The Powerful and Favored Coroner Imperial Concubine

Chapter 142 : The Mysterious Madman, Return to Hundred Herb Garden

142: The Mysterious Madman, Return to Hundred Herb Garden

Qin Shuang immediately felt a chill run down her spine. "What? She's dead? How did she die?"

Wei Changfu sighed again. "Just like I said earlier, about half a year ago, several people in the village died one after another. One of them was that girl from the Zhang family. Their family craft was passed down from her father to her. Her father died of illness a few years ago. Now that she's gone, her family doesn't make tea pastries anymore."

Qin Shuang had the fragrant taste of the tea pastry still in her mouth. Hearing this, she sighed. "What a pity. We don't even know what illness she had."

Wei Changfu cleared his throat. "There are all sorts of rumors about that. I'm not entirely sure what illness it was." He paused, then added, "I thought I'd never smell the aroma of her family's tea pastries again. I didn't expect Divine Physician Sun's place could make them. The person there must be an expert in making tea pastries, right?"

Qin Shuang shook her head. "Not exactly…"

She didn't directly say that Aunt Lin had never made tea pastries before.

Wei Changfu, however, smiled and shook his head. "Young Miss Qin, don't underestimate this pastry. This pastry is a specialty of Yunwu Mountain and along the Yan River coast. Everyone makes it, but few can make it as delicious as the Zhang family's. As soon as Young Miss Qin's tea pastry was brought out, I recognized it by the scent alone. It's truly identical to what the Zhang family made. That level of skill is not easy to achieve."

Qin Shuang found Wei Changfu's words rather surprising. Had Aunt Lin accidentally made the tea pastry into a Yunwu Mountain specialty through sheer luck?

Qin Shuang was only focused on her surprise and didn't notice Qin Wan's slightly furrowed brows.

Qin Wan was simply thinking that she hadn't had the chance to ask in detail what illnesses the patients in Sanyuan Village had actually had. And it seemed Sun Muqing didn't know either. Qin Wan's eyes shifted. "Later, Divine Physician Sun appeared and saved those people?"

Wei Changfu nodded, then shook his head. "Well, not exactly. He didn't save them all. Some with severe illnesses still died. But seeing that some people didn't die, everyone finally knew it was an illness, not some ghostly mischief or a plague."

Qin Wan pressed her lips together. "You truly don't know why the people who died half a year ago died?"

Wei Changfu's face showed a bitter smile. "This… this humble one has been here for many years, but my business was too prosperous in the past, causing envy. Later, when things went wrong, people disliked that I, an outsider, lodged people here. Back and forth, this humble one grew tired of dealing with them. The village's affairs… I truly don't know much…"

Wei Changfu was an outsider. When he first came to do business here, many travelers visited in earlier years, so his inn was very popular. Seeing an outsider making money, the villagers of Sanyuan, who were not very enlightened to begin with, naturally grew displeased with Wei Changfu. Later, when things went wrong in the village, Wei Changfu dared to take in outsiders again, which was no different from being an "accomplice." Qin Wan still remembered the scene when the village chief came that day; the villagers were truly unfriendly.

"Why are you so curious about this?" Qin Shuang asked Qin Wan as she ate her tea pastry.

Qin Wan shook her head, but the doubts in her heart grew heavier. She turned to look at Zhou Huai, who also wore a grave expression. "Steward Zhou, what do we do now?"

Zhou Huai frowned. Apart from the path Qin Yan had taken, the only exit from the Hundred Herb Garden was through Sanyuan Village. From Sanyuan Village to Guanyin Town and then to Yuanzhou City was the fastest route. Sanyuan Village had only this main road. If they bypassed the village outside, it was all wild paths impassable by carriage. Zhou Huai didn't think Qin Xiang would dare to travel those alone.

"I'm afraid… she didn't take this road."

Seeing Qin Wan and Zhou Huai talking, Wei Changfu tactfully took the teapot to the inner room behind the counter.

