Chapter 101: Pursuit

Inside Scarlet Blossom Gate, a wave of wailing rose as the families of the two slain commoners arrived and gathered around the bodies, weeping uncontrollably.

Dozens of guards from the Zhuang Squad, armed with swords and spears, had sealed off the street, keeping the onlooking crowd at a far distance.

"One embroidered coin pouch, one cloth-wrapped wooden scabbard, one silk undershirt, half a piece of sugared cake..."

Ruan Jin crouched on the ground, laying out the items found on the beggar one by one. Pang Yu knelt down and picked up the coin pouch, which had a plum blossom embroidered on it with gold thread.

"This pouch is something a woman would use. It must have been stolen from somewhere." Pang Yu pulled open the mouth of the pouch. Inside were two small silver ingots, over ten pieces of broken silver, several dozen copper coins, a single pearl, and half a piece of gold-inlaid jade.

"The broken silver was probably exchanged at the steamed bun shop. This beggar didn't bring enough broken silver and copper coins, likely finding them inconvenient to carry on the road. Once he reached Tongcheng, he had no choice but to use a silver ingot, which drew suspicion." Ruan Jin said, still shaken. "I've been on duty for years, and even in the Da Hang, I've never seen such a ruthless character."

Pang Yu nodded. Such viciousness was absolutely not something an ordinary beggar could manage. Appearing in Tongcheng from elsewhere right at New Year's made his origins seem deeply suspicious.

"Those last few shouts he let out — could you make out what accent that was?"

Ruan Jin shook his head. "It was so hoarse, I couldn't catch some of it clearly, but it's definitely not from anywhere near Anqing. Roughly from the north, but Huguang can't be ruled out either."

Pang Yu thought back. Accents in this era still differed somewhat from later times, and he couldn't place it either. He set that question aside for now, turned over the beggar's right palm, and carefully rubbed it with his fingers, then picked up the nearly severed left hand to examine it.

"Thick calluses on the right hand, thin on the left. This man was probably not a farmer whose household was ruined."

The sound of hoofbeats came from Scarlet Blossom Gate Street, drawing nearer. The onlooking crowd on that side parted to make way as Jiang Fan arrived at the gate arch with over ten mounted Runners.

Jiang Fan jumped down from his horse. "Squad Leader."

Pang Yu pointed at the body on the ground. "Team Leader Jiang, take a look at this man. See if you can tell anything about his background."

Jiang Fan crouched down and was startled for a moment by the countless knife wounds on the body. It took him a good while to recover. He reached out, pulled open the beggar's jacket, felt around both shoulders, gathered up the beggar's hair, and finally examined the palms just as Pang Yu had done — though he checked the soles of the feet as well.

After a long moment, Jiang Fan spoke. "Though this man's hair wasn't tied up, two faint marks can be seen. At most a few days ago, he let down his topknot and hasn't washed it since. His frame is lean, but his muscles and sinews are strong. Ordinary beggars don't get enough to eat — they're thin, yes, but never with this kind of physique. No calluses on the shoulders from bearing heavy loads, so he wasn't a farmer before, nor a porter or other laborer. Looking at the soles of his feet, large patches of dead skin are peeling away, with no new calluses forming. He must have gone barefoot in the past but has worn shoes often recently. As for the hands, only the right has thick calluses, clearly from frequently gripping a hard object with the right hand — possibly a sword hilt or the like. Two old wounds on the chest, one on the left leg, one at the base of the left ear. None of the wounds are small, looking like blade scars. He must have often fought with others. This man either just became a beggar recently, or else..."

"Or else he's a fake beggar." Pang Yu casually added. "A man who often fights with others — why would he meticulously disguise himself as a beggar to enter Tongcheng?"

"That's a roving—" Ruan Jin blurted out. Pang Yu reached out to stop him from continuing, lest anyone nearby overhear.

A flicker of alarm passed through both Jiang Fan's and Ruan Jin's eyes. Ruan Jin felt wave after wave of numbness across his scalp. The rumored, murderous Roving Bandits had already appeared in Tongcheng, right beside them.

"Don't make a sound about this yet." Pang Yu kept his eyes from looking around and continued, facing the two men. "If they really are Roving Bandits, I'm afraid there are more than just these two. Only one beggar escaped just now. Among these onlookers, there may well be accomplices of theirs."

Jiang Fan suppressed the urge to scan the crowd, keeping his gaze fixed on the beggar's corpse.

Pang Yu had the other Runners step back a few paces. After a moment of silence, he said to the two men in a low, steady voice, "Pull down his pants."

