Upon arriving at the City Lord's Mansion, Tumi had not yet dismounted from her donkey when the steward hurried over from afar.
"Hearing that you were coming, the City Lord specifically instructed me to wait here for you. It's a long journey, and you must be exhausted. Please come with me; I have already prepared a fine guest room for you. The City Lord is currently out inspecting the city, but once you have rested, he will come to see you."
"Mhm."
Tumi dismounted and walked in the lead, while a servant took the reins from Tang Li. Tang Li walked alongside Tumi, playing the part of a dutiful attendant.
The steward's attitude was exceptionally courteous. As they passed through the garden, he said:
"The City Lord knows you are fond of flowers. If you find yourself bored in the mansion, you are welcome to walk around here. The City Lord has given orders that you may go anywhere you please within the estate, and no one will dare stop you."
"Mhm." Tumi put on an unfathomable air, devoid of her previous chattiness.
In the garden, a woman in blue was playing the qin, looking extremely gentle.
Tumi paused, and the steward timely stepped forward to introduce: "This is the Second Young Lady of the estate."
As the song ended, the woman in blue stood up, came before Tumi, and bowed very politely: "Greetings, Envoy."
Tumi nodded in acknowledgment: "Hello. May I ask what song you were playing?"
"Forgiving my poor skills before the Envoy, it's just a tune without a proper score, played on a whim."
"Oh~ I see. It sounds lovely, though," Tumi praised generously.
"You flatter me, Envoy." The Second Young Lady lowered her head modestly, blushing.
"Not at all. Please continue playing, I won't disturb you any longer."
Back in her room, the steward had already ordered hot water to be prepared.
Tumi dismissed all the servants before stepping into the wooden tub for a bath.
Tang Li crossed her arms and sat to one side, asking in a calm voice: "Who are you?"
Tumi picked up some flower petals to scrub herself, glanced back at her upon hearing this, and asked in confusion: "I thought you knew. If you didn't know, how would you dare to come assassinate me and usurp my identity?"
She sighed instead: "See? I told you, if you usurped it, you'd definitely be found out."
"So, who are you?" Ignoring her grievance, Tang Li asked persistently.
"The next successor of the Xiangyi Clan, of course. You want to ask why they treat me this way, right? Well, actually I don't really understand it either. This matter goes back many years."
"A great war broke out between Yunzhou and Central Prefecture, and many people died. Granny took me to save people, and then..." Her mood suddenly dropped. After a moment, she whispered: "Azure Dragon City was rebuilt, and Granny left. Uncle received a letter from Granny and came to take me back."
"Give me the details." Tang Li furrowed her brows, drawing her sword to issue a clear, gleaming threat.
Tumi began to whimper: "Let me ask you, do you have secrets?"
Tang Li did not answer, for the answer was self-evident.
"You're allowed to have them, but I'm not? Wuwuwu, just kill me now then, see what good it does you." Tumi stretched her neck toward the sword's edge, but seeing that the blade didn't waver, she cowardly shrank back.
Tang Li put away her sword and looked at her with deep eyes. Tumi shrank toward the edge of the tub, timidly avoiding her gaze.
"What kind of person is the City Lord?"
Tumi pondered for a moment before answering cautiously: "Probably a good person."
"Probably?"
"Yes, yes, yes! I was very little back then, and so much time has passed, how could I still have any impression?"
"Then on what grounds do you say she's a good person?"
"Because, because she once gave me candy."
Tang Li's brows locked tightly. After some thought, she said: "Since you are an honored guest, they should be hosting a banquet for you tonight, right?"
"Mhm, probably."
Seeing Tang Li's pensive expression, Tumi understood that she intended to make a move tonight. She said weakly: "Don't go doing any murder or arson; I won't be able to protect you, really."
Tang Li murmured a thoughtful "mhm," taking it as an agreement.
Before the setting sun had faded, the steward came to welcome Tumi.
Tumi cast an anxious parting glance back at Tang Li before leaving.
Tang Li sat quietly for ten minutes, then stood up and headed out. Most of the guards and maids in the mansion had gone to the front to serve, and the few remaining ones did not stop her.
