Minglong

Chapter 175 The Wizard Capture Plan!

The next day, the weather cleared up.

During the period of national mourning, white lanterns were hung on both sides of the street, and all entertainment venues were closed, making the huge city look somewhat deserted.

After serving Wanyi, Xie Jinhuan carried the large, wobbly coal ball to the Wan'an County Government Office. After making a few inquiries, he learned that Uncle Fei and the others were in the morgue.

The mummified corpse case is too complicated. Since Yip Sai Wing was arrested, the case has been transferred to the Imperial Observatory and the Red Scale Guard, and the corpse has been moved there. Now, the corpses inside are all new ones that no one recognizes.

Yang Dabiao went to the capital on a business trip. Because he participated in many things along the way, he received a generous reward from the imperial court. After the case was over, he should have gone home to be with his wife and children.

But with his brother soaring to great heights, Yang Dabiao felt he would miss out on a bright future if he turned back now. Therefore, he continued to freeload at the county government office, and was currently chatting idly with Fiji in the morgue:

"I'm not bragging, but that ghost cultivator's neck was as stiff as an iron tree. Luckily, I'm strong..."

"Alright, you've been repeating this over and over for half a month. Look at how many demons and monsters Jin Huan has killed and how much he's shown off to others!"

"Jin Huan just doesn't show off in front of us. But when he's with his confidante, who knows, right, Lord Linghu?"

"?"

……

Just by listening to the voice, Xie Jinhuan could imagine Mo Mo's expression—"slightly cold eyes, unsmiling"—as she approached the morgue and looked around.

Inside the room, Mo Mo was dressed like an ice queen constable, standing silently to the side with her sword in her arms. She seemed cold and indifferent, but the hairpin he had given her was adorning her head, and the small hair ornament was indeed beautiful.

Uncle Fei and Yang Dabiao stood aside chatting idly, watching the two Taoist priests examine the corpse.

When the coal ball saw a familiar face, it shook its head and greeted them:
"Gujiguji~"

Everyone turned around, and Yang Dabiao saw his brother and quickly went forward:
"Oh my goodness~ You, a dignified marquis, why are you personally coming to the yamen to examine a corpse..."

Fiji was also very happy about his nephew being granted a title, but upon hearing Yang Dabiao's outrageous words, he couldn't help but chime in:

"So we should just send the corpse to your residence?"

Xie Jinhuan found it somewhat amusing. After greeting them, he stood in front of Mo Mo and looked at the corpse that the group was examining.

The corpse was male, dressed in martial arts attire, and had been dried out by the Yuan-stealing technique, with no obvious external injuries.

Linghu Qingmo was hugged and kissed for half an hour yesterday, and couldn't sleep all night. She wanted to ignore him, but her boyfriend was too capable, so after a slight hesitation, she asked him:

"Did you notice anything?"

Xie Jinhuan could tell from the ghost wife that the person who died from the Netherworld God Cult's Yuan-stealing technique wasn't particularly powerful, but he wasn't sure if she was a surviving henchman or a newly arrived demon bandit. He inquired:
Where was the body found?

Yang Dabiao crossed his arms and replied, "He died in Xiaoyao Cave in the middle of the night yesterday, and his body was only discovered this morning. Xiaoyao Cave is a gathering place for all sorts of people at night, so it's impossible to investigate if someone dies there. It's only because he died from sorcery that things are getting tense, and someone anonymously tipped him off."

Fiji's brow was furrowed with worry: "About six or seven days ago, mummies began appearing frequently within the territory of Jingzhao Prefecture, in unpredictable locations. The Imperial Observatory suspects that the remnants of the He family, having lost their 'blood slave' supply, could no longer suppress their thirst for blood and thus began to commit crimes. It is likely that there will be more and more of them in the future..."

Xie Jinhuan found it difficult to determine the direction of pursuit given the random nature of these demonic bandits. After observing for a moment, he looked around:

"Master Jingkong didn't come?"

“Master Jingkong is now under the jurisdiction of Huguo Temple, which is responsible for Daxing County in the west. I thought that ‘Monk Jibei’ should also go there, but he had too many worries and they didn’t want him.”

"Get out of my way..."

……

Linghu Qingmo was slightly puzzled. After a moment's consideration, he pulled Xie Jinhuan outside:
"Why are you looking for Buddhist monks? Master Jingkong is only good at comforting people; he's not as good at solving cases as you..."

Seeing Mo Mo walk towards a secluded spot, Xie Jinhuan naturally reached for the very beautiful horse-face skirt:
"I just want some Vajra Dew to refine a mortal-transforming elixir."

