Chapter Seven: The Troublemaker

Governor Shen’s expression grew dark with displeasure.

“Advisor Lu, I am in the middle of presiding over a case—”

“Lord Shen, you may also address me as Captain Lu,” Lu Zhou replied with a smile.

The constables standing on either side glanced at the newcomer, their faces showing a mix of curiosity and unease. This newly arrived advisor seemed to hold more sway than Governor Shen himself. There were even rumors that Advisor Lu had been sent by the Inspectorate to keep an eye on Governor Shen.

Lu Zhou picked up the case file from the table, then walked down from the dais to the constable in charge of the investigation. Though it was only a few paces, countless conjectures ran through his mind.

Governor Shen’s demeanor today was clearly out of the ordinary, and the reason, if not mistaken, must be tied to this sickle murder case. If there truly were an Embroidered-Clothes Envoy seeking to rescue Governor Shen, then the would-be rescuer was most likely among these six.

Gao Zhuang had mentioned that this Governor Shen was likely an impostor—in other words, someone from the Imperial Guard posing as him. And if so, he would have to mimic the real governor’s reactions perfectly.

There were three possibilities.

First, the child was the would-be rescuer. If Governor Shen stuck to the case, the child would be imprisoned, providing a private opportunity to pass on the rescue plan.

Second, Governor Shen already knew the rescue plan, and the murderer was a part of it. The killer’s slip led to this case. Even if Governor Shen was a fake, he would still have to try to protect the murderer, making the child a scapegoat.

The final possibility: the murder itself was part of the rescue plan.

Judging from the scene, the first seemed least likely. There were many ways to pass a message, and this seemed a poor choice.

That left two options. From a professional standpoint, Lu Zhou leaned toward the third, since mistakes by real infiltrators were rare—no true professional could be so clumsy. But all would become clear soon enough.

“The coroner determined the weapon was a sickle?” He flipped through the file, questioning the constable.

“That’s right.”

“And the sickle itself?”

“We didn’t find the weapon at the scene. We searched a ten-mile radius and found neither the weapon nor any trace of its destruction. The coroner deduced it was a sickle from the wounds.”

The constable thought this new advisor was a bit slow; everything he was asking was clearly written in the file.

“I mean, did you collect the sickles from all six households?”

Only then did the constable grasp what Lu Zhou was after and quickly shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Then go fetch them.”

“At once.”

Soon after, dozens of sickles were laid out on the ground before them.

Lu Zhou glanced over them, picked one up, and weighed it in his hand. “Whose is this?”

“It belongs to Wang Er’s family.”

Wang Er, kneeling on the ground, blanched, but quickly composed himself.

Lu Zhou pretended not to notice.

“What grudge is there between Wang Er and Old Man Xu?” he asked, returning the sickle to its place.

“A couple of days ago, some saw them arguing in an alley,” the constable replied, pointing to a middle-aged man kneeling in the center. “This is Wang Er, Advisor. If you wish to know more, you can question him directly.”

“Oh?” Lu Zhou turned to Wang Er. “What were you fighting about?”

“He took two plots of my land. We argued.”

This answer was also in the file.

Lu Zhou pressed on, “And the yield of those two plots in a year?”

“Four bushels of grain.”

“And four bushels fetch how much silver?”

“Six strings of cash, or six and a half in a good year.”

“Is six strings of cash worth a man’s life?”

“I did not kill anyone, sir.” Wang Er replied promptly.

Lu Zhou nodded in satisfaction. By now, his suspicions had sharpened. He favored the second possibility: an unprofessional agent.

He turned to the woman clutching her child in grief. “Are there any latrines nearby? Ones with lots of flies?”

“Latrines?” The woman, wiping her tears, looked confused. “There is one, but this late in autumn, flies are hard to find…”

Suddenly, the child piped up, “Mother, there are flies in our cellar. I was hiding there the other day, that’s why no one found me.”

Lu Zhou had the constables bring the sickles and led the group to the family’s cellar. When the door was opened, a swarm of flies buzzed out.

He laid the sickles in a row. Soon enough, one sickle was covered with flies—the one belonging to Wang Er.

