Kangping Lake in Suyang City was once praised by the Empress Dowager of the time as having "water and mountain scenery that are intimate with people, and its beauty is indescribable and infinitely wonderful."
From then on, Kangping Lake became famous, attracting many literati and scholars to visit it.
However, the night was deep and the autumn air was cool. There were few people around the lake. A woman in white walked gracefully over and stood quietly by the stone bridge on the shore, as if she had something on her mind.
With thieves roaming the city, there were even fewer women on the streets. After another hour, Kangping Lake, which had been bustling for a hundred days, gradually returned to silence.
The lake was as still as a mirror, reflecting the woman's clear eyes.
The woman turned and walked down the stone bridge, her graceful figure gradually disappearing into a dimly lit alley.
Strangely enough, this woman, who was probably some naive young lady from a wealthy family, was wandering alone through the alleys of Suyang City.
The woman walked slowly and carefully, finally emerging from the narrow and secluded path and arriving at the door of an inn.
By the dim light in front of the door, it was discovered that the woman was wearing a veil, and her face could not be seen.
The woman seemed somewhat disappointed and was about to leave when she noticed an open window on the second floor, where a young man in a blue robe was looking down at her.
"He won't come."
The boy spoke, causing the woman to furrow her brows.
He rolled out of the window, his figure as swift as a wild goose, landing silently.
"If I am not mistaken, you are Officer Lin?"
The woman frowned even more, and asked nervously, "Who are you?!"
"My name is Qin Luo. We met this morning." The young man smiled, his smile as warm as a spring breeze.
The woman was startled. She did remember him, but she was surprised that the boy had recognized her.
"Let me guess, Officer Lin deliberately pretended to be that weak woman to lure that lecherous thief into making a move, right?"
Qin Luo looked confident. All afternoon, he wondered who could be masked in broad daylight and ride a horse freely on the main roads of Suyang City.
He didn't understand at first, but when he saw the girl's familiar eyes and attire downstairs, he instantly understood most of it.
"How do you know that lecherous thief won't show up?" Lin Shuying asked. This young man was so confident that he had seen through her plan after only meeting her once. She suddenly thought of her master who was in charge of planning in the Si Ming Pavilion.
Lin Shuying entered the city three days ago, and for this plan, she traveled almost entirely in disguise, just in case the lecherous thief recognized her.
Unfortunately, although she went out alone every night, she did not lure the lecherous thief into her trap. Hearing the young man's certainty, she couldn't help but feel suspicious.
"Has Officer Lin ever seen any young lady travel in the night with her face covered?" Qin Luo shook his head. He didn't understand why Lin Shuying, having made up her mind to use herself as bait, didn't try to act more convincingly.
Logically speaking, as a constable, she should know more about the world than I do, so how could she make such a basic mistake?
Lin Shuying blushed slightly. She had indeed thought about this question, but…
"It's just a suggestion, please don't take offense, Officer Lin." Qin Luo bowed and turned to walk back to the inn.
"Wait a minute," Lin Shuying said.
"Does Officer Lin have any further instructions?" Qin Luo asked, somewhat puzzled. He was quite confident in Lin Shuying's ability to apprehend the lecherous thief, and he suspected that she had prepared more than just this one method.
"If it were you, how would you lure him out?" Lin Shuying asked. Qin Luo had pointed out the fatal flaw in the plan in just a few words, and she couldn't help but think more highly of the young man.
"I haven't seen the case file, so I can't make any assumptions," Qin Luo said, shaking his head.
"Come with me," Lin Shuying said, turning to leave. Qin Luo naturally wouldn't refuse, after all, Nangong Muyun had taught him to have the well-being of all people in his heart.
After taking the withered branch, I followed Lin Shuying to the city lord's mansion a quarter of an hour later.
I thought I would enter through the main gate, but Lin Shuying gestured for me to come to the side courtyard wall. With a leap, her graceful figure disappeared into the city lord's mansion.
