Phoenix Cries Return to Court

"Watch out!" Shen Jueyan shouted in a low voice.

Before he finished speaking, almost instinctively, he stretched out his long arm and pulled Lin Xihe tightly into his arms. Then he suddenly leaned down and tackled her to the ground. The man's large palms protected the back of her neck tightly. The two of them used the momentum to roll to the corner of the wall.

Lin Xi was so frightened by this sudden scene that her heart pounded wildly. She breathed rapidly and peeked through the gap in the man's arm. Just one glance made her pupils shrink and she froze.

Old craftsman Chen stood there, eyes wide open, a black iron crossbow bolt firmly embedded in his chest, dark blood instantly soaking through his coarse cloth clothes.

"To silence them!" A cold glint flashed in Shen Jueyan's eyes.

Lin Xihe's heart sank. Once the arrows had stopped flying, Shen Jueyan quickly stood up, his eyes scanning every corner of the room warily. Then, he grabbed an iron rod from the room and whispered to Lin Xihe, "Stay here and don't move. If anything happens, prioritize your own safety and immediately report to the authorities."

As soon as he finished speaking, he rushed towards the door.

Lin Xi hurriedly got up, the terrifying scene from just now replaying in her mind repeatedly, her heart still pounding. She quickly followed, and the two stopped in the courtyard, looking around. Outside, the sun shone brightly, and all was quiet; there wasn't a single person in sight.

The two rushed out of the courtyard and caught sight of several men in black fleeing quickly in the distance. Shen Jueyan didn't have time to think and quickened his pace to chase after them. However, the men in black ran extremely fast and disappeared as soon as they reached the corner ahead, as if they had vanished into thin air.

Lin Xihe watched their retreating figures, her brows furrowed. For some reason, the fleeting silhouette of one of them felt strangely familiar to her.

But she couldn't remember who it was.

Shen Jueyan returned after leaving, looked at the person standing blankly at the door, and said softly, "Go back inside first."

The two returned to the house, where a strong smell of blood filled the air, making their stomachs churn.

The old craftsman lay motionless on the cold, blue brick floor, blood still seeping from his chest, seeping through the cracks in the bricks and pooling into a dark stain on the ground. His eyes remained wide open, as if he had seen something that shocked him deeply before he died.

Shen Jueyan quickly stepped forward, squatted down, and checked the old craftsman's breath. He sighed softly, "It was my negligence. I didn't expect them to actually come looking for me, which has harmed Master Chen."

Lin Xihe looked at the old craftsman, her eyes slightly red. She held back her tears and gently patted Shen Jueyan's back, comforting him, "It's not your fault. You can only blame them for being too ruthless, not even sparing an unarmed old craftsman."

She paused, looked at the man's lowered eyes, and said softly, "So we need to find out the truth and find the mastermind as soon as possible, so that more people can't be hurt, and so that Master Chen can't die in vain."

As they were talking, Lin Xihe's gaze inadvertently swept across the ground beside her, her eyes suddenly widened, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Look!"

She tugged at Shen Jueyan's sleeve, carefully parting the old craftsman's fingers. On the blue brick, written in blood, were the words: "Mu Zi Kou He." The handwriting was hasty, clearly written by the old man with his last ounce of strength before he died.

Shen Jueyan stepped closer, his gaze falling on the blood-red characters. A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes. "Li He?" he murmured, his brows furrowing tightly.

The two exchanged a glance, and though they didn't speak, it was as if they had reached some kind of consensus. Lin Xihe immediately reached out and quickly wiped the blood-stained words on the blue brick with her sleeve. The bloodstains were not yet dry, but they were quickly wiped clean, leaving only faint bloodstains.

"This place is not safe to stay any longer, let's leave first." Shen Jueyan's voice was very low, his eyes scanning every corner of the room warily.

Lin Xihe nodded, and Shen Jueyan gently reached out and covered the old craftsman's face, closing his eyes. He said solemnly, "Master Chen, don't worry, we will definitely find the murderer and avenge you."

After speaking, he took a deep breath and walked quickly out of the house with Lin Xihe.

Once the two figures disappeared at the courtyard gate, the house returned to deathly silence.

With a creak, the door of the wooden wardrobe in the southwest corner of the room was slowly pushed open a crack, and a black figure darted out from inside.

The man was slender, dressed in a tight-fitting black outfit, with a black cloth covering his face, revealing only a pair of cold eyes. He quickly walked to the old craftsman's body, squatted down, and gently touched the old craftsman's carotid artery with his finger to confirm that the old man was dead. Only then did he slowly stand up, his gaze sweeping over every corner of the room again, as if searching for something.

A moment later, he walked to the window, gently pushed it open, and with a leap, disappeared.

……

The old craftsman's tragic death kept flashing before Lin Xi's eyes, and she couldn't sleep all night.

Just as dawn was breaking, the gates of the Grand Secretary's residence were bustling with noise, shattering the city's usual tranquility.

The usually solemn Grand Secretary's residence was now shrouded in an eerie gloom, and the gate was crowded with people who had rushed over upon hearing the news.

A corpse lay at the entrance of the Grand Secretary's residence!

The man's limbs were stiff as wood, but his head was slightly turned towards the vermilion gate of the Grand Secretary's mansion, his eyes wide open, and a strange smile on his lips.

Even more chilling was that his hands were tightly clutching a yellowed envelope, which appeared to be a suicide note.

This horrifying scene drew crowds of onlookers, who gathered to watch and discuss the spectacle, but no one dared to take a step forward.

"My God, judging from his attire, he was clearly a craftsman. How could he have died at the gate of the Grand Secretary's residence?" A woman dressed in coarse cloth whispered, her voice filled with fear. "Look at his eyes, they're terrifying. It doesn't look like suicide. Who would look like that after committing suicide?"

"Yes, yes, it looks like suicide, but the manner of the death is too bizarre!" A middle-aged man dressed in cloth next to him replied with a furrowed brow, "I feel like I've seen this person somewhere before..."

"You said this person died at the gate of the Grand Secretary's residence. Could it be that he had a great injustice and came to the Grand Secretary to seek justice?" the woman said in a low voice, looking around.

"What kind of place is the Grand Secretary's residence? How dare a mere craftsman die at the gate? Either he was truly wronged beyond measure, or someone deliberately did it to blatantly retaliate against the Grand Secretary!" another person in the crowd whispered in response.

Just as everyone was arguing, a loud male voice suddenly rang out, "This person is Li He! I know him! He's a craftsman from the Heavenly Craft Pavilion!"

Upon hearing this, an uproar erupted all around, and the voices of the people grew louder and louder.

The news spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the city in just one morning.