Chapter 512: What Riddle Are You Playing At?

"So it's still a Bega product, but it becomes legal after going through an external channel?"

Mai Xuewen spread his hands. "Outside Bega, where else is demon hunting this easy?"

The Northern Demon Nation, of course, is teeming with demons. In other human nations around the world, demons hide in deep mountains and vast swamps, scattered and difficult to find. For efficiency and cost considerations, hunting demons in Bega is naturally the most cost-effective.

He Lingchuan thought for a moment. "You said they send them for alchemy... so Cen Boqing doesn't refine the medicine himself?"

Mai Xuewen chuckled softly. "You're very perceptive. The alchemist is someone else, but I can only tell you after you overcome your current difficulties."

"Why?"

"If you can't even catch Cen Boqing, you won't be able to handle what comes next."

He Lingchuan looked at him. "The one you have a grudge against isn't Cen Boqing, is it?"

Mai Xuewen smiled but said nothing.

"If you want to cooperate, you need to show sincerity." He Lingchuan crossed his arms. "How are you going to help me?"

"I can give you two leads." Mai Xuewen raised a finger. "First, the man who colluded with Fu Songhua in the county jail is named Pang Denian, and he also works for Wu Kai. After the bribed jailer died, Pang Denian was unharmed and was sent to Hou Family Village in the southwest of Baishaque to do odd jobs and lie low, using the alias Chen Erhei. No one there recognizes him. Hou Family Village appears to have no connection to the Cen Residence, but it's actually controlled by Cen Boqing's cousin."

He paused, then added, "The reason Wu Kai didn't silence Pang Denian might be because Pang Denian once saved Wu Kai's grandson from drowning, and their relationship has been good since then."

"Second, I've found out that another group involved in hunting demons for pearls is in Xiaohulu Town, Bating County. Their leader is Yang Song, and he likely has five or six subordinates."

Furious Tiger Jiao Yu interjected, "Wait, Bating County isn't in Chiyan."

"Wu Kai's groups are dispersed across different vassal demon nations." Mai Xuewen glanced at it. "Bating County is relatively close; it's only seventy or eighty *li* from Chiyan's northern border."

"So we need to cross borders to arrest people?" He Lingchuan frowned. "What about the other groups?"

"I estimate there are three or four other groups, but they don't know or contact each other. Wu Kai is the only intermediary." He told He Lingchuan, "These two leads are directly related to Wu Kai. If you apprehend them, you might be able to uncover more details."

"That's it? That's too little useful information."

"If they hadn't covered their tracks so thoroughly, it wouldn't be up to you to investigate now." Mai Xuewen sighed. "I'll give you another lead then: Wu Kai lost his wife and son years ago, but he has a grandson. His daughter-in-law brought the grandson to Baishaque to visit these past few days."

He Lingchuan was displeased. "I thought you'd just tie up Wu Kai and bring him to me."

"The entire Cen Residence is protected by formations that suppress evasion techniques, so my snail toad can't get in." Mai Xuewen clearly had tried. "Besides, Wu Kai is almost always by Cen Boqing's side, and they both have hidden guards protecting them."

A snail toad is only suitable for sneak attacks.

He Lingchuan pondered. "What kind of personality does Cen Boqing have?"

"Don't let his outwardly overbearing demeanor fool you; inwardly, he's suspicious and weak, easily swayed, yet sometimes he can be utterly reckless. His temperament is complex and volatile. Oh, and he absolutely detests trouble."

He Lingchuan mused.

Outwardly aggressive but inwardly weak, someone who tends to resort to extremes when pushed into a corner? Such personalities don't seem to be uncommon.

"How did Uncle Wu come to serve Cen Boqing?"

"Wu Kai was Cen Boqing's father Cen Dan's personal attendant. After Cen Dan passed away, he stayed with Cen Boqing, which has been over a decade now."

"So, Wu Kai is deeply trusted by Cen Boqing?"

"Naturally. Otherwise, why would the task of hunting demons for pearls be entrusted to Wu Kai?" Mai Xuewen added, "I'll give you another piece of advice."

"Oh?" This fellow's tone was rather arrogant.

"This case is getting deeper and deeper. You can't handle it alone. You should quickly ask the Crown Prince for help."

"I have something to ask you as well." He Lingchuan suddenly posed an unrelated question. "There's a painting in your study, depicting a woman playing a bone flute. Where did that painting come from, and who is the person in it?"

Why ask about that so suddenly? Not just Mai Xuewen, but even the Furious Tiger beside them forgot to groom itself.

Mai Xuewen immediately asked, "The painting is with you?"

He Lingchuan took out a scroll from his storage ring and waved it at him. "I acquired it from the market; I kept it because of its exquisite artistry."

He Lingchuan was displeased. "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll drop this case."

Mai Xuewen was silent for a moment before saying, "This painting was completed twenty years ago. The person in it is the current Master of Qing Palace, Grand Master Qingyang."

What? It's Grand Master Qingyang?

This answer greatly surprised He Lingchuan. "She's one of Bega's Four Grand Masters?"

"Exactly."

"What's the origin of the instrument in her hand?"

"That flute?" Mai Xuewen asked, surprised. "Why are you asking about that?"

Nonsense. If not for the bone flute, why would he go to such lengths to investigate the case? "I think I've seen that flute before."

