Da Li Temple - Chapter 15.1

Chapter 15.1
Thunderstorm (1)

Lin Wanqing learned the news that Su Moyi was going to participate in the spring hunt two days later. She woke up early and wanted to find Su Moyi to sort out her findings in Ping Kang Hall. But when she arrived at his study, Lord Su had left on horseback long ago and would not return until tomorrow.
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She was disappointed. She had checked all the males in Ping Kang Hall who had contact with the victim, and either they didn’t have the conditions to commit the crime or didn’t fit the characteristics of the murderer. The case had once again reached a dead end, and she couldn’t even find anyone to discuss it with.
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Lin Wanqing stared grudgingly at Lord Su’s closed door and sighed. When she turned around, her footsteps abruptly stopped, only to realize that Da Li Temple today seemed unusual.
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Usually, if she wanted to stand here, she would have to go through two lines of checking and Lord Su’s approval. But now, Lin Wanqing realized there wasn’t a single guard in Su Mo Yi’s courtyard.
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Without a tiger in the mountain, the monkey is the king.
Without Su Moyi in Da Li Temple, would the guards and servant boys be lazy?
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Holding this kind of thought, Lin Wanqing pretended to take a walk and circled the Da Li Temple until she was sure that she had deduced correctly, and then she lifted the corner of her mouth imperceptibly. It seemed like she could go to that file room tonight.
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Night.
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Starless and moonless, with a heavy canopy pressed down like it was about to pour. At the end of spring and the beginning of summer, this was common weather in Sheng City.
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Lin Wanqing straightened out her long jacket while sizing up the upcoming rain. She even brought a bit of anticipation with her. It was hard to patrol at night, and if the guards encountered such a heavy downpour, they wouldn’t fulfill their duties. Not to mention that tonight, Su Moyi was not present.

Candle flames in the room flickered intensely, and the wind blew the white curtain to flap.
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Lights ‘poof –‘ a sound of extinguished, and the first thunder in the sky sounded. With falling rain, the wind’s whistle follows. The lanterns hanging under the eaves fly under the rain like the dance of ghosts.
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Lin Wanqing casually found a headband to tie up her long hair and fastened the door. Not knowing where the patrolling people gathered to drink and avoid the rain, Lin Wanqing walked along the corners where the lights couldn’t illuminate and soon came to the file room, where the door was closed tightly. Her clothes were already soaked through by the rain, dripping water. She fished out two iron wires and inserted them into the lock holes.
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“Snap!” The lock opened.
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Having done something wrong, Lin Wanqing was still apprehensive in the end. She threw the things in her hand to bushed aside and carefully covered it up before pushing the door and walking in.
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It was dark in all directions, only a faint light from the swaying lantern. Outside, the rain was getting heavier, hiding all the sounds. She fumbled to find a candle and flint. With a click, she lit the fire.
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This room was the Da Li Temple’s file room, hiding the Xiao family’s unjust case from twelve years ago.
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At that moment, she wanted to cry and laugh. She felt a wind leaking through the window crack, blowing her nose. But she understood that now was not the time to be sensitive.
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Lin Wanqing wiped her wet face with her hand, straightened the messy hair at her temples, shielding the light with her palm, and started scouring the forest of bookshelves.
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Perhaps it was because Uncle Lin was afraid she couldn’t let go, so he had always been very secretive about his parents, refusing to talk much about it.
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Therefore, to this day, Lin Wanqing’s understanding of the case only stays in the thirty-seventh year of the Tianqi when General Xiao Jingyan’s family was decapitated. However, according to Su Moyi’s sorting habits, it shouldn’t be hard to find. She only needed to follow the timeline.
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Tianqi 35, Tianqi 36, Tianqi 37 ……
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Amidst the noise of the rain, the light in Lin Wanqing’s hand shifted. At the top right of a row of wooden shelves, she saw the name; General Xiao’s clan. Her heart was in awe, then she put down the candlestick in her hand and tiptoed to fetch the case files.
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A sudden burst of thunder rang out. The wind was fierce, and with a fluttering sound, the lights were all extinguished. A few lanterns outside that were originally fluttering were also knocked over and rolled out a few times before the entire file room darkened.
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Lin Wanqing was stunned and bent down to try to light the fire again. However, amidst a clatter of rain, she heard the sound of a door opening.
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Creak!
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Like a hand, it violently choked her breath. She stopped looking for the candlelight. She felt the row of lined bookshelves and steadied herself against the wall in the darkness. Her heartbeat mixed with the downpour, rising and falling.

Lin Wanqing held her breath. Surprisingly, the man didn’t light a lamp. If it were someone from the Da Li Temple, whether patrolling or looking for some information, it would be strange to enter the door and lock it without lighting a lamp.
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The visitor did not do anything. After entering the door, except for locking the door, the person no longer made any noise. Doubtful, Lin Wanqing moves toward the door.
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Thunder accompanied the heavy downpour. In such an environment, she heard the man’s heavy breathing. He seemed to be in pain but tried to endure. Then, a familiar scent approached her. The closer she got, the clearer it became. With a thunderous boom, a light exploded in the sky, and the scene inside the file room was suddenly clear. Lin Wanqing finally saw the uninvited guest in front of her. He sat with his back against the bookshelf, propping his veined palms on his curled leg and yanked them into a fist. The soaked robe clung to his body, his disheveled sideburns plastered to his flushed cheeks, his jaw tilted slightly, and as the knot in his throat slid up and down, heavy breathing filtered through his thin, slightly open lips.
He was like a dehydrated fish.
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“Lord Su ……?” Lin Wanqing couldn’t believe it.