Lin Rui entered the manager''s quarters of the Spiritual Cloud Tea Garden and couldn''t help but feel a twinge of sympathy upon seeing Lin Fu.


    The man''s face looked exceptionally haggard, his bloodshot eyes betraying several sleepless nights caused by the pressure and anxiety of the theft case. An unmistakable weariness emanated from him as if the entire burden of the missing spirit tea rested on his shoulders alone.


    "Uncle Lin Fu, this spirit tea theft has been troublesome," Lin Rui said, cutting straight to the point.


    Lin Fu heaved a long sigh, wiping sweat from his brow. His furrowed eyebrows revealed his obvious distress. "Indeed. The tea garden''s security has always been tight—outsiders can''t sneak in. We''ve even increased patrols these past few days, however..."


    He paused, his eyes flickering with hesitation about whether to continue. Finally, he added in a low tone, "We''ve been discussing that whoever stole the spirit tea must have known the garden''s inner workings to act so boldly."


    Lin Rui nodded slightly, silently observing Lin Fu. The man''s words carried deep resignation, but the flicker in his eyes raised Lin Rui''s suspicions—this didn''t seem like the behavior of a completely innocent manager.


    "Have there been any unusual situations in the garden recently? Or any behavior that seems particularly noteworthy?" Lin Rui continued, his tone calm yet hiding a sharp edge.


    Lin Fu''s expression faltered for a moment, followed by a flash of unease in his eyes. He sighed softly and said in a hushed voice, "Recently, Old Chen the Third has been working late into the night. You know, he''s one of the tea processing workers, and lately, he''s stayed until midnight several times before leaving. Tea processing is already demanding work, but staying so late in the garden is truly unusual."


    Lin Rui''s mind stirred, immediately noticing the subtle shift in Lin Fu''s tone—he seemed reluctant to elaborate on Old Chen''s situation, his words filled with evasiveness despite bringing up the topic.


    "Old Chen the Third?" Lin Rui echoed, his gaze steady as he probed beyond the surface of the words.


    Lin Fu quickly lowered his head, his eyes darting about as if afraid he''d said too much. "He... perhaps he''s just falling behind on the tea processing schedule. The pressure''s high, so he works overtime. As for anything else... I can''t say there''s a problem with him."


    Lin Rui frowned slightly, having already formed a judgment—Lin Fu''s mention of Old Chen involved some deflection. Though he spoke as if confident in his reasoning, that moment of hesitation and the flicker in his eyes revealed his inner concerns.


    "I understand, Uncle Lin Fu," Lin Rui didn''t press further, offering a slight smile. "Thank you for the information. I''ll look into Old Chen''s recent activities and see if, as you say, he''s working late due to pressure."


    Lin Fu sighed with relief, revealing a complex expression. "If you need any help, please tell me. This is family business—I don''t want any more troubles."


    Lin Rui walked into the rear courtyard of the Spiritual Cloud Tea Garden, where rows of tea trees stood with emerald leaves glistening in the sunlight. The air was thick with an intoxicating tea fragrance. However, Lin Rui wasn''t distracted by the beautiful scenery; his eyes were fixed on a corner of the tea processing workshop—Old Chen the Third''s work area. The elderly tea worker had earned quite a reputation in Bamboo Cloud Town for his exceptional skills, yet Lin Rui sensed that things weren''t as simple as they appeared.


    Old Chen was busy at the kiln, turning hot tea leaves with an iron shovel. His movements were practiced as always, but close observation revealed a subtle restlessness, even a trace of agitation. Standing in the doorway, Lin Rui noticed Chen''s pale complexion and the beads of sweat on his forehead, which were clear signs of inner turmoil.


    Lin Rui approached and called softly, "Old Chen."


    Chen whirled around, alarm flashing in his eyes before quickly suppressing it, forcing an awkward smile. "Ah, young Master Lin, perfect timing! Just busy roasting tea here. What brings you by?"


