Qin Fengmian waited in the front hall for nearly an incense stick's worth of time before Xie Xun slowly arrived with Jiang Xiaoxiao.
Qin Fengmian immediately stood up and saluted Xie Xun.
Xie Xun asked him, "What's the matter?"
Qin Fengmian glanced at Jiang Xiaoxiao, "Earlier, my sixth senior brother Lu Mang was reckless. I'm apologizing on his behalf to the Director. I hope you can forgive him."
Jiang Xiaoxiao sat down on a ring chair, "You came all this way just for that?"
"No!" Qin Fengmian hurriedly said, "Apologizing is only a side note. I came because the Yin Yang Office has received an urgent case."
It was the Yin Yang Office's first day opening and they had already received a case. Jiang Xiaoxiao was somewhat surprised, "Urgent?"
"Yes."
Qin Fengmian took a sip of tea and quickly organized his thoughts.
"It's like this. A few nights ago, the Jingzhao Prefecture received a report that a pregnant woman had been killed on the street, a single death with two victims."
"The officials immediately sent people to investigate, and then discovered that the woman's husband had hanged himself at home."
"The people from the Jingzhao Prefecture could only gather information by visiting the neighbors, and they did eventually find a few eyewitnesses who saw the woman before she was killed."
"However, before the officials could bring them back to the courthouse for further questioning and evidence gathering, these eyewitnesses all died in a bizarre manner - they all hanged themselves."
"Even more bizarrely, the locations where they hanged themselves were all on the same crooked tree in the alley where the woman was killed."
"The Jingzhao Prefecture confirmed repeatedly that the tree was the original crime scene, and there were no signs of a struggle. The coroners' examinations also showed that these people had committed suicide and were not murdered."
Jiang Xiaoxiao understood, "So the Jingzhao Prefecture suspects this case is related to an evil spirit?"
"How else can you explain three or four people all hanging themselves at the same location?" said Qin Fengmian. "The Jingzhao Prefecture has just transferred this case's file to the Yin Yang Office, and now they're waiting for the Director to go back and open the case."
"Let's go then."
Jiang Xiaoxiao didn't understand how to open a case, so she could only bring Xie Xun along.
When they arrived at the Yin Yang Office, Qin Fengmian's fellow disciples were already waiting there.
Some of them had been looking at Jiang Xiaoxiao with disdain before.
But after Jiang Xiaoxiao demonstrated her spiritual power earlier, they were completely convinced and dared not show any disrespect on their faces now.
"Director," Qiu Hong cupped his hands and then passed the file from the Jingzhao Prefecture to her.
Jiang Xiaoxiao flipped through it.
The case had barely progressed, with only the eyewitness accounts recorded.
There were four eyewitnesses, each with their name marked with a red cross, indicating they were deceased.
As for their accounts, they were largely similar - they had unintentionally glimpsed the situation in the alley at different times while passing by.
One eyewitness said the alley was very noisy that late at night, so he didn't dare approach and left.
Another said she was with her child and it was too dark to see clearly.
The third said it looked like a woman was being surrounded and robbed by a gang, but he was in a hurry and didn't pay much attention.
The last eyewitness said he shouted into the alley, but was threatened by the gang that they would kill him if he got involved, so he left out of fear.
"None of these people tried to help or even report it to the officials," said Qin Fengmian. "The most likely scenario is that the woman's resentful spirit came back to haunt those who ignored the incident."
Xie Xun disagreed, "Then how do you explain the woman's husband also hanging himself?"
"Suicide out of grief!" Qin Fengmian wore a confident expression like he was about to solve the case. "After all, it's understandable for the husband to be distraught after losing his wife and child in one night, isn't it?"
"Let's go to the crime scene!" said Xie Xun. "No baseless conclusions without evidence. If the Yin Yang Office lets you operate this way, we'd have to close up shop the very night we opened."
With that, he closed the file.
This casual tone...
Qin Fengmian: "..."
Who's in charge of the Yin Yang Office again?
Since it was the first day the Yin Yang Office opened, Jiang Xiaoxiao's investigation team wasn't organized yet.
She surveyed the group, "What skills do you all have?"
The others looked at each other.
Qin Fengmian was the first to answer with a smile, "I can guide spirits."
Qiu Hong followed, "I'll handle the compass."
The compass was used to record the heavenly stems, earthly branches, month and time.
These tasks would likely be too bothersome for the Director's taste.
The others, like Qiu Hong, were skilled in geomancy, exorcism, and talisman drawing.
Jiang Xiaoxiao could understand those skills.
But what did Qin Fengmian mean by guiding spirits?
"The National Master is so knowledgeable and talented, skilled in both the Qimen Divination Technique and talisman drawing, and even guiding spirits?"
