“Not only that—the investigation in the capital found that besides Qi Ran, Yu Ming, and Xue Mingli being fellow scholars, there was another who sat the same exam—”
Fu Jue’s words drew every gaze to him. He looked straight at Qi Xun. “Yang Fei.”
Song Huaijin sucked in a sharp breath. “Governor Yang?!”
Fu Jue nodded. “Yang Fei was a fellow scholar with those three. Xin Yuanxiu took the military exam that same year, held alongside the civil exam. Thus, all five lodged together at Furong Post Station.”
The cold wind howled outside. Everyone felt the chill deepen.
Xie Nanke muttered, “Then Lord Yang must know the truth of that year. Yet he’s hidden it from us all along!”
Song Huaijin acted at once. “Find Governor Yang immediately.”
Xie Nanke and Wang Su hurried off. Qi Xun said, “The five of them lodged together. Wu Shuang’s death may involve them all. But why did Xue Mingli die in Lotus Village’s pond? Qi Ran and Yang Fei clearly didn’t know he was dead. To them, the one who died was Wu Yue, and the one who vanished was Xue Mingli.”
Silence fell. No one knew the truth of that year. Song Huaijin said, “Wu Yue killed Xue Mingli, but the four thought Xue Mingli lived. What if Wu Yue didn’t kill him? Could they have mistaken Xue Mingli for Wu Yue and killed him, while Wu Yue used the chance to feign death?”
Qi Xun shook her head. “Impossible. They were fellow scholars; they knew each other in the capital. They couldn’t mistake him. They didn’t know the dead man was Xue Mingli. The village believed the dead was Wu Yue. That means only Wu Yue was present when Xue Mingli died.”
She thought further. “If Wu Yue and Xue Mingli weren’t close, perhaps Xue Mingli meant him harm—like Qi Ran luring the killer but being struck down. Xue Mingli may have tried to kill Wu Yue, but was killed instead. Or Wu Yue killed him to avenge his sister. Knowing his sister was murdered by aspiring officials, he killed one himself, then used Xue Mingli’s corpse to impersonate his own death, hiding his identity.”
Wu Yue, once a victim, is now revealed as the killer. Song Huaijin muttered, “If so, he was clever. Better to let the world think him dead than be hunted as a murderer. He had skills from his master—martial arts, tricks. Changing his name and living elsewhere would be easy.”
Qi Xun said nothing. Song Huaijin calculated aloud. “He must have hidden at first. Later, as his appearance changed, he thought no one would recognize him. Then he returned to avenge his sister. The crime began at the station, and the killers had risen to power. To strike them all, the station was the perfect stage.”
It was speculation. Only Yang Fei and Qi Ran knew the truth. Qi Ran’s recovery was uncertain, but Yang Fei still lived. Song Huaijin grew anxious. “Why hasn’t Lord Yang arrived yet?”
He turned to Fu Jue. “We owe you thanks for arranging the investigation in advance. Otherwise, we’d have lost days.”
Fu Jue waved it off. “Even if we suspect Wu Yue, the station is full of men. Can you tell which one is him?”
Qi Xun thought hard. Wu Yue had been frail as a boy. Twelve years had passed—his appearance must have changed. He had rarely shown himself in the village, so no one recognized him. Skilled in disguise and tricks, he could hide easily. Even if she had guessed his stratagem in killing Yu Ming, she could not expose him outright. He knew martial arts, tricks, feng shui, and even Buddhist hell lore. How had he hidden himself?
Qi Xun turned to the registry Liu Yishan had given.
Zhou Wei asked, “What are you thinking?”
She shook her head. “If it’s Wu Yue, he wouldn’t have returned early. I’ll check how long each suspect has been at the station. That may narrow it down.”
She read: “Hu Li, from Tanzhou City, has been here for six years. Song Ming, from Mingyang County, five years. Xu Li, from Yunyang County, five years…”
“A man’s appearance changes greatly only over time. Three to five years is too short. Seven or eight years, perhaps. Villagers wouldn’t recognize him. But someone like Brother Li would. So he must have joined the station only in recent years. That narrows it to four or five men.”