She paused in a deserted corner, knocked out a pastry-delivering maid, and used a spell to swap clothes, which would revert within half an hour.
Fifteen minutes. She toured the entire estate and found that Tumi was the only guest. Logically speaking, some people would arrive half a month or a month in advance to celebrate the City Lord's birthday. The absence of other guests meant they had been arranged to stay in a subsidiary courtyard.
Why was Tumi singled out for different treatment?
Twenty minutes. Without wasting time standing around to think, she arrived outside the City Lord's master bedroom, where four guards stood at the door.
Timing couldn't be better. Two figures in black dropped from the sky, taking down the guards without noticing Tang Li hidden in the shadows. The two black-clad intruders exchanged glances; one stood watch outside while the other entered the room.
It seemed they too had learned that the City Lord was hosting a distinguished guest tonight, which was why they chose to make their move now.
If the items she was looking for were found, taken, or destroyed by them first, wouldn't all her efforts to sneak into the City Lord's mansion have been in vain?
Tang Li made a decisive split-second decision, used a spell to change into black garments, and darted out.
The lookout was stunned, her hand freezing on a half-drawn sword.
"Let's cooperate. You search for what you want, I'll search for what I want. If you want to fight, I can call someone over; either way, you won't defeat me anytime soon. If I shout, the guards from the outer hall will come, and at worst, we'll both go down together," Tang Li said rapidly.
"Let her in." The person searching inside heard Tang Li's shameless speech and immediately spoke up, afraid she would actually shout.
The lookout cleared a path. Determined to seize every single second, Tang Li flashed into the room.
The person inside was studying a painting hanging on the wall and paid no attention to Tang Li.
Ignoring her as well, Tang Li walked straight over to the bed to search it. She discovered the bed was rigged with a mechanism, and a letter with no signature was pressed beneath the pillow.
The contents of the letter: A life for a life — Soul-Detachment Envoy.
She didn't understand it, so Tang Li put it back the way it was.
Coming to the desk, she found it piled high with memorials, which she picked up and briefly scanned.
Among so many memorials, not a single one reported on Lian Nan of Liuye Town.
*Click.*
The other person in the room found the mechanism, causing a hidden drawer to spring open from the desk, inside of which lay a letter quietly.
Tang Li raised her head to lock eyes with that person, the atmosphere instantly turning tense and bristling.
"We cooperate. You can read it, but the envelope is mine," the black-clad figure spoke, revealing a slightly raspy female voice.
Without wasting words, Tang Li pulled out the letter and read it.
The contents of the letter: [I have heard that the City Lord is a person of great righteousness and should understand the consequences of leaving behind remnants of the previous dynasty in the current situation. Twenty-four years ago, Azure Dragon City was destroyed, and countless living beings turned to dust; if not for the divine decree, I fear the human race would have collapsed overnight.
I have also heard of the City Lord's great benevolence, finding it hard to turn the butcher's knife toward women and children. Yet, if this matter is left undone, repeating the tragedy of twenty-four years ago will bring endless regret!
I have already dispatched men; you should know how to act.]
Who were the remnants of the previous dynasty? Xiaozhu Village? The ancestral hall? This person who referred to herself as "I" must be the Prince Regent Uncle Liu had mentioned earlier.
If his goal was to kill the people of Xiaozhu Village, then why slaughter the villagers of Liuye Town? Furthermore, the *modus operandi* differed between the two places.
For the villagers of Xiaozhu Village, they were killed with a single slash to the throat, leaving the corpses intact. For the villagers of Liuye Town, no weapons were used; instead, their chests were torn open barehanded, and their brains and livers hollowed out.
"Holy shit."
Hearing the modern curse slip from the person behind her, Tang Li didn't look back in surprise, but instead pretended to still be deep in thought regarding the contents of the letter.
She tucked away the letter and handed it to the person behind her.
Instead of taking it, that person grabbed Tang Li's hand with a firm grip, leaned in close to Tang Li's ear, and spoke in a slightly husky voice: "Caught you, kindred spirit."