Zhou Huai immediately lowered his voice and said directly, "Either she went the way the Heir Apparent went, or she is hiding somewhere, or… something has happened to her…" He paused, then said, "What does Ninth Young Miss think?"

Compared to Qin Shuang, who was enjoying her tea pastry, Qin Wan seemed exceptionally calm and composed. Zhou Huai hesitated slightly but actually asked for Qin Wan's opinion. Qin Wan narrowed her eyes. "Third Brother's speed is more than three times ours, yet he hasn't caught up. I fear he hasn't found her either. I suspect Fifth Sister might still be somewhere behind us."

Zhou Huai's eyes darkened. For a moment, he didn't know what to do. Qin Yan had split from them. If he changed plans on the way, he might not meet up with Qin Yan. But if he didn't change plans and Qin Yan did, the two groups would miss each other again.

Seeing the expression on Zhou Huai's face, Qin Wan knew he was also very hesitant. Meanwhile, Qin Shuang had already finished her tea pastry. Seeing Qin Wan hadn't touched hers, she said, "We still have to travel later. You should at least eat a little."

Qin Wan shook her head. She had no appetite.

Meanwhile, Wei Changfu walked out with a newly filled teapot, followed by a servant carrying two plates of dried fruit. "This humble one truly doesn't have much good stuff here. In a few days, I'll be closing up and returning to my hometown for the New Year. I probably won't reopen next year. This half year has truly been a big loss."

The servant behind him set down the dried fruit and was about to leave when Wei Changfu suddenly said, "Ah, wait. Li Cai, you know how those people, including the Zhang girl, died some time ago, right? Can you tell us?"

Li Cai was the servant Qin Wan and the others had seen earlier. He had an honest look. Hearing this, he said awkwardly, "This humble one… this humble one was in the shop at the time, I didn't see it myself. But… but later, I heard from others that the Zhang girl died in the tea garden. When she died, she was covered in blood, her eyes wide open…"

Seeing Qin Wan and the others frown, Li Cai hurriedly added, "None of them saw it with their own eyes. There are many versions passed around, none accurate. Some say the Zhang girl was strangled by someone from another village. Others say the Zhang family's tea garden was built on a graveyard, haunted by ghosts. Some say that near the New Year, the mountain monsters that eat human hearts come out. And some say it was a plague…"

Qin Wan frowned. "You said what?"

Li Cai, clearly afraid of saying the wrong thing in front of esteemed guests, had blurted out everything he'd heard. When Qin Wan suddenly questioned him, his heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly said, "Said it was a plague…"

Qin Wan immediately stood up. "No, the sentence before that."

Li Cai rolled his eyes. "Just that some people said that near the New Year, the mountain monsters that specialize in eating human hearts come out."

Qin Wan frowned slightly. "They're just monsters. Why specify monsters that eat human hearts?"

Li Cai shrank his neck. "Because the Zhang family said that when their girl died, she had injuries on her chest, bleeding profusely."

Qin Wan's eyes changed immediately. But Li Cai quickly added, "However… however, this matter grew bigger, and the village chief forbade people from spreading rumors. Even if someone went to ask, the Zhang family refused to say. After that, all sorts of talk about plague and ghosts spread more and more."

Qin Wan pressed her lips tightly. Even so, among the many rumors, the one about the heart-eating monster was the most credible since the Zhang family themselves had said it. But what kind of monster in this world eats human hearts?

Seeing Qin Wan's solemn expression and that she had no more questions, Li Cai glanced at Wei Changfu. Seeing Wei Changfu nod, he left.

Wei Changfu also sensed that Qin Wan seemed very concerned about this matter and hesitantly said, "Young Miss Qin…"

Qin Wan shook her head. "It's nothing. I was just curious and asked casually."

Wei Changfu poured them fresh tea and went to attend to the Qin family guards and coachmen outside. Once he left, Zhou Huai looked at Qin Wan. "Ninth Young Miss thinks the deaths in Sanyuan Village are strange?"