She studied the names, but could not decide. Just then, Xie Nanke rushed in. “My lord, Governor Yang is missing. The Tanzhou yamen men don’t know where he went. This afternoon, they were ordered elsewhere. He didn’t say where he was going. The last sighting was at Minghua Hall, heading toward the main gate. With all men deployed, the gate was unguarded. We don’t know if he left the station.”
“Left the station?” Song Huaijin barked. “Is he trying to flee?”
Xie Nanke shook his head. “His attendants say he only took his short sword, no luggage.”
Song Huaijin glanced at the darkening sky. “He came with little. If he flees, traveling light is best. Last night, he was with Qi Ran. He knew the capital’s findings would arrive soon. Fear drove him to escape at dusk. Nanke, send men to pursue him!”
He turned to Fu Jue. “Heir, please rest. If Yang Fei flees, the killer’s identity remains hidden. He’s among the runners. Cornered, he may lash out. His martial skill is not weak.”
Fu Jue frowned, then ordered Lin Wei. “Stay and assist.”
Lin Wei agreed. Shen Lin pushed Fu Jue away. As he left, Song Huaijin gripped his sword and strode out.
Qi Xun hadn’t expected Yang Fei to flee at this moment. She set aside the registry and followed.
Under the eaves, Xie Nanke had already gathered three men. He said to Song Huaijin, “My lord, we’ll fetch horses. Since he’s the governor of Tanzhou, I suspect he’s fleeing toward Tanzhou.”
Song Huaijin agreed. “That’s my thought as well. Go, pursue him at once!”
Xie Nanke departed with his men. Song Huaijin’s face darkened. “At this hour, pursuit is difficult. If he escapes, finding him again will be like searching for a needle in the sea!”
The station was lit with lanterns, but beyond lay the vast, freezing night. A misstep on the road could mean freezing to death in the wild. Qi Xun found it strange. Even if Yang Fei feared exposure, the records had been destroyed. He still had room to argue. Why choose to flee now?
“My lord—what if Governor Yang isn’t fleeing?”
Song Huaijin turned to her.
Qi Xun said, “The records from twelve years ago are gone. The young heir’s report only proves he hid his ties to Yu Ming and the others. He could claim he feared implication. We’d have no proof. He’s been an official for years, not the sort to panic and run so soon.”
A thought struck her. “His horse—check his horse. If he hasn’t ridden out, he cannot have left the station. The surrounding land is barren. Without a horse, he’d freeze outside!”
…
Xie Nanke and his men led out their horses, mounting to depart. But Qi Xun and Song Huaijin arrived at the stables. Xie Nanke, puzzled, spurred forward. “My lord?”
Song Huaijin strode into the stable. “Is the overseer here?”
A rough stablehand stepped forward respectfully. “What does my lord require?”
Song Huaijin scanned the stalls. “Is Governor Yang’s mount here?”
The man glanced around, then pointed to several sleek, fine horses nearby. “Yes, yes, it’s there. My lord, rest assured—we’ve cared for them well.”
Song Huaijin’s brows eased slightly. “The horse is still here—so most likely he’s still inside the station. Bring in his attendants and question them carefully. Nanke, you needn’t pursue him.”
Relieved not to chase through the snowy night, Xie Nanke dismounted and led the horses back into the stable. But with so many men moving noisily, the commotion startled two horses in the next stall. They neighed and kicked, which in turn spooked the horses Xie Nanke was leading, making them rear and thrash.
The men cried out, stepping back. Xie Nanke and the others struggled to calm their mounts, while the stablehand rushed to soothe the other two. He tugged at the reins, patting their necks, and imitating their neighs. Qi Xun, watching, felt a jolt of recognition—this was exactly how she had seen Xu Li tame horses days before. Her mind leapt to Yu Ming’s death. Once the horses calmed, she stepped forward. “Brother, your imitation of the horses is uncanny. This method of taming them seems very effective.”