?

Linghu Qingmo took a few steps to the side, his brows furrowed:
"The Transcendent Pill is an external elixir of the Alchemy School, requiring thirty-six drops of Vajra Dew as its ingredient. Vajra Dew is collected from the dew condensed on the Bodhi tree during the peak of Yang energy each year. The only place near Jingzhao Prefecture that has it is at Fanyun Temple, and only two or three drops are obtained annually. It's difficult for you to obtain, and besides..."

Xie Jinhuan moved closer to continue admiring the dress:

"And what?"

Linghu Qingmo grabbed Hu Lai's small hand, his eyes slightly cold, but he still explained:
“I heard from Ling’er a few days ago that Fanyun Temple wants to build a Ziyun Temple in Danzhou, right next to my Zihui Mountain. Originally, Uncle Zhang’s elimination of He Guozhang was considered a redemption for the Huaijiang Bay case, but now Huguo Temple and Sect Leader Lu are on the same level and are pushing this matter hard. Our sect hasn’t given us a reply yet. This is blatant land grabbing…”

Xie Jinhuan had never heard of this matter, so after thinking for a moment, he asked:

"It's already September, and Sect Leader Nangong still hasn't returned?"

Linghu Qingmo was also a little confused:
“I wrote to ask, and Uncle Zhang said that he came back some time ago, but went to take care of some business, and his whereabouts are still unknown.”

Xie Jinhuan knew the persona of the Sect Leader Nangong—a peerless swordsman famous throughout the country, the second-ranked patriarch of Danzhou, the strongest first-class warrior who had slain countless demons and evil spirits, and his dream lover whom he had heard about since childhood!

Such a celestial being should be similar to the Golden Armored Elder Sister of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, always appearing and disappearing like a dragon, busy with important affairs of the world, so it's normal that she has no time to visit relatives and friends in the capital.

Unlike his family's ice cream, which, although also top-grade, requires him to sip on it for half a month after a single move...

"Since there is a conflict between Buddhism and Zihui Mountain, it is indeed difficult to obtain the Vajra Dew. Is there any other place near Jingzhao Prefecture where this thing can be found?"

Linghu Qingmo certainly didn't want her boyfriend to have any ties with Buddhism, but she also couldn't completely obstruct Xie Jinhuan's cultivation. She secretly weighed her options:

“Vajra Dew is precious, but not as rare as immortal herbs. I’ll ask my sect if we can borrow some from elsewhere. Just pay it back as soon as possible.”

"Borrow..." Xie Jinhuan felt like she was overspending like crazy, and her credit limit was almost maxed out.

We still owe Wanyi the complete Martial Arts Manual, a Jiazi Lotus from Bingtuozi, and thirty-six drops of Vajra Dew from Zihui Mountain. If something really goes wrong and the funding chain is cut off, I'm afraid I'll have to go bankrupt on the spot and sell myself to pay off my debts.

However, this is how a tycoon in cultivation plays: when others are fearful, I am greedy; I use future profits to frantically expand the scale of investment, and then use the current scale to boost future profits. It's all about leverage!

How can someone who diligently follows the rules and practices so diligently outdo their peers?

"Okay, then please ask for me. Thank you for your help."

"What's so hard about it..."

Linghu Qingmo was about to be polite when she discovered that Xie Jinhuan, to thank her, leaned down and kissed her!
boo~
?

Linghu Qingmo's face flushed red. She quickly looked back, afraid of being discovered by Yang Dabiao and the others, and decided to stop playing with her boyfriend who was taking food and gifts.
"I'll contact them for you, you go ahead and do your work."

Xie Jinhuan watched the graceful horse-face skirt leave, then returned to the morgue and examined the body with Da Biaozi and the others.

He had originally planned to treat his colleagues from the yamen to a meal at a restaurant after he finished his business.

But before the midday break, Constable Xiao Wang ran in from outside and whispered in my ear:

"Young Master Xie, a servant from the Lin family just came to report that Doctor Lin wants you to come over immediately, as there is an urgent matter."

"Ok?"

Xie Jinhuan frowned, sensing that something was wrong.

He had just said goodbye to Wanyi in the morning. Wanyi went to use the Seven Star Nails to undo the magic and replace the lotus with the Jiazi Lotus.

If they're talking about urgent matters now, it's very likely that the transaction has gone wrong. If Crescent Moon Manor takes advantage of him without giving anything in return, wouldn't his debts be exposed? He quickly bid farewell to everyone and headed back to the Lin family...
-
Half an hour later, at Xiaoyao Cave.

