Chapter 134: The Half-Sleeve

Su He acted exactly as Zou Jiren had anticipated. The two men watched the landscape about to be illuminated by the morning light, and then departed with the severed sleeve in hand.

No sooner had they left than several shadows lurking in the darkness also darted out of Little Zhou Village. Mo Ruyuan emerged from a corner and, singeing out one of the shadows, gave chase.

Meanwhile, Su He and Zou Jiren returned to the Wangyun Inn. Hearing the commotion, Que Yunzi and Yun Xingyu hurried out of Zou Jiren’s room. Both had spent the entire night waiting there in restless anticipation.

"Well? Any results?" Que Yunzi asked.

Su He realized the hallway was not the place for such a conversation. Seeing that Zou Jiren had also been running about with him for the better part of the night, he simply suggested they all go into Zou Jiren’s room to talk, allowing him to rest afterward.

The others had no objections. Once inside, the four gathered around the table.

"Alright," Que Yunzi urged, "can you speak now?"

"Bring out the item," Su He said to Zou Jiren.

Zou Jiren produced the sleeve and laid it flat on the table. "Please, take a look."

Yun Xingyu looked at it and remained silent. Que Yunzi stared for a long while before saying, "Are you trying to use this to exonerate Miss Yi?"

"That is indeed the intention," Su He replied. "This is a woman’s style; it only needs to be verified. Even if it cannot completely prove Miss Yi’s innocence, it should at least prove that another group of people was present at the time."

Que Yunzi nodded slightly. "What you say makes sense."

The circumstances under which a woman’s sleeve would be torn off were self-evident. If the bodies were found and examined, the truth would likely emerge. Thinking of this, he asked, "When do you plan to go?"

"Now."

"In such a hurry?"

"It takes time to petition at the palace gate. By the time the message is passed through, it will likely take a while." After saying this, he folded the sleeve carefully and tucked it away. He then instructed the others, "Rest well. I shall return shortly."

Que Yunzi looked at the empty doorway. "Xingyu, what do you make of this?"

Yun Xingyu cast a sideways glance, somewhat surprised. "What do I make of it? Just observe the changes as they come." With that, he went to his own room to rest; having tossed and turned all night, he was ready for a nap.

"Fine, let it be then," Que Yunzi said to Zou Jiren. "You get some sleep, I’m heading back too."

Once they had all left, Zou Jiren finally lay down on his bed.

After leaving the Wangyun Inn, Su He headed toward the Royal Palace. The palace’s location within the Royal City was easy to find; there was no need to ask anyone for directions—one simply headed toward the most central and majestic structure.

"Royal City" was the collective term used by the Desire Sea Heaven for the territory governed by the Heavenly Lord. In reality, the territory was vast, consisting of eighteen major cities and hundreds of smaller ones beyond the city they were currently in. Beneath the smaller cities were countless counties, and beneath those, even more subdivisions. In other words, they were currently under the feet of the Son of Heaven.

It was said that this city originally had its own name, but as time passed, people grew accustomed to grouping it with all the cities of the Desire Sea Heaven under the name "Royal City." If one insisted on a distinction, it was merely between the "Great Royal City" and the "Small Royal City," the latter referring to the area where the palace stood.

Su He reached the palace gate, presented his Wusheng Sect token, and explained his purpose to the guards. Seeing that he was of the "Wu" rank of the Wusheng Sect, the guard did not dare to be negligent. After bowing to Su He, he hurried inside to pass on the message.

About half an hour later, Zhou Yi, acting under the order of the Brave King, came out to greet him. After exchanging pleasantries and thanking the guard, Su He followed Zhou Yi to the Ruijin Palace.

Upon entering, an air of regal splendor greeted him. The palace was filled with exotic flowers and grasses, and the golden, glittering halls appeared majestic and inviolable under the morning sun.

The Brave King emerged from the Taohui Hall and called out from a distance, "Young Master Baili, you come so early. Do you not trust this palace?"

"I would not dare. I have merely made a small discovery and wished to share it with Your Highness, hoping to assist you in capturing the true culprit and restoring peace to the people of the Royal City."

"Hahaha, well said." The Brave King laughed heartily and ordered Zhou Yi, "Go to the Plum Pavilion and invite Lady Yi over. Tell her Young Master Baili has arrived."

"Yes," Zhou Yi replied.

As Zhou Yi departed, the Brave King led Su He into the Taohui Hall. After the formalities, the two sat by the window. Soon after, a handmaiden served hot tea. The Brave King took a cup and gestured for Su He to take his.

After a long while, the Brave King lifted the lid and sniffed the aroma. Lowering his eyes, he asked, "I wonder what discovery Young Master Baili made last night?"

Su He glanced sideways, smiling faintly. "I would not dare call it a discovery; it was more of an unexpected gain." He picked up his tea and took a sip.

"Oh?"

"Does Your Highness recognize this?"

The Brave King, unsure of what Su He was up to, set down his tea and took the half-sleeve to examine it repeatedly. In the end, he even brought it to his nose to sniff.

Surprised, he asked, "A woman’s item?"

"Correct."

"What do you mean by this?" The Brave King had considered the possibility, but it seemed too coincidental. They had searched the scene first; why hadn't they found such obvious evidence?

Su He’s gaze shifted. He set down his tea and said, "I found this item under a broken flower pot. If Your Highness does not believe me, you may examine it closely for residual mud."

The Brave King came to his senses and laughed sheepishly. "Oh... ha... haha, indeed it is. My eyes must be failing me; I hope Young Master Baili will forgive the oversight."

He looked down and saw that it was exactly as Su He had said, with very obvious stains. His focus had been entirely on the feminine style of the item, ignoring such details. Pointed out by Su He, he felt a bit embarrassed.

