Chapter 495: Die Knowing Exactly Why

Chen Mu's heart tightened; he flashed sideways and hid behind a large tree.

Guo Wuqiu stepped out from the main house, stood with his hands behind his back in the courtyard, gazing at the night sky.

Under the moonlight, that refined face now looked especially grim.

Moments later, a black-clad figure darted from the shadows and landed before him, kneeling on one knee.

"My lord, word has come from Jiangnan Dao: the shipment is ready, set to depart on the tenth of next month, expected to arrive in Yangzhou around the fifteenth."

Guo Wuqiu nodded, speaking coolly: "Understood. Tell them all checkpoints along the route have been taken care of—transport with full confidence."

The black-clad man replied, turning to leave, when Guo Wuqiu suddenly called out to him.

"Wait. On the day of the Xiao family's wedding banquet, none of your people are to enter the city. The entire city will be on high alert—too risky. Leave the shipment at the old spot outside the city. Bring it in after the fuss dies down."

"Yes!"

The black-clad man departed under orders.

Chen Mu, hidden behind the tree, observed it all.

On the fifteenth of next month, the day of the Xiao family's wedding banquet, a shipment of "goods" would arrive from Jiangnan Dao, passing through Yangzhou.

That shipment was most likely people.

Or "materials" for crafting human pills.

A flash of cold light gleamed in Chen Mu's eyes.

He already had a complete plan in mind.

On the day of the Xiao family's wedding banquet, he would make Guo Wuqiu die knowing exactly why!

…

For the next half-month, Chen Mu secretly observed Guo Wuqiu's movements every day.

By day, he sometimes disguised himself as a peddler, setting up a stall outside the Zhenwu Bureau selling worthless trinkets.

Sometimes he posed as a loafer, loitering near the teahouses and taverns Guo Wuqiu frequented.

Sometimes he impersonated a merchant, traveling the exact route Guo Wuqiu took when leaving the city.

At night, he infiltrated Qingfeng Manor, meticulously searching every room for more evidence.

Diligence never betrays the earnest.

On the seventh night, Chen Mu discovered a hidden cellar entrance in a seemingly abandoned woodshed in the back courtyard of Qingfeng Manor.

The cellar was small, yet crammed with ledgers and letters.

Chen Mu flipped through them one by one.

The ledgers recorded in dense script the movement of "goods" over the past three years.

On such-and-such a date, so many "live mouths" arrived from Jiangnan Dao, delivered to whom, for how much silver.

On such-and-such a date, so many "medicinal herbs" were shipped out from Yangzhou, sent where, exchanged for what.

"Live mouths" meant people; "medicinal herbs" were organs and flesh taken from living bodies, raw materials for crafting human pills.

The more Chen Mu read, the colder his gaze became.

At the end of one ledger, he found the total.

Over three years, more than three hundred "live mouths" had been transported into Yangzhou through Guo Wuqiu's hands; the quantity of "medicinal herbs" shipped out was incalculable.

Over three hundred lives.

And specifically selected ones at that!

This was only what was recorded in the ledgers.

Chen Mu took a deep breath, slipped all the ledgers and key letters into his robes, restored the cellar to its original state, and slipped away silently.

On the thirteenth night, he infiltrated Qingfeng Manor again—this time targeting Guo Wuqiu's study.

Inside the study was a hidden compartment behind the bookshelf.

After detecting it with his spiritual sense, Chen Mu opened it effortlessly; inside lay several items—a token engraved with unique patterns, the official emblem of the Longsheng Sect.

Several anonymous secret letters detailing the logistics of "shipment" handovers.

And a small booklet listing the names of Guo Wuqiu's moles within the Zhenwu Bureau.

Chen Mu took all of it.

Evidence was sufficient.

Now came the waiting.

Waiting for the day of the Xiao family's wedding banquet.

…

The day of the Xiao family's wedding banquet.

From dawn, the entire city of Yangzhou buzzed with activity.

