Xinxin stood over the carefully laid out corpses.
"This is no place for a young lady like you," Yichen openly admitted his concerns. Xinxin ignored him. The bodies were clean, their features relaxed. There was no trace left of the black blood, the torment, or the stench. If she mentioned it now, she would openly admit that she had been at the Gao residence. Contrary to the warning of an official. Pian'er stood to the side and watched her. Something about Xinxin's behavior had changed. The normally lovable and somewhat cheeky girl had given way again to the woman she had met in the basement of the old estate. Cold, calculating, and without any scruples. After all, they had taken away what was most important to her. Tian Liu Yan. Secretly, Pian'er thought they were lucky that Xinxin had no abilities. There was no question that Liu Yan would destroy anyone who laid a hand on Xinxin, and conversely, Xinxin would probably burn down everything that stood between her and Liu Yan. Pian'er felt a chill run down her spine. She could only advise everyone to simply leave the two of them alone. There was something about her, something Pian'er couldn't put her finger on. Xinxin had a bright mind and always seemed to see more than others, as if she could see behind the mask that this world had put on itself. Even now, Pian'er was sure that Xinxin had already figured out more than was apparent at first glance. "Maybe you're right. If you don't mind, I'll go back to your house and get some rest. I guess I have no choice but to trust you on this matter," she said, a gentle smile graced her face. Pian'er almost protested, but then Xinxin walked past her with her head bowed. Quietly, almost imperceptibly, she brushed against Pian'er.
"Distract him," she whispered so softly that even Pian'er had to strain her ears to understand. When Xinxin had left, the lotus flower demon positioned himself at the entrance and kept his eyes on Yichen. At first glance, he seemed to be a serious, upright man. He let the undertaker explain that the people apparently had no injuries. It was as if they had simply dropped dead. Only an immortal master who had cultivated evil could accomplish such a thing.
"I don't want to interfere, but isn't your prisoner a corrupt immortal?" the undertaker asked. Pian'er gritted her teeth.
Yichen nodded hesitantly. "Yes, the ancient spells in our prison reacted when we locked him up. He cultivates corrupted qi," he admitted. Damn, things weren't looking good for their master. "You can make up whatever you want. Since you took my master away, we haven't heard a word from him. You might as well have just slaughtered him to have a scapegoat to cover for someone else," she hissed. Pian'er wasn't good at making things up. But Xinxin needed a distraction, so she should get what she needed. "I can assure you that your master is fine.
Are you a slave demon?" Yichen asked, a dark shadow passing over his face. Pian'er puffed herself up.
"Slave demon? Are you out of your mind? I follow my master of my own free will," she cried angrily. Even though she had given him one of her petals, there was no slave contract between them.
"I want to see him, take me to him," Pian'er demanded. Yichen hesitated briefly. Pian'er had no right to make such a demand, but he, in turn, had no right to refuse her request.
"The prison is on the other side of town," he said hesitantly. Pian'er shrugged.
Yichen conceded defeat; Pian'er would just keep ranting and raving anyway. If it would give her some peace of mind to see that her master was well, then so be it. He finally nodded.
The prison was a huge tower, with only tiny holes carved into the stone to provide fresh air and some sunlight.
Inside, it stank terribly, and the whimpering and moaning of the prisoners echoed off the walls. Liu Yan sat on a bed of straw in his cell. In the lotus position, his palms turned toward the sky and his eyes closed, nothing about him looked untidy or dirty. Even in the dilapidated cell, he sat on the straw like a god carved in stone. His black hanfu spilled across the floor, and his long, silky hair, adorned with jewelry and braided plaits, blended in with the smooth fabric. He opened his eyes when Pian'er approached the cell.
"Why aren't you with her?" Liu Yan asked her soberly, almost reproachfully. Pian'er scratched her nose.
"Uh, A'Xin wanted me to make sure you were all right!" she evaded. Liu Yan looked up and raised an eyebrow.
He obviously knew that Xinxin was aware that he was fine, given the circumstances. Pian'er remembered that he had explained the spell with the red thread to her when they had rescued Xinxin from the icy cave of Xueling. This spell was probably still active and was signaling to the other that they were fine.
"How is the investigation progressing, Yichen Gongzi?" asked Liu Yan, looking past Pian'er. The man stepped forward. An apologetic smile appeared on his gentle face.
"It appears that a cultist skilled in the dark arts murdered the people without leaving any traces," he said.
"Oh!" Liu Yan smiled coldly in return.
"How convenient that you caught a dark cultist in your net this morning, isn't it?" he asked cynically.
"I admit, the timing is a little too perfect. Someone capable of slaughtering an entire estate in the dead of night would hardly be caught so quickly and easily. However, I have no proof of your innocence, so..." Yichen faltered.
"I can only rely on my companions," Liu Yan finished the sentence. Yichen's gaze flew to Pian'er. She just gave him a venomous look and hissed.
"You shouldn't worry about her," Liu Yan said quietly.
Then he closed his eyes again and began to breathe calmly and evenly. Yes, Pian'er thought, not her... Excuse me? Did he consider Xinxin more dangerous than her? Well, if she admitted it to herself, Xinxin could be very intimidating. Pian'er certainly didn't want Xinxin to ever be angry with her. "We should go now," Yichen suggested.
His gentle gaze had hardened somewhat and he seemed slightly nervous. Pian'er didn't think much of him. She strutted straight past him and out the door.
