Volume One: The Youngest Among Three Hundred Chapter Twenty-One: Drawing the Sword

Hua Mulan was the first to react, spitting out, “Can’t you see we’re busy here? It’s just an unknown corpse—how could it possibly be more important than the Princess’s case!”

“Stand down!”

Li Shu, ever the courteous superior, raised his hand with a calm tone, “The Princess has a case to be handled now. As for the headless corpse, find a few capable colleagues to deal with it first.”

“Wait!”

Before his subordinate could accept the order, Chen Chang’an interjected, “I think we should go and take a look.”

Hua Mulan immediately protested, “Hey, the case you’re supposed to investigate is Xiao Lian’s. Don’t get distracted by irrelevant matters.”

“No.”

Chen Chang’an pointed his middle finger at her, swinging it left and right, then back and forth, “I believe that corpse is related to Xiao Lian’s death.”

“What did you say?” Hua Mulan’s emotions surged; she took two steps forward, glaring at him. “Chen Chang’an, we called you here to investigate as a favor. Don’t think you’re some great talent and act recklessly.”

Suppressing his frustration, Chen Chang’an replied, “If it’s truly a favor, then grant it generously. Trust me—if I’m bound hand and foot, you might as well give this opportunity to someone else.”

“You…” Hua Mulan widened her eyes, her aura as fierce as his.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Wu Yuanheng deliberately softened his tone, “Brother Chen, we can let you investigate freely, but you must promise to uncover the truth before the Longevity Festival.”

Chen Chang’an brushed at his eyes, his mood for the investigation waning, but finally declared, “I can guarantee the truth will be found, but do not question my choices again!”

With those words, he resolved that if he didn’t receive a satisfactory response, he’d simply walk away—let them punish him as they wished.

All three hesitated, wanting to respond, but paused and turned to Princess Changning.

Princess Changning tugged impatiently at her skirt, “Ah, why so much nonsense? Chen Chang’an, since you promise to solve it in three days, fine—everyone will cooperate with you fully during this period.”

“Good!”

Compared to Hua Mulan, Princess Changning’s attitude was exceedingly agreeable. Chen Chang’an nodded, satisfied. “Since Her Highness has spoken, I will do my utmost to find the murderer before the Empress’s birthday.”

He then turned to Li Shu, Wu Yuanheng, and Hua Mulan, “Please, come with me to examine the headless corpse in the West City forest.”

Before departing, he carefully inspected the wound on Xiao Lian’s neck. His eyes were of little use, so he formed a small V with his thumb and forefinger, gently stretching the cut to probe it, his brow suddenly arching.

Princess Changning, a lively and untamed woman, was eager for justice for her maid, and followed along.

As they rounded the corner of the rear garden, Hua Mulan and Li Shu’s robes suddenly billowed, their bodies erupting with surging energy as they flanked Princess Changning protectively.

Chen Chang’an grabbed Wu Yuanheng’s thick arm, his eyes wide, “Wh-what’s happening?”

A crisp metallic sound answered him. Hua Mulan’s slender, sharp dagger slid from its sheath at her left hip, her nerves taut. “Careful, Princess—there’s killing intent… No, it’s sword energy. It’s intense!”

---

“Second Sword from the East!”

The next moment, a high shout and a muffled bang echoed, the ground trembling slightly. From a central point in the garden, a faint radiance exploded outward in all directions.

Where the arc swept, walls cracked, trees swayed, the air thickened.

“Who dares in the Princess’s residence—”

Hua Mulan ran around the corner, shouting as she went, but her cry ended abruptly in silence—so quiet that her breathing could be heard from afar.

“What happened!”

“Mulan, what is it?”

Li Shu and Wu Yuanheng quickly followed her into the rear garden, adding their heavy breaths to the scene.

Princess Changning and Chen Chang’an, their heartbeats suddenly synchronized, hurried into the garden. What they saw was a field strewn with dog fur, shattered dog legs, severed tails, fragmented ears, and other unidentifiable canine remains.

The white-robed swordsman Su Dingfeng stood atop the stone arch, speaking aloud, “The yellow dog was wild, but met its end in an instant—merely a source of amusement.”

Hua Mulan’s brows nearly jumped off her face. She stared, speechless, “You… You used Master Zhen’s Second Sword from the East to kill a dog?”

Su Dingfeng didn’t even turn, “Is there a problem?”

Chen Chang’an scanned the scene with his blurred vision, collapsing in disbelief, stammering, “I think… I finally understand what they mean by… ‘Most of the righteous are but dog butchers.’”

