The breakfast today was mushroom and pork porridge with pancakes.

Liu Yuan sat in the public kitchen lobby, picked up a spoon, and took a spoonful of pork porridge into his mouth. The glutinous rice was cooked so soft and glutinous that it melted in one sip. The pork meat was processed in such a way that it was extremely smooth and tender. It was mixed with the umami flavor of the mushrooms and was full of flavor.

After Liu Yuan scooped two spoons of meat porridge, he picked up the pancake on the side. He heard Master Wen say that the name of this thing was qiān céng bǐng. The pancake was cut into fan-shaped pieces. Liu Yuan looked at the cut surface of the cake and could clearly see that there were layers in it. If one counted them roughly, there were at least seven or eight layers. The pancake was yellow on the outside and juicy on the inside, and the brown sauce and chopped green onion can be faintly seen between the layers.

He paused and took a bite. The outermost layer was crispy and delicious, so crispy that crumbs popped out when you bit it, but the inside was soft, and oily, with excellent elasticity. The most peculiar thing was the sauce mixed between the layers of cakes. He had never tasted such a peculiar sauce in all the years he had eaten in Chang’an City. Spicy but not pungent, salty yet sweet, the flavor was unique but particularly tantalizing.

Liu Yuan only took one bite and couldn’t stop. When he came to his senses, there was only a small corner of the qiān céng bǐng left in the bowl in front of him. After stuffing the small corner of the qiān céng bǐng into his mouth, Liu Yuan stood up and left the kitchen, feeling thoroughly satisfied.

Returning to his seat, he concentrated on sorting out the files on the water ghost case. By the time the files were almost sorted, it was already approaching noon.

Liu Yuan moved his shoulders, stood up, and sent the compiled files to Lin Fei.

After Lin Fei checked it and found no doubt, he sent it to Zhao Mengzhuo, the Minister of Dali Temple.

After running back and forth for a while, it was already noon when he came out of Zhao Mengzhuo’s place. Liu Yuan looked at the sun that had risen above his head and thought about the water ghost case. He didn’t have any cases at hand. When he had a few days to spare, he was going to find Bai Zhu and the others to go out for lunch.

This Master Sun’s lunch really didn’t have much to look forward to.

When he walked to the office lobby under the sun, before he even had time to enter the room, Liu Yuan bumped into Bai Zhutong’s gang of servants who were hurriedly approaching.

Watching this battle, Liu Yuan’s heart skipped a beat, thinking that there might be another case!

Sure enough, when he saw him, Bai Zhu said: “Liu Yuan, you came just in time. Lin Shaoqing was also looking for you. A case happened!”

At this time, Bai Zhu dragged him away before he could finish lunch, and went to the scene.

As he entered the scene and saw the chaos below, and heard the retching sounds from the bailiffs behind him, Liu Yuan couldn’t help but feel relieved that he hadn’t eaten lunch. Otherwise, he would have undoubtedly joined in the bout of retching.

Just as he was thinking about it, he heard a familiar voice coming from outside.

“Changshou Opera Troupe?”

Zhao You outside said excitedly: “Yes! Lin Shaoqing!”

Liu Yuan: “…”

He didn’t know what made Zhao You so excited. Didn’t you see that everyone was about to vomit?

Lin Fei said “Hmm” and walked in.

He was not wearing the usual Fei Yi official robe, but his own regular clothes. Today was Lin Fei’s holiday. The case came suddenly. Lin Fei came directly from Jingyun Hou Mansion.

The moment he stepped into the Changshou Opera Troupe, Lin Fei stopped.

Trigger Warning
A gory scene described in details, read with caution.

The strong smell of blood assaulted the nostrils, and blood splashed everywhere in the lobby like rain. The tables and chairs where the theatergoers were sitting were tilted here and there, with messy footprints rushing out of the hall.

Lin Fei lowered his head, looking at the messy and mixed bloody footprints, and frowned.

The footprints were in such a mess, which showed the panic and fright of the onlookers below. At the same time, they had no verifiable value.

The source of the panic among the spectators below came from the stage.

The actor’s head and limbs were theatrically separated from the body. The body was still suspended in mid-air with wires, and the actor’s limbs fell on the stage. The heavily made-up head landed in the middle of the table, facing everyone. Probably it happened so suddenly that he didn’t even have time to close his eyes, and he looked at everyone with calm eyes on his face painted with evil ghost makeup.

The sections of the limbs and head were extremely neat, falling there like a wooden figure in the hands of a carpenter. The difference was that the wooden figure in the hands of the carpenter could have its limbs re-attached at any time and be moved again by the lead, while the actor hanging in mid-air in front of him was a living person.

The situation at that time can be guessed from the actors on the stage and the mess off the stage.

The actor who was singing on the stage was suspended in the air by a wire. One moment he was humming “Yiya”, and the next moment, his limbs and head were suddenly separated. This scene was like water splashing into a hot oil pan. The spectators in the audience screamed in panic and hurriedly ran outside.

“Where are those guests?” Lin Fei asked.

“Everyone has been kept here, and they are all in the side courtyard,” said one of the bailiffs who arrived earlier. “Quite a few people were so scared that they fainted. There are two individuals with heart conditions in critical condition, and the physician is attending to them.”

Individuals with heart conditions should avoid getting emotionally agitated. Therefore, activities like playing polo, horseback riding, or running vigorously were generally avoided. As a result, there were fewer ways to pass the time and amuse oneself during leisure. Watching plays was one of the few entertainments available for people with heart conditions.

No one expected that the fright of a scene would be far more exciting than something as thrilling as polo.

The leader of the theater troupe was also brought over. He had a sad look on his face and muttered: “I have been in a long-standing company for many years. The death of a singer does not count. I might even scare two spectators to death. How can my troupe continue to operate in the future?”

The guard who came early couldn’t help but glance at him when he heard this and said sarcastically: “Don’t you always hope that your Changshou Opera Troupe will become famous in Chang’an City? So… Isn’t it just what you want?”

Hearing such obvious ridicule, Lin Fei, Liu Yuan, and Bai Zhu who came over, looked at the guard in unison.

Realizing that he misspoke, the guard quickly apologized to the group and then explained, “This Huang, the head of the troupe, has always enjoyed causing trouble. In the past, he has done quite a few mischievous things. My family likes to watch plays, so we were well aware of this person.”

The embarrassed head of the troupe, Huang, who had been called out, looked at Lin Fei and the others and hastily said, “Well… you see, I didn’t have a choice! Our troupe has been passed down in my family for so many years, and business has been declining in recent years. If the troupe were to truly perish under my watch, how could I face my ancestors in a hundred years?”

“So, right now, someone has died, two spectators with heart conditions are receiving treatment, and your concern is about the fate of your troupe?” Liu Yuan rolled his eyes in exasperation.

The head of the troupe Huang laughed, looked at everyone with a sly look, and quickly admitted his mistake: “I… I know I was wrong! I won’t dare to do it next time.”

Whoever believed this was a fool!

Lin Fei pointed to the actor hanging there on the stage, looked at the troupe leader Huang, and asked, “Who is he?”

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