Chapter 18: One Oversight Amidst Many Precautions

Erhu, knife!

Lü Yuan approached the corpse of the plow ox, reached out and shouted.

Beside him, Wang Erhu quickly handed over a sharp dagger; after taking the dagger, Lü Yuan lightly sliced open the plow ox's hide, revealing a forest-white skeleton.

He pinched a rib to pieces with his fingers, then Lü Yuan slowly rose and bowed to Yun Wan, saying: "The plow ox's flesh, blood, and marrow have been completely sucked dry; this is the method of the poison master among the Muyun witches."

Yun Wan said nothing, her beautiful eyes behind the sheer veil fixed on a clump of burnt-black yet faintly golden object on the tray beside her.

Clang!

She slowly drew her sword, then lifted the burnt clump, gave it a light shake, and a hint of surprise appeared on her face.

"Gold-flare embroidery..."

"These are Second Uncle's shoes!"

Fang Xu never imagined that the Yun family of Huangzhou's gold-flare embroidery technique actually had fire-resistant properties; a great fire burned the corpses to nothing, yet that pair of torn boots remained.

However, upon reflection it makes sense: a pair of gold-flare silk-embroidered boots could be worth a hundred gold; without some special quality, it would be hard to explain.

"Where was this thing found!?" The long sword lifted the gold-flare silk-embroidered boot, and Yun Wan gazed sharply at Liao Yunfeng.

"Reporting, Miss Yun, outside the town at the charity house!" Liao Yunfeng dared not hesitate, quickly replying.

"Charity house?" Yun Wan puzzled.

Beside him, Qinghe County jail clerk Zheng Ming hurriedly bowed and said: "After the corpse of Wang Ergou was discovered, it was sent by the Fenglin Town Office of Investigations to the charity house for temporary keeping."

However, a few days ago, Wang Ergou's widow, Lady Wang, went to the charity house to make offerings, burned some paper money, inadvertently caused a fire, and reduced the entire charity house to ashes.

Hearing this, Yun Wan's face turned slightly cold.

It seems Second Uncle must have died, and his corpse was completely burned away in that fire, leaving only this pair of gold-flare silk-embroidered boots.

Then... where did that thing go?

Two months ago, Second Uncle Yun Tianhe received news that someone had discovered an ancient ruin deep in the Tilan Mountains; according to observation, the ruin is extremely old, seemingly the meditation site of a great martial adept.

After secretly executing all those who knew, Yun Tianhe personally led a team to investigate; afterwards he sent back a secret letter saying he had obtained a mysterious cultivation method in the ruin, and also stated in the letter that they had encountered Muyun Nation's witches and some powerful mysterious individuals within the Tilan Mountains, requesting the family send reinforcements.

In order not to attract other forces' attention, the Yun family dispatched multiple teams from various points of the Tilan Mountains to enter the mountains, but ultimately they found no trace of Yun Tianhe and the others.

This time, Yun Wan came from Huangzhou to Qinghe County; on one hand, after reaching the ninth level of the Martial Scholar realm, she needed to gain experience; on the other hand, she was also trying her luck, hoping to find Yun Tianhe.

"Immediately go investigate who sent my Second Uncle's corpse to the charity house." After glancing at Fenglin Town's mayor Huang Dechuan, Wan said coldly.

Huang Dechuan started at the words, ordering people to investigate while inwardly lamenting bitterly.

He never imagined that someone as noble as the Yun family's Second Lord would die precisely within the jurisdiction of Fenglin Town—this is nothing short of a catastrophe!

Gazing at the torn boots lifted on Yun Wan's sword, Lü Yuan's expression also grew solemn.

The Yun family's Second Lord, Yun Tianhe, actually died!

And he died in Fenglin Town!

Could this matter be related to the witch who killed Wang Ergou?

If they are the same person, then this matter is beyond my ability to resolve, after all the Yun family's Second Lord's cultivation far surpasses his.

"Miss Yun, this matter is probably rather thorny; should we request the Supervision Bureau?"

"No need." Yun Wan raised her hand to interrupt Lü Yuan's words, and, sweeping her gaze over those present, said coldly: "This matter must not be leaked; otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite."

