Chapter 49

I originally just came to question Fang Tao, but I never expected this guy to have gone mad.

However, he had already been seriously wounded by a blade to the shoulder, so the people of the Southern Peacekeeping Office also feared that locking him up might endanger his life; therefore they merely stepped forward and drove a meridian‑sealing needle into his meridians, ensuring he could no longer use his internal force.

The ordinary folk on the street were also startled, hastily fleeing to either side; fortunately, a Peacekeeping Office banner officer came over to explain the investigation, preventing a large‑scale disturbance.

Seeing Jiang Yunzhou and Zhen Qing also jump down from the roof, Yang Hanlu, holding his injured arm, said:

"Thank you both, Heroine Zhen turns out to be a talisman master—I didn't expect Master Jiang not only to excel in medicine, but his needle technique is equally superb."

Saying this, he pulled the silver needle from Fang Tao's neck and handed it back to Jiang Yunzhou.

Seeing this, not only Zhen Qing but even the Peacekeeping Office personnel were secretly startled.

Everyone had just seen the white‑clad heroine throw a talisman that struck Fang Tao, helping to subdue him, yet no one noticed when the Jiang youth of the Cang Medical Hall had flicked out his silver needle.

Seeing everyone's gaze turn to him, Jiang Yunzhou took the silver needle and gave a wry smile:

"Don't all stare at me—after practicing medicine for over ten years, using needles this skillfully is just a minor trick; it's useless in real combat."

Everyone either took it as modesty or as a joke, and didn't pay it much heed.

After all, it's merely needling acupoints—just a matter of skillful technique and good aim, not a single needle that blows someone's head off.

Only Yang Hanlu and Zhen Qing paid extra attention, because they knew that at this distance, striking an acupoint with a silver needle—accurate, swift, and neither penetrating the body nor passing through it—required extremely precise control of force.

But now is really no time for pleasantries; Yang Hanlu ordered:

"Take Fang Tao back to the Southern Peacekeeping Office, Master Jiang—I'll also need to trouble you to come along and see what's really going on with him."

"Of course, but let me first bandage your wound."

Yang Hanlu's shoulder wound wasn't deep either; he had just exerted force to block two of Fang Tao's saber strikes, which caused more bleeding, but it wasn't very noticeable against his red clothing.

The personnel searching Fang Tao's house quickly also discovered, hidden in the interlayer wall, obvious chunks of melted‑down silver, and on top of them a piece of old silver ingot identical to those from the former silver‑cart case.

Yang Hanlu left a small squad to search Fang Tao's compound, while the others escorted personnel back to the Peacekeeping Office.

As a martial artist of the Bei Rong state, Zhen Qing naturally wanted to go to the Liang Peacekeeping Office to broaden her horizons.

Seeing Jiang Yunzhou approach the horse with his bandaged arm, Zhen Qing, this time understanding, stepped forward a bit and then reached back to pull him up.

"I knew the heroine would never bear to leave me behind."

"Don't get cozy—since your arm is injured, don't ride; just sit properly in the back."

"Yes, sir."

I had originally thought I would drive the horse forward a bit to keep some distance from Jiang Yunzhou.

But before we had taken a few steps, Jiang Yunzhou's right arm slipped around Zhen Qing's slender waist from the side, his palm resting on her lower abdomen.

I have to say, this horse's back is really soft and smooth—I can even feel the abdominal muscles.

Zhen Qing let out a muffled grunt and shouted in a low voice:

"Let go!"

"Heroine Zhen, I only have one hand—if I let go I'll fall off."

Saying this, he gripped even tighter.

"You!"

Really, give him an inch and he'll take a mile.

Although under the influence of the love‑worm, Zhen Qing found this bodily contact very pleasant, she still frowned and glared, looking utterly offended.

The group arrived at the Southern Peacekeeping Office, which is located on Yanping Street in the southern part of the city—a quiet lane with few residents in front of the government office.

As the saying goes, "In front of the office, behind the temple, the poor lose longevity"—such a place naturally keeps the Southern Peacekeeping Office in check.

Upon entering the completely black gate, an inexpressive sense of oppression welled up; everyone first placed the unconscious Fang Tao in a safe spot, awaiting Jiang Yunzhou's examination.

Soon Jiang Yunzhou discovered a needle hole scabbed with blood on the back of Fang Tao's head.

"That's probably it—judging by how the wound has scabbed, it must have happened in the last day or two; it looks like he was struck by some hidden weapon, so this guy might not be the killer after all."

Zou Zhen asked:

"Could he have been poisoned with something that causes loss of sanity?"

