Chapter 245: The Speaker Spoke Without Intent, the Listener Heard With Meaning

At noon, the group boarded their carriage and departed from the Taichang Temple government office.

Zhao Ling, as the landlady, had originally hoped to use her status to bolster Xie Jin’s standing and deter Lu Yan from exploiting his home-field advantage to harass him—but in the end, she played no role at all, and now could only sigh:

“Chen Chi may not be well-known among the sect leaders, but he handles affairs fairly, living up to the reputation of Northern Zhou’s foremost orthodox leader.”

The fair-skinned, beautiful Da Duo sat beside Xie Jin by the window, massaging his shoulders and pounding his back:

“It’s all thanks to Master Xie’s formidable reputation—if anyone else claimed Lu Yan was colluding with demonic Daoists, no one would believe them; but when Master Xie says it, I’d wager Lu Yan himself is already secretly pondering it…”

“True.”

Zhao Ling leaned sideways on the small couch, legs curled, cheek propped on her hand, curiously asking:

“Is Lu Yan truly linked to demonic Daoists?”

Xie Jin was also pondering this very matter, and shook his head:

“So many perfectly timed coincidences have occurred on Lishan—nine out of ten are the work of someone pulling strings behind the scenes. But Lu Yan’s reaction, consumed by thoughts of his family heirloom, doesn’t suggest any connection to the demonic Daoists. I suspect he was deceived by some mastermind with extraordinary influence.”

Zhao Ling nodded slightly and sighed:

“My father sent me here to assess the top-tier situation in Northern Zhou and whether Empress Guo will mobilize troops. So far, Northern Zhou is even more chaotic behind the scenes than Great Qian. Empress Guo is stretched thin by demonic disturbances and court factional strife—she won’t be able to launch any campaign for three to five years, and she can’t afford to lose. You’re investigating the demonic Daoists in Northern Zhou, but don’t push too hard—just give it a token effort. If you truly uproot these evil cults and eliminate the traitors in court, Empress Guo will be free to act, and the pressure will fall squarely on us…”

Zhao Ling’s words made perfect sense—after all, what did it matter to Great Qian whether Northern Zhou was chaotic?

Great Qian’s internal situation remains unstable; they’d welcome any major misfortune befalling Empress Guo to give the new emperor more time to adapt.

But Xie Jin stood on two boats—both hands were his flesh. Empress Guo attacking the Southern Court would be inappropriate, but failing to ease her burdens would be worse. After a moment’s thought, he said:

“Hmm… Northern Zhou’s internal strife stems from three centuries of rule, during which aristocratic clans monopolized upward mobility, leaving the people with no hope and no reverence for the Xiao clan of Northern Zhou. If the situation spirals out of control, Empress Guo may resort to desperate measures—using external conflict to divert internal tensions. So letting the northern situation deteriorate further won’t work either.”

Zhao Ling thought carefully, then asked:

“So you mean we should wholeheartedly help Empress Guo resolve her troubles? To pacify the outside, first stabilize the inside—if you truly help her secure her internal stability…”

“Ah.”

Xie Jin waved his hand: “I’m just a warrior. I can catch a few demonic bandits at most—I have no power to change Northern Zhou’s deeply entrenched problems. These things must be handled step by step. First, let’s resolve the matter on Lishan.”

Zhao Ling nodded and didn’t interfere further with Xie Jin’s judgment, changing the subject:

“By the way, tomorrow Northern Zhou will hold a sacrifice to Heaven and Earth at the Altar of Heaven and Earth, inviting envoys from all nations to observe—it’s mostly ceremonial, meant to showcase Northern Zhou’s historical legacy. But envoys from the Western Regions and the Northern Wastes will attend. Your perception is exceptional—come with me tomorrow and see if you can read their expressions, discerning these borderland states’ current stances.”

“Alright…”

…

As the two chatted idly, the carriage convoy had barely traveled far when hoofbeats sounded from behind.

