Chapter 471: Wan Song and Heliotrope

Jiao Yu flicked his tail: "The Inspector has been a nominal position for a long time."

General Ling was startled: "He represents Lingxu City. Does that mean Lingxu City knows these murderers killed my people for pearls?"

Running didn't prevent these monsters from conversing. Jiao Yu shook his head: "Lingxu City's powers are deeply intertwined and complex; they can't be simply summarized in a word."

He Lingchuan continued: "There's a paradox here. Zhongsun Mou said the Demon Emperor—or rather, the Heavenly Monarch—believed the white-shouldered eagle messenger was killed by a spy, which is why he was sent to investigate. Yet, Zhongsun Mou clearly knows about the killing of demons for pearls."

He Lingchuan sighed: "The waters run deep; this matter is probably not as simple as it seems."

He sensed the scent of a conspiracy.

Jiao Yu couldn't help but say, "If Zhongsun Mou knew that missing one phrase would allow you to deduce so much, he'd regret it bitterly."

He Lingchuan smiled: "I doubt he's one to understand regret."

"It's most annoying when these matters get tangled with Lingxu City," Jiao Yu said, looking agitated. "They never end well."

News that the Crown Prince's envoy of Chiyan Kingdom had left Frostdew Town overnight quickly reached Zhongsun Mou.

Zhongsun Mou was startled: "What? Where did you say they went?"

"Eastward."

What's in the east? They came from the east; are they backtracking now?

And overnight, no less.

What important clues could this He fellow have received?

However, all the clues Zhongsun Mou had pointed north.

He pondered for a moment and then said, "Send someone to follow and observe."

As for himself, he remained put, preparing to depart for Qizhou the next morning.

The return journey wasn't as urgent as the arrival, and traveling at night required slower speeds. Thus, He Lingchuan took an extra hour to reach Youtian Town.

It was already the dead of night, and the town was silent, not a soul stirring, not even a dog barking.

With so many chaotic events in town, the Magistrate of Baishi County had spent a tremendous amount of effort dealing with them during the day. He felt utterly drained and fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow that night, snoring like thunder.

Fortunately, he continued last night's dream, where after hosting the 'tail-burning feast', he followed the standard sequence: promotion, wealth, and the death of his wife.

After his old hag of a wife quickly died of illness, his new bride was as beautiful as a flower, soft and delicate, and they spent night after night in revelry, night after night in revelry, night after...

Just as he was basking in his triumph, his shoulder was violently shaken: "Wake up, wake up!"

He opened his eyes to see his own frumpy wife glaring at him with a cold stare: "What kind of dream are you having, laughing so lewdly?"

"Nothing..." Wait, he had been woken up! The magistrate's courage flared. "Why are you making noise in the middle of the night!"

"Someone from your yamen reported that the Crown Prince's envoy is here again, and is currently interrogating a prisoner in the jail."

"Huh?"

By this time, He Lingchuan, leveraging his status as an envoy, was already re-interrogating Master Wan in the jail.

At this moment, Master Wan was disheveled and worn out, lacking the vigor he had that morning. He Lingchuan saw that his fingers were bruised, purple, and swollen, clearly indicating he had been tortured and suffered. This man was accustomed to a life of ease; a day of suffering had made him docile, essentially answering every question.

He Lingchuan then asked to see the confession.

Although He Lingchuan and Jiao Yu had left the town in a hurry, the county yamen still had its own procedures to follow, so they subsequently apprehended Master Wan for interrogation.

The confession contained a new piece of information:

The address of Master Wan's nephew, Wan Song.

This fellow hadn't done well in his early years; although Master Wan found him some work, it was only enough to get by. However, the year before last, he bought a house in town. While not a luxurious mansion, it was at least comfortable to live in.

Additionally, Wan Song also acquired several acres of paddy fields, truly becoming a landlord and achieving a rise in social status.

"Indeed, illicit means bring quick wealth," He Lingchuan remarked as he read. "How much money has he earned in recent years by capturing demons and extracting their pearls?"

"I... I'm not too sure," Master Wan whispered. "He never... told me."

At this point, the Magistrate of Baishi County also hurried over and said to He Lingchuan: "Envoy, we've already dispatched men to stake out Wan Song's residence. Also, the county has maintained a consistent public statement, saying only that Wan Xian Neng had severe tax evasion, which is why we came to investigate, to avoid leaking any information."

"Hmm, well done." He Lingchuan then asked Master Wan, "Did he not marry or have children?"

"Uh, no."

"So, he has a mistress then?" When a man gets rich, how many things does he typically pursue?

"Yes, yes, I know he frequently visits Lancui Brothel; his regular mistress is named Qing Gu."

He Lingchuan looked at the confession; it contained no record of this.

"When does Wan Song usually return home?"

"He returns whenever he wants, there's no pattern. Sometimes he disappears for months and then suddenly reappears," Master Wan said weakly. "Your Excellency, that's all I know."

"Since Wan Song usually wanders outside, managing these properties must be difficult for him," He Lingchuan said, looking at him. "Are they all entrusted to you?"

"...Yes."

"Then why haven't I seen a list?"

Master Wan indicated he would write it now.

But his hands were swollen like radishes; he couldn't hold a brush steadily. The Magistrate of Baishi County immediately took the paper and brush, dipping it in ink himself: "I'll do it!"

