Chapter 59

Chen Shu was naturally a head shorter than Shen Jie, but with Shen Jie turned on the stairs, they stood nearly eye to eye. Watching Chen Shu spew out this frantic torrent of words, her face pleading and earnest, Shen Jie slowly smiled after her puzzled “Huh?”

“Why so rushed?” Shen Jie said. “Take it slow. Explain properly.”

“My sword…”

“Mhm, I got that much. Sword’s gone, you’re looking for it. Then what?” Shen Jie patted Chen Shu’s hand resting on the railing. “What’s that Yun Shen got to do with it?”

Chen Shu glanced at Shen Jie, then at the stairs, before lifting her head to stare shyly at Shen Jie’s bound hair. “He told me not to ask just anyone…”

“Why? Asking around is the best way when something’s missing.”

“…Because my sword… flew away by itself.”

Someone emerged from a nearby room just then, hearing this, and shot them a startled look. Shen Jie immediately tugged Chen Shu down a couple of steps, shielding her, and offered the passerby a pleasant smile, making room on the cramped staircase to let them pass.

By now, midday approached. The streets weren’t like they were last night. Hazy sunlight filtered through the paper-covered windows into the hallway, blocked by the railings to cast patterned shadows on the wooden stairs and illuminate the scattered, roughly sanded splinters, trampled flat by countless footsteps. The distant cries of street hawkers, drifting through the warren of streets, reached this cramped inn whose ceiling Shen Jie could nearly touch. The sound waxed and waned, impossible to pinpoint.

Chen Shu descended another step. In the sudden quiet, specks of who-knows-what—sawdust or floating dust—swirled in the air. They’d begun settling after the passerby departed, only to be kicked back up by Chen Shu’s movement, lifting and shimmering into the gentle daylight before dissolving into it.

Shen Jie remained silent for a moment, then laughed softly and shook her head. Still gripping Chen Shu’s hand, she tilted her chin down, signaling they should finish descending the stairs first. Chen Shu agreed meekly and let herself be led down.

This inn was, after all, built in Yingqiu City. Apart from the occasional unconventional merchant passing through, its rooms stayed empty most of the year. It relied mainly on its food service to stay afloat. Thus, the hall downstairs wasn’t nearly as deserted as upstairs, especially during mealtimes. Rows of wooden tables were crowded with patrons. The Inn boy could be seen, singing out orders in one breath, balancing a tray of cleared leftovers in one hand while draping a thick cloth over his shoulder with the other, nimbly weaving through the narrow gaps between tables and disappearing towards the kitchen.

Perhaps it was places exactly like this where Yingqiu’s pulse was most alive.

The two women emerged from the stairwell. The Inn boy, with one foot already stepping into the backyard, spotted them instantly. His loud voice pivoted effortlessly to a welcoming call for them.

Busy and noisy it might be, but even if every table were occupied—which several clearly weren’t—officials with a penchant for extracting wealth from the populace wouldn’t just book them the finest rooms; they’d certainly have reserved a table too, waiting only for the women’s word.

Sure enough, the Inn boy set his tray down, made a sharp turn, and personally ushered them to a secluded corner booth, considerably quieter than the main hall. Without waiting for their order, beyond asking them to wait a moment, he darted back to the kitchen.

Shen Jie found this unremarkable, but Chen Shu was astounded by this sequence of meticulous hospitality. Remembering the officials’ pompous faces yesterday, she started suspecting hidden trickery. She warily lifted her own teacup to inspect it, then even dipped a chopstick into Shen Jie’s water cup to taste it.

Of course, it wasn’t poisoned.

“Strange,” she muttered. Her curious eyes darted around the room while she sat unnaturally upright, her restlessness obvious.

Shen Jie chuckled softly, catching her gaze. They locked eyes briefly before Shen Jie sighed, looked away, and tidied the cups Chen Shu had disturbed.

“So you want to learn… this? Investigating cases?” Shen Jie asked lightly.

“Yes,” Chen Shu answered. She paused for a beat, her eyes shining anew. She leaned forward excitedly, nearly rising from her seat in her eagerness to please. “Watching Big Sister outwit that corrupt official yesterday—it was so logical, so precise! Just during these few days in Yingqiu, seeing how you observe one clue and deduce two, anticipate a third—it’s made me admire it immensely! I thought, if I could learn even a fraction of it… I might just find my sword with it!”

“This isn’t something you can just learn,” Shen Jie smiled again, explaining carefully, “I suspect Liu Mao because I understand his character. Tracing back to Yingqiu, I’m familiar with these mountains and rivers; last night, I won arguments simply because I diligently went through thousands of case files and personally examined hundreds, if not thousands, of suspicious cases. Dealing with these minor nuisances is naturally easy.

“You have decent skills yourself, so you should understand this principle. As long as you practice often and remember every move and every stance, when you step into the competition ring, no matter how tricky your opponent’s moves may be, you will have ways to respond. Investigating a case is really like martial arts; relying solely on others’ teachings won’t help you reach great heights immediately. However, as long as you see and experience more, those seemingly unrelated clues are just like threads. Pulling on the right one can reveal the entire story of the case.”

“So, where is the ‘thread’ in my ‘case of the runaway sword’?” Chen Shu asked seriously.

