Guo Zijie was unaware that his father had ever held an official position. Hearing Zhou Shaoliang’s words, he found them unbelievable. It turned out that Zhou Shaoliang greatly admired Guo Zijie’s father and, seeing Guo Zijie so downcast, had come specifically to encourage him by sharing stories about his father from the past. Zhou also wished to compete with Guo Zijie honorably. After learning about his father’s past, Guo Zijie returned home and reminisced about the moments he shared with his father by looking through old belongings. He unintentionally came across his father’s books and tokens, which helped him regain his spirits. He then went to the county office and immediately saw that all his former subordinates were kneeling in the hall. After inquiries, he discovered that the new coroner had fled with the broken arm evidence. Determined, Guo Zijie decided to handle the “Broken Arm Case” personally to compete with Zhou Shaoliang.
Due to He Chun’er’s sudden disappearance, Guo Zijie felt understaffed. Cao Xuanxuan took the opportunity to suggest that Sun Weiyan return to assist with the case. Guo Zijie didn’t actually harbor any resentment towards Sun Weiyan and didn’t strongly oppose her return. Together, they went to the place where Sun Weiyan taught to invite her. Upon learning that Guo Zijie had forgiven her, Sun Weiyan was very pleased and agreed to help catch the modern culprit. Xiao De, the son of the wine seller Wang Er who was arrested, also admired Guo Zijie greatly and pleaded on behalf of his father, believing that his father wouldn’t commit murder. The group chatted happily, and Sun Weiyan, instead of focusing on He Chun’er, expressed concern for her. Cao Xuanxuan deliberately chose not to inform Sun Weiyan about He Chun’er, and the three prepared to leave. However, as they were leaving, the students were reluctant to see Sun Weiyan go. Sun Weiyan recalled how she was often bullied as a child; these people were much like those who had bullied her before. Coming from ordinary farming families, only education could change their destinies. Upon returning to the manor, A Fu reported that Zhou Shaoliang had buried something at the manor and wanted to meet.
The wealthy merchant, believing he was safe after obtaining the broken arm evidence, was drinking with several women when he heard that the county office had discovered a broken leg. Guo Zijie, along with Sun Weiyan, went to see Zhou Shaoliang. Zhou revealed that another broken leg had been found, but since the broken hand and broken arm were far apart, it couldn’t be confirmed as the work of the same person. To cover up his murders, the merchant deliberately created another case to divert attention. Guo Zijie speculated that the mastermind behind these incidents might be Zhou Qin, but without confirmation, he didn’t inform Cao Xuanxuan. That evening, Cao Xuanxuan was sitting alone in the courtyard. Upon seeing her, Guo Zijie approached to inquire. It turned out that Cao Xuanxuan had overheard the conversation between Guo Zijie and Sun Weiyan. Given Zhou Shaoliang’s high status and power, Guo Zijie, now just a minor county magistrate, found it difficult to counter him and was worried about Cao Xuanxuan’s safety.
The next day, a villager named Li Jiu came to report that his daughter, Xiao Lian, had gone to work at the home of the newly relocated wealthy merchant Chang Zheng but had not contacted her family. When Li Jiu went to look for her, he was told that she had quit and returned home, leading him to suspect foul play. Guo Zijie and Zhou Shaoliang inferred from the previously discovered broken hand and broken arm that the dismembered person could be Xiao Lian. Overcome with sorrow upon hearing that his daughter had been dismembered, Li Jiu was present when He Chun’er arrived at the county office with the broken arm and Chang Zheng along with his subordinates. He Chun’er informed everyone that the broken hand belonged to a man, not a woman. Seven days prior, Chang Zheng had admired Xiao Lian’s beauty, but she had refused his advances firmly. In a fit of rage, Chang Zheng accidentally killed Xiao Lian and initially denied it. Only after being tortured did he admit to the murder and reveal the location where he had buried Xiao Lian’s body. It turned out that Chang Zheng thought the dismembered Xiao Lin (Xiao Lian) was someone they had killed and dismembered, fearing that the investigation might implicate him. To obstruct the county office’s investigation, he paid a hefty sum to obtain the broken arm evidence. Since the broken arm did not belong to Xiao Lian, a new dilemma arose: whose broken arm and broken leg were these? Another mystery had emerged.
