Chapter 537: Mislead Him

Chapter 534: Misleading Him!

He Lingchuan shook his head, "That's not a fair comparison. I've used every trick in my arsenal, but Commander Fan still has some ultimate moves up his sleeve that he hasn't revealed yet."

Bai Ziqi stroked the deer's mane and said, "You are a humble child, but also very bold, betting fifty thousand taels right off the bat. With hundreds of lotus-picking teams, how can you be so sure you'll find the Overlord Lotus and win first prize?"

He Lingchuan smiled slyly, "Of course, I also have some unconventional methods. In past years, how many winners of the lotus token genuinely found it with their own eyes and sheer luck?"

He later learned that a few years ago, one winner's method was to release a swarm of over two thousand bees, which flew throughout the Lotus Palace, searching everywhere for the Overlord Lotus.

How could an ordinary person compete with that kind of efficiency?

Therefore, after that session, Baishaju patched the rules, prohibiting the release of group pets.

But the old saying always holds true:

For every rule, there's a loophole.

Perfect fairness is impossible.

Both of them knew that Bai Ziqi had left something unsaid:

Zhongsun Mou was murdered at precisely that time.

But neither of them mentioned it, as bringing it up wouldn't lead to any resolution.

Bai Ziqi slowly said, "You've had the most dealings with Mai Xuewen. What kind of person do you think he is?"

He had the most dealings with Mai Xuewen? Was Bai Ziqi setting a trap for him? He Lingchuan shook his head repeatedly, "I merely tracked a few clues he left behind; I wouldn't call that dealing with him. Wu Kai should know the answer better than I do."

However, Wu Kai only saw the facade Mai Xuewen created.

Bai Ziqi, of course, understood the implication: if even the cautious and meticulous Wu Kai fell into Mai Xuewen's trap, how could He Lingchuan claim to understand him?

Yet He Lingchuan said, "But Mai Xuewen's relentless effort to expose his former superior, even going so far as to abduct the Imperial Inspector in broad daylight, cannot be described merely as 'crazy.' When pursuing this man, one must be wary of his desperation."

"But this person isn't crazy at all; he's very methodical in his actions."

He Lingchuan shrugged, "Can't a madman also be methodical? Commissioner Bai, having handled so many cases, what do you think?"

"This case is very complex; I fear the submerged portion is even larger." Cen Boqing's identity alone made both Fu Shanyue and Bai Ziqi feel it was a thorny issue.

"Oh, right, I saw in the case files that the monstrous Snail Toad controlled by Mai Xuedong committed atrocities on the southern border of Chiyan?"

"Yes." At that time, it nearly captured his Big-Horned Rock Goat.

"When was this?"

"About forty-odd days ago." He Lingchuan felt a jolt of alarm, making no mention that he and Fu Shanyue had been present. "A caravan lost two goblins, a cat demon and a hedgehog demon. They waited two days on the spot, but when they didn't return, the caravan reported it to the authorities."

Fu Shanyue had killed his younger brother in the ruins of Thousand Stars City. The Chiyan monarch had actually issued a gag order regarding this incident; Chiyan natives present at the time were forbidden to mention it, much less spread it. Of course, this order was also sent to the Stone Gate Merchant Association, and the second master of the Stone family stated he would certainly comply.

"Forty-odd days ago, you say?" Bai Ziqi seemed to be pondering something. "How would such a minor incident attract your attention?"

"The Crown Prince ordered all regions to report cases of missing demon folk. At that time, we had already discovered the Snail Toad frequently appearing on rainy nights, and this particular incident occurred right after a heavy downpour. Furthermore, local townspeople said that occasionally, goblins also went missing on rainy nights in the outskirts. Firstly, the number wasn't large, and secondly, being located at a border checkpoint, no one was certain if the goblins had gone missing or had simply crossed the border on their own, so the local authorities didn't pay much attention."

Bai Ziqi frowned slightly, "No eyewitnesses?"

That would be a suspicious case.

After all, there are many reasons why humans and demons might go missing.

"Even if there were, they'd have been eaten, wouldn't they?" He Lingchuan forced a bitter smile. "I've seen that monster with my own eyes. It attacks from underground, truly making it impossible to defend against."

"So, if this case was indeed Mai Xuewen's doing, his hunt for demon pearls would have moved north from Chiyan's southern border, hmm..." Bai Ziqi seemed to be deep in thought. "From south to north, it matches."

"Huh? Matches what?"

"Nothing." Bai Ziqi smiled. "By the way, when you were collecting cases of missing demons, did you happen to notice that at the checkpoint bordering Twilight Plains and southern Chiyan, several officials also disappeared around that time?"

He Lingchuan's heart skipped a beat.

How could he not remember? Those officials had followed Zhongsun Mou to trip up Fu Shanyue, using the pretext of searching for a witch child to dismantle and smash the Stone Gate Merchant Association's goods. How could Fu Shanyue tolerate such indignity? A few days after entering the country, he snuck back, and besides Zhongsun Mou's guards, he systematically killed every official who had harassed him, leaving Zhongsun Mou untouched for the moment.

As it turned out, Zhongsun Mou was eventually also killed through He Lingchuan's design, which incidentally avenged Fu Shanyue.

He Lingchuan had also asked, and Fu Shanyue stated that he hadn't drained their blood; he had merely killed the officials and dragged their bodies to the outskirts for burial.

Why had Bai Ziqi gone to Twilight Plains? Why was he investigating these matters?