    Lin Rui took note. Chen''s reaction was quick, but he couldn''t hide his inner turbulence. Looking around, Lin Rui observed that the workshop maintained its usual order, but a strange bitter scent hung in the air—not like tea fragrance—more like something else entirely. This raised his vigilance.


    "Old Chen, have you been busy lately?" Lin Rui asked directly, his tone calm yet probing.


    Chen''s smile froze for a few seconds before he responded with a bitter laugh. "Busy, yes, quite busy. The garden''s production is behind schedule, so everyone''s working overtime. When is a tea worker not busy? Early mornings, late nights—when do we get to rest?" His words carried obvious self-reassurance, but Lin Rui keenly detected the concealment beneath.


    Lin Rui frowned slightly, maintaining a neutral tone: "Is that so? I heard you''ve been working until recently, staying much later than others. Several times, you''ve returned quite late. Is there some special reason?"


    Chen''s eyes flickered as he lowered his head, avoiding Lin Rui''s gaze. "Not at all... I''m just busy with work. Nobody wants these tea leaves processed properly more than I do." His words trembled slightly, betraying his nervousness.


    Lin Rui didn''t rush to respond, continuing to scan the surroundings until his gaze settled on a copper knife on the wall. The handle bore several noticeable scratch marks that seemed recent. Though seemingly insignificant, these marks triggered a sense of unease in Lin Rui. They weren''t ordinary work marks but appeared to have been caused by some hasty movement.


    "This knife?" Lin Rui pointed at it, his tone casual.


    Old Chen''s eyes darted away instantly, his face turning slightly pale, clearly reluctant to discuss the topic. "This knife? I use it to trim tea branches. Just knocked it accidentally while working—nothing special." He tried to mask his nervousness with a casual tone, but Lin Rui detected the unusual reaction.


    Lin Rui smiled slightly, maintaining his calm demeanor: "But these scratches look like they were made by something sharp, and the blade''s wear is uneven—as if someone was hastily dealing with something and left marks in their rush." He paused, his gaze sharpening. "Old Chen, are you hiding something lately?"


    Chen''s face immediately grew paler, alarm flashing in his eyes as he stepped backward, swallowing hard. "I... I''m not hiding anything. There''s just been a lot of work lately, and there is high pressure. Sometimes, I can''t control my emotions well."


    Lin Rui didn''t press immediately; instead, he fixed his gaze on the man as if trying to unveil all his hidden secrets. Though Chen repeatedly emphasized he wasn''t concealing anything, Lin Rui had already reached a more definite conclusion. Chen''s nervousness and the flaws in his words revealed his true inner state.


    "Old Chen, this theft case is significant. Since you''ve been working overtime lately, it wouldn''t hurt to help ease some of your pressure and see if we can find any clues," Lin Rui said gently but in a tone that brooked no refusal.


    Chen''s expression changed, his eyes flashing with complexity, seemingly hesitating whether to continue hiding something. Finally, he didn''t say more, just forcing a smile: "Young Master Lin, thank you for your concern, but I truly have nothing to hide. It''s just extra work, nothing else."


    Lin Rui didn''t speak further, simply watching him quietly, having already decided. Though Chen pretended to be calm on the surface, his every action betrayed his hidden anxiety and unease. Lin Rui was now certain that Chen was not as innocent as he claimed—he definitely knew more but wasn''t ready to reveal it yet.


    "Very well, Old Chen. Carry on with your work; I won''t disturb you." With that, Lin Rui turned and left the workshop, silently deliberating his next move.


    Lin Rui crossed through the garden''s rear courtyard, a gentle breeze rustling the verdant tea trees, the air still fragrant with rich tea aromas. Yet Lin Rui''s gaze wasn''t drawn to these beautiful scenes; his attention remained focused on the investigation ahead. He walked toward the training ground at the side of the garden where family guards conducted their daily practice.