"Perhaps it's a Qing Palace collection item." Mai Xuewen's eyes flickered. "Grand Master Qingyang is fond of collecting rare objects, and she has held her position the longest, so Qing Palace has more rare treasures than the other three Grand Masters."

He Lingchuan stared at him. Unfortunately, the expression on the waiter's face was rigid, revealing nothing. "You truly don't know the origin of the flute?"

"All I know is that it seems to have been in Grand Master Qingyang's possession for a very long time." "What's your relationship with Grand Master Qing Palace?"

Mai Xuewen answered smoothly, "No relation."

He Lingchuan chuckled disbelievingly, but the other party refused to say more. He exhaled softly, then continued, "Given the current evidence and leads, it's not convenient for the Crown Prince to intervene. Moreover, I don't have a valid reason to prevent Zhongsun Mou from taking Fu Songhua back to Lingxu City."

He had no definitive evidence, and even if Fu Shanyue arrived, he would be passive.

"In other words, the moment Zhongsun Mou finds Fu Songhua, this case will be closed." He said, word by word, "At that point, you'll have no more chances."

That's why, in the past few days, his opponents had been searching the entire city for Fu Songhua; even the Fan brothers hadn't come to trouble He Lingchuan. As soon as the wanted criminal from Lingxu City was found, this competition could conclude. All of Mai Xuewen's long-term plans would go down the drain.

Mai Xuewen clearly could not accept this outcome, so he thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll do you another favor. Tomorrow happens to be Lotus Fragrance Festival..."

"Silence!" He Lingchuan suddenly slammed the table and rebuked him. "You are a suspect, and I am a special envoy. I don't need your help, nor will I make any deals with you!"

Mai Xuewen: "..."

Jiao Yu: "..."

No deals? Is the special envoy just messing around?

"I'm just extracting information from a suspect." He Lingchuan said, taking out a small box and opening it to reveal several moist, small round pearls inside.

He took one out, toyed with it for a moment, and was about to crush it.

Mai Xuewen stared intently at it, and seeing this, couldn't help but stop him. "Don't!"

He Lingchuan didn't crush it. He simply glanced at Mai Xuewen, smiled, and slowly placed the pearl back into the box. "It seems you're very close to me."

"You can't catch me, especially in this weather."

The rain outside hadn't stopped. Even with the windows closed, the room was very damp. "Don't harbor any ill intentions, and don't try to disrupt other people's celebrations." He Lingchuan warned him sternly. "Surrender yourself soon, or if I catch you, I will punish you severely!"

Mai Xuewen looked at him deeply. "You're an interesting person. I hope you're still alive after this case is closed."

"Don't bother worrying about it."

The moment he finished speaking, the waiter stumbled back two steps, almost falling.

He jolted upright, then looked around with a blank expression. "What?" What had happened? How did he sneak into the guest's room?

He looked back to see the doors and windows tightly shut, and a large wooden tub steaming. He couldn't help but shiver. Could it be...

Fortunately, the guest pointed behind him. "You can leave now."

It seemed Mai Xuewen had withdrawn his magical ability, and the waiter could be himself again.

The waiter dashed away, not forgetting to close the door behind him. It appeared Mai Xuewen's magic had caused him no harm.

He Lingchuan looked at the large tub of hot water.

Hot water in the middle of summer? What madness! But since it had been delivered, it would be a waste not to use it.

However, before he could undress, the Furious Tiger plopped into the water, resting its large head on the rim of the tub.

"You weren't going to wash in here anyway," it said, eyes half-closed, looking just like an old man soaking in a bath.

"..." This fellow really knew how to enjoy himself.

Jiao Yu also asked him, "What were you two talking about in riddles?"

It felt there was some hidden meaning in the two men's final actions and exchange; both seemed to understand something that it couldn't grasp.

Humans, *heh*, always so cunning.

"Was there?" He Lingchuan smiled, fished a towel from the hot water, folded it into a square, and placed it on the tiger's forehead. "You're overthinking it."

Amidst the rising steam, his smile appeared somewhat blurred. "A storm is coming."

Jiao Yu: "Huh?"

It turned its head, only to see He Lingchuan lying on the couch, hands clasped behind his head, looking leisurely, as if he hadn't just spoken those words.

In the attic across the street.

Two sentries were staring blankly at the wooden window opposite when a Cen Residence guard suddenly appeared behind them.

"Any activity?"

Both men nearly jumped in fright.

"No, everything's normal." They were only monitoring the Crown Prince's special envoy at the inn. They'd been watching for days, and he was perfectly well-behaved: eating, sleeping, chatting.

The guard saw that He Lingchuan's wooden window was closed. "What's he doing?"

"Bathing," both replied. "The waiter delivered a large tub of hot water."

The guard grunted and was about to turn away when he suddenly realized something was wrong.

"Wait, doesn't he always go to the bathhouse to wash?"

"Yes, but..." Why couldn't he wash in his room if he wanted to?

The guard raised his hand and slapped each of them on the back of the head. "He used bathing as an excuse to close the window—that's an anomaly! Why didn't you report it?"

With that, he rushed downstairs, leaving the two sentries in the attic feeling uneasy.

Unfortunately, the guard was too late. By the time he reached the inn, He Lingchuan's room door was already open, and several waiters were carrying the tub out.

The water was somewhat dirty, with some singed yellow and reddish hairs floating in it.