Chapter 136: Case Closed

Jiang Xiaomu lay in bed, his mind filled with myriad thoughts.

Li Wenqing's behavior was truly abnormal, forcing him to suspect there was something hidden behind it.

Could there be more to the Five Absolutes Sect affair? Or does Li Wenqing have some secret he cannot speak of?

As Jiang Xiaomu was lost in his thoughts, a sudden clamor shattered the clinic's tranquility.

Immediately after, a booming voice thundered beside his ear.

"Big brother! Big brother, how are you? Which damned bastard dared to hurt you—I'll tear him apart!"

Jiang Xiaomu knew who had come without even looking.

Xiong Kuohai, his brother who had shared life-and-death with him, was big and thickset, with a voice loud enough to lift the roof.

At that moment, the clinic had many patients, all startled into a shiver by the sudden roar.

A weak voice came from the neighboring bed.

"Good grief, where did this brute come from—is he trying to tear the house down?"

Jiang Xiaomu helplessly rubbed his forehead; this Xiong Kuohai really always brings up the wrong pot.

He struggled to sit up, but the movement tugged at his wound, making him suck in a breath of cold air from the pain.

"Ow, big brother, take it easy!"

Xiong Kuohai lunged to the bedside in a single stride, followed by a group of equally burly men, instantly the small sick

The room was packed so tightly that not even water could seep through.

"Keep it down, all of you!"

Jiang Xiaomu whispered a reprimand:

"This is a clinic, not a barracks—don't disturb the other patients!"

Only then did Xiong Kuohai realize his lapse, scratched his head, and gave a hehe laugh.

"Big brother, I'm not just worrying about you!"

"I heard you were injured by those bastards from the Five Absolutes Sect, so I immediately brought my brothers rushing over!"

Jiang Xiaomu glanced at the tiger-eyed brothers behind Xiong Kuohai, feeling a warm surge but also a greater headache.

"I'm fine, just a minor injury."

Jiang Xiaomu said lightly, not wanting them to worry.

"A minor injury? You've been unconscious for seven days and seven nights, big brother! The doctors said you were almost—"

As Xiong Kuohai spoke, his voice choked up; this towering man's eyes actually reddened.

Jiang Xiaomu felt warm inside, patted Xiong Kuohai's arm, and comforted him:

"Look, I'm doing fine now—don't worry."

Xiong Kuohai sniffled and spoke in a muffled tone:

"Big brother, rest assured—I will definitely drag out those scum from the Five Absolutes Sect and avenge you!"

"We'll talk about revenge later; right now the most important thing is to heal your wounds."

Jiang Xiaomu interrupted him.

"You all go back first—don't disturb the other patients' rest here."

"But big brother..."

Xiong Kuohai still wanted to say something, but Jiang Xiaomu stopped him with a glance.

"Alright, listen to me and go back."

"My own injury, I know it myself."

Jiang Xiaomu patted Xiong Kuohai.

Xiong Kuohai, helpless, could only lead his brothers out of the ward.

Finally the ward grew quiet, and Jiang Xiaomu let out a long sigh.

He closed his eyes, but the images of Li Wenqing and his sister surfaced in his mind.

Li Wenqing's gaze, his sister's shyness—both made him feel uneasy.

Doctor Li, truly a master of the medical arts, after several days of acupuncture, Jiang Xiaomu's previous injuries miraculously healed.

He moved his limbs a bit and, satisfied, heard the crisp sound of his joints.

"Doctor Li's miraculous healing hands—thank you!"

Jiang Xiaomu, while putting on his clothes, praised him and at the same time took out a silver ingot from his pocket and handed it over.

"Just a small token—no disrespect intended."

Doctor Li tokenly refused a bit, but still smiled and accepted the silver ingot, saying:

"Mr. Jiang, you're too polite; as a doctor, benevolence is innate—healing the sick and saving lives is our duty."

