Chapter 25: The Ice-Berg Beauty with a Firm Dao Heart

The east turned the color of fish belly, townsfolk began to rise one after another, and shouts echoed from every street and alley:

"Buns..."

"Sugar-coated haws..."

Inside the grand mansion behind the Lin family clinic, maids had already begun their work, while Jia Zheng was preparing the carriage frame in the stable.

The main courtyard remained quiet; in the bedroom, Lin Wanyi lay on her side on the bed wearing only a bodice and thin trousers, her full half-circle visible at her ribs. Her face, of peerless beauty, had eyelashes that trembled slightly, carrying a blush of shame, as if she didn't know what she had dreamed.

Behind her, Lin Zisu, whose figure had developed exceptionally well, lay flat on her back. One could see her breasts slightly splayed beneath her bodice. She was still fast asleep until the first ray of dawn spilled on the window, when she opened her eyes in a daze, looked left and right, then suddenly flipped upright:

"Oh no, oh no..."

Slap~

The crisp sound of a palm strike landed on the full moon of curves beside her, sending waves surging through her buttocks.

Lin Wanyi had been smacked by Xie Jinhuan in her dream; startled into a shiver, she opened her eyes in a daze and looked around, then angrily said:

"Zisu! What madness are you up to again?"

Lin Zisu scrambled off the bed, searching for her shoes and clothes:

"It's over, I'm late. Auntie, why didn't you wake me?"

"Huh?"

Only then did Lin Wanyi realize the sun was already up; she sat upright:

"Who asked you to keep talking all night? And making all those wild jokes..."

Yesterday, Lin Zisu had discovered her aunt bathing in Xie Jinhuan's room; she definitely had to ask her about it properly.

Seeing that the time for school had been missed, Lin Zisu, fearing punishment, grabbed Lin Wanyi's arm and shook it:

"Auntie, go with me. Just say I accompanied you on a house call last night and we returned late."

Clearly this wasn't the first time Lin Wanyi had been pushed out as a shield; considering Zisu still had to help with alchemy, she said helplessly:

"Alright, alright. Put your clothes on first; I'll accompany you over in a moment."

"Hehe~"

Only then did Lin Zisu sigh in relief and grab a skirt to put on.

While Lin Wanyi was speaking, she also rose to dress, but upon opening the wardrobe, a small pouch containing the 'Rogue's Excitement Garb' came into view.

Clothes that looked so provocative, she clearly felt too embarrassed to wear.

But it had been bought with the huge sum of thirty taels of silver; she couldn't bear to give it to a maid, and it wouldn't suit Zisu either; she couldn't just leave it lying around...

After a moment of hesitation, Lin Wanyi reasoned that no one would know if she wore it underneath; still unable to suppress her curiosity, she took the pouch, secretly ran behind the screen, and changed into the undergarments.

Thump thump~

Because the tights were too form-fitting, pulling them up was difficult; she even stood on tiptoe and bounced twice.

Once fully dressed, Lin Wanyi, wearing a water-green waist-length ruqun, stepped out from behind the screen. She examined herself in the mirror; her graceful figure remained unchanged, nothing was visible from the outside, except that the tightness on her legs felt slightly uncomfortable.

Lin Wanyi bounced her feet again and found the bodice provided excellent support; the swaying motion wouldn't be too great. Wearing it was very comfortable; she couldn't help but nod inwardly, thinking the thirty taels of silver had been well spent...

—

On the other side, the Princess Manor.

At dawn, maids went in and out by the Yanshan Lake, bringing various delicacies into the lakeside pavilion.

Inside the vast hall, a long table was set with two soft cushions on either side; behind it stood a bronze crane incense burner, with a maid attending nearby.

Linghu Qingmo had been working nearly nonstop these past two days, not even sleeping; her brow showed considerable weariness. As she ate breakfast, her expression was troubled:

"Li Zixian's mouth is extremely tight; no matter how we question him, he won't confess. The government office dare not press charges lightly. The County Magistrate's Office hasn't found any clues regarding the幕后 demon bandits either; this case seems to be stuck again..."

Across the long table, Princess Changning sat leaning on the desk, her attire quite magnificent. She wore a chest-high hezi skirt, covered by a pale yellow wide-sleeved robe; her belt and the trim of her light shirt were bright yellow, embroidered with cloud patterns, and her bodice was also embroidered with a Kong Que.

As for her face, her red lips were as gorgeous as roses, her apricot eyes full of charm. Sitting beside Linghu Qingmo, they looked like two sisters with completely opposite personalities. At that moment, she held a wine cup, swaying it gently:

"You're just going down the mountain for training; do you really think of yourself as the 'Bingshan Goddess Detective'? If you can't solve it, let the government office handle it. The Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival is about to begin; come with me to stroll through the Peony Pool later."

With so many matters at hand, Linghu Qingmo had no mind to stroll at the Mid-Autumn festival:

"It's the same every year; there's nothing worth seeing."

"Sigh~"

Princess Changning sighed helplessly, recalled something slightly, then asked:

"I heard that when you went to investigate the case yesterday, there was a young man named Xie Jinhuan by your side, skilled in martial arts and handsome in appearance..."