The bird feed shop in the grocery market was closed. Two apprentices from Crescent Moon Manor, disguised as servants, were gathering information in the market.

The back door of the shop was wide open, and the study on the second floor was in complete disarray. All the valuables had been looted, leaving only the "Crescent Moon Landscape Painting" hanging forlornly on the wall.

Xie Jinhuan crouched at the top of the stairs, examining the broken lenses and eyeglass frames on the stairs, his brow furrowed.

The good news is that the solution hasn't been sent out yet, and Crescent Moon Manor hasn't breached the contract.

But the bad news is that this big 'black market businessman' has been kidnapped!
Bu Hanying was his key informant for selling stolen goods, gathering information, and contacting people in southern Xinjiang. Isn't this a bit too much to mess with at the last minute?

Lin Wanyi, dressed as a witch in a black cloak, revealed a fair face with glasses beneath the hood, her eyes brimming with tears and worry.

"I hadn't even prepared to come here this morning when my disciple ran over to report that Uncle Bu had gone missing. The Free and Unfettered Cave is a very chaotic place, and our Gu Poison Sect is easy to bully. Could Uncle Bu be gone already?"

Xie Jinhuan felt that the odds were against him.

After all, Xiaoyao Cave is a black market. People move around here at night and rely on their own abilities. Bu Hanying is also a poison rat from the Gu Poison Sect. If something happens to him, his subordinates dare not report it to the authorities. Once he disappears, apart from becoming a blood slave, puppet, or little ghost, he has no other value.

But Bu Hanying was, after all, Wanyi's family, so Xie Jinhuan couldn't say anything discouraging. He stood up, put his arm around Wanyi's shoulder, and comforted her.

"Don't worry, I'll find their whereabouts as soon as possible. If the perpetrators can be pieced together afterward, it's because I've been merciful."

Lin Wanyi called Bu Hanying her "Shishu" (a term of respect for a senior martial arts master), and they had kept in touch for many years. His sudden disappearance, coupled with the ransacking of his home, naturally angered her. After thinking for a moment, she said:

“I heard from Uncle-Master Bu that there used to be a Blood Rain Tower assassin named Wei Kun, and the Thief Saint Bai Zhan, who would often come to his door to intimidate him. Do you think it could be those two who did it? If they dare to touch anyone from my Crescent Moon Manor, I’ll make sure Master issues a kill order in the martial arts world…”

Eh?
Xie Jinhuan supported her back and said softly:

“A martial arts expert would kill someone on the spot. If they can capture someone, it's either for extortion or for some other purpose. They shouldn't die for now. I'll take you back first and investigate thoroughly later. Stay home for the next couple of days, be careful, and don't go out unnecessarily.”

Lin Wanyi felt a little less uneasy after the man comforted her. She put on her veil and went out with Xie Jinhuan.
"I feel like it's the legendary thief Bai Zhan. Last time, Uncle Bu secretly changed locations without telling him, and he was so fierce that he arrested seven or eight drug dealers in one night to find out where they were..."

"Sigh, Uncle Bu made a deal with someone and didn't pay tens of thousands of taels of silver. In the end, he moved away without saying a word. We can't entirely say that the other party was wrong..."

……

While the two chatted, Xie Jinhuan also kept an eye on the surroundings.

Before they could even leave the cave of carefree joy, the ghost wife appeared beside them, frowning and saying:

"This isn't just a simple robbery; it seems they're specifically targeting sorcerers. That person is also a henchman of the Gu poison sect."

Xie Jinhuan followed the gaze and saw a servant running around like a headless fly in a side alley, looking anxious.

Upon seeing this, he carried Wanyi and leaped onto the house, reaching the depths of a side alley where he could see a medicinal herb workshop nearby.

Inside the workshop's accounting office, there were signs of ransacking everywhere, and a dead black snake lay on the floor.

Lin Wanyi's expression changed drastically when she saw the black snake on the ground:
"It seems someone has gone missing from Chilong Cave as well. What's going on?"

Seeing this, Xie Jinhuan felt that someone was specifically targeting powerful wizards.

Because the Gu Poison Sect is a clandestine organization in the capital, they dare not publicize their disappearances openly, and there may be more than just one or two missing persons.

But what's the point of capturing people from the Gu poison faction?

Xie Jinhuan considered the matter briefly and realized it might not be simple. After carefully observing the traces, he quickly left Xiaoyao Cave with Wanyi...

(End of this chapter)