Chapter 27
Qiu Chiyan listened to Qin Lie's terrible ideas for a long time, and finally waited until dinner was served, thinking he was finally free.
As a result, in just one meal, Qin Lie managed to find out most of Shen Yu's background with just a few words.
There were no prominent figures in her family, yet she was remarkably calm and insightful. She spoke with neither arrogance nor servility, and her eyes shone with light, but she was not eager for quick success or instant benefits.
Looking at his grandson's pathetic, sullen eating, he was furious. "This child is hopeless!"
"My son Chiyan has caused you all trouble these days. I would like to express my gratitude for your care and concern."
Qin Lie picked up his cup with practiced ease, his hand steady and his voice clear, displaying an extraordinary demeanor. Although he was over sixty, he was vigorous and his bearing carried the air of a seasoned merchant.
Everyone naturally echoed, and amidst the clinking of glasses, Qiu Chiyan remained silent without raising his head.
Qin Lie downed his wine in one gulp and said, "Although I am old, it is fate that we have met. After the Hundred Sects Sacrifice, if you have nothing else to do, why don't you come with me to Jiangnan? I have a few estates there, and the lake view is most beautiful in autumn, with red leaves covering the mountains. We can cook wine and roast crabs, how delightful!"
Under the table, Qiu Chiyan quietly stepped on him.
Qin Lie seemed oblivious to this and continued to extend his warm invitation.
"...Elder Qin?"
A call from outside the door pulled Qin Lie out of his monologue.
"Ning Yu? How did you know I was here?"
"Ah... I'm here to..." Huo Ningyu hesitated, carrying a huge fire bladder that seemed out of place with his overall demeanor. He looked at Shen Yu.
Shen Yu immediately stood up and explained, "Brother Huo must have come to see me... to deliver ingredients!"
The leader's son came to deliver ham...
Qin Lie silently opened his mouth at Qiu Chiyan: What's going on? Do you know each other?
"They've known each other since they were little."
"Childhood sweethearts? That's not good."
Qin Lie immediately stepped forward with a beaming smile; it was only natural for an elder to show concern for a younger generation.
He pulled Huo Ningyu in front of him, separating him from Shen Yu, and showed concern for all aspects of his life, including food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.
Stop after the meal.
Based on Shen Yu's understanding of Huo Ningyu, his final farewell was likely an escape; he rarely lost his composure like that.
"Sorry, my maternal grandfather... was a bit noisy." Qiu Chiyan apologized to Shen Yu privately, feeling a little embarrassed that the meal had turned into such a lively affair.
"It's nothing. Your maternal grandfather is very talkative and easy to get along with."
"...The problem is that he's too talkative."
Shen Yu chuckled; she had rarely seen Qiu Chiyan so reserved. "What are you afraid of, Officer Qiu? Afraid that your embarrassing childhood stories will be exposed?"
"...What embarrassing thing happened to me!" Qiu Chiyan immediately retorted, but lacking confidence, he decided to quickly change the subject. "How about we go out and hide this afternoon?"
"Who's hiding? I'll go too?"
“…Yes!” Qiu Chiyan gritted his teeth, decided to give up explaining and testing, and pulled her outside.
"Your maternal grandfather is here, why are you hiding? And why should I hide too?"
"Xunsu Pavilion has new tea and pastries; I must go and try them."
Although it was inexplicable, Qiu Chiyan chose a great location. The second-floor terrace faced the street, and when the wind blew, it brought up the sweet aroma of freshly baked sugar cakes and osmanthus sugar wine from the streets and alleys.
These past few days, various sects and factions have flocked here, and today happens to coincide with the Crimson Feather Alliance entering the city.
Dozens of women dressed in deep red walked in a grand procession down the street, each with their clothes fluttering, long swords at their waists, and crimson feathers that shone like flames in the sunlight.
The Crimson Feather Alliance is the only all-female sect in the martial arts world. Founded with the sword, they are decisive in their actions, and their oath includes the phrase "rather break than bend." Their rules for navigating the martial arts world are even more rigorous and efficient than those of most men.
"The knife is so beautiful," Shen Yu casually remarked, but right now she preferred the three plates of pastries on the table.
“The Southwest has its own rules. Gangs that establish themselves there must win the Heavenly Balance Token to gain local authority. The Blade of Night-Shining White is also a symbol of identity associated with the Heavenly Balance Token. The Crimson Feather Alliance has held the token for over ten years, which demonstrates its strength,” Qiu Chiyan said.
Shen Yu sipped her tea and listened to him recount old stories of the martial world: "Then why didn't they forge their own token? Why did they have to steal that Tianheng Token?"
"Who would believe someone who wrote that themselves?"
"That means they don't have the prestige or ability to win people over. They can only waste manpower and resources to maintain an old signboard to save face. An inanimate object can command the crowd, but if a beggar actually finds it, they won't really acknowledge it."
This fallacy is rarely heard, but Qiu Chiyan finds it difficult to refute.
"Where did this little brat come from, spouting nonsense like this?"
Suddenly, a chorus of curses came from the next table. Shen Yu looked over and saw two martial arts practitioners wielding knives, their faces full of resentment.
"What, you guys also snatched that plaque?"
Qiu Chiyan covered his face; Shen Yu seemed to have accurately struck a nerve with someone he had never met before.
Judging from their clothing and weapon patterns, they seem to be from the Frostblade Hall in the southwest.
…They should really have won the plaque.
The two men's faces turned ashen, and the hilts of their knives on the corner of the table twitched slightly, as if they were about to be drawn at any moment.
"Oh dear, what's going on here? Everyone, calm down and have some tea."
As expected of a waiter from a large store, his keen observation skills were excellent. Before any trouble even started, he immediately came to soothe the situation.
