When Qian San fell into the latrine, he had already passed out, and his body merely twitched a couple of times in the filth before sinking entirely.
By the moonlight, Li Yuan saw the stone he had shot land in Qian San's crotch and follow him into the latrine, saving him some trouble.
It wouldn't do for someone to clean out the latrine, find the stone, and immediately suspect him, right? That wouldn't be realistic.
However, Li Yuan didn't leave immediately. Instead, he swiftly reached into the quiver with his right hand and pulled out another slippery stone, standing silently in the cold wind.
The biting winter wind felt like knives across his hands and cheeks, yet he remained still, quietly observing.
First, he wanted to confirm whether Qian San was dead.
Second, he wanted to see if anyone was around.
If someone was there, they wouldn't realize Qian San had fallen because of a stone hitting him.
The night was dark, the wind was blowing, how could anyone see clearly?
But if someone saw Qian San fall into the latrine, they would surely try to help.
When that happened, he would be able to gauge their reaction.
As for why he didn't use arrows.
Arrows were too conspicuous, and it would be easy for others to link them to Qian San and then to him.
Li Yuan patiently waited for nearly the time it takes for half a stick of incense to burn, seeing that there was no movement from the latrine and no one approached. Only then did he crouch low, dashing through the shadows of the trees and running home.
...
Not long after Li Yuan left, a figure appeared outside Qian San's door.
The moonlight revealed the figure's appearance.
It was a bruised and swollen bald man, dressed in cloth garments, clutching an iron rod with rolled-up sleeves, his arms were bruised purple and blue.
Despite his appearance, the bald man's eyes were bright, burning with a fierce intensity.
He took quick strides, three steps covering for two, arriving rapidly at Qian San's door, took a few deep breaths, and then kicked the door forcefully.
Bang!!
The door was kicked open.
"Qian San, damn you!! Today, I am going to enforce justice on behalf of the heavens and eliminate evil for the people!" the bald man roared, charging in with the iron rod.
A woman's scream came from inside.
"Monk Pan, what are you doing?" Qian San's wife shouted as she clutched a silk satchel and clung to her quilt, "Help, Third Master, help!! Monk Pan has gone mad!!"
...
Li Yuan knew nothing of these events; at this moment, he quietly groped his way back to the house, climbed over the fence, and carefully slipped inside.
He quickly shed his cold, damp clothes and old pants, took off his boots, and cautiously climbed into bed.
Yan Yu must have felt someone getting into bed; she called out sleepily: "Brother Yuan..."
"Sister Yan." Li Yuan replied.
"How long were you out?"
"Just a little while."
"Hmmm~" Yan Yu mumbled, having no concept of time, only whimpered softly as she stretched out her small foot to hook his leg, trying to snuggle into the man's arms.
But as she snuggled, Yan Yu couldn't help but exclaim, "Ouch! Brother Yuan, why are you so cold?"
Li Yuan said, "It's cold outside..."
"Then hold me, I'm warm." Yan Yu reached out and tugged the quilt over them, wrapping them up tightly, then pressed her body against Li Yuan's cold side, warming it.
Soon, the bed became warm, even warmer than a heated brazier.
Li Yuan hugged the woman in his arms tightly; this lady was truly caring...
Suddenly, the woman in his arms murmured, "Brother Yuan, maybe... you shouldn't go hunting with Qian San. I think that Qian San harbors ill intentions, and you're not alike. Going with him won't lead to anything good."
But after she spoke, she remembered the consequences of not going and couldn't help but sob softly, mumbling nonstop, "What shall we do, Brother Yuan, what shall we do..."
Li Yuan gently stroked her hair and said, "I'll be careful, Sister Yan, it's late now, let's sleep."
...
...
The next morning...
As dawn broke, the entire Little Ink Workshop was in an uproar.
"Monk Pan has killed someone!"
"Monk Pan has killed someone!"
"How dare he do that?"
"He was humiliated during the day and went to vent his anger at night."
Li Yuan had pulled an all-nighter, with his nerves tightly wound from back and forth, and having spent time with Sister Yan, he hadn't got up yet.
Yan Yu, however, was quite energetic. She carefully opened the door, looked outside, and saw Aunt Wang next door. She ran over.
Hearing that Monk Pan had killed someone, she was quite curious and had an inexplicable sense of anticipation...
"Aunt Wang, what happened?"
Aunt Wang was well-informed; she leaned in and said, "Lady Yan, last night, Monk Pan went and beat Qian San to death."
"Huh?"
Yan Yu's eyes widened in disbelief, though a strange sense of joy bloomed inside her heart.
Immediately after, she knitted her brows and said, "That's not right. Qian San is so strong, and Monk Pan got beaten during the day, how could he beat Qian San?"
Aunt Wang said, "I don't know either; I'll ask around later, I'm puzzled too."
"Hmm..." Yan Yu was worried about the news being unconfirmed and grew anxious again.
She stood on tiptoe, looked afar contemplatively, hesitated whether to go check it out, but quickly dismissed the idea.
Her husband had told her to avoid crowded places, and she intended to obey.
So, she waited there, hopeful.
Once she saw someone returning from Qian San's direction, she ran over with Aunt Wang to ask.
Upon inquiry, the news was confirmed.
Yan Yu was overjoyed, feeling as if it was a festival.
She suppressed her joyful feeling, but inside, she was singing "Today is a Good Day."
Suddenly, the man who was questioned said, "Lady Yan, didn't Qian San visit your Brother Yuan yesterday?"
Yan Yu paused, then sighed, pulling a long face, "Brother Qian wanted my Brother Yuan to follow him, and what a capable man Brother Qian is, so I told Brother Yuan to definitely follow and learn from Brother Qian well.
Brother Yuan, he's anxious too.
A while ago, wasn't he chased by a pig? The wounds went deep into his bones; he couldn't wait for them to heal, so he could go hunting with Brother Qian.
How did things come to this? Oh... my Brother Yuan isn't a person of good fortune…"
...
By noon, Li Yuan yawned lazily, got up, and put on his boots, when he heard Yan Yu singing a happy tune nearby.
"Sister Yan, what's making you so happy?"
Hearing the man ask, Yan Yu put down the firewood she was holding, and with her small face flushed from the fire's warmth, she came over to the bed and said, "Hey, Brother Yuan, can you believe it, last night Qian San died!
I must say, Monk Pan truly has a chivalrous heart. During the day, he stood up for Sister-in-law Cai Hua, and at night, he picked up an iron rod and beat Qian San into the latrine. Truly a knight."
Li Yuan was momentarily stunned.
This happened?
He committed the murder, yet Monk Pan took the blame.
It was a coincidence though, and naturally, he wasn't going to explain.
"Sister Yan, don't be too happy; it'll be bad if someone notices."
"I know, I know... I'm not foolish."
After saying a few words, Yan Yu returned to tend to the fire at the stove.