Return and come back

  When Yan Sanbai arrived at the Wang's residence, Wang Min was still sitting in front of the Jing Tang, guarding Wang Jingchuan's body without leaving an inch, with a slightly childish face full of vigilance and stubbornness.

  Then Yan Sanbai appeared, and before he had a chance to announce his presence, he suddenly stood up, with a hint of joy on his face. "Is it Young Master Yan?"

  Although he had never seen him before, Wang Min still recognized the man as Yan Sanbai at a glance. His father had said that Yan Sanbai had a special temperament, the kind of person who could give people a good impression at first sight.

  "Sorry, I'm late." Yan Sanbai cupped his hands.

  Wang Min hastily shook his head, "It's only been half a day since the Golden Wing was released, and Young Master Yan has arrived so quickly. I'm deeply grateful! Quick, please come in, my father...my father is inside."

  Wang Minqiang held on for half a day, and at this moment Yan Sanbai arrived. He finally relaxed, revealing his youthful nature, and hastily pulled Yan Sanbai to go in. Meanwhile, the guards from the Dalisi Temple outside quickly sent someone to report to Guan Qing.

  "Follow me," said Yan Sanbai, striding into the hall.

  The scene in the quiet hall was exactly the same as when Guan Qing left, Yan Sanbai crouched beside the corpse to examine it carefully.

  The white silk was not tied tightly, so Wang Jingchuan just kept his head down and knelt, without being hung up, and his tongue did not stick out of his mouth, it can be seen that the cause of death is not here. On Wang Jingchuan's chest, there was a large patch of blood stains, which extended all the way to the cushion under him.

  Yan Sanbai picked up a corner of his clothes, pinched the dust and stains on it with her fingertips, and then carefully scanned his entire body.

  He observed very carefully, with a concentrated expression, seemingly unaffected by the pungent smell of blood.

  When he was performing an autopsy, he asked questions.

  "Wang Gongzi, I'd like you to tell me in detail about yesterday's situation, both afternoon and evening."

  According to Wang Min, yesterday afternoon at around three o'clock, Wang Jingchuan said he was going out to visit a friend. Then after about an hour, Wang Jingchuan returned, but locked himself in the quiet hall and didn't allow anyone to enter. Near midnight, the old servant Zhongbo got up to use the toilet and saw from afar that there were still candles lit in the quiet hall, so he thought to remind Master to rest early, but unexpectedly ran into a strange man at the door of the quiet hall.

  A strange man was seen and immediately fled, Zhongbo saw the white silk shadow on the paper window again, and suddenly felt that something was wrong, because the door of Jing Tang was locked from the inside. He then hastily called up Wang Min. Afterwards, Wang Min led people to break in, and what they saw was the current scene.

  At this time, the coroner gave the autopsy result: "Sir, Old Master Wang was killed by a sword wound. One sword pierced his chest and he died on the spot. The estimated time of death should be around last night's hai hour. As for this white silk, it was tied after death."

  The result coincided with Yan Sanbai's conjecture in his heart, "Then does he have other injuries on him?"

  "This will have to be taken back to the yamen for further examination, but I've already taken a rough look, and apart from this fatal wound and the ligature marks on his neck, there are no other obvious injuries on Old Master Wang's body."

  "Thank you." Yan Sanbai nodded slightly, indicating that he could take the body back for further examination. He then turned to ask Wang Min, "Wang Gongzi, when you all came in last night, were all the doors and windows of this quiet hall locked from the inside?"

  "Not bad."

  This was not answered by Wang Min, Yan Sanbai followed the sound and saw a man with a heroic spirit between his eyebrows walking into the quiet hall.

  "Lord Guan." Yan Sanbai bowed his hands.

  "Do you know me?" Guan Qixian and Yan Sanbai had never met before.

  Yan Sanbai smiled and said, "Guan Daoren's Pursuing Clouds Knife is as extraordinary as your demeanor."

  Guan Qing looked at the knife in his hand, this Cloud Chasing Knife's style was uniformly equipped with a standard horizontal knife. From the outside, it didn't look any different from other horizontal knives, except for a small and inconspicuous auspicious cloud pattern on the handle. Could Yan Sanbai have noticed it at a glance?

  Guan Qing secretly kept a mind's eye on him, but didn't continue to talk about this. He efficiently started talking about the case instead.

  "I've had people check, this room is a complete sealed chamber. The murderer is extremely clever and must have used some unknown technique to kill Wang Jingchuan here. Moreover, Wang Jingchuan died from the "Guihe Thirteen Styles" of the "Return of the Crane", specifically the "Returning Home" move."

  "What? Return to the Jianghu?!?" Wang Min was shocked. Although his father had long since retired from the martial arts world and lived a reclusive life, he had also heard his father mention the matter of Gui He's Thirteen Forms.

