The battle for the throne in Kowloon starts with the steady prince

Chapter 218: Applying Makeup and Powder, the Mastermind Emerges (Seeking Monthly Tickets and Reading)

Qin Changge, Xie Buyan, Ye Hanzhou, and others arrived at the cosmetics shop and inquired with the shop assistant.

"Do you have any scholar customers here?" Xie Buyan asked.

The shop assistant hesitated for a moment, then said, "Reporting to you gentlemen, our cosmetics shop has many customers, including many scholars."

Qin Changge nodded. After all, everyone has a love for beauty, which is normal.

Qin Changge asked, "Are there any scholar customers who use osmanthus perfume?"

Upon hearing this, the shop assistant shook his head and said, "My lord, our shop does not sell osmanthus perfume."

Upon hearing this, Qin Changge, Xie Buyan, Ye Hanzhou, and the others all raised their eyebrows, somewhat surprised.

Qin Changge led Xie Buyan, Ye Hanzhou, and the others away from the cosmetics shop. Then Qin Changge said, "If that's the case, our search area is gradually shrinking."

"Find a cosmetics shop that sells osmanthus perfume and inquire about the origins of that handsome scholar."

Xie Buyan, Ye Hanzhou, and the others clasped their hands and said, "Yes, sir."

Afterwards, everyone split up and searched for cosmetic shops in the capital to question them.

Half a day later, the group returned to the vicinity of Yanxia Tower. Qin Changge asked, "Did you find out?"

Xie Buyan clasped his hands and said, "Reporting to the captain, I asked three shops. One of them sells osmanthus-scented cosmetics, but there were no scholar customers."

Ye Hanzhou clasped his hands and said, "I asked three shops, and although they also sell osmanthus-scented cosmetics, there were no scholar customers."

Everyone else gave the same answer.

Qin Changge frowned and said, "In other words, that scholar did not buy the cosmetics himself."

Upon hearing this, Qin Changge, Xie Buyan, Ye Hanzhou, and the others felt somewhat helpless. If that were the case, it would be a huge problem, as the clues would be lost.

At this moment, Qin Changge said, "If the lead through the cosmetics shop is lost, we will have no choice but to go through the academy."

Qin Changge said, "We've identified a group of people through cosmetics, so let's filter out another group through the academy."

"Which of the candidates taking the imperial examination this year at the academy used osmanthus-scented perfume and cosmetics? That's what we need to investigate."

Qin Changge said, "Now let's go to the Ministry of Rites to check the list of candidates for this imperial examination."

Xie Buyan, Ye Hanzhou, and the others clasped their hands in acceptance of the order.

Qin Changge led his team to the Ministry of Rites, then took out his Golden Knife Patrolman's identification token before entering the hall and meeting the Minister of Rites.

Qin Changge clasped his hands and said, "Your Excellency, we need to know the list of candidates for this imperial examination. Please show it to us."

The Minister of Rites waved his hand and said, "Go find the Vice Minister of Rites; he will cooperate with you."

Qin Changge nodded without saying anything more.

Although Qin Changge possessed the identity token of a Golden Knife Constable, he was actually wearing silver armor, proving that his identity was merely that of a Silver Knife Constable. Given this, the Minister of Rites wouldn't necessarily give him much face; his cooperation was already quite an achievement.

If Qin Changge wants to have a good complexion, she still needs to practice more.

Soon, Qin Changge and the others arrived at the office of the Vice Minister of Rites and found him.

The Vice Minister of Rites gave Qin Changge the list of candidates for this imperial examination, and then Qin Changge and the others left the Ministry of Rites.

Xie Buyan looked at the list with some surprise and said, "There are more than 300 people in total. If we have to check them one by one, won't that take a very long time?"

Qin Changge said, "It's better than having no target at all. Let's investigate one by one."

