Yi Mei picked up her teacup, took a large gulp, and secretly glanced around. She saw Xie Yuanlan sitting in the main seat, Xie Sange standing by the door, and herself sitting to the side. The three of them seemed to be unintentionally surrounding Xie Chuanli. Yi Mei wasn't a particularly arrogant person, but she couldn't help but think that in this circle, even the Wuyou Pavilion Master, whose swordsmanship was hailed as the best in the world, would find it difficult to kill someone so easily.
Suddenly, the thin, delicate sword mark on Xie Chuanshu's chest flashed through Yi Mei's mind again.
So Yi Mei asked, "The murderer has a deep grudge against the manor lord. Does the manor lord really have no clue about the murderer at all?"
Xie Yuanlan sighed softly and said, "Although my family is a martial arts family, we haven't been close to our friends in the martial arts world for decades. I've always been in the tea business, and businessmen believe in making money through harmony. How could I easily make enemies? Besides," he paused, "I believe I don't do unethical business and that my transactions are fair. Even if I inevitably infringe on other people's interests, it wouldn't warrant such hatred!"
Yi Mei casually remarked, "As the saying goes, 'The rich are often heartless.' You wealthy people are used to being domineering and arrogant, and you might offend people without even realizing it."
Xie Chuanli, who had been silent all along, suddenly raised his head and said in a low but firm voice, “Miss Dong, my father is a man of upright character, as everyone knows. You killed Wuyi Peak with your sword, and my sister hates you to the bone. You can still endure such hatred, so how can you offend people so easily? You must respect my father in your words, otherwise please do as you please. My life is in the hands of fate, and you need not worry about it.”
Yi Mei was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Second Young Master has quite the temper! Now that the deposit has been received, you can't kick me out even if you try." However, she felt even more favorably toward Xie Chuanli.
Just then, a fluffy thing flashed past the door and headed straight for Xie Chuanli. Xie Chuanli smiled and picked it up. It turned out to be a small black dog. Xie Chuanli turned to Director Feng and asked, "Have you fed Old Black? Things have been a mess these past few days, sigh, I haven't had the heart to take care of it."
Before the Wind Steward could answer, Xie Chuanli suddenly sneezed and frowned, saying, "It hasn't had a bath in days and it smells. Remember to brush its fur every day."
Main ventilation duct: "Yes."
Xie Chuanli released the dog, patted it, and the dog skipped away. Xie Chuanli's gaze followed the dog, revealing a hint of tenderness.
Yi Mei stared at him, only to see that he remained calm and composed, as if nothing had happened. In any case, for a person to still have the mind to care about whether a dog had been bathed when facing life and death, this person's magnanimity was enough to inspire admiration and respect.
Time ticked by, but the murderer still hadn't appeared. As dusk approached, Manager Feng lit countless candles in the hall, illuminating the room as if it were daytime. However, darkness was still a factor; under the cover of night, it was many times easier for an assassin to sneak into the manor and commit murder than during the day.
It is the hour of You (5-7 PM). At this time, there are still three hours left before the sixteenth day of the third month.
The shorter the time, the more imminent the danger. Xie Yuanlan remained calm, dismissing all the idlers. In the spacious hall, apart from him and his son, only Yi Mei and Xie Sange remained.
Yi Mei knew that Xie Yuanlan was extremely nervous! Although he remained calm, he had no intention of speaking to anyone. Occasionally, when he was about to say something he couldn't, he would just give a perfunctory "hmm" a few times. All his attention was focused on Xie Chuanli. His hands were lightly placed under his waist, in what seemed like an extremely comfortable position. Yi Mei knew that as soon as there was any movement, the Divine Wind Swift Sword would strike at the fastest speed.
Sometimes, silence is the greatest atmosphere of fear. The three people in the hall besides Xie Chuanli were all top swordsmen who had experienced countless desperate situations, but even they couldn't help but feel uneasy at this moment.
Yi Mei's sense of foreboding deepened.
