Chapter 274

Zhang Laoya returned with a swollen, bruised face.

As he walked into the Nancheng patrol office, he kept his head down, covering his face with his sleeve.

Lucky for him, Qin Ze was on duty at the door.

The Wu Xiu's eyesight was sharp—he spotted Zhang Laoya's miserable state at a glance.

"Hey—" Qin Ze had just started to laugh and open his mouth to mock, when Zhang Laoya's furious glare shut him up.

Qin Ze immediately turned his head away, pretending not to see Zhang Laoya.

Qin Ze might be a loudmouth, but he had some sense—he knew some people could be teased freely, and others couldn't.

Sure enough, not long after Zhang Laoya went inside, Zhou Leizi returned.

Qin Ze grinned wide and said: "Oh? The Zhou Captain who digs for food in shit is back?"

Zhou Leizi traded insults with him for several rounds, then finally lost.

It wasn't that Zhou Leizi lacked verbal skill—it was just that the thing he'd gone out to do this time left him no ground to stand on.

Zhang Laoya went straight to see Xu Yuan, said nothing, just held out his hand: "Quick, lend me your medicine pill."

Rank Dan Xiu usually carried one special medicine pill.

It condensed various spirit herbs and had broad effects: healing wounds, neutralizing poison, mending broken limbs, strengthening 'non-yin'…

Pills sold to others usually had only one effect.

Xu Yuan watched him with glee, moving slowly.

Zhang Laoya urged: "Hurry—my face hurts!"

Speaking tugged at his wounds; his eyelids twitched.

"Ha!" Xu Yuan finally couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

But he still lent him his medicine pill.

The medicine pill worked wonders—after rolling it over his face a few times, Zhang Laoya's nosebleed stopped and the swelling faded.

"Sigh…" Zhang Laoya let out a long sigh: "You've really screwed me over—now I have to go back to them again…"

"Is this my fault?" Xu Yuan said: "Enough, tell me—did they find any leads?"

"When they reached the Canal Office's warehouse that night, they found no other traces, but the place reeked of a woman's fragrance."

Xu Yuan frowned—this lead was far too vague.

Fortunately, Zhang Laoya added: "They're certain the scent is from 'Chunzhi Ji,' the most famous cosmetic powder in Zhengzhou—called 'Xiang Yu Zhi,' one box costs ten taels of silver…"

Zhang Laoya pulled out a box, let Xu Yuan smell it, then said: "There's only one shop in the city selling Chunzhi Ji goods—Rong Lian Hao, in the northern quarter."

"You already told them?"

"Of course—they'll investigate secretly. Their methods are far more convenient for this than ours."

Xu Yuan nodded, glanced at Zhang Laoya, and couldn't help asking: "Why did you get beaten this time?"

Last time, he wasn't beaten.

Zhang Laoya snorted, refused to answer, and turned to leave.

Last time he ran fast; this time, because the matter was complicated, he couldn't escape.

If the three Dream Moths hadn't known this case was dangerous and needed Zhang Laoya to relay messages, they'd have beaten him so badly he couldn't get out of bed—then just tossed him onto a cart and dragged him back.

Xu Yuan couldn't put all his hopes on the three Dream Moths; he was pondering his next move when suddenly, a commotion erupted outside.

Qin Ze's voice boomed: "What are you doing here? Do you really think the Quhui Bureau is easy to bully…?"

Right after, Miao Yu's voice was even louder: "Is Xu Yuan here?"

In his entire life, Miao Yu had never lost any contest—including shouting matches.

Xu Yuan rushed out; Qin Ze blocked the door with his arms, refusing to let Miao Yu enter.

Xu Yuan waved at him: "Lord Miao is the Master of Law—stand down!"

Miao Yu brought only two attendants, strode in quickly, and grabbed Xu Yuan firmly: "Come inside and talk."

His two attendants stood guard outside, tightly securing the entrance.

Once Xu Yuan closed the door, Miao Yu's expression was solemn: "Wu Qingzhao is dead! This morning he went out with a Jiaoxiao, supposedly following a lead on a Ghost Thief case, but inexplicably returned home.

Both of them are dead in his house!"

Wu Qingzhao suddenly came home during duty hours, ignored everyone who spoke to him, and went straight to bed—his family sensed something was wrong.

When they checked on him later, he was already dead.

Xu Yuan frowned: "Did he find a lead and get silenced?"

Miao Yu shook his head: "The Jiaoxiao's lead was just that a gambler at a gambling den in Nancheng suddenly started spending lavishly.

The Jiaoxiao suspected him of stealing from wealthy merchants.

But after I arrested him and interrogated him, I learned he'd dug up the tomb of a concubine from the ancient Southern Jiaozhi dynasty with a few others a few days ago—unrelated to the Ghost Thief case."

Shanhe Bureau had assumed the wealthy merchant thefts and the Canal Office warehouse case were the work of the same person.

Xu Yuan asked again: "How did Wu Qingzhao die? Was there an autopsy?"

Shanhe Bureau had coroners who practiced Anxi Fa.

"They did." Miao Yu's expression grew even more solemn: "The manner of their deaths—throughout the entire Zhan City, only I could recognize it."

Xu Yuan grew impatient—just spit it out already, why are you boasting now?

"Their scalps were sliced open, their skull caps pried apart, and their brains thoroughly examined! This is the 【Liu Tou Fa】!"

Xu Yuan frowned, instinctively recalling the 'Diao Tou Ridge' in Ghost Wushan.

In truth, regarding the origins of the Seven Gates, there's always been a saying: most cultivation methods originally came from… the Strange!

Miao Yu continued: "This sect's cultivation methods are sinister and hard to guard against, but they have many drawbacks.

For instance, when examining a brain, one cannot be distracted—if interrupted, the memories of the brain in hand will merge with one's own, and one can never separate them again—ultimately going mad."

So they often bring a helper along.

Xu Yuan nodded: "Daring to strike at a Shanhe Inspector? This person has powerful connections."

Behind him, Miao Yu clenched his teeth, then finally said: "This case is growing more suspicious! I just went to the River Zhancheng Yamen again, trying to check the Juan Sect records to find out what was stolen from the warehouse—but there's no record at all!"

Xu Yuan silently thought: Behind Miao Yu has finally realized it.

But Xu Yuan wasn't ready to tell Behind Miao Yu everything yet.

"Why is there no record?"

"Someone is using Shanhe's warehouse and ships to smuggle goods!" Behind Miao Yu slammed a fist onto the table in fury: "How audacious!"

Xu Yuan remained expressionless: "Has my lord asked the River Zhancheng Yamen?"

"I asked. They only claim the Juan Sect records are lost and refuse to tell me the truth! They're probably sharing in the profits from this illicit trade!"

After leaving the River Zhancheng Yamen, Miao Yu felt as if his hands and feet had been bound in Zhan City, unable to act.

With no capable subordinates at hand, he bit his lip halfway and went straight to Xu Yuan for advice.

But Xu Yuan dared not tell him everything about the Cocoon Food—how could he explain how he knew these things?

Xu Yuan gave vague replies, then sent off the deeply puzzled Lord Miao.

When he returned, he realized a problem: What was the purpose of the one secretly stealing the Cocoon Food?

Wen Bin wanted to expose the truth and make a big case to build his reputation.

But what if the one hiding in the shadows wanted the Cocoon Food itself?

(End of Chapter)