In the Drunken Life Pavilion, with its ornate carvings and paintings, red bricks and green tiles, surrounded by elegantly arranged pavilions, under meandering bridges, goldfish swam in the streams. The warm yellow light spilled over the exquisite dining table, adding a hint of warmth to the room.

Wanqiu, carrying a dish of deliciously aromatic food, walked gracefully to the table. Chen Wuyue's eyes lit up at the scent of the dish, and a flash of surprise crossed his face as he saw Wanqiu, quickly standing up to greet her softly, "Aunt Wanqiu."

Wanqiu, with a gentle smile, sat gracefully, "It's been a while. Our Wuyue has grown so much..."

Her voice was tender, tinged with a touch of nostalgia. But her gaze was drawn to Xiang Nan, who was eagerly devouring his food, "You were about his age back then."

Unaware of the deeper meaning in her words, Xiang Nan cutely muttered, "So brother used to be called Wuyue..."

Chen Wuyue smiled helplessly, ruffling Xiang Nan's fluffy hair, "Xiang Nan, this is Aunt Wanqiu. You should call her that too."

Xiang Nan nodded, his big eyes examining Wanqiu, and he obediently greeted, "Aunt Wanqiu."

Wanqiu looked at the two children, her heart filled with compassion, "Have you found a place to stay? If you don't mind, you could stay at the Drunken Life Pavilion. We can plan for the future later."

Intending to have them stay, she was surprised when Chen Wuyue only nodded, "Thank you, Aunt. Xiang Nan and I are temporarily staying at Ganquan Temple. There's a connection between Master Yuanqing of Ganquan Temple and Master Yuanjin. Now that Master Yuanjin has passed away..."

Hearing this, Wanqiu showed no surprise, only sighing lightly, "Troublesome times..."

As the topic turned to this, Chen Wuyue felt a sense of unease and changed the subject, "I will visit you often, Aunt. Xiang Nan is quite clever; he can help out here, almost like a half helper."

"That's good. The workers here are so listless. Xiang Nan seems lively and smart; I enjoy just watching him..."

Ye Nanqiao, observing the three, teased, "Aunt, go easy on him. Don't overwork Xiang Nan..."

Xiang Nan, seemingly frightened by her words, looked up at Wanqiu, then quickly shook his head, "It's okay, I'm not afraid!"

Through the windows facing the street, covered by light curtains, sunlight poured onto the eaves of the Drunken Life Pavilion, illuminating the deep shadows, bathing the entire building in golden light.

In the midst of laughter, Wanqiu's attention was caught by a strange woman—

The woman, with a bundle on her back and a dark long sword in her hand, contrasted sharply with the ancient tavern.

Apart from Wanqiu, her arrival went mostly unnoticed, only eliciting a glance from some bleary-eyed drinkers before they returned to their merry-making. However, she exuded an undeniable presence, as if there was an invisible boundary around her, separating her from the bustling world.

Finding an empty table, the woman sat down, her aura calm yet unignorable. A waiter immediately approached, cautiously asking, "What would you like to have, miss?"

Her fingers tapped lightly on the table, her serene eyes scanning the waiter and the hall, finally resting back on him, "Bring a pot of tea first."

The waiter nodded, about to leave, but was stopped by Mu Jin.

"Wait, one more thing. Is there a Xu Changfeng here?"

At the mention of Xu Changfeng's name, Ye Nanqiao, who had also noticed the newcomer, exchanged a querying glance with Wanqiu—evidently, Xu Changfeng’s whereabouts were a mystery to most in the jianghu, let alone being sought in the Drunken Life Pavilion.

Wanqiu, apologetically looking at Chen Wuyue, rose to approach the woman.

The queried waiter hesitated, then shook his head with some difficulty, "We don't have such a person here, miss. Perhaps try asking elsewhere."

To his surprise, she sighed softly, yet assertively, "Impossible. There's only one Drunken Life Pavilion in Jiangnan, right?"

The waiter nodded, "Indeed, this is the only one, no branches."

Amidst their standoff, the sound of gentle footsteps approached. Wanqiu arrived with a faint smile, holding a pot of freshly brewed tea. She gave a signal to the waiter, who discreetly left the room.

Wanqiu then turned her attention to Mu Jin, subtly examining her before speaking, “May I know the lady’s name and what brings you to seek Xu Changfeng?”

