Book 20 Chapter 16

The Full Story of the Zhongyang Escort Service Incident

— The Stolen Hairpin

Scattered everywhere, overturned low tables and fallen chairs, drawers that had been neatly organized and tucked away in the chest of drawers until dawn, were all flung open, their contents—clothes and belongings that should have been neatly stored inside—dumped onto the floor.

Nangong Sansan, who had just finished her usual early morning training and opened the door to her dormitory, blinked in astonishment at the scene before her. It hadn't even been an hour since she'd woken up, felt the cool, refreshing dawn air, and practiced her swordplay.

"Surely, it's a thief?!"

'Who dares do this here!'

Although she harbored a sliver of doubt, Nangong Sansan tensed her body, preparing for any possible situation, and was about to draw her sword when a familiar voice cut through the chaotic mess.

"It's gone! It's gone! It's gone!"

The distressed voice, and the hand that occasionally popped up amidst the disarray, were familiar to Nangong Sansan. With every raised hand, an object flew through the air. It seemed that hand was the culprit behind this whole situation.

*Whoosh!*

Once again, a hand shot up, and something else took flight. It was unceremoniously flung backward and then rolled to her feet. It was a Buddha statue.

'Even this…'

She figured it would be best to somehow calm her down if she didn't want to sleep in the dew tonight.

'Sigh…'

Nangong Sansan let out a deep sigh and then called out a little louder.

"What's gone, Jinling?"

The frantic hand movements paused for a moment. Nangong Sansan didn't miss the opportunity and continued.

"What is this mess in the room? This isn't a room you use by yourself! Surely you haven't forgotten that?"

"…"

From the middle of the battlefield-like, beyond-desperate-can-be-described chaos, a head emerged. As expected, it was her roommate and fellow Vermillion Bird Squad member, Jinling.

"Sansan~"

Jinling's eyes, as she called out to her, were brimming with tears that looked ready to fall. Startled, Nangong Sansan flinched and asked,

"Why… why? What's wrong? I'll help if there's anything I can do."

Jinling looked as if she was about to burst into tears.

"Well… it's… it's gone!"

"Gone? I get that it's gone, but how will I know if you don't tell me what's missing?"

Her emotions seemed to be causing a lack of smooth conversation, which was starting to frustrate Nangong Sansan.

"I mean, the hairpin I kept in my jewelry box is gone!"

Then Nangong Sansan asked,

"The beautiful jade-green one?"

"Yes!"

Jinling nodded once.

"The one carved with flowers and a phoenix?"

"Yes, yes!"

Jinling nodded twice, a little excited.

"The one you always wear in your hair?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Even more excited, Jinling nodded three times in quick succession.

"The very one you firmly refused when I asked to borrow it once?"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, that's right! That's it! It's gone. I received it as a birthday present from my aunt when I was twelve!"

"Lady Jin?"

Nangong Sansan knew she treasured it, but she hadn't known it had such a story behind it.

"Yes! It was almost the only feminine item I received from my aunt, who normally only cared about swords. I cherished it so much."

And yet, it was gone.

"Did you perhaps drop it while you were training this morning?"

Jinling, like Nangong Sansan, had never skipped her morning training. Today, she had left a little later than Nangong Sansan, who had already departed. However, Jinling shook her head.

"No, that's impossible. It's not suitable for morning training, and it's so strenuous that I worry it might get damaged or lost if I wear it. So, I keep it in the box when I train. When I went out today, I clearly checked it while taking out my hair tie. But… but…"

As if by some supernatural trick, it had vanished without a trace in the meantime.

"Did anything else go missing? Besides the jade hairpin, there were quite a few other accessories that would be worth money, weren't there?"

Although they were martial artists, they were also mature women, so they possessed a certain essential collection of accessories.

"No, only that is missing. Even the money pouch I left behind is still here!"

"That's strange… not taking the money pouch but only that…"

It was an unfathomable situation.

"Think carefully. Is there anything else important missing?"

"Hmm… come to think of it, a letter is also missing."

"A letter?"

"Yes."

"A letter from some other man, besides 'Gong Sang'? A letter detailing an affair?"

If that were the case, it would be understandable why Jinling was so flustered.

"No!"

Jinling, her face flushed crimson, shouted.

"If not, then why are you getting so worked up? You seemed flustered, so I thought it might be that kind of letter. Then whose letter is it?"

Nangong Sansan asked in a dismissive tone.

"From my aunt."

"From Lady Jin?"

"Yes."

"That's odd. Then only things related to Lady Jin are missing, aren't they?"

"Now that you mention it, they are."

Indeed, both missing items were only related to her aunt.

"Why would they take it?"

"Well…"

That was the most puzzling part.

"Perhaps… is it the act of some pervert who has a crush on Lady Jin? Someone from the Ai Xiao Society…"

"That's surprisingly plausible."

They might actually do something like that.

"But this is a men-prohibited area. It's not a place men can easily enter. The only person with that kind of ability would be the eldest disciple, but he's in prison right now, isn't he?"

Jinling said.

"That's true. Then who could it be?"

She couldn't even begin to guess.