In a battle between masters, victory or defeat can hinge on a single moment. However, the atmosphere at this moment was far too tense! It had reached a point where it might affect judgment. More importantly, Yi Mei sensed the reason for Xie Yuanlan's nervousness: it was because he lacked confidence!
Yi Mei sighed inwardly. It's really difficult to win a battle without confidence.
The atmosphere even affected Xie Chuanli; his originally calm expression turned serious, so he said to Xie Yuanlan, "Father, don't worry."
Xie Yuanlan sighed, his lips moved slightly, but he didn't speak. Yi Mei said, "Master, concern makes you confused. The murderer's swordsmanship couldn't possibly be fast enough to take someone's head from a thousand miles away, could it? With so many people guarding outside the hall, we'll be on guard as soon as he arrives."
Xie Yuanlan nodded.
Outside, the watchman's drum sounded, signaling the approach of Hai hour (9-11 PM). There was still an hour until Li hour (11 PM-1 AM). The entire Banshao Manor seemed to fall into silence. The murderer was nowhere to be seen; not only that, but not even the slightest sign of something amiss appeared. Yet, wasn't this waiting even more terrifying?
After an unknown amount of time, Steward Feng's voice suddenly came from outside the door. Steward Feng's voice was filled with suppressed excitement as he said, "Master, midnight has arrived!"
Xie Yuanlan was taken aback and asked, "Have we arrived?"
Main ventilation duct: "We've arrived!"
Xie Yuanlan looked at Xie Chuanli, who was also looking at him. Just then, with a soft "poof," the entire hall was suddenly enveloped in a thick fog. The fog was so thick that the hall became pitch black, with only the faint glow of candles visible.
Yi Mei's right hand suddenly gripped Han Guang's sword, and with a clang, the longsword was drawn. But the thick fog came suddenly and went swiftly, miraculously disappearing completely the instant Yi Mei drew her sword!
Yi Mei drew her sword with lightning speed, but the thick fog came and went even faster than lightning!
The people in the hall looked around and saw that the four people were standing there perfectly fine. There was no mention of swords, blood, or even sweat.
Xie Yuanlan let out a long sigh and asked, "What kind of strange thing is that?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Chuanli's body seemed to have had its bones removed in an instant, and he fell heavily to the ground, motionless.
What an unexpected turn of events! Yi Mei's heart suddenly started pounding wildly. She rushed to his side, checked his breathing, and felt his pulse.
Xie Yuanlan's face was completely bloodless, his hands were trembling violently, and even his knees were weak and sore. His Divine Wind Swift Sword, which was originally a fearsome weapon in the martial arts world, had now become the only pillar that allowed him to stand.
Yi Mei looked up at him. Her heart, usually hardened, was now filled with a pang of sadness. But she had to speak, so she said softly:
"Dead."
Xie Yuanlan suddenly closed his eyes. The muscles in his face twitched incessantly, and his expression was extremely terrifying.
Xie Sange seemed not to believe his eyes and asked again, "Dead?"
Yi Mei nodded.
Xie San Ge remained silent, standing there like a statue.
There was no murderer, no sword, no hand-to-hand combat, not even a hint of killing intent, yet Xie Chuanli was already a corpse. Yi Mei, unlike Xie Yuanlan and Xie Sange, wasn't grieving; she was simply stunned and utterly bewildered!
It was past midnight when Xie Chuanle, Xie Wangyi, Steward Feng, and several managers from Banshao Manor rushed into the main hall. Suddenly, a woman's piercing scream tore through the midnight air.
"Bestow the gift!—My child!—"
Yi Mei shuddered and suddenly felt a chill.
A guard with a sword came running in, panting heavily, as if an invisible hand was about to grab him from behind. He shouted in a trembling voice, "Something's wrong! Zhuang... Zhuang... Zhuang..."
Steward Feng strode out, his usual kind smile vanished, and he said sternly, "What is it!"
The guard handed something to Steward Feng, and immediately, all the color drained from Steward Feng's face. It was a simple, elegant piece of stationery, inscribed with a short poem: "Do not ask my name, for to you it is futile. The tide rises, the sand chills my bones, my soul grieves in the autumn wind."
