Near a spring at Feiyun Slope.
Clear water surged endlessly from underground, flowing toward the lower channels.
Green lotus leaves floated on the surface, pink blossoms in full bloom, koi fish weaving lazily beneath the shade.
Small wooden rafts drifted across the water, parting clusters of emerald weeds.
Blue skies, white clouds, mountains mirrored in the lake—an idyllic scene.
Yet today, almost no one came to admire the scenery.
At the center of the gathered crowd, an empty circle had formed.
A white-haired old man knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
Before him lay something covered in white cloth.
From the raised outline beneath it, one could vaguely tell—it was a person.
Or rather, a corpse.
A fisherman had been the first to discover the body and had immediately notified the Millelith.
"Lord Dean, please restrain your grief," the fisherman said gently.
"Your daughter often helped beggars and refugees in life. She was kind-hearted and widely regarded as a virtuous young lady. Her passing pains us all…"
The kneeling elder trembled with rage.
"Hua Chu would never commit suicide!" he shouted hoarsely.
"I know my daughter better than anyone. It was the Northland Bank—they did this!"
"On my way here, I already commissioned a lawyer to sue the Snezhnayan Prince. He must answer for my daughter's death!"
"Why push things this far…" the fisherman sighed.
"Offending the Snezhnayan Prince never ends well."
"I've already lost everything!" Lord Dean roared.
"My fortune—my daughter—both gone! All that's left is this useless old body. What is there left to fear?"
Seeing this, the fisherman sat down to rest, waiting for the Millelith to arrive, saying no more.
Earlier, he had mentioned suicide only to avoid provoking Lord Dean further.
But in truth, even he suspected otherwise.
The killer might really be Northland Bank.
Or that Snezhnayan Prince currently visiting Liyue.
And he wasn't the only one thinking that.
Years ago, Lord Dean had operated Minghua Money House.
In its heyday, business flourished, and he accumulated immense wealth—he was once a major merchant of Liyue.
His daughter, Hua Chu, was their only child. Gentle in appearance, kind in heart, she was considered one of Liyue's celebrated young ladies.
A family many envied.
But after Northland Bank entered Liyue, local money houses steadily declined.
One by one, they collapsed.
Only Minghua Money House endured, becoming the last native money house in Liyue.
Lord Dean refused to shut down.
He competed head-on with Northland Bank.
His resolve was widely praised among the people. Merchants and commoners alike deposited funds with him in support.
Against all odds, Minghua Money House clawed back from the brink.
For a time, it even stood evenly matched with Northland Bank.
During that period, Northland Bank repeatedly pressured him.
He never yielded.
Clashes between employees broke out more than once—until the Millelith intervened to mediate.
From any angle, the one who most wished misfortune upon Lord Dean's family would naturally be Northland Bank.
Just as the fisherman was thinking this—
A Millelith general arrived on a chestnut horse, leading a squad of armored soldiers. The area was immediately sealed off.
At the sight of golden-scaled armor and long spears, the crowd felt reassured.
Such a grand mobilization!
The fisherman recognized the general at once.
A man dedicated to handling homicide and strange cases within Liyue—
known among the people as the "Divine Detective General."
In recent years, with violent crimes sharply declining, the general rarely appeared in public.
Encountering him today felt almost like an honor.
"General," the fisherman said, "I was the one who discovered the body."
"Very well. Go aside and answer questions."
A Millelith soldier immediately began questioning him, with another recording the testimony.
Before long, a sudden uproar rose from the crowd.
"It's Lawyer Yanfei!"
"Lord Dean really hired her to sue the Snezhnayan Prince!"
"With the Divine Detective General and Yanfei here, Northland Bank won't escape justice this time, right?"
People excitedly shouted Yanfei's name.
Liyue's most experienced, most reputable lawyer—
in a nation that revered contracts, her popularity rivaled that of a celebrity.
The Divine Detective General turned toward the newcomers.
Then, to everyone's shock, he strode forward and clasped his fists in a deep bow—
But not to Yanfei.
To the man beside her.
Days earlier, when the Liyue Qixing hosted a banquet at the Jade Chamber for the Snezhnayan delegation, the general had been on security duty.
He had seen the Prince with his own eyes.
The memory of the Qixing—normally so aloof—seeking counsel from that man was something he would never forget.
Seeing him again now, the general's respect only deepened.
The fisherman and Lord Dean were stunned.
Why would the famed Divine Detective General bow so deeply to a stranger?
Even before the Qixing, such deference was rare.
Only when they heard him address the man as "Your Highness" did realization strike.
They hurriedly lowered their heads in salute.
"So that's the Snezhnayan Prince?"
"His presence feels overwhelming—almost more imposing than the general himself. Like a born sovereign."
"I've heard of techniques to read imperial aura… perhaps he practices one."
"He doesn't look like a murderer."
Recognizing Severin, many in the crowd instinctively showed reverence.
Awe—and admiration.
Yanfei's eyes flickered as she carefully observed the crowd's reaction.
Her understanding of the Snezhnayan Prince deepened yet again.
His reputation in Liyue now rivaled that of the Liyue Qixing.
The difference was—
The people revered the Qixing as an institution, built by generations of service.
But their reverence for the Prince was directed at him alone.
In all of Liyue, only one other figure enjoyed such singular devotion—
Rex Lapis.
The thought made Yanfei's pressure spike.
Both cases she had taken were lawsuits against this man.
If she wronged him, her reputation would be ruined.
She silently reminded herself—
Gather evidence carefully.
Remain impartial.
Neither wrong the Prince, nor be swayed by his fame.
If he were guilty, she would see him judged by the law.
"What's the status of the investigation?" Severin asked upon arrival.
"We were preparing to have the coroner examine the body," the general replied.
"Please allow me first to brief Your Highness on—"
"Conducting an autopsy here?" Severin interrupted coldly.
The general froze. "Your Highness… is there an issue?"
"This young woman, Hua Chu, was unmarried," Severin said sharply.
"Stripping her in public for an examination—where is the dignity of the deceased?"
On the way here, Severin had already learned the details of Hua Chu's background from Yanfei.
The moment the general mentioned an autopsy, Severin stopped him.
"Your Highness," the general said carefully,
"examining the body at the discovery site is required by Liyue law. Lawyer Yanfei knows this best."
Yanfei nodded slightly. Such a statute did exist.
But instead of calming down, Severin's voice grew colder.
"If the deceased were your wife or daughter," he asked,
"would you agree to a public autopsy?"
The general fell silent.
After a long pause, he answered honestly.
"If it were my wife or daughter… to protect their dignity, I would not."
Severin turned his gaze to Yanfei.
"And you?"
"I…" Yanfei hesitated.
"I would follow the law. But if possible… I would also prefer not to conduct it publicly."
This was the situation Yanfei feared most—
When law and human ethics collided.
"Well," Severin said calmly,
"then we have consensus. Transport the body elsewhere for examination."
"As for Liyue's laws—Miss Yanfei, as Ningguang's legal adviser, submit a proposal for amendment."
"If the law cannot be people-centered—
then change the law."
With that, Severin made the final call.
It was his first direct intervention in Liyue's internal affairs.
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