NOVPUBGu Zhi recalled the unopened incense pastes in the box, feeling a bit dazed.
Qiao Xun’s voice echoed in her ears, “You probably won’t believe it, but she was an incense master at Hundred Knowledge Pavilion, a highly esteemed position.”
Gu Zhi was visibly stunned when she heard the name, “Hundred Knowledge Pavilion?”
Qiao Xun sighed, “These old stories haven’t been mentioned for a long time. I can hardly remember them.”
Before Gu Zhi could speak again, Shen Roujia asked, “Do incense masters use their own products?”
Qiao Xun frowned, “Generally, no.”
He paused and continued, “Incense masters are well aware of the side effects of the ingredients. One careless mistake can cause backlash.”
Qiao Xun raised his hand, “I’ve handled incense for years. That’s why my hands are in this state.”
Shen Roujia had already noticed his withered hands.
“They wouldn’t use their own incense.”
Shen Roujia hesitated and looked at Gu Zhi, “It seems we’ve hit a dead end again.”
Gu Zhi also looked into Shen Roujia’s eyes, realizing they were thinking the same thing.
Knowing that the incense paste had extraordinary effects, yet taking risks to try it, how could they determine who the real enemy was? Who was the murderer?
Shen Roujia sighed softly, and Gu Zhi looked at Qiao Xun again.
“Don’t say such things. If you weren’t aware of what happened back then, why would the Qiao family abandon you here?”
Since Qiao Xun was hiding in the black market, he must be living a life of constant hiding. The first person who would want him dead would certainly be connected to those past events.
Gu Zhi astutely pointed this out.
Shen Roujia echoed, “Master Qiao, we just want the truth. We’re not here to take your life.”
Qiao Xun paused for a long time. “I already wronged her. I can’t disgrace her legacy as well. What’s buried should stay buried. Why do you children insist on digging it up?”
Shen Roujia frowned, “You may not know, but Qiao Chuyi’s only child still blames herself for her mother’s death. Many people are trapped in darkness because of those unclear past events.”
“What you see as sealed truth is a lifeline for others.”
After Shen Roujia spoke, Qiao Xun visibly wavered.
He said sincerely, “Chuyi was the esteemed daughter of the Qiao family. From birth, she was destined for a life of duty.”
“And I was just a concubine’s son, adopted because of my suitable birth date to shield the legitimate family.”
He let out a bitter laugh, “Every great family has its hidden filth. I grew up amidst that filth, neither a proper master nor a true servant.”
“I foolishly entangled with that precious little miss, even trying to pull her into the mire.”
His voice choked with emotion, “How could she have had freedom? Yet she dared to step barefoot into this mire.”
Shen Roujia felt deeply moved by his words.
It turned out the person hidden in Qiao Chuyi’s heart was this man, buried by time. He must have been a significant figure in her life.
Qiao Chuyi lived a bitter life, like a delicate doll in luxurious attire, unable to deviate even a step. From one cage to another, she leaped into an even grander, gilded prison.
