Chapter 8

Feng Yue had been serving as the magistrate of Lingsu County for five years, yet this was the first time he had witnessed martial artists reporting a case to the authorities. These wanderers, who usually cared little for the law amid their brawls and skirmishes, had suddenly taken the unusual step of involving the officials.

At that moment, Feng Yue was at the county office hosting a welcome banquet for Shangguan. When his subordinate brought the news, Feng Yue was puzzled. However, Shangguan seemed intrigued by it, so Feng Yue took the opportunity to ask directly, "What exactly is the matter? Speak plainly."

The subordinate glanced nervously at the cold, rigid figure clad in official robes before gathering courage to say, "The informants claimed they found something near the pond by the Yuelai Inn outside the city... they found..." At this point, the subordinate faltered, unsure how to finish.

His hesitation unsettled Feng Yue. With Shangguan present, he forced a smile and urged, "Found what?"

"Several corpses!" The subordinate exclaimed with eyes shut tight, unwilling to meet Feng Yue's gaze and simply trying to lower his presence.

Feng Yue’s vision blurred momentarily. A gruesome incident like this unfolding under his jurisdiction, and having a senior official witness it, was enough to make cold sweat bead on his brow. He opened his mouth to find an excuse and relieve some pressure, but Shangguan interrupted, "Feng, no need for the banquet now; handling the case comes first."

With such an instruction, Feng Yue could not refuse. He smiled apologetically and said, "Deputy Minister Gu is right. I will send people to investigate—or better yet, go myself."

"No need. We shall go together," Gu Qing stood, hung his sword at his waist, and said solemnly, "Several murders, all in Lingsu County—perhaps related to the matter I am investigating. It's a good opportunity to take a look."

With that order, the magistrate immediately instructed his men to escort them to the scene.

—

The ones who reported the case were naturally Ye Xiyin and his two companions. Because Ye Xiyin was involved, Xu Ziche was the first to go to the county office to report, while He Xiting and others followed by carriage.

But the officials who came to handle the case were nothing like what they had expected.

They had assumed only a few constables would arrive, but to their surprise, among those who came were not only the magistrate of Lingsu County but also several figures clearly out of place in a county office.

At the forefront stood a pale-faced middle-aged man whose cold demeanor exuded an aura of deadly seriousness. Although dressed in scarlet official robes, he seemed subdued rather than striking.

Behind him followed a group clad in dark black official uniforms. What shocked Ye Xiyin was that among these were not just NPCs but players as well—mostly of very high level, ranging from the eighties to nineties, some nearly maxed out.

Whether it was his imagination or not, He Xiting and Xu Ziche glanced multiple times towards this group upon their arrival.

"Do you know any of them?" Ye Xiyin whispered.

He Xiting nodded slightly but remained silent, signaling that this was no place to speak freely.

Curious, Ye Xiyin’s gaze returned to those players in black uniforms, observing cautiously.

Unexpectedly, the scarlet-robed official at the front was also watching him. When their eyes met, the man’s expression revealed clear astonishment, as though he had witnessed something beyond belief.

A person usually so aloof showing such a fiery gaze sent a chill down Ye Xiyin’s spine.

He instinctively stepped back behind He Xiting, feeling uneasy under this inexplicable scrutiny.

Could his identity have been exposed? No way. His father was so outrageous that enemies even existed within the government?

Yet the man’s look was more of shock than hostility.

Sensing Ye Xiyin’s tension, He Xiting drew him further behind, shielding him. His master-level aura was unmistakable, and this subtle display of resistance finally compelled Gu Qing to withdraw his intense gaze, though the shock in his heart remained.

"Young friend, where are you from?" Gu Qing couldn’t help but ask.

Ye Xiyin hesitated, unsure whether to be forthcoming. The man before him felt dangerous—not someone to fool easily.

Especially under those eyes, he felt that lying would only lead to a dire fate.

Perceiving his dilemma, Gu Qing surprisingly didn’t press further, instead setting a boundary: "Are you from the capital?"

This question was much simpler.

Ye Xiyin immediately shook his head. He had never been to the capital in his life, rarely traveling outside. This trip to Yancheng was solely for clues about Ye Junyan, though he wondered if the information was genuine.

Gu Qing could instantly tell if he was lying. Once reassured, his shock gradually subsided, and his demeanor returned to the calm, inscrutable facade he usually wore.

While Gu Qing spoke with Ye Xiyin, the magistrate and others remained silent. After their conversation ended, the magistrate smiled and asked, "Deputy Minister Gu, shall we depart now?"

Gu Qing nodded and, upon learning the crime scene was not near, ordered, "Send a team to ride with me. You take the rest and come at a slower pace."

Ye Xiyin and his two companions, as the informants, naturally accompanied them.

Without a horse of his own, Ye Xiyin once again rode with He Xiting, just as the day before.

Having gained experience yesterday, Ye Xiyin was much more skilled mounting the horse this time. He settled behind He Xiting, gripping the fabric of his waistcoat.

Due to the large group, he hesitated to get too close, planning to tighten his hold once the horse was in full gallop.

But before his fingers could rest on the fabric, a hand grasped his wrist and gently pulled him forward.

"Hold tight," the man in front reminded casually, as if the action were nothing unusual.

Having been told this, Ye Xiyin didn’t resist. He responded softly, blushing as he wrapped his arms around He Xiting’s waist.