Qin Wan nodded. But Zhou Huai said, "No matter how strange, we can't deal with it now. We must find Fifth Young Miss."

Qin Wan naturally knew this. However, she had a vague feeling that the strange events in Sanyuan Village were not so simple.

"Ninth Young Miss, let's go to Guanyin Town first. We must reach Guanyin Town before dark. We need to ensure we meet up with the Heir Apparent. If there's still no news by then, this humble one and the Heir Apparent will come back to search. Otherwise, we cannot guarantee the safety of you and Sixth Young Miss."

They were only making a brief stop at the Longfu Inn. Who knew what the villagers might do if they saw them still there by nightfall? Qin Wan had no better plan for the moment and decided to follow Zhou Huai's suggestion.

"Alright, let's hurry on our way."

After Qin Wan finished speaking, Qin Shuang, realizing the urgency, immediately stood up and instructed the servants to pack up. Once the food boxes were collected and returned to the carriage, Qin Wan and the others walked out of the courtyard, ready to continue their journey.

Wei Changfu courteously escorted Qin Wan's party to the gate. But just as they stepped out, they saw several villagers with hoes walking rapidly along the main road toward them. Seeing their posture, Qin Shuang instinctively hid behind Qin Wan. "They're coming again."

Qin Wan was also startled by Qin Shuang's reaction, but soon realized these villagers weren't heading toward them. Wei Changfu also breathed a sigh of relief. "It's fine, it's fine. It has nothing to do with Young Miss Qin."

As he spoke, the villagers turned a corner and headed toward the back eaves of a house across the main road. As they walked, they were talking hurriedly. Qin Wan could vaguely hear what they were saying.

"Another outsider?!"

"That's right. I heard he's a madman, out of his mind!"

"Hmph, let's catch him first. Who knows, maybe he was the one who did the earlier things!"

Qin Wan frowned, then turned to look at Zhou Huai. "Steward Zhou…"

Zhou Huai had also heard what they said, but he hesitated. After all, this matter had nothing to do with them. However, meeting Qin Wan's somewhat serious gaze, Zhou Huai finally said, "Alright, this humble one will take you two Young Ladies to take a look."

Qin Wan murmured an affirmation and immediately walked in the direction the villagers had disappeared. After only about twenty steps, Qin Wan heard a commotion. Frowning, she followed a small path beside a house toward the back.

Just as she rounded the corner, Qin Wan saw a chaotic scene.

Behind a village house was a pile of haystacks. At that moment, over a dozen villagers armed with hoes and sickles surrounded a figure in tattered clothes. The person wore only a thin garment, its original color indistinguishable due to being covered in dirt. His hair was a wild, tangled mess, making it impossible to see his features clearly. Facing the fierce encirclement of the villagers, he supported himself against the haystack with one hand while wildly brandishing a wooden stick with the other. A low, threatening sound came from his throat. He truly seemed like a madman.

"A madman isn't worth looking at. Let's go."

Qin Shuang caught up from behind. Seeing it was indeed a madman, she immediately lost interest.

She tugged at Qin Wan, but Qin Wan didn't move. Instead, she said solemnly, "Don't you think he looks familiar?"

Qin Shuang was slightly stunned, then looked at the "madman." Tilting her head, she looked for a moment. Suddenly, as if remembering something, her eyes widened. "This person… this person looks a bit like the patient we saw that day at the Hundred Herb Garden…"

As soon as she said this, Fuling, standing nearby, stepped forward. "Miss, he really does look like him!"

Qin Wan nodded. Although it had been too dark that night to see his face clearly, they remembered that ghostly figure that had suddenly appeared. Madmen came in all forms, but the person standing by the haystack was unmistakably the man from the Hundred Herb Garden that night.

"Who knows where this madman came from, sleeping in the haystack! He almost scared my old mother to death!"