The horses, moments ago kicking, now snorted and bent to eat. The stablehand smiled. “It’s not my own trick. Someone taught me. He does it even better.”
Qi Xun pressed. “Who taught you?”
“Xu Li—the one who hurt his foot with the axe. He can mimic horse neighs, dog barks, bird calls—all perfectly.”
Qi Xun’s voice tightened. “Has he ever mimicked human speech?”
The man shook his head. “No. I asked him to, but he said he never imitates people’s voices. Strange, really.”
Qi Xun froze, thoughts racing. Just then, the Tanzhou yamen officers who had searched with Yang Fei came from the east gate.
Song Huaijin hadn’t heard Qi Xun’s exchange. He asked them, “Earlier today, Lord Yang and I split up to search. I searched the western pools and warehouses. He searched the eastern quarters. How did he vanish?”
One officer stepped forward. “We were near Minghua Hall. Lord Yang told us to split up. We left. He had only a few men with him. I saw him walking with someone toward the main gate. I thought nothing of it. But later, we couldn’t find him. That was about half an hour ago.”
Half an hour ago—at dusk. Now night had fallen, lanterns and torches flickering, faint light from the quarters beyond. Song Huaijin asked, “Who was with him?”
The officer said, “A station runner. We didn’t know him. He was guiding and unlocking doors.”
Qi Xun, listening, suddenly realized. At noon, when she went to fetch Shen Lin, she saw Yang Fei with Li Yang and Xu Li. She rushed forward. “Was it Xu Li?”
The officers exchanged uncertain looks. One hesitated. “I think his surname was Xu.”
Qi Xun’s face changed. “My lord, Governor Yang may be in danger! He is the last one who knows the old case, and surely the killer’s next target. With the Court of Judicial Review uncovering more, the killer must strike before the truth is revealed. And—”
She swallowed. “And I suspect Xu Li is Wu Yue! When Yang Fei went toward the gate, Xu Li led him. He must have tricked him into a secluded spot to kill him!”
Her words struck like thunder. Song Huaijin demanded, “Why suspect Xu Li is Wu Yue?”
Qi Xun said firmly, “Do you recall how Xu Li tamed horses yesterday? By imitating their cries. This man says he mimics dogs and birds, too. If he can mimic animals, why not human voices? Wu Yue’s master taught him tricks and sleight of hand. Street performers often specialize in vocal mimicry—imitating speech flawlessly.”
“Lord Yu’s servant said his master’s voice sounded hoarse at noon. I suspect Xu Li’s imitation wasn’t perfect, but it passed as someone just waking. That day, he first disguised himself as old Zhang and carried a bamboo basket to return the corpse. Then he hid in Lord Yu’s room, pretending Lord Yu was alive. Later, he killed old Zhang to silence him.”
“Only this explains Lord Yu’s murder. My lord, it must be Xu Li. He avoids imitating human voices before others, so as not to reveal his skill.”
Everyone grew tense. Song Huaijin’s face hardened. “Nanke, take four men. Search the station, especially the empty quarters near Minghua Hall.” He gritted his teeth. “I’ll check Xu Li’s quarters myself.”
They split up. Qi Xun followed Song Huaijin. Though half an hour had passed, with so many people in the station, she doubted Xu Li had returned quickly.
From the east gate, they reached Xu Li’s quarters. Entering, they saw Li Yang speaking with Hu Li under the porch. Both looked surprised at their arrival.
Song Huaijin asked, “Has Xu Li returned?”
Li Yang shook his head. “No. He’s still guiding Lord Yang. We searched most of the day. This afternoon, I caught a chill and a headache. He told me to rest.”
Song Huaijin’s eyes darkened. He exchanged a glance with Qi Xun.
Hu Li and Li Yang sensed something wrong, growing uneasy.
