Ma femme escalade le mur - Chapitre 34
Chapter Five: Flowing Splendor • Regain
Duan Chen used his lightness skill to follow the sound to the front of the house, where he saw a large crowd had gathered. Looking inside, however, the house was empty. A man dressed as a servant stood trembling before the steward, explaining something in a low voice. A moment later, the crowd parted to make way, and Liu Yichen practically ran into the house. The steward hurriedly followed, his steps also showing signs of panic.
"Excuse me, what happened?" Duan Chen turned to look at a young man standing next to him.
The man nodded solemnly, “The Flowing Color Sword is gone. Just now, some of us went through each item one by one, and found that one shelf on the table near the north was empty. We were all a little puzzled because we heard from the people at the table at lunch that there were four famous swords in total. Later, we asked a servant standing nearby, and when he came over and took a look, he panicked. He shouted that something terrible had happened. That’s when we realized that the sword wasn’t temporarily put away by the Liu family, but had simply vanished right before our eyes.”
Duan Chen was also surprised to hear this: "May I ask when you arrived here, young master?"
"About the time it takes to brew a cup of tea," the man said, turning his gaze away from the distance and looking at Duan Chen.
Duan Chen frowned. On his way here, he had heard people praising the Flowing Color Sword for its cold, restrained light, as pure as frost and snow. Yet, he had only been here for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. In other words, in less than a quarter of an hour, the sword had vanished into thin air right before everyone's eyes!
"Uncle!" A figure in pale yellow rushed into the house like a gust of wind, causing a slight stir among the crowd. Duan Chen was about to ask a question when he heard someone softly call his name from behind: "Chen'er, you're here too."
Duan Chen turned to the side and saw Zhan Yun already beside her, a faint smile still on her lips: "Let's go in together." Just now, as they were walking this way, a servant rushed over, saying that one of the four precious artifacts was missing, and the young master had sent someone to investigate, urging Miss to hurry over. Since Duan Chen was already here, she should know more than they did, and with her there, she should be able to notice some easily overlooked details. After all, during their time in Hangzhou, the three of them had worked together to find clues and solve cases, and Zhan Yun and Zhao Ting were quite impressed with Duan Chen's abilities in this area.
Zhao Ting walked on Duan Chen's other side. After taking a few steps, he turned to look at the beauty beside him and asked, "Are you still feeling unwell?"
Duan Chen was slightly taken aback, then gently shook his head: "Thank you."
Zhao Ting's lips curved slightly, his expression softening even more, and a faint smile reflected in his dark eyes. On the other side, Zhan Yun still had a smile on his lips, but the folding fan in his sleeve was digging into his palm, causing a slight pain.
As the group entered the house, they saw Liu Mandie's eyes were already red with anxiety. Lou Yueru stood by, gently comforting her, while Yue Yiyi took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. Liu Yichen frowned, staring blankly at the mahogany shelf that had once been used to display his sword. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides, and his expression grew increasingly grim.
"Young Master, the Flowing Color Sword should still be in this manor. Let's all sit down together and think of a way to find it," Zhan Yun said gently as he walked to Liu Yichen's side.
Liu Yichen remained silent for a long time before saying in a low voice, "The sword can be retrieved, but the reputation of the manor will be lost forever. So many eyes are watching outside the gate. In broad daylight, under the watchful eyes of everyone, my dignified Wanliu Manor couldn't even protect a sword."
“If that’s what the young master says, then all those heroes outside should also lose face.” Duan Chen’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the empty hall: “Since the sword disappeared in full view of everyone, it means that the sword thief’s skill is definitely superior to everyone present.”
Liu Yichen looked Duan Chen up and down as if he were seeing this person for the first time. His tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and he smiled as he looked at Zhan Yun: "So you really are a member of the Zhan family? Nephew, your cousin has really impressed me."
Zhan Yun's cheeks flushed slightly at the mention of "Zhan family members," and his crescent-shaped eyes held a faint smile: "Young Master, you flatter me. The most urgent task is to gather all the distinguished guests of the manor together, especially those who were present when the sword was discovered to be missing. We need to see them. My two friends and I will do our best to help Young Master find the Flowing Color Sword as quickly as possible."