"Anyway, he came from outside. Let's tie him up first, see if he's done any evil. If not, throw him out. If yes, deal with him according to our village rules…"

Wei Changfu had also followed Qin Wan and the others. Upon hearing this, he immediately said, "The rules in Sanyuan Village: if an outsider steals something and is caught, his hands and feet are broken."

Qin Wan frowned slightly. Perhaps sensing the villagers' hostility, the madman began to swing his wooden stick even more wildly. Surrounded by over a dozen people, seeing him swing the stick so fast, they didn't dare to approach for a moment.

Qin Shuang said, "Didn't Young Master Sun say all the patients from the Hundred Herb Garden were sent back to their families? This person originally… originally from Chishui Village? Proprietor Wei, where is Chishui Village?"

Wei Changfu hurriedly said, "Chishui Village is south of Goddess Peak, in the opposite direction from here."

Qin Shuang said in surprise, "Did he run away again after being sent back?"

"No." Qin Wan suddenly said, her eyes darkening as she turned to look at Zhou Huai.

"Steward Zhou, look at the way this man swings his stick. It doesn't seem entirely without technique…"

Qin Wan didn't know martial arts, but she had seen others practice. Hearing her words, Zhou Huai immediately focused. Looking closely, he indeed saw that the "madman's" stick was whirling so fast it seemed to form an impenetrable defense. That's why the surrounding villagers hadn't rushed forward.

"Ninth Young Miss, you are right. He does know some martial arts. I just don't know why, being forced into such a miserable state, he hasn't displayed his skills." Zhou Huai expressed his doubt.

"Because he's a madman," Qin Shuang immediately spoke up.

Qin Wan shook her head. "No. I see his footsteps are unsteady, his breathing unstable. Although he swings his arms fast, he hasn't shown any nimble moves. It seems his body is too weak." She looked at his eyes…

The "madman's" hair was a tangled mess, covering most of his face. Now, they could only glimpse his eyes through the gaps in his hair.

Qin Shuang looked for a moment, then whispered, "He seems to be in pain…"

The "madman" frowned tightly, his sharp, cold eyes holding a trace of agony, as if he were enduring some torment. Qin Wan frowned slightly and looked at Zhou Huai. "Steward Zhou, is there a way to save him?"

Zhou Huai hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping. "Ninth Young Miss…"

Qin Wan cut him off. "His condition is strange. If I examine him a bit, and if he truly is a troublemaking madman, I won't meddle. But if not, I'm afraid it might be related to Fifth Sister's disappearance."

Zhou Huai's mind raced. His gaze shifted to the crowd. He immediately recognized the homeowner who had spoken earlier and walked up to him. "Brother."

Zhou Huai cupped his hands, then pulled out five taels of silver from his sleeve. "Brother, this person resembles a patient we encountered before. Since his main physician is an old friend of our master, please do us the favor of letting us take him away. It will save you trouble, and you won't get hurt."

He was just a troublesome madman who would be hard to catch. Catching him was just to teach him a lesson. But now, with Zhou Huai offering silver, it was like earning a large sum of money for doing nothing.

The man who had spoken earlier quickly made a decision. He took the silver. "Take him away then. But he mustn't cause trouble or scare people again. Otherwise, we'll catch him again. Also, we won't help you catch him. Figure it out yourself!"

With that, he gave a meaningful look to the others. The villagers, laughing and joking, telling the man to treat them, left the area.

In an instant, only the "madman" and Qin Wan's group remained by the chaotic haystacks.

Seeing everyone leave, the wooden stick in the madman's hand clattered to the ground. At the same time, the madman seemed to lose all strength and slumped to the ground. Even so, his eyes watched Qin Wan and the others through his hair, the gaze more guarded than before.

Qin Wan stepped toward the madman. Fuling immediately said, "Miss, be careful."

Zhou Huai was also somewhat worried. However, seeing Qin Wan approach step by step, slowly and deliberately, he realized she had a plan in mind.