Jiang Xiaomu left the clinic with his sister Jiang Xiaoyu and returned home.

Xiao Yu chattered all the way about what she had seen and heard at the clinic.

Jiang Xiaomu, meanwhile, was heavy-hearted; Li Wenqing's abnormal behavior still lingered in his mind.

After lying in bed for several days, Jiang Xiaomu grew increasingly bored, and his wounds were mostly healed.

He decided to make a trip to the county office—to see Li Wenqing and also to inquire about the progress of the earlier massacre case handled by Assistant Official Zhang.

Arriving at the county office, Jiang Xiaomu headed straight for Li Wenqing's study.

Before he even entered, he heard Li Wenqing's angry roar from inside.

"Bold commoner! Dare to lie in front of this official! Seize him and give him twenty heavy blows!"

Jiang Xiaomu's heart tightened; he pushed the door open and entered.

All he saw was a man in ragged clothes lying on the ground, his buttocks beaten to a bloody pulp.

Li Wenqing sat behind the desk with a livid face, holding a gavel, looking furious.

Seeing Jiang Xiaomu enter, Li Wenqing's expression eased slightly.

He waved his hand, signaling the bailiffs to stop the torture and first take the prisoner away for retrial another day.

"Mr. Jiang, how did you come here?"

Li Wenqing asked.

"My injury is no longer serious; I came specially to visit Sir Li and, by the way, inquire about the progress of the Assistant Official Zhang's extermination case."

Jiang Xiaomu replied.

Li Wenqing sighed and said:

"Ah, this case finally has some leads; the mastermind behind it has been confirmed as Jin Buhuan."

"Jin Buhuan?"

Jiang Xiaomu fell silent for a moment.

"It seems the guess was correct; did he confess it himself?"

"Originally we only had caught evidence of his smuggling Private Salt; we didn't expect that under severe torture..."

"This scoundrel actually let slip, admitting that he hired the Five Absolutes Sect to kill Assistant Official Zhang."

Li Wenqing took a sip of tea and continued:

"Originally he just wanted to kill Assistant Official Zhang alone, unbeknownst to gods and ghosts."

"Who would have thought the Five Absolutes Sect, to eradicate the roots, directly exterminated the Zhang family!"

Jiang Xiaomu asked, puzzled.

"Why would Jin Buhuan do such a thing?"

Li Wenqing said:

"According to Jin Buhuan's confession, he wanted to monopolize the shares of Jin Zhuangyuan Jiulou."

"On one hand, to facilitate the transport of Private Salt; on the other, to wait for the right moment and then sell the tavern at a high price."

Jiang Xiaomu tapped the tabletop, continuing to listen to Li Wenqing's further explanation.

"But Assistant Official Zhang disagreed; he had almost staked his entire fortune on opening the tavern."

"If Jin Buhuan were to monopolize it, he himself would go bankrupt."

"Moreover, Assistant Official Zhang had also discovered Jin Buhuan's Private Salt smuggling secret, but before he could report it, he was exterminated!"

Jiang Xiaomu slammed the table and shouted angrily:

"Truly devoid of conscience!"

Li Wenqing then continued:

"I have already submitted Jin Buhuan's confession to the Prefect; he is likely to be executed after autumn."

Jiang Xiaomu nodded slightly, unable to help lamenting the fickleness of worldly affairs.

"For a wicked man like Jin Buhuan, meeting such an end is self-inflicted."

"His eyes shifted slightly as he recalled that Jin Zhuangyuan Jiulou."

"Now that Jin Buhuan has been caught, what should be done with Jin Zhuangyuan Jiulou?"

"Jiang Xiaomu asked seemingly casually, but he had another thought in mind."

Li Wenqing sighed, set down the gavel in his hand, rubbed his forehead, and said:

"Ah, that tavern has already been sealed off by the Xian Ya; for now, no decision has been made on how to handle it."

"However, the specific arrangements still await the Prefect's instructions."