The Xiao family was a major clan of Yangzhou; Xiao Wentian was the Grand Commander of Jiannan Dao, a peak late Heaven Palace cultivator.

The Xios marrying, the Yuans giving away their daughter—this alliance was the grandest event in eastern Jiannan Dao in a decade.

From the Xiao residence to the Yu residence, streets were hung with lanterns and draped in red silk.

Early in the morning, countless commoners crowded the sidewalks, waiting to see the wedding procession.

Nearly every prominent figure in Yangzhou had received an invitation.

Chen Mu had disguised himself as a middle-aged scholar, wearing a half-worn blue robe, blending into the crowd as he arrived at the Xiao residence.

He had no invitation.

But he had other means.

At the Xiao residence's gate, guests poured in; several stewards greeted them, verifying invitations and announcing names loudly.

"Zhang of Jiangdu, Esquire—gift: a pair of jade ruyi scepters!"

"Chairman Wang of the Yangzhou Merchants' Guild arrives—gift: one thousand taels of silver!"

"Deputy Commandant Liu of the Prefectural Office arrives—gift: …"

Chen Mu stood among the crowd, his gaze sweeping the entrance, quickly locking onto his target.

A middle-aged man dressed neatly, looking like a small merchant, was entering with his family.

Chen Mu quietly followed, lightly bumping into the man amid the throng.

"Sorry, sorry!" Chen Mu quickly apologized.

The man waved his hand, unconcerned, and continued walking inside.

Chen Mu had already slipped the invitation from his sleeve.

Moments later, Chen Mu straightened his robes, took the invitation in hand, and walked toward the gate.

"Zhang of the Huai'an Zhang Cloth Shop, Shopkeeper Zhang, arrives—" the steward took the invitation, glanced at it, and announced loudly, "Gift—three hundred taels of silver!"

Chen Mu gave a slight nod, and under the astonished gaze of a middle-aged man behind him, stepped calmly through the Xiao family's main gate.

The Xiao estate spanned a vast area, a three-court, three-hall mansion now adorned with lanterns and decorations, bustling with activity.

Hundreds of banquet tables filled the front courtyard, all occupied by guests.

The rear courtyard was the domain of the womenfolk, faint sounds of laughter and chatter drifting through.

The main hall was reserved for honored guests—only those of sufficient status could sit there.

Chen Mu did not go to the main hall; instead, he found an inconspicuous corner in the front courtyard, sat down, ordered a pot of wine, and poured himself a drink.

At the third hour of noon, the bridal procession set out.

Gongs and drums thundered, firecrackers cracked, and an eight-man palanquin was carried out from the Xiao residence, heading toward the Yuan residence.

Guests rose to watch; Chen Mu stood with the crowd, but his eyes never left the gate.

When the bridal procession returned, it was the hour of Shen.

The newlyweds bowed in the wedding ceremony; guests cheered in unison.

Then the banquet began, dish after dish of exquisite food was served; after three rounds of wine, the atmosphere grew even livelier.

At the third hour of Shen, a middle-aged man in a gray robe hurried into the Xiao estate.

The man had an ordinary face, but his eyes darted everywhere, scanning the crowd before locking onto one direction.

Chen Mu followed his gaze.

At the honored guests' table, a middle-aged man in a fresh blue robe laughed and chatted with those around him.

His features were refined, with three long whiskers, every gesture exuding the bearing of an official.

Chief of the Yangzhou Garrison Command, Master of the Day Office, Guo Wuqiu!

The gray-robed man met Guo Wuqiu's gaze for an instant; their eyes exchanged something unspoken.

Guo Wuqiu's expression remained unchanged, still smiling as he raised his cup.

Chen Mu observed all of this.

It was time.

He set down his cup and slowly stood up.

"Master Xiao."

Chen Mu's voice was clear, neither loud nor soft, yet it reached every ear in the hall.

The lively banquet fell silent at once.

Everyone turned to look at the young man in blue robes in the corner.

Xiao Yuanshan sat at the head table, his brow slightly furrowed as he looked at Chen Mu and spoke, "Who might you be…"