Clip-clop, clip-clop…

Then a lively girl’s voice called out from outside:

“Master Xie? Master Xie?”

Zhao Ling glanced out the window and saw the girl with the braid who had sat in the meeting hall—she raised an eyebrow:

“Another lover you just charmed? Seems bold.”

“No, she’s Jiang Xian, the chief constable in charge of this case.”

Xie Jin looked out and saw Shen Cang as well—he guessed they were seeking his advice as a “consultant,” so he excused himself and stepped down from the carriage.

…

By the roadside.

Jiang Xian still wore her blue constable robe, but now carried the Fengyi Saber at her waist, signaling her status as an imperial guard. Empress Guo had promised her that solving Xie Jin’s case would make her a trusted right hand, so she was highly motivated, standing on tiptoe, gazing at the central carriage of the envoy convoy, waiting for Xie Jin to emerge.

Shen Cang had received no prior notice yesterday; today he was suddenly appointed lead investigator into the Lishan conflict, leaving him stunned and overwhelmed with pressure.

After all, “demonic Daoists set a trap” was merely Xie Jin’s unilateral suspicion—there was not a single clue or piece of evidence to prove it.

Shen Cang’s task was to uncover the mastermind within a month, with no direction whatsoever.

But who could have orchestrated a trap for Xie Jin and manipulated Lu Yan and Li Huaichuan as pawns? What kind of cosmic influence did they wield?

It was like ordering Bao Bao to kill Tripitaka and his disciples…

Shen Cang naturally lacked such power, but since his superiors had assigned him, he couldn’t refuse—he could only pin all his hopes on Xie Jin and Jiang Xiao Biao.

After waiting a moment, seeing Xie Jin approach, Shen Cang hurried forward, cutting straight to the point:

“I also believe Master Xie was manipulated by demonic bandits, but we currently have no lead. What’s your plan for investigation?”

Xie Jin himself had no clear idea who was behind the scheme, so he thought for a moment:

“These people have extraordinary influence and left no trace. The only way to investigate is to start with the demonic bandits who left markings in the mine. Their written characters may be forged, but their recent widespread harvesting of essence is real—and such incidents have occurred frequently in recent years…” Shen Cang frowned: “These people call themselves the Red Witch Cult. In recent years, they’ve indeed committed many crimes, but after years of investigation, every clue points to a nobleman in the capital—and all trails lead to… sigh… this is clearly a frame-up. The government offices have made no progress.”

Xie Jin had already heard from Empress Dowager yesterday—the government offices hadn’t made no progress; they’d found every clue pointed to Empress Guo and even the entire Guo clan. They were investigating with bated breath, terrified of failing to uncover anything, yet equally terrified of uncovering something catastrophic.

Empress Guo knew this was slander meant to poison public opinion, but Northern Zhou had too many traitors—she couldn’t tell who was manipulating this group.

Xie Jin knew Empress Guo couldn’t possibly be linked to the Red Witch Cult. Since this was a smear campaign, it must have left some trace. He was about to suggest starting the investigation, but Jiang Xian, standing beside him, cut straight to the core:

“Master Xie said in the Taichang Temple that Elder Lu might have been manipulated by demonic Daoists. If we trace how Elder Lu arrived in Lizhou, won’t that let us follow the trail and uncover the mastermind?”

Xie Jin shook his head: “It’s not that simple. Lu Yan was likely lured without knowing it. Unless he becomes aware of the issue himself and confesses truthfully, we won’t be able to determine why he was in Lizhou that day—we must look elsewhere.”

Shen Cang nodded: “Yes. If this were an ordinary person, we could resort to underhanded tactics—ambush him, drag him into a sack, and torture him for answers. But Elder Lu? Forget his status and rank—his cultivation alone makes him untouchable. We should start with the Red Witch Cult.”

Jiang Xian blinked her big eyes, her gaze shifting as if thinking deeply, and said nothing more.