So, Master Wan dictated, and the Magistrate of Baishi County wrote it down.

Wan Song's properties weren't extensive: a house, seven acres of paddy fields, five acres of medicinal herb fields, two shopfronts, and a warehouse near the medicinal herb fields, which made its price very cheap.

"A warehouse?" He Lingchuan pointed at this item and asked, "He's not a merchant; what would he store in a warehouse?"

"Herbs harvested from the fields," Master Wan swallowed. "He also asked me to regularly help him purchase herbs, which are stored in the warehouse. Every once in a while, he comes back to resell the herbs and empty the warehouse."

The Magistrate of Baishi County was annoyed: "Why didn't you mention such an important matter before? Why didn't this Wan fellow say any of this when I was interrogating him?"

"These... these are just minor things," Master Wan mumbled. "I thought they weren't worth mentioning."

He Lingchuan stared at him: "Your nephew only has the skill to kill, but he knows nothing about business. You don't find it strange that he trades herbs himself?"

After meeting Hong Chenglüe, he understood that some people truly aren't cut out for business; they lose nine out of ten times, and the last time they'd even pawn their underwear.

"I, I..." Master Wan, of course, knew his nephew just made up an excuse; he simply didn't bother to interfere.

"Do you remember our agreement?" He Lingchuan yawned, still feeling a bit sleepy after traveling for over ten hours straight. "If you're not honest, the agreement will be void!"

"I don't know where he sold the herbs, and I've never seen the buyer!" Master Wan quickly said. "But the warehouse was empty every time, that's true!"

"What kind of herbs did he procure?"

Master Wan rattled off a list of herb names.

They were all common medicinal herbs, incredibly easy to collect in Zhitian Village.

Seeing that Master Wan had been squeezed dry and had no more useful information, He Lingchuan stood up and said with satisfaction, "Good, a very fruitful outcome."

Then he gave a few instructions to the Magistrate of Baishi County before taking the monsters, who had observed the entire process, to an inn.

He still needed sleep; investigating cases was very draining.

An hour and a half later, at daybreak, He Lingchuan awoke.

He woke up the old sheep snoring loudly downstairs, and the group set off to investigate a new location:

Wan Song's residence.

This fellow had a good eye for location, choosing a spot by a lake on the west side of town, quiet amidst the bustle. The courtyard's area was surprisingly larger than Mr. Mai's, at least seven to eight hundred square meters. Almost every room received sunlight, with bright, clean windows.

Before entering, He Lingchuan saw a white-faced owl perched on a large tree by the house. The creature stood incredibly steadily on one leg, watching them impassively.

The Magistrate of Baishi County had said that there were specialists staking out Wan's residence, and they weren't concerned about being discovered.

Actually, it wasn't a person, but this owl demon.

However, Wan Song clearly hadn't returned home, at least the owl hadn't seen him, otherwise it would have flown to the county office to report.

He Lingchuan and Jiao Yu walked around the residence several times but found no useful clues.

They could tell Wan Song didn't live there often because there were only a few sets of clothes in the wardrobes, and just two or three unwashed dirty bowls left in the kitchen.

He Lingchuan suddenly said, "This fellow is far less meticulous than Mr. Mai."

In Mr. Mai's house, everything was placed meticulously in its proper spot; however, in Wan Song's home, items were arranged much more casually. A storybook lay in the kitchen, and a few dried pomelo peels were scattered in the courtyard.

Jiao Yu turned to the backyard, his tiger nose close to the ground, sniffing around everywhere, occasionally snorting like a sneeze.

"A scent?"

"Yes," Jiao Yu said, still circling. "The stench of that monster is everywhere! It's truly been here for a long time."

Wan Song's backyard was also a patch of muddy ground, but unlike Mr. Mai's, it wasn't planted with vegetation. Instead, it was left to waste, full of debris.

He Lingchuan picked up a bit of soil and rubbed it in his hands: "It's very damp, almost dripping with water. It seems we've found its lair."

The dampness was so heavy that even he could smell it.

"Outside is the lake," General Ling said, pawing at the mud a few times. "What should we be looking for?"

He Lingchuan's gaze roamed the muddy ground. Seeing something General Ling had dug up from the mud, he suddenly walked over, picked it up, and examined it closely in his palm.

It was a small stalk of flowers with several tiny purple blossoms.

He asked General Ling, "Do you know what this is?"

General Ling leaned in to sniff it, his mouth moving a few times: "Oh, this is Prunella vulgaris. I've eaten it."

He was a goat, after all.

He Lingchuan said, "Prunella vulgaris is planted in Mr. Mai's backyard."

"This plant is too common in Zhitian Village; it grows in fields and by roadsides. I've seen farmers cut it to feed pigs and rabbits; it doesn't even need to be deliberately planted," General Ling said. "Perhaps Mr. Mai didn't plant it; it might have grown by itself."

"In this muddy patch, have you seen Prunella vulgaris grow by itself?"

The weeds in this patch were all flattened, as if a heavy object had pressed them down. But General Ling looked closely, and those few sprigs of Prunella vulgaris had their roots exposed and weren't rooted in the soil.

It was as if someone had scattered them on the ground.

General Ling didn't understand: "What's so important about this Prunella vulgaris?"

Isn't it just a common herb found everywhere?

"Prunella vulgaris, Prunella..." He Lingchuan vaguely remembered hearing about this herb from someone.