Chapter 1119: Investigation

He Lingchuan affirmed, "The third piece of information the thief must have known is the location where you stored the tribute!"

The window for the theft was very narrow. If the culprit didn't know beforehand where the Lantern of Enlightenment was hidden, how could they have succeeded so quickly?

Jin Bai heard this and looked at the ring on his hand, his expression complex.

He Lingchuan looked at him and said, "Commander Jin, you understand what I mean, don't you?"

"You're suggesting there's an inside man in my team?"

As soon as he said this, the two guards behind Jin Bai looked indignant.

But Jin Bai's expression was calm; he just waved his hand at them. "These dozen or so brothers were all hand-picked by me. They've followed me through life and death many times; our bond is one where we can trust each other implicitly, even with our lives."

He Lingchuan only said one thing:

"It's hard to know what's in a person's heart."

Nothing is absolute. When investigating a case, it's not about what you 'feel' is true, but what I 'determine' to be true.

Jin Bai knew he would say this. "Mr. He, your dedication is admirable. However, there's a ninety percent chance the tribute has already been seized by the Bo Kingdom's royal family. Isn't the most urgent task right now to confirm this?"

If we already know who stole the Lantern of Enlightenment, what's the point of investigating the modus operandi? Jin Bai was very pragmatic.

"Commander Jin, do you have a plan?"

A barrier had been set up here, so Jin Bai lowered his voice. "The brothers want to find a way to enter the palace and retrieve it, but I don't think that's advisable."

"Retrieve" sounds nice, but these Shadowtooth Guards actually intend to steal it back, don't they?

Jin Bai also had concerns. If they failed to steal it and were captured, even if they had a valid reason, it would become irrelevant.

After all, this was not Mou Kingdom territory; it was on the other side of the sea, an independent sovereign state. They had to be extremely cautious when considering taking action against their host.

He Lingchuan saw they were all in plain clothes and knew they didn't want to draw attention to themselves or make a big fuss here.

The Carefree Sect's tribute of the Lantern of Enlightenment to the Mou Kingdom had always been conducted in secret, unknown to others.

The Mou Kingdom must have its reasons for doing so.

These people had already waited a month, so they probably wouldn't mind waiting a few more days. He Lingchuan said, "I've just arrived, so I'll explore a bit first. Where is the Floating Isle Ghost Market?"

He stood up, and Jin Bai quickly followed suit. "It's right in Julu Port, but it only opens after sunset."

No wonder these Shadowtooth Guards were still staying in Julu Port.

Jin Bai politely offered, "The security here is poor, and there's filth everywhere. Shall I send two guards with Mr. He?"

"No need. But—for the first two days after arriving at Julu Port, Commander Jin, you mostly ate in your room, right?"

"Yes."

"Where did you buy the food?"

"My subordinates bought it from outside. Meals for three different sittings were bought from three different shops, chosen randomly."

He Lingchuan immediately said, "Good, then I'll trouble the brother who bought the food to take me around again."

Jin Bai immediately called over a Shadowtooth Guard named Han Kun. "You will guide Mr. He and fulfill all his requests, understand?"

Han Kun responded with a "Yes" and indeed treated He Lingchuan respectfully.

After He Lingchuan's figure disappeared down the corridor, Jin Bai sat back in his chair and remained silent for a long time.

A subordinate approached him and asked, "Commander, is this young man reliable?"

"You ask me? Who should I ask?" Jin Bai didn't even bother to glance at him. "Since he was recommended by the Royal Tutor, we'll cooperate."

Honestly, he didn't have the energy to deal with this Cloud-Turner Emissary.

The tribute was lost on his watch, then refined into a Heart Lantern, and even used by the Second Prince of Bo Kingdom... Jin Bai couldn't imagine how enraged Emperor Mou would be.

Even if they discovered the tribute's whereabouts and retrieved the Heart Lantern, the Lantern of Enlightenment would no longer be the Lantern of Enlightenment; it probably couldn't serve its intended purpose anymore.

Ultimately, he wouldn't be able to escape the charge of dereliction of duty.

"Everyone, leave," he said, somewhat listlessly.

The guard at the door came in and said, "Commander, Mr. He also has two companions: two monkeys."

Jin Bai grunted, "Got it."

He Lingchuan didn't hide anything from Shadowtooth Guard Han Kun. He first went back to call Dong Rui, then they went out together.

They hadn't walked fifty zhang before Han Kun glanced back. "Someone's following us."

"No matter, let them watch."

As soon as they got off the dock, they scared away two children who rushed over to stage an accident. Dong Rui even pickpocketed their money pouches in return.

So, two hooligans followed behind, waiting for an opportunity to retaliate.

Seeing his magnanimous attitude, Han Kun paid them no mind and led them straight to Uncle Lu's Food Stall. "When we first arrived at Julu Port, we bought our food here."

This small stall was near the dock and didn't even have a storefront; just two people, who looked like father and son, were busy inside. They sold coarse-grain steamed buns and pickled vegetables. If a customer had a couple of spare coins, they could also squat there and eat freshly stir-fried hot dishes.

Dong Rui, feeling his stomach, was hungry too and immediately ordered a pack of steamed buns.

He took a bite; it was a little less oily than preferred, but the buns tasted pretty good. However, Dong Rui wasn't quite sure what kind of meat was in the filling.

As he paid, He Lingchuan struck up a conversation with the stall owner. "Uncle Lu, how long have you had this stall?"

"Fifteen years," Uncle Lu replied while kneading dough. "The Bo Kingdom itself isn't as old as this stall."

There were other diners nearby, and no one refuted his claim.

"That's truly impressive. I see your business is more prosperous than others."

"It's getting worse these past few years!" Uncle Lu shook his head. "There are fewer passengers at the port, and they're stingy; they don't spend much money eating here."

Dong Rui interjected, "Then why don't you leave? A tree stands rooted, but a person thrives by moving."

Uncle Lu seemed to freeze, glancing twice behind them. "Can't leave, can't leave!"

"Why?"

Uncle Lu didn't say more, only asked if they wanted anything else to eat.

When they were done, He Lingchuan told Han Kun, "Alright, let's go to the next location."

Julu Port's harbor area wasn't large. After about half an hour, Han Kun had shown him all three small eateries and told him, "Choosing these three places to buy food was a spur-of-the-moment decision each time."

So there was no concern about someone secretly lacing the food.

He Lingchuan complimented him, "You were very careful."

"That's what Commander Jin required."

He Lingchuan asked him, "What kind of punishment will you face when you go back from this trip?"

With the tribute lost, the treasure-guarding team would be in trouble.

Han Kun pressed his lips together. "I don't know."

"I heard that the tribute was lost once decades ago," He Lingchuan brought up the past. "Was the Mou court lenient with punishment then?"

"That time, the tribute was recovered afterwards." As he said this, Han Kun's mood grew even heavier.

After completing their circuit, He Lingchuan sent him back to Old Qian's Inn, while he and Dong Rui continued to wander around the dock.

Dong Rui munched on a steamed bun as a snack. "I see this Shadowtooth Guard team is downcast and dejected. It's already impressive they can even manage to engage with you."

"They're going to be in deep trouble when they go back, so of course, they've lost their spirit." He Lingchuan prided himself on eating anything, but he still couldn't bring himself to eat this bun.

"As Jin said, the whereabouts of the Lantern of Enlightenment are known, so why are you still investigating the method of the crime? The Royal Tutor only told you to find the tribute, and Jin has already found it. Your mission is over, so why bother?"