Chapter 527: The Vanished Witness

Wu Kai was Cen Boqing's hatchet man; he likely oversaw all matters, including killing demons to harvest their pearls. This man was a living piece of evidence. Once Cen Boqing realized he couldn't extricate himself from the courier case, would he simply eliminate this witness?

"The possibility is slim." He He Lingchuan had been considering this theory. "If Cen Boqing had already killed Wu Kai to silence him, he would only need to find a casual excuse—a stampede by the lake, or an accidental fall. Even if it sounded unreliable, the man would be dead. What could you or I do? We would have to admit he was one move ahead."

The Snail Toad had just committed murder at Chaohu Tower, and He He Lingchuan had called Fu Fu Shanyue to Bai Sha Fu Jue while simultaneously having Commandant Lu surround the Cen residence. He was racing against time, leaving Cen Boqing no room to react. Mr. Mai had said he lacked quick wit, and after observing him for many days, He He Lingchuan thought the same. Otherwise, how could he have married the eldest daughter of the Between Beijia Minister of Agriculture and accumulated some military merit, yet never managed to get promoted in his military post?

Lacking the talent for decisive action was a fatal flaw on the battlefield.

If he were allowed to go back, eat and drink well, and think for half the night, he might figure out the stakes, harden his heart, and kill Wu Kai.

"Therefore, I am inclined to believe that Wu Kai is still alive and is indeed no longer at the Cen residence."

"Was he really sent to Lingxu City by Cen Boqing?" Fu Fu Shanyue shook his head. "With time so tight, why split into two groups? Besides, Wu Kai rarely leaves Cen Boqing's side."

He He Lingchuan thought for a moment: "I have another speculation: perhaps Wu Kai fled on his own, right when Commandant Lu was surrounding the Cen residence and Cen Boqing was busy running around like a headless chicken!"

"Fled..." Fu Fu Shanyue wanted to laugh, but the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. "You mean, Wu Kai reacted faster than Cen Boqing, felt his own life was in danger, and climbed the wall to escape?"

"When disaster strikes, even husbands and wives go their separate ways, let alone a master and servant. We can no longer view Cen Boqing and Wu Kai as a single unit. If Wu Kai stayed, he would either be silenced by Cen Boqing or captured by us; neither outcome is good, so he might as well leave." He He Lingchuan analyzed, "Besides, he knows the primary culprit we want to catch is Cen Boqing. He can learn from Mai Xuewen and fly far away."

Fu Fu Shanyue stroked his chin: "There is a way to verify this. Jiao Yu—"

The fierce tiger stood up and walked over, its tail twitching slightly.

Fu Fu Shanyue asked it: "You said earlier that Wu Kai's family is also in Bai Sha Fu Jue?"

Wu Kai lost his son in middle age, but fortunately, his grandson had always been healthy. His daughter-in-law had also brought the grandson to Bai Sha Fu Jue this time. The mother and son were currently renting a private residence in Bian Dan Lane.

This was the lead Mai Xuewen had sent yesterday. Jiao Yu had overheard it and sent people to tail them, just reporting it to the Crown Prince.

"Take people and protect them now." Fu Fu Shanyue laughed. "Lest Cen Boqing strikes first."

He He Lingchuan glanced sideways. They hadn't seen each other for over twenty days, and Fu Fu Shanyue's way of speaking had become artistic; he clearly wanted to use them as hostages, yet he called it "protection."

The fierce tiger didn't say a word and turned to walk out.

Only then did Fu Fu Shanyue speak to He He Lingchuan with a serious expression: "To dare to swallow even a Patrol Inspector, that Mai fellow has more guts than you or me."

*Just more guts than you, why drag me into it? * He He Lingchuan didn't finish his retort before Fu Fu Shanyue continued: "The Lord Zhongsun family and the Minister of Agriculture will not let this rest, let alone the fact that this matter will likely alarm the Emperor. We must strive for a quick victory here, gather all the evidence, and nail down Cen Boqing's crimes, otherwise Bai Sha Fu Jue will face a violent storm."

Then he saw He He Lingchuan reaching out to him: "Hm? What for?"

"The case is nearly solved now; shouldn't you give me what we agreed upon?"

"Hey, Cen Boqing hasn't been brought to justice yet, so this case isn't finished!" Although he said that, Fu Fu Shanyue still took a brocade pouch from his bosom and handed it to him: "Take it."

He He Lingchuan took it and looked; it was a storage pouch with a space of seven or eight cubic meters, empty inside, with only a few materials piled in the corner.

These were the materials provided to He He Lingchuan for upgrading the Jin Jia Bronze Man.

The quantity of each was sufficient; even if he failed the refining, he could try again.

Fu Fu Shanyue was finally generous, no longer the stingy prince on the road to the capital. He He Lingchuan counted them once and frowned: "One thing is missing... where is the book explaining the Black Flood Dragon pattern?"

He had agreed to investigate the White-Shouldered Eagle courier case because he had reached terms with Fu Fu Shanyue; besides the materials for upgrading the Jin Jia Bronze Man, Fu Fu Shanyue also had to help him find a forbidden book.

The Black Flood Dragon pattern had appeared in that book.

"Now that this case is settled, the book belongs to you." Fu Fu Shanyue stretched and stood up. "I had to sneak into the Imperial Study three or four times to find it; you'd better make it worth my hard work."

He He Lingchuan rolled his eyes. *Damn it, wasn't it hard work for me to investigate this case? I almost lost my life. *

Bai Sha Fu Jue was not large, and Bian Dan Lane was close. About three quarters of an hour later, the fierce tiger returned.

"Didn't catch them. Wu Kai's daughter-in-law took the grandson and has already fled Bian Dan Lane."