Below the poem were two lines of text: the first line read, "March 19th"; the second line read, "Thank you, Chuanle".
Many mysteries
Su Xiaoying had expected Yi Mei to fly into a rage. However, Yi Mei simply kept repeating, muttering, "It's so strange, so very strange..."
Su Xiaoying sighed and said, "No matter how much you talk, it's no use. Xie Chuanli is already dead. You'd better be wary of the next one."
Yi Mei said, "How can we guard against this? It's just a thick fog, and people die without even knowing how they died."
Su Xiaoying said, "If he knew how he would die, would he still have died?"
Yi Mei couldn't help but get angry and shouted, "Stop talking nonsense! We don't even know how this one died, how are we supposed to guard against the next one? Tell me!"
Su Xiaoying laughed and said, "By the time we find out how he died, Banshao Manor will have been wiped out long ago."
Yi Mei was taken aback. The words "extermination of the entire family" suddenly sent a chill down her spine. "That's right," Yi Mei calmed down, sighed softly, and said, "The murderer not only wanted to exterminate the Xie family, but he also used methods that were slow and methodical, one by one."
Su Xiaoying thought for a long time, then suddenly lowered her voice and asked, "Don't you find it strange?"
Yi Mei suddenly looked up at him, then lunged forward, grabbed his arm, and asked repeatedly, "What are you thinking about? What are you thinking about?"
Su Xiaoying laughed and said, "What are you thinking about? I just asked if you think it's strange... Ouch, why are you pinching me..."
Yi Mei removed her hand and said happily, "Alright, Su Xiaoying, tell me now."
Su Xiaoying smiled slightly and said slowly, "While you were in the hall, I walked around the manor. No matter where I went, servants would come out to give me directions. When we entered the manor, it seemed like we didn't see anyone. However, the manor was not deserted. On the contrary, there were hidden sentries everywhere."
Yi Mei pondered for a moment, then hummed in agreement.
Su Xiaoying said, "Judging from today's events, the murderer is practically an invisible shadow. He avoided so many sentries and layers of guards outside the main hall, and after killing the person, he disappeared without a trace. That's too fast. Could there really be such a thing as earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magic that allows one to escape from the ground)? Even if there is, there's still a distance between the main hall and the soil outside."
Yi Mei was suddenly startled and blurted out, "You suspect..."
Su Xiaoying said, "Based on this deduction, the most likely culprits are you, Xie Yuanlan, and Xie Sange. If you killed someone and stood still, no one would suspect you; the group of people guarding outside the main hall are also highly suspicious."
Yi Mei said, "I had thought about it being done by our own people, but Xie Yuanlan would naturally choose the most reliable people to guard nearby. The closest floor outside the main hall, besides Xie Chuanle and Xie Wangyi, only has Steward Feng and a few leaders. Besides, there is another layer of people outside them. How could they have done anything?"
Su Xiaoying thought for a long time, then sighed softly, "You're right. Since Xie Yuanlan had Third Brother Xie guard the hall, he must trust him completely. Yimei, you didn't kill him, did you?"
Yi Mei was stunned for a moment, then gritted her teeth and shouted, "Su Xiaoying! Are you looking for death!"
Su Xiaoying said, "Fine, you know you didn't kill him yourself. You're my boss's wife, so I have no choice but to believe you. But Xie Yuanlan only met you during the day. Why does he trust you so much all of a sudden?"
Yi Mei said, "He paid me a thousand taels of gold."
Su Xiaoying shook her head and said, "You are an assassin and have a grudge against their family. The sword wounds on Xie Chuanshu's body are very similar to your swordsmanship. Xie Yuanlan naturally has close friends. Why didn't he invite them but instead offered you a huge sum of money? Do you remember what Xie Yuanlan said? He said that when Xie Chuanshu died, he was on high alert, but unfortunately he still died. Maybe that time was similar to this time. Xie Yuanlan is pretty sure that it was one of his own people who did it, which is why he trusts you so much."
