Futile Devices Scans

The heart beneath his palm was beating rapidly, thudding hard against his pulse. That violent rhythm did not lie—this “hostage” was far less composed than he appeared.

The stranger who had fallen from the roof did not respond, already calculating in his mind how to escape. In the front courtyard, the old servant answered in a trembling voice and hurried to open the gate. From the back courtyard, the two could clearly hear the officers questioning:

“The Imperial City Guard is conducting an investigation. Who is the master of this household? How many people reside here? Have you seen any suspicious individuals enter just now?”

The old servant replied hastily, “Sir officer, my master holds the post of Attendant of the Western Terrace and is the Second Young Master of the Wei family of Duke Zhenguo. He is currently on leave at home today. The gates have remained shut all this time—no one has come to visit, and none of the household servants have gone out.”

The Imperial City Guard clearly had not expected that such a figure would be living in this secluded courtyard. He paused before asking, “Could it be Lord Wei Fu?”

The old servant replied, “It is indeed.”

The guard’s tone and demeanor immediately softened. “We have pursued a criminal to this area and do not know which household he may have entered. We are searching house by house. We ask that Lord Wei come forward so we may conduct routine inquiries.”

The young man in black listened closely to the sounds outside, while taking the opportunity to size Wei Fu up from head to toe. Clearly, he had not expected that a random grab would net such a big catch. His gaze was like that of someone strolling through a marketplace, as if considering whether to braise or stew his prize.

Wei Fu, entirely lacking the awareness of a hostage, leaned in and whispered:

“This is bad. I could have claimed you were my friend, but with that one sentence, he’s cut off that route. Now it’s full of Imperial City Guards outside—what do we do? Let’s be clear first: if they see you climbing out of my house, I’ll be implicated.”

They stood far too close—Wei Fu was practically speaking against his ear. His breath, cool with a faint bitter scent, brushed lightly against the side of his hair. It was not unpleasant, but the young man was unaccustomed to it. He instinctively leaned back, putting a bit of distance between them.

“I could still take you hostage, Young Master Wei,” the man in black threatened in a low voice. “What if I seize you and force them to let me go?”

“Hm, that depends on what crime you’ve committed.” Wei Fu actually considered it seriously for a moment before replying, utterly unconcerned, “If it’s a major crime, that definitely won’t work—I’m no match for a court-designated criminal. But if it’s too minor, that won’t do either. If you kidnap me over something like three radishes and two cloves of garlic, I’d lose all face.”

The man in black shot him a strange look. Wei Fu immediately caught it. “What is it?”

How can someone whose heart is practically leaping out of their throat still force themselves to act calm and make jokes? Are all officials of Xiling this good at keeping up appearances?

“Nothing.” As their idle chatter continued, the sound of approaching footsteps grew closer to the back courtyard. The man in black clicked his tongue softly. “Then what is Young Master Wei’s brilliant plan?”

“Hide first. There’s no time to run now.” Wei Fu gestured toward the open bookshelf inside with his eyes. “I’ll go deal with the Imperial City Guard in front.”

There was no time left to weigh options. The man in black withdrew the dagger from Wei Fu’s neck with a flick of his wrist, braced himself against the window frame, and slipped lightly into the room. Wei Fu stepped over to close the cabinet doors for him, casually straightening his own slightly wrinkled collar and front lapels before pushing open the study door and stepping out first, feigning confusion:

“What is all this noise outside? What has happened?”

The old servant, Wei Rong, hurried to his side and explained in a low voice. The courtyard was small; within a few sentences, Wei Fu had already reached the front yard. The leading Imperial City Guard, seeing a tall and elegant young man approach like a jade tree in the wind, immediately recognized him as the master of the residence. He stepped forward at once and offered a respectful greeting:

“This subordinate, Captain Chen Wendu of the Imperial City Guard, is currently pursuing a wanted criminal. We had no intention of disturbing Lord Wei and beg your forgiveness for any offense.”

Wei Fu smiled. “Not at all. The Imperial City Guard patrols the city and guards against thieves—this is Captain Chen’s duty. How could it be called an offense? This residence was purchased twenty years ago by my father and mother themselves. The two of them are currently traveling afar and asked me to come occasionally to look after the house. If you wish to search the premises, please do as you see fit—only, the items here are old, so I ask that your men be a little careful.”