  The thirteen forms of Gui He are the essence of the entire Gui He sword technique, but only the first five forms are easy to master, while the last eight forms are extremely difficult to practice. In the entire Gui He school, except for the old leader, Wang Jingchuan's teacher He Qingsong, and his second disciple Lu Shuanghang, no one else has mastered it.

  In the year when the Li dynasty was established, due to an unexpected event, the old master died and Lu Shuangxing disappeared, so the last eight moves of Gui He thirteen forms were lost!

  Yan Sanbai nodded, "Exactly, the wound caused by this move will be very obvious, so it's easier to identify. And when Gui He was meritorious in suppressing the rebellion, Your Majesty ordered all the founding contributors to be recorded in a book to commemorate them, which led to the loss of the Gui He Thirteen Styles. The incident is recorded in the Thousand Character Pavilion's archives."

  "Not bad."

  Guan Qing guessed that Wang Min would insist on Yan Sanbai investigating the case and wouldn't confess anything to him, so he figured out that Wang Jingchuan died after returning from the "Guiqu Lai Ci" and went directly to the Qianwen Pavilion to inquire about the case files.

  "It's just that I'm still one step behind you." Guan Qing's sharp gaze turned to Yan Sanbai, "You hadn't seen a corpse before, how did you think of going to Qianwen Pavilion?"

  Yan Sanbai rubbed his nose and said, "I'm just being prepared for any situation."

  However, Guan Qing didn't seem to believe his words and snorted coldly.

  Yan Sanbai knew that the people of Dalisi Temple didn't want to see him, this rice bowl snatcher, especially someone like Guan Qingci. So he rubbed his nose and didn't take it to heart.

  "Wang Gongzi, have all those who came into contact with Old Master Wang yesterday, including Zhongbo, come over. I want to ask them some questions."

  Wang Min's movements were swift, and before long, the gatekeeper Ah Fu, Zhong Bo, and several maids from the Wang family had all gathered in front of the Jing Tang.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, I'll ask you some questions now, regarding your master. Please answer truthfully." Yan Sanbai's speech was always calm and unhurried, making people feel at ease. The servants were originally nervous due to the sudden change in their household, but Yan Sanbai's gentle manner eased their tension somewhat.

  "All right, Ah Fu, I'll ask you first, wasn't it you who saw Master coming back from outside yesterday?"

  A Fu hastily nodded, "Yes, Master's face didn't look good when he came back yesterday. I called him but he didn't respond and just walked in with his hands behind his back."

  "Is there anything different about him from usual?"

  "This... I don't quite remember."

  "Zhongbo, how about you? Did you see your father several times yesterday?"

  Lao Bao Zhongbo has passed his 60th birthday, and his back is somewhat hunched. The old master's death makes him look even more worn out. "Yesterday when the old master went out, it was I who saw him off at the gate."

  "How does he look emotionally?"

  "A bit worried... but somehow... also a bit happy."

  "Happy? Are you sure?"

  "It should be so, the old master said that he had not seen his old friend for many years and was very delighted."

  Yan Sanbai continued to ask: "That stranger outside the quiet hall last night, did you see his face clearly?"

  Zhongbo furrowed his brow, recalling, "He was roughly... slightly taller than this Lord Guan, but older than all of you, with a stubble beard. As for his specific appearance... the light that seeped through the quiet hall was very weak, and this old man didn't see clearly."

  "That is to say he had never worn a mask?"

  Zhongbo nodded definitely, "Yes, he was dressed normally and didn't hide."

  Haven't you ever worn a mask before?

  Yan Sanbai thought he had asked all he wanted to ask, so he said sorry and let everyone disperse first, then he asked Wang Min again.

  "When did your father tell you that if something happened to him, you must come find me to investigate?"

  "I remember it very clearly, it was four days ago."

  "What happened four days ago? It doesn't have to be anything special, just ordinary things are fine."

  Wang Min carefully recalled that day's events, which he remembered very clearly. His father had mentioned Yan Sanbai out of the blue, as if he had a premonition that something would happen to him, and it was unavoidable that people would pay attention. And on that day, Wang Jingchuan spent most of his time in the quiet hall, except...

  "Ah! He went to pick up a painting early that day!"

  Upon hearing this, Yan Sanbai suddenly thought of something and turned to face the open door of the quiet hall. He pointed at the center, where a painting hung above the desk in front of which Wang Jingchuan had stood earlier, and asked: "Is that 'Pine Crane Returning to the Mountain'?"

  "Exactly!" Wang Min was somewhat excited. Song He, Song He, could this have something to do with the Return of the Crane Sect?

  Wang Min knew that his father had always been haunted by the strange death of Tai Shifu and had never been able to put it behind him for over a decade.

  Yan Sanbai had already made up his mind, and he asked: "Where did he go to get the painting?"

  Wang Min hadn't spoken yet, when Guan Qingci, who had been holding his sword and remaining silent, suddenly interjected: "Ji Bao Tang."