Li Yang asked, “What’s happened? What’s wrong?”
Song Huaijin pressed, “Do you know Xu Li’s past?”
Li Yang, who lived with Xu Li, naturally knew more. He said: “He came to the station five years ago. Before that, he was stationed with the garrison in Linzhou, west of Tanzhou. He knows some martial arts. He’s from a small village under Tanzhou’s jurisdiction. His parents are still alive, and he has an elder sister. Because of his drinking, he caused trouble several times…”
“Yes, he left the Linzhou garrison because of drunken misconduct. That also caused strife with his family. He rarely returned home in recent years. I heard his sister is married, and her household now looks after their parents. He himself has no ties.”
Parents alive, a sister… This matched the registry Qi Xun had read. To others, it seemed ordinary, but since she suspected Xu Li was Wu Yue, the account felt unsettling.
“How is his martial skill? Have you seen it?”
Li Yang and Hu Li both shook their heads.
Li Yang said, “Never. He’s usually mild-tempered. Sometimes drunk, a bit wild, but even then, he never fought anyone.”
“Has he ever said he knows medicine, or tricks and sleight of hand?” Song Huaijin asked.
Li Yang looked blank, but Hu Li seemed to recall something. “He rarely showed such things. But when he injured his foot, I was there. I remember—after hurting it, he immediately told me to fetch sanqi powder and another herb to stop the bleeding. I even asked how he knew. He said he learned it in the garrison.”
He thought further, then confirmed. “That was the only time.”
Song Huaijin was astonished. Xu Li had lived at the station for five years, showing almost no flaws—aside from imitating horse cries to tame them. Yet he had killed several men cleanly, leaving no trace. To think that as a youth he had used Xue Mingli’s corpse to impersonate himself and escape—Song Huaijin realized how deep his cunning ran. He pressed on. “When Lord Yu and the others came, did Xu Li do anything? Did he meet Lord Yu?”
Hu Li looked at Li Yang.
Li Yang recalled. “That night, yes. They were drinking in Minghua Hall. Xu Li helped deliver wine several times.”
Song Huaijin’s heart settled. They had met. Xu Li must have heard Yu Ming’s voice to imitate it. He grew more certain Xu Li was Wu Yue. Looking out at the cold night, he said, “Come. Let’s find him!”
They turned to leave the courtyard. But Hu Li and Li Yang followed, Li Yang asking anxiously, “My lord, what’s wrong with Xu Li?”
Song Huaijin said, “He may be the killer who murdered Lord Yu and the others.”
Hu Li and Li Yang were horrified. Hu Li blurted, “How could that be possible?”
Hu Li had known Xu Li for five years. Though they had quarreled before, he still couldn’t believe Xu Li was a murderer. “He had no enmity with Lord Yu or the others. Why would he kill them? And Lord Qi had visited the station before—Xu Li was always fearful of those officials, rarely even showing himself near Minghua Hall. How could he dare kill anyone?”
Song Huaijin cut him off. “Then help us find him. Once we do, we’ll know if he’s the killer.”
Just then, Liu Yishan hurried forward. “My lord, what’s happened? I heard Governor Yang has disappeared?”
Song Huaijin nodded. “Yes. And he may already be in the killer’s hands. Xu Li is highly suspect.”
Liu Yishan gasped. “You mean Xu Li?”
Song Huaijin strode toward Minghua Hall, Liu Yishan following, protesting. “My lord, that seems impossible. Xu Li’s only flaw is drinking. Otherwise, he’s mild-tempered. Later, he even devoted himself to Buddhism. How could he kill?”
Song Huaijin shook his head, unwilling to explain. “The urgent matter is finding Governor Yang. Whether Xu Li is the killer will soon be clear. The station is large, but if they haven’t left, we’ll find them.”
Liu Yishan dared not argue further. At Minghua Hall, they met Xie Nanke returning from the main gate. He reported, “We searched all the quarters near Minghua Hall, even the seldom-used alleys and side courtyards. No one.”