Ruan Jin understood immediately. In a few quick motions, he yanked down the beggar's pants and examined the inner sides of the thighs and calves.

Jiang Fan let out a long breath. "No thick callus marks on the inner thighs or calves. He's not someone who rides horses often. I've heard those Roving Bandits all ride horses. In that case, this man isn't a Roving Bandit."

Pang Yu pondered. "There's no news of Roving Bandits in the surrounding area. He might just be a desperate fugitive who fled here from elsewhere and then committed murder in Tongcheng. If he knew falling into the hands of constables meant certain death, he'd fight this desperately too."

"In any case, it all hinges on that beggar who escaped." Ruan Jin said through gritted teeth. "If that beggar is just as desperate, hiding in the streets and alleys, who knows how many lives he'll take."

Jiang Fan asked cautiously, "Squad, Squad Leader, what do you say we do?"

Pang Yu stood up. "Let's not guess whether they're Roving Bandits or just murderers. First, we track down the beggar who escaped. In the chaos just now, the Blue Jackets stayed here. We don't know if that beggar left the city or stayed inside. The mounted Runners will keep controlling the north and south Official Roads to prevent the beggar from fleeing far. Leave a few mounted Runners at Scarlet Blossom Gate on standby. Those who saw the beggar at the city gate earlier, assign them to every gate and the intersections inside and outside the city to strictly inspect all travelers. This time, we absolutely must take him alive and get to the bottom of his origins."

"Should we close all the city gates?"

"I'll report to the County Magistrate first, then decide."

"The city gates must not be sealed. Absolutely not!" Mr. Sun said in a tone that brooked no argument. "The Fast Squad has yet to confirm they are Roving Bandits. As Squad Leader Pang himself said, they may be fugitives who committed crimes elsewhere and fled to Tongcheng. Think of the Chizhou and Anqing region — there are plenty of desperate men among the River Bandits, Mine Bandits, and Salt Smugglers who might simply be passing through Tongcheng to escape. If we seal the gates and conduct a massive search just because of two beggars, it will only disturb the people further, cause panic among the populace, and inevitably stir up countless troubles. When the Anqing Prefecture sends a dispatch to question us, how will the yamen answer?"

Pang Yu did not argue. Mr. Sun's words had some merit. If this was merely a murder case, the yamen sealing the city with such great fanfare would affect the people's Livelihood and the merchants' business, becoming a nuisance to the public. Yang Erming would bear enormous pressure. If it turned out in the end they weren't Roving Bandits, the commoners would then mock the County Magistrate for being a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow.

Yang Erming paced two circles with his hands behind his back. When he stopped, he said to Pang Yu, "It is indeed as Mr. Sun says. We must first obtain solid evidence. For now, the priority is still to track down the escaped beggar. He must not be allowed to harm any more commoners. Has Squad Leader Pang devised a foolproof plan?"

Pang Yu cupped his hands. "I have arranged for mounted Runners to patrol the Official Roads. The beggar cannot escape. His hiding place must be within the city and the area from Zilai Bridge to Nanxun Gate. I've assigned the yamen runners who saw the beggar to every gate and intersection. All exits are currently blocked. The next step is to mobilize the Zhuang Squad to conduct a dragnet search of the streets and alleys, starting from Scarlet Blossom Gate and searching the inner city first, gradually shrinking the beggar's hiding range. Additionally, we'll dispatch mounted Runners on long-range reconnaissance to guard against the possibility of a large force of Roving Bandits behind us. The focus will be the Qianshan direction; we should also send some men toward Luzhou."

Yang Erming, being a young man, had no experience with such matters. Hearing Pang Yu speak so clearly and logically, he thought for a moment and then said, "Squad Leader Pang's arrangements are very appropriate. Is there anything else that requires my assistance?"

Hearing Yang Erming say this, Pang Yu immediately continued, "Please, sir, summon the city's Village Chiefs and gentry. Have them muster able-bodied men to conduct house-to-house searches within their wards. At the same time, check whether any strangers have recently taken lodging, whether every household is safe and undisturbed, and whether there is anything unusual in the secluded spots of each ward, to prevent the murderer from hiding in civilian dwellings. If anything is discovered, whether verified or not, have them report it to the yamen immediately."

Mr. Sun and Yang Erming exchanged a glance. Both could tell that Pang Yu still suspected the beggars were Spies for the Roving Bandits. His current proposal was to use the pretext of hunting a murderer to mobilize Tongcheng's civilian forces to search for other Spies. This would naturally be far more efficient than relying solely on yamen runners.

