262: My name is Yu'er

"As expected, Prince Ji Heng turned to look at you, his face filled with concern: 'Brother Qin, this Imperial Law Enforcement Agency is directly under my father, the Emperor, and has always been accustomed to being overbearing. Although I managed to hold them off for now, I fear this matter will not end easily.'"

You smiled indifferently: "It matters not. Let them be wild, the cool breeze brushes against the mountain ridge; let them be arrogant, the bright moon shines upon the great river."

"Hahaha!" Prince Ji Heng clapped his hands and laughed, the admiration in his eyes growing deeper, "Brother Qin is truly open-minded and insightful, far from an ordinary person!"

"How can you be certain that I am not the cultivator of the Demonic Path who slaughtered Red Rock Village?" you asked with a smile.

"Hahaha," Prince Ji Heng laughed heartily, his expression resolute:

"Those people in the Imperial Law Enforcement Agency only care about closing the case; they don't care who the real culprit is. But I can tell—Brother Qin is definitely not the perpetrator."

He held up three fingers, listing them one by one, his words earnest:

"First, if Brother Qin were truly the murderer who committed such a major crime, why would you remain here peacefully, waiting to be captured?"

"Second, the aura around your body, Brother Qin, is clear and upright, without even a shred of the murky Evil Qi of the Demonic Path. This is fundamental and cannot be faked."

"Third," he looked at you with burning eyes, "Brother Qin's expression is calm, and your gaze is open and honest. Such confidence is something no guilty person could possess."

His words were filled with admiration and conviction.

"Your Highness truly has eyes like torches and observes the finest details!" you laughed.

"Brother Qin, to be honest, I knew the moment I saw you that you were no ordinary person! In front of you, the Prodigies in this whole city are likely nothing more than worthless trash, hahaha!" Prince Ji Heng beamed.

"Your Highness is too kind. If not for your Wisdom Eye in recognizing talent and speaking out for justice, I, Qin, would probably be drinking cold tea at the Imperial Law Enforcement Agency by now," you replied with a smile.

"Eh! Brother Qin, what are you saying! If someone like you were truly wronged by those petty people, wouldn't that make me unable to eat or sleep in peace?" Prince Ji Heng lowered his voice to say.

You knew exactly what was going on, but you didn't expose it, simply going along with his words and responding with superficial pleasantries.

Prince Ji Heng acted as if he had "hit it off" with you immediately, his words warm and enthusiastic, as if he regretted not meeting you sooner.

Qin Han, sitting on the stone table, glanced at you, then glared at Prince Ji Heng, and suddenly interjected: "Daddy, what he says is so fake. Is this what you often call 'worldly wisdom'?"

Qin Han's words caused Prince Ji Heng's face to stiffen. With an awkward smile, he looked at Qin Han: "Your spirit pet is truly interesting!"

You smiled and patted Qin Han's head: "Its intelligence hasn't fully matured yet, Your Highness, please don't take offense."

"Daddy, I can tell he's full of lies, isn't that smart enough?" Qin Han said with a serious face.

"Grown-ups are talking, why are you interrupting, child?" you scolded softly.

Prince Ji Heng forced a smile onto his stiff face: "I won't disturb Brother Qin any further. Once I finish handling this matter, I will invite Brother Qin to gather another day!"

You nodded with a smile: "Then many thanks!"

Prince Ji Heng bowed solemnly: "Brother Qin, rest assured, I will definitely maneuver behind the scenes for this case and do my utmost to find the truth and restore your innocence."

You just nodded with a smile—you didn't care about these things at all, but rather enjoyed watching this performance, adding some interest to your mundane life.

Prince Ji Heng nodded with a smile and hurriedly turned to leave.

Watching Prince Ji Heng's back, Qin Han muttered with a puzzled look: "You adults are really strange."

You lightly tapped Qin Han on the forehead: "In the future, when adults are talking, don't interrupt, otherwise it won't be fun anymore."

"Oh—" Qin Han nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite, its mind a mess, unable to figure it out at all.

Rising Sun,

Pale golden light blanketed the streets and alleys.

Your Divine Sense expanded like a tide, and you quickly found the little girl named Yu'er.

She was curled up in the corner of a street under a broken, sheltered eave; the thin, tattered clothes on her body could barely cover her emaciated frame.

At this moment, she was lying on the ground, curled into a ball, fast asleep—perhaps only in her dreams could she temporarily forget the cold and hunger.

You quietly "watched" her.

It seems that after Yang Su finished using her to give false testimony, he discarded her on the side of the street just like a used rag.

In this Tianyu City, there were simply too many such "tools" to be discarded after use, and too many such helpless orphans.

Some with slightly better luck, such as those with a Spiritual Root, might be "adopted" by some prominent clan, becoming assassins, servants, or maids from then on. Although their fate was not their own, they could at least survive.

But for those with bad luck, like Yu'er before you, they could only fend for themselves on these cold stone roads.

At this moment, Yu'er in her sleep was having a warm yet heartbreaking dream.

In the dream—

In a dilapidated thatched cottage, her mother was sewing up the holes in her clothes, stitch by stitch, by the dim light of an oil lamp.

She snuggled up to her mother, her stomach rumbling with hunger, yet she felt incredibly happy.

"Mom, I'm hungry..."

Her mother gently stroked her hair, her voice so kind: "Be a good girl, Yu'er. Once Mom finishes mending this hole, I'll go get you something to eat."

She watched as her mother shoved a freshly steamed, piping hot white flour bun into her hands, while she herself held a bowl of thin porridge so watery it could reflect her face.

She swallowed, her lips dry, looked at the bun in her hand, and handed it to her mother: "Mom, you eat!"

However, the next second—

A ferocious figure with a hideous face and surging Evil Qi burst through the door, raised a hand, and with a single strike, sent her mother flying with blood splattering everywhere, leaving her lifeless.

"Mom—!"

The dream shattered abruptly!

Yu'er jolted awake from her dream, tears streaming down her small face, but she couldn't let out a complete cry from her throat, leaving only broken whimpers and suppressed, extreme sobs: "Wuwuwu... Mom..."

The cold morning wind, along with the light, surged in, swallowing her once more.

You watched Yu'er's small, curled, trembling figure, your brows furrowing involuntarily, a rare ripple of emotion stirring in your heart.

This surprised you quite a bit—

Orphans in such circumstances as hers were everywhere in this city, numbering in the hundreds or thousands; you had long since become accustomed to it.

Logically speaking, your heart should have been as still as water long ago; why were you moved by her specifically?

Could it be... some sort of unclear "Karma" quietly tugging at your mind?

Just at this moment—

A woman dressed in brocade and fine silks, wearing pearl hairpins, walked swaying toward Yu'er. Behind her followed a cold-faced, heroic-looking female attendant.

The woman in fine clothes frowned slightly, seemingly annoyed that the curled-up figure was in her way, and lifted her pearl-adorned embroidered shoe, giving Yu'er a kick on the shoulder, neither too light nor too heavy.

"What is your name?"

Yu'er hurriedly wiped the tear stains from her face, lifted her head, and looked at the dazzling stranger before her with fearful, uneasy eyes.

"My name is Yu'er!"

The woman lowered her gaze to glance at her, her eyes lingering for a moment on her tattered clothes and dirty little face, then she took out a piece of warm, smooth jade from her sleeve, her tone indifferent:

"Reach out your hand and touch this."