Song Huaijin’s knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists. “Wait. They can’t have vanished. The killer never takes victims outside. This time will be no different.”
Yu Ming and Xin Yuanxiu had died inside the station. Qi Ran had lured the killer to the mountain himself. Clearly, the killer preferred striking within the station. But nearly an hour had passed since Yang Fei was last seen. If Xu Li had struck, Yang Fei might already be dead. Even if Yang Fei was tied to the old case, Song Huaijin could not accept a murder under his very nose.
At that moment, Qi Xun pulled out the paper listing punishments in Buddhist hell. “The killer’s murders all follow the hell punishments. Except for old Zhang, the others died by those methods. If he targets Governor Yang, it will be no different.”
Zhou Wei asked urgently, “Will he use a different hell punishment this time?”
Qi Xun shook her head. “Not certain. Though the last three victims suffered different punishments, I believe he chose according to their sins.”
“Yu Ming died by the Black Rope Hell, a punishment for killing. Xin Yuanxiu died by the Crying Hell, punishing killing, and possibly lust. Qi Ran suffered the Reviving Hell, punishment for killing and slander. So far, the killer has used three hell punishments. The remaining ones are—”
“The Burning Hell, the Crowded Hell, the Great Burning Hell, the Great Crying Hell, and finally the Avīci Hell.”
“The Avīci Hell punishes the gravest sins—killing parents, killing arhats. That doesn’t fit this case. The Burning and Great Burning Hells punish false views, slander, arson, and harming living beings. Only the Great Crying Hell and the Crowded Hell punish killing, theft, and lust—these connect to the case.”
Zhou Wei’s eyes lit. “So the killer may use one of those on Governor Yang?”
Qi Xun spoke faster. “The Great Crying Hell—guards boil sinners in scalding soup, revive them with karmic winds, then roast them on hot iron pans, repeating endlessly, causing unbearable agony and screams.”
Zhou Wei exclaimed, “That’s much like General Xin’s Crying Hell, only worse.”
Qi Xun nodded. “The Crowded Hell, also called the Crushing Hell—iron mountains topple onto sinners, crushing their bodies to pulp.”
Zhou Wei and Song Huaijin shuddered. Song Huaijin said, “If the killer uses the Great Crying Hell…?” He ordered a runner, “Check the boiler room. See if anything unusual.”
The runner left. Song Huaijin asked Liu Yishan, “Is there any place like a boiler room here?”
Liu Yishan shook his head. “No. Only small kitchen stoves—nothing deadly.”
“What about iron mountains? Any large iron objects?”
The killer didn’t replicate punishments literally, but adapted them. Liu Yishan thought, then shook his head. “No. Only ordinary iron—swords, ornaments, kitchen pots and bowls.”
“Any iron cabinets or chests?”
Still, he shook his head. Song Huaijin felt stymied. Just then, Zhu Yun and Wang Su returned from the north.
Wang Su reported, “My lord, we searched the north, even the burned courtyard. No one.”
Song Huaijin’s unease grew. “So long… Lord Yang may already be dead.” He narrowed his eyes over the station. “But Xu Li hasn’t appeared. If he struck, he should show himself afterward. Jiang Ming hasn’t returned—see if he found anything.”
Zhu Yun said, “Jiang Ming is searching the western courtyards.”
As they waited, Qi Xun studied the paper again. The boiler room had been used before. Now, with nightfall, guards would be posted—too risky. Dismemberment was too troublesome. Only facial mutilation was simple. Yang Fei carried a short sword—if seized, it could serve.
Her gaze swept the dark corners. Such killing left blood. Yang Fei might even escape. With so many eyes in the station, where could the killer hide?
When Jiang Ming and the runner from the boiler room returned, Qi Xun had already stepped toward the main gate. Jiang Ming reported no anomalies in the west. The runner said the boiler room had been guarded all day—no sign of Xu Li.