Seeing both men eager to resolve the matter, and as the primary party involved, Xie Jin couldn’t just think of returning to his leisure—he joined them and headed to the Criminal Constabulary to review the detailed archives of the Red Witch Cult’s recent activities…

—

On the other side, the Princess’s Mansion.

Lin Wanyi had indeed been exhausted last night. After Xie Jin left, she drifted into a drowsy sleep, expecting Zi Su to wake her—but Zi Su, being considerate, saw Xie Jin arrive and wisely refrained from disturbing her aunt’s rest.

As a result, Lin Wanyi slept until the sun was high, still not awake naturally, when she heard the door softly open and footsteps approaching.

Creak~

Tap-tap-tap…

Lin Wanyi assumed it was Zi Su coming to call her for breakfast, and murmured with half-closed eyes:

“You eat first—I’ll get up soon…”

But the visitor didn’t respond. Instead, they sat beside the bed, pulled down the winter quilt slightly, revealing her face, and a gentle voice followed:

“Everyone in the Princess’s Mansion is awake—only you’re still sleeping like a log. Don’t you fear being laughed at?”

“?”

Lin Wanyi’s drowsy expression froze. She opened her eyes and saw a woman in a deep blue dress seated at the bedside, her long black hair tied with a butterfly hairpin, composed and warm in demeanor—like an elder sister coming to wake her younger sister in the morning…

“Master?”

Lin Wanyi froze, sat up quickly—then realized she was still wearing her scandalous purple lace lingerie, blushed crimson, and yanked the quilt back up:

“Master, why are you here?”

Bu Yuehua, perhaps finding the undergarment rather attractive, lifted the quilt slightly to glance:

“I was bored, so I came to check on you.”

As a physician, Lin Wanyi could tell Bu Yuehua’s complexion was poor. She reached out and took her wrist to feel her pulse:

“I wanted to visit you yesterday—I asked Xie Jin, but he didn’t know your identity or where you lived…”

Bu Yuehua blinked her eyes and asked:

“How did Xie Jin describe me?”

“?”

Though Lin Wanyi had little martial experience, years spent among ladies and noblewomen had sharpened her intuition for romantic entanglements.

Seeing her master suddenly curious about Xie Jin’s opinion, Lin Wanyi blinked, thought for a moment, then shook her head:

“You posed as a female hero from Qingming Sword Manor. Xie Jin didn’t know your true identity, yet you traveled together, endured hardship side by side—he… he told me everything honestly, didn’t hide anything…”

As she spoke, a complex expression flickered across her brow.

?!

Bu Yuehua’s heart jolted—her first thought was that Xie Jin had blabbed everything, even telling Lin Wanyi about the incident with the snow child.

She wanted to explain it was a matter of necessity, but as an old-school demoness, she held back, choosing instead to observe Lin Wanyi’s expression carefully:

“I merely went with him to the southern frontier seeking treasure, then encountered Lu Yan on the way—nothing to hide. As for not revealing my identity, that’s a long story—you’ll understand later. You’re not thinking the wrong thing, are you?”

Lin Wanyi hadn’t really thought the wrong thing—she just knew her master had concealed her identity, posing as a single, stunning female hero, spending long days and nights with Xie Jin through shared hardship—how could nothing happen?

But seeing her master’s demeanor, she didn’t seem guilty, so Lin Wanyi didn’t dare raise such taboo matters outright, only said:

“How could I think wrong? Xie Jin lacks restraint because he doesn’t know your identity—but you, Master, wouldn’t lack restraint? Romantic affairs require two willing parties…”

“….”

Bu Yuehua felt if they continued, she’d expose herself before the seductive Daoist nun. She shook her head and cut the topic short:

“You’re not a child anymore. Focus your mind on cultivation, not such trivial matters. It’s late—get up and eat something. I’m leaving now. If you need me, find me at Parrot Lane.”

Lin Wanyi didn’t say anything else, watched her graceful master depart, then quickly tidied up…

—

I meant to post a free chapter, but I clicked the wrong button—there’s another chapter this afternoon or2!

(End of Chapter)