Chapter 167: Unraveling the Mystery
Over these ten days, such scenes were not numerous, but they were not few either.
There was nothing she could do. Xie Huailing was so bored. She had no other entertainment. She spent all her time with Su Mengzhen, sleeping later than a dog and waking up earlier than a rooster. She also had to do chores for him. Bai Feifei couldn't even enter Su Mengzhen's room. She didn't even have anyone to chat with, let alone find any fun.
Under such circumstances, she had to face the leisurely Su Mengzhen all day long, watching this person do nothing, and she still had to teach him at night. Heaven knows where he got so much energy, while she had to face a bunch of idiots' writings. She wished she could gouge her own eyes out... As a result, Xie Huailing's resentment rose to a certain level, and the only way she could regulate her emotions was obviously to tease Su Mengzhen. If she couldn't even tease him, then she was really out of options.
Speaking of getting along, Su Mengzhen's personality is hardly witty. It would be fine if he were with Lu Xiaofeng, but Xie Huailing and he could talk about half the world's affairs in a day or two, and the things they said could get them dragged away and beheaded. Lu Xiaofeng could even improvise a story for her. But Su Mengzhen... well, it's better to let him have his way in this regard.
Su Mengzhen himself had tried to come up with some solutions, such as reading some storybooks that Xie Huailing had brought over, but he would close them immediately after turning one page; he was so skeptical that he wanted to pick one that he could read, and to his great "surprise" he picked the one with illustrations, instantly refreshing the list of the first time in his twenty-six years of life he had experienced such a thing; he also chatted with Xie Huailing about interesting things in the martial arts world, but he knew that either Lu Xiaofeng had written about them in his letters or Jin Lingzhi had written about them in her letters.
Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses; you can't force them to do things. Some things are simply beyond their control. Xie Huailing doesn't apply double standards in this regard, so don't make demands on him.
Anyway, she still thinks it's quite fun, but if you ask her to explain it herself, she'll just argue that she's good at discovering the beauty in life. But is that the same thing?
Moreover, how can this not be considered a way to help Su Mengzhen?
Some people, even though they chose to bring things to the surface and laid their story out in the open, and even though they sought a change in her, they ended up regressing and unable to handle her. Xie Huailing still clearly remembered that back in the Beggars' Sect, Su Mengzhen could clearly outmaneuver her. It was as if he had suddenly become enlightened, and even during the time she was ill, knowing his own feelings, he never once lost to her.
So she meant well, genuinely trying to help him. She knew that now that they both knew the truth, he was worried that if he treated her the way he used to, it would seem like he was taking advantage of her, so he was holding back. What, you say it's also because she's become a bit more excessive? That's what he wanted, he has to get used to it. Are you suggesting she change? Dream on.
Su Mengzhen swallowed his cough as he listened to the blush on his face. The discomfort of being called out was still there, but he didn't turn his head away or avoid the conversation. He had been teased to this extent, and if he remained silent, he would seem guilty.
He had to reply, and he still didn't avoid her ambiguous joke. In fact, based on his understanding of her, he knew how to reply most effectively, but he didn't say it that way. Instead, he changed his approach: "That's not what I meant. It's just that your sleep schedule is irregular, and you should adjust it. Besides, if I were to follow your routine, it might not be good for your health."
Xie Huailing's voice rang out: "I knew it."
This sounded a bit resentful, and Su Mengzhen coughed again: "Since you want to, I will go to bed early tonight. As for official business, I will arrange it for you again. The building should be a bit quieter now, and there will always be someone available."
Xie Huailing hummed twice, seemingly somewhat satisfied. She rubbed her face against her arm and began to sing an unknown tune, the one she had learned from somewhere she herself had forgotten.
.
After meeting with Sikong Zhaixing, Wuqing reported to Zhuge Zhengwo that the Divine Marquis's Mansion should start by investigating the jade pendant and Zhu Qiqi's movements in recent months and reinvestigate the matter.
All the actions had to be carried out in secret, so naturally, Sikong Zhaixing was needed. Sikong Zhaixing, of course, dared not complain at all. He made another trip to all the jade craftsmen, big and small, in Bianjing City for Wuqing. He searched for them all, from unknown small jade craftsmen to master craftsmen who charged hundreds of taels of silver for a single transaction.
A thief should never leave empty-handed, but if he didn't leave empty-handed, then Wuqing's reputation wouldn't be so poor either. So Sikong Zhaixing dutifully visited each household one by one, only climbing walls and eaves to secretly inquire when he couldn't find them. After several days of this, he finally managed to gather some information before writing an invitation and handing it to the gatekeeper of the Divine Marquis's Mansion. He even wanted to laugh bitterly at himself, thinking, "How did the 'King of Thieves' end up like this? If Lu Xiaofeng saw this, he'd be mocking me for a whole year!"
Regardless of his thoughts, he did a good job. The invitation stated that he had inspected the craftsmanship of each master craftsman. Although he could no longer remember what the jade pendant looked like, he still picked out three craftsmen with similar skills based on his intuition. He would copy their account books and bring them with him. After all, Sikong Zhaixing was someone who had come and gone from wealthy families, so he still had this much insight.
In addition, Sikong Zhaixing went to drink with his friends from the Beggars' Sect, mentioning some discoveries he had made, which he also included in the invitation.
So they returned to the inn. It was still Lu Xiaofeng's face, and the noisy crowd hadn't changed either; their voices still rose in waves, relentlessly gossiping about江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) matters until they were worn out, still wanting to speculate further. Sikong Zhaixing glanced at them, avoiding their notice, and darted up to the second floor. He flashed behind a few pillars and arrived at his room.