The constables instantly understood, shouting, “Wang Er is the killer!”

Wang Er’s face went deathly pale. Shen Changbai, standing aside, looked thunderstruck.

The villagers broke into uproar. How could such a simple method have eluded everyone? Flies are drawn to blood, so once the murder weapon was found, the killer would be exposed.

The case that the muddled governor nearly mishandled was solved in a few words by the new advisor. Who could have guessed that the usually honest Wang Er was the murderer?

Then, from the crowd, a cry rang out—

“Look! Wang Er is dead!”

The face of the dead is never pleasant; his was twisted and hideous, his eyes bulging with malice.

Lu Zhou sighed. “He died quickly enough.”

Wang Er, overcome with guilt, had killed himself.

Shen Changbai harshly pronounced judgment, but with Wang Er dead, the matter was closed.

Lu Zhou, however, was not so easily satisfied.

Wang Er had remained too composed throughout the interrogation, answering without hesitation, unlike most commoners faced with questioning. Even if the killing of Old Man Xu was an accident, he had already prepared a response—albeit a flawed one.

When the evidence was presented, Wang Er decisively took poison—a sign of a professional. But what ordinary villager keeps poison on hand?

Lu Zhou did not pursue the matter further. His instincts told him that Wang Er was likely one of those sent to rescue Shen Changbai. For such rescues, commoners were more useful than cultivators, who would immediately arouse the Imperial Guard’s suspicions in Shen Prefecture.

And so, half the sickle murder case was resolved. At least the murder itself was clear. As for the motive—Wang Er was dead. What was the point in chasing it further?

…

The Inspectorate.

In the study.

“Jin’er, have you truly touched the threshold of the Tribulation Crossing realm?” Chao Lu asked gravely, though his tone betrayed a hint of delight.

To reach the ninth rank of the Returning Void realm and glimpse the next level before thirty was a feat to rival any genius in the Central Continent’s history.

Chao Jin’er nodded gently. In her recent training, she had sensed an imminent breakthrough, but was uncertain and had come to consult Chao Lu.

“The Tribulation Crossing realm is unlike the previous stages, which have nine ranks. There are only three levels, each marked by a heavenly thunder trial. If you succeed, you will become a Celestial Immortal. Jin’er, you must work hard and not disappoint your father.”

“I understand, Father.”

Chao Lu clasped his hands behind his back, gazing at the dusk outside, his features stern and regal, a heroic resolve filling his heart. If Chao Jin’er attained the Celestial Immortal rank, his own status in Shuo Kingdom would rise even higher.

Just then, hurried footsteps echoed outside. Anger, just returned, entered and reported all that had happened in Qingxi Village.

“You’re saying Lu Zhou found the murderer?”

“Yes. Wang Er met with the Embroidered-Clothes Envoy’s handler a few days ago and was overheard by Old Man Xu. Xu refused to admit it when confronted, so Wang Er silenced him. Shen Changbai tried to shield Wang Er, but Lu Zhou interfered. Though Wang Er cleaned the sickle, the scent of blood lingered, and the flies led straight to the murder weapon.”

“That’s just the weapon—it doesn’t prove Wang Er killed anyone.”

“Wang Er was clearly rattled.”

“Why would Shen Changbai bring Lu Zhou along… This Lu Zhou is a real troublemaker, foiling not only the Embroidered-Clothes Envoy, but our own plans as well.”

“Sir, the Envoys are unlikely to send just one team.”

“I hope they send more.” Chao Lu mused. “Go and tell Lu Zhou to stay out of Shen Changbai’s affairs from now on.” He glanced at Chao Jin’er, then sent a voice message to Anger: “And have your informant investigate Lu Zhou’s background again.”

Though he looked down on Lu Zhou, this recent display had improved his opinion—but it had also deepened his suspicion.

“Yes, sir.”

Anger nodded and withdrew.

He had not yet left the courtyard when he saw Chao Jin’er, draped in a yellow cloak, following him out of the study.

“Young lady?”

A cold wind stirred her hair. She glanced at Anger and said coolly, “The case you discussed with Father just now—I found it rather interesting. Would you mind telling me all the details…”