The battle against Henghui intensified. Xiao Rou was the first to confront him, but after only three exchanges, she was slammed to the ground, gravely injured. Yang Yan rushed to her aid and managed to pierce Henghui’s chest with his sword. To everyone’s shock, Henghui regenerated almost instantly. Luckily, Yang Qianhuan intervened, forcing Henghui to retreat, though his survival left many unanswered questions.
Yang Qianhuan, Yang Yan, and Xiao Rou speculated about Henghui’s abilities, particularly noting his unnatural arm strength, which seemed beyond human. Unable to discern the mastermind behind Henghui, they were left deeply unsettled. Yang Qianhuan, hearing that a lowly copper gong like Xu Qi’an was leading such an important case, decided to meet him personally, unwilling to let anyone overshadow his brilliance.
The Mystery Deepens
Henghui, now severely wounded, sought refuge at an abandoned well where Hengyuan was meditating. Hengyuan urged him to abandon his path of destruction, but Henghui refused, attempting to consume his senior brother’s life force to recover.
Meanwhile, Xu Qi’an returned to Wei Yuan’s office and found Xiao Rou and Jiang Jinluo heavily injured. Jiang Jinluo, sporting a bandaged body and a swollen black eye, became the subject of Xu Qi’an’s teasing. Based on Yang Yan’s report, Wei Yuan concluded that Henghui possessed skills of the first rank, making the investigation even more perilous. Wei Yuan instructed Xu Qi’an to avoid using aura-sensing techniques on officials ranked fourth grade or higher, hinting instead at bringing a sorcerer along.
To Xu Qi’an’s surprise, the sorcerer assigned to him was Yang Qianhuan. Although Yang Qianhuan’s name was famous, Xu Qi’an struggled to see his face, as the fourth-grade array master skillfully avoided him, his movements light and unpredictable. Despite Xu Qi’an’s attempts to catch a glimpse, Yang Qianhuan remained an enigma.
To win Yang Qianhuan’s favor, Xu Qi’an composed a poem praising him:
“With the sun and moon in hand, I pluck the stars, unmatched in this world.”
Flattered, Yang Qianhuan agreed to accompany him to interrogate Minister of War Zhang Shen.
Using his array techniques, Yang Qianhuan detected Zhang Shen’s lies from behind his back, confirming his deceitful involvement. Yet, even after hours together, Xu Qi’an still couldn’t catch a glimpse of Yang Qianhuan’s true face.
The Tragic Fate of Pingyang
Xu Qi’an received an urgent message via his jade mirror about Hengyuan’s location. Rushing to the scene, he found Hengyuan and the lifeless body of Henghui. Hengyuan explained that Henghui had sacrificed himself to save him and revealed a deeply buried secret:
A year earlier, Princess Pingyang had opposed the emperor’s arranged marriage. With the Earl of Pingyuan’s son’s help, she obtained an artifact to conceal her aura and arranged her midnight escape. Tragically, her trusted aide Zhang Yi, the son of Zhang Shen, betrayed her. During the escape, Zhang Yi bludgeoned Henghui with a rock and attempted to assault Pingyang. She resisted fiercely, ultimately taking her own life with a jeweled hairpin.
Henghui, though mortally wounded, became a vessel for dark magic, manipulated by a mysterious force. Yang Yan identified Henghui’s state as that of a corpse puppet, a tool for dark practitioners.
Following Hengyuan’s directions, Xu Qi’an unearthed Pingyang’s remains. Lin’an, upon hearing the news, rushed to the morgue, devastated to find her beloved sister’s body. She compared the recovered hairpin to her own and confirmed it belonged to Pingyang. Overcome with grief, Lin’an wept bitterly.
Pingyang’s mother arrived shortly after. Already heartbroken from losing her husband, the sight of her daughter’s lifeless body sent her into inconsolable sobbing. Even the usually composed Eldest Princess Huaiqing was enraged upon hearing the news, lashing out at her attendants.
Lin’an’s Blood Letter
Learning that Pingyang’s death was orchestrated by Zhang Yi and the Earl of Pingyuan’s son, Lin’an penned a blood letter detailing Pingyang’s tragic fate. Wearing mourning clothes, she presented the letter to the emperor and court officials during the morning assembly.
The once-cheerful Lin’an, now pale and tear-streaked, recounted the horrific events with unrelenting emotion. She exposed the crimes of the War Minister Zhang Shen and his family, leaving the court in stunned silence. Ministers who had been complicit or negligent trembled with fear, as Lin’an’s grief and resolve brought the weight of Pingyang’s tragedy into stark focus.
