Chapter 28

The two left, but only Shen Yu returned to the inn.

Now that the officials from the Six Doors have arrived, they will naturally go to the local government office to handle some matters.

Everyone else is fine; this is just normal duty.

But Qin Lie was very disappointed and didn't hold back when he spoke to his old friend Xiao Wuhen: "At such an old age, without children, all he does all day is investigate cases, he's so boring!"

Fortunately, he was able to chat with Shen Yu.

Shen Yu seemed to understand the downsides of being "too talkative" that Qiu Chiyan had mentioned.

The old man seemed unaware of the feeling of a dry mouth.

It wasn't until evening, when everyone had returned to their rooms, that Shen Yu finally found some peace and quiet.

Yao Liuliu propped her head up with one hand and looked at her with great interest: "Thank you for your hard work, Manager Shen."

She always addressed people by their first names. If someone called her "shopkeeper," it meant she either needed something from them or was being sarcastic.

Shen Yu turned to the side as well: "What?"

"Qiu Chiyan's maternal grandfather has been watching you all day, aren't you going to say anything?"

What does it mean?

"Stop pretending. I know you too well. You may be a bit straightforward, but you're still quite shrewd."

Shen Yu winked at her.

"What's there to say? There's no one to talk to me about it."

"Oh, you're acting all wronged now." Yao Liuliu teased. "Our Captain Qiu is quite tolerant. He's talked to you about all sorts of things, big and small, but he hasn't mentioned the most important one?"

“…”

Yao Liuliu rolled over and lay flat, looking smug: "Those government officials just tend to overthink things. In my opinion, it's not a big problem. He has to go to various places to investigate cases, and you're not one to sit idle either."

"How can I not be idle? I still run an inn!"

“You need to support zero people.” Yao Liuliu paused, becoming more serious. “Xu Dahe and Grandma might need it, but it’s not too bad. It’s not like there’s no other place in the world where they can work.”

“Speaking of which…” Shen Yu suddenly remembered something, “What about Grandma’s household registration? She left home alone. If she goes out to find work, she will most likely be disliked or even deported.”

"Huh? There's such a rule?" Yao Liuliu had never heard of it before. People from the Moon Shadow Sect never considered such simple things.

"Anyway, it's very troublesome."

"Then let's find someone we know and see if we can find a safe place for Grandma. Let's ask Qiu Chiyan."

"...You're going to get government officials to exploit loopholes in the household registration system? How could you even think of that?"

Shen Yu rarely had anything to worry about.

She didn't want her grandmother to go back to that house, but if she ever decided to close the inn, where would her grandmother go? Where could she go?

Yao Liuliu wasn't bothered by the matter and fell asleep quickly, leaving Shen Yu alone.

As she watched the candle flicker, that thought came to her again.

The scene tonight is a little different from usual; Longmenlou, the largest and tallest restaurant in Sanhe Town, is decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations.

Conventionally, such an arrangement only occurs when the entire property is booked.

I wonder which rich person it is.

She leaped onto the roof and moved nimbly along the ridge of the tiles. The closer she got to the Dragon Gate Tower, the more abundant the light and shadow became.

Suddenly, her gaze was drawn to something unusual—

On the rooftop, a figure swayed and then suddenly fell.

Shen Yu's heart tightened. She took a few steps and slid down the eaves. She reached out and grabbed the person's waist, pulling her steadily back to the terrace.

The man stared blankly at her, his eyes cloudy and empty, as if half-awake and half-drunk. After a long while, he straightened up and gave a bitter laugh: "Why did you save me?"

"I'm afraid of seeing dead people and having nightmares," Shen Yu began to ramble on.

"Then go back to sleep. I'll start dancing after you leave."

The sound was so low it was almost swallowed up by the wind.

"Why do you want to die?" Shen Yu asked her.

"Who are you? What's it to you?"

"If I see it, it's none of my business. Otherwise, if you die, the constable will come to arrest me tomorrow."

The woman gave a wry smile, staggered backward, tripped on the steps, and fell to the ground.

She didn't get up; she just lay there on the ground, her breathing slightly disordered, as if she had finally exhausted all her strength.

Shen Yu stepped forward.

The food and wine on the table had gone cold; the sumptuous dishes had barely been touched, but the wine jar was half empty.

"You're treating yourself well by having such a good last meal."

"Because... no one is kind to me anymore... only myself..." the woman's voice was muffled.

"Then where did you get the money to eat out?"

The woman sat up abruptly, her eyes still wet with tears: "Who are you! How dare you speak so rudely!"

"My name is Shen Yu, and I run an inn in Sanhe Town."

"...So what..."

The woman froze, trying to remember who she was, then suddenly burst into tears: "At a time like this, only strangers can notice me..."

"You came here alone, and no one would have guessed that you were here to jump off a building, right?"

Shen Yu sat down, picked up a jar of wine, and smelled it: "I've introduced myself, it's your turn."

The woman stared at her for a while, seemingly used to her blunt, almost cold tone, and replied, "Bai Xinrong..."

Shen Yu felt the name sounded familiar, and suddenly realized, "Bai Qing'e is your father?"

"yes…"

"Are you under too much pressure from participating in the Hundred Gates Sacrifice?"

"...What?! I'm not participating in the competition... It's just that the people who could participate are no longer here."

