Chapter 111: No Corpse Left Intact, Poisoned to Death, A Trip to Bazhou (Seeking Monthly Votes)

"Where is he?" Pei Shaoqing asked immediately.

Chen Zhongyi fell silent, and after a moment, he said in a deep voice, "We only found his corpse."

"What?" Pei Shaoqing raised his voice, then frowned, "Where was his corpse found?"

Ye Yu was actually already dead!

Although it was not strange for people in the Jiang Hu to die suddenly one day, it was different when it was someone close to him.

"It was discovered by a farm woman while she was working outside the city. Young Master Ye's body was exposed in the wilderness; it had already started to stink and had been gnawed on by wild beasts. Even parts like his heart had been dug out and eaten by wild dogs and the like."

"The farm woman went to the County Government to report it first. After inspecting it, the County Government determined that Young Master Ye was a person of the Jiang Hu, so they handed it over to us. Only after our men arrived at the scene did they recognize the corpse as Young Master Ye," Chen Zhongyi said in a deep voice.

Pei Shaoqing asked, "Were there any discoveries?"

"Yes." Chen Zhongyi nodded and said, "According to the madam of Qunfang Yuan, someone named Cui'er also went missing along with Young Master Ye, but there is only Young Master Ye's corpse at the scene, so finding Cui'er is critical."

Of the two who went missing together, the one with martial arts died, yet the corpse of the ordinary person was nowhere to be found.

It was very abnormal.

"Search, search immediately," Pei Shaoqing said.

Before, it was just out of friendship that he helped look for people.

Now that someone had died on his turf, it had become his business. If he didn't give an explanation to the loyal and meritorious Gongsun couple, how could he lead his team in the future?

"Yes!" Chen Zhongyi turned and left immediately.

"Wait." Pei Shaoqing called him back and asked another question, "Has Ye Yu's corpse been collected?"

"It is at the Hundred-Household Office. We have hired a coroner to perform a simple stitching of his body," Chen Zhongyi replied.

In fact, there were people among the common folk who specialized in stitching up corpses.

They were called Corpse Stitchers.

However, Ye Yu's body was already severely damaged, so it made no difference who did the stitching; it didn't need to be too meticulous.

Pei Shaoqing waved his hand, "Go."

Chen Zhongyi cupped his hands again and turned to leave.

"Tell Madam Gongsun to come..." Pei Shaoqing was just about to order a servant to call Liu Yuheng, but after thinking about it, he dismissed the idea, "Forget it, I will go myself."

A moment later, he arrived at the door of Liu Yuheng's room.

"Madam, it's me. Is it convenient to open the door?"

"Young Master, is there something you need?" Liu Yuheng opened the door and looked at Pei Shaoqing with a pretty, delicate expression.

Looking at her red, swollen eyes that had yet to subside, Pei Shaoqing sighed and said, "Let's go inside to talk."

Pity the hearts of parents everywhere.

"Excuse me, my mind has been muddled lately because of Yu'er's matter," Liu Yuheng apologized, quickly stepping aside to clear the way, "Young Master, please come in."

After entering, Pei Shaoqing sat down at the table in the outer room partitioned by a screen, pondering how to bring it up.

Liu Yuheng approached with a fragrant breeze and gently poured him a cup of tea, "Young Master, please have some tea."

"Many thanks, Madam." Pei Shaoqing picked up the teacup and took a sip. After Liu Yuheng sat down, he set the cup back down, "Madam and Young Master Ye share a deep bond."

"When my husband first took over the Iron Sword Sect, he didn't have a single disciple under him. Yebai, Yu'er, and Lan'er were all raised by my husband and me from childhood, just like our own children," Liu Yuheng said softly.

She paused suddenly when she said this, then asked belatedly, "Young Master, why do you suddenly ask about this? Is there some news about Yu'er?"

Pei Shaoqing only sighed, remaining silent.

It was mainly to let Liu Yuheng have some mental preparation.

"Yu'er! Has something happened to Yu'er? Something happened to him, right?" Seeing his reaction, Liu Yuheng's heart trembled violently. She stood up abruptly, grabbed Pei Shaoqing's wrist, and asked with slightly trembling lips.

Pei Shaoqing grabbed her hand in return and said in a low voice, "Young Master Ye's corpse has been found."

