of evidence." He Lingchuan sighed. "To be frank, I captured two of their guards. Those two wretches came to silence witnesses, only to be intercepted by me." Xiang Yan shook his head. "Two guards are not enough to convict them." "You are a sensible man, Old Xiang." He Lingchuan turned solemn. "I lack an item of proof that can directly tie the Cen family to the case." Beside them, the tiger Jiao Yu chimed in, "Mr. Mai." "Mr. Mai would certainly do, but his whereabouts are unknown right now, and he doesn't seem to have any intention of showing his face again." He Lingchuan shook his head. "Last night, either the Cen manor or Zhongsun Mou sent a nightmare to assassinate me." That certainly sounded far beyond ordinary methods. Xiang Yan was taken aback. "Are you well, Envoy?" "Fair enough. Didn't manage to get me killed." He Lingchuan let out a sigh. "I tracked it back to the source, only to find Fan Sheng of the Tongxin Guard waiting there. Without a word, he engaged me in a fierce battle. That fellow is remarkably difficult to deal with, and he even has a giant bear for a brother named Fan... Fan..." The moment he mentioned Fan Sheng's name, Xiang Yan halted dead in his tracks, his breath hissing through his teeth. "Fan Bao?" "Right." He Lingchuan smiled. "You know him too, Old Xiang?" "More than just know him! The Fan brothers of the Tongxin Guard are no ordinary figures. For you to return alive from Fan Sheng's clutches is truly... truly..." Xiang Yan had wanted to say "sheer luck," but on second thought, such an outcome could not have depended entirely on good fortune. It seemed he had consistently underestimated this young envoy. "The Tongxin Guard is Lingxu City's southern garrison, responsible for the security of the southern district and surrounding areas. Its members have always been battle-hardened veterans handpicked from the Manlong Army." Having traveled through Beijia Kingdom for so long, He Lingchuan had heard of the Manlong Army. It was one of Beijia's elite military forces. "The three Fan brothers hold the commander and deputy commander posts of that force." "Oh, hold on," He Lingchuan said in surprise. "Three brothers? Last night I only saw two: Fan Sheng and Fan Bao." "The grand commander of the Tongxin Guard—the eldest of the Fan brothers—is named Fan Long. He has accumulated illustrious military achievements and possesses terrifying cultivation," Xiang Yan explained. "Only he and Fan Sheng are blood brothers. As for the giant bear Fan Bao, he is a sworn third brother whom Fan Long personally named." "I thought as much. Fan Sheng looked human no matter how you sliced it." A human and a bear naturally couldn't be biological brothers, right? "Among the three brothers, Fan Long is the strongest; that is widely acknowledged throughout the military. Fan Sheng's martial arts and cultivation were all taught by his elder brother." Xiang Yan cast him a glance. "Not to build up another's prestige at our own expense, but Fan Long once slew the great demon Chifeng single-handedly. If you were to face him, Envoy, I fear the odds would be heavily against you." He Lingchuan scratched his head. Fan Sheng was already hard enough to deal with, yet who would have thought he had an even more formidable elder brother? Now that he had beaten the younger one, would the older one come knocking? That said, "What was Chifeng's background?" "It was a great demon that launched a surprise attack on Mount Xu, said to carry the bloodline of an ancient demon immortal. Certain demons have persistently refused to submit to Beijia, and that was one of them. Back then, Lingxu City mobilized quite a few experts, yet none managed to bring it down." Xiang Yan shook his head. "Fan Long operates entirely differently from his two brothers: shrewd, ruthless, and worldly. A man like that is someone nobody dares offend lightly." "Well, he isn't here anyway." He Lingchuan took it in stride. "Seems his stature is too grand for Zhongsun Mou to summon him." Xiang Yan didn't know what he meant by that modern phrase, nor did he intend to pry. "Fan Long has official duties and rarely leaves Lingxu City." "Then we have nothing to worry about." He Lingchuan let out a long sigh and shifted the topic. "Clues are hard to come by; those scum covered their tracks far too cleanly." "Then what brings the Envoy here today...?" "Oh, I want to pursue a different lead and see if you can lend a hand, Old Xiang." Xiang Yan tucked his hands into his sleeves. "Please speak, Envoy." This matter was growing increasingly troublesome. He Lingchuan turned grave. "The progress of the case has been relayed to the Crown Prince through Jiao Yu. The Crown Prince also sent me an urgent letter, saying this matter must be investigated thoroughly to the end, regardless of the target's background or identity." With that, he handed over Fu Shanyue's personal letter. Xiang Yan received it respectfully, opened it, and read through every single word. Its contents clearly laid out Chiyan Kingdom's stance on the matter: *Those who cause chaos on the front lines and harm our demon subjects shall be investigated to the very end—with zero tolerance!* Every word was firm and resolute, devoid of the ambiguity and carefully measured hedging typical of official documents. At the end was the Crown Prince's bright red seal, exceptionally striking. After finishing it, he returned the letter to He Lingchuan and said in a deep voice, "This old man understands. I shall naturally cooperate with all my strength, hoping not to fail the Special Envoy's trust." Having spent decades as a shrewd bureaucrat, Xiang Yan knew very well that He Lingchuan's display of the letter was meant to establish authority and warn him against playing any tricks. Yet he was, after all, retired—an octogenarian with neither power nor authority left. He Lingchuan smiled. "Doing your best is plenty, Old Xiang. I only want to ask you to handle a small matter." Xiang Yan let out a slight breath of relief. "Please give your orders. I will not let a third person hear of it." This promise was precisely what He Lingchuan had come for. "The difficulty now is that we must find a second piece of material evidence or a witness that can be tied directly to the Cen family." "What about that curse master, Cheng Yu, who unleashed the nightmare?" The tiger passed a large tree and could not resist leaning against it to sharpen its claws. The red sandalwood tree was precious, but Xiang Yan did not mind. "Even if we can catch him, and even if he's willing to testify, words alone prove nothing without material evidence." Why had the enemy dispatched Cheng Yu to ambush He Lingchuan? Precisely because killing someone in a dream left no traceable evidence. "He can only serve as supporting evidence at best," He Lingchuan said slowly. "I believe there is another candidate who would be very suitable." Xiang Yan, however, displayed a look of concern. "Deadly perils surround you on all sides, Envoy. You must exercise extreme caution." He Lingchuan chuckled. The old man clearly understood the situation in the city inside out, yet he had previously feigned ignorance. Xiang Yan sighed once more. "Fortunately, Cen Boqing's wife—the eldest daughter of Lingxu City's Minister of Agriculture—is not in Baishaqu. Otherwise, this case would be even harder to manage."