    Lin Hu was leading a group of guards in combat training. Tall and imposing, his movements flowed like water, his swordsmanship powerful and precise, each move emanating a commanding presence. As captain of the Lin family guards, he enjoyed the family''s deep trust—not only for his martial prowess but for his loyalty. Always serious and taciturn, he was the core figure among the guards.


    When Lin Hu finally stopped training and wiped the sweat from his brow, Lin Rui approached.


    "How busy have things been with the recent tea garden theft?" Lin Rui asked, his tone concise and direct, without pleasantries.


    Lin Hu wiped his sweat, appearing somewhat tired, but a flash of seriousness crossed his eyes. "Very busy. Things have been unstable lately. The guard patrols have been increased, but suspicious circumstances remain. The theft might not be as simple as mere stealing." He paused, lowering his voice. "During our recent inspections, we discovered the garden''s internal defenses aren''t as secure as they appear on the surface."


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    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow, looking alertly at Lin Hu. "What do you mean?"


    Lin Hu lowered his voice, glancing around to ensure no one was watching them, then whispered: "During our patrols, we found discrepancies in some guards'' patrol times and records. Several people''s patrol logs showed time differences that were too great, and some guards'' reports contained content that didn''t match reality. Moreover, certain guards frequently appear behind the tea garden mountain for no legitimate reason." He paused, his expression grave. "These individuals have suspicious movements and complex situations."


    Lin Rui''s mind stirred—clearly this wasn''t as simple as just an insider issue. "Which guards? Can you be more specific?"


    Lin Hu frowned slightly, falling silent for a moment. "I can''t confirm exactly who yet. However, several people''s movements are definitely suspicious, especially those guards who normally don''t stand out. Their behavior has become unusual lately, as if deliberately avoiding inspections." He sighed. "We''re already investigating secretly and have found some clues, but we need more time and evidence."


    Lin Rui nodded briefly before speaking: "In that case, keep an eye out and try to record these people''s movement patterns, especially the times and places they appear. If necessary, I''ll investigate personally."


    Lin Hu slightly bowed, his expression serious: "Understood, Brother Lin Rui. I''ll watch closely. The truth behind this theft must be uncovered quickly—we can''t let these people continue to operate freely."


    Lin Rui felt a flash of gratitude and said softly: "Thank you for your help." His gaze fell discreetly on the sword at Lin Hu''s waist as he finished speaking. The sword handle seemed to have some scratches—uneven lines that appeared recently. This detail alerted Lin Rui, especially since Lin Hu was normally so masterful with weapons; such scratches were unusual.


    Lin Rui gave Lin Hu a penetrating look, harboring suspicions but choosing not to voice them. Instead, he smiled slightly and turned to leave the training ground.


    Next, Lin Rui opened the administrative hall doors and entered the family''s internal affairs department. The atmosphere here was rigorous and quiet, with ledgers and documents neatly arranged perfectly. Lin Qiushui sat at her desk, focused intently on organizing a stack of family account books.


    Hearing the door, she looked up, her gaze calm yet polite. Seeing Lin Rui, she smiled faintly: "Young Master Lin, are you here to inquire about the situation?"


    Lin Rui got straight to the point: "Are you Internal Affairs Officer Lin Qiushui?"


    Lin Qiushui nodded in response.


    "I''d like to ask you something. As the family''s internal affairs officer, you must know all financial transactions. Has there been any financial irregularity regarding the tea garden theft on the family''s side? For instance, any unexplained expenditures or abnormal fund movements in the accounts?"


    Lin Qiushui''s expression paused briefly before quickly returning to its usual calm. She held the ledger and spoke softly: "The family has indeed conducted checks regarding the tea garden theft. After our internal review, we found no large-scale abnormal fund movements in the accounts, but some minor details are worth noting."


    A flash of alertness crossed Lin Rui''s eyes. "Minor details? What are they?"