"Wuu~" Liu Yuheng's tears burst forth like a broken dam.

Pei Shaoqing hurriedly used his hand to wipe her tears while comforting her, "Madam, Young Master Ye would not want to see you so sad and heartbroken if his spirit is in the afterlife."

"Wuuuuuu..." Liu Yuheng threw herself into his arms and wailed, "Yu'er, my Yu'er, how could you bear to let your master and mistress experience the grief of a parent burying their child? How could you bear it..."

Seeing this, Pei Shaoqing could only wait for her to finish crying.

Liu Yuheng cried for a long time. As her sorrowful emotions were vented, it finally gradually turned into sobbing.

Only then did she realize she was still being held in Pei Shaoqing's arms and hurriedly broke free, "Apologies, Young Master."

"It is fine. Just now was when you needed comfort the most, I understand," Pei Shaoqing said, looking at the patch on his chest dampened by her tears.

In this situation, he really had no reaction while holding Liu Yuheng's full, soft body.

Liu Yuheng pursed her red lips and said in a low, hoarse voice, "Thank you, Young Master. Yu'er... where is his corpse? I want to go see him."

"It is at the Hundred-Household Office. Madam, should we call Lan'er to come along?" Pei Shaoqing asked in a gentle tone.

Liu Yuheng pondered for a moment and said, "She will have to know sooner or later. Let's go see Yu'er together."

"Alright, Madam wait for me at the door, I will go call Lan'er." Pei Shaoqing nodded and walked out.

Zhao Zhilan was practicing her sword in the courtyard, her posture as agile as a Roaming Dragon, her forehead covered in sweat. Seeing Pei Shaoqing, she immediately put away her sword and walked up to him quickly, "Young Master."

"Lan'er, Young Master Ye has been murdered." With Zhao Zhilan, Pei Shaoqing was much more direct.

Because the relationship between the two was closer.

The smile on Zhao Zhilan's face gradually disappeared, her eyes quickly turned red, and tears flowed down silently.

She stood there blankly as if she had lost her mind.

Pei Shaoqing stepped forward, gently pulled her into his arms, and said, "Please accept my condolences. Rest assured, I will help you catch the murderer. His corpse is at the Hundred-Household Office; your mistress asked me to call you to see Young Master Ye one last time."

"Mm." Zhao Zhilan sniffled and said with a choked voice, "Actually, I had already prepared myself for this since even the Jing'an Guard had no news for so long, but when the day truly came, I still couldn't help but feel sad."

Some things, even if you do a hundred or a thousand mental preparations, your emotions are still uncontrollable when the time comes.

"Let's go, your mistress is waiting." Pei Shaoqing didn't say any more comforting words and patted her jade-like back.

The two arrived at the door. Liu Yuheng was already waiting there. Zhao Zhilan called out "Mistress," ran over, and hugged her, and the master and disciple began to cry again.

"Alright Lan'er, stop crying, there are so many people passing by. Come, let's go see your Second Senior Brother."

Liu Yuheng was the first to compose her emotions; she released Zhao Zhilan, helped her wipe the tears from her face, and spoke.

"Mm, mm, mm." Zhao Zhilan bit her red lips and nodded repeatedly, looking at Pei Shaoqing, "Let's go, Young Master."

On the way to the Hundred-Household Office, Liu Yuheng finally asked some questions regarding the death of Ye Yu, and Pei Shaoqing told her everything Chen Zhongyi had said.

Before they even entered the coroner's room, the three of them smelled an indescribable stench; once inside, it hit them even more intensely. An elderly coroner was patiently sewing Ye Yu's fingers back on one by one.

And he seemed as if he could not smell this stench at all.

"Yu'er!"

"Second Senior Brother!"

Liu Yuheng and Zhao Zhilan rushed over, and after looking at Ye Yu's gruesome corpse, they burst into tears again.

Dead without a complete body!

"This subordinate greets the Lord!" The coroner also had to stop his work and salute Pei Shaoqing first.

Pei Shaoqing raised his hand, "No need for formalities."

He examined Ye Yu's corpse; it could only be described as barely intact, but the stomach was almost empty.

"Lord, I discovered a suspicious point while processing the corpse," the coroner leaned in and said cautiously.

Pei Shaoqing immediately asked, "What suspicious point?"

"This person had been poisoned with a potent toxin," the coroner replied.

