Chapter 2: Demon Haunting

Xu New Year frowned, “What do you need this for.”

I want to solve the case …. Xu Qi’an said in a deep voice, “I want to know what happened in the case and die with an understanding. Otherwise I’m not willing.”

If he directly said that he had solved the case, Xu Xinxin would probably think that he was in over his head, so Xu Qi’an changed his words.

After all, the original Xu Qi’an was stubborn and headstrong.

Xu New Year pondered for a moment and said, “I’ve read the dossier, so I can tell you …..”

These days for the Xu family to run, the case is too big, no one dares to help, begging for help, under the helplessness of no door, Xu New Year to change the idea, trying to recover the tax silver from this aspect of the breakthrough.

Relying on the Xu family’s original connections and the relationship with the academy, as well as the silver, Xu New Year bought out the officials of the Jingzhao Prefecture to transcribe the dossier for him.

But he had no experience in criminal judgment, investigation, etc. and had no choice but to give up.

Xu Qi’an raised his hand to interrupt, “Go write it down, there’s no point in dictating.”

All the details of the case are in the words, which need to be deliberated and chewed on, and the brain can’t think and analyze calmly if it’s partially distracted from listening.

Xu Qi’an’s logical reasoning skills had always ridden high in his previous life, being the top of his class.

In the past, Xu Xinxin would not have taken him on, remembering that the brothers’ farewell this time might be goodbye forever.

He granted his older brother’s last request and whispered, “Wait a moment.”

Sprint away.

The footsteps disappeared into the corridor, and Xu Qi’an sat down with her back against the fence, her heart apprehensive and complicated.

He wasn’t sure about flipping, wanting to solve the case was lustful, and the reluctance was real.

It was the only way to save myself that I could think of, so I had to try and hang on for dear life.

Crime scene investigation, surveillance, and autopsy are three essential components of modern criminal investigation techniques.

No one is dead in the case of the missing tax money, there’s no surveillance in ancient times, and he’s so deep in prison that he’s not in a position to access any of the above three elements.

The good thing is that the dossier restores the crime scene to some extent.

While digesting the original owner’s memories, he forced himself to get rid of all negative emotions, only a calm brain can have clear thoughts and complete rigorous reasoning.

“Whether we die or live depends on what comes next ….” He muttered.

As the time for the burning of an incense stick gradually passed, Xu New Year hurriedly returned and handed him a few sheets of rice paper whose ink had not yet dried.

“Time’s up, I have to go.” Xu New Year hesitated and said, “Take care of yourself.”

Xu Qi’an didn’t reply, his gaze already drawn to the handwriting on the rice paper.

Time was rushed, the handwriting on the paper was cursive, if Xu Qi’an hadn’t read a few years of private school, he wouldn’t have been able to recognize these ghostly drawings at all.

“Reading is still useful, the original is mainly an illiterate ….. Finish scattering flowers.” Xu Qi’an laughed to himself.

Here’s what happened in the case of the missing tax money:

[Three days ago at two o’clock (six thirty in the morning), Xu Pingzhi escorted a batch of tax silver into the capital, a quarter of an hour, traveled to Guangnan Street, just across the bridge, suddenly set off a strange wind, the horses were frightened, rushed into the river on the side of the street.

In a moment, deafening explosions came, and the river blew up six feet high with turbid waves.

The soldiers in charge of escorting the tax silver leaped into the river to look for the silver, and only recovered twelve hundred and fifteen taels of silver, the rest of the silver disappeared …..]

In addition to the crime, there are also confessions from passersby and confessions from the soldiers involved in the escort, which were searched by the capital city.

Among the string of confessions, Xu Qi’an noticed a phrase outlined in red vermilion pen: demons are haunting!

“Demons haunting?!” Xu Qi’an’s pupils shrank as his heart sank to the bottom.

……

Jingzhao Mansion, back room.

After three consecutive days of running around and hustling, the three principals in the case of the missing tax money are gathered together.

Chen Hanguang, the governor of Jingzhao, is holding a white porcelain and blue flower tealight in his hand, the tea lid gently knocking against the rim of the cup, and his face is grave.

This official of the fourth rank, who wore scarlet robes and embroidered cloud geese, sighed softly, “There are still two days to go, the saint has ordered us to recover the tax silver before Xu Pingzhi’s beheading, so both of you, your excellencies, will have to hurry up.”

The two in the mouth of Chen Fu Yin were middle-aged men wearing black uniforms and basalt-colored cloaks, with high noses, slightly sunken eyes, and light brown pupils.

Half southern barbarian.

Another googly-eyed young girl in a yellow dress, with picturesque eyebrows and skin that looked as if it was creamy and glowing.

