Chapter 82: Calamity Looms

"This is one ruthless person…"

As twilight descended, two constables stood at the edge of the bamboo grove. After a long silence, Constable Chen finally muttered those words.

"What's wrong?"

"That man… he was sitting here…"

As if imagining something, Constable Chen took a deep breath, visibly uncomfortable. He crouched down, picked up a branch nearby, and examined it. The surrounding area was mostly covered in bamboo, but the branch was clearly from another type of tree. Its leaves had already wilted slightly.

"He was probably waiting for someone here… sitting right in this spot… The stool or chair must have been burned… He waited for quite a while. He was injured—seriously injured—but he still didn't leave. He stayed here, waiting… At this point, he might've already killed the Yang brothers and their entire family…"

As he spoke, he glanced at the ruins by the riverbank. Plucking a leaf, he hesitated before placing it in his mouth. Almost immediately, his brows furrowed deeply.

"This doesn't make sense. It's not the style of that female assassin. If this were a martial artist, they wouldn't have been so gravely injured…"

Deputy Constable Xu, standing nearby, frowned. "Are you suggesting that someone else was responsible for Gu Yanzhen's case?"

"It's highly likely. Very likely. That person…" Constable Chen paused. "That person killed the Yang brothers and their family for some reason. He… was injured—seriously injured. Yet he stayed here, waiting. Then, when Gu Yanzhen and his servant arrived, he killed them too. Look at the ground here…"

Constable Chen gestured to the forest floor ahead. The ground was littered with fallen bamboo leaves, obscuring some finer details. The light of dusk made it hard to see clearly.

"He was chewing on these leaves. They're very bitter. He kept chewing. Why? Because here, and here…" Constable Chen pointed at specific spots. "He vomited twice. Not much, but he didn't manage to conceal the traces before leaving… Why stay here all this time? Why vomit? Why chew these leaves? It's not likely to be some odd preference…" Constable Chen paused again. "He was injured. Gravely injured. He used these leaves to stay alert. The injuries were so severe that he vomited twice. He waited here—not because he was confident in his ability to kill—but because… he had to see who was coming."

Deputy Constable Xu looked at the remnants of chewed leaves and the traces of vomit. "This complicates things."

"I know it complicates things." Constable Chen spat out the leaf he had been chewing and threw the branch aside. "I don't want to chew another one either… The Yang brothers were kidnappers. They've been doing it for years. Sometimes for revenge, other times on behalf of wealthy patrons seeking to abduct certain women. If Gu Yanzhen came here at night, it shows he wasn't a good person either. He likely hired them for a job. The man who waited here—was he a relative of someone kidnapped? Or was he himself kidnapped? Either way, he stayed here, waiting for the mastermind to show up."

"Anyone capable of killing the Yang brothers and their entire family is not someone to be trifled with. It's unlikely he himself was kidnapped."

"Truly ruthless…" Constable Chen sighed. "To kill the entire Yang family, sustain serious injuries, and still quietly wait here until the mastermind appeared—and then kill Gu Yanzhen and his servant too… Old Xu, in all our years as constables, how many desperadoes have we seen who could do something like this?"

"To kill Gu Yanzhen and his servant even after being gravely injured… Could it be that female assassin? Suppose someone important to her was kidnapped, and the Yang brothers used that to threaten her. She got injured but still killed the Yang family. Then, with her superior skills, she waited here to take down Gu Yanzhen and his servant."

"That's one theory. But the next day, when she killed those two servants from the Gu household, she appeared completely unharmed…" Constable Chen shook his head. "This person may not know martial arts, but they're as ruthless as they come. Ruthless to others, ruthless to themselves. They staked their life to ensure they saw the mastermind face-to-face. They wouldn't tolerate being watched from the shadows without knowing who was behind it. Such a person is terrifying…"

"So… the case has changed. How should we report this?" Deputy Constable Xu asked tentatively.

"What else can we report? The magistrate has already spoken. Do you think we can go back and suggest this might be a separate case? Besides, do we even have enough evidence to prove it? The rain would've washed everything away soon anyway." Constable Chen patted a nearby bamboo stalk and shook his head. "We'll consolidate the cases. Confirm that the female assassin was responsible for everything and issue a wanted notice. The Yang brothers have over a dozen lives on their hands. As for Gu Yanzhen, he wasn't a good person either, hiring kidnappers. If my family were kidnapped, I'd have killed the whole family too. Until we know more, let's investigate quietly on our own."

Stories of incorruptible officials praised by the people abound in folk tales. But in reality, even the most upright officials must act within the system. Being obstinate over minor issues is one thing, but if someone were inflexible enough to disrupt their superior's work or lower their performance evaluation, they'd quickly find themselves on the receiving end of retribution. Only when a case is fully resolved and neatly presented can everyone be satisfied.

After Constable Chen finished speaking, Old Xu nodded in agreement. "That's the right approach."

Not long after, heavy rain began to fall.

By mid-June, the impact of flooding in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River began to manifest. When Ning Yi returned to Jiangning, refugees were trickling in from the west. It was only the beginning. The city's atmosphere grew slightly tense—subtle, but noticeable to those with experience.

Ning Yi met with Master Qin and Master Kang, and also reconnected with Li Pin and others. Everyone inquired about his burned left hand, but Ning Yi deflected with the same story he had told the Su family. While Su Chonghua had urged him to rest longer, taking months off wasn't practical. After a few days, he resumed teaching at Yushan Academy.

