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In fact, a human head had appeared in the Provincial Governor's Office. This news had already been relayed to us on the road, but the messenger stuttered and was unclear, unable to identify whose head it was. I only knew that things were not looking good, but I never expected that the head would belong to Su Liche.
On the way, Nie Qiuyuan had already given me a warning, telling me to calm my mind from now on because this person was likely someone we knew. My heart raced; it couldn't possibly be Luo Dachun. The people from Mirror Gate wouldn't find it easy to kill him, and such an unprofitable deal was not something they would undertake. In truth, I had been worried that it might be Melan or Lin Jiu.
Even with prior mental preparation, when I saw Su Liche's head, I felt an overwhelming sense of collapse. This was the second time my emotions had crumbled after witnessing Brother Chen's death in the line of duty.
When we hurried back to the Provincial Governor's Office, the main officials from Suzhou were gathered in the main hall. These experienced officials surrounded the central table, their faces pale as they trembled slightly.
On the table lay an exquisite redwood box inlaid with silver threads, and a human head was placed neatly inside. Its eyes were closed, and its expression was serene, as if in deep sleep. The box was carefully lined with white silk, and blood oozed from where the neck had been severed, staining the silk a vivid red—a stark contrast that made everything even more shocking.
The head showed no signs of damage; even the hair was neatly arranged, and its features were as handsome as ever. Su Liche had always been frail, so his skin was paler than normal people’s; now devoid of blood color, he looked almost unchanged. There was no doubt it was him; I glanced at it and felt a buzzing in my head as tears streamed down my face.
I studied Criminal Investigation; our profession often involves dealing with the dead, so I had developed strong adaptability. But this was different—seeing an unfamiliar corpse could be treated as a research subject, yet witnessing a loved one or friend transformed into a cold corpse before me would evoke emotions just like any ordinary person.
Criminal police officers, detectives, forensic experts—we are all human. We undergo training to overcome all bloody stimuli and visual shocks, but we cannot conquer the sadness and pain that come from being human.
At such moments, no one is immune to shock; the difference lies only in our capacity to endure it.
Nie Qiuyuan was clearly stronger than I was; he quickly regained his composure, wrapping an arm around me to support my body while swiftly engaging in emergency response.
"What happened?" he asked succinctly.
Ma Anyang replied, "Just now, a servant came to clean up in the main hall and discovered an extra box on the table. This box stood out; it didn’t seem like something from the residence. When they opened it to check, they found a human head inside. When I rushed over to take a look, it seemed familiar... it's Lord Su from Dizhou! That’s why I hurried to summon Lord Nie back. As for how this head ended up here, I have no idea!"
The Suzhou Inspectorate was quite heavily guarded; with our Shadow of the Night assisting in surveillance, anyone who could sneak in unnoticed and leave behind a human head must have been an exceptional expert.
In that moment, I couldn't think of anything else. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably as Qiu quietly pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it into my hand, tightening his embrace around me.
Memories surged within my heart, fragments of our first colleague at the White Horse Temple—Su Liche. He had smiled kindly at us, and I had remembered that pale, frail face. At the White Horse Temple, he had keenly deciphered Ren Pingsheng's elusive fragrance and, during my illness, had brought forth his unique skills to deliver warm ancient remedies for colds.
Back then, Nie Qiuyuan was still trying to act cool in front of me, which left my emotions in turmoil. Su Liche's ever-gentle smile was like a soothing balm, bringing peace to my heart whenever I saw it.
But now, could he no longer smile at us?
Suddenly, a burning rage consumed my heart. Mirror Gate! Was this the beginning of their purge against the Jade Balance Bureau? Ren Pingsheng, was it you again?!
Nie Qiuyuan pondered for a moment before speaking to Ma Anyang. "Master Ma, do not be alarmed. This matter has nothing to do with Suzhou Prefecture. This head was sent here for me to see, so I must leave immediately and return to Chang'an. Once I depart, Suzhou will remain safe; if I linger here, it may bring trouble upon you."
Ma Anyang stood with his mouth agape, stunned into silence. Although he was unaware of the hidden intricacies, it was all too clear that someone was openly hunting down court officials. Wasn't this outright rebellion?
Nie Qiuyuan glanced once more at the head in the box and said, "Master Ma, I only ask one thing of you: please send someone to take Lord Su's remains swiftly to Dizhou Prefecture. Lord Su's body must still be there; this way, he can rest in peace."
We certainly couldn't take the head with us on our journey. Even if Nie Qiuyuan hadn't said it, Ma Anyang knew what needed to be done. He quickly agreed and trembled slightly as he closed the wooden box.