She held a sugar cane in her hand, a small deerskin pouch as well as an eight trigrams feng shui disk around her waist, and a pair of tiny boots embroidered with cloud patterns under the hem of her skirt.

One swing at a time.

These two, who are assisting in the case, are a middle-aged man named Li Yuchun, who comes from an organization that is scorned by the officials of Da Bong: the Shiftman.

The organization, ‘The Night Watchman’, was engaged in activities such as reconnaissance, arrest and interrogation. It was also involved in gathering military intelligence and turning enemy generals.

It is not part of the six ministries, nor is it part of the military system.

It is the intelligence organization of the royal family and the guillotine that hangs over the heads of the hundred officials.

All the officials of the Dae Bong have heard the saying that if you don’t do anything wrong during the day, you are not afraid of the night watchman.

And that yellow-skirted girl is a person from the Si Tian Supervisor, her status is not low, the disciple of the Si Tian Supervisor.

The middle-aged man with a silver gong embroidered on his chest glanced at the bagasse spat out by the yellow-skirted girl spread out by his feet, frowned, and with a spin of his palm, the air currents rolled and gathered those bagasse in one place.

The middle-aged man nodded slightly, showing a flash of pleasure.

Only then did he reply to Minister Chen with a heavy face, “This case is cloudy and foggy, it’s very odd, maybe we’re going in the wrong direction.”

“Where does Lord Li begin with this statement.” Prefect Chen frowned, the case dissected to this point, basically locking in the fact that it was a demonic creature that had haunted and robbed the tax silver.

“We don’t have much time left, and what we should do today is to catch the demonic creatures that are in rebellion as soon as possible, don’t think about this nonsense.” Prefect Chen said.

In recent years, the treasury is empty, there are often disasters in various places, 150,000 taels of tax silver is equivalent to an ordinary county, a year’s tax revenue.

His Majesty’s anger is understandable.

I don’t have any money in the first place, and you’re still giving me a hard time, I’m so mad at you.

Chen Fu Yin diligently took over the case, the burden on his shoulders pressed him to eat and sleep poorly recently.

The middle-aged man shook his head without arguing, and turned to say, “What’s new at Xu Pingzhi’s place?”

Prefect Chen shook his head, “A martial artist, he would only mumble about the injustice, he doesn’t even know how the tax silver was lost.”

The yellow-skirted girl faintly said, “I have observed his ‘qi’ and did not lie.”

Li Yuchun and Prefect Chen nodded and did not continue to talk about this person.

As a criminal, Xu Pingzhi took the brunt of the investigation, torture, interpersonal and financial status, etc., have been touched once. Coupled with the SZTD’s lookout technique, the suspicion has been ruled out at the moment.

Of course, the tax silver is lost, Xu Pingzhi dereliction of duty, death penalty.

The middle-aged man and Prefect Chen had serious faces and heavy hearts.

Only the yellow-skirted girl with the least stress was mindlessly nibbling on sugar cane.

At that moment, the sound of footsteps came, and a magistrate came in hurriedly, holding a small bamboo tube in his right hand, and carrying a buttered paper bag in his left hand, in which was a large steaming meat bun.

The magistrate handed over the bamboo tube first.

The girl in the yellow dress didn’t take it, like the bright eyes containing stars, glancing at the big meat bag.

The magistrate had the good sense to change the order, and the yellow-skirted girl joyfully nibbled on the big meat bun, and only then did she take the bamboo tube, drew out a slip of paper, and unfolded it to read:

“My men say that no demonic aura has been observed within the river for twenty miles along the route, and there is no trace of it on the banks.”

“Pop!”

The suppressed atmosphere finally exploded, and Prefect Chen angrily slapped the table, his face turning blue with anger: ”One hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver, where can it be taken to? It has to come ashore, it has to come ashore. It’s been three days, not even a trace of the other party has been found.”

“Damn it, what kind of evil creature dares to intercept my Dabong tax money, this official will make it perish!”

Tax silver can not be recovered, he has to take the blame, the emperor will not care about his commission or not, the ass sat in this position, you have to take the blame.

Officialdom is like that, it’s easy to climb up and fall down after all the hard work.

Middle-aged Li Yuchun exhaled a breath and renewed what he had just said, “Could it be that we’re investigating in the wrong direction, and it might not be the work of a demon.”

Prefect Chen looked at him and took a deep breath to suppress the irritation in his heart, “If it wasn’t a demonic creature, how did that demonic wind come? When silver enters the river, how does it disappear into thin air, and how does it blow up water waves several feet high, cracking both banks.”