Qin Changge addressed the members of the Silver Knife Squad, saying, "Each of you will be assigned to a group of about fifty people. Go and check if they are using osmanthus-scented perfume." "Yes, sir!" Xie Buyan and Ye Hanzhou clasped their hands in obeisance and accepted the order.

Qin Changge returned to Room 12 in the Ren section of the Golden Knife Guard headquarters and sat cross-legged to meditate and cultivate.

Qin Changge didn't need to do the mechanical and repetitive work of finding people. As the team leader, he only needed to keep the direction in mind and then give orders.

If Qin Changge did everything himself, he would probably be exhausted, and his cultivation would remain stagnant.

Qin Changge used the Heaven-Mending Elixir to cultivate, and his cultivation level increased rapidly. He has already broken through to the peak of the mid-stage of the Divine Illumination Realm, and is not far from the late stage of the Divine Illumination Realm.

The very next day, Qin Changge received a report from Xie Buyan, Ye Hanzhou, and others.

Xie Buyan said, "Reporting to the captain, we have searched through the list of more than three hundred candidates for the imperial examination and found that none of them have the scent of osmanthus perfume."

Qin Changge frowned: "Are you sure?"

Xie Buyan, Ye Hanzhou, and the others clasped their hands in a fist and said, "Confirmed."

Qin Changge frowned, which meant that the clues had gone cold again.

Qin Changge thought for a moment and said, "Then let's go back to the vicinity of Yanxia Tower and review the situation."

"Yes!" Xie Buyan, Ye Hanzhou, and the others clasped their hands in acceptance and followed Qin Changge to Yanxia Tower.

Yanxia Tower, this is where everything began. It was here that the old Taoist priest Murong Guihe received the handsome scholar's mission. But why did this handsome scholar come to Yanxia Tower to find someone?
Could it just be a coincidence? Yanxia Tower wasn't a place the handsome scholar frequented.

Qin Changge led his team members on a leisurely stroll around the vicinity of Yanxia Tower. As he walked, lost in thought, Qin Changge suddenly caught a whiff of osmanthus perfume.

Qin Changge asked, "Are there cosmetic shops around here?"

At this moment, Xie Buyan, Ye Hanzhou, and other team members looked left and right and said, "There's no cosmetics shop, but there is an osmanthus cake shop."

Qin Changge's eyes lit up and she said, "That's right, the scent of osmanthus perfume is one aspect, but it doesn't mean that you have to wear makeup to have the scent of osmanthus perfume."

Upon hearing this, Xie Buyan, Ye Hanzhou, and the others immediately realized what was happening.

Xie Buyan said, "In other words, the other party may have just happened to buy osmanthus cake on that day."

Qin Changge shook his head and said, "If it were just osmanthus cake, the smell on your body wouldn't be so strong."

Xie Buyan, Ye Hanzhou, and the others were slow to react and couldn't figure out what Qin Changge meant.

Qin Changge said, "Search the osmanthus cake shop and the people who make osmanthus cakes, find out where they live, and then search their neighborhood for any scholars."

Upon hearing this, Xie Buyan, Ye Hanzhou, and the others immediately realized what was happening.

In other words, it is very likely that a scholar lived next to an osmanthus cake shop or an osmanthus cake workshop, which is why he was exposed to the fragrance of osmanthus.

"Yes!" Xie Buyan, Ye Hanzhou, and the others accepted the order and continued searching for the handsome scholar who smelled of osmanthus perfume.

Qin Changge then returned to room number twelve in the Human Zone to continue her cultivation.

Everything has its priorities. For Qin Changge, his immediate priority is to cultivate to the God-King realm and then return to save the Tianqian Continent. Everything else has to take a backseat, even something as important as being promoted to Golden Blade Patrolman.

Half a day later, Xie Buyan, Ye Hanzhou, and the others returned to room number twelve in the Ren section to report back.

"Captain, we've found him! We've found the scholar!" Xie Buyan said.

Qin Changge stood up and said, "Then let's go and meet this mastermind."

(End of this chapter)