Chapter 43: Projective Gaze Method

"How did Qiao Ziang die?"

Xu Yuan looked blankly and said, "I don't know..."

Fu Jingyu interrupted, "You need not deny it. We of the Filth-Removal Bureau possess special methods that can confirm Qiao Ziang died at your hands."

Xu Yuan still wore a look of confusion: "What are you saying? How can you frame me out of thin air?"

After experiencing life and death several times, Xu Yuan would not be easily tricked into revealing anything.

Fu Jingyu spoke in a rigid manner: "Qiao Ziang deceived his superiors and covered up, delivering living people as strange blood offerings to Ghost Wushan. We have been watching him for some time and were about to close the net when he suddenly died."

Song Lu, standing nearby, said, "We only wish to know the details of Qiao Ziang's death. It is not to arrest you, but to investigate further and find who else conspired with him to deliver our Huang Ming subjects to the strange."

Fu Jingyu added, "Ideally, we can also lure out and kill those strange ones within Ghost Wushan who are plotting against our Huang Ming subjects."

Xu Yuan still shook his head in confusion: "I truly do not know. This matter has nothing to do with me. I was just a lowly servant at Lord Qiao's relay station. I went into the mountains to chop wood, and when I returned, the entire relay station was blown to nothing!

I hid in the town for two days, then ran back here."

Song Lu lost his patience, slammed the table, and shouted, "Xu Yuan! Do not harbor illusions! Since we have found you, you had better confess honestly. This is your last chance!"

Xu Yuan looked aggrieved: "I truly do not know! Lord Qiao was such a great figure. If I had the ability to kill him, would I need to run to Qihe Taizhen to work for him?"

Fu Jingyu's left hand moved swiftly; throughout the entire interrogation, every word spoken by everyone was recorded in his notebook.

"Very well," he said helplessly, "you do not trust us, but we truly have no intention of deceiving you. We have been staying at the county yamen these past few days. If you come to your senses, you may come find us."

Then, he added a reminder: "Qiao Ziang's accomplices may kill to silence witnesses. You should be careful these next few days."

Fu Jingyu put away all his items and said to Song Lu, "Let's go. We will investigate others first."

Song Lu rose unwillingly and left with him. Reaching the door, he sneered, turned back, and said, "Do you really think we have no evidence? That we cannot punish you?"

Xu Yuan spread his hands: "For something I did not do, you cannot just grab a random person to take the blame because you failed to catch the criminal."

"You!" Song Lu was speechless with rage, and Fu Jingyu pulled him away.

Once the two left the courtyard, Song Lu said angrily, "Are we just going to let that brat dismiss us with a few words? Uncle Yan's 'calculation method' clearly calculated that the culprit is him!"

Fu Jingyu said, "That cannot be used as court evidence; it can only serve as a reference for our investigation."

If a law cultivator used a 'calculation method' to determine someone was a suspect in a case and convicted them on that basis, then if that law cultivator harbored ill intent, they could arbitrarily accuse innocent people of being the murderer.

For cases involving the lower third tier, a law cultivator could directly 'calculate' the 'answer.' But for the middle third tier and above, they could mostly only calculate a vague range.

Moreover, there are many strange methods in this world that can mislead the results of a 'calculation method.'

Song Lu crossed his arms and humphed, "I saw it yesterday! After hearing the news of Qiao Ziang's death, you danced around behind people's backs several times!"

Fu Jingyu did not deny it: "Of course I am happy that someone like Qiao Ziang is dead. But you cannot doubt my professional integrity. I am happy about Qiao Ziang's death, but I will not therefore condone the murderer who killed him. Little Song, when we handle cases, we must strictly follow procedure."

Song Lu muttered a few words under his breath, things like 'rigid' and 'dull ghost,' but Fu Jingyu heard them and did not mind.

"Let's go investigate the Datong Carriage and Horse Agency first. Qiao Ziang once bought several batches of servants through them, and those people all disappeared in Qihe Taizhen."

The two walked out of Hegang Alley, and Fu Jingyu suddenly said in a low voice, "Wait for me."