Then Qi Xun’s eyes caught a looming silhouette by the main gate. “Have you searched the Drum Tower?”
The Drum Tower stood beside the gate, against the outer wall, its door opening inside. A landmark of the station. She asked, and Xie Nanke replied, “It was locked. They said no one goes there, so we didn’t search.”
Liu Yishan said, “You suspect Lord Yang is in the Drum Tower? Impossible. It’s decorative, always locked. The second floor has open windows. Inside is only a bronze drum. We don’t even clean it—”
“Bronze drum? How big is it?” Qi Xun asked sharply.
“About the size of a large Eight Immortals table, maybe even bigger…”
Qi Xun immediately turned to Song Huaijin. “My lord—the Crowded Hell—”
Song Huaijin thought of the Crowded Hell punishment, where iron mountains topple and crush sinners into pulp. Even without iron, a bronze mountain could serve. He stepped forward at once. “Come, let’s check the Drum Tower!”
Minghua Hall was close to the main gate. They followed the corridor out and soon reached the Drum Tower. The small door beneath was narrow, its chains rusted, a corroded bronze lock hanging there. Lanterns and torches lit the night, casting bright light. The second floor’s lattice windows gaped black, wind whistling through, sounding like low sobs in the cold night.
Song Huaijin went first to inspect the lock. Though the chains looked secure, at his tug they fell away. He started in alarm, the others too. Picking up the lock, he frowned. “The core is broken. The rust around the keyhole has flaked. This lock has been tampered with…”
As his words fell, the Court of Judicial Review officers held their breath, then instinctively placed hands on their swords. At that moment, a station runner cried out in terror: “Listen—don’t you hear someone calling out?”
Everyone was already on edge. His words sent a chill through them, hearts pounding.
Liu Yishan barked, “Nonsense! The lord is investigating. Don’t spread wild tales.”
“No, truly—someone is calling—” This time it was Zhou Wei. He stared fearfully at the dark second floor of the Drum Tower. “Qi Xun, listen! I hear heavy breathing, groaning… it can’t be…”
Terrified, Zhou Wei clutched Qi Xun’s sleeve. As he fell silent, the wind seemed to pause.
In that eerie stillness, Qi Xun too caught the sound of a groan. She said at once, “My lord—someone is up there!”
She dismissed talk of ghosts. If there was sound, it meant someone was alive.
Song Huaijin drew his sword. He seized a torch, kicked open the small door, and stepped inside. The first floor was a cramped, windowless chamber. A steep wooden staircase led straight up. The torchlight revealed only shadows and gusts of cold wind.
Song Huaijin snorted and began to climb.
Qi Xun, closest, instinctively moved to follow. But a sword hilt barred her way. She turned to see Lin Wei suddenly at her side. He said, “Danger. Stay back, Miss Qi.” He stepped ahead into the tower.
Qi Xun, surprised, hesitated, then followed. As a coroner, her senses were sharp. Halfway up, she smelled blood. Her heart pounded. Ahead, Song Huaijin and Lin Wei reached the second floor—and froze.
Qi Xun’s pulse jumped. She hurried up. Lin Wei seemed to hesitate, but then stepped aside.
Qi Xun saw blood everywhere.
The bronze drum lay toppled. Yang Fei was pinned beneath it from the waist down. Bright red blood streamed from him, spreading across the floor like a river. His hands clawed weakly at the ground, fingers bleeding. The more he struggled, the more his crushed waist tore apart. He groaned helplessly, each breath spilling more blood from his lips.
In the corner beside the drum sat a shadowy figure, calm as a ghost. Song Huaijin swung the torch, and its flare revealed a familiar yet strange face.
Xu Li. It was truly Xu Li.
The others crowded up, stunned by the sight. The “hell punishments” were no mere metaphor—Xu Li was enacting them literally.
“You came too late. He’s nearly gone.”