The men discussed matters briefly before Nie Qiuyuan gave several instructions to those from Suzhou Prefecture. My mind was scattered; I felt dizzy and absorbed none of the specifics. Soon enough, Qiu pulled me back into the bedroom to start packing.
"Is it really... Lord Su...?"
After a long pause, I finally managed to ask this question. It was just a head after all; surely we couldn't have mistaken it.
However, the probability of a group of Criminal Investigation experts simultaneously misidentifying someone is truly astonishing.
Nie Qiuyuan set down the package in his hands and turned to embrace me.
"I didn't expect them to act so soon. Perhaps the news of the White Tiger's escape has reached the Sect Leader. But their hasty actions will yield little effect. There’s something off about this situation."
The warmth radiating from Qiu's body reassured me. His words seemed to calm my emotions, as if we were discussing strategies together, which helped me regain my composure.
"It seems that the Mirror Gate's plan is to eliminate everyone from the Jade Balance Bureau through sheer violence. This method is simple and brutal, yet it directly weakens our power. Most of the people in the Jade Balance Bureau are civil officials without martial skills; sending a few skilled fighters could easily take them down. As long as they act simultaneously, what does it matter if it's rushed?" I tried to follow Qiu's line of thought.
"Zhenzhen, don't underestimate our people just because they lack martial skills. You don’t have any martial skills either, yet you’re not helpless, are you? The members of the Jade Balance Bureau are all exceptionally intelligent individuals carefully selected from officials across the nation who oversee Detective Work. Even without martial skills, when faced with danger, they will not sit idly by. Therefore, to completely cleanse the Jade Balance Bureau, we must tailor strategies based on each person's characteristics and act simultaneously to ensure success. This is no easy task."
Thinking about it, he was right. Even someone like me would do everything possible in the face of life-threatening danger, using all kinds of knowledge to set traps and outmaneuver enemies.
"But if that's the case, how did Su Liche still end up dead? And look at his expression; it seems like he didn’t even resist... Could it be that Ren Pingsheng personally killed him?"
Qiu shook his head. "Ren Pingsheng doesn't usually kill like that. To save effort, he typically uses poison first, but there are no signs of poisoning on Su's remains. Moreover, the weapon used to sever his head isn't Ren Pingsheng's curved blade; I recognize the marks left by his knife."
"Then why specifically send Lord Su's head to Suzhou..."
"Isn't it obvious, Zhenzhen? We are in Suzhou, and Su is one of those closely connected with us in the Jade Balance Bureau. So this was sent for my eyes."
A chill ran through my heart. At that time, when I still didn't know Night Phantom's identity, he had told me that Qiu was a traitor from Mirror Gate. The fate of a traitor is always death surrounding them—making them feel the pain of loss and suffering while alive before ultimately leading them to their own demise. So this time was also a demonstration from Mirror Gate.
They were telling Nie Qiuyuan that they had found him and grasped everything around him; he should just wait to pay the price.
After hiding for many years, perhaps it was finally time for the showdown to begin.
"Then, killing Lord Su..."
"Given the decisiveness of the attack, it is likely that it was the Sect Leader Rong Fu himself, which is why Brother Su had no ability to resist. If it had been those rabble, Brother Su, being an expert in pharmaceuticals, might not have been afraid."
I was taken aback. This was Ruo Chanjuan's insight; if it were directed at us, the Sect Leader would indeed take action personally. It seemed there was no doubt about it.
However, the current situation had turned into a scenario where the enemy was hidden while we were exposed. We had no information about the Sect Leader at all; Nie Qiuyuan's years spent at Mirror Gate seemed utterly wasted.
"Then, isn't your situation... very dangerous now?" I tightly embraced him from behind, suddenly realizing that in this plan, it was likely that Qiu was the primary target to be eliminated.
Qiu gently patted my back and smiled, "He wants me to watch the show first, so he won't rush to act against me. He hopes I will witness the collapse of the Jade Balance Bureau; that would be a complete failure. But Zhenzhen, from now on, you must be extremely cautious. Do not trust anyone easily and do not leave my side for a moment. They must also understand by now that harming you would be the biggest blow to me. So Zhenzhen, please prioritize your safety for my sake; that would be the greatest help to me."
I nodded and buried my head in his chest, silently making a resolution in my heart.
"Zhenzhen, alright, quickly pack your things. We need to set off back to Chang'an Yongzhou Prefecture immediately. If I’m not mistaken, the secret report sent back to Chang'an should have prompted Brother Qianfan to issue an urgent order for all personnel of the Jade Balance Bureau to ensure their own safety and find their way back, attempting to regroup in Yongzhou Prefecture. Only in this way can we collectively defend ourselves and preserve the strength of the Jade Balance Bureau."
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