He pondered briefly, then shook his head. "This particular case isn't in the files the Crown Prince sent me, probably because the victims were human."

Every word of that sentence was true.

As an outsider in Chiyan, with no power or influence, what ability did he have to independently collect cases from various regions? He could only review what the Crown Prince provided, nothing more.

Bai Ziqi also realized this and stopped pressing the issue.

He Lingchuan's heart immediately settled.

Although Fu Shanyue and Zhongsun Mou had a conflict at the checkpoint, an Imperial Inspector's abuse of power would certainly not be recorded in official archives. Local officials would have pretended not to see it, and might even have been instructed not to spread the word.

Checkpoints also didn't record detailed information on every caravan's entry and exit. Bai Ziqi might not be able to find out that He Lingchuan and Fu Shanyue had also just passed through a checkpoint in southern Chiyan nearly forty days ago.

At this moment, Bai Ziqi pointed forward, "Wu Kai's private estate, is this the one?"

"East of Waist Lake, mostly white houses, with a ten-foot-tall boulder standing at the entrance." He Lingchuan recalled Wu Kai's description. "This must be it."

Twenty *li* from Baishaju, there was plenty of land in the wilderness. The estate occupied a considerable area, even including several ponds and a small hill.

Overlooking a mountain and water, it was a beautiful sight.

The private estate's buildings were mostly constructed on the small hill, featuring two warehouses and several residences.

Of course, to save manpower, several large storehouses were built on flat ground.

Back when He Lingchuan followed his father from Heishui City to Xiazhou, he had seen many rural estates along the way. Due to frequent banditry and famine, private estates in such terrain were often plundered. However, by erecting thick walls, setting up cheval de frise, and hiring reliable strongmen as guards, such estates became almost like mountain fortresses—easy to defend and difficult to attack, allowing their inhabitants to live a pleasant life behind closed doors even in chaotic times.

Naturally, such measures weren't necessary within Chiyan.

Passing a small hut, a gatekeeper burst out, axe in hand, and bellowed, "Who's there!"

The official behind He Lingchuan displayed his token, which emitted a faint yellow glow in the dark. "I am from the Baishaju Bureau, accompanying the envoy from Lingxu City to apprehend Cen Boqing! Is he here?"

"Ah?" The gatekeeper froze. He might not see an outsider for ten days or half a month here, so why had officials and an envoy suddenly arrived? "I-I don't know, sir."

"Useless!" The official pushed past him, escorting Bai Ziqi and He Lingchuan toward the small hill.

The crops in the fields were not yet ready for harvest, and the cherry trees on the hill had already been picked in early summer, making it a slack season for farming.

Bai Ziqi and his group hurried on, encountering only a few people who claimed to know nothing.

But there was one drawback:

The small hill was surrounded by flat farmland. From the hilltop, all movement below was clearly visible.

The path up the hill was relatively smooth, convenient for transporting supplies up and down, though it was a bit narrow, which the estate owner had intended.

Reaching the hilltop, among the four or five buildings, only one had a light on.

Bai Ziqi waved his hand, and the officials immediately stepped forward to search each building.

No one.

There was no one in any of the buildings.

But there were some discoveries in the lighted room.

Bai Ziqi and the others entered, finding the windows tightly closed, the door ajar, a candle on the table burned halfway down, and two wooden cups left behind.

He touched a cup, "Warm."

The occupants had left recently.

"They probably detected our arrival." If Cen Boqing had fled here, he would undoubtedly be constantly on alert. He Lingchuan pointed to the ground and said, "Doesn't this look like the scene of a spellcasting?"

On the floor were a few bird feathers, a handful of straw, and some yellow oil stains of unknown origin, mixed with faint red threads, all appearing sticky.

There were also burn marks on the brick floor.

He Lingchuan recognized the bird feathers as magpie's at a glance. Magpie feathers often fell at his home in Panlong City because sparrowhawks frequently hunted there.

Strangely, the lingering burnt smell in the room also had a faint sweet aroma, which could cause dizziness if inhaled for too long...

He Lingchuan quickly opened a window.

Bai Ziqi, meanwhile, took some straw, dipped it in the oil stain, and sniffed it.

"Corpse oil, very pure." Everyone showed expressions of disgust. He Lingchuan's heart sank slightly. "They were indeed hiding here just now?"

Bai Ziqi nodded. "Cen Boqing is very cautious. In case that bailiff, Zhou Tailai, was arrested and questioned, his whereabouts would inevitably be revealed. So, Cen Boqing took his time, circling around after leaving the city to come here to the west."

"The wind is strong tonight," he added. "This type of spell must be cast in a quiet, sealed, and windless environment."

That's why the two fugitives had snuck in here.

"But they only just left; we can still catch up."

The officials who had gone to search the surroundings also returned, reporting, "There's no small path behind, but the hill isn't too steep; it's still possible to climb down."

Bai Ziqi then pulled out another candle from his sleeve.

The others were puzzled: There was already light in the room, so why was he lighting another candle?

He Lingchuan, standing close with good eyesight, noticed that the white candle he produced had faint flecks of gold, giving it a very high-quality appearance.

Once the flame ignited, it glowed pure white from inside out.

Bai Ziqi pinched the wick, and this small cluster of flame actually stood steadily on his fingertip.

Only then did everyone clearly see that the flame had taken on a form, with a head, a body, and two hands, but below the waist, it remained a mass of light.

What was this, a ghost of light?

(End of Chapter)