“Buzz!”
Wen Ningwan’s mind went blank as a metallic scent of blood flooded her nostrils. The black-clad figure, who had been moving slowly just moments ago, turned to stare at her.
Suddenly, the assassin lunged forward. Wen Ningwan’s vision darkened, her legs gave way in terror, and she collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably as she watched the dagger descending toward her. She wanted to dodge, but her body refused to obey, frozen in fear.
Then, a shadow flashed past. The assassin was kicked violently away, crashing into a table and shattering the furniture with a loud crack.
Wen Ningwan stared dumbly at the person now standing with their back to her. The figure turned slightly, casting a calm glance at her pale, terrified face.
Wen Ningwan blinked, then her eyes welled up with emotion. “State Preceptor,” she choked out.
“…”
The State Preceptor arched a brow, watching as Wen Ningwan gazed at her with teary-eyed excitement, then swallowed hard.
The assassin staggered to their feet, panic flashing across their face at the sight of the State Preceptor. Without hesitation, they bolted toward the window and fled.
The State Preceptor watched indifferently, making no move to pursue. Instead, she turned her attention to the lifeless body of Miss Li on the floor. Kneeling, she pressed two fingers to the woman’s neck and frowned slightly.
“Is she dead?” Wen Ningwan asked nervously.
The State Preceptor turned back to her, still seated on the floor, and nodded.
“State Preceptor!” You Ran strode in triumphantly, dragging the captured assassin behind him.
Wen Ningwan flinched and scrambled backward in fright.
The State Preceptor stood and walked over, then bent down unceremoniously, grabbing Wen Ningwan by the collar and hauling her to her feet.
Wen Ningwan stumbled but quickly steadied herself by clutching the State Preceptor’s arm. The latter shot her a sidelong glance but didn’t push her away.
Wen Ningwan winced as she took in the assassin’s bloodied face even she could feel the pain.
“Who sent you?” the State Preceptor demanded coldly.
The assassin lifted their head, smirking mockingly at her before fixing a chilling glare on Wen Ningwan.
Under that murderous gaze, Wen Ningwan felt her hair stand on end. She shrank behind the State Preceptor, who sighed in exasperation, sparing her a brief glance.
“Watch out!” You Ran shouted.
But it was too late. The assassin bit down on a hidden poison capsule and collapsed, lifeless.
“This…” You Ran looked guiltily at the impassive State Preceptor. “My oversight. I didn’t expect them to have poison concealed.”
The State Preceptor spoke slowly, “Every action leaves traces. We’ll find the clues.”
You Ran nodded, then glanced sorrowfully at the corpse behind her. “What a waste.”
Wen Ningwan turned to look as well, her eyes downcast with disappointment.
“The case is closed. There’s no need for you to investigate further, Vice Minister Wen.”
“Oh.” Wen Ningwan responded numbly.
As the State Preceptor moved to leave, Wen Ningwan clung to her arm, refusing to let go. The State Preceptor turned back, exasperation clear in her eyes as she regarded the still-terrified woman.
You Ran couldn’t help but chuckle. Only then did Wen Ningwan snap out of it, hastily releasing her grip and stepping back.
The State Preceptor strode out, and Wen Ningwan offered You Ran an awkward smile before hurrying after her.
“What are you doing here?” Wen Ningwan asked curiously, peering at the stern-faced State Preceptor.
The State Preceptor didn’t spare her a glance, continuing down the alley. Wen Ningwan pouted and muttered under her breath, “So full of yourself!”
Just then, the crackling sound of firecrackers erupted overhead. Wen Ningwan gasped in delight, jumping excitedly. “Look, look!”
The State Preceptor turned back to her. Wen Ningwan pointed eagerly at the sky, where fireworks bloomed in dazzling colors. “So beautiful! Amazing!”
The Grand Preceptor lifted her gaze to glance at the sky. The fireworks display in Jinling had always been one-of-a-kind dazzling, brilliant, and full of surprises. Many traveled thousands of miles just to catch a glimpse of it.
Watching the excited figure before her, the Grand Preceptor felt a flicker of curiosity. The Deputy Minister of the Court of Judicial Review lived right here in Jinling, how could she still be this thrilled by the fireworks?
“Is that a rabbit? It looks so real!” Wen Ningwan jumped up in excitement, stepping back a few paces to point at another part of the sky.
“Grand Preceptor, look! That’s a pig’s head! So adorable!”
The Grand Preceptor glanced at the fireworks, then turned her gaze back to the woman who was practically bouncing with joy. The radiant bursts of light in the sky illuminated her face.
Her bright smile was heartwarming, and her giddy movements made her seem like a child who had just received a beloved gift. The Grand Preceptor thought the colorful reflections dancing on her light blue gauze dress resembled the fanned tail of a peacock exceptionally beautiful.
For a moment, the Grand Preceptor was entranced, her lips slightly pursed, her deep eyes softening with tenderness.
When Wen Ningwan turned to look at her, she immediately stilled, adopting a poised demeanor as she smiled.
The Grand Preceptor’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly averted her gaze. Wen Ningwan, still grinning, stepped closer and tilted her head. “Did you also sense something was off, so you came here?”
“I went to the tavern and heard from the proprietress that you rushed off in a frenzy after hearing about the mushrooms. So I guessed you’d be here.”
“Oh.” Wen Ningwan nodded. The Grand Preceptor watched as the woman beside her fell into deep thought whenever she pondered something, her hands would unconsciously fidget with the sash at her waist.
“So, you don’t actually know who the real culprit is?” Wen Ningwan asked, her face full of curiosity.
“I do.”
“Huh? You knew from the start? Were you trying to protect Miss Li?” Wen Ningwan stared at her in disbelief, never expecting her to show mercy to the murderer.
“I reviewed the case files submitted by the Court of Judicial Review and noticed the mention of cleaned and dried mushrooms. That led me to suspect the real culprit was someone else. But now…”
The Grand Preceptor looked at Wen Ningwan. “With the Deputy Minister appearing here, I’m even more convinced that Miss Li is the murderer.”
“But based solely on the mushrooms, at most, you could only deduce she had knowledge of it, right?”
“Cai’er and Miss Li were actually childhood friends. Their hometown was struck by disaster, forcing them to flee to Jinling. With no one to rely on, Cai’er ended up in the House of Beauties.”
“It makes sense that out of sisterly affection and guilt, she would take the blame for her. But then, who killed Cai’er? And what about the assassin just now?”
Wen Ningwan’s expression darkened. “Miss Li clearly knew who the assassin was. She even pleaded with them, saying, ‘Don’t kill me.’”
The Grand Preceptor reached out and gently patted her head. “You don’t need to worry about the rest. I’ll handle it.”