## Chapter 103: The Withered Flowers and Yellow Leaves Have Grown Old

Returning to the very branch where he had once sat in contemplation and cultivation, Jiang Wang settled once more.

His dry yang red pupils flared, meticulously scanning his surroundings, searching for the faintest wisp of spider silk, any subtle sign… In the end, naturally, his efforts yielded naught.

He descended, recalling the direction Lin Youxie had taken, and followed the vaguely etched trajectory outwards.

With every step, he scrutinized the environment with the intensity of one facing a life-or-death struggle, leaving no potential clue overlooked.

Step by step, treading upon withered bamboo and fallen leaves, he emerged from the dense forest, reaching the nearest city. Yet, his tireless search remained fruitless.

Within his heart, Jiang Wang had held this expectation, thus, on his return journey, he remained outwardly composed.

After all, more than three months had elapsed. Even if traces had lingered, they would have long since been silently erased by the relentless hand of nature. Furthermore, he lacked the specialized expertise of the azure plaque experts within the Patrol Inspection Office.

Even with a double measure of effort, how could it compensate for the passage of time? The withered flowers and yellow leaves had already surrendered to age, leaving behind only the mountain wind and the bright moon.

Where there were no traces to begin with, how could one hope to find them?

He resolved to investigate from another angle, to confront the ominous black wall.

He had departed the Wu’an Marquis Mansion in the morning, and by the time he returned, the moon hung high in the celestial dome.

An entire day had been spent in what could be considered a futile endeavor.

However, the tempering of his spirit forged in this fruitless pursuit was known only to himself.

Within the Marquis Mansion, he encountered an unexpected visitor – Bao Zhongqing, the heir of the Shuo Fang Earl.

This time, at least, he had not brought his delicate wife, thus avoiding that irritating display of ostentation. His opulent carriage remained outside the mansion gates, while he sat alone in the living room. According to the gatekeeper, he had been waiting since the afternoon.

Jiang Wang was truly in no mood for pleasantries today. Upon seeing him, he furrowed his brow and inquired, “Brother Bao, to what do I owe this visit?”

“Brother Jiang has been busy all day, a truly arduous task!” Bao Zhongqing’s face was a picture of genuine enthusiasm. He stepped forward, saying, “I heard that Brother Jiang’s friend has gone missing, and you are deeply concerned… It’s not for me to say, but how did you not seek my assistance in this matter? My Bao family’s carriage and horse line traverses the realm. Finding a person, uncovering intelligence – these are our strengths!”

Jiang Wang had indeed not considered leveraging the power of the Bao family’s carriage and horse line.

Firstly, he shared no familial ties with the Bao family, and his relationship with Bao Zhongqing was even less a matter of friendship.

Secondly… he had long been on the Bao family’s unwelcome list. How long had it been since he had last sat in one of their carriages? The thought simply hadn’t crossed his mind.

He did not question how Bao Zhongqing had come by this information, but instead stated seriously, “If you can help me find any clues, I will remember this favor.”

Bao Zhongqing had been waiting for this very sentence, yet he replied, “What talk of favors? Far too distant! We are old acquaintances, having shared the battlefield and the hallowed halls of Jixia Academy in the same cohort. We are both comrades and classmates – what kind of relationship is that?”

He thumped his chest emphatically: “Leave this matter to me!”

Jiang Wang pursed his lips. “Then I shall trouble Brother Bao.”

“What trouble is there? Merely a friend’s duty! Just as your friend has gone missing, you are also anxiously seeking her.” Bao Zhongqing then took his leave: “I know Brother Jiang is worried about his friend, so I shall not linger. Just await my news!”

He had waited the entire afternoon, finally meeting him only to exchange a few words before departing in haste.

Regardless of his true intentions, his outward sincerity was undeniably convincing.

Jiang Wang personally escorted Bao Zhongqing to the entrance. He stood in silence for a long moment before returning alone to the study.

As of today, he was no longer the naive youth who readily placed his trust. Furthermore, a constant vigilance resided within his heart regarding Bao Zhongqing.