Seeing that no one was around, I followed Lin Shuying's example and leaped into the air, revealing a quiet bedroom amidst the elegant scenery.
"The city lord doesn't know the specific plans of the Siming Pavilion, so…" Lin Shuying turned around as if to explain to me. I nodded, thinking to myself that it was indeed similar to what I had in mind.
As the eldest disciple of the Si Ming Pavilion, the city lord of Su Yang City could only defer to her. He didn't enter through the main gate because he was afraid that someone would interfere with his plan to catch the thief.
"Where are the files?" I was a little impatient and was about to step into the room when I suddenly remembered that this was originally Lin Shuying's bedroom, and it might not be convenient for a grown man like me.
"Come in and we'll talk." Lin Shuying was quite informal; she closed the door after I came in.
"Answer my question first." As soon as I sat down at the round table in the room, I saw Lin Shuying subtly take out a short dagger.
I thought to myself that such a small trick might fool others, but it couldn't fool me, who had already reached the Divine Transformation Realm.
However, from her perspective, I can understand her completely. If a stranger can see through my plans with just a pair of eyes, I must observe him further to determine whether he is a friend or foe.
"You're not from Suyang City?" Lin Shuying was well-informed and could naturally tell that I wasn't a local.
"Xiuwenshan Lianhuatun, Qin Xuan." After thinking for a moment, I decided to use an alias.
Lianhua Village is Da Niu's hometown, located in a remote area, so it's convenient to borrow it now.
"Then what is it for…" Lin Shuying continued to ask, but I interrupted her.
"I said it was to witness the prosperity of Ningguo and experience the local customs and culture. Does Officer Lin believe me?" I smiled slightly and said calmly.
"Could it be that a celestial being from the lower realm has descended to earth?" Lin Shuying raised an eyebrow, and I was shocked.
"How could you…" I was a little discouraged, thinking to myself that my identity had been discovered as soon as I arrived in Suyang City. It was really an inauspicious start.
"I am an outer disciple of the Changge Sect, and I do not know you…" Lin Shuying's words made me frown.
Changge Sect is considered a second-rate sect in the lower realm. Its most famous member is Gu Hanyan, the sect leader known as the Fairy in Green Robes, who ranks seventh on the Heavenly Talent Ranking.
In order to develop, some sects in the lower realms often seek out disciples with extraordinary talents in the mortal world. Some disciples with exceptional talents are reluctant to give up their worldly attachments, so the sects will teach them the two techniques of marrow cleansing and mind purification. After they have severed their worldly ties, they can return to the sect at any time.
This is a very common practice. Firstly, the Mind Cleansing and Marrow Cleansing techniques are not considered combat techniques, so there is no fear of breaking the rules. Secondly, it saves the Marrow Cleansing process after entering the sect, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone.
But what I didn't expect was that Lin Shuying knew about worldly affairs, which was clearly something that an outer disciple shouldn't know.
unless...
She was highly valued by the Qingge Sect, who not only taught her the two basic techniques for beginners but also told her many rules of the mortal realm.
With a thought, I released a wisp of my divine sense and sensed that there was no trace of turbidity in Lin Shuying's body. It seemed that she had been practicing the two introductory techniques for quite some time, and now she could practice the basic methods at any time.
"Since you know about worldly affairs, you should understand that if I don't tell you, you can't ask."
I said slowly, "Entering the world means traveling the world in a mortal body. Even if disciples from two sects meet, they can only pretend that they don't know each other."
It seems that Lin Shuying doesn't know much about the affairs of the lower realm.
"I apologize for my intrusion," Lin Shuying said, bowing with her hands clasped.
My words relieved Lin Shuying. She had just noticed that my lightness skill was no less than hers, and that my long breath and strong inner strength were remarkable, so she asked a question tentatively. However, she did not expect to break the rules of the lower realm. Fortunately, the young man in front of her was extraordinary and did not take it to heart.