The experiment on high-proof alcohol distillation had been finalized. With Lu Hongti no longer residing in the small courtyard, Ning Yi didn't need to visit daily for experiments. Instead, he spent afternoons at Qinhuai River, playing chess and chatting with Master Qin. During his absence, Li Pin had been teaching the children in his stead. Ning Yi treated him to a meal as thanks, and their conversations turned to the refugee crisis.

"…So far, four regions upstream have been flooded. The Yellow River has breached its dikes. By July, refugees will flood in like a tide, and the city gates will likely be sealed again. Grain prices have already started to soar. Sigh, I can't imagine how many lives will be lost this autumn…"

It was an unspoken consensus—this autumn would bring widespread death. Jiangning itself showed no signs of chaos yet. Life carried on as usual. Business at the brothels and pleasure boats remained lively. Officials and scholars lamented the state of the nation during their nightly revelries, even producing some poignant poetry about their concerns.

In recent days, grain carts were seen entering the Su family estate, evidence of the larger households stockpiling food in preparation for the coming crisis. Su Tan'er worried as well, though her concerns took a different direction.

"Recently, businesses everywhere have been declining. By mid-to-late July, when the city gates are closed, shops in the city will likely have to shut down as well... There will be a need to distribute porridge and food both inside and outside the city and to donate a large batch to the government. The homing pigeons at home are not many; if they're sent out and get shot down and eaten, it will be even more troublesome. At such times, hiring couriers and fast horses for communication will only increase expenses. A few months like this, and everything will likely be delayed..."

In the evening, she spoke with Ning Yi in the second-floor corridor, eating as she talked about these matters. She had been quite busy lately, but despite her complaints, her spirits seemed high. It was likely that there had been some good progress regarding the imperial merchant affairs.

At the end of June, when she went to the main Zhujian restaurant for a meal, she ran into Yuan Jin'er. Bored and idle, Yuan Jin'er had come to visit Yun Zhu. When she saw Ning Yi arrive, she enthusiastically brought out a bowl of century egg and lean meat congee, slamming it onto the table in front of him with a bang, startling him. It wasn't until he saw the somewhat familiar figure that he chuckled, "Little waiter, being this unprofessional—be careful, or someone might complain."

"Let them complain!" Yuan Jin'er put her hands on her hips, stuck out her tongue, and made a mischievous face before turning and walking back inside. Shortly after, Nie Yunzhu came out smiling, and she followed, sitting at the table with Nie Yunzhu. With a stern face for quite a while, she finally said, "Talented Mr. Ning, write me a poem."

Ning Yi was eating the century egg congee and nodded. "Sure."

"Huh?"

His straightforward answer startled her. After staring blankly for a while, she finally asked, "You're really going to write it for me?"

"You helped promote the century egg last time. Now that you've asked, there's no reason for me to refuse."

"Hmph, I was helping Sister Yun Zhu last time." Yuan Jin'er rested her chin on her hand, pondering for a moment, tapping her cheek with her finger. "But didn't that Daoist only write two poems?"

"This time, we'll say a monk wrote them."

Yuan Jin'er stifled a laugh. "But I'll be performing it, you know! I'll say Ning Liheng wrote it for me. I'll even say it was written especially for me!"

Ning Yi spread his hands helplessly.

Yuan Jin'er stared at him for a while, then glanced at Nie Yunzhu. "You're not bad, but I still don't like you. Sister Yun Zhu, let's go. We don't want his poem, and we won't talk to him!"

She grabbed Nie Yunzhu's hand and dragged her away. Nie Yunzhu called after her, "Jin'er, Jin'er," but ultimately let herself be pulled along.

Ning Yi had already heard from Nie Yunzhu about Yuan Jin'er's grudge against him. It was likely because, during the courtesan competition, he had supported Qilan. There was no reasoning to be done about this matter—and no need to, either.

By the end of June, the dog days of summer had not yet arrived, but the weather was already hot. However, due to flooding and disasters upstream, the atmosphere in Jiangning had become heavy and desolate.

Floods, refugees, students at the academy, and occasional discussions with Li Pin about governmental movements—all these occupied Ning Yi's attention intermittently. After Gu Yanzhen's death, officials had approached both Li Pin and Nie Yunzhu for information. The business at Zhujian was flourishing, while the Su family was busy preparing to respond to the disaster. Su Tan'er continued with her plans, and one day, she brought back a small, vibrantly colored piece of silk no larger than a palm. She secretly showed it to Ning Yi that evening. "Isn't it beautiful?"

After having congee at noon that day, Ning Yi went down to the Qinhuai River in the afternoon and encountered Master Qin and Master Kang. Although the flood season was nearing its end, there might still be one final surge. The two elderly gentlemen had been discussing disaster relief methods and related matters.

"Shaohe is in Jiangzhou and will likely be very busy soon. Disaster relief is not like other matters. In urgent situations like this, Ziyuan should give more guidance," said Kang Xian, referring to Qin Shaohe, the eldest son of Qin Shiyuan, who was currently serving as an official in Jiangzhou. Qin Shiyuan nodded in agreement. "I've already sent him several letters over the past two months. What needed to be said has mostly been said. The situation there is primarily gleaned from the letters he has sent back."

At this time, Master Qin and Master Kang were mainly conversing. Ning Yi, lost in thought, only spoke when Master Qin asked him a question. He smiled and said, "I just have some ideas... I'll sort them out tonight and bring them over tomorrow. If they're useful... haha, I'll present a couple of items to you, Master Qin."