Imperial henchmen? My divine skills are all hacked versions.

After the three entered the city and had a meal, Xu Xian went straight to the Inspection Department.

Upon arriving at the yamen gate, the clerk on duty was wiping the gateposts. When he saw Xu Xian, he quickly put down his rag and bowed.

Is Lord Wang here?

The constable shook his head. "Lord Wang took leave today and went home. His daughter had a doctor come to see him today. Lord Wang left early this morning, saying he had urgent business at home and needed to be found."

Where does he live?

"It's in Liuye Lane in the east of the city, the one with the crooked locust tree at the entrance."

Xu Xian turned and left, Yang Xu followed with his knife, and Ouyang Ruiming followed at the very back.

...

The three of them turned two corners in the alley in the east of the city and sure enough, they saw a crooked locust tree leaning out from the courtyard wall.

Xu knocked on the door, and an old servant opened it.

The old servant led the three through the front yard, where Wang Yanni was coming out of the main house to greet them. She wasn't wearing her official robes, but only a worn-out blue cloth jacket.

  

"Xu Xiaoqi? Commander Yang?"

Wang Yanni noticed Ouyang Ruiming behind Xu Xian and asked, "Who is this?"

"We'll talk about that later, Lord Wang. I heard you had a doctor examine your daughter today?"

"Yes, Nini has had a leg problem since she was a child and can't stand up. Over the years, I have traveled all over the country and visited many famous doctors. Finally, I found one who can cure her. After the last acupuncture treatment today, she will be able to walk from now on."

Wang Yanni stepped aside to make way. "Come in and talk. Did Xu Xiaoqi want to see me about something?"

Xu Xian followed him into the courtyard. "I'm going back to the capital. The investigation into Qingzhou has reached this point, and we won't find much more to uncover. I'll leave the rest to Lord Wang to keep an eye on. Report any news back to the capital immediately."

Wang Yanni's eyes flickered, and she nodded.

"That's good. During your time in Qingzhou, you were ambushed in the dense forest and surrounded at the Sima Mansion. You were injured several times. It's good for you to go back to the capital to recuperate for a while. Don't worry about the case. I'll write to you as soon as I have any leads."

Xu nodded and followed him through the main house to the backyard.

The yard was very clean, with two pomegranate trees planted in the corner and several pots of herbs placed under the trees.

A girl of about ten years old sat on a bamboo chair under a tree, her trousers rolled up to her knees, with more than a dozen silver needles stuck in her two thin legs.

An elderly man with white hair and beard was squatting next to her, applying a layer of dark green ointment to her knees.

When the little girl saw Wang Yanni leading the stranger in, she put down the nine-linked rings she was holding, looked up, and gave him a sweet smile.

"Hello, uncles. Hello, sister."

"I'm getting old, call me brother..."

Xu Xian chuckled softly, squatted down beside the bamboo chair, and examined the silver needles on her leg. "Does it hurt when you get the needles?"

"It doesn't hurt. Grandpa the pharmacist said that after this treatment, I'll be able to walk on my own, and Daddy won't have to carry me to school anymore."

Wang Yanni stood to the side, looking at the silver needles on her daughter's leg, a smile playing on her lips.

"This girl has been unable to move her legs since birth. I carried her on my back for ten whole years. Today, after this last acupuncture treatment, she can finally get out of bed on her own. Nini, Grandpa Pharmacist said that after the acupuncture, you need to walk around a few times while holding onto the wall. You're not allowed to run right away, understand?"

"I heard you!" The little girl nodded vigorously, then lowered her head again to fiddle with her nine-linked rings.

Xu Xian stood up, looked at the old man who was applying medicine to the little girl's knee, and suddenly spoke.

"Sir, could you do me a favor? This young lady's face looks strange. Since you can use needles, you must also know the art of disguise. Could you take a look at her?"

The old pharmacist looked up and glanced at Ouyang Ruiming, then stood up, walked over to her, and gently pressed her cheek a few times with his finger.

He pressed on several acupoints in a very tricky spot, behind the ears and on the back of the neck.