Liu Yuheng and Zhao Zhilan both looked up at the same time.

"It must have been that woman who murdered Second Senior Brother for his money!" Zhao Zhilan said through gritted teeth.

A fierce look also flashed in Liu Yuheng's eyes.

Pei Shaoqing asked, "Is there anything else?"

"There are no wounds or palm prints on the parts of the body that are still relatively intact, so he was likely poisoned to death," the coroner said, sounding somewhat uncertain.

After all, the corpse had been gnawed beyond recognition by wild beasts.

Possible traces might have already been covered up.

Pei Shaoqing nodded and said, "Once you finish your work here, go directly to find Flag Officer Sun to collect your reward."

"Many thanks for the Lord's reward!" The coroner was overjoyed.

Liu Yuheng suddenly said, "I also ask the Young Master to help send people to return Yu'er's corpse to the Iron Sword Sect."

"I will personally lead the men to deliver it. Since Sect Leader Gongsun's beloved disciple has been murdered, I must go to pay my respects regardless," Pei Shaoqing said in a steady tone.

Liu Yuheng bowed and saluted, "Many thanks, Lord!"

Zhao Zhilan also followed suit and saluted.

After returning home that evening, Pei Shaoqing told Xie Qingwu about this matter, and Xie Qingwu was also filled with sighs.

At the same time, she used this to warn Pei Shaoqing that lust is a blade, and he should not mess around with women outside.

One never knows which one might be secretly hiding poison.

Pei Shaoqing laughed, "I only have my wife in my heart and cannot fit any other woman, just as my wife can only fit me alone."

It was not that his wife was small-minded.

It was that he was magnanimous.

"Forget it, all men are the same," Xie Qingwu pursed her lips, then added, "Since you are going to Tongzhou tomorrow, I will wait for you to return before I go into seclusion to refine medicine; otherwise, there will be no one to make decisions at home."

Ye Yu's corpse had already begun to rot, so it had to be rushed back to the Iron Sword Sect to set up a wake and be buried.

……………………………

The next morning, before setting off, Pei Shaoqing specifically met with Chen Zhongyi, "Flag Officer Chen, did you find anything while investigating that Cui'er yesterday?"

"Lord, I remember that Cui'er was a newcomer to Qunfang Yuan this year. She is beautiful and skilled, and quite popular with the guests. I went to ask yesterday, and the procuress confirmed she did indeed arrive this year. The Body Contract in Qunfang Yuan says she is from Bazhou," Chen Zhongyi said while taking out a Body Contract, "I even brought it with me."

Pei Shaoqing took the Body Contract and looked at it; it detailed Cui'er's real name, where she was from, and other information, "That is a coincidence. I happen to be going to Bazhou today; take a few brothers and come with me."

He estimated that besides Cui'er being beautiful, skilled, and good at coaxing people, it was also her Southwest Mandarin with a Bazhou accent that made Ye Yu lower his guard.

Young people are still too young; they don't know that when visiting a brothel in a foreign land, one must always be on guard against a 'hometown chicken'!

And one must handle a 'hometown chicken' from behind.

As the saying goes, when a fellow townsman meets a fellow townsman, shoot a gun from behind.

Such old sayings all have their reasons, because if you are behind, the initiative is yours, and you don't have to fear her pulling any tricks in a blind spot.

"Yes, Lord," Chen Zhongyi lowered his head and replied.

About half an hour later, Pei Shaoqing bid farewell to Xie Qingwu and set off, leaving Ye Hanshuang behind to protect her, and taking Chen Zhongyi and over twenty Jing'an Guards.

Ye Yu's coffin was pulled by a horse-drawn carriage.

The group headed toward Bazhou in a grand procession.

Liu Yuheng was an elder, and Zhao Zhilan was of the same generation.

Neither of them needed to wear mourning clothes for Ye Yu.

But both had changed into plain-colored clothes. Liu Yuheng wore a pure black long dress, her full figure's curves fully revealed, and the sorrow on her face had not yet dissipated, making her look even more alluring.

Zhao Zhilan wore a plain white long dress, pure and graceful, her tear-streaked appearance making one feel pity for her.

Both of them sat on their horses with somewhat dazed expressions, swaying back and forth, their heavy, overflowing silhouettes on their chests also trembling gently, a sight of incomparable beauty.

(End of chapter)