"Do you remember us?"

Qin Wan's voice was gentle. She stopped when she was about four or five steps away. Seeing the madman slumped on the ground, she slowly crouched down. "That night, at the Hundred Herb Garden, you startled us."

The madman's eyes flickered, then lowered.

Seeing this, Qin Wan was even more certain she hadn't mistaken the person.

"Don't be afraid. We were staying at the Hundred Herb Garden a few days ago, friends of Divine Physician Sun. Didn't Divine Physician Sun send you all back? How did you get here? Is your illness not yet cured?"

Qin Wan slowly asked several questions, but the madman only hung his head without answering.

Zhou Huai and Qin Shuang took a few steps forward. The madman immediately looked up at them. Qin Wan was close. In that instant, she saw an extremely cold glint flash in the madman's eyes. That kind of gaze was actually imposing.

Qin Wan's heart stirred. Skilled in martial arts, with such a gaze, was he truly a villager from such a remote, impoverished place?

Thinking this, she began to examine his clothes and boots.

He must have traveled far. His clothes were covered in grayish-white dirt, and his boots were caked with mud.

Qin Wan narrowed her eyes slightly and suddenly asked, "Who exactly are you?"

The madman's hand, braced on the ground, immediately clenched into a fist. His eyes turned somewhat icy as he looked at Qin Wan.

This glance made even Qin Wan feel tense. Behind her, Zhou Huai, sensing something amiss, immediately moved to shield Qin Wan. Qin Wan waved her hand. "Steward Zhou, no need to worry."

Her words held a hint of authority, startling Zhou Huai and making the madman's eyes narrow slightly.

Though his gaze was intimidating, Qin Wan was still Qin Wan. A mere look wouldn't make her change color. She continued to look at the madman calmly. "Although your clothes are dirty, they are made of fine Huzhou silk. Your boots are even embroidered with silver thread. You are not a villager from Chishui. Who are you? Why did Uncle Dong say you were a patient living at the Hundred Herb Garden?"

Qin Wan's voice was very low, her gaze also carrying a hint of concern. At this point, she would only believe her own eyes.

The first time they saw this person, he had tried to escape. Later, they saw him being caught and taken back. At that time, they would have believed whatever Old Dong said. But now, Qin Wan was almost certain that Old Dong had lied to them!

"Don't be afraid. Are you seriously ill? Did your family take you to the Hundred Herb Garden? Or were you imprisoned by Divine Physician Sun?"

Qin Wan tested the waters. The man showed no reaction to the first two questions, but when the word "imprisoned" was mentioned, the man's eyes flickered slightly. Qin Wan's heart tightened. "Why would a good person be imprisoned? So you weren't sent away. You escaped?"

The madman looked at Qin Wan. This time, however, his expression was inscrutable.

Qin Wan took a light breath. "We are acquainted with one of Divine Physician Sun's junior brothers. We were only guests at the Hundred Herb Garden. We didn't know people were imprisoned there. If you are in difficulty, tell us. We can help you."

As she spoke, she sized him up. If he wasn't seriously ill, where did his weakness come from?

Qin Wan's thoughts shifted. "Were you drugged? Don't be afraid. I know medicine…"

As she spoke, she slowly moved a step forward. Her heart held some urgency and confusion. Because her mind was in turmoil, the concern in her eyes was even more evident and unconcealed. The man looked into her clear, bright eyes, like a clear stream, and surprisingly did not show any further rejection. Qin Wan took a few steps to stand before the man and placed her fingers on his wrist.

Seeing the distance between Qin Wan and the "madman," Zhou Huai's heart rose to his throat. Fuling was even more nervous. Even Qin Shuang was somewhat worried and couldn't help but say, "Hey, be careful he doesn't hurt you…"

Qin Wan's back remained still, as if she were concentrating on taking his pulse. She looked up and met the man's deep eyes.