Although the Tilan Mountains lie within the Dayu realm, they are first under Huangzhou Prefecture; the Yun family occupies Huangzhou Prefecture, and while nominally the imperial house is still honored, the matter of the ruin must not be known to the royalty.

Once the Supervision Bureau intervenes, the imperial house will surely seize the entire ruin for itself, after which the Yun family will probably only be able to drink soup.

"Yes!"

Everyone heard this and, one after another, bowed in assent.

"Where does Lady Wang live?" Yun Wan pondered for a moment, then spoke.

In the hall, Wang Erhu's expression shifted slightly; after a moment of silence he finally steeled himself and bowed, saying: "Reporting, Miss, Lady Wang is my subordinate's sister-in-law."

Yun Wan glanced at him lightly and said: "Take me there."

Under Wang Erhu's guidance, Yun Wan quickly arrived before the small courtyard where Lady Wang resided.

"Please, Miss." Wang Erhu pushed open the gate and respectfully ushered Yun Wan inside.

At that moment, Lady Wang was washing clothes when she suddenly saw her uncle leading a noblewoman inside; she hurried over and asked softly.

"Uncle, who is this lady?"

Wang Erhu hurriedly introduced: "Sister-in-law, this is Miss Yun."

"Yun... Miss Yun!" Lady Wang stared at Yun Wan in shock, then somewhat flustered she bowed and said: "I have paid my respects to Miss Yun."

Yun Wan slightly nodded: "No need for much ceremony; I came here to ask you something."

Lady Wang, somewhat reserved, nodded: "Please, Miss... please speak."

The fact that Yun Wan publicly tortured and killed Zhang Mingliang and forced Zhang Hong to death is already common knowledge; coupled with her noble status and aloof demeanor, merely facing her makes Lady Wang feel an invisible pressure that leaves her breathless.

"Before the charity house fire, did you ever encounter anyone else going to the charity house?"

Lady Wang blinked, then shook her head: "Never; that day, I and Little Brother Fang arrived at the charity house when it was already dark; that place is gloomy and frightening, and normally no one approaches."

"Little Brother Fang... who is that?" Yun Wan frowned.

Beside him, Wang Erhu hurriedly bowed and said: "Reporting, Miss, it's Fang Xu, who lives not far west of the town."

Lady Wang also hastily added: "Little Brother Fang once showed Miss the way."

Yun Wan suddenly realized, recalling that day the youth who had taken her to the Zhang family's home.

"Go find him; I have some questions for him."

Lady Wang heard this, was momentarily stunned, then promptly agreed.

……

Inside the small courtyard, Fang Xu gave Yun Wan a slight bow: "Miss Yun."

He did not know that Yun Wan had arrived at Lady Wang's residence at this time, nor why Lady Wang had summoned him.

"Before the fire at the Charity Estate that day, did you go there together with her?" Yun Wan asked.

Fang Xu's heart jolted; he strained to control his expression, clasped his hands: "Exactly."

"When you two went to the Charity Estate, did you see anyone else?" Yun Wan asked again.

Fang Xu's expression shifted slightly; he shook his head: "I didn't see anyone else, not even the person guarding the Charity Estate."

The person guarding the Charity Estate...

Yun Wan's delicate brows furrowed slightly; suddenly she seemed to think of a possibility.

She had already examined the brilliant gold silk-embroidered boots; the hidden layer in the sole had been opened; that must be where her second uncle hid something before his death, slipping it into the hidden layer of those boots.

The existence of a hidden layer in the brilliant gold silk-embroidered boots is a Cloud Family secret; not being absolutely sure of safety, her second uncle would not have chosen to hide something in that hidden layer.

This means that the people who killed her second uncle likely did not obtain that cultivation manual.

Now the manual is gone; the only two who could have taken it are the person who discovered the corpse and the person guarding the Charity Estate.

"Miss Yun, the person who found the second master's corpse has been found!"

At that moment, Huang Dechuan and a group of supervisors shoved forward an old and a young figure from outside the courtyard.

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(End of chapter)