The senior disciple Zhu Yan practiced the Qimen Divination Technique, the junior disciple could guide spirits, and the others could perform exorcisms.
If all these skills were taught by Bai Cheng, then this National Master was truly a genius.
At least Jiang Xiaoxiao had never seen someone so multi-talented in her life.
"Not at all," Qin Fengmian didn't seem to mind explaining. "Guiding spirits is my family's specialty. I joined the National Master's school out of personal interest."
"Then we won't need you to guide spirits this time."
Jiang Xiaoxiao motioned to Qiu Hong, her seventh senior brother, and Liu An, her fourth senior brother.
"Ah? Well, besides guiding spirits, I can also perform exorcisms and draw talismans!" Qin Fengmian didn't expect to be eliminated so quickly and wanted to advocate for himself again.
But when he looked up and met Xie Xun's gaze, he shrank back, "I'll pass this time. If there's a case more suited for me, I'll go then."
"You can go," said Xie Xun. "Just put away your skills, disguise yourself as one of the eyewitnesses from that night, and go to Sophora Lane ahead of us. When we arrive, you can approach Xiaoxiao and claim you're afraid because all the other eyewitnesses have died, and seek the Yin Yang Office's protection."
Qin Fengmian immediately understood, "Your Highness intends to lure the snake out of its den?"
Xie Xun nodded.
Qiu Hong spoke up, "Your Highness, perhaps I should go instead. Fengmian's cultivation is still shallow. If a spirit possesses him and lures him to hang himself, Fengmian may not be able to control it."
Xie Xun smiled faintly, "From what you're saying, it sounds like you all passed your examinations by cheating?"
Qiu Hong was stunned into silence.
Qin Fengmian said, "Seventh Senior Brother, no need to dissuade me. I'll go."
An hour later, Qin Fengmian changed into commoner's clothes and set off for the crime scene at Sophora Lane from the Yin Yang Office.
About an incense stick's time after Qin Fengmian left, Xie Xun, Jiang Xiaoxiao and others finally set off. They first went to Jingzhao Prefecture to examine a few corpses, which were generally consistent with the descriptions in the case files.
Half an hour later, the carriage stopped outside Sophora Lane.
Since it was the crime scene, this area had already been cordoned off by Jingzhao Prefecture, with constables guarding outside.
As night was falling, the few constables were cold and frightened, shivering.
Only after Jiang Xiaoxiao showed the token of the Director of the Yin Yang Office did they temporarily stop guarding.
The constables seemed to have seen a lifeline, expressing gratitude profusely before hurrying away from the place.
Jiang Xiaoxiao stepped forward and stood under the crooked-neck tree.
According to the case files, the woman was harmed under this tree at the time.
The murder case happened several days ago, and the bloodstains on the ground had long been covered by snow. Only faint marks left by the hanging rope could be seen on the crooked-neck tree.
As night gradually fell, Liu An held up a lantern while Qiu Hong carried a compass.
At the end of the lane, a gust of ominous wind suddenly blew.
The needle of Qiu Hong's compass began spinning incessantly.
"Director," Qiu Hong called out to Jiang Xiaoxiao, slightly alarmed.
Jiang Xiaoxiao raised her hand, "Don't speak."
Qiu Hong could only cover the compass, pretending not to know what was happening.
Not long after, Qin Fengmian's frantic voice came from outside the lane.
They saw him stumbling in, kneeling on the ground with a thud, "Lords, please save this commoner!"
Jiang Xiaoxiao asked him, "Who are you?"
Qin Fengmian trembled as he spoke, "I'm a resident nearby. I... I heard that anyone who passed through Sophora Lane on the night of the murder case died. I'm so scared, lords, please save me."
Jiang Xiaoxiao realized, "So you mean you also passed through here that night?"
"Yes." Qin Fengmian lowered his head, his voice choked with tears, "Not only did I pass through, but I also saw a group of people robbing a pregnant woman at knifepoint. I wanted to help, but I was too afraid. I... felt very guilty afterwards. If I had known a murder would occur, I should have reported to the officials, but I..."
At this point, his whole body was shaking.
He was acting incredibly convincingly.
Jiang Xiaoxiao and Xie Xun exchanged a glance.
Xie Xun said, "Since that's the case, come back to the office with us."
"Thank you, lords, thank you..." Qin Fengmian kowtowed a few times, then stood up, "Let me inform my family first, and I'll be right back."
After saying that, Qin Fengmian ran out of Sophora Lane.
Xie Xun gave Qiu Hong and Liu An a subtle signal.
The two understood and left the lane, following Qin Fengmian from a distance, neither too close nor too far away.