This again caused Shen Jie to pause for a moment. She realized she couldn’t skip this part and said, “This ‘case’ is, on a larger scale, a theft case. When an ordinary person loses something, if it’s stolen, they usually start looking for clues at the location of the theft, checking if anyone acted suspiciously during that time or if someone accidentally witnessed the theft. Most of this can be figured out through questioning. If it was accidentally dropped, it becomes easier because you can trace back to the moment you still had it. It should still be where you lost it, waiting for you to retrieve it, so it can usually be found.

“But…”

“But in my case, my sword flew away by itself,” Chen Shu interjected. From the excitement earlier, she now felt lost again, sinking back down as if annoyed with the bench. “Is there really no other way?”

“Yun Shen told you not to just ask anyone, which is right,” Shen Jie replied, changing the subject, “but not entirely correct. If you don’t ask and have no clues, how can you find your sword? How long will it be until you can wield it again? Asking is just a matter of doing it skillfully and selectively, which is known since ancient times—putting up a reward.”

Chen Shu naturally understood what those two words meant, her eyes brightening again, “Oh! I can… no, but I don’t have any money…”

With a gentle tone, Shen Jie gave a short laugh and shook her head. Just then, the young attendant brought in their meal. Watching the rising steam, it radiated a unique warmth in the autumn mountains. The dishes, both meat and vegetables, along with soup and side dishes, looked delightful, but the most enticing was a plate of mixed grilled meats placed on the table. The aroma was rich and fragrant, and just that one dish could overshadow the entire table.

No matter her worries, Chen Shu looked at the feast set before her and couldn’t help but pick up her chopsticks, wholeheartedly focusing on her meal.

Despite the inn being scarce on guests, it managed to thrive in this remote mountain town with an abundance of visitors. The chef was truly skilled, and after just a few dishes, Chen Shu quickly forgot her troubles. In no time at all, the rice in her bowl was nearly gone. Shen Jie filled her bowl again, gently urging her to eat slowly, and then picked up the earlier topic.

“Consider those details once you decide. However, even if a reward is posted, it doesn’t guarantee you’ll find your sword.” She spoke slowly, likely noticing Chen Shu burped after a hearty bite and then continued, “If you truly want to learn how to approach solving cases, just observe and watch; that counts as ‘learning.’ But one thing I must clarify: solving cases cannot be like that dull official from yesterday who jumps to conclusions about guilt or innocence on mere speculation—those clues are still just clues. Even I can be wrong.”

Chen Shu swallowed the last piece of meat with difficulty and asked curiously, “…For example?”

“I still need to investigate,” Shen Jie replied, taking a breath. “From the attitudes of those people yesterday, they seem not to know Liu Mao.”

Chen Shu was taken aback, pondering for a moment before realizing, “But they are covering for the Culprit?”

“Not just that.” Shen Jie continued slowly, “Yesterday, even though I countered with just a letter, the initial attitudes of those officials, especially that official named Sun Jin, were quite suspicious. The magistrate can be forgiven for making mistakes, but Sun Jin’s insistence on taking us back, along with his hurried interjections in the Hall, clearly showed he knew who the Culprit was and was trying to find a scapegoat for him!”

Her words were passionate yet discreet, given the distance from the crowd; even the young attendant was busy away from them. Chen Shu listened eagerly and quickly finished her meal, placing her bowl and chopsticks down. Truly immersed in her learning, she urged Shen Jie, “So, shall we go back to Yingqiu Dam today to look for clues?”

“No,” Shen Jie responded, raising her hand to signal Chen Shu to sit back down and even adding more food to her plate. “We aren’t going to the dam. A night has passed; if the magistrate’s officials were genuinely colluding with the Culprit in this major case, they have had more than enough time to cover their tracks. Investigating this matter doesn’t have to be urgent; we need to strike when they least expect it and not take the usual route.”

Chen Shu obediently settled back down, though clearly lacking the patience to enjoy the delicacies any longer. Following Shen Jie’s conversation, she asked, “—So what are we investigating today?”

This time, Shen Jie didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she calmly took a bite of delicious meat, chewed it thoughtfully, and then summoned the young attendant.

Most of the diners had already left the inn, making it even less busy. The young attendant, having noticed their table, promptly walked over as soon as he saw Shen Jie wave, even taking the opportunity to wipe a little sauce off the table’s edges.

“Did you enjoy your meal, patrons? Do you have any requests?”

“It was delicious, particularly the meat,” Shen Jie smiled at him, adding another piece to her bowl, before seemingly casually asking, “We’ve completed our main business in Yingqiu City and would like to take a stroll in the town today. I heard the magistrate say that if we wish, we could seek out some officials to guide us, introduce us a bit?”

“Uh…” the young attendant seemed to catch on that Shen Jie had some background, feeling a bit anxious and becoming even more respectful. “If you wish to explore, that’s great, but as a common citizen, I wouldn’t dare disturb those officials in broad daylight…”

“Indeed, it’s a burden for you. Let’s see,” Shen Jie nodded, her tone seeming accommodating, “I remember one of the officials who hosted us that day; he was quite friendly, had thin lips, a broad face, a sturdy jaw, with a few freckles, and a scar behind his ear. He greeted us as well. I wonder if you know him; we could seek him out ourselves.”

“Oh, I definitely know him,” the young attendant replied, “That’s Zhou Mazi! He’s a good man and lives on the east side of the city. To get there, just walk two streets, cross the intersection, and those shabby houses that haven’t been renovated for years are where he lives with the Zhou family matriarch!”