Merin steps into the lobby of the Divine Guard office as morning light spills through the high windows.
Guards and clerks pause in their movement, some bowing, others clasping fists.
"Good morning, Lord."
"Good morning, Lieutenant."
Merin nods back, expression calm, stride unbroken.
He takes the stairs to the second floor.
This level houses the offices of the lieutenants currently on duty.
Six offices line the corridor, each representing control over a critical sector of the capital or its surrounding provinces.
One oversees a border province.
Another manages treasury oversight.
One handles military supply corruption.
One monitors sect-related disturbances.
Lieutenant Tan's former office governs serious crimes within the capital city.
That office is now his.
Merin turns, opens the door, and steps into the outer office where several guards and clerks work under quiet discipline.
One guard notices him and immediately stands.
"Lieutenant, Commander Di wants to meet you."
Merin is not surprised.
Even if Commander Di had not summoned him, he would have gone regardless.
Today is his first day in this post.
He turns without comment and heads back into the stairwell.
He passes the third floor without stopping and continues to the fourth.
The fourth floor is quieter, heavier, reserved for command authority.
Merin walks down the corridor and knocks once.
"Come in."
He enters the outer office of Commander Di.
The layout mirrors his own new office, but larger, cleaner, and colder.
A guard rises immediately.
"Lieutenant Duan, Commander Di is waiting for you."
Merin walks toward the inner door.
As he passes, hushed whispers trail behind him.
They speak of midnight.
Of the Pearl House.
Of the woman he carried.
Others speculate whether the marriage is already decided.
Merin ignores all of it.
He knocks.
"Come in."
He steps inside.
The room is wide, formal, and severe.
Commander Di sits at the far end behind a broad desk, posture straight, eyes sharp.
Merin closes the door and takes several steps forward.
"Sit," Commander Di says.
Merin takes the chair opposite him.
Commander Di studies him for a moment, then speaks.
"Congratulations on your promotion."
"Thank you, Commander," Merin replies.
Commander Di folds his hands.
"Have you heard about the sleeping cases?"
Merin nods.
Men and women.
Young and old.
Falling asleep and never waking.
"Yes," Merin says.
Commander Di watches his face.
"If I assign this case to you, how confident are you in solving it?"
Merin answers evenly.
"I won't know until I gather full information and conduct a proper investigation."
He pauses briefly.
"But I can promise I will give everything I have."
Commander Di's gaze sharpens.
"If you take this case, giving your all will not be enough," he says.
"You must solve it."
Merin remains silent.
"The latest victim," Commander Di continues, "is the Seventh Prince."
The room grows heavier.
"The royal family," Commander Di says, "and the Duke of Anjan's household, want him awake as soon as possible."
Merin nods once.
"Even if I refuse," he says calmly, "the case will still fall to me, since I now oversee major crimes in the capital."
Commander Di smiles faintly.
"You can refuse," he says.
"But the consequence will be reassignment to a marginal region or an irrelevant department."
Merin meets his gaze.
"Then I will take the case."
Commander Di nods.
"Good."
The discussion ends shortly after.
Merin stands, salutes, and leaves.
He descends back to the second floor and returns to his office.
In the outer office, he speaks without sitting.
"Summon my three captains."
One guard moves at once.
He turns to another.
"Go to the Shock Fist Boxing Hall and invite Hall Master Ye Wen here."
The guard bows and departs.
Merin enters his new office.
He sits down behind the desk.
And the first true case of his new authority begins.
Minutes later, Gong Qiu, Ye Ran, and Li Yan enter the office.
They salute and stand across from his desk.
Merin does not tell them to sit.
"There is a new case," he says evenly.
He gives a concise overview of the sleeping incidents, omitting the royal pressure and the consequences tied to failure.
"Gong Qiu," Merin continues, "I want you to focus on the earliest victim."
"You will review the full medical records and personally speak with the physicians and healers who examined every affected person."
Gong Qiu nods, expression grave.
"Li Yan," Merin says, shifting his gaze, "gather complete information on all known victims."
"Backgrounds, habits, contacts, locations, timing."
"Find a common point, no matter how small."
"You may use any guard or clerk in the outer office as needed."
Li Yan bows slightly, already thinking several steps ahead.