Fu Jingyu turned toward the alley, closed his left hand's five fingers, formed a strange hand seal, and pointed at a magpie on the eaves at the alley entrance from a distance.

The magpie flapped its wings and took flight, circling and patrolling above Hegang Alley.

The magpie's eyes were Fu Jingyu's eyes; this 'projective gaze method' allowed him to see everything the magpie saw.

Song Lu felt nothing, but since entering this alley, Fu Jingyu had always felt someone staring at him.

Song Lu raised his eyebrows and said in thin anger, "Heh! Someone dares to tail us of the Filth-Removal Bureau? They must have eaten a bear's heart and a leopard's gall..."

The two worked in perfect coordination; as soon as Fu Jingyu cast his spell, Song Lu understood what was happening.

But before she finished speaking, she saw the magpie in the air suddenly freeze stiff and plummet straight down!

Fu Jingyu let out a muffled groan, closed his eyes in pain, and tears mixed with a streak of fresh blood slid down from the corner of his eye.

The magpie crashed with a 'pa' sound at their feet, its brains bursting, a gruesome sight!

"Who!?" Song Lu supported Fu Jingyu and shouted angrily at the entire Hegang Alley.

No one paid her any attention. At the alley entrance was only a Zhe Luo shop, where an old woman with gray hair, combed meticulously, sat at the door with a kind face, smiling at her.

Facing Song Lu's gaze full of defiance, Wang Shen showed no fear, but also gave no response.

It really wasn't me, old woman. Who made you provoke Xu Yuan? He is the reverse scale of that old monster.

If you were not people of the Filth-Removal Bureau, that young man's two eyes would not be safe.

"Let's go back first." Fu Jingyu, with his eyes tightly shut, held back Song Lu, who was about to explode. Song Lu stamped his foot hard, supported him, and they left.

Xu Yuan was reminded by these two from the Filth-Removal Bureau: "Qiao Ziang still has accomplices!"

"There is nothing much to do these few days. Let's stay quietly at home for a few days."

"If his accomplices want to kill to silence witnesses, they will have to come to Hegang Alley to find me. As long as they enter the alley, hehehe..."

In the county town, or more specifically within Hegang Alley, Xu Yuan truly had no fear!

Although Xu Yuan could not hide in Hegang Alley for the rest of his life, right now I am in the open and the enemy is in the dark. Why take the risk of going out?

Better to wait at home for the rabbit to hit the post.

This is not Qihe Tai; this is Hegang Alley! With so many elders here, could that one make me suffer?

If I catch the assassin sent to silence witnesses, I will have leads, and then I can reverse the offensive and defensive positions, becoming 'the enemy in the open and I am in the dark.'

Xu Yuan stayed at home cultivating Wang Shen's 'Five Cauldrons Cooking.'

Raising his Rank Dan Xiu level.

When his stepmother returned at noon, she discovered Xu Yuan had not gone out and was also surprised: Why had this fellow suddenly become so honest?

In Wangjing Ward, the courtyard of Lord Qiao was draped in plain white mourning cloth.

The news of Qiao Ziang's death had finally arrived.

A spirit hall was set up in the center of the front courtyard. The entire household was in solemn grief, and Qiao Ziang's wives and concubines knelt before the fire basin, wailing to the heavens.

He had multiple wives and concubines yet fathered not a single child.

His actions severely damaged his yin virtue; this is retribution!

Relatives and friends from the city came to mourn, but Old Man Qiao's several nephews were all in outlying counties.

Some servants and maids had already secretly stashed away valuable items, while the wives and concubines had long since secured the land deeds, house deeds, and the like.

By the time they wake up tomorrow morning, less than half the people in this mansion will likely remain.

By the time his nephews rush over to fight for the inheritance, I fear the Qiao Manor will have nothing left.

The Qiao family has already reached the state of a fallen tree scattering its monkeys.

It's strange... whenever I just say the ranking has risen, it gets trampled down...

This time I'll reverse my support: the ranking has plummeted terribly!

I beg you all to lend your full support!

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(End of this chapter)