Given the issue concerned the Ruyi Commerce Chamber and the death of a well-known chief guard like Shi Yi, the county government office of Shanghe County spared no effort.

Everyone knew that Shi Yi was at the level of Force Realm Perfection, a formidable figure.

How dangerous and troubling must the murderer who could kill Shi Yi be?

Moreover, with the recent annihilation of surrounding villages, the County Magistrate, the County Magistrate, the legal advisor... officials from top to bottom felt an even chillier sensation on their backs.

United in purpose, their efficiency was naturally extremely high.

In the morning, a death was discovered in Dates Lane, and then the body was claimed by the Ruyi Commerce Chamber. By afternoon... everyone up and down Dates Lane had been questioned, and everything about the house owner, rental documents, and any possible middlemen was thoroughly investigated.

...

At 3 a.m., the County Magistrate personally led the government officials straight to the Ruyi Commerce Chamber.

The steward greeted him cautiously and asked respectfully, "Sir, have you found the whereabouts of the murderer?"

The County Magistrate replied, "I've come to investigate."

The steward was taken aback.

The County Magistrate said in a cold voice, "The final tenant of that murderous residence in Dates Lane was your commerce chamber's servant girl, Ling. She rented the place for only two days before this murder occurred, and I have come specifically to ask her some questions."

"Ling?" the steward said in shock, then said, "Please..."

...

...

Ling was lying on the bed, her body feeling both cold and hot, her heart both chaotic and afraid.

She was terrified that this case would be traced back to her.

She was well aware of the officials' level of expertise in handling cases.

It was a case of a confused official judging a muddled case.

Their interrogation lacked any sophistication, and their favorite tactic was intimidation and forcing confessions.

As a servant girl, even one who served by the young miss's side, she had no way to extricate herself from such a serious murder case.

Even if she managed to escape by chance from the government's side, she wouldn't be able to escape within the commerce chamber.

There would surely be countless people questioning her, "You, a lowly servant girl, why did you secretly rent a house for Shi Yi?" And with the young miss's intelligence, she would surely see right through her...

The young miss would kill her!

She was doomed.

She began to worry whether she had been seen by anyone the previous night.

She started to fear that the terrifying murderer who had killed Shi Yi might kill her as well.

The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became, her complexion turning pale, her breathing becoming difficult.

It was then that she heard the soft voice of Song Cheng's woman.

"Are you alright, Miss Ling?"

She responded with shock and panic, her heart in turmoil, and she couldn't even answer.

Just then, hurried footsteps approached from outside, followed by the door being pushed open with a whoosh.

Frightened, Ling immediately burrowed into the bedding, closing her eyes tight.

She then heard Song Cheng's woman getting up to receive the visitor.

"Miss Ling needs to rest."

"The government is investigating a case!"

As these four words were uttered, inside the bedding... Ling felt as if her heart might leap right out of her fragile chest.

...

...

A moment later.

In the courtyard.

Miss Ling stood weakly, wrapped in a large coat.

The County Magistrate sat on a stone stool, sipping fragrant tea served by the steward, waiting silently.

When the maids, servants, guards, and even a few households from the same neighborhood as the Ruyi Commerce Chamber were all assembled, encircling the area three layers deep, the County Magistrate finally said somberly, "I need not speak of the guilt by association. Anyone found to be harboring or aiding the murderer will be deemed an accomplice."

Alarmed, everyone hastily asserted they would never dare do such a thing.

The County Magistrate sneered and, eyeing Ling, exclaimed, "Daring servant girl!"

Ling's legs gave way in fear, and she knelt down.

The County Magistrate looked down at her and said coldly, "Where were you last night?"

Ling replied, "I was in the house, I was always in the house, I... I don't know, I don't know anything. Guard Captain Shi asked me to rent the house for him. He is the chief guard, and I'm just a servant girl, I couldn't refuse him..."

On the other side, the steward had also seen the rental agreement and now said, "When you rented the house, the young miss hadn't left yet, had she? Why didn't you inform her?"

Crying, Ling said, "Guard Captain Shi asked me to keep it a secret. He is the chief guard, I'm just a servant girl, how could I dare refuse him?"

The steward said, "So you deceived the young miss?"

Ling knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

The County Magistrate narrowed his eyes and listened, then suddenly asked, "Last night, were you truly in the house?"

After speaking, he surveyed those around him and asked, "Was she... really in the house last night?"

The collective punishment of all associated was a harsh penalty.