Did he possess some prior intelligence about Lin Youxie and was merely seizing the opportunity to offer a favor? Or did the Bao family harbor designs on the current Empress, catching the scent and merely wishing to advance, using him, Jiang Wang, this reckless individual, to bear the brunt?

Jiang Wang did not know the answer.

But in his desperate need to swiftly ascertain Lin Youxie’s whereabouts, he was willing to be used by Bao Zhongqing, just this once.

The study within the Wu’an Marquis Mansion had been initially designed with simplicity. Later, after Chong Xuan Sheng’s alterations, a touch of grand opulence had been added.

The desk, carved with depictions of rivers and mountains, possessed a pleasing, lustrous sheen. Behind it stood a wall entirely dedicated to bookshelves.

These shelves were laden with various tomes, the renowned editions frequently perused by the nobles of Linzi.

Naturally, Chong Xuan Sheng had assisted in their acquisition, at no small cost.

However, whether they were celebrated works on law and military strategy, or the classics of the Dao and Confucian schools, here they served merely as decorations.

This was because Jiang Wang had yet to open a single one. They remained as they were when purchased.

It was not that the Wu’an Marquis disliked reading… Indeed, he had yet to finish memorizing the “History of Knife-Chiseled Sea,” a testament to his overwhelming commitments.

At this moment, he sat before the decidedly cultured bookshelves, leaning back in his chair, quietly sifting through the clues related to Lin Youxie, contemplating what other avenues remained open to him, and where he should begin.

In his hand, he held two knife coins.

Should he seek the assistance of True Man Yu for divination?

Or perhaps consult True Lord Ruan?

The path of divination emphasized reward and the offsetting of calculations. Regarding his friend’s safety, he believed himself willing to pay the price.

If Lin Youxie’s disappearance was truly connected to the current Empress, then seeking True Man Yu’s aid for divination would be more appropriate.

No.

Perhaps consulting True Lord Ruan would be the better course of action.

If True Lord Ruan agreed, finding a person should not be a difficult feat.

If True Lord Ruan decisively refused, was that not in itself a form of confirmation?

Jiang Wang, lost in thought, unconsciously moved his fingers. A wisp of green smoke, ethereal and free, floated at his fingertip.

He had always maintained the habit of casually practicing his Dao techniques.

This tracing secret technique, too, had been improved by Yu Beidou.

The green smoke coalesced into a small, verdant blade of grass, suspended at his fingertip, swaying in lonely solitude.

Then the small grass bowed its head, as if in the act of tracing.

“Hmm?”

Jiang Wang suddenly came to his senses, discovering that the tracing grass actually appeared to have found a target, slowly turning.

He involuntarily held his breath, focusing his attention on the direction indicated by this green smoke blade of grass.

He watched as it turned a few times, then suddenly halted, pointing… behind him.

Jiang Wang abruptly stood up and turned, looking towards the bookshelf. However, the tracing grass’s direction also followed. At this moment, he finally realized that this single tracing grass was pointing at himself.

After Yu Beidou’s re-evolution, the tracing technique involved engraving the cognition of the tracking target onto one’s own soul level, thereby forming a soul-level induction.

It possessed a certain temporal effectiveness. Attempting to track a target after more than three months, even one with whom he was very familiar, was nigh impossible.

Jiang Wang had merely been considering ways to find Lin Youxie, constantly recalling the myriad details related to her, subconsciously condensing the tracing grass. He had initially not believed that this technique could yield any results.

But now, the tracing grass was pointing back!

Was there something on his person that resonated with his soul-level cognition of Lin Youxie, producing this induction?

Jiang Wang sat down and retrieved all three storage boxes he carried. The fingernail-sized boxes lay upon the desk, rapidly expanding like three thick, wood-textured books.

Opening the box covers revealed neat, fine grids within, and within those grids, various objects shrunken down many times.