"She has insulted my sect; how can we allow her to act so presumptuously here!"
"Hey, please calm down." The waiter pressed him down and whispered, "That guest is also from our Sanhe Town, the manager of Chang Le Inn over there. Have you heard about what happened at Mo Yun Tang not long ago?"
"The person who defeated Shi Yang with a single palm strike?" The swordsman asked, his face full of doubt.
"That's her! And look at the one next to her, he's a constable from the Six Doors!"
The waiter tried to quell the trouble by mentioning some of his identity and deeds, and added a few conciliatory words, which improved the reputation of Frostblade Hall.
The two swordsmen only cursed each other verbally, but ultimately didn't pursue the matter further and did nothing more.
Qiu Chiyan kept his back to them, resting his chin on his hand, his gaze fixed on Shen Yu, a smile playing on his lips.
"It's a good thing you're really good at fighting, otherwise how would you get by in the world?"
"Walk on two legs, walk however you feel like it."
Qiu Chiyan simply found it cute. He shook his head and smiled, then turned his gaze back to the street.
After the group from the Red Feather Alliance had gone far away, the people on the street dispersed again, and the sounds of hawking, cartwheels, and wind chimes returned to the bustling alley.
But as soon as his gaze sharpened, the smile on his face faded considerably.
Shen Yu looked over and saw a middle-aged man, dressed smartly and with a calm expression, followed by a dashing young man.
The two walked one after the other in the crowd, not ostentatious, but naturally attracting attention.
Who are they?
"Bai Qing'e, the head of Zhenyue Hall, and his second disciple Chen Lang."
"The faction that killed people?"
"Yes, they still haven't found out who did it."
Shen Yu finished the last piece of pastry on her plate and said slowly, "They seem to have a lot of free time, even going out to buy things, and what they're buying is..."
She squinted slightly, then looked closely: "Lip rouge?"
"Bai Qing'e has a daughter, who will likely be betrothed to the next sect leader. The candidate for the next sect leader will be one of Bai Qing'e's three disciples. However, Qin Yi is dead, and the third disciple is not a capable person. It seems that Chen Lang is the one who should be chosen."
"So, according to that logic, Chen Lang's..."
Qiu Chiyan stuffed another piece of pastry into her hand, silencing her before she could say anything.
In this situation, Chen Lang is indeed the prime suspect, but this cannot be said in public.
"Let's go for a walk."
Shen Yu followed, wanting to hear him continue talking about the case.
"I couldn't examine the bodies of those martial arts figures, so I asked Brother Huo. He said that in addition to the fatal wounds caused by the cone-shaped weapon, Qin Yi had also suffered fist wounds before his death."
Is Qin Yi very powerful?
"He was a top-notch fighter, so he couldn't be killed with a single blow. He must have been locked in a fierce battle with the murderer."
"But so much time has passed. Even if there were signs of being hit on the murderer, it would be very difficult to find out now, wouldn't it?"
As a government official, Qiu Chiyan had no access to these matters, but the thought that it had almost become an unsolved case always left him with an indescribable sense of unease.
"The person who could make him fight to the death was no nobody. Perhaps they didn't really intend to investigate; they were just putting on a show."
Seeing that he was in a bad mood, Shen Yu stopped asking about it. She reached out and grabbed his arm, her tone becoming lighter: "Since we're already here, I'll take you to my secret shop. Their spiced tripe is delicious!"
Qiu Chiyan was pulled forward by her, slightly startled, but let her lead him.
Although it was autumn, the sun was shining brightly, and the gloom that had been lingering in my heart seemed to have been blown away by the wind.
They turned into a quiet alley, at the end of which was a small restaurant with oil-paper lanterns hanging on the walls, and a wooden sign at the door that read "Old Jin's Delicatessen".
Just as Shen Yu was about to push the door open, she suddenly heard someone call out from behind, "Chi Yan?"
Qiu Chiyan was startled upon hearing the voice and turned to look:
"Master?"
That was his master in the Six Doors, Xiao Wuhen, who was also the high-ranking chief constable.
He was dressed in casual clothes, with slightly graying temples, and a long sword in an old sheath at his waist. A young man was beside him, quietly waving to Qiu Chiyan from outside Xiao Wuhen's line of sight.
"Master, you've arrived?" Qiu Chiyan suddenly felt inexplicably nervous, as if some secret had been discovered.
"We arrived a few days ahead of schedule, before Alliance Leader Huo," Xiao Wuhen replied casually, his gaze falling on Shen Yu. "And this is...?"
"I am Shen Yu, and I run an inn in Sanhe Town." Shen Yu introduced himself shrewdly and calmly.
"You're the girl Chi Yan mentioned who saved his life, right?" Xiao Wuhen was very approachable and didn't put on any airs of a senior. "I should thank you on behalf of my disciple."
"It's just a small favor, and besides, how can we ignore an injured person?"
Xiao Wuhen smiled and patted Qiu Chiyan on the shoulder: "My apprentice is sometimes quite muddle-headed. He gets beaten up and doesn't even know who beat him up, yet he still investigates the case for so long in a daze."
Qiu Chiyan was jolted by the slap, feeling embarrassed and helpless: "Master, why are you saying this?"
"Did you really think I wanted to talk about you?"
Xiao Wuhen's gaze returned to Shen Yu, but his eyes were more detailed than before.
Noticing the gaze, Shen Yu asked, "Does Officer Xiao eat tripe?"
Xiao Wuhen's smile deepened: "Alright, thank you for the treat, young friend."
While Shen Yu went inside to buy things, he quietly said to Qiu Chiyan, "It seems Chiyan is having a good time here."
"...Master, what do you want to say?"
"Oh dear, I can't even ask a few more questions. It seems that once a son grows up, he is no longer under his master's control."
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