At this sight, Qin Wan's heart grew cold. No wonder she always felt the man's gaze was icy. Apart from the man's inherent nature, Qin Wan was astonished to discover that his pupils were almost transparent. His eyes seemed to hold a river of ice shards, currently looking at Qin Wan with cold indifference. Even though Qin Wan had shown enough goodwill, he remained unmoved.

Soon, Qin Wan withdrew her hand. She didn't look at the man again, only stood up and looked at Zhou Huai. "He was drugged. Likely something similar to a muscle-relaxing powder or knockout drug. It would cause breath stagnation and bodily weakness."

Then she looked back at the man's neck. "His throat seems to have been sealed as well."

Under Zhou Huai's surprised gaze, Qin Wan crouched down again. Her heart felt both chilled and tense. She knew she had inadvertently stumbled upon a secret of Sun Haoyue's Hundred Herb Garden. Because any residence of a divine physician who healed and saved people would never imprison a normal person, much less drug him…

"Look up." As Qin Wan spoke, she took out a small needle case from her sleeve.

These two words were not a request but a command. However, when she pulled out a long needle, the man didn't move, only looked at Qin Wan with frosty eyes. Qin Wan met his gaze for a moment, then suddenly reached out and pinched his chin, forcefully lifting it. The man's pupils contracted, and he raised a hand as if to dislocate Qin Wan's arm. But he seemed to have forgotten he was drugged; his reaction wasn't as fast as Qin Wan's. Just as his hand was about to touch Qin Wan's arm, he felt a sharp pain in his throat.

Qin Wan's needle insertion was swift and fierce, causing the man's body to shudder.

The next moment, Qin Wan withdrew her hand and the needle, stepping back and standing up.

In pain, the man lowered his head. Qin Wan stood right in front of him, watching him calmly. After a moment, as the pain subsided, the man straightened up. Soon, he couldn't help but cough softly twice.

This cough brought a look of bewilderment to his face. He had actually produced sound.

"Someone used acupuncture to seal your throat. That person sealed your throat and drugged you, undoubtedly to imprison you properly. Who are you? Was the one who did this to you Divine Physician Sun?"

Qin Wan's unease grew larger and larger. This man's appearance suddenly reminded her of the many strange aspects of the Hundred Herb Garden: the dog silenced with medicine, the mutilated cats, the words of the murderer in the two killings, and those empty medicine drawers in the small pharmacy. Notoginseng was for stopping bleeding. Bletilla striata was also for stopping bleeding. Pearlwort was still for stopping bleeding…

And mugwort, cattail pollen, field thistle, sanguisorba officinalis, cogongrass rhizome…

Though time had passed, Qin Wan could still remember everything she saw that day without missing a single item.

These herbs all had multiple medicinal properties, but if speaking of their commonality, they were all excellent for stopping bleeding.

Why were the empty drawers mostly filled with hemostatic herbs?

In the past month, what illness had Sun Haoyue been treating that required so many hemostatic herbs?

Qin Wan suddenly thought of those scattered, mutilated cat corpses…

Cats were cheap and worthless; you could just let them die without needing hemostatic herbs. But people were different.

A chill crept up from the soles of Qin Wan's feet. She thought of the people in the Hundred Herb Garden. Aunt Lin had been ill, Little Lizi had been ill, the deceased Da Cheng had been ill…

After Aunt Lin recovered, she could make the Zhang family's specialty tea pastries. After Little Lizi recovered, he could do carpentry…

What medicine had Sun Haoyue used to give people new talents?

Qin Wan's gaze swept down the man's neck. In such weather, he wore only a thin garment, likely because he had left in too much of a hurry to put on more clothes. Yet, even so, he hadn't been affected by the cold. On the contrary, even in this wretched state, Qin Wan could still tell the man's physique and bones were originally very robust.

He wasn't missing any limbs. Sun Haoyue just wanted to imprison him safely and unharmed.

"You don't have to tell us who you are. But you can make a deal with us."

