Chapter 102: I Would Like to Know, Too

The one most astonished was Xuanyuan Juesi, for he had been in the closest contact with Qin Li recently, yet he had failed to discern that the person before him was no longer Qin Li.

"You may go now!"

Qin Shuang looked at the group, her voice cold as she pointed her sword at them.

Si Nuosang pulled away from Xuanyuan Juesi’s embrace and walked to Ye Xuan’s side, completely ignoring Xuanyuan Juesi. She helped Ye Xuan up and prepared to leave. Watching Si Nuosang’s heartless departure, Xuanyuan Juesi realized deep down that perhaps he should never have come.

"Are you not leaving?" The sword was pointed toward him.

"I am leaving, but I want to know who killed Qin Li." Xuanyuan Juesi looked at Qin Shuang, showing no fear.

"I wish to know that as well." Qin Shuang’s eyes locked onto his, as if suspecting he were the killer. Her gaze and tone were piercing. She kicked aside the corpse of Bai Ming, walked right up to him, and scrutinized him from head to toe. "You and my sister must have been very close; you should know more than anyone else here. Tell me, how did she die?"

"You overestimate me. I only just learned of your sister's fate today. I have no reason to lie. However, your disguise is quite convincing. Why did you kill Bai Ming?"

"Bai Ming? A self-important pawn. I hadn’t intended to take over so soon, but I wanted to do a favor for the Ye Manor. By moving against Ye Xuan, Bai Ming was clearly intent on placing the Ming Pavilion in jeopardy. I could not allow the Ming Pavilion to reach such a state."

"You are far cleverer than Bai Ming. Yet, if you truly loved your sister, you should never have placed her under his command."

"Wrong. Placing her under Bai Ming was a sound decision. It is the person who killed her that is the problem."

"Did Qin Li know of your existence?" Xuanyuan Juesi asked suddenly.

Qin Shuang frowned, looking somewhat guilty. An subtle tension seemed to exist between her and Xuanyuan Juesi.

"So, everything you said was false, wasn't it?"

"What words?"

"The things you said while pretending to be Qin Li?"

"To me, they were false, but to Qin Li, they were true. Does that answer suffice?" Qin Shuang dropped the sword in her hand and turned to walk toward the seat of honor.

"It does."

"Where is the gemstone?"

"I have no such gemstone. Even if it were in my possession, I would not know if it is the one you speak of. After all, I have many gemstones in my hands." Xuanyuan Juesi's words did not invite suspicion, as Qin Shuang knew he had no reason to deceive her at this moment.

"And yet, we were commissioned by a major client to track you down. There must be a clue on you." Qin Shuang pondered this, while Xuanyuan Juesi watched her, realizing for the first time that such a figure existed within the Ming Pavilion.

"Regardless of whether I have a clue or not, I advise you not to confront me directly." Xuanyuan Juesi’s words were arrogant, and Qin Shuang merely sneered at him.

"I may not deal with you, but others will. The Thousand Gates will not let you go. I am not the only one who took this contract."

"Who exactly ordered you?"

"It is not an order; it is business. Five hundred thousand taels. Tell me, who would not be tempted?"

Qin Shuang revealed some details but omitted the identity of the client. This, however, was precisely what Xuanyuan Juesi wanted to know.

"Tell me, who is it? This is clearly an attempt to cause trouble for me. The object is not in my hands; you can give up on that. Tell that person that no matter how they search, they will not find this so-called gemstone. This ridiculous legend has circulated for so long—do they truly believe it exists?" Xuanyuan Juesi wanted to knock some sense into their heads for chasing such an impractical dream for so long, from the capital all the way to Liangcheng, stopping at nothing. If they wanted a fight, let them come. He had never cared—unless those people were afraid of death.

"I have no interest in the gemstone, only in money. And I am interested in the death of my sister. If you can find out who killed her, I will tell you who commissioned us to find you!"

Suddenly, Qin Shuang proposed a counter-condition. It seemed like a deal that might benefit them both.

"That is a difficult problem," Xuanyuan Juesi said bluntly.

"Indeed. If it were not difficult, I would not be trading with you. How about it?"

"I will try. But just because you cannot find the answer does not mean I can."

"If you cannot find it, then do not expect to learn anything from me. You may leave now. I need to clean up."

Qin Shuang dismissed him directly. Seeing no reason to stay, Xuanyuan Juesi departed. Elsewhere, Si Nuosang returned to the inn with Ye Xuan to dress his wounds. He had only just recovered, and now he had suffered such severe injuries again. What was he thinking? Did he truly hold his own life in such low regard?

His reckless behavior left her speechless. Fortunately, Xuanyuan Juesi had arrived at the end—no, she would not mention him. His appearance there was too strange. But what she found even more baffling was Qin Shuang.

"Ye Xuan, do you know of this Qin Shuang?"

"No. I never knew that the true manager of the Ming Pavilion was Qin Shuang, or that she was Qin Li’s sister. You must understand, Sister Qin had been in the Ming Pavilion since she was a child, always by Bai Ming’s side. I had no idea she had a sister; perhaps even Qin Li herself did not know." Otherwise, why would she have struggled so hard?

"This Qin Shuang’s disguise was too perfect. Even you did not notice. No one did."

"Yes, it was far too perfect. I can hardly believe it." Ye Xuan shook his head.

"However, she did give you a gift: the chance to leave the Ming Pavilion. Otherwise, she would not have helped you while acting as Qin Li."

"Thinking back, it makes me shudder. I was the one who brought it up to her, yet she pretended to be me and fought against the Ming Pavilion."

"She likely did not want to offend the Ye Manor. Furthermore, she must have despised Bai Ming. And you did save her, didn't you? That is why she revealed herself."

"Perhaps. If she had killed me, my father would certainly have been furious. Though it matters little to me, having the Ye Manor as an enemy would not be a good thing for the Ming Pavilion."

Ye Xuan had considered this possibility. Beyond Qin Shuang, Xuanyuan Juesi had also surprised him. At the most critical moment, he had actually stepped in to save Si Nuosang. This would surely make it even harder for her to forget him. Xuanyuan Juesi's move was quite clever.

"By the way, what about Xuanyuan Juesi?"

"Do not mention him. Get some rest; I am tired as well." Si Nuosang brushed the topic aside, clearly avoiding it. It seemed she truly did not want to touch upon anything related to him.

Back in her room, Si Nuosang collapsed onto the couch. Her heart was heavy. Xuanyuan Juesi’s sudden appearance and his intervention to save her left her in turmoil.