Since he was willing to cooperate, such a small request was naturally agreed to without hesitation. Chen Wendu instructed his men to proceed cautiously, while inwardly letting out a sigh of relief.

Although Wei Fu was only one rank above him in official position, in reality their statuses were worlds apart. One came from a distinguished family and entered the palace more often than he returned home; the other was born into a military household, someone the emperor barely even noticed. Unless Chen Wendu found his career progressing far too smoothly, he would never dream of offending him.

In truth, the legitimate eldest young master of the Wei family was Wei Xiu, the eldest grandson who would inherit the title. Yet in Fengdu, whenever people spoke of “a young master of the Wei family of the Duke Zhenguo,” the first person they thought of was usually the second young master, Wei Fu.

This Young Master Wei could be considered something of a legend. His father, Wei Huaijun, was the second son of Wei Ying, the Duke Zhenguo. From a young age, he had harbored extraordinary ambitions—to become a chivalrous hero, roaming freely with sword in hand, avenging wrongs and riding across the land.

The Duke’s residence was an illustrious noble lineage, producing civil officials, military generals, empresses and consorts, and even monks—but never a wastrel. When the Duke learned of this shocking aspiration, he was so enraged he nearly took up a weapon to break the legs of his unfilial son. Yet Wei Huaijun felt deeply wronged; he believed that being a “hero” was a respectable and honorable profession, entirely different from being a “prodigal son.” His family simply did not understand his aspirations. Unable to make himself understood, he packed his belongings one night and ran away from home, leaving behind a letter declaring that he would travel to Dongyu to apprentice under the renowned martial sect Linghua Sect.

Wei Ying could do nothing but resign himself, treating it as though he had never had this son. Yet several years later, Wei Huaijun suddenly returned to Fengdu without warning—and by then, he already had a wife and child. His wife was a strikingly beautiful but mysterious figure from the jianghu, and his son was a mute child who could not speak.

The Wei couple lived in Fengdu with the child for a time, but for reasons unknown, they eventually sent him back to the Duke’s residence, while the two of them once again vanished without a trace.

Over the years, their whereabouts remained a mystery, and even the Duke’s household had no clear account of what they were doing. As for the child, he was intelligent and spirited, gifted both in appearance and talent, with a photographic memory. Aside from his inability to speak, there was nothing to fault. Wei Ying felt that Wei Fu was far more sensible than his mule-headed father. He raised the boy carefully, without expecting great achievements—relying on the wealth and status of the Duke Zhenguo, even as a mute, he could live a lifetime of ease and prosperity.

Yet unexpectedly, when Wei Fu turned fifteen, for reasons unknown, he suddenly regained the ability to speak. After a few months of practice, he became indistinguishable from any ordinary person. What had once been a regrettable flaw was refined away, leaving behind a perfectly composed and gentle young noble.

But even this did not encompass the full extent of his legendary life. During the reign of the late Emperor Jin Yuan, a plague spread within the palace, and infants died in succession. With no other recourse, the emperor sent several young princes to be raised in the households of trusted ministers. The Fourth Prince, Mu Heng, was entrusted to the Duke’s residence. Wei Fu, being of the same age, naturally became his close companion. Their bond deepened over time, and Wei Fu earned Mu Heng’s deep trust.

Three years ago, Mu Heng ascended the throne. Upon his accession, he immediately transferred Wei Fu, who had been quietly compiling texts in the Lantai, into the central administration, appointing him as Attendant of the Western Terrace, responsible for drafting imperial edicts, receiving memorials, and issuing imperial proclamations. Though the rank of Attendant was fifth-grade, it was a position of exceptional prestige and influence at the emperor’s side—at the smallest scale, it meant constant attendance before the throne with direct access to the emperor; at the largest, it meant participating in major state decisions and managing critical affairs, effectively grooming him as a future prime minister.

Compared to a smooth and uneventful life, a life filled with twists and a touch of mystery was always more captivating. Chen Wendu had long heard of his reputation; this being his first direct encounter, he could not help but feel a trace of curiosity. Standing at the side, he stole glances at him without drawing attention. Wei Fu did not notice and casually asked:

“What sort of case could possibly mobilize the Imperial City Guard like this? Conducting a citywide search—could it be a bandit of great notoriety?”

“It’s not exactly a major case—it just happened by coincidence,” Chen Wendu replied. “Earlier, while this subordinate was leading a patrol through the streets, we suddenly heard someone calling for help inside Tongshi Pharmacy. When we went in to look, we found the shopkeeper, Xu Shifu, stabbed in the back and lying on the ground, already dead.”

