Chapter 81: Lingering Spirits

The pitch-darkness of Tongji Street.

Usually, Tongji Street at this hour would be incredibly lively. Various merchants would invite opera troupes to their homes to entertain guests, carriages and horses would line up in long queues in front of their doors, and the coachmen of each family would squat in corners, gambling and bragging.

But today's Tongji Street is quiet, many merchants having left overnight, afraid of being caught by the Secret Spy Office and treated as Jing Dynasty spies for the sake of claiming merit.

In the abandoned mansion, seven black-clothed figures wearing bamboo hats stood solemnly around the corpse of Shopkeeper Yuan, like seven sculptures.

While Chen Ji was deep in thought, the others dared not utter a word, afraid of disturbing his concentration. The events that had just unfolded at the Welcoming Guest Tavern were still vivid in their minds; with the extremely insightful new superior present, the secret spies didn't even dare to breathe, feeling as if a giant stone was pressing down on their heads.

Chen Ji, looking at the motionless corpse of Shopkeeper Yuan on the ground, suddenly asked, "The knife wounds are aimed at vital points, consistent with the technique of the killer at the Welcoming Guest Tavern. This indicates that the two scenes were indeed carried out by the same person. Among the Jing Dynasty thieves, is there anyone skilled in using short knives? There aren't many killers who use short knives as their primary weapon."

Xi Feng hurriedly replied, "There is one person extremely skilled in short knives. Colleagues in Jinling once attempted to capture him, but he killed over ten of them before leaping into the Qinhuai River to escape. We also suspect this person committed the crime. However, this individual has not previously demonstrated the technique of 'breaking knives,' which makes us somewhat uncertain."

Chen Ji asked, "How long ago was the Jinling incident?"

Xi Feng answered, "It seems like three years ago."

Chen Ji nodded, "Three years is a long time. Perhaps this person has cultivated another ultimate skill in these past three years; it's possible. For now, consider him the primary suspect and issue a nationwide manhunt."

Anyway, Gui planned to return to the Jing Dynasty. Helping himself bear some of the Secret Spy Office's hatred shouldn't be a problem.

However, he heard Xi Feng say with a troubled expression, "No, this person is cautious. During the last fight, he wore a blue-faced, fanged mask; no one saw his appearance. This nationwide manhunt cannot be issued. However, Jin Zhu has already led people out of the city to blockade various routes. They cannot escape."

Chen Ji's heart sank. So Jin Zhu had personally gone out of the city to set up checkpoints.

He casually asked, "Are you all certain that the Jing Dynasty thieves have already escaped from Luocheng?"

Xi Feng thought for a moment and said, "We cannot be certain, but the Jing Dynasty thieves' primary goal is to steal our dynasty's firearms. Now that they have succeeded, the urgent matter must be to send the firearms back to the Jing Dynasty. Staying here offers no benefits."

Chen Ji still didn't know that after he had used three firearms last night, this matter was being urgently sent to the capital and the border army as a top priority. The roads and waterways leading north were being blockaded and checkpoints were being established one by one, absolutely preventing the Jing Dynasty thieves from bringing the firearms back to the Jing Dynasty.

The Jing Dynasty had not actually obtained the firearms, but everyone believed they had. The Secret Spy Office was employing the highest level of security to seal off all northbound paths.

Fortunately, Gui had not chosen to go directly north, otherwise he would probably have already walked into a trap.

Chen Ji squatted down, pondering by the corpse of Shopkeeper Yuan what he should do next.

First, he absolutely could not go investigate Gui and Wu Hongbiao. If he actually caught these two, he would also face disaster.

Second, he had to catch a group of Jing Dynasty spies, otherwise Jin Zhu would not let him off the hook.

But, who should he catch?

Wait, he thought of who he should go catch.

Chen Ji calmly asked, "Xi Feng, when you all discovered the corpse, was he already naked? Are there any clues that can prove his identity?"

Xi Feng squatted beside Chen Ji and replied in a low voice, "This person is an official from the Jing Dynasty's Ku Jue Temple. He should be a Jing Dynasty spy. Other identities are still under investigation… temporarily no other clues."

Chen Ji frowned, "No other clues? What have you all been doing today?"

The secret spies suddenly felt the pressure double. Xi Feng hurriedly said, "Today, we had all the neighbors on Tongji Street come over one by one to identify him, but no one on the entire Tongji Street has seen him. This mansion belongs to a Hui merchant and has been abandoned for over a year… We also brought in nearby brokers and local heads to identify him and investigated for a day. Everything that can be checked has been checked."

"This corpse is like it appeared out of thin air. Within a few *li* nearby, there isn't a single person who recognizes his identity."

"It's not that the secret spies didn't put in effort, it's truly that there are no clues."

Chen Ji calmly said, "The weather is cold and the ground is frozen. This person couldn't have walked out of the house naked. The killer must have stripped his clothes after killing him. Why did the other person strip his clothes? Surely his clothes were distinctive enough and might be used to recognize his identity."

Xi Feng asked, "Sir, have you thought of a way to investigate?"

"How many people does the Secret Spy Office still have in Luocheng?"

"Jin Zhu has left forty-two people to guard in Luocheng."

"Bring them all here and blockade the East Market," Chen Ji slowly stood up and said, "Since reasoning is useless, let's use a somewhat slower method of elimination. This person must have lived in Luocheng, and his disappearance absolutely will not leave no trace. Bring in the local heads and brokers from the entire East Market and investigate all missing persons within the entire East Market. Whoever mysteriously disappeared is the deceased."