Mu Jin stood up and greeted Wanqiu with a salute, “So, Xu Changfeng is indeed here at the Drunken Life Pavilion?”

Wanqiu smiled but didn’t answer directly, instead stepping aside to make room, “Please, miss, let’s talk upstairs.”

Nodding, Mu Jin picked up her sword and followed Wanqiu to an elegant private room on the second floor.

The private room of the Drunken Life Pavilion was exquisitely designed, with delicate carved wooden windows and gently draping curtains. At the center was an octagonal table, adorned with tea sets and a small incense burner filling the room with a pleasant fragrance.

As Wanqiu and Mu Jin were seated, savoring tea, sudden hurried footsteps approached.

“What’s going on, Wanqiu? The waiter said a beautiful lady was looking for me... I swear I haven’t been fooling around outside...” Xu Changfeng burst into the room with a flurry, muttering under his breath, “Besides, it’s not like any girl would fancy me…”

Halting in the room, Xu Changfeng finally noticed the elegant lady in front of him and was momentarily speechless, pointing first at Mu Jin and then at Wanqiu.

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Mu Jin's lips curved slightly as she stood and bowed, “Uncle Master Xu.”

Xu Changfeng, puzzled, pointed at himself, “Uncle Master Xu?”

Wanqiu sipped her tea indifferently, a smile playing on her lips.

Approaching Xu Changfeng, Mu Jin took out a finely crafted jade pendant, “I am Mu Jin. Do you remember my master, Li Shande?”

Xu Changfeng’s face lit up with recognition, and he took the pendant, exclaiming, “Li Shande! That rascal! How is he?”

“Master has been traveling for years, his whereabouts unknown, but he should be well,” Mu Jin replied as she took back the pendant, signaling him to sit.

Xu Changfeng, delighted, glanced at Wanqiu, “Back in the day, Li Shande and I roamed the jianghu together, quite the names we made for ourselves. But I’ve been in seclusion for years; probably no one remembers Xu Changfeng now. As for Li Shande, that carefree fellow, still living his life freely!”

Before Wanqiu could respond, Xu Changfeng turned to Mu Jin, “What brings you to me, niece?”

Mu Jin slightly bowed her head, “I’ve been away from my master for years, and wandering alone isn’t sustainable. Remembering his teachings, I’ve come to seek refuge in times of hardship. I hope you won’t mind taking me in.”

Xu Changfeng, seeing Mu Jin’s request, was about to agree wholeheartedly when he suddenly remembered something and scratched his head awkwardly, glancing at Wanqiu, “About that, Wanqiu, this girl…”

Wanqiu, not one to mince words, cut in, “Since she’s an old acquaintance, let her stay for now.”

After scrutinizing Mu Jin, Wanqiu teased Xu Changfeng, “Drunken Life Pavilion doesn’t support idlers. You’ve been loafing around enough, and now you bring others... Just don’t bring a wife home tomorrow…”

Xu Changfeng blushed, lowering his voice, “Give me some face in front of the junior.”

Unperturbed, Wanqiu took Mu Jin away, “Come, let’s find you a room to settle in first.”

Left alone, Xu Changfeng picked up his tea, drinking it in one go, and muttered, “So petty…”

On the other side, as night fell and being new to Jiangnan City, Ye Nanqiao escorted Cheng Wuyue and the others back to Ganquan Temple. However, when they were not far from the temple, they saw a team of black-clad guards carrying a coffin straight into Ganquan Temple, placing it in the square in front of the main gate.

The coffin, with its copper nails, reflected a faint light, adding a few more touches of coldness to the already chilly temple.

Following closely, Ye Nanqiao, puzzled, hastened forward and asked the leading guard while pointing at the coffin, “Excuse me, officer, who is this? Rituals should be conducted in the back hall, why is it placed here?”

The guard recognized Ye Nanqiao and smiled, “Isn’t this Master Bingchen? It seems wherever there’s a strange occurrence, there you are.”

After a pause, the guard added mysteriously, “You might not know, this person isn’t here for a ritual. This is none other than the son of the Luo family, Luo Tianqi.”

Ye Nanqiao was astonished, “Luo Tianqi? Didn’t he die in a fire in his study a few days ago? Why place it here instead of a proper burial?”

Cheng Wuyue also looked at the guard with interest.