Qin Wan suddenly spoke. The man looked up at her words. Qin Wan continued, "We can send you anywhere you want to go. But, you have to help us with one thing…"

The man still didn't speak, only the pressure in his gaze grew stronger.

But Qin Wan didn't retreat or avoid it. "My sister is missing."

As soon as Qin Wan said this, she clearly saw a faint gleam flash in the man's eyes. She continued, "She's disappeared. We all thought she was heading east to Yizhou, but we didn't see her along the way."

"Yizhou?" The man finally spoke, but only uttered the two words coldly.

Qin Wan frowned slightly. "My sister was invited by the Bai family's Young Master, Bai Feiyu, to go to Yizhou."

Qin Wan didn't know the man's identity, so she naturally couldn't say that Qin Xiang had taken it upon herself to go find Bai Feiyu. The word "invited" was vague yet proper. Qin Wan saw the man's brows tighten, but soon, he lowered his head again.

Seeing he had no intention of cooperating, a cold light flashed in Qin Wan's eyes. Zhou Huai behind her was also rather anxious.

Qin Wan looked at the man for another moment. "It seems you don't want to make this deal."

The man still didn't move. Qin Wan narrowed her eyes. Even though she had discovered another anomaly in the Hundred Herb Garden, if the man didn't speak, Qin Wan still wouldn't know what secret the Hundred Herb Garden hid. She looked at him sharply for a moment, then suddenly took out a small pouch from her sleeve and placed it on the haystack beside the man. Then she turned and walked toward Zhou Huai.

"Let's go. We mustn't waste more time."

Zhou Huai had thought Qin Wan might be persistent, but he didn't expect her to be so decisive and swift.

After Qin Wan finished speaking, she strode toward the outside. Only after they rounded the corner did Zhou Huai catch up and say, "Ninth Young Miss, what should we do now?"

Qin Wan pressed her lips together, turned to look at Zhou Huai, and said, "Steward Zhou, what if we return to the Hundred Herb Garden?"

Zhou Huai was startled. Even Fuling looked at Qin Wan in disbelief. "Miss, why return to the Hundred Herb Garden?"

Qin Wan ignored Fuling, looking only at Zhou Huai. "There is something wrong with the Hundred Herb Garden. I keep feeling Fifth Sister is either on the road from there to here, or she is still at the Hundred Herb Garden…"

"Still at the Hundred Herb Garden?" Qin Shuang's face showed a hint of fear. "That person was imprisoned at the Hundred Herb Garden? Ninth Sister, you don't mean… Fifth Sister is imprisoned at the Hundred Herb Garden?"

Qin Wan shook her head. "I don't know yet. But however you calculate, Fifth Sister couldn't have come this far. Let's go back. If we meet her on the way, that's best. If not, we'll return to the Hundred Herb Garden and take a look."

Qin Shuang disagreed. "But why go back? They don't even know Fifth Sister went after Young Master Bai. If they find out and Fifth Sister's matter has nothing to do with them, wouldn't it be too embarrassing!"

Qin Wan's gaze lowered. She naturally didn't care if this matter became a scandal or brought shame to the Marquis's household. It was just that she currently had no real evidence and couldn't persuade Qin Shuang or Zhou Huai.

"Ninth Young Miss, even if we go back to search, we don't all have to go back together. How about this: this humble one goes back. I might encounter Fifth Young Miss or the Heir Apparent. Meanwhile, Ninth Young Miss and Sixth Young Miss wait here." As he spoke, Zhou Huai looked around. "This time, they aren't as hostile to us as that day. If need be, we can stay here for the night. I'll leave some men here. If the villagers come looking for trouble, we can use money to send them away."

The homeowner earlier had been appeased by Zhou Huai's money. Even if the villagers were uncivilized, they knew the value of silver.

Qin Wan seemed to want to say more but stopped. "Steward Zhou…"

Zhou Huai sighed. "Ninth Young Miss, returning to the Hundred Herb Garden like this is truly inappropriate. Let's do as I suggest."