Liu Yichen nodded, then instructed the butler who was standing not far away, "Uncle Xiang, bring the list of guests attending the birthday banquet to Young Master Zhan. Invite the guests outside to sit in the 'Hall of Gathering Righteousness' for a while. Keep it a secret from Father for now."
The steward bowed his head and agreed, then left with several servants from the room.
"Young Master Xingzhi, you must help our Liu family find the Flowing Rainbow Sword!" Liu Manyie's eyes were still brimming with tears, her soft voice trembling with sobs. "These weapons are Grandpa's most treasured possessions. If he finds out they're missing... he hasn't been feeling well lately..."
Zhan Yun nodded gently: "Miss Liu, rest assured, I will do my best."
"Then I'll leave it to Young Master Xingzhi." Liu Manyie smiled, her eyes filled with deep reliance as she looked at Zhan Yun.
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Zhou Yufei quickly scanned the guest list and handed it to Zhan Yun: "They are basically families or sects with some reputation in the martial arts world, a total of 112 people. You should be more familiar with them than I am." Of the three, Zhao Ting rarely went south. Apart from staying in Bianjing, he was more familiar with the north. He knew far less about the people and affairs in the martial arts world than the other two.
Zhan Yun's grandfather was a high-ranking official who served two emperors, while his father never entered officialdom and was a true江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of the martial arts world). Therefore, although Zhan Yun's ancestral home was Suzhou, he grew up in the capital and only returned to Suzhou to live permanently when he was fifteen or sixteen years old. He passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, but did not participate in the subsequent examination for the Hanlin Academy. Over the years, he traveled all over the country and made a name for himself. In addition, "Xingyun Manor" had been famous in the martial arts world since his father's time, and in the past six or seven years, the name of Young Master Xingzhi had become increasingly well-known.
Zhou Yufei, on the other hand, was a playful person. When Zhao Ting went to fight in the Northwest, he went with him. When Zhan Yun returned to his hometown of Suzhou to stay for an extended period, he also came to live with him. Therefore, although he was not as familiar with many things in the martial arts world as Zhan Yun, he was far more knowledgeable than Zhao Ting.
Duan Chen stood to the side, also staring at the list. Suddenly, she pointed to a name and asked, "Who is this person?" The list not only listed names but also indicated the sects or families to which each person belonged, as some families had invited more than one person. Although Duan Chen hadn't traveled as much as Zhan Yun and Zhou Yufei over the years, she had at least heard of some of the more well-known figures in the martial arts world. However, she had never even heard of "Deng Dingbo of the Deng Family of Baode." Where was Baode? And judging by the name, he didn't seem to be from the Jiangnan region.
Zhan Yun glanced at Duan Chen, a hint of helplessness in his eyes. This girl has a sharp eye! Zhou Yufei also came over upon hearing this, and after taking a look, he smiled and said, "We're more familiar with Zhao Ting, let him speak."
Zhao Ting reached out and took the paper, raising an eyebrow at Duan Chen: "Which one?"
Duan Chen was frowning in thought when he heard Zhao Ting's question. Without thinking, he walked over to Zhao Ting, looked down at the paper, and pointed with his index finger: "This is Deng Dingbo. Where is Baode?"
Zhao Ting felt a tightness in his throat as he looked at Duan Chen's inquisitive eyes. He cursed himself for being useless, but steadied himself and replied in a deep voice, "It's in Hedong Road, a little northwest of Taiyuan Prefecture. The Deng family of Baode, I remember they were escorts. The old head of the escorts was skilled with a pair of meteor hammers and was quite famous in the northwest."
In the Northwest, Duan Chen fell into deep thought again upon hearing this. It seemed that the person who had appeared earlier was indeed not simple. On the other side, Zhan Yun looked at Duan Chen's slightly furrowed brows and half-lowered phoenix eyes, and couldn't help but smile faintly. When she was like this, she revealed her most authentic self, not too cold, nor so guarded.