Su Xiaoying said, "Perhaps Xie Yuanlan invited you not only to protect Xie Chuanli, but also to catch the murderer in one fell swoop. It's a pity that the murderer didn't use a sword this time, but used such a strange method."
Yi Mei said with a start, "If, as you have guessed, the murderer could easily kill Xie Yuanlan with a single sword strike, then the murderer's swordsmanship is even more advanced than I originally thought."
Su Xiaoying laughed and exposed her, saying, "What you're really thinking is that you should be more clever than yourself, right?"
Yi Mei wasn't angry this time; her expression was serious.
Su Xiaoying said, "I always feel that Xie Yuanlan is hiding something important."
Yi Mei sighed and said, "That's right. Xie Yuanlan said he hadn't made any enemies, but he guessed that the person who sent the flower-patterned letter was the one who had practiced the wrong flower pattern. The murderer knew he would sacrifice his own life, yet he still wanted to wipe out the entire Xie family. This hatred is greater than the heavens. Tell me, how could someone not know about such a feud?"
Su Xiaoying glanced at her sharply, then fell into deep thought. After a long while, she said, "The murderer came for revenge, so why did he specifically write the poem about the wrong flower pattern on the stationery? Was it just to tell Xie Yuanlan that he had practiced the wrong flower pattern and that's why his martial arts skills improved so rapidly?"
Yi Mei said, "This... seems unnecessary..." She paused, then said, "Su Xiaoying, that means that the matter of revenge might be related to the wrong drawing itself."
Su Xiaoying said, "The more I think about this, the more complicated it seems. It's all your fault for being so greedy. I hope we won't get caught up in the murderer's scheme."
Yi Mei suddenly shivered, then jumped up and shouted, "How could I be so greedy for money? How could I be so greedy for money?"
Su Xiaoying's face suddenly showed an extremely terrifying expression, and her eyes stared straight at Yi Mei's back.
Suddenly, all the hairs on Yi Mei's body stood on end. She was usually very brave, but at this moment, she didn't dare to turn her head. Her right hand gripped the hilt of Han Guang's sword, and in an instant, a surge of courage rose in her heart, and she turned around abruptly.
But what's behind that?
When she turned around again, Su Xiaoying was already laughing so hard she was holding her stomach.
"Su Xiaoying!—" An angry scream pierced the sky once again.
Su Xiaoying smiled and said, "You really don't understand me. If there were really something bad going on behind you, would I still be standing here? I would have pulled you over here long ago."
Yi Mei's angry face suddenly froze. She seemed a little flustered and glanced at Su Xiaoying.
Su Xiaoying snorted and said, "Don't be shy, you've had your eye on me for a long time."
Yi Mei thought for a moment and said, "That's right, it's just a pity that you're a little poor."
Su Xiaoying said nonchalantly, "So what if you're poor? Aren't you quite rich?"
Yi Mei was taken aback and said, "Su Xiaoying, you are the mountain that is even higher than me!"
When the first letter arrived at Banshao Manor, no one knew what it meant.
A few days later, Xie Chuanhua's entourage stopped in front of Banshao Manor. Her maid called out several times in front of the carriage, but received no response. Xie Wangyi went forward herself, lifted the curtain, and saw her elder sister sitting upright inside the carriage, but her chest was covered in crimson, her face was pale and yellow, and she had been dead for some time.
When the second letter arrived, Xie Yuanlan had made extremely detailed plans. Everyone in the manor was confident that even the renowned swordsman, Master Wuyou, couldn't succeed. Unfortunately, in front of everyone, Xie Chuanshu collapsed to the ground, dead.
Just a few days later, Xie Chuanli, despite being heavily guarded, mysteriously died in a thick fog. Then the letter arrived again, signed with Xie Chuanle's name.
Tragedy after tragedy struck, as if some unseen force compelled people to continue dying and blood to continue flowing. The Half-Spoon Manor remained calm, but Su Xiaoying could already sense the pervasive atmosphere of unease within.