Chapter 168: Plum Fragrance Garden, Famous Actor Lou Yuesheng

Wei Chu Yi's intelligence network was forcibly disbanded by Chu Danqing.

He did value intelligence channels, but he wasn't so unscrupulous as to let a group of children risk their lives to gather information for him.

Chu Danqing actually understood that if he were more ruthless, he might fare better, yet he knew there were things one should do and things one should not.

Furthermore, he took advantage of these few days to properly arrange some livelihoods for the members of the former intelligence network.

This group had relied on Wei Chu Yi for wages, and their standard of living had risen; now that it was suddenly cut off, it was inevitable there would be a gap.

Chu Danqing used the authority he had gained by borrowing power to handle it.

However, he only built the general framework, then instructed Wei Chu Yi, and left the rest for them to handle themselves.

He would eventually leave this trial world; in the future, Wei Chu Yi would have to walk his own path.

Chu Danqing couldn't truly arrange everything perfectly.

Moreover, Wei Chu Yi's ability to learn, understand, and practice was very strong; Chu Danqing had already provided the platform, and if he couldn't grasp it himself, there was nothing Chu Danqing could do.

He was willing to lend a helping hand, but that didn't mean he would act as a nanny.

As for signing a covenant with Wei Chu Yi? That was out of the question.

He signed with Xiong Zhigang not just because he valued his talent, but because the trial world Xiong Zhigang belonged to was quite special and could produce strategic resources.

Investment wasn't something to be done casually; one had to investigate first.

Was this trial world just for assessment? One could only say the difficulty was high, not that the potential was great.

The simplest point was that the attribute panels of the people in this trial world were mediocre, unlike the previous trial world where one could see specializations at a glance.

After that, Chu Danqing stopped worrying about it, because the three days were up.

Chu Danqing took Da Bao and the Beast-Faced Armored Soldier to the city gate to pick people up.

The Great Shu Grand Coordinator Ma Yunfeng was returning to his hometown to visit relatives today.

It wasn't just him who came; Jia Simou and the others also followed to welcome him.

Ma Yunfeng was a Prime Minister, after all; how could the pomp of his return to his hometown be small?

"Long time no see, Young Master Chu." Ma Yunfeng stepped off the carriage, and his first words were to greet Chu Danqing.

He didn't actually know Chu Danqing, but he had already been briefed when Chen Jiunan sent him a message earlier.

With Da Bao and the Beast-Faced Armored Soldier looking so distinct, it was normal for Ma Yunfeng to recognize him.

Chu Danqing nodded slightly in response, acting like an old acquaintance.

Jia Simou's heart sank; Chu Danqing's status was higher than he had imagined.

With this scene, everything Chu Danqing had said before was confirmed, turning the fake into truth.

It wasn't that Ma Yunfeng was a good-natured person, but rather that there was profit to be made here.

The simplest point was shifting the fire onto Chu Danqing.

Everyone had benefits to gain and costs to pay; it could be considered mutual development.

"Old Sir, a welcoming banquet has been prepared for you at the Plum Fragrance Opera Garden; I hope you will do us the honor."

"Lou Yuesheng heard you were coming and specially brought out his signature performance." Jia Simou hurried over, his face filled with obsequiousness.

He had long since inquired that this Grand Coordinator Ma didn't care for gold, silver, or jewelry, nor did he favor beauties or fine food.

He was simply obsessed with opera.

Being able to let him watch a good performance was more effective than sending any gift.

Jia Simou had a favor to ask, so naturally, he had to cater to Ma Yunfeng's preferences.

Ma Yunfeng had the appearance of a kind old man, stroking his long beard as he said, "Grand Coordinator Jia, you have a heart; then let us go to the Plum Fragrance Garden."

"I have long heard of Lou Yuesheng's martial roles; today I shall see them for myself."

Jia Simou's face lit up with joy, and he personally drove the carriage for Ma Yunfeng.

Seeing this, Chu Danqing naturally followed.

He had promised Chen Jiunan that he would ensure Ma Yunfeng's safety.

He scanned the crowd but found no danger.

The group arrived smoothly at the Plum Fragrance Opera Garden; the people inside had long since been cleared out, as it had been booked by Jia Simou for the day.

Everyone took their seats, and then the show began.

Everyone appeared to be in high spirits.

However, most of the time, Ma Yunfeng was conversing with Chu Danqing, and Jia Simou couldn't get a word in.

He didn't have any resentment; he was just worried that Ma Yunfeng would open his mouth to make things difficult for him.

This kind of indifference was normal; what was his status, and what was theirs?

Yet, as the opera went on, something felt wrong.

"Grand Coordinator Jia, I remember that according to the program, it should be Lou Yuesheng's turn now; why has a martial actor replaced him?" Ma Yunfeng frowned as he looked at the stage.

When Jia Simou heard this, he looked closely and realized it was indeed the case.

He had no interest in the opera and hadn't been paying attention to the stage.

Ma Yunfeng had come specifically for Lou Yuesheng, and if he didn't perform when his turn came, the blame would fall solely on Jia Simou.

"Old Sir, please wait a moment; I shall go backstage to inquire." Jia Simou said, hurrying off to check.

Upon asking, he learned that Lou Yuesheng had disappeared early this morning.

The opera troupe had no choice but to have someone else fill in for Lou Yuesheng's part.

