Bai Jinghuai took a clear look at the man’s face and turned pale with shock. “Huang Xun? Why is he here? How could it be him?”

Ning Yan’s brows twitched as he glanced over. “You know him, Lord Guogong?”

“He was my deputy general back in the day—we fought side by side for years. He returned to his hometown long ago. I haven’t heard from him in ages. How could he possibly…”

Bai Jinghuai was filled with disbelief, momentarily at a loss for what to do. Just as Ning Yan opened his mouth to speak, his expression turned cold. He spun around to look behind them—dozens of torches had flared to life, swiftly encircling them from all sides.

From behind the torches emerged a man who, upon seeing Ning Yan, stopped in his tracks, stunned. “My lord? Why are you here?”

Ning Yan’s smile was all ice and no warmth. “Do I now need your permission to be somewhere?”

“No, no, of course not! You misunderstand, my lord. We received word of a murder here and came at once to investigate. We had no idea you’d be here too.”

His eyes shifted to the corpse on the ground, then to the Bai father and son. With a wave of his hand, he barked, “Detain them. And examine the body thoroughly.”

The moment his men moved, the dagger in Ning Yan’s hand flew like a bolt of lightning, embedding itself in the ground just inches before their feet, its blade buried to the hilt.

No one dared move a muscle. Ning Yan’s fierce reputation was well known—he carried the emperor’s favor, and crossing him never ended well. Everyone knew that.

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The leader quickly plastered a flattering smile on his face. “My lord, we’re merely following procedure. Please don’t take offense.”

Ning Yan’s expression wasn’t fierce, in fact, there was even a hint of amusement. But somehow, the smile on his face was more chilling than any scowl. He toyed idly with the tassel on the hilt at his waist, voice drawling, “This is now under the jurisdiction of the Embroidered Guards. A man died right before my eyes—am I supposed to pretend I didn’t see it?”

“Wouldn’t it be unseemly to trouble you with such trifles, my lord? You serve the emperor himself—your duties concern the affairs of the realm. These minor matters are best left to us small folk.”

“Oh? Are you suggesting the Embroidered Guards aren’t capable of handling something so minor?”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant!”

The man seemed flustered, hastily explaining, “It’s just that none of the Embroidered Guards are stationed here right now. If you wish to investigate, my lord, perhaps we could help by transporting the body and the suspects to the yamen. It’s hot and humid, and raining to boot. Leaving the corpse out here can’t be proper.”

As he spoke, he gestured for his men to move the body. But with a sharp clang, Ning Yan’s sword flashed from its sheath, catching firelight in a glint of cold steel that cut through the night.

He spun it in a casual flourish, lifted his chin slightly. “Looking for the men? Well, here they are.”

The very next moment, Ning Zhao emerged from the forest with a squad in tow. Only then did the officials realize they were surrounded—and cold sweat broke out across their backs. How had so many closed in without a sound?

Ning Zhao came to stand before Ning Yan. “My lord.”

“Have someone bring the body back. No one unauthorized is to come near it. If anyone disobeys, I’ll hold you personally accountable.”

Ning Zhao stiffened at the words and immediately gave the body due attention, allowing only his most trusted men to handle the task.

As for Bai Jinghuai and Bai Rui, Ning Yan turned and “inquired” of the local officials, “I’ll keep them under personal watch. Are you satisfied?”

“We wouldn’t dare object.”

By now, Bai Jinghuai had begun to sense something was amiss. On the way back, he spoke to Ning Yan in earnest. “We never alerted the authorities. How did those men know there’d been a murder here? Could Huang Xun’s death have been part of a trap?”