The largest stored quantity was wealth – Yuan stones, ten thousand Yuan stones, Dao Yuan stones… and a few raw soul stones. These served as both the currency of the extraordinary world and readily available supplements for combat consumption.

In addition, gold, silver, knife coins, and ring money were also present.

Then, there were various provisions encountered during his travels…

His gaze meticulously swept across the contents, finally settling on a thin booklet—

**Chapter 103: The Withered Flowers and Yellow Leaves Have Grown Old (Page 2/2)**

This was the nameless book that Lin Youxie had once given him.

It represented the lifelong dedication to corpse examination by the renowned catcher Lin Kuang, supplemented and completed by the posthumously titled Earth Net Earl Wu Lie.

At that time, Lin Youxie had resolved to embrace death, attempting to leave behind evidence through her demise in a situation where all substantial clues had been erased. This was an effort to overturn the cases of Consort Lei and Lin Kuang many years prior.

Thus, this book, detailing how to uncover clues from a corpse, had been entrusted to Jiang Wang.

As a hereditary legacy of an azure plaque family, the value of this book was immeasurable in terms of wealth.

One could even say that if it were to circulate, it was destined to become another classic within the path of legal criminal investigation!

Jiang Wang, stunned, picked up this thin booklet. The induction emanating from the tracing grass pointed directly at this book.

Indeed, it was impossible to capture Lin Youxie’s traces with this…

However, this was a secret text detailing corpse examination techniques, and Lin Youxie’s fate, whether alive or dead, remained unknown.

This thin booklet offered no aid to the current situation. Jiang Wang hoped even more fervently that it would never need to be utilized.

But… now, sitting alone in his study, gazing at this thin booklet open on the desk, and thinking of his friend with no news, he felt a profound melancholy.

That was Lin Youxie.

The sole successor of the four great azure plaque families.

Lost without a trace in early May, and yet, no one had even noticed.

Her father, Lin Kuang, died in the 38th year of Yuan Feng. Wu Lie, who had raised her, died in the 55th year of Yuan Feng. In the same year, Li Youjiu, also one of the four great azure plaque families, perished in a criminal killing…

In this world, even if an ordinary person vanished within the vast expanse of humanity, there would be relatives and friends who grieved.

But Lin Youxie was already without kin or connection.

Because the great tree of the azure plaque family had fallen, and because of her own unwavering adherence to the law, handling cases with an almost inhuman detachment. Thus, she was also without friends.

In this world, no one cared for her anymore, no one would inquire about her.

Therefore, it was not until his letter to the Three Criminal Palaces was returned intact that people finally realized that the leading figure of the azure plaque younger generation, who had once worn a fifth-rank azure plaque with Tenglong cultivation and was hailed as a case-solving genius, Lin Youxie, had actually disappeared without a trace.

Neither seen alive nor her corpse found dead.

She had vanished in silence, like a gentle breeze scattered within the array wind.

As if she had never existed at all!

But the experiences of her past two decades still remained vividly. The cases she had solved, the things she had experienced, clear records were still preserved within the capital Patrol Inspection Office.

Even if all of that could also be erased.

Yet, within Jiang Wang’s memory, the scenes of their interactions, from Biwu County to Haimen Island, from that storm-tossed small boat to the starry Hengyang County… everything remained so clearly etched. How could one say she did not exist?

“Knock, knock, knock!”

In this silent night, the knocking was accompanied by the soft call of the housekeeper, Xie Ping: “Marquis, someone from the Bo Wang Marquis Mansion has arrived, saying they wish to see you.”

Jiang Wang returned to his senses, shrinking the storage boxes on the table back to their size and tucking them into his embrace. He said in a normal tone, “Let him in.”

Pushing open the door and entering was Chong Xuan Sheng’s shadow guard, Qing Zhuan, with whom Jiang Wang was also familiar.

He closed the door and then bowed to Jiang Wang: “Marquis, my young master has asked me to find you overnight to convey some words.”

“Your young master is inheriting the state marquis position tomorrow. Is he still bothering with such unrelated matters tonight?” Jiang Wang deliberately made a jest, to appear calmer, then said: “Speak, what new trick does he have?”

