As soon as Ji Zhaoxi and the others returned to the inn, they immediately saw the proprietress cursing furiously at the entrance.
“That Zhang Shun! I actually thought he was an honest man. Who would’ve guessed he was that kind of person!”
The proprietress was beside herself with anger, while the attendant beside her kept trying to soothe her.
“Don’t be angry, Proprietress. We’ve always thought that Zhang Shun was up to no good.”
The attendant was indignant as well. No wonder Zhang Shun had always worked so diligently. So he had ulterior motives all along.
The proprietress spotted Ji Zhaoxi and the others and hurried over, a trace of guilt on her face. “Several honored guests, you see, there was a thief… Er… He stole something from your room…”
Qin Qiwu was startled. “What did he steal?”
The proprietress grew even more uneasy and shot the attendant a glance. The attendant quickly stepped forward.
“That Zhang Shun turned your room upside down. It seems he stole your luggage…”
The expressions on Qin Qiwu and Xu Ancheng’s faces turned grave.
Seeing this, the proprietress grew even more worried. What if there had been something valuable inside? She would have to compensate them then.
If only she hadn’t tried to save that little bit of money. If she had hired a few strong men to guard the inn every day, this never would have happened.
When they reached the room, they found that their luggage was indeed gone. Traces of a struggle remained scattered across the floor.
Ji Zhaoxi picked up a notebook from the corner and frowned. “That man went through our case records.”
She had written them herself, in handwriting that looked like little more than meaningless squiggles. He probably hadn’t understood a word.
Noticing Fu Xianyan looking at her notebook, she hurriedly hid it behind her back and said solemnly, “This is our secret. You can’t look.”
The corner of Fu Xianyan’s mouth twitched. It would be a miracle if he could make any sense of it.
The proprietress was still apologizing, saying that she had hired a thief and asking what they had lost.
Xu Ancheng quietly began cleaning up the mess. Zhang Shun hadn’t come to steal anything. He had come to spy on them—to find out how far their investigation had progressed.
At that moment, Li Fu was lying on the bed with a look of utter despair.
He had never been in so much pain in his life.
This pain was a thousand, ten thousand times worse than stubbing his toe against a door, slicing off a fingernail with a knife, or being scalded by hot water!
“Young Master Li, several honored guests have come to see you.”
A familiar voice came from outside the door.
Li Fu weakly watched as the door opened. The moment he saw Ji Zhaoxi, it was as if he had seen piles of gleaming gold.
“Several honored guests, I still let that bastard Zhang Shun escape…”
Looking at Li Fu’s miserable state, Xu Ancheng’s eyes reddened. “I’m sorry, Young Master Li.”
They were the ones who had dragged this poor man into their troubles.
Xu Ancheng took Li Fu’s hand. Li Fu suddenly choked up. This was the first time in his life anyone had called him Young Master.
Most people called him “waiter” or “hey, you…”
Qin Qiwu said guiltily, “Young Master Li, get plenty of rest. We’ll make it up to you.”
When Li Fu heard that, the stone in his heart finally dropped.
Qin Qiwu sighed and looked toward Ji Zhaoxi. “Miss Ji…”
“Oh, right!”
Ji Zhaoxi stuffed the other things into Fu Xianyan’s arms and began searching for silver.
The moment she took out one silver ingot, Li Fu’s eyes lit up. When she took out a second, the corners of his mouth were already impossible to suppress.
Then Ji Zhaoxi even produced a piece of gold.
Li Fu stared blankly at the glittering treasure in Ji Zhaoxi’s hand, his eyes filled with affection.
“Young Master Li, we’ll find the best physician for you. We’ll make sure you recover fully…”
“Young Master Li, rest well during this time. We’ll speak to the proprietress for you, so don’t worry.”
“This money is compensation from us. Thank you for everything you’ve done for us.”
Li Fu stared blankly at the gold before him. He no longer heard a word they were saying. All he heard were words like money, gold, and compensation.
Fu Xianyan leaned against the window, flipping through Ji Zhaoxi’s collection of indecipherable scribbles.
As he read, he suddenly noticed a crooked line of tiny writing at the bottom.
[Fu Xianyan is a pig!]
There was even a pig’s head drawn beside it.
Fu Xianyan stared at the words in silence for a moment. Then he placed the case records in front of Ji Zhaoxi.
Ji Zhaoxi looked at him in confusion. Fu Xianyan calmly pointed to the line at the bottom.
When Ji Zhaoxi saw what she had written, she fell silent as well. She looked at Fu Xianyan hesitantly. “If I said I didn’t write that, would you believe me?”
Fu Xianyan gave a cold laugh. “What do you think?”
If she hadn’t written it, he would eat his own shoe.
Xu Ancheng frowned deeply. “Young Master Li, Zhang Shun probably won’t let this go so easily…”
Li Fu, who was hugging the gold, went pale. “Young Master Xu, is there still a chance I’ll survive?”
Ji Zhaoxi patted her sword. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”
Li Fu gazed at Ji Zhaoxi with tears in his eyes.
