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墨書 Inktalez
The order of the performers was arranged according to their student numbers, and mine was positioned towards the middle, so I sat nearby and watched several classmates perform.
Logically, we were all studying Criminal Investigation, which meant our psychological resilience should be much better than average. However, from the moment the first person took the stage, I realized that the things we learned from books cannot simply be applied without thought.
The first student was a rather introverted fellow, and since our stage was set indoors with the podium exposed to everyone without any barriers, even before he spoke, his body language was already betraying his discomfort. I watched as he sweated profusely, his hands twisting together nervously, occasionally lifting one hand to touch his nose or adjust his glasses. It struck me as quite amusing.
These were all characteristics of deception that we had learned from books, but he hadn’t even spoken yet. Without experiencing it firsthand, one wouldn’t know that these same signs are more likely to appear when someone is nervous. I thought this was probably what Zhang Yang wanted us to feel in our own bodies.
As I observed my classmates falter one by one, revealing various flaws during their questioning about lies, I pondered how I could outsmart Teacher Zhang.
I believed that to mask my own nervousness and anxiety, it would be best to intimidate him first—confuse him and strike at his psychology so that he wouldn’t have time to notice my flaws. We had an advantage: there were no strict rules about what kind of lies we had to tell. So I stopped watching the stage and began to imagine various scenarios from the Korean dramas I had seen.
When it was my turn, I took a deep breath and stepped into the role of a female lead from a Korean drama. I threw myself into the performance so much that my face turned red. I quickly walked up to Zhang Yang, suddenly locking eyes with him before hastily looking away. Fidgeting with my feet on the ground, I stammered, “Teacher, actually… I’ve had a crush on you for a long time!”
Using a facade of false nervousness that anyone might display to cover up my genuine anxiety—oh, how clever I was!
Teacher Zhang was indeed taken aback by my creativity; he stared at me in shock for three seconds while the audience remained silent for another three seconds before bursting into laughter.
This lighthearted atmosphere further eased my tension. Clearing my throat, I began to concoct an elaborate story about my secret admiration for “Teacher Zhang.”
I felt quite relaxed in my performance and thought my story was coming together well. However, before I could finish, Teacher Zhang coughed twice as if he had choked and then suddenly waved his hand dismissively. “Alright, you can go! You passed!”
After stepping down from the stage, one of the girls from my dorm poked me and said, “That’s so unfair! I spotted eight or nine signs of deception in your performance. Why did you pass while I didn’t?”
I retorted sarcastically, “Really? I saw twenty-eight or nine in yours! Did you think you could pass? Besides, this is called strategy!”
At that time, I felt quite proud of my strategy. But now that I've grown up and married, understanding many things with a more mature perspective, all I can say is: “Oh my gosh…”
Back then, I really was quite naive!
However, now my investigative skills have improved tremendously compared to those days. Back then, I had very little practical experience; if it weren't for Zhang Yang's guidance, I'd have stumbled even more. But now I've been working solo at the Dali Temple for a year on various cases; I've encountered all kinds of people and asked all sorts of questions. If faced with my past self now, I could only smile and shake my head.
Thus, the Thunder Sect espionage incident posed no difficulty for me at all; in fact, it turned out to be much simpler than I had imagined.
The first person who came up to ask questions was still underage. Although he seemed somewhat clever, it was obvious he was lying. Through a mix of coaxing and pressure within half an hour, he broke down in tears and revealed everything about passing information to the Earthfire Sect.
It turned out that the person was a personal secretary to a high-ranking official of the Thunder Sect. However, the official was rather careless and failed to grasp that the secretary's mother was gravely ill and needed rare medicinal herbs for treatment. As a result, this information was seized by the Earthfire Sect, which used it as leverage to develop a spy.
The secretary wept bitterly, feeling deeply sorry for their clan and the people, unable to face anyone. In the end, the interrogation turned into a group effort to comfort them.
This was my first time participating in such a humorous interrogation. After a flurry of chaotic activity, some Legal Envoys went to release people and apologize, some escorted the secretary home, while others reported back to the sect leader. The office was in complete disarray.
After the commotion settled down, the leader of the Legal Envoys, Hu Xuan Zhi, respectfully bowed to me and said, "The wisdom of the heroine is truly extraordinary; we are all in awe!"
We quickly bonded over this shared experience. We were all straightforward people, and even if we weren't on the same wavelength, our conversation felt quite congenial. So, under their enthusiastic invitation, I decided to stay temporarily at the office and even shared drinks with them that evening.