Qing Zhuan lowered his head: “My young master has just returned to Linzi. Upon hearing about your affairs, he immediately summoned me to deliver this message. Were it not for the grand ceremony tomorrow, preventing him from leaving, he would have come personally…”

“What affairs of mine?” Jiang Wang chuckled lightly twice, then said: “Speak, what great insight does he possess?”

Qing Zhuan replied: “My young master said that the matter you are pursuing may not be as complicated as you think! He advises you not to act rashly, and especially not to easily trust that fellow Bao Zhongqing or give him opportunities. After inheriting the title tomorrow, he will personally come to speak with you…”

“Is that all?” Jiang Wang asked.

“Oh, my young master also specifically emphasized,” Qing Zhuan answered, “Please, you must remain at home properly and not act rashly. Lin Catcher’s matter is not complicated. Wait for him to be free, and the matter will be easily resolved.”

Jiang Wang listened and felt a slight discomfort, his brow furrowed: “These are his original words?”

“Uh, the original words are…” Qing Zhuan cleared his throat and imitated Chong Xuan Sheng’s voice: “Remember, tell that brainless idiot to just use his brain less! If he doesn’t know which way to go, then don’t go out! Really, still making such a fuss to find someone, who is he showing off to?”

Seeing that the Wu’an Marquis’s expression was already unfavorable, he very meekly repeated the last five words, his voice growing softer and softer: “Really, too, stu… pid…”

Still in mourning for his loved ones, and with a multitude of family affairs to manage, Chong Xuan Sheng, at such a critical juncture, was still so concerned for his friend. The Wu’an Marquis was deeply moved.

But the phrasing was so impolite, the Wu’an Marquis was very displeased.

The Wu’an Marquis was not a person who vented his anger, so he merely waved to Qing Zhuan: “All right, I understand, you may go back.”

Qing Zhuan vanished in a flash.

“That, you shadow guards, in the future, still need to pay attention…”

Jiang Wang spoke half a sentence, but the study was already empty. The ‘etiquette education’ could not continue, so he could only vexedly mutter: “Superior barbarians and inferior Yi, uncouth people!”

Strangely enough, even though Chong Xuan Sheng had merely sent someone to convey a message, a considerable weight had been lifted from his heart.

Chong Xuan Sheng, whose entire body of fat was capable of profound thought, had said that this matter was not as complicated as he believed. Letting him stay at home and await news was sufficient.

He naturally believed without reservation that Chong Xuan Sheng could arrive at the correct answer.

Tonight the moon shone brightly, high in the sky, the stars sparse.

He did not venture out again, sitting alone in the study, quietly flipping through a book without a name.

This reading continued throughout the night.

For a long time, he had not considered opening this booklet, learning something from it. This was because corpse examination was almost unnecessary for him. In his life experience, more often than not, life and death represented the complete answer.

But now he wondered, if a person departs, what does she wish to leave for this world?

If a person disappears, what else proves her existence?

Perhaps only such a nameless book.

The content of this book was not extensive, but comprehending it required some intellectual effort. There were also some配套 (supporting) minor secret techniques that required time to cultivate. Reading it for the first time, of course, only yielded a general understanding.

As the morning light began to break, Jiang Wang, with a complex mood, finally turned to the last page of this thin booklet.

Then he was stunned.

Because the last page was clearly different from the rest of the nameless book.

What was recorded on it was also not any skill related to corpse examination.

Only one secret technique—

Created by the deceased Tian Luo Earl, the peerless renowned catcher Lin Kuang’s secret technique, “Nian Chen.”

“Never forget, like heart tied to dust.”

—Author’s Notes—

Thank you to book friend “Zhiri Jiyi Suzhipian” for becoming this book’s Alliance Master, the 359th alliance of “Red Heart Patrolling Heaven”!

Thank you to book friend “Momomao Touying” for becoming this book’s Alliance Master, the 360th alliance of “Red Heart Patrolling Heaven”!