No one moved to save Yang Fei. All knew he was beyond saving. Xu Li spoke with eerie calm, his voice empty, as if freed of desire.
Liu Yishan stammered, “Xu Li… it’s really you!”
Torches and lanterns lit the chamber like day, but Xu Li’s face remained in shadow. His cold gaze fixed on Yang Fei’s futile writhing.
A chill spread through them all.
Song Huaijin demanded, “Why don’t you run?”
Blood covered the floor. Yang Fei had been trapped for some time. Xu Li could have fled the tower, the station. But he hadn’t. He sat watching, as if performing a ritual.
“No more running.” Xu Li’s eyes met Song Huaijin’s. “I can’t run anymore.”
The officers gripped their swords. The station runners stood tense. Yet Xu Li looked harmless, slumped, resigned.
Song Huaijin clenched his teeth at Yang Fei’s broken body. “Take him!”
Xie Nanke and Zhu Yun stepped forward. Xu Li offered no resistance. Though skilled in martial arts, he let himself be seized. Zhu Yun easily dislocated his arm. Xu Li neither cried nor fought, only allowed himself to be shoved down the stairs.
The others stared at him like a monster, unable to accept that he was the killer.
Song Huaijin crouched by Yang Fei. He grasped Yang Fei’s elbow.
Yang Fei’s eyes flickered back to awareness, staring at him. Bloodied fingers clutched Song Huaijin’s sleeve, pleading for salvation.
Song Huaijin let him hold on. But within moments, Yang Fei’s wide eyes went still.
“Search the second floor!” Song Huaijin ordered. “Lift the drum!”
The bronze drum was even larger than Liu Yishan had described. Because it was solid, four or five Court of Judicial Review officers could not lift it. Only when the station runners crowded in together did they manage to set it upright.
Yang Fei’s body was a horrific sight. Two runners fled downstairs to retch. Qi Xun stepped through the blood to examine the drum’s base. At the center was a stone foundation, supported by wooden frames on either side. Now, both frames had collapsed, each showing clear saw marks.
When Wang Su and Xie Nanke lifted Yang Fei’s corpse, Qi Xun found beside him a bamboo incense tool and a bloodstained paper packet. She opened it—it contained the missing Drunken Immortal Peach seed powder from the station pharmacy.
The trap laid for Yang Fei was plain to see.
Holding the packet, Qi Xun said, “My lord, the medicine we searched for was hidden in the Drum Tower. The drum’s supports had been tampered with long ago—perhaps when Xin Yuanxiu and Qi Ran were here, perhaps after the Laba festival during those four days. He had already planned where to kill. Today, he used the drum to finish Yang Fei.”
A bronze mountain toppled, crushing flesh to pulp.
Song Huaijin was filled with self-reproach. Time and again, they had been a step too late. Xu Li had risked everything to set this trap, and still they had failed to save Yang Fei. Gritting his teeth, Song Huaijin said, “Interrogate him tonight!”
Leaving men to clean the scene, Song Huaijin brought Qi Xun to Minghua Hall. Xu Li was escorted back, kneeling properly on the floor.
Song Huaijin strode to the head seat and slammed his sword onto the table. “Wu Yue—speak. Begin from twelve years ago, when you killed Xue Mingli!”
Xu Li lifted his gaze. “I want to see my sister’s remains.”
Song Huaijin’s eyes narrowed. “You killed Xue Mingli, yet don’t even know where your sister’s bones lie?”
Xu Li knew there was no escape now. He pressed his lips, then chose to cooperate. “It wasn’t I who wanted to kill Xue Mingli. He wanted to kill me. I had no choice. When he died, I only knew my sister had been murdered by those beasts. I never knew where her bones were.”
“The other four—one from a great family in Lingnan, one a wealthy magnate of Suzhou, and two from scholarly households. Soon they would all become officials, wielding power. I had killed a man. They would never spare me.”
Xu Li’s voice was cold. “I knew—I could only die once, to live again.”