“What did you say?” Su Dingfeng, still facing away, pointed behind him.

Chen Chang’an shook his head repeatedly, “I… I said, brother-in-law, go wash up—we need to head somewhere else.”

Su Dingfeng paused, “Where? Are there dogs?”

“No… no!” Chen Chang’an forcibly swallowed the ‘no’ that almost escaped.

…

Birds chirped intermittently in the forest, dense foliage weaving shadows across the ground. The midday sun shone fiercely, filtered through thick branches.

Led by the reporting officer, they reached the scene. From a distance, they saw a stretcher with a corpse covered in white cloth. Headless, only a slanted, blood-soaked neck remained.

From the wound, dark red blood still seeped.

“Ugh…”

Princess Changning couldn’t help but retch.

Su Dingfeng stayed several meters away, squatting to wipe his white shoes with a leaf—no stain could be tolerated by a swordsman, especially after stepping in dog droppings.

Hua Mulan, Li Shu, and Wu Yuanheng exchanged glances and joined Chen Chang’an at the body. The twin-bladed heroine with a slanted fringe scoffed, “How could a victim in the wilds possibly be connected to the Princess’s maid? I truly don’t understand.”

As she spoke, Chen Chang’an slowly lifted the white cloth, meticulously feeling every inch of skin as he explained, “There’s only one reason for the murderer to decapitate the victim—fear we’d recognize him from his face. It seems the identity of the deceased is quite significant.”

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“The lumbar spine is straight, but the shoulders and the back of the neck are slightly curved—suggesting someone accustomed to sitting upright but often, perhaps habitually, bowing their head to work.”

“The outsides of the middle and index fingers, and the front of the thumb, are calloused, with an interlocking pattern—indicative of frequent pen use.”

“Sitting and working, often holding a pen—such people are rare, usually scholars or literati.”

Hua Mulan leaned against a nearby tree, unimpressed by his fluent analysis, instead questioning, “But none of this proves any connection to Xiao Lian’s death.”

Chen Chang’an gestured ‘no’ with his hands, correcting, “I never said the headless corpse was linked to Xiao Lian’s death, but to her case.”

A bit contrarian, but he couldn’t help it—whenever Hua Mulan spoke, he felt compelled to retort, for reasons unknown.

Of course, Chen Chang’an knew the heroine had a fiery temper, so he quickly returned to the main point, “The reason I say the headless corpse is linked to Xiao Lian’s case is mainly for two reasons.”

“First, according to the autopsy report, both died at dawn this morning. Although the coroner’s handwriting is crooked, his skill is reliable… trustworthy.”

At this, Li Shu, Wu Yuanheng, and Hua Mulan’s eyes brightened. In unison, they demanded, “Bring the autopsy report!”

Upon inspection, they were surprised to find the times of death indeed matched. Thinking back, they realized the officer had mentioned this in his report, though they hadn’t noticed.

But why had Chen Chang’an made the connection? All three instinctively reached for their earlobes, muttering to themselves: “Why do I even have these ears?”

Snapping back, Li Shu looked at Wu Yuanheng, “Why are you touching your ear?”

Wu Yuanheng coughed awkwardly, turning to Hua Mulan, “Mulan, why are you touching yours?”

Hua Mulan shifted her gaze to the right—just a tree—then back, her fringe slanting, “Mind your own business!”

They all felt embarrassed, sharing a silent understanding.

Princess Changning, recovered from her nausea, sensed the subtle mood, sighed, and stepped up to Chen Chang’an, “And? You say the headless corpse is connected to Xiao Lian’s death—what other evidence do you have?”

The trio seized the opportunity to change the subject, “Yes, what other evidence?”

Chen Chang’an cleared his throat, preparing to explain. But as soon as his mouth opened, before he could utter a word, the space before him twisted and swirled, forming a vortex the size of a barrel mouth.

From the vortex, three beams shot out, aiming straight for his head, surging with powerful energy and unstoppable force.

Almost simultaneously, the white-robed swordsman Su Dingfeng, the former brother-in-law, moved—drawing his sword, a flash of green light streaking across.

With three explosive bangs, the beams were obliterated by the sword energy, vanishing without a trace.

Chen Chang’an, the blind and burdensome son-in-law, had just caught his breath when, from the side, the space twisted again, forming another vortex. From it emerged a human figure, locking eyes with him, and declared, “You… are Chen Chang’an?”