Chapter 171: Searching for Clues

Early the next morning, Jiang Xiaomu came to the Xian Ya again.

Li Wenqing was looking at the files; seeing Jiang Xiaomu arrive, he hurriedly rose to greet him.

"Mr. Jiang, why are you here again? Do you have any new findings?"

Jiang Xiaomu got straight to the point and said:

"Sir Li, regarding Sir Zhao's case, I hope you can quickly uncover the truth and clear my name."

Li Wenqing sighed and said:

"Mr. Jiang, it's not that I'm not trying; this case is genuinely difficult."

"Sir Zhao's residence is heavily guarded, yet the killer managed to slip in unseen and commit the murder—showing how skillful they are."

"So far, we haven't found any clues."

Li Wenqing said this, picked up a pastry, and took a fierce bite, as if trying to vent his frustration.

Seeing this, Jiang Xiaomu asked:

"Sir Li, do you think it's possible that Sir Zhao's enemies did this?"

Li Wenqing set down the pastry, furrowed his brows, and said:

"It's not impossible."

"However, Sir Zhao hasn't been in Wangzhou City long, and no one has heard of him making enemies."

"Could it be an enemy he offended before arriving in Wangzhou City?"

Jiang Xiaomu asked.

Li Wenqing shook his head.

"... That makes it even harder to investigate; we know nothing about Sir Zhao's past, so we have no starting point."

Jiang Xiaomu pondered for a moment and said:

"Sir Li, may I examine Sir Zhao's body again?"

Li Wenqing hesitated a bit:

"... This isn't really proper, is it?"

Jiang Xiaomu said solemnly:

"Sir Li, a human life is at stake; I am now also a suspect."

"To clear my suspicion, I must personally examine it."

Seeing Jiang Xiaomu's firm attitude, Li Wenqing had no choice but to agree.

The two arrived at the mortuary, and a strong stench of corpse hit them.

Sir Zhao's body lay on a cold wooden plank, his face bluish-purple, eyes wide open, a most terrifying sight.

Jiang Xiaomu suppressed his nausea and carefully examined Sir Zhao's body; aside from the puncture wound discovered by Pei Dongyong, there were no other obvious injuries.

"Sir Li, this poison needle…" Jiang Xiaomu mused:

"Do you know what poison it is?"

Li Wenqing shook his head.

"The coroner is still examining it; there's no result yet."

Jiang Xiaomu's mind stirred, and he asked:

"Sir Li, does Wangzhou City have anyone skilled in poison?"

Li Wenqing thought for a moment and said:

"Although Wangzhou City is small, it hides dragons and crouching tigers; perhaps such a person exists, though I've never heard of one."

"Sir Li, I hope you can quickly trace the origin of this poison needle; perhaps then we'll find a clue to the killer."

Jiang Xiaomu said.

Li Wenqing nodded.

"Mr. Jiang, rest assured, I will do my utmost."

At that moment, Constable Captain Pei Donglai walked in.

"Mr. Jiang is here too."

Pei Donglai clasped his hands toward Jiang Xiaomu as a greeting.

He then turned to Li Wenqing and produced an exquisite small wooden box from his sleeve.

"Sir, the poison needle taken from Sir Zhao's body has been carefully examined by me."

Li Wenqing hastily took the box, opened it, and saw a silver needle as fine as a cow's hair lying still inside, its tip flashing a faint cold light.

"How is it? Any findings?"

Li Wenqing asked eagerly.

Pei Donglai shook his head, his face solemn, and said:

"This poison needle is extremely rare, and the poison on its tip is unheard of."

"I have consulted several experienced coroners, but they are all at a loss and cannot identify the poison."

Li Wenqing knitted his brows, paced back and forth, and kept muttering:

"What shall we do? What shall we do?"

Seeing this, Jiang Xiaomu also felt somewhat heavy-hearted.

It seems that relying on official authority to uncover the truth is likely futile.

"Sir Li, Constable Captain, since we have no leads, I'll take my leave now."

Jiang Xiaomu clasped his hands, turned, and left the mortuary.

Leaving the Xian Ya, Jiang Xiaomu looked up at the overcast sky, his thoughts myriad.

Zhao's death was like a fog, shrouding his heart, making him feel extremely oppressed.

He walked aimlessly down the street, the shops on both sides dazzlingly varied.

Hawkers' cries rose and fell, yet he had no mind to appreciate the lively scene.

Unknowingly, he arrived at the door of a pharmacy; a strong medicinal scent wafted over, refreshing his spirit.

"Perhaps I can go ask the pharmacy owner to see if he knows this poison."

Jiang Xiaomu felt a stir in his heart, lifted his foot and entered the pharmacy.

The pharmacy owner was an old man past sixty, with white hair and a long beard, looking like an immortal with Daoist bearing.

Jiang Xiaomu described the shape of the poison needle he had seen from Li Wenqing.

After hearing, the old man stroked his beard, pondered a moment, and said:

"Sir, the poison needle you speak of, I have never seen nor heard of."

"However, I have an ancient book here that might yield some clues."

Saying this, the old man turned and walked behind the counter, pulling out a thick thread-bound book from a pile of ancient texts.

"Please, sir, have a look."

The old man handed the book to Jiang Xiaomu.

Jiang Xiaomu took the book and flipped it open.

He saw the pages yellowed, densely filled with names and effects of various medicinal herbs and poisons.

He page by page carefully examined it, hoping to find records related to the poison needle.

Time passed minute by minute; Jiang Xiaomu had already browsed through most of the book, yet still found no useful information.

Just as he was about to give up, suddenly his gaze stopped on an illustration in the book.

The illustration depicted a slender silver needle, its tip flickering with a faint cold light, extremely similar to the poison needle he described.

"Found it!"

Jiang Xiaomu felt a surge of joy, quickly reading the text beneath the illustration carefully.

"Seven Star Begonia Needle, refined from the pollen of the Seven Star Begonia and a deadly substance."

"Colorless and odorless, it seals the throat upon contact with blood; victims bleed from the seven orifices and die..."

Seeing this, Jiang Xiaomu involuntarily sucked in a breath of cold air.

This Seven Star Begonia Needle is so vicious!

"May I ask, sir, what kind of plant is the Seven Star Begonia?"

Jiang Xiaomu hurriedly asked the old man for advice.

The old man stroked his beard and slowly said:

"Seven Star Begonia is an extremely rare poisonous herb, growing in frigid lands, seldom seen even in a hundred years."

"It is said that the flowers of this poisonous herb are arranged in a seven-star pattern, with vivid colors."

"Although it has miraculous healing effects, it also contains deadly poison; contact means death."

Jiang Xiaomu's heart startled; the Seven Star Begonia is actually so dangerous!

"Then, sir, do you know where this Seven Star Begonia can be found?"

Jiang Xiaomu asked urgently.

The old man shook his head and said:

"I have only seen records of the Seven Star Begonia in ancient texts; I have never seen it myself."

"As for where it grows, I do not know."

Jiang Xiaomu felt somewhat disappointed, yet still thanked the old man and then left the pharmacy.

He felt anxious in his heart, not knowing how to find the Seven Star Begonia, nor how to clear his own suspicion.