Chapter 248 - 28: The Xiao Sisters, Farewell Dinner
Xiao Zhanbai’s heart dropped. A bad feeling washed over her, but all she could do was accept the Jade Scroll and extend her Divine Sense into it.
A moment later, she clenched her fist violently. The Jade Scroll creaked in her grip as veins bulged on the back of her hand.
The contents of the Jade Scroll were simple.
Law Enforcement Elder Jian had revoked her position as the lead investigator on the current case. The subsequent investigation would be taken over by another senior brother from the Law Enforcement Hall.
’On what grounds?’
’The deadline isn’t even up! On what grounds are they removing me from my post?’
Xiao Zhanbai felt a deep sense of humiliation and indignation.
The disciple who had delivered the message kept his head down, not daring to even breathe too loudly.
He knew that Senior Sister Xiao was currently like a volcano on the verge of erupting.
Everyone in the courtyard felt the bone-chilling Sword Intent radiating from Xiao Zhanbai. They all fell deathly silent, keeping their distance.
Just as her frustration reached its peak, a voice tinged with warmth and playful teasing suddenly drifted in from the courtyard entrance.
"Oh? Who’s gone and made my little Bai angry? With a face that stern, you could scrape a layer of frost off it."
Hearing this voice, Xiao Zhanbai jolted and snapped her head toward the entrance.
A tall woman in fitted red attire was leaning against the doorframe, watching her with a gentle smile.
The woman’s smile was warm, and her eyes were filled with doting affection.
"Sis... Sister?"
Xiao Zhanbai’s icy expression melted instantly, replaced by a complex look of surprise, hurt, and reliance.
Had Chen Ye been there, he would have certainly recognized this woman, for she was none other than Xiao Hongye.
"Sister, what are you doing here?"
Xiao Zhanbai hurried to greet her. The unapproachable, icy aura that kept everyone at a distance vanished the moment she saw Xiao Hongye, replaced by the dependent affection a little girl shows her family.
The surrounding Celestial Sword Manor disciples quickly moved farther away.
After all, it would be incredibly tactless to hang around during a reunion between sisters.
"If I hadn’t come, I’m afraid our family’s Little Sword Cultivator would have angered herself into an internal injury." Xiao Hongye reached out and affectionately tapped Xiao Zhanbai’s nose with a smile.
The intimate gesture made Xiao Zhanbai’s cheeks flush slightly, and she shied away in embarrassment.
"Sister, you’re teasing me again," she mumbled, a hint of a pout in her voice. She was like a completely different person from the decisive and ruthless elite of the Law Enforcement Hall.
"Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing you." Xiao Hongye took her hand, led her to a stone bench in the courtyard, and sat down. Only then did she look her sister up and down, her voice tinged with concern.
"Look at those dark circles under your eyes. Have you gone several days without sleep again?"
"I’m fine." Xiao Zhanbai shook her head, but the rims of her eyes were slightly red.
Their parents had died when they were young, and her older sister, Xiao Hongye, had raised her single-handedly.
To Xiao Zhanbai, her sister was not just family, but also a mother figure.
No matter how formidable she appeared to the outside world, in front of her sister, she was always the little sister who needed looking after.
"Still saying you’re fine?" Xiao Hongye shot her a reproachful glance. "I heard everything at the gate. Go on, tell me what happened. What case is so tricky it has you stumped?"
At the mention of the case, Xiao Zhanbai’s recently softened expression turned grim again.
She bit her lip and recounted to Xiao Hongye everything that had happened over the past few days, explaining the predicament she was in from beginning to end.
She explained everything: from discovering the murdered Demon of White Bone Mountain, to the Young Manor Master’s order to solve the case within a time limit, to her own complete lack of progress, and finally, to being removed from her post.
As she finished, her voice was filled with hurt and indignation.
"The killer is too cunning. Aside from determining that he’s an expert with a blade, he didn’t leave a single useful clue at the scene. Qingzhou City is huge and packed with people. With just three days, where am I supposed to find someone who is deliberately hiding?"
Xiao Hongye listened quietly to her sister’s complaints without interrupting.
When she had finished, Xiao Hongye reached out, patted the back of her hand, and comforted her softly, "There, there. I know you feel wronged, but the Elders must have had their reasons. After all, this is happening during the Grand Trading Fair. With such a major incident, the Manor’s prestige has been challenged. They’re under a lot of pressure and need to provide an explanation to everyone as soon as possible."
"But..."
"No buts," Xiao Hongye interrupted. "The path of Cultivation is never smooth sailing. Encountering setbacks and feeling wronged is normal. If you can’t even withstand a blow like this, how will you face stronger enemies in the future? How will you break through to higher Realms?"
Though her voice was gentle, the logic in her words was crystal clear.
Xiao Zhanbai fell silent.
’She knew her sister was right. Things had been going too smoothly for her lately, making her arrogant. That was why she couldn’t accept this failure.’
"Sister, don’t worry. I won’t let you down!" Fighting spirit reignited in her eyes. "Even if I’m not in charge of this case anymore, I will get to the bottom of it! I will hunt that killer down!"
Seeing her sister’s spirits lift, Xiao Hongye smiled in relief.
"Fighting spirit alone isn’t enough. You need the right method," Xiao Hongye said with a smile.
Although her Cultivation was lower than Xiao Zhanbai’s—only at the Unobstructed Realm—she had spent years roaming the Martial World. She was far more worldly and experienced in handling all sorts of trouble than Xiao Zhanbai, who had spent her time in secluded Cultivation within the manor.