The guard, familiar with Ye Nanqiao, elaborated, “The funeral procession was on its way to bury him outside the city when it was intercepted by the new magistrate. The magistrate stopped it without explanation, only instructing us to place the coffin here for inspection.”

“So the Luo family just lets him do as he pleases?”

“Of course not, they must be arguing at the county office right now.”

Ye Nanqiao became intrigued, exchanging glances with Cheng Wuyue.

Understanding, Cheng Wuyue patted Xiang Nan, “You go back and rest first.”

Xiang Nan nodded and ran towards the inner courtyard.

Ye Nanqiao thanked the guard and left with Cheng Wuyue towards the county office.

Inside the county office, the atmosphere was solemn. Behind the magnificent screen, the scent of agarwood incense filled the air.

Chen Geng, in a brocade robe, sat with a stern expression, his gaze sharp yet dignified. Wei Zhaoyang stood silently behind him like a shadow. Liu Changyu, however, sat lower down, his gaze wandering, as if pondering something.

The relatives in the room were like a suppressed tide, murmuring amongst themselves, but quieted down instantly with a soft cough from Chen Geng.

Chen Geng spoke slowly, “Who lies within the coffin brought here today?”

Luo Yueping stepped forward firmly, his eyes filled with anger and confusion. He replied emotionlessly, “We are from the Luo family of Jiangnan. The coffin holds the eldest son of the Luo family, Luo Tianqi, who died in a fire in his study. His father, the head of the Luo family, is frail and has been ill for a long time. Seeing his son's coffin everyday brings him to tears. With the New Year approaching, it’s not appropriate to keep the body at home, so we were hurrying to bury him. But why did you, sir, interrupt the burial?”

Chen Geng's eyes showed a hint of doubt. He wasn’t satisfied with the superficial answer, “Isn’t it peculiar how such a young man died? Don’t you want to know the cause?”

Luo Yueping pursed his lips, “Tianqi was kind and charitable, well-regarded in the city. Who would harm him? We assume he accidentally knocked over an oil lamp while asleep in the study, causing the fire. Although the servants put out the fire, it was too late for him... It was a natural disaster; how could it be stopped?”

Chen Geng pondered for a moment, “Did he have any chronic diseases?”

“Strong and healthy at a young age.”

Chen Geng found the situation more peculiar, “Normally, pain from a fire would awaken a person. Why would he sleep through a raging fire?”

This sparked whispers among the attendees.

Luo Yueping was speechless, finally managing a response.

As tension rose in the room, Chen Geng raised his hand to calm everyone, “Aren’t you all his relatives? Don’t you also wish for clarity on his death? I only ask for three days to investigate. If it’s indeed an accident, I will apologize and resign for interrupting the burial.”

The crowd became restless, many looking towards Luo Yueping for a decision.

Luo Yueping clenched his fist, contemplating, and finally nodded, “Alright, we'll wait three days for an explanation.”

With that, Luo Yueping left, and the crowd gradually dispersed.

Chen Geng looked up and saw Ye Nanqiao and Cheng Wuyue outside the door, making eye contact with Wei Zhaoyang, he then turned and walked towards the inner hall.

Liu Changyu, who had been sitting upright, hurried forward to console Luo Yueping as he saw him leave, “Don’t worry, Lord Luo. It’s just a young lad, what can he possibly do? We’ll wait until he finds nothing, then we can quell his arrogance.”

Luo Yueping glanced at Liu Changyu with a hint of disdain, “If Tianqi was wronged, I wouldn’t want to see him die in vain.”

Liu Changyu quickly agreed, “Yes, yes, of course.”

Not far away, Ye Nanqiao, who had been watching the commotion from behind the crowd, also sensed something fishy. He was about to return to Ganquan Temple to investigate further but was stopped by Wei Zhaoyang.

“Master Bingchen.”

Ye Nanqiao looked at Wei Zhaoyang with confusion, clearly having no prior interactions with him, and asked, “What can I do for you, sir?”

“My master invites Master Bingchen to have a discussion in the inner hall. This friend may accompany you as well,” Wei Zhaoyang said, stepping aside to gesture them forward.

Ye Nanqiao and Cheng Wuyue exchanged a look. Ye Nanqiao shrugged helplessly and finally nodded, “Alright, please lead the way.”

As the three of them walked away, the empty hall once again sank into a repressive silence.