Chapter 44: My Twenty‑Year‑Old Female Tenant

For the rest of the day, I basically stayed with Yang Hanlu and Zou Zhen, buried in the files, looking for information about Battalion Commander Qiu Feng.

According to the files, the case was exactly as Battalion Commander Qin Gui of the Northern Pacification Office said: Battalion Commander Qiu Feng colluded with bandits, leading to the silver convoy being robbed, and witness testimonies, evidence, and the coroner's documents were all complete.

But at the same time, Jiang Yunzhou and the two also discovered several doubts:

First, although the bandits were wiped out cleanly, the silver carriage found in the cave contained only a few hundred taels of silver; thirty thousand taels of silver had vanished, according to official records, the stolen silver was said to have been squandered or transferred by the bandits.

Second, those two coroners were indeed related to the case from back then; they were the ones who performed the autopsies on the deceased Battalion Commander Qiu Feng and other escorted soldiers and wrote the documents.

Third, the information about Battalion Commander Qiu Feng in the files had been heavily redacted; it is likely that the people of the Northern Pacification Office, worried that any past connection with Qiu Feng would affect their futures, uniformly edited it out.

Not finding much relevant information in the files, Yang Hanlu suggested:

"The information in the files is limited; we should go to the Northern Pacification Office and ask who handled the Qiu Feng case back then."

Zou Zhen stretched and said:

"Alright, it's so late; let's go ask tomorrow. My eyes are sore from looking. Brother Jiang, do you need us to give you a ride?"

"No need; let's meet again tomorrow if you two have any new leads."

When Jiang Yunzhou returned alone to the Azure Medical Hall, it was already late, but the courtyard had its lights lit.

Shen Qingu was sitting in Jiang Yunzhou's room reading medical texts, waiting for him to return, while Bai Zhi was on his bed waiting to fall asleep, and a white porcelain pot sat on the little brazier at the doorway.

"You're coming back this late; I was about to send an aide to look for you."

"The case at the Pacification Office is a bit complicated, so I was delayed a little; Elder Sister Qingu, you're not asleep yet?"

"I was afraid you'd be hungry after a day's work, so I made you some shredded meat porridge; drink it while it's hot and rest early."

Seeing how virtuous Elder Sister Qingu was, Jiang Yunzhou again recalled his frivolity from the previous night and whispered:

"Elder Sister Qingu, last night…… "

Thinking Yunzhou was about to apologize again, Shen Qingu waved her hand and said:

"I already said it was just treatment; don't worry about it."

But who would have thought Jiang Yunzhou would shake his head and earnestly say:

"I feel it's not the medicine's effect, but seeing Elder Sister Qingu somewhat unable to restrain herself, so similar things might happen again in the future."

Shen Qingu also didn't expect Yunzhou to lay it out so directly; instead, she found herself unsure how to respond.

"Body... health comes first, do as you wish, Bai Zhi, Bai Zhi! I'm leaving!"

Afraid of showing her inner little joy, Shen Qingu tucked her hands behind her back, took the medical text, and walked back with light steps.

Seeing Bai Zhi with sleepy eyes, still preparing to help clear the bowls and chopsticks, Jiang Yunzhou stopped her and said:

"I'll do it myself. By the way, Bai Zhi, did anyone come looking for me today?"

"No, but there's a pretty woman—though not as pretty as the young lady—who wants to come rent a room."

"Rent a room? What kind?"

"Wearing all white, with a veil; do you know her, young master?"

Pfft, she actually came to rent a room—credit to Heroine Zhen Qing for thinking of that.

"I don't know her. Alright, Bai Zhi, you should also go rest early."

After Bai Zhi left, Jiang Yunzhou moved the brazier and white porcelain pot outside, blew out the lamp, shut the door, and it looked like he was already resting.

A moment later, a white figure, as if draped in moonlight, silently landed on Jiang Yunzhou's roof.

This thief‑doctor could be said to have returned, letting me wait easily.

As Zhen Qing sat cross‑legged on the roof, the panic caused by the love‑gu burning inside her was finally replaced by an indescribable sense of peace.

