Lava

Kapitel 3

"..." Zhan Zhao stared at her incredulously, "Miss, have you been following me the whole time?"

She turned her head and smiled, "Why would I follow you? Besides, I only arrived in the capital at noon."

Gongsun Ce stroked his beard and smiled, "Miss, why don't you tell me how you figured out Guard Zhan's whereabouts?" Gongsun Ce always considered himself to be exceptionally intelligent, but even he couldn't understand how this young lady had figured it out, so he couldn't help but be very curious.

“It’s not surprising at all now that it’s out in the open,” she said. “Lord Zhan’s clothes had a very faint scent of ambergris. Ambergris is extremely rare and can’t be bought on the market. Only princes and nobles can afford to burn this kind of incense. Moreover, Lord Zhan wasn’t riding a horse, which means that he was not far away, within the capital. The only prince living in the capital is the Eighth Prince, and I’ve heard that Lord Bao is very close to the Eighth Prince, so Lord Zhan must have gone to the Eighth Prince’s residence.”

"How do you know he didn't go to the palace?" Gongsun Ce asked deliberately.

“He wasn’t wearing official robes,” Mo Yan replied naturally, then continued, “Ambergris is the most delicate of incense. If it’s tainted with other fragrances, it won’t be as elegant as this. If Lord Zhan had eaten, the smell of the food would have made the fragrance I’m smelling different.”

Zhan Zhao smiled. He had indeed been to the Eighth Prince's residence, but he hadn't noticed that there was still ambergris on his body.

"How did you know I had been to the scene of the crime?"

"That's simple. If a martial artist has something on their mind, their steps will inevitably falter. Lord Zhan, with your title of Imperial Cat, your lightness skill is naturally superb. It's not surprising that there's mud on the tips of your shoes, but there are still a few mud spots on the heels, indicating that you're preoccupied with this case. And the hem of your clothes is slightly damp, with faint traces of moss visible. It's broad daylight, and you're walking around the capital without fighting anyone, so there's no need for you to leap across rooftops. Therefore, it's only possible that you accidentally picked up the moss while investigating the crime scene, most likely from the roof tiles."

Bao Zheng nodded and then asked, "But how did you know that Guard Zhan was thinking about this case?"

"I didn't know either!" She looked at them, turned her head and smiled, "You told me!"

"us?"

"Although I have never been to Kaifeng, I know that the Kaifeng Prefectural Government is not a place where just anyone can walk in. When Lord Zhan met me at the gate, he only learned that I was Li Xu's junior sister before bringing me in. At that moment, I knew that this case must be of great importance, which is why you are unwilling to let go of any clue. After we came in, Lord Bao also mentioned the murder of the Suzhou Textile Commissioner. The assassination of a third-rank official of the imperial court is naturally a major event, and it is no wonder that Lord Zhan is concerned about it."

After listening, Gongsun Ce and Bao Zheng exchanged a smile and said, "Now that you hear what you say, it really doesn't seem so strange at all."

"The young lady is indeed exceptionally intelligent," Bao Zheng said with a smile.

"You flatter me, sir. I only have a little knowledge of this matter," Mo Yan said solemnly. "But please investigate my senior brother's matter carefully. Although he is naturally unruly, he has a very good heart and never harms anyone."

Bao Zheng remained silent upon hearing this, and after a long while sighed, "This case is indeed full of doubts." He looked up at Zhan Zhao, "Guard Zhan, take this young lady to see Li Xu."

"Thank you, sir!"

Mo Yan bowed to Bao Zheng before following Zhan Zhao out.

Chapter Two

Author's Note: This... let me explain: Mo Yan's character was actually defined quite early on, but perhaps only a small part was shown, not the full picture, which is why people might think she's different from the one in "The Moon." I hope that as you read on, you'll come to accept her. "May I ask your name, young lady?"

On the way to the prison with Mo Yan, Zhan Zhao asked.

"My surname is Mo, and my given name is Yan, the Yan of ink grinding."

Mo Yan, Yan Mo… Zhan Zhao smiled slightly and said, “Miss Mo, the moss on my clothes didn’t get on the roof, but I accidentally got it in the garden of the Eighth Prince’s Mansion.”

Mo Yan scratched her ear and laughed, "I didn't think of that. Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"The flaws do not detract from the overall excellence; the young lady is ninety percent right, which is already quite remarkable."

"By the way, Lord Zhan!" she asked worriedly, "You're the one who captured my senior brother, you...you didn't hurt him, did you?"

"No."

As they spoke, they turned a corner and passed through an iron gate, and the Kaifeng Prison came into view. Although it was called a prison, the prison was actually not large, with only four or five cells. It was used to temporarily hold prisoners who had not yet been tried. Prisoners who had been tried would be sent to the Dali Temple.

Zhan Zhao stepped forward and exchanged a few words with the jailer, who readily opened the cell door and let them go.

"Fifth Brother!" Mo Yan saw Li Xu almost as soon as she entered the room. He was sitting listlessly in the sunlit corner of the cell, carefully combing his hair with his fingers.

"Xiao Qi!" Li Xu was overjoyed to see Mo Yan and jumped up from the ground, asking in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"If I don't come, who will save you?" Mo Yan chuckled.

"You're not here to break me out of prison, are you?"

Li Xu clearly caught a glimpse of Zhan Zhao behind her, but deliberately pretended not to see him.

She shook her head and laughed, "Breaking out of prison is no good, breaking out of the execution ground is much more glamorous!"

"Ouch!" Through the wooden gap in the cell, Li Xu shoved her head hard.

"If it weren't for waiting for you, why would I have come here to go to jail?"

"How could it be my fault! I was only a few days late."

"How many days?" Li Xu gritted his teeth. "I've been waiting for you for more than twenty days, and I've spent all my money."

"I had no choice. The horse injured its leg and I couldn't ride it. We had to rest for half a day after walking for half a day." Mo Yan rubbed her head, feeling aggrieved. "By the way, what exactly happened? How did that guy from the Suzhou Textile Bureau die?"

“How would I know how he died? Anyway, I didn’t kill him! These corrupt officials…” Li Xu emphasized the words “corrupt officials” as he spoke, glancing sideways at Zhan Zhao, “They’re utterly disregarding human life. They just grab anyone and call it a day. After they kill me, they can collect their reward.”

Zhan Zhao stood quietly to the side, sword in hand, eyes lowered, his expression calm and undisturbed.

"So you were framed? And you didn't even realize it?" Mo Yan asked curiously.

"I just woke up yesterday and found a package on the table. Before I could even look at what it was, this illustrious and mighty Lord Zhan walked in. I'd like to know what's going on!"

Mo Yan shook her head and sighed, "Fifth Brother, I told you long ago that you're a heavy sleeper, but you wouldn't admit it! You didn't even know someone came in! ...Lord Zhan, how did you know the item was with my senior brother?"

"Someone informed us," Zhan Zhao said.

"who?"

He frowned slightly: "I don't know, he only left a letter."

"So, my senior brother must have been being watched before." She frowned and thought for a while, then asked Li Xu, "Have you stolen anything since you came to the capital?"