Li Man'er changed into a fitted outfit and scattered some powder on herself.
Liu Ya, not understanding, asked, "Miss, what is this powder for?" At this time of year, there were no more insects or snakes.
"This isn't insect repellent, it's an odor-concealing powder."
"Concealing odor?" Liu Ya didn't quite understand.
Li Man'er put on her mask and whispered, "A few days ago, I heard barking from the yamen. They've likely got dogs, and dogs have the keenest sense of smell. If they patrol with dogs, they'll find me easily." Although she had her spatial artifact to hide in, it was still a lot of trouble.
"This powder can mask my scent, so even dogs with their sharp noses won't be able to find me."
Liu Ya's eyes lit up, "There's such a good thing in the world."
Li Man'er thought to herself that there were many good things in the world.
"Alright, I'm leaving. You stay in the room and rest. Don't open the door for anyone unless it's absolutely necessary."
For some reason, Liu Ya felt a slight tremor of nervousness.
Li Man'er pressed her ear against the door, listening for any unusual sounds. Once she heard nothing, she pushed the door open and swiftly slipped away.
Liu Ya closed the door and stood by it for a while, waiting. When she heard no further disturbances, she finally relaxed. Sleep was out of the question, so she leaned back in her chair to doze, ready to react should anything happen.
Meanwhile, Li Man'er, after leaving her courtyard, avoided the patrol teams and headed straight for the main compound.
No matter where Xiao Qiniang went, she would likely be in or around the main compound. Searching there first seemed like the most sensible approach.
Li Man'er was very familiar with the main compound. She used the darkness as cover, moving unhindered until she reached the main compound and concealed herself in the shadows.
Shortly after she hid, she saw distant flickering lights. Patrol teams, carrying torches, were heading towards the main compound. The person at the front was leading a large black dog, resembling a Tibetan Mastiff but less ferocious. The dog, panting with its tongue out, trotted alongside the guards, looking quite formidable.
Li Man'er chuckled inwardly. Xiao Qiniang probably felt the yamen wasn't safe and had the dog brought along for patrols. It made sense; Feng Jue had gone missing, and Xing'er was dead, causing quite a stir. If Xiao Qiniang remained unconcerned, it would truly be a ghost.
Once the patrol team had passed, Li Man'er took out her UV flashlight and, simultaneously, a piece of black cloth.
She covered the UV flashlight with the cloth to somewhat contain the light, then turned it on and shone it towards the middle of the path.
Specks of fluorescent powder became visible under the UV light. Li Man'er followed the glowing spots, walking towards the courtyard exit. After a short while, she stopped.
It was a fork in the road. Both paths ahead had fluorescent powder on them, indicating that Xiao Qiniang had walked on both paths recently.
Li Man'er turned off the light and pondered in the darkness. The left path led back to her own courtyard. The other path presumably led towards the garden.
Li Man'er predictably abandoned the left path and headed towards the right. As she walked, she reactivated the UV flashlight. Guided by the glow of the fluorescent powder, she soon arrived near the rockery.
Why would she come all the way here?
Li Man'er didn't have time to think further. Following the trail of fluorescent powder, she entered the narrow passage within the rockery and found even more of the powder there.
This fluorescent powder had excellent adhesion and was not easily blown away by the wind. Once it stuck to shoes or clothes, it would only fall off through friction and movement.
This meant the fluorescent powder in the rockery passage wasn't blown there by the wind; it must have been brought by Xiao Qiniang, indicating she had been here.
Li Man'er followed the passage to its end, only to be blocked by a rock face.
There was no path forward.
With the rockery providing cover, the UV light was less likely to be noticed. Li Man'er carefully scanned the surroundings. She noticed that the largest concentration of fluorescent powder was near the base of a certain stone wall.
Li Man'er turned off the light and began to ponder again.
Why would Xiao Qiniang come into the rockery passage? Was she meeting someone?
But the entire yamen was under their Xiao family's control. Surely she wouldn't be discussing anything secret here!
Could this rockery conceal something more?
This time, Li Man'er took out a flashlight, again wrapped in black cloth, and began to feel along the stone wall of the rockery. She was a meticulous person by nature, and having witnessed many schemes, she quickly found a hidden switch on the rockery.
Li Man'er gently pulled it, and a stone door opened, revealing a small opening. There was light inside, and the air was still fresh, suggesting it was a place frequently used.
Good heavens, it was a secret room! Too bad it lacked any originality, built right under the rockery.
Li Man'er put away the flashlight and took out a small electric baton, then flashed into the opening.
The stone door slowly closed. Not long after, a patrol team walked past the rockery...
Li Man'er descended the steps, maintaining her vigilance.
There was no one in the secret room, nor were there any sounds, but she faintly heard breathing.
Li Man'er quieted her steps and slowly moved towards the source of the breathing.
The narrow passage suddenly opened up into a wider space, but it was very dim, with only one lamp lit. In the faint light, Li Man'er saw a person tied to the stone wall.
His hair was disheveled, obscuring his face. He was emaciated, and his limbs were securely bound. He looked as if he were asleep.
Quite brave, to be able to sleep in this situation.
Just as Li Man'er took a couple of steps forward, the person suddenly stirred, clearly having heard something. He had woken up.
"Young Miss Xiao Qi, why have you come again?" The person slightly raised his head, seemingly recognizing her.
Li Man'er frowned. She found the person's voice vaguely familiar. Just as she was about to move closer, the person suddenly lifted his head and looked around blankly, "Since Young Miss Xiao Qi is here, why aren't you speaking?"
Upon seeing the person's face, Li Man'er was greatly shocked and was about to say something when she heard footsteps approaching from the direction of the stone door.
Someone was coming.
Without a second word, Li Man'er immediately entered her spatial artifact.
The man looked up blankly and thought to himself, how strange. He was sure someone had arrived earlier, but now there was no one. Was it all his imagination?
Just then, someone carrying a basket and holding a fire starter entered.
The man had been imprisoned here for a long time, and the only ones who visited him were a few specific people. Judging by the footsteps, he knew who it was.
"Hu Da?" the man asked, somewhat confused.
The man called Hu Da replied without any surprise, "My lord, it is I."
The man frowned slightly. The person who had arrived earlier was clearly a woman. Did Hu Da not see her? But why did he show no reaction at all?