Chapter 121

Chapter 121

The meal was fragrant and vanishingly quick.

He Yu and Xu Yuan, eager to depart, pushed their bowls and chopsticks aside the instant they were done, flung their robes back, and vanished into the street crowd. Meanwhile, true to his word, Yan Ji pulled out some novel items that resembled both bamboo hats and face-veils. Even Chen Shu’s eyes sparkled with fascination. She commandeered one to try on and became immediately impatient to begin the investigation.

The inn wasn’t far from the address Xu Yuan had provided. There was, however, just enough time for Yun Shen to change clothes.

Among the trio, Yan Ji stayed downstairs to settle the room charges with the innkeeper before leisurely polishing off the leftovers. Chen Shu accompanied Yun Shen upstairs, treading cautiously on the wooden ladder, freshly built within the past two months yet none too sturdy, leading to the corridor above.

“Anyway, changing won’t take you long. I’ll scout the location first. If it’s the right spot, I’ll fetch you both. Safer that way.”

They’d only secured three rooms. Yun Shen took the clothes and entered the first room alone, turning back before shutting the door. The corridor held only Chen Shu, who was trying to peer in. Perhaps noticing her gaze, he paused, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face.

Chen Shu’s sharp eyes caught it immediately. Locking eyes with him, she asked blankly, “Hmm? What’s wrong? Anything else?” Her thoughts were stuck on her own earlier plan. Assuming he meant to object, she quickly cracked a smile. “Don’t worry! My master always said, those talisman cultivators, even ancient monsters who’ve practiced for ten thousand years, can’t withstand a single sword strike from a Sword Cultivator – otherwise, why would they need to skulk about?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Yun Shen replied. He removed his hand from the door frame and tossed the change of clothes towards the bed inside the room. “Do you remember what I told you earlier?”

“Which part?” Chen Shu’s eyes darted around. “That you promised to be completely open with me this morning but kept delaying?”

True to the moment, she puffed out her cheeks, her round eyes fixed on Yun Shen, remarkably animated. This face, somewhat different yet just as vibrant as the one that stood in the wedding hall yesterday – joy, anger, sorrow, delight, love, hatred… every emotion alive. When her focused gaze met his, he couldn’t help but be moved afresh by such sheer, overflowing vitality.

He lost himself for a moment, only snapping back when Chen Shu narrowed her eyes and tilted her head quizzically.

“…Not that matter.”

“Oh.” Chen Shu sighed. This time, the disappointment on her face was unmistakably genuine, enough to stir pity in anyone who saw her.

Yun Shen also pursed his lips, averted his gaze, and added stiffly, “It was an urgent situation. Once we recover what was stolen this time, I promise I will speak to you carefully and clearly about everything… whatever I wish to say.”

“Alright!” Chen Shu sighed, pretending to be mature. After a moment, as if just remembering that Yun Shen was waiting for her response, she said, “…So which part were you referring to?”

“I kept watch in that courtyard last night and saw the thief,” Yun Shen said.

“I remember that part. You also said it was odd that this person stole my jade pendant!” Chen Shu replied, then asked, “What about it? Could it be that the figure didn’t resemble this old man?”

“It was urgent and late at night; how could I make out height or build clearly?” Yun Shen said. He looked at Chen Shu, hesitated for a moment as though unusually unsure of his own words, and carefully phrased what came next: “That night, I was only preoccupied with thoughts of you and your jade pendant. I never truly considered the whole picture of this theft. Obsessing over why he stole your pendant is futile because we know nothing about him. But since I’d seen him last night, it was precisely his silhouette I should have focused on. So just now, I kept ruminating over it–”

“Over what?” Chen Shu nearly stood on tiptoe, leaning closer to urge him on quickly. “Hurry up and say it!”

“– Did he really steal all the treasures in the vault?” Yun Shen paused, then spoke word by word, “I don’t think so.”

“Oh!” Chen Shu suddenly understood. “You only saw one figure, not someone carrying things, moving around?”