Bai Xinrong lowered her head, her fingers digging into the rim of the wine jar. Her voice choked, and she couldn't help but cry again.

"You mean Qin Yi?" Shen Yu realized that Bai Xinrong wanted to die because of that already dead person. "Why? Because she didn't know who killed him?"

"You understand nothing! You don't understand the pain of losing your lover and living on alone!"

Bai Xinrong's voice suddenly rose, as if emotions that had been suppressed for too long had finally broken free of their restraints. She abruptly looked up, her eyes filled with tears and candlelight, looking utterly disheveled.

"Then go and find out who killed him? Since he's so powerful, there shouldn't be many people who could kill him." Shen Yu's emotions were completely opposite to hers; she simply looked at her calmly.

Her tone was calm, a stark contrast to the other person's breakdown. That composure carried neither pity nor judgment, but rather an attempt to state and discuss.

Perhaps influenced by her emotions, Bai Xinrong gradually composed herself: "We can't find anything. There are so many people in Sanhe Town. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack."

“Scars, martial arts skills, moves, the angle of the blade—if you trace back, there will always be clues.”

"...You make it sound so easy!"

"Are you really investigating properly? Why aren't you investigating together with the Guanzhong Knife Society?"

Bai Xinrong was stunned for a moment, tears still flowing, but her eyes showed more hesitation and rationality.

Of course she tried.

But the father didn't want the scandal to be exposed, and he didn't want to be looked down upon.

Even after privately contacting members of the Guanzhong Knife Society, they were unwilling to allow outsiders to have too much contact with them.

Both sides were afraid of losing face and of having their weaknesses exposed.

Therefore, based on obvious considerations, both sides chose not to reveal their strength and chose to remain silent.

Even if they each lost two outstanding disciples or even successors, even if they were burdened with unsolved cases.

Her father even advised her to try accepting Chen Lang.

Seeing that she remained silent, Shen Yu asked the question she least wanted to touch upon: "If we analyze it from the perspective of benefiting from it, who do you think it might be?"

"...Who exactly are you?" Bai Xinrong finally sobered up, and her gaze towards Shen Yu became more wary.

“Chen Yu”.

"Based on what you've said to me today, I could kill you."

"You can't do it."

Bai Xinrong couldn't see through her.

Knowing who he is and feeling no threat whatsoever—this composure suggests he might be a reclusive master.

Why are you here in the middle of the night?

"I couldn't sleep, so I came to check on the Dragon Gate Tower since it was all set up." Shen Yu got up, feeling that there was no point in continuing to talk to her. "Don't try to kill yourself. There are still many things you can do, whether it's remembering the past or seeking revenge. It's much better than getting drunk and jumping off the building here."

After saying that, she jumped out of the window.

Bai Xinrong jumped up in surprise, but Shen Yu was nowhere to be seen.

.

The next day, just as Shen Yu was serving freshly brewed tea in the lobby, a nimble figure darted in through the door.

"Chen Yu!"

"...Are you sober now?"

Bai Xinrong looked quite different today compared to last night. She was dressed in a smart outfit and carrying a thin sword, and looked much more energetic.

“I’ve asked around about you, and you seem to be very capable. I want to hire you to help me investigate Qin Yi’s death.”

"No." Shen Yu refused decisively.

"Why? I can give you a lot of money."

"I'm not greedy. The money I make at the inn is enough for me to make a living."

"...You clearly told me last night that I should do something meaningful, so why are you pouring cold water on my enthusiasm now?"

Bai Xinrong blushed slightly. She hadn't expected Shen Yu to be so cold-hearted, not even offering a polite word of comfort.

"You're the one who's going to do it; I don't even know Qin Yi. Besides, why do you think that your words don't carry weight, but that if I get involved, people will listen?"

"I understand, you gave up when faced with a difficult situation."

Shen Yu poured her a glass of water. Bai Xinrong raised her head slightly, proud of her provocation, and drank the water in one gulp.

"I'm not going."

"ha?!"

"What's all this noise about?"

Qin Lie came downstairs and happened to run into two girls talking, so he came out to help them out.

"It's nothing." Shen Yu didn't intend to elaborate, but Qin Lie had already heard most of it.

Based on the names, guess the cause and effect. If nothing unexpected happens, it's about a mysterious person committing murder.

This time, Qin Lie sided with Shen Yu. He stood in front of her and said to Bai Xinrong, "You silly girl, you're just asking someone to help you with this kind of thing. Aren't you just asking for trouble? Your family is so big and powerful, but my granddaughter only has this one inn to rely on. If she really gets targeted by the murderer, who will support her?"

Bai Xinrong wasn't an unreasonable person; she was actually a little guilty.

She had no other choice but to seek out someone she had only met once.

But Qin Lie didn't make any absolute statements: "If you want to investigate the case, I heard that the chief constable of the Six Doors has arrived. Why don't you go find them?"

“…government officials…” Bai Xinrong looked troubled, as she had never dealt with people from the imperial court before.

“I know your difficulties. The martial world and the imperial court are clearly separate, but if you are determined and willing to go all out, you can give it a try.” Qin Lie softened his tone. “However, you have to think it through. No matter who investigates, the resistance will be enormous. Moreover, you have to be prepared to be abandoned by everyone. This is not something that can be covered up by simply being ignorant. At that time, it may not just be a matter of face.”