Chapter 28: The Heaviness of Doubt

"If you cannot find your so-called murderer within three days, I will show no mercy. Those who disturb Peach Blossom Spring have only one fate—death!" In Ziyu’s phoenix eyes, a murderous intent began to flicker.

Outside the house, Chen Yage and Li Bai walked side by side along the mossy stone path.

"I'm sorry, Brother Bai," Chen Yage said, hanging her head in guilt. If they failed to find the true culprit within three days, both she and Li Bai would die. She did not fear death for herself, but she dreaded dragging Li Bai down with her.

Li Bai chuckled softly, patting her reassuringly on the shoulder. "Don’t worry. We’ll find the murderer."

Chen Yage thought he was merely comforting her and forced a wan smile. "Brother Bai, do you think Chao Yun was killed by a female ghost?"

"I’m not sure," Li Bai replied, "Perhaps, or perhaps not. Where did you go after I left?"

"After you left, I lay down where I was. I thought you’d come back for me, so I waited and waited, but you never came..."

"I’m sorry," he said, regret heavy in his voice. If he had known Chen Yage would be in danger, no matter how angry he was, he would never have left her alone. He blamed himself for his carelessness.

Suddenly recalling that Ziyu had mentioned Li Bai was injured, Chen Yage anxiously grabbed his hand. "Brother Bai, how’s your injury? Where are you hurt? Let me see!"

"It’s nothing. Right now, our priority is to find out who killed Chao Yun. Otherwise, we may never escape this place."

"Brother Bai, let’s run away. Let’s leave here and start a new life somewhere else, shall we?"

"Run? Easier said than done. When we visited Wang Chaotian’s home, I studied the terrain of Peach Blossom Spring. Surrounded by towering mountains and perilous ridges, the place is as treacherous as the ancient Shu roads. Moreover, sheer cliffs encircle us on all sides—there’s no way out."

Hearing this, Chen Yage’s spirits deflated like a punctured balloon. She walked on slowly, recounting the events of the previous night.

"After you left, I waited for a long time but you never returned. Frustrated, I wandered aimlessly and somehow found myself at Moon Lake again. Then I smelled a strange floral scent, something oddly familiar, though I couldn’t quite place it at the time. Then I fell into the lake, and Chao Yun was there too, floating face down. I was so terrified I didn’t dare look closely. I stumbled back, only to find you all gone. The rest, you already know..."

"A familiar floral scent? Do you remember what kind of flower it was?"

Li Bai’s question struck her like lightning. "I know now! I remember that scent!" she exclaimed, grabbing Li Bai and hurrying towards Wang Chaotian’s house.

Once there, she finally released his hand. Li Bai, still weakened by his wound, was slightly out of breath. "You can tell me now, can’t you?"

Without answering, Chen Yage bent down and plucked a purple umbrella-shaped flower, closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply. "This is the scent—fresh and invigorating!"

"Chao Yun planted these flowers herself. It’s not surprising she carried their scent," Li Bai said, taking the blossom from her and examining it. "Beautiful as it is, compared to the peony, it still falls short."

"Only the peony is the true national beauty; when it blooms, the whole capital stirs," Chen Yage recited, unconsciously quoting Liu Yuxi’s 'Ode to Peonies.'

"Splendid poem, splendid lines! I underestimated your talent," Li Bai praised. Yet his doubts only deepened. At their first meeting, Chen Yage was nothing more than a beggar at the street corner, nearly killed by Wang Fugui. But as he got to know her, he discovered she was far more remarkable than she appeared.

Chen Yage, usually thick-skinned, found herself flushing at Li Bai’s words. After all, she had merely borrowed Liu Yuxi’s verse.

To change the subject, she waved her hand dismissively, feigning nonchalance. "We’re in the middle of a crisis, and you still have the heart for poetry? Let’s focus on catching the murderer! We don’t have a single clue. All we can do is search the scene for evidence."

She turned to leave, but Li Bai caught her wrist, his expression turning serious. "Wait. There are a few things we must clarify first. Without that, we won’t know where to begin."

Bewildered, Chen Yage looked at him as he strode into the room where they first met Chao Yun.

The room was neat and orderly, unchanged from how it appeared by day. Li Bai proceeded into Chao Yun’s bedchamber, with Chen Yage following close behind. The bedding on the bed was folded with perfect precision, as though no one had slept there. Yet, by rights, Chao Yun should have been asleep at that late hour. Why did the room show no signs of use?

"Brother Bai, Chao Yun didn’t sleep in her room last night," Chen Yage voiced her doubt. But then another question arose—if Chao Yun hadn’t gone to bed, where had she been? How did she end up at Moon Lake? The questions tumbled through her mind like layers of mist—the harder she tried to pierce them, the denser they became.