“And you happened to catch the culprit at the scene?”

“Well… not necessarily the culprit.” Chen Wendu scratched his head, somewhat lacking confidence. “This subordinate brought men into the pharmacy to examine the body. One of my subordinates suddenly had an urgent need to relieve himself and asked to use the facilities. But as soon as he reached the back courtyard, he ran into a suspicious figure. He shouted, and seeing the situation turn unfavorable, that person climbed over the wall and fled. We gave chase all the way here, but the trail vanished in this alley. That is why we are searching house by house. Even if that person is not the murderer, he is certainly not innocent… Did I say something wrong?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.” Wei Fu reined in his overly obvious expression and smiled faintly. “I just think that foolish thief is rather unlucky.”

Chen Wendu found his reaction inexplicable, yet could not show it on his face, and could only let out an awkward laugh. Fortunately, a moment later, several Imperial City Guards returned to the front courtyard after completing their search, all reporting no abnormalities—except for one recent recruit, who spoke bluntly:

“This subordinate found several broken tiles on the ground in the back courtyard just now. There’s a missing section on the roof. May I ask, my lord, did you see how it fell?”

Wei Fu did not respond immediately. Instead, he cast a smiling glance at Chen Wendu, one that made the latter’s hairs stand on end, wishing he could roll up his sleeves and knock this tactless fool senseless.

“Th-this… Lord Wei…”

Wei Fu raised a hand to indicate there was no issue and replied gently, “There are often stray cats wandering through the nearby alleys. The tiles must have slipped when a cat lost its footing on the roof. This house has long stood empty, and the roof hasn’t been repaired for years. Exposed to wind and sun, it is inevitable that some parts have decayed and loosened. I’m afraid it has made a poor impression on all of you.”

A high-ranking court official who could command wind and rain would never stoop to harboring a completely unrelated suspect. The Imperial City Guard silently saluted and returned to his place. Chen Wendu, thoroughly exhausted from the nerve-wracking exchange, only wanted to end this unfortunate task as soon as possible. Seeing that no one else had anything to add, he cupped his hands to Wei Fu:

“Lord Wei, we have caused much disturbance today. Please forgive us. This subordinate will take his leave.”

“You are too courteous, Captain Chen.” Wei Fu returned the courtesy with a slight bow, then turned to instruct, “Uncle Wei, see Captain Chen off for me.”

Wei Rong stepped forward to escort the Imperial City Guard out. Wei Fu strolled back to the study in the rear courtyard. Seeing that everything inside remained in order, the furnishings still in their proper places, he casually closed the door and raised his voice toward the tightly shut bookshelf:

“The Imperial City Guard has left. You can come out now.”

Silence filled the room. The cabinet doors remained closed, and no one answered.

Wei Fu froze for a moment, then quickly stepped forward and pulled open the bookshelf. Inside, it was completely empty—there was no one there.

He released his grip in a daze, glancing around and turning in place like a little dog that had lost its tail. Only then did he realize the person had already left. Somewhat dispirited, he stared at the thin layer of dust inside the cabinet, his ever-upturned, smiling lips unconsciously pressing into a line.

He already knew he was fleeing a murder scene, and yet he was still so lacking in caution?

The young man in black leapt down silently from the shadow of the rafters, landing behind him without a sound. Reaching out, he lightly tapped Wei Fu’s shoulder.

Startled, Wei Fu whipped around. The man in black leaned back with ease, effortlessly avoiding the sweep of his flying hair, and leisurely admired the look of shock on his face—so intense it seemed his three souls and seven spirits had fled his body.

“Who slipped on the roof?”

Wei Fu: “……”

“You—honestly, you— I really—” He clutched his violently pounding heart and took a deep breath. The man in black, utterly unhurried, raised a finger to his lips in a gesture for silence. “Shh. Careful, or you’ll call them back.”

Wei Fu had nearly been scared out of his life. Pressing a hand to his chest, he took a long while to steady himself before his heart finally settled back where it belonged. Letting out a long breath, he muttered in complaint:

“I should have shouted for help and let the Imperial City Guard take you away.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

The man in black had not missed that instant when Wei Fu turned around—shock and delight had erupted in his eyes like fireworks, beautiful enough to be painted. He stepped closer, asking with a hint of intrigue:

“You know me. Have we met before?”

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