Linghu Qingmo sensed hidden meaning in her best friend's words and quickly clarified:

"Xie Jinhuan is Yang Dabiao's friend; he just came to help a bit."

Princess Changning was half-skeptical; knowing her best friend's personality, she advised earnestly:

"Qingmo, your nature is honest and straightforward, with no hidden agendas. When making friends outside, you must be careful; don't get deceived by those seemingly upright but dissolute Young Masters out there."

Although Linghu Qingmo had been knocked unconscious by Xie Jinhuan, had her chest touched, and had done housework without complaint, she considered herself a Bingshan beauty with a firm Dao heart, impossible for a dissolute rogue to easily manipulate:

"How could that be? I have my own judgment. Besides, Xie Jinhuan is very upright; his martial arts might be on par with yours; he is absolutely not a dissolute rogue."

As a direct daughter of a Prince from the Great Qian imperial family, Princess Changning's upbringing was beyond question, and her talent was not lacking either. Although she seemed to spend her days seeking pleasure, she trained hard whenever necessary. Hearing this, she remained half-skeptical:

"I don't believe it. Call him over so we can fight."

Linghu Qingmo had suffered losses before and didn't want her best friend to get soaked in the rain again.

If Xie Jinhuan's brain suddenly malfunctioned and performed the 'Azure Dragon Reaches for the Claw' on the wrong person again, his hands would probably be chopped off by the Prince:

"The government office is so busy; there's no time for sparring and playing around. Let's talk about it next time there's a chance. You eat first; I'm heading to the government office."

Princess Changning couldn't do anything about her workaholic best friend; after finishing her meal, she also began preparing for the autumn outing to the Peony Pool...

—

Shortly after.

Linghu Qingmo left the Princess's Wang Fu alone, and seeing no one paying attention, turned and headed straight for Qingquan Alley!

It was early morning; the side street was crowded with pedestrians, mostly servants and maids from nearby households buying wine, vegetables, and fruit. The breakfast stalls by the street were steaming, with people constantly coming in and out.

Linghu Qingmo had not been paying attention to the streetside, but as he passed a butcher shop, he suddenly heard a familiar voice:

"Half a jin of lean meat, cut finely into cubes, one fen long and one fen wide, neither more nor less, and not a speck of fat allowed..."

"Young Master, your request is perhaps..."

"Can't cut it?"

"Uh..."

"If you can't cut it, I will..."

?

Linghu Qingmo glanced over and saw a noble Young Master with dual weapons hanging at his waist and wearing a white brocade robe standing before the meat stall, taking a bone-removing knife from the butcher's hand.

The pitch-black Meiqiu squatted on his shoulder, staring straight at the meat on the chopping block, and then:

Swish swish swish~

The white-robed Young Master's knife rose like the wind, slicing horizontally and vertically; in the blink of an eye, more than ten cuts had been made, dividing the meat block into uniformly sized square cubes. Finishing up, he stuck the knife into the display chopping block and said:

"The blade is a bit dull; it needs sharpening. Exactly half a jin, how much?"

The butcher stood dumbfounded, tilting his head to stare at the chopping block, and only after a long while said:

"Uh... sixteen wen. Young Master, with such knife skills, do you really need to go out and buy vegetables yourself?"

"People of the Jianghu, one person full means the whole family isn't hungry; I'm used to it."

"Oh..."

Linghu Qingmo truly hadn't expected Xie Jinhuan to pull off such a stunt just by going out to buy bird food, so he quickly approached:

"Xie Jinhuan?"

"Goo-goo~"

Meiqiu, who had been gazing with longing eyes, turned her head one hundred and eighty degrees at the sound.

Xie Jinhuan asked for a lotus leaf to hold the meat cubes and also turned back with a smile:

"Good morning, Miss Mo Mo."

Linghu Qingmo hadn't noticed before, but now, facing him and looking closely, he discovered Xie Jinhuan's robe was quite exquisite; the fabric of uncommon quality was edged with silver thread, the belt embroidered with cloud patterns, and a warm jade inlaid in the center.

His jet-black long hair was also neatly groomed, complemented by his handsome features and those cold spring eyes devoid of any desire; the visual impact was truly quite strong...

Linghu Qingmo, caught off guard, was literally zapped by that 'turning back with a smile'; only after examining him closely did he react:

"Why are you dressed so handsome?"

Xie Jinhuan had only dressed this way to appear as a righteous, harmless young hero, so as not to be suspected as the Huozu Sect that digs graves; facing Miss Mo Mo's naked praise, he looked down:

"My sleeve got dirty yesterday, so I just bought one. Is it very handsome?"

You call this 'just bought'?

Linghu Qingmo felt that Xie Jinhuan's appearance could earn him a fortune daily as a male concubine; he wasn't good at praising people, so he simply replied:

"Mm... it looks quite good. But dressed like this, it doesn't match Meiqiu."

"No problem, next time I'll dye her Bai Mao."

"Ah?! (Goo-goo?)"

"Just a joke."

