When discussing the method and reason behind Liu Jinshi's suicide, A Shui said:

  "The rope he used to hang himself was meant for tying cattle, very sturdy, and the knot he made was quite unique. It was fixed with a hook to hang a person's neck, so even if the wind blew, the head wouldn't sway easily."

  "When I was investigating, the knot and the iron hook caught my attention."

  "If he simply couldn't accept it or was forced to commit suicide, there was no need for such complexity. There are plenty of rge trees and beams in the mansion; a piece of white cloth would suffice."

  "Yet he went through great lengths to make such a complicated knot and hook, and even went so far as to hang himself at the County Office's entrance."

  "I found it strange at the time, so I deduced Liu Jinshi's head position based on the rope's length and the hook, and then, following the direction of his gaze, I found this bottle of poison buried at the corner of the wall."

  As A Shui narrated, Wen Chaoshen immediately understood her implication.

  "So... Liu Jinshi went to great lengths to commit suicide at the County Office's entrance to hint at the location of the buried poison?"

  "No, that's not right... His body has been hanging at the County Office's entrance all day without any family coming to cim it, which likely means his family has also met with misfortune. It seems there was no one with exceptional martial skills around him to help him seek revenge, making his actions meaningless unless..."

  A Shui noticed Wen Chaoshen's pause and stared at his side profile illuminated by the firelight:

  "Hey, can't you just finish your sentence in one go?"

  Wen Chaoshen met her gaze, a subtle expression on his face.

  "...Unless the person Liu Jinshi was waiting for was you."

  A Shui's eyes narrowed.

  "Waiting for me?"

  Wen Chaoshen said:

  "You met him before, and to make him obedient, you must have threatened him, so Liu Jinshi should know your martial skills are strong."

  "Therefore, you are the only one who might help him seek revenge."

  A Shui's tone was pyful:

  "Are you saying Liu Jinshi was hoping for a complete stranger to help him avenge his death?"

  Wen Chaoshen fiddled with a piece of wood in his hand, seemingly organizing his thoughts. Soon, he tossed the wood into the fire, the sparks scattering and disappearing into the depths of his vision.

  "It must be so."

  "If all this isn't a coincidence, Liu Jinshi had no choice but to do this, he had to."

  "Before the new Magistrate Chun Qiong took office, he was surely threatened, knowing he had to die, and his family likely wouldn't survive either."

  "A cornered dog will jump over a wall, a desperate rabbit will bite, let alone someone like Liu Jinshi?"

  "In my three years of knowing him, he was meticulous and vengeful."

  "The people of Wangchuan wanted to harm him, he wouldn't just let it go."

  "Moreover, to him, although you are a stranger, you indeed have a reason to help him."

  After speaking, Wen Chaoshen lightly tapped the half-bottle of poison in A Shui's hand with a stick, and she stared at it, lost in thought.

  "You mean... the answer I sought from Liu Jinshi is reted to his death?"

  Wen Chaoshen nodded.

  "Yes."

  A Shui closed her eyes, rubbing her temples, as countless waves surged through her mind.

  She just wanted to know why, even though her parents died five years ago, she kept receiving letters from them over the past five years.

  This should have been a very simple matter.

  But now it seemed to have become complicated.

  Wen Chaoshen, while stirring the ashes in the fire, spoke in a calm voice:

  "And a few days ago, when you went to Liu Jinshi, he clearly knew the answer to this matter, yet insisted on deying, saying he'd tell you in a few days..."

  "Thinking back now, he wanted to dey until Chun Qiong arrived to hand over affairs, then leave with the secret, but he didn't expect Chun Qiong came to take his life."

  "So, Liu Jinshi racked his brains, finding a way to leave this bottle of poison for you, to tell you that the matter of receiving letters after your parents' death is inseparable from Chun Qiong and his group."

  "Liu Jinshi knew you wouldn't let it go, and as long as you sought the truth, he could use your hand for revenge."

  Wen Chaoshen said, gncing at the silent A Shui, his tone peculiar:

  "Now the two biggest questions are, why did the new Magistrate have to force Liu Jinshi to death?"

  "And what is the connection to your parents' matter?"