Three minutes later, Fan Xian took out the scalding hot fish platter, drizzled some precious soy sauce sent from the South, its juice amber, exceptionally beautiful. The aroma immediately filled the kitchen as the steamed fish mixed with the sauce. He found the leftover rice from dinner and enjoyed a delicious meal with the steamed fish, ginger, and vinegar.

The next morning, he went to greet his grandmother. During the greeting, a servant reported that the kitchen had been visited by a thief the previous night. Fan Xian immediately understood what had happened and couldn't help but laugh. While massaging the Old Madam's shoulders, he said to the steward, "I went to heat up some rice last night. Don't worry."

The steward was dumbfounded, thinking, "The young master is so young, why doesn't he ask the servants to do things? Why does he have to play with these things himself? It wouldn't be good if he burned himself."

Fan Xian knew what the steward was thinking and obediently said to the Old Madam, "Grandson recently found a method for steaming fish in a book, so I wanted to try it myself first. If it tasted good, I would prepare it to honor Grandmother. Because I wanted to give Grandmother a surprise, I didn't dare let the servants know. I didn't expect to alarm so many people. Grandson knows he was wrong."

These words were reasonable, and no one could find fault with them.

The Old Madam listened without any expression, and said gently, "However it is, just remember to clean up after yourself, no matter what you do."

The Old Madam of the Earl's residence had always been strict with Fan Xian, and rarely spoke with such a gentle tone, so Fan Xian felt slightly uneasy. He thought his grandmother's tone seemed to reveal a hint of pity for him. Why was that?

The Old Madam continued gently, "I know about what happened yesterday. Steward Zhou is not very useful. Such a dangerous thing as you going to the kitchen at night, and no one noticed. It's really outrageous. I've already sent him back to the capital, letting that family of bankrupt goods deal with him."

Fan Xian was slightly shocked. Only then did he remember that after killing the assassin, he had forgotten to deal with Steward Zhou. It was clear that the assassin's ability to infiltrate the mansion and poison people was inseparable from this steward. He was so careless. He really was lacking.

——————————————————————

During the day, Fan Xian read the books sent from the capital in his study without any interest. Fan Xian left the mansion again. Subconsciously passing by the market, he deeply understood what his grandmother meant by "just remember to clean up after yourself, no matter what you do."

One corner of the market had been burned to ruins, but miraculously it had not affected the adjacent buildings. Only that single small building had been burned clean, leaving nothing behind. Residents were gathered around, discussing the fire. Fan Xian was short, so he squeezed to the side and listened, learning that two people had died in the fire, their faces completely unrecognizable.

The place that had been burned down was the building where Fan Xian had killed the assassin yesterday.

Destroying evidence?

Fan Xian thought of his grandmother's saying that she had sent Steward Zhou back to the capital, and combined it with the desolate ashes and ruins in front of him, he suddenly felt a chill all over. He finally understood what had happened. He really hadn't expected that his grandmother, who was more strict than loving, would be so meticulous, and would do such a thing for her grandson's safety.

Thinking of the Old Madam's usual image of a meditating Buddha, Fan Xian couldn't connect that image with the smoking ruins in front of him.

Fan Xian mixed in with the crowd, looking at the charred black wood that still had a burnt smell, and knew that he had learned something else.

A nearby resident noticed him and greeted him, preparing to say something, but Fan Xian left the market as if he hadn't heard, unknowingly walking to that familiar grocery store.

"The steward was driven back to the capital," Fan Xian said.

Wu Zhu stood in the store, facing the quiet street, with no reaction. The residents had all run to the market to watch the excitement, so the street was very empty.

"The small building we went to yesterday was burned down," Fan Xian continued.

Wu Zhu still had no reaction.

Fan Xian grabbed the corner of his sleeve and said softly and fiercely, "Do you think it was a stupid thing for me to forget to deal with Steward Zhou? Did Grandmother have to help me clean it up!"

Wu Zhu turned around and said, "Are you trying to make me sympathize with you? Do you think it's right that you don't know how to deal with these things because you're young, so your self-esteem is hurt, so you're seeking comfort?"

The blind man's voice rarely showed a hint of curiosity, seeming much more lively compared to his usual lack of emotion.

Fan Xian smiled and said, "I don't have that much extra self-esteem. I just think the feeling of killing someone is very bad. And..."

He stopped speaking, feeling deep down that if it hadn't been for Fei Jie and Wu Zhu's education after he transmigrated to this world, he wouldn't have had stronger abilities than the average aristocratic children. Maybe... he would have died long ago. In such a background of power struggles and hidden secrets, having more knowledge didn't seem to be of much use. Everyone standing at the top of the power waves was proficient in those dirty and complex methods.

Compared to them, he really... was just a naive child.

"The feeling of killing someone, and the feeling of being killed, which do you prefer?" Wu Zhu asked.

Fan Xian didn't know how to answer. Naturally, no one wanted to be killed.

"Since you already know the answer, then don't ask anymore." Wu Zhu handed him a token. "Also, I think it's necessary to tell you that the Old Madam drove Steward Zhou out of Danzhou, but didn't kill him, because she didn't want the old residence in the capital to be too disturbed by this matter."

Fan Xian looked at the familiar token, knowing it was the token of the steward of the Earl's residence. This token belonged to Steward Zhou. He raised his head and looked at Wu Zhu with confusion: "Did you kill him?"

Wu Zhu nodded.

Fan Xian suddenly thought of the assassin's identity and scratched his head, asking, "Why are the assassin's poison and subsequent methods so similar to those of the Overwatch Council?"

"Ask Fei Jie."

———————————————————————————

During the Qing Yu Nian era, on a sunny spring day, inside a secret room in that square, gray-black, seemingly gloomy building west of the capital, an old man with a thin face and clean lips was sitting in a wheelchair, with a smooth, beautiful wool blanket covering his legs.

The glass windows of the secret room were tightly covered with black cloth, not letting in a single ray of sunlight. This old man had contracted a serious illness in the north many years ago, and from then on, he became somewhat afraid of light.

"Old Fei, how is the investigation of the Danzhou matter going?" The old man looked at the gray-haired, strangely looking contemporary in front of him, looked at his brown pupils, and asked with a smile.

Fei Jie sat in a chair drinking tea, looking at the dean's weird smile, wondering who between him and the dean was the real old pervert.

...

...