    Lin Qiushui began slowly: "Several expenditures, especially those related to the tea garden, seem to have bypassed strict approval processes and were handled hastily. More strangely, some purchase receipts show that our usual suppliers didn''t provide the items. For instance, some recent tea processing equipment was procured through irregular channels—the suppliers'' names aren''t even on the family''s established list."


    Lin Rui raised an eyebrow, recognizing this as an essential lead worth pursuing. "What exactly is the situation with these expenses? Can they be traced back to specific suppliers or individuals?"


    Lin Qiushui''s eyes flickered slightly, and she sighed: "At present, while these expenditures have no direct suppliers listed, we''ve discovered that their occurrence aligns with the timeline of the tea garden theft. Though these expenses seem scattered and seemingly negligible individually, they amount to a significant sum when added together."


    Lin Rui''s mind stirred, though he maintained his composure. "Where did these funds eventually flow? Have you found any more specific traces?"


    Lin Qiushui shook her head: "There''s no direct link to any particular supplier or individual yet, but I''ll continue tracking these transaction records. If you need, I can provide you with all relevant bills and detailed records to help your analysis."


    Lin Rui nodded, smiling slightly: "Thank you, Lin Qiushui. I''d like you to pay attention to the internal management of the tea garden to see if anyone has privately exchanged any items. After all, the truth behind theft incidents often lies within such details."


    Lin Qiushui''s gaze sharpened as she nodded in understanding: "I''ll strengthen monitoring. Although the tea garden''s management has always been strict, with personnel movements under control, if someone deliberately bypasses these regulations, it''s certainly an issue that can''t be ignored."


    Lin Rui inclined his head slightly: "Thank you for your trouble. Please notify me immediately of any developments regarding the tea garden."


    Lin Qiushui paused, her eyes revealing deep thought: "Young Master Lin, please be careful. What lies behind this incident is likely more than just a simple theft case."


    Lin Rui didn''t say much more, simply nodding lightly before turning to leave the administrative hall. As he left, he continued pondering the meaning of Lin Qiushui''s words—the issues behind the theft case seemed more complex than he had anticipated.


    Despite questioning several relevant individuals, Lin Rui felt he still hadn''t grasped any substantial clues. Lin Qiushui''s demeanor was calm—too calm—and although Lin Hu''s patrol didn''t show obvious flaws on the surface, something about the details felt off. After some contemplation, he decided to change his approach and search for more traces in the environment.


    Entering the depths of the tea garden, Lin Rui approached the warehouse. He observed its exterior, noting that the guard standing at the entrance seemed somewhat lax. The guard, who should have been strictly rotating positions and remaining vigilant, appeared rather listless, his gaze wandering, occasionally looking down at the instrument in his hand, barely paying attention to his surroundings. Lin Rui raised an eyebrow—while this wasn''t enough to prove misconduct, the guard was clearly unfocused.


    "What''s going on here?" Lin Rui muttered softly, stepping lightly past the guard and continuing toward the warehouse.


    He noticed several unusual aspects around the warehouse. First, a small path behind the warehouse didn''t show many signs of foot traffic, but upon closer inspection, Lin Rui discovered a small section of ground that had been pressed relatively flat. It didn''t look like an area frequented by regular passersby but rather a path deliberately traversed. Lin Rui bent down to examine it carefully, finding the soil in this area was very densely packed, indicating some people had tried to conceal their movements.


    However, he suddenly noticed something even more alarming—faint, strange footprints on the ground, unlike those of humans, resembling animal paw prints. Lin Rui crouched down to observe these prints, his brow furrowing slightly. Their shape was unique, unlike any common spirit beast, giving him an inexplicable sense of unease.


    He took a piece of paper and a pen from his pocket and quickly sketched the shape of these footprints. The pen tip moved rapidly across the paper as Lin Rui''s gaze intently followed every line, trying to capture the details of these strange prints. After finishing, he gently blew away the wet ink and carefully examined his sketch.