The official's house was not large. But it was neat and tidy. So neat that one might think no one lived there. There were no personal belongings, no pictures or scrolls, not even a single servant. Xinxin closed the door behind her and mentally surveyed the property. Looking forward from the main courtyard, she could see the main house. That was where Yichen lived, and currently she and Pian'er as well. To the right was a hall where weapons and evidence were stored, and to the left were the staff quarters. Behind them was the entrance gate. Xinxin took a deep breath. Yichen was not what he appeared to be. Even though his appearance and behavior were perfectly attuned to a human being, he was not one. He did not blink; occasionally a silvery film would cover his eyes, but he never blinked. When he spoke, he lisped a little, as if his tongue were too long.
When Xinxin accidentally touched him at dinner, his skin was neither hot nor cold. She still couldn't say what he was, but it was highly likely that Yichen was a demon. So Liu Yan would make short work of him if the situation continued to escalate. Xinxin snorted, but she was really pissed off. That he was being used to cover up a murder. If Yichen wanted to play hardball, he would get it. She searched the study, but all the drawers and cabinets were empty. There wasn't even a change of clothes in there. His bed was neatly made and covered with a light layer of dust; he hadn't used it in quite some time, if ever. Xinxin ran to the locked servants' quarters. Yichen said he didn't use it and that's why it was locked. Xinxin pressed against the windows. They were all locked. With a little magic, she could have gained access without any problems, but as it was, she had no choice but to use her hairpin like a common thief. The door swung open. It was freezing cold in here, despite the summer temperatures outside. All the rooms were empty, everything covered with sheets. It seemed that Yichen hadn't lied. When Xinxin stepped on a loose board, she rocked her weight back and forth on it, loosening it enough to remove it.
Xinxin almost screamed when a pair of empty eyes stared back at her. The decomposition process had not progressed very far due to the low temperatures. But the sweet smell immediately hit her nose. She shone some candlelight on the middle-aged man. He was wearing an expensive robe with the embroidered symbol worn by officials. She quickly stuffed the board back in place. Perhaps she had just found the real owner of the house. When she arrived in the courtyard, she turned around once. She was running out of time and so far she had nothing on Yichen. All that remained was the evidence room. She slipped through the door and closed it behind her. She shone the candle over the shelves and rows of tables. Dusty books and evidence lay scattered around, but it had probably all been there longer than Yichen had been living there. She found fresh drag marks on the floor, the dust had been pushed aside, and the floor was roughened. Xinxin lifted the lamp. The cabinet in front of her looked too solid to move.
So she awkwardly pushed around the drawer. It had a complicated lock made of intertwined snake bodies. It took Xinxin a while to figure out the mechanism, but then there was a click and the snakes moved apart. The drawer slid out with a creak and scraped across the floor. Xinxin listened intently, but there was still no sound. She peered into the drawer and pulled out a carefully bound book. When she opened it, she immediately recognized the seal of the Gao family, which also adorned the gates of the residence. It was a business ledger documenting goods received, condition, marketing, costs, and expenditures. Xinxin felt sick and gritted her teeth. The goods consisted mainly of demons. They had either been sold as slaves or had parts of their bodies cut off and resold as medicine and ingredients for potions and spells. She sucked in her breath sharply. There was more than just one book in the drawer. She had to open a particularly old, yellowed one very carefully. It contained the family's records from over twenty years ago. Quite early on, one name jumped out at her.
Name: Yichen
Species: Black snake demon
Special feature: Extremely poisonous, poison can cause hallucinations and be used to manipulate people.
Note: Should be kept alone and always in chains. If poison is extracted regularly, care must be taken to feed it fresh, live food so that the toxins can develop. From adolescence onwards, it must be regularly shed to prevent it from transforming into its snake form. Otherwise, there is a risk of escape, as the snake's body can grow up to thirty meters long.
Xinxin closed the book again. The seal was emblazoned on the top of the cover like a mockery. So that's why the Gaos had been so wealthy and respected. They had traded in extremely illegal goods and living demons. When Yichen said that without them he would not be standing here today, it was meant to be cynical above all else. Xinxin put the books away and pulled out a freshly printed wedding invitation.
The son of the city lord is marrying the eldest daughter of the Gao. All the notable men and women of the city are invited to this solemn occasion. A large, ugly stain had eaten into the paper underneath. Snake venom, Xinxin suspected. The wedding was dated the day the massacre had taken place. She, Pian'er, and Liu Yan had indeed been in the wrong place at the wrong time. She put everything back in the drawer and then went back to the main house to sit down on the bed. Xinxin reconstructed the probable course of events in her mind. Yichen had managed to free himself. He was a man in his mid-twenties, his snake body fully grown. Xinxin thought of the deep furrows and the condition of the residence. If an angry snake body had raged inside, the destruction was understandable. With his venom, he had gained access to the house of the official, who now lay beneath the wooden floor, and manipulated the townspeople into seeing him as the official.
Perhaps his original plan had been to expose the family, but if the son of the town lord joined forces with the Gao's daughter, those efforts would be in vain. Because they were all in cahoots. Xinxin tossed and turned in bed. He must have slaughtered the wedding party in a rage. As a high-ranking snake demon, his aura, coupled with the timing of the transformation, must have given the man who stormed the inn this morning the illusion that Liu Yan was standing on the roof of the estate with his hanfu billowing in the wind. On top of that, Yichen only came down from above later. So it's possible that after he was discovered, he followed the man and, when he saw that he was falsely accusing Liu Yan, returned to his role as an official. Yichen probably planned to shift the blame onto Liu Yan. But instead of condemning him right away, he had an investigation conducted. Why? Xinxin sat up.
"Because he's conceited and arrogant," she blurted out. He wanted his deed to be reconstructed, he wanted people to know what had happened. He wanted the city and the lord to know that revenge had been taken on the Gao, and he wanted them to know who had done it. Everything about him was focused on revenge. Just like Liu Yan.