GHLCS Chapter37

The Military Control Commissioner’s wife was also from Hezhou, so she also had a mansion in Hezhou.

 

At this time in the Military Control Commissioner’s mansion, Yuan Ye angrily ran into Yuan Sen’s bedroom and asked as soon as he opened the door, “Dad, how could you let people close the case?!”

 

Yuan Sen had just gotten up and was still sitting on the bed. Seeing Yuan Ye’s appearance, he put on a serious face and said, “Disrespectful. Don’t you even know how to knock on the door?”

 

Yuan Ye hurried over and said, “I asked you before, but you didn’t answer. Now you’re wrapping up the case so quickly. You have to tell me what part you played in this.”

 

“Xiao Ye!” Yuan Sen glared at him. “Are you treating your father like a criminal in an interrogation?”

 

Mrs. Yuan, who was in the bathroom, heard the quarrel and came out to mediate: “Aiya, aiya, you two can only see each other once in the morning and evening, can you say less and let me, an old woman, live two more years? Lao Yuan ah, this child has always been curious and asks a lot of questions, and you are always unwilling to talk to him properly. Family members should not quarrel, talk it out properly if you have anything to say.”

 

Upon hearing this, Yuan Sen’s expression softened a little. He walked over and patted Yuan Ye on the shoulder: “Xiao Ye, things between officials are sometimes not that simple. This looks like a murder case, but who knows what interests are involved? I want to put this matter behind because I don’t want it to ferment into more incidents.”

 

“If it’s really as you said, why did you secretly ask someone to investigate?”

 

“How do you know? Who let you into my study?!” Yuan Sen choked, and his complexion changed color again.

 

“So, you are hiding something from me.” Yuan Ye said firmly, “If you don’t tell me, I will investigate it myself.”

 

Yuan Sen frowned and said, “This matter is already settled! There is no room for reversal! You are not allowed to investigate further! Do you hear me?”

 

Yuan Ye gave Yuan Sen a meaningful look, then left the bedroom without saying a word. Yuan Sen was so furious that he paced back and forth behind him, while Mrs. Yuan kept trying to calm him down.

 

After leaving the Yuan’s mansion, Xiao Jing saw that Yuan Ye was unhappy and hurriedly went to greet him: “Young Master, what’s wrong? Why do you look like this?”

 

Yuan Ye opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but seeing that Xiao Jing didn’t understand anything, he realized it would be pointless to say anything, so he swallowed his words.

 

After investigating the governor’s case up to this point, he finally realized just how powerful the murderer was. There was overwhelming evidence pointing to Ruan Xiaodie as the culprit, as though the murderer had anticipated how the upper class would handle it and had gathered enough proof for them to convict and close the case.

 

The murderer is truly unnervingly clever and calculating.

 

At that moment, he wasn’t sure whether he should keep investigating or step back. His father’s attitude made him feel that the darkness within was likely as deep and unfathomable as a mountain.

 

Xiao Jing saw that he was unwilling to talk, so he comforted him: “Young Master has always been very smart. If there is something you can’t figure out, don’t worry. Think about it slowly. Xiao Jing believes that nothing can stump Young Master.”

 

Although this consolation is of no use, the thought is still touching.

 

Yuan Ye smiled: “Yes, I know.”

 

“Young Master, are you worried about the case?”

 

“Yeah… there’s no way to investigate.”

 

“No one suspected? Not even one?”

 

Yuan Ye thought of that slender figure and said, “It’s not that I don’t have anyone in mind, it’s just that… his evidence is so convincing, and I shouldn’t have any more doubts. But somehow, I still feel like something’s off.”

 

“What’s wrong exactly”

 

“You say, it’s impossible for a person to have two bodies, so how could he travel from one place to another to kill in such a limited and flawless amount of time? It’s completely impossible…” The more Yuan Ye thought about it, the more he felt trapped. “Impossible, impossible… Ai, too many things have happened recently, and I’ve been imagining more and more.”

 

Xiao Jing hurriedly said, “Then, Young Master, don’t think about it. Let’s do something happy, alright? Go to a friend’s house, or go to a movie, or listen to a play?”

 

Friend.

 

Gu Fangfei.

 

This person appeared in his mind unconsciously, like a bright light in the fog, giving Yuan Ye a fleeting sense of direction for a moment.

 

————

 

At Faxi Temple, inside a small meditation room.

 

Xu Hang was copying the Heart Sutra, stroke by stroke, burning each page in the brazier. He wasn’t sitting properly to copy it, nor was he kneeling on a cushion; instead, he knelt on the hard ground.

 

When Chang Ling entered, he noticed that the first candle was nearly burned out.

 

“Why did Donor Xu punish yourself today?”