Xie Jinhuan carried Meiqiu as he walked, looking around slightly, and discovered the cold, beautiful beauty before him, who looked ethereal, had big, watery eyes topped with two dark circles under them, so he asked:

"Miss Mo Mo, didn't you sleep last night?"

Linghu Qingmo rubbed Meiqiu; "Where was there time to sleep? The Li family insists they knew nothing about the Sanhe Lou incident; it is said Jingcheng even sent people over to assist in the trial, and the government office is at a loss. As for the demonic bandit behind the scenes, not even a shadow has been found."

"The Wang Fu has issued a death order: everyone must prioritize the pursuit of the demonic qi of Mount Zihui. If no trace is found today, we will report to Luojing and have the Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau come to investigate personally; at that time, I will just happen to introduce you."

?

Xie Jinhuan secretly stumbled; the Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau was the Great Qian's nuclear weapon. If he really came to investigate the demonic qi of Mount Zihui, Xie Jinhuan wouldn't even have time to run, let alone dare to go to his door to pay respects.

Realizing the Divine Punishment was truly coming, Xie Jinhuan naturally adopted a serious demeanor:

"The demonic qi of Mount Zihui is nine times out of ten the work of the demonic bandit behind the scenes; is it true that absolutely no clues have been found?"

Linghu Qingmo shook his head: "All evidence points to Li Shizhong and the Li family, but there are no survivors to serve as living witnesses. The doubts are the three points you mentioned yesterday, but there is no evidence to corroborate that a demonic bandit framed them."

What Xie Jinhuan said yesterday wasn't exactly random; they had obtained evidence out of nowhere, and as soon as they arrived at Sanhe Lou, the mastermind went mad and the accounting clerk died; how could such coincidence exist in the world?

He pondered his recent experiences silently, then suddenly asked:

"By the way, didn't you go back to examine the corpse the night before yesterday? What exactly was the situation?"

"Nothing was found. The rot was too severe; maggots had already formed, just like..."

Linghu Qingmo wanted to make a comparison, but he really couldn't describe that disgusting scene, so he tilted his head to indicate:

"The county government office is right here; why don't you see it with your own eyes?"

If Xie Jinhuan didn't find something out about the demonic bandit and the Li family, Lu Wu Zhen would come to investigate him; immediately, he held Meiqiu and headed toward Wencheng Street:

"Let's go, let's take a look."

Linghu Qingmo led the way; after walking a few steps, he looked again at the sword hanging at Xie Jinhuan's waist:

"This sword of yours is also the standard issue of Mount Zihui; where did you get it?"

Xie Jinhuan hadn't dared to show his sword to Mo Mo for the past two days, but once they made contact, he definitely couldn't hide it; for this reason, he had long prepared an excuse. At this moment, he flicked his finger lightly, revealing the two characters 'Zheng Lun' on the blade:

"The Dharma swords of Mount Zihui are famous throughout the world; I have heard of them for a long time, so I bought an imitation at a high price. Does it look like the real thing to you?"

All Dharma swords of Mount Zihui look the same; only the inscribed characters differ slightly. The Zheng Lun sword has been lost for a hundred years; in fact, no contemporary disciple has ever seen the genuine article.

Linghu Qingmo obviously wouldn't think this was a genuine family heirloom; he glanced over it slightly:

"Fine quality. The cost must have been high. How many taels did you pay?"

Xie Jinhuan sheathed his sword with a sigh of relief:

"Fifty taels. Worth a hundred Meiqius!"

"Ah?!"

Linghu Qingmo lifted Meiqiu and examined her from side to side:

"She's that cheap?"

"Gugu~"

"Hehe..."

The two chatted as usual, soon walking out of the intersection. In an instant, before the golden and magnificent gates of the Princess's Wang Fu, a luxurious carriage stood parked.

Several pretty and charming maids waited, while around them stood Wang Fu Wu Zu in bright armor; Liu Qingzhi was among them, likely serving as an honor guard.

And the steward Hou, whose appearance could shake heaven and earth and move gods to tears, stood on the steps fanning himself, loudly demanding a bribe from a Young Master in a brocade robe:

"Even the top courtesan of the Flower Pavilion Street requires five taels of silver for tea money first. My master's worth exceeds that of a courtesan. Young Master Liu, you offer ten taels and expect to pass a message?"

"Shh, Steward Hou, such words cannot be spoken. How can Her Highness the Princess be compared to a woman of the pleasure quarters? If Her Highness the Princess were to hear..."

"If she hears, it is contempt for the imperial family! I, Hou, am a servant of the Zhao family; I can at most take a few slaps. Young Master Liu, however, is different..."

"Fine, fine, fine. I'll give it..."

"I already asked. Her Highness the Princess receives no guests."

"You!"

Seeing this bullying display, Xie Jinhuan felt it truly matched Steward Hou's appearance:

"What is this?"

Linghu Qingmo, used to it, perhaps fearing her best friend might see, turned into a side alley:

"Princess Changning is of peerless beauty and holds high rank and great power. She has countless admirers. People come to disturb her every day, so the Princess specifically ordered Steward Hou to block them outside."

"Oh."

(End of this chapter)