Lin Qingge waved her hand dismissively upon hearing this:
"Enough, whether you know or not doesn't matter. They certainly aren't the murderer anyway."
...
Hua Jinrong, whose intention to create suspense had been stillborn, felt his mouth twitch violently as the words of boasting were abruptly choked back.
"Right, Lu Mingxuan, go find out who visited Master Huichong's courtyard last night, or rather, who Master Huichong met last night.
While I believe that golden character might not be a name, just in case, also inquire if any martial artists have 'Jin' in their given names.
As for Master Hua, have your men investigate Master Huichong's life and deeds as quickly as possible. See if he had any grievances, what he did before becoming a monk, whether he had a wife or children.
It would be best to send someone to the Shaolin Temple where he resided to inquire.
In short, the more detailed the better!"
"As you command~"
Hua Jinrong cupped his hands and then shouted into the distance:
"An Yi, An Er, you heard the Master's orders, why aren't you hurrying to carry them out!"
Seeing their master speak, An Yi and An Er no longer hid in the shadows, appearing simultaneously and saying:
"Yes!"
Just as Lin Qingge, feeling Hua Jinrong had reached a new height of laziness, was about to make a sarcastic remark, a man ran past them with a frenzied expression, muttering:
"Retribution has come, retribution has come!
It's their vengeful spirits seeking revenge!
Death, death, death, all must die, not one of us can escape!
No, I must hide, hide somewhere no one can find me!
Yes, yes, hide, hide!"
Listening to the nonsensical ravings, Lin Qingge and Hua Jinrong exchanged glances. The latter, unusually taking initiative, followed.
Lin Qingge returned alone to their lodging courtyard and saw Qin Ming, Qin Han's younger brother, single-handedly teasing Lin Zimo with a sugar figurine.
It was single-handed because Lin Zimo not only didn't reach out for the sugar figurine but instead glared at Qin Ming with a wary expression.
"Strange, I heard you, little one, are incredibly fond of sweets and love this little monkey sugar figurine the most. Why aren't you reacting at all?"
"That's because his parents taught him not to accept food from strangers casually, especially food offered by someone with ill intentions and a suspicious appearance."
"How can you say I have ill intentions?
Didn't I see Leng Shuang showing you and your mother special care, treating you unusually?
So I thought I'd try to build a good relationship with the little one first. If that goes well, Leng Shuang might also treat me with more kindness."
"Oh, so it's a roundabout way of saving the country!"
"What roundabout... Hey, wait, who is speaking to me?"
Qin Ming, who only realized belatedly, spun around sharply. To his surprise, it was the child's father who had returned. Cursing himself for being too engrossed and distracted, he awkwardly lowered the hand holding the sugar figurine.
"So, so, it's Young Hero Lin!"
"Since Elder Qin is here, it means Elder Leng of the Jade Maiden Sect is likely here too..."
Lin Qingge surveyed the surroundings. Not seeing anyone, she strode inside. As she reached the doorway, she heard Leng Shuang's questioning voice from within:
"Why?
Wait, who's there!?"
As she finished speaking, the door was pushed open from the inside with a 'bang'. Upon seeing it was Lin Qingge, the Jade Maiden Sect elder Leng Shuang's expression grew even more somber.
"You're not returning to the Jade Maiden Sect with me, could it be because of him?"
"Yes."
???
Feeling the scene before her was familiar yet inexplicable, Lin Qingge's head was filled with a multitude of question marks.
If this were a typical eight o'clock family drama from her past life, should she now declare, 'We are genuinely in love, and if you truly care for Ningyue, please bless us'?
Perhaps it was due to the extreme confusion in Lin Qingge's eyes that Leng Ningyue, with a blank expression, pointed at Leng Shuang before her:
"She says she is my aunt."
"Aunt?"
Seemingly understanding the importance of her great-niece to the man before her, Leng Shuang sighed and had to start her explanation anew:
"It's a long story. My mother, who is her maternal grandmother, was a remarkable woman of her time. By chance, she met a scholar. Not only was the scholar handsome, but he was also talented and learned.
My mother was immediately smitten. Children of the martial world are not so particular, and as the saying goes, chasing a woman is like climbing a mountain, while a woman chasing a man is like piercing a veil of纱 (shā - gauze).
Not long after, the two secretly pledged themselves to each other and began a happy, simple life.
But shortly after my mother became pregnant with me, my father went to the capital to take the imperial examination and then vanished as if a stone had fallen into the sea, leaving no trace.
My mother waited day and night, only to eventually receive news that my father had passed the exam and become a live-in son-in-law in another family.
My mother was also a fiery-tempered person. In her anger, she took me and my sister back to our maternal home, and then founded the cold-hearted Jade Maiden Sect.
Who would have thought that ten years later, my father would suddenly appear at our doorstep?
My mother immediately ordered him to be driven out. But my father refused to leave, lingering at the gate. He said he had searched for us diligently for ten years and had finally found us, and would not leave no matter what.
My mother was stubborn and refused to see my father.
In the end, it was my sister who secretly ran out to see our father. From him, she learned the truth of what had happened.
My father had indeed passed the examination and was chosen to be a live-in son-in-law, but he had not agreed. The young lady from that family, knowing my father was married with a child, deliberately sent false news to my mother!
However, it so happened that the family that had chosen my father as a live-in son-in-law had backed the wrong faction and was implicated, their entire family exiled to the border, including the young lady who had sent the false news to my mother.
Furthermore, although the conflict was resolved, the root of all the trouble stemmed from my father.
Most importantly, my mother was quite satisfied with her current life. She must have been out of her mind to foolishly go and learn from others to get married and have children!
Wasn't it more exhilarating to wander the jianghu with a sword?
Anyway, she had money, power, and two daughters, so whether she had a man was already irrelevant.
These were my mother's exact words at the time.
My father, who had just been promoted from a third-rank official in the Ministry of Personnel to Prime Minister, asked my mother to wait for him for five years. In five years, he promised to resign from his post to be with her.
Before leaving, he asked if we sisters wanted to return to the capital with him for a short stay.
As I had little impression of my father, I stayed behind, and only my sister returned to the capital with him.
But if time could turn back, I would never have let my sister go back to the capital with Father!"
By the end, Leng Shuang's words carried a distinct tone of gnashing her teeth.
After a long pause, lost in her memories, she continued:
"If my sister hadn't gone to the capital, she wouldn't have met her so-called 'good match', and my mother wouldn't have had to send her black-haired child to the grave before her time.
And because of this incident, my mother disliked my father even more!"
Although she felt the former Prime Minister was somewhat wronged, it was their family matter, so Lin Qingge only thought about it in her heart and did not speak out impulsively.
And Leng Shuang, thinking of something, ground her teeth in hatred:
"In the final analysis, it's all Shangguan Hong's despicable fault!
If I hadn't promised my sister back then, I would have already killed that scoundrel Shangguan Hong!"
"Shangguan Hong? Prime Minister Shangguan?"
Hearing the slightly familiar name, Lin Qingge's eyes widened, and she looked at the person beside her with disbelief, "Madam, then you wouldn't be..."