Hu Xuan Zhi assured me that once he reported the spy situation and the sect leader dealt with it, he would definitely meet with me to express his gratitude. He promised that as soon as everything was resolved, he would find someone to safely escort me out of the isolated area of Thunder Sect.
I thought about it; there was no rush for what I needed to do now. Staying here for a day or two wouldn't hurt. This place happened to be a gathering spot for Master Blacksmiths. If I could gather some information about them or even build friendships with them, it would be an incredibly valuable asset for future endeavors.
To maintain peace and protect the common people, weapons were indeed necessary.
"However," he continued, "you shouldn't be too anxious about this matter. You definitely won't see our sect leader tomorrow. It just so happens that tomorrow is a grand day for Thunder Sect; our sect leader's third sister is getting married. Everyone's attention will surely be focused on that."
A daughter of the sect leader getting married? That truly was a joyous occasion for their clan.
"Get up. For so many years, has your clan been practicing internal marriages?" I suddenly felt concerned about their genetic quality from a hereditary perspective.
"Most of us have," he replied. "But Hua Yingjie’s fiancé is an outsider—our son-in-law from outside. Over these years, very few outsiders have remained in our clan; someone as outstanding as our son-in-law is truly rare."
"Hua Yingjie?"
"Oh right! I haven't introduced her to you yet. Our sect leader's family name is Shen; Hua Yingjie is the name of Shen's third sister. We haven't met her yet, but Hua Yingjie is renowned for her beauty—she is considered the most beautiful woman in Thunder Sect! She has been weak since childhood and kept indoors until this year when she finally recovered. As soon as she appeared, she captivated everyone; our son-in-law was immediately smitten and sought permission from the sect leader to marry her. In fact, the sect leader had already taken a liking to him because he is such an exceptional person. Ah, it's just... they are well-matched!"
"I see. What kind of person is this son-in-law?"
Since everyone was enjoying drinks together and relations were quite amicable now, I decided to ask about my curiosity.
From what I had gathered earlier, this "son-in-law" wasn't originally from Thunder Sect but rather an outsider—either someone who stumbled in like me or someone brought back by Thunder Sect during their business dealings outside. Earlier, Hu Xuan Zhi mentioned that only the sect leader and son-in-law knew about the suspect being placed under house arrest, indicating that this son-in-law held considerable status within Thunder Sect.
I have always been curious about outstanding individuals.
"The son-in-law is an outsider—young and handsome! I've never seen anyone so strikingly good-looking in my life! Moreover, he possesses exceptional martial skills and remarkable intelligence. The Earthfire Sect has been quite arrogant in recent years, but ever since he arrived, they haven't gained any advantage over us. Initially, everyone worried that he might leave eventually since he's an outsider; however, now that he's set to marry Hua Yingjie, it seems he intends to settle down in Thunder Sect for good—everyone is thrilled!"
It seems that my luck is quite good; I happened to encounter such a nationwide celebration, a grand wedding tomorrow. Surely there must be some benefits to this? Perhaps I could even receive some wedding gifts and share in the joy.
If I could bask in the happiness of the newlyweds, would it help me turn my luck around and find my beloved sooner?
"I wonder if there will be a chance to catch a glimpse of the new wife?" a young man from the Legal Envoy remarked. "The first beauty of the Thunder Sect, it would be such a pity not to see her."
"But you mustn't act rashly; Hua Yingjie is no ordinary person," another warned.
"What about Hua Yingjie?" My curiosity was piqued once again.
"Listen, not only is Hua Yingjie stunningly beautiful, but she also possesses a heart as exquisite as a Linglong. A man as wise as the son-in-law cannot gain an advantage in front of her. So, it’s not just her beauty that captivates people; her intelligence is truly remarkable, which is why the son-in-law is so deeply infatuated. The heroine must join us to witness this tomorrow!"
"Thank you, I'll go!" I nodded in agreement. I had to pay homage to this seemingly extraordinary couple and see if they lived up to the rumors. To be honest, I've seen many outstanding individuals in this world, but among men, only the one I long for truly stands out. As for Hua Yingjie, I couldn't help but feel a bit competitive; I wanted to measure myself against her.
After all, she showcased not only beauty but also intelligence.
That night, I settled down at the county office. The Constable brothers from the Thunder Sect were both warm and sincere, making my accommodations clean and comfortable. Wrapped in a freshly dried silk quilt that still carried the scent of sunshine, I imagined the lively atmosphere of an ancient wedding I had yet to witness. It took me quite some time to drift into slumber.
Once again, I dreamt of my autumn. In my dream, he still held me tenderly in his embrace. As always, I tightly grasped his hand and told him to stay a little longer; I didn't want to wake up.
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