No one dared to hide anything, and they asked each other, trying to recall.

However, yesterday was a rainy day, dark and hard to discern, and the wind was loud, who would pay attention to the people walking outside?

The manager suddenly pointed to two men and said, "You two were on guard last night, did Ling go out?"

One of the guards anxiously said, "No, she definitely did not."

The other added, "My brother and I were at the main gate, Ling definitely did not go out through the main gate."

The manager thought for a moment and said, "Magistrate, our business chamber has high walls, Ling couldn't have climbed over them. But there is a hidden dog hole in this compound that can lead outside. It's just that the area around the dog hole is isolated and uninhabited, so if someone went through there, no one would know."

The County Magistrate said coldly, "Are there stone bricks laid near the dog hole?"

The manager shook his head and said, "No."

The County Magistrate said, "Yesterday was heavy rain, the soil would have been muddy, if anyone had gone through the dog hole, they must have left footprints, right? Manager, take two of my men to check it out."

With that, he gestured, and called over two government officials.

The officials lined up and followed the manager into the distance.

Left alone, Ling's limbs went limp, her face ashen, her mind buzzing as if she were a dying traveler in the desert or a shackled criminal in the market square, filled with dread and unspeakable unease, not even knowing where she was.

Time seemed to pass incredibly slowly yet also seemed to fly by...

Before long, the officials returned and respectfully reported, "Sir, there were no footprints."

Ling: ???????

The County Magistrate asked, "Are there any signs of tampering?"

The official replied, "There doesn't seem to be; the dog hole is quite deep, trying to deal with traces in the rain would only leave more traces."

The County Magistrate nodded, then waved his hand signaling Ling to rise, and after asking some more questions, he quickly left.

The neighbors also scattered and left one after the other.

The manager glanced at Ling and sighed, "Just wait for the young mistress to return."

What didn't the old hand from the Martial Arts World understand about Shi Yi and the young mistress's affair?

The young mistress was an independent and strong woman.

Yet Shi Yi just wanted to make her his forbidden delicacy.

There was conflict between the two of them; though not yet made public, the old members of the household could feel it.

As the young mistress's personal maid, Ling's role could be bluntly described as "fraternizing with the enemy."

However, the manager couldn't do anything about it; after all, he was the business chamber's manager, not the young mistress's.

But it was different for Ling.

With the people of the compound dispersed...

Madam Tong helped the pitiful Ling to her feet.

Ling, dispirited, allowed herself to be helped up, then returned to her couch.

After a while, Madam Tong went out to decoct medicine.

Ling, after all, was the young mistress's personal maid, and on regular days in the house, she had a small bit of "borrowed authority" from her mistress; with the young mistress not yet back, the manager naturally sent people out to purchase medicine for her treatment.

...

The girl's boudoir suddenly fell silent.

Ling lay on the bed, her heart filled with fear, because everything that happened today was beyond her imagination.

Suddenly, the door creaked open.

Someone walked in past the folding screen.

Ling thought it was Song Cheng's woman returning, and although curious as to why she returned so early, she did not ask.

But as the sounds approached, she suddenly realized something was amiss and stared in shock, only to see a young man holding branches of apricot blossoms.

"Song Cheng, what are you doing here?"

Ling asked.

Song Cheng placed the apricot blossoms into a vase nearby and said, "The apricot blossoms outside the dog hole bloomed after last night's spring rain; I picked a couple of branches."

He arranged the flowers and smiled, "Newly bloomed flowers always soothe the soul.

Since the footprints are gone, the patient need not worry about anything further.

The patient, having been sisters with the young mistress for many years, might just overcome this ordeal with a good cry.

In this way... there would be no further concerns and she should focus on recovering."

These gentle words, even filled with politeness and a touch of elegance, struck Ling as if she were a cat whose tail had been stepped on; she was about to explode...

Her scalp tingled as she watched the young man in horror.

The young man sat in front of the bed, looking at Miss Ling and then glanced at the apricot blossoms nearby and said warmly, "Do you like them?"

Miss Ling, trembling, parted her lips and said, "Like... I like them..."

After saying that, she added, "I like them very much."

Song Cheng tousled her hair and said, "From now on, you're one of us."

Ling nodded furiously.

She didn't know whether it was out of fear or reliance, but she clutched the young man's sleeve tightly, as if grasping for a lifeline, or perhaps pleading for mercy.

Meanwhile, her favorability began to shakily climb upwards, skyrocketing to 90 in just a moment's time.

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