A Wanderer of the Jianghu

[Whimsical mastermind and restoration expert x handsome, tragic, devoted puppy of a Crown Prince]

Ling Xiaosheng was skilled in mechanical arts from childhood. As a young child, he could repair broken tiles and crumbling walls; as a boy, he could restore pavilions and towers. His reputation as a prodigy spread throughout Baicheng.

After a great victory in battle, he donned white, rode a wooden bird across the Baijiang River, and circled above the newly acquired lands. He flew as lightly and gracefully as a white dove, astonishing everyone who saw him. Though still young and sometimes reckless, the boy with his hair tied up cared deeply for the people. Unable to bear seeing them live among nothing but broken tiles and rubble, he gathered his friends to recruit workers and materials, then set to work with careful planning and steady progress.

When the emperor heard of this, he praised him, saying, "Good," and summoned Ling Xiaosheng to keep the Crown Prince company.

Not long afterward, an assassin struck inside the palace, and the Crown Prince was killed. The emperor flew into a rage, and everyone suspected Ling Xiaosheng was involved.

Until Emperor Wen's death, no one in the world ever mentioned the young master builder from Baizicheng again.

Later, a Kongming Tower was built in Baizicheng. Its master was surnamed Ling, which aroused suspicion, but people soon discovered that the master was a young woman named Zhizhi. Her craftsmanship was ingenious and distinctive. Though she was a woman, no one questioned her abilities. She devoted herself to construction and restoration, displaying skills that seemed to defy nature, and the Kongming Tower became famous throughout the land.

Zhizhi had a friend named Sun Ke. He was widely read, had an excellent memory, and was a true talent.

However, Ling Zhizhi and Sun Ke had been living under assumed names. When the palace reopened an investigation into an old case, they had no choice but to return to Baicheng and continue building the Kongming Tower. Concerned about the Crown Princess's old illness, they searched for clues while carrying out their restoration work, but unexpectedly became entangled in the old case.

Uncovering the truth was no easy task. Li Zhongxian, Tang Shu, Zhang Jian, Zuo Yue... one after another, they met untimely deaths. Poisoning cases, the Erzi case, murders by bloodletting... New horrors kept emerging, and whenever the truth seemed about to surface, someone always seemed to erase the traces on purpose. Taking the opportunity to enter the homes of the rich and powerful, Ling Zhizhi and her friends secretly investigated the clues left behind, and the truth was on the verge of coming to light.

The master of the Luban Pavilion suspected Ling Zhizhi's identity but did not investigate further. Ling Zhizhi's old friends Ban Ling and You Muwang kept in close contact with her. As they investigated step by step, they became convinced that Ling Zhizhi was Ling Xiaosheng, but they never exposed her identity.

The old friends of days past remained deeply devoted to each other, never forgetting their original intentions despite all the hardships they had endured. The new friends of today shared the same ideals, and overcoming difficulties together only strengthened their resolve.

The Kongming Tower squad gathered together, joining forces and making each other stronger as they faced danger, solved mysterious cases, and uncovered the truth!

"Ling and Sun bonus scene 1"

Sun Ke couldn't say when he had started liking Ling Zhizhi. Perhaps it began when he discovered that Ling Xiaosheng was a woman.

The girl's eyes shone especially brightly in the night. She pressed her index finger to his lips, telling him to be quiet.

She pouted. "You're the Crown Prince, yet you don't know the first thing about manners. What punishment do you deserve for barging into a young lady's bedroom?"

"I'm sorry, Xiaosheng." He squeezed his eyes shut, his face bright red. "The moon is full tonight. I only wanted to invite you to look at it with me."

"What's so interesting about the moon?" She got dressed, then boldly pried open the Crown Prince's eyes with her fingers. "Is it prettier than me?"

"The moon is certainly more beautiful.

"But you're not bad either."

"Ensemble bonus scene 1"

"So this Ling Zhizhi is Xiaosheng? But wasn't Xiaosheng a boy? You even got engaged to him when you were young..."

You Muwang seemed to realize something. His eyes widened, and he covered his mouth in disbelief. "Could it be that he was angry about our secret engagement, so he... castrated himself?"

Ban Ling nearly raised her sword, Zhanjin, and hit him over the head. "If Zhizhi were a man, she'd still be a hundred times better than you."

"She's not a man, and she's still better than me! Ahem, don't look at me like that. I mean in terms of ability. Uh... I mean her ability to make money..."

"Ensemble bonus scene 2"

Cheng Sang Xu smoothed the fine fur on his jacket. "Chen Yu is someone I picked up from a mass grave. Naturally, she's one of our people from the Siyu Sect."

"She works at the Kongming Tower. She's one of my people!"

He tried to reason with her. "Master Ling, everything has to follow the order in which it happened."

"Cheng Sang Xu, everything also depends on whether both sides are willing!"

Leaning against Ling Zhizhi's shoulder, Chen Yu chimed in. "That's right."

"Ling Zhizhi, you dare address this sect leader by his full name! Fine!"

Watching Chen Yu feed Ling Zhizhi a piece of watermelon, Cheng Sang Xu was so furious that stars seemed to burst before his eyes. He tossed the medicine bottle straight out the window.

"Qiang Qing was bitten by a venomous snake while gathering herbs, then fell off a cliff and was devoured by wild beasts. The dogs even carried off the bones. Now I've lost the last bottle of medicine too. Sun Ke, I'm afraid you're not long for this world. Alas, what a tragedy!"

Qiang Qing: ?

Sun Ke: ?

[Reading Tips]

1. This is an ensemble novel with a strong female lead. The investigation conducted by the male and female leads is the main plot, while their journey also highlights the strengths of the other characters. From brilliant and courageous allies to masterminds who conceal their true abilities, they will all leave their mark on the martial world of Dayan.

2. The female lead uses restoration work as a pretext to investigate an old case. The novel contains many descriptions related to architectural restoration, so please feel free to point out any errors in that area.

3. The cultivation and martial arts systems in this novel are entirely the author's invention. Any resemblance to existing works is purely coincidental.

4. I am Miyu. I hope you, too, will find joy in this story and share in its pleasures. Thank you all!

Theme: The young heroes' journey through the martial world and their mission to solve a case