With Miss Ji’s promise, he felt reassured. He had seen how Miss Ji fought people before. She was terrifyingly brutal for a young woman!
Qin Qiwu gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Young Master Li. We’ll all protect you.”
A cool breeze drifted in through the window.
Fu Xianyan looked at Ji Zhaoxi, who was sitting beside him with an utterly serious expression. Her hair fluttered gently in the breeze. When she lowered her head, she looked exceptionally quiet and graceful…
Smack!
Her sword accidentally landed on Fu Xianyan’s foot.
Fu Xianyan: “…”
Ji Zhaoxi was looking down at something, completely unaware.
Fu Xianyan lightly nudged her stool with his foot, his smile stiff. “Miss Ji, your sword fell on my foot.”
Ji Zhaoxi didn’t even look up. She merely mumbled, “Could you pick it up for me? I’m busy right now.”
She was busy solving the case.
Fu Xianyan choked back his words, picked up her sword, and set it aside.
The sword-bearing woman had started drawing her indecipherable scribbles again.
Meanwhile, the hidden guard silently recorded everything that had happened.
This Miss Ji was finished.
His master was the most vicious and vengeful man in the world. His master would definitely take revenge on her in the future—perhaps by using poison insects, or some other underhanded method.
At the thought of this, the hidden guard couldn’t help shuddering.
At first, Li Fu was trembling with fear, terrified that Zhang Shun would return and finish him off.
But after several peaceful days, he gradually relaxed. Perhaps Zhang Shun wasn’t coming back after all. In any case, having people protect him was a good thing.
The night grew dark, and the inn fell completely silent. Several burly men guarded the back courtyard, lanterns in hand. Their shadows swayed in the wind across the ground.
Li Fu slept soundly, wrapped in his quilt, his mouth slightly open as he muttered in his dreams.
“Gold… Shining, beautiful gold…”
Just then, a sudden noise came from beneath the eaves, like the sound of a roof tile shifting.
Li Fu, deep in sleep, didn’t react at all.
Suddenly, a dark figure appeared in the room. A sword flashed toward the man on the bed.
Clang!
Blades collided, sending sparks flying.
Li Fu jolted awake and leaped from the bed in terror.
Oh no!
Someone had come to take his life!
“So it really is you.”
The black-clad man’s sword had failed to strike Li Fu. Ji Zhaoxi struck him with her palm.
Moonlight spilled into the room, revealing the man’s murderous eyes.
It was Zhang Shun.
“Help! Miss Ji, help! Young Master Xu, help!” Li Fu screamed at the top of his lungs.
He hurriedly crawled beneath the bed, wrapped himself in a quilt, and trembled in terror, peeking out from the floor as several people fought fiercely in his room.
Zhang Shun’s gaze turned cold. He flipped the sword in his hand and lunged again, the blade aimed straight at Ji Zhaoxi’s heart.
“Miss Ji!”
Xu Ancheng’s anxious voice came from the doorway.
Seeing more and more people arrive, Zhang Shun gritted his teeth and prepared to flee.
Just as Ji Zhaoxi was about to pursue him, Zhang Shun gave a cold laugh and suddenly raised his hand. Several hidden weapons shot straight toward her.
Li Fu, still hiding beneath the bed, shouted, “Miss Ji, look out!”
That Zhang Shun was truly devious. He was even using hidden weapons!
Ji Zhaoxi was just about to turn around when a shadow suddenly swept past.
Clang!
A folding fan snapped open in midair. The hidden weapons struck its ribs and were forcibly deflected.
Fu Xianyan stood beneath the gallery, the hem of his robe fluttering slightly as he slowly opened the fan in his hand.
Zhang Shun’s expression immediately changed.
That fan…
Before he could react, Xu Ancheng struck him on the shoulder with one palm. The force sent Zhang Shun staggering several steps, nearly making him fall.
“You still think you can run?”
Ji Zhaoxi seized the opportunity and suddenly placed her sword against his neck. The veins on Zhang Shun’s neck bulged instantly.
He gritted his teeth and suddenly threw himself onto Ji Zhaoxi’s sword.
He absolutely could not let them capture him…
Ji Zhaoxi twisted her wrist and kicked him hard beneath the ribs. Angrily, she said, “Did we say we were going to kill you?”
Xu Ancheng seized Zhang Shun’s wrist and twisted it behind his back. The sword fell from Zhang Shun’s hand, and he let out a muffled groan of pain. He clenched his teeth and prepared to bite through his tongue and kill himself.
Fu Xianyan impatiently gripped his jaw and forcibly pried his mouth open.
At this hour, he should have been lying in bed asleep…
Xu Ancheng tied Zhang Shun up tightly. Exhausted, Ji Zhaoxi sat to the side drinking tea. This Zhang Shun was far too troublesome.
“If you want to die, go ahead. Do you think it’s that easy?”
Li Fu, still beneath the bed, chimed in, “Exactly!”
Panting heavily, Li Fu crawled out from beneath the bed. He had not lifted a finger, but watching that nerve-racking scene had tired him out all the same.