“Exactly,” Yun Shen confirmed. “I’ve always found it strange. The treasures collected by the Martial World Alliance, together with what Xu Yuan originally possessed—even if there weren’t a hundred items, there were easily several dozens. With so many objects, even a cultivator probably couldn’t steal them all without alerting everyone gathered. The true thief wasn’t him alone, or wasn’t him at all. It was the very guests Xu Yuan personally sent away from his courtyard.”

Chen Shu bit her lip, genuinely pondering his reasoning for a while before countering: “But by your logic, these invited guests are even less likely. They were all ordinary people. Someone who could lift one bucket of water with one hand would be considered very strong among them.”

“Of course, if someone intended to steal those treasures and flee permanently, that person would absolutely have to be the talisman cultivator skilled in unusual techniques,” Yun Shen exhaled, finally raising his hand again to push against the door. He retreated half a step through the doorway he had been holding open and continued, “But what if they hid the treasures elsewhere in the courtyard first, ready to carry them out openly in broad daylight?

“– Remember, everything happened too suddenly that day. No one searched elsewhere in the courtyard. As for the guests’ carriages and horses… no one inspected those at all.”

The silent upper floor held only the two of them. Even Yun Shen’s steady words seemed to settle slowly amidst the faint, echoing resonance of the corridor. Chen Shu swallowed, took a breath, and looked up, ready to press him further. But having finished, Yun Shen pushed his hand against the back of the door. The small wooden door before them swung shut unhurriedly, slowly closing.

Leaving behind only a crack that seemed to allow the faintest sliver of sky light through.

“Wait,” Chen Shu stood on tiptoes involuntarily, raising her voice slightly, “One more thing!”

“I remember! Once we’ve found–”

“It’s not that! What is it that’s so huge you keep dancing around it like this…” Chen Shu murmured the final complaint, perhaps worried he might still hear her through the door, and quickly raised her voice again to call out, “I said I would scout ahead first!”

–

“Why the rush?” Yan Ji finished the last mouthful of soup unhurriedly, smacking his lips contentedly. Without looking at Chen Shu, he tidied the remnants of food on the table and only then lifted his gaze, sparing her a glance. “You say he promised you that once the lost items are recovered, he will tell you carefully about some big matter?”

“It might not necessarily be that big…” Chen Shu pouted, shifted uncomfortably, glanced back upstairs, then suddenly turned around, her expression earnest. “Whatever he meant, it definitely has nothing to do with solving the case right now. We shouldn’t dwell on it–”

“– And neither am I talking about the case,” Yan Ji said briskly. He stood up abruptly from the dining table, patted the bewildered-looking Chen Shu on the shoulder, and headed for the stairs.

Chen Shu blinked, confused at first, then quickly reached out to stop him: “You’re going the wrong way! If you’re coming with me to scout, we leave through the main gate.”

Unexpectedly, Yan Ji didn’t stop. Instead, he reached out, grasped Chen Shu’s sleeve, nearly tugging her to his side as he smiled. “I was talking precisely about Brother Yun’s ‘big matter.’ What if I told you that I know what this big matter is about? Would you believe me?”

“You?” Chen Shu frowned, suspicion replacing her initial confusion. She allowed him to lead her towards the stairs but scrutinized Yan Ji all the while. Finally, she spoke bluntly: “Brother Yun is someone so elusive… you say you know what he’s hiding… well, you must have some basis for that claim?”

“I do,” Yan Ji answered simply.

Precisely because his answer was so concise and came too swiftly, Chen Shu was stunned momentarily. By the time they reached the upper level of the inn, she had snapped back to reality and grown even more doubtful. She wrinkled her nose, planted her feet firmly, and refused to budge no matter how Yan Ji tried to pull her along.

“So?” Yan Ji gestured with his chin towards Yun Shen’s room, then lowered his voice, asking knowingly, “Don’t want to hear it anymore?”