At this time, there was no longer a Shopkeeper Yuan at Bailu Pavilion, and this sole clue pointed to Bailu Pavilion. As long as he confirmed Shopkeeper Yuan's disappearance, he would have reason to raid Bailu Pavilion and arrest people for interrogation, to give an account to Jin Zhu. Following the prearranged story, there was no reason to be wrong.

Chen Ji knew that Gui had stripped Shopkeeper Yuan's clothes precisely because he didn't want the Secret Spy Office to trace it back to Bailu Pavilion and ruin the Military Affairs Office's revenue.

But what did this have to do with Chen Ji? Bailu Pavilion hid so much ginseng, which was exactly what he needed.

Late at night, the local head was pulled from his home by the secret spies, trembling as he followed behind them, afraid of upsetting these living Yama kings and being swallowed alive.

Xi Feng held a torch in his hand, leading the secret spies to knock open the doors of the shops one by one and search carefully.

Frightened sounds came from inside the previously quiet shops. The shopkeepers and assistants who were sleeping, not having time to put on their padded robes, were mercilessly dragged out to the street by the secret spies, freezing and shivering.

Xi Feng and the others had solemn expressions. Only when the local head confirmed that no one was missing from the shop did the secret spies let these shopkeepers and assistants go back to sleep.

Chen Ji followed silently behind the secret spies, his mind not on these irrelevant shops, only waiting for them to check one by one like this, getting closer and closer to Bailu Pavilion. To avoid the Jing Dynasty thieves inside Bailu Pavilion counterattacking and fighting to the death in desperation, he always stayed at the very back.

However, just as they were about to check Bailu Pavilion, Chen Ji felt something was wrong… it was too quiet.

Bailu Pavilion inside seemed unaware of the events outside; no one tried to escape, just like an ordinary shop.

The next moment, Xi Feng stepped forward and knocked on Bailu Pavilion's main door.

Inside the door, someone pulled out the door bolt.

With a creaking sound, the door was pulled open from the inside. A young assistant with sleepy eyes, blinded by the torchlight, squinted and held his hand in front of his face, "Who is it? What's the matter in the middle of the night?"

Xi Feng didn't speak, but saw the local head, holding the household register, step forward and ask with a smile, "There was a murder case on Tongji Street, but the deceased's identity cannot be determined. We are checking door-to-door to see if anyone is missing. Little assistant, could you trouble yourself to call out everyone in the shop? We'll leave after we've verified."

"Oh…" The young assistant turned around and shouted into the house, "Shopkeeper! The local head has brought people and says they want to see if anyone is missing from our shop."

Chen Ji's muscles tensed, preparing to kill or retreat at any moment.

However, he was suddenly stunned.

He saw a stout figure inside the house leading five assistants to the door, smiling and saying, "Sir Local Head, these are all the people inside our Bailu Pavilion shop, they're all here."

Shopkeeper Yuan!

Chen Ji almost thought he had seen incorrectly, but he confirmed again and again. The stout figure in front of him, wearing a large red satin robe and a golden-beam crown on his head, who else could it be but Shopkeeper Yuan?

For a moment, he even felt a little dazed.

At Bailu Pavilion, Si Cao Gui had cut off a Shopkeeper Yuan's neck. On Tongji Street, Chen Ji had also personally cut off a Shopkeeper Yuan's neck. But now, at Bailu Pavilion, another Shopkeeper Yuan had unexpectedly appeared!

The other person seemed impossible to kill no matter what, like a wisp of a ghost soul that could not be dispersed.

He even wanted to grab the other person's collar and ask, "Are you human or ghost?"

Chen Ji stared intently at Shopkeeper Yuan's fair face. He knew this face was a new human skin mask. After the Jing Dynasty Military Affairs Office discovered that Si Cao 'Xin' was dead, they must have found a new person to replace him, and even prepared the human skin mask in advance.

Should he expose the other person's human skin mask now or not?

But after exposing it, how should he explain to Xi Feng how he knew the other person was wearing a human skin mask? Xi Feng was not a fool. At that time, the other person might even detect that he had come directly for Bailu Pavilion tonight!

In front of Bailu Pavilion's door, he heard the local head say to Xi Feng, "Sir, Bailu Pavilion is an old merchant household in my East Market. They have always had just these people, no mistake."

Xi Feng looked at Shopkeeper Yuan, "Luocheng is not peaceful these days. If you discover any abnormalities, you must also report to us in time."

Shopkeeper Yuan said with a smile, "Certainly, certainly. We are law-abiding citizens of Luocheng. It is our duty to help the sirs catch evildoers."

Xi Feng grunted. He simply admonished them to "close the doors and windows properly" and then went to the next shop.

Chen Ji ultimately did not speak to expose him. He turned and followed Xi Feng away, leaving Shopkeeper Yuan and the assistants standing calmly inside the threshold of Bailu Pavilion, their expressions calm, showing neither joy, anger, sorrow, nor happiness.

At this moment, a secret spy suddenly rushed over from afar. When he reached them, the secret spy said to Xi Feng, "Sir, when we were investigating at Li Ji Clothing Shop with the broker, we got an important clue. The shopkeeper of that shop said that last night outside Red Clothes Alley, when we were sealing Red Clothes Alley, he saw four people with knives and swords stealthily run out from behind Red Clothes Alley. These people might just be the Jing Dynasty thieves!"

Chen Ji's heart sank. Could it be the four people who had abandoned the Son of the World and Bai Li?

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