Qin Wan smiled wryly, helpless. After all, she couldn't order the coachmen and guards around, nor could she go to the Hundred Herb Garden alone. "Alright… then it must be so. Steward Zhou, go quickly and return quickly."

Zhou Huai nodded, turned, and went to the Longfu Inn to make arrangements. Qin Wan stood still for a moment, then suddenly turned and walked back toward the haystack area. Her steps were fast, but when she rounded the corner, the man was nowhere to be seen!

Qin Shuang also caught up. Seeing this, she fumed, "He ran so fast! You saved him, and he doesn't even know to thank you!"

Qin Wan's heart sank further. When they returned to the entrance of the Longfu Inn, they saw Steward Zhou already on horseback. He hadn't taken any attendants; all were left at the inn to protect Qin Wan and Qin Shuang. After a brief exchange, he spurred his horse and left.

Wei Changfu, having received who knows how much silver from Zhou Huai, was even more enthusiastic than before in inviting Qin Wan and Qin Shuang into the inn. "After you young ladies left, the guest rooms have been kept. Why don't you rest in a guest room? The main hall is very cold. You can rest for a while. Steward Zhou said you'll be traveling through the night."

As long as it didn't snow, traveling through the night was fine. Before Qin Wan could answer, Qin Shuang nodded. "Fine. Bring a charcoal brazier."

"Of course, of course. Please, Young Ladies…"

Qin Wan's heart was uneasy and she didn't want to stay in the main hall with Wei Changfu and the others. She followed Qin Shuang to the guest room, anxiously pacing back and forth. Now their group was split into three. If they could find Qin Xiang smoothly, all would be well. If not, there might be further complications.

Qin Wan and Qin Shuang waited until the afternoon. Seeing the sky darken, Qin Shuang also grew anxious.

"What's going on? Why hasn't Third Brother come back either…"

"Even if he didn't meet Third Brother, Steward Zhou should have returned by now."

Qin Wan sat by the bed, but now it was Qin Shuang pacing anxiously. "Why did you say we should return to the Hundred Herb Garden earlier? Just because that man was drugged? Maybe he was sent to the Hundred Herb Garden for treatment. Because it was some shameful illness, Old Dong lied to us that night. Or maybe he's mad sometimes and sane other times…"

What Qin Shuang said wasn't entirely impossible. But Qin Wan's intuition told her that the danger in the Hundred Herb Garden was hidden, and they hadn't truly touched it before leaving. But Qin Xiang might have.

Just as she was thinking, suddenly, with a *ding* sound, something flew in through the window paper!

"What is that?! Is someone outside?"

Qin Shuang jumped up in fright, hastily hiding beside Qin Wan. Qin Wan looked and saw it was a ball of paper. She quickly picked it up. Opening it, she saw a few crooked words written in charcoal on the paper.

After just one glance, Qin Wan's face turned pale.

"What is it?" Qin Shuang looked bewildered. "Who gave this?"

Qin Wan handed the paper ball to Qin Shuang. Qin Shuang read it and said in surprise, "'Return to the Hundred Herb Garden'? Who gave this to us? Why tell us to return to the Hundred Herb Garden?!"

Qin Wan's expression was unprecedentedly grave. She walked to the window to look, but outside was empty. No one was there.

"We must return to the Hundred Herb Garden." Qin Wan's eyes turned cold. "If we're late, it will be too late!"

Qin Shuang and Fuling were both frightened by Qin Wan's severe expression. Qin Wan shook her head again. "Just us returning isn't enough. We need others…"

Qin Shuang said weakly, "We don't know when Steward Zhou will be back."

"Steward Zhou's return won't help. Given the current situation, I'm afraid we need officials present." A cold light flashed in Qin Wan's eyes. Suddenly remembering something, she pulled an object from her sleeve. "Take this. Take this to the Ji County Magistrate's office."