CHAPTER 626: CHAPTER 409: ALL THINGS PAST HAVE GONE

"Who is the coward, afraid to show their true face?" Ran Yan said coldly.

The person on the attic laughed lightly, saying leisurely, "It is said that Lady Ran Yan has a fondness for corpses, so I prepared an excellent one as a gift for our first meeting."

At these words, Ran Yan’s cry of shock was forcefully suppressed in her throat, but her eyes suddenly reddened.

There was silence for a moment, then another body was thrown down from the building.

Ran Yan stared straight at the object falling from midair, her mind going blank until she could discern the clothes and build of the body and regain her senses.

"Lady need not thank me. I take my leave," the person said with a tone of amusement.

The Team Leader rushed forward several steps, but Ran Yan stopped him, "Don’t chase. Since he dares to be so brazen, he must have something to rely on. Let’s not divide our forces for now."

Ran Yan guessed that all three taverns here belonged to the murderer. She had only dared to come in because she saw that the three taverns were some distance apart and the buildings and terrain were not suitable for being attacked.

Ran Yan walked toward that body, but the Team Leader stopped her, "Lady, please wait." He gestured, and a guard went forward to check.

The guard approached slowly with a knife, kicking the "corpse" on the ground lightly. It moved slightly, and the guard, having grown suspicious from today’s "servant" incident, immediately raised his knife, but Ran Yan shouted, "Stop!"

"Seventeenth Lady..." the person on the ground said weakly.

Ran Yan was slightly startled. This voice was...

"Mr. Liu!" Ran Yan rushed forward and carefully turned him over.

It was indeed Liu Pinrang! His face was deathly pale, and the blood spewing from his mouth had stained his entire jaw. His clothes were intact, but there was blood seeping out from under his collar at the neck.

Ran Yan immediately reached out to feel his pulse.

"Heh, only the Immortal Technique... of life and death, flesh and bone... can save me now," Liu Pinrang coughed, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

Ran Yan’s eyes stung as she took out a white folded cloth from her sleeve, unfolded it, and took out a silver needle wrapped inside to administer acupuncture and prolong his life.

Liu Pinrang’s internal organs were severely damaged, and his pulse was already weakening rapidly. Even in later times, it would be impossible to save him. Ran Yan could only use acupuncture to buy him some time to settle his affairs.

Liu Pinrang still held onto a trace of consciousness and could guess what Ran Yan was trying to do, so he did not speak and closed his eyes, allowing her to insert the needles.

After his robe was undone, everyone present couldn’t help but gasp. The wounds on his body were so grievous that no intact skin was visible, flesh was turned outwards, and some of the wounds had already festered. It seemed that Liu Pinrang had reached a point of numbness due to the pain, as the expression on his face did not show much suffering.

Half a teacup of time after the acupuncture, Liu Pinrang barely opened his eyes, "I... was prepared... The Crown Prince’s position is unstable. Before coming to Chang’an, I anticipated that one day I might be encumbered by the Crown Prince..."

Liu Pinrang’s voice trembled and choked, yet not a single tear fell, "But I, in all my calculations, never expected to end up like this! The Crown Prince is heartless! The heavens must punish him! The heavens must punish him!"

Splat!

Liu Pinrang, overcome with emotion and blood, suddenly spurted out a mouthful.

Although she had already guessed it, Ran Yan still felt a bit shocked upon hearing the news, "Was it really the Crown Prince’s doing?"

"I, the old man..." Liu Pinrang coughed up blood, sighed, and continued, "The repeated losses of the Eastern Palace courtiers... I had long noticed. Such bloodthirsty cruelty cannot be hidden. Once exposed, there is no redemption, and the Emperor will surely depose the Crown Prince."

What Liu Pinrang had said made everyone present change their expressions. The Crown Prince abusing courtiers was simply inhumane!

"Fearing to be implicated by him, I therefore wrote a letter and ordered someone to... secretly pass it to Assistant Minister Xiao, not seeking an office but just to save my own skin. However, that letter somehow ended up in the Crown Prince’s hands; he accused me of being treacherous, of stabbing him in the back. Without listening to any explanation, he immediately lashed out with his whip and beat me."

Ran Yan was horrified inside and asked, "Who was that person just now?"

"Although I don’t know, I can discern... It was my first time seeing him since I have been detained these days," Liu Pinrang turned his head slightly, "Seventeen, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Just say the word. If it’s within my capabilities, I will see it done," Ran Yan said.

"Good," Liu Pinrang smiled with relief, but that smile quickly turned bitter, "Pass a message to my family in Suzhou. Tell them that although the Great Tang is rising, the sudden storms in the court... are far from... a place where someone of humble origins like myself... can fulfill his ambitions. I hope my descendants will... look after themselves..."

Ran Yan felt his body stiffen for a moment, then collapse. His mouth hung open, eyes wide with the luster fading like a candle flame extinguished in an instant. His expression, frozen in that moment.

He buried himself in the scrolls and finally achieved success one day, basking in the glory. On that day, he felt so triumphant, as if riding the spring breeze on a swift steed, gazing upon all the flowers of Chang’an in one glance! After enduring four gloomy years as a reserve, he finally managed to get a modest official position. Though he was only a County Chief of a poor, remote place, he was full of ambition and vigor.

Step by step, he climbed upwards. From an upright and incorruptible man, the treacherous dealings of officialdom had worn away his edges, through hardships, until he sat as the Inspector of Suzhou, his passion all but faded away, leaving only his hoary temples and a lifetime of vicissitudes.

All the days of the past... Are gone.

"Mr. Liu," Ran Yan’s voice was soft yet resolute, "There will be justice in this world, there must be."

"Lady, shall we continue the search?" the Team Leader asked, recovering from the shock.

"Search!" Ran Yan commanded, "Order someone to escort Mr. Liu’s body back to the city, and deliver it directly to the Government Office of Chang’an. The deceased guards as well, should be sent back, and notify their families if they have any, with five hundred coins for a proper burial."

"Yes!" The Team Leader immediately chose a few men, tidied up Liu Pinrang’s clothes, dismantled the well-kept planks of the back door, laid the body flat atop, and carried it out of the tavern.

Ran Yan looked around, "First, search the other two taverns. I suspect those two also belong to the killer. Be cautious, don’t overlook any nook and cranny, and see if there are any hidden doors or similar mechanisms."

"Yes!" The Team Leader took the order, instructing the guards on how to proceed with the search.

The three taverns were a dozen yards apart. The other two were full of song and merriment, noisy and bustling. It’s likely people inside couldn’t hear anything from outside and therefore weren’t affected by the commotion here.

"Pick a few sharp ones, disguise as patrons, and enter to seize the opportunity to look for people," Ran Yan told the Team Leader.

Liu Pinrang’s death had greatly shaken Ran Yan’s heart, and her worries intensified. She couldn’t possibly wait outside, she had to search herself. But as she was already stained with Liu Pinrang’s blood on her black clothes, she could only stealthily sneak in with the guards.

Ran Yan wasn’t sure if Xiao Song would be there, but having a target to aim for calmed her more than aimlessly searching.

The moon hung high, illuminating Qujiang as bright as day, with the shadows of the trees swaying with the wind, raising waves upon waves.

"Lady, Team Leader," a guard ran over, "There’s a message from the city." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for the monthly ticket and recommendation ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)