By the time I got back to the guesthouse, it was already 5 p.m. After grabbing a quick bite, I headed to my room, brewed a pot of tea, and sat there, mulling over how to break the news to Zhou Sheng and Zhou Quan.

　　The truth was, Zhang Ming had confessed—he was the one who killed Zhou Yong. But we still had no hard evidence to back it up.

　　I tightened my grip on the teacup. Zhang Ming was no easy target. The guy was not just meticulous but also incredibly cunning. Going up against him wasn’t going to be simple.

　　“Brother Feng, are you there?” A knock sounded at the door just then, followed by Zhou Sheng’s voice.

　　I opened the door to find both Zhou Sheng and Zhou Quan standing outside. “Yeah, I just got back.”

　　I turned and walked back into the room, and they followed me in.

　　“Quan saw you having dinner earlier, so we figured now was a good time to come over,” Zhou Sheng said with a grin as the three of us sat down.

　　I poured them each a cup of tea and set the cups in front of them.

　　Zhou Quan shot a glance at Zhou Sheng before looking back at me. “Brother Feng, how’s it coming along?” he asked.

　　I didn’t respond immediately; instead, I lifted the steaming cup to my lips and blew gently on the tea.

　　Sensing the hesitation, Zhou Quan seemed a bit uneasy and added, “Brother Feng, I’m not trying to push you—I just wanted an update. I know this isn’t easy, and if you can’t figure it out, we’ll understand.”

　　I set the cup down and met his gaze. “I know who killed your brother.”

　　“Are you serious?” Zhou Quan’s eyes widened with sudden intensity.

　　“I am. The killer is a man named Zhang Ming.”

　　“Zhang Ming?” Zhou Quan’s fist clenched, and he slammed it on the table.“Zhang Ming? Which Zhang Ming? You don’t mean the one from Tongming Group, do you?” Zhou Sheng exclaimed.

　　“Who else could it be? I know he had a grudge against my brother, but I never thought he’d actually kill him!” Zhou Quan replied.

　　“Are you sure about this, Brother Feng?” Zhou Sheng asked, sounding doubtful.

　　I looked at Zhou Sheng and said, “I’m sure. But...”

　　“What is it, Brother Feng? Just say it,” Zhou Quan urged.

　　I sighed softly and told them everything I knew. But I left out any mention of Li Yongxia—I didn’t want them getting dragged into this mess.

　　After hearing me out, both of them fell silent. Moments later, Zhou Quan abruptly stood up and rushed out the door.

　　Zhou Sheng quickly got up, saying, “Thanks, Brother Feng. We’ll catch up another day!”

　　He was about to run after Zhou Quan, but I stopped him. “Talk some sense into him. Don’t let him do anything reckless.”

　　“Don’t worry, Brother Feng. I’ve got it,” Zhou Sheng assured me.

　　After they left, I closed the door, cleared my thoughts, and sat cross-legged on the bed to meditate.

　　Around 10 p.m., one of the staff from the guesthouse came to tell me that I had a call. I couldn’t help but wonder who’d be reaching out at this hour.

　　When I got downstairs and answered the phone, it turned out to be Wang Mengyun. “Xiao Feng, I did what you said and had Dazhuang remove the fish tank and the mirror. But is there anything special I need to know about the way to bury the set of Five Emperor Coins?”

　　“No, that’s all, Mengyun. Just wrap the Five Emperor Coins in red cloth and bury them under the door frame—make sure they’re completely hidden,” I said.

　　“Alright. How long until it starts to work?” she asked.

　　“Three to seven days—no sooner than three, no later than seven.”

　　“Got it!”

　　“Oh, and let Dazhuang know. I’ll come by to see him tomorrow.”

　　“Just come straight to the house. I’m not very mobile right now, and he’s been staying home to take care of me,” she said.

　　“Alright, I’ll be there at ten sharp.”

　　“Okay.”

　　After hanging up, I didn’t head back to my room. Instead, I wandered out of the guesthouse and aimlessly strolled along the quiet streets.

　　It was already fall, and at this hour—ten at night—the streets were nearly empty. The streetlights had mostly gone dark, leaving only a few scattered windows glowing faintly with a warm light.