Feeling the blister beside the needle hole, Jiang Yunzhou pricked Fang Tao's occiput a few times; seeing no reaction from the body, he frowned and shook his head:

"I see no signs of poisoning on him; as for this madness… I suspect the back of his head suffered an injury, which is why my needle elicited no response."

Yang Hanlu pressed further:

"Is there any hope of saving him?"

"No, this isn't poisoning; such irreversible brain damage cannot be healed, and I can see his breath is as faint as silk—obviously he's been clinging to life, and after his mad struggle just now he's practically at death's door."

Zou Zhen cursed:

"Damn, this lead seems to have been cut off again—yesterday we clearly found melted‑down silver chunks and un‑melted ingots in Qin Gui's home, and today Fang Tao's house has them too; although the evidence is thin, they're very likely the true culprits of the old silver‑cart robbery. Yet now, everyone who participated in the investigation of that silver‑cart case years ago has been killed—could it really be vengeful ghosts demanding their due? Are we supposed to drag them out one by one from the register of the dead?"

But now, regarding the silver carriage robbery case from years ago, all the recorded investigators have met with foul play—damn it, is it a vengeful ghost demanding lives? Are they being seized one by one according to the Book of Life and Death?"】

Yang Hanlu, however, calmly reminded:

"Vengeful spirits wouldn't tear up or erase the records of that old silver‑cart case; it's definitely human work. If it isn't the descendants of Qiu Feng returning for revenge, then I've thought of another possibility…"

Before Yang Hanlu could finish speaking, someone outside shouted loudly:

"Please come in, Lord Commander of the Northern Peacekeeping Office."

Hearing this, everyone present stepped aside to either side, respectfully clearing the central passage.

Then two men entered through the Southern Peacekeeping Office's front gate; the man on the left looked to be in his fifties, sturdy, walking with a gust, his face like a dark date, droopy eyes, low brows, a knife scar on his nose bridge—imposing even without anger.

This should be the Commander of the Southern Peacekeeping Office, known as the 'Eight‑Armed Arhat' Yan Lie.

The man on the right appeared about the same age, though slimmer, dressed more luxuriously than Yan Lie; his complexion was pallid, the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile, yet his brows were furrowed.

This is the Commander of the Northern Peacekeeping Office, the 'Smiling‑Face Tiger' Wan Tong.

Wan Tong turned his head, glanced over everyone present, and finally fixed his gaze on Yang Hanlu:

"Chief Banner Yang, how's the investigation going in our Northern Peacekeeping Office?"

The case is under investigation; it involves the silver carriage robbery from eight years ago, the investigation is rather difficult, and it will still take some time.

Still need some time? First it was the two coroners of the Northern Peacekeeping Office, then the two commandants of the Northern Peacekeeping Office; during the arrest they even caused a city-wide disturbance. Are we supposed to wait until the killer slaughters us all before you can find him?

Just as everyone present remained silent, listening to Wan Tong's criticism, Jiang Yunzhou nevertheless nodded and said:

That's also a method.

Instantly everyone present looked at Jiang Yunzhou; Wan Tong's smile froze instantly, and even Yan Lie, who had been squinting silently to the side, lifted his eyes.

It's not that Jiang Yunzhou is intentionally trying to provoke; rather, this case itself has problems, and besides, I'm not a member of the Peacekeeping Office, so I naturally won't buy into that standard leadership PUA talk.

As for possibly causing trouble for Dong Pangpang... it's fine; after all, it was Dong Pangpang who called me to assist.

Wan Tong stared at Jiang Yunzhou and said in a low voice:

This must be Master Jiang introduced by Lord Dong, right? Master Jiang, you must have some grievance against our Northern Peacekeeping Office? Even if you rely on Lord Dong's favor to disrespect me, at least respect the deceased.

You're seizing the moral high ground, right?

Jiang Yunzhou stepped forward and said:

I mean no disrespect to anyone, and I also want to apprehend the killer and bring justice to the deceased, but after two days of investigation I've found that these four may very well be the true culprits of the silver carriage robbery from eight years ago—in other words, the Northern Peacekeeping Office has never solved the case in all these years.

In other words, besides handling the case, we now have to clean up after the Northern Peacekeeping Office; of course we could also close the case hastily like they did eight years ago, but I can't guarantee that after another eight years vengeful spirits won't return for revenge.

Feeling the tense atmosphere, everyone thought Wan Tong would make a move, but instead they saw her lift her head and smile.

Master Jiang, you're quite articulate, no problem. Since you're not with the Peacekeeping Office, Elder Brother Yan, I'd like to learn the specific details of the case from Commandant Yang, if that's alright?

Beside him, the Southern Peacekeeping Office's Envoy Yan Lie remained completely unfazed.

Please go ahead.