It felt as if her heart were filled to the brim, bringing complete satisfaction.

Greedily savoring the inner tranquility, although she felt a bit restless, she could still suppress it.

Junior Sister Su Tao chuckled and said:

"Senior Sister, you're being too cheeky—people are already here, why not go down and see them? It might even be more comfortable; are you really planning to stay on someone's roof every night?"

"What do you know? This is absorbing moon essence; it's enough here, no need to meet."

As they were speaking, the aroma of shredded chicken porridge also drifted up from below.

Smelling that scent, Zhen Qing grew even more annoyed, precisely because this broken love‑gu made her meals tasteless.

She used to wonder how anyone could think of another person and lose appetite for tea and food, but now she herself had experienced that passively.

And now, upon arriving at Jiang Yunzhou's roof, her suppressed appetite seemed to be released again; however, as a cultivator, even without abstaining from grains, this little hunger was still bearable.

Just as her mind settled and qi condensed, preparing to enter meditation, a strange sound came from behind:

"Slurp slurp, heroine, are you practicing?"

Startled, Zhen Qing turned her head and saw that Jiang Yunzhou had somehow also gotten onto the roof at some point!

Keeping a certain distance from her, he leaned against the ridge, holding a small white porcelain bowl, and was drinking the shredded chicken porridge by himself.

"You...... how are you here?!"

Jiang Yunzhou swallowed the porridge in his mouth and laughed, saying:

"Heroine Zhen, this is my home; shouldn't I be the one asking that?"

"I'm just practicing on the roof, absorbing moon essence."

"Oh oh, if that's the case, is the moon over the Red Sleeve Pavilion being blocked?"

"I just happened to pass by!"

"Yes yes yes, the heroine must have passed by while asking about nearby rental prices."

"You!"

Realizing her sneaky visit and the rental matter had been caught, Zhen Qing felt both embarrassed and angry, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Knowing the heroine's stubbornness, Jiang Yunzhou hurriedly flew forward, grabbed her with one hand, and apologized:

"Eh eh eh, Heroine Zhen! I was just joking; since you've come, why not come down for a chat? I happen to have something to discuss."

If Zhen Qing truly made up her mind to leave, Jiang Yunzhou naturally couldn't catch up, but at this moment, seeing that thief doctor being grabbed by the arm again, Zhen Qing only felt her inner organs flow smoothly, an indescribable comfort and satisfaction.

Anyway, just going down to sit and adjust my inner breath, Zhen Qing then followed the steps Jiang Yunzhou gave and said:

I'm only doing this because you resolved the shattered heart gu.

The two went into the main house and sat down; Jiang Yunzhou also served Zhen Qing a bowl of shredded chicken congee, and didn't forget to thoughtfully urge her on.

If you, Miss Zhen, think it's poisonous, just forget it.

Zhen Qing naturally wouldn't judge a gentleman's heart with a petty mind; she picked up the small porcelain bowl and ate one, then two, then three bowls.

What was the thing you just said?

I want to rent the west wing rooms in the courtyard to you, Miss.

Zhen Qing set down the porridge bowl, took a deep breath, and said:

Thank you for your hospitality, Young Master Jiang, but I, Zhen Qing, would rather have my meridians sealed and my cultivation ruined than yield to the love gu and do something I don't want to do; you needn't worry about me.

Knowing the female hero's stubborn temperament, Jiang Yunzhou laughed and explained:

You've misunderstood, Miss; I invited you to stay next door not because of the love gu, but because I recently encountered a thorny case that is not only dangerous but also seems to involve demons and ghosts, and I know little about it, so I urgently need a martial artist's help.

I don't know if you, Miss, are willing to help me with this; consider it repayment for the favor of resolving your shattered heart gu, and at the latest only until this case is over—afterward I will have no further requests; what do you think?

Even Zhen Qing, who had been firm and resolute, hesitated a little upon hearing this.

This actually does conform to the way of chivalry, and I do owe him a favor; repaying it would leave us even.

Besides, although I don't want to admit it, going out with him to handle the case and living next door would indeed spare me from the suffering of the love gu burning my body.

I... I'll first take a look at the house.