Qin Qiwu’s expression was somewhat cold. “If you really wanted to die, you’d only be saving the person behind the scenes some trouble.”
Zhang Shun’s body suddenly stiffened.
He lowered his head, his voice full of grim resolve. “Kill me or torture me as you please. I won’t tell you anything.”
Ji Zhaoxi called out, “Tell us or don’t tell us. It’s up to you!”
Li Fu angrily kicked Zhang Shun twice. “Exactly!”
“And you even dare threaten Miss Ji? Even if you don’t say anything, Miss Ji can still find out.”
Li Fu stood beside Ji Zhaoxi, gazing at her with admiration. “Right, Miss Ji?”
Ji Zhaoxi thoroughly enjoyed Li Fu’s adoration. She lifted her chin. “Of course.”
Under the gaze of everyone in the room, she coughed and said, “Miss Qin, Young Master Xu, you investigate him first. I’m going to rest for a while.”
Qin Qiwu lowered her head with a smile and began searching Zhang Shun.
Ji Zhaoxi’s gaze kept drifting toward Fu Xianyan.
Fu Xianyan quietly ate his dates, showing no reaction whatsoever.
Just as he was about to put another date into his mouth, the one in his hand suddenly vanished.
Fu Xianyan: …
With nothing left to eat, he supposed he could drink tea.
But just as he was about to take another sip, a fist suddenly flew toward him from the side. Without even blinking, Fu Xianyan stopped it in midair.
Ji Zhaoxi watched him suspiciously, then tentatively threw several more punches at him. Fu Xianyan did not react at all.
Such slow reflexes. He didn’t seem like a martial artist either. Could she have been mistaken?
Li Fu imitated Ji Zhaoxi and began throwing punches at Fu Xianyan as well.
Fu Xianyan glanced at him blandly. Li Fu gave an awkward laugh and lowered his fist.
What was wrong with this man?
Ji Zhaoxi sat beside him, her mind a complete fog. Yet Fu Xianyan clearly looked sickly. She lowered her head and prodded him with her sword.
Fu Xianyan finally lost his patience. “Miss Ji.”
Ji Zhaoxi’s eyes lit up. “I knew there was something strange about you! You felt that.”
Fu Xianyan laughed in exasperation. “If I prodded you with a sword, would you not feel it?”
Ji Zhaoxi sighed. “Fine.”
“Who exactly are you? How did you learn that move?” Ji Zhaoxi asked with a frown.
Fu Xianyan looked at her solemnly. “Miss Ji, do you truly want to know?”
Seeing his expression, Ji Zhaoxi straightened up and nodded seriously.
“I really do!”
Under Ji Zhaoxi’s expectant gaze, Fu Xianyan smiled at her.
“I was targeted for assassination from a young age. At five, I began learning about poisons. At six, I began identifying hidden weapons. At seven, I began killing people.”
Ji Zhaoxi stared at him calmly.
Fu Xianyan continued, “Later, I decided that hidden weapons weren’t enough, so I learned gu as well.”
“Gu?” Ji Zhaoxi said thoughtfully.
Fu Xianyan nodded, his tone tinged with regret.
“So I never had any playmates growing up. While the young masters of other families were studying and learning to ride horses, I was learning how to identify poisoned needles.”
Ji Zhaoxi said solemnly, “Do you also suffer a bout of poison every month, with excruciating pain whenever it flares up?”
Fu Xianyan stared at her in surprise. “Miss Ji, how did you know?”
He rarely saw Ji Zhaoxi react so quickly.
Ji Zhaoxi patted Fu Xianyan on the shoulder, her eyes filled with the admiration of a kindred spirit. “When I was younger, I also tried to create a persona like that for myself. But my father beat me once, and I gave up.”
She remembered that Mid-Autumn Festival. She had insisted that her poison was acting up and refused to eat, instead rolling around on her bed.
Her father had been so tormented by her that he had no choice but to cut down a bamboo stalk in the courtyard and use it to help her detox.
Just like that, her “poison” was cured.
Ji Zhaoxi pulled out a baked flatbread and looked at him encouragingly. “Here’s the antidote. Eat it.”
Fu Xianyan silently accepted the flatbread. Did he really have to play along with such a childish game?
Li Fu sighed. “I never knew Young Master Fu had such a youthful heart.”
Fu Xianyan looked at Ji Zhaoxi’s expectant face. In the end, he still put the flatbread into his mouth.
Ji Zhaoxi happily declared, “There! Your poison is cured!”
Li Fu cooperated enthusiastically. “Young Master Fu, you’ll never be in pain again!”
Qin Qiwu and Xu Ancheng heard the cheers from the side, along with the occasional clanging and banging. Neither of them reacted at all, focusing solely on interrogating Zhang Shun.
Qin Qiwu found a cargo manifest on Zhang Shun. His expression changed at once.
“Yongchang Trading House.”
Qin Qiwu read the words on the paper. Xu Ancheng’s eyes lit up as countless scattered details finally fell into place.
