[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-roaring-dragon":3,"chapter-the-roaring-dragon-the-roaring-dragon-chapter-43":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Roaring Dragon",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2281899,4463,"Chapter 43: I Mean, Suppose","the-roaring-dragon-chapter-43",43,"\u003Cp>Peach Immortal Alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As night fell, the streets gradually came alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the clamor of the crowd, a squad of government office runners and wu zu escorted a young man and woman toward Yuelai Tower, chatting all along:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hurry up and eat— the government office is swamped; if I’m gone too long, my father will scold me for slacking off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sharpening the knife doesn’t delay chopping wood; if you can’t even fill your belly, how can you work?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The mushroom-stewed flying dragon at Yuelai Tower? That’s a masterpiece.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gukji—?! Gukji-gukji-gukji…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey? What’s wrong with Meiqiu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She’s urging us to hurry. She’s crazy for this dish—haven’t had it in ages…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, inside a nearby inn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Company Commander Zhou He stood by the window, peering through the gap at the group on the street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him, two Chi Lin Guards, who had seen the courtesans in the room but failed to taste any, were heartbroken—but now dared not dwell on it, instead asking an old man:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This case doesn’t just involve the corpse case in Jingcheng; it may also be tied to the great demon of Ziwei Mountain. Prince Wang’s display of force, Mr. Li, you’ve seen it yourself. If you don’t reveal the truth, even the Chi Lin Guards can’t clear your son’s name.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man was Li Gongming, brother of Li Gongpu, seated beside a tea table in a Confucian robe, his brow furrowed with three parts anger:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My elder brother serves His Majesty in the capital—how could the Li family not know how to act with restraint?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Immortal Ascension Powder was indeed sold by my son’s indulgence of Li Shizhong; he buried alive gamblers who owed debts, and even smuggled salt from Yaozhou to neighboring counties—but these are trivial matters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To secretly collude with demon bandits and plunge Luojing and Danyang into chaos, even stirring His Majesty’s attention—if this were true, it would mean the Li family’s annihilation. Could my son be so foolish as to go this far? What would the Li family gain by allying with a great demon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou He closed the window and sat beside the tea table:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Neither you nor your son had motive to collude with the great demon. In my view, Mr. Li, you may have been secretly framed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Gongming had come precisely to discuss this; he raised his hand to pour tea for Zhou He:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You hold a key position in the Chi Lin Guards—you must understand the capital’s political landscape. If someone envies my elder brother and is secretly striking at us, I beg you, Master Zhou, to drop a hint.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou He paused briefly: “We haven’t yet identified who it is—but I have some suspicions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?” Li Gongming leaned forward. “Please, Master Zhou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou He lifted his teacup, recalling:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Three years ago, there was the ghost incident at the imperial villa. Battalion Commander Han Jingchuan was implicated. Unable to deliver results, he dumped the blame onto Xie Wen, the County Commandant of Wanan County, who was then exiled to Lingnan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this connected to the current case?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“On his way to take office, Xie Wen’s convoy was ambushed by an unknown demon creature—all perished. But recently, Xie Jinhuan, who has repeatedly achieved miraculous results, is Xie Wen’s son. He vanished for three years and has now returned.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Gongming frowned and asked quietly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did my brother orchestrate Xie Wen’s transfer and the ambush on the convoy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou He shook his head: “A lowly county commandant couldn’t possibly have drawn the attention of Master Li. It was Han Jingchuan’s idea to make Xie Wen the scapegoat; the convoy ambush was likely just bad luck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if Xie Wen hadn’t been framed and exiled to Lingnan, he wouldn’t have met that fate. Strictly speaking, this is patricide!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Gongming pondered, puzzled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xie Jinhuan has a father’s blood feud with Han Jingchuan—what does that have to do with the Li family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou He gently reminded: “If Han Jingchuan hadn’t pulled strings, how could a man of his rank have cleared himself entirely and pinned all blame on the county commandant?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard Han Jingchuan paid three thousand taels of silver to settle this matter—but I don’t know who exactly received it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Gongming understood how his elder brother had amassed his fortune—he didn’t press further:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you suggesting Xie Jinhuan mistakenly believes my brother killed his father, and is now framing the Li family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m only suspecting—but whether true or not, this man must be dealt with.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou He spoke solemnly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xie Jinhuan is no ordinary warrior—he’s recently achieved remarkable feats, and today even won the favor of the Dan King. If we don’t act preemptively, once he returns to the capital, he’ll hold merit, be backed by a prince, and enjoy the Son of Heaven’s favor—no one in court will dare touch him. When his wings are fully grown, he’ll revisit the case from three years ago…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Gongming understood. He asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How do you plan to deal with this young man?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou He lightly traced the rim of his cup:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dealing with Xie Jinhuan isn’t hard—it’s dealing with whoever stands behind him that’s difficult.