Su He, knowing he had slighted the Brave King’s pride, quietly offered a way out. "Perhaps the poor light caused Officer Zhou and his men to miss it. When I found it, dawn was already approaching. In a sense, it was an act of heaven’s mercy."

Hearing this, the Brave King felt much better and developed a newfound appreciation for Baili Su He. Being friends with such a person would likely be effortless. Just as he was about to speak, Zhou Yi’s voice came from outside: "Your Highness, Lady Yi has arrived."

"Show her in quickly." The Brave King glanced toward the door, then turned back to Su He. "Young Master Baili, what is your intention in bringing this here?"

Seeing Yi Qingchen approaching gracefully, Su He felt a sense of relief knowing she was unharmed. "I have no other intention than to use this item to prove that what Miss Yi said was true."

Yi Qingchen exchanged greetings with the two men and sat opposite them. "Thank you, Your Highness!" After expressing her gratitude, the handmaiden who had served the tea earlier brought a fresh cup for Yi Qingchen.

"Please." The Brave King waved for the maid to withdraw and turned back to discuss the matter with Su He. "Young Master Baili, are you referring to the person in black mentioned by Lady Yi?"

"Precisely. Miss Yi is a woman; even if she were to fight someone, she would not be in a scuffle involving torn clothing. This item was forcibly torn off by someone, that much is certain. However, as Miss Yi was the first to appear at the crime scene, I must ask for her cooperation."

As Su He finished, Yi Qingchen rose, placed her tea on the table, and rolled up her sleeves layer by layer, all of which were completely intact.

Su He nodded to her, signaling that it was enough. Their eyes met, and she returned to her seat with composure.

"Since this item is not evidence left at the scene by Miss Yi, it naturally belongs to the female victim of Little Zhou Village. I dare not make unreasonable demands, only hoping that Your Highness will compare it with the deceased. This will provide a new lead for the case, and should also clear Miss Yi of some suspicion. As for the rest, I trust Your Highness will restore the innocence of the wronged and justice to the victims."

Holding the half-sleeve, the Brave King felt almost amused. *A sharp one, this Baili Su He,* he thought. *He sounds harmless, but every word is a soft blade.*

Upon reflection, however, the request was not unreasonable. He placed the sleeve on the table. "Indeed, it would be improper to continue treating Lady Yi as a suspect. However, until the case is solved, I must trouble Lady Yi to remain at the Ruijin Palace for a few days. Once the examiner provides results, I can send Lady Yi away with proper justification. I hope you both will forgive this offense."

Su He’s goal was not to forcibly take Yi Qingchen away; as long as the suspicion against her was weakened, the rest would be easier to manage. "I would not dare. I have long heard that the examiner lineage possesses extraordinary skills. Why not send this item to them? Perhaps it will help us clear the fog sooner."

The Brave King paused for a moment and smiled. "You are too kind. Very well, I shall personally deliver this sleeve to the Fuling Pavilion. If there are any results, I will have Zhou Yi inform you at the Wangyun Inn."

"That would be excellent. Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness; I am deeply grateful." With that, he rose to take his leave. He bowed to Yi Qingchen, and was then escorted out of the palace gates by Zhou Yi.

After Su He left, the Brave King personally escorted Yi Qingchen back to the Plum Pavilion—a place that remained cold throughout the seasons, where other flowers struggled to survive, but plum blossoms thrived. Looking at the garden full of red, white, and the rare green plum blossoms, it was truly enchanting.

Walking through the grove, the Brave King asked, "Lady Yi, do you blame me for being heartless?"

"Your Highness acts in accordance with the law, which is a blessing to the people. I am but a wanderer from the mountains; how could I dare to blame you? Are you trying to humble me, Your Highness?"

Yi Qingchen was so beautiful that even the Brave King, who had always viewed women as mere skeletons, found himself momentarily distracted by her smile.

"Ha, my apologies." He looked toward the small cottage ahead and asked, "I wonder if Lady Yi rested comfortably last night?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I slept quite soundly." Yi Qingchen smiled faintly; as for whether she truly slept soundly, only heaven knew.

She possessed a sharp intellect, and the Brave King was no fool either. The two chatted as they returned to the cottage. After giving instructions to the handmaid attending to her, the Brave King left the Plum Pavilion.

Back in the main hall, Zhou Yi had just returned from seeing Su He off.

"Your Highness, I have escorted him out of the palace gates."

The Brave King looked up. "Take a look at this. When you were searching and gathering evidence last night, did you see it?"

Zhou Yi took the sleeve, examined it, and shook his head after a long while. "I did not see it, sir."

"Baili Su He found this after returning to Little Zhou Village last night. With this, we cannot treat Yi Qingchen as a suspect for now. If the examiner’s results come back and there is no clear evidence pointing to her, there will be no reason to keep her confined in the Plum Pavilion."

"Does Your Highness also suspect her?" Zhou Yi asked. He had thought his master, seeing the titles of the other party—a pavilion master and a member of the Baili family—might have just let it go.

The Brave King cast him a sidelong glance, glared, and tucked the sleeve away. "In this world, how can there be so many coincidences? There was no one else in this case, and there are traces to follow regarding Baili Su He’s side. Why is she the only one surrounded by such coincidences?"

"Then... what does Your Highness plan to do? I don’t think Baili Su He is one to retreat easily. If this time doesn't work, there will certainly be follow-ups."

"If he wants to verify it, let him. As for the bodies, were they all sent to the Fuling Pavilion last night?"

"Yes, as you ordered, they were all sent. I assume the examiner Chen Liu has already begun the inspection."

"Very good. Then let us go and take a look."