What he didn’t realize was that since seeing them ride together, a player in Gu Qing’s team had been staring wide-eyed, as if witnessing something incredible. When Ye Xiyin hugged He Xiting, that player rubbed his eyes, suspecting he was mistaken.

The sudden movement caught Gu Qing’s attention. After a glance from his NPC superior, the player quickly looked down and, while mounting, frantically began sending messages via private chat.

The constant notification sounds rang in He Xiting’s ears, but he ignored them, glancing only once.

Soon, the messages shifted to Xu Ziche.

Upon opening the chat, Xu Ziche chuckled.

[Private Chat] Qingyun Qiuyue: What the hell? Did I see that right? He Xiting suddenly has a second person riding so close? Isn’t he usually so aloof?

Xu Ziche, having enjoyed plenty of gossip these days but lamenting the lack of new commentary on He Xiting, seized the chance to join in.

[Private Chat] Xu Ziche: Your brother kidnapped a beautiful NPC. Didn’t you know?

[Private Chat] Qingyun Qiuyue: ????? I don’t know a thing! I’ve been busy farming the Chixia Fairy Rock quest halfway through. When did this happen? He always mocks me for liking NPCs, calling me childish. Now this? Double standards much?

Despite her words, Qingyun Qiuyue’s gossip was unabashed. Xu Ziche, eager to vent about He Xiting’s strange recent behavior, found a perfect partner in her, and they began sharing information enthusiastically.

Unbeknownst to them, two figures behind were quietly whispering about their conversation.

Riding swiftly, Ye Xiyin’s group soon arrived at the pond where players had gathered.

In the short time since, more and more players had come, nearly crowding the pond completely.

Judging by their chatter, aside from those who first discovered the bodies and triggered the “Sunken Corpse Mystery” quest, others had no clue about the task or its clues, utterly baffled.

Of course, even those who had triggered the quest hadn’t figured it out.

After all, these inexplicable corpses were not their area of expertise, and with no leads, they didn’t know how to proceed.

Gradually, everyone recalled who had first brought up the quest.

[World] Qingqiu Yu: @Dream of Wealth, what’s the situation? How did you find this quest? Any clues to share? This quest is shareable.

As the discussion continued, the officials suddenly pushed through the crowd.

With NPC health bars glaringly visible, players naturally avoided competing with them. Thanks to the officials’ presence, Ye Xiyin’s group reached the pond’s center smoothly.

"What are you doing? When something happens, you report to the authorities! Don’t mess up the crime scene," a constable barked, herding people aside to clear a wide path and then inviting Gu Qing forward.

Gu Qing was accompanied by two subordinates, followed by the coroner. Ye Xiyin’s group stayed a bit behind.

Glancing around, Ye Xiyin found it odd. The twenty or so people who had followed Gu Qing earlier had vanished completely.

On reflection, they seemed to have disappeared shortly after arriving near the pond.

“They are secret guards, who usually operate in the shadows,” He Xiting’s voice suddenly whispered in Ye Xiyin’s ear. Surprisingly, no other NPCs nearby seemed to hear this.

“They use telepathic communication. Don’t worry about them overhearing,” He Xiting explained, sensing Ye Xiyin’s confusion.

Thinking it over, Ye Xiyin recalled this was no ordinary communication like private chat. Only masters or grandmasters could send such messages directly into others’ minds. Not every max-level player could do this; it required mastering inner energy techniques to an extreme degree.

Achieving this demanded not only skill but also wealth and luck.

No wonder He Xiting could do it.

As for the secret guards, Ye Xiyin knew them from “Sword Trial” as a special faction—not a martial arts sect, but directly under the imperial court.

Though the court granted some freedom to martial artists, it could not let them run wild. The secret guards answered only the emperor’s orders, handling cases between martial artists and walking the thin line between court and underworld, resolving troubles the government couldn’t handle.

They were also a faction players could choose, often mocked as the emperor’s lackeys due to their unique identity and skillset.

Known as the most stealthy and cunning, secret guards rarely operated openly, excelling in concealment skills.

No wonder they vanished into the crowd so effortlessly.

Meanwhile, the players, confused by the officials’ arrival and seeing Ye Xiyin’s group allowed close while they were pushed away, sensed something was amiss.

Why were they allowed to accompany the NPCs while others were forced back?

Could it be because they were the ones who reported the case?

This suspicion was confirmed when Gu Qing summoned Ye Xiyin’s group forward to question them.

No wonder they had worked so diligently here, only to have others reap the rewards.

“Damn, these three are such good dogs!” someone muttered under their breath, voicing the crowd’s sentiment.

While other players gritted their teeth in resentment, Ye Xiyin felt no better.

“Sword Trial” was considerate to players, masking graphic content with mosaics and blocking tastes and smells during these corpse-related quests. But NPCs had no such protection.

The players had retrieved several skeletons, which were not as disturbing, but the earliest body was more recent. After decomposing in the water and being pecked by crows, the sight and stench were overwhelming. Ye Xiyin’s complexion visibly paled.

Just as he considered stepping back to put some distance between himself and the corpse, a broad hand suddenly covered his eyes, blocking his view of the coroner’s examination.

The unmistakable aura of another person’s presence closed in, making Ye Xiyin uneasy.

Unbeknownst to him, the one who had reached out was not calm either.

The soft touch of the palm brushed against curled eyelashes and tender skin.

The same as the waist that day.

Why was everything so soft everywhere?