The vermilion gates of Jingyuan slammed shut behind Xin Jiuwei, shutting out the stench of blood and the chilling winds of the official road outside the city, but unable to contain the churning hatred and anxiety in her heart. Xiao Xun's final, icy commanding gaze was etched into her soul. She understood his intention—to use her as bait to lure the enemy out, but the bait had to be firmly held in the fisherman's hands, otherwise it would be aiding the enemy.

Back in the familiar warm room, the strong smell of medicine couldn't dispel the lingering stench of blood. Xin Jiuwei sat down wearily, her chest aching from the earlier jolt and emotional turmoil. Xin Kui immediately brought her warm water and pills.

"Miss, take your medicine first." Xin Kui's voice was filled with concern.

Xin Jiuwei did not refuse and silently took the medicine. The bitterness spread on her tongue, but it was nothing compared to the anguish in her heart. Her aunt's fate was unknown, the murderer was at large, and she was trapped here, filled with hatred, with nothing to do but wait.

“Xin Kui,” her voice was a little hoarse, “have someone…find a way to find out about my aunt’s situation, by any means necessary, I need to know the latest news.” She couldn’t go herself, but she had to know.

“Yes, Miss.” Xin Kui nodded solemnly.

In the days that followed, Jingyuan once again became an information island. You Ye continued to appear on time every day, bringing various expensive tonics and conveying Xiao Xun's instruction to "rest and recuperate," but he didn't mention a word about the city's search or the old lady's injuries. Xin Jiuwei stopped asking questions and simply took her medicine and rested every day without fail, trying her best to recover her strength. She forced herself to remain calm, like a lurking cheetah, accumulating strength and waiting for the only possible opportunity to strike.

Xin Kui, through a distant relative who had been procuring supplies for the household, finally managed to bring back some vague news after much difficulty: the old lady of the Marquis of Zhongyong was seriously injured and had been on the verge of death. Fortunately, the head of the Imperial Hospital, Lord Lin, personally treated her, and with the assistance of Miss Lin Wanyi using her family's secret techniques, she was barely kept alive, but she has not yet woken up, and her condition remains critical. As for the search... the whole city is on edge, with the Jingzhao Prefecture, the Five City Garrison Command, and the Sixth Prince's personal guards conducting round-the-clock searches, arresting many suspicious individuals or people with scars on their faces or mobility issues, but none of them seem to be the real culprit.

Xin Jiuwei listened, her heart sinking deeper and deeper. Her aunt's injuries pained her, but Qi Huaiyu's reappearance only served as a constant alarm bell in her mind. He was like a slippery, venomous snake, always finding the darkest crevice to hide in. Xiao Xun had laid a trap, yet he vanished as if into thin air. This could only mean one thing—Qi Huaiyu possessed a far more secretive and powerful hideout and network of connections in the capital, or rather, within Xiao Xun's sphere of influence, than they could have imagined! Behind this lay not only the influence of the Western Di, but potentially a deeply entrenched, yet-to-be-excavated, cancerous tumor within the Great Liang court!

Anxiety, like vines, coiled around Xin Jiuwei's reason. She repeatedly analyzed Qi Huaiyu's possible hiding places, trying to find any overlooked corners. In her previous life, before he relied on the Xin family, he had mingled with all sorts of people, especially adept at exploiting the donations from temples and monasteries, the chaos of soup kitchens, and even... government-run or semi-government-run charitable institutions and almshouses—places where all sorts of people mingled but were unlikely to arouse suspicion!

“Xin Kui,” a glint of light flashed in Xin Jiuwei’s eyes, “when Qi Huaiyu was down on his luck in his previous life, he hid in the soup kitchen of the Yingzhou City God Temple, using the distribution of soup as a pretext to pass on messages. In the capital, are there any large-scale, relatively loosely managed government-run charitable institutions or relief centers, especially those located near poor areas?”

Xin Kui pondered deeply: "Yes! The 'Ci'an Hall' in the west of the city is jointly run by the imperial court and several large merchants. It shelters widows, widowers, and the elderly, and it's quite large, but I've heard its management is somewhat chaotic. There's also the 'Pujiyuan' in the south of the city, which is also government-supervised and privately run. It specifically shelters vagrants and beggars, and it's a large place where all sorts of people mingle. Both of these are good hiding places!"

"Pay close attention to these two places!" Xin Jiuwei lowered her voice. "Especially if there are any new people who have recently arrived, have injuries on their faces but deliberately conceal them, or seem to have difficulty moving but have sharp eyes! If anything is unusual, immediately... no, don't alert anyone yet, write down their characteristics, and when You Ye comes, I will personally tell him." She couldn't risk letting Xin Kui pass on information that might alert the enemy; she had to ensure the information reached Xiao Xun directly through You Ye's line.

"This servant understands!" A spark of hope ignited in Xin Kui's eyes.

Time slowly passed in the oppressive anticipation. Three days went by, and Jingyuan remained calm. You Ye brought nothing but "peace of mind and a pile of tonics." Xin Jiuwei's unease grew heavier. Qi Huaiyu wouldn't remain silent for long; he was definitely brewing a much larger conspiracy!

On the evening of the fourth day, the wind and snow subsided slightly. You Ye arrived again, but his expression was different from the previous days. There was a hint of seriousness between his brows. After dismissing those around him, he whispered to Xin Jiuwei, "Miss Xin, His Highness asked me to tell you... the target has been locked."

Xin Jiuwei's heart skipped a beat! She abruptly looked up, staring intently at You Ye: "Where?!"

“South City, Puji Hospital.” You Ye’s voice was extremely low. “The Shadow Guards have been closely monitoring the hospital for several days and discovered that a ‘Li the Accountant’ in charge of purchasing in the kitchen of Puji Hospital is acting suspiciously. This person is about seven feet five inches tall, thin, with a sizable old burn scar on his left cheek, which he barely covers with his hair and deliberately grown stubble. When he walks, his left leg drags slightly, but upon closer inspection, that dragging… seems to be an act! More importantly, this person rarely goes out and rarely talks to anyone, but every two or three days, he goes to an inconspicuous coffin shop near Puji Hospital! The Shadow Guards secretly investigated that coffin shop. It appears normal on the surface, but there is a secret room hidden in the backyard, and in the secret room… we found this!”

You Ye took out an object carefully wrapped in oiled paper from his pocket and opened it—inside was a half-burnt account book with the words "Fuyuan Pawnshop" printed on it! It was the very thing that Qi Huaiyu hadn't had time to completely destroy when he hurriedly left his old lair in Huai Shu Hutong!

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