"Chief Constable." As usual, he greeted him first. Sikong Zhaixing closed the door tightly, reached into his robe, and pulled out the ledger he had copied.
To copy all three accounts, one couldn't expect his handwriting to be excellent; just enough to be barely legible would suffice. Wuqing remained seated by the window, took the account book, and began to skim through it, starting with the first page.
Seeing his actions, Sikong Zhaixing continued, "This list details which gangs and important figures they've worked with over the past year, making jade ornaments for them. But these ordinary people don't dare write anything more specific; they can only guess. However, these are only those in Bianjing. There are many skilled jade craftsmen in the world, so it's not necessarily true that the jade pendant was made in Bianjing."
Wuqing understood this principle and wouldn't get stuck on a single point. He asked him, "I heard you write in your letter that you also went to the Beggars' Sect branch?"
Sikong Zhaixing then raised an eyebrow, and his shrewd, monkey-like demeanor rose into the air: "Anyway, we were going to investigate, and since my friend who often drinks with me was also there, I went along the way. I'm not bragging, but Chief Constable, in these matters, your government's connections might not be as smooth as mine."
Such smugness must mean he'd made some discovery. Wuqing raised his hand, signaling Sikong Zhaixing to speak first.
When the opportunity to show off arises, Sikong Zhaixing never hesitates; he clears his throat and begins to sing.
It turned out that he had a friend who worked under Ren Ci, the head of the Beggars' Sect. After Jin Buhuan's death, the friend was promoted to elder and, due to the alliance between the Beggars' Sect and the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion, was sent to Bianjing to work. Sikong Zhaixing brought wine to find him, and they ate and drank heavily together all night, boasting a lot. When it got late at night, seeing that it was about time, he started asking him about things.
His friend slapped Sikong Zhaixing on the back, saying he knew Sikong Zhaixing was up to no good, but he was in a good mood, so he'd ask whatever he wanted and answer according to his mood. Sikong Zhaixing seized the opportunity, turning the questions he was about to ask into the wine in the pot, pouring them out in one gulp, and then revealing everything.
“I first asked him about Miss Zhu Qi. He told me that ‘Living God of Wealth’ and the Beggars’ Sect have never had any dealings. ‘Living God of Wealth’ doesn’t care about the business that the Beggars’ Sect does, so Miss Zhu Qi and the Beggars’ Sect have absolutely nothing to do with each other. But I asked by chance, and just a few months ago, Miss Zhu Qi did come to the Beggars’ Sect.”
Sikong Zhaixing's tone rose sharply at this point, building anticipation, before abruptly changing: "But Miss Zhu Qi didn't come looking for the Beggars' Sect. She only came to find a guest staying at the Beggars' Sect. After finding the person, she left after only a few days, without even meeting Chief Ren, let alone becoming acquainted with him. He was there at the time and saw it with his own eyes. Miss Zhu Qi's manner was truly spectacular, like a raging fire. That Miss Xie from the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion really knows how to tolerate her."
"who?"
Ruthless raised his eyes, and suddenly a flash of lightning struck, causing his mind to buzz.
Sikong Zhaixing said, "Miss Xie from Jinfeng Xiyu Tower, Xie Huailing, known as 'Hands That Cut the Sky,' is said to have a good relationship with Miss Zhu Qi. However, it's strange that Miss Zhu Qi didn't accompany her when she was recuperating from her injuries and left on her own."
After speaking, Wuqing remained silent for a long time. Sikong Zhaixing was puzzled. When she looked at him again, he seemed to be lost in thought, and the light in his eyes had dimmed, indicating that he was deep in thought.
If Sikong Zhaixing still can't figure out what Wuqing is thinking, then he truly has only a reputation to uphold.
Upon closer examination, Zhu Qiqi's status as the daughter of the "Living God of Wealth" is insufficient to justify Ren Ci personally writing a letter on her behalf. This is indeed a highly suspicious point and the most illogical aspect of the events in the tomb. But what if Ren Ci's handwritten letter wasn't written for Zhu Qiqi, but for Xie Huailing?
This way, the matter can be put to rest. Since the Beggars' Sect and the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion have formed an alliance, it is only natural for Ren Ci to be closer to Xie Huailing.
However, this raises another question: given Ren Ci's character, there is only one possibility for him to directly order the execution of Jin Buhuan in the letter: he was certain that this "righteous and courageous" elder had committed a serious crime. But according to Ren Ci's personality, if he were certain on the first day, he would have given the order before nightfall. So why did he wait until the letter to write it down?
Unless he was completely unaware of Jin Buhuan's true character before this, and Jin Buhuan indeed rarely returned to the headquarters, he only learned about it when he wrote a letter to Xie Huailing.
So, for Ren Ci to believe, Xie Huailing must produce evidence. But if she had evidence, why would she need Ren Ci to write a letter to expose Jin Buhuan for using Ren Ci's letter? This in itself is a manifestation of having no other evidence.
Could it be that Ren Ci believed Xie Huailing even without her providing any evidence? But where did this affection come from? She had only been in the Beggars' Sect for two months, and was recovering from injuries for the last month.
No, it might not have been two months yet—Xie Huailing, is he really injured?
Did Zhu Qiqi really leave without caring about her injuries? Was there really only one person on that carriage that left the Beggars' Sect? Did she really never go to the city where Fu Zongshu was killed?
There was also the sudden news of the engagement, the timing of Xie Huailing's return to Bianjing... Wuqing knew he had no evidence, but as long as he put Xie Huailing's name into his mind, so many mysteries were solved on their own.
Of course, this doesn't prove anything, but ruthlessness is clear.
Xie Huailing.
He probably has no choice but to go see her.
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