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Chi Lin Guards confirmed Xie Wen’s death; Xie Jinhuan should’ve perished. Yet here he is, alive, and inexplicably possessing extraordinary martial prowess—he must have a powerful mentor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Until we uncover his true background, any hasty move might land us on an iron plate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Gongming stroked his beard and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How do you plan to investigate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou He stood, pacing twice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dongcang Street, Sanhe Pavilion, the corpse pit, the burial fields—all were first discovered by Xie Jinhuan. He often solved cases single-handedly. Today, he was the first to notice the anomaly in the bones.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if he’s a genius detective, this is too extraordinary. The location of the Gu flower, the corpse pit—there’s no way he could deduce these without outside help. We suspect a mastermind behind him—but no one knows who.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, Zhou He turned to Li Gongming:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s suppose—for argument’s sake—that Xie Jinhuan is aided by a great demon, and is deliberately stirring chaos…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Gongming sat up straighter:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s too far-fetched. Accusing the Li family of colluding with demon bandits—at least we have the Immortal Ascension Powder and buried gamblers as unprovable stains.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xie Jinhuan openly lives right before the Princess’s residence. Recently, he’s been leading investigations, fearless of hardship…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou He raised his hand, speaking solemnly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I said ‘suppose.’ Xie Jinhuan certainly has no connection to the great demon—but if someone suspects him, doesn’t he have to prove it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Danyang is now on edge. If Xie Jinhuan is even remotely linked to demon bandits, he must explain his entire three-year absence, his lineage, and how he uncovered every clue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If he can’t explain, the Li family will insist he’s framing us—won’t the government then have to investigate his background thoroughly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If he does explain, the Chi Lin Guards will know his true origins—and then we can act without hesitation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Gongming stroked his beard, thinking deeply, then nodded slightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Indeed. Master Zhou, your insight is sharp. This matter still requires your personal intervention…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Naturally. But I’ll need your help to find something…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside Yuelai Tower, the scene was bustling. Waiters carried wine and dishes through the hall; at a table, a middle-aged musician cradled a pipa, singing a delicate folk tune from the waterlands:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dang-dang-dang~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“White feathers dance on the marsh, water and clouds drift free~ Solitary and pure, heart unwilling to rest…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the main hall, two square tables were pushed together; nearly ten government office runners and wu zu sat around them, wolfing down rare delicacies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most extravagant eater was Meiqiu—if Xie Jinhuan hadn’t held her back, she might’ve devoured the entire basin!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Linghu Qingmo, as host, sat in the seat of honor. Having given her meat to Meiqiu, her bowl held only mushrooms, which she nibbled slowly. Noticing Xie Jinhuan was distracted, she asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong? The food not to your taste?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan looked at the table full of officers, feeling nostalgic:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No—it just reminded me of the first time I met Brother Yang. It was just like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Dabiao, already tipsy after three rounds of wine, thought hard:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come to think of it, yes. It was six years ago—I’d just arrived in the capital. The government office solved a small case, and Master Xie hosted a feast to reward us, bringing you along. Back then, you weren’t even as tall as my shoulder, and Meiqiu was no bigger than a fist—so well-behaved. Who’d have thought in just a few years, you’d change so much…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan smiled and added: “Yes. I remember after the meal, the elders suggested visiting the brothels…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?” Linghu Qingmo frowned. “You went too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan shrugged. “I was thirteen. How could I have gone to brothels? Ask Brother Yang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Dabiao instantly sobered, defending himself indignantly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must be mistaken. I didn’t go! It was Monk Jibei who started it. I’d just met my wife—I’d never set foot in such a place. I left right away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Qing scoffed, clearly not believing this nonsense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Dabiao grew angry and was about to expose his secrets publicly—until Liu Qing quickly held him down:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Drink, drink. Don’t talk nonsense during meals…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Feeling guilty?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why would I feel guilty? I haven’t done anything wrong!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You helped Widow Wang find her chicks the day before yesterday…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That was just a favor. Widow Wang’s over forty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forty-something is exactly the age to cool your fire. What if your wife finds out…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The table erupted in laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Linghu Qingmo, from the Daoist sect, rarely attended such official gatherings. Seeing the constables and wu zu stifling chuckles, daring not to speak their crude jokes, she thought: men are all pigs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just look at how upright Xie Jinhuan is…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Linghu Qingmo picked up another chicken leg and placed it on Xie Jin's plate...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This chapter far exceeds the word count of the pre-released chapters by four or five days—please vote for monthly tickets or2~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just finished writing; still need to polish it...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1696,"2026-06-20T01:38:11.747Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","2ba45ff6131a71f21d145c29158762de8f31f6fa6bf530f1e44822d68d2cc890","the-roaring-dragon-chapter-44","the-roaring-dragon-chapter-42",252,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-roaring-dragon-cover.jpg"]