"Please wait a moment, Immortal." Lin Shuying's use of "Immortal" and "Fellow Daoist" made me frown. I waved my hand and said, "Just call me by my name."
"Then please… Young Master Qin, wait a moment." Lin Shuying blushed and turned to retrieve the files from the cabinet behind her.
I took the thick file and immediately began to carefully read through it.
Bai Feizhang, a local resident of Suyang City, has been committing a series of crimes since September, starting with raping a neighbor's teenage girl.
In two months, he committed countless crimes, targeting rich heiresses, farm girls, and even maids. As long as they were slightly attractive, Bai Feizhang would not refuse them.
Almost all the manpower in the government office was mobilized, but all efforts were in vain. The most recent attempt was at the corner of Pingjiu Lane, west of Kangping Lake. Several yamen runners came face to face with Bai Feizhang, but they did not expect him to be so fast. Even with the combined efforts of several people, he managed to escape again.
The strangest thing is that Bai Feizhang was an ordinary butcher before. Although he was slightly stronger than the average person, no one had ever heard of his extraordinary lightness skill.
"Something's strange," I muttered to myself, putting down the file.
"This is why my master sent me to Suyang City."
Lin Shuying naturally knew what I was talking about and said, "For an ordinary person to learn a superior lightness skill overnight and appear and disappear like a ghost, there must be a master guiding him behind the scenes."
"It's a pity that the Si Ming Pavilion is too powerful. I came in secret, but the news still got out. This thief is now even more careful."
Lin Shuying continued, "After I entered Suyang City, it was as if I had vanished into thin air."
I nodded, thinking it was a pity that I had never met this person in person, otherwise I could have used my divine sense to secretly investigate.
"Does Young Master Qin have any insightful opinions?" Lin Shuying asked when she saw that I remained silent.
I shook my head and said, "It seems that we can only gamble that this thief will get addicted and lose patience."
Lin Shuying nodded and said, "Young Master Qin thinks the same way I do, which is why I…"
I glanced at her, wondering why she was still wearing a veil even after returning to her residence. But then I saw her beautiful eyes sparkle, and she gently touched behind her ear with her jade-like hand, causing the veil to fall away.
I gasped and froze on the spot.
With her delicate features, bright eyes, and white teeth, she was no less beautiful than the fairies on the list of beauties. In particular, her air of heroism made her seem even more refined. She was beautiful yet proud, and free yet gentle.
This was the first time I had ever seen a woman with such a unique aura, and I was momentarily mesmerized.
"Young Master Qin?" Lin Shuying called out, her pretty face slightly flushed.
Realizing I had lost my composure, I quickly looked away, thinking to myself that it was no wonder the woman was wearing a veil. With her looks, she would probably attract a swarm of suitors in an instant, let alone offer herself as bait.
Thinking about this, I couldn't help but feel ashamed of my previous thoughts. I thought to myself, this woman is not ignorant of the ways of the world; she understands all too well the allure of such beauty and the world.
"Since Young Master Qin is an immortal who has entered the mortal world, his cultivation must be extraordinary, so we should wait…" Lin Shuying said quietly.
"If that thief dares to show himself again, I will make sure he doesn't leave alive," I said, patting my chest.
Lin Shuying seemed to have been waiting for me to say that, and smiled and said, "If Young Master Qin is willing to help, that would be wonderful."
"I would like to thank Young Master Qin on behalf of the girls who were humiliated." Lin Shuying stood up and bowed. I wanted to help her up, but then I remembered that men and women should not touch each other, so I gave up.
Now that the conversation had reached this point, the two sat facing each other in this elegant boudoir, and the atmosphere became somewhat subtle.
After thinking for a moment, I stood up and said goodbye, "I have been staying at the Yuelai Inn for the past few days. If you have any news, please let me know as soon as possible. It is getting late, so I will not disturb you any longer."
"Very well, given the current circumstances, I must say that I cannot see you off." Lin Shuying stood up and said.
I gestured that it was nothing to worry about and turned to leave the city lord's mansion.