　　At first, I thought I’d need Liu Dazhuang’s help with Zhou Yong’s case. But now, it seemed that wasn’t necessary.

　　Still, there was someone I couldn’t ignore—Zhang Ming’s late wife, Liu Qing.

　　I could have dropped the whole investigation right then and there, but something in my gut told me that Liu Qing’s death was closely connected to Zhou Yong’s murder. It was too much of a coincidence that she had died just about a week before he did.

　　And the most unsettling part? Everything seemed to trace back to Li Yongxia. There was something off about how Zhang Ming had spoken her name.

　　That one word—“Yongxia”—wasn’t just a name. It was a clue to secrets that were still waiting to be uncovered.

　　As I walked under the night sky, lost in thought with my head down, someone suddenly bumped into me, snapping me out of my daze.

　　“I’m sorry, sir.” It was a woman who’d bumped into me—she looked to be in her thirties, wearing knee-high boots and a trench coat, her long hair flowing behind her. She had an air of elegance about her.

　　“It’s fine, just watch where you’re going,” I replied casually. I glanced at her briefly without paying much attention, then turned and kept walking.

　　Before I knew it, I had wandered over to Huayuan Community. I looked towards the entrance and noticed the lights were still on in the guard room.

　　I walked over and greeted, “Hey there, sir. Still up this late?”

　　The old man was the same as always, reading a newspaper. When he saw me, he grinned and said, “Not yet. I’m on the night shift tonight!”

　　“That’s gotta be rough,” I said.

　　The old man put his newspaper down on the table and gave a small shrug. “Eh, no big deal. You get to my age, you don’t sleep as much anyway.”

　　We both shared a quiet laugh.

　　“So, what’s a young guy like you doing out this late?” he asked.

　　“Just passing the time, taking a walk,” I replied.

　　“Well, since you’re here, how about keeping me company for a game or two?” he suggested.

　　I glanced over at the chessboard on the table. “Sure, sounds good.”

　　I stepped into the guardroom and took a seat across from him. We started playing, and before long, our conversation picked up again as we delved into talking about Huayuan Community.

　　“Huayuan’s really something else. Out of all the places I walked by, you’re the only guard still on duty,” I remarked casually.

　　“Ain’t that the truth? Look at this place—the pond, the rock garden, the lawns. There’s no other community in the city with an atmosphere quite like this. It’s a shame, though…” he trailed off, moving his cannon piece forward. “Careful now, I’m about to put you in check!”

　　I slid my knight into position, capturing his cannon with a grin. “Not so fast. You won’t beat me that easily.” Then, almost as an afterthought, I added, “By the way, I know who killed Zhou Yong.” 

　　His hand froze in the middle of his move, and he said, “Didn’t expect you to actually get to the bottom of it. Who was it?”

　　“Zhang Ming,” I replied with a sigh, my gaze drifting back to the chessboard.

　　“Zhang Ming? You mean the Zhang Ming from Tongming Group?” His tone carried a mix of surprise and disbelief.

　　Now it was my turn to be caught off guard. I glanced up at him. “You know him?”

　　“Know him? Of course! He’s one of the biggest names in Mountain City!” He gestured toward the Huayuan Community behind me and added, “See this place? It was his company that built it.”

　　The piece I was about to move paused in mid-air as I looked at him, stunned. “Are you sure about that? You’re saying Huayuan Community was developed by Tongming Group?” I asked, my voice a bit sharper.

　　“Absolutely, no doubt about it. Mountain City isn’t that big, and I remember it clearly. Back then, Tongming Group didn’t even exist—it was just Tongming Construction, which eventually grew into the group.”

　　“And Li Hongmin’s death back then... that was also…” I hesitated, letting my voice trail off.

　　The old man quickly raised a hand, gesturing for me to hush. “There were rumors, sure, but nothing concrete. No evidence. And Zhang Ming—well, he’s not just anybody. In just a few short years, he’s made Tongming Group the top dog in Mountain City. All that success? It buried those old suspicions fast.”

　　I was momentarily speechless. If Zhang Ming really had a hand in Li Hongmin’s death, then the Eight Trigrams stone carving in the community must’ve been his doing too. And there was only one person who could’ve helped him pull it off—Li Yongxia.