The creaking sound of the Wu Tian Sword Pavilion’s main door opening from the inside drew the attention of Yun Yiyi and Yun Jiujiu, who were staring at each other by the entrance.
Seeing Ye Anping emerge, Yun Yiyi quickly picked up the tea ordered by an Yi Shui Peak disciple. “Young Master Ye, this is Qingbai tea from the Sword Sect, which has a calming effect. You’ve been inside for so long, have some to relax.”
Ye Anping politely removed his mask and bloodstained gloves. He took the cup of tea and sipped it. Indeed, the sweet aftertaste of the tea over his tongue suppressed the smell of blood that had filled his nostrils earlier, and his mind and body felt much more relaxed.
“Thank you, Eldest Miss.”
“There’s no need to thank me for pouring a cup of tea for my husband,” Yun Yiyi replied.
The two of them, radiating affection, seemed to be glowing. Yun Jiujiu, standing to the side, watched them with a look of utter disdain, though a hint of annoyance was mixed in. Seeing Feng Yu Die also coming out, she glanced around. Having prepared nothing, she finally grabbed the Jade Gourd hanging from her waist, walked up, and clapped it over Feng Yu Die’s mouth.
“Huh?”
“Mmph?”
Before Feng Yu Die could react, Yun Jiujiu stuffed the Jade Gourd into her mouth and shook it. “Here! I’ve also prepared something to soothe your nerves for you. This is twenty-year-old Qiongnu wine! It’s very good. I’m reluctant to drink it myself usually.”
Gulp, gulp, gulp— The wine flowed down her throat, potent and burning, making Feng Yu Die’s eyes roll back. Wine streamed from her nostrils. Finally, she held her breath and pushed Yun Jiujiu away with all her might, barely managing to stay alive.
“Cough, cough—” Feng Yu Die wiped her nose and mouth, unable to help but curse, “Do you want to kill me?!”
“Ah…” Yun Jiujiu was stunned. “You don’t like it?”
Yun Yiyi, who could no longer watch, sighed lightly. She waved her hand, signaling an Yi Shui Peak disciple waiting nearby to bring a cup of tea to Feng Yu Die. “Young Master Feng, how about a cup of tea to calm down?”
Yun Jiujiu immediately frowned and glared. “Who wants to drink your broken tea? Yu Die, don’t you think so…”
Just as Yun Jiujiu was about to swat the teacup away, Feng Yu Die was faster. She caught the cup, tilted her head back, and drank it down quickly. After a hiccup, she said, “Thank you, Eldest Miss Yun. You saved my life, you saved my life… Phew—”
“You’re welcome,” Yun Yiyi replied with a smiling nod. She glanced at her second sister, seeing her embarrassed and clinging to her toes, biting her lips. Yun Yiyi felt a surge of satisfaction and decided to strike while the iron was hot. “Young Master Feng, if you are following my second sister for Spirit Stones, why not come to my Yi Shui Peak? Whatever monthly salary she offers, I’ll double it.”
Hearing “double monthly salary,” Feng Yu Die’s eyes lit up instantly, but Yun Jiujiu suddenly grabbed her wrist. Yun Jiujiu pulled Feng Yu Die behind her, glaring at Yun Yiyi. “Damn it, Yun Yiyi! Do you believe I’ll beat you…”
“What if you beat me? Second Sister, I heard from Young Master Feng’s accent that he is from the Western Regions. He must be here trying to make a living. Why don’t we have a fair bidding war? Will he stay at your Jian Jiu Peak, or come to my Yi Shui Peak? Let Young Master Feng decide himself, alright?”
“You…”
As they argued, Feng Yu Die suddenly caught Ye Anping making a gesture to her. After some thought, she quickly got back to her senses and interrupted, “I appreciate Eldest Miss Yun’s kindness, but I previously promised Second Miss. So, please allow me to decline.”
Hearing this, Yun Jiujiu’s worried expression instantly vanished. She was truly afraid that “Feng Yu” would be snatched away by her sister. She patted Feng Yu Die’s back and laughed heartily. “Hmph! Brother Yu is a discerning person, he can tell who is good and who is bad.”