“Solving the case is important business, not some pastime. If I want to know, I shouldn’t rush it right now,” Chen Shu replied seriously. “Besides, how could you possibly know…”

“It’ll only take a moment. It won’t cause any trouble,” Yan Ji released her sleeve, turned back to face her, and grinned. “As for how I know… why, that big blockhead He Yu let it slip last night after just one glass got him drunk.”

“Brother He knows too?” Chen Shu was more confounded than ever now.

Seeing she had indeed taken the bait, Yan Ji gave a light, satisfied hum, turned his head away, and took two more steps up.

“Are you going to stand outside Yun Shen’s door discussing his secrets with me, or come inside the room to chat?”

“—When did you book another room? Wait, why is this one at the opposite end?”

Thus, utterly confused, Chen Shu followed Yan Ji from one end of the corridor to the other. They rounded several corners before finally stopping outside the newly booked room.

The inn was built around a small courtyard shaped like a disconnected square—as if four walls had been folded from a single sheet of paper but never joined. Therefore, though the two had traversed such distance, they had simply circumvented the courtyard, ending up right next to Yun Shen’s room. These rooms weren’t adjoined, but their windows both overlooked the same courtyard, seated right beside each other—one facing north, the other west. If the windows were left open, conversations within could clearly carry to the neighboring room without the guests realizing.

Such a room seemed less like a choice made by Yan Ji for a secret talk. As soon as she took it in, Chen Shu began to ask, only to be silenced by his finger to his lips.

He surely knew such a room wasn’t fit for confidential talks—

No, more than that, he must have deliberately chosen this one!

The door opened, releasing the sun-soaked scent of wood. Yan Ji was the first to enter, moving lightly but without pause, going straight to the window. Only then did he release a sigh as if relieved and sneered, beckoning Chen Shu to join him.

Unable to ask and totally uninformed, Chen Shu’s confusion swelled nearly to anger. Huffily, she imitated Yan Ji, striding to the window. But the moment she glanced out, the complaints on her lips died within her.

—From the outermost edge of this window, she could clearly make out Yun Shen’s half-turned back as he sat changing clothes by the bed.

She stiffened, sudden shame and vexation washing over her. Swiveling silently around, she glared at Yan Ji beside her, gritting her teeth through her words: “…This is what you knew?”

“Steady now, I told you not to hurry,” Yan Ji tilted his head and pursed his lips towards her, signalling her to look again.

It was late autumn, nearing winter, and the great flood had left the courtyard bleak. Only sparse greenery, already climbing the walls, dotted the scene. Even this newly built inn saw tendrils sprouting overnight from cracks in its outer surface. Chen Shu gave a soft snort, turned her head dismissively, prepared to mercifully grant Yan Ji one last chance.

Perhaps a chilly draft entered the next room, for Yun Shen stopped dressing, standing from the bed with the robe Yan Ji had given him only half on. He vanished briefly from sight before walking towards the window. Only then could they see him plainly again—not just the man, but his lean frame beneath the fabric: chest bare, catching the light with a sculpted gleam; even arresting.

Note that these two windows were nearly flush. As Yun Shen approached the pane, Chen Shu and Yan Ji both started. Without needing to speak, they dropped down together below the sill. Chen Shu, at her limit, reached out to strike Yan Ji in punishment just as he, seeming to sense it, hunched away—a thunderclap silence fell as the impending blow paused.

Yun Shen remained completely unaware. He was simply lowering the window prop before turning back inside. Yet Chen Shu froze where she crouched.

The window closed swiftly—an instant only, but long enough for Chen Shu to perceive the spine revealed as Yun Shen turned. Uncovered by the half-draped robe.

There, carved clearly upon it, was a single written character.

_Shu._

Chen Shu’s Shu.

Beside her, Yan Ji’s voice carried a trace of triumph: “Have I not told you? I truly was in the know— Now you finally see… Wait! Where exactly are you going, you wild monkey?!”