After pressing a few times, he was somewhat surprised. "This is done with needles. There's a certain skill involved. Inserting needles into acupoints can change the tension or relaxation of facial muscles, causing subtle changes in appearance. Only experts can recognize it."

He turned to look at Xu Xian, "I can remove these needles, but she needs to cooperate. If there is any slight deviation when removing the needles, it will damage the facial meridians."

Xu Xian looked at Ouyang Ruiming.

Ouyang subconsciously took half a step back, glancing back and forth between him and the old pharmacist twice.

Xu glared at her, and Ouyang bit her lip, stopped, and turned her head away from him.

The old pharmacist reached out and gently pressed behind her ears and the back of her neck a few times, then with two fingers, he took out a silver needle about an inch long from behind each of her ears.

Then two more needles were taken from the hairline, their tips as fine as cow hair.

Ouyang Ruiming's face began to slowly change. Like a painting that had been washed with water, the original outlines reappeared layer by layer.

Yang Xu, standing to the side, opened his mouth in shock.

Xu Xian looked at the face he had seen once before and nodded in satisfaction. "Still so beautiful."

The old pharmacist was still holding the four silver needles in his hand. His gaze fell on Ouyang Ruiming's face, and he stared blankly for a while, seemingly somewhat surprised.

He snapped out of his reverie, coughed, put the silver needles back into his medicine box, and turned back to continue applying medicine to the little girl.

"I have lived for over seventy years and have never seen such a beautiful girl."

Wang Yanni, standing to the side, was also taken aback. She glanced at Ouyang Ruiming, then turned to Xu Xian and asked, "Who is this young lady...?"

"My suitor."

Xu Xian remained unfazed. "You chased me all the way from Kyoto to Qingzhou. I'm so annoyed with you, I'm constantly busy. How could I possibly have time for romance?"

"She even disguised herself to get close to me, it must have been tough on her. Lord Wang, you be the judge, is it wrong to be handsome?"

Yang Xu's lips twitched, and he finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Wang Yanni glanced at Xu Xian with a strange expression, then looked at Ouyang Ruiming's face, a face that could make any man forgive all her mistakes, but said nothing.

Ouyang Ruiming clenched her fists and gritted her teeth fiercely. If she weren't outmatched by Xu Xian, she would have already made her move.

Xu Xianchao clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Wang Yanni, "Lord Wang, then we will take our leave now."

Just as Wang Yanni was about to speak, a black-clad mounted guard suddenly rushed in through the door, panting heavily. He leaned against the doorframe, catching his breath.

"Lord Wang! Xu Xiaoqi! Lord Mo has arrived! He's already at the Investigation Department!"

Xu Xian was taken aback, and exchanged a glance with Wang Yanni, who also looked surprised.

Yang Xu was startled, and slung the knife over his shoulder. "Tsk... Why has Lord Mo come in person? Isn't he supposed to be in charge in the capital?"

Xu turned around and walked out.

Upon reaching the horse, he swiftly lifted Ouyang Ruiming onto its back and placed him in his arms.

Ouyang trembled a few times from his lifting and lowering, and before she could protest, Wang Yanni suddenly turned and walked into the house.

"You go first, I'll go settle my girl in, and then I'll catch up with you."

Xu Xian nodded, spurred his horse, and rode towards the Inspection Division.

...

Wang Yanni turned back into the yard, where her daughter was slowly standing up, leaning against the trunk of the pomegranate tree. Her legs were trembling, but she had managed to stand.

The little girl was both crying and laughing, clinging to the tree trunk.

"Father! Look, I've stood up!"

Wang Yanni squatted down in front of her daughter, touched her knee, and gently pressed her fingers on the spots where the silver needles had been inserted. Her eyes were a little red.

"Nini, go get fifty taels of silver from Grandpa the pharmacist. It's in the drawer in Dad's room, the one wrapped in blue cloth."

The little girl responded and, supporting herself against the wall, walked step by step toward the main house.

It was the first time she had walked on her own, and she took very careful steps, never daring to let go of the wall.

As she entered the room, Wang Yanni stood up and turned to the old pharmacist, her smile fading.

"The Chief Justice is here, aren't you leaving?"