Zhan Ri Fei shook his head and said softly, “If he were an enemy, then at the inn on Xiao Lang Tou Mountain, when Ge Yunfei was on the brink of death, killing the boy would have been effortless. Why did he merely stab his arm instead of delivering a fatal blow?”
Huo Xiao Di nodded. “You’re right. That struck me as odd too. Brother Zhan, the boy’s arms are covered with scars, both new and old. Could it be that he had no connection to Xing Yun Manor, wasn’t their enemy, but was mistreated by his own family and fled, only to encounter the people of Xing Yun Manor on the road?”
As soon as he finished speaking, he realized Zhan Ri Fei’s earlier comments about Xing Yun Manor made his theory seem riddled with flaws.
Zhan Ri Fei shook his head again. His face, pale in the flickering firelight, now appeared even more fatigued. Seeming cold, he slowly moved closer to the fire.
“If his family were responsible and it had nothing to do with Xing Yun Manor, then why would Ge Yunfei wound him on his deathbed?”
Huo Xiao Di’s eyes brightened with excitement. “Perhaps his family is part of Xing Yun Manor! Otherwise, if they weren’t from Xing Yun Manor, why wouldn’t he want to return?”
Zhan Ri Fei said, “Brother Huo, didn’t you notice when Jiao Chao Gui entered the inn, he only glanced briefly at the boy? It was clear they didn’t know each other well. Xing Yun Manor has a prominent reputation in the Central Plains and political backing from Ma Chao Xian. Jiao Chao Gui, known for his meticulous calculations, wouldn’t overlook details. The boy’s scars—both new and old—show he has suffered abuse since childhood. If he were from Xing Yun Manor, how could Jiao Chao Gui not recognize him?”
Zhan Ri Fei’s deep gaze drifted toward the night sky, and he murmured, “The Tang Sect’s Wu Ning Hall assassins have sent three killers in succession, clearly intent on obtaining this item. They even seized the bundle but came back empty-handed, meaning the item wasn’t in the bundle. Earlier in the main hall, they searched every corpse thoroughly and still found nothing. —Could it be that the item is truly hidden on the boy?”
Huo Xiao Di frowned. “But the boy’s clothing is so thin—there’s no way he could be hiding anything.”
Zhan Ri Fei said, “Exactly! The bundle on Ge Yun Fei’s body was likely meant to mislead others. But if he intended to make people think the treasure was hidden in that bundle, he would need to make it convincing. That bundle wasn’t small, which means the Tang Sect’s Wu Ning Hall assassins must have known they were looking for something sizable. Furthermore, if this treasure was valuable enough to entice the Tang Sect, it’s certainly extraordinary. Regardless of whether this boy is Xing Yun Manor’s enemy or just a chance acquaintance, Ge Yun Fei, as the third-in-command of Xing Yun Manor, wouldn’t have entrusted such a treasure to him. —Unless—”
He suddenly fell into deep thought.
Huo Xiao Di asked, “Unless what?”
Zhan Ri Fei said, “Unless I’m wrong. There’s likely a third thread to all of this!”
Huo Xiao Di, already feeling overwhelmed, waved his hands quickly at the mention of a third thread. “Wait! First, tell me—what’s the second thread?”
Zhan Ri Fei, still deep in thought, replied, “The second thread is the one involving Han Shui Palace.”
Huo Xiao Di frowned. “What’s the clue from Han Shui Palace?”
Zhan Ri Fei explained, “It comes from something the Moon Attendant of Han Shui Palace said.”
Huo Xiao Di sneered. “And what did that witchy woman say?”
Zhan Ri Fei replied, “The Moon Attendant spoke about this boy. She said: ‘He’s the lifeblood that Grandmother has longed for day and night.’ She also said, ‘As for the medicine, he’s been drinking it since he was a child. —If he doesn’t drink it, how could he have survived until now?’”
Huo Xiao Di lowered his head, beginning to mull over these strange words.
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