BANG!!!
Qi Dachun's nine-foot-tall frame instantly smashed open the already dilapidated small wooden door.
"Young Master, please!"
After crashing through the door, Dachun unhurriedly patted the dust off his clothes. Were it not for his somewhat vacuous gaze, he truly would have possessed the demeanor of a generation's Grandmaster.
Zeng Anmin didn't reply and walked into the house.
The street-facing cottage was not large and didn't even have a courtyard. Upon entering, an ordinary family's kitchen came into view, with only enough space for two people to stand. Above the stove sat a black cooking pot, emitting waves of lingering fragrance. Further inside were two small rooms. The room on the left exuded a scholarly scent; it was likely Zhang Lun's bedroom. As for the room on the right...
"Dachun!!"
The moment Zeng Anmin's gaze fell into that room, his heart sank. His face darkened, and he remained silent. Inside the small room, a pair of worn-out black cloth shoes hung motionless in mid-air. The owner of the shoes had been hanging from the ceiling beam for quite some time.
"Yes." Dachun had naturally seen the scene inside the room as well. He rushed in, taking two steps at a time. Leaping up while catching the corpse, he separated the body from the hanging cloth rope.
After examining the body, Dachun looked up at Zeng Anmin. "Young Master, she's dead."
Zeng Anmin's complexion was exceedingly grim. Pursing his lips, he carefully observed the unseemly corpse. People who hanged themselves typically had purple faces, slightly bulging eyes, and tongues protruding past their lips. The strangulation marks around the neck were extremely deep.
After a long while, Zeng Anmin spat out three words, "It was suicide."
All the marks on the body, along with the door being locked from the inside, confirmed his conclusion.
Taking a deep breath, Zeng Anmin crouched down expressionlessly. He had just met the old woman the day before yesterday. Meeting again today, she had already hanged herself in her home. A profound sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart. He looked at the old woman's corpse, his thoughts drifting far away. The old woman's entire life seemed to flash through his mind.
Her husband had died early, leaving her as a lone woman to raise her son all by herself. She placed all her hopes on him. Her son didn't disappoint her; he studied diligently from a young age and possessed unparalleled talent. At barely sixteen, he was admitted to the world-renowned Shuidu Academy.
On the day of his admission, her son rushed home excitedly. He told her that he would definitely fulfill his filial duties and take good care of her in the future. That day, the old woman smiled. It was the first time she had smiled since her husband's death. She hadn't had much schooling, so she didn't understand the academy's status in the hearts of scholars. However, seeing her son's excited expression made her happy and gratified. She didn't feel tired at all, so she asked her employer for more work. She simply thought that since her son had entered the academy, there would be many places where he needed money. It was always worth it to work a little harder.
One day, the officials from the Observation Department arrived at her home with solemn faces. They said her son had been killed in the woods outside the academy due to a minor verbal altercation. The tragic news came like a bolt from the blue, leaving the old woman at a total loss. But when she saw her son's corpse with her own eyes, she subconsciously turned her head away. She couldn't believe everything in front of her was real.
Sure enough, someone told her there were hidden circumstances behind her son's death. She suddenly remembered her son mentioning that the academy's headmaster was highly respected and possessed great moral standing. However, the headmaster... She looked at her son's empty room. Thinking of his lonely grave, she couldn't sleep no matter how hard she tried. She wanted to end her life. But remembering the injustice of her son's death, she gritted her teeth. She thought, "Lun'Er, Mother will definitely beg someone to catch the real killer."
Suddenly, someone told her that the real murderer who killed her son was dead. He had died one night, killed by a Martial Artist wearing a cat-shaped mask.
The old woman sat limply on the ground. She cried, and she laughed. Looking at her son's empty room, she stood up tremblingly. She thought, "Lun'Er, Mother is coming to see you."
Zeng Anmin slowly stood up, examining the furnishings in the house.
CLACK.
He took a few steps and saw the black pot on the stove. The lid still faintly emitted the aroma of food. Taking a deep breath, he opened the lid. Upon seeing the scene inside the pot, Zeng Anmin's body trembled slightly. Inside, steamed buns faintly shaped like little cats were arranged extremely neatly. The image of the old woman, smiling while clumsily kneading the dough in her hands, slowly surfaced in his mind.
CLACK.
After a long time, Zeng Anmin covered the pot with the lid. He slowly raised his head. His Dan Feng eyes were already bloodshot.
"Young Master?" Seeing Zeng Anmin's eyes, Qi Dachun was somewhat at a loss.
"Dachun," Zeng Anmin felt a sting in his eyes. His voice was as hoarse as two rusty iron swords clashing against each other. "Your Young Master won't be returning to the academy."
Zeng Anmin buried the old woman together with Zhang Lun. He stood before the grave, looking at the copy of *Yi Zi* in his hand. He had found the book on the desk in Zhang Lun's room. It was relatively brand new, yet almost every paragraph contained Zhang Lun's annotations.
"Quan Fu, these annotations are my insights into the text's meaning. I hope they will be of use to you, so I do not fail the teacher's request of me."
Seeing this sentence, Zeng Anmin could no longer hold back his emotions. He never expected that Zhang Lun would take a casual remark from the teacher so much to heart, even going home to prepare study materials for him.
"Tongyu, Mrs. Zhang, rest in peace." Zeng Anmin pursed his lips and tucked the annotated *Yi Zi* close to his chest inside his robes.
At the Governor's Mansion.
Today was a rest day. Zeng Shilin was splashing ink in his study. His mental state had been quite good these past few days. He had already inquired about the funds for Tong'an Street. The Ministry of Revenue had received the orders and allocated the money; it wouldn't be long before the silver arrived. The Wolf Hair Brush in his hand moved like dragons and snakes, outlining vigorous and powerful calligraphy on the Xuan paper spread across his desk.
"Mr. Zeng," Mr. Qi stood with a hunched back, a trace of solemnity on his face. "The murderer hasn't been found."
Zeng Shilin's hand paused slightly. Then, he looked up expressionlessly. "If they can't be found, then so be it. A Prince of the Royal Mansion isn't worth all this trouble."
"Yes." Mr. Qi bowed his body even lower.
"I don't wish to discuss official business today," Zeng Shilin said, looking at the ink on his desk with a hint of satisfaction.
"Mr. Zeng, it's time to eat." A gentle voice rang out as Ms. Lin, dressed in light green, gracefully stepped into the study. She carried Hu Zi in her arms, her face filled with care for Zeng Shilin.
Hu Zi blinked his big, adorable eyes, looking at Zeng Shilin, and reached out his little hands. "Grandpa, hug!"
"Heh heh." Hearing Hu Zi's voice, a smile finally appeared on Zeng Shilin's face. He reached out and took Hu Zi into his arms. "Let's go. We'll eat together."
Hu Zi squirmed a few times in Zeng Shilin's arms. He pouted his chubby little mouth and complained, "Grandpa isn't as comfortable to hug as Mom."
Ms. Lin lowered her head.
Zeng Shilin had long been immune to Hu Zi's messy forms of address. He merely smiled faintly and reached out to gently tap Hu Zi's cute little nose. "You brat."
"Hmm..." Hu Zi's face didn't look very happy. He seemed somewhat downcast. After brewing over it for a long while, he said pitifully, "I miss Daddy."