Yun Yiyi forced a smile and prepared to retreat gracefully. “Since Young Master Feng has answered this way, I won’t say anymore. However, if Young Master Feng is interested in the future, you are always welcome to…”
“Brother Yu won’t go!!” Yun Jiujiu directly kicked away her step. “He is my person! Hmph!”
“…”
Ye Anping, who had been watching the sisters argue the entire time, couldn’t help but sigh. He took a step forward, changing the subject. “Let’s talk about the case first. This murder case is strange. The twenty-seven people who died were likely moved here after death. Moreover, there are strong signs of deliberate arrangement at the scene, suggesting that the criminals are not just one person.”
Yun Yiyi lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment. “Deliberate? So a group of people was working in secret, and their objective was not to kill the internal disciples of the Sword Sect, but to obtain something else from these disciples?”
“Yes, but we don’t know what they were after.”
“In that case…” Yun Yiyi pondered for a moment and was about to instruct the Yi Shui Peak disciples to take action. However, just as she turned towards the stairs below the Sword Pavilion to speak, Yun Jiujiu stomped on the stone bricks beneath her feet with great force and shouted imposingly, “I object!”
Yun Yiyi raised her eyebrows and looked at her, signaling for her to speak. Yun Jiujiu glanced at Feng Yu Die beside her. “Do you just agree with whatever this little shrew next to you says? Brother Yu hasn’t spoken yet!”
“?” Feng Yu Die looked at her, bewildered, her eyes full of confusion. What am I supposed to say?
“Brother Yu! Tell us, what’s going on with this case?”
Feng Yu Die pondered for a moment, cupped his hands, and said, “My thoughts are the same as Young Master Ye’s.”
“Ah…” Yun Jiujiu was stunned, her face instantly filled with embarrassment. She dug her toes into the ground and pouted. “…Brother Yu, you think so too? Alright then… then it must be like this.”
Yun Yiyi gave her second sister a white eye, speechless. She summoned five Yi Shui Peak disciples from below the stairs and announced loudly, “The five of you, go to the Registered Disciples Hall to find the names of these twenty-seven people. Then, take them and question those closest to them, ask—” At this point, she paused and looked at Ye Anping, asking with her eyes.
Ye Anping understood and leaned in to whisper a clarification, “The time of death is generally within the last five days.”
Yun Yiyi nodded and continued, “Ask about their whereabouts in the past five days, where they went, and where they had been. You have two days to investigate.”
“““Yes…””
“Then…” Yun Yiyi paused, looked up at the golden plaque above that read “Wu Tian Sword Pavilion,” and asked, “Where is Pavilion Master Xue of Wu Tian Sword Pavilion?”
“Replying to Eldest Miss, we haven’t found Pavilion Master Xue. We asked the surrounding shops earlier. They said no one had seen Pavilion Master Xue since yesterday afternoon.”
“Arrange for someone to search for him immediately. He must be brought before me today. And who discovered the scene?”
“It was the owner of the Pill Room across the street.”
“Hmm… Lead us there.” Yun Yiyi nodded, then descended the stairs with Ye Anping and walked towards the Pill Room opposite the Sword Pavilion.
Watching the two walk away, Yun Jiujiu took a deep breath, then grabbed Feng Yu Die’s wrist. “Brother Yu, they’ve left, where are we going?”
“Hmm?” Feng Yu Die tilted his head. “Shall we follow them?”
Yun Jiujiu puffed out her cheeks. Although her mind was slow and she didn’t quite understand what was happening, she knew that if she followed Yun Yiyi, she would always be one step behind.
“Don’t you have any faster ways to find the criminals?”
“…” Yun Jiujiu puffed out her chest and patted it. Bang bang— “All the people from Jian Jiu Peak listen to me, I listen to you! You can order me around as you please. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it! Anything is fine!”
“The marketplace is under lockdown now. I suspect the criminals might still be hiding in the marketplace. How about we search around the marketplace?”
“Okay! I’ll listen to you!” Seeing Feng Yu Die, Yun Jiujiu flashed a smile, then grabbed his wrist and ran down the stairs, charging towards the street.
…
