As the sun silently sank below the horizon, the last rays of light faded into the distance. Occasionally, crows would fly by, their hoarse cries sending a chill down one's spine.
For some reason, the closer Su Xiaoning got to the village, the more uneasy she felt. As the sky grew darker, her fear intensified, and she found herself moving closer to the beggar, chatting with him about random things.
During the conversation, the case of Yunjiang Village came up again, and Su Xiaoning couldn't help but ask about the truth of what happened back then.
"You weren't the culprit in the Yunjiang Village case back then, were you? You're willing to help me investigate this case, so why aren't you willing to tell the truth about what happened back then?"
The beggar paused slightly, glancing at Su Xiaoning. Surprisingly, he didn't avoid the topic as before. After a moment of silence, he frankly stated, "I am indeed not the murderer, but I also bear undeniable responsibility. I've been living in the Ministry of Justice's prison for years, which can be considered my atonement. There's no need to say many things."
The past had been buried in his heart for a long time, but now, facing Su Xiaoning, a rare friend, he still chose to tell her.
Su Xiaoning was astonished and hurriedly asked, "If you didn't kill them, then what responsibility do you bear? What exactly happened back then?"
The beggar gave a bitter laugh, but did not answer, a faint sadness showing in his eyes.
He stopped and looked ahead; they had arrived at the small village.
This once prosperous and bustling village can never be the same again. Now the village is desolate and deathly quiet, and the deathly aura it exudes makes people dare not approach it, just like Yunjiang Village back then.
This scene always evokes painful memories. The beggar stood at the village entrance, silent for a long time, before finally speaking.
"You want to know? Then I'll tell you. Back then..."
Through the beggar's story, Su Xiaoning learned part of his past. It turned out that in his youth, the beggar was ambitious and traveled far and wide, making many friends but also attracting many enemies and rivals. He roamed freely, completely ignoring his pursuers, until one day he came to Yunjiang Village. This tranquil and beautiful village was like a paradise, with its simple and honest villagers and beautiful scenery, attracting him to settle down temporarily.
However, his adversaries would not let the beggar off the hook. One day, when the beggar was out, his adversaries infiltrated Yunjiang Village and massacred the entire village. Their methods were so cruel that they were appalling. In the end, they even claimed that the beggar had harmed them.
The beggar would never forget the day he went door to door knocking on the villagers' doors, only to find that all the villagers who had once treated him kindly were now lying on the ground, their deaths gruesome, and no one answered him. Their wide-open eyes, staring in disbelief, were like a silent condemnation.
"...Even now, I still don't know how my opponent did it. How did perfectly healthy people all turn into mummies? I think he's right, I really did harm them, so I didn't leave. I stayed there waiting for someone to come and take me away. I thought I would die on the guillotine, but who knew Jiang Fang would actually save me, so I've managed to survive until now. Who knew the same case would happen again?"
The beggar calmly recounted his past, but a deep, unyielding sorrow lingered between his brows.
Upon hearing this, Su Xiaoning felt a mix of emotions and quickly comforted her, "Don't take it too hard. This matter isn't entirely your fault, so why should you take the blame for someone else? It sounds like you know who the perpetrator is. If you do, then we'll bring him to justice!"
“No, that won’t do.” The beggar shook his head, his expression turning serious. “That person’s power… is beyond your imagination. You can’t catch him. If I rashly reveal his identity, it might bring you all to your deaths… I don’t want anyone else to sacrifice themselves because of me.”
Since the Yunjiang Village incident, he has been tormented by guilt, and now he does not want to helplessly watch the people around him sacrifice themselves again.
Su Xiaoning understood the beggar's thoughts, but she didn't agree: "How do you know I can't catch him if you don't tell me? Don't you want to avenge the people of Yunjiang Village?"
The beggar clenched his fists, but still shook his head in silence.
Su Xiaoning pursed her lips and asked in a muffled voice, "You think I'm not capable enough?"
"..." The beggar remained silent, his silence expressing his opinion.
Indeed, Su Xiaoning was too weak and had no ability to contend with that person. The answer to her question was obvious.
Su Xiaoning's face paled, and she gave a self-deprecating laugh, whispering, "I misspoke. I shouldn't have asked that question. Without the help of the lucky koi, I'm just a useless piece of trash..."
"How could you be a piece of trash?" The beggar sighed softly, then hesitated before speaking. "At least you received help from the Crane Elder, so your luck hasn't shifted too much. Even without the Koi Mark, you won't be reduced to dust."
"Do you really know the Crane Elder? What is your relationship with him?" Su Xiaoning opened her eyes slightly, grasped the key point in the beggar's words, and brought up this question again.
The beggar realized he had spoken out of turn and didn't want to answer, but he couldn't resist Su Xiaoning's persistent questioning. He figured he had already told Su Xiaoning so much, so what difference would it make if he had another identity? He simply confessed.
It turns out he was actually the old crane's junior brother!
Unexpectedly, the two had such a relationship. Su Xiaoning was shocked and wanted to continue questioning the beggar, but the beggar was unwilling to say more. After making a few excuses, he went into the village to begin his investigation.
...
Meanwhile, after nightfall, Su Qingcai returned to the Prince's Mansion.
After calming down, he still couldn't let go of Su Xiaoning. Upon returning to the palace, he went straight to Su Xiaoning's room, wanting to have a good talk with her.
They knocked on the door, but no one answered.
Su Qingcai was a little worried and couldn't help but open the door to the room, but to his surprise, Su Xiaoning's room was empty, with no one in sight, and the beggar was nowhere to be seen either.
Su Qingcai only thought about it for a moment before her expression changed instantly.
Su Xiaoning and the beggar disappeared together, so they must have gone out to investigate a case! Maybe they've already gone to the small village where the crime occurred.
But the village was eerie in every way. What if they went there rashly and something dangerous happened?
"Damn it!" Su Qingcai slammed his fist into the door.
"Even if you're going, you should take me with you. What would I do if something happened to you..."
He muttered to himself, a sense of powerlessness washing over him.
However, simply waiting like this wasn't a solution. Su Qingcai was only dejected for a moment before quickly regaining his composure. Under the cover of night, he left the palace and headed towards the small village to find Su Xiaoning.
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