 

Xu Hang didn’t stop writing. “Because I couldn’t control myself.” He thought back to that day in the black ring with the Japanese opponent, Kenji. “I thought I wouldn’t lose my composure because of people like him and words like that again. Now, I realize that my cultivation is still not enough.”

 

Chang Ling snatched his brush away: “After copying for so long, do you feel calmer? Do you feel your cultivation has improved?”

 

Xu Hang blinked and said, “…At least it’s to teach myself a lesson.”

 

Chang Ling took a fresh piece of paper and wrote down his thoughts with a relaxed ease. “In fact, you’ve always been very clear about this, which is why I feel that this self-punishment isn’t the right approach for you. Others might not notice, but you’re self-aware—you just lack a little clarity.”

 

He handed the written paper to Xu Hang. Xu Hang took it and looked at it. It was the Heart Sutra, but from the way the characters were shaped, it was clear that Chang Ling’s handwriting was elegant and refined, unlike his own, which was square and neat, as if trapped in chaos.

 

As Chang Ling handed the paper over, Xu Hang caught a whiff of the fragrance between his sleeves. It wasn’t the scent of incense from the temple, nor the familiar incense he often burned. It was a fragrance faintly resembling women’s powder.

 

“There seems to be… some other smell on the Master’s body.” Xu Hang said.

 

Chang Ling was very frank: “Recently, there is a female donor who always comes to listen to the sutras. She always has a strong fragrance on her body. Even the sandalwood in the temple cannot suppress it.”

 

Woman? Xu Hang asked tentatively, “Is it the Japanese woman in black?”

 

Chang Ling frowned slightly and said, “Black clothes, yes, but I really can’t tell she’s Japanese from her accent.”

 

That couldn’t be wrong, it must be her.

 

“I didn’t expect the Japanese to be interested in Buddhism. Buddhism advocates benevolence and opposes killing. It’s truly ironic that she, as a sword bearer, seeks to understand the salvation of the world.”

 

Chang Ling could hear Xu Hang’s disgust for the Japanese, but he didn’t say anything. He gave him a box of new tea and sent him to the temple gate.

 

Duan Yelin’s car was parked at the foot of the mountain. Standing on a grassy field with a gun in his hand, he aimed and pulled the trigger at a vole darting across the distance. The vole’s body flew through the air before falling to the ground.

 

“Your shooting skills are very good.” Xu Hang rarely praised Duan Yelin.

 

Duan Yelin actually handed the gun to Xu Hang: “Do you want to try it?”

 

Xu Hang picked up the heavy gun and stared at it for a moment, as if he were a man who had never seen such a thing before. Then, he pointed the gun at Duan Yelin’s chest and asked, “Aren’t you afraid that I might attack you?”

 

Duan Yelin opened his arms: “I’m not afraid.”

 

The more straightforward the opponent became, the less interested Xu Hang was. He shifted the gun away, glanced at a tree in the distance, squinted his eyes, and aimed. Duan Yelin noticed his hands were slightly unsteady and instructed, “Breathe calmly, steady your hands, and shoot as soon as you’re aimed.”

 

As soon as the word “shoot” fell, the bullet was fired. But at that moment, Xu Hang swung the gun hard, pressed his right arm with his left hand, and frowned, as if he had been electrocuted.

 

Naturally, the gun lost its aim and hit the ridge of the field next to the tree.

 

“What’s wrong?” Duan Yelin asked, checking him nervously as he rubbed his hand. “If you’ve never used a gun before, this being your first time, the recoil might hurt you.”

 

Xu Hang moved around and found nothing serious, so he said, “I’m not good at this, so I’d better not play it.”

 

After getting into the car, Duan Yelin asked, “There’s a dinner party tonight. Are you interested in going with me?”

 

This was strange. Xu Hang was well-known for not liking crowds, and Duan Yelin should understand this very well. So why would he bring up such an invitation out of the blue?

 

“Of course, I won’t make you attend those ordinary banquets,” Duan Yelin continued. “But there’s an auction today. The items up for bid are all rare antiques. I heard from Qiao Song that there’s a large piece of rare rhino horn. You might like it.”

 

Rhinoceros horn, as recorded in Chinese herbal medicine, is best used when ground into a fine powder. If it’s dissolved in soup, it breaks into small pieces, making it an extremely rare and valuable medicinal herb.

 

If what Duan Yelin said was true, it would definitely be worth attending. Xu Hang then asked, “Where will it be held?”

 

“The Japanese Consulate.”

 

“Why is it there?”

 

“Because the organizer is from Japan, her name is Kuromiya Keiko.”

 

There’s a saying that goes, What you say will come true. It seems like a lot of things are about to unfold between Kuromiya Keiko and them.