Chapter 25

"What's the matter? Stop shouting!"

One of the Le family's guards walked up and scolded, then gestured to the screaming servant to one side and queried him.

After he was informed, the guard's face darkened and he rushed up to Le Xaan.

"Young Master Xaan, Young Lady Cinci fights with someone and now goes missing." The guard hurriedly reported to Le Xaan.

"What?"

Le Xaan was dumbfounded.

He once expected that Le Cinci might tangle with someone while investigating the case, but she did not do it over the past two months, and Le Xaan had already dismissed his worries about her.

"Where is she? Who does she fight with?"

Elder Zaner asked solemnly.

"In Flower Willow Street! And she fights with several guards of a merchant caravan!"

"Are Lord Le Finn informed of this?"

"I do not know. That servant got the news from Young Lady Cinci's personal servant girl. And he rushed to inform Young Master Xaan at once."

The guard replied right away.

These servants were all homeless orphans that Le Finn took in and brought up; thereby, they are highly loyal to the Le family.

"Well done. Do not report this to my father. I will go over and try to solve it first."

Le Xaan said in a deep voice.

"Young Lady Cinci was investigating the Xavir family's case. Why would she fight with a merchant caravan's guards?" Elder Zaner was puzzled.

"Let's go and have a look first."

Le Xaan seemed calm as ever.

He summoned ten of the guards and servants and then headed for Flower Willow Street.

Flower Willow Street was an area packed with brothels. It seemed strange that Le Cinci found her way there during her investigation.

Le Xaan's group of men hurried on their way there.

When they arrived, the street was quite a mess. Two of the shopkeepers under the Le family's banner were mollifying the vendors suffering the damages along with their shop assistants. Perhaps their shops happened to be nearby.

"Make Compensations and apologies where necessary. The Le family's reputation shouldn't be tarnished."

Le Xaan ordered.

"Understood!"

The group of guards and servants replied in unison before scattering to placate the vendors.

Le Xaan and Elder Zaner walked to several spots and inspected the signs of the fight.

"They seem to leave there a while before. Cinci is hot-tempered. After being harassed verbally by a man, it's no strange thing that she would fight with them." Le Xaan then began to inspect the bloodstains on the ground.

There was little blood here. And he did not worry about Le Cinci's safety. With her strength, two or three men would be no match for her.

A grayish-white flagstone was stained with a pool of dark red blood, eye-catching under the sunlight.

Le Xaan squatted down, brushed his finger against the bloody ground, and smelled it. Then, he furrowed his brows.

"What? Any discovery?" Elder Zaner walked over and dipped his finger into the blood, and smelled it as well.

"Normal human blood, nothing strange."

"What makes me puzzled is..."

Le Xaan shook his head while continuing,

"The blood volume is too large. It's a sign of some serious injuries. Cinci is indeed hot-tempered, but she knows at least where she should refrain from going so far as to beat a nasty man half to death."

At the moment, one of the guards walked over.

"Young Master Xaan, we've got new information through inquiries. Someone witnessed Young Lady Cinci wielding a sword and fighting with two people, then she chased after them out of the city gate! There's a rumor that the couple of men are not actually the guards of a merchant caravan's but murderers! "

"So that's how it is!"

Le Xaan nodded his head.

"Let's go to the city gate, the Western Gate, the closest one from here . They must have gone out of the city from there."

Le Xaan's group of men then scurried down the street towards the Western Gate.

Roughly ten or so minutes later, the group reached the Western Gate, and one among them went up and talked with a gatekeeper that he was familiar with.

"Young Lady Cinci chased after two men in the direction of Black Wind Ridge."

The gatekeeper gave them a piece of important information.

Le Xaan led his group and was about to head for the Ridge, yet before they walked along for a long distance, Le Cinci emerged within their sight. She was on a horse, dragging two men with ropes that were tied around their wrists, on her way back.

As she laid eyes on Le Xaan, a triumphant look surfaced on her face.

"Eldest Brother, why are in such a hurry here? It's just a couple of thugs. Don't you have faith in my strength?"

She was attired in pure white combat gear, a long sword along with its silver-colored scabbard in her hand, and a silver-thread stitched wide belt around her slender waist. She wore her hair in a high ponytail, appearing more handsome-looking and energetic than a young man.

Le Xaan stood on the spot, waiting for Le Cinci to ride to before him.

As Le Cinci dismounted from her horse by his side, Le Xaan finally let out a long breath.

"Don't be so reckless going forward."

He was not the original Le Xaan, for sure. But he could tell that his Second Mother, Louir Cayv, was really concerned and caring towards him over these days. He was not a heartless person.

For the sake of Louir Cayv, he had to watch over Le Cinci.

"Don't worry. This young lady, that's me, surely is able to trample underfoot such ignoble thugs without breaking a sweat."

Le Cinci said in a nonchalant manner.

Le Xaan then looked at the two murderers behind the horse. Their faces appeared deathly pale, perhaps a result of loss of too much blood. They lay there senseless, life and death unknown.

Yet, weirdly, the corners of their lips were curved up, constituting ... an eerie smile.

Le Xaan was a little bewildered.

But, now that Le Cinci was unscathed, he was in no mood to make a fuss about it.