This made Jia Simou furious, but he was also secretly suspicious.

Lou Yuesheng had no reason to leave on his own.

He had given him enough money, and even treated him better than usual.

Actors were of the lowly "mean" status; no matter how glorious they were, they were still just that.

How could he dare to offend a Grand Coordinator like him?

After getting no answers, Jia Simou had no choice but to bite the bullet and report back.

"Since he is gone, let it be." Ma Yunfeng didn't care; he liked watching opera and listening to music, but not enough to fly into a rage over such a small matter.

However, Jia Simou felt the pressure suddenly increase.

Not long after, as a song ended and the curtain was being slowly drawn, a heavy object fell from the top of the stage.

It landed with a thud, startling many people.

It was a large sack stained with dark, dried blood, which made a solid sound when it hit the ground.

And because it hit the floor, it caused secondary damage, with more blood seeping out.

This scene made Jia Simou's face look extremely ugly.

He had already guessed where the missing Lou Yuesheng had gone.

Chu Danqing and Ma Yunfeng remained expressionless.

Jia Simou excused himself and immediately arranged for an investigation.

Upon opening the sack to check, it was indeed Lou Yuesheng, but the entire corpse was unrecognizable.

It was impossible to tell if he had been tortured before death or humiliated after.

Everyone present knew without thinking that this was aimed at Jia Simou, intended to ruin his good fortune.

Chu Danqing had the Armed Soldier go to check, and he returned shortly after.

"It was a professional; first the throat was slit, then the heart was pierced. There was no resistance at the time of death, and no sound was made."

"The current state of the body was caused by dismemberment afterward." The Armed Soldier briefly summarized his conclusions.

"In my opinion, this isn't aimed at Grand Coordinator Jia; it is clearly aimed at me." Ma Yunfeng said coldly, "Grand Coordinator Jia, your governance is lax."

"To think there are such vicious criminals in the city of Linyuan." Ma Yunfeng's tone was full of disappointment, and he stood up to leave.

Chu Danqing was puzzled; he couldn't quite understand whose handiwork this was.

In his view, the prime suspect should undoubtedly be the Zhao Ming Alliance.

After all, the Zhao Ming Alliance stood to gain the most, so their suspicion was naturally the greatest.

Chu Danqing followed him out, and just as he was about to get into his war chariot, Ma Yunfeng invited him: "Young Master Chu, my carriage is much more comfortable than your bumpy chariot."

"Why not join me?"

Clearly, he had something to say to Chu Danqing.

Chu Danqing didn't refuse and got directly into the carriage.

"Something has happened." Once inside, Ma Yunfeng whispered, "Lou Yuesheng was a secret agent for the Zhao Ming Alliance, and I had arranged to meet him today."

"I intended to use him as a breakthrough point to intervene in the case of Bai Xiaohe and Scholar Yang."

With these three simple sentences, Chu Danqing was stunned; this was truly unexpected.

"So, was it Jia Simou who staged this?" Since the Zhao Ming Alliance was ruled out, it had to be Jia Simou.

He must have detected Lou Yuesheng's situation in advance, acted first to eliminate the threat, and incidentally given Ma Yunfeng a warning.

However, Ma Yunfeng shook his head: "It doesn't look like it, so I want you to help me investigate why Lou Yuesheng died."

"I suspect there is a problem here."

"Next, I will focus on cleaning up Linyuan City and won't be able to spare the time, so I have to trouble you."

As soon as he finished speaking, a side quest refreshed.

【Side Quest: Investigate the truth behind Lou Yuesheng's death within three days】

【Trial Difficulty: A-Rank (Heroic)】

【Trial Reward: Paradise Points × 10000, Attribute Points +4】

【Trial Failure: Paradise Points -20000, Random Attribute -1】

Chu Danqing accepted it immediately and asked, "Is it that urgent?"

"Very urgent." Ma Yunfeng said directly, "Earlier, when you saved Chen Jiunan, thirty Iron-Armored Guards died."

"That is not a small number; the news reached the Empress Dowager, who used it as an excuse to order the Commander Qi Qianshan to come and suppress the rebels."

"As for what the actual situation is, you and I know it in our hearts."

"I estimate that in five days at most, Qi Qianshan will arrive in Linyuan City with his troops."

"I need to control the situation within five days to have enough confidence to contend with Qi Qianshan." Ma Yunfeng understood that this was unavoidable.

The difficulty of the previous A-Rank side quest was gradually beginning to take effect.

This meant that only if he completed this side quest within three days could he potentially solve the lingering problems of the previous one.

That meant Lou Yuesheng's death was likely not that simple.

"Fine, I will do my best." Chu Danqing could only agree, as he had already accepted the quest.

As for how to investigate, Chu Danqing had no clue for the moment, so he needed an advantage.

"I need real power; I'll get it done for you in three days." Chu Danqing said bluntly.

Otherwise, was he really supposed to investigate on his own? He wouldn't be able to find a thing.

Ma Yunfeng looked at Chu Danqing meaningfully and said, "I can't give it to you until tomorrow at the earliest; I need to lay out my plans today."

He had only been in Linyuan City for one day; it couldn't be done any faster than that.

"Fine, but I need to use your name as Prime Minister today." Chu Danqing continued.

"No problem, feel free to use it." Ma Yunfeng agreed very readily.

(End of Chapter)