Fu Fu Shanyue asked curiously: "Didn't you send people to tail them?"

"I saw them moving through the window earlier, but when it was time to make the arrest, they were gone." Jiao Yu was also two parts embarrassed. "It turns out there was a secret door in that house leading directly to the rice shop next door."

"No wonder Wu Kai wanted to rent that house. Heh, calling it renting, it might just be property under his control." Fu Fu Shanyue sneered. "This man is indeed cautious."

"Also, the house was cleaned exceptionally well, and medicinal herbs were fumigated; not even a single strand of hair was left behind."

"They haven't been gone for two hours; they should be leaving the city as soon as possible." Fu Fu Shanyue ordered Jiao Yu again: "Take people to search out from the West City Gate and North City Gate separately, and send out the Eagle Guards to keep an eye on pedestrians on the road."

Eagle eyes were far sharper than human eyes and could find prey from high altitudes.

"Yes."

Jiao Yu turned to leave when a goshawk suddenly flew in from outside and landed on the big tree beside Fu Fu Shanyue: "Your Highness, I originally wanted to return with Officer Jiao, but before leaving, I saw someone enter the private residence Wu Kai rented for his grandson."

"Oh? Who?"

"I followed behind them and discovered that those two were guards from the Cen residence." Although Commandant Lu had led men to surround the Cen residence, the Cen residence was not a prison after all; servants coming in and out to buy groceries or dump night soil couldn't be fully blocked. "These two didn't return to the Cen residence either, but went to the second floor of the shop across the street and used a mirror to shine into the Cen residence."

*Good fellow, they even set up mirror-based secret codes. * Fu Fu Shanyue thought for a moment and couldn't help but laugh wildly: "Ah hahahaha, Cen Boqing was actually played by his own loyal old servant!"

"You were right, Wu Kai wasn't sent away by him, but fled privately; otherwise, why would Cen Boqing send people to search for his grandson?" Fu Fu Shanyue clicked his tongue twice. "No wonder Cen Boqing's face looked so ugly when I demanded Wu Kai at the Cen residence. Not only could he not hand over the person, but he was also used as a rear-guard shield by Wu Kai!"

"We surrounded the Cen residence, which also blocked Cen Boqing from sending people to search for Wu Kai." He He Lingchuan said indifferently. "It can be said that we were also Wu Kai's shield."

Fu Fu Shanyue's laughter stopped abruptly.

"Seeing through it without saying it, we are still good friends."

"Wu Kai also guarded against Cen Boqing, which shows that this master and servant were not as mutually trusting as they appeared on the surface; this is considered good news." He He Lingchuan knew Fu Fu Shanyue had no integrity and could even do something like kidnapping a grandson. He originally didn't intend to interject, but such a simple action dragged out complex consequences, which made him interested instead. "The bad news is that Wu Kai and these people didn't flee in a panic; I'm afraid they won't be easy to capture."

"How so?" Fu Fu Shanyue raised an eyebrow. "Is there such a thing as a calm escape? Where do you see that?"

"Wu Kai didn't know that Mai Xuewen provided us with clues. In other words, he couldn't foresee that you would search for his family, yet he had long been prepared to send them fleeing from Bai Sha Fu Jue." He He Lingchuan analyzed. "He could prepare a house with a secret door, so of course, he could plan the route and measures for his family to flee Bai Sha Fu Jue in advance. Heh, I'm afraid he had long arranged the available manpower, carriages, and horses; it wasn't a hasty action. With such premeditation and preparation, it shouldn't be called fleeing, but a withdrawal."

Looking back at Wu Kai's attitude now, it already explained the problem.

This old man had a lot of confidence.

No wonder he didn't let his daughter-in-law take his grandson to live in the Cen residence, but rented a place outside; it turned out he was prepared to slip away at any time.

Fu Fu Shanyue was unconvinced: "If Wu Kai really knew how to plan ahead, why didn't he send his family away sooner? You and Cen Boqing had already clashed a few days ago."

He He Lingchuan said slowly: "He wasn't just guarding against us."

"Not us?" Fu Fu Shanyue was also a smart person, and after a little pondering, he said "Oh." "You mean, he was also guarding against Cen Boqing?"

"I'm afraid so. Facts have proven that he wasn't wrong to guard against him." He He Lingchuan continued, "Cen Boqing knew his daughter-in-law brought the child to Bai Sha Fu Jue to play. If this mother and son suddenly left early, Cen Boqing would understand that Uncle Wu was also guarding against him."

Fu Fu Shanyue said with interest: "This master and servant are really interesting. Looking at it this way, if Wu Kai hadn't managed to flee in time, would my detaining him have played right into his hands?"

"Otherwise, for his own safety, Cen Boqing might have killed him to silence him as soon as he returned." He He Lingchuan thought for a moment. "He didn't do that before, which shows that Wu Kai was important or Cen Boqing had other misgivings; but now Lord Zhongsun Mou is dead, and everything is developing in an unfavorable direction, so he might not be able to care about so much."

He paused and added: "Wu Kai has already fled, and Cen Boqing cannot possibly plead guilty. If this drags on for a few days, the special envoy sent by Lingxu City will arrive, and things might have variables again. Just as you said earlier, how could the Minister of Agriculture stand idly by while his son-in-law is in trouble?"

Fu Fu Shanyue crossed his arms: "According to what you say, didn't I make this trip for nothing?"

To convict Cen Boqing, the key lies in Wu Kai's confession. Who doesn't know that Wu Kai is the confidant of the Cen father and son? Only if he confesses can Cen Boqing not escape the net of justice.

But Wu Kai disappeared at this critical juncture.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 528 =====