“Things happened too fast,” Mu sighed. “The constables were rough with the arrest, didn’t even investigate properly before closing the case. The imperial inspector’s still touring the province—if we don’t get to the bottom of this soon, Lu will be beaten into a confession for sure.”

  The bag in my hand nearly slipped. My pulse was doing somersaults.

  Me. Of all people.

  I’d just escaped being the so-called “blessed sacrifice to suppress mountain fire,” snuck out of Shenmu Village like a thief, and before my boots even touched the city’s dust—bam. Another corpse. Another cursed case.

  And this time, courtesy of my disaster-magnet friends.

  I opened my mouth to refuse, but before I could—

  Ding—

  That sound again. Like a bucket of ice water right down my spine.

  System Reminder:

  Detected potential trigger for “Unfulfilled Wish” storyline branch.

  If Host chooses to withdraw now, the trigger will be permanently lost.

  Current status: You are already involved in a key narrative node.

  Warning: Leaving now may lock out the “Wish Fulfillment” side quest.

  I almost cried on the spot.

  Who’d have thought? Me—a so-called protagonist—reduced to a half-shelved draft character.

  My story got dropped mid-arc, my logic doesn’t check out, and my “main character halo” is basically gravel under the system’s feet.

  Other heroes get to rule kingdoms or marry beauties.

  Me?

  I suppress volcanoes, perform mountain dances, get dragged around by Lian like a misbehaving pet—and even my meals come with emotional trauma.

  Tell me, what other male lead lives like this?

  Not even the headless actors on stage get treated this bad.

  And now the system says this might be my chance at redemption?

  Yeah, like hell I’m saying no.

  “...Fine.” I looked up at the sky, face solemn. “Heaven’s will cannot be defied.”

  Mu blinked. “What?”

  I cleared my throat and clapped his shoulder gravely. “Brotherhood runs deep as bedrock. You and I, we fought side by side under the divine tree, gazed upon the stars together—life and death, shared fate! This matter... leave it to me.”

  “You—you’ll help us?”

  “I can’t stand seeing injustice,” I declared, tossing my bag aside like a martyr. “Besides, who’s more suited than a nobody like me? No one notices me, no one suspects me—being a useless man is the perfect disguise.”

  Mu gave me a long look. “...You almost make sense.”

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  I paced two steps, hands behind my back, pretending to think like a detective while internally panicking.

  Because, truth be told? I can’t investigate shit.

  I can’t read case law, I faint at corpses, and the only “deduction” I’ve ever done was guessing who ate my steamed bun.

  Hell, I got expelled from the government academy for writing the wrong name on a law exam.

  I was doomed.

  “If only a godly detective could drop from the sky and help me out…” I muttered.

  System Notice:

  Host has entered Deep Plot Stage. “Guidance” mode activated.

  Hint One: The timing of the murder is suspicious; the wounds are inconsistent; the silence of the scene defies logic.

  Hint Two: The deceased spoke of a “general” appearing before his death—possible key lead.

  Proceed to the scene for further evidence.

  I almost knelt down right there.

  “What do you mean ‘inconsistent wounds’? What’s ‘defies logic’? Can you speak human? I’m not some divine investigator! At least give me a direction!”

  System has no obligation to clarify. Please rely on personal comprehension.

  “Comprehend your—!”

  I bit my tongue. No point yelling at an algorithm.

  “Fine. Watch me, you smug voice box.”

  I slapped my chest, turned, and shouted, “Mu! Enough talk—take me to the damn crime scene! I’ll see for myself this so-called ‘General Yu’s murder drama’!”

  “General Yu?” Mu blinked. “How do you know that name?”

  I froze. “—That’s not important! What matters is saving Lu before it’s too late!”

  Mu gave a solemn bow. “Your help means more than you know.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I muttered, wiping the sweat off my brow. My insides were a mess of dread and regret.

  Could I solve this case? Probably not.

  Would I try anyway? Apparently yes.

  Because that one word—wish—had already sunk its claws into me.

  If I don’t fulfill this wish... I’m as good as dead.

  We stopped before the Liu manor—walls high, guards higher.

  I sighed. “Just to check—you’re the fortress lord, and I’m what, the invisible janitor? How exactly do you expect us to get in? Climb the wall?”

  Mu was annoyingly calm. “I can’t go in. But you—might.”

  “Me?” I pointed at myself. “Why me? So I can die faster?”

  He didn’t answer. Just tilted his chin toward the street. “You tend to have... interesting luck. Maybe you’ll run into someone useful.”

  “Sure,” I said dryly. “I’ll just bow at the gate and claim I’m the r of the Liu family’s pet cat.”

  Mu: “...”

  I was about to keep arguing when a swish of silk interrupted.

  Someone was approaching—a man in blue robes, fan at his waist, every step too neat for this dusty city.

  Scholarly type. Polished, calm, eyes sharp beneath that mild smile.

  The kind of man born with an ancestral jade spoon in his mouth.

  He paused, eyebrows lifting slightly. “Lord Mu?”

  Mu turned, surprise flickering over his face. “...Master Gu?”

  “Who?” I blurted.

  The man gave a courteous nod. “Gu Zixu. Advisor to the provincial inspector. I met Lord Mu once in Qingzhou—never thought we’d cross paths here.”

  Mu murmured to me, “A strategist from the governor’s staff. Entered service two years ago through examination. Tight-lipped. Reliable.”

  I heard only one word:

  Reliable.

  A noble. A golden ticket from heaven.

  I straightened immediately, bowed low, and launched into my best desperate-civilian speech.

  “Sir Gu! I am Nangong Qiu, a humble friend of the wronged man in this case! I would gladly offer my meager life to aid in uncovering the truth—please, grant me this chance!”

  Gu blinked, gaze flicking between us. “What brings you here, Lord Mu?”

  Mu smiled smoothly. “A coincidence, Brother Gu. Didn’t you say you’d be touring with the prefect? I hadn’t expected to meet you so soon.”

  Gu’s expression softened, remembering. “Last time you nearly lost your head. I see you’re still laughing.”

  Mu grinned wider. “Thanks to your letter, I kept it attached. I even became a fort leader—so I haven’t entirely wasted your effort.”

  “...Progress, then,” Gu said, half-smiling. His eyes shifted to me. “And this one?”

  I coughed politely. “Ah, just... traveling with Lord Mu, hiding from the wind, as they say…”

  Mu cut in before I could dig deeper holes.

  “Brother Gu, we came to clear up the matter of Lu. The boy’s too simple to lie, and I can’t stand seeing an honest soul crushed. We mean to look into the Liu estate ourselves—only a firsthand look will tell us the truth.”