"Ye Ran," Merin says, "trace the Seventh Prince's itinerary for the days leading up to his collapse."
"Every visit, every guest, every delay, every deviation."
"Nothing is too trivial."
Ye Ran acknowledges at once.
The three captains turn to leave.
A knock sounds at the door.
"Enter," Merin says.
The door opens, and Ye Wen steps inside.
Merin waits until Gong Qiu, Li Yan, and Ye Ran have exited and the door closes behind them.
He then lifts his gaze to Ye Wen.
"Sit," Merin says.
Ye Wen obeys without hesitation.
Ye Wen oversees the Duan Family's intelligence network within the capital, a quiet web of informants, brokers, and watchers.
Merin folds his hands on the desk.
"What information have you gathered on the sleeping case?"
Ye Wen thinks for a moment.
"Lord, our people found that every victim visited *Qinyun Street* before falling asleep."
Merin leans back slightly, fingers tapping against the wood in a slow rhythm.
Qinyun Street.
A street of music halls, poetry houses, dance pavilions, and art salons.
The entertainment artery of the capital.
Too broad.
Too clean.
Too common.
He finds no immediate thread to pull.
After a moment, he speaks.
"Tell our men to trace exactly what the victims ate, drank, and where."
"Food, wine, tea, incense, rooms, companions."
"Everything, down to the smallest detail."
"Do not worry about the money spent."
Ye Wen rises at once.
"Yes, Lord."
He turns to leave, takes a few steps, then stops.
Merin looks up.
"Something else?"
Ye Wen hesitates briefly.
"Housekeeper Chen ordered me to investigate Cai Wenji and Lady Yueqing."
Merin is not surprised.
"Do as he says," Merin replies calmly.
Ye Wen bows and exits.
Silence returns.
Merin opens the files stacked on his desk.
Capital murders.
Disappearances.
Sect disputes.
Underground trade.
He is responsible for all of it now, not just the sleeping case.
His eyes move quickly as he reads, information flowing into memory.
A portion of his consciousness separates, quietly organising patterns and anomalies.
Minutes pass.
Then Merin stands.
It is time to visit the Seventh Prince.
—
Hours earlier, while Merin meets with his three captains, Yu Diexin receives a messenger.
The man bows respectfully.
"Doctor Cai, please come with us."
Diexin looks up.
"For what reason?"
"The sleeping case," the messenger replies.
"One of the latest victims is the Seventh Prince."
He pauses.
"This request comes from Lady Cui."
Diexin's expression shifts subtly.
She nods.
"I will go."
She follows the messenger into a waiting carriage.
The Inner Royal City gates open in silence.
The carriage stops deep within the palace grounds.
A guard leads her through layered courtyards into a secluded palace hall.
Lady Cui waits inside.
She is beautiful and regal, her composure strained by worry, attendants standing close at her sides.
After brief formalities, Diexin is led to the inner chamber.
The Seventh Prince lies motionless on the bed, breathing steadily, face peaceful, eyes closed.
Diexin examines him carefully, her Qi flowing gently through his body.
She finds nothing wrong.
No injury.
No poison.
No imbalance.
Her focus shifts inward.
Spirit.
She straightens and turns to Lady Cui.
"His body is unharmed," Diexin says.
"The issue lies within the spirit."
Lady Cui exhales slowly.
"We suspected as much," she says.
"Do you have any way to wake him?"
Diexin sits, fingers resting lightly against her knee, mind racing.
If she succeeds, she gains favour with the Duke of Anjan.
Another pillar.
Another lever.
Her marriage to Merin is already set for two weeks later.
But power is never enough.
She opens her mouth to speak.
Then stops.
Before she can continue, an attendant rushes in from outside.
"Lady Cui," the woman announces, "Lieutenant Duan has arrived to investigate."
Lady Cui straightens.
"Let him in."
Diexin looks up.
Merin enters in his lieutenant's uniform, posture composed, presence steady.
Diexin rises to her feet.
Merin bows.
"Lady Cui."
Then his gaze shifts to Diexin.
"Why are you here?"
Lady Cui looks between them, surprised.
"Do you two know each other?"
Before Diexin can speak, Merin answers evenly.
"Doctor Wenji is my fiancée."