Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 86 - The Case Files from Forty Years Ago (1)

The next morning, when Zanxing woke up, the sun was already out.

Li’er Country is located in the south, with long days and short nights. As Zanxing sat up from the couch, she saw a sliver of sunlight on the ground. At some point during the night, the tightly closed window had been blown open by the wind, leaving a small gap through which the sounds from outside could faintly be heard.

She rubbed her eyes and, after a quick wash, pushed open the door. Mimi was dozing on a stone bench in the courtyard, and beneath the phoenix tree in the yard, someone was practicing with a spear.

The young man, Gu Baiying, was dressed in a white brocade robe that glistened in the golden sunlight, adorned with delicate and vibrant red patterns of wild geese. His face shone even more brilliantly than the crimson hairband he wore. The phoenix tree was in full bloom with red flowers, and his silver spear danced in his hands, moving like a meteor chasing the moon. The flowers, stirred by the spear’s wind, fluttered around him, a sight as fleeting and stunning as a bird in flight.

The passing palace maids seemed captivated by his beauty, frequently turning back to glance shyly as they passed by.

Zanxing took a few steps forward. Sensing someone approaching, Gu Baiying abruptly stopped and withdrew his spear. A phoenix flower, caught mid-flight, landed in Zanxing’s arms. She looked up and met his clear, beautiful eyes.

Holding the flower, Zanxing clapped her hands and praised him, “Seventh Martial Uncle, you’re so beautiful and skilled with the spear, I was completely mesmerized.”

Gu Baiying frowned and said, “What nonsense are you talking about?” He looked her up and down and admonished, “It’s so late, and you’re just getting up. Yang Zanxing, I heard from Xuan Lingzi on Mount Gufeng that you’re diligent. Were you just pretending?”

“I’m conserving my energy to prepare for entering the secret realm,” Zanxing replied with a smile. “After all, not everyone can be as naturally gifted and hardworking as you, Martial Uncle.”

Gu Baiying had never known the meaning of the word ‘modesty’ when it came to compliments from others. He merely snorted in response, “Stop with the flattery.”

As they were talking, a maid approached and said, “Immortal Gu, Immortal Yang, the King has ordered me to deliver the case files from the year of the shark demon. You may review them after breakfast. If you need anything else, just let me know.” With that, she handed a wooden box to Zanxing.

Zanxing hefted the box, which had some weight to it, thanked the maid, and then walked towards the main hall of the courtyard with Gu Baiying. Men Dong and Tian Fangfang had set off early in the morning, and Mu Cengxiao and Meng Ying had already gone with Tan Tianxin’s group to search for traces of demonic energy. For now, only Zanxing and Gu Baiying remained in the courtyard.

The maid soon brought in breakfast. The breakfast in Li’er Country was quite sumptuous, with dishes beautifully presented on silver plates: soft-cooked apples, red and white tofu, bamboo shoot buns, iced rock sugar coconut cups, coral snow rolls, sand pot wonton soup, fresh fish soup, and an abundance of fruits, all topped with snowy white ice cream. The variety was extensive.

When Zanxing saw the breakfast, she felt that Li’er Country was indeed very wealthy, and it intensified the feeling of being on a honeymoon. She brought the iced rock sugar coconut cup to herself and took a spoonful. It was refreshingly sweet.

Gu Baiying sat opposite Zanxing, showing no intention of eating. Zanxing asked, “Martial Uncle, aren’t you going to eat?”

“There’s no spiritual energy in this food. Eating too much of mortal food is not beneficial for cultivation,” Gu Baiying replied, his face full of disdain. “You seem to have a particular fondness for mortal food.”

“Because it tastes good,” Zanxing said, trying a piece of fish and feeling very satisfied. “Praising food for its taste is the highest compliment to it.”

Gu Baiying glanced at her and said, “Focusing only on satisfying your appetite, I think you’ll never amount to much in this lifetime.”

“That’s fine by me,” Zanxing replied. “I don’t intend to dominate the world of cultivation.”

Seeing that Zanxing was like an uncarvable piece of rotten wood, Gu Baiying couldn’t be bothered to speak to her further. Zanxing quickly finished the large breakfast spread. When the maid came to clear the empty dishes, Gu Baiying glanced at Mimi, who was lounging by the door basking in the sun, and remarked, “It seems the saying that pets resemble their owners is true.”

Zanxing: “…”

This Seventh Martial Uncle seemed to always be displeased with her for some reason, constantly picking faults as if she had taken something precious from him. Zanxing changed the topic, “Now that we’re done eating, Martial Uncle, let’s take a look at these case files.”

The case files in the wooden box had accumulated a thin layer of dust, indicating they hadn’t been touched for a long time. There were about seven or eight files in total. Zanxing casually picked one up and opened it.

The shark demon case was already forty years old. The former king of Li’er Country had been dead for forty years as well, and the events of that time had gradually faded from people’s memories. If it weren’t for the recent incident in the city, and the king’s suspicion that the shark demon had returned for revenge, no one would have bothered to look through these files.

The files were thick, and Zanxing opened the top one to read. At first, she patiently examined it bit by bit, but as she continued, she started to find something odd. She set the file down on the table and looked at Gu Baiying, “Martial Uncle, don’t you think something feels off?”

“What feels off?”

“Look,” Zanxing pointed to the text. “This file is supposed to document the shark demon case, but it barely mentions anything about the shark demon’s habits or characteristics. Instead, it’s full of praise for the old king’s bravery and righteousness. For instance, ‘His Majesty, wielding a treasured sword, battled the shark demon. The shark demon was ferocious, but His Majesty, with great wisdom and courage, stepped forward to fight for the people of Li’er Country, engaging in a bloody battle with the shark demon.’ It feels more like a eulogy praising the old king than a document about the shark demon case.”

Gu Baiying snorted, “That’s just how the royal family is. They’ve already built golden statues of themselves, so what’s a few eulogies? But,” he frowned at the file in his hand, “these files are definitely missing something.”

“Right?” Zanxing said. “For such thick files, they should at least contain something meaningful. They should at least detail how they discovered the shark demon back then and how they subdued it, but there’s nothing like that here.” It was as if someone had simply repeated what Princess Lizhu had said, and in this repetition, they excessively praised the old king. While Zanxing could understand the people of Li’er Country’s respect for the old king, one eulogy would have been enough. For all the files to be like this just made it seem like the historians of Li’er Country were sycophants who got their positions through flattery.

“The information about the deceased from forty years ago is also insufficient,” Gu Baiying said, quickly flipping through a few more files. He pondered, “Shark demons are adept in water and usually live in it. They have no reason to come ashore and kill people, and draining people of their blood is not in line with their habits.”

“Could it be that it wasn’t the shark demon causing trouble?” Zanxing asked. She always had a natural fondness for merfolk.

“The demon-slaying formation back then did capture a shark demon in the palace,” Gu Baiying reminded her. “That part is not fabricated.”

“But that was back then,” Zanxing said. “Even if it was a shark demon back then, it doesn’t mean the current trouble is caused by the same shark demon. Princess Lizhu herself said that the shark demon from back then had already perished. Although the victims were drained of blood, it could be a copycat crime.”