Chapter 142: Meeting

Pei Ye walked over slowly. The hanging feet of the corpse were at the same height as his own abdomen. He looked up at this drooping face and actually had a chance encounter—it was exactly one of the three people he met in the forest that day.

The corpse's chest and abdomen were collapsed. He was undoubtedly the biggest target of this terrifying explosion. With just one strike, he had gone from life to death.

The window behind him was pushed open. Pei Ye walked to the window and looked out. Outside the window was the backyard first, and after climbing over the wall, it was densely packed residential houses.

The things that happened in this room seemed clear at a glance: the murderer pushed the door and entered, killed the man sitting and eating with an explosion like a palm wind, and then immediately pushed the window and left.

But Pei Ye walked back to the door again. Here, a pair of light, sticky mud footprints were left.

The sticky mud was nothing. Washing the street after the rain, there were always places that were not dry. Looking down at the backyard just now, there were several places with wet mud. But if there was wet mud at the door... Pei Ye turned out of the door, but didn't see clearer mud marks.

The mud on the soles of the feet naturally became less and less as one walked. How could there be mud inside the door, but no traces outside the door?

Pei Ye turned and walked to Old Zhang's side.

"Proprietor Zhang, I really didn't want to make things difficult for you today," the man stood by the window. "You just need to tell me what the person who entered the restaurant looked like and what clothes they were wearing when my brother died."

"This good man, I didn't doze off. There really were no new guests coming in!"

"Then you mean he was lurking at other tables early in the morning? Who was in the building at that time—who was at a table alone?"

"There were about five or six tables, it seems there was no one alone... anything else, I really don't know..."

The atmosphere was silent for a while. The man looked at him quietly. Old Zhang trembled: "Gang Leader Wang, I, I really..."

"My brother came to your place to drink early in the morning, and there were not many guests in the whole building. Now he is dead, but you tell me you don't know anything?" Wang Shou's plain tone didn't change much, and it wasn't as cold as Manager Chai's, but Old Zhang was scared to death.

Pei Ye walked up, and the man's eagle-like eyes picked up and looked at him: "It's really a coincidence—did you see anything? If you want to clear the proprietor's relationship, you have to come up with some news."

Pei Ye pulled Old Zhang behind him first: "He knows if he knows, and doesn't know if he doesn't know. Why would he lie to you?"

The man gave a "hehe."

Pei Ye ignored him and turned to ask: "Uncle Zhang, did you clean the second floor this morning?"

Old Zhang was stunned: "No... no, unless the waiter took the initiative to sweep, but his laziness..."

Pei Ye walked to the window and shouted down: "Waiter, did you sweep the floor this morning?"

The waiter curled up downstairs raised his head, his voice somewhat changed: "No, didn't sweep."

Old Zhang said: "It's already good that he could get up this morning. In the past, he might have been slacking off in some corner."

Pei Ye nodded.

But since it wasn't swept, how could the mud marks disappear?

Unless the dust and mud on the murderer's soles were not enough to leave footprints in normal walking, and the reason they were left in the room was because of standing for a long time!

Did the murderer have a long conversation with the deceased before taking action?

And during this time, the deceased still ate and drank as usual, neither escaping nor drawing his sword?

—Then he was suddenly killed.

Pei Ye pondered, feeling that this process was too strange, but he didn't think it through for a while.

At this time, steady footsteps came from downstairs. Pei Ye turned his head and saw that the awe-inspiring Zhao Canjun had stood at the door, followed by five or six officials.

Pei Ye breathed a sigh of relief and cupped his fists: "Lord Zhao."

The man beside him also hurriedly stepped forward and stood still, cupped his fists, and smiled: "Canjun Zhao's style is still the same."

Zhao Fu first scanned the scene in the room from beginning to end, and then his eyes fell on Pei Ye, frowning: "Wasn't there you last time too?"

Pei Ye bowed and cupped his fists: "Reporting to the lord, last time was a chance encounter, this time the restaurant proprietor is a fellow villager."

Zhao Canjun didn't look at him at all, turned his head and pointed at Pei Ye to the official following behind: "Investigate him."

A blue-clothed official with a sword came out, tilted his head at Pei Ye, and came to the corner of the room.

Pei Ye walked over. Before he stood still, he heard the person in front of him frown and shout: "Don't you know the rules? Before being questioned, take off your sword!"

Pei Ye was stunned: "Sorry!", and raised his hand to take off the sword and sword box.

The official took out paper and pen: "Name?"

The inquiry was finished quickly. Pei Ye's background was naturally innocent, and no connection with the Lake Heart Gang was found. It was true that he came from Fenghuai with the proprietor.

At this time, Zhao Canjun had finished checking the corpse and said coldly: "The murderer who killed his master, the means are indeed ruthless enough."

Pei Ye was stunned: "Lord Zhao, do you know who the murderer is?"

Zhao Canjun turned and walked out the door.

Pei Ye was stunned: "Lord Zhao?"

Zhao Canjun stood still, tilted his head and looked at him expressionlessly: "Get out!"

Pei Ye was stunned, opened his mouth but couldn't speak.

"The chicken announces the dawn, the pig eats shit, the cat catches the mouse, the dog barks at the door. Has no one taught you the rules? Who the hell are you to keep questioning me here?"

"... Sorry Lord Zhao, I just thought, maybe there is something I can help with."

"I said get out," Zhao Canjun said coldly.

Pei Ye pursed his lips, still bowed and cupped his fists: "Lord Zhao, I do have a clue, I just want to help everyone catch the murderer as soon as possible."

Zhao Canjun stood still. Pei Ye immediately told him about the discovery of the footprints just now. Zhao Canjun frowned after hearing it, turned his head and said to the follower behind: "Record it, verify, investigate."

After saying that, he went downstairs and chased directly in the direction where the window was pushed open.

Wang Shou followed all the way downstairs. Pei Ye stood in place and was silent for a while. He wanted to see the scene again, but seeing Old Zhang following in a loss, he also carried his sword and followed.

Arriving downstairs, Zhao Canjun had already left far away. Pei Ye looked at his back and suddenly frowned at Wang Shou: "Since Lord Zhao knows who the murderer is, why don't you ask him? Why are you making things difficult for the proprietor here?"

The man gave a hum and laugh, and said lightly: "Lord Zhao is arresting the murderer, I am questioning the accomplice, what is wrong with that?"

Pei Ye looked at him and suddenly understood.

They actually knew where the murderer came from, and had no doubts about this case. At this time, they were just using the topic to play, aiming at the restaurant.

Pei Ye naturally knew that this matter absolutely had nothing to do with Old Zhang. No need to look at his shivering appearance now. Pei Ye knew his cowardice as early as in Fenghuai—he never dared to enter the mountains. Now that he had only been in the prefecture city for twenty days, how could he be in collusion with any killer.

Wang Shou played with a thumb ring: "Proprietor Zhang, you'd better hand over the clues of the murderer early. I expect you were deceived by him, and I won't do anything to you."

Old Zhang just tried his best to explain, he didn't know any murderer.

"Alright, then we have to investigate it ourselves," Wang Shou took the thumb ring into his palm and looked up at the restaurant.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 143 =====