  The efficiency of the Dalit Temple is not to be underestimated, and Wang Jingchuan's whereabouts four days ago were dug out so quickly. But Yan Sanbai did not have a preconceived notion about the people of the Dalit Temple like they did about him, and upon hearing Guan Qing's words, he couldn't help but cast an inquiring glance.

  Guan Qing said: "Wang Jingchuan and the boss of Xi Bao Tang are good friends. A month ago, Wang Jingchuan ordered a painting of the Eight Immortals from Xi Bao Tang. Four days ago, he went to pick up the painting, but it was switched by Quanfu, an apprentice inside Xi Bao Tang. I have interrogated him and he confessed that he was tempted by a masked man and did what he did."

  Yan Sanbai furrowed his distant mountain-like eyebrows, "Masked Man?"

  "That's right."

  "It's him, he must be the one who appeared outside Jing Tang last night! He's the one who killed my father!" Wang Min's eyes reddened as he suddenly pieced together the truth, making it hard for him to calm down.

  Yan Sanbai pressed down on his shoulder, "Wang Gongzi, calm down first. We can't confirm yet whether the person from last night and the one who switched the painting are the same or not. Moreover, since the murderer had prepared a secret room, it's clear that they were well-prepared and planned carefully. So, the distinction between being masked or unmasked is worth considering. More importantly..."

  Yan Sanbai wanted to speak but hesitated, and Wang Min became somewhat urgent, "What's even more crucial?"

  Guan Qing's expression remained unchanged, his eyes cold and detached. He glanced at Yan Sanbai before saying: "Since the last eight moves of the Return of the Crane Thirteen Forms have been lost, and no one has practiced them in the past decade or so, then the only person who could have killed your father is... the missing Lu Shuangxing."

  "How can this be..." Wang Min's mouth was slightly ajar, clearly unable to accept this answer. "My father had mentioned Master Lu before, he said that Master Lu was chivalrous and kind-hearted, they were like family among the master and his disciples, Master Lu would never have killed my great-grandfather and then disappeared, so how could he possibly come back to kill my father?"

  Guan Qing looked at him, "The character of Sword Lunatic Lu Shuang Xing has been praised in the Jianghu. If he really killed your father, then there can only be another explanation..."

  "Hello, Mr. Guan."

  Guan Qing was about to reveal the answer when Yan Sanbai suddenly spoke up and stopped him.

  Wang Min was puzzled, looking at Guan Qing's words, then looking at Yan Sanbai again.

  Yan Sanbai shook his head, "Whether Lu Shuangxing is the murderer or not is still unknown, it's too early for us to make a conclusion now."

  Guan Qing's words were no longer spoken, the details of the matter were irrelevant, as long as the case was solved. But Yan Sanbai, this person, was indeed just like the rumors... benevolent to women.

  Wang Min was eager to know what explanation Guan Qing meant, but Yan Sanbai was the person his father had entrusted before he died, so he instinctively trusted him. Although he wanted to continue asking, he restrained himself.

  Yan Sanbai shifted the topic, "Wang Gongzi, did you know where your father went yesterday to meet that old friend?"

  Wang Min shook his head, with a hint of despair in his tone, "My dad didn't tell anyone, he went alone."

  "What clues can Officer Guan find?"

  Guan Qing shook his head.

  Yan Sanbai's heart sank, and Guan Qing found that the whereabouts of Wang Jingchuan four days ago could be investigated, but yesterday's couldn't be found, it can be seen that Wang Jingchuan was very secretive and careful.

  He clasped his fists and said, "Lord Guan, please investigate all the temples in the city. If there is a place where plum blossoms are blooming, that will be where Old Master Wang meets with old friends. Although I was entrusted by the Wang family to take charge of this case, after all, I am alone and lack strength."

  "Temple? Plum Blossom?" Wang Min's eyes widened in confusion.

  Yan Sanbai roughly explained, "The sole of your father's shoe has a petal of plum blossom stuck to it. Although the original appearance was covered by mud, I can smell the fragrance of the plum blossom. Moreover, there is some incense ash on your father's sleeve, which doesn't seem like ordinary household incense, but rather like that from a temple."

  Wang Min suddenly realized and his eyes sparkled with unusual colors.

  Guan Qing's heart also rippled with a hint of surprise, Yan Sanbai was indeed a meticulous observer, and his straightforwardness made him not as unpleasant as she had previously thought.

  Guan Qing did not refuse, what he thought most about was cracking the case, cracking it faster than Yan Sanbai.

  Only Wang Min watched him leave, with some doubts in his heart, "Yan Gongzi, is it what Father had instructed..."

  "Don't worry, Master Wang. I have my own way of handling things. Since your respected father has entrusted this matter to me, I will certainly do my best to uncover the truth before the trial at the Temple of Justice." Yan Sanbai smiled slightly, his white attire and gentle demeanor calming Wang Min's nerves somewhat.

  PS: CP is Wang Ye & Yan San Bai, don't stand on the wrong team oh~

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