The four chatted inside the house for a while longer before leaving and heading towards the "Hall of Gathering Righteousness." The Liu family members were already there, counting heads from another list. Just as they stepped across the threshold, Liu Yichen quickly approached them. Reaching them, he lowered his voice and said, "One person is missing."
"Who?" Zhou Yufei raised an eyebrow. Surely the person who stole the item wouldn't be that stupid? Not showing up at a time like this would obviously arouse suspicion!
"The Fang family of Suzhou." Liu Yichen clearly also had some doubts.
"Fang Wenli?" Seeing Liu Yichen nod, the group immediately sensed something was wrong. Wasn't he the one who tried to talk to Duan Chen this morning but was scared away by Zhan Yun's few words? Stealing a precious sword, while despicable, wasn't something just anyone could do. With Fang Wenli's third-rate skills, it was clearly impossible.
"I've already sent someone to invite him—" Before Liu Yichen could finish speaking, Duan Chen interrupted him anxiously, asking, "Where does he live?"
Liu Yichen was taken aback and was about to reply when he heard someone shout breathlessly from not far away: "Young Master, something bad has happened!"
The man ran up to the group, panting, and said, "Young...Young Master, that man, that man, that man is dead!" Upon hearing this, not only did Liu Yichen's expression change drastically, but everyone in the room also erupted in an uproar.
Liu Mandie and the others were ordered by Liu Yichen to stay in their rooms and not to go out, while the other guests remained in the "Gathering Hall" to wait until it was almost time for the steward to inform everyone of their meal. Liu Yichen and Zhan Yun, on the other hand, quickly walked towards the courtyard where Fang Wenli was staying.
Before even entering the house, a sweet, metallic smell filled the air, causing everyone, including Duan Chen, to pale. Normally, a dead person wouldn't smell like this, unless… Just as Liu Yichen stepped across the threshold, he turned back as if remembering something, glancing at Duan Chen walking behind Zhan Yun: “Miss, perhaps you shouldn't go in! It might be very…”
"Thank you for your concern, Second Master Liu, but I'm fine." Duan Chen's expression remained calm, his gaze composed. Liu Yichen hesitated slightly, but seeing that Zhan Yun and the others did not stop him, he nodded and went into the house first.
The situation inside the room was much better than everyone had imagined. Fang Wenli's neck was tightly bound with a sword, tied in a knot. The blade was three-tenths of an inch into the bone, and blood flowed down the entire circle of wounds on his neck, almost soaking half the floor of the room. He seemed to have been drained of all his blood, leaving only an empty shell. His face was as pale as paper, and his eyes were wide open in terror, as if he couldn't believe that this was his final end.
Liu Yichen's hands trembled slightly, his chest heaving violently. With a wave of his hand, a loud "bang" rang out, and the round table beside him shattered into several large pieces and crashed to the ground. The people nearby naturally recognized that the sword wrapped around Fang Wenli's neck was none other than Liu Cai, which had disappeared in full view of everyone not long ago.
Duan Chen lifted the hem of her skirt and walked to Fang Wenli's side. She examined the man's face and chest, then carefully observed the blood on the ground. She then looked up at the group of people and said, "That man must have just stolen the sword and then came here to kill the man. The body is already cold."
"So, he stole the sword to kill someone?" Zhan Yun frowned, then glanced at Liu Yichen, who was trembling slightly with anger. "Young Master, don't blame yourself too much. Judging from this, the murderer must have been planning this for a long time. I'm afraid he had already succeeded in killing us by the time we discovered the sword had been stolen."
Liu Yichen took a deep breath, his low, slightly hoarse voice trembling slightly: "The death of someone in the manor is my fault. All the guests came here happily to celebrate my father's birthday, but now that this has happened, I'm afraid the birthday banquet can't be held."
"Let's report it to the authorities. They have coroners and plenty of manpower there. Otherwise, with so many guests, it would be difficult for us to question them one by one and find clues." Zhao Ting stood by the door with his hands behind his back, his eyes deep and his expression unreadable.