After a moment of shared silence, Mr. Sun nodded at Yang Erming. This method seemed relatively appropriate. The pretext of apprehending a murderer was entirely legitimate, and the gentry and Village Elders would be relatively supportive — after all, no one wanted a hidden killer in the city.

Yang Erming turned to Pang Yu. "I will handle this matter."

"There is one more thing. At the northwest corner of the city, I plan to build a Watchtower on the City Wall in the next few days. It must be taller than that Slope outside the city."

Pang Yu was referring to a hidden danger at the northwest corner of the City Wall. Right outside that section of wall, there happened to be a Slope whose crest was higher than the wall. They had discovered it during their city defense inspection, but it couldn't be resolved in the short term because the hill was primarily rock, making it difficult to level the peak.

In the original history, it wasn't until after the fourteenth year of the Chongzhen reign that the new County Magistrate, Zhang Limin, built an Enemy Platform there, its height surpassing the hilltop. In Pang Yu's mind right now, that hill outside the city was a massive threat.

"That... the Household Office no longer has the Rations and Pay." Yang Erming said thoughtfully. "Since we can't confirm Roving Bandits are coming, we could wait until after the Spring Tax is collected to build it."

"I will first build a wooden Watchtower to meet the urgent need. As long as it's serviceable, that will do. We can rebuild it once the yamen's Rations and Pay are sufficient."

Seeing Pang Yu's firm stance, Yang Erming could only nod. "Then we shall follow Squad Leader Pang's Suggestion. But these are only minor details. The primary task is still to capture that beggar and ensure the Safety of our people."

"Understood."

Pang Yu saluted and withdrew from the Second Hall, then hurried out. The beggar's viciousness had left a deep impression on him, and he couldn't shake the feeling that some things hadn't been properly prepared.

Passing by the Fast Squad's Duty Room, Pang Yu stopped and glanced inside. There were only the two connected men from the Capture Squad; the rest were Zhuang Squad members transferred here to guard the yamen.

Those two connected men were holding forth loudly to seven or eight Guards, talking about their He Mai schemes. When they mentioned earning two taels of silver from a single He Mai deal, the Guards all looked at the pair with envy.

Pang Yu walked into the Duty Room. The moment the Guards saw Pang Yu's figure, they shot to their feet in unison like a conditioned reflex, startling the two Runners in the process.

"You were brought here to guard the yamen. Who told you to sit in the Duty Room?" Pang Yu said coldly to the group. "All of you, get outside to the Eight-Character Wall. Some Runners will be here shortly to inspect the people passing by on County Front Street."

"Yes, sir!"

The Guards answered in unison, then filed out with their heads down. Although their combat skills were lacking, after this period of discipline training, their obedience was already very high.

Once they were gone, Pang Yu put on a smiling face and exchanged a few perfunctory words with the two connected men.

By the time he exited the Yamen Gate, the leader of the Fifth Squadron had already assembled over thirty Guards, standing in neat formation outside the Eight-Character Wall.

Pang Yu had felt some Displeasure earlier. The people inside this Capture Squad practically embodied the old image of the Fast Squad. He didn't want the new Fast Squad and Zhuang Squad to be influenced by these men, which was why he preferred to have the Zhuang Squad stay in that dilapidated residence of the Ye Family.

Ruan Jin arrived at that moment with several Runners. He was in the process of stationing the men who had seen the beggar at every major traffic artery. County Front Street, with its dense flow of people and the yamen's location, was a key area to inspect.

Pang Yu swept his gaze across the Eight-Character Wall. The Auxiliaries were still numerous, all keeping their distance from the Zhuang Squad members. On the right side, there were a few more people in the Standing Cages — probably Tax Household who hadn't paid their autumn taxes in full. In front of one cage, Pang Yu spotted a familiar figure. Xu Lengzi was standing before the cage, staring blankly at the person inside.

Xu Lengzi had remained in the Capture Squad all along. He was probably the only person in it who could actually get things done.

Pang Yu walked over and gave Xu Lengzi a kick in the backside. Xu Lengzi barely shuddered, still staring at the cage for a moment before finally turning his head.

"Thinking of trying the Standing Cage?"

"Thinking… not thinking. Squad Leader, you said us Fast Squad guys can't do Substitute Beating anymore. I don't want to."

"Then stick with me these next two days. Bring your sword."

Xu Lengzi fumbled for the Waist Saber at his side and hurried after Pang Yu, asking, "Stick with you to do what, Squad Leader?"

"First go check on our injured brothers, then come with me to inspect the inns!"