Chu Xinian was not a martial arts expert, so he had no way to study the principles of light martial arts in this world. But the one thing he could be sure of was that Xie Jingyuan’s light martial arts were not as advanced as those of the high-tech future.
Chu Xinian wiped the wax off his face with a handkerchief and took off his Taoist robe, revealing a white robe underneath. He changed from a long-bearded old Taoist to a handsome young man dressed in a flowing robe. He looked at Xie Jingyuan and asked, “General, do you despise Xinian for not being skilled in martial arts?”
Xie Jingyuan took off his annoying bamboo hat, “Whether I despise or not, what difference does it make?”
Before he could finish his words, he found himself pressed against a tree by Chu Xinian. The other’s clear, cold aura enveloped him completely, “It is too late for regrets now, General.”
Chu Xinian’s deep and magnetic voice rang in Xie Jingyuan’s ear, causing a tingling sensation on his cheeks.
Xie Jingyuan’s breath hitched as he reached out to grab Chu Xinian’s waist and pull him closer. He lifted his chin slightly and narrowed his eyes, “Who said this General regrets?”
Chu Xinian hugged his waist and laughed softly, “I know you don’t regret it, General.”
For no reason, they suddenly kissed. Chu Xinian removed Xie Jingyuan’s mask and, as usual, favored the scarred half of his face. He lowered his head and kissed him passionately.
“Chu Xinian…”
Xie Jingyuan’s breathing became choppy. His voice was hoarse and weak as he threw his head back, feeling the wet, tingling sensation on his cheek. He couldn’t help but close his eyes.
“Chu Xinian…”
He repeated the name over and over, then returned the kiss forcefully. He bit fiercely at the other’s lip, sucking greedily on his tongue as if venting the uncontrollable, tumultuous emotions of his heart.
Chu Xinian’s hand around his waist tightened, making it difficult for him to breathe. Just as they were lost in their passion, Xie Jingyuan’s fingertips suddenly tightened, stopping their movements. He spoke in a deep voice close to Chu Xinian’s ear, “Someone is coming.”
Chu Xinian listened attentively for a moment and indeed heard the sound of horse hooves approaching, gradually getting closer. Slowly releasing Xie Jingyuan, he wiped his lips with his fingertips, staining them with a trace of faint red, evidence of a bite.
Chu Xinian slightly raised an eyebrow, then helped Xie Jingyuan put the mask back on, smirking mysteriously, “Let’s go. It’s people from the Ministry of Justice.”
Xie Jingyuan looked away upon hearing this and saw that the person leading the group was dressed in an official crimson robe, none other than Mei Fengchen. His brows instantly furrowed and his tone turned dark, “Why is it this old man again?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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“…”
Xie Jingyuan noticed Chu Xinian’s stillness and the strangeness of the situation, so he also looked toward the center of the lake. There, he saw a pale, waterlogged female corpse floating silently on the surface. The water stained her reddish robes, creating an eerie shade of dark red. Her face was rotten and swollen, truly ghastly.
Her hair was long and black, stretched out like a spider’s web, intertwined with the surrounding undergrowth. It looked like a twisted invisible hand, adding a touch of strangeness to the silent forest.
Xie Jingyuan had never seen such a scene, and for a moment, he was stunned. Where did this corpse come from? Could it be that Chu Xinian’s blind luck led them to encounter the truth, and was there some vengeful spirit here?
Both remained motionless in their places, completely stunned, and missed the perfect opportunity to leave. As a result, when Mei Fengchen dismounted, he immediately noticed Chu Xinian and Xie Jingyuan, two ‘suspicious individuals’. His expression instantly darkened, and his brows furrowed unconsciously.
Mei Fengchen glanced at the female corpse in the middle of the lake, then looked at Chu Xinian and showed a peculiar expression, unable to hide his confusion. As he gave instructions to his subordinates who had arrived to rescue the corpse, he approached and greeted them, “Greetings. I am curious as to why Young Master Chu and General Xie are alone on the outskirts of the city.”
Xie Jingyuan thought to himself, is this old man blind? They were traveling together, so what does he mean by ‘alone’ on the outskirts? He was about to speak but was stopped by Chu Xinian.
Chu Xinian guessed that Xie Jingyuan would not say anything good and did not want to offend anyone unnecessarily, so he resumed the conversation with a smile as warm as the spring breeze, speaking earnestly, “Today’s weather is nice, and I felt the beauty of spring in my heart, so we went out of the city for a walk. Unexpectedly, Lord Mei is also here. What a coincidence.”
He selectively ignored the corpse in the lake. Although the reason was nonsensical, it made it difficult for people to find fault with it.
Mei Fengchen’s response was enigmatic, “I see. General Xie, is it true?”
Xie Jingyuan raised an eyebrow, “Why, can’t I go outside the city to get some air?”
Chu Xinian opportunely hugged Xie Jingyuan’s shoulder, looking deeply affectionate, and said, “General has long been bedridden due to illness, and rarely ventures outside. I am very worried, so I brought him here to relax.”
Xie Jingyuan coughed just at the right moment, feigning a sickly look, though with a sour expression.
Mei Fengchen didn’t believe a word of it. He pointed towards the lake, half hesitantly, “So, the female corpse in the lake?”
Only after his subordinates retrieved the corpse did Chu Xinian realize that her limbs were bound with ropes, as if she had been tied to a stone and thrown into the water. As for why she suddenly floated before…
It should be related to the small explosive that Chu Xinian had thrown earlier while ‘doing magic’. He had blown the corpse upwards directly.
Chu Xinian paused for a moment but decided to feign ignorance. He raised an eyebrow indifferently and said, “Lord Mei, what do you mean, you suspect that General Xie and I killed someone here?”
“Young Master Chu, you are thinking too much. I have no such intention.”
Indeed, Mei Fengchen had no such intentions. The Duke of Suping’s son had forcibly abducted a girl from the street and taken her to his residence. The girl’s elderly parents waited in vain for their daughter’s return and searched everywhere for help until the case came to Mei Fengchen’s attention.
After a thorough investigation and interrogation, Mei Fengchen finally learned that the girl had committed suicide by hanging after being defiled. The servant of the Duke of Suping’s Residence had thrown her corpse into the lake outside the city. He had ridden out of the city with his men just to retrieve the body, but he had not expected to meet Chu Xinian and Xie Jingyuan here.
Listening to Mei Fengchen’s explanation, Chu Xinian seemed to understand. He clasped his hands together, “I see. In that case, we will not disturb Lord Mei’s investigation. We will take our leave.”
Mei Fengchen wanted to discuss the case with Chu Xinian, but today was not a good time, “Very well. If Young Master Chu is free another day, he can come to the Ministry of Justice.”
Translated into modern terms, it would be similar to saying: if you are free, let’s meet for a coffee.
Xie Jingyuan never liked Mei Fengchen, and hearing his words, he became even more convinced that the old man seemed to be seriously ill. He pulled Chu Xinian and was about to leave. However, as they passed by the female corpse, Chu Xinian suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and blurted out without thinking, “Lord Mei, are you saying that this woman hanged herself and then was thrown into the lake?”
Mei Fengchen didn’t understand, but nodded, “According to that evil servant, that is correct. Is there a problem?”
Chu Xinian pointed to the woman’s mouth and nose. Due to movement, her chest was compressed and oozed a large amount of white foam, “If a person drowns in the water while alive, they will inhale water, and their mouth and nose will produce a large amount of white foam. This woman did not die by hanging, but by drowning while alive.”
If this woman died by hanging, at most, the son of Duke Suping would be accused of tarnishing the reputation of a commoner woman. But if this woman was forcibly drowned by someone while she was alive, the nature of the case would be completely different.
Chu Xinian, at most, only discovered a suspicious point and mentioned it to Mei Fengchen to avoid a misjudgment. In the laws of the Great Yan, the punishment for the crime of defilement and the crime of murder differed greatly. The former could result in flogging, while the latter would lead to beheading.
When Chu Xinian finished speaking, ignoring Mei Fengchen’s astonished expression, he turned and left. Before leaving, he smiled and bowed, hinting, “If I am free tomorrow, I will visit Lord Mei for a cup of tea.”
Xie Jingyuan did not understand anything and only asked Chu Xinian in an easygoing tone when they were already far away, “Why are you going to have tea with that old man? Can’t I accompany you?”
Chu Xinian smiled and remained silent, “General, consider me as curious and eager to have a look at that corpse.”
Mei Fengchen had been a civil servant at the Ministry of Justice for more than twenty years, starting as an attendant and later being promoted to chief. It could be said that he had witnessed all the bloodshed and turmoil of the Yan Dynasty over the years. Even the Xie Family’s involvement in the rebellion at the time was under his supervision, and the records were now archived in the Ministry of Justice.
Xie Jingyuan harbored many secrets, and if Chu Xinian wanted to uncover them one by one, he had to rely on outside help. Meeting Mei Fengchen today was an excellent opportunity.
Xie Jingyuan did not overthink it, considering that Chu Xinian had become fascinated with such mysterious things. He was also hesitating about how to tell Chu Xinian about his past.
Not telling would mean hiding it from Chu Xinian.
Telling would mean dragging Chu Xinian into troubled waters.
Xie Jingyuan had always been decisive, yet it had been many years since he had doubted this. They both had their concerns and for a while, they lapsed into silence.
The next morning, Chu Xinian went to the Ministry of Justice to pay a visit. It seemed that Mei Fengchen had given instructions beforehand, as the guards at the entrance led Chu Xinian directly to the autopsy room.
“Lord Mei is examining the body inside. The Young Master can wait in the lobby and have tea, or he can go straight in.”
It was clear that the guards were somewhat hesitant. After all, there was no reason to lead a guest into the autopsy room. Mei Fengchen’s original words were to take Chu Xinian directly inside when he arrived, but the phrase “wait in the lobby and have tea” was added by the guards themselves.
“I’ll go to Lord Mei. Thank you for showing me the way.”
Chu Xinian spoke and went straight to the autopsy room. As soon as he pushed open the door, a chilling aura greeted him. The candlelight on either side was dim as if it might go out at any moment.
Mei Fengchen wore rough clothes and a white robe on the outside. He held a candle in one hand and lowered his head, carefully examining the female corpse he had discovered yesterday. When he heard someone pushing on the door, he instinctively looked up and saw Chu Xinian, immediately stepping forward to greet him, “Young Master Chu, you have finally come. I have been waiting for you for a long time.”
Chu Xinian returned the greeting with a bow of respect, “Lord Mei, are you examining the body?”
Mei Fengchen instinctively wanted to fix his beard but realized that his hands were dirty, so he let it be and smiled with a hint of embarrassment, “To be honest, after the recent case of the female corpse outside the city, I realized that there are many intricate details in the examination of corpses. I’ve been wanting to ask for your guidance, but unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance.”
Chu Xinian smiled and followed proper junior etiquette, “It is not a matter of guidance. If Lord Mei wants to know something, I will certainly speak up and explain everything.”
Mmmm that kissing scene got me giggling 😆😆