    Lin Rui thought he might find clues to connect these strange footprints to the truth behind the case later.


    Next, he continued examining the surroundings and discovered several broken tea branches. The fractured ends showed signs of being scorched, clearly indicating that some form of flame power had been active nearby. Lin Rui crouched down and gently touched the broken ends of the tea branches, feeling a faint spiritual energy fluctuation that immediately caught his attention.


    Looking around, he noticed a subtle, peculiar scent in the air that didn''t belong to spirit tea. The smell was very subtle and slightly pungent, completely different from the familiar spirit tea fragrance he knew. Lin Rui frowned, an uneasy premonition rising in his mind—this scent likely came from some spirit herb or special substance residue.


    Lin Rui thought, "These clues don''t seem to point to an ordinary theft, but rather some kind of organized operation." He stood up, quickly envisioning a more complex scenario, silently determining to uncover the truth behind it all.


    Just as he was lost in thought, light footsteps sounded behind him. Lin Rui turned to see Lin Yueyao, her brow slightly furrowed, clearly noticing his actions. "Lin Rui, how''s your investigation going?" Her tone carried a hint of concern, though her proud demeanor remained unchanged. Her voice was still calm and distant.


    Lin Rui nodded to her, his eyes flickering with deep contemplation. "There are some suspicious elements," he paused before continuing, "I''ve spoken with several people, and though I have preliminary suspicions, I still haven''t found any clear leads. I also checked around this warehouse and discovered some strange traces. I just sketched these footprints—they seem to belong to some animal or spirit beast. Also, the thieves might have used special magical tools or formations. And the guards'' positions are rather lax, unlike normal patrols."


    Lin Yueyao seemed to be pondering something, then suddenly took a talisman paper from her waist. With a light stroke of her finger, a faint talisman pattern appeared in the air. "If that''s the case, let''s try this." She handed Lin Rui a talisman paper. "This is a ''Tracking Talisman'' that can trace spiritual or demonic energy signatures, helping us find more direct clues."


    Lin Rui accepted the talisman, feeling its intense spiritual fluctuations—no ordinary item. Lin Yueyao quickly activated the talisman, which emitted a pale blue light before flying out to hover. The talisman began to release thin strands of weak spiritual power, and following its guidance, Lin Rui felt a subtle force beginning to direct their actions.


    The talisman swayed slightly, pointing toward the outer edge of the tea garden before finally stopping at the edge of a dense forest.


    Lin Rui''s eyes flashed with excitement and puzzlement. "This dense forest? Why would it point there?"


    Lin Yueyao responded calmly: "Why don''t we go and find out?" Her concise and forceful words showed her interest in this direction.


    Without further delay, the two quickly headed toward the forest. Lin Rui moved with light steps, maintaining high alertness despite having some conjectures in mind. Dappled shadows played across the ground deep in the forest, and the air carried a damp smell.


    A few steps into the dense forest, Lin Rui suddenly stopped beneath an old tree. "Here," he said softly, carefully examining the ground. "Look at this." He pointed to the ground, finding broken leaves and blackened marks, clear evidence of a significant fire.


    Lin Yueyao''s brow furrowed slightly as she stepped forward to examine carefully. "These leaves are scorched," she said quietly. "Probably caused by some special magical tool."


    Just then, Lin Rui''s gaze was suddenly drawn to a broken jade pendant. He crouched and carefully picked up the fragment, closely observing its carving. His brow furrowed slightly—the pendant bore an unfamiliar family crest, utterly different from the Lin family mark. It seemed this jade pendant was connected to whoever was behind the theft.


    "What family symbol is this?" Lin Rui asked softly.


    Lin Yueyao shook her head slightly: "I don''t recognize this crest, but it''s likely connected to the thieves. We need